The girls contest that we are well on our way to a farm: Polly, the chicken, has started laying eggs. We are up to three beautiful brown, medium-sized eggs as of this morning. So we can make about half a breakfast, once a week from our own chicken.
Hey, it’s a start.
Have awesome friends. We have some pretty fantastic friends. We made a few trips with the pick-up ahead of time, but our friends showed up Saturday morning with a fleet of minivans (and one awesome trailer) and we moved a house full of stuff in two runs. By lunchtime, we were taking a break and deciding where bookshelves should be planted. Our friends cleared the forgotten corners of closetrs, put together our massive dining room table, and didn’t complain about lugging our mountains of junk. They were jpyfdul and encouraging, and even offered to come back for more later in the week. Best moving asset: friends looks ours.
Isaac’s new passion: motorcycles. Which he pronounces “moka-sikles”. Which I would like to spell mocha-sicle, and enjoy as a frozen chocolate-coffee treat. Sounds good, right? So now I get a popsicle craving every time we go for a drive. I guess ttings could be worse.
Mark your boxes with crayon instead of marker. I love my Sharpies, of course, but crayons work beautifully (and you get to see the interesting texture of the cardboard) and marauding two-year-olds can’t use them on furniture. At least, not as easily as a marker. And if you’re like me, it’s easier to find a broken crayon on the floor than your one functional Sharpie, which you put in a “safe” place.
Best place for free boxes: the hoppers outside Dollar General. Other dollar stores run a close second.
“Wait,” you might be thinking, “did I accidentally go to a blog about how to change residences on a budget?”
No, you are still at the blog about my thrilling life. But we’re moving, hence today’s topic. The wild experiment of two (and then three) families living in one house is coming to an end, and we will have our own place again.
I’ve not been writing much lately, so now you may be thinking, “That is a wild experiment! Why didn’t I know about this?”
Honestly, there has been surprisingly little to write. I’m hoping to have some reflections, which may or may not be worthy of sharing, after I’ve had some time to reflect. Right now, it’s all about the boxes. And the Clorox ones are the perfect size for two stacks of trade-size books. No lie – best discovery, after the box hoppers, of the week. Since books are literally somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of our non-furniture possessions.
Only downside to these boxes: we snagged some that had dryer sheets or laundry detergent or something in them, and the back of the truck and the house now smell like whatever fake perfumey stuff some people use on their clothes. It is not a smell I would want to spend the day with. But hey, the boxes were free.
Dangerous! by Tim Warnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book. I think Isaac loves it even more. Sweet little mole is labeling everything…until he meets something lumpy, and bumpy, which doesn’t fit into just one label. The conflict which ensues, and the resolution, are touching. And the labels made me giggle. (Rhododendron was my favorite!)
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good introduction for the girls to what the brain does. I like its emphasis on the elasticity of the brain (though it’s possibly over-done…but maybe it’s worth repeating so many times) and the fact that trying new things and making mistakes is how you strengthen your brains processes. My crew needs to hear that…often. Not too detailed (short enough for a 2-year-old to survive) and plenty colorful, and easy to understand. But definitely just an introduction.
A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Kevin Henkes’ work. This is a delightful little book, short enough for Isaac (age 2) to listen to over and over again. It’s uplifting, and (gently) sends a message that I want my kids to learn – a bad day will always get better. And of course the illustrations are fantastic, because it’s Kevin Henkes.