settling in

Here we are - in our new place! The move went so well with the help of some awesome friends and family (and a couple of paid dudes for the heaviest stuff up the stairs). 

The night before the move, I was imagining this huge truck that I was going to be driving and this tiny apartment I was moving into and wondering how I was going to do it and fit everything and should I have picked a different place and.... whew.

The next morning I got the truck and it felt like I was driving a minivan! And everything fit into the place perfectly! The moral of the story - don't get stuck in your head. Not a pretty place.

We got so much of our great furniture from people generously donating it for which I am so grateful. Some of the pieces are nicer than almost anything I've ever owned. I'm humbled by people's kindness and giving spirit. 

The first week has been pretty good overall. Jacob is thrilled to be in our own place and an apartment with a pool nonetheless! Benjamin had a harder time the first few days, not really understanding what had happened. He asked a few times to go back to Mimi and Pop's house. And it took a long while to settle down in a big boy bed. But he's getting better.

We have had a few good rainstorms, though, which is always fun. The boys have found a tunnel in the parking lot that the water rushes through nicely and which is fun to stick things in and catch them on the other side. You can't go wrong with water and tunnels.

Jacob picked out a shower curtain for their bathroom which I would never have chosen but that I like very much (surprisingly). He also picked out the curtain hooks which you can't see in this picture but they look like faceted jewels. He said they would catch the light and be like stars in the sky above the city. I couldn't argue with that one. Pretty cool.

Jacob has been enjoying his new school a lot. He's read 10 Magic Tree House books in the first 10 days of school! His teacher told me she has to tell him to put the book down to do other work. He told her, "I don't know why I read so much here. It's not the same at home. I've never read like this before." 

And Benjamin is swimming underwater on his own!! Not completely on his own because I still have to pull him up to breathe (details) but he really puts his head down, I completely let go and he's swimming away. The little go-getter. He liked going under, I told him to lay his body flat like he learned in his swim lessons and there he went. Then he was all, "Let go of me, Mommy. I do it by myself." I told him to just say, "I'm ready" and that I would let go of him so he wouldn't be trying to pull away from me constantly. He'd tell me he was swimming to the wall and would do it. Pretty crazy seeing your little one kicking away underwater like that. He doesn't quite get the coming up part yet but we're working on it. It won't be long!

The space is feeling a little like our own, though, after a week. It's new and a bit scary and different and definitely challenging with the kids sometimes and quiet without them at other times. It feels really good to have a space to invite people to and I had a few friends over for an impromptu Arbonne party tonight which was really fun. I'm definitely planning on creating this space to be a welcoming, inspiring home full of community and support. 

We're just taking it one step at a time, making a lot of lemonade along the way and keeping a little reminder of those beautiful Colorado mountains in plain view.....