HADA 2013: Days 3 and 4

Day 3 was a bit of a bust. I recently got a new washer and dryer, and everything was finally hooked up and ready to go by Wednesday morning, so the first task on my agenda was laundry. I did two loads, and I am very happy so far with my new washer and dryer. I folded and put away all but a few items (which I took care of on Thursday). But laundry doesn't really count for HADA, because that is (or at least should be) part of my regular routine. I headed up to the bathroom to unpack the bathroom boxes, but Dorothy came up to help me, which thwarted that plan, since every time I turned around to put something on a shelf, I would turn back and see her holding chemicals or medicine or scissors or something else she really shouldn't have. Unfortunately, that was it for my productivity for the day. We had lunch, walked to the library for story time, played at the park for a little while until we got too cold, and then the girls had nap/quiet time while I tried (and failed) to muster enough energy to do something else. I did manage to scrape together dinner, although we ate a bit late, and I didn't get the dishes done. Then I was feeling really worn out, so I took a bath and went to bed before 9. I could probably count the bath and early bedtime towards HADA, since those are things I rarely make time for, but I think I'll call it my day off for the week, instead.

Day 4 was a bit better. I got some more of the bathroom boxes unpacked before Dorothy came to help again, and I had to quit. I have a lot less bathroom storage space now than I did before (maybe not entirely true, but instead of having lots of drawers and cabinets, I now have big, open shelves), so I rounded up some boxes/bins to keep things organized, which helped a lot. I may still get a small cart of some sort, though, because I think it will work better long-term than the boxes. I did most of yesterday's dishes, and cleaned up the kitchen for our dinner guests (who were bringing dinner with them - bonus!) Then I took a nap with Dorothy, because apparently, going to bed early last night wasn't enough. Gee, you'd think my body was working overtime building a human being from scratch or something. After my nap, I tackled the living room, which was still piled high with boxes. I didn't unpack so much as relocate and rearrange, but I really wanted to claim my living room and make it feel like Home. I moved several boxes to the hallway to go upstairs, and stacked a few in a more out-of-the-way corner. In a way, it felt a bit fruitless to just be moving things around, but the living room looks SO MUCH better, now, I know it was worth it. It even feels bigger. And I was able to vacuum, which always makes things feel nicer. I moved coats to a coat rack on the basement stairwell (which is probably a temporary solution, until I get a coat rack for the porch, instead), and set up the shoe rack by the back door. I hung a couple things on the walls (a clock and a photo collage), which felt good. I have several more things to hang, but I haven't 100% decided where things are going, yet, so I'm taking my time with that. I seem to have a whole lot more wall space to fill, now. I guess that comes with moving to a bigger house.

The biggest thing I accomplished today was moving my office chair up to the third floor. Even if I didn't get in an hour between all of the other tasks, I think carrying that awkward, heavy thing up two flights of stairs should count for an hour on its own. I'm glad it's done, though. Hopefully, I won't pay too dearly for it in soreness tomorrow morning.

I'm not completely caught up on dishes, but I did clear the table after dinner, and I've been picking away at them throughout the day. I knew I would miss my dishwasher when we moved, and it's definitely an adjustment. The last time I didn't have a dishwasher, I also didn't have kids, and I have three times as many dishes to wash, now. I know it's all a matter of finding my rhythm, and not letting myself get too far behind. I'll get there with time, and if I can figure out my rhythm during HADA, I think it will be easier to stick with it afterwards.