Well, I just re-read my previous post stressing out about a move that seems like happened MONTHS ago! It has been a long couple weeks but we're hanging in there. So much has happened that I'm sorta on overload so I'll try to make a condensed version....
The power that was suppose to be turned on Friday, the day before our move, wasn't. So the movers (and us) showed up to the new house Saturday morning stoked and ready to go, to find it feeling a bit like the inside of an oven. The best part? The electric company claimed that they couldn't turn it on until sometime before midnight Monday evening. So, I packed up the kids and headed to my parents house, with literally the clothes on our backs (everything was boxed and in the process of being moved). Luckily they were willing to take us in, but with their multiple dogs, our addition made for a "full house" experience that left me feeling stressed, tired, and at the end of my rope! Add in Newie who took his second trip to an after-hours doctor and a new antibiotic for his double ear infection, as well as many sleepless nights...and you're starting to get the idea here right? Sunday morning was Jason's 31st birthday. I was taking trips around my parents neighborhood with Newie in the stroller, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, bra-less, and barefoot at 4am....that about sums up how our weekend went. Fortunately, my parents were SUPER helpful, not to mention totally understandable regarding Stratton's incessant crying at all hours of the night. Seriously, if it wasn't for them, I'm not sure I'd have an ounce of sanity left!
Monday finally arrived and we started the "fun" journey of rescheduling all the hook ups that needed to take place (no power = no cable, no internet, etc.) I'll fast forward and summarize by stating that by "fun" of course I mean totally the opposite. The fact that its three weeks later and I'm celebrating my first evening of internet access is proof enough.
As for the house, I've come to realize that I have a love/hate relationship with it. There is so much potential here, it could seriously be my dream home....if there was such a thing for me, but its going to take A LOT to get there. The previous owners did a lot of sketchy fix-ups to get out of the house quick, and now we're starting to pay the price. I feel like we've done a ton to it already, but so much of it is new locks, new lights, new blinds, etc...that we haven't gotten to much of the fun stuff yet. But the house is covered in windows and the natural light, coupled with the HUGE shade trees in the front yard, make me smile daily.
Actually, Ky's room is the only one that is done, or partially done. Since hers needed nothing more than paint and new bedding, we decided to start there. But I'm going to try and restrain myself from showing pictures until we're completely finished. I'm VERY pleased with it so far and so is she, which makes it all worth it!
Add to all the house stuff the birthdays (both J's and mine), weddings, camps, VBS, meeting neighbors and getting a feel for the new area, and we've all been exhausted. Happy, but exhausted! Our new neighbors seem very nice, they both have come over multiple times since we moved in to check on us. I've already met many of the mom's who are in the playgroup from the neighborhood, and we were promised (via the registrar at Ky's new school) that there are a TON of kids on our street that go to the neighborhood elementary school.
Jason and I are both trying really hard to not allow this house to swallow us whole. We want to make sure we're still living life, and not just trying to fix up where we live it. So, here's a list of random thoughts, events, life happenings in no particular order from the last 3 weeks:
-It broke my heart to hear Beck crying, "no, I wanna go home" the first couple days in the new house. It passed as quickly as it came, but man that was a tough one.
-Newie finds it unacceptable to not be on the same floor as me. If I head downstairs from playing in the playroom upstairs, you'd think someone was sawing his right arm off....which makes life all the more fun! Scary thing, this hurdle hasn't past yet...and I'm starting to wonder if it ever will.
-Kylie is one of the bravest kids I've ever known. She headed to Girl Scout camp and VBS both held at places she's never been to, in groups with kids she never met. And she didn't sweat it one bit...and she had an absolute blast!
-Stratton really enjoys the freedom of throwing things through the railing upstairs and watching said items land on the unforgiving (and painfully ugly) marble entryway....including Jason's cell phone, which ended up in MANY pieces. After having no luck telling him no, I started to give him a little spank and pull him away and sit him on his bottom. He was definitely not a fan of this process, although it didn't seem to deter him. Now, he'll toss something down there (usually beck's cars or trains for the train table) turn and look at me, and just start crying uncontrollably. he's such a weird duck! p.s. one time J was walking by and got cracked in the head by thomas the train, not gonna lie, it was a little funny. =)
-Beck LOVES the new backyard with all the space to ride his riding toys and new areas to explore.
-Having 4 bathrooms to clean instead of just two = totally sucky!
And with that, I'm spent, and ready for bed. I'll leave you with a couple pics from Ky's kinder graduation, which happened the day before we were suppose to move..so I just got them loaded this afternoon.
