We made it!

Here is a picture of the kids in the back a few hours before we arrived. Don't they look happy? Especially Bucky (who played the part of a footrest for most of the trip).

Okay, we actually made it a few days ago. But, I'm buried in boxes so I didn't quite get to this as fast as I should have.

Once we have things more completely unpacked, I'll take some pictures of our new home. It's pretty nice and a lot bigger than I'd expected for some reason. Once we get the kids registered for school and into a schedule, I'm sure I'll feel less like I'm totally nuts.

On the road again...

It's like the song, only I really can wait.

So, we left Georgia yesterday. Sigh....

We picked up Todd from the airport in Atlanta. For those who've never had the pleasure of picking someone up from Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, it's sort of like driving through some kind of deranged driving course full of elderly and student drivers (who may be legally blind) with a mix of shuttle bus drivers who can only believe that their performance is part of some outreach program for Nascar racing.

Not even out of the neighborhood, Julia was was already giving me advice: "Mom, don't hit any deer this time." We only saw one, and Todd was driving by then...

We got through Tennessee unscathed (Tennessee luckily decimated Georgia, or we'd probably have been pulled over for spite! Sorry to all our Georgia friends, but that score was NOT pretty!) We got into Kentucky, at which point Matthew was continually asking when we were getting to New York City. He thinks we're moving to NYC.

So, we're back on the road again in a few hours. Hopefully, it's fairly uneventful!

Fun with Oreos

Lesson Number 438: Never leave a 5 year old boy to his own devices when there is a nearly full container of Oreos that he will only eat the filling out of within his sphere of influence. Does anyone want an Oreo shells???

I have a witness to this one - Tandy Blaylock. I guess I could use the spare chocolate wafer shells to make some kind of crust????

It's finally over!

Yes, we closed. I'm in shock that it's finally over - nearly 6 months to the day that we started. There are almost no "regular" houses selling now - it's nearly all quick sales, short sales, and foreclosures. So, we should feel lucky. I try to convince myself that we are lucky. Actually, I do feel better. But, it wasn't all so easy. We moved out, cleaned the house, and it was perfect (the total opposite of what we moved into 2 1/2 years ago). But, sadly, we had not learned enough lessons with selling homes and were due another one. See, we had all that flooding in the county, and we were so lucky not to have any flooding, right? Apparently, the flooding fairy decided to seek her revenge in another way. Our washer water connection (which was not completely off) dripped enough to obliterate part of the powder room ceiling below it. This is the scenario of events leading to the discovery: (1) I walked in the house the day we were letting the new buyers move in (our closing was held up, and this is not a joke, because of flood re-certification) (2)I looked in the bathroom and noticed water on the floor. (3) I looked up. (4) Some time later, when I regained consciousness after what was either a fugue state or some kind of mental breakdown, I realized that water on the ceiling must come from above the ceiling and thought, "Ohhh *$&%!!! The water line busted on something!" and ran upstairs half-expecting to find the whole 2nd floor flooded (yes, I freaked out big time). (5) To my relief, shock, and then confusion there is no obvious water leak. Huh???? As I look closer, I see a little drip-drip-drip coming out of the faucets. (6) ARGHHHHH!!! (7) I tightened down the faucets, plugged up the spigots, and ran in the basement to check for water. (8) There was none so I was fairly confident that it was only the drip and not a pipe. (9) I called Todd and began babbling incoherently and basically freaking out. (10) The new buyers showed up ...and, I have to tell them their new house that was perfect has a water leak when we've never had a water leak ever. Well, except for when the water heater exploded right after we moved in but that doesn't really count. They were really understanding about it, but we will be paying to fix it...sigh.

SO, for those moving ever, always make sure your water really is off and don't trust your movers to give a rip about anything they do in or to your house. There are some good movers (like are super-awesome movers Chuck and Charlie from our last move), but there are also bad ones. Be warned

Does anyone know tax law about claiming a loss on the investment (upgrades) put into a house???? If you do, give us a call. Please. Pretty please. We did have rent for one day, so maybe we can work that to our advantage!?!? Yes, I'm truly nuts now.

Rain, Rain Go AWAY already!

Okay, I was sort of joking when I said that we'd be getting rain every day until we move. That's unfortunately not an exaggeration. We've had rain every day for the past straight week. Did you know they can close school for rain? I thought that only happened in California. There are areas of metro Atlanta that had 8-10 inches of rain SINCE MIDNIGHT! Our total is less than that, but I think the last I heard we'd had almost 4 inches. And, as of this afternoon, we are getting hit with storm after storm. There are lulls, and then it's as if a big bucket is just DUMPED over us for about an hour straight.

I am adding a video of my fun afternoon drive (I had to get home when they closed Middle schools 3 hours early and didn't tell us until after they were on their way home) and a few neighborhood pictures near the pool. The beginning of the video has a river of runoff that was flowing into the street (over grass, not over a sidewalk - it was like that everywhere!) The waterfall from a few days ago is also currently roaring away...

Luckily, there are no hurricanes on the way :) And, even better news, our moving guy said it'll only take one day to pack and one day to move instead of two days to pack. And, for now, it is supposed to be sunny both of those days.

New school pics

Here are the latest school pictures. Matthew could have smiled a little more, but at least he kept his clothes on and isn't sticking his tongue out!

Waterfalls

So, we have had some rain today. We've had a drought for so long that any rain is usually cause for celebration. Unfortunately, when we DO get rain we often get a month's worth in a span of hours. Literally, it's like buckets of rain are being dumped from the sky. When this happens, we get "the waterfall". Actually, we get several, but this one is the coolest...

Pictures

We have lots of pictures to add today. We have weird boys, parades, soccer games, and some very "random" shots ("random" is the new "cool"...or something like that). And, as promised, we have the disgusting toe.

Things you don't expect a kids to say when they break a bone...

"I broke my toe! It's awesome. Well, it doesn't feel awesome, but it's so cool. But, it doesn't look cool, it's disgusting."

Yes, it was Julia. She's claiming the status of 4th person in the family to break something (Todd broke an arm and finger, Amanda her arm, Matthew his head, and now she has joined the elite group by most likely breaking her toe). I hold the record for appendectomies, while Matthew has the record for surgeries. Allison has the record for most times falling down. Bucky holds the record for greatest number of failed attempts at catching squirrels. Do you see a trend? Yes, we're pretty boring (or just easily entertained).


Pictures of the disgusting toe will most certainly follow...

New bug to fear in Georgia

So, palmetto bugs and cicadas and bald-faced hornets just weren't enough. Now, we have "Cicada Killers". Julia (our resident bug torturer/collector) found one with friend Taylor. Described as having a, "fat butt, and it's disgusting" the cicada killer apparently (as the name indicates) kills cicadas. It could also be called, "The bug that freaks everyone out." Euuuwwww......

(Incidentally, this is a picture from the internet - as if I would go near one of these let alone HOLD 5 of them!)

The Story of Jorden

(I found this while cleaning out a drawer...)

Jorden

Jorden was a bumblebee that died. So, I put him in a grave. When we first found him, he couldn't fly. Then, another bumblebee atackt him. Then the next day he was died. But, he was a great bee to have.

by Allison

A New Way to Loose Teeth...by Allison Linskey

Lesson #437: When you are such a wimp that you cannot actually pull out your own loose tooth with your fingers, look no further than the bathroom drawer for a handy pair of fingernail clippers. They grip that tooth like a vise and will rip that baby right out! Also, FYI, tweezers are TOTALLY ineffective for pulling teeth.

Yes, Allison had decided that she needed some additional help in pulling out her loose bottom tooth that has been at a 90 degree angle sticking out of her mouth for the past two weeks. Quite a look, let me tell you. So, she is in the bathroom looking for tweezers. She asks if she can use them to try to pull out her tooth. Awww, what the heck - why not? They were clean, so I said she could. Well, she tries and tries but can't quite grip that tooth. So, I jokingly say, "Try the fingernail clippers." I should know better than to joke - they always take me seriously (they all need a sarcasm sign). SO, she goes for the clippers, grabs the tooth, and launches it into the sink (where I stopped it from going down the drain). She was SO proud of her accomplishment, and we now have yet another way to remove teeth. This method now joins our previous successful methods of using your loose tooth to open an orange juice container, falling flat on your face on concrete, and getting elbowed in the mouth by your sister.

It's official: Hell has frozen over

Yes, we are under contract!!!

Keep your fingers crossed that the appraisal and inspection go well. We're not worried, but who they heck knows what will happen in this market.

And, I really hope strange people can now quit driving by taking pictures of my house!!! Seriously, someone did that Wednesday. It's happened before, but it's still creepy. And, I can't wait for people to stop coming into my house too. 12 more days and we're past due diligence ...

Quote of the day

While playing Wii Lego Indiana Jones, the following quote was overheard:

"Dad, you need to be a girl!"

Apparently, you can change your game avatar to various people from the first three Indiana Jones movies. The "girl" will attack things by (and I'm not making this up) screaming at them. If she screams at them, they fall apart. We're not quite sure why Matthew believed Dad needed to be the girl other than he maybe felt it was unfair for both of them to be "Minmiana Jones" (this is how he pronounces it). He also applauded dad's efforts by constantly telling him to "drop out" because he was screwing up. This is actually better than what he usually does if you, as his partner, screw up. Normally, he just kills you.

Still another thing I never thought I'd say...

The list continues. Today, I said the following to Matthew:

"DON'T GLUE STUFF ON THE WALL!"

Matthew had been drawing on post-its. They are, as most people know, self-adhesive. Matthew either did not know this or determined that the post-it adhesive was somehow unreliable. He decided (for some reason known only to him) that he needed to put a post-it on the family room wall. First, he decided tape was needed. He came over and asked me for tape. I said we didn't have any (that's a lie, but he usually finds a way to use up a whole roll of tape anytime he gets a hold of one so I've learned not to give him any). He goes over to the desk and looks around anyway (probably because he knows I'm lying). I was unaware that in his search for tape he instead found ...a gluestick. He disappears around the corner. I then hear an odd rubbing sound, then a patting sound, then a way-too-satisfied, "There!" I come around the corner and he has applied a liberal amount of purple gluestick to the wall (2'x3') to put up one 3"x3" post-it. I shake my head and say the above quote and realize how odd it really does sound. It cleans up fine (when you catch it fast).

It really makes me wonder what happens in his kindergarten class when he does this at home. I can only imagine the quotes and stories those teachers must have...

Life Cycle of a Newly Minted Kindergartener

6:00-6:30am - Awaken excited. Dress fairly fast. Brush teeth and sink (don't ask).

6:30-7:00am - Eat, run around in circles, tackle dog, try repeatedly to turn on TV

7:00-7:05am - Walk, skip, leap, occasionally trip and fall on way to bus stop

7:05-7:10am - Show everyone lunchbox ...whether or not they want to see it.

7:11 am - Board bus

7:12am - 2:44pm - ?????????? (I'm sure it was fun)

2:45 pm - Disembark from bus, slightly sweaty, still quite excited

2:50pm - Arrive home, throw backpack, run to Wii and turn on Lego Star Wars

2:51-4:00pm -

Scream at sisters about how "a force is not with you" and have sisters scream back, "Stop killing me Matthew!" Inform mom, "Sorry mom, a force is not with you."

4:01pm - Demand spaghetti. Now.

4:02pm - Apologize to mom for being sassy.

4:03pm - Ask nicely for spaghetti.

4:05pm - Inhale spaghetti, try to return to Lego Star Wars...which is somehow now missing.

4:06 - ??? pm - Cry pathetically to emphasize displeasure at the interruption of game

5:15-6:45 pm - Go to pool and play, jump, splash, and burn lots of energy.

6:50 pm - Arrive home

6:51-7:00 pm - Run around naked

7:00-7:10 pm - Start shower; use entire bottle of shampoo. Again.

7:10-7:30 pm - Finish showering (aka - flooding the bathroom) and put on PJs

7:31-7:59 - Eat ice cream, resume search for Lego Star Wars

8:00pm - Pass out in mom's bed after being upset that Lego Star Wars is still mysteriously missing...

First Day of School 2009

The kids were excited to start school today. Not so excited to get up, but that's to be expected.

Matthew was happy, grinning, goofy, and wanted to hold my hand instead of pulling away and complaining. He showed everyone his new Transformers lunchbox. Those who didn't heed his call were poked and forced to look at the Transformers lunchbox until they were appropriately amazed.

There were 15 kids at the bus stop today. That is probably double the number that will be riding the bus the rest of the year... Notice also how many girls there are. We found out yesterday that there may be 3 more sisters joining the school in a week. So, that will officially make the the neighborhood odds roughly 14 to 4 in favor of the girls. If you added youngsters not in school yet, you'd have to bring that up to 23 to 5 (including 3 sets of twin girls). Seriously, there's something in the water here that makes more girls.

Quote of the day: Allison and Julia saw the moon still out as we were walking to the bus stop and told Matthew, "Look, there's the moon." Matthew looks up and says, "Yeah, but he's not my friend."

Super cool insects

Julia was in heaven. Not only does Mr. Paul have hornets, he has a whole hornet NEST in the bushes in his front yard. They are, according to Mr. Paul's research, bald-faced hornets. Now, anyone who knows me knows I like flying insects about as much as I like peanut butter. I probably would rather eat peanut butter than be near a potentially stinging/biting insect. The obvious difference between the two is that I don't run away from peanut butter screaming like a little girl and occasionally falling down or running into stuff. So, for me to get close enough to take these pictures is a big step in my recovery from my complete-freaking-out-over-potentially biting/stinging-insects disease.

Julia, who in the insect world is known as "the kid who plays with us until we die, or scares us so bad we wish we'd die", tried to get closer and closer to the nest. Mr. Paul observantly pointed out that there could be several hundred hornets in the nest. Making them mad could bring them all out. This would probably be bad and would totally derail any progress I would have ever made in my insect-tolerance. It could also keep Julia from thinking insects were cool ever again.

I actually just looked it up and they are not true hornets. They are actually from the wasp family, or more specifically yellow jackets. Hmmmm....I also just read that they very aggressively protect their hive and will go for the facial area when they attack (how did they know that's my worst nightmare!?!) I don't think I will be taking any more pictures....

Haircut Day

It's official - Julia and Allison both had their hair brushed today. They got haircuts. I took pictures as proof...

Interesting Global Warming Policy video

Below is a link to a 40 minute video talking about global warming policies. If you have 40 minutes to watch American Idol (or any "reality" show for that matter), you can watch this:

http://blog.heritage.org/2009/07/28/why-global-warming-policies-are-more-dangerous-than-global-warming-itself/