Holy Guacamole

Did you know? Nathan LOVES Guacamole! I thought I would get a sour face out of him when I gave him the spoon to try it but he ate it up and signed for "more". And more and more. He's got a spice palate just like his mama. He's also enjoying watermelon. Truck sent us home from NY with a big watermelon we are all enjoying. Thanks Truck!

Our NY trip went well and fast, as usual. We were very busy seeing grandparents and great grandparents! We also got to meet Liza & Danny's little one, CC. What a cutie. And so tiny at only six weeks or so. Oh how fast they grow! We also got to congratulate Christine Roberts who is tying the knot this year. And of course Tim & Jen! They told us last week they too are getting hitched. Another Jen Kepler. Can the world handle two?! We got to give hugs to parents-to-be Greg and Danielle too. There are many babies and weddings happening in the family. We are so blessed to have so much to celebrate.

Other events in NY: a Mets game (with a long rain delay - cool to see Citi Field Though). Dinner with the family including the Martins (see Nathan walking across the table). Seeing my Arbonne friend Christie who was visiting NY for the first time from MO.

The event we planned this particular trip around was a birthday party. Though my Dad turned 60 in January, we decided to throw him a surprise now. One word: Clueless. The excuse for the tent, food, drink and extra chores on his part was a party for his niece's graduation. Seeing as he was only expecting a bunch of teenage girls, and it wasn't his party, Dad was hard to keep track of. My Dad is a wanderer. He is off to the store, then the dump, then someone's house, then at the river. You never know where he's going to be. Try surprising a guy like that! When it came down to the time when people were arriving and gathering in the living room, it was only a few minutes after Dad finally got home and was forced to take a shower. When he came down stairs all clean and ready for someone else's party he didn't immediately get that it was all actually for him. His brother from Colorado emerged from the crowd, we sang happy birthday and it all started to click. Gotcha! Tons of family was there, the food was great and the weather behaved.

Nathan had a ball running around the yard during the party. He was filthy at the end of the day, exhausted and simply didn't want to miss a thing. It's hard to be the center of attention all day long! As you know, he loves to dance. So when Uncle Matt got his Sax out and played for everyone, Nathan got right out there in front of him and danced his little heart out. He's too cute. I'll have to get that video from my Dad to show you all (the Flip video camera is awesome!). The two complimented each other and were perfect family entertainment.

Since we are just hanging out all day, we also had some friends come by. Geraldine and Keiran brought little Liam by (4 months old -the dimples on that kid!). Joanne was ready to steal him away. He was very happy in her arms. Kristin and Eric brought Aiden over (1 year old - Nathan and Aiden would get along very well I think). Later in the day Mario came over too. This was like a play date for Leo - those two could cause some trouble!

I was sad to leave the day after the party. It was a beautiful day, the Martin's pool was open and everyone was just hanging around. Oh how I would have loved to chill by the pool! Next time perhaps. There will be many next times this year as there are many good things to go back and celebrate. I could really use a high-speed train going up the East Coast, or a hover car, or better yet, a teleporting device. Somebody, let me know when we can appear there in the blink of an eye. I just want to have both NY and NC at once!

As much as I hate to leave, it is also wonderful to be home. Monday was a day of catch up but also relaxing since it was a holiday. Nathan and I went to the pool for the first time this year. He loved it! This week has flown by and now we are looking at a weekend of possible productivity. I'm thinking about hanging the rest of our pictures and tackling another bigger project (clearing the yard or painting the bathroom?), as well as plans for the rest of summer. A beach trip or two is in order and we are both itching to get to Vegas soon. So much we want to do. In the meantime, we are here and waiting for visitors. Leo and I were just saying how even though this place feels more complete everyday, we really need our friends and family over to make it feel like home. I guess a party is in order. Reservations at the Trendler Palace are available. Call now for details.

Nate's Room & Packing

Nathan's room is complete. Cute, isn't it? I was able to save what I used the first time from the other house. And now it's even better.

Today the boy is 14 months. Wow! I feel like I should pick another place to do monthly (or quarterly) pics as he grows. It's fun to have a reference point to compare to. Suggestions?

We are excited and getting ready for NY. Nathan's all packed and ready to go!

Vampires, Kids TV and Pictures

At our old place, we were fortunate enough to have neighbors with kids all around us. In our new place, it seems we have the same thing going on. The three houses across from us seem to house kids of various ages. We see them going in and out and have said hi to at least one family. The people next door are middle aged and have three dogs. Behind us is only woods and I've already met the neighbors that reside there (AKA snakes). But on the other side of us we have never seen the people that live there. We know the house is not empty as there is outdoor furniture on their deck and people come to cut their lawn. But we haven't seen a person or even a light from that place. We figured maybe they are on vacation or something. But Leo mentioned he heard the AC kicking on. Why would it go on regularly if no one is home? And we also saw the garbage cans going in and out when they are supposed to, mysteriously. Who did it? Discussing this the other night, I figured it out. It's vampires. We have vamps living next door. Let's review: they don't leave the house during the day, the blinds are shut all the time, they have the air on to keep their blood supply (food) cool and they have to dispose of their trash still somehow, right? It could also be that they work at night and sleep during the day, or they really are on vacation and have people take care of stuff for them . . . . but I like my theory much better.

When I'm not spying our mythical neighbors, I'm usually watching kids television shows. (What kind of person have I become?!) My favorite a few months ago was Sid the Science kid. This kid, Sid, is super curious and asks all sorts of questions that lead to discussions and experiments at school. It's questioning, learning and a lot of silly songs I have come to love. And Sid and his friends are all living in the awesome computer graphical world of "cartoons" that I LOVE. My other more recent favorite is Word Girl. This regular girl Becky, fights crime as Word Girl with her monkey Bob (AKA Captain Huggie Face). She has to stop the evil doings of the likes of Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy and The Guy With Two Brains (while using big words of course). It is sarcastic and ridiculous and Captain Huggie Face does his little monkey dance at the end of each episode. Who wouldn't love this show? It may not be the most educational but it's perfect for parents who would rather not be awake at 7am. It eases you into the day much easier. Shows I'm not a fan of: Yo Gabba Gabba. I don't get it. Martha Speaks - annoying opening song and I don't like the animation. Barney. Why do kids love this big purple moron? There are so many channels and shows we could be busy trying them all out for years. Side note: we don 't spend too much time pared in front of the boob tube. But it is a nice transition into the day and a great way to entertain Nathan while mommy catches up on blogging. On TV right now: Good old Sesame Street. Bert & Ernie are now in claymation but have the same silly songs and laughs.

Tomorrow morning I do not have wake up to kids TV. (That doesn't mean I won't take a peek to see what Big Bird is up to.) Nathan will be spending the night with Grandpa Ed and Gigi. Tonight I will be finishing the painting I have in mind for Nathan's room so I can complete it and count another room DONE. Pictures to come.

Speaking of, I updated our Picasa Web with many pictures from the last few months. I was falling behind but we are getting caught up on all sorts of things now. I included pictures from last night when Kerri, Rob and Cousin Logan came over for dinner. Nathan and Logan playing was great as they are both getting big enough to actually play and enjoy the company of one another. See pics. ENJOY!

Breathe

I can enjoy breathing now. So much is coming together and it feels great! I even have some pictures out. Oh how I missed the pictures! Being unpacked and having the space to really go through all these boxes had been an eye opener for me. I have been able to see all my stuff. I have this to say to the world - do not give me candles, flower vases or kokopelli items! Where did they all come from?! (I do love Kokopelli - obviously - but that little guy is threatening to take over.) That and #2 pencils. I don't even know if I have a pencil sharpener! Why I have two unopened packs I don't know. I also have an abundance of baskets and boxes. But seeing as they are functional I won't complain about that. They have been used and reused all over the house already.

I also have something to say about our Master Closet. Wow. I fit everything in there and we still have room. I'm talking winter, spring, summer and fall. And no, I'm not looking to fill it with more stuff (well, new clothes are exciting but I will continue to purge first, then shop). Even though we have more room for everything I do not want to pack it all in with more. I hope we can continue to live with some spaciousness and with what we need - not junk that takes up space. I want to love our house, not feel overwhelmed by it. So far so good.

Next on the agenda - our New York trip. We will be going up next week for a few days to be with the fam. We will have 4 full days plus the travel days but somehow it still feels like it will be a short trip. There is always so much visiting I want to do. I can't wait to see the sibs and give my brother and SIL a big "I can't believe you're going to be parents" hug!

New House Accomplishments

It's been about two weeks and it is starting to feel like home. Slowly but surley. I was sick for a good week. But now I am feling so much better and ready to get things done. In terms of accomplishments I completed the front bathroom. It was an easy room to tackle since it is, by far the smallest. Actually, it may literally be smaller than every other space, including most closets! I happen to have a bunch of stuff to complete it quickly too so it is the first to find itself DONE! The rest will be a long work in progress of course. But we have made strides.

Our new kitchen is fabulous. Lots of counter space, tons of cabinets and a whole lot of potential. The first thing to tackle was adding knobs and pulls on the cabinets and drawers. This was a pretty simple thing that made the kitchen look awesome (and oh so much more functional! How did they deal without them?). You can see the pic - Leo is making a new batch of beer. Also new in the kitchen are the doors on the pantry. And it comes with a story.

The double doors on the pantry had marking on the inside for people who lived here last. We could see how their two kids grew in the last few years. And even the very last markings when they moved. It made me so sad to look at it - they really loved this house! The husband asked if we minded if he actually took the door and replaced it with a a new one. I was more than happy with that arrangement. I was more than happy to learn he was able to give her the door for Mothers Day and it really did make her day. When he came to put on the new door today we went ahead and continued the tradition. We marked Nathan's first measurement of height in our new house. Perhaps this will be a tradition with all our visitors from now on!

Next project? The rest of the garage. We are very close to emptying it so that we can park there. I haven't parked in a garage since . . . January?! Can't wait. Then I think we will make the extra bedroom kid-friendly for Nathan to play. Although every room has become his. There are toys in every nook and cranny. Balls, little people, blocks, cars, you name it - there is a little bit every where. But you know what? I don't care! I love that he has things to amuse him and make him happy every where we go. Nathan really loves "the blue room" where he has spread out. He runs around and does whatever he pleases. We even made a new addition - a tee-pee. Yes, a tee-pee.

I went to a friends yard sale yesterday and bought a bookcase, car seat (for Gigi's car!) and some other odds and ends. When we went back today to pick up the bookcase, they were cleaning up after the yard sale and they practically begged us to take the tee-pee my friend had for her son when he was smaller. Knowing we had the space (and free is a good 4-letter word!) we took it. Nathan went in there and played hide and seek with us for a while. I think he likes it!

What we don't like is the outside adventures we have been having. I spotted a snake last week and Leo saw two fighting snakes the other day. I spotted a tick on me AND I got stung by a bee last week. I'm not really a big fan of nature at the moment. It will all be fixed so we can enjoy the outdoors - but in the meantime I step lightly and only in really broad daylight.

In news other than house stuff, we found out this week that I'm getting a niece! Greg & Danielle announced a few weeks ago what I have been dying to announce too. They are having a baby and she is due around the end of October! We are all super excited and Mom and I are already planning on buying lots of little girl things soon!

Well, I have a lot of updating to do in terms of pictures. I'll do my best to get them up on Picasa. In the meantime, here is Nathan having pasta tonight . . .

Official

We made it official yesterday - we signed on the house on Erinsbrook and now IT'S OURS! We weren't really thinking about it, or at least trying not to worry about it. But after it happened on Friday there was a feeling of . . . relief! And now we spend time making our new house feel like home. When you walk in you can see everything laid out nicely - our stuff everywhere. But it will take some time to really feel comfy. For me, I look around and see so much I want to accomplish. But in a week I have to admit that there is much we have already done. I have to remember to stop and admire and enjoy this place. We waited quite a while and thought it wouldn't even happen!

When we left our house on Cutright there was some sadness. After a reaaalllyyy long Sunday of moving I cleaned it up, the last thing to go being the food in the fridge when our new one finally arrived at the new place. Leo and I took one last look around at our first house together. Good memories there.

Every day since, we have been busy unpacking, cleaning and organizing. Today is actually the first day where I have taken it easy. At least in terms of house stuff. I went to a workout class this morning with a friend then we were off to a birthday party in the neighborhood. We stopped long enough for a Nathan Nap then were out the door again to Amy and Dan's for an afternoon gathering. Whew are we pooped! And I am fighting a bit of a cold. All this stuff finally caught up to me. Thankfully tomorrow is Mothers Day and guess what?! I qualify and can enjoy it!

I had hoped to take a picture of us in front of the old then new house. In the haste of all that was happening I did not get to it yet. But it's coming. Being that we live down the street going back to take a pick will be easy. (I will even be able to get in there to see what is being done to renovate since it's being flipped!) So stayed tuned and pics will be coming.

The Start of the End, The End of the Wait

Tomorrow we get to see our new house. The wait will be over and we can start anew! Tomorrow the cleaning and carpet people will come and go and we can finally move in. We start with the small stuff and work our way to the big stuff. By Sunday night I will be sitting on this chair in a whole new environment. Actually, I'm sure I'll be passed out on the floor after moving all this stuff and cleaning this place up. Either way, we are happy to be starting a new chapter in a new place. Yippeeee!!!