Warmer Weather

We spent the weekend prepping for the Girl Scout Pinewood Derby Race (more on this soon).  Mike spent Saturday raking leaves for what was probably the first time in God knows how long.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will help with the cat pee smell by the front bushes.   

 

Ross spent the afternoon and Grandma and Papas house, which meant we got to spend time with our girls in the back yard.  The photos will tell the rest of the story.

 

 

 

Come On Spring... Were Ready

We're desperate for spring.  We've been trying to play Miss America on the courthouse steps, but the darn wind keeps messing-up our hair and the cold air forces us to wear coats over our evening gowns.

Miss Madison County

 

 

 Winter coats and summer sandals.  A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Goodbyes and Leaps of Faith

We said goodbye to 221 S. 5th Avenue yesterday. 

Why did our final walk-through seem to trigger every memory of living under that roof?  As excited as I am for the opportunity to raise our kids in the country, something about leaving the familiar... the comfortable... the known... requires a leap of faith. 

I left my house key on the kitchen counter and willed myself to look ahead, never turning back.  We spent the rest of the day where it needed to be spent. 

In the country... at the neighbors.

"There comes a day when you realize turning the page is the best feeling in the world, because you realize there is so much more to the book than the page you were stuck on."

Zayn Mailik

Luck, Freak Irons and Butts

Spending my days with Molly has become my 'Chicken Soup for the Soul'

 

Top quotes from our day... so far.

 

That iron is a freak.  I hate that iron.  I do not like him!

(after a small amount of cold water leaked onto her leggings)

 

I need you to smell my hands.  I just touched my butt and they are stinky.  Do you want to smell them? Please smell them.

 

Me "I'm a pretty lucky Mama"

Molly "Yes, you are"

 

Adjustments and Randomness

We are all adjusting. 

 

The kids are tired as they adjust to sleeping in the same room.  Mike and my bed is not what we're used to and I'm still doing daily loads of laundry at the old house. 

 

Adjustments.  

 

We're learning many things too.  For instance, Netflix rocks.  I love gas ovens as much as I love sitting at a dining room table.  It's strange to finally have enough seating in the living room for everyone and recliners are amazing.  Unleavened communion bread is a hassle to make and the cost of a 6 month dental check-up is ridiculous. 

 

That is my random blog post for the day.  May as well enjoy some random photos too.

 

My communion bread attempt.  Luckily for us, Lutherans don't mind 'leavened' bread if the unleavened bread attempt flops.

 

My kids before school this morning.  They're really tired.

 

Where Moo prefers to nap these days.

Whew!

Wow, what a ride this has been!  Our 'old' house is empty (just don't peek in the garage) and we're occupying a 900-something square foot home.  The tv and dvd player are hooked up and needless to say, were watching our fair share of Little House on the Prairie and counting our blessings after each episode.  We'll have internet again Tuesday and I'll be excited to start posting pictures again once that happens.  I haven't actually taken many photos, but the mental images developed this week will be forever etched in my mind...

 

The dead mouse which laid on the basement floor while showing my kids and mother-in-law the rental house for the first time and trying my darnest not to start bawling.

 

Grandma Boyd painting insides of cabinets, scrubbing appliances, plunging plugged toilets and mentally visualizing rooms in the rental for possible furniture arrangements.

 

The college-like hangover I woke to Wednesday morning (just 1 hour before the U-Haul was to be picked up for our 'big haul').

 

The kids returning from spending 6 days at my parents (which I'll never be able to repay them for) to tell me they actually liked the rental better than the 'old' house.

 

The look on Ross' face when he realized Mike and I decided to keep Kratt at the rental instead of taking him to the country for the summer.

 

Maisie crying for the billionth time 'I'm hunnngrry."  As well as her new haircut from Papa Green that takes Aunt Heather and I back to 1985.

 

Walking into our 'old' house to clean and being overwhelmed by the smell of cat piss leaching in from the old basement walls and being grateful I don't live there anymore.

 

My husband (God bless him) who still amazes me with his strength, attitude, patience and uncanny ability to deal with my ever-changing mental situations.

 

There are many, many more images which I'll store in my heart of hearts as this process unfolds.  In the meantime, I continue to count my blessings and thank the Ingalls for their pioneer perspective on challenges while realizing I'm living more like an Olson than an Ingalls and for that, I have no complaints. 

On the move

We are 90% moved into our rental.  We are exhausted, scratched, scraped, hungry, stinky, overwhelmed and just a little on the pissy side.  Mike just threw the king size mattress out the window and off the roof.  It's been an interesting day.

 

On the plus side.  My babies come home tomorrow.  I'll post more once we get our internet connection going at the 'vacation home'.

 

Sincerely,

Official east side renters.