Michael's First Week

We had a wrench thrown in our plan for this weekend.  Brian got sick on Friday so the kids and I were not able to go to Jackson for the weekend.  Michael ended up coming down for a visit.  We made a good dent on throwing stuff out in the pantry and he filled the back of the minivan before he left.  He took Freddie, our dog, with him.  Hopefully, he'll be too busy being frustrated with the dog to miss us too much!

Michael had a great first week.  He has met a lot of really nice people.  We were even invited to go on a hike with a big group of people which was followed up with a get-together at someone's house.  Unfortunately, we were not able to go.  Hopefully they will do it again on a weekend when we're there.  That would be a fun way to meet people.

Michael got a driving tour of the park.  He learned about one of the best places to see river otters.  I've never seen one in the wild so I'm excited to go camera hunting for them!  He also was shown a huge beaver dam.  Such cool things to show the kids!

I'm trying to get some of the furniture sold so I can clean the carpet without having to move a bunch of stuff.  I should have 2 chairs gone tomorrow.  For some reason, no one wants a free recliner circa 1986!  It was my grandpa's.  I've had it since shortly after he passed away.  I used it to rock my babies so it's really hard to part with it.  But, there's no place to put it. 

It's really cold today so I'm cleaning the oven.  I figured it was a good day to do that.  Now if I can just keep it clean...

I'm going to start painting in the afternoons this next week.  I'm also going to have the tile guy come over and get started on the bathrooms.  He is going to put tile over the plywood in the downstairs bathroom and then tile the floor in the master bathroom.  It currently has carpet.  Yuck!   

Michael is going to do some electrical work over the holidays when the kids and I will be visiting family in Colorado.  We figured that would work best since he won't have "help"!  We would like to have the house on the market at the beginning of January.

The real estate agent suggested that we list the house for around $199,000.  Since we paid about $170,00 we are pretty happy.  Plus, all of the other houses in this price range only have 2 bathrooms.  We have 3 so I'm hoping that it will sell pretty fast.  it's getting harder and harder to go to work every day!  Plus, the kids keep asking when we are going to move. 

Hopefully I will have pictures to post next week.  The kids and I will be heading up to Moose after school on Friday unless someone is sick or the roads are closed.  Keep your fingers crossed!

One Week to Go...

I can't believe we only have one week left before Michael moves.  It felt like it was going to take forever for December to get here and now it's almost upon us.  I feel like we are so far behind.  Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Michael's dad, Bob.  Michael got to spend a few days with him before he passed.  This was certainly a blessing.  We just wish that Bob could have gone fishing with the kids this next summer among other things.  I'm sure he'll be watching over us and whispering in our ears giving us advice as we start the next chapter in our lives.

Michael will be re-bidding on housing tomorrow.  There are now 2 three bedroom houses that are available along with a few of the 2 bedroom apartments.  We know nothing about the houses so we don't know how big they are.  We also don't know if they will be move-in ready by next weekend.  What do we pack?  Do we need to get Michael a hotel room?  Should the kids and I just stay home and not go with him?  Hopefully, we will know the results of the bids quickly and get some answers.

After being gone from work for a week, I really don't want to go back.  I have too much to do.  At least I got a lot done around the house this weekend.  I'm going to call the real estate agent tomorrow.  We need to get that ball rolling or I'll be here for a whole lot longer than necessary.

We are also considering the purchase of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  It has very low miles and is fully loaded.  The down side: it does not have the car seat hooks that make the seats safer and more secure.  The cargo area is smaller than the van too.  However, it has less than 70K miles on it and has 4 wheel drive.  Plus, it's pretty and it's not the van.  We'll sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow.  I really want to get it on one hand but on the other, I don't want to be spending the money.  I doubt we'd ever find something this nice for the money again so that kind of makes me want to go for it. 

I set some criteria for getting rid of toys.  If the dog left even 1 tooth mark on them, I'm throwing them out.  This has proven to be a rather effective method of toy reduction.  The toys that they have outgrown are going in another pile for me to sell.  I figure with it being Christmas shopping season, I should be able to get rid of most of it as long as I'm not greedy.

We also decided not to get a sofa bed.  We have a semi-portable queen bed that Michael will be using.  The stand that it's on is not in the best of shape but we may be able to replace that with an air mattress stand.  If that doesn't work, we'll just get an air bed and call it good.  I didn't see any sofa beds that I was in love with.  If you spend a extra $400, you can have pretty much any couch made into a sleeper.  That just seems a bit extreme.  I'd rather just get a couch that I like and not have to spend so much money.

Hopefully, we'll get our answers at the beginning of the week instead of at the end or it's going to be REALLY stressful around here!

More Free Stuff!

When I came home from work today, there was a very large envelope addressed to Michael sitting on the front porch.  I called him (he's still up in Casper because of his dad's poor health) and asked him if he wanted me to open it.

There were 10, yes, 10, books that were sent by the Grant Teton Association.  It's a non-profit organization that operates the bookstores in Grant Teton National Park.  The money they earn supports "historical, scientific, and educational programs in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem" according to the bookmark that came with the books.

Now I can learn all about wildflowers, aquatic insects, geology, hiking trails, and a whole lot more!  I think we will have to have an entire shelf dedicated to books about the park. 

On another note, I'm starting to feel the effects of being a short-timer in my job.  I hardly got anything done today.  It didn't help that my coworker was out.  I only spoke to 2 people the entire time I was at work. 

After having Michael gone for 2 nights now, I don't know if I really want to stay here until the house sells.  2 kids is just way too much work!  They won't stay in bed and I'm getting really tired of telling them to go back to their rooms.  It's a whole lot easier when we tag team!  It doesn't help matters to know that Michael is going through a very difficult time right now and I'm not there to help him through it.  We did Skype a couple of times today but it's just not the same.

I guess I'd better go put the kids back to bed for the 5th time.  *SIGH*!

A Few Answers...

I talked with one of Michael's future co-workers today.  She is very excited to have more help.  She answered a bunch of questions and didn't get annoyed or laugh at me.  I found out that yes, we can have a dog.  There is  a limit of 2 pets.  Most of the ground floor apartments have fenced yards that go with them as well as a storage shed.  She wasn't sure about the new units (which is all that is available to bid on).

 I'm hoping there is a yard so we can bring our swing set.  It's my mom's childhood swing set and it's made out of cast iron.  They don't make them like that anymore!  Both kids love to swing.  Plus, I just bought a handle that hangs down that the kids can swing by their hands and spin in circles.  I'll have to get a picture because that's not the best description!

If we do have a fenced yard, I'm not optimistic that it will have a 6 foot fence.  Freddie would easily be able to jump a 4 foot fence.  But if we are with her, I'm hoping she would stay put.  If nothing else, I wouldn't have to worry about the kids wandering off if they are in a fenced yard.  Granted I'll still have to keep an eye out for bears and wolves...

I also found out that it will be at least 4 weeks before Michael starts.  They have to do a background check before he can start.  At least they won't have to go all the way back to birth since he had one done when he was in the Navy.

They also pay to move us.  So that changes my plans.  I was going to rent a small trailer to bring up a few things that I know I want to keep and then see how much room is left.  If they are going to send people to my house to pack it and do all the heavy lifting, I'm going to let them!  At least I don't have to go hunt down a bunch of boxes.

The lady I spoke with also gave me the number of the daycare center that's in Moose.  She didn't know if they have preschool or not so I'll give them a call.  I'm also going to ask about job openings.  Since this is a 2 year job with a possibility of a 2 year extension and then MAYBE becoming permanent, I don't really want to get another job that I'd hate to quit.  I need to do something but I don't want to make a major commitment unless the job becomes permanent.

 

Stress, stress, and MORE stress!

So much is going on to keep me from focusing on cleaning up the house and getting rid of stuff.  I'll start with the housing situation.

We won our bid for the 2 bedroom apartment.  However, the person in charge of housing is afraid that we'll have problems with 2 kids of different genders sharing a bedroom.  So, he isn't letting us have the apartment.  There will be a 3 bedroom house available in Moose soon so he wants us to bid on that.

I understand his concern.  However, what if we don't win the bidding process on the house?  Then what do we do?  The rent in Jackson is really high and most places don't take pets.  It would break my heart to part with Freddie.  The kids would be pretty upset about it too.  If we don't get this house, then we may not have a choice.  Oh- and after looking at the ads in the paper, we'd only be able to afford a 2 bedroom!

We don't know when we can bid on it.  The Park Service will pay for 1 month in a motel.  I hope we don't have to do that.  Michael would be pretty miserable. 

Our kids are young enough (6 and 3) that sharing a bedroom wouldn't be a huge deal for the next year or two.  I just wish he had asked us what we wanted instead of making the decision for us.  I have no idea how big the houses are and what kind of storage they have.  I know that they do not have a garage but they do have a fenced yard and a small storage shed.  Give and take, I guess.

The other major stressor in our lives right now is the failing health of my father-in-law.  He's been in the hospital for about 3 weeks.  I haven't said anything because I didn't want any family members to find out about it on Facebook or my blog.  Bob was originally hospitalized with an infection in his stomach.  He ended up with a secondary infection.  The doctors got rid of both and we thought he was on the mend.  That only lasted for a couple of days.  His kidneys are no longer working and his lungs are filled with fluid.

Michael and his brother, Jim, are both up in Casper to spend some time with Bob and to give their mom, Pat, support and time away from the hospital if she needs it.  It looks like it's just a matter of time before we lose him.

I'm staying home with the kids since they can't go to the hospital.  We went to visit when the second infection kicked in and it was hard tag-teaming so I could go to the hospital too.  This way, Michael can spend as much time with his dad as he wants without having to worry about us.  It's hard, though.  I want to be there to offer my love and support.

I haven't even called the real estate agent yet.  My house is a mess.  I am sure she's seen messy houses before but I just can't bring myself to call her when it's THIS bad.  I'm hoping to get a bunch of cleaning done this weekend so I can call her next week.  I need to get a list together of what all needs to be done to get the house sold.  I'm kind of afraid to ask!  But, it needs to be done.

The Green Family can use all the prayers and positive thoughts we can get!

Decluttering!

I'm going through my office today.  I'm throwing some stuff out, putting aside stuff to take to donate, and have posted a few things on the Rock Springs Garage Sales site on Facebook. 

I keep looking at all of my text books from grad school.  When I talked about selling them as I completed my classes, I got horrified looks from my coworkers.  At the time, I was working at the University of Wyoming so I was surrounded by a lot of highly educated people.  They said that I would regret selling them if I ever decide to get a PhD.  So I kept them.

I really doubt I'll ever go for a PhD.  But what if I do?  I don't want to find myself in a bind because I got rid of all the books.  However, they take up a lot of room.  Plus, I have a bunch of books that I might someday use if I ever go back to teaching in an elementary school.  Needless to say, they are pretty much all in brand new condition since I've only taught older kids in group homes.  I just don't think I'm ready to say for sure what direction I'm going so I guess I'd better keep all the books.  I am getting rid of my novels as I read them.  I figure if I ever want to re-read something, I can check it out from the library or get it on my kindle.

It seems really strange to know that in 3 weeks, my husband won't be living with us.  We've done the living apart thing while selling a house before.  It was a lot easier then since we had a 10 year old who could do pretty much do everything for himself.  I'm not looking forward to doing it all on my own with a 6 and 3 year old. 

I'm working on convincing Michael that he needs to keep the dog with him.  It will be a lot easier to show the house if I don't have to take the dog with us.  Plus, I won't have to worry about picking up more doggie doo in the yard.  I also think he should take the goldfish.  That would be one less thing on the kitchen island and one less mouth to feed.  I need all the help I can get!

We have the travel authorizations and a quote for paying for our move.  However, we still don't know for certain if we got one of the apartments.  It would be really nice to know one way or the other.  If employee housing is full, they will pay for 1 month in a motel.  If we have to get an apartment in Jackson, we'll be living in a cracker box.  I hope we hear soon so I have one less thing to worry about.

Brian is very excited to go to Moose.  He's very social so I don't think he'll have problems making new friends.  He is most excited about getting to ride the bus to and from school every day.  I just hope he enjoys that as much as he thinks he will.  I hated riding the bus.  I always wanted to walk.

Since it snowed, I bundled the kids up so they could try out their new snow pants and boots.  I bought Tegan and I some neoprene snow boots.  They cost a lot but they are by far the warmest snow boots I have ever owned.  They almost come up to my knee so they will be good for deep snow as well as cold.

Start Date!

Finally- start date of December 2nd!  That gives us almost a month to get things organized, cleaned, and purged.

The National Park Service sent us a bunch of information about the park.  There are a couple of books that have amazing pictures.  One of them has a list of "Best Of" activities- best rainy day activities, best outdoor activities to do with kids, and so on.  Also included is a map of the park.

We also received paperwork on our move.  I had to guess the approximate weight of all of our stuff.  I guessed 11,000 lbs.  I wonder how far off I am...

Due to an illness in the family, we haven't gotten much done.  Michael and I did get our closets cleaned out.  I'd like to go through all the kids' toys and get all the parts together.  Then I want to get rid of the ones they have outgrown.

Now that Michael has a start date, I'll be calling a real estate agent.  I met a very nice woman from Green River Realty.  She has a handyman who can finish up the projects we can't get to, don't know how to do, or don't want to do.  I just hope it sells fast.  I'm not looking forward to being apart during the week.  And if the weather is bad, we won't get to see Michael on every weekend, either.  That part is going to suck, for lack of a better way to phrase it.