By Tuesday, I had unpacked the kitchen, washed all the dishes and pots and pans, and placed the remaining boxes in their respective rooms. On Wednesday, we began the arduous process of opening boxes to figure out exactly what was in them (since we did not pack) and to find a place for all our belongings.
When it was all said-and-done, I took two very full pickup truck loads to the recyling center. There was a stack of packing paper about 4 feet high. Wow! It seemed less surprising when you figure in some of the apparent wastefullness that was characteristic of our packed boxes.
For example ...
Once we got the house semi-straight, we headed out in search of a high chair. The one that seemed to work best with our setup was this one by Fisher Price that fits conveniently in an existing chair.
Eden sure enjoys her rice ceral from her new perch.
Our new den (living room for those of you not from the South) has hardwood floors and is a little bigger than the one we had in Lafayette. We decided to lay out several soft blankets and comforters for Eden to play on. (Ashley's already planning the "improvements" for the den, including a new rug, that will happen when our first paychecks arrive.) So, when you enter our house, the first thing you are likely to see is a large play area full of toys and other items for Eden's entertainment. Eden's new favorite game is to reach out and touch your face while you talk to her ... pretty cute.
On Sunday, August 17, my sister Sarah and her boyfriend, Robbie, came to help take care of Eden while Ashley and I attended orientation meetings at LSU. They played. They laughed. Well, they laughed until Sarah put Eden in an Alabama onesie ...
... word from Robbie is that Eden cried when she realized what her Aunt Sarah had done. The word from Sarah is that Robbie wasn't around the stop her fun because he mysteriously wasn't around when diapers were changed.
Sarah and Robbie left on Tuesday right after my Mom (aka Nonna) arrived to spend the night and take care of Eden while Ashley and I attended our last mandatory university meeting. I suppose that we were so busy that we forgot to take pictures of her visit ... sorry Nonna!
At the end of the week, Eden, Ashley, and I attended our department's welcome back meeting. Since nearly everyone we know in Baton Rouge was at the meeting, Eden made her first appearance at the very first departmental meeting. She did great -- watched everyone do introductions and then when she'd had enough, she ate a bit and went to sleep. Eden was the hit of the meeting; Ashley says Eden even got a compliment on her "stylish" outfit (a gift from her CC).
On the evening of Thursday, August 21, after a week of departmental and university orientation, we got to meet Eden's new teachers! She is scheduled to attend First Presbyterian Church in downtown Baton Rouge each Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. starting next week. Although the church calls the program "Mother's Day Out," we have renamed it "Parent's Day Out." Of course, saying Parent's Day Out is a bit too cumbersome so we've shortened it to "PDO," which we pronounce "Padu" in memory of our time at Purdue.
Each child at PDO has their own cubicle with their name on it. Eden is in the caterpillar class ...
Of course seeing all this nearly made Ashley cry (literally), but the welcome talk by the PDO Director and their focus on loving and nurturing the children in their care made her feel better. Let's hope Ashley will actually drop Eden off when the time comes.
By the end of or first work week, we were WORN OUT! Eden and I decided a nap was in order. Ashley decided taking pictures of our nap was in order.
On Saturday, August 23, Lisa Herbert and her family hosted the annual Comm Studies departmental lawn party. Eden was a hit!
Elizabeth and Jim Honeycutt were so great to us as we made the transition from Purdue to LSU. They sent a King Cake and several gifts for Eden. It was great that they finally got to meet!
And Eden met a new friend in Pam and Nathan Crick's daughther, Sophia.
After the party, it was time for another nap ... primarily because I exerted LOTS of energy dethroning the department's croquet champion, Nathan Crick. Tough work!
We are certainly glad to be in Baton Rouge. The first two weeks were busy but productive. We met lots of new people and made our way around Baton Rouge (which is MUCH bigger than Lafayette). We're looking forward to being here for a long, long time.
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