one hundred and fifty six

Over the past year we have asked an awful lot of our girls. We put our house on the market, packed up half our house into storage, promised we’d move in with their grandparents and expected the house to stay clean for unexpected showings.

They’ve hung in there.

Over the past three months we’ve asked all of the above, plus so much more. We’ve spent endless hours packing and cleaning, put 90% of our (their) things into storage. We destroyed their old swingset, dismantled and tossed their bunk bed and freecycled a huge amount of their (our) unused things.

They’ve hung in there.

In the past three weeks we’ve moved, but not in with the grandparents. We’re living in a tiny space and they’re sleeping in the ‘bunk closet’. Their familiar routines have been sporadic at best and every day we’re working on ‘how we live now’. All of our plans have been tentative as we waited for a closing date and time. Then we waited again after it was canceled. And then again.

They’ve hung in there…and matured.

In the past three days we’ve had two closing dates. We left the park (and friends) early to make it on the first day. They hardly complained. When the appointment was canceled they paused, realizing that delaying one day would conflict with a much anticipated birthday party. First they worried, then they were sad. They wanted to continue the card and gift making, ‘just in case.’

Two girls left the house today in their “party dresses” with gifts in hand. They had already made contingency plans should they miss the party, “maybe we can stop by tomorrow.” At 12pm there was no plan. They didn’t dare hope as they told the librarians who asked about their dresses, “we might be going to a party” At 1pm we heard the closing was set for 2. We left the library, picked up Peter and by 3pm we had finished selling our house.

They were as patient and as quiet as two party dress-wearing, excited little girls could be as we signed the papers. They have weathered this process with far more maturity than I would have ever expected them to, and they were rewarded with cupcakes and treats and games at a birthday party that they did not miss.

They hung in there…and they’re amazing.

I am so blessed to have these sweet gals to spend time with, to adventure with, to commiserate with, and to grow with. They have rolled with the punches. They have been amazingly patient and they understand that when I say “I do not know if we can do [insert activity]. I can’t promise, but I will try my best…” I really do mean it. They are as big a part of this process as we are and they are thriving despite it all.