From 4th November...

Saturday Moving Day!!! Up at 5.30, getting everything ready for the day. Pretty much all of the packing was done, just putting all the other stuff together. Bruce made a couple of phone calls about a fridge while I made up a Lasagna (to use up some of the stuff out of the fridge) and everyone was up and we were out of the house and off to get the truck at 9.00. Grabbed that then made our way back to go to the house to sign the lease. Packed the van for the 1st load and it started. Alfie came over to help Bruce with all the heavy lifting. Then, one truckload and a couple of van loads later. Paula came over in the afternoon and helped me. By 5.00 we were out and in again. Paula left to get ready for our girls night and I did the same. The boys did pizza for dinner and the girls were off at 7.00. We ended up at Logan’s for dinner and then into Old Sac to a comedy club. There were 3 comedians, 2 were funny, and the other wasn’t really. It was a fun night; just to get out and be girls is always a good time. We got home around 12.30 and off to bed. Very Tired as you can imagine!!! Sunday Woke up at 6.00am, and started with the unpacking that I usually due the night we move. I did the kitchen before everyone got up at around 7.30 then finished the rest by 10.30. We were out to take the truck back at around midday. Then we dropped in at home and picked up some lunch and headed back to the apartment to clean. 3 hours later it was all done. We wiped down everything, from the skirting boards to the blinds, it looked brand new. We packed up the rest of the stuff, little bits and pieces and were out there by 5.00. Off home we went to have some dinner. After dinner Paula dropped in to give us moving in gifts, wine glasses, Yeay!!! And the boys got fridge magnet games, for when we get a fridge. She went off to meet some friends to watch Sunday night football and we did the same then not long after, got ready for bed. What a weekend, it’s all over now. I can’t remember the last time I was this tired, oh yeah, when I didn’t sleep on the plane coming over. Monday It started like all the others, not really. The boys got up and just ran around the house for a while, cause they could. Paula bought the boys over to see the house, then we all walked to school together and Paula and I headed off to work. Renee was starting today, so that was a bit exciting for me. I can actually get back to the work I should be doing. I got there and we went through all the stuff she needed to know. I spent a couple of hours at the office then Bruce picked me up and we went home to get organized to pick mum up from the airport. We picked the boys up from school at 2.00 and headed out, the plane was on time and she came down the escalators (crying) a mixture of tired and happy. Big hugs for everyone and then we grabbed her bags and jumped into the car to head home. We stopped on the way to show her the apartment before we gave the keys etc back. Then, we were off to the new house. She loves it just like we do, yes, pictures are coming. We got home and got into the usual routine, the kids still had homework to do, and I cooked my lasagna. Jamieson had basketball training so they all went out to that which was nice and peaceful. We sat down and had dinner, then Paula dropped in and I made her eat (otherwise she wouldn’t) then I gave her the leftover pieces, I have no fridge or freezer. She took them and went off to the office to get some work done. Mum bought the lolly’s out, (****Jamieson’s watch) Oh My Goodness, you would not believe it, good thing we took a photo. Yummy Mummy got good business out of her that day. We now have enough for the next 6 months & I am not kidding. We also got some Christmas lolly tree lollies, so yeah!!!! The kids got sugared up and then we made them go to bed. We stayed up talking for a while, but were in bed at around 11.00, which wasn’t too bad. Tuesday (Happy Birthday to Kristy!!!!!) Got up and ready for school and work. Paula bought the kids round cause Conner asked her too. We walked over to school then Paula and I went to work. I stayed for the training on the new phone system then late morning came home to see mum. She was not long up, so that was good timing. We just spent the rest of the day pottering around, putting stuff away and rearranging stuff. The school called around 1.00 to say that Jamieson wasn’t feeling well. I went and picked him up and we walked home, he went to bed for a lay down for around 30 mins then of course he was feeling better. I went to pick Conner up from school and we came home and did homework. Bruce came home from work; we had some turkey burgers and veggies, very yummy. Mum chatted on Skype and sent some emails to everyone. I nearly fell asleep on the couch, so off to bed I went at 9.30. Out for the count, it finally caught up to me. Mum stayed up and chatted to Dad on the phone and not sure what time she headed down. I didn’t move!!!! Wednesday Well, another Wednesday rolls around, the usual. Paula dropped the boys off stayed for a quick chat and went off to her meeting. Then we all walked to school together. It was a cloudy day, but not cold. Haven’t figured out the weather yet. It’s been cloudy but not too cold, or nice and sunny. Ed was right; if it’s not raining then it’s usually a beautiful sunny day. Mum wasn’t up when we left, still adjusting to the time difference, plus she goes to bed later than us. We are early birds now. It was a pretty usual workday; Paula is planning on expending the offices to the one underneath us as well. Bruce called in the morning to tell me that he was putting the car in for a service, something was telling him too. Cool, then called back later in the afternoon to tell me that, amongst other things, the front wheel was about to fall off. SO, we were both just on the phone, blown away. He was in a hire car and would be home later. That was a close one, gutt feelings are true and you should always listen to them. This now proves it!!! Mum picked the boys up from school for me so I could get another couple of hours work in, which was weird but good, I got a big chunk done. Got home around 4.30, just as it was starting to get dark. The kids did well with Mum, all their homework was done and they were playing in the playroom. Made some dinner, sat down and had our meal and chatted about the day, the boys did their reading and went off to bed. Bruce went in to do some prep work for his trip. He leaves for New York on Sunday morning (early) and gets home late (very) on Friday night from North Carolina. He’s going to try and get to UNC to see Cecil & Desiree Exum University Territory, which he is looking forward to. We were in bed at the usual 10.30; Mum was still up chilling out and catching up with back home. Thursday Woke up, it’s getting earlier every day. I can’t remember the last time my alarm actually woke me up. It was about 6.30, I got up and did the usual, the boys surfaced around 7.00am, they are getting used to the routine as well. We did the breakfast, dressing etc thing. Paula and the boys arrived around 7.30, as per usual. I dropped all the boys off at school then walked back to the apartments to meet Bruce and do some laundry at Paula’s place. Bruce dropped me off at work and headed into the office. We had a staff meeting and organized the next couple of weeks. Paula is away next week, going to Idaho with the boys to visit her Mum. She also told us that we now have possession of the offices underneath, so we are moving again, some of the stuff is anyway. Actually most of the stuff is. That’s another job to be done, we’ve given ourselves until mid December. Which is plenty, once it’s wired for networking and phones we are good to go. Then I think we will just have a working bee and it’ll be all done in a day. Bruce called, to let me know who much the car was, lets just say, we were gutted for the rest of the day, the girls were offering me chocolate at work. Then he had to go out and buy a fridge and washing machine, so that made the day a “money down the drain day”. It needed to be done, and we move on. I didn’t get home until 5.00pm, I was waiting for Bruce to drive through and pick me up, the boys had running club after school and Mum we and watched them and of course took pictures. Just to make the day even better, we get home and our cable is out, which means we also have no Internet and no phone. What a joyful day it’s been. NOT HAPPY JAN!!! Would have to be an understatement. I jumped back into the car and went to Paula’s to grab the laundry and then to supermarket to get some Drano to see if we could fix this water pipe situation. I got back and whipped up a quick whatever they wanted dinner, Conner had basketball training at 7.00pm. We have the cable guy and the fridge and washer being delivered between 1.00-5.00 tomorrow, which would be fine except that’s when we had plans to meet Kristin & the boys and I am having Paula’s boys until she is done with her meeting at the park for the afternoon. Bruce has asked them to ring first, delivery guys will, cable guy not so sure. We’ll see, they were supposed to be here on Tuesday and weren’t, so I’m not holding my breath on the whole going out of their way thing. They all left around 6.40 and I had some peace until 8.15, when they all came bounding back in. No school tomorrow for Veterans Day so the boys stayed up and we all sat down in the Lounge room and watched “The Pacifier’, great movie. That finished around 10.00 and we were all off to bed, except for Mum who stayed up and watched Harry Potter, I think. Another week is coming to an end and we are all exhausted, life over here is very hectic & we are just not used to it yet. Friday Bruce was up at around 6.00 and of course I was too. Everyone was sleeping so I got up and did some stuff on the computer. Jamieson woke up around 7.00 and cuddled into the couch with a blanket watching a movie. I pottered around the house organizing a few things and the boys chilled out all morning. Paula called around 11.00 to see if she could drop the boys off a little earlier, which was fine. They arrived around 11.30 as the plumber was here to fix the garbage disposal. When he opened it up it was full of shrimp, YUK, I nearly gagged. So he fixed that up & I packed up some stuff for lunch and we were off, while Mum stayed back until the fridge and washer were delivered. Alfie dropped over about 2.00 to pick up Cooper and take him home to bed, the big boys were still playing and didn’t want to come home yet. Mum arrived at the park around 2.30 and we stayed until around 3.30. Kristin and the boys came over to check things out, they stayed for a little while then made their way back home to feed Cooper. The fridge and washer were there, yeay, but not cable man yet. Not holding my breath!!!! Paula arrived around 5.30 to pickup the boys after a long day at work. We chatted for a while then Paula wanted to go out for dinner & asked us to come. The boys were watching the NAB Cup Grand Final (Geelong) and Justin wanted to see the end. So that finished and all the boys went in our car and the girls went in Paula’s car. We arrived at Logan’s a got a table straight away, which was great for a Friday night. The boys did their coloring and we all chatted, dinner was yummy as per usual, and we were out of there at 8.30. The kids wanted to go to Best Buy (games stuff) and so we went and checked out cameras for mum, then mum and I went up to Old Navy to check things out. Got a few good bargains and the boys were waiting out the front in the car when we were done. Home around 9.30, watched a bit of friends and went off to bed. That has been out first week in our new home. It’s had it’s ups and down’s, still no Internet, so if there was any emails and you haven’t heard from me then SORRY!!! But we are all still here, and Mum even likes it here, I think. I hope everyone had a great week, the weather is warming up and those beautiful spring days are better than ever. We are actually enjoying the cooler weather here, after not really having many since June 2005. I am acclimatizing surprisingly well, a big fluffy robe and Ugg’s makes all the difference.