Transitioning

Yes - I'm still here. Just slowly making the transition to the new home, new office, new position, and all that jazz.

Some days I think that I am doing ok...and then days like today hit and it's hard. I talked to our old neighbor today - damn, I miss them. This is the mom of the 3rd Amigo. They were there to bail us out whenever the kids became too much - and we did the same for them. We shared common values - goals - and our kids would have gone to school together. That's hard.

She told me what the new neighbors had done to our house....that's hard.


But...we're making this house home. I'm still stealing internet from our neighbors, but we hope to get that done this weekend. We hope to get some more boxes unpacked, maybe some pictures on the wall. Slowly, as we fill the house, it feels more like a home.

We're adapting to the elevation - and I made our first calls today to find a pediatrician for the kids.

We're getting our routine established. Thsi was our first week back at work. Randy's commute is long - and sometimes very trying. He's going to shift his work hours 30 minutes and see if that will help his commute.

The kids and I are getting settled into the drop-off & pick-up routine. Since I'm closer to the kids and work, that's my responsibility. It's going well so far. It only takes me 10 minutes to get to their school - 10 minutes to get them inside, unpacked, coats off, checked in, & ready for the day - and another 10 minutes to my work. Not too shabby.

We're getting there - slow and steady wins the race, right?




But...I still miss home...

Carroling the new-fangled way

Since many of our friends and family are scattered across this great country, we thought we'd do our Christmas Carroling a bit differently this year.

We'll start out our set with one of children's favorite Christmas songs - Frosty the Snowman.



Oops...guess we'll have to work on the lyrics for that song. Let's try Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...



Much better! Now we're rolling....Jingle Bells...



An encore presentation of Here Comes Santa (check out history for Morgan's solo version yesterday).



One more quick song...



And, finally, Christmas greetings from our home to yours. May you have a safe & warm holiday season and be surrounded by family & friends.

She really loves this holiday...

Jokes

For some reason, my kids have just started to get the whole concept of a "joke". Yesterday, they came home from preschool with their first official joke.

"Where did Tigger look for Pooh?"

"In the toilet!"

Except Tanner forgets to hold out on the punch line....and Morgan's joke goes something more like this - "Tigger looks for Pooh in the toilet!"

The Flip That Flopped

We are under contract on a new home. We're excited - it's a Flip that Flopped. We know that we paid only about 7% more for the house than the current owners did. And, since then, they have finished 2100 sq ft in the basement, redone the kitchen, and redone the bathrooms.



The good news is that their is relatively little to do after the move-in. We need to install ceiling fans, paint Tanner's & Morgan's bedrooms, install adjustable shelving in the closet, and replace a few appliances (the one they installed were C H E A P).




We have a few outstanding issues to resolve - radon, sump pumps, and window screens -but nothing major that should hamper things.

The home is MUCH larger than what we really need - but it's in a central location with a huge backyard.



The packers will be here on 12/26, and we'll be loaded on 12/27. Our stuff will arrive at the new house between 12/29 - 12/31. What a way to ring in the new year, huh?

Not the World's Best Negotiater

Setting: Just prior to naptime.

Characters: Morgan, Daddy

"How long do we have to take a nap for today, daddy?"

"Mmmmm....120 minutes."

"Oooohhhh, that's a long time.... Can we take a nap for 2 hours instead?"

From the Mouths of Babes

Setting: Sunday after nap. Prior to nap we had explained to Tanner & Morgan that the house was going to sell.

Morgan: "Mommy, I am going to be very mad at you if you sell me."

Tear-Less

The decision to move / sell our home wasn't an easy one. And, the actual selling of the house has been difficult. Randy has taken it really hard - and rightfully so. Our blood, sweat, and tears are in that home - quite literally. It's a home that we designed and built - and we thought we'd grow pretty darn old there.

It hurts - and I have a small heartache. But, what I can't beleive tonight is that I haven't shed any tears yet. And, then it donned on me - I don't remember the last time I cried.

Oh, I've cried at Extreme Home Makeover and a few movies - but cried over my circumstances, our lives...I don't remember the last time. I think back to Tanner's transplant - I don't remember crying then.

I do remember crying the first few weeks that the kids were born - about Tanner's health circumstances, his PDA, wondering if he were going to make it. I remember crying in Randy's arms in our garage at the uncertainity of it all.

I remember curling up in a ball in our office when we found out about my mom & dad's accident when Tanner & Morgan were 3 weeks old. I remember bawling - fraught with fear - a whole range of emotions.

And, those are the last tears I remember...

I'm sure I would be a wonderful case for a psychologist - if only I had the time, energy, or money...

Sold

With only 9 days left on the market, our house sold yesterday. And, it sold for 97% of our listing price - so I feel like we got a good deal.

Our closing date is December 27th. That's six weeks - but we also have to find and purchase a home in Denver in that time. Not to mention that I am traveling for the next 3 weeks straight (2 weeks to Denver which will help with the home purchasing stuff).

But, it's not just that - it's all the other little (and big) stuff. Finding a new daycare for Tanner & Morgan, changing addresses, utility accounts, selling some stuff, finalizing with the movers, getting new cell phones, packing, unpacking. It's going to be a busy 6-1/2 weeks.

I don't think it's all quite sunk in yet. This house has so much sentimmental attachment, but it just hasn't hit me yet. I don't know if I've already dealt with that when we decided to list the house - or my brain is too busy making to do lists to worry about it.

I'm Ashamed to Admit....

I used google today to verify something that my three-year-old was telling me. Morgan sat at the dinner table tonight and spelled her name in Sign Language. Now, I learned sign language in about 5th grade as part of my brownie troup - but I could not remember it (specifically the letter g).

I can just see the show now - "Are you smarter than a 3 Year Old?"

At the Pumpkin Patch

Tanner & Morgan convinced us to make a trip to the pumpkin patch. We weren't going to since we had already done Jack-O-Laterns with Grandma, but our Jack-O-Laterns had an early demise.

So, here we are at the farm that we bought our pumpkins from this morning.

And the winner is....

Where is the strangest place you've hidden things before showing your house?

I'm going with underneath the computer scanner lid....

How do you...

convince your 3-1/2 year old daughter that girls don't pee standing up?

Please...this has been going on for waaayyyy too long now.

I Hate Cell Phones

Warning: Rant ahead.

I hate cell phones. Granted, they are handy at times. Say I'm in Target and I need to call my mom and see if she's been looking for something, I can make a quick call. It's handy when I'm out of town and need to stay in touch with my family. I even like the peace of mind knowing that if my kids need me, they can reach me at any time.

What do I hate about cell phones? I think it's the fact that it implies urgence. There are so many times when the situation doesn't call for that.

I absolutely refuse to call customers on their cell phones. I'll have Sales Reps say to me, "call them on their cell phones, they'll answer their cell phones". But I'm not calling for something urgent - it can surely wait until they are back in their office. I don't like people asking me to call them on their cell phone - again, it's not urgent - I'll leave a message. I figure if what I have to say is important enough or interesting enough, they'll call me back. Right?

I hate talking to someone on their cell phone. The coverage is often lousy, you can hear people talking in the background or wind blowing - it's distracting, it's too difficult to talk to them.

I think driving and talking on the cell phone is unsafe (particularly without a hands free device). I don't want to be responsible for someone else's misfortune.

I don't have to be availbe to work 24 / 7. It's healthy to get away from work folks, really, it is.

Really, folks - a personal conversation while you are grocery shopping? It's not only rude to the person on the phone, but to the other shoppers as well. And, don't even get me started on having a conversation while you are checking out / having a secondary conversation with a cashier. Seriously people - can it really not wait?

I like talking to people, and I literally seem to spend about 6 hours a day on my phone talking to people. I enjoy hearing from our customers and working with them...just don't call me on my cell phone.

Charity

I had a garage sale this weekend - and it was much different than I had anticipated. I expected that the hot items would be kids clothes & toys. So not the case - but all of the household stuff is gone. That was a big relief.

So, I decided to do something charitable with the clothes. We hand down Tanner's clothes to my nephew, Brayan, but we can't find anyone to hand Morgan's clothes down to. Morgan has some beautiful clothes - and way too many. Most of them are really in great shape.

I contacted a children's shelter to see if they would accept the clothing. They only accept NEW clothes! Really? I love hand-me-down for my kids - and you won't accept them? What? These are really nice, outfits (pants, shirt, sweater, socks, headbands - OUTFITS) that are mostly Baby Gap, Gymboree, or boutique brands...Does that seem totally wrong or what?

Big Brother

Yesterday, Morgan came home with some scratches on her leg. She proclaimed that "Ethan did it."

This morning, on the way to school - I hear Morgan & Tanner talking.

Morgan: "Tanner, Ethan scratched me."

Tanner: "I'm going to tell Aiden." (Aiden is his best friend at school.)

Morgan: "Yeah, let's tell Aiden."

Tanner: "And then I am going to spit on Ethan."


WHOA. (insert sounds of screaching trucks coming to a halt here)

I did explain to them that hitting / biting/ spitting / kicking were not okay, and that I was sure Ethan had only accidnetally scratched Morgan.



But, deep down, I was really proud that he was protecting his sister.

Too Cute

Good news: We've had some interest in our house lately. We've got one couple who we believe have been here two - maybe three times - and possibly another who is interested.

Bad news: You have to vacate the house when they want to tour it. 95% of the time, this will occur between 1 - 2 p.m. For those of you with toddlers, you know what time that is, right? Naptime.

My solution - ICE CREAM. I mean, really, even when they're tired and cranky, it's good enough bribery to keep them behaving somewhat. The Dairy Queen is somewhat close (8 miles), it'd take almost exactly an hour, it was safe from the rain showers, and the opposite direction from the race track.

The best part of the whole trip, listening to Morgan talk about going to "Dairy Cream".

Angels

One of the stark realities of being submerged into the medical world, is that we've been introduced to too many children who have left this world way too early. Liver disease isn't pretty. It's sometimes hard for me to realize that if Tanner had been born a generation ago, his odds of survial would have been around 20%. It's still hard to realize that even today, a child with Biliary Atresia chances of survival are around 80%.

When we were first submerged into this liver world, three families surrounded us with love, warmth, understanding, and friendship. Two of those families, Aiden's and Anthony's, had very similar stories to Tanner's. They were little boys, born with Biliary Atresia, had liver transplant when they were under 1 year old, and have done well since then.

The other, was Haley's family. Aiden's mom and Haley's mom were very close - and the four of us would often chat on AOL Instant Messenger. Haley's story was very different - she had Autoimmune Hepatitis, and she wasn't diagnosed until she was in childhood.

Haley had a love and compassoin for the other little kids touched by liver disease. She had a true compassion for them - and she reached out to them in the most special way. Haley was a gifted singer and songwriter - she wrote songs for these kids. Beautiful, relevant, funny songs. Billy Rubin talks about bilirubin being a mean fellow and turning her skin yellow, Prednisone talked about the ill effects that this commonly used steroid can have on our liver kids, and Hots! was written for Aiden who used to enjoy McDonald's French Fries after his regular lab draws. But, my favorite song is Everywhere - which talks about her strong faith in God, even through her illness.

Haley had so much spunk. She had a massive brain bleed in February 2005. During surgery, they shaved part of her head - and when she saw it, her comment was "You should never let a neurosurgeon cut your hair." This girl was flooded with hats that people sent her to wear while her hair grew back in. And, what did she do? She shared them with other kids who didn't have hair (many of them cancer patients). She sang at fundraisers whenever possible.

Two years ago on Monday, October 1, Haley lost her fight. At the time, she was just a little over a month away from her 12th birthday. I still remember when I first heard that she'd gone home to heaven. It still hurts me, two years later - I can't imagine the pain that her family endures on a daily basis. Haley's legacy continues in a foundation that her parents started in her honor - The Haley Vincent Foundation. Through this foundation, they send out care packages to kids who are in the hospital due to liver disease and transplant.

I don't talk about it often on this website, although I really should. Organ donors save lives. If Haley had gotten a transplant, she might still be with us here today. I could list a long list of names here - all children who died waiting for a liver transplant or from complications from getting their transplant after they were too sick. These are children - not people who have abused their livers through drink, alcohol, or drugs. There are over 90,000 people waiting for an organ donation right now. Please consider being an organ donor - and make sure that your family is aware of your decision. To find out more about organ donation, please go here.

Angel Haley, we still miss you, girl.

Overheard

This is the conversation that Randy & I overheard tonight as the kids were enjoying the last of their bath.

"Tanner, do you have a sore on your penis?"

"No, I don't have a sore on my penis. I have a helmet." (I have no idea where he got this from...)

"You have a helmet?"

"Yes, that is where the butterfly* bit me...and drank my blood."



So, my next question - at what age do you make boy/girl twins quit taking baths with each other?


*Now, the butterfly part I get. Whenever Tanner has to have his blood drawn for labs, they use a butterfly needle. We tell him that the butterfly is going to bite him and then drink his blood. Yeah, I know, whacked out & a little weird, but it prevents him from crying during lab sticks.

This Sucks

You know it can't be a good sign when the day you put your house on the market, the stock market drops over 200 points, it's the first day of school, and it's over 100 F outside. It's now been six weeks, and we've only had FOUR couples tour the house. That's disappointinly low.

And, I knew it would be really, really hard to try to maintain a "show" home with two three year olds in the house. That has been difficult - incredibly difficult. But you know what's worse?

Having people come through and critque your house. Randy & I designed this house - giving so much thought into the location of everything in the home - making sure it was laid out to be easily lived in. It's very well constructed, with behind the scene things that you don't get in normal houses (radiant floor heat, whole house audio system, a light switch to turn off/on the Christmas lights). It may not be the most architecturally intersting house you'll ever see - but it's a comfortable home that is easy to live in.

So my point? Oh yeah, getting there, when they fill out the survey on their tour, it's a personal assualt when they write something like "didn't like the layout at all" or "it would be great except for the staircase".

And worst of all? As my husband said this weekend, the house doesn't even feel like it's ours anymore. As per all the shows / books / websites on "designing your house to sell", we've decluttered, hidden the toys, and removed many of the sentimental things in our home. Our wedding pictures are stored away - pictures of the kids. Trust me - it's nice to kick back and relax in an incredibly clean home - but I just wish it felt like ours.

So - if you've got some "sell the house" vibes out there - please send them our way.