The Story of the Big Move

Well, here we are on the other side of the Big Move. We now live in Mission, BC, in a house more than three times the size of our old apartment. Our possessions are strewn about and spilling out of half opened boxes pillaged to search for the coffee, the frying pan, the bath toys. The changing pad, my yoga mat, our bed bar, and various other things are AWOL. But we're here, and we're functioning, and every day gets a little better.

The move day went as well as it could. The day before, we worked for about 5 hours doing all the last minute things. Then, instead of knocking around in an empty apartment we decided to go downtown and meet some friends so we could check out the Olympic vibe before it was over. We took the SkyTrain (actually the tunnel train where we were), which was very exciting for the Boodge. As we emerged from the door at Granville St. I took in the giant murals plastered on buildings, throngs of people in the streets, and art and buskers every 50 yards. "Is this really our city?" I asked Sean. Then I smelled ganja smoke, unabashed in the crowds which were teeming with police officers. "Oh, yep, it is."

All in all, the trip downtown was a bit of a rookie mistake when it comes to moving with a toddler. It was all so exciting for him, and we got home a bit late, so he didn't get to sleep until after 10. We all woke at 6:30 and got busy--getting breakfast, packing up bedding and window coverings and toiletries. When the truck came, Boodge and I made our exit, going downstairs to play with the neighbour's toddler. It was great to be able to do that, so I could be there if Sean had questions, but keep Boodge out of the madness.

At naptime we headed to the new house. Boodge slept restlessly and woke as soon as we pulled into the driveway, but still maintained a positive attitude. I know he remembered the place, because as soon as we walked in he said "Where kitty-cat go?" A legitimate question too, because the smell of kitty-cat's urine was the first thing I noticed. We didn't notice any smell on the inspection day, so either kitty-cat got crazy during the move and sprayed all over, or it was there before and just got activated by their final vacuuming. At any rate, it is clear that heroic effort will be needed to locate and eliminate all the evidence of kitty-cat around here.

For a few hours, we knocked around the empty house and yard waiting for the trucks. The house was previously inhabited by 3 men and 2 kids, who were also grieving the recent loss of the woman of the house (grandma, wife, mom). So, considering all that, I'm not going to begrudge them not cleaning the ovens or fridges or floors or cupboards or toilets. I would've wanted to clean up myself anyway--so now it will be all the more satisfying. But, along with kitty-cat odour, I will admit it was a bit of a downer to see all that extra work ahead.

When the truck arrived, I took the Boodge away again to do some shopping for groceries and supplies, and get some sandwiches. He was still maintaining an awesome spirit--no meltdowns, not even whining, just going with the flow and even dancing to the muzac from his perch in the shopping cart. The girl at the local sandwich shop was nice and told me what a great place to live Mission is. She mentioned that you have to get used to the trains...they go by every half hour sometimes. "I'm so used to them, I wake up if I don't hear one," she said.

When we got back to the house, it was around 5:00. Walking into our new bedroom with Boodge, I pointed out that our bed was already there. Immediately, my little trooper totally melted down. "Boo, bed! Boo, bed!" he cried. (For the uninitiated, that means "Boob, on the bed, NOW!") I quickly hung up all the clothes the nice mover had taken out of the wardrobe boxes and laid on the mattress, located the bedding and made the bed.

When I lay Boodge down to change his diaper I found a big old poo which had irritated his skin quite a bit. Bad mommy moment--I had no idea it was in there for probably quite a while. He was howling by now, from the discomfort of being wiped clean and the exhaustion and confusion of the day. So we lay down to boo bed. And he fell asleep as I listened to the sounds of Sean paying the movers and giving them cases of beer.

And it was over. Right away I cleaned the fridge so I could put away our fridge food, and then we settled into our new living room to watch the closing ceremonies of the Olympics (luckily, the cable hadn't been disconnected). It was a lovely night, with the moon full outside our window and the clouds drifting eerily over it. The sound of choo choo trains in the distance. Not so much in the distance, actually, but just down the hill.

When we headed to bed we realized that the sandwich girl was right, it would take some getting used to. We woke up every time a train came by, tooting 4 toots because of a crossing just below us. Worse, Boodge woke up, sat up, and shouted "Choo Choo train!!" every time. Sean went into a bit of a panic that we would never again get a good nights sleep and nobody would ever visit us more than once, but I'm pretty sure we'll all get used to it before long.

So here we are. It's been 3 days now, and I'm enjoying the little things, like having control over my thermostat, playing in the backyard in our jammies, using my garage door opener. My friend Cristina and her daughter Cora came to visit yesterday and warmed up the place considerably. It was nice to feel like we're not too far from our old life and the people we love. Tonight my Mama comes to help me get set up. We have a lot of work ahead of us, not just unpacking but renovating, caring for a huge house and big lot, removing the above ground pool (FREE! to the first taker!!), putting in a garden. But it's gonna be a blessing, I know it.