Thanksgiving & The Move

Checking in here from the mountain of boxes that still await unpacking. We're breaking down the boxes as we unpack them and taking them to recycling. We won't be keeping any boxes because we are DONE moving for a long time.

We started moving on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, moved bits on Thanksgiving and moved in the rest of the stuff on Friday with the help of movers. Matt and I finished the rest of the odds and sods at the townhouse and got that cleaned up on Sunday. Finally everything is under one, well two roofs if you count the barn. Its been a long time coming.

Since we were in the middle of moving for Thanksgiving, we made reservations to eat at a local restaurant who had a Thanksgiving buffet. Eating at home would have been a preferred choice, but at least we were able to recognize the holiday by having a family meal together.

At the restaurant. Oliver insisted on bringing his newly discovered toy cars inside the restaurant and we may have threatened once or twice to leave because of the quarreling between Chloe & Oliver.

Emma Claire sported her pumpkin sweater (worn by all three kids at Thanksgiving) which Chloe declared made her look like a carrot. Emma Claire made an enormous mess at the restaurant, discarding what she didn't like on the floor. I spent a large part of dinner picking up food off the floor. This is the second and probably last time we eat at this restaurant because they probably won't let us eat there again.

Oliver's Thanksgiving place mat he made at pre-school. You can see he is thankful to have his favorite toys back!

Unfortunately, progress on the unpacking is slow. I have learned that moving with three, young children is a challenge to say the least. If they aren't underfoot, making a mess, fighting, and making limitless requests every five seconds then you might be able to sneak in some unpacking.

Each child has done remarkably well with the move. Oliver was a little uncertain as he does not like change and kept asking to go back to the temporary townhouse, but once we started unpacking and he discovered his "lost" toys he was happy and thought perhaps this was a good move after all.

Chloe seems unfazed by the move. Her only complaint was the 48 hours we had to go without Internet or TV. A WHOLE 48 HOURS!!! Torture apparently.

Emma Claire is doing well, at least on the sleeping in her own bedroom. She has slept in her crib beside our bed since coming home and wakes numerous times in the night. Matt has nicknamed her "Pop Up" because she literally wakes and pops up like "Hey, what's happening?!" anywhere from 1-5500 times a night. The first night we slept in the house and she slept in her new room she was up and down all night but easily put back to sleep. The other nights, minus one, silence. No waking up. Perhaps I have jinxed it and I will be going back and forth all night tonight, but I am now wondering if the co-sleeping thing isn't for Emma Claire and us being in the room wasn't a comfort to her but a distraction?

Now, during the day with Emma Claire is another story. When we were  moving in and we had workmen in and out moving furniture, changing locks, etc. she was very clingy and I put her in the baby carrier and "wore" her which she enjoyed. Now that it is just she and I during the mornings, she doesn't want the baby carrier and frankly, I can't carry boxes to each room while wearing her but she wants to be held instead, especially if I am coming in and out of rooms. This is my view most of the day--

Its not so easy to unpack and move with a 15-month old wrapped around your leg and standing on your right foot.

Sometimes Emma Claire will keep herself busy, like yesterday when I was putting the Tupperware away and heard the crash of glass on the floor. Emma Claire has managed in a matter of minutes to pry the packing tape off the box of glass mixing bowls and began removing them from the box. She thought it was great fun to see them smash on the wood floor.

Bit by bit it is getting unpacked and we are settling in. Monday was rough trying to coordinate the new bus schedule, find backpacks, get the kids fed breakfast and dressed all with electricians and plumbers coming in and out. Tuesday and this morning were better and a routine feels like it is starting to get established.

Matt & Chloe looking at the kitchen faucet. With any house that has sat vacant for a while, we have had some issues with water pressure and getting the heating on (notice wearing the coat inside). Heating is sorted but water issue is not.

Pizza on the floor on our first night in the house.

Hopefully we will be unpacked and more settled by this weekend. Just in time to get out all the Christmas decorations!