Lame Duck

My replacement started in the office today.

This is just another milestone in a series that is inevitably marching us out of Illinois. We sold the house, we signed a lease, now I am irrevocably going to be out of this job.

The realization that this is the result of my own choices does not make this easy. I keep telling the new girl how lucky she is.

I am serving for the last time in our church on Sunday.

We are scheduling "last" dinner dates and BBQs with friends.

Everywhere I turn, I am a lame duck. And that sounds kind of sad, but it isn't really. We have known about this move for 5 months now. I spent the first 4 bitter, angry and generally moody. Now that we are almost at launch, I have finally stopped throwing pity parties for myself and started looking forward to the next step.

Elspeth likes to tell me, "we will have a lot of good adventure in Arizona Mommy." and I am beginning to think she is right.

That kid is something else.

What are the signs?

This is Elspeth's favorite street sign. She really wants it to be my favorite sign too, but I am not ready to commit. Picking your favorite street sign is harder than you might think.

Random thoughts on a rainy day

In honor of Addie's 2nd birthday . . .


I haven't been able to post pictures lately, because I don't have any on my computer (they are on Jeremy's). My cousin snapped this shot of Addie getting her groove on at a July 4th Wedding reception. The girls danced until Ella got blisters. They thought it was the greatest party ever.

Here is a random shot from the living room in my future home into the dining room/hallway. The couch is in the dining room. The paint looks exactly like a color I would pick. I guess that is why my husband chose this place, he could see me there.

Last night I had to scrub the tub before I threw the girls in it. My girls love to help me clean and they crowded around as I went to town with the Scrubbing bubbles. Ella was in chatter mode, and it went like this:

E: Mommy, we like to clean
Me: Yes, a clean home is nice
E: Some people are good at cleaning and some people are not good at cleaning
Me: Yes, that is true
E: We are good at cleaning. (pause) But the Jacksons are better at it.

*sigh*

From the files of truth hurts. :)

Altered Reality

If you are considering inviting a family of 4 to come live with you any time soon, you should know this: Previous to our arrival, the Jacksons only hired a plumber to do things like, put in a new bathroom.

Fast forward to 5 weeks after our arrival, while playing house yesterday. Instead of who will be the mommy or the daddy, the Jackson children were deciding who would be the plumber.

That best portion of a good man's life; His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. --William Wordsworth

Not Enough Coffee

7:11 p.m. Arrived in MI, Mom and Dad have dinner waiting at hotel. Kids refuse to eat it. This is going to be fun

9:05 p.m. Put kids to bed, this should work, they are tired and it is about bedtime, our time.

9:30 pm. Jeremy goes into room and works his "daddy magic" kids actually go to sleep.

11:00 p.m. - We say goodnight to my parents and sneak into the room, our kids are now fast asleep.

12:00 a.m. - Jeremy and I exchange a look, we realize neither of us is going to sleep.

4:30 a.m. - Still restless, we see the turtle stars on the ceiling, a good sign that Ella is not asleep in the next bed.

5:30 a.m. - I give up and sneak into the bathroom. I plan to escape to the lobby. Ella sits up, I whisper that, if she is quiet, she can go with me. I am shocked, she IS quiet.

5:35 a.m. - the desk clerk informs me that breakfast ISN'T open yet. Seriously, it makes a big difference if I wait 20 minutes to take that stale muffin. I don't care, we didn't come out for the food. I take coffee and dare her to comment.

5:45 a.m. - Ella and I step outside the door to get some brochures to play with. We get locked out, the desk clerk gives me a look that would make a lesser woman cry when I ring the bell for re-entry.

5:50 a.m. - Elspeth spills her cup of water all over her chair, the desk clerk doesn't seem to notice, I swap out Ella's chair for an empty one by the front desk.

5:55 a.m. - Jeremy, my knight with DVD player, arrives and turns on the entertainment.

6:10 a.m. - Ella realizes there are donuts available for consumption. The sugar fest starts.

6:15 a.m. - The desk clerk notices the wet chair. I try to look innocent.

6:17 a.m. - batteries die on DVD player. Daddy turns to the Internet for additional solutions.

6:30 a.m. - We are exhausted, and Ella is bored. I'm glad the monitor works to the lobby, and am grateful that one member of our family is getting a good night's sleep.

7:00 a.m. - Jeremy and Ell head off to Wal-Mart to waste time. Jeremy doesn't have his phone, so I give him mine.

7:17 a.m. - Bored. Dana is online but inactive. I start sending her IMs to annoy her when she comes near her computer. Get Packed. Get Packed. Get Packed. I know she will be late, but I am hoping for a miracle.

7:20 a.m. - I remember that I didn't pack the flags we got for the girls and their cousins. They will be crushed. Didn't my sister say I could email a text message? I google email text message, and it seems ridiculously easy. Too easy, so I try it. "Forgot flags. Get more."

Just now - amazing husband replies "u betcha" so I know my text is successful. Thinking of crawling back into bed with Addie. This is going to be a long day.

I love vacation. Happy 4th of July.

7 Things

7 Things I hope I forget:
1 - Never being rested when my kids were young
2 - The squishy feeling you get when your child vomits down your shirt
3 - The smell when your child vomits down your shirt
4 - Arguing 400 points a day, no matter how trivial (I don't know WHY clocks can't eat pizza, but I am still SURE that they can not eat pizza)
5 - The way my shoulders tense when I know a 4 year old is about to say "I want something else." at dinner
6 - My daughter's phase of announcing every house she goes into as "not clean"
7 - How much I miss them (Jeremy and the kids) when they are away


7 Things I hope I never forget:
1 - Elspeth spontaneously praying that God would make me a new fork when I broke my plastic fork at lunch yesterday.
2 - The way Addie's arms feel when she wraps them around my legs for a quick hug
3 - Silly car games the kids make up, like "over the train track", "under the car bridge", "what do you want to say to the clock", and my FAVORITE, "Things that scare Mommy"
4 - Elspeth announcing that she grew a hug for me over her nap, and that it is bigger than I am
5 - The way they feel in your arms
6 - The unnatural happiness when I hear Addie say "Hi Mommy, I love you" over the phone
7 - How excited they get to learn new things, like why a skunk "stinks you" or about "rattletail" snakes.

The Joys of House Hunting(Warning Blatant Venting)

Actual Listing Description:

Geourgous 4bd 2Ba Home single level, spilt floor plan master suite has large master bathrooms with double sinks and french doors that leads to the back patio/yard All New Dual pain Windows all thougout the home, all appliances stays including new washer and dryer large barkyard also a small doggie door

The dog is excited about a "barkyard" but I think it sounds noisy. Although I am not sure we would ever open the windows, if it is really a "pain." And what is a "georgous" home? Is that good, cause it kind of sounds like it involves someone named George, and I don't know if we like George. Maybe George is responsible for the "spilt" floor plan, my girls would be happy to take over that responsibility.

I know that spelling is not my strength either. I am sure I will never get desert vs. dessert correct which will be embarrassing more than once while living in the desert(for the record, I got this one right, but I did have to go to the dictionary to double check my facts). However, I think if your livelihood is involved, spell checker might be merited.

I actually asked one realtor to check her facts twice when she told me that a house didn't include a washer/dryer. She sounded a bit angry that I thought it should, and helpfully pointed out that I would have to pay a lot more if I wanted a washer/dryer included. After the second try at information failed, I suggested that maybe her listing was the cause of my confusion, and putting in false information (i.e. saying that it included a washer/dyer) didn't lead to any confidence that the rest of the listing was true. It was then that she ACTUALLY decided to check her facts, and recanted (not politely) that it did have washer/dyer.

That ship has sailed. I only replied the last time to "helpfully" point out to you that your own listing was causing my confusion. Maybe you should have looked at that the first time before you suggested I was stupid for thinking I could get a washer out of you (OK, that was a shameless venting, but it felt good).

Since I am so helpful, I actually thanked a realtor for her colorful listings. I was serious. I have sorted through hundreds at this point, and I am tired of step saver kitchens (which I am fairly certain is realtor for "really small"), must see properties, and this one won't last (even though it has been on the market for months already).

I have had several people comment that I have been kind of quiet online these days. This is why. All my online time is in search of the perfect home. I don't know why I am stressing, Ella looked at pictures of one house and decided that is where we should live. She doesn't care. She just wants a place to call home that involves cacti.

Oh yeah. She thought our last house was paradise. Maybe I am over-thinking this.

Have I mentioned that I hate moving?