On 3/13/17, we became residents of Alameda. We picked up the keys and Peanut had his first day of daycare.

On 3/14/17, the moving company came and took all our belongings to the new house. We had dinner at Angel Fish Sushi and then stopped at our new Safeway for some milk and other essential items.

My mom came to help watch the kids while we did lots of trips back and forth across the bay to pick up the remaining items. We’ve also had to make a few trips to Target and Home Depot. Best of all, she helped out with getting Peanut ready for school and doing the drop-off/pick-up during the first couple weeks.

KK has adjusted to her new suburban life and loves it. She comes home afterschool and looks forward to playing outside.

Her commute to the city everyday with Dada started out a little rough but they’ve figured out the TransBay Bus and Ferry schedules over the past couple weeks. When they’re stuck in traffic on the bus, KK plays some reading games on her iPad. Thankfully the bus has WiFi.

Most days, they take the Ferry across the bay since it’s more comfortable and a short 25-minute trip versus 45. They also allow you to eat and drink on the ferry and has a bathroom.

It’s funny that KK is literally the only kid on the boat everyday.

One of the benefits of this new house is having a greenbelt away from the street and a playground structure right out front. This is the welcome mat that we got from the bank when we closed escrow. Haha.

While KK is outside playing, we’ve trained Peanut to sit in the doorway while Mama is doing housework.

KK also made a friend. His name is Gavin and lives next door. He’s turning 5 in May and they may end up in the same Kindergarten class together in the fall!  Here they are playing with the water hose and catching earthworms in the puddles that formed after the rain.

These two play together everyday. Gavin often rings out doorbell asking if KK can come out and play. It’s pretty hard getting them to come back in for dinner lately. His mom is really nice and has given some insight on the families that live around us. We also help each other watch the kids while they’re outside.

So far, we’ve enjoyed the Mexican restaurant that is walking distance from the house. They made a pretty good house margarita and their free chips/salsa are tasty.  So far, the carnitas and enchiladas are pretty good!

My commute takes longer than it used to but it’s nice to know that I am on the same side of the bay as at least one of my kids now. I leave the house between 7:00-7:15 with Peanut, drop him off, and get to work by 8:00. Jes leaves around 8:00 to catch the 8:30 ferry and KK gets dropped off around 9:15 everyday. I get to Peanut’s school after work around 5:15 to pick him up while KK and Jes get on the 5:35pm ferry and get home by 6:15pm.

Peanut probably had the toughest transition to the new house and schedule.  He still cries at drop off but it only takes 2-3 minutes for him to settle down. His teachers tell us that he enjoys school and only need Boo-Boo for nap time. His naps have also lengthened to about 2 hours everyday.  Unfortunately, he’s totally pooped by the end of the day and barely lasts through an early dinner. Bedtime has been closer to 6:30 or 7:00 now. On our first night in the house, he woke up and cried at least 3 times. Now he sleeps through through the night and can go almost 12 hours!

The past month has been rough and filled with lots of changes but in the end it’s worth it. These two kids have more space to play, their own rooms, and a whole new world to explore. Best of all, they have 13 years of good free public education ahead of them.