My Madness as a Stay at Home Mom

My Madness as a Stay at Home Mom

Monday, May 30, 2016

Lubbock or Leave it

So much can happen when you don't update your blog in seven months. Time flies when you are having fun, or something like that. We have had some major life changes in the Bading household, in what felt like one very short year.

As you know back in 2015 I went back to school. Partly out of necessity but I guess at this point that's neither here nor there. As you may know I started my first year as a teacher, teaching 3rd grade at Wood River Elementary School, where Reese attends school. Reese was in 2nd grade this last year and Brynn attended Pre-K at an amazing in home preschool called Mary's Little Lambs. Ryan was working from home as a consultant for Chromatin. Our fall in a nutshell included a few trips to College Station, lots of girl time with Daddy (because Mommy was ALWAYS at school) and lots of mental breakdowns for me thinking how would I ever make it through the first year teaching. It was awesome. I made it to Christmas break and was over the hump I suppose.

Recap: Ryan left Monsanto and began working as a consultant for Chromatin and then in January started as a full time employee. He is doing exactly what he was doing before only for a new company. While he is still breeding sorghum in South Texas, he will now also be working on breeding on the East Coast as well.

 Ryan and I hit the 10 year mark, we celebrated by dropping the kids off with his parents, and actually went away alone for the weekend. It was the first time since our honeymoon we went somewhere without our kids. It was nice. They got to have fun with Oma and Opa...it was a win-win.

A short time later, we were informed that Chromatin wanted all their breeders in one place, so we got word that we were headed west...and by west I mean WEST, as in REALLY far west, to the growing town of Lubbock, Texas. It's really far away.  Over Spring Break we packed up the kids and made the long 8 hour drive to Lubbock to look for houses. Our house was going to go on the market while we were gone. I figured one week of it being spotless would be good, because the thought of having the kids keep it clean for showings was already making me crazy.

We looked for houses, the kids and I, while Ryan worked. Shockingly the kids LOVED every house we looked at. While in Lubbock, we got a call that after one day on the market our house had two offers and by that night we were under contract. What a huge weight off my shoulders!!
 
It must have been all about the timing, because we had seen a BUNCH of houses but nothing was ringing our chimes. Wednesday night we were under contract on our house in Corpus and knew we would officially be homeless after Memorial Day. I got up bright and early the next a.m. and saw a brand new listing that fit all of Ryan's demands and some of mine. We made an offer that afternoon and we were no longer homeless...or so we thought.

From March to May it was a CRAZY time for the Bading family. A few little trips here and there, a lot of denial about having to pack things, and oh that little test the State makes you take in 3rd grade called the STAAR. It's not at all stressful for teachers in 3rd grade at all (I hope you sense my sarcasm because it's pretty thick). We packed the weekend before and after STAAR, and May 10th after STAAR was over I took my first deep breath. The moving company came May 16th and packed us up and we closed on the house here May 18th...second deep breath.

We ended up having to close on the house here in Corpus before school got out, which I do not recommend to anyone ever. It's almost as stress free as the STAAR test. We moved out on the 18th, closed on the house, and left Reese with some friends so she wouldn't miss school. Ryan, Brynn and I drove to Lubbock with a trailer full of stuff and closed on the house in Lubbock May 20th. The moving truck arrived on the 21st , and we left the house with all our stuff in it on the 22nd to head back to Corpus for the last week of school...third deep breath. Our amazing neighbors The Ferguson's let us crash with them for the last week of school.
 
The last week of school was busy. Reese accepted awards for Prefect Attendance, A Honor Roll, Science Fair (1st place in 2nd grade), and the STAR student award for her class. She also got certificates for competing in UIL Storytelling and for being in Choir.

       Sidenote: Over the course of the school year as I mentioned, Reese competed in the Science Fair, she placed 1st at school and went onto Regionals. She also completed in UIL Storytelling and placed 6th in the Region, and also was in Choir. The BIGGEST award of all was that Reese got picked for receiving the Good Character/Citizenship Award. She was picked out of ALL the 2nd graders at our school. She got that award in 1st grade as well and we were very proud of her for getting it in 2nd as well. It is an award they give a student who exemplifies exceptional character traits to his/her peers.

  On the last day of school, Reese and Brynn left with Ryan. Ryan dropped them off at his parents house, and he headed to Lubbock with the dogs. I am in Corpus as I type this finishing out my last week of in-service and will head to Lubbock (stopping to get the girls on the way) on Thursday. Then we will be a family again, all living under the same roof.

  Of course then the fun begin, unpacking and finding a place for everything. Lubbock is a GROWING city. It has more to offer than Corpus and is a college town, housing Texas Tech University. I am looking forward to being back in a college town. It will be nice to have access to sports, shows, and hopefully a vast pool of well educated college students who want to babysit. We live a little bit (about 10 min) outside of Lubbock, on an acre lot, in a home that was built one year ago. There is a pool and a HUGE barn out back.

  I would post pics but our laptop broke and we are in the process of getting it fixed. A new city means having to find new repairs shops etc.

  So if you want to reach us, give us a call (our cell phones are the same...or find us on FB) and we will give you our new address. If you are ever passing through Lubbock let us know, we would love to see you...and we know, Lubbock is VERY far away.