Family in the House

Big changes going on around here this week. And into the next week, and the next, until we have daughter Tara and grandsons Taylor (7) and Konnor (5) moved into this huge house and settled.

Right now the house is full of big boxes. Takes a lotta boxes to move a family of three from a well-stocked, three-bedroom apartment to a house already full. Not an easy task, this coalescing of two sets of belongings into a well-organized and functional single-set of holdings. Some stuff went to Good Will. Some things went to friends. Some things abide in storage. Lotta stuff went into the dumpster. More surely will. Lotsa decisions. Lotsa work. Lotsa letting-go and consolidating. Lotsa temporarily uncomfortable good-byes. Still: change is good and stimulating.

I'm about reorganized already. Easy for me: I'm retired and home all day every day, as I choose. I've already completed my move downstairs into my new digs down in this really plush, one-bedroom apartment. Large bedroom and two full closets. I've sorted down to a reasonable wardrobe and taken the rest of my old stuff to Good Will (a good thing!). Tara and I have also cleaned out and reorganized the two large storage closets. So I'm all-good down here with my own full bathroom and my own large office on either side of my large new bedroom. There's an expansive living room down here, too. Even a nice kitchen-dining area, if I ever choose to use them. (Not likely!)

I like my new hide-away. Change is GOOD!

Truthfully, this home should be featured on HGTV. . .soon as we get rid of all the boxes. Give us three weeks and bring in the cameras.

Tara moved into my old Master Suite. Is Mistress Suite an acceptable term? Prob'ly not, her being my daughter and all. This arrangement gives her close access to the boys upstairs. She can hear them and more easily see to their needs. She'll use the library -- next door to her bedroom -- and the upstairs study to organize her books and work materials. Tara also has the two large, master-suite-closets to reorganize and store all her clothing. Nice change for her.

Konnor and Taylor have the two upstairs bedrooms. They'll share the office up there with their mom. It has a hide-abed and will double as a guest room. We've shifted the boys' books up into bookshelves in their bedrooms, too. Both boys have large closets and cabinets for their things up there.

Still: like the rest of us, they've had to give up some things they valued. Not easy for anyone of any age. We have several chests for their toys. Some work remains to get all their things organized.

Still! The boys're just about settled-in. Their things're stowed away safely where they can easily find them. All those boxes are cut-up, bound into neat bundles out front on the curb, ready for today's garbage collection.

The rest of the house is still filled with boxes.

Sorting out and selecting one kitchen from two has yet to be accomplished. Prob'ly get that job completed this weekend. But maybe not. We've got tickets to the Saginaw Valley football game. If the weather's nice. . . Still, reorganizing the kitchen is the one really large task remaining to be accomplished. The refrigerators and cabinets upstairs and downstairs are overflowing with food and cooking utensils, cookbooks and food-fixing paraphernalia. Work to do these next few weeks.

But eventually, we'll be able to eat supper here every night together. Meanwhile we're eating breakfast in the cluttered kitchen and our evening meals out. UP-side? No meals to prepare. No dishes to wash. DOWN-side. Send me all your money -- Quickly! PLEASE!

Meanwhile, adjustments continue. Most of the changes are hardest on the boys and their mom. They're up-rooted. But then, the boys are also the most excited. And Tara is energetic, resourceful, and tough-minded. I'm certain, though, that her workday at Covenant Hospital feels something like a daily vacation. Even though she's busy every moment at work, the routine is familiar, and her day is full of accomplishments. She's surrounded by co-workers, who've long-since become friends, too. Yet, despite Tara's three-weeks of taxing preparations for the move and the move itself, she still appears borderline sane.

Tough kid, this daughter!

I'm amazed at my own calmness and energy. The past few days, I've kept busy, running around like crazy -- mostly to the hardware and other stores, gathering materials and fixing new things required by the move. The Good Will guy and various store clerks are beginning to feel like relatives. I've got about sixteen must do tasks on today's list. First on today's list is that I MUST be out at the curb to help when the trash and garbage men arrive at first light. I know if I'm out there helping them, they'll likely TAKE the overload I've stacked neatly there for disposal.


This will be the first Official Moving-in Report of several I intend to post. Moving my daughter and her two sons into this spacious house is the correct thing to do. Doing it right, making it their new home, will take will and high-creative energy. And patience, too. They need the space. I need the companionship.

Getting things moved-in and organized in satisfactory ways will take a few more weeks, I suppose. Yet: all the boxes'll eventually be disgorged and disappear. The boys'll soon fall into their familiar school-day routines. Things'll settle down.

WORST THING: anyone want two snarling cats? Never mind: they'll pass through this uppity-snarly, initial stage, split -- and maybe share -- the territory, and become friends. Just like the rest of us.

SECOND-BEST THING: All these new voices in my head? They're actually coming from new people getting settled-down into new living arrangements.

FIRST-BEST THING:
In time, we'll all become a
FAMILY!