Just a month ago, the end of the school year seemed a point on the distant horizon. Now suddenly we have only a week left in which to accomplish what looks to be an impossibly long list of tasks.

There are, of course, the expected and customary school obligations: final exams to score, grades (with written comments for each student) to submit, library books to gather in and inventory, etc. etc. etc.  But on top of that, Andreas and I got word last week – after a very long wait – that our request to move to a house had been approved by the school.

Hurray! We are all excited. This is exactly what we wanted. The house is about a mile from ICS, which is walkable, so all three of us won’t always have to be on the same transportation schedule. Alekka will be able to hang out with friends (the social life of ICS high schoolers tends to focus on the campus), and life will be more fluid.  Plus we’ll have a yard where we can plant a proper garden.

Here’s the catch… we are leaving for summer break the day after we are finished work. The house won’t be ready until later in the summer, but we have to be out of the Varnero apartment by June 30 so that maintenance can make it ready for a new hire to move in. This means that by next Saturday, we have to be all packed, and our housekeeper and our new guards (which we have yet to hire) will need to oversee the movers (whom we also have yet to hire) while we are away.   Our housekeeper will have to find a way to move Rosie and Gil and get them settled in. We also have to get the guardhouse ready for the two guards, who will live there on 24 hour shift rotations – they need a stove, mattress, blankets, soap, and towels.  And we need to buy things they need to do their job, like flashlights and yard tools and a garden hose and car care stuff.  There’s an awful lot to think of that we haven’t had to think about before.

The housekeeper will make the new house ready for us, and the new guards will guard it (and our stuff) until we arrive home from vacation the day before we start work.  It feels like we’re taking a lot on faith, but this is how it’s done.

Our new place. The people in the photo are the current caretaker and her daughter.