Category Archives: PCS
Here we go! Let’s unload!
The weather was much nicer today—overcast and about 80°. The truck arrived about 8:45.
Kids keeping out of the way!
Stack o’ mattresses!
Because why not have Comcast here to dig the cable line at the same time!
It was definitely interesting. And frustrating. The boxes just. kept. coming. And we didn’t have room for them. Well overall we did but the kitchen is literally one-third the size of our last one so none of my stuff fits. So the kitchen boxes were overflowing everywhere. So the boxes that went in the other rooms got more cramped. And then we realized that the living room set we got from a neighbor was too oversized and was not going to work (and the basement stairway is too small and curved to get any of the pieces down). It was actually getting comical because the guys were like “This says boy’s room but it’s full. This says kitchen but…”
At one point I jokingly screamed “PLEASE STOP BRINGING BOXES INTO MY HOUSE!” And the guy said “Funny you say that—this is the very last box!”
Done! Goodbye! At only 2:35! I always forget that unloading takes less time.
Now the unpacking hell begins. Normally I don’t mind being creative and finding new homes for things… But this one is going to be tough.
This is a brilliant moving hack…
Even more so if you actually remember to keep all the sticker sheets so you can label all the rooms at the new house. 😣 Oh well, at least all the boxes have dots and they should be able to easily find the kitchen, dining room, MBR, Pink bedroom, living room, and garage. 😂
[Note: The movers loved the stickers. One guy just couldn’t get over the idea. He took the sheet with him to show people. 😂]
Welcome home Katie and Owen!
I left them this message when they were out with Tom returning the U-Haul. It was also my sneaky way of letting the neighbors know we were new to the neighborhood and that we have kids!
Chicago-bound: Pit stop #2
This leg Bella stopped crying but Charlie started. Ay yay yay. At least it was lunch time so we got more time to stretch out. I forgot a picnic blanket so we just grabbed Owen’s comforter which was on top of a pile. 🙂
The kids were thrilled because they fit their McDonald’s happy meals.
Maggie is how we all feel right now…
…and where we wish we could be. We still have at least another hour of work. [Note: we ended up working until about 11:30. There’s airways so much more to be done then you think.]
Leave it to a kid to make me laugh.
So Caitlin had taken the kids for the afternoon so they would be out of our hair and able to play with their friends. After the truck left she dropped them off and we said our goodbyes and we were hugging and crying. After she left Owen asked why I was crying and I said it was sad to have to leave friends. And Katie pipes right up “Like Miss Julie who she drinks with all the time.” 😂 Leave it to a kid to make me laugh.
Game on.
Our promised “crew of seven” were supposed to be here at 7:30 to try and start catching up. Notice I said SUPPOSED TO BE. The truck rolled in around 8:30. Here it is, taking up two neighbor’s driveways (which we had to run and tell them to get out of their driveways ASAP if they wanted out at all, otherwise they’d be stuck all day). Our house is at the very far right at the end of the truck. They only sent ONE packer. Hoo boy. But, on the positive side, there were six loaders.
Our staging area for stuff we’re taking that they don’t pack. It’s all suitcases, bedding, and toiletries.
We walked out to see the couch wrapped and up on boxes. It seems strange until you realize that makes it so much easier to wrap.
One bad thing is that the doors obviously need to stay open and it was godawful hot and humid so the inside temps were about 82°—even with the A/C running full bore—but a quick trip outside then back in told you it was still cooler inside.
Storm clouds were quickly moving in so they were hustling to finish. The temps had also dropped about 15° and a breeze had kicked up.
And to those who doubted me when I said we filled a semi…Here’s proof! (And keep in mind Tom already took up a 16′ truck—though, granted, not as well-packed as this one.) Unfortunately our work isn’t done as we need to organize and pack the small U-Haul with all the stuff they can’t take!
And to give credit where credit is due, the sole packer did get everything done and even left before the movers were done. (But that said, lots of little things got overlooked and I spent a lot of time finding stuff to toss in boxes so she could tape them up and inventory them.)
Right as they were packing up to go, the ice cream truck came by so a few of them ran down to get some ice cream!
So they did get it all done, but it would have gone A LOT smoother with a few more packers. I felt like it was way more stressful then it should have been.
Playing in the U-Haul
We always get a U-Haul to take up last-minute stuff, things the movers can’t pack, and stuff we need until we get our household goods delivered. And apparently it’s very enticing to little girls… 🙂
An open suitcase is an invitation.
Moving is never fun, but this one has the potential to be awful.
The moving company only sent two people to pack us so there’s no way in hell they can finish in the allotted two days (it took one guy an entire day just to pack the kitchen—and he missed a bunch!). Tom called them and they said they’d try to send more people for day two. Nope, they didn’t. When they left at 4:30, they hadn’t even touched the basement. So now the plan is to have two people come back Friday and pack WHILE THE TRUCK IS BEING LOADED. And yes, you read that right: Friday. So we get to live out of boxes and suitcases until then. It’s a total cluster.
Listen, I know it’s their business and you would expect they have lots of experience with estimating, but it’s OUR house and OUR stuff and we’ve seen it packed and moved 4-5 times now so you’d think you’d put a little more stock in what we tell you—and we told them more than once we need a crew of at least four.
This has FAIL written all over it and you can bet it will be reflected on our post-move survey. They could still turn it around but I don’t have high hopes.
A few pics of the current status of our house:
I found this when packing Katie’s room.
Because I have nothing else to do at 9:45 the night before the packers arrive.
I don’t like Katie’s birthday during move week. 😐
