I'm afraid this won't be one of my usual full-length posts. I'm a little short on time these days. Not only are we right in the middle of moving, but we're in the middle of another transition too...
Matt found a job!!
He was actually offered a teaching position in Cambodia, but just recently our current employer asked him if he'd be willing to go back to the States and work in development for a few months! Even though it means he'll be further away, it's a great opportunity to work with someone we also consider a friend.
Deja vu
They are going to miss their Daddy!
Hmmmm ... we're moving and Matt is going back to the States ... sound familiar?
Well, if you've been following our "living life squared" journey for awhile, you probably remember that last July the same thing happened! We were in the middle of moving when we got the call about the twins. And the day that I went to meet them, Matt had to catch a flight back to the US. That time he was only gone for 2 weeks ... but it was the longest we'd been apart. And it felt like forever!
... This time, he'll be gone for about 3 months!!
Advice?
I would love to hear from some experienced parents about the best way for kids to say goodbye. The twins aren't going to understand why Daddy is gone and they'll probably be on the lookout for him to come back. So how can we help them with the adjustment - specifically saying goodbye?
I'm worried that if he leaves from our house, they'll be afraid to leave too (especially since this will be a new apartment). Or they'll be watching the door constantly to see if it's him.
If we see him off to the airport, it's going to be early in the morning. And we'd have to make sure to pick him up from there too (at least that's what I'm thinking so they have some continuity).
Any other parents have experience with this?
Perhaps parents who have gone through deployment? Did you notice a difference for your kids when they had to say goodbyes from home vs. some "neutral" or not-frequently-visited location?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and ideas! :)