REPLACEMENTS HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!!!

After waiting almost two months, we finally have a couch (or lounge sofa if you're Aussie)! Kev won't have to sit on the floor anymore to watch TV. Let me remind you of the story if you have forgotten the situation upon moving our furniture to Sydney the company somehow lost our couch and love seat - not really sure how you loose something as big as that, but they are somewhere in the world or maybe at the bottom of the sea. I guess it is possible that someone saw them and thought I really want two sage green couches with stains and rips in them, and no pillow cushions to lean back on while relaxing (we do have those). So after they spent two months searching every warehouse they could think of, the claim was finally closed and we were sent a check. However, I somehow forgot to claim the love seat on the insurance forms when we moved so we really only got money for a couch. Originally we couldn't find the music stand for the piano, but I found that stuffed in the wrapping paper box (why it was there is beyond me). They messed up on the claim and gave us money to replace that as well ($400) even though Kev told them that we found it. However, they didn't give us enough on other things so they called it a wash and we got to keep the money for the piano stand so they could close the claim. I am just hoping that when we move back everything will make it with us this time. It has been a bit of a pain to claim things that were broken and missing.

We headed out after talking to everyone on Thanksgiving (I guess we did go shopping on Black Friday after all) and this is what we found! I thought it might be nice to have a chaise lounge on the couch and we found exactly that. The best part, it was a floor model and therefore we bought it for a good deal! We were also thrilled when we realized that it is microfiber. Microfiber is the best - it is what our couch is made of which currently resides in John and Susan's basement. It wipes of easily and is virtually stain proof! With three littlies that is a big plus. They delivered it on Thursday! We all sat down yesterday to watch a little TV and everyone had a place on the furniture! We also got a Poang chair and ottoman from IKEA. Kev has always wanted one and we thought it would have to do to replace the love seat.We got the kids desks at IKEA as well. Madi's was broken in route to Australia and could not be fixed. She loves to go in her room and draw pictures, write stories, and make crafty things, so not having a desk has been hard on her. She has been bringing out all of her stuff and putting it on the counter where it stays for a few days (this was driving her mother crazy). So we decided to have a look at IKEA and see what we could find. When we got to the office section there was a simple desk for $30 - we snatched it up.

Cooper then decided that he needed one as well. Madi's is really just a small table and we added plastic drawers to the sides, but Cooper wanted something with sides down so that he could hide under it. We found a really cheap one and took it home as well. Now both kids can have a space to be creative and my counters are free of papers, crayons, scissors, tape, and glue!