7 Quick Takes

1.

 Is anyone else a little depressed the Olympics are about to be over? I have no clue what I'm going to watch now. I guess I might have to actually get something done now in the evening. Orrrr just watch more Doctor Who again.

Source

2.

 The past few days have been so sunny and warm and I'm finally melting. Yesterday the kiddos and I had a picnic in our backyard, and dare I say it, but there was a moment I was actually hot.

In February.

 Remember last week when there was ice..... 

Also, the rain/humidity did a number on the kids' hair today. Damian's 5 inch fro shrank instantly after our jog (no. I don't want to talk about it.)

And Clare's "undecided" hair had distinctive curls. 

3. 

Have I ever mentioned my love of succulents?? If not, then let me start here... I love them. Mostly because they are filed under the "Plants of STEEEEEEL" (as D would say) section of Home Depot (nope still can't go back to Lowe's yet. The shame lives on.) and that makes them very hard to kill. And yet I want to plant a vegetable garden. Thank God for grocery stores....

4. 

This is the price I pay for 30 minutes of silence. 

He seems to be in his Blue Period right now. Picasso would be proud. 

(Anyone want to tell me how he figured out how to add filters to his pictures...)

5. 

The house is starting to feel a bit more like a house and a little less like a storage unit. I had to clean our bathroom today, meaning the counter was actually visible so I found that to be promising. There are still a ton of boxes in the dining room, FROG, and garage. However, we Nate did find this gem in the attic. 

#IDontEvenKnow

6. 

Got my driver's license yesterday. So I'm officially a citizen of the great S.C. again. 

7. 

I dunno... I don't really have a seventh thing to talk about. I'm getting my hair cut on Tuesday for the first time in a year? See... that's the best I could come up with. When I start talking about my hair I know it's time to just sign off. Say good bye. Cut my loses. "And all those good bye things." 10 points to the person who knows the Disney movie reference. (Thanks Damian...)  Also. I'll leave you with this. 

I found it hilarious. No? Just me? 

Le sigh.

Have a fab weekend everyone!

The Do's and Don't's of Moving with Small Children

Don't.

No really. Just don't. 

Ok that might be a bit over dramatic. It's definitely doable in a you'd-chop-your-arm-off-if-it-were-stuck-under-a-rock-and-it-was-your-only-chance-of-survival kind of way. So I thought I'd share a bit of our process with you. And no, I still don't have pictures loaded of the house, but how about a video tour tomorrow?! Dealzzz (as Damian would say)???

DO adjust your expectations of time and apply the "add a zero rule." So for example, if you think it's going to only take you 20 hours to pack, add a zero, and prepare for 200 hours of box filling fun. Or if you think it's only going to take you a day to paint a room, add a zero an accept it will probably take 10 days and 100 trips to Lowes. I can't imagine why I might have gotten the wrong paint sample...

DON'T be shy about using Mr. TV to babysit the littles. I figure Damian's brain may be a bit more mushy by the end of this move but that's a lot better than having a box fall on him. Or packing him in a box because he refused to stop unpacking them. Or because he wants to "help" paint the carpet.

DO get help. If someone wants to help you, take it. And no I don't just mean from a marriage counselor. (I kid of course!) Sending Damian to the grandparents helps get rid of that darn zero rule. 

DON'T forget to take pictures. Nate really wanted us to do a video walk-through of the house before it was empty. I was opposed only because I didn't want the last recorded memories of our house to be when it was in such a state of disarray. But in the end I'm glad we did it! So much has happened in this house and I want to remember it.

DO hire someone. We went ahead and built in the cost of movers into the savings for home purchasing. We ended up not having movers load our truck (long story that will be funny...one day...I hope...) But we did for unloading the truck. Movers are a whole lot easier. Trust me. (Not that our free-of-charge movers aka in-laws weren't great, but I'm going to assume that they would've enjoyed us having movers too. :-) )

Basically that's how we are surviving--well that and some craft brews and bottles of wine.

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