Snow Days and Moving Days

Last week, we started back to our "normal" routine.  Brighton had speech up in Portland, Awanas started back up, and we went back to homeschooling.

All in all, in went fairly well.  I made sure to get school done around noon and luckily, the weather earlier in the week was dry (but oh so cold!!) so the children and I clean the yard and started to clean out the garage in the afternoons.  We had trailer loads ready for Phil to haul to storage when he got home from work.  My parents barn is now nearly full and we have a place for yard stuff and our camping trailer under the trees.   A couple of the days, we did two hauls and got back after bed time.   

On Saturday, we had a snowy day (3rd snowstorm with accumulations in a month, very unusual).  We loaded up another yard load and made a Home Depot run so we could start fixing interior stuff.  My oh my, there is a lot that needs to be done when you sell a house.  Because we need a quick sale, we are fixing things up the best we can so it is move in ready and putting it on the market at our lowest price (ie, for sale at full price offer).  

The house is pretty much a construction and moving mess.  I think it will be that way for a little while and then all of the sudden pull together to look "new" just in time for the for sale sign to go in the yard.  We were aiming for this Friday but I am not sure we can be ready by then.  

So, I think I have found the most challenging part of moving for me.  I can deal with the mess, the extra work, the moving, the routine being changed, the late dinners, having no real home, all my stuff packed away, etc..  I can do chaos for awhile.  BUT, what is hard is the lack of personal space/time and no creative time.  I haven't had any time to do something artistic for several weeks and I am not getting evening down time.  I am noticing this is where I start to get short tempered.  It is the same thing when we travel.  I love traveling and adventures but I can handle about a week (maybe) of zero personal space and then I start to feel really nutty.  I think part of being an introverted creative person is the "need" for that solitude, thinking time, quiet, creating space.  When I don't have that with some sort of regularity, I feel downright anxious, stressed, and short tempered...especially in the evening when I have spent all my emotional energy for the day.  I feel terrible that this is something that affects me so much.  Not sure how to remedy this issue during the next several months.  I will try my best to hang in there and hopefully there will be some chunks of quiet time at least.

It was in the 20's, the children and I bundled up in coats and gloves (or socks over the hands), and hauled things from around the yard.  There were quite a few things frozen to the ground which we will have to get later.

Evi loves the snow...  

..and making snow creatures

Phil is "amused" that I am taking all my precious rocks.  I collect rocks where ever I go and I don't want to leave my collections behind.

We found this little gem of a desk and got it for the new playroom.  I just need to paint it up...someday.

Starting to snow.

Snowing at Home Depot while we pick up trim pieces.

So beautiful (on the way home).

Just under 2 inches of snow by the time we got home.

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