Well, it has been one week since the big move. Seven and a half hours and a whole lot of boxes but we are here unpacking and sorting and deciding what to store. I can’t believe how much we got rid of before we moved and now that we are here there is so much more to go. I guess that is what happens when you move from a 6 bedroom home to a 3 bedroom rental.
We are just on the outskirts of North Liberty and surrounded by a corn field and several soybean fields. #JustLikeHome. The neighborhood is about 2 blocks wide and 5 blocks or so long. There are more houses/units in the development that in the whole town of Ethan. #SqueezedIntoAnIttyBityLivingSpace. It is a pretty area and a perfect transition place for us..
Our new place has a few “traits” from our old home. Mason noticed that the trim work is identical to the old house. Some other things that are the same or very similar are our fireplace, front door, and carpets. The kids said the similarities make the move a little easier. I am just so very thankful for the large kitchen and pantry!!
The large kitchen means pretty much no dining room. The kids don’t mind. They love sitting at the breakfast bar to eat meals. Haleigh is a bit jealous that she isn’t quite old enough to sit there but she gets lots of attention from Mom and Dad at the table. I absolutely love that no matter what I am doing, the kids are within my eyesight!! The kids, well they aren’t as happy about that.
One big change is that we all go upstairs for bed and to hit up the playroom. When we walked in we knew there would be trouble, it was just a matter of time.
Yup, the playroom is right at the top of the stairs. It is supposed to be an office area but with 3 kids under 5 there is NO WAY a computer could be put up there without damage happening. It only took 3 days for them to realize that blankets and toys could go over it. As soon as I told them to stop throwing thing over Lincoln told me, “I am not throwing them over, I am just hanging them and then they fall.” LOL! That habit got stopped. Of course Damon and Mason thought they should do the same thing this weekend and they had the same response about what was happening. #LearningFromTheBigBoys
Bunking is fun. Damon and Mason are sharing a room, which they pretty much did at home. On our list is finding a loft bed for more space. They love that our second tv and xbox have found their temporary spot. We will see how well this goes but with no family room, they will appreciate a place to relax and get away from the hundred episodes of Diego, or Frozen.
Last but not least we have the three little ones sharing rooms. This setup was our most troublesome because Lincoln and Preston do not do bedtime well. We have had to make a few changes to the bedtime routine but I am happy to report things are going well. The only change we need to make is a dresser drawer swap. Lincoln and Preston are wanting to pick out their own clothes and currently can’t and Hal wants to pull all the clothes out of her drawers. #MinorChanges
School is going well for the boys. They are meeting new people and still connecting with friends back home. They are thrilled to get out every Wednesday at 1 but upset that their school year runs until mid June. Ethan and North Bend started a day apart. They also get to do pictures twice. Maybe I should say, they HAVE to do them twice. Boys just aren’t nearly as excited about picture day as girls.
Chris is liking his job so far. He took us on campus and showed us around. He came home last week and said he has officially seen the shortest pair of jean shorts ever. #SoShortHerPantiesWereShowing #HelloCollegeCampus . He has gotten the hang of the public transit after getting on the wrong bus twice and having to cab home. Parking is $15 a day and the permit waiting list is quite long so for now the bus it is. Really it isn’t so bad, I know when to expect him home each day and can plan meal times well.
I LOVE that the grocery store is just a mile away. Twice this week I went to Walmart, which is about 4 miles away, around 9:45 and came home to start lunch without realizing it was only 10:15. #Oops. I also lost my Social Security card a few years back and of course I need that to get my new Iowa driver’s license. I have been putting it off because I didn’t want to drive to Huron or Sioux Falls, wait, then drive back. So this week I drove 5 miles, waited 15 minutes, and drove home. I was home in less than 30 minutes!! I have gone from putting on 250-500 miles a week down to just 50-75. I miss seeing familiar faces at the grocery store but it is funny how our minds make us see a few similarities in people. There have been a few double takes because a person looks like someone from home.
Until next update… #ThanksForStoppingBy
