Livable Conditions....

Every time our little family has gone on vacation one of the best parts is getting to stay in a hotel. The kids get so excited to see a TV in the room they will sleep in. And a pool. And someone to clean up after you while you are gone for the day. I enjoy a nice hotel. I think I've changed my opinion a little since yesterday. Shawn is staying in a house in St. Louis. It's a pretty good sized house and he happens to be the only tenant this month. He thought it would be nice for our family to just stay in the house for the week instead of getting a hotel room. I was hesitant. It wouldn't really be like a vacation if I'm having to do dishes. And what about the pool? Shawn won out in the end. Once again I find myself being grateful for Shawn's foresight. While I'm typing this 4 of my kids are downstairs watching Spongebob and eating cheerios. One's that I didn't have to pay 5 dollars a bowl for at a restaurant. They are eating them out of the bowls that belong to the house and will be put in the dishwasher to be used again. Presley is rolling around on the floor that I'm not worried 50 thousand people have walked on. I'm upstairs on my laptop computer hooked to the Internet that I didn't have to pay some ginormous fee to use in my room. Shawn is in the shower. We aren't all crammed into the same room with kids antsy to get out because of confined spaces. I'm not pulling my hair out because of our close proximity to one another. Nobody just accidentally crushed their leftover crackers from the restaurant last night in the bed I'll be sleeping in tonight. And, this house does come with a maid. Shawn. This is his domain. The place he has been calling home for 2 months already. We are visiting him. Which means that he washed all the towels and told me which one I could use. He showed me around. And he was mopping up Landon's melted ice cream from last night this morning when I walked into the kitchen. Hmmm. I think this kind of vacation house is quite enjoyable. Livable. And lovely. I'm now afraid that hotels will never be the same again. Unless I'm without kids. That goes without saying.

Switcharoo....

I admit it. I am a fan of the bachelor. I have watched every season, except the first one. I don't know why I like it so much. Is it because I truly think you can fall in love in 6 weeks time? Or is it because I love to watch caddy girls act like themselves with each other in a house they are forced to live in together and then act like completely different people around the man they are all trying to win over? Whatever the reason, I'm hooked. Some seasons have been boring. The girl he will choose is so blatantly obvious from day 1 that it isn't even fun to watch the other girls get sent home. Then there are other seasons that have my heart racing. Like the season that ended yesterday. There were actually 3 girls that I really thought had a shot. All 3 were left until the end. But the very end is where I wasn't sure what would happen. When Jason chose Melissa (yes, I will use their first names like I know them) I wasn't too surprised. He proposed at approximately 8:56 by my clock. Then at 9:04 on the "after the final rose" episode, he changed his mind. What?! Changed his mind? He broke up with the one he proposed to and asked the one he sent home for another chance at love. Curious. At first I was kind of angry at him. As were most of the women in the U. S. of A. Then I felt really sad for him. Sad that he was trying to go with his heart and was going to be severely punished for it because it happened on national television. It was really crumby that he had to wait 6 weeks to realize he'd chosen poorly. And probably even worse that now Molly must feel like she was really only 2nd best. Hmmm. Most people might think you can't really be in love with 2 people at the same time. But, I disagree. I was, once. When I met Shawn I had a guy who was serving a mission for our church that I was "waiting" for. In reality it meant he was working his tail off and I was dating everything I came in contact with. Shawn proposed to me 3 weeks before he returned. When he returned and I saw him all those old emotions and feelings came rushing back. I remember feeling so confused and stressed out about making the right decision. My mom was even more stressed. I remember as we took the invitations to the printers she said "Now, once these are sent that is it. No backing down." Ultimatums. I remember the moment that I knew my answer. It was actually after a really good conversation with the man I didn't choose. He probably left my house that night thinking that he had a shot with me. He couldn't have been more wrong. I knew in my heart and soul that Shawn was the one for me. It was still hard to break the news to the one I was letting go. But I just kept my eye on the prize. I have never once looked back. And let me tell you, Shawn and I had a hard first year of marriage. It just wasn't what either of us had expected. But I never once regretted my decision, or thought I'd chosen poorly. I never once considered running back to the one I'd let go to beg for another shot. I was given my answer when I needed it and I could not deny that. Shawn is so perfect for me in every way. I am better because of him. And I like to think he is better because of me. So, I feel bad for Jason Mesnick and all the women that now hate him. He just wasn't given enough of a chance to get his own true answer. In reality, you can't work on someone elses time schedule. But, I guess ABC doesn't care about time schedules. They just want viewers. Viewers they have a lot of. Eternal relationships? Not so much.

Polka Dot Princess....

I realize I might go a tad overboard with the polka-dots. It's not always like this. She just happens to match her bedsheets this particular day. I love her little voice. She doesn't really talk to us, more like yells at us. I'm not surprised. You have to yell to get heard in this house sometimes. I'm enjoying it while I can. I know that the 3 year old yell isn't as entertaining. Right now Presley is almost 6 months old. Time flies. She is getting closer to sitting everyday, but prefers to lay on the floor and roll. She prefers her stomach and almost the minute I lay her down she has rolled that way. She is starting to move a little. She kind of looks like an inch worm, only she never gets anywhere. She lays her upper torso and head down, lifts her bum high in the air, gets almost onto her toes, then switches. Head and torso up, bum down. It's cute. I think she's just experimenting with movement. She doesn't really appear to have a goal in mind that I can see. She does this with toys around her, or without. She also loves the exersaucer. (Thanks Katherine for letting us borrow yours) She weighs 18.2 pounds and most of that is in her thighs. Man. That girl has a lot of rolls. So squishy. We all love it. Her personality is still very laid back. She is one content little girl. She gets mad if she's hungry and I've let it go too long, but other than that she is easy breezy. I'm soaking it up. My best babies have been my hardest toddlers. I'm hoping to buck the trend with this one. She won't have a new baby sibling to take over and uproot her position in the family, so maybe it won't be bad. That said, I should prepare for the worst anyway. Then I won't be disappointed if she holds true to her siblings behavior patterns. Once again I have to say how grateful I am for surprises in life. Presley adds to our family and I wouldn't have it any other way. Could do with having my body back already---she destroyed it----but am still happy she figured out a way to finagle her way down here.

Contractual Agreement....

Our house has been on the market for almost 2 weeks. We've shown it a handful of times. Every time it is shown I need to be absent. Meaning, I need to entertain a few kids for at least an hour. Sounds easy? It's costing me a fortune. Small town USA only has a Walmart to browse, a Burger King play place, and a library. We usually do lunch, then wander walmart. But I always end up spending money. Usually in the form of bribes. Wednesday there were 2 showings back to back which meant an extra long outing. Luckily it was during the school day so I only had Presley and Landon to contend with. The showings started at 1 and I was a little late backing out of my garage. The viewers arrived a little early and parked on the street in front of my mailbox. I waved as I sized them up. Then it kind of hit me. Those people. They could be moving into my space if they chose to. Running down my halls, sleeping in my room, hanging clothes in my closets. I kind of choked up a little. I have so many memories of this home I live in. We have made it our very own and I don't like the thought of someone else taking it over like they own it. I got over it quickly when I heard they actually put in an offer. Only it was seriously low-ball. The realtor told me that they were all set to build. They would offer no more than what they were offering, no reason to counter-offer. Shawn and I mulled it over. Because I was the only one actually talking to the realtor due to Shawn's absence, I needed his words of wisdom to get me through this. Shawn felt like our asking price was the lowest he was willing to go. We hashed it out. And we declined the offer. We told the realtor that we appreciated the offer from a buyers standpoint, but no thank you. We were fully aware that 6 months down the road this decision could very well be regretted, but because we recognized that, we felt good about our decision. That was kind of hard for me. To let the buyers walk away. Only because I realize how the economy is. We are kind of insulated from the nastiness of serious foreclosures, but we aren't immune to it. It's a buyers market out there. We are in a unique position that we would be fine if we had to hang onto this house for awhile. But we don't want to. Shawn had complete faith that we would be fine. And at 10 am Thursday morning the realtor called to tell me that they were going to give us full asking price and the closing date we wanted. June 22nd. Man. I'm glad I have Shawn on my side. He is so calm. I'm a lunatic. If I had been completely in charge we would have lost out on the full price benefit. I don't feel as settled as I think I should feel. Maybe because the inspection is Monday morning. This house is only 3 1/2 years old so I'm not foreseeing any major issues. But you never know. My mom said I won't feel settled until we've purchased our new home, moved in, and closed on this one. She's probably right. I am sad to see this home go. It's not just a house to me. It is a home. I hope the people who are buying it will love it like we have. And that we find a new house that we can make into a home. Different phases of life bring about a lot of change. I guess I better get used to it. This is only the beginning.

Spic And Span...

My house is clean. Most of the time. When people come over it is rare that there is a ginormous mess awaiting them. (I guess I should clarify upstairs. Downstairs is kid-domain). I vacuum. I mop. I constantly wipe counters and sweep. And, I shut a lot of doors. This helps keep the kid-domain areas out of any onlookers eyesight. Closets. Man. The bane of my existence. Cleaning them anyway. That is my secret to keeping this house clean. I just place things on some random shelf behind a door that doesn't need to be opened, and the house appears clean. I feel good about that. I always have. Until this month. I knew it was coming. When putting a house up for sale, apparently people like to open those closet doors. All of them. That is 5 clothing closets, 3 bathroom linen closets, front entry coat closet, laundry room closet, basement toy closet, and one ginormous storage room under the porch. That is a lot of closets to hide things in. That is forgetting all the kitchen cupboards completely. After speaking with the realtor Monday it was decided that Saturday would be the day he came to take pictures and place the house on the market. That gives me 5 days and then until noon on Saturday to completely scour this house. And don't forget painting that new mantle Shawn installed while he was home last weekend. Oh. And Presley has RSV. Well, not diagnosed RSV. But the same symptoms. Which means Albuterol treatments every 6 hours amidst countless coughing spells which lead to spewing, which in turn gives me more to clean up. And the needing to be held issue. Wow. No wonder I've been eating everything in sight the last few days. I'm obviously a stress eater. Yesterday morning I wised up while I was in the shower. As I looked at the soap scum build up under my feet and trailing the shower doors (I also hate cleaning showers) it occurred to me that maybe I couldn't do it alone. The closets could only be done by me. But. The shower? I found a cleaning lady on a good recommendation and gave her a call. Cutest Chinese lady I have ever spoken with. After I arranged for her to come, I found myself more stressed than I was previously. Why? I was feeling the need to clean before she came. I continuously had to hold myself back and remind myself that I was paying her to do this job. Not hiring her to critique the mess I've gotten myself into. Still. After I sent the kids off to school, regardless of the fact I was functioning on a broken 5 hours of sleep, I still scrubbed the kitchen sink. And cleaned 5 kitchen cupboards. I started on the girls room when she arrived. I showed her the infamous shower, she shook her little head and giggled. Mentioning how much work this was going to be. Only when she said it I didn't cringe. I giggled alongside her. Mostly because then I was able to turn on my heels and leave her to all the nitty-gritty work. I went back and worked on the girls room some more. Cleaned a few more kitchen cupboards. Made lunch. Made sugar cookie dough and the frosting. And all the while fumes of deep cleaning were wafting in the air. It was like I had just pushed a button labeled "clean" and walked out of the room. It was cleaning itself. With the help of one adorable little woman. After the shower was scrubbed and I had given my approval, she finished up my bathroom while her helper worked on the main bathroom. I drove Jack to preschool and when I returned they were finished. I couldn't stop smiling as I signed a check for her. Best money ever spent. So, why was I so scared to have her come? Was it the fact that when someone is cleaning your house they are actually seeing inside your soul? Because it lets them see what you are like on the surface, and what you are like deep inside? They can see what is deemed high on the ladder of importance and what things are obviously neglected? Probably all of the above. Not to even speak about the whole "I can do it all myself" phenomenon us women put ourselves through. Well, I'm glad I stepped out of my little comfort zone box and hired this job out. I actually feel lighter today. My stress level has definitely decreased. My only regret? I didn't have them clean the downstairs bathroom.

Yes, No, Maybe So....

Last Thursday I was asked a question by Ethan. I was puttering around the kitchen trying to get dinner together, and he was leaned up against the counter all mature like. He had his arms leaning back and his legs crossed all casual. "Mom. I have a question for you. I don't know if you know how to answer it. Or, even if you are willing to answer it for me. But. I'm going to ask it anyway. There is this girl in my class that I like. How would I go about telling her that I like her and finding out if she likes me back?" I paused, but pretended like he'd just asked if I would make him a grilled cheese sandwich instead of how to portray his love. "Well. You could write her a note and just tell her you think she is cute. Are you wanting her to be your girlfriend or to just let her know you like her?" Good thing I wasn't hooked up to a heart monitor or my true nature would have been given away. "Probably a little of both." Not wanting this type of conversation ever to be forbidden in this household, and never wanting him to fear coming to me for answers I let out "Valentine's day is coming up. Maybe you could get her 2 pieces of candy instead of 1. Or, make her a special card to go along with the candy." "Hmm. Those are good ideas. I was thinking I could write her a note telling her I liked her, ask her if she likes me back and have her circle yes or no?" "Good idea Ethan." I didn't let him know that that is what I used to do when I was his age. Or that I even liked boys back then. I didn't make a huge lecture out of it like I sooo easily could have. Open communication. That is what I'm going with here. Hopefully it won't come back to bite me as we both age into this teen-year thing.
Friday he came home from school and said "I did it Mom. Here, you can read it." The note was on your typical 3-hole-blue-lined paper. It read:

To: (girls name) From: Ethan

I really like you, and I was wondering if you like me. Circle your answer, then hand this sheet to me.
a. a lot
b. a little
c. in the middle
d. none of the above

She had circled b. I think by the looks of this note that my son has taken many tests in his short life. Who gives the none-of-the-above option in this scenario? If it's none of the above, then what the heck is it? I didn't critique his professed love. I only put it in his third grade file for his future wife to one day view. So she can know that even back in third grade he was very straightforward, serious, to the point, and knew how to write test questions.

Deprivation...

Would it mean that I'm feeling a little deprived if I find a few m&m's that spilled from my 3 year old's package onto the van floor and when I cleaned them up looked around to make sure nobody was watching then shoveled them into my mouth as fast as I could manage? Hmmm....
Shawn made his debut this weekend. He arrived Friday at around noon. Awesome. The boys wouldn't leave him alone. The older two got home from school at 1 because of early out. I got in the car and went grocery shopping alone. I haven't been really alone for 1 month. I've always got Presley with me. Even in the bathroom. It was nice to be all by myself. Of course Shawn busied himself with a project he's been meaning to get to since we've finished the basement 2 years ago. He put a mantle around the fireplace. I just need to add a few coats of paint and it's beautiful. That meant he wasn't able to be at every one's beck and call all weekend like some people thought he would be. Ethan is the one I'm speaking of. At 4:00 this afternoon Ethan wandered into my room. I was bleary eyed from the 3 hour nap I had just finished (also sleep deprived as well as chocolate deprived). Ethan burst into tears and said "Dad said if I wanted him to play catch with me then I had to help him clean up the mantle mess in the basement. I just want to play! I don't want to help!" I had to go into the whole "Dad is just one person and there are 6 people he needs to please while he's home for a mere 48 hours. Plus helping to try to get the house ready to sell. He's spread too thin. It sucks Ethan. I agree with you. Only a few more months and this will be over. Then he can play catch with you a lot." Ethan responded in his sweet little 9 year old tone "Sometimes a few months is too much to handle Mom". I agree Ethan. I agree. Now Shawn is headed back to the real world, and I am forced to enter it myself. I do have a beautiful new mantle ready to paint. I am refreshed from a great nap and some much needed alone time. And, I got to see Shawn. 48 hours of bliss.