A Week Gone By

Was it just day three the last time I posted? I guess so, but I've drafted a thousand posts in my head between then and now. Some of them might have had titles like, "When dryers don't dry" or "what to do with kids while dryer-fixers are swarming through the house" or "dishwashers that work; dryers that don't" or maybe "BUGS! They live in the forest, too."

It's been an incredibly busy and wonderful two-ish weeks. I got a dishwasher installed today (took two hours of the man's time), the next dryer guy is coming tomorrow, and we've gone stomping through the woods several times. The kids think the long driveway is their private bike path. And in a way it is. My mother has gotten lost going home from our place (at night, I'll credit her) not once, not twice, but three times. And Dr. D and I went out last week Saturday for a movie (can't recall the name) and dinner at a posh country club that made me wonder why people spend money that way because I make a better salad and the artichoke dip at Gaia House is about ten million times better. But whatever. We had a gift certificate.

I'm already hooked on this place. Even with the dryer and the creepy-crawly wildlife that winds up inside far more often than I'd like. The UPS guy lingered in the driveway, chatting away and looking at the trees, experiencing the solace. I feel tremendously privileged to have this house, this land. Some go to cottages to experience nature and peace - I have it all around me, every day. I know nothing I've done merits this sort of gift, but that is the nature of Grace, isn't it?

And a little surprise - dishwasher installer found all sorts of mouse "presents" in the basement ceiling. Old? New? Have no idea. I haven't heard mice or seen them. But maybe mice mean I can convince Dr. D to get a cat! Fish and Pie (and St. Nick, when he's not too cool to be excited about things) would be elated. Off to check the homeless pet database!

Day Three, I think

Comcast guys just left. Trouble sleeping - so quiet out here. Exhausted. Dog hair everywhere. My poor vacuum. Kids love it, especially the cable TV (never had that before! We'll see if it lasts), but St. Nick must be allergic to dogs. Sniff sniff Aaaaachooooo is all we've heard from him today.

More later. Too much to do.

Day Two - Can it be?

Can it be that we're almost moved? I'm sitting here on the couch, which is the only piece of furniture left in this room. Well, except for two disassembled beds. Lamps are on the floor, the dining room is entirely empty. Wow.

My arms - they look like I've been through a boxing match - all scrapes and bruises, but I guess I just really get into my moving. My muscles sure agree with that statement, and they're sooo glad there are movers coming tomorrow for the really nasty items.

One big surprise: although the new house is a totally different style than our current one, our furniture actually looks good in it. The colors of the wood, the lines. It works.

Fading fast, so I guess this'll be it for intelligent commentary. Oh, except, why do some people feel the need to say whatever moronic thing comes into their heads? We've had a few folk see the new place (friends who have helped us in, mostly), and one person just couldn't keep from mentioning things like, "You'll need to put bells on the kids so you know where they are!" and "Well, that's a lot more lawn to mow." And "Did you know your bathroom door sticks?"

I'm probably just being oversensitive - I am exhausted - but honestly, would I not have noticed the increase in yard or the sticking door? I won't divulge who this person is, but let's just say, I really shouldn't expect anything else. Yet I always do. Dumb me.

Day 1 Survived

We're splitting moving into three + days. Day one was loading the rental truck, mostly with boxed items like books (see previous post). Day two involves friends of Dr. D loading small-ish furniture items and any remaining boxes (only a couple from the basement - mostly canning jars). And day three is Monday, and will be wonderful professional movers taking the real backbreaking items like the treadmill and sleeper sofa.

Day 1 was a huge success! Not only did we have the truck half loaded by the time any helpers arrived, we fit all the major boxes and some furniture items on there! And we had an extra helper to unload at the new place. It could not have gone more smoothly. This house, though. It's so empty and echo-y. The dining room has just our small kitchen table in it, and a highchair. The living room is missing the rug and several items. I am glad to be moving, but it's a little bittersweet. I'll miss the crown molding and the stained glass windows, the huge mantle and the custom painting in the dining room that took me about two dozen hours to complete. I've taken lots of photos, and I'll take more before we leave, but I know memory will fade, even with pictures to help keep it fresh.

Combine the sorrow of leaving a place where two of our three children were born (literally) with giddy expectation for the new house and what do you get? A sleepless night! We spent some time in the new place, and as with every single visit, simply walking in the door feels like coming home. So many things are different in a wonderful way. A driveway! A garage! A family room off the kitchen/dining area! Acres of land to explore! A deck! Even a hot tub! I sent the kids outside last night and when I wandered to the end of the drive to tell them it was time to go, what did I find? All three with stained fingers, shirts, mouths - they'd found the wild blackberry bushes. Oh, yes. This is well worth my aching arms and legs, well worth three days of flux.

Now for Moving Day 2.

Oh, The Excitement!

So I see I've been neglecting this little space for quite some time. In the past month we've closed on our house, purchased a new one, and we move next week!! EEK! And we wrecked our one mode of transportation (minivan, of course). It's not totaled, but we'll be driving a rental for quite a while.

And Mud Pie turns three tomorrow! Where did the past three years go? And St. Nick is reading voraciously, and Little Fish, well, he's four and a half and spends most of his time mad that he's too little to do what his big brother can do, and tickled that his little sister is too little to do what he can do.

Back to boxes. So, so, so many boxes. Do all homeschooling families have this many books? I've made two runs to U-Haul already for boxes and I still have books on shelves. Maybe we just have a problem with books. Is that even possible?