Since the "grannies" left yesterday (was it just yesterday?), Frank and I painted the office (classic taupe!) and the linen closet and unpzcked the rest of the boxes in the office and the garage. There is still quite a bit of organizing to do, but we are on our way to being "done" with the boxes, at least. We also had a thunderstorm that went through Omaha yesterday at 5:00 pm that produced 80 mph winds -- the weather here is ridiculous! The kids and I were outside playing when the sirens went off -- didn't look too bad, but we decided to go in -- within minutes, it was near hurricaine conditions -- it's good to have a basement that's big enough to hang out in during sotrms - I have a feeling that Omaha has more than its share of severe weather!
We try to work in some things that are fun for the kids so that they continue to "love Omaha." So, in an effort to have fun and get something done, we went to get the kids' haircuts -- this is major entertainment for them -- we take them to those "haircuts for kids" places - fun chairs to sit in and balloons and lots of hoop-la. And let me tell you - Nathan was LONG overdue for a haircut - it's amazing the little things that get lost in a move. But, all's well - he looks like a little boy again instead of the son of Einstein or Cosmo Kramer. We also adventured out to a "new place" for us for dinner - Culver's (I know, first Red Robin and now culver's -- Omaha is bringing out the crazy in us!). It was fine, but I don't think we'll be rushing back anytime soon - of course, Ellie orders the ham and swiss sandwich on rye -- the least "kid thing" on the menu -- she didnt' eat much of it - oh well. I guess I'd be willing to try it again for dessert, but not for the butter-burger. :)
We spent a long time after dinner at Lake Zorinsky (I know - catchy name!). It's a pretty big lake with something like 7 miles of paved walking (biking, jogging, rollerblading, etc.) trails around it. We threw Ellie's bike and Nathan's push-car in the back of the car - and walked the trail until we got to a park. Ellie was especially excited to find a playground with woodchips instead of sand! We stayed at the park for well over an hour (that's long for us - Nathan doesn't usually have that kind of attention span for anything!) Even after we left the area we were at, we spent some time driving around the other parts of the lake - there is a lot to see, for sure. It was very windy here tonight, so I would be interested in spending more time there on a more "perfect" weather day...
More soon -
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Grannies in Omaha
Our first week in Omaha - Frank tells me that he has to go out of town (just to Des Moines) for the night on Wednesday night -- do you get the irony? We have finally moved our whole family to Omaha to all be in one place and he "leaves us" during the first week!
But, we were not all alone! My mom and Frank's mom flew out on Wednesday morning. The kids and I picked them up at the airport (something else I probably would never have done in chicago...) But, just like everything's bigger in texas -- everything's smaller in omaha! We went back to our house, did the "grand tour" - had some lunch and then the kids went down for naps. Later in the afternoon, we went downtown (yeah, I know -- I drove to the airport and downtown on the same day!) to see the Old Market -- just a quaint section of downtown with brick streets and lots of restaurants and shoppes (not shops... shoppes). It rained a lot while the "grannies" were here, so we did a lot of indoor stuff. We went to see the furniture mart. That is good for as many hours as you're willing to spend there -- what a huge place! Everytime I go, I see parts of it that we haven't seen before... it's amazing. We also drove past the club, the preschool -- all of Omaha's higlights for us. We did manage to squeeze in a trip to the neighborhood park, which is fine despite the sand instead of woodchips and the fact there is "7th grade" graffiti all over the place. The kids like it well enough, so it's fun. On the way to the airport on Friday morning, we stopped by the Ryerson plant to see Frank in action -- the kids love it there, because they "get to" wear little hardhats to go into the warehouse part and I think the moms were impressed, too.
It was a VERY fun couple of days for us -- I hope the "grannies" had fun, too - even though the house is still not quite the way we would like it to be (OK, not even close!). They did unpack all of the boxes in the dining room - that was a job well done! Now we just have the office and the garage -- maybe we'll get to those this weekend. They were also good sports about sleeping arrangements -- the first night, Ellie and my mom slept in the same bed (Ellie didnt' want to sleep on the floor, and my mom said she "didnt' have to give up her own bed...") and Frank's mom slept in Nathan's "big boy bed" while nathan slept in his crib...in the same room! It was crazy, but everyone was very adaptable. I hope that they had enough fun to bring back positive reports to Illinois -- and encourage everyone else to come out and visit. My mom said that Omaha was "bigger than she thought it would be..." -- just like me on my first trip out here - "Oh, they DO have target here..." I know we've only been here for a week, but it was fun to show people around - it was sad to say goodbye all over again when they left.
We are anxious for our next visitors... the Hilts are coming for the fourth of July -- we are so excited -- I am already making a list of Omaha attractions to see and groceries to buy for when they are here!
But, we were not all alone! My mom and Frank's mom flew out on Wednesday morning. The kids and I picked them up at the airport (something else I probably would never have done in chicago...) But, just like everything's bigger in texas -- everything's smaller in omaha! We went back to our house, did the "grand tour" - had some lunch and then the kids went down for naps. Later in the afternoon, we went downtown (yeah, I know -- I drove to the airport and downtown on the same day!) to see the Old Market -- just a quaint section of downtown with brick streets and lots of restaurants and shoppes (not shops... shoppes). It rained a lot while the "grannies" were here, so we did a lot of indoor stuff. We went to see the furniture mart. That is good for as many hours as you're willing to spend there -- what a huge place! Everytime I go, I see parts of it that we haven't seen before... it's amazing. We also drove past the club, the preschool -- all of Omaha's higlights for us. We did manage to squeeze in a trip to the neighborhood park, which is fine despite the sand instead of woodchips and the fact there is "7th grade" graffiti all over the place. The kids like it well enough, so it's fun. On the way to the airport on Friday morning, we stopped by the Ryerson plant to see Frank in action -- the kids love it there, because they "get to" wear little hardhats to go into the warehouse part and I think the moms were impressed, too.
It was a VERY fun couple of days for us -- I hope the "grannies" had fun, too - even though the house is still not quite the way we would like it to be (OK, not even close!). They did unpack all of the boxes in the dining room - that was a job well done! Now we just have the office and the garage -- maybe we'll get to those this weekend. They were also good sports about sleeping arrangements -- the first night, Ellie and my mom slept in the same bed (Ellie didnt' want to sleep on the floor, and my mom said she "didnt' have to give up her own bed...") and Frank's mom slept in Nathan's "big boy bed" while nathan slept in his crib...in the same room! It was crazy, but everyone was very adaptable. I hope that they had enough fun to bring back positive reports to Illinois -- and encourage everyone else to come out and visit. My mom said that Omaha was "bigger than she thought it would be..." -- just like me on my first trip out here - "Oh, they DO have target here..." I know we've only been here for a week, but it was fun to show people around - it was sad to say goodbye all over again when they left.
We are anxious for our next visitors... the Hilts are coming for the fourth of July -- we are so excited -- I am already making a list of Omaha attractions to see and groceries to buy for when they are here!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
And then New World Van Lines was gone...
We were anxious for our furniture to arrive -- 5 days without all of your "stuff" is longer than it sounds... The "big truck" pulled up on Sunday and the same two mover guys popped out and started unloading. Two guys! Back and forth all day long -- they didn't strike me as the strongest guys ever, but impressive nonetheless - something about watching two guys carry in a piano is something else! About half way through the day, they told us that they didnt' think that they would finish on SUnday and that they would have to come back on Monday - bummer! We officially have too much stuff (mostly toys, we think) :) We unpacked what we could while they were there on Sunday, between entertaining the kids and staying out of the way. We pretty much kept up with them box for box until around noon (the morning was like half boxes and half furniture...) and then the afternoon kicked our butts -- the boxes were coming in faster and faster - too much too keep up. We did our best and did more that night after the kids were in bed -- when they came back on Monday (even though I knew it was the end) - I was dreading the onslaught of even more boxes!
We have done a decent job of putting stuff away, I think. There are certain rooms that haven't been touched yet -- the office (who really cares about flie cabinet stuff, right?) and the dining room (if we haven't used the china in 9 years, we probably don't need it unpacked today...) Otherwise, the house is starting to come together - now the work really starts -- everything is out of the boxes and in the right general area, but know we have to really organize and CLEAN everything (frank wants to hold a hand-washing seminar for the people that used to live here -- it's kind of gross - sticky cabinets - ick!)
Today, the kids and I ventured to the other"big" grocery store near our house -- this one actually counts as a "real" grocery store. The only downside is that they have those dumb carts shaped like cars (or a firetruck, as we chose today) -- I can't stand those things - they're harder to push and there is not as much space in the cart itself -- ahh, the things we do to have a little quiet time to shop in peace! And today, I needed to be able to concentrate -- I think we were actually in the store for an hour -- you take for granted that you know where everything is in your grocery store. Ugh, we made it, though. :)
Frank called at 5:42 pm to tell me that he was on his way home from work...for dinner...with us...! Throwback to the good ol' days. the only difference is that he was home by 5:53! That's Omaha "traffic" for you -- score one for Omaha.
Today we conquered the grocery store -- everyday will bring new "adventures" - stay tuned!
We have done a decent job of putting stuff away, I think. There are certain rooms that haven't been touched yet -- the office (who really cares about flie cabinet stuff, right?) and the dining room (if we haven't used the china in 9 years, we probably don't need it unpacked today...) Otherwise, the house is starting to come together - now the work really starts -- everything is out of the boxes and in the right general area, but know we have to really organize and CLEAN everything (frank wants to hold a hand-washing seminar for the people that used to live here -- it's kind of gross - sticky cabinets - ick!)
Today, the kids and I ventured to the other"big" grocery store near our house -- this one actually counts as a "real" grocery store. The only downside is that they have those dumb carts shaped like cars (or a firetruck, as we chose today) -- I can't stand those things - they're harder to push and there is not as much space in the cart itself -- ahh, the things we do to have a little quiet time to shop in peace! And today, I needed to be able to concentrate -- I think we were actually in the store for an hour -- you take for granted that you know where everything is in your grocery store. Ugh, we made it, though. :)
Frank called at 5:42 pm to tell me that he was on his way home from work...for dinner...with us...! Throwback to the good ol' days. the only difference is that he was home by 5:53! That's Omaha "traffic" for you -- score one for Omaha.
Today we conquered the grocery store -- everyday will bring new "adventures" - stay tuned!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Journey West
Well, we did it. We really did it. We packed up our whole family and moved to Omaha. Sometimes I still can't believe it. After this past year of talking endlessly about moving to Omaha, it's finally here. Sort of like a wedding, I guess -- you spend so much time talking about it and planning it, that you can't believe it when the "big day" actually arrives. Well, here's how our "big day" went down.
On Thursday, the buyers of our Elk Grove house had their walkthrough (and of course, they had complaints...anyone surprised?) They thought that the storage area in the basement - yeah, the one back by the crawlspace and by the furnace and all that stuff -- was dusty and they were not pleased that there were nail holes in the walls. Are you serious? This guy is from another planet! They have never owned a house before and he just kept saying, "well, a leasing company would fill the holes and repaint..." And then captain obvious would say -- "there is no leasing company, you idiot -- YOU bought this house!" And, at the last minute they decide that they don't want the extra refrigerator in the garage (who wouldn't want another refrigerator??) and they asked us to have it removed - um, let me think about that. NO. And as a final request, at the closing, they asked our realtor if we would send a copy of all of the remodel / addition information that we had. uh, sure, we'll see if we get around to that one, too...
Friday morning, we took our time getting going. We didn't leave Schaumburg until 8:30 or 9:00. We kew it would be a long day of driving and we though it would be smart to start with everyone in a decent mood, at least. The trip was 8 hours (with two stops). It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - the kids did surprisingly well - we had bought a "surprise" new video for the trip and lots of other little things to keep them busy on the ride. My mom had sent a bag of goodies for each of the kids, too - it was great! If anyone started to whine, we would just throw back a new book or a coloring book or something. It worked well.
Since our stuff won't arrive until Sunday, we planned to stay in a hotel on Friday night. On the drive here, Ellie must have asked a million times (or maybe more) about the pool at the hotel. When would we go swimming - before or after dinner - for a long time or a little time. Would she be able to stand in the pool or would it be too deep -- one track mind ellie! When we finally pulled up to our hotel, we learned that the pool was closed for some kind of maintenance. Ellie was absolutely crushed - one of those times when you really feel what your kids are feeling. She was totally deflated. So, we quickly diverted her attention by telling her that we had a surprise waiting for her at our new house. She perked up and exclaimed, "I hope it's a puppy!" Uh, disappointment number two in 5 minutes. not a puppy. We had bought the kids little scooters (as a "moving" present and also, we knew they would have anything else to do here for a couple of days...). So, we drove to our new house and they were very excited to see the scooters and also to run around the empty house. After all, we had all been in the car ALL day, so it was a welcome release for every one!
Today (Saturday), we spent most of the day running errands and (shocker) riding scooters. We ordered the sofa for the basement, went and picked up Frank's car, which was still at the airport. I even ventured out on my own to go to Costco and the grocery store. The Costco is new here -- I had to explain to a few people how it works, "...you go on one side and your cart goes on the other side." But, I will say one good thing about Omaha so far -- running errands at 2:00 on a saturday afternoon - not so crowded. Something, I would have tried to avoid at all costs in Schaumburg! We ordered a pizza in and did a "slumber party" thing with the kids -- popcorn and a movie. It was fun.
It's a weird town and a weird house that still "smells" like another family, and I need to ask for directions to go to Costco, but somehow it still feels like "home" since we're all together in one place. Hopefully, it will feel even more like home tomorrow when our furniture arrives!
More soon. yee-haw.
On Thursday, the buyers of our Elk Grove house had their walkthrough (and of course, they had complaints...anyone surprised?) They thought that the storage area in the basement - yeah, the one back by the crawlspace and by the furnace and all that stuff -- was dusty and they were not pleased that there were nail holes in the walls. Are you serious? This guy is from another planet! They have never owned a house before and he just kept saying, "well, a leasing company would fill the holes and repaint..." And then captain obvious would say -- "there is no leasing company, you idiot -- YOU bought this house!" And, at the last minute they decide that they don't want the extra refrigerator in the garage (who wouldn't want another refrigerator??) and they asked us to have it removed - um, let me think about that. NO. And as a final request, at the closing, they asked our realtor if we would send a copy of all of the remodel / addition information that we had. uh, sure, we'll see if we get around to that one, too...
Friday morning, we took our time getting going. We didn't leave Schaumburg until 8:30 or 9:00. We kew it would be a long day of driving and we though it would be smart to start with everyone in a decent mood, at least. The trip was 8 hours (with two stops). It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - the kids did surprisingly well - we had bought a "surprise" new video for the trip and lots of other little things to keep them busy on the ride. My mom had sent a bag of goodies for each of the kids, too - it was great! If anyone started to whine, we would just throw back a new book or a coloring book or something. It worked well.
Since our stuff won't arrive until Sunday, we planned to stay in a hotel on Friday night. On the drive here, Ellie must have asked a million times (or maybe more) about the pool at the hotel. When would we go swimming - before or after dinner - for a long time or a little time. Would she be able to stand in the pool or would it be too deep -- one track mind ellie! When we finally pulled up to our hotel, we learned that the pool was closed for some kind of maintenance. Ellie was absolutely crushed - one of those times when you really feel what your kids are feeling. She was totally deflated. So, we quickly diverted her attention by telling her that we had a surprise waiting for her at our new house. She perked up and exclaimed, "I hope it's a puppy!" Uh, disappointment number two in 5 minutes. not a puppy. We had bought the kids little scooters (as a "moving" present and also, we knew they would have anything else to do here for a couple of days...). So, we drove to our new house and they were very excited to see the scooters and also to run around the empty house. After all, we had all been in the car ALL day, so it was a welcome release for every one!
Today (Saturday), we spent most of the day running errands and (shocker) riding scooters. We ordered the sofa for the basement, went and picked up Frank's car, which was still at the airport. I even ventured out on my own to go to Costco and the grocery store. The Costco is new here -- I had to explain to a few people how it works, "...you go on one side and your cart goes on the other side." But, I will say one good thing about Omaha so far -- running errands at 2:00 on a saturday afternoon - not so crowded. Something, I would have tried to avoid at all costs in Schaumburg! We ordered a pizza in and did a "slumber party" thing with the kids -- popcorn and a movie. It was fun.
It's a weird town and a weird house that still "smells" like another family, and I need to ask for directions to go to Costco, but somehow it still feels like "home" since we're all together in one place. Hopefully, it will feel even more like home tomorrow when our furniture arrives!
More soon. yee-haw.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
New World Van Lines have arrived!
I write this post from the comfort (?) of my deck, mostly because I don't know where else to be... the kids are off at Nana's house for a sleepover and the house is basically all packed up and being loaded onto the truck. There is nowhere for me to sit inside, no TV's to turn on and no snacks in the pantry (it really is true what they say, "if you don't have it in the house, you can't eat it...") They are on to something with that -- for the last two days, I have eaten meals only and you know what? I am still alive! :)
I am really glad that we have movers and packers to do all of this - there are three of them and it is going really fast! The whole house only took them 2 days (not even) to pack up - it literally would have taken me months to do what they have done so far. I guess it helps that they have all of the right supplies - they don't have to scrounge around for boxes and stuff, but still - looking at all of the boxes (ellie calls the living room "boxland" and the family room "box-e-donia"), I wonder how long it will take to get them all unpacked - ok, knowing us, not that long, but there are a TON of them. They also said that our house was going fast because it is so "organized" -- HA! I would hate to see a disorganized house, that's for sure...
The kids are reacting really well to all of this chaos - I thought they would be freaked out that their rooms were being disassembled and all of their toys boxed up, but so far, they seem completely entertained. Nathan is obsessed with the "big truck" that pulls up every morning and ellie likes to monitor progress (especially in her room). The movers also have a small dog that hangs out in the truck all day (weird) and that also provides endless entertainment for the kids. (And it also adds to the begging for a pet that has recently started)
Meanwhile, Frank spent his first night in the oma-house last night. No furniture, but he claims that it was still better than apartment living. He had an air mattress, so that's good. He spent his evening finishing the shelf paper in the kitchen and bathrooms (yes!), filling holes in the wall and starting to tape to get ready to paint. He's a productivity maniac! Knowing him, it will all be done before we get there -- which I guess is not long from now... I guess it's time (time to hook up the TiVo and get some more snacks!)
I don't know if I'll be back on again before we arrive in the wild west. The next few days are fairly loaded!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Closed on the Oma-house...
I flew out to Omaha last week on thursday for the big closing of the oma-house. Here's the play by play. I anded (only slightly delayed) around 2:45 pm. Frank met me at the airport and we headed straight to the Nebraska Furniture Mart and dropped some serious coin. First, we bought a washer/dryer (the previous owners of our house took theirs with them...). Don't ask me now what we bought - I honestly don't remember (it was like 4 days ago!) :) After we left the "appliances" warehouse, we headed over to the "home furnishings" warehouse and we picked up a twin bed for Nathan - he is about due for one and we figured, if nothing else, it would serve as extra sleeping space for all of the visitors that we are expecting :) (did you all get that hint???) We started to look at sleeper sofas for the basement, but we decided that we didn't have the mental energy left for another "major" furniture purchase.
We went to our new house at 6:00 pm on Thursday night for the final walkthrough. It was all well, except for a couple of things -- there were major stains on the basement carpeting that were obviously and purposefully hidden under furniture when we went through previously - and we're not talking normal wear and tear type of stains -- we're talking like hi-lighter markers explosions, wine stains, and maybe even a murder or two - it was unbelievable - and sort of impressive that they could cover it all up with their furniture... Anyhoo, we (our realtor) complained and we got the sellers to cough up some cash for carpet (not the whole amount, but anything is better than nothing, we figured...)
After the walkthrough, we went to dinner at "the club" - la-dee-da! It is nice - I am anxious to take the kids to the pool there. Dinner was good -- extremely quiet - there were only like 3 tables "full" that night. After dinner, we went to Target to pick up the "move-in" necessities - TP, water, pop, shelf paper, etc.
Friday morning, we finished packing Frank up at his apartment -- he could not WAIT to get out of the Biltmore! Can't blame him, I guess. We stopped for a quick bite at Panera and then it was off to the closing - fastest closing we have ever been a part of! 30 minutes at the most. In Nebraska, they don't really use real estate lawyers - I am convinced that they are the ones that really slow down the whole process! I could not believe how smoothly it all went.
After the closing, we went to Home Depot (paint, mostly! Lilac for Ellie, "Madras Blue" for Nathan, and "classic taupe" for who knows what, but we are truly "taupe" people!) Then, we went to "carpetland" to order up some new carpet for the basement. We figured it might be smart to try to get in installed before we have furniture arrive. When all was said and done, we finally got to our house around 11:00 am. Frank enjoyed to spaciousness of the 3 car garage by pulling in the car sideways (it was hilarious, but I don't know if we need to be "those" people in the neighborhood!). The washer and dryer were delivered around 11:15. Then, Frank went back to the apartment to turn in his keys and get the rest of his stuff. I stayed at the house and cleaned out the fridge (like for 3 hours! Why is it that other people's dirt is so much more disgusting than your own?) When Frank got back with lunch (around 2:00) -- Arby's, of course -- we started with the shelf paper in the kitchen. I think it will be nice to be able to just put stuff awa when it arrives. Even with the two of us working on it, it's such a slow job! We worked on that until it was time to leave for the airport, around 4:30... whew!
We crammed a lot into those two days -- it was a weird time. I was split between being really excited and really depressed. I have a feeling that is was the next few months will be like.
This week, me and the kids are here with the movers, and Frank is in Omaha, trying to do a few more things before we all get there... more soon!
We went to our new house at 6:00 pm on Thursday night for the final walkthrough. It was all well, except for a couple of things -- there were major stains on the basement carpeting that were obviously and purposefully hidden under furniture when we went through previously - and we're not talking normal wear and tear type of stains -- we're talking like hi-lighter markers explosions, wine stains, and maybe even a murder or two - it was unbelievable - and sort of impressive that they could cover it all up with their furniture... Anyhoo, we (our realtor) complained and we got the sellers to cough up some cash for carpet (not the whole amount, but anything is better than nothing, we figured...)
After the walkthrough, we went to dinner at "the club" - la-dee-da! It is nice - I am anxious to take the kids to the pool there. Dinner was good -- extremely quiet - there were only like 3 tables "full" that night. After dinner, we went to Target to pick up the "move-in" necessities - TP, water, pop, shelf paper, etc.
Friday morning, we finished packing Frank up at his apartment -- he could not WAIT to get out of the Biltmore! Can't blame him, I guess. We stopped for a quick bite at Panera and then it was off to the closing - fastest closing we have ever been a part of! 30 minutes at the most. In Nebraska, they don't really use real estate lawyers - I am convinced that they are the ones that really slow down the whole process! I could not believe how smoothly it all went.
After the closing, we went to Home Depot (paint, mostly! Lilac for Ellie, "Madras Blue" for Nathan, and "classic taupe" for who knows what, but we are truly "taupe" people!) Then, we went to "carpetland" to order up some new carpet for the basement. We figured it might be smart to try to get in installed before we have furniture arrive. When all was said and done, we finally got to our house around 11:00 am. Frank enjoyed to spaciousness of the 3 car garage by pulling in the car sideways (it was hilarious, but I don't know if we need to be "those" people in the neighborhood!). The washer and dryer were delivered around 11:15. Then, Frank went back to the apartment to turn in his keys and get the rest of his stuff. I stayed at the house and cleaned out the fridge (like for 3 hours! Why is it that other people's dirt is so much more disgusting than your own?) When Frank got back with lunch (around 2:00) -- Arby's, of course -- we started with the shelf paper in the kitchen. I think it will be nice to be able to just put stuff awa when it arrives. Even with the two of us working on it, it's such a slow job! We worked on that until it was time to leave for the airport, around 4:30... whew!
We crammed a lot into those two days -- it was a weird time. I was split between being really excited and really depressed. I have a feeling that is was the next few months will be like.
This week, me and the kids are here with the movers, and Frank is in Omaha, trying to do a few more things before we all get there... more soon!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
One more thing on last week's tornadoes
Frank was reading the Omaha newspaper this morning and found this article. If you look at the map that shows the paths of the tornadoes, it's a surprise that our house wasn't hit -- if you can find the intersection of 180th and F Street, our house is just a little bit east and a little bit south of that -- yep, right in the shaded area - the path of the tornado! Yikes! (Good thing that there's a basement!)
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10355041
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10355041
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