The big move

Well, we did it.

We moved four kids, two adults, and an unimaginable amount of crap to a new house. Then, two days later, Abby and I went to violin Institute.

Yes, we may be a little bit crazy. (A little bit?!?)

We packed multiple trucks.

We took a few over-exposed pictures of Ian running in and out of the moving truck.

We unloaded the multiple trucks.

And we ate a lot of fast food and drank much Gatorade.

I've decided there is very little in life that is more exhausting or all consuming than moving. And no matter how much you think you've accomplished, it's never quite done. Right now, the garage at our old house still has some random things that we need to move over here, including our BBQ grill, a large container of plastic utensils, (don't ask because I don't know...) and several cabinets full of various garage crap.

But here's the good news. We're here. We love it. The boxes are mostly unpacked. And those that aren't are stored in my husband's office where I don't have to look at them. That right there tells you something about our house- my husband has his own office and we no longer have to share. This makes me very happy.

Pretend this picture is better than it is and imagine that you can see my kitchen in all its spacious glory.

Our house is huge. I mean, the kids can unload the dishes while I'm cooking dinner without us running into each other. This is a whole new experience for all of us. There is a playroom in our house, folks. That right, a room devoted exclusively to toys. Which also means that we no longer have a basketball hoop as the centerpiece in our living room. It's pretty fabulous. Other wonderful things? A bedroom for the boys so they no longer have to share with us, a laundry room that's actually a room and not a closet, fantastic views, a two car garage, and a huge yard. There is so much space that we frequently lose Ian. this is not helped by the fact that he learned to open doors the day we moved. (Sigh.)

And after we moved, it was Institute week. (Note to self: if you can ever possibly avoid moving the week before you have to take two of your children for a week of extreme violining, please do. You'll thank me later.)

Abby loves violin institute.

Ian did not. Yes, I did take a picture of him tantruming on the floor of Juan Diego HS. Further proof that he's a fourth child. Had this tantrum occurred when Abby was a baby, I would have been horrified. With Ian, I bust out the camera...

Because Abby's teacher is the director of the institute, most of her teachers were handpicked. Koen Rens from Belgium was our favorite.

She fiddled.

She worked on perfect position with her masterclass teacher.

She played in orchestra.

And then we were tired. And so glad to come home to the "new house" as Max calls it. (He still asks to go home occasionally. Insisting that we are home doesn't help much.)

So far this week I've unpacked a few boxes, taught a few lessons, mowed the lawn, weeded precisely one flower bed, and enjoyed the breathing room. 

See my pretty new violin studio?

But I've decided. Institute? It's great. We'll go again next year. As for moving? I could be perfectly happy with never seeing another packing box, thank you very much.