We’re here (almost)

I’ve moved several times in my life, but never has a move been as exhausting and stressful as this one!

First, we bought a fridge and stove from the Restore and delivered them to our new home later that week.  I also dropped off our shopvac for the maintenance people to use (we are renting, and the house needed some last minute work done to it), our big stroller to get it out of our van so we could start packing boxes, and a few boxes filled with misc. items that I wouldn’t be needing any time soon.  That was a mistake, because someone broke into our back door and stole our fridge and our shopvac.  To make matters worse, the maintenance guy showed up, called our landlord to let him know what had happened and offered to call us but our landlord told him no, he’d take care of it.  We never got called and showed up the next day with a trailer full of stuff to begin moving in and noticed the missing items and the repaired (and screwed shut) back door! 

The police recommended we not move anything more in until we were actually going to be staying there, so despite a packed-full trailer we went home and did our move the next day.  We found a fridge for $9 at Menards but it was moldy, twisted seals, leaked, and the fan in the freezer kept freezing up leaving our frozen items to thaw.  That first night break in was almost enough for me to call off the move!

The next day was our big moving day and it went pretty uneventful.  The guys were too tired to bring a last load containing our washer/dryer, computer desk, filing cabinets and other things so I was hoping to get our last things over soon.  As of this writing we still have things back at the apartment that need to be brought over, but we have to work out a day and time that works for everyone so we have help, and so far that hasn’t happened!

A week goes by and my husband is having issues with medication he’s on for his bipolar disorder.  His psychiatrist raised up two of his medications at his last visit two weeks ago at that point and around the 2 week mark my husband is sleeping uncontrollably (he literally slept an entire week away, only waking to use the bathroom and to eat – but he’d fall asleep inbetween bites!), speech is slurred and slow, he’s loosing balance, spilling drinks, dropping food, and overall he’s a mess.  He’s seen at the hospital and kept overnight. His doseage is put back the way it was before the change on one medication while the other one that was changed is left alone.

The day he’s released my sister in law was able to coordinate her boys, one of her boys friends, and I called my dad over with his truck and we got the washer and dryer, kids dresser and other items moved over.

But there’s a problem again.  My washer and dryer (a stackable apartment sized unit) wouldn’t fit down our basement stairs!  This is an older house with a sloping ceiling down the back stairs and a sharp turn at the bottom – it wouldn’t make it.  Rats!  I had been doing laundry here and there at the apartment when this unit was still hooked up, but now I had nothing!  The next day my husband and I tried the Restore to see if they had anything affordable but they didn’t have any washers or dryers.  We tried a used appliance guy who decided to trade us – we were able to work out an energy-star, high-efficiency, newer washer and dryer AND a used fridge (side by side!).  So even though someone stole our fridge, we still ended up with a nicer one in the end   Everything was delivered the next evening.  The day after that my husband got everything hooked up and running, so I am happily doing laundry this evening.

Since moving, I’ve had orders pending for my business. With all of the chaos of unpacking, not having all of my office supplies, organizing, cleaning and chasing after three young children orders were backing up at a good rate and some were very delayed at getting to the post office.  Finally today I break even and I’m caught up!

I think this week we will bring over the very last of our ’stuff’ and I might even get around to starting my garden.  I have everything I need started already, I just need to put it in the ground.  I am looking into laws for having chickens in our backyard for meat and eggs.  I can’t wait to get my office set up – it is the room I write and work my publishing business, teach my childbirth classes, craft, and homeschool.  Once I get all of my office furniture over I can begin getting everything set up and prepare for students again.

I’m about exhausted so I am going to throw in a last load of laundry and get to bed.