The Move is Complete … Still Settling in & New Routines

I love a nice fresh start in life, maybe a little more than most people. When the kids and I had plans to move to a new home, I knew I would be setting forth new routines. The boys would be way better about brushing their teeth and life would be slightly different. I would get back to being that Mama who shuts down electronics and we get our butts outside being active. There would be dinners at the dining room table and life would get back to the way it was, before things got lost.

Two days is what it took to get things moved from one home to the other. My Dad helped me out one day, thankfully! We got a lot down on that day with two vehicles. The second day was all me, so I loaded things up and was on a mission to ensure I got everything. I ended up having to go back a third day to grab two items, but other than that I was mostly out of the old home in two days!

The first two nights my kids were not here, although that first night my daughter and her Dad did stop by to get my lawn mower here and to help me hook up Comcast as well as to bring down a bureau into my bedroom from the upstairs room. Once the children arrived, I had our dining room table setup, the living room TV with cable setup and that was about it. No computer. No Wii. Simply boxes everywhere and some cable entertainment, basically the kids had to help me get boxes inside to their appropriate locations and we worked to unpack. On the second night of kids being here, I hooked up the computer for them and on the third night I hooked up the Wii. You see, I wanted to ensure they helped and did some work before having any temptations to be on electronics.

My methods worked well. All three kids, well the older two mostly, have been very helpful and even today helped with yard work! My middle child wants to learn how to use the push mower and plans to mow some of the big yard tomorrow with me. As far as routines?

The new routine is that all meals are eaten together at the table in the dining room; breakfast is served at the table, the kids eat it and then go upstairs to get dressed and brush teeth. At night, we eat dinner together and after dinner it is time to go brush teeth. This happens by habit now that I established this routine from day one and I am loving it! I can’t say that there was no grief about the new routine, my youngest really tried being stubborn about sitting at the table, but it passed and all is moving smoothly now.

We still have boxes to unpack, items we need and some organizing to do for sure but we are all happy and even took a 2.2 mile walk downtown for dinner last night! Cheers to new beginnings!