Prepping for the Move (how it's going)

Yesterday our closest friends brought us our first batch of boxes. There were about 10-12 total. I know, not a lot for a household of 6, especially a homeschooling household of 6! She said she would be back today to help me with any packing because she knows we are on a tight schedule and need all the help we can get! When she arrived today, a bit before noon, I had already called a nearby Office Depot and they had some boxes waiting for me, so she kindly picked them up on her way and brought them. There weren't a lot, maybe five or six. I decided that I would call a few more places to see if I could get my hands on some more boxes before they bailed them. I was very lucky to catch two places just in time! Thank you Babies R Us and Best Buy!! We ended up with a good 40 boxes or so, and many were quite roomy!
Well, long story short, we worked until about 8 this evening, and I am proud to announce that I currently have 31 packed boxes parked against the wall in my schoolroom! We were really moving! Keep in mind all this with 4 children underfoot (one a toddler), messy bedrooms, and lots of laundry in between. I think we did pretty good!
We don't have a whole lot more that we can do until closer to moving day. We packed most of the schoolroom, everything in the living room except furniture and electronics, both bathrooms, both children's rooms, a few boxes in my room, and one hall closet.
I am not nearly as worried, after today, as I was about being able to get it all packed and moved in time. Of course, the kitchen is always the worst, and most time consuming, and it will likely be done dead last.
We sign our lease to our new place and get our keys Monday, and have to have our keys handed in here by Thursday evening. Please keep praying for things to continue to go smoothly! I will continue to keep you updated!

Blessings,

:) Cassie

Wow - lots of changes heading our way!

SO it has been a really stressful week for us. We have been behind in our rent for sometime now. We had an appointment Thursday to get help. When we took the paperwork into the leasing office, they refused to sign it because they have to agree not to file eviction for 30 days. The lady said she had to speak with the manager because they were planning on filing on the first of November.
It's really ok though, cause we have slowly realized (after taking a hard look at our budget) that the reason we are always behind is because we can not afford to live here. The gas bills are outrageous and if we paid all of our bills on time, we would only have a couple hundred dollars left over for groceries and gas. I had not realized things were so tight even on paper.
So I have been apartment hunting like crazy all weekend. We are trying to get in somewhere quickly so we can leave voluntarily and avoid the eviction process so we don't have the scar on our rental history. We found a place that will actually save us a good chunk of money. There are some downsides to our choice:

• no washer/dryer hookups
• it's third floor with only a small balcony
• we will prob not be able to use our chest freezer - no room
• it's 3 bd with less than 1000 sqft
• its a different school system - which is tough for Jazz
• not a lot of storage so we will be renting a storage unit

But we all have to make sacrifices at this point to live within our means until hubby graduates school in a year. I DO really like how the floor plan flows so that's a plus, and they actually have two really nice playgrounds for the kids. The complex looks very well maintained on the outside, which I can't say for our current living situation. Oh yeah, and did I mention - we are going to save over $300 a month!
Please keep us in your prayers as we undergo this transition! We need so many things to fall into place just right. Finances, time, and our rental record are all huge factors here!
Thanks in advance for your prayers! I will keep you updated.

Blessings,

:) Cassie

Productive day?

Today was a good day, even though we didn't get any school done. Eeeeek!! I know, but I got a lot of other things done - or at least I am so tired that FEEL like I accomplished something worthwhile.

I started my day with an errand-running spree. I went to Walgreen's, the library, and grocery shopping in two hours! That alone tells me why I am so worn out. Grocery shopping alone usually takes that long! But then again, it's usually a family activity. Today I got to go all by myself!

When I got home, I cleaned up the kitchen and put the groceries away. Then I decided that even though my living room is straightened up and vacuumed nightly, it still didn't look clean. So I dusted every single surface, moved furniture and vacuumed, and cleaned out all my little junk gathering spaces.
By the time this was finished, it was time for scouts. Luckily, I didn't have to take the boys, because my mother-in-law offered to take them. I did a load of laundry and played with Joey for a bit until it was time to go pick them up. When we got home, I made the boys supper and fixed a little something for myself. Then I played with Joey some more and tinkered on the net for a few til his bedtime.

Now I am sitting here waiting for the hubster to arrive home from work, struggling to keep my eyes open, making typos left and right as I type - sheesh!

Is it bedtime yet?

Looks like as fun place to work...

A fellow blogger had this video posted on her site and I just couldn't resist sharing it with you! I'm not a big fan of the backstreet boys, but thought this was fun to watch anyway!

Blessings,

:) Cassie

Why is laundry such a pain?

I am not sure why, but I can never seem to get my laundry hung or folded and put away until it has sat in a towering pile in the middle of a high traffic area for several days, been rummaged through at least 10 times to find a specific item, and been drug about the house by the dog and the toddler.

This is a major area of weakness for me. I am praying about it. Maybe the Lord will give one of my children a sudden urge to fold clothes?

Yeah, you're probably right. I should just force myself to do it.

Blessings,

:) Cassie

Who says kids can't enjoy Mozart?

Because I definitely have proof to the contrary! We read about Mozart today in Drew's reading, so we decided to listen to a few selections while he completed a worksheet. This is what happened next...

Blessings!

:) Cassie