A Birthday, A Move, and a Trip to the ER

So it feels as if I went and stuck my head in a bucket this time, because we haven't had internet service in 5 days.  Do you know that that feels like a month?  What is happening with all of my blog friends?  I wish I knew.  Do I have new emails?  Not really sure.  At the moment, I'm borrowing a wireless signal from a neighbor, but I'm typing quickly because I'm afraid I'll get booted off, at random, again.

Much to say.  Pictures to share.  Short story is this:

It was Patrick's birthday.

We (finally) moved.

We took Tatum to the ER for the first time.

(She's okay...)

I miss all of my blog friends and (my husband) will get this router thing figured out soon before I commit myself, or leave him for a few hours while I go to a Starbucks.

More soon, just thought you should know I'm alive, and I can't wait to catch up on your lives.

Sneak Peek

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I'm still talking about moving over here.  Bored yet?  Here's a peek at the new casa.

Tatum's Room BEFORE:

Tatum's Room AFTER:

Jack and Jill Bathroom view BEFORE:

Jack and Jill Bathroom View AFTER:

Chase's New Paint Job:

Not Afraid of Color Laundry Room:

(This color was already here and I LOVE it!)

Family Room:

Kitchen:

Play Room:

(I've unpacked wine glasses and toys so far.  What does that say about me?)

They're going to need that play room because Ta-Da (!)

This is almost the entirety of the back "yard."

Talk about low maintenance.  

Dining Room:

W still don't actually move until next Thursday.  We're eager to make the transition, and excited to fill it up with window coverings, photos, furniture, and NOISE!

Do You Ever Feel Like Your Ass Is Stuck In A Bucket?

My absence can be explained by this, my ass is stuck in a bucket.  I'm walking around boxes to get to more boxes to pack new boxes only to forget what's in said boxes.  You see, we've moved so many times this year that I thought it would be okay to save our old boxes.  Cool.  Until the husband throws the VERY MOST FRAGILE-EST of things on the floor because the box read "Laundry Supplies" (awfully light for laundry supplies, ya think?)  My bad.  But I'm just sick of moving, so I'm doing a crap-ass job.  

We've closed escrow on our new home.  The moving journey will soon be over.  The marital stress of putting the brakes on our almost new life in Colorado was huge.  But now, the peace my husband and I have found in this decision is better than marriage counseling.   Getting through our recent stress is like yoga, a massage, zen, and a glass of wine all rolled up, yo-ma-zen-wine.  And quite frankly, who doesn't need more yomazenwine in their life?  It's not about the house, but more about what it means for our family.

But before we clang glasses in final celebration, we have packing and tripping over boxes for 9 more days.  You know when you know that you're going on a vacation, so you start saving up all of your cute clothes, because you want them to be clean for the trip?  So you wear all of your dorky clothes that you just know won't be coming along on vacation.  That's where we are, but instead of clothes, it's random food in the pantry/freezer, toys for the kids, toiletries, etc..  I need to pack everything, but in phases.  So the in between phase feels sort of like walking around with a bucket on my ass.  You know the feeling, right?

Drowning

Ugh.  

Just came up for air (beneath the dozens of cardboard boxes) long enough to say, 

"It's not you, it's me."

My Google Reader is at 123 today.  I'm getting panic attacks for neglecting such fine authors, but for now ... I have to pull away and focus on packing, moving, oh and ... paying attention to my kids.  

I think I'll have to break up with Twitter and Cr8Buzz too because I just can't keep up.  And I'm a girl who likes to put her ALL into everything.  So if I can't be the best, I quit.  (Great teachable moment here, if only I had time to figure it out...)

While I'm on sabbatical (read: getting my world screwed on straight) please read a real-life friend of mine who has decided to blog, again, for the fifth time.  Please pop over and give her a welcome.  I promise you some adorable twins on her site.  

In between gulps of packaging tape, packing paper, and shoving shampoo, wine glasses, and dump trucks all into one box, I'll check in.  Until then ... I'll miss ya'll.  

Do You Think It Was the Vagisil That Sealed the Deal?

Here's a recap of moving this year:

*  Lived in long-time home, outgrew it.  Sold house.

*  August 2007.  Moved into new house.  

*  February 2008.  Sold new house to move to Colorado.

*  Changed my mind on moving to Colorado.

*  Really pissed off husband.

*  March 2008.  Found 6 month rental in San Diego until we figured things out.  Moved.

*  May 2008.  Found new house and are in 30 day escrow.  

*  Husband extremely happy with staying in San Diego.  

*  Finding rental home replacements for final 2 months of lease.

*  June 2008.  We'll move again.

So that we don't end up with our new mortgage and an obscene rent payment for two months, we've begun showing the rental so that the owner can rent it to someone more stable appropriate for the long term.

Shortly after a trip to the grocery store, a couple came to see the house.  I was just finishing putting the groceries/toiletries away when they arrived.  They politely looked around.  They politely left.  They politely sent an email saying that they would like to begin a lease in our home. 

To my horror, I realized that not all of the groceries had been put away before their arrival.  The one meant to be put in a medicine cabinet and far out of sight was smack dab in the middle of the kitchen table.

So, do you think it was the Vagisil that sealed the deal?  They say to make your home smell like fresh-baked cookies, to play classical music, and to turn on all of the lights.  I say, leave out some Vagisil.  Worked for me.  

(P.S.  Antibiotics from lip episode didn't agree with my body, hence the photo above.)  

Good News

I'm feeling rather blessed these days.  The first bit of good news rolled in in the form of our offer being accepted on this house.  Cool.  Given my track record this year with moving (it will be 4 times in 12 months after this one...), I will be so happy to unpack for the last time.  

The next bit of good news comes in the form of a vacation for Patrick and myself.  We're thrilled to have some time to catch up, have an entire conversation uninterrupted, and sleep without a 3-year-old kicking us at night.  

It's not so bad for the munchkins either.  Tatum gets a special trip to Nana's house, and Chase gets a special trip to Gran and Henry's.  Divide and Conquer.  

Hopefully we'll all come back refreshed, with a new appreciation for our family unit.  

I considered not bringing my laptop along, but I think I'd miss you all too much.  So I'll be catching up on your stories as the vacation commences on Friday!  

Home Sweet ... Where is Our Home?

As a child we moved around a lot.  There weren't any real reasons, or non-reasons that I know of.  Just life taking hold of my young mother and propelling us to a new destination.  There was a brief period when we lived in one house for 6 years.  After that, never did we live in a home for longer than 2 years.  And never did I mind the moving.

My mother was selfless when we moved.  Being the oldest, I always had first dibs on the best bedroom in the house, or in some cases, the only bedroom.  With new homes came new schools and I became proficient at either making friends quickly or becoming invisible slowly.  Both worked.  For many reasons I had been enrolled in eight schools in twelve years.  Going to college, the same college for four, okay five, okay six years was certainly a record (come on, I did one year of Grad school, cut me some slack).

But moving gets into your blood.  I don't even mind the packing.  So, if you've been playing the game you may know that we had a near miss with moving in a big way to Colorado.  Ahh, but here we are, and that's good news.  Roots have begun to grow.  I see them.  Feel them taking shape beneath my toes, and the toes of my sweet babes.  

But I must admit excitement at going house shopping tomorrow.  Imagining our furniture and footprints in each room is such a sweet and comfy place for the mind.  Heaven for a wanderer like me.  But I'm ready to stop wandering, and watch the trees around me grow, bloom, and fill out.  I'm ready to make marks on the wall where my children stood at each milestone.

Maybe we'll find our dream home tomorrow.  Maybe not.  But the looking and imagining is almost the best part.  San Diego is my home, our home.  I doubt we will question that again.  The journey ahead is one I will watch form and take place, like the trees around me.  Slowly.  Purposefully.  Peacefully. 

All Moved In!

We did it!  Whew.  We're all moved in.  It's amazing that it can take a month to pack up a family, and in about 24 hours, I'm (nearly) completely unpacked.  Thanks to my Mom for watching the munchkins, photographing the event, and staying late to help unpack.

I promise not to bore you (well, I can't promise that) but I'll try not to bore you with any more moving details.

New material to come...

Fragile Things

Well, Moving Day is finally here.  We leave this home tomorrow and venture ahead.  As we pack up the last of our crap precious belongings, I am feeling fragile.  

I'll be off-line until we get set up on Tuesday.  I'll be missing my blog friends, and thankful we get to stay near some of our closest friends in SD.

My New Life

If you're wondering why I'm a little low on posts ... welcome to my new world of PACKING!

(This is a great way to get boxes, if anyone ever needs them.  They even plant a tree if you so choose.)

How Did That Sign Get in Our Yard?

For those of you keeping track, it's official.  The house is on the market.  

The idea started as a tiny seed (don't they all?), and suddenly it's really happening.  I can't say it has been an easy decision.  After much re-evaluating, and yes even soul-searching, we've decided to leave this place we love for a new adventure.  Seeing the sign go up today was surreal.  

I can't point to one specific reason for the move.  Sure San Diego is expensive, but it's not just that.  Sure there are a few too many teenagers driving Hummers and BMW's around here, but it's not that either.  Maybe it's the need for a change of pace.  Maybe we're bored.   Maybe it's because there's no NHL here.  Maybe it's that our kids are still young and it feels like an opportunity to introduce them to a new journey.  Maybe it's just one of those things in your soul that you can't quite describe, but that just feels like the thing to do.  I've found that this is how I work, and somehow I've managed to marry someone who has a little bit of that floating around inside him too.  We're shaking things up!  

It's impossible to measure the intensity of the things we will most miss.  We have an amazing network of friends here, friends who our children (we thought) were destined to grow up with, friends where we have long-since given up the polite niceties of a new friendship.  We can lounge on their couch, help ourself to the fridge, and let the kids run amok without apology.  That will be hard to replace.

And family.  Man, I can't even start.  Let's just say this will be excruciating for me.  Me, a person who has run from relationships and jets into the arms of independence.  I will miss my Mom the most.  I didn't always let on that I needed her, but I do.  

So, we'll see how the housing market goes, and start there.

Here's the good news...we get a new winter wardrobe.  I hear it can get cold in Colorado!