Settling in

Well, after three weeks, I feel like we're finally settling in. Sure, the house is still a wreck in many ways and there is furniture in places that I'm not sure I like still. BUT we're getting closer. Mark and Bjorn put a bunch of boxes in the attic and now the garage is more or less thinned out with stuff that should actually be in the garage. I still have a lot to do, like taking a good look at the yard and doing some wedding and grooming, but every day we get a little more settled in and are understanding the quirks of the place. I'm happy with it. I am also loving being so near my family. We've seen my parents and/or sister and nieces in various combinations and it's so great just to be able to do that so easily. I know the kids love it, too, especially seeing Megan and Emma. It's pretty adorable.

Meg has also been sleeping a little better and generally this weekend was less clingy. Course, I thought that last night as I went to bed, marveling that she finally went to bed by herself without someone in there rubbing her back. Then she went and screwed it up by waking up at 3 a.m. and having a little party in bed until 5 a.m. Bjorn and I were not happy with that development.

Mark starts community college today and I must say I'm impressed with him for getting his stuff together to get himself registered and figuring out the money to pay for it. I think he's in a good place to do well this semester.

Some things we still have to figure out, like finding a pediatrician, but we're on our way.

Settling in

Oomph. After the initial thrill and excitement of getting moved in, my interest in further unpacking and sorting is definitely on the wane. So much has been done and so much is still left to be done, like putting books away, sorting through linens and putting the kitchen stuff to use in a way that makes sense to our lifestyle. I was so used to where everything went in my old kitchen that's it's going to take some time to assess it and figure out what makes sense where.

A nice problem to have is that we have a three-car garage now. It's the natural entry point into the house from the garage into the laundry room that leads to the kitchen. Unfortunately, there are lots of empty boxes out there now so it's less useful than it could be. Plus, the movers somehow misplaced the screws to put Andy's bed back together. If you recall, he's got a cool loft bed from Ikea. I love it and, it would be perfect for his new room. Sadly the movers broke it into it's original parts and the bolts to put it back together are missing. I am holding out hope that they're somewhere in the mess in the garage and that once Mark breaks down the boxes, I'll find them. Otherwise, I'm going to have to see if  Ikea will see me 50 replacement pieces.

Both kids started a new daycare/preschool this week. Meg did great the first day, not so much the other two days, which makes me sad. Although Andy won't need aftercare (yet) due to my current work schedule, I wanted him to get familiar with it should he need to go on occasion. Also, I wanted him to meet a couple of kids that will be going to his elementary school. Getting back to some schedule is going to be a good thing. Meg especially is staying up too late (mostly because she won't go to bed). She transitioned out of her crib while we were on vacation so I got a baby gate to keep her in her room. I worried about locking her in, but her room is on the second floor and I fear her roaming around half awake looking for me. I did ask the doctor about it first who said it was fine. Of course, she now goes in her room and wails loudly about wanting to get out, but that'll settle down eventually, right? Right?

Andy starts kindergarten a week from Monday. Wow.

And we're moved in

The second set of move came on Thursday and took all our stuff from Public Storage to the new house. Naturally it was 103 that day so it was nice and roasty. The packers had stuff labeled but it was confusing what was "bedroom 1" and what was "bedroom 2." Was that counting from the top of the stairs at the old house or from the master down? As a result, stuff somewhat ended up all over. The trickiest was thinking about the old basement -- half that stuff went into the new office and the other half was toys, games and Wii  accessories that are going into the game room (or "Texas basement" as I heard someone call it."

Although it was still a wreck, we managed to unpack enough sheets and clothes to sleep here the first night. I had intended to go back to my folks' place, but once we were here, I didn't want to leave!


Mark and Jennifer arrived late last night from Virginia, Mark permanently and Jennifer just for a visit. They have been amazing to help entertain the kids and unpack. As a result, we're probably 75 percent done with the boxes. Stunning actually how far along we are. Verizon came today and we now have TV, phone and Internet. Without a radio, I was listening to the intercom radio on the top 40 (or top 12 station). As a result, I know the words to all the latest Lady Gaga, Eminem and Katy Perry songs.

I will post pictures, once I find my camera and the cords that attach them to the computer.

We did it!

After years of talking about it and months of planning, we are finally moving into our new house. I know, I can't really believe it either. We went over tonight to check it out (the previously owner technically had until 10 p.m. tonight, but Bjorn stopped by during the day to see that it was totally empty. Score!) Bjorn picked up dinner and we ate before taking a swim. Considering it was 104 today and it was our new house, it was pretty darn perfect. Sure, I'm terrified of the kids being near the pool without me and I'm plotting how I'm going to better secure it, but after years of schlepping to the pool with all our gear, it was so incredibly nice to just go in the back yard and go swimming.

Right now, the house doesn't seem like it's twice as big as our old house, but once the furniture comes tomorrow, I have a feeling we'll see how big it is. Yippee!

So who is coming to visit?


Commonwealth Swim Club, I won't miss schlepping our noodles over to you. You may have been across the street, but that can be a long way with two cranky kids.

On the go

Oh heavens. The last few weeks have been so crazy I'm not exactly sure where to start. So here are the highlights:
1) We spent two weeks in Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
2) We flew back to Dallas and put an offer on a house. Despite multiple offers, we got it!
3) I flew back to Washington to finish out a week of work and pack up the house.
4) The kids and Bjorn stayed in Dallas with my folks who have been amazing.
5) The kids started a new preschool/camp where my sister teaches and her kids go.
6) With the help of awesome friends and family (and paid professionals), I got the house packed and moved. 
7) Bjorn flew in and we drove my minivan with the two cats 1,300 miles to Dallas in two days with a stayover in the less than glamorous Dickson, Tennessee.
8) Our house back in Virginia closed.
9) I started working from home as a 25 hour a week part-time employee.

Yeah, I think that's the highlights. Pictures to come later. We also close on our new McMansion next Wednesday and move in the Wednesday after that. Yeah, it's been a busy summer.

Wistful

Bjorn was home this weekend. He was barely home for 48 hours, but it took us all no time to get back into our normal family groove. The little kids absolutely loved it. I could tell Margaret especially had really missed him. Andy's old enough to understand more of what we're doing, but Meg really isn't. She's definitely been more clingy lately and picks up a lot of my tension trying to get it all together. We made the mistake of trying to cram too much into such a short time, but it was totally worth it. Except that it wasn't. Seeing him in some ways made it harder because it was just so good to all be together. So today we're all just sad. Part of me is also sad that our life here is coming to an end. Our life in this house -- where we brought both our babies home from the hospital -- is almost up. Bjorn will likely not be back here until it's time to move out.

Fortunately, I'll see him again Friday when I fly down to hopefully make an offer on a new house on Saturday. By then, I think I'll start to get super excited about the options down in Dallas rather than dwelling on all the work that has to be done. I am about 2/3rds of the way on this marathon and I'll admit I'm pretty tired.

Our home inspection was today. Fingers crossed it went okay. We have a weird radon detector set up in our basement, too, with all sorts of signs saying don't touch. I don't think the radon detector has any idea of it's up against with Monsters 1 and 2 in this house.

What a weekend

Bjorn turned 34 today (convenient what we me turning 29 and all a couple weeks ago). He came home for the weekend. It was so nice and normal that I have sort of forgotten that the next time he's here will be when we move out.

My mom came to visit. She bought me a new camera for my birthday to replace the one the beach destroyed and all I could do nice for her was take this awful picture. Thanks, Mom!

I have no idea what he's doing, but I love it.

Andy celebrated his end of soccer season party and got a trophy. Yay for trophies! I used to mock "participation trophies." Now I get it. I then tried to get him into watching the USA v. England game but he decried it "boring" and I decried his attitude one that must be in another room.

I didn't mean to take this artistic picture of her, but look how awesome and perfect her face is?

We had Andy's preschool graduation Friday. The folks at the George Mason CDC really did a nice job. Here they are preparing for a song to sing the parents.

The event was complete with caps. Sadly, no gowns as I had expected or I might have dressed him a little better. Also weird is that while he has "graduated," he's still got the summer there. Good thing he doesn't really understand what it means yet.

Andy standing outside his school. I've been quite impressed with them. I hope we can find something as good in Southlake for Meg.

Under contract

So our plan is all coming together. I'm almost embarrassed to say it for fear it will jinx it, but we got a contract on the house this week, praise heavens and Realtor Viv. Ironically, it's a family moving here from Texas. I wonder if our Texana around the house sealed the deal. I am beyond thrilled about the whole thing, but now I'm starting to get terrified about the next steps, like, oh, packing and moving, plus picking a new house, securing a mortgage and trying to coincide two closings with a trip to Australia, two jobs, two small children and a cross country move. Really, universe, I am not an overachiever like this so it all makes me pretty nervous to try to get everything together.

We have the home inspection on our place on Monday, which is good that it's then since my mom is visiting now for Andy's adorable yet completely unnecessary pre-school graduation today. Bjorn's also flying in late tonight so we can celebrate his birthday. I'm then going to fly down to Dallas next weekend for 24 hours to see Bjorn's top house candidates and hopefully make an offer on something.

As my folks would say, I've got some high-class problems.

Hrmph

So the house has been on the market for approximately 72 hours and hasn't sold yet. What gives, universe? Don't you know how totally impatient I am? Don't you know how impossible it is trying to keep the house clean with 2 1/2 children in the house? I feel like I'm following behind a bull in a china shop, constantly trying to put things back in order and prevent disaster. Plus, Bjorn's down in Dallas finding all these amazing, 3,500+ square foot monstrosities with pools and playgrounds in a great school district and begging me to come down to make an offer on one. I know these things take time, but I really don't much like waiting. Sure we've been waiting to make this move for five years already, but now that we're here, I want to go now, now, now!

Speaking of going somewhere, my friend Catherine is headed to South Africa. for the World Cup and blogging about it. How cool is that?

And we're live

Isn't this finished basement awesome? And so, so clean!

The house officially went on the market today. I was half expecting that when it landed in the MLS at 3 p.m., that hoards of people would start calling demanding to make an offer on my house. As it is, one realtor wants to come preview it tomorrow. Right now it feels a little kind getting all dressed up for the prom and having my cousin be the only person ask me to dance. I know, it's early, way early, but I am an impatient person. Plus, I have an adorable husband in Dallas breathing down my neck to get down there and buy a new house already. Sure, he has to be separated from his family and venture out into the great unknown by himself, blah, blah, blah, but I think his job has been easier.

The house does look amazing though. It's so clean and empty right now it actually echoes. I'm not sure I could really live like this. Fastidious is not a word anyone would ever, ever associate with me unless it had something to do with AP style. But I will admit it's nice to come home and have the place not look like Toys R Us threw up on my rug.

The one with all the cake

It was my birthday yesterday. It wasn't even an interesting birthday like one that ended in five or zero of even nine or one. Nope, just your average middle, gasp, late 30s birthday and my friends (and husband) are the very bestest in the whole while world. Better still, some of my friends came over without even being bribed to help me get the house (somewhat) properly cleaned and staged. Liz even brought cake. While I'm doling out the thanks, I must say Bjorn's family and gone above and beyond in this whole getting the house ready to list ordeal. They even worked last weekend while I was out of town finishing cleaning, mowing and tidying. Stunningly awesome, those folks.

How much better does it get? Sure, I'm stressed out and sleep deprived, but I also want to cry out of happiness I am so honored by the whole damn thing.

The house lists tomorrow. I am ready to get on with it already, but it's sort of like having a baby, I'm sure. It's not like the work ends tomorrow. Rather, in a sense it's just starting.

The big, big purge

Remind me again why we're moving? Oh right, higher standard of living for less money and the chance to be near my family. That's good to remind myself because moving sure is a huge pain in the neck. I have spent the last several weeks cleaning, purging and rearranging. I've practically got Purple Heart on speed dial just to get all the crap off my front porch. I really had no idea how much stuff I have. Really. I know everyone says that, but I have actually been working on getting rid of stuff for a while. When the big kids moved home, I got rid of a bunch of furniture then. I also routinely go through mine and the little kids' closets to donate and pass along to other kids. Yet I still have an enormous amount of stuff to get rid of.

My attic is just about filled with boxes. Fortunately we're just about ready to list the house next week so I think I've gotten up there just about all that is going to go up there. Jennifer moves into her new place first of next week, which gives me about a day to then clean up the basement and rearrange some furniture from other parts of the house. I have invited some friends over allegedly for my birthday, but in reality everyone is going to help me get the place ready.

It's going to be a real challenge keeping the place neat so it can be showed. I had a long talk with the kids about it last night -- how there can be no laundry not folded, dishes have to go in the sink, beds made and everything off the floor. Mark mostly groaned. The little kids I can boss around, but Mark, well, not so much. My realtor has said she'll throw away any of his stuff he leaves on the floor so that should be interesting.

I have survived okay without Bjorn. I miss him terribly, but I'm excited to hear the new job seems to be going well. I know he was pretty choked up when he left so I felt pretty sorry for him headed off to the big unknown as the advance team until I spent all last weekend cleaning windows and shampooing carpets. Then, well, not so much.

Now, who wants to buy a four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath on 1/3 of an acre in Fairfax? Come on, it's walking distance to Royal Lake, Laurel Ridge Elementary, Robinson Secondary and Commonwealth Swim Club. Plus, it's right off the bus line with easy access to the Pentagon, VRE and DC. I'll make you a deal!

The big, big move

So there's big news in Casa de Bennett, Internets -- we're moving to Texas! Bjorn got a new job down in Dallas, my hometown, and he's moving this weekend to start on Monday. I'm going to stay behind in Virginia with the kids to sell the house with the goal of being down there first of August to be ready for Andy to start kindergarten in the fall. Oh, and in the middle, we have an awesome two week trip to Australia planned. So we've got a bunch of once in a lifetime events crammed into one summer. I had no idea I was such an overacheiver.

When we got married, oh, back in 1998, we always said that after the big kids got out of school, we would move back to Texas. I had never really intended to be here that long. It was a three month internship (a three hour tour...) But then I met a great guy and the rest is history. But here it is, nearly 12 year later and we're really doing it. I am so excited about the move, excited to be near my family and watch my kids and nieces grow up together, get a huge house for what our modest house costs around here. It's a win-win except for all the family and friends we're leaving here. Fortunately, Bjorn is looking at houses so massive we could bring everyone down for a weekend not run out of places for them to stay.

We've got a neighborhood down in Dallas all picked out -- the Southlake/Carroll area near the DFW airport. I have some friends from high school that live there and love it, we can get a house twice the size of our current one and be in a good school district with a great football team (I've been making sure to watch Friday Night Lights just to keep up. Oh, who are we kidding. I was watching already.)

I have come out to my office and they have been amazing. I'll stay on through the summer and then transition to a part-time role to finish up some projects as well as go to our big meeting in the fall. It's a good solution for both of us, I think. Plus, my adored assistant director is getting promoted to my job. I'm thrilled about that part, too (although having my successor named is sort of like being a lame duck president, I've decided).

Selling the house is going to be hard, especially trying to keep it clean with two kids and a 21-year-old who ignores most of what I ask about keeping his room tidy, but hardest is going to be Bjorn going on ahead for a couple of months. I'm trying not to think about it too much, but certainly a couple of weeks at a time will be the longest we've been apart since we've been married. Sad.

Even though I've been yelling at him for his refusal to pack in general, he's a total champ for doing all of this. How lucky am I?