The basics are finally in place. The kids have beds and bed frames. We do too. Everyone has somewhere to put their clothes. There’s a dining room table now, along with some temporary folding chairs. Zoe has a desk in her room, and we’ve added some bedside tables.
The bathroom now houses a new washer and dryer, wedged snugly between the sink and the shower. They’re supposed to stack, but they don’t stack very well. Still, this setup works—for now.
Everything was bought on the cheap. Mostly Ikea, with a few knock-offs from Möbelfix, a furniture store with its own budget build-it-yourself section.
We’ve got Internet and a television. Max’s Xbox is up and running, as is the Amazon Echo.
Last night, Alison finally made her bean stew. I didn’t get the table built in time, so we grouped the folding chairs in a circle and balanced bowls on our laps. We paired the meal with Zipfer Lager—your everyday Austrian beer.
Of course, there have been plenty of hiccups. Zoe’s wardrobe has a flipped shelf that shows raw particle board instead of the finished side. Our bed ended up with some stripped screws—and one that somehow snapped in half. My lower back, after all the lifting and building, is officially in revolt.
Despite the chaos, we’re settling in. Time for a yogurt.