House For Sale

It felt sort of like a bomb had been dropped on us (or maybe it felt more like an earthquake? Given that we're in the Bay Area...) when our landlords announced last week that they needed to sell our house ASAP. Our lease runs through the end of October and we were expecting to stay in this house well beyond then.

The past week and a half has been packed full of preparations for showing and selling the house: painting the exterior, re-landscaping the front and back, inspections, cleanings, packing up many of our belongings to de-clutter the house, staging the furniture, etc. And thus the past week and a half has been extremely stressful on all of us. We've tried to be very accomodating to our landlords, mainly because they are good people and we're simply just trying to live by the golden rule. But it has been difficult.

On top of the stress of having strangers in and out as well as now living in a "model home" more or less, is of course the pressure of finding a new place to live. Although the lease ends October 31, we feel our best option is to move prior to that date (regardless of whether the house sells) because... um, yeah... we're also having a BABY in October.

Sure, we moved to new homes (new states, even) when each of the boys was 3 months old. But this time is different because there is more uncertainty in the timing of the move AND we don't even want to move in the first place AND we aren't getting anything out of all this hassle we are enduring.

So life is less than glamorous around here these days. We are hoping the house miraculously sells (and closes) right away so that we can get out of our lease and move to a new place without worrying about paying rent on two different houses. If you'd like to buy our house, you can find information here: www.6025fairhope.com

But don't be fooled by the pictures and give us credit that we don't deserve...our house has never looked this pristine since we've lived in it. =)

Surprises Around Every Corner

When it comes to life with little kids, I've learned that you never really know what each day might bring. Remember how a few weeks ago we were desperately trying to find something Hayden would watch on TV in preparation for our long flight to Buffalo? Last night I sat down next to Hayden on the couch and he handed me the remote and said/whined, "TV." I said, "You want to watch TV?" "Please." Then Hayden started barking and saying "doggie", so I knew exactly what he wanted to watch: Animal Planet. [BTW- Barney DID come through for us on our trip-- Hayden sat still to watch it on several occasions!]

This afternoon it took longer than usual for me to get Hayden settled for his nap. Caleb was downstairs by himself playing, but eventually I heard him saying quietly, "Mommy, Mommy." Thinking that he was just getting lonely, I came out of Hayden's room to tell him I'd be with him soon. Well, the real reason Caleb was calling to me was to tell me there was poop on the floor... as in, Caleb pooped on the floor. He said, "I'm sorry, I was just too busy. Next time I'll stop playing and go to the bathroom." This is the kid who was the easiest potty-trainee in the world! In the last year, he's only had one or two accidents, and NEVER with poop. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the floor.

So, yes, there are surprises around every corner at our house these days. Just watch your step.

East Coast Trip- July 2008

We've recently returned from a great visit to the East Coast. The primary reason for our visit was Ryan (my brother) and Jodi's wedding. It was a beautiful celebration and we were so happy to share in their special day. Caleb was the ring bearer and amazingly he walked down the aisle! We really didn't know what to expect from him, but when the time came, he did a perfect job.

We also made a whirlwind trip to Pennsylvania to visit Mike (Matt's brother) in Philly and our friends the Stauffers in Lancaster county. It was fun driving around Amish country and the boys enjoyed seeing different farm animals at our various stops. The Stauffers took us to Shady Maple where we enjoyed the best breakfast buffet ever! In Philly, Mike treated us to a bus tour of the city. Caleb loved riding on the top of the double decker bus, right up front. Afterward we dined at Pizzacatos, delicious!

Matt and I made a 2 day trip to Raleigh, NC to see our friends Mike and Kara Meiners. It was nice to visit with them and to have some time without the kids! We enjoyed seeing the area, and I think we are starting a new tradition of visiting Ben & Jerry's whenever we get together with Mike & Kara.

Back in Buffalo, the boys enjoyed playing in our parents' yards almost all day long some days. Mostly they drive their ride-on toys in the driveway and play in Grandma & Grandpa's cars. Gramma & Grampa Ceroky took them to a nice playground a few times, and Caleb and Grandma Eubanks had fun blueberry picking together. Aunt Grace took the boys to the Clarence Center firehouse and gave us a tour. It was really neat! Both Caleb and Hayden enjoyed seeing the trucks up close and they loved it when cousin Kevin turned on some of the lights. What a treat!

The other highlight of the trip for me was meeting baby Marissa, Alicia & Bob White's new baby. She was just a week old at the time, and I was honored that she decided to make her entrance into the world while I was in town. =)