Progress Update

Day One - Monday : We started scrubbing. We swept every floor surface we could (the front room had all our stuff stacked in it, so had to wait on that one). I got to wipe down all the kitchen shelves and surfaces, as well as the bathrooms as well. Let me tell you, some of it was pretty yucky. We still have not unpacked anything, or put any rooms together, so we're all together in our one bed, and one chair. Elise was great, and really enjoyed her story reader (hooray!!!). We also went to this great little Mexican restaurant in the Nugget Mall for lunch. We used to love their food, and we still do, although none of us have eaten there for a year. So we got up to the front of the line, and were still trying to decide what it was we used to order and love so much. Its kind of funny when things seem so familiar, yet the details are still vague...

Day Two - Tuesday : We started mopping. Logan got a great mop, which worked fabulous, until the head decided to freak out and come apart. In true boy scout fashion, he improvised. He got down on hands and knees, and scrubbed with just the mop head. By Wednesday we needed a new mop head as the one he used was completely thrashed. We got some shelf liners put in the kitchen, and Logan got a washer and dryer, and after much trial and error, got them installed and working (hooray!!! - Elise had gagged and thrown up, and I was wishing for laundry facilities). We went to the Dalton's for a quick visit, and they were gracious enough to feed us. I guess I hadn't expected that the dishes and things in storage would get dirty, and they mostly aren't visibly dirty, but we're trying to wash things just in case (a year is a long time to leave things in storage - and note to self ---never pack anything made of glass with the kitchen aid mixer, no matter how well bubble wrapped it is!). So we still didn't have dishes or towels or things of that nature. By the evening time, we still were all sleeping on the one bed, but now have a couple chairs pulled out so we can all sit down at the same time...but still in cleaning mode and haven't unpacked anything else. We got towels and showers washed, so we ALL got to have showers and an almost normal bed time (about 9:30pm, which was way better than the almost 11pm the other nights). Elise picked the shower curtain for her bathroom. She was so excited....it was penguins!

Day Three - Wednesday : We had a doctor's visit for Elise, just a check up and her two year old shots (we missed them by being in Oregon for so long, but the doctor assured us it was OK to wait til we were back up here). She did great...sort of. We talked about it before hand, and walked through the things they'd want to check, but we all know how Elise handles new people. I asked her what she could do if she felt scared, and at first she told me she could give a big smile, to which I added that she could squeeze my hand. That soon became that she could squeeze mama, and not let go as though she was a baby orangutan. She did OK with the nurse, and we took turns sitting on the swivel doctor seat and the bed, pretending to examine each other's eyes and ears. However the doctor is a man, and she didn't really even want to open her eyes for him to look at them. He's a great guy though, got through the whole thing, pronounced her healthy, and advised putting her on some vitamin D3, since sunshine is a little rare up here and girls who grow up here tend to have weaker bones from not getting enough D3 to help their bodies absorb calcium. So, we're now looking for some D3 in liquid form, and came back home for some nap time and working on the house. Elise now recognizes the car and the house, and if you ask her where they are, she'll help you find them if you can get her close. After naps, we kept working on shelf liners, but the really exciting part is that we finally got started on the large stack of boxes from the storage unit that were taking over the front room. We found mice in our storage unit, so Logan emptied it and piled it all in the front room of this house, where it has been sitting for the last month. We got to figure out from our packing list what each box was, then sort them into the various rooms. We won't get to unpack them yet, as we're still waiting for the carpet to be installed in the back half of the house, but we're excited to have them sorted and dispersed, and be able to work on cleaning the front room. Logan got the front half of the room mopped, the TV stand, bookshelves, and couches all put together and arranged, and the dining table placed in the dining area. We got to sit and watch Cinderella and have pot pies for dinner around 8:30. Ah, good times. It is a bit wierd, since I've never seen the front room so empty, and we don't have any curtains and there are huge windows, but still nice to have a resting spot.

Day four - Thursday : Logan went back to work this morning. Elise and I will work on getting the kitchen and bathrooms unpacked and organized in the shelves in the vanities. We found some toy boxes yesterday, and it was almost like Christmas for Elise. She picked a couple stuffed animals (she's doing much better with some, although puppets still scare her, and the larger stuffed animals or ones that move or make noise) and walked them around the house, giving them a tour. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to figure out a bed in her room, and get the baby moniter up in there and some curtains so she can sleep in her own space. We had her use the pink blow up bed next to our bed last night, but some how it deflated and she wasn't very comfortable. We'll have to see what we can figure out for her room. We are all feeling good about the progress we're making, and although there is still some mopping to be done on the back half of the front room and windows to clean, we're all really glad to transition from cleaning mode to unpacking/moving in mode. We've also decided we're never moving into a home that isn't already clean. It is very challenging to live in a space without being able to live in it. We're very grateful to have this space, and are feeling a little less sureal now that we're getting to UNPACK!!!