While I wish I could say today was our moving day, (hopefully we’ll have one in the near future), Ryan and Cole got a taste of what moving is like. Our wonderful child care provider was moving into a new house today, and needed some extra help.
Ryan had a preschool make-up day today and he spent Friday night at Grandma’s house. So we picked him up from Grandma’s and took him to school, where we were informed that a cow just had a calf that morning! Mama Cow and Baby Calf weren’t ready to make an appearance today, so hopefully we’ll be able to see them on Tuesday. We also got to see several baby goats and Ryan also said that a sheep had a baby lamb. It must be spring time or something!
Joe, Cole, and I went to get some coffee (Cole had water) and then we took Cole to the park to play for a while. It was a gorgeous day. Then we headed over to J.’s house. I am so glad we decided to help out, because all of her “man” help had canceled. There was only her daughter’s boyfriend (teen aged boy), and one other man there. J. didn’t have too many things but with not a lot of help, it took Joe and this other guy about 3 hours to move the heavy stuff. I was trying to help with smaller items, but had to keep an eye on Cole too.
I managed to load a few things in the van, and move some toys into the van too. Cole had fun “sweeping” J’s garage and walking up and down the moving truck’s ramp- hence why I had to keep an eye on him. I was trying to let him walk up the ramp in between Joe and other guy loading loading heavy, big, items. At one point, Cole was getting really fussy so I was holding him in one arm, and carrying what I could manage in the other arm. (more on this in a sec.)
When it was time for me to go get Ryan, the truck was loaded, so Joe said he’d go over to the new house and help unload, and then I’d come by and pick him up. Well, Cole was tired, hot, and hungry. After I picked up Ryan, we made a pit-stop at Grandma’s for lunch. She made the boys a nice lunch, and definitely helped thwart off two melt-downs. Even though Ryan eats lunch at school, he was outside playing all day, and he was hungry! Thanks Grandma!
We finally made it to J.’s new house, where Ryan flipped out when he saw a real live moving truck, with a ramp no less! They were about half way done, and Ryan turned into the moving director. He would stand at the side of the ramp, and tell me to stay back- it was too dangerous for me and Coley, but since he was a big boy, and Dad was a big boy, they could be near the truck. After Joe and the other guy were off the ramp, he would run up the ramp, into the back of the truck, and pick out what Daddy and “the other man,” were going to move next. Of course Cole had to be right there too, next to Ryan. I managed to help unload a few things, and set some toys up, but spent most of the time watching to make sure Cole didn’t fall out of the truck!
We finally finished at 2, and J. was very appreciative. They boys were exhausted, but we managed to keep them from falling asleep on the way home, so they could take their naps at home. I’m very happy we were able to help J. She does a phenomenal job of taking care of Ryan and Cole. You can’t really pay someone like this, who not only watches your children, but loves them too, enough, so we were happy to be able to do something else for her.
Now for the reality check: as we were driving home, Joe said that he heard J.’s teen aged daughter and her friend talking at one point. He said he didn’t hear the entire conversation, but he heard one of them say, “He is the husband of the mother with the two little boys, (obviously referring to Joe and I), and then she added, “they are old.” OUCH!
I guess to high school kids, we are old. But Joe made the point that even if he was old, him and this other man (who is also “old”) out worked all three teenagers combined. I also realized I was carrying a 30 pound toddler in one arm and carrying crates of movies, toys, and chairs in the other arm at one point, so enen though I may be “old,” I’d like to see those teenage girls do that! So take that, young whippersnappers! 🙂