Well, I've made it. I'm back in Pennsylvania. Our flight was very good, and WiseGuy behaved VERY well. The drive for Wayne and SmartyPants and the dog and rats went well, too. They made it here by Friday at dinner time, as expected. The trouble started when we had to unload the Uhaul. Wayne and I backed the Uhaul to the storage facility just as it began to rain. We thought ourselves fortunate that the Uhaul could fit prefectly in the large doorway and kept us out of the inclement weather. Soon enough, though, the rain began coming down HARD and the lightning and thunder began. I kid you not when I say that there were lightning strikes happening all around us. Our friend Jake arrived to help us unload. We all walked to back to see the size of our facility. To our dismay it didn't look large enough to accomodate all of our things, but we thought if we played a little Tetris we could manage it all in. So we began to unload and haul loads back down the little hallway towards our storage closet at the other end of the facility. With the thunder still booming and the lightning strikes still coming on strong and the three of us unloading one handtruck full of boxes the entire facility went black. Oh yes, gentle readers, the power went out. We made our way towards the light at the end of the tunnel...yes the LITERAL tunnel and decided to take a short break, hoping that the lights would come back on in that time. They never did. So, I found a flashlight in one of our boxes. The juice was running low, as the light was a dull brown color, but it was enough to light our way towards the back and illuminate our closet to pack in more and more of our possessions. Finally, we decided to call it a night. 75% of our belongings were packed tightly into the storage closet and the other 25% were strewn out behind the truck. We packed it back into the truck and headed towards my mom's house. We still had a few days left on our truck rental, so there were no penalties. We found another storage facility elsewhere to store the rest of our things and returned our truck. The man at the rental place told us the lights never did come back on before closing.
It was an adventure to say the least. Nothing and no one got broken in the transport and for that I am truly thankful.
Wayne already has a job working with my stepfather and now it is my turn to find one once I find someone trustworthy to watch the kids during the day. Either that or I have to find an evening job....oh FUN!
I'm finding that this is going to take more adjustment than I realized, but I don't mind so much....I just know that I'm home.
Showing posts with label The Move. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Move. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
2 More Days
Well, folks, it's crunch time. Pretty much everything is done but it still seems as though there is a lot more to do. We replaced a door that needed replacing, replaced some vertical blinds, Wayne is painting a few rooms, 90% of our things are packed. Even with all of that done I still feel as though I should be doing something, but, to be honest, there's not much I can do. The things left over are clothes and toiletries that we may need. There are also a few pots and pans that we have been using. Then there are the odds and ends. I make periodic perimeter sweeps and toss the random objects that are laying around in a box. When the box is full I go through it to determine if the objects are keepers, tossers or we need to keep it outers. Now, even though I don't feel right doing it, I am sitting here with almost nothing to do. That sounds like a good thing, but I just feel....WRONG. Ah well, I suppose I should thank my lucky stars that I'm not scrambling around to get things done, yes?
SmartyPants has been a pretty good help with the moving. She gets irritated when we ask her to do stuff, but she does it regardless. WiseGuy, on the other hand, has been a hinderance ;) I didn't expect any less, honestly. How could I? He's 5 years old and wants to play with his toys that are boxed up. We're going to wait and pack up the Xbox at the very last minute because, as much as I hate to admit it, that has been our saving grace with him. It keeps him in one spot and keeps his attention away from the various toys of his that we are throwing away or donating.
2 more days
2 more days
2 more days
SmartyPants has been a pretty good help with the moving. She gets irritated when we ask her to do stuff, but she does it regardless. WiseGuy, on the other hand, has been a hinderance ;) I didn't expect any less, honestly. How could I? He's 5 years old and wants to play with his toys that are boxed up. We're going to wait and pack up the Xbox at the very last minute because, as much as I hate to admit it, that has been our saving grace with him. It keeps him in one spot and keeps his attention away from the various toys of his that we are throwing away or donating.
2 more days
2 more days
2 more days
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Toys, Back Pain and Report Cards
Can I just tell you that my house looks as though a hurricane has blown through it? I speak from experience people! I've got half full boxes littering each room of the house, packed and taped boxes stack against a wall in what used to be our dining room and TOYS TOYS TOYS still scattered amongst it all. Today that all changes.
Yesterday was my last day of work and the kids' last day of school. Today I have to buckle down and fill as many boxes as possible and get them stacked in the dining room. This will include a majority of the toys, much to WiseGuy's chagrin. I'll be leaving some choice cars and trains out for him but the rest have GOT TO GO! This weekend we have to vacate our storage facility and we need somewhere to put all the stuff that we couldn't fit into our house (yeah, they were in storage for a REASON) and so that is my task for the next few days....to turn our itty bitty apartment into a storage facility....NO, I mean, to make room for all of our lovely things . Why must we vacate this weekend rather than just load everything directly into our moving van like normal people? Well, maybe because we aren't normal, HELLO! No, actually, because the billing cycle starts on the 26th of each month, so if we stay past the 26th we will have to pay for an entire month that we just won't be using and that's a waste of a valuable resource (AKA money!) Yes, I realize that I am sitting at the computer versus doing all of these things that I am typing about, but I am giving myself some time each morning to wake up and let my back stretch itself out. For those who don't know, I've had some major back issues as of late but that is slowly getting resolved with the help of a Cortisone shot to the rear, some anti-inflammatories and some real good pain meds. So, I'm giving myself until 9am to sit, check out some blogs, some email and some of my regular websites, let my pain meds kick in and psyche myself up for THE BIG PACK UP!
Send those good vibes and many prayers, my friends! The good Lord knows I'll need them!
_________________________________________________________________
I wanted to add a little to this post and let everyone know how SUPER PROUD I am of my wee ones and their report cards!
I never worry about SmartyPants. The girl is gifted and amazes me all the time. Even before she was diagnosed with ADD she was getting A's and B's. Now that we know what was going on with her in school and have the right tools to deal with her ADD she gets straight A's every time. This entire year her report card has been loaded with A's....not a B on the paper! There have been several areas in the other subjects where she has been sort of lacking....you now the subject I mean...the ones where you get E for excellent, G for good, S for satisfactory and N for need improvement. She used to get N or S for her handwriting. Yesh folks, it was that bad. This year she spent the first three grading periods with a G and was VERY happy with that because it showed me she was trying. Well, for the very first time my girl got an E in handwriting! It shows me she is developing the discipline to slow down and take the time to write her answers neatly! She used to breeze through tests thinking that it meant she was smarter and better because she was done first. I've always told her that it doesn't matter if your answers are correct if no one can READ them. Seems she has taken this to heart and is taking her time to make her papers presentable and I am very proud of her for that! And of course she was promoted to the Fifth grade!
Now....as for WiseGuy....well...folks, I'm proud of his academic abilities, but his behavior leaves a lot to be desired. Here's the thing....he was actually 4 years old when he started school this year. He turned 5 a week after. He did meet the cut off date and had been in Pre K so we thought he was generally ready for school. But oh my goodness! Notes home from the teacher constantly were a reminder that he ws younger and let mature than his classmates. I will type out his report card below for all four grading periods and you'll see what I mean
Performance scale: S- Satisfactory N-Needs Improvement (that's all they get in Kindergarten)
Grading Period -----------1 2 3 4
Language Arts -----------S S S S
Mathematics -------------S S S S
Social Studies
----Participates by listening and following directions ---S S S S
Science/Health
----Participates by listening and following directions --N N N N
Phys Ed
----Listens and follows directions ----------------------S S N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge--------------------------S S S S
Music
----Listens and follows directions ---------------------S N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge-------------------------S S S S
Art
----Listens and follows directions-------------------- N N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge -----------------------S S S S
(Ok, so far can you see what I mean? He has the knowledge but he DOESN'T LISTEN!)
SCHOOL BEHAVIOR/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Takes pride in work ---------N N S- S-
Makes wise use of time------N N S- S
Listens attentively ----------N N S- S-
Follows directions -----------S S S S
Respects rights and property of others----S S S S
Works and plays cooperatively ------N S- S- N
Works Independantly
Respects Authority
Completes Class Assignments
Returns books, forms, etc. on time --All of the above S S S S
The rest of the report card just shows what skills he has and he has them all, which is great. But I worry. He really is a smart kid but he is ALL OVER THE PLACE. We are hoping he gains some maturity over the summer and maybe calms down a bit. I certainly wouldn't change my little man for anything, but I just want to be sure he gets the best education possible....and how can you soak up the knowledge when you are busy jumping off of chairs and making animal noises (both things he has been routinely guilty of throughout the year)
Regardless, I am very proud of both of my children. The both received several awards. SmartyPants got straight A honor roll, perfect attendance and the Math Drill award. WiseGuy received S honor roll and a Math Drill award.
YAY FOR MY BABIES!!!
Yesterday was my last day of work and the kids' last day of school. Today I have to buckle down and fill as many boxes as possible and get them stacked in the dining room. This will include a majority of the toys, much to WiseGuy's chagrin. I'll be leaving some choice cars and trains out for him but the rest have GOT TO GO! This weekend we have to vacate our storage facility and we need somewhere to put all the stuff that we couldn't fit into our house (yeah, they were in storage for a REASON) and so that is my task for the next few days....to turn our itty bitty apartment into a storage facility....NO, I mean, to make room for all of our lovely things . Why must we vacate this weekend rather than just load everything directly into our moving van like normal people? Well, maybe because we aren't normal, HELLO! No, actually, because the billing cycle starts on the 26th of each month, so if we stay past the 26th we will have to pay for an entire month that we just won't be using and that's a waste of a valuable resource (AKA money!) Yes, I realize that I am sitting at the computer versus doing all of these things that I am typing about, but I am giving myself some time each morning to wake up and let my back stretch itself out. For those who don't know, I've had some major back issues as of late but that is slowly getting resolved with the help of a Cortisone shot to the rear, some anti-inflammatories and some real good pain meds. So, I'm giving myself until 9am to sit, check out some blogs, some email and some of my regular websites, let my pain meds kick in and psyche myself up for THE BIG PACK UP!
Send those good vibes and many prayers, my friends! The good Lord knows I'll need them!
_________________________________________________________________
I wanted to add a little to this post and let everyone know how SUPER PROUD I am of my wee ones and their report cards!
I never worry about SmartyPants. The girl is gifted and amazes me all the time. Even before she was diagnosed with ADD she was getting A's and B's. Now that we know what was going on with her in school and have the right tools to deal with her ADD she gets straight A's every time. This entire year her report card has been loaded with A's....not a B on the paper! There have been several areas in the other subjects where she has been sort of lacking....you now the subject I mean...the ones where you get E for excellent, G for good, S for satisfactory and N for need improvement. She used to get N or S for her handwriting. Yesh folks, it was that bad. This year she spent the first three grading periods with a G and was VERY happy with that because it showed me she was trying. Well, for the very first time my girl got an E in handwriting! It shows me she is developing the discipline to slow down and take the time to write her answers neatly! She used to breeze through tests thinking that it meant she was smarter and better because she was done first. I've always told her that it doesn't matter if your answers are correct if no one can READ them. Seems she has taken this to heart and is taking her time to make her papers presentable and I am very proud of her for that! And of course she was promoted to the Fifth grade!
Now....as for WiseGuy....well...folks, I'm proud of his academic abilities, but his behavior leaves a lot to be desired. Here's the thing....he was actually 4 years old when he started school this year. He turned 5 a week after. He did meet the cut off date and had been in Pre K so we thought he was generally ready for school. But oh my goodness! Notes home from the teacher constantly were a reminder that he ws younger and let mature than his classmates. I will type out his report card below for all four grading periods and you'll see what I mean
Performance scale: S- Satisfactory N-Needs Improvement (that's all they get in Kindergarten)
Grading Period -----------1 2 3 4
Language Arts -----------S S S S
Mathematics -------------S S S S
Social Studies
----Participates by listening and following directions ---S S S S
Science/Health
----Participates by listening and following directions --N N N N
Phys Ed
----Listens and follows directions ----------------------S S N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge--------------------------S S S S
Music
----Listens and follows directions ---------------------S N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge-------------------------S S S S
Art
----Listens and follows directions-------------------- N N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge -----------------------S S S S
(Ok, so far can you see what I mean? He has the knowledge but he DOESN'T LISTEN!)
SCHOOL BEHAVIOR/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Takes pride in work ---------N N S- S-
Makes wise use of time------N N S- S
Listens attentively ----------N N S- S-
Follows directions -----------S S S S
Respects rights and property of others----S S S S
Works and plays cooperatively ------N S- S- N
Works Independantly
Respects Authority
Completes Class Assignments
Returns books, forms, etc. on time --All of the above S S S S
The rest of the report card just shows what skills he has and he has them all, which is great. But I worry. He really is a smart kid but he is ALL OVER THE PLACE. We are hoping he gains some maturity over the summer and maybe calms down a bit. I certainly wouldn't change my little man for anything, but I just want to be sure he gets the best education possible....and how can you soak up the knowledge when you are busy jumping off of chairs and making animal noises (both things he has been routinely guilty of throughout the year)
Regardless, I am very proud of both of my children. The both received several awards. SmartyPants got straight A honor roll, perfect attendance and the Math Drill award. WiseGuy received S honor roll and a Math Drill award.
YAY FOR MY BABIES!!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
So Much Done, So Much To Do
16 days and counting, my friends, until I return to the state of my birth. Just a little over two weeks. I've already put the cancellation in for the electric and the cable, Wayne is going to take care of the water (I hope.) I've gone through the kids' toys, downsizing from 5 huge Tupperware bins down to 2 huge Tupperware bins...of course there are plenty of straggler toys, but that's what the extra bins are for! I've packed up the dining room, sifting through the craft boxes and junk drawers. I've taken down the pictures on the walls and packed them away. I'm still collecting boxes from work for the rest of our things. This is my last full week of work and the kids last full week of school.
I feel like I've done SO MUCH already, yet I look around and realize I still have SO MUCH to do. I need to go through all of our clothes and donate the outfits that we have long outgrown (by WE I mean the kids AND Wayne and I....you know those clothes....the ones that you look at and tell yourself that you will loose weight and fit into them one day...yeah, uh huh...those) or things that we haven't worn in over 6 months. I have our bedroom closet to go through, our desk to go through another computer desk to clear off, pots, pans, dishes and glasses to pack and a storage facility to sort through yet. I'm sure I've got enough time, it's just such a daunting task and I would SO like to get it done before the kids are out of school, but I know that I will have more time when I am finished with work and so I will just suck it up and press forward.
Time seemed to drag on up to this point and now it's starting to speed up towards moving day.
Pennsylvania, HERE I COME!!!
I feel like I've done SO MUCH already, yet I look around and realize I still have SO MUCH to do. I need to go through all of our clothes and donate the outfits that we have long outgrown (by WE I mean the kids AND Wayne and I....you know those clothes....the ones that you look at and tell yourself that you will loose weight and fit into them one day...yeah, uh huh...those) or things that we haven't worn in over 6 months. I have our bedroom closet to go through, our desk to go through another computer desk to clear off, pots, pans, dishes and glasses to pack and a storage facility to sort through yet. I'm sure I've got enough time, it's just such a daunting task and I would SO like to get it done before the kids are out of school, but I know that I will have more time when I am finished with work and so I will just suck it up and press forward.
Time seemed to drag on up to this point and now it's starting to speed up towards moving day.
Pennsylvania, HERE I COME!!!
Monday, May 07, 2007
I'm A SLogger
It's been a little bit since I've done a blog so I figured I would make a post just to keep up with things and not feel like such a slacker blogger...or SLOGGER (I think I just invented a new word!)
Anyway! Things with the move are moving along nicely (pun totally intended.) WiseGuy and I will be flying up together on May 31st. SmartyPants and Wayne will be driving in the moving truck and towing the soccer mom van behind them. They will also be accompanied by our 75 lbs shepherd mix, Petey, and our two sweet rodent pals, Addie and Gloria. This ended up being the best alternative as we weren't quite sure where everyone would fit and I don't think WiseGuy would appreciate the two day drive up the coast.
I've given my notice at work, which went much better than I anticipated. I work in a pet shop and I love my job, most of my coworkers and, most of all, my employers. They have been wonderful to me over the past year that I have worked for them. We have been pretty short staffed as of late and I felt awful telling them I was leaving them. As it stands now the manager and I are pretty much in charge of the rest of the crew. I get to be in charge on the manager's days off. So between the two of us we work the most hours. I hate leaving them in such a situation but, thankfully, they understood. They knew the day would come that I would be returning to PA and said they were happy for me....only after telling me I wasn't allowed to leave and I had to find and train my own replacement before I could leave ;) There were even a few tears shed. When all was said and done, though, they told me that if I ever came back to Florida I would always have a job with them no matter what. See what I mean??? Aren't they awesome?!? My last day is May 22nd and it will certainly be bittersweet. I know it just a step closer to going back home, but I will be leaving some good friends and a job I truly enjoy.
So....what else is there to talk about? My if this isn't a rather random post! I've got several other things I wanted to write but I'm not sure if I should smash it all into one blog or make others to keep things a little organized. Are there blog rules?? Ah well, I should be heading to bed anyway. I've got work in the morning and the kids have their school Spring Showcase tomorrow. SmartyPants is in chorus and they are doing a short musical play in which SmartyPants has some lines and a solo!!! She is a Nervous Nellie, but I know she'll do great! The Kindergarten is also singing a song so WiseGuy is super excited, too. It should be a very full day for us all!
Ok, enough rambling! Time for bed!
Anyway! Things with the move are moving along nicely (pun totally intended.) WiseGuy and I will be flying up together on May 31st. SmartyPants and Wayne will be driving in the moving truck and towing the soccer mom van behind them. They will also be accompanied by our 75 lbs shepherd mix, Petey, and our two sweet rodent pals, Addie and Gloria. This ended up being the best alternative as we weren't quite sure where everyone would fit and I don't think WiseGuy would appreciate the two day drive up the coast.
I've given my notice at work, which went much better than I anticipated. I work in a pet shop and I love my job, most of my coworkers and, most of all, my employers. They have been wonderful to me over the past year that I have worked for them. We have been pretty short staffed as of late and I felt awful telling them I was leaving them. As it stands now the manager and I are pretty much in charge of the rest of the crew. I get to be in charge on the manager's days off. So between the two of us we work the most hours. I hate leaving them in such a situation but, thankfully, they understood. They knew the day would come that I would be returning to PA and said they were happy for me....only after telling me I wasn't allowed to leave and I had to find and train my own replacement before I could leave ;) There were even a few tears shed. When all was said and done, though, they told me that if I ever came back to Florida I would always have a job with them no matter what. See what I mean??? Aren't they awesome?!? My last day is May 22nd and it will certainly be bittersweet. I know it just a step closer to going back home, but I will be leaving some good friends and a job I truly enjoy.
So....what else is there to talk about? My if this isn't a rather random post! I've got several other things I wanted to write but I'm not sure if I should smash it all into one blog or make others to keep things a little organized. Are there blog rules?? Ah well, I should be heading to bed anyway. I've got work in the morning and the kids have their school Spring Showcase tomorrow. SmartyPants is in chorus and they are doing a short musical play in which SmartyPants has some lines and a solo!!! She is a Nervous Nellie, but I know she'll do great! The Kindergarten is also singing a song so WiseGuy is super excited, too. It should be a very full day for us all!
Ok, enough rambling! Time for bed!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Let's Get This Party Started!
I've been reading the blogs of some good friends for quite some time now. I've got my own blog of sorts that I very rarely update because the options and capabilities at that certain place are sooooo limited. Yet every time I read the blogs of my friends I sit and think to myself 'I should just start to blog HERE. No, that would be copycatting...I've got my own blog at that OTHER place. *SIGH*'
BYSTANDER, NO MORE!!! I've joined the ranks of blogging moms! Just call me Bloggie Bloggerson!
I'll need this place to vent in the upcoming months as we begin our trek back home from a place I like to call Hell, err, uh, Florida. We're returning to the NorthEast and the packing and moving will be stressful to say the least. Two children, a dog and two pet rodents....oh, and my husband. It will be a daunting task, but one that welcome with open arms as I become HOMEWARD BOUND!
BYSTANDER, NO MORE!!! I've joined the ranks of blogging moms! Just call me Bloggie Bloggerson!
I'll need this place to vent in the upcoming months as we begin our trek back home from a place I like to call Hell, err, uh, Florida. We're returning to the NorthEast and the packing and moving will be stressful to say the least. Two children, a dog and two pet rodents....oh, and my husband. It will be a daunting task, but one that welcome with open arms as I become HOMEWARD BOUND!
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