Ask VMW: We are moving & our child is EFMP

I get this question or a variant of it about every few months.  I know it weighs heavily, especially on moms.  I don't know if I can help but here goes.

The question:

"My husband got orders for Germany.  They are for 36 months which I understand includes dependents. We are very happy because we wanted to go to Germany. On the other hand, once I started reading about the command sponsorship I became very concerned with the idea of us not being able to go. Our oldest son is enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). My first concern was if they have the special need resources at the school over there.  My question is, do you have a self-contained room for special ed? Do you know what happens if you don't have the services my son requires? Do they just cancel the orders, change them or they just send my husband alone for those 36 months?"

My response:

Please take a deep breath....and step back a bit.  I applaud you for taking the time to research your new duty station! I wish more wives would take the time to do this.

Now....the EFMP screening which you and your family will do, will determine if there are services for your son available at your husband's projected new duty station.  Right now, your husband only has assignment instructions....orders for his actual duty station will be cut (made) locally, once he and his family meets all the requirements, the most important being EFMP screening.

I can obviously not tell you what the doctors and administrators at this screening will say...you'll be in a room with a few doctors and administrators with your health records...they will also ask you questions.  I personally do not know if your projected duty station in Germany is equipped to handle your son's disability, and the American Disabilities Act requires that disabled students be integrated into the classroom as much as possible...this is not just military-wide but US wide.  There are some students with dedicated para-educators who are with them at EVERY moment of the school day.  They may take some small group or individualized instruction in the special education room/facilities and as their disability allows, be integrated throughout the day in the mainstream classrooms with a para-educator by their side, if needed.

If for some reason, the staff at the EFMP screening determines there will not be sufficient services for your son in this duty location (I have no way of knowing), then your husband's assignment instructions will be rescinded and others will be issued for another location.  I don't know if he'll be given the opportunity for an unaccompanied tour (2 years) either.  This will in no way hurt his career.  That is one of the reasons why the EFMP system was developed.

Please don't worry too much about this, as right now, there is really nothing you can do about this process that all overseas bound families must go through.  You can try to see if there are other wives on the Army Wives Forum and ask if anyone is in EFMP in your projected area.  There are many wives on that forum who are overseas. 

Unfortunately, many of the Army hospitals and posts have closed in Germany. The only REAL hospital is up in Landstuhl...the closest Army base or collection of bases would be in Kaiserslautern, still a very big military community. Ramstein Air Base is also nearby. The rest of the bases and posts, both AF and Army rely on US military health clinics and off-post care on the economy.  German healthcare is very comparable to ours and in many ways more advanced, so no worries there.  Yes, sometimes there are language barriers, but for the most part, many doctors and some staff do speak some English.

Good luck to you!

Do Not PCS (Move) Without Visiting Military Duty Stations

This moving season just seemed busier than ever....maybe because I moved myself or that about half my friends moved to all four corners of the Earth (I always wondered what that expression really meant).  Wouldn't it be great to be able to talk to someone who is currently at your new duty station...just like they were an old friend?  If you're like me, there is always that unnecessary stress of the unknown when going somewhere new.  Here's how to get rid of that.

I can highly recommend Military Duty Stations.....not only because a friend runs the site, and I know she has the personality of someone who always likes to be ahead of the game herself, but because the site is a collection of first hand accounts from people who are located at military bases and posts around the world.  You won't find just Army, but also the other services as well....how great is that?  Susanna also blogs about the topics that we are curious about....things that we want to ask someone or to research ourselves, but wouldn't it be nice if someone did it for us?

Ha!  So please bookmark Military Duty Stations and go say hello to Susanna and all the other military spouses she has at her site.  She just went over the 1,000th friend on FaceBook for Military Duty Stations, so she must be doing something right!

Help! I am moving overseas and have some questions!

Ah, the PCS season is upon us yet again this year! It caught me completely by surprise until I saw a half dozen moving trucks on my street all in the space of a week. My kids are also lamenting the loss of some of their friends. I've also cooked a meal or two, played taxi service and watched a few pets to help out where I could. Isn't it nice how, in a military community, you can rely on others to help out? I've also noticed my inbox is more full than usual, all with questions on peoples' upcoming moves. Please be sure to read my moving articles, as I do answer a lot of your questions there. The two questions I received today are listed below - involving traveling with multiple children and learning the host language after arrival.

Question:

Hi, My husband has been stationed in Hohenfels Germany, he's already there, and I will be flying over with my 2 sons (3 & 1 yr old) by myself. I've read as many tips from everywhere as I can but when it comes to requesting my tickets from TMO - I was wondering if you can tell me what to expect. Can I request a bulk head row? Can I ask for certain flying times? I thought if I could fly out of the international airport at night, it might go better for my kids. Is there anything I should know about flying by myself? Have you done it? I have a dozen questions and no one to ask. Like - Can I take a double stroller? How many carry ons do I get? How many pieces of luggage? HOW AM I GOING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM ON AN AIRPLANE WITH 2 SMALL BOYS!!!??? I've never used one of those cart things, how would I go about asking for one? I read somewhere you can sometimes get a bassinett for the plane ride? Have you heard of that?

Answer:

I have flown with two little ones. I took a stroller with the babycarrier/carseat for the little one. For the older one, I had a boosterseat (airplane approved) which I had in a huge diaperbag with supplies for both. I checked the older one's carseat at the front and got it before we got in the car at our destination. I then also had a backpack for myself and a frontpack baby carrier to carry the little one when my arms got tired and for when I wanted to load up the stroller with my bags. The stroller you can take all the way to the plane. You can gate check it, which means you'll get it back immediately after you arrive at your destination as you walk off the plane.

As far as on the plane, the flight attendants are very helpful if you have to use the bathroom. They always wanted to come by and hold the baby and the little one stayed in his seat with no issues when I flew. I just had his favorite things in his diaper bag...and this was before portable DVDs...didn't need them. The droning sounds of the plane are soothing and as long as the kids don't have ear problems, they should be fine. When you hear a screaming baby on the plane, it is almost always their ears and the pressure....do a google search for relief as it involves hot water and cups to relieve the pressure...sucking helps too, so pacifiers, bottles, breastfeeding, whatever it takes. Mine are 20 months apart, and I flew when the little one was 4 months old.

When you make your travel arrangements, ask about the bassinet. I am not familiar with them myself. Typically airlines keep the bulkhead seats to sell last, as this gives the airline and the flight attendants some flexibility in seating and helps when you have someone who needs more room or whatever. Go ahead and request the bulkhead, considering your situation, they might give it to you. Oh, one thing I almost forgot, at least from the East Coast, overseas flights leave in the early evening, so it fits in with what you are requesting.

You're not going to see those luggage carts until you get to baggage claim. Most have a money slot (so have quarters and 1 euro pieces with you as I have heard a quarter can be used instead of a 1 euro piece)...and then you return them to get your money back (German grocery stores do this with their carts too...the US should do it and maybe there wouldn't be carts all over the parking lots).

I would get one of the skycaps to bring your luggage to the check in. I hope I answered most of your questions.


Question:

My husband and I are from Puerto Rico and he just got his assigment to move in work in Baumholder Germany. Us being from PR and you must know this is a total change for us.

I'm worried about a few things already but I'll be checking some stuff out using your blog information. My husband sent me a program to start learning German, but I find it a little difficult to understand and I read in some part of your blog about German classes. Is this available on Baumholder base for the spouses?

Answer:

You should find that your base has both conversational German classes (typically run by the inprocessing center or the USO or some other entity) and then "real" German classes at the college level which you'll find at the education center. These are more intensive (you learn all the rules, etc) and cost more. The conversational should not cost more than 100 euro per 5 week term.

I think it's great that you'll be learning German. Many don't even bother as English is widely spoken, but it always shows class when you at least try to learn the language of your host language and you'll find the Germans respect you more for it.

Thanks again for your questions and enjoy your weekend!

Did You Know About the Army Relocation Program?

I just got another email from a brand new Army wife. I already directed her to some of my posts on moving, especially overseas, where she is going. But in addition to that, here is another resource for you. The Army actually has an official program on moving. Where was this five years ago?


When you know your new duty station, you can investigate the Army's Relocation Readiness Program of your new post...here is Ft Eustis' program to give you an idea of what I am talking about. Army Community Service (ACS) runs this program. Find an Army post in your area and google "the name of the post, ACS, relocation readiness program"...get the resources now...before you move...and specific to your location. You can also read more about the program at Go Army Relocating.

Has anyone used this program?

Things to Buy BEFORE Moving/PCSing Overseas

It goes against the grain. When moving overseas, you should be getting rid of things, not buying more stuff! Well, I wish I had bought more stuff. I realized this the first day I walked into our PX and was faced with empty shelves, or the store clerk saying, "We don't carry that". I even tried a few German stores, but either the price chased me out the door, or they just didn't have it either. So now what? What gets to me the most right now, is our stupid cat, tracking litter and filth up and down the hallway. We are on our second litterbox....and have again struck out. Only a top entry litterbox will do for him apparently and much to my dismay, every store that sells these Clevercat litterboxes in the States does not ship to the APO because of its large size. I thought about trying the ShipitAPO.com service, but the litterbox is already oversize and items shipped through them must still follow the USPS guidelines. But, this is only an example of one of the many things I wish I had brought over. Here are some more.

• Our bed. Not the mattresses but the actual bedframe. We got rid of our rickety one right before we moved and thought we would look for one here. One, the German beds are a different size. Two, our selection at our PX furniture store is VERY limited and VERY pricey for beds.
• Little replacement doodads, clips and hardware. Yes, the PX has the basic supply of nails, screws and such. I've even had success at the German hardware store with some things. But try finding those special clips for my sideboard and entertainment center over here.
• Sheets, comforters and blankets. If your old ones are raggedy, then plan to buy these on sale before you move. Again, the PX is overpriced with such things and rarely do they go on sale, and I just hate paying all those shipping costs when I don't need to. I won't even begin to go into the poor selection of choices either.
  
• Any special pet products you may need. Here they are either not available at the PX or too expensive on the German economy. If your pet takes a prescription, try to get as much of it filled before you come. The onpost vet has very limited space, and you can forget it if your pet has an emergency. Ours books appointments two months out and first come first served. If you need to go to a German vet, you will pay through the nose. Yet another thing to budget for if you are bringing a pet overseas.
  
• Your favorite 110v appliance. The PX has a limited supply, and depending on the size and weight of your item, should you buy it while over here, it may be too cost prohibitive to ship or be over the USPS requirements for size and/or weight.

I'd say half of our neighbors traveled over here like minimalists. Most of their things are in storage. Many of them wish most of their things were not in storage. I got rid of all our kids' old bedroom furniture, and thought we would have a shopping spree at IKEA...but up til now, I've only had to buy them a workstation-desktype contraption. The furniture you can borrow from the government, at least where I am, is newer, lighter wood and IKEA-like, so it fit in perfectly with their decor. The only old piece of 1950s dark-wood furniture we have is our loaner coffee table, and it seems to fit in just fine with our antiques. For those living off-post, the biggest furniture hurdle seems to be no closet space. German closets are not built in with the house....neither is the kitchen...but that is another story for another day.

Anyway, those are the hightlights anyway...if I had to do things differently, that's my list. You learn from your experiences...and every one else's if you can.

What do you wish you had brought with you?

Should We Live On or Off Post?

Before every move, this is something that I ponder. You probably do too. Should we live off post this time? Are we allowed to? Do we have to live on post, as there is plenty of housing or maybe my spouse's job requires it? What are we going to do this time around? I seem to agonize over it more than most. So how do we eventually decide? We use these pros and cons and actually make a list of the positive and the negative and then pick from there. It's worked like a charm every time, and we've never regretted the decision either way.

Let's look at some of the things to think about when living on-post:

• First of all, is it available? Is there even housing for you WHEN you move and not months later. You may be just fine waiting months (and even a year) for a home to become available on post....and then again, you may not. I'm the kind of person, once we move...that's it, we're not moving again til we vacate the area.
  
• Shorter commute. I used to have visions of my husband coming home for lunch and casually getting up in the morning. What we got instead was long hours at the office, cause hey, he's the guy who lives closest...let the guys who live far away go home first...and guess who they call when there is an emergency and need someone immediately?
• More secure and gated. Since almost all military installations are gated and have security, you at least feel safe. That's not to say you won't have hoodlums running around getting into things, but I still think it's safer than your average neighborhood off post.
• Save wear and tear on your car and be closer to tax-free shopping. You'll find you're not filling up your gas tank every week, and you're more inclined to shop at the PX and commissary. I know, I know, the PX doesn't have the greatest prices, but they do price match and it IS tax free.
• You tend to get more involved in on-post activities. I was a member of half of the clubs on post, and my kids participated in all kinds of free and great programs. When we lived off-post, we tended to do our own thing in the area we lived in.
  
• You don't pay rent, unless it is privatized housing. Then you'll get a BAH and utility allowance to cover your rent. It personally took me about two years to stop leaving the lights on in every room after we got married. As a military brat we were always in on-post housing, and we tended to not be as careful as we should with energy conservation.
• Kids can interact with others in similar situations. The kids at school and on the playground can relate to your kid and his daddy being gone all the time. We've been in civilian schools and not only do the kids not have a clue but neither do the teachers. We had some rough waters before we had smooth sailing a few times.
• Living on post, you can't always pick what you want. They're going to show you a home where others of your husband's rank lives...that can be good or bad...and you'll be limited to the number of bedrooms you're offered, again depending on rank. Most military housing is also smaller and rarely has garage space for even two vehicles. Many posts give you just three chances to refuse a place and then you are placed back at the bottom of the housing waiting list and must wait your turn again. I've been shown some dumps in my lifetime, believe me.
• You may be living close to people who do not share your values and noise exceptance levels. I've had neighbors let their toddlers run free with no supervision and also loud partying neighbors where we rarely got some sound sleep. You just never know what you are going to get.
• You'll have to maintain certain levels of cleanliness and tidiness. You'll need to get permission to paint and make "improvements". Someone might even tell you what you can and can't plant in your yard as well as what can be in your yard or driveway, if you even have one. If you're not a tidy person, you may have some problems with the rules. Heck, I am tidy, and I even had a problem with a few of the rules.
  
• Everyone will know your business no matter how careful you are. Ahhh, stairwell living. I can tell you how many times a week our neighbors do the deed, flush the toilet, use the toilet, yell at each other...you know, that kind of thing. Even if you are living in duplexes (the Army has a lot of those) or multiplexes (and even more of those), you tend to hear AND see more than you would like of your neighbors.

Now what about living off-post? Think about this:

• If you are lucky enough to have your rent and utilities LESS than what the military gives you for BAH, you can pocket the difference. Alternatively, if it's the other way around, you'll have to come up with the shortfall. Here is Germany, I know a few folks who were making money, only to see oil heating costs shoot through the roof, literally, and now they are paying out of pocket and their BAH does not cover their expenses.
• You obviously have more choices of what kind of home you will live in. You have the opportunity for a bigger or nicer yard, more square footage, more bedrooms and any of the other things on your wish list.
• It's easier to separate your family life from your job. You can "turn it off" more than someone living on-post.
• You get to interact with others more who are outside the military. Some of our best duty stations were those where we lived off post. We have some great civilian friends who we still keep in touch with today.
• You get to decide whether you want to rent or buy. Let me caution you, that if you are looking at buying, you'd better make sure you have enough time to build up enough equity in the house, so you won't lose money when you have to sell. With today's housing market, this is easier said than done. If you rent, make sure your lease has a military clause, should your spouse get orders and have to move. This'll get you out of the lease early. If your post has a housing office, go through them before you sign anything.

And now that you've looked at some of the pros and cons, here are a few other tidbits to consider:

• Absolutely look at the credentials and scores of the school and school district of the home you are considering. If you have kids, you want to have them in the best possible school district. Be sure to look at bus rides and how long it'll take them to get to school in the morning and back home. If you are buying and don't have kids, you'd still better look at school districts, because it'll increase the resale value of your home. When we lived in Colorado Springs, our neighborhood's homes routinely went for $50-75k more than the one right next to us. Why? Because the other school district next door was that bad.
• Visit the neighborhood your home is in at different times of the day. It may be peaceful now, but watch out later. You also want to drive there during rush hour or end of day commute. Get a better feel of what it would be like to live there. Also, take a walk through the neighborhood! I am amazed at what I see and hear. You'll never catch that stuff...both good and bad, driving through.
• If you're looking on-post, has the housing been renovated, how thin are the walls? Take another walk and look around and talk to people hanging outside. People tend to be very honest when you ask them how they like it there.

My favorite sites in researching places to live are listed below:

• Zillow. This is a good all around site to see what houses are valued at (not always accurate depending on what data they use for that county), but it also shows you what's for sale and the best part...is the maps and bird's eye view. Look to see what the area looks like from above and see that water treatment plant or railroad track not to far from where you are looking.
• OneStop Army Mil. This site supposedly lists all the on-post housing. I say supposedly, because sometimes you don't get a full representation of what is available. For example, here in Stuttgart, there are houses and apartments anywhere from under 1000 sq ft to just over 2500 sq ft. You don't see them all listed on the site. But, you do get a general idea and sometimes even photos of the inside and outside of the homes. It's worth a visit.

Do you have any tips to share on housing and how you choose?

Moving and Flying with Pets

This is my last bit of advice concerning moving with pets. I've done it...I've analyzed it, and I've beat it to death and will end it here. Be sure to read my other posts on moving and pets. I had a bit of a steep learning curve, as my first big move with pets was by plane and overseas, but I am happy to say we all made it okay and in one piece.

Here are...hopefully...my final thoughts:

• If you are moving overseas and need a valid 10 day pet health certificate, I encourage you to use a military vet. Not only is the check-up and paperwork free, but military vets are more familiar with the procedures. I think ours mentioned something about our paperwork having to go thru the USDA or some other entity, and if we use a civilian vet, we'd have to fax paperwork, and my husband immediately said...those are too many moving parts. A friend of ours was missing one signature on her paperwork and ended up having to leave her dogs at Frankfurt International Airport for EIGHT hours (and having to pay kennel costs), while she tried to figure it all out.

• Use piddle pads inside the bottom of the crate. I know your doggie is a good doggie, so is mine. But you know how Murphy can strike whenever you least expect it. I had one friend whose dog got really sick, and luckily the pad absorbed most of it. Another, the dog got stuck in the crate on the tarmac because of delays and just couldn't hold it anymore. Newspapers just don't cut it...do your pet a favor and just put the piddle pad (puppy training pads) underneath your pet's regular bed or mat.

• If you are flying, pick the shortest flight route. We drove from Florida to Virginia, visited relatives there, dropped of our van to be shipped through Baltimore and flew out of Dulles. This gave us a direct flight to Frankfurt, Germany. You want to avoid any flights where you have to change planes. More chance for things to go wrong, and your pets to be stuck on the hot....or cold...tarmac and potentially left behind or put on the wrong plane. Less moving parts again my husband would say.
  

• Check airlines pet flying policies and prices. Even though the military arranges your flight, if you are going overseas, check beforehand, which airport is closest to your destination and which airlines are most pet friendly. Consistently, I heard plugs for United and Lufthansa. We flew United in the middle of a hot summer and the pets were fine, because all of United's planes are temperature controlled. Many of the others are not and have restrictions on when you can fly pets. Also check those prices. A friend was charged what must've been the cargo freight fee for her two medium sized dogs...yep, over $2,000. We were only charged $310 for a cat and a large 100 lb dog (with a 50 lb grande size kennel). That broke down into the cat flying for $105 and the dog for $205 one way.

• Visit the airline's pet travel webpage. Each airline has a page...or group of pages on their requirements for pet air travel. If you can't find it in writing, then ask about it. For example, I called the airline to make sure this super giant dogcrate would fit on the plane. The reservationist was actually able to look up the airplane type and what size crates would fit. Not all planes fit all size crates, and if you are stuck on a plane that is too small, you risk the chance of having to ship your pet air freight which equals $$$$$$.....or leaving your pet behind.
  

• Make sure your pet's travel information is in your PNR. As soon as you get your reservation, call the airline and make sure your pets and what crate models you have, are noted in your record. Planes can only take a certain number of pets per plane, and you don't want any mistakes on crate sizes vs plane cargo hold space. Most airlines only allow two pets per passenger cabin (more in the cargo hold), so make sure that is noted as well if that's what you plan to do. I knew someone who showed up at the airport and was denied boarding her pet because two other passengers had their pets noted in their records. Because of some kind of oversight, her kitty was not. This brings me to my next point.

• Have back up arrangements for your pet. Things can go wrong at the airport or with your family or with your schedule. I knew someone who last year had a dog and crate who were five pounds over the limit, and they would not allow the dog to board. She was also traveling with a little dog and four kids! Since she had planned ahead, she was able to give the dog to a friend...who was helping them at the airport at check in...and made arrangements for her to ship the dog at a later date...after he was put on a little diet.
  

• Put something in the crate that smells like you. In the week before we moved, I put a washcloth for each pet on our pillows. Right before we flew, they each got one. I honestly think this had a calming effect on both of them. When I first saw the cat, he had it burrowed all around him.

• If you have a litter box trained cat, plan for your sponsor or someone on the receiving end to have a litterbox and litter ready for you. My husband didn't...think he was too embarrassed. We got to Frankfurt airport, and the poor cat refused to go to the bathroom at the airport on a plot of grass or at our first highway rest stop. Of course, the dog had no issues with this. After a three hour drive to our destination, my husband had to run and buy the goods, brought the stuff to the hotel and the cat....it was truly a sight to see...jumped in there and must've scratched for a full minute, eyes wide, meowing to no end....before finally going....poor thing. I don't think he's ever not gone in a litterbox and probably never will!

• Tape a cheap leash and a photo of your pet to the top of its crate. You never know when there might be delays and a sympathetic airline employee might take out your pet. Also, if your pet somehow escapes, they will at least know what he looks like.

• Tape a ziploc bag of one food portion to the top of the crate. I chose not to feed my pets...so they wouldn't have to go to the bathroom. They won't totally starve by missing one meal. But let's say there are major delays. You don't want your pets going too long without food.
  
  Do you have any tips to share?

After the Move/PCS...What I Wish I Had Known Before

You know how the military does an After Action Review (AAR) after every operation? We civilians should do such things too. I'm always harping on learning from past experiences, in particular learning from the mistakes of others. Well, as you may already know, we moved kit and kaboodle, including two kids, a 100 lb dog, a cat and our belongings from Florida to Germany this past summer. As is typical with such things, I did stress about it. I also did an ungodly amount of planning...just because that's the kind of person I am. But even with all that, there are some lessons learned I can pass on to myself as well as others, so that when you move, it'll be about as smooth sailing as it can get.

As I dutifully unpack our stuff.....alone I might add, as husband has had to work these last few days and then surprisingly had knee surgery on top of that and can't lift a thing around here....these thoughts came to mind:

• Almost immediately after arrival, identify where you and your family will get your health and dental care (especially if you are in a foreign country). We've been here two months and my youngest had a dental emergency, yesterday. Since space is limited at our on post facility (no, they wouldn't see him right away), I went online to the Tricare's dental site, found a host nation provider, called the closest one, and was able to get him taken care of in a two hour window. If I had investigated this ahead of time, I wouldn't have been driving through a driving rainstorm, totally relying on our GPS and trying to keep an eye out for parking garages, in getting to the place. Scope all locations, as well as local procedures for getting help well before you need it. As for medical emergencies, if it's not life, limb or eyesight, you have to call the Military Police # to get connected to a Tricare person who can authorize care on the economy (or you pay for the emergency visit out of pocket after your claim is denied). They also have a nurse hotline that you can call 24 hours, which can have a somewhat calming effect while you feel all alone in the middle of the night with a child who may be in distress. That happened to me the last time we lived over here (of course DH was deployed at the time, which is typical isn't it?).

• Keep your shelf pegs in a baggie and tape them to the inside of your furniture. We have some shelves with no pegs. Thankfully, my husband has a big extra stash in our household goods somewhere...we'll eventually get to them...but, if they had been taped to the furniture, I could've put up the shelves and put more stuff away. Now we have more delays. Also have some of those extra glass pegs, that keep glass fronts in place in your furniture. Ours are well worn in our entertainment center, so we ended up taping the glass on the inside to keep those extra secure.
  

• Keep all flicker flackers (ie remotes) in the electronic items' boxes or tape them close by. We have a TV that only has one channel right now, because you need the remote to cycle through and program all the local channels, including the German ones (it is a dual system TV)....so, no Olympics for us.

• When the movers pack your extension cords, cable TV cables and all that other hardware, label the box exactly as such. I spent half a day looking for an extension cord and a cable TV cord and couldn't find any of them...still haven't found them. Luckily, I knew that one of our six garage boxes in the basement had a bin with a myriad of old cables. I was able to quickly find what I was looking for in there.

• Do realize, that if you are going overseas, you're not going to be able to "run to Walmart" to get whatever. Our AAFES PX has limited choices and worse, they always seem to be out of the exact thing you are looking for. I've been looking for doggie poop bag rolls (I like those on our doggie leash) and a two handset cordless phone, and they've been out of those two things for three weeks! Believe it or not, I also brought a huge stash of Sam's Club toilet paper, papertowels and napkins with us, just because I had them...I probably won't need to buy those things for a few years I now realize. It takes some getting used to...not a lot is sold in bulk over here at the commissary...for God's sakes, the toilet paper comes in a roll of four!

• Much of the on post housing has 110 and 220 voltage. I would've brought my lighted Christmas stuff if I had known there would be multiple outlets in most rooms. We only brought a few appliances, our computers and our stereo equipment with us. We had planned on buying transformers, which you need on the economy, as you will ONLY find 220 voltage there. Research housing options and amenities before hand.
  

• Be very careful unpacking dishpack bins. Good movers rightfully use lots and lots of paper. I had a delicate china cup wrapped in about seven layers of paper....I thought the paper was empty, threw it on the floor...and you can guess what happened next. Don't assume a wad of light-weighted paper is empty!

• Have a system of staging the boxes in the correct spot and carefully check off each box as you eventually empty it. The military gives you about two months to report missing or damaged items, and now you also get replacement coverage, which is a big step up. So, no need to check off each box as it comes in the house if you don't have the people to do that. It was just me and the boys on moving day. The Romanian movers could not speak a lick of English and only spoke some broken German. After some initial confusion, I wrote a number on each room door, told my son what number was what room (I wrote it on his hand), gave him a Sharpie marker and told him to read what was on the box coming out of the truck, and write what room # the box is supposed to go in. It worked splendidly,which brings me to my next point.

• When the movers pack up your stuff when you're getting packed out, have them write generally, what the contents are AND what room the items came from. When I was a greenhorn, many years ago, we had a set of movers that didn't do a good job of this, and we wasted so much time on the receiving end, just carrying boxes back and forth all over the house. If boxes are marked with the right room, it's just a matter of unpacking, putting each item away and trashing the packing materials.

Do you have any tips to share? Be sure to read my other moving articles and learn from my mistakes!

We Have Arrived!

It's kind of anti-climatic. I still remember when I wrote my last post, thinking August was far, far away...not that far away, cause here it is! We arrived in Germany just about a month ago, and pretty much intact and not insane after traveling with pet crates, our worldly possessions reduced to a few suitcases and our two curious sons, who ended up being more interested in Gameboy than anything else. What can I say? Actually, I do have a few things to say...while they are fresh in my mind....of course about moving and some last minute ideas that helped us or could've helped us had I been smart enough to think it through in the first place.

If you are about to move or are thinking about it any time soon, be sure to read my other moving/PCSing articles, and if you are off to Germany, read our Germany articles. I've also come to realize I should've paid more attention to the thoughts below:

• It's more cost effective to be living like a nomad in the States than overseas. The dollar is worth nothing more than dirt over here in Germany! We should've shipped our household goods early AND our vehicle early, to time their arrivals with our arrival. We rented a little shoebox of a car in Germany, for a month over here, to the tune of $1000 (and that was at a discount). We could've gotten something nicer and cheaper while back in the States.

• Research hotels in depth. We stayed at the Marriot, which was at the upper end of our limit, and in hindsight, we should've taken their PCS package. We didn't want to do that because it required a one month stay (and we thought we'd be out before then...wishful thinking...and thought they would charge us the full rate). Turns out, we could've still gotten the package but just paid 40 Euro a day extra to their government rate if we didn't comply. See, we didn't ask just assumed...always ask!
  

• Be creative with your eating and meals. Even though our Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) ended up being something like $700....A DAY...we still tried to save money. In fact, whenever we travel and my husband goes TDY or we get TLA/TLE in conjunction with a move, we try to make money on it. That means cereal or oatmeal for breakfast (we did have a mini-fridge and access to hot water, coffee and tea in the morning)....sandwiches for lunch and sometimes sandwiches or a hot meal for dinner. Marriot has three levels of members and top level membership means access to the top floor, which meant free finger food, pasta, drinks and whatever else they had up there. We requested to go up there, but my husband was about 100 nights stay short of the top tier membership. We found out later, that some folks who got the PCS package had access up there as well as a few others who just tried their roomkey in the elevator to get to that floor...and success. We obviously would've saved even more money than we did, eating lunch and dinner up there. Our first night at a modest restaurant cost us $80 worth of Euro. That takes some getting used to! Another thought, is to find a hotelroom with a microwave or kitchenette. All the military lodging was taken....many months ago, and they all have access to kitchens down the hall...at least they do in Stuttgart. That would've been ideal.
  

So did we do anything right before and during our move? I think we did. The move itself went very smoothly and because we did tons of research on moving with pets, that was a breeze as well. I did talk with others who moved around the time we did and boy did they share some stories! These tips apply mostly to overseas, but I'm sure you can find a kernel or two you can take with you, even if you aren't going that far.

• Make sure your dog is the correct size for its kennel. Someone had to leave their dog behind and make arrangements for it later...kenneling costs=$$$$$. Check the airline's website and check what that airline's requirements are. Some are more stringent than others. Can your pet sit up comfortably and turn around and lie down? Check it out first.

• Check which airlines are the most pet friendly and take some thought into planning your route. We flew United. Lufthansa was also recommended. We paid $205 for a cat and a 100 lb dog. I talked to someone who flew Continental who paid a few THOUSAND dollars for two dogs. They must've been charged some kind of air freight. It would've paid for them to shop around (you DO NOT get reimbursed by the military for shipping pets). You can pick your travel route, and if you have pets, stick with United and Lufthansa and try to fly out the shortest route. We drove up to Baltimore and shipped our car from there, as well as flew out of Washington Dulles, making it a shorter distance for the pets than from Tampa, where we were stationed.
  

• Double check all your pet paperwork. We made sure to go to a military vet (and it was free) to get our pets' check ups and paperwork done. If you go to a civilian vet, you run the risk of something being screwed up. A friend ended up having to leave her two big dogs at Frankfurt Airport for eight hours because she was missing ONE SIGNATURE on her pet documents! An employee finally chose to look the other way and released the pets, but by then, the dogs had messed in their crates, they were upset, not to mention my friend had to make another three hour trip back to the airport to get them.

• Buy those absorbent piddle pads. Newspaper is just not going to cut it if your pet has an accident. Ask my other friend whose dog had a bout of Montezuma's revenge. A piddle pad would've helped, plus have wet wipes and know where you can get water access at your arriving airport in case you have to clean up a pet...or a child.

• Bring your unlocked mobile phone. You can bring your phone to Europe and use it as long as it is a quad band phone. Just make sure you call your cell provider and get it unlocked BEFORE you move. Then you can just buy a SIM card at any newsstand (or PX), pop it in the phone and use it. Just be sure to give everyone your new number. Incoming cell phone calls in Europe are free.

• Know what kind of car your rental car will be. If you think you are ordering a van, you're going to get a small SUV...at least in Europe. Someone found that out when they tried to put an extra large dog crate in their "van", which was really an SUV...had to pay extra to get a cargo van. Make sure all your luggage will fit! Our luggage would not have fit in our shoebox car, so thankfully we had a sponsor with a van pick us up at the airport...speaking of sponsors...
  

• Get a sponsor. If you know what unit you are going to, they should assign you a sponsor. A sponsor should send you a packet from the area (they can get that stuff from the ACS or the USO), know the area, make the hotel reservations for you, meet you at the airport and generally help you get your bearings the first few days you are here. Also pump them for information on housing. Housing is really tight in some places and a wait of one to three months is not unusual. Typically, you'll get moved out of a hotel after 30 days and then given temporary lodging, which are apartments with kitchens, until you either find a house on the economy (through the help of your housing office) or your name moves up on the onpost housing list.
  

• If you are moving to Germany, attend the newcomer's orientation. It is totally worth it, and you can find out more about it when your spouse inprocesses. They'll teach you how to get around on the economy, how to navigate the transportation system, teach you some German phrases, plus it's an opportunity to meet other new folks.
  

• Go to your new location's website. Every post has a website. Ours in Stuttgart even has links to the community newspapers and newsletters, calendars and even a newcomer section. Read what's going on and try to be informed before you get there. Each post has its own nuances and quirks and why not have a leg up on that kind of stuff?

• Find out the housing situation before you PCS overseas. Get the phone # for housing from the community or post's website. Give them a call. Many also have basic info on their website. If it's going to be a long wait for housing, you may want to consider deferred travel, where your military spouse goes over first, while you stay comfortable at home. Then, when he gets housing one to three months later, you can move right in. It's okay that your stuff isn't there yet. We are in our apartment now on post and have furniture provided by the military (which you can keep for your entire stay if you want; plus it's not as shabby as it used to be...imagine IKEA-like furniture). Plus, you can bring a copy of your spouse's orders over to the ACS lending closet and get a bin of cooking and household items to tide you over until your stuff gets here.

Anyway, those are the things that come to mind. If you have anything to add, please add it below.

My Last Daily Post - the Moving Train is About Ready to Leave the Station

Ahhh the routine. I love getting on the internet, early in the morning with my cup of morning tea, while everyone else is still asleep. It is my time for me alone. I even love that I have a signal to get off the internet and my blog, should I be inclined to linger too long...my kids' alarm clock. Well, my house is finally turning into a shambles of piles and packed-up items and things not where they belong. The time has finally arrived, and we are off to moving overseas...to Germany to be exact. This will be my last daily weekday post until about August, when I will hopefully, be set-up in our new home on-post....stairwell living, here I come! I will try to post when I can...either from hubby's laptop or wherever I can snag some internet time. We all know this is more wishful thinking than reality...I'm going to miss my time on here, but I am surely going to try to stop by and at least say hello...you can bet there will be some snafus and not-so-normal-behavior on this trip. But we do what we gotta do..in this case, move our household and drag along two rambunctious boys, a cat terrified of his own shadow and a dog who, on any given day is attached to me like a piece of Velcro...what a menagerie! See you all soon! If you have any good tips to share for someone in my shoes, I'd love to hear them! Please also be sure to stop by Army Wife Talk Radio next Monday. I have been asked to be a guest on the show, along with a moving expert I believe...hopefully, we can share some good tips on moving and PCSing. Be sure to call in and give us some of your insight. See you all on the other side!

Still No Orders...Didn't Even Think Travel Would Be Non-Concurrent

I just can't believe it. Still no movement orders. Still can't plan anything to move to Germany, and we are about 30 days out now. I thought this would be the one time in my husband's career we'd be able to move....on time, with enough time to have at least a week before having to arrive at our new unit. It looks like that is going out the window yet again. Without orders in hand, you can't plan anything. You can't outprocess your unit and your post and you can't schedule when the movers will come or when you will fly. It is the most nerve-wracking limbo you can be in during your Army journey. We assumed (yes, we had been told this), that we would travel as a family to Germany. Now we are being told, because of the big housing crunch over there (wait time is averaging three months), we will not receive concurrent travel...travelling together, which specifically has to be on your military spouse's orders. If travel is non-concurrent, which it is in our case right now, my husband would travel over first and we would follow a few months later...in September...

My mind already started running through the possibilities. Where will we live? The people renting our house are coming in June, so that's out. Where will the kids go to school? We will also miss one of the most important milestones in my husband's life when he has his battalion change of command. I just wanted to crawl into bed and give up for a moment.

So, that's where we are...basically, where we were. My dear husband has been calling everyone under the sun to get this changed. I guess I'll sit here patiently to see what happens.

Update 4/30/2008: Well, it looks like travel will be concurrent. We don't have our amendments for our orders in hand yet, but the powers that be have made their decision. We had to get the housing office in Germany let 1st PERSCOM know there was housing for us. 1st PERSCOM is the one making the decisions on concurrent travel if you are going to Germany. They in turn let our unit know we could get the orders changed. What a hassle! My advice to you...if you know you are going to Germany, and you are lucky enough to know what post you are going to, check their housing situation. For those of you who don't have advance notice, you will be at the mercy of 1st PERSCOM and where they decide to send you...make sure you have a Plan B should travel be non-concurrent.

Moving and the Medical Treatment Records Dance

We've run into our first moving snafu. I feel like Forrest Gump. My husband can't get PCS orders until ALL of our medical records get screened for the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)....in person. Our whole family needs to sit in front of a board with a doctor and a social worker. Since my Army husband is stationed on an Air Force base, he needs to comply with their rules (I had never heard of this in the Army). This means we can't schedule our actual move, and we can't leave this place until then. My doctor is being difficult (yes, I am being seen off-post) and will only release my records after I arrive at my new place and have a new doctor to mail the records to. If I want to make the copies and hand carry them, it would be $1 per page...huh? So, if I let this get to me, I'm stuck...can't move without the stuff but can't get the stuff until we move. What a crock!

Dealing with my kids' doctor was a bit better. They lit their pants on fire and got the records copied in one day, going outside their one week protocol..and yes, they didn't charge me for that. I bought them a box of the good chocolate. My word of advice to you....before your military spouse gets his orders, especially if you get your medical care off-post like we do, assemble a list of where all your medical and dental records are. I know I had to make a list of some of the specialists I have seen over the last few years (not all procedures were in my primary care doctor's file). I also had to hunt down my last two mammograms (you should have both)...not to mention the kids' dental and my dental records. Get the requests in EARLY to each office. You have to sign a medical release form in order to get copies. Every office was accomodating except for my own doctor's office. Since I don't feel like dealing with them right now, I will use my old military medical record I had when we first moved here (when I got my care on-post), and then request my current record after I move.

I have a nurse friend who gets a copy of the paperwork from each doctor's visit and manages her and her childrens' records. She never has a problem with any of this and when her husband retires, she will have a complete medical history. If you do have any civilian medical records, please do hang onto them. Don't add them to your military treatment record...that becomes government property, and I can't tell you the number of times I have heard of lost records. Your medical records are important...treat them as such.

Do you have any moving stories to share?

Don't Do Another Military PCS Move (or any Move) Without Reading This!

"Here we go again...same old 'stuff' again...marching down the avenue".....yes, that's part of an Army cadence. It's Groundhog Day, ala Bill Murray, and we get to do it all over again...you all know the drill right? Wouldn't it be great though, if you had all your ducks in a row and there were no surprises and you could actually look forward to seeing and doing new things rather than drown in all the issues surrounding a big move? Well, it can be done. I am thrilled to have the expert advice of Jacki Hollywood Brown, a professional organizer help lead us through from start to finish on getting your family moved. Let's get it done and move on to the next thing!

Your biggest challenge is going to be getting things packed up and gone and doing it with the least amount of hassle as possible. The Army does make it easy to get started on this quest with the ubiquitous transportation briefing. Your first milestone will be getting a copy of your husband's orders to his new duty location. Absolutely NOTHING can happen without this valuable document. With this in hand, you can schedule your transportation briefing and all the other appointments you will need. You and your husband will attend this briefing together. If he is deployed, congrats, you get to do it by yourself. Make sure you have a copy of a power of attorney first though. Don't fret...many thousands of wives have done it before you, and with the resources you will get here, you can do it almost blindfolded.

Don't have your orders yet? Don't fret that either. There are a few things you can do ahead of time, so when you DO get them, things will run ever so smoothly for you and your family.

I've already talked in the past about some things you can do NOW. Be sure to read

Yet Another Military Move and Change of Duty Station Coming Up

About a week ago, I also started sorting through our household junk. I also mentioned having a good property inventory of your stuff. It'll make it so much easier when (notice I say when and not if) you file a claim, plus you'll have a handy record of serial numbers and other identifying information in addition to the movers' list. Don't fret if yours is not as detailed as mine. The easiest way to do a property inventory is to take a video camera, go room to room (make sure cabinets are open so you can see what's inside) and start filming with your commentary. I've even gone as far as to list what DVDs, videos and computer programs we have. These are all just material possessions, so if they get lost, stolen, burned up in a fire or dropped in the ocean (don't laugh, I've seen a container of household goods dropped into the water up in Bremerhaven, Germany. It DOES happen, although very rarely), you can easily replace them. We knew someone who lost EVERYTHING in a warehouse fire, and they spent MANY MONTHS, trying to recreate their household inventory, to the point of having to call businesses where they purchased their TVs and computers, designer gowns and china set, trying to get duplicate receipts. They even had to comb through old family photos their relatives had, looking for photos where household items, such as their expensive leather couch, were pictured. Save yourself the headache and heartache and do a property inventory now. Please take the time to read

Let the Sorting Begin!

and

The Property Inventory and Your Next Move

In your dealings with the transportation office, try to arrange for a door to door move. This is not always possible but ideal. The Army will actually pay for you to scout out your new location (at least for stateside) and find a rental or house to buy. This is called 10 days permissive TDY. If this home is ready for you when you move, your moving truck can drive from this house to your next home. If not, you'll have to have your stuff offloaded at the destination, put in a warehouse (where things potentially get lost or disappear) and then reloaded on another truck before delivery. Sometimes you also end up waiting longer, because of trucking shortages or scheduling conflicts. If you've already got the truck, you can be that much ahead! Always, always keep the phone numbers and points of contact of the outgoing transportation office, the incoming transportation office and your movers' handy. You may need to get in contact with them somewhere along the line. I've actually had to call our outgoing transportation office more than once when a mover insisted one thing, but I knew it was supposed to be another thing. Let your transportation office help sort it out, and don't go it alone.

Let's go over the general information on things that shouldn't (and in most cases, can't be moved)

• Hazardous materials (your lawnmower and powertoys have to be empty of gasoline).
• Explosives (fireworks), chemicals and compressed air (as a general rule, I get rid of anything liquid, except my aromatherapy bottles and our wine collection).
• You'll find that different movers have different rules. I like to double bag small liquids I want them to pack. As far as the wine, almost every mover we've had did not have a problem transporting it, even overseas, but be prepared to be disappointed if they tell you they can't do it! Research this ahead of time if you can.

You may also want to think about the following things if you've got them (if they are not covered in your transportation briefing, please ask about them)

• Boats, kayaks and larger items
  
• Patio stone, rocks
• farm machinery
• dog houses
• fences
• empty bottles and preserving jars
• hobby materials (rock collecting anyone?)
• trailers

When I start going thru our junk, prepping for the move, I like to go room by room. I have a checklist (which frankly, I don't use anymore cause it's imprinted in my brain after all these Army moves). But, if you are not well versed in moving or this is your first move, use a checklist. Depending on how long you can keep your family from messing with your organization, you can start this up to a week out from moving day.

• Remove all batteries from electronic items (you don't want a beeping timebomb to scare anyone, or batteries to leak or your items turning themselves on).
• Remove curtains, have them cleaned and put them aside.
• Take prints and paintings off walls. I dust them and then lean them up against the wall. If your house is too cluttered, then go ahead and just clean them and leave them on the walls. I know movers are so thankful when you stack your smaller frames into a pile. It makes it easier on them.
• If you are taking any ceiling fans or light fixtures, take them down, clean them and think about if they need any special packaging. I do have an antique light fixture that travels with us, so I do plan for this.
• Identify any awkward-shaped items such as antiques, hobby items, large mirrors or bicycles. Movers have special boxes for that stuff. I always mention our two grandfather clocks (they send a special person out to secure and pack those), bikes and our extremely large framed print (which so far, has made it every move...knock on wood...).
• If you have portable air conditioners you'll be taking along and will get packed, you'd better unplug them and let them drain and dry out. You don't want mold growing in your stuff as it travels.
• Rope in all your stuff. If you lent out books or other items, ask for that stuff back or go ahead and say good-bye to it now. Don't forget your gym locker, storage locker, safe deposit box and any other place outside your home you might have items stored, including your local dry cleaner.
• For every item you have a box for, such as some electronic items, put the item on top of or next to its box. Don't pack it yourself, or else the movers can shift liability to you should something happen to it.
• To try to take a bite out of identity theft, you might want to take personal files or items and put them in a smaller bin or box and label them as "children's artwork" or "dollhouse furniture" or "whatever" and then tape it shut.
• If you have black shoes and lighter colored shoes, put them in plastic bags or shoeboxes first. Don't learn the hard way that black shoe polish is almost impossible to get off white shoes, especially if they've been rubbing together for months as they travel overseas. Keep this in mind too with other items the movers might throw together to fill a box. Try to keep like items together and do some prepackaging if necessary. I use bubble wrap and Ziploc bags so the movers can still see what's inside.
• Do not wax or stain your furniture in the weeks leading up to moving day. The furniture pads and blankets the movers use could get stuck to your stuff and leave a mark.
• If you have a piano, get a professional to prepare it for movement. Also let be sure your moving company knows about it before moving day. Some movers will send out a special team to pack it up.
• Decide what you will do about your houseplants. Will you give them away or sell them? Will they survive extreme temperatures in the truck? Can the moving company move them to where you are going? If you are going overseas, you won't be able to take them along. If you can have them packed, don't overwater them (mold growth) and guard against leakage. If you don't want to deal with the plants themselves, why don't you take cutttings of them instead. They should survive at least a few days if you prepare them properly.
• If you have highly valued collectibles, I would suggest transporting them yourself. My husband has a HUGE stamp collection and every move would bring tons of anxiety. He finally got over it by insuring his large collection separately and letting the movers pack it. He now takes a small binder of his favorites to take along. In the old days, he would break up his collection and have someone mail him each box insured..piece by piece (that would now take forever). Just think over how you would recover should your collection disappear, and plan accordingly.
• The movers can pack pre-packaged and canned food. I try not to do this. You never know what kind of temperature extremes the stuff will be exposed to, plus...it's food and who knows what it will come in contact with, especially internationally. I start eating that stuff six months out and come up with some of the strangest meals in that time, and whatever is leftover gets donated to the local food bank.
• If you're taking your refrigerator, dishwasher and washing machine, be sure to dry that stuff out at least 24 hours ahead of time. You don't want to give mold a chance to grow. If that stuff is going into storage, investigate how to prep it for that too. Read Prepare Appliances for a Move.
  
• If you have firearms, know the moving regulations, especially at your next duty station. I know you can't take guns overseas anymore. Have a plan for that stuff as well.

For electronics, I take a few extra steps:

• Use garbage bag twist ties to tie up cables.
• Clean and dust off the item.
  
• Lay the remote on top of the item, or tape it on top.
• Some electronic items need to be prepped for moving, such as tying down the arm of a turntable or parking hard drives (older computers). Leaf through the manuals to see if there's anything special you must do.
  
• I keep all manuals in one central location (a drawer in our sideboard) and make sure the drawer contents get packed.
• I keep all additional cables and attachments in a bin labeled electronics. You never know what your set-up will be at your new location, and you want to be able to dig through your stash before running to the store to buy something you already have.
  
• I make sure I separate my local cable provider's remotes, cable boxes, computer routers, modems and the like lest it accidentally gets packed with our stuff.
  
• Make sure important information from your computer is backed up. I like to back up My Documents folder and make sure my photos, music and video are included as well. I have a pocket-size external drive that we carry with us, along with my husband's laptop. Be sure to note any passwords and other documentation you won't have access to. You can put some of this stuff online, let's say in your Google Mail account. Take an email message and type up any information you may need (I use clues and not the actual passwords, as well as alternate names for the websites they go with. Be sure not to have any identifying information, such as your first or last name or address anywhere in this email account, just in case it does get hacked).
• For small items, such as craft items or Legos and kids' toys, I will package them in Ziploc bags or small bins. Your movers will love you for this. If the stuff is breakable, I wrap the little stuff in bubble wrap and then put them in a whatever size bin works best. I do this for Christmas ornaments, and honestly, I accept the responsibility of those items packed, because I know I packed them well in bubblewrap, and they are secure. It would take the movers days to individually wrap all my ornaments, and I know they will travel safer with the way I packed them.
• For your well-packed small items, such as my ornaments that are in large Rubbermaid bins, ask the movers if they will just move the bin with the stuff inside. Just get them to tape it shut and stick a sticker on the outside. I had a mover once take everything out of each bin and put the items in a box. He then stacked the bins and bubblewrapped them separately. That just created more stuff and more work at the other end.
  

As I tackle each room, I separate out stuff that will not be moved with the movers. Set that stuff to the side, along with your suitcases. I stack things there as I go along. If the stack gets too big for our vehicle, I realize I'll have to put some things back. With everything in one location, this is much easier to notice! Instead of boxes, I like to use small bins to keep things organized and tidy. Of course, with this overseas move, I won't have this small luxury...everything goes and nothing but a few suitcases gets stacked. As I've mentioned before, if we must take items with us, before shipping our vehicle, I make sure it is not bigger than a medium size box worth of stuff and plan to have a friend or relative ship that box over to us once we have an address. Or, you can ship it to the headquarters address of your new unit. You can get that information from your sponsor. When you move, you are supposed to be assigned a sponsor who can help you with lodging arrangements, airport and travel arrangements upon arrival and any other questions you might have about the unit and the location. I believe having a sponsor is even mandated by Army regulations, so if you don't immediately get one assigned to you (it will be a fellow soldier, most times, higher in rank than your husband if you are enlisted), ask for one.

Some things to keep in mind while going from room to room

• Wash your bedding a few days before moving. It just travels better that way. That goes with anything else too. Don't pack dirty or broken items, cause believe me, it'll be depressing dealing with that stuff on the other end. You also want to make sure these items are completely DRY before they get packed. Mold is not your best friend.
  
• Make sure the movers wrap your bedding and couches in plastic. Your mattresses will get so dirty and icky without it and your couch will too. If it's leather, it'll get all scratched up. Insist on this. Many movers want to take shortcuts
• I like to leave the disassembly of furniture to the movers. Again, because of the liability and responsibility issues. You don't want the movers to say, hey, we can't do anything about the missing pieces, cause it was noted on the inventory form that YOU disassembled the thing. On moving day, I keep Ziploc bags on hand and request that they tape the bag to the item. How many times have you hunted for stuff at the other end? Part of your job on moving day will be to walk around and make sure that is getting done. Don't totally rely on the movers!
• You don't want to move with dirty clothes. Wash your dirty stuff as close as you can to moving day, and make sure that stuff is DRY.
• Don't let the movers take all your clothes off the hangers. They have special boxes, called wardrobe boxes, for clothes on hangers. When the movers do their walk through before actual moving day, they should be calculating how many of what type of boxes they will need. I had a mover show up one time with not enough of these wardrobe boxes, and since dumb me didn't know any better to stop them, ended up taking TWO FULL days at the other end, trying to separate a puzzle of over fifty hangers and then rehanging each item that had been put in a regular box. Insist they use the right box for the right item. And while you're at it, take off all your dry cleaning plastic to keep moisture out as well as replacing your metal hangers with plastic ones. It's amazing when you go overseas especially, how sea water can corrode things it doesn't directly touch!

There are a few things I just don't pack because of the "ick factor"

• kitchen trashcans
• outside garbage cans (mine are almost destroyed anyway by the time we move)
• bathroom plungers and toilet brushes (these things are very inexpensive, plus there's something that can be said of a fresh new home with brand new toilet brushes, plungers and even bathroom rugs and doormats)

The day before moving day, I make sure I do these things

• Keep electronics usage to a minimum. For example, you don't want to pack a hot computer in a cold environment. This will create condensation and could damage your computer.
• I pick a bathroom, a room or our car and EVERYTHING that will not get packed by the movers, goes in there. If it's a room, put a sign on the door to not pack the stuff inside! This also becomes my oasis when I need a breather from the movers or let's say you have a baby whose diaper needs some changing. One of our very first Army moves we made the mistake of having a party and having to scramble to get cleaned up and ready for the movers the next morning. A bag of garbage got packed overseas. It was NOT pretty.
  
• With that being said, make alternate arrangements for kids and pets. Set up a playdate or get a friend to help out. Most are very happy to be helping you in some way. Kids can get very upset, especially the younger ones, when they see their stuff getting packed up, and pets just plain get in the way. I'm sure you've heard of countless cats disappearing and showing up hungry or worse at the other end.
  
• Be sure you have your prescriptions and medications put away. Make sure you have plenty of your prescription medications to carry you over the next appointment timeframe at your new location. Sometimes your current prescription can't be moved to another pharmacy. Plan for this.

The day of your move

• The movers will descend on your home like a colony of ants. I keep my wallet, keys, cell phone and personal stash either locked up or on me. I take one part of our house while my husband takes the other. We kind of supervise what the movers are doing and are there to answer questions or make comments. At the same token, we don't get in their way. Many of these guys have been doing this for MANY years and don't need someone to tell them how to do their job. You may want to point on items that need special packaging to the head boss (you'll know who he is right away). To sound less threatening, I say something like, "last time, the movers packed this item using x and the item came out on the other end damaged, broken, etc".
• Have your military spouse's professional items stacked separately. Anything that has to do with his job, such as books and gear, even his computer, can be counted as a professional item. Why bother? When you've been around as long as I have and accumulate tons of stuff, you want to stay below your weight limit and considering how heavy books are, this makes a big difference for us. Just something to keep in mind.
• Try to group your "high dollar value" items together. These are things more pilfered than your normal junk, such as stereo equipment, computers, cameras and TVs. They will get identified on your moving inventory by serial number. Double check these serial numbers against your list from your property inventory.
• Next to the furniture items on the movers' inventory list, you will see combinations of letters. This identifies the condition of your item. For example, "CH" means chipped and "BR" means broken (this may be mover-specific, so check the top of the inventory form). Don't let them write the wrong code on there. If something is labeled as broken...and it isn't...good luck trying to get a claim paid should the movers actually break it!
• Each box and each item will have an item number sticker. This number will correspond with the matching item on the movers' inventory sheet. Make sure each box makes it to the truck. Make sure the boxes also say something on the outside, such as "kitchen" or "master bedroom". This is why when you first start going through your junk, you put things back in the correct room and with like items.
  
• Watch as the movers move your boxes and items into their truck. If it is a cross country move, the items will go directly into the truck. If it is an overseas move, they will go directly into shipping containers on a flatbed truck. It is your responsibility to watch that each shipping container is sealed after it is filled. Look for the seals. I have heard that you can request shipping containers for stateside moves as well. It's not highly publicized, because it is more expensive, but you can request it at the Army's cost and not yours.
  
• If the movers take more than a day packing your items (which most times, they will...it takes them three days to pack our 20 years worth of stuff), don't let them talk you into putting items on the truck and then coming back tomorrow. You don't want to leave items out of your sight until you see that the shipping containers are sealed and your property inventory is complete and signed. If you have any problems, have the number to your transportation office handy and call if any issues arise.
• Borrow a cooler and fill it with water and ice for your movers. They will be more inclined to treat your stuff nicely. Along the same lines, order pizza for all for lunch and make sure you tip them when they leave. When they are finished packing, we like to tip about $20 per person. Don't give the money to the head boss, give the money to each packer individually and thank them for their work.
• Before the movers leave, do one last sweep of the house. Open EVERY cabinet and drawer. I had to box up and move an entire kitchen cabinet of spices overseas one year, because the movers had inadvertently forgotten to open the thing and pack the stuff.

I think that wraps about everything up...literally. Be sure to read the booklet It's Your Move, put out by the military. Lots of helpful tips and resources can be found there too. Also don't forget the monster moving guide at about.com. I guess I'll be revisiting this subject again, AFTER our move to Germany in June. Maybe I can do a little After Action Review, as the Army calls it. Review what went right and what went wrong in hopes that I won't make the same mistakes next time! If you have any tips and tricks to add, please add them in the comments below! I'd also love to hear your moving stories, whether good or bad!

Related post: Yet Another Military Move (what you should be doing six months out)

Let the Sorting Begin!

I am groaning as I am writing this. I should be sorting rather than writing...but it seems like such a momentous task today! The dog came in with dirty feet this morning and the little one dropped his full bowl of milk and cereal all over the kitchen floor. But, I guess I can come up with an excuse pretty much every day, so there's no doing but to do it. I'm talking about sorting before a big move. In my case, overseas. A few months before you move, be sure to hit all these high points.

• Only do small sections a day, go one room at a time and then one drawer at a time to decide what to toss, what to keep and what to get rid of (donate or sell). Use this decluttering method.
  

• I have a box or bin in each room, along with a trash bag. All things to be donated or sold go into the box. All other things that don't fit into that criteria, get put into the trash bag. Everything else gets stacked or put away in such a way as to make it "mover friendly".
  

• As the donated/things-to-get-rid-of boxes get full, they get put in a corner of the garage, ready for the next yard sale, trip to Goodwill or readied for eBay or Craig's List.

• Craig's List and your local newspaper are your best bet for furniture. Craig's List is nationwide and free, plus you can upload photos. Our local newspaper also has a "Super Savers" section, where you can list three lines free for items up to $500.
  

• As I go through a room, I also organize things to make it easier for a mover to pack. I typically do this about a month out from moving, so I haven't quite gotten to this stage yet. You are going to put loose items, such as pens, Legos and small kids' toys, into Ziploc bags. You are going to put things back with like items, where they belong. I even put larger items into small plastic bins. Let's say you have a dollhouse with little furniture and things. Wrap that stuff up in bubblewrap and put it in a little plastic bin labeled "dollhouse furniture". This'll make it easier on the movers too. If you've got broken toys or items and missing parts (and you've determined you can't or won't fix them), get rid of the stuff now.
  

• Identify things that need to be repaired or repainted or just cleaned. You don't want to unpack dirty, broken or nasty stuff at the other end. You want to be able to take things out of boxes and put them away right then.

• That stuff you sorted out and is sitting in the garage, start selling it now, and not right before you move. That's too stressful! I've already been able to get my eBay stuff out of the way and can now concentrate on some other things.

• Don't trust the movers with everything. Yes, stuff does disappear every now and then, especially if you have to put things in storage for an overseas move. I remember our first German tour, we had a neighbor go downtown after the movers came to get their stuff, and ended up finding half of her Hummels and collectibles at the local flea market! I kid you not! If you are traveling by car, pick a few of your prized possessions and take them along with you. With us going overseas, I have already given those items to my mother-in-law for safe keeping. Depending on what you have, you may also want to get a safe deposit box or small storage shed. What the Army calls long term storage is a big warehouse with your boxes and junk roped off from other peoples' boxes and junk. I had a neighbor lose his lawnmower and weedwhacker while it was in long-term storage. I guess someone must've used it to do the yard at the storage facility and never put it back!

• Have a good property inventory. I already talked about getting your stuff documented. It's important, especially if you don't like to throw away money. I don't think I ever did an Army move without having to claim something. I've had collectibles broken and furniture defaced with deep scratches and gouges or pieces missing...every single time! Having the photos, receipts and serial numbers (for electronics) made it so much easier when I filed our claim after arrival. I also had our property inventory on CD, so I could easily print off what was missing. I use Frostbow Home Inventory but there are many computer programs out there that work just as well.
  

• Start that notebook or binder. I have a binder and a notebook. In this binder, I'll put the last statement for every one of our bank accounts and investments. I start collecting moving documents and orders and important phone numbers and contacts and start throwing them in there. I also start two lists in my notebook. One list will have all the services we will be stopping, along with account #s, phone numbers and addresses. These will be things like our electricity, water, phone and cable bills. That way, when it's time to notify them, you've got them all on one piece of paper. The other list will have all of your change of addresses, such as your bank and investment accounts and your insurance company. You will be filing a change of address card at your post office, routing all your mail to your new location. Don't have an address yet? You will be assigned a sponsor at your new duty station, and he should be able to give you an address you can use. Typically, it is the address of your new headquarters. And don't forget your ever growing to-do list! That goes in here too!

Well, let me get going. I have one room I want to sort through today, and then the doggie and I have a date at the park. Do you have any ideas to share that made your upcoming move much easier?

Make Any House Your Home

Other than throwing out the welcome mat out front, what do you do to make your home really feel like home? Have you ever thought about it or do you just pull it off somehow and there it is? We are scheduled to move overseas next year, and while I am dreading the move with pets, kit and kaboodle, I am amazingly already thinking about how we are going to make our small stairwell apartment feel like home. Here are some thoughts to consider.

Along with the obligatory welcome mat, I've been thinking of what I've done here in this home and hope to carry some of these ideas over with me.

I am a BIG family photo person. Not only do I have framed photos all over the walls and a few tables, since I am a genealogy freak, I also have an entire wall with photos from my family tree! It might be overkill for some people, but, you gotta personalize, so have at least a few nice framed photographs on display.

Since we will have hardwood floors....nice huh....I can never get used to a completely "no carpeting" zone, so I will bring my one Persian rug and perhaps a few more area rugs to make it feel cozy and secure.

I love the look of nature, and I love plants...but I somehow kill every single one of them along the way. So, I will continue with my few silk plants I have here. It'll be nice walking around my new home and seeing my lighted palm tree, the ficuses and the smaller plant arrangements around the apartment. Speaking of lighted palm tree, those small white Christmas lights draped over a faux ficus tree can look homey too. I won't even begin to think about the electricity issues yet, since Germany has 220 volt and you have to use these big heavy and loud transformers to plug in your American 110 volt stuff. It's a good thing Christmas tree lights are lowcost in Germany too. Guess I will have to pick up a few.

We all have some kind of collectibles, right? Don't forget to display what you love. Well, not only do I have a few of my own, I inherited Oma's things as well as my mom's after she passed away. I group like items together to make it more orderly. Here are some suggestions on how to group your things. You can really go overboard with the knick knacks, and if you have tons of this stuff, may I also suggest...for your sanity in dusting duty and sense of order...rotate what you got. My favorites are my grandmother's old kitchen implements and my mom's Russian laquerboxes. You can also dress up your displays with strategically placed scarves or doilies, just like you see in the museums. It also helps to have some of the smaller stuff under glass. You can get shadowboxes now with hinged glass fronts, curio cabinets and those small glassed-in tables. Be sure to look for them second hand. Don't buy them new!

With the holidays underway, keep costs down, as well as all the junk we haul from duty station to duty station and think about decorating only one room to the hilt. Or how about your front door area and just the tree? There are many ways to make your house feel like home over the holidays too, and just because each of us doesn't have a whole Victorian gingerbread house we can decorate to overflowing, doesn't mean we can't enjoy what we have!

Here are a few other sites to peruse:


Make Your House Feel More Like Home


When a House Feels Like Home


Make Your House a Unique Cozy Home


10 Ways to Make Your Home a Haven

What do you do to make your house or apartment feel like home?