Although we have been cleaning every day of the pack and load days, we reserved today to thoroughly clean the house now that it is empty. We dropped the kids at a daycare and got to work. Thankfully it was only a couple of hours before it was all done. The rest of the day was spent at our hotel. Tomorrow we meet the carpet cleaners at the house and later that evening we do a walk through with our landlord. Easy stuff!
Now we are going to enjoy our mini vacation at the hotel. Once we are on the road for our actual PCS I'll post some more. Until then!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Moving Day!
Today is officially moving day. This is the day the truck comes and loads all of our things and drives away. The kids were home with us today, which I don't recommend. But that is the way it worked out. I convinced them to play on the back porch for the first hour or so after the truck arrived. When they couldn't stand it anymore I bribed them with chips. :) A little later I let them come in but they had to hang out with me and my husband in the kitchen where the fewest boxes were. That lasted a little bit because they thought it was cool to hang out sitting on the counter. Then my husband took them outside to look at the truck slowly filling up. Once the living room got cleared out we put a laptop on an empty box and let them watch a movie. That kept them busy and out of the way for another hour and a half. By that time the movers were nearly done so the kids were able to roam the house a little more freely.
The dog didn't do so well today. We gated him off in the back part of the guest bathroom, out of the way of the movers. He yiped and scrambled until I felt so bad for him that I carried him around the house with me most of the day. He has never been through a move and didn't really like it.
It was very busy today with all the activity of four movers, the kids and the dog, that we didn't do much cleaning. The one thing we did do was the vacuuming. After each room was cleared out I took a vacuum to it, finishing it all up and loading the vacuum on the truck last.
But once the movers were gone a little after lunch time we dug in and got a lot of cleaning done. We wiped base boards and doors, cleaned the pantry shelves and the shelves in the laundry room. We finished the last sliding glass door track (we have three sliding glass doors, so they were a big job), and wiped the vertical blinds. We cleaned the closet shelves and dusted all of the plates on the light sockets. Then we cleaned the front door and called it a night. It took another hour just to get the cars loaded with all of the kitchen supplies, dog crate, and other miscellaneous stuff we needed with us. We had a quick dinner, checked into a hotel, took our much needed showers, and watched the Olympics.
What a day! My husband is now officially on "leave in route." Since he is graduating soon we have family coming into town to celebrate before getting on the road for our new home. So he has taken leave that will be added on to his allowable travel days.
The dog didn't do so well today. We gated him off in the back part of the guest bathroom, out of the way of the movers. He yiped and scrambled until I felt so bad for him that I carried him around the house with me most of the day. He has never been through a move and didn't really like it.
It was very busy today with all the activity of four movers, the kids and the dog, that we didn't do much cleaning. The one thing we did do was the vacuuming. After each room was cleared out I took a vacuum to it, finishing it all up and loading the vacuum on the truck last.
But once the movers were gone a little after lunch time we dug in and got a lot of cleaning done. We wiped base boards and doors, cleaned the pantry shelves and the shelves in the laundry room. We finished the last sliding glass door track (we have three sliding glass doors, so they were a big job), and wiped the vertical blinds. We cleaned the closet shelves and dusted all of the plates on the light sockets. Then we cleaned the front door and called it a night. It took another hour just to get the cars loaded with all of the kitchen supplies, dog crate, and other miscellaneous stuff we needed with us. We had a quick dinner, checked into a hotel, took our much needed showers, and watched the Olympics.
What a day! My husband is now officially on "leave in route." Since he is graduating soon we have family coming into town to celebrate before getting on the road for our new home. So he has taken leave that will be added on to his allowable travel days.
Two Days of Packing
I was up before 7 the first morning of packing getting the house and the kids ready for the packers. I packed my toiletries and loaded the car with the rest of the stuff we are bringing. Then I went room to room and got it ready. I zip tied alarm clock cords, took bedding off the beds, unloaded the dish washer, and emptied the trash.
Unfortunately we had to take the dog to get his shots. I missed that he was overdue, and since he is going to be spending time with other dogs during our move I wanted to be sure he was all up do date. So my husband took him to the groomer/vet and brought home breakfast while I finished getting the house ready.
Once the kids had eaten I took them to their friends for the morning. The movers usually come in like a whirlwind on that first day so having the girls out of the house makes it easier to watch the movers, and it's more entertaining to them to go play anyway. As it turned out the movers were a bit slower than I am used to. They didn't even arrive until 10:30 am, there were only two of them instead of the typical three or four, and one was in training. So they moved a little slow. On the up side, it looked as though they took special care when packing our things.
So what is our job if the movers are packing us? It sounds crazy, but we have to sit and watch them pack all of our belongings. It's an odd thing to do, just sitting there and following them around from room to room. But that is what we are required to do. I have never had a problem with packers stealing or being careless. They are usually very good at their jobs. Even so, we sit and watch them pack for 8 hours a day, sometimes for two straight days.
After lunch I picked up the kids and brought them home for lunch, and then took them to another friends house to play for a couple more hours. They would rather play and it keeps them out of the packers way.
So the packers worked until quitting time at 5 o'clock. Our beds were still up so we stayed at our house that night. I would like to say we got a ton of cleaning done, but we were actually really tired so we just plugged the TV back in since they hadn't packed that yet either, and watched the Olympics.
On day two I took the girls to a friends and only one of the guys came to finish the packing and inventory every box. This time we did a lot more cleaning than watching. We were able to get the kitchen cupboards clean including the outside fingerprints. And we cleaned the oven, one entire bathroom, all the windows, sills, blinds and sliding glass door tracks. We cleaned all the fans and light fixtures, and wiped fingerprints off of doors, jams, walls, and wall switch plates.
The packer left mid-afternoon and we quite cleaning at bedtime. It was a long, productive day!
Unfortunately we had to take the dog to get his shots. I missed that he was overdue, and since he is going to be spending time with other dogs during our move I wanted to be sure he was all up do date. So my husband took him to the groomer/vet and brought home breakfast while I finished getting the house ready.
Once the kids had eaten I took them to their friends for the morning. The movers usually come in like a whirlwind on that first day so having the girls out of the house makes it easier to watch the movers, and it's more entertaining to them to go play anyway. As it turned out the movers were a bit slower than I am used to. They didn't even arrive until 10:30 am, there were only two of them instead of the typical three or four, and one was in training. So they moved a little slow. On the up side, it looked as though they took special care when packing our things.
So what is our job if the movers are packing us? It sounds crazy, but we have to sit and watch them pack all of our belongings. It's an odd thing to do, just sitting there and following them around from room to room. But that is what we are required to do. I have never had a problem with packers stealing or being careless. They are usually very good at their jobs. Even so, we sit and watch them pack for 8 hours a day, sometimes for two straight days.
After lunch I picked up the kids and brought them home for lunch, and then took them to another friends house to play for a couple more hours. They would rather play and it keeps them out of the packers way.
So the packers worked until quitting time at 5 o'clock. Our beds were still up so we stayed at our house that night. I would like to say we got a ton of cleaning done, but we were actually really tired so we just plugged the TV back in since they hadn't packed that yet either, and watched the Olympics.
On day two I took the girls to a friends and only one of the guys came to finish the packing and inventory every box. This time we did a lot more cleaning than watching. We were able to get the kitchen cupboards clean including the outside fingerprints. And we cleaned the oven, one entire bathroom, all the windows, sills, blinds and sliding glass door tracks. We cleaned all the fans and light fixtures, and wiped fingerprints off of doors, jams, walls, and wall switch plates.
The packer left mid-afternoon and we quite cleaning at bedtime. It was a long, productive day!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Final Hours of Preparation
The movers come tomorrow and it has been an interesting mixture of busy and lazy. First we mowed, weed wacked and edged. Then we finished laundry and packed our cloths, including my husband's uniforms. My husband drained the gas and oil out of all the lawn equipment while I loaded the cars with everything we are bringing with us on the drive. We are bringing things like bedding, an air mattress, irreplaceable heirlooms, our liquids box, our cloths, the cleaning supply box, etc.
After that I hid things that need to stay with the house in the third bathroom. Things like the instructions for the stove and the racks for the microwave. Then we picked up the house and helped the kids finish cleaning their rooms. And at the end of the night we disconnected our electronics and zip tied all the cords. And then we headed to our neighbors for dinner.
They were so nice to invite us over. Little did we know that she was actually throwing us a surprise farewell party. I was all choked up! It was so sweet. These neighbors are going to be sorely missed.
So now we are headed to bed to get lots of rest before our big packing day!
After that I hid things that need to stay with the house in the third bathroom. Things like the instructions for the stove and the racks for the microwave. Then we picked up the house and helped the kids finish cleaning their rooms. And at the end of the night we disconnected our electronics and zip tied all the cords. And then we headed to our neighbors for dinner.
They were so nice to invite us over. Little did we know that she was actually throwing us a surprise farewell party. I was all choked up! It was so sweet. These neighbors are going to be sorely missed.
So now we are headed to bed to get lots of rest before our big packing day!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Nitty Gritty
Another busy day here. First thing in the morning we took it easy and watched the Olympics. After a couple of hours we decided it was time to get to work. My husband went from room to room with the ladder and put puddy in the nail holes in the wall while I finished the laundry (if you can every really finish that) and packed the kids cloths for the time we will be without our household goods.
While we were watching more of the Olympics my husband fixed a shelf in the fridge and cleaned all of the shelves, while I dumped out perishables we won't be taking with us and put the containers in the recycle bin.
Next he fixed a light fixture while I took down the kids shower curtain, putting it over a chair to dry out and changed the massage shower head back to the original one. And while we were doing that I had the kids pack the toys they want to take with them in the car, and had them clean up their rooms a little bit.
At the end of the day my kids had the most special farewell play date of all. My oldest child's best friend came over for a pajama party! They had a wonderful time together with board games and nail polish. It was so sweet to listen to them play. While they were screeching and howling with laughter my husband cleaned the grill.
And finally, after a very long and productive day, I plan to sleep exceptionally well!
While we were watching more of the Olympics my husband fixed a shelf in the fridge and cleaned all of the shelves, while I dumped out perishables we won't be taking with us and put the containers in the recycle bin.
Next he fixed a light fixture while I took down the kids shower curtain, putting it over a chair to dry out and changed the massage shower head back to the original one. And while we were doing that I had the kids pack the toys they want to take with them in the car, and had them clean up their rooms a little bit.
At the end of the day my kids had the most special farewell play date of all. My oldest child's best friend came over for a pajama party! They had a wonderful time together with board games and nail polish. It was so sweet to listen to them play. While they were screeching and howling with laughter my husband cleaned the grill.
And finally, after a very long and productive day, I plan to sleep exceptionally well!
Friday, July 27, 2012
11 Days Left
Today I cleaned out the safe and added all of its contents to our pile of things going with us in our cars. I also added a few kitchen items we will need while we are transitioning between houses. Things like a pot and pan, a cookie sheet, tin foil, saran wrap, a spatula, bowls and utensils. We are staying in our house for a couple of days after the movers pack our things, so these items will help keep us from eating out too often. I also added bedding to the pile as well as school supplies, my husband's gun and bullets, and special heirlooms that we just don't trust the movers with. The pile is getting bigger by the day!
Then I put together the personal file folder. These are a folder of documents like birth and marriage certificates, deeds to any home you may own, power of attorneys and wills, my husband's orders and his last Leave and Earning Statement. It also has school records for my kids and medical records we have collected, including their immunization records.
Throughout the day I did laundry and tomorrow I will be packing all the cloths we will need with us. For the kids that means at least a weeks worth of school cloths. For my husband it will mostly be his uniforms, which he recently had laundered so he is all set for work when we arrive. I will pack minimally since all I plan on doing while I am there is unpack!
I also pulled down the curtains and rods. Tomorrow we will patch the holes in the walls. I didn't bother washing the curtains because I always feel like they are dirty after being packed away in a box with other household goods. I will wash them when I unpack.
Once it cooled off in the evening my husband cleaned out the cars. Our cars tend to be cluttery all the time. I don't want to move with mess of a car, so I took care of that tonight too. Normally we would have our cars serviced before a move because of the distance we are driving. But we recently had them serviced when we drove up there for our house hunting trip. So we are going to skip that.
While he was doing that I sprayed the sidewalk cracks with weed killer one last time before our walk through. Then I weeded the garden areas of the house, shaped the bushes and trimmed the palm trees. And I scrubbed a spot under the eaves of the house where my kids drew with chalk and it never washed away with the rain. I want the house looking spiffy when our landlord arrives for our walk through!
I donated some open kitchen ingredients to a neighbor and my husband cleared out the attic crawl space so it can all be packed on Monday. This move is almost here, can't wait to just be done with the preparations and on to the excitement of a new home!
Then I put together the personal file folder. These are a folder of documents like birth and marriage certificates, deeds to any home you may own, power of attorneys and wills, my husband's orders and his last Leave and Earning Statement. It also has school records for my kids and medical records we have collected, including their immunization records.
Throughout the day I did laundry and tomorrow I will be packing all the cloths we will need with us. For the kids that means at least a weeks worth of school cloths. For my husband it will mostly be his uniforms, which he recently had laundered so he is all set for work when we arrive. I will pack minimally since all I plan on doing while I am there is unpack!
I also pulled down the curtains and rods. Tomorrow we will patch the holes in the walls. I didn't bother washing the curtains because I always feel like they are dirty after being packed away in a box with other household goods. I will wash them when I unpack.
Once it cooled off in the evening my husband cleaned out the cars. Our cars tend to be cluttery all the time. I don't want to move with mess of a car, so I took care of that tonight too. Normally we would have our cars serviced before a move because of the distance we are driving. But we recently had them serviced when we drove up there for our house hunting trip. So we are going to skip that.
While he was doing that I sprayed the sidewalk cracks with weed killer one last time before our walk through. Then I weeded the garden areas of the house, shaped the bushes and trimmed the palm trees. And I scrubbed a spot under the eaves of the house where my kids drew with chalk and it never washed away with the rain. I want the house looking spiffy when our landlord arrives for our walk through!
I donated some open kitchen ingredients to a neighbor and my husband cleared out the attic crawl space so it can all be packed on Monday. This move is almost here, can't wait to just be done with the preparations and on to the excitement of a new home!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
12 Days Left
Today was a busy day. We spent a few hours having two more farewell play dates before coming home to get things ready for the movers on Monday. First I pulled out what I call my liquids box. It is a glass dish box I got from u-haul with dividers. I go through every room in the house and find all of the liquids, and anything else the movers will not move. Then I fill up the box, and whatever is left I give away or throw out. This box will go with us in our car.
While I was doing this I also put together a box of cleaning supplies that we will need to clean our house before we do our walk through. I also taped up all of our open dry goods, otherwise the movers won't move them because it can attract rodents and bugs if our things go into storage. If you look closely you can see packaging tape on the tops of all of the containers.
Next I did some more home purchasing paperwork and took all of the pictures off the walls. We have one picture that has a special made box with packaging that we keep, so we took that down and packed it all up. Other wall decorations have their own screws or special hangers, so when I take them down I tape the fasteners to the back of it. That way they are all together and I am less likely to loose things. I also took down the decorations on top of the kitchen cupboards so the movers can pack it all up and placed all the delicate art the kids have up for decorations in a folder and put it in our filing cabinet for a safer move.
Then we replaced all of the light bulbs in our house. This sounds crazy, I know. But the energy efficient bulbs are very expensive, so we decided to replace them with the cheap bulbs and we packed our bulbs in a box with peanut packaging. We will take them with us in the car.
My husband verified our moving dates with the moving company yesterday. There was some confusion about whether or not our movers were coming on Monday as planned, or if they were coming tomorrow (Friday). That change is a huge deal because if there were coming on Friday then we loose a whole weekend to get prepared, and we would have had to reschedule our last farewell play date. Thankfully it was a mistake which my husband was able to clear up. The movers are coming on Monday as planned.
Today was a very productive day and the rest of the weekend is going to have to be that way as well. Fingers crossed that we stay in good health and good spirits to get through this busy time.
I was actually able to get more in this box after I took the picture
While I was doing this I also put together a box of cleaning supplies that we will need to clean our house before we do our walk through. I also taped up all of our open dry goods, otherwise the movers won't move them because it can attract rodents and bugs if our things go into storage. If you look closely you can see packaging tape on the tops of all of the containers.
Next I did some more home purchasing paperwork and took all of the pictures off the walls. We have one picture that has a special made box with packaging that we keep, so we took that down and packed it all up. Other wall decorations have their own screws or special hangers, so when I take them down I tape the fasteners to the back of it. That way they are all together and I am less likely to loose things. I also took down the decorations on top of the kitchen cupboards so the movers can pack it all up and placed all the delicate art the kids have up for decorations in a folder and put it in our filing cabinet for a safer move.
Then we replaced all of the light bulbs in our house. This sounds crazy, I know. But the energy efficient bulbs are very expensive, so we decided to replace them with the cheap bulbs and we packed our bulbs in a box with peanut packaging. We will take them with us in the car.
My husband verified our moving dates with the moving company yesterday. There was some confusion about whether or not our movers were coming on Monday as planned, or if they were coming tomorrow (Friday). That change is a huge deal because if there were coming on Friday then we loose a whole weekend to get prepared, and we would have had to reschedule our last farewell play date. Thankfully it was a mistake which my husband was able to clear up. The movers are coming on Monday as planned.
Today was a very productive day and the rest of the weekend is going to have to be that way as well. Fingers crossed that we stay in good health and good spirits to get through this busy time.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Farewell Friends
This has been a week filled with farewell play dates. We have had one every day this week! It has been bittersweet saying goodbye. The kids have had a great attitude about it all and enjoyed their friends emmensely. There have been no tears, at least not yet. I know they will miss their friends here but are also excited about what the future holds.
As far as moving logistics go, we are getting it all done a little at a time. The medical records are still in the works. The home purchase seems to be on track again, which is a huge relief. The new owners of our swing set have come to take it apart and have cleared most of it out of our yard. We bought a couple of new school outfits, shoes and backpacks. I donated cloths and other miscellaneous things we no longer need. And my hubby took some paperwork to be shredded, since our shredder broke.
Since my husband is graduating from college, he has been getting his cap and gown, extra tickets, and school records in order. And we have made reservations for dinner that night. It is going to be a whirlwind of work and celebration over the next two weeks!
As far as moving logistics go, we are getting it all done a little at a time. The medical records are still in the works. The home purchase seems to be on track again, which is a huge relief. The new owners of our swing set have come to take it apart and have cleared most of it out of our yard. We bought a couple of new school outfits, shoes and backpacks. I donated cloths and other miscellaneous things we no longer need. And my hubby took some paperwork to be shredded, since our shredder broke.
Since my husband is graduating from college, he has been getting his cap and gown, extra tickets, and school records in order. And we have made reservations for dinner that night. It is going to be a whirlwind of work and celebration over the next two weeks!
Monday, July 16, 2012
22 Days Left
Today was about checking things off the List. I took my oldest to the doctor for her before-school shots and physical and then drove across town to get some more stray medical records for my youngest.
Then I called my realtor. The house buying process is not going as smoothly as most. For whatever reason the sellers are not communicating with us. To make a long story short, they have not sent any of the requested documents or done any requested repairs. I am worried that we will be living in TLF until we can find another home. That isn't so bad except the kids will start school while we are there and then have to switch schools after we move into a home. I would rather not do that to them. Moving is hard enough! I feel like I am failing my kids. Unfortunately I don't have any control over what happens next, so I am trying my best to let it all play out.
To relax and have some fun, I took the kids to lunch and shopping. We bought new backpacks and a few outfits for the new school year. It was nice just hanging out with them.
My husband also got a quote from a painter to paint the inside of our rental house. We plan on asking the landlord to deduct that from our deposit. Normally I wouldn't do that, I would let the management company deal with it. But since this woman is elderly and does not pay a company to manage her property, I felt it was the least we could do. She has treated us so well. We have had many landlords in our adventures and she is by far the best we have ever had the pleasure of doing business with.
So as we start another week I am hopeful there will be no more hiccups, and we can get on our way to our next big adventure.
Then I called my realtor. The house buying process is not going as smoothly as most. For whatever reason the sellers are not communicating with us. To make a long story short, they have not sent any of the requested documents or done any requested repairs. I am worried that we will be living in TLF until we can find another home. That isn't so bad except the kids will start school while we are there and then have to switch schools after we move into a home. I would rather not do that to them. Moving is hard enough! I feel like I am failing my kids. Unfortunately I don't have any control over what happens next, so I am trying my best to let it all play out.
To relax and have some fun, I took the kids to lunch and shopping. We bought new backpacks and a few outfits for the new school year. It was nice just hanging out with them.
My husband also got a quote from a painter to paint the inside of our rental house. We plan on asking the landlord to deduct that from our deposit. Normally I wouldn't do that, I would let the management company deal with it. But since this woman is elderly and does not pay a company to manage her property, I felt it was the least we could do. She has treated us so well. We have had many landlords in our adventures and she is by far the best we have ever had the pleasure of doing business with.
So as we start another week I am hopeful there will be no more hiccups, and we can get on our way to our next big adventure.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
If it Can go Wrong it Will
I am not usually a pessimist. In fact, I pride myself on seeing the good in almost every situation. I like the saying, life is 10% circumstance and 90% attitude. Any situation can be stressful, but how stressful it is depends on how you choose to look at it. When someone asks me if I am looking forward to this move, I say yes. How can I not? How can I say, 'no it's horrible. I can't believe my lot in life!' You have to make the best of what has been given to you. I choose to focus on the good. Not that anyone should delude themselves that there is nothing wrong in their life! I just don't dwell on it. I choose to be happy.
So that is my philosophy in life. But in the moment, especially a stressful one, it is hard to keep that attitude all the time. And right now I am struggling with it. It seems that this move is riddled with mishaps. I have had to remind myself a lot lately that my life is good and wonderful and that it will all work itself out.
Last night, in the middle of the hottest month in Florida, our air conditioner gave out. And yes, last week the garage door broke. This house is falling apart and I feel so bad for our landlord! So I am sitting in this muggy house, with the kids and dog and the house fans on high, praying the landlord will get it fixed soon.
In the scheme of things, that is really not that bad. It just happens to break right before our move. Which no matter how much you plan or how often you have done it, it is stressful. And this move had been riddled with problems, including my daughter breaking her tooth while we were house hunting, the inspection on our new house being less than stellar, the sellers of our new home dragging their feet and not getting us a single document to get this sale through, the garage door trapping my car when it broke, medical records scattered from here to Timbuktu. The air conditioner is just one more thing not going as planned!
Okay, so the up side? My family is healthy, and honestly my kids have a great attitude about it all. So I choose to be grateful. I am blessed with wonderful family and a life full of laughter. One little air conditioner isn't going to change that!
So that is my philosophy in life. But in the moment, especially a stressful one, it is hard to keep that attitude all the time. And right now I am struggling with it. It seems that this move is riddled with mishaps. I have had to remind myself a lot lately that my life is good and wonderful and that it will all work itself out.
Last night, in the middle of the hottest month in Florida, our air conditioner gave out. And yes, last week the garage door broke. This house is falling apart and I feel so bad for our landlord! So I am sitting in this muggy house, with the kids and dog and the house fans on high, praying the landlord will get it fixed soon.
In the scheme of things, that is really not that bad. It just happens to break right before our move. Which no matter how much you plan or how often you have done it, it is stressful. And this move had been riddled with problems, including my daughter breaking her tooth while we were house hunting, the inspection on our new house being less than stellar, the sellers of our new home dragging their feet and not getting us a single document to get this sale through, the garage door trapping my car when it broke, medical records scattered from here to Timbuktu. The air conditioner is just one more thing not going as planned!
Okay, so the up side? My family is healthy, and honestly my kids have a great attitude about it all. So I choose to be grateful. I am blessed with wonderful family and a life full of laughter. One little air conditioner isn't going to change that!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Stress
I took one of my kids to the doctor for her school physical and had them print off her records for me to hand carry to our next base. Then I called her physical therapist and asked that they have her records available to pick up next week. I also dropped off some paperwork at my other daughter's doctor for them to fill out ahead of her visit next week.
And because it sounded fun, I took the kids shopping for school cloths. But I guess it is too early for that because they still have summer dresses on the racks. It wasn't a complete fail though, we were able to buy new school shoes.
And lastly, my husband replaced burned out light bulbs. You know, the really tough to reach ones or expensive ones? The ones you avoid until you just can't avoid it anymore? So now we have fully functioning light fixtures in every room.
For some reason I am stressing out over this move more than others. I am not sure exactly why, but it is what it is. So I ordered a pizza and rented a movie and we are going to cuddle up on the couch and forget the rest of the world for awhile.
And because it sounded fun, I took the kids shopping for school cloths. But I guess it is too early for that because they still have summer dresses on the racks. It wasn't a complete fail though, we were able to buy new school shoes.
And lastly, my husband replaced burned out light bulbs. You know, the really tough to reach ones or expensive ones? The ones you avoid until you just can't avoid it anymore? So now we have fully functioning light fixtures in every room.
For some reason I am stressing out over this move more than others. I am not sure exactly why, but it is what it is. So I ordered a pizza and rented a movie and we are going to cuddle up on the couch and forget the rest of the world for awhile.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
26 Days Left
For the move today I download an audiobook for the car ride. And I took the kids to a farewell play date, our first of many.
And finally I help my kids take down the wall stickers on their walls and put them on saran wrap. I have found that the clingy saran wrap works the best for this. Carefully pull the wall stickers off the wall and place them on the sticky side of a piece of saran wrap then roll it up like a poster. They move great this way and are easy to detach from the saran wrap when you are ready to decorate your new house!
And finally I help my kids take down the wall stickers on their walls and put them on saran wrap. I have found that the clingy saran wrap works the best for this. Carefully pull the wall stickers off the wall and place them on the sticky side of a piece of saran wrap then roll it up like a poster. They move great this way and are easy to detach from the saran wrap when you are ready to decorate your new house!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Fiasco
Our garage door is fixed! It was actually pretty painless, he was on time and gone within an hour. While he was here I reserved a room for the first travel day of our actual move. We learned after our last move that the La Quinta chain is a very pet friendly hotel that does not charge extra for your pets to stay. So we found a La Quinta and reserved the room at the government rate, since we are traveling on orders.
Then I went ahead and printed our maps from Google Maps with our specific destinations on there, along with contact information. Then I fished out our road atlas to take with us in the car.
After the garage door repairman left, a carpet and tile cleaning company came by to give me an estimate. I liked their price so I scheduled the carpets and tile floors to be cleaned on the morning of our walk through. It is cutting it a little close, but that was the only time I could fit it in.
A friend of ours offered to watch our dog for us once we arrive in town until we close on our house. That was so nice of her! So I no longer have to find a decent kennel for our dog during those days.
And finally I spent a little time working on house buying paperwork before I called the base medical records office to see about getting our records forwarded to our new base. What a fiasco that was! After hours on the phone figuring it all out, it comes down to this. We have medical records at six different doctors offices, including half of my youngest daughter's records inexplicably being left in the Midwest! And each office has different guidelines on how to forward them. What a headache!
Then I went ahead and printed our maps from Google Maps with our specific destinations on there, along with contact information. Then I fished out our road atlas to take with us in the car.
After the garage door repairman left, a carpet and tile cleaning company came by to give me an estimate. I liked their price so I scheduled the carpets and tile floors to be cleaned on the morning of our walk through. It is cutting it a little close, but that was the only time I could fit it in.
A friend of ours offered to watch our dog for us once we arrive in town until we close on our house. That was so nice of her! So I no longer have to find a decent kennel for our dog during those days.
And finally I spent a little time working on house buying paperwork before I called the base medical records office to see about getting our records forwarded to our new base. What a fiasco that was! After hours on the phone figuring it all out, it comes down to this. We have medical records at six different doctors offices, including half of my youngest daughter's records inexplicably being left in the Midwest! And each office has different guidelines on how to forward them. What a headache!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
28 Days Left
After I pulled into my garage today, the garage door broke trapping my car inside. Having this happen less than four weeks from our move is just Murphy's Law isn't it? So tomorrow morning I will be waiting around for the repairman to fix it and save my car. But on the up side, this gave me a chance to talk with my landlord about the pro-rated rent for the remainder of our stay in the house, and to schedule the walk through. So I checked that off the list.
After that I finished what I could on my list of address changes. There are a couple that have to wait until we move. Then I researched dog kennels and asked friends for recommendations in case our dog does not get to stay with us in TLF.
And finally I relaxed. I took the kids to swim lessons, I read a little, and I wrote this post.
After that I finished what I could on my list of address changes. There are a couple that have to wait until we move. Then I researched dog kennels and asked friends for recommendations in case our dog does not get to stay with us in TLF.
And finally I relaxed. I took the kids to swim lessons, I read a little, and I wrote this post.
Monday, July 9, 2012
29 Days Left
Today I contacted friends to get rid of some items that did not sell at our yard sale a few months ago. I was able to find a good home for a kids bike and some bedding we no longer need. Then I called TLF again to see if there were any pet-friendly rooms that happened to get cancelled. No such luck.
And finally I reviewed our finances to be sure we have the necessary cash to travel with. If we needed it we could contact Air Force Aid Society for emergency funds to help with our move. There are also ways to get a months advance pay from the finance office. Although the military does pay for so much of our move, there are times when it is not enough and these offices are wonderful services.
And finally I reviewed our finances to be sure we have the necessary cash to travel with. If we needed it we could contact Air Force Aid Society for emergency funds to help with our move. There are also ways to get a months advance pay from the finance office. Although the military does pay for so much of our move, there are times when it is not enough and these offices are wonderful services.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Weekend Work
I mostly took the weekend off from moving stuff. I say mostly because I did do some internet research on purchasing a refrigerator, found a local book club and children's story time, and registered the kids for fall sports in our new town. I looked at my handy move checklist and am very happy to say it is nearly done. I know it is early, that is just the way I do things. But that gives us time for play before we have to move!
Friday, July 6, 2012
32 Days Left
Today I took the girls to a play date with some friends. It was nice to chat with friends while watching the kids play. It was not an official going away play date, but it was nice to get out.
While out we stopped in to our pediatrician's office to have the kids medical records transferred to their office from an old pediatrician in the area that I was not happy with. This is something I should have done many months ago but never got around to doing. Now I am paying the price because I need my kids to have a physical and immunizations to start school next year along with a signed form for their school. So we had the records transferred and made a doctor appointment for a later date to get the school physicals done.
Once home I called TLF to see about their pet friendly rooms. Wright-Patterson is one of the few Air Force bases that has a limited number of these rooms, but when I made my reservation last week they were all full. I was told to call every few days to check about cancellations, so I called but didn't have any luck. I will keep trying.
Then I spent a good amount of time turning off our utilities and making address changes with the many companies we do business with including our bank and credit card companies, insurance, our dog's vet, the IRS and DMV, and various other companies. I did not finish though. After two hours on the phone or on the internet, I quit for the day. I will have to finish on Monday.
And because I have mail now going to a house that we do not inhabit yet, I contacted the post office to have our mail in Ohio held at the local office. Little by little it will all get done.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Vacation is Over
Today was about securing our new housing. We have been waiting on inspection reports for our new home to come back before going forward with the purchase. We hit a little bump in the road, but it now looks as though all is well in the housing department! Whew. Not having a house would have been a huge stressor and I am so happy we do not have to deal with that! So I spent a bit of time today getting paperwork signed and returned to our real estate agent.
I also spoke with the moving company who did a telephone assessment of the house. Usually they come out to your house before the move to assess how many boxes they will need, how much room on the truck they will need, and how long they need to pack up all of our stuff. But since we have moved so many times they felt comfortable doing it over the phone. So I spent about an hour with him going from room to room talking about our belongings.
And finally, I started contacting my children's closest friends to have farewell play dates. I debated on having one big going away party or just having smaller play dates and decided that smaller play dates would be best. I was a little worried about the over-stimulation of one big party and then thought that smaller play dates would give my kids more time with each friend. So the week before the movers arrive we are hopefully going to have a string of kids coming over with tons of fun play time.
I also spoke with the moving company who did a telephone assessment of the house. Usually they come out to your house before the move to assess how many boxes they will need, how much room on the truck they will need, and how long they need to pack up all of our stuff. But since we have moved so many times they felt comfortable doing it over the phone. So I spent about an hour with him going from room to room talking about our belongings.
And finally, I started contacting my children's closest friends to have farewell play dates. I debated on having one big going away party or just having smaller play dates and decided that smaller play dates would be best. I was a little worried about the over-stimulation of one big party and then thought that smaller play dates would give my kids more time with each friend. So the week before the movers arrive we are hopefully going to have a string of kids coming over with tons of fun play time.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Independence Day
For the move I was able to sell our swing set. The new owners will come get it at a later date. And the rest of the day I spent loving and appreciating my family and my country. Happy birthday America!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
35 Days Left
Today I took the girls to the pool to play with some friends. It was just what the doctor ordered, relaxing on a hot summer day, chatting it up with a good friend and playing with the kids. I hate to admit it but sometimes I just can't have a productive day. I think I need to learn how to have days like today without guilt. But I'm not there yet. :)
Once home I checked in with my realtor and emailed a few documents. And later that evening we went out with my husband's co-workers for a farewell dinner for him and two others. I put this in because saying farewell is very much a part of the moving process. It was all yummy food and talk of the future.
Once home I checked in with my realtor and emailed a few documents. And later that evening we went out with my husband's co-workers for a farewell dinner for him and two others. I put this in because saying farewell is very much a part of the moving process. It was all yummy food and talk of the future.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Day by Day
I decided to change my style for this blog now that the move is getting so close. My goal is to check in every day until we have driven away from our old home, and beyond. And honestly, who wants to read a whole laundry list of things done? That seems dry to me. So here I go, hope you enjoy it.
What I did for the move today: Today I called the moving company to confirm that the moving dates we requested were accepted. I spoke with someone who then told me someone else would call me back in ten minutes. I did not hear from anyone again today. I guess I'll be calling them back. :(
In the afternoon I took my daughters to the mall to look at bedding. One of the things I like to do to get the kids excited about moving, and to help them start visualizing their new home, is to let them redecorate their rooms. We have been talking about this for weeks now. They have gone from pink rooms, silver rooms, green and purple rooms, to blue ocean rooms. They have stuck with the blue ocean theme for a long time. It sounded really fun with dark and light blues on the walls, dolphin and orca appliques, blue bedding and curtains, and glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.
So we headed out to find blue bedspreads. While we were looking my youngest found a very frilly, pink and green comforter set complete with sham, throw pillow, curtains and one of those sheer halo bed curtains to hang over the top. She was absolutely sure she wanted it. Okay! No blue for her. Then my oldest decided she really liked her sister's choice, so we bought two. Now we know they will have frilly pink and lime green rooms in Ohio.
Later I showed the swing set to a couple of interested people. Hopefully it will sell soon!
What I did for the move today: Today I called the moving company to confirm that the moving dates we requested were accepted. I spoke with someone who then told me someone else would call me back in ten minutes. I did not hear from anyone again today. I guess I'll be calling them back. :(
In the afternoon I took my daughters to the mall to look at bedding. One of the things I like to do to get the kids excited about moving, and to help them start visualizing their new home, is to let them redecorate their rooms. We have been talking about this for weeks now. They have gone from pink rooms, silver rooms, green and purple rooms, to blue ocean rooms. They have stuck with the blue ocean theme for a long time. It sounded really fun with dark and light blues on the walls, dolphin and orca appliques, blue bedding and curtains, and glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.
So we headed out to find blue bedspreads. While we were looking my youngest found a very frilly, pink and green comforter set complete with sham, throw pillow, curtains and one of those sheer halo bed curtains to hang over the top. She was absolutely sure she wanted it. Okay! No blue for her. Then my oldest decided she really liked her sister's choice, so we bought two. Now we know they will have frilly pink and lime green rooms in Ohio.
Later I showed the swing set to a couple of interested people. Hopefully it will sell soon!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Now Back to This Checklist
We have a house and about five weeks to get ready for this move. Here is what we have done so far.
~ Set up our expense log for the move.
~ Updated my house inventory, complete with pictures.
~ Gone on a house hunting trip and secured a house.
~ Registered the kids for school while we were on the house hunting trip. The gaining school will request school records from our child's last school, but it is a good idea to hand carry what records you have like report cards, IEP and counseling records, test results, etc.
~ Advertised our swing set in the hopes of selling it soon.
~ Turned off the automatic payment to the our electronic toll road gadget, since it is not useful to us once we move.
~ Contacted the Traffic Management Office (TMO) who will set us up with a moving company. We are still waiting to hear back from them about the exact dates of our move. Our fingers are crossed that we will get the dates we requested!
~ Given notice to our landlord.
~ Reserved TLF for a couple days in our current town as well as a couple of days in Ohio before we close on our new home.
~ Arranged for pet lodging since TLF does not allow animals.
~ Arranged for childcare on the days the moving company is hopefully arriving, as well as for the date we are to close on our house in Ohio. The base offers free childcare during our move through certified providers. Contact the Child Care Center to get a list of providers.
~ Seen our dentists for the last time and requested that they forward our dental records to our next base.
~ Checked that there is no lapse in our renters/homeowners insurance during the move. Heaven forbid there is a fiery crash on the highway and all of our belongings go up in smoke. But if that happens I want to know my stuff will be replaced!
~ I have made a list of every agency or person I must contact to change my address with. I haven't started yet, but I will be calling a few a day before the move.
~ And I have started to use up all of the things I cannot move such as liquids like soap and olive oil, cleaning supplies, perishable foods, etc. I do have a small box I will fill up and take with me in my personal car, but the movers will not move any liquids, flammables, household chemicals, or things that can melt like candles.
There is still plenty more to do. Probably most important is keeping my sanity. Talking with my kids about their fears and finding ways to get them excited about this move is part of that. Taking time to relax. Maybe go on a date with the hubby. Take a hot bath and unwind. Keeping myself calm helps me stay patient with my kids and with all of the people I encounter through this whole process.
~ Set up our expense log for the move.
~ Updated my house inventory, complete with pictures.
~ Gone on a house hunting trip and secured a house.
~ Registered the kids for school while we were on the house hunting trip. The gaining school will request school records from our child's last school, but it is a good idea to hand carry what records you have like report cards, IEP and counseling records, test results, etc.
~ Advertised our swing set in the hopes of selling it soon.
~ Turned off the automatic payment to the our electronic toll road gadget, since it is not useful to us once we move.
~ Contacted the Traffic Management Office (TMO) who will set us up with a moving company. We are still waiting to hear back from them about the exact dates of our move. Our fingers are crossed that we will get the dates we requested!
~ Given notice to our landlord.
~ Reserved TLF for a couple days in our current town as well as a couple of days in Ohio before we close on our new home.
~ Arranged for pet lodging since TLF does not allow animals.
~ Arranged for childcare on the days the moving company is hopefully arriving, as well as for the date we are to close on our house in Ohio. The base offers free childcare during our move through certified providers. Contact the Child Care Center to get a list of providers.
~ Seen our dentists for the last time and requested that they forward our dental records to our next base.
~ Checked that there is no lapse in our renters/homeowners insurance during the move. Heaven forbid there is a fiery crash on the highway and all of our belongings go up in smoke. But if that happens I want to know my stuff will be replaced!
~ I have made a list of every agency or person I must contact to change my address with. I haven't started yet, but I will be calling a few a day before the move.
~ And I have started to use up all of the things I cannot move such as liquids like soap and olive oil, cleaning supplies, perishable foods, etc. I do have a small box I will fill up and take with me in my personal car, but the movers will not move any liquids, flammables, household chemicals, or things that can melt like candles.
There is still plenty more to do. Probably most important is keeping my sanity. Talking with my kids about their fears and finding ways to get them excited about this move is part of that. Taking time to relax. Maybe go on a date with the hubby. Take a hot bath and unwind. Keeping myself calm helps me stay patient with my kids and with all of the people I encounter through this whole process.
Finding A Place to Live
Finding a home from another state is not the easiest task. That is why the military has base housing and other lodging called Temporary Living. As long as their is availability you will have a house on base. That is a huge comfort.
Base housing ranges from row or quartered town homes with carports, that are on average about a thousand square feet, to single family residences with single car garages that are around eighteen hundred square feet. There are also houses for high ranking officers that are bigger.
Living on or off base is a personal decision, unless of course you are required to live on base housing. There are certain circumstances where that is the case. For us, we spent weeks looking online at homes, both rentals and ones we could purchase, and decided to buy a home off base.
Having a home to settle into right away was important to me on this move, mostly because we would be arriving so close to the start of the new school year. I did not want their to be any uncertainty about what school the kids would go to. And I particularly did not want to have to start them in one school and then switch them to another school once we found a permanent home.
So we decided to go on a house hunting trip before the actual move date and secure ourselves a home. It was a two day drive where we stayed with friends along the way. That is one of the many great things I love about the military family. Calling a fellow military family and asking to crash at their house for a night is not an unreasonable thing to ask. We have all been there, and giving and receiving that kind of support is second nature.
Once we were in Ohio we stayed in the Temporary Living Facility (TLF). Temporary Living is just what it sounds like, a temporary place to rest your head until you can find more permanent quarters. Depending on the base it can be similar to a hotel with a kitchen area, bathroom, and a bed or couch with a hide-a-bed. Other bases TLF are larger with two bedrooms, a living room, and even a garage. It all depends on where you are stationed. But they are all furnished with the basics, including kitchen necessities. In temporary living you are allowed to stay for 90 days for a very reasonable price. So if you cannot go on a house hunting trip ahead of time, this is a great place to stay while you look for a home.
Our house hunting trip was four days plus the two days on either end for travel. That is not a lot of time, but if you do your homework before you go, you can find yourself a nice home that is just right for you and your family. Here are the resources we used for this trip.
~ Friends - We contacted friends that live in the area and asked them for realtor recommendations, and to get feedback on the school districts.
~ usaa.com - They currently have a Movers Advantage program that will pay you money at the end of closing if you use one of their realtors. The realtor we were told about was a certified USAA realtor.
~ realtor.com
~ zillow.com
~ maps.google.com - for the street and satellite view as well as general map information
~ militarybyowner.com
~ rentals.com
~ valoans.com/calculator_payments.cfm - VA loan calculator
Base housing ranges from row or quartered town homes with carports, that are on average about a thousand square feet, to single family residences with single car garages that are around eighteen hundred square feet. There are also houses for high ranking officers that are bigger.
Living on or off base is a personal decision, unless of course you are required to live on base housing. There are certain circumstances where that is the case. For us, we spent weeks looking online at homes, both rentals and ones we could purchase, and decided to buy a home off base.
Having a home to settle into right away was important to me on this move, mostly because we would be arriving so close to the start of the new school year. I did not want their to be any uncertainty about what school the kids would go to. And I particularly did not want to have to start them in one school and then switch them to another school once we found a permanent home.
So we decided to go on a house hunting trip before the actual move date and secure ourselves a home. It was a two day drive where we stayed with friends along the way. That is one of the many great things I love about the military family. Calling a fellow military family and asking to crash at their house for a night is not an unreasonable thing to ask. We have all been there, and giving and receiving that kind of support is second nature.
Once we were in Ohio we stayed in the Temporary Living Facility (TLF). Temporary Living is just what it sounds like, a temporary place to rest your head until you can find more permanent quarters. Depending on the base it can be similar to a hotel with a kitchen area, bathroom, and a bed or couch with a hide-a-bed. Other bases TLF are larger with two bedrooms, a living room, and even a garage. It all depends on where you are stationed. But they are all furnished with the basics, including kitchen necessities. In temporary living you are allowed to stay for 90 days for a very reasonable price. So if you cannot go on a house hunting trip ahead of time, this is a great place to stay while you look for a home.
Our house hunting trip was four days plus the two days on either end for travel. That is not a lot of time, but if you do your homework before you go, you can find yourself a nice home that is just right for you and your family. Here are the resources we used for this trip.
~ Friends - We contacted friends that live in the area and asked them for realtor recommendations, and to get feedback on the school districts.
~ usaa.com - They currently have a Movers Advantage program that will pay you money at the end of closing if you use one of their realtors. The realtor we were told about was a certified USAA realtor.
~ realtor.com
~ zillow.com
~ maps.google.com - for the street and satellite view as well as general map information
~ militarybyowner.com
~ rentals.com
~ valoans.com/calculator_payments.cfm - VA loan calculator
Monday, May 14, 2012
Officially Official!
We now have Orders! Nothing has changed, we are still headed to Dayton Ohio, which is good. All this means is we can now get started on our move.
Our next step is to contact the moving office on base where they will set up an appointment for a relocation briefing. But more importantly, this is when our exact moving date is set. This is so important to get nailed down. You can't really plan anything else until you have a moving date.
My husband has this meeting next week. So with our move date nearly set, we are about three months out from our move. It is now time for me to print off my to-do list and start checking things off. Mine is a comprehensive list I came across during our second move seven years ago. It is ten pages long and it has been a life saver at each move!
The first thing on my list? Make an appointment with our relocation office. Check!
Second. The service member needs an appointment with an office called Outbound Assignments and the Finance Office. Check, check!
Third. Find my old ledger pad in order to keep track of moving expenses, and start a relocation folder for all the paperwork. Check and check!
The fourth item on my list is a little tricky. It says to inventory all of our possessions. If it sounds daunting, that's because it is. Luckily I did this on our first move, so all I have to do is update it. I pull up my excel spreadsheet where it is located and go from room to room adding items that I don't see on the list. For example, since our last move we have bought a new TV and new beds for our kids.
I don't bother writing every single minute thing down. If the kids loose a toy in the move and I don't have it on the inventory list, no one is going to die over it. I focus on making sure higher priced items are on the list along with their serial numbers and a picture. That last part is important. You want a picture of all of your high priced items. Take a picture of all sides including a picture of the item working, if possible. I know all of this sounds tedious and unnecessary. But I have heard enough horror stories about things lost or broken and the rigmarole of putting in a claim, that I heed the warning and do the extra work.
If you are planning on doing your own household inventory you can check out the various software products currently on the market. I have heard the are helpful. I personally use an excel spread sheet and find it works just fine. I use a different worksheet for every room in my home and list each item in no particular order down the sheet, with serial numbers or further descriptions on the next column.
So that is what I am off to do next. I am excited to get this move started and dreading it all at the same time. Here I go!
Our next step is to contact the moving office on base where they will set up an appointment for a relocation briefing. But more importantly, this is when our exact moving date is set. This is so important to get nailed down. You can't really plan anything else until you have a moving date.
My husband has this meeting next week. So with our move date nearly set, we are about three months out from our move. It is now time for me to print off my to-do list and start checking things off. Mine is a comprehensive list I came across during our second move seven years ago. It is ten pages long and it has been a life saver at each move!
The first thing on my list? Make an appointment with our relocation office. Check!
Second. The service member needs an appointment with an office called Outbound Assignments and the Finance Office. Check, check!
Third. Find my old ledger pad in order to keep track of moving expenses, and start a relocation folder for all the paperwork. Check and check!
The fourth item on my list is a little tricky. It says to inventory all of our possessions. If it sounds daunting, that's because it is. Luckily I did this on our first move, so all I have to do is update it. I pull up my excel spreadsheet where it is located and go from room to room adding items that I don't see on the list. For example, since our last move we have bought a new TV and new beds for our kids.
I don't bother writing every single minute thing down. If the kids loose a toy in the move and I don't have it on the inventory list, no one is going to die over it. I focus on making sure higher priced items are on the list along with their serial numbers and a picture. That last part is important. You want a picture of all of your high priced items. Take a picture of all sides including a picture of the item working, if possible. I know all of this sounds tedious and unnecessary. But I have heard enough horror stories about things lost or broken and the rigmarole of putting in a claim, that I heed the warning and do the extra work.
If you are planning on doing your own household inventory you can check out the various software products currently on the market. I have heard the are helpful. I personally use an excel spread sheet and find it works just fine. I use a different worksheet for every room in my home and list each item in no particular order down the sheet, with serial numbers or further descriptions on the next column.
So that is what I am off to do next. I am excited to get this move started and dreading it all at the same time. Here I go!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Unofficially Official
My husband got his preliminary orders issued today. So we now know with good certainty where we are headed and when. Not that it can't change. Things can always change. But it isn't likely. So I am unofficially announcing that we are moving to Dayton, Ohio!
So what now? In most cases I would take a day or two to process the news of our pending location. I would go to my trusted websites and research the new town. I would find out about the crime rates, the demographics, and the elected officials. I would go to the town's chamber of commerce webpage. I would do research on the local school system. I would look at Google Maps and try and orient myself in the town.
But since we have lived in Dayton before I won't need to do most of this again. I do plan on brushing up on the crime rates and the school district information, especially as the move gets closer and we narrow the house hunting choices. But for now I am just glad everything is progressing smoothly.
Here is a list of my trusted websites:
http://www.afcrossroads.com -- this sight requires that you be Air Force personnel or a dependent. It is a great resource to start your research of a new town and a new base.
http://www.bestplaces.net/ -- This is a site with demographic and crime rate statistics
http://www.greatschools.org/ -- I like this site because it takes into account parental reviews as well as standardized test scores. All parents know that test scores can only tell you so much about a school. I also go to the individual school district webpages.
http://www.militarybyowner.com/ -- This is a great site to search for your new home.
http://rentals.com - Another decent home rental site. You can also check out the various real estate sites if you are thinking of buying a home. The local newspaper will sometimes have online classifieds for homes too.
http://maps.google.com/ -- I love their satellite and street views. When you can't drive by a home it is a pretty good second. Not that I recommend renting or buying a home sight unseen. But if you are a planner like me, you want to see as much about a place as you can NOW. I have nixed more than one home because of power lines or drainage ditches too close to a home before ever seeing it. If you are planning a house hunting trip, it can save you so much time to narrow your search ahead of time.
So what now? In most cases I would take a day or two to process the news of our pending location. I would go to my trusted websites and research the new town. I would find out about the crime rates, the demographics, and the elected officials. I would go to the town's chamber of commerce webpage. I would do research on the local school system. I would look at Google Maps and try and orient myself in the town.
But since we have lived in Dayton before I won't need to do most of this again. I do plan on brushing up on the crime rates and the school district information, especially as the move gets closer and we narrow the house hunting choices. But for now I am just glad everything is progressing smoothly.
Here is a list of my trusted websites:
http://www.afcrossroads.com -- this sight requires that you be Air Force personnel or a dependent. It is a great resource to start your research of a new town and a new base.
http://www.bestplaces.net/ -- This is a site with demographic and crime rate statistics
http://www.greatschools.org/ -- I like this site because it takes into account parental reviews as well as standardized test scores. All parents know that test scores can only tell you so much about a school. I also go to the individual school district webpages.
http://www.militarybyowner.com/ -- This is a great site to search for your new home.
http://rentals.com - Another decent home rental site. You can also check out the various real estate sites if you are thinking of buying a home. The local newspaper will sometimes have online classifieds for homes too.
http://maps.google.com/ -- I love their satellite and street views. When you can't drive by a home it is a pretty good second. Not that I recommend renting or buying a home sight unseen. But if you are a planner like me, you want to see as much about a place as you can NOW. I have nixed more than one home because of power lines or drainage ditches too close to a home before ever seeing it. If you are planning a house hunting trip, it can save you so much time to narrow your search ahead of time.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Checking In With The Kids
The kids know we are moving. They have known since we got here that we will move after their dad finishes his education. They have always sounded excited about it and since they never seemed stressed or worried, I never worried. But now that the move is getting close there have been a few anxious questions.
For months now my younger child has been asking questions like, who will her teacher be, will she get to go to school with her big sister, will she get to ride the bus to school, and will our new house have stairs. She also asks questions like, will there be a movie theater and what restaurants are in Ohio. She is trying to envision her new home, and I'm so glad she is asking!
My older child has different worries. about a week ago she realized that she won't know any of the kids at her new school.
She asked me, "Mom? What if I don't know any of the kids in my class?"
I decided to ask her this, "How many kids did you know on the first day of Kindergarten?"
"Just one, [enter child's name here]," she said.
"And how many did you know at the end of kindergarten?" I asked her.
She excitedly responded, "Oh, all of them! I know every kid in my school mom!"
I nodded and told her, "See? It's no big deal if you don't know anybody at first, because by the end of the year you'll know everybody. Okay?" That seemed to make her feel a little better.
Both of my children still seem excited about this move. I answer their questions the best I can and listen to their concerns. That is all I can do for now.
For months now my younger child has been asking questions like, who will her teacher be, will she get to go to school with her big sister, will she get to ride the bus to school, and will our new house have stairs. She also asks questions like, will there be a movie theater and what restaurants are in Ohio. She is trying to envision her new home, and I'm so glad she is asking!
My older child has different worries. about a week ago she realized that she won't know any of the kids at her new school.
She asked me, "Mom? What if I don't know any of the kids in my class?"
I decided to ask her this, "How many kids did you know on the first day of Kindergarten?"
"Just one, [enter child's name here]," she said.
"And how many did you know at the end of kindergarten?" I asked her.
She excitedly responded, "Oh, all of them! I know every kid in my school mom!"
I nodded and told her, "See? It's no big deal if you don't know anybody at first, because by the end of the year you'll know everybody. Okay?" That seemed to make her feel a little better.
Both of my children still seem excited about this move. I answer their questions the best I can and listen to their concerns. That is all I can do for now.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Yard Sale
A yard sale is not necessary before a move, and many people choose to just give away what they no longer need. But I kind of enjoy the whole thing, and my kids do too. My oldest has been saving her chore money for weeks now. Her dad is going to take her out and see what sort of deals they can find while I sell our unwanted stuff.
I also don't usually do a yard sale this early. Since I don't know what my new house will look like yet, I may have to sell a few additional things right before, or even just after, the move. But since our neighborhood is putting on their annual yard sale, I wanted to take advantage of all the traffic it will bring.
What sorts of things am I selling? Well in the few years that we have been here, my little one grew out of her stroller and her bike trailer. Her baby hangers no longer hold her cloths, some old board books and "baby" movies are going. Some old plastic storage boxes, an old weed whacker, and a few other odds and ends. And since I don't have a whole lot to sell, this one will be pretty easy. I just need to clean up a few things, slap a few price stickers on everything, brew up some iced tea, and sit out and enjoy the day.
I do want to note that we are selling our big houseplant too. When a company moves you, they won't take plants. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Your plant would be packed away in a dark, hot (or cold depending on the time of year) truck for days with no water. And the company does not want to take responsibility for them dying. Of course you can always move them in your car, if they mean that much to you. But quite honestly my house plants don't mean that much to me. As long as I can move the pot, I can always buy a new plant. So I sell them every time we move.
Update:
Our yard sale was a success! We sold about half of our stuff within the first half hour! I sat out for another couple of hours trying to get rid of as much as I could, but at some point my pile was too small for anyone to bother stopping to check out. So I closed up shop and went out looking for my own good deals.
The girls found some pretty cool toys for dirt cheap and they had fun riding around the neighborhood on their bikes with Daddy. The plant went to a good home. The weather was awesome! And I even got some weeding done.
After it was all wrapped up, my next stop was the Goodwill. Whew, I am glad that's done!
I also don't usually do a yard sale this early. Since I don't know what my new house will look like yet, I may have to sell a few additional things right before, or even just after, the move. But since our neighborhood is putting on their annual yard sale, I wanted to take advantage of all the traffic it will bring.
What sorts of things am I selling? Well in the few years that we have been here, my little one grew out of her stroller and her bike trailer. Her baby hangers no longer hold her cloths, some old board books and "baby" movies are going. Some old plastic storage boxes, an old weed whacker, and a few other odds and ends. And since I don't have a whole lot to sell, this one will be pretty easy. I just need to clean up a few things, slap a few price stickers on everything, brew up some iced tea, and sit out and enjoy the day.
I do want to note that we are selling our big houseplant too. When a company moves you, they won't take plants. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Your plant would be packed away in a dark, hot (or cold depending on the time of year) truck for days with no water. And the company does not want to take responsibility for them dying. Of course you can always move them in your car, if they mean that much to you. But quite honestly my house plants don't mean that much to me. As long as I can move the pot, I can always buy a new plant. So I sell them every time we move.
Update:
Our yard sale was a success! We sold about half of our stuff within the first half hour! I sat out for another couple of hours trying to get rid of as much as I could, but at some point my pile was too small for anyone to bother stopping to check out. So I closed up shop and went out looking for my own good deals.
The girls found some pretty cool toys for dirt cheap and they had fun riding around the neighborhood on their bikes with Daddy. The plant went to a good home. The weather was awesome! And I even got some weeding done.
After it was all wrapped up, my next stop was the Goodwill. Whew, I am glad that's done!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Worried Suspense
On this particular move we have the rare experience of knowing when and where our relocation will be, and have know for quite a long time. But that is not always the case.
We were living on base housing a few years back. We knew there was a move headed our way. My husband was finishing up his Master's degree along with twelve of our closest neighbors. I know, this sounds really strange. An entire street moving in and out of their homes all about the same time? Seriously? Yeah. It is odd, but that was the circumstance.
We all knew we would be moving after graduation and shared with each other each step of our process. Everyone's orders came trickling in over a two or three day window. Our street was abuzz with curiosity as we learned where each of our neighbors was headed.
Well my husband was kind of a workaholic at that time. So of course he did not come home any earlier than he normally did on the evening that the majority of the orders were handed out. The street was buzzing as everyone stood out in the middle of the street chitter-chattering about their future base. Who got a "good" base. Who knew about this base or that. Who was happy about it, and who wasn't.
I of course was calling my husband, impatiently excited about the final verdict. Where were we headed? But while I was listening to everyone else's news, my husband was standing in the parking lot by his car at work, stunned. He was trying to figure out a way to tell his city loving wife that their future home was going to be Omaha, Nebraska.
I have to admit, I was not overly excited about moving there. I grew up in a metropolitan area that, at the time, had roughly a million inhabitants. I could not even wrap my head around living in a small town in the mid-west. Of course my stereotypes and ignorance were getting the best of me. Omaha is actually a decent sized city. Much larger than I envisioned that first night after hearing about our future home. And as it turned out, neither one of us had much to worry about. So far in this military journey, Nebraska has been our absolute favorite station. And I would move back without hesitation anytime. So it just goes to tell you, bad news may actually be the best thing to happen. Look for the positive in each experience and who knows what you will find.
We were living on base housing a few years back. We knew there was a move headed our way. My husband was finishing up his Master's degree along with twelve of our closest neighbors. I know, this sounds really strange. An entire street moving in and out of their homes all about the same time? Seriously? Yeah. It is odd, but that was the circumstance.
We all knew we would be moving after graduation and shared with each other each step of our process. Everyone's orders came trickling in over a two or three day window. Our street was abuzz with curiosity as we learned where each of our neighbors was headed.
Well my husband was kind of a workaholic at that time. So of course he did not come home any earlier than he normally did on the evening that the majority of the orders were handed out. The street was buzzing as everyone stood out in the middle of the street chitter-chattering about their future base. Who got a "good" base. Who knew about this base or that. Who was happy about it, and who wasn't.
I of course was calling my husband, impatiently excited about the final verdict. Where were we headed? But while I was listening to everyone else's news, my husband was standing in the parking lot by his car at work, stunned. He was trying to figure out a way to tell his city loving wife that their future home was going to be Omaha, Nebraska.
I have to admit, I was not overly excited about moving there. I grew up in a metropolitan area that, at the time, had roughly a million inhabitants. I could not even wrap my head around living in a small town in the mid-west. Of course my stereotypes and ignorance were getting the best of me. Omaha is actually a decent sized city. Much larger than I envisioned that first night after hearing about our future home. And as it turned out, neither one of us had much to worry about. So far in this military journey, Nebraska has been our absolute favorite station. And I would move back without hesitation anytime. So it just goes to tell you, bad news may actually be the best thing to happen. Look for the positive in each experience and who knows what you will find.
Hurry Up And Wait
The first step to a move is getting issued orders. This is the official paperwork that states where you are moving, when you are moving, and to what unit your spouse will belong. This single piece of paper is the God of a PCS. Without it you can't do anything.
The beauty and the curse of Orders are this. Once you have them, the move is on its way and the wait to know where you will be living is over. You can start exploring the town that will become home for a few years. You can start making appointments for moving companies. You can break it to the kids. You can announce it on Facebook! You can do it all.
The curse is the couple of months before Orders are issued. You see, the rumblings of a pending move are hard to ignore. There are emails and forms that the military member has to fill out. The Air Force loves their paperwork. So for a couple of months you know you are moving. But you do not know exactly when. And in nearly every military move, you do not know where you are going. So until orders are actually in hand, you can't get anything done.
That is where we are currently at. My husband has filled out all the paperwork and has even been contacted by the folks in charge of issuing his orders. We are to expect them in the next couple of weeks. We are fortunate enough to know where we are headed this time around, so at least we have been saved from that little bit of worried suspense. Even so, the waiting can be hard.
The beauty and the curse of Orders are this. Once you have them, the move is on its way and the wait to know where you will be living is over. You can start exploring the town that will become home for a few years. You can start making appointments for moving companies. You can break it to the kids. You can announce it on Facebook! You can do it all.
The curse is the couple of months before Orders are issued. You see, the rumblings of a pending move are hard to ignore. There are emails and forms that the military member has to fill out. The Air Force loves their paperwork. So for a couple of months you know you are moving. But you do not know exactly when. And in nearly every military move, you do not know where you are going. So until orders are actually in hand, you can't get anything done.
That is where we are currently at. My husband has filled out all the paperwork and has even been contacted by the folks in charge of issuing his orders. We are to expect them in the next couple of weeks. We are fortunate enough to know where we are headed this time around, so at least we have been saved from that little bit of worried suspense. Even so, the waiting can be hard.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Piece of Cake
Whenever I tell a Civilian (aka a non-military member) how often we move, I get a number of reactions. Horror. Pity. Fascination. Envy. But always, always! there is curiosity. Many people have never had to move their entire household to another state. And the sheer enormity of that task sounds daunting. One of the first questions is usually, "Do they move you, or do you have to do it?" And when I answer, "Oh, they pack and move our stuff," the person I'm talking with usually has a physical reaction. Their shoulders and back will move in such a way that it looks as though a weight is literally being lifted off their shoulders. Like, oh no big deal! They move you! That's a piece of cake!
HA!
Well although a moving company comes to our house and puts everything we own in boxes and ships it to our gaining base, moving like we do is anything but a piece of cake. The amount of work that goes into a move is daunting, and tiresome, and at times overwhelming. So I thought it might be interesting to document our next move. You can decide for yourself whether or not a military move is a piece of cake.
HA!
Well although a moving company comes to our house and puts everything we own in boxes and ships it to our gaining base, moving like we do is anything but a piece of cake. The amount of work that goes into a move is daunting, and tiresome, and at times overwhelming. So I thought it might be interesting to document our next move. You can decide for yourself whether or not a military move is a piece of cake.
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