Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Big Move

About a week before we decided Liliana and I would spend the summer in Indianapolis, my parents put their big house up for sale and it sold within a couple of days.  I wasn't very happy about this at first for selfish reasons I will admit.  I was nervous about living in a much smaller house with all of us and about where I would make my Cultured Veggies and store everything.  I was sad because I have felt that my mom's house is the only stable thing Liliana knows in Indiana.  Her life is already so crazy and I have been feeling bad taking that from her.

Well moving day is upon us.  We are officially moving tomorrow, but started taking all our personal items and fragile belongings with us today.  I have been taking Liliana over to the new house and preparing her and talking with her about it.  I don't think she quite comprehends the major life change that is going to happen tomorrow though.  She has been sad watching the big red couch go away on the truck to my aunt's house and she seemed confused when the big dining room table was just gone one day.  She and the dogs are on edge.

But it broke my heart today.  I knew it might be confusing when she saw me packing our suitcases.  Every time I have done that we either go to El Salvador or to Indianapolis.  Well all the way to the house she kept saying "go mami's house, go mami's house."  I asked her where mami's house was and she said "in El Salvador."  It was so sad.  I asked her if she wanted to go home to El Salvador and she said "si, mami."  The way home wasn't any easier.  She saw us leave our bags at the new house, but I don't think she understood.  We called papi on the way home and she told him again how she wanted to go home to El Salvador.  It was hard to explain to her that we have to stay here a little while longer.  She has been doing so well and I think once Eduardo gets his computer fixed and we can Skype it will be a lot easier for her.

But I'm also excited about the move as well.  There are a lot of negative memories in this house for me so it feels like it will be a fresh start.  There is a pool in the neighborhood and a park across the street.  I think it will be good.  We will find out soon...

2 comments:

Amy G said...

Awww, it's going to work out. It will be an adjustment, but things will settle down. My parents (and therefore Lucas and I) just moved to a new house recently. We would take Lucas over to the new house a lot before we moved in, but it didn't really click that we were moving until all was said and done. The first few days he would wake up a bit confused and I would have to explain things. Eventually he got used to it, but sometimes when I would drive in our old neighborhood, he'd say, "I want to go to the old house."

It got even more confusing when we went to birthday cookout at our old next-door neighbor's house. He is normally good about staying in sight even while he plays with other kids, but he kept running out of the backyard saying, "I wanna go home!" One of the other kids told me, "I think he wants to go to the old house!" Fortunately, I know the people who are renting my parents' old house, and he's met them and their little boy, so I told him, "Now it's [their little boy]'s turn to live in that house and we get to live in the new one!" Ever since then, he seems to have gotten it all figured out.

So all that to say, yeah, an adjustment, but with some care and sensitivity, she'll figure it out eventually.

Kelsey said...

Thanks for the support, Amy! Things are working out great!!