In my dreams...

I am a vivid dreamer.  I have very intense, very real dreams pretty much every night.   Last night was no exception, and I decided I should write some of these down because they are so random.  I usually have several dreams in one night, and they tend to last a long time, although it's possible they are only a few minutes long (who knows).  So, here is a summary of what took place inside my head last night.  See if you can figure out what it all means, because I have no idea.

I started the night in a game of ice hockey with two of my male coworkers, who were not very coordinated.  I was actually pretty good, which kind of surprised me, so I went and stole the puck from one coworker (on my own team) because he was no good at hockey, and shot a goal.  Then, I felt bad about it and decided to go play defense and block shots on our net, because there was no goalie for some reason.  The other team was scoring like crazy against me, and I decided this game was no fun and it was time to move on to another dream.

The next dream started with me and a crew of other people landing in a space ship on a remote planet to see what was going on with a colony there.  The colony had been abandoned so we went searching for all the people.  This took about an hour because we had to search through the buildings and structures...It was a little creepy, but actually very cool.  We finally find the colonists, or at least some of them, and it turns out that they had split into warring factions and were eliminating each other.  We were then attacked by the other group, and were fighting and just trying to survive while trying to figure out what they were fighting about.  Suddenly, a "presence from above" - a woman - spoke to us, and granted 5 of us the power of immortality so that we could help these people and end the war.  I was one of the 5.  I remember walking out into the line of fire, bullets whizzing by, and one struck me, but healed right away.  There was a hush from both sides of the fight as they realized that we couldn't be harmed.  You see, they hadn't seen the event with the lady that turned us immortal.  Unfortunately, in the chaos, the five of us got split up before we had a chance to strategize, and so went off to try and make things right between the colonists.  I remember feeling like we weren't going to be able to succeed because we hadn't coordinated our effort, and so I went off to try and find the leader of the group on the front line that was firing at me to try and work things out.  And another dream ends....

One thing about my dreams is that they very rarely finish, which is kind of disappointing.

Enter the next dream....I'm at a camp (about high school age) for gifted kids.  When I say gifted, I mean gifted in the way that we have certain abilities, like telekinesis, or flying.  I'm a flyer.  It's just something I can do in my dreams, and I know I can do it, so I fly a lot in my dreams.  I'm not very good at landing, by the way, but that's another story.  There is a period of time in the dream where I'm going to class, and socializing, and dealing with the usual teenage drama.  Then we have free time, so I sit down to chat with some guy who can levitate objects.  We strike up a conversation, and he tells me that he can fly, too.  He's certain that because I can fly, I can make other objects fly like he can.  I tell him that I've never really tried, but it it worth a shot.  I ask him how he does it, and he brings out a soda can (diet coke).  He tells me (and this is very specific) that he imagines that he is placing a band over the top of the can and attaching it to the can with tiny metal hooks.  He then imagines another hook at the top of the band, and concentrates on lifting the can with that hook.  And then he levitates the can.  So, I give it a try, and it works!  I'm pretty excited about this because I have tried to move objects in my dreams before, but never could, and it turns out I actually can do it.  I'm excited because this guy has showed me how to do it, and this means that I'll be able to do it in all my dreams from now on.  Somehow, I am able to remember that I have these kind of skills from dream to dream.

And, then Kayla came in and woke me up.

Next Tuesday

80 charts, 45 minutes, over 200 people in the audience watching me.  Wish me luck!  I could tell you what it is about, but then I'd have to kill you.

I'm 35...really!

My blog has stated for the last year that I am 36 years old.  With my birthday only a few short days away, I've reallized that once again I have shortchanged myself a year.  I'm actually going to be turning 36! 

I've done this to myself 2 years in a row, and I'm not sure why I can't seem to remember how old I am.  I always thought my mom was crazy as a kid when she had to think about how old she was when someone asked. 

So, when you hear me tell you that once again this year I am 36, you'll know I'm not starting to shave years off because the 40's are right around the corncer, but rather, I have just totally lost my mind and cannot recall how old I am - or where I left the car keys. 

The thing in the suitcase

My mom told me a story recently about her friend that just went on a trip from Florida to Scottsdale, AZ a couple of months ago.  When she packed her suitcase, she put a layer of tissue paper over her clothes, and then put her nice outfit (for a formal event) on top.  As she opened her suitcase to unpack, she took out the formal outfit, and then noticed the tissue paper moving.  She immediately closed the suitcase, and screamed for her husband to come over.  When he arrived, he unzipped the suitcase and lifted the tissue paper.  They both screamed at what they saw - a rather hideous, unidentifiable creature.  He yelled to his wife the get the camera, and as he snapped a few photos and leaned in closer for a better look, the creature reared up on its hind legs  hissed at him, and ran off.  Here is what they saw...let us know if you can identify it, because it looks to us like they've just unleashed an alien species into the Scottsdale ecosystem.  And, no, they didn't call any authorities - sorry Arizona.

Excessive Foaming?

We inherited a hot tub with our new house.  Now, Andrew and I have no time to care for a spa, but we have good intentions.  We visited a pool store to inquire about how to actually care for this thing, and they recommended a spa purging treatment.  Now, the instructions say that you should run the jets unless you see excessive foaming.  Andrew and I went out after 15 minutes and this is what we saw...

I'm pretty sure we don't have the right stuff for long term hot tub care.  Anyone know the name of a good hauling company?

Sorting

OK, so some people think it's a little strange that I like to sort Skittles and MnM's by color.  And I concede that, yes, It might fall into the realm of "odd."  But, apparently its genetic.  I discovered Matthew eating his dessert of MnM's the other night, and just burst out laughing.  He didn't see what was so funny about it. 

We're still here

Yes, we're still here!  But it's football season, and that means BUSY!

A handsome man sat next to me on the couch last night.  I reached over and held my hand out, introducing myself, "Hi, I'm your wife."  OK, so that's maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, our lives get crazy during this time of year and we really only see each other in passing.  But don't worry, we've had 9 years of practice, and we'll come out just fine. 

It doesn't help that my work is ultra busy lately, too.  I've gone into work 12 straight days now.  Unfortunately my work requires me to actually be on site to do my job - no working from home.  Weekends are when I can actually get work done without so many distractions and meetings.  I even came down with a nasty cold last Friday, but had to come into work anyway to meet a deadline.  But don't worry, I've only got a month and a half left of such craziness.

So what's new?  Matthew has lost his two front teeth, and is loving first grade at his new school.  He's playing soccer, and was a superstar last weekend - scoring three goals in the fourth quarter to beat the other team 3-2.  Andrew and I argued and both tried to claim credit for his athletic prowess.  He's also taking (ice) hockey lessons, and loves it. 

Kayla is in pre-K, and has developed a love of homework.  I think it makes her feel like a big girl.  She's doing gymnastics, and has no fear, of course.  She's still feisty as ever, but a little more agreeable these days.  She still can't control her hands, touching everything in site.  Will she ever outgrow that?

Matthew and I are already conspiring together on our yard decorations for Halloween this year.  New house, new yard, endless possibilities.  He seems to have inherited my fondness for Halloween, and is always coming up with great ideas for decorating.  Kayla wants me to sew her a Minnie Mouse costume - trouble is, I don't know how to sew.  But it's flattering that she still thinks I can do everything!

Enough rambling for now.  I've got tons of pics to post...stay tuned..

My Near-Win at a Contest

I enter radio contests - I admit it.  I keep thinking I'll win something someday, and that someday almost came this past weekend.  Here's the story...

I entered a contest in August for this local radio station for a "$10,000 bathroom renovation featuring a deluxe walk-in shower and bathtub."  Sounds pretty good, right? 

So, I get a call last week from a guy saying that I've been selected as a finalist.  Cool, I thought!  But, they probably have called about 100 people with this same news.  When I asked them how many finalists there would be, the guy wouldn't give me an answer.  The catch was that I had to show up at the California Home and Garden show at the Fairground this past Sunday before 5 pm, check in, and they would announce the winner at 5 pm.  If I wasn't there in person, I wouldn't win. 

I debated actually going because it just sounded like a hassle, and I was sure the chances would be low.  But then curiosity got the best of me.  So, Sunday afternoon I got in the car and made the trek to the fairgrounds with Kayla

I got there just in time, and we checked in at the radio station booth.  Turns out there are only 12 finalists!  So, now I'm feeling pretty good about coming all the way down here.

They line us up as it gets closer to 5, and make an announcement about the contest, and describe our fabulous prize.  Turns out, the prize is this freaking $10,000 handicap tub thingy... 

So, now my mind is racing.  I mean, what the heck will I do with this thing?  Don't get me wrong, it's a very useful thing for someone who needs it, but clearly I have misinterpreted the contest.  But, the contest didn't say it was a handicap bathtub!  I certainly can't bathe kids in that, and it's not going in the master bathroom, I can tell you that!  I start thinking that maybe my mom will want it (unlikely), or maybe I can sell it on eBay, or maybe I can just make a run for it before they announce the winner. 

Meanwhile, they are handing out keys, and one of  those keys will unlock a padlock next to this fabulous prize.  I make Kayla pick out the key for me, because I'm still considering my options.  A drum roll sounds somewhere, and the first victim, I mean finalist, approaches the padlock.  She inserts her key, and opens the padlock!

HALLELUJAH!!!  I think I heard about three other sighs of relief in the line around me.  I've never not wanted to win something so badly in my life! 

So, the lesson here is...read the fine print people, read every word, or just don't enter radio contests. 

Pear Budget

After moving into a new house with a big new mortgage, and big new property taxes to pay, we knew we needed to create and maintain a budget.  But, we have very limited time, so we needed something really easy and convenient to use.  Enter Pear Budget. 

What is it, you ask?  Well, it is a really simple budgeting and expense tracking service - way easier to use than Quicken or Microsoft Money, and perfect if you're new to budgeting or just overwhelmed by other methods of keeping track of your spending.  There are no fancy bells or whistles, and I have to say that it is awesome, and works great for us.

So, give it a try.  They have a free 30-day trial so you can check it out. 
http://www.pearbudget.com/

Sorry Coach! Better luck next year...

I signed Matthew up late for soccer this year, and he was put on a long waitlist.  He's been excited about playing again this year, and then was pretty disappointed about the possibility of not being able to play. 

Then comes the first email to all of the parents on the waitlist...
"If you are willing to be a head coach, your son will be placed on a team."

Hmmmm, I think.  Andrew can't do it with his football schedule, and there is no way I can do it with my work schedule this Fall.  So, I reply back that I'd love to, but just can't.  I felt pretty good about saying "no," because, well, it's difficult for me.

Then comes the second email two weeks later...
"There still are not enough teams for everyone on the waitlist this year.  But, if you are willing to be an assistant coach, then your son will be placed on a team." 

Assistant coach - hmmmmm, but I still don't have the time.  So, I reply back that I'd love to but won't be able to go to all the practices.  The response back was, "No problem!  You can miss a few practices, and here are all the forms and classes you have to take to become a volunteer."

Crap.  So much for doing better at saying "no."

I filled out the forms and sent them in, and figured I'd somehow make it work.  Yesterday I got this news...
"Thanks for volunteering, but we were able to find enough coaches and won't be needing your help as an assistant coach.  Your son has been placed on a team"

Thank God!!!  I think I actually verbalized this rather loudly at work- I couldn't even pretend to be disappointed. 

Today I got an email from Matthew's soccer coach..."we need volunteers to be referees."  

Hmmmm, let me think.  HECK NO.  Me, in the gold, striped, collared shirt and knee high socks, dealing with annoying parents?  Oh, I don't think so.  My son is already on the team, Mister, so you have no leverage now.  This time, I'm not even going to email back.  That's pretty darn close to saying "no", if you ask me.  Small steps...

Matthew's "Good" Choice

We've been talking to Matthew and Kayla a lot about the difference between good and bad choices.  You know, typical parent stuff. 

Yesterday Matthew is sitting with us at the table finishing dinner, and he says that he is going to go find Kayla and wrestle with her on the couch.  So, I ask him, "is it a good choice to wrestle with your sister on the couch?"  I'm concerned that they might break something or someone will get hurt, of course.

And Matthew responds, "No, you're probably right, because she's a very powerful fighter, and she'll probably win"

So glad we're getting through to them...

Monday blues

All work and no play this weekend, makes Melissa tired, grumpy, and feeling bummed on this Monday morning.  Not to mention I had to come in to work before sunrise to catch up because we are understaffed and overwhelmed with tons of deadlines looming. 

We cleaned out our garage and did tons of work moving into the house this weekend.  Our poor kids are bored, complaining, and fighting.  Matthew keeps telling me he doesn't get to see me enough.  I am busy at work, and busy at home, and no where am I feeling in control or on top of things.  . 

It seems like this moving stuff will never end.  For every box I unpack, and every item I send to Goodwill, there is just another box filled with stuff, and no place to put it!  There are still chairs left to paint, and every room needs to be decluttered.  And to make matters worse, we only have three weeks left until school starts and football begins.  Time is not my friend right now.  Boy do I wish I were back in Hawaii...

Kayla's Room

OK, so here it is....  Kayla's new pink room (well, just a partial view).  When we first brought up the idea of moving to the kids, they weren't thrilled about leaving the only home they've ever known.  So, to sweeten the deal, we told the kids they would have a new room, they could choose whatever color they wanted, and there would even be a few room "surprises."  The first "surprise" was a castle mural on one of her walls (not shown).  And the second "surprise" is the crown canopy above the bed (see previous post).

Kayla loves her new room.

Any guesses?

What is it, you ask?  Well, it's something I designed and made, and it's a surprise for Kayla.   So, this is a bit of a teaser, but I'll give you a hint...it goes in her room.  We're planning on finally finishing up the kids' rooms this weekend with the last of their room "surprises"  I'll show you a picture of the rooms tomorrow (or the next day) so you can see what the heck this is.

We're Back!

Wow, it's been a while since my last post!  One problem has been that we've had no internet service for 3 weeks, and so, I haven't been able to blog from home.  Long story short - AT&T messed up our order 3 times and so we switched providers, and now we're back online.  It made me realize just how much I rely on the internet for little stuff here and there.  It was a bummer not having it!

So here's a quick summary, which I will follow up with more info and pictures later on tonight and this week.

Got back last week from 10 glorious days at a condo at the Waipouli Beach Resort on Kauai (see pics below).  I can't begin to explain how fantastic it was to have ten totally lazy days of vacation after the crazy year we've had.  Vacation to me is when you sit around and do nothing you don't feel like doing, and just live in the moment:  No rushing to take kids to school and get to work, no scrambling to make lunches in the morning...fantastic.  "Travel" is what I call it when you go somewhere to see the sites and be a tourist.  That can be fun too, but it isn't always relaxing.  This trip to Kauai was a vacation.  We lived in the lazy river pool (complete with waterfalls, caves, and waterslides) at this place.  The 2 bedroom condo was new and beautiful (granite countertops, love it), and I highly recommend this resort to anyone thinking of going to Hawaii.

   

Matthew's swimming really improved on the trip, and he lost his second tooth (on the top, which the tooth fairy almost forgot about).  We also celebrated Kayla's 4th birthday on Fourth of July, and watched some amazing fireworks up close.  So much fun!!! 

Now I'm back to work and completely swamped!  Ugggghhhh!

I've got so much more to tell - but it will have to wait until another post. 

Quick Update

We've been working so hard for the last week getting the new house ready to move in.  We work all day, than put kids to bed, and then return to the house at night to do more work.  It's nuts. 

We discovered a few items that needed attention at the house, so we've had lots of service people coming to the house to fix or improve things.  Andrew and I have finally finished painting the family room, and both kids bedrooms.  The rooms are all finally ready to move in furniture and we're getting really close.  We're on track to move in and actually start living there sometime mid-week.

I'll post pictures soon of the kids rooms.  Kayla's is pink and girly, and Matthew's is bright blue and orange.  I must admit I was a little nervous about bright blue and bright orange, but I was eager to give him a room that would be just the way he wnated it.  It actually turned out great!

Kayla also had a dance recital this weekend, and I have some pics / video to post for that.  Stay tuned.  We are so crazy busy right now, but I promise I will get to it as soon as I can.

Taking a cue from the dog...

We're about to go to a BBQ at my sister's house yesterday afternoon.  Kayla is dressed in her bathing suit and ready to go, but I tell her she needs to go into the back yard and clean up the baseball stuff she had left out on the grass.  Matthew and I look out the window a minute later, and we see her stripping out of her bathing suit and getting naked in the back yard.  Intrigued by this odd turn of events, I continue to watch, and my mouth drops open when I see her squat down and take a pee right there on the grass. 

Matthew and I bust out laughing, and I open the door to the backyard and ask Kayla why she is peeing on Grammy and Grandpa's grass (she has finished at this point).  She tells me that she just couldn't hold it.  Well, OK, I guess it's better to pee on the grass than have an accident, but the inside bathroom is only a few steps away.  Now, I know Kayla, and I know the real reason she did it...she just wanted to try it and see what it was like.  Apollo pees out there, so why shouldn't she? 

Kayla does random stuff like this all the time.  I tell you, she is so entertaining to have as a child.  Infuriating sometimes, but certainly entertaining.

Kids

I just love it when...you get your daughter all bathed and smelling good, and have just washed her sheets that same day, and then she decides (without telling anyone) not to wear her overnight diaper (which she still needs), and then pees all over herself and the clean sheets.

I just love it when...your kid won't open up his mouth to let you pull out his loose tooth (because the adult tooth is already half way up, and the baby tooth is hanging by a thread), but then opens up wide for the dentist the next day without hesitation and let's him yank it out, and then you have to pay him $100.

I just love it when... you bend over to pick up your car keys, and your six year old son smacks your butt (hard) in the target parking lot, and says, "nice booty." 
I just love it when...your daughter pokes herself in the eye with her fork at breakfast.  How does one even do that by accident?

Having kids can be so frustrating and yet so entertaining at the same time!  Gotta love 'em.

It's ours, all ours!

Well, it's official!  We are homeowners once again.  We won't move in for a couple more weeks, but it is such a relief to know that it has all worked out as we hoped. 

It was a hard decision to make, but from the moment we actually decided to make all this happen, it just felt right.  And the pieces have fallen into place ever since, in a manner that makes you wonder if some things are just meant to be. 

I really feel like we are on the verge of starting a new phase of our lives.  One that will be extremely busy, but one that will be filled with great friends and good times.  We'll be poor as heck, but hey, it's just money.  Our yearly property taxes are now going to be about the same as what we were paying for our yearly mortgage.  Yikes!

7 More Days...

Only 7 more days until we own our new house!  Both parties have signed all the documents, and tomorrow I will go and get a cashier's check for the largest amount we've ever written a check for.  We're almost there!

Random Stuff

Appraisal came through for our new house today, and the house appraised for more than we paid.  Hooray!  Loan is all secured, although it would make you sick if you knew how much.  We close escrow on May 25th, and move in mid-June.

Starting to pick out paint colors for the kids rooms.  Matthew wants orange and blue, and Kayla wants pink and yellow.  So, I'm trying to think of creative ways to make that all work.  I decided on a craft project for Kayla's room, and I announced to Andrew that I had an idea for a project for Kayla's room.  I laughed when I saw the expression on his face:  it was, "oh God what has she gotten us into now?"  Thankfully he puts up with me, because I'm constantly coming up with "ideas" or "projects" and they often involve his help in some way.  Poor Andrew, he just never knows what's coming when I say "I have a great idea..."

Matthew is doing great at his new school.  However, he announced today that he isn't going to make any more friends than the ones he already has from his baseball team (they also go to his new school).  I tried to explain to him that all the kids at his new school are the kids he's going to be with for the rest of his school years, so he can go ahead and make lots of new friends.  He wasn't buying it - he doesn't seem to believe that we're not going to move again.  I'm quite sure we've traumatized him with this whole moving business - jury is still out on how much.  If only we could explain how much better it will be.

We're singlehandedly killing trees...

trust documents
loan documents
house contract documents (selling and buying)
inspection reports
summer camp registration forms
new school registration forms
school transfer forms
address change forms
before school care program registration forms
tax documents
new insurance documents
dependent care savings account claims
health care spending account claims

Help me - I've been overrun with paperwork!!!!  And why can't all these companies just go electronic so we don't have to kill quite so many trees?  It's 2010 already!

New School on Monday

Once it was confirmed that we were indeed buying a house in the neighborhood we wanted, we started thinking about starting Matthew in his new school for the remainder of this school year.  We wrestled with the idea, but in the end decided that we'd like to get him enrolled at his new school right away.  Last week we started the paperwork, and...tons of paperwork later, Matthew is starting a new school on Monday.  

He is a super adaptable kid, so I think he'll be fine, but he is terrified and in his own words, "so nervous."  Poor guy.  We've been telling him stories about how it was for us when we went to a new school, to try to ease his fears, and it seems to help a bit.  He said goodbye to his friends at his old school on Friday. We met his new teacher on Friday afternoon, and she is wonderful.  And the new school has a completely different feel that is hard to put into words...a good kind of feel.   

So things continue to change for all of us at a rapid pace.  Each week for the last few months has brought about a new change for at least one of us.  Thank goodness for adaptable, easy-going kids!

Inspections Yesterday

We had inspections yesterday for our new house, and I was really nervous going into it because we had no idea what things we might find.  The sellers had not had any inspections done before we made our offer.

I am very happy and excited to report that the inspections went way better than I had hoped!  No termites (which is a normal thing to find in all houses here in CA - they just love our climate)!  Only very few, very minor fixes to make.  So, we are now incredibly excited about our new house! 

It was fun to see the house yesterday again and spend some time in it.  I couldn't really remember what it looked like from the first time we saw it.  Kayla couldn't stop talking about how the kids bathroom has 2 sinks!!  She thinks that it just amazing.  We leaned a few things, too, like the fact that the house has an air conditioning unit, and an alarm system - nice bonuses!  So, we're moving forward, full speed ahead, and in 7 weeks we'll get to start moving in!!  Hooray!

Oh, and we're trying to enroll Matthew in his new school for the remainder of the school year (only 7 weeks left).  We think it will be good for him to make new friends before summertime, and we're not happy with his old school anyway.  He's excited to go to the new school.  But, let me tell you, the paperwork to make this happen is out of control because we are dealing with three schools and two school districts and all the forms they all need to transfer him around.  He'll probably get to start next week!

Such craziness around here, it's ridiculous!  But, it's all good stuff.

Hooray!

We're now in contract on a new house!  We are in a 10-day contingency period, and inspections are being performed next week.  So, it's not really a completely done deal yet, but the contract negotiations are finally finished.  We would move into the house in mid-June.  Here is a street view of the house from Google maps:

How Quickly the Tides Turn

So, in my last post I mentioned a house that we were stalking.  Well, it turns out the poor old couple decided to rent the place instead of sell, for fear of capital gains.  Bummer.  But then we got another lead from the baseball team - what a gem that has been!

Yesterday we put an offer on this new lead - a house that isn't even on the market yet - and we are negotiating and countering as we speak.  The house has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2100+ sq ft, and is exactly where we want to be.  The house is beautiful, but the catch is that there have been no inspections or anything, so we're going in a bit blind.  Add to that the fact that the house is way above what we thought our budget was for purchasing a house.  So, as you can imagine, I feel sick to my stomach right about now.

The good news is that we can still renegotiate or change our minds if the inspections (that we are now paying for) show something amiss with the house.  So, send us some good ju-ju that everything will work out for us.  This week will be a big one for us!

House Stalking

I met a parent at Matthew's baseball game the other day, and they mentioned that the old couple across the street from them were getting ready to sell their house.  The house just happens to be right smack in the neighborhood that we want to buy in, and there have been no other houses in this neighborhood on the market since January. 

So, our realtor looked up the house and got their phone number, and called them.  An old woman answered, and when our realtor introduced herself, the lady hung up on her.  Our agent tried back saying that she just wanted to know if they were planning on selling the property, and if so who their agent was.  The woman said, "we haven't decided yet," and again hung up the phone. 

Since then Andrew and I have been closely watching this house.  We know the square footage of both the house and the lot, and we know the floor plan.  We've driven by many times to see if there has been anything happening.  This week we saw a dumpster and a moving van outside the house, and were very excited. 

So, why are we being such stalkers, you ask?  Well, the last house that sold in this neighborhood had 14 offers and sold for $100,000 over the asking price.  It's a competitive market out there, so we're doing all we can to try to buy a house before it ever hits the market.  Wish us luck!

Aloha!!!

We just booked a trip for ten days at the end of June in beautiful Kauai. I can't wait We'll be staying in the most wonderful beachfront condo resort - the Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort. It has a fantastic pool with waterslides, and sand bottom jacuzzis, which the kids will love. Grocery stores and shops are just across the street. Hmmmm, I can almost taste the mai tai's and hear the waves crashing on the shore.

Headed in the right direction...

Matthew had his first baseball game today. It was really fun! He played great, and I must admit I had a lot of pride when the coaches said, "back up for this kid, he knows how to hit!" That's my boy!

Another thing that was great were the parents. I know it sounds strange, but it is such a change for us! Last year Matthew played T-ball in our old neighborhood, and the parents were not very outgoing. I couldn't tell you a single parents name because barely anyone talked to us. The team coach had to beg Andrew to help because no one else would.

Fast forward to today...tons of parents, everyone is friendly and outgoing, and all of the dads are helping out. Now it may seem strange to some of you that have that naturally in your neighborhood, but it is such a welcome change for us. We really were starting to think that after 8 years of trying and not finding hardly anyone in our neighborhood that wanted to be friends, that it had to be us. There must be something wrong with us! But now it is becoming clear that our neighborhood just sucked.

So, it gives me hope that this crazy path we've taken may just pay off. I'm feeling really good about our choice right now. A crazy financial choice, yes, but a life changing choice.

We also got a lead on a potential house today from one of the parents on the baseball team, and it would be the perfect house for us (right size, right price, perfect location). I know it's crazy to get our hopes up, but I'm feeling rather positive today. Maybe it's the margs from dinner or the yummy wine in my hand right now.

I don't know where we'll end up, but something keeps telling us that we're at least headed in the right direction.

Update

I can't believe how fast time flies! We moved out of our house on March 6th. It was such a crazy, busy last month. We're just now starting to recover from it. Last weekend we actually had a normal weekend of kids activities, eating out, swim lessons, a hockey game, and just hanging out. It was fantastic!

Matthew started baseball a couple of weeks ago. I signed him up on a team that includes kids from the school we hope he will get to attend (if we move to the neighborhood we want). I've met a bunch of the parents, and they are great! It's so nice to meet parents who actually want to talk and hang out, for a change.

No house yet. We've looked at a couple, but nothing quite seems to be a fit for us. We're trying to be patient.

We started to set up a living trust and write our wills. Neither Andrew nor I have a will, and we've had it on our list of things to do for years! Now is the time. We've got a few tough choices to make, but I know I will be relieved when it's done to know that our kids will be taken care of if something happens to us.

I've got a big presentation to give next week at work in front of lots of important people, and it's making me a little nervous. Wish me luck!

House is Sold!

Close of escrow is today! Whew...what a crazy ride this last month has been. It was just 35 days ago that we met with our agent to discuss the process of listing our house for sale. Three weeks spent getting the house ready, and one week for it to sell and close escrow. Crazy.

So, the search for a new house begins. Not feeling super confident right now seeing what is available in the area we want, but it's early in the year, and there should be more houses coming on the market soon.

But, this is what kills me. This house came on the market last week. It is hideous (just look at the pictures), and costs $1M. They call this a "fixer upper." Not exactly the words I would choose to describe it. I just want you all to see what we are facing here in beautiful northern California.

http://bologlu.com/PropertyDetails?presented_by=idx&pid=81009347&ls=REIL&show_virtual_tour=yes&show_description=yes

So wish us luck...we're gonna need it!

House is in Contract!

The house is officially in contract with a close of escrow next Wednesday. We have to be moved out by next Sunday. We can't believe how fast everything is happening. But today our buyer had their own inspections done at our house and they found some things that our inspector hadn't found. We are expecting to receive a list of repairs from our buyer tomorrow that we weren't anticipating. I knew this whole thing was just going way too well...

So, Andrew and I are a little discouraged, but we still think this deal is going to go through. It is a good deal for us.

We had an event at Matthew's school tonight and many neighbors were coming up to us telling us they would miss us. We have some great neighbors who all seem to be fairly good friends. I think in time we would also be good friends with them, but we're about ten years behind them in life. We (or I) often wonder if we are doing the right thing. I mean, we have a great neighborhood with a good school. So what's the problem?

I guess we just feel that we can do better for our kids, and when I look at them I feel like I owe that to them. It's just money, after all. A lot more money each month that we'll have to shell out. But, you live once. You can't waste time thinking life could be a little better if we just lived somewhere else. At some point you just have to make it happen, right? I've always been one to take whatever control I have over my life and go with it. If something doesn't feel right, you better believe that I'm gonna do what I can to fix it. I don't want to waste time being unhappy, because you just don't know how much time you have left on any given day. I say better to live life with no regrets than to wonder 'what if'?

Thankfully I have a wonderful husband, who is right there with me through this. I don't know what I'd do without him.

House is officially on the market!

Held our first open house this weekend. We had 89 groups come through on Saturday in 3 hours. Our agent says that is almost record breaking. People are starting to open up their checkbooks and are ready to make offers, so we moved our offer date up to this Thursday. We have a buyer that wants to pay all cash with a 7 day close, and we're going to look at that offer early next week. Who has $900k cash lying around?!?!? Thankfully someone that loves our house does.

So, things are happening really quickly. We should be under contract by the end of next week. Wow!

Now, if we could just find something to buy...

So, we're moved out of our house temporarily. I couldn't imagine trying to maintain the necessary cleanliness level required to sell a house with two kids and a dog. My parents were kind enough to open their door to us. We'll be living with them until the house sells and then we'll move back into our house to pack up and move out. Then, we'll move back in with the 'rents until we find a new house. It's really getting scary now knowing that we'll soon be without a house. I just hope we can find something we like before school starts up, and that we don't have to end up "settling" for something because we run out of time.

The house has now been on the market for one full day, and there has been a ton of interest. I accidentally walked in on an agent and buyer this afternoon - oops. They asked me a few questions, and I quickly departed. We're expecting to get multiple offers, so that feels pretty good. We can use all the money we can get for the new house purchase.

Living with the folks is going just fine. Some people cringe when I tell them we're living with my parents, but they just don't understand how fantastic mine are, and how great it is to be with them. I just hope they can put up with us for this extended stay.

One funny thing that happened yesterday...I got up early and was trying to close the door to the kids room, which is right next to ours. There was a fan on in the house and the door just wouldn't close after several failed attempts (windtunnel effect). While I'm trying to close the door one final time I hear Matthew call out, "Come in here and show yourself!" in a very authoritative manner. He cracks me up!

House Is Ready to Sell!

Goes on the market this afternoon, or tomorrow morning. We have an open house this Saturday and Sunday. Here is a link to the virtual tour. It isn't finished yet, but you can see how great the house looks! I'd buy it.

Virtual Tour

As if we didn't already have enough going on in our lives?!?!?

So, you may recall that our dog Apollo had surgery in September because he tore his ACL. We went in to the vet last week for a follow-up and were pleased to hear that Apollo is 100% healed, and no longer had any exercise restrictions. On Sunday we took him to the neighborhood school with us and threw the ball for him a few times. Wouldn't you know it...he came up lame on the other leg. A visit to the vet the next day confirmed he tore his ACL in the other leg, requiring yet another TPLO surgery. Surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday.

Ready to Sell

Met with our real estate agent tonight, and we have set the date for the house to go on the market - Feb 19th. We set our list price and signed tons of paperwork. There is much to do to prepare. I just can't believe we are doing this! But, it just feels right.

A big move

So I've been thinking a lot lately about how much I would be willing to pay to take the chance (not a guarantee) for an increase in happiness. Am I willing to double my mortgage to an unholy amount for the chance to live in a better community and have a better chance at friendships for myself and my family?

I've had wonderful friends in my life, but it has been the one thing that has been missing from my life for many years now. I waited until my child started school because everyone kept telling me that I would meet people at the school and form friendships. Now that we have started at our local school it has become very obvious that I will not get what I was hoping for from our neighborhood. We have excellent schools, but we live in a community where the parents do not value being involved in the school. We live in an area of great diversity (which I love), but the cultures do not all value integration. The kids integrate well together, but the parents are simply not interested. I have always wanted the kind of community where parents are really involved in making their neighborhood school a great experience for their kids, and where families gather for casual barbecues and holiday parties. We don't have that here.

So, we're selling our house and we're moving. It terrifies us and excites us at the same time. We love our house. We've remodeled every square inch of it. We will be doubling our mortgage and at the same time downsizing to a smaller house. We will be leaving a life of financial stability for a life of tight budgets and penny pinching. It is a painful pill to swallow. It is a huge gamble. But, we think it will pay off in the end. Maybe not in dollars, but in an improved quality of life. Can you really put a price on that?

Year-end Salute

What a year! What a crazy, fun, challenging, and emotional year. In many ways, I'm glad it's over because we faced some tough times, and we're ready to move on to another year. In other ways, I'm reminded once again how fast the time is going, and I wish it would just slow down so I could truly savor every moment. When times are good, they are really great. And it seems that as I get older, when times are bad, they are really bad.

So, here is my year-end wrap up. We spent the Holidays at home with family. The entire family came out this year for Christmas Eve (sisters and brothers, and Kansas relatives), so it was a full house at my parents' house. Christmas morning the kids were excited to see that Santa brought them just what they asked for - Kayla got a pink princess bike, and Matthew got Star Wars Legos. Apollo even unwrapped a few gifts (he's very good at it). We spent the rest of Christmas day at my parents house relaxing and enjoy the time with family.

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My Dad is doing well, and is now even walking without a cane. However, he is exhausted all the time, and has not regained all of the independence we were hoping for by this point. It is difficult for my parents to adjust to this new lifestyle they have been presented with, when they were so used to active and full days. They are grieving the loss of the life they had, and it pains me to watch them struggle with the transition. But, he is here, and doing well. Our prayers were answered this summer.

At the end of every year I make a photo book for our family. It is like a yearbook of all the things that we did over the year. I don't scrapbook, so this is my substitute. It takes some time, but Shutterfly makes it easy, and this is my gift to my kids. The kids love to look back at all of the old books (so do I) and it is such a great way to preserve the memories. I highly recommend it!

We are already booking our vacations for 2010, including a trip back to Hawaii in June. We're also planning a return to Disneyland, and hopefully will connect with our Colorado friends for another reunion. It will be interesting to see what the new year brings us. We had a rough 2009 so I hope we are in for some smooth sailing.

We feel so very blessed every day for the wonderful things we have. I guess it is human nature to sometimes concentrate on the things you don't have, and I sometimes find myself thinking about what it would be like if we lived somewhere different. But then I think about all the things that we do have and I am humbled. I guess one benefit of surviving the rough times is a greater appreciation of the things you have. It's the small things, and the everyday moments that so often go overlooked that truly are the blessings in life. I hope you all have a healthy and happy 2010.