oh, what a day...

You know, it's been a tough couple weeks, really. We closed on the house 16 days ago. I started packing a bit before that, then continued to pack while painting at the house 8 out of the next 10 days. We got the big moving truck last Saturday and moved what we thought was almost all of our stuff. We came back later for what we thought was almost the rest. Then I've taken a car load full about 6 other times. So now I've been working on unpacking at the house while cleaning the apartment. We had to turn the keys in today. I went over 3 times yesterday at a couple hours each time, and still wasn't quite done. So here's how today went...

I got up at 7:50, took Ryan downstairs to work on his homework (since I had forgotten to do it with him in the craziness of everything, and it's due on Thursdays since he doesn't have school on Fridays!) and told David to get dressed. Ryan was really good at staying focused on his homework, but sure took his time about it. At one point I sent him upstairs to get dressed. Periodically I yelled at David to get dressed, but his medication apparently hadn't kicked in yet. Katy fluttered around, eating breakfast, then starting to get dressed but ended up running around with just a shirt on. Around 8:40 I started really getting anxious to get a move on since the bus came the last two days (the only days they've ridden it besides Monday when we got on at the wrong stop) at 8:58. David was still in jammies. Finally I convinced him to get dressed, only to have him put on shorts when it's chilly outside, so I had to send him back up for pants. Ryan, who was still finishing up his homework, was also wearing shorts and needed to go change. I also finally got Katy to lay down and get her diaper and pants on.

So at this point I thought it was about 8:53 and we had a couple minutes. David had his shoes and jacket on with his hair combed, and was starting on a piece of toast. I was tying Ryan's shoes. And I heard the bus drive by! So everyone ran out the door, Ryan with only one of his shoes double-knotted, both boys eating toast since they hadn't gotten around to cereal, and me without shoes on. They ran while I hurried behind them and yelled at them to hurry, so they got on before I made it to the stop. I found half a piece of toast on the sidewalk. Katy wanted it, and since I was sure it was Ryan's I let her have it.

I felt bad about the whole experience and was sure Ryan would be upset about not finishing his toast and being hurried onto the bus, so Katy and I got ready to drive to the school to bring him a granola bar and a hug. I had to take a few things out of the car that I'd shoved in last night on my latest apartment run, then put Katy in and drove to the school. Apparently it takes a while for the buses to unload, because I was standing around waiting for my poor sad little guy for quite a few minutes. Finally I saw him, happily walking backwards to his classroom. He was fine. And they had let him finish his toast! He told me David was allowed to, too. I just talked to David and found out that he had left his on the sidewalk, so Katy didn't eat a stranger's toast like I thought it might've been at that point.

Seeing Ryan looking happy and fine took some stress off at that point. We drove back home so I could unload the rest of the stuff in the car, so we could go load it up again at the apartment. Katy entertained herself with this while I did that:


One of the unfun things about moving is how mixed up and disorganized everything gets. Somehow the bouncy chair ended up in the living room instead of in the garage with all the other maybe-we-won't-need-this-again things. At least she got some use out of it! But how does she know it's for a baby?

So then we drove to the apartment. And spent 5 hours cleaning! I thought I had about 2 hours left. I did have a few setbacks (like the oven cleaner not spraying so I had to run to the store for some), but still, I was scrubbing for most of that time. Katy was an angel. I rarely had to do anything for her. At one point I did park the car in the garage for the first and only time (and found out that the car barely fits, so I wouldn't have wanted to ever, even if it hadn't been full of junk) and let her watch Little Einsteins (with the door to the apartment propped open & the car off) for an hour while I worked in the kitchen (I especially didn't want her around for the oven cleaning). Other than that she just nicely entertained herself. Poor thing didn't get a nap, though, so we're very sad now.

The sucky thing about all this cleaning is that we don't live there to enjoy the resulting clean house. Here's my post cleaning kitchen. Admire & appreciate.


So Katy & I made it home less than an hour before the boys did. I finally got a shower, called Heritage Green to tell them to not deposit the check I just gave them since we spent all our money on the down payment, and ate a peach. The food & shower did a lot to help me feel better, as well at the apartment complex being flexible with our payment.

Then we got the boys from the bus stop. And David pulled out a paper for me. He got written up for the first time yesterday for basically having a hard time keeping his hands to himself. And he tried to turn it in today like this:


Um, David, did your dad really sign this? Nope. We have our first forgery attempt. Okay, it's kind of funny. And it will be really funny to look back on. But right now I just don't know what to do about him. Do they have boarding schools for kids with ADHD?

So, I'm really tired and worn out. And there is so much to do! And I can't even skip making dinner and eat out, for two reasons. One, we're poor now. Two, we've eaten out 5 times in the last 5 days and our tummies are starting to feel the effects. So, off to make some spaghetti I guess. And try to work up some energy to clean the house, now, too!