Unofficially Official

My husband got his preliminary orders issued today.  So we now know with good certainty where we are headed and when.  Not that it can't change.  Things can always change.  But it isn't likely.  So I am unofficially announcing that we are moving to Dayton, Ohio!

So what now?  In most cases I would take a day or two to process the news of our pending location.  I would go to my trusted websites and research the new town.  I would find out about the crime rates, the demographics, and the elected officials.  I would go to the town's chamber of commerce webpage.  I would do research on the local school system.  I would look at Google Maps and try and orient myself in the town.

But since we have lived in Dayton before I won't need to do most of this again.  I do plan on brushing up on the crime rates and the school district information, especially as the move gets closer and we narrow the house hunting choices.  But for now I am just glad everything is progressing smoothly.

Here is a list of my trusted websites:
http://www.afcrossroads.com -- this sight requires that you be Air Force personnel or a dependent.  It is a great resource to start your research of a new town and a new base.
http://www.bestplaces.net/ -- This is a site with demographic and crime rate statistics
http://www.greatschools.org/ --  I like this site because it takes into account parental reviews as well as standardized test scores.  All parents know that test scores can only tell you so much about a school.  I also go to the individual school district webpages.
http://www.militarybyowner.com/ -- This is a great site to search for your new home.
http://rentals.com - Another decent home rental site.  You can also check out the various real estate sites if you are thinking of buying a home.  The local newspaper will sometimes have online classifieds for homes too.
http://maps.google.com/ -- I love their satellite and street views.  When you can't drive by a home it is a pretty good second.  Not that I recommend renting or buying a home sight unseen.  But if you are a planner like me, you want to see as much about a place as you can NOW.  I have nixed more than one home because of power lines or drainage ditches too close to a home before ever seeing it.  If you are planning a house hunting trip, it can save you so much time to narrow your search ahead of time.

Checking In With The Kids

The kids know we are moving.  They have known since we got here that we will move after their dad finishes his education.  They have always sounded excited about it and since they never seemed stressed or worried, I never worried.  But now that the move is getting close there have been a few anxious questions.

For months now my younger child has been asking questions like, who will her teacher be, will she get to go to school with her big sister, will she get to ride the bus to school, and will our new house have stairs.  She also asks questions like, will there be a movie theater and what restaurants are in Ohio.  She is trying to envision her new home, and I'm so glad she is asking! 

My older child has different worries.  about a week ago she realized that she won't know any of the kids at her new school.

She asked me, "Mom?  What if I don't know any of the kids in my class?"  
I decided to ask her this, "How many kids did you know on the first day of Kindergarten?"
"Just one, [enter child's name here]," she said.
"And how many did you know at the end of kindergarten?"  I asked her.
She excitedly responded, "Oh, all of them!  I know every kid in my school mom!" 
I nodded and told her, "See?  It's no big deal if you don't know anybody at first, because by the end of the year you'll know everybody.  Okay?"  That seemed to make her feel a little better.

Both of my children still seem excited about this move.  I answer their questions the best I can and listen to their concerns.  That is all I can do for now.