Day 804 | "Normal"

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What mealtime looks like at new house! At least when we're trying to keep the mess off the light-colored carpet of the dining room. :)

What mealtime looks like at new house! At least when we're trying to keep the mess off the light-colored carpet of the dining room. :)

Today was the first day since July 7 that it's been just me and the boys for any extended period of time. That's insane.

I arrived back from my 19 hours in DC at noon today and we spent all afternoon and evening together. I did everything in my power not to do anything about all the boxes laying around and mess everywhere. I just wanted it to feel like our "normal" life...if only for a few hours. They needed that. And I needed that. 

The move seems to be taking the biggest toll on Robbe. Part of me thinks he held it together for so long (he's really showed no averse side effects of the move at all), that he finally just cracked. He's been grumpy, not eating as well, whining+crying more, wanting to be held (which hasn't been happening at all since my back drama), misbehaving in ways we haven't seen, etc. I can't blame the kid. I've been stressed to the max, too. And I'm an adult with the ability to communicate fully. 

Now that I'm home (and not trying to pull off the biggest surprise ever) and now that Chris will be home on Saturday and now that we're all focused on a bit more kid-centered attention, I'm confident he'll bounceback. Sweet boy. 

Day 803 | Surprise!

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Guess what I did today? I flew to DC to surprise Chris for his going away party at work!

It was the first time we've left the kids since Chase's birth (almost 4.5 years ago). [Full disclosure: we did leave Chase one other time...when Robbe was born. But that doesn't really count.] I say this to relay how hard it was to leave the kiddos behind to make this trip. But man, was it worth it.

I mean, there was never really any question about whether I would go. I knew I needed to. Chris has loved his job so much and it was really hard for him to decide to walk away. These are the people that he has spent hour-upon-hour with, folks that have supported him and befriended him for nearly four years.

I walked away from the party realizing that this group of people, in this massive organization, has seen in Chris what I saw in him at age 18: that he's one of a kind. That he's an amazing human being, but I also learned about his accomplishments as a manager and public employe. He has touched so many lives in his capacity at the SEC and been an inspiration to so many people. I've never been more proud.

**Special thanks to my parents, brother + sister-in law, and especially Isabelle for taking the best care of Chase and Robbe to make this happen. I appreciate it more than I/we can say.

Day 802 | Hard Day's Work

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Chase and Robbe went to work with grandpa for their first official shift today (so I could get a much needed massage). That's what being in a family business is all about...and you've got to teach them young!

The boys "helped" put out groceries on the shelf. One of them, the little one, decided it would be more fun to take them off the shelves, but still. 

They were happily compensated with new treasures from the quarter machines. Everyone was happy...except maybe my dad who lost an hour of his productive time in addition to needing to fix anything the boys helped with. He did it with a smile, though, and I am very appreciative. 

Day 800 | 800!

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Seems appropriate for our the 800 blog post to be a photo from DC, that's where we've spent most of these 800 days.
Can you believe I've been blogging for 800 days?!? Whoa. 

It's been a *smidge* hectic around here lately, so I'll apologize in advance for the slightly-briefer team update this time around. But here goes:

Name: Sara
Favorites: cool Wisconsin mornings, ice cream runs, naptime/bedtime snuggles with my sweet Chase (we do that more on vacation), coming up with new projects for the house to-do list, the plethora of cabinet space in the kitchen at new house 
Biggest Hurdle to Overcome: slowing down. There's so much to do everywhere I look (not to mention my mile-long to do list inside my head) that it's hard for me to take the necessary breaks and give my mind + body a break.
Dreams for the Future: Settling in to our new home and all that goes with it: exploring the neighborhood, buying new furniture, finding a second car, all the organizing, and, most of all, the family time.

Name: Chris
Favorites: all varieties of Wisconsin snack food + drinks, quality brother-time, open parking spots, our new house, no traffic, a new garage (I sense a theme), the screened porch at new house
Biggest Hurdle to Overcome: one more week of work before a much-deserved break until he starts his knew job in September.
Dreams for the Future: Scoring the best deal on his new grill. He already bought one but he's determined there might be a better price + model out there. Stay tuned.

 Name: Chase
Age: 4 years, 4 months
Favorites: Spending time with family (especially cousins), blueberries (he remains consistent), drinking tea, dreaming up performances for his new stage, discovering new books, the laundry shoot in new house
Biggest Hurdle to Overcome: determining whose rules to follow when mom + dad's rules conflict with grandma + grandpa's. That's a tough one.
Dreams for the Future: A bunk bed. Hopefully one we can remedy quickly.

 Name: Robbe
Age: 2 years, 5 months
Favorites: Papa (grandpa), picking + consuming blueberries, his brother's jokes (he's into mostly physical humor these days), stickers, anything truck related (also consistent), talking about cows, the jetted tub in new house
Biggest Hurdle to Overcome: eating delicious summer fruit without staining all his favorite truck shirts. Seriously, can you believe the hard times these boys have been going through?
Dreams for the Future: more words. Robbe is accumulating new words every day, but it's been a slow go. Maybe now that he has to communicate with more than just me (and I'm really good at translating), he'll get the extra motivation he needs. For now, I'll appreciate having only one little one that talks non-stop. ;)

Day 799 | Exploring EC

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It was a fun + productive day around here. We took some time to find a new breakfast spot (our choice was delicious) and explored the farmers market and park/concert venue that's walkable from our house. Woo hoo!

Oh, we also unpacked a million boxes and made some impressive progress, considering it's just day two. Special thanks to my mom and dad + a good family friend for spending the day crossing things off our list and entertaining the kiddos. Much much appreciated. 

Today reminded me so much of the day two years ago when we had just moved into red house (I'll link to the post I wrote when I have wifi internet again). Ahh, memories. 

Day 798 | Eau Claire Residents

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It's official, we are Wisconsin residents. Chris and I signed on the dotted line (several times) this morning. We couldn't be happier with the house (it's better then I remembered), we were pleasantly surprised to find out our moving truck could arrive this afternoon (instead of tomorrow morning...side note, we didn't fill up that whole truck), and we loved being surrounded by family tonight (we don't have to do all the unpacking, child-entertaining, and organizing by ourselves!). 

This is going to be the best. 

Day 795 | Cousin-love

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All the cousins showed up to support Elizabeth during her violin concert on the square this morning. It was quite impressive to see those little ones rocking the violin, I have to say.

It's been so wonderful to watch Chase and Robbe build the relationships with their cousins. I just love it. Tonight at dinner, Elizabeth asked Chase if he has any friends at his new house and he responded with a shrug and the statement, "my cousins." So sweet. 

Day 792 | Robbe's Senior Photo

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It's been a busy and exhausting day. We celebrated Chris's mom's birthday with a big party filled with delicious food, good friends, and lots of laughter. The perfect celebration for such a lovely person.

Unfortunately, I didn't snap any photos there so this one of Robbe that Chris took will have to do. Apparently the little man asked for a photo in the jungle with his new fork lift. Hahaha. It might be my new favorite photo of him. 

Day 790 | Like a Dream

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I finally downloaded the photos from the little park get together we hosted last weekend. I'm going to miss these faces. Saying goodbye to these folks (and several others who aren't pictured here) has been about the toughest thing I've done.

Right now, it just feels like we're on our typical Wisconsin summer vacation. The boys and I flew in yesterday and will be living out of a suitcase until our moving truck arrives next weekend. We're heading to Chris's hometown tomorrow...just like we usually do.

Our first day back in Wisconsin could not have been better. It was sunny and 70 degrees. It was filled with family and fun. I even got a bit of a kid-free time when the boys went to the farm with Grandpa. This is why we made the decision we did. This is why we need to live here. These people, this pace of life, the freedom that comes from growing up as a little kid in a small town.

For now, this whole move seems like a dream. I'm in this fuzzy world between the friends and house I said goodbye to yesterday and the boxes and paperwork yet to come next weekend. It's actually probably the perfect place for me right now.

Speaking of dreams...you might be wondering what's going to happen with the blog now that I'm no longer living in the District (I guess I should have picked a more generalized name, who would have thought?). To be honest, I'm not sure where I'll go with the blog. New name? New concept? Maybe. I'm pretty sure I'll continue it in some fashion, but I'm just too wiped out to commit to anything new. For now, keep checking in here on a daily basis. I'll do my best to capture this next chapter.

Day 788 | One More Sleep

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The moving truck arrives at 9:00am tomorrow. We're finishing up the last few boxes and contemplating our to do list for tomorrow amidst feelings of extreme excitement and extreme sadness.

The boys have been using a countdown chain to prepare themselves for the big move (as if stealing all their toys and books hasn't been enough of a clue). Tonight there was great celebration as they tore off the last link of paper. Do they have any idea what's actually going on here? I'd like to think so. They're smart kids. 

Day 787 | Working Hard

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We've been working our tales off all day and somehow we still have things to do. I feel like our possessions reproduce while we're sleeping somehow.

We did, however, manage this lovely coffee break while we waited for the car to be serviced (we're efficient like that). Just one more day of this chaos and then *fingers crossed* we can take a bit of a breather. A well-deserved breather. 

Day 786 | Final Farewells

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Well, we didn't make it to the top of the Washington Monument, sorry Chase, but we did make it down to the Mall for one final stop to take in the beauty of the District. And man, was it the perfect outing. The weather couldn't have been better, we found a parking spot (always a challenge), the crowds were manageable, and the monuments were awe-inspiring, as usual. It's like DC was trying one last time to lure us into staying. Unfortunately, we have too many boxes packed to let it convince otherwise.

As if the goodbye to the monuments wasn't enough for one day, we hosted a park party to say goodbye to all our friends this afternoon. We had a bunch of amazing people show up to play one last time at the park that sold us on this neighborhood originally (here's one of the original Tree Park posts). I held it together shockingly well...until the last two goodbyes. Then I lost it. Saying goodbye stinks. Saying goodbye to the best friends a girl could ask for really stinks.

I'm going to miss this city. I'm going to miss this neighborhood. I'm going to miss this house. I'm going to miss Chase's school. I'm going to miss the monuments and museums. I'm going to miss the playgrounds. I'm going to miss the walk-ability. I'm going to miss the Metro (even if it is a mess a lot of the time). I'm going to miss our favorite restaurants. I'm going to miss the energy. I'm going to miss the tourists (no, really!).

But, at the end of the day, I'm really really going to miss the people. It's always the people that make anything memorable, isn't it. I keep telling myself that my three best friends (Chris, Chase, and Robbe) are all coming with me, but I'm beyond sad to be saying goodbye to all my non-family friends. I've worked really hard to make these friends and it seems too early to be saying farewell.

We'll call it "see you later" instead. That sounds better.

Day 785 | Packing

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Chris and I promised a year ago that we were going to hire movers to pack our house up if we actually ended up deciding to move back to Wisconsin. We've tackled that challenge five times in 10 years and decided we were done. Twelve months later and about 40 boxes in, that decision was thrown out the window. Why, you might ask? I decided I wanted to save the money to splurge on nice patio furniture for our new, amazing three-season room. That's a fair trade-off, right?!? And, you know what dawned on me, I don't actually mind packing. And here's why:

Top five reasons I don't mind packing:
  1. There's nothing more satisfying that the perfectly packed box. Man, I've had some really impressive ones this time around. If only photos could do them justice, maybe I'd create some sort of calendar out of all my favorites.
  2. It makes the move seem real. I didn't like the idea of living a totally normal life right up to the day before our move. I don't think it would have been great for my emotional state and definitely would have been harder for the boys to understand. Now, they see the boxes every day and me packing every day and we're talking about the move nearly constantly.
  3. The money saved. This one is obvious, I know, but have you ever received a quote to have boxes packed? It's no joke. To satisfy your curiosity, in DC it's about $12 to pack a normal box (clothes, books, etc.) and then the price jumps to about $40 per box for fragile items (i.e. your entire kitchen). Of course there are some in between prices as well. That's no joke. We figure it'll save us about $2000 to pack everything. You're all going to love the patio furniture so much more now!
  4. The purging. If someone else packs your stuff, how do you go through everything so that you're not packing an old basketball jersey from high school (ok, to be fair, that one actually did make the cut, but I threw a lot of other stuff...). I don't want to bring all my old junk to my beautiful new house. 
  5. Ease in unpacking. I'm fully aware that the unpacking process is no picnic either. But, if I pack my own boxes and have a general idea of where stuff is and how much I still need to find homes for, I'm confident I'll be in a better place after the movers unload the truck.

Keep in mind, we're still hiring professionals to load and unload the truck and drive everything cross country. That, we will pay the crazy expensive fee for. Neither Chris nor I have the friends willing to help us move (we're not 20 anymore) or the stamina for a 16+ hour trek in a Uhaul. Bring on the movers!