It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

or Unpacking: The Early Stages

We've been in the house a week and a half or so and have gotten some things done but it still feels like there is so far to go.  So many boxes to go through.  Miles to go before I sleep.  I hurt my back yesterday (lift with your legs, kids!) so I am resting a little today and have some time to post pictures.  Here are some pictures from our unpacking and getting settled adventures.  We got a new washer and dryer.  Our old ones still worked but the new houses in CA are all plumbed for gas.  We could have paid a lot to have an electric line put in for the dryer but it was about the same as buying a new one.  And we got a new washer to go with.  Our old ones were getting older anyway.  Emma was mesmerized.  

We needed a fridge.  It's large and in charge and hopefully can handle all our refrigeration needs.  There is pretty much nothing in it now.  It is slowly getting filled with things.

The infamous glass French doors.  We ordered glass French doors for our office but solid ones were installed by mistake.  We liked the solid ones and asked if we could keep them but get a refund on the price difference (glass costs more) and the builder almost did it for us.  But then didn't.  So we have these glass ones.  When the glass ones were installed they didn't align right so we are still waiting for them to be adjusted.  Maybe it won't work out and we can get the solid ones back.  :)

The kids have enjoyed being reunited with some of their old things.  Matthew was excited to find his set of periodic table cards.

Grant and John enjoying Mouse Trap.

Matthew and Anna ride their bikes around the neighborhood almost every day and have made a few friends.  Our neighborhood is gated and pretty quiet during the day so they have been having a lot of fun riding.  They both had bike crashes this past week and had to come hobbling home with messed up bikes.  They were ok except for a few scrapes and bruises.  Anna has outgrown her bike and we said she could get a new one for her birthday so she has been bike shopping.  She found one she really liked!  Matthew also saved up his money and bought a skateboard.  So more scrapes and bruises in our future I think.  :) It should be fun though.

And some of furniture didn't survive the move.  Or has been slowly dying over the past few moves, so we needed a few new things.  This prompted a trip to Ikea in Palo Alto. It's close to Scott's work so the kids and I just met him up there after work one day.  It was so empty, it was wonderful! Matthew is lobbying for a new desk and chair.

John had to try out many beds

I think he was annoying Matthew here.

We got a couple new bookcases at Ikea and Scott was able to fit them in our car.  Hooray!

Emma got up early one morning and I found her asleep on the stairs after I got off the treadmill.  This was also the day I took all five of my kids to the DMV.  I was nervous but was able to get my CA driver's license without any major kid meltdowns.  Success!

Recalled dressers.

We need new dressers too.

Must go to Ikea again.

Emma found a Bullseye rocking horse.

We got curtains hung (Scott hung the curtain rod for me).  In the evening sun shines in that sliding door like you wouldn't believe.  So now we have a curtain and don't have to feel like we live on the surface of the sun when we have dinner.  It's all coming together!  Pay no attention to my messy kitchen.  It's a work in progress.

Dining area and new (Ikea) bookcase just assembled by Scott.

New rug.  Emma had to go stand on it and eat a granola bar to see if it could meet our needs. 

No food on the rug!

Getting ready for a bike ride.

There is a nice bike path just outside our complex that goes through town.

The kid's school is on the bike path...only three miles away.  :(  So they won't be riding to school but its nice for family bike rides.  Once we found the bike pump (which took several days) we went for a bike ride on the path.  I pushed the youngest two in the stroller.  Here is Grant practicing on a hand me down bike.  There is a creek that goes along the bike path.  Or the bike path goes along the creek.

It was hot and I didn't bring enough water.  Everyone stopped a lot for drinks.  Grand didn't even mind that we had to put pink training wheels on his bike.  Maybe he hasn't noticed yet.

We rode to an underpass and the kids had fun coasting down the (very gradual) hill.

Matthew going down the hill.

Grant went down the hill a couple times and then told me his legs were so tired he couldn't ride home.

I gave him a tow with the stroller.  He just had to steer.

Heading back home (towing Grant).  The other kids were much faster than us.  

That waited for us in some shade.

Things are slowly coming together.  Here we got the rug rolled out.

So, really, the house is a complete mess.  But little by little we are getting unpacked.  

More unpacking adventures to come.