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Showing posts from December, 2011

Bed Upgrade -- And Hopefully a Solution

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New Bed!  This bed frame is from my childhood set (aww the memories) and has been sitting in storage for several years. And though I had originally planned to leave them in the garage until the Spring when I could sand and repaint them, we decided, due to recent events (Alice is creeping into our bed at night) we should set it up sooner. (Thanks Nana for bringing them over.) Old Bed, New Job With some help from Eric, Liza and Dave we got it up and running. The platform under the mattress fits better than the original (the siblings know what I'm talking about). Hopefully my night-time wanderer will decide to sleep until morning on her "big-girl" bed. Fingers crossed, her Mom could use the sleep. Meanwhile, the old bed makes a fantastic spot for the menagerie of stuffed animals (see right). This is just the before picture. The girls spent much of the afternoon piling on the stuffed animals  -- and sorting out the ones Leah wanted in her room.

Paging the Tooth Fairy

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Leah lost her first tooth on Friday while hanging out at Daddy's office. It had been dangling for a few months now, so I'm glad it's gone. She had been using it as an excuse not to brush her teeth, eat certain foods or anything else that would be inconvenient.

Chalkboard Paint in the Back Hallway

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There is so much work that needs to be done to make this house feel like mine. I have a list in my head that is slowly being prioritized. (More on that later.) My first painting project is the chalkboard in the back hall (yes, I have a back hall). Despite being told that the key holder would look better in a contrasting color (coughEriccough), I went with a camouflage look and painted it with the chalkboard, too. I can't write on it for a few days but I think it came out quite well. Props to Eric and Dave for the help. PS. This wall will eventually go from awful beige to amazing olive green. It's going to be gorgeous!

Empty Dining Room

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This house is *much* larger than anything we've ever lived in. Example: We have almost nothing in our formal living room/dining room. Sparse Dining Room Donations are welcome!

Another Incentive ... Elise!

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Another reason to move out to Illinois came on Thanksgiving ... the newest Brand lives in Lincoln Park, just 45 minutes away! She's practically a fifth niece to us. (Girls rule in our family.) Sweet Baby Elise

Photos By Leah

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Leah got a hold of my cell phone and took some pictures on Sunday afternoon. It kept her busy for about 10 minutes. Nana raising a glass to the new house Alice, looking unsure

Empty Ferncliff Road

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Was going through my photos and spotted these from our last day in the Ferncliff Road house. Unbelievable how big the place looked without furniture. Master bedroom (with the two models) Leah's empty room The basement - ample storage, no? I've got a cleaning crew going in there tomorrow to scrub the place up -- in case we get any showings in January. Fingers crossed!

Leah Is Funny...

We went on an errand today and as we pulled the car into the garage Leah says to me: "We live in Chicago. We're Illinois people now." :)

Kitchen Duty

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When we woke up this morning, the snow was coming down and I was worried that the van wasn't going to show up. But they did! Just before 9 am that gigantic moving truck rolled up to our very empty house. (Meanwhile, kiddos were having a sleepover party at Nana's house.) It took them the entire day to empty the truck. It was so exciting. I was running on adrenaline most of the day -- and bouncing around to different rooms. But it was so nice to fall asleep in our own beds in our new house. Hooray! Before - box city! After - what a mess!

Squatters

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Our first breakfast at the new house. Not a formal affair. Empty Room ... not for long!

Looks Like We Made It

We're hereeee!!! The new house is more awesome than I remember. The carpets were cleaned this morning (by Stanley Steamer, no less) so they're wet. The girls are in awe. More later.... We have a whirlwind of activities in the next few days.

Mission Accomplished

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Car is getting a lift to Illinois. So are we... off to the airport.

Going Home

Tomorrow we're going home. This is how I'm now referring to the new house. This house is nearly empty and as much as I'll cherish the memories we made here, it's time to leave it behind. Remember all the holidays here? The Christmas we all packed into the living room and played the biggest version of the dice game? Leah and Alice took their first steps in the living room. But as of tomorrow, we'll start making memories in the new home.

Love to Garbage Men

Just a quick note dedicated to my trash guys. I love you, trash guys. You are the unsung Heroes of our society. Today, they not only took my huge pile of trash, they walked around a huge moving truck to do it. They even took a gross bag of latex paint goo. You have me eternal thanks for that. Even if you may be associated with the mob, you are alright in my book. Sincerely, Jessica and family

Day Two

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Looks like they'll need one more day... As suspected. Gifts for Gal Pals Trying to be patient More boxes outside

Photos From Day 1 of Packing

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Picked up the girls from school and they were so excited to see the truck out front. Leah thought the truck was as big as a dinosaur!! And wanted to know where is slept at night. (Click on them to see bigger images.) Posing With the Truck Alice's Room Master Bedroom Leah's Room In Leah's "Old" Room Thought Mom would enjoy this label

Movers ... are Moving!

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Two guys showed up today with a HUMONGOUS van. They parked it out front (which should make us a big hit with the neighbors). The Entire Truck Doesn't Fit in the Frame As of lunch they were done with the kids' bedrooms and half the basement -- and are currently working on the master. I'm having heart palpitations. There's a part of my brain that isn't processing this. It's saying I'll never see this stuff again. Which is ridiculous, because I'll be wading through it at the new house -- cursing it. But between now and then, I'm sure I'll think of a dozen things I need that are now boxed up. Meanwhile, they're motivated to get this job done quickly, so we may be unpacking by the weekend. So, yeah, this move is actually happening.

Progress...

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Dave moved the contents of his bachelor pad into the new house ... step 1 of the move-in process. Moving In

The End is In Sight

Way back in August when we agreed to make this leap, we didn't think we'd be sitting here in December biting our nails.  But here we are.  As of today, I'm happy to report we have a move date and moving trucks scheduled ... for next week. Like Monday.  Dave is getting keys for the new house today (or tomorrow) and will be moving in his bachelor pad stuff. It's all coming together. But there is now a lot more planning to do; scheduling the car move, cleaning the house, unloading, flights, logistics on where to stay with an empty house. Not to mention the Hanukkah party this weekend and Christmas a week after we settle into the house. I may need another glass of wine. 

Now GO!

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It's been wait, wait, wait, wait ... and suddenly the GREEN LIGHT. GO! Everything is starting to fall into place quickly. Very quickly. If Monday goes as planned, I'll have a date, booked the movers, the car move and looking at plane tickets for our "final move" to Illinois. And Dave will be bringing his boxes into our new house -- only three months after our house-hunt trip in mid-September. And the anxiety is mounting. Not only are we trying to get this all in before the holidays, we've got tickets to see Wilco and family flying in. The next few days will be terribly exciting. Stay tuned.

An Image from the Future

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A glimpse at my future. (And Dave's present.) Icy windshield on a cold morning. Brrrrr