At 11.45 last night we, and our tired, disoriented children, were still wandering through the labyrinth that is Ikea, flinging random goods into our trolley. However, as of this morning, we have rugs to cover the dodgiest bits of the fitted carpets, curtains, and sofas in the living room. Thank God for Sweden.

We got quite a lot done this week. Among other things, I shampooed the carpets on the ground floor; a rather horrifying experience. On the third go, the water in the carpet cleaner was still coming out literally black. I ask you this - what kind of an idiot carpets a kitchen floor? Industrial sort of carpeting, but still. Ick.

And we now have a telephone at home. More of an achievement than it sounds, as in order to do that we had to establish our actual house number. It turns out that it's not 51B (the estate agent's first option) nor 51B (the landlord's preferred option) but 51. The same number as the chemist next door. But, ours is not to reason why. And at least I have got to know our postman, since chatting with him about this issue.

Still updating from the library, as we don't have internet access at home yet. Maybe by this time next week, if we're lucky. Probably all the delays are for the best; though I miss reading everyone's blogs, it's just as well that I don't have too many sources of distraction at home at the moment.

Oh, and late yesterday afternoon, in amongst the moving madness, I dropped my signed contract off at my new place of work. It seems like it'll be a lot nicer than my current work; when the deputy principal noticed me waiting in reception to speak to the personnel officer he came over to chat and tell me a bit about who I'd be working with. He was really friendly and pleasant, in striking contrast to my current deputy head, who still doesn't seem to recognise me when he passes me in the corridor.

And then, just as I got home, I got a message to say I have an interview next Thursday for a job I'd applied for just before the one I took came along. I'm not going to go to the interview; having signed the contract it's too late to back out. And I think I'm going to really enjoy my new job. But I did have a couple of if-only pangs last night, because this other job had a rather good salary.

Anyway. Today we need to assemble the girls' bunk beds (they have been quite stoic about camping on the floor, but they are starting to get a bit plaintive about it now), go grocery shopping, and do mounds and mounds of laundry. Tomorrow - if all goes according to plan - we'll do something fun. We all need a break from the non-stop chores that have been our life this past week.