We are ALL trying to get the house into move-in condition. The previous owner has been very helpful and even had the carpets cleaned for us, but there is still a lot of work to do as the previous tenants were smokers and we have been trying to remove the traces of smoking before we paint. The kids have been shocked and awed by the buckets of dirty water that we remove from the walls and the way the glass cleaner "turns the colour of cola" when we spray it on the interior windows. 
Note the cola coloured water running down the wall that Campbell is washing. I also wanted to point out the apples that Kira has are from our trees.
Other than a few naps on the staircase, we have been camping out in Campbell's room which is one of the least "smoky" rooms. Unfortunately, we were unhappy with our colour choices for the living room and family room, but when we swapped colours we found that the colours worked great. 
Matt has also been trying to ensure that our water is potable. He bought a UV filter to kill any bacteria that may be present. He came home from a long day of work, sweaty and tired and thought he would install it before showering. After he had already soldered the main part on, he discovered that 2 small parts were missing from the box. But it was too late to go to the store to get the parts. He was unable to turn the water and had to go to bed. When he went to the store to get the parts, they were very accomodating and took the parts out of another UV filter kit and gave him the lightbulb from that box as a compensation for going unwashed (a $70 replacement part).
So far life in "the County" has not disappointed the kids (or the dog). On several occasions we have seen a buck running through a neighbouring field, rabbits by the roadside, skunks on the back patio, herons in the pond, and barn swallows darting to and fro with Puck in pursuit. Matt has been taking the kids and the dog for big long hikes into the woods behind us. Puck spends his time dead tired from a run in the woods or looking longingly out the window and dreaming of his next run in the woods.The big moving day is 9 days away.
