Sometimes news is just news

Sometimes news is good news.

Sometimes news is bad news.

Sometimes news is just news.

That is what we got on Thursday. The owners of the house we put an offer on accepted our contract. Now before you go and get even a little excited for us, let me tell you what this means. This means that we currently have the best offer and the sellers have sent our offer to their lenders. (Yes, we are dealing with a pre-foreclosure property and yes, they have multiple liens on the house.)

So now it is in the hands of the banks. They could sign the contracts next week. Or they could sit on them for months. There are a hundred different scenarios on how this might resolve. (including a higher offer coming in and out bidding us.)

If it happens, it will be a miracle. If it doesn't we will be no worse of then we are right now.

So say a prayer for us, or just keep your fingers crossed if that is more your style, we'd appreciate all the positive thought we can get. My specific requests are not to loose my mind in the next few weeks/months and to be granted the wisdom to learn patience (something I've never had much of.)

eight inches of the white stuff

Snow! Kevin worked late today so we spent almost an hour and a half outside this morning.

First we had to get Madeline all suited up... check out those bags on her feet! That's right, tights, then bags, then socks, then boots. Her feet were toasty when we came inside.


Of course I put her in a snow suit before we went outside, as well as socks on her hands (thanks maw maw), plus mittens, a hat and a hood. She was toasty.

She helped Kevin shovel the driveway. Click on the photo and you can see just how tiny her shovel is. Hilarious!

At this point she still wasn't sure about the snow. She kept stopping and saying, 'Momma! My boots! My boots icky!' She was totally concerned about getting snow on her shoes. So I plopped her down in the snow. Eventually she got it, that it just wasn't an issue to be snowy!


She played on the porch while Kev finished most of the driveway.


Then she was ready to go sledding.
Madeline was a little upset when Kevin walked down to the hill to check it out without her. She stood there yelling, "Daddy! Sledding!"




Then the neighbors, O and P, got into the action.
Even I got into the spirit and took Madeline down the hill for a ride!
Then we went inside, warmed up with some hot cocoa and some Elmo. What a good snow day!

mg

Sundays

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week. Kevin works, which isn't much fun, but Madeline and I hang out all morning just playing around and sitting around in our "jam-buz." (aka. pajamas) Then when Kev get's home we head off to one of the grandparents houses for dinner. (We alternate every other Sunday with Kevin's parents and my parents.)

I went out to celebrate my friend Anna's birthday on Saturday night and when I got home, this is what was waiting for me.
That's right folks. That is all of our laundry clean and folded. My least favorite chore. My husband ROCKS!. All I had to do was put it away!

Then Madeline played her current favorite game.
She calls it, 'baskets.' She loves lining the laundry baskets up and diving from one to the next. Then she drags her babies with her and pretends they are sleeping in each of the baskets.

Isn't she a cutie?! I was trying to get a photo of her hair after a wild game of 'baskets.' It is standing on end.

If you click on this photo you can see it much better... but she was upset b/c in trying to climb into the dark blue basket it swung up and hit her in the forehead. Isn't that face pathetic. I assure you she is ok.

Once Madeline realized I was taking pictures she wanted her baby in on the action. She picked up baby (who she calls, Maggie or sock-n-mecky* alternately) and said, "baby picture." She loved seeing the two of them on the digital screen.

In this photo she had picked up baby 'le-oo' (baby Leo) and wanted a picture with all three. I made the mistake of asking her to smile. What a face huh? Just wait...

So Kev came home and we headed to dinner at Kev's parents house. Kevin's Grandmother, who Madeline calls GG celebrated her birthday** this week so we had cake and opened presents.

This time I didn't ask her to smile, but someone did. You have to click on that photo to see her face in it's full glory. This photo makes me laugh sooooo hard!

Madeline had hugs...

and kisses for the birthday girl.

Madeline and GG are so wonderfully sweet together. Madeline loves her GG!

***********************

* sock-n-mecky (aka, Scott and Becky) are two of our best friends. They are currently living in Hawaii, where Scott flies a Chinook Helicopter for the Army and Becky works as a speech and langauge pathologist. They were home over the holidays and Madeline fell in love with them. She has been asking for them ever since. (That's right guys, Madeline misses you so much she has named a babydoll after you... when are you coming home again?!?!)

**although Grandma has never owned a computer and may never know I posted these photos on our blog, I know she would be very unhappy with me if I told anyone her age. Let's just say she has lived through both World Wars and as a young woman she took an open cockpit biplane from Florida to CUBA as a day trip while on vacation.

mg

Yet another reason

I love my brother.

Go here and read the comment he (Elliot) left on my last post.

I had forgotten that story. I carried his 'soul' with me for 6 months. I guess that IS why I don't remember being cold. I knew I had family that loved me no matter where I found myself. It is hard to be cold when you are surrounded by so much love.

I missd his high school graduation because I was living overseas. (Which is something that still pains me a bit.) Yet he still loved me enough to send his soul with me. I guess that explains his deviant behavior during his senior year.

Snow Day

We are at home today, because my work was canceled b/c of snow. We are eating warm oatmeal and watching The Street. Oh, I love this show and I love my DVR.

I usually don't mind the snow. Although this is day three of just Maddy and me at home, alone, all day. It is this time of year that I start having serious cabin fever and am dreaming of walks to the park and picnics on the yard. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a warm day to sit outside and soak up the sun. (just wait... in a few weeks it will be 80 degrees and I'll be complaining about the heat.)

Because of the cold weather I've also decided I miss being pregnant/nursing. For the last two winters my body temperature has been higher and I was hardly ever cold. Yesterday I spent almost all day with a heating pad on my feet and a warmed neck pillow on my shoulders. How did I live in Norway? I just don't remember being that cold when I lived there... even though I know it was at least this cold for the first three months I was there. (I think it snowed everyday for the first month I was there.)

mg

silent no more

I'm stressed. I haven't talked about why though. Part of me was unsure about opening up on the blog. Why? Well, I love to vent, but do other people really want to hear about what is causing me to feel like I am moments away from a major panic attach? Especially when it isn't even THAT serious... (my husband still has his job, my family still has their health... I mean really... am I that shallow?) But it is important to me, and it is causing me stress. I have to honor that as long as I also keep it in perspective.

Another part of me is totally superstitious and I think that if I talk about it too much, it may not come true. Yes, the source of my stress is a GOOD thing.

Two weeks ago yesterday, Kevin and I put a contract on a house. And I couldn't be more stressed out about it.

It is in the school district we want, and it is a steal. We love it and can see ourselves very happy for many, many, many years to come. The problem: we are one of multiple contracts on this property, AND it is a home in pre-foreclosure so normal realty time lines don't apply. So we wait... and wait... and wait. We may have no shot at the property at all or we may have the best contract. We simply have NO IDEA!!! I am not good at being patient.

What else is causing me stress? We weren't really looking for a house just yet so our current house is going to take some work to put on the market. (touch up paint, cleaning of closets, removal of clutter and general crap...) So if, and boy is it a big IF, we get the new house we will close in mid-March. That is a very short turn around to get our house on the market and sell. (especially in this economy) Having two homes is not really in our budget.

AND THERE IS MORE! If we don't get the new house, then we don't know if we are going to move at all. But we don't want to wait to long and then scramble to get our current house ready to sell at that last minute. The other houses for sale that meet our criteria aren't really what we are looking for right now. We know the spring busy season is coming, but we had sort of decided to stay in our current house for a few more years. To save money and allow me time to go back to work full time or maybe more part-time then I am now.

So that is why I have to figure out how to clean the inside of my oven. That is why I have bought stock in Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. That is why I have spent all day today cleaning out closets and packing up boxes. And that is why I have been so stressed. Deep down I hope that this new house will be our home. I am already dreaming about where our stuff would go and having a big back yard for Madeline to play in and a deck to relax on. But then I remember that our chances are slim and I don't want to be too disappointed when it doesn't happen.

I will keep you updated. Don't be surprised if I don't have anything to tell you for a while. We could have an answer on Monday, we may not hear anything until the middle of February. Your guess is as good as ours.

Oh the stress!

mg

don't you judge me

I need help. I need to clean my oven and I don't really know how.

(please read the title of this post and insert it here...)

It's not that I've never cleaned my oven. (I have... a couple of times...) It's just that I've never had good results when I did.

Now I need results. I don't want to spray the inside with nasty chemicals that are expensive and smell like they will kill you. I am not afraid of a little elbow grease. I just don't want to use an entire Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and still feel like I have a ton of stuff still stuck.

I've thought about just getting rid of the oven, and buying one that self cleans... but that is cost prohibitive, as well as wasteful. I am not actually that lazy.

I open it to any and all suggestions! Comment on please!

mg

Ending the controversy

Madeline, engrossed in Elmo. That furry red...well, you know what!

So there it is. In all it's glory. Can you believe one little teeny, tiny scratch could cause such a ruckus? I even got an e-mail from my friend Adrienne in Nebraska (Hi Adrienne!) wondering about all the comments about her "injury."

The story: on Monday, my awesome sister in law, Kathy, was over and as she went to pick Madeline up, Maddy tripped and Kathy caught her on the face with a fingernail. Madeline hardly cried and it bled a teeny tiny bit. Since then, some members of my family have made a bigger deal of it than it really is.

Kathy we love you and it is going to be gone by Sunday! Madeline has no clue that she has something on her face. So that is really all that matters!

**********
Fiest was on The Street today! I was so tickled I ran out to the living room to turn the volume up. I totally freaked Madeline out. Totally awesome! Totally on our DVR!!!

mg

One thing

With all of the uncertainty in my life right now (more on that in a later post) I am sure of one thing:

Today has been a huge day in the history of my country. I am hopeful for our future and hopeful that change is on the way. I think hope is what we all need right now, more than anything. With hope, people can see the difference their actions make. People see how they can help others. People see how their lives can be made better.

My only regret for the day, that I didn't shed a tear until Beyonce sang "At Last." I mean really... Beyonce? It was a beautiful moment, and I hope in four years we can all look back on this day and say it was as wonderful as we hoped it would be in that moment.

I also hope that my public speaking students are watching Obama's speeches. We could all learn a thing or two.

What's a plane crash without a little humor.

I am sure you all heard about the plane crash in NYC today. I had the living room TV on as I got Madeline up from her nap. They were showing footage of the plane in the Hutson River.

Madeline: As she walked up to the TV, "Momma, air butt!"

Me: "That's right Madeline."

Madeline: "Momma?" looking at me very confused "Air butt swimming?"

I tried not to fall out of my chair. Honestly, I tried.

mg

Did you know?

Did you know that printers will not print unless they are at room temperature? I didn't until ours gave us an error message that said something like,

"Do you know how cold it is out here on the porch? I am @%#&-ing freezing you @$$hole! I'm not doing your bidding until I am at least at ROOM TEMPERATURE!!! "

To which I replied, "Whoa printer! What's with the toilet mouth?"

Then I checked myself into a clinic for those who talk to their electronic devices.

The End.

Stress

I hate stress and I've had a lot of it today. So I cleaned out our front closet. It helped a little.

I've been on the phone most of the afternoon dealing with, well, stuff. (Maybe at some point I'll get into that...) I've also been without a car since Kevin went to work at 11:30am. The dodge is in the shop for the fourth time in a month. Oh, how I hate stress.

But, I thank my blog friends for putting my stress in to perspective. Fern is going though a tough time. Let's just say 2009 is not being very nice to her. (And 2008 wasn't very kind either.) Hop on over to her blog and send her some love. I think she could use it.

mg

Max

Our friends Mike and Becca had there second baby two months ago. Another in a long line of boyfriends for Ms. Madelou.

My friend Jodie* photographed him yesterday.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves. I can't be blamed if you want a baby (either a first, second or even fifth) after looking at these photos though. Newborn baby's have very powerful magic. They make you forget all about the sleepless nights and crying fits (from the baby and the new mommy... what? that didn't happen to you? Liar.)

*If you want to hire Jodie, which I think you should, go here for her photography website.

mg

Again?

Madeline's favorite book over the holidays was The Sweet Smells of Christmas, by Patricia M. Scarry and J.P. Miller.

It's a scratch and sniff book... that is why she has it so close to her face.

She would read it with Kevin, then bring it to me, then take it back to Kevin. At least she was spreading the task around!

Please ignore my sweats and house shoes. Not to mention the laundry on the dining room table. Those are not normally for public eyes...

mg

Hold on to what we got

I just heard this song while folding laundry. I was instantly transported to a grimy roller rink, gliding counter-clockwise, holding hands with a girl-friend, and singing at the top of our lungs. I can even smell the unique combination of floor wax, smoke, leather and chewing gum that permeated the rink.

Oh the memories.

The day after Christmas

On December 26th every year, as long as I can remember my family has celebrated the holidays, and one very special birthday the day after Christmas. We head to our family friends house to celebrate Cheryl's birthday, eat dinner and play "Yankee Swap". (more on YS later...)

This tradition started more than 15 years ago. For most of her life, Cheryl's birthday was all but ignored. Can you imagine not getting a birthday gift b/c, "you just got a ton of presents yesterday!" So as an adult, Cheryl began throwing herself her own birthday celebration. Rightfully so I might add!

As part of the celebration we play Yankee Swap. It is a White Elephant or rob your neighbor type of game. We take turns choosing a present, unwrap it, and then if you don't like it you can swap it with another persons gift. It can get pretty funny. And there are gifts, like an over the hill bra or a Rudolph lawn ornament, that have been passed along every year, for many, many years.

This year, however, because Madeline had been sick, and we hadn't spent a night at home in what seemed like weeks, we opted out of the celebration. Although we missed our friends, we think a "holiday elf" made sure we were still part of the fun.

As Kevin was turning out the front lights on the 26th, he noticed this sweet little "love bird" on our porch.

Although I am not 100% sure that the "elf" is a blog reader, I am pretty confident that s/he (they) is (are). So, just know, we will be back to the celebration next year. And the love birds are coming too.

mg

Worlds best

Bed Head

Isn't this the worlds cutest case of bed head EVER?!?!? Oh, how I want to eat* those cheeks up!!!

Its time for Celebrity look-a-likes, Madeline Edition!

Her hair totally reminds me of this:

Or maybe this:
You tell me.

*What is it about parent hood that turns you into a totally weirdo? Are there hormones released during birth, or was I crazy to start?

mg

Conversations

Last night:

Kevin: When is Madeline going to bed?
Me: Not soon enough.

That doesn't make me a bad parent, right?

mg

20 month olds say the darnedest things

Last week I was getting ready to serve lunch when Madeline marched up to me. She asked for some yummy nummies (aka, food) so I told her I was cooking.

So she marched over to the mircrowave, pointed at it and said, "Mommy cooking."

I guess I am not going to be winning the Martha Stewart award for best home cooking. That is unless they have a microwave category.

**********

Madeline is a super genius.* How do I know this? Yesterday I picked up her water from the floor and set it on the coffee table. A few minutes later Madeline said, as clear as day, "Momma, where my water go?"

I about died. A 20 month old, with a five word sentence. FIVE words! Impressed yet?

*please read this with a sense of humor and a large grain of salt!

**********

Madeline loves Little People. She has a ba-gillion of them. (Ok, more like 30.) She calls them her "guys." One of her favorite activities is to count them. We dump them on the floor and then count them as we put them in a large bowl. About three weeks ago I was in the kitchen and she was making a lot of noise in the living room. When I walked in the room and asked her what she was doing she had the Little People in the bowl and was using a wooden spoon to stir them. Her reply,

"Guy cooking."

Is this another reason to be concerned?


mg

technical difficulties

Sorry to anyone who uses a reader to view our blog. I had some technical difficulties making my previous post look the way I wanted it to, so your reader may not show all the text. Click here to go to our blog page and check it out in all its glory!

2008

So I feel compelled to do a year in review post. I am jumping on the bandwagon and bending to the peer pressure.

January found us at home. All month. Inside. Cold. I think that about sums it up.

In Febuary we were still inside. We did recruit some friends to come keep us company. Maddy had Frog. Mommy had Netfix.

March gave us some of the most beautiful snow in years. Madeline spent hours looking out the door at the white stuff.

April is when we discovered swings. Little did we know this one day at the park would lead to hours of swinging over the next four months!

May brought Madeline her first revolution around the sun. We celebrated with cake and a blood draw.

Madeline spent most of June upside down or in the pool.

July was full of late nights hanging with our very missed friends visiting from Hawaii. We also spent a lot of time with our new friends too.

August was the month of peaches and glorious days outdoors. We miss August. We miss peaches. We miss days outdoors.

In September I ruined the television show, Extreme Make Over Home Edition, for many of my readers. We FINALLY watched the show today. It was a tear jerker, but I am much more of a cynic now that I have seen the process.

In October we got a new lawn decoration. It didn't want to stand still.

November was full of cozy days at home and Indian summer days at the park.

And finally, December. December gave us one of the best Christmas' in my memory. Seeing the magic of the holiday for Madeline is amazing.

Looking back, not a lot happened to us this year. Except that Madeline grew, a lot. Can you believe how much she has changed!?!?!?! 2008, you have been a very calm and peaceful year. Thank you.

Now on to 2009.

mg