The Hunt

The last week of August we drove up to Milwaukee and went house hunting.

We saw this house first. It seemed a little cramped, the side yard was right on a busy road and the neighbors behind had a huge trash pile in the back yard.

We saw this house too. It is a cute, old farmhouse with the most beautiful, large yard. It didn't have enough bedrooms.
And this darling bungalow had five bedrooms but only 1 and 1/2 baths and radiator heating. Haven't totally figured out how I would do that with babies around learning to walk. Oh, and the area was not our favorite. It was getting a little discouraging.
We concluded the first day with what I called the "not-cute-bungalow-that-ticks-all-the-boxes." Sorry, no picture. It ticked all my boxes except initial curb appeal and backyard. The kitchen was huge and the layout worked out pretty well. The basement went on forever and would have stored all our storage stuff for about three lifetimes! It was in the best school district and had a studio over the garage that Chris could make into the ultimate play space. There were somethings that I wanted to change, like the laundry room in the master bedroom, but I ended the day with hope.

We finally got the see the one we were perhaps "most" interested in the second day.
This house ticked all the boxes too. I wasn't really in the market for a split level and still worry that most buyers aren't (no, I don't think we will live in this house for the next thirty years) but it seemed to have all we needed and then some.

Wanna take a tour?

This is the living room, on your right as you walk in the door.
Want another view? The door you can just make out on the left is the front door, the door facing you on the left is the coat closet and the door on the right is the door to the garage. Beside that, behind the pony wall, are the stairs that lead down.
Down to the playroom, as we call it. The hallway leads to the boys room.
The downstairs bath.
And the laundry room,
complete with sump pump.
If you take the stairs up you will come to the kitchen and dining area. Apparently, it is true. Kitchens and baths do sell houses.
Down a hall off the dining area is the upstairs bath. See that towel rack? Someday it will be a door to the master bedroom.
And perhaps one of Chris' favorite parts is the .5 on the garage. Not pictured here: the built in workbench.
In all we saw something like 19 houses in two days. We had a couple that could have worked, with a little work. Chris was pretty won over by this house the day we saw it. Totally renovated (except the windows:( it was alluring to think that we wouldn't have to anything to the living spaces with Chris working all the time and me with three little kids. For me, though, it has actually taken a bit more settling in.

All of this was made possible by the letter S. For Stephanie, my amazing, magnificent, brave, generous, insanity-defying sister-in-law. (What else would call the woman who took on three kids in a hotel room for two days?)
And entertainment and company was provided by the letter J. For John, pictured below with baby Cole.
And the letter K. For Karisa, John's better half:), mother of cuties Benson and Cole, and generous hostess.
Yep, they were there too. But they didn't see any houses. They did finally get to meet cousin Benson and found out that he has wonderful toys and an enviable playroom.

All Sage, All the Time

At about 5 weeks old.

At about 3 mo. old.

(BFFs)

(on her side-as far as she has gone towards rolling over)

I don't have current stats cause I lost them. I figure she is about 13 lbs now. Whatever is the 50% for her age. She has been in the 50% for everything her whole life. She is still pretty slim through the torso with some lovely rolls on her legs. Actually, kinda makes her hard to dress cause it seems like a lot of onsies and even dresses assume some baby chub through the middle that she just doesn't have!

She is sleeping from about 9 or 10 pm to 9 am. I will probably work on getting her moved to something more like 7 to 7 after we move but for now (while Chris is working in Milwaukee) it works out that I can get up with the boys and put them to bed without her needing to eat in the middle of things.

She loves to smile and is generally a very content baby, only fussing when she is tired or hungry. It seemed so strange and foreign to have a little girl at first. Now, I can't imagine my life without her!

Wii Are The Champions

This is Noah playing the Wii.

There and Back Again

So the last few couple weeks of our stay in TX were pretty uneventful. We would have liked to repeat a few different things but pretty much resorted t hiding out from the heat instead.

As we were driving home I was talking to mom and she reported that we had lived through more than 20 days in a row of over 100 degree weather (the most consecutive days in about 10 years!). We weren't making it up. Maybe we were wimping out. Sue me.

We did make a trip out to the Krispy Kreme to watch the donut making. And eat some, of course. Yum, yum!
One of the great blessings (and there were many, despite my many complaints about the heat!) of our time in TX was the relationship that developed between Noah and Grandma and Grandpa. This was evidenced in a variety of ways, one of which was the conversations that they would have. Noah would talk to them and ask questions and interact with them rather than treating them like a piece of furniture-in the room, but not necessarily something that one needs to pay attention too. After that excursion Noah recounted to Grandma all about how donuts are made, the whole process as he had learned it from Krispy Kreme. And when Grandpa came home he did it again:)

One day we picked Grandma up from work and it was so hot we decided to stop at McDonald's for a fruit smoothie to cool off. Noah and Ian have had multiple opportunities to play in restaurant play places but are to scared to climb up the trees and climb around in the tubes. Claustrophobia and a fear of heights maybe?
This was the first that I have seen that said parents were welcome to help little children so up I went. The boys were happy to follow and we had a pleasant interlude in the air conditioned play place. Neither of the boys wanted to go up without some adult support so even Grandma made the climb! Don't kill me, Grandma, for including this picture!

One morning Grandpa wondered why his sneakers were unlaced.

Have no idea where he found these but he had a great time!

Imagine our surprise when we found a Purdue train outside a restaurant!
(My kids went out to eat to non-fast food places for the first and second time ever this trip! Except for not really eating the food they did pretty well. I won't be so nervous about it in the future, I think.)

Before we left we had to take the obligatory group shot. And I'm glad we did. It turns out this is the only picture of the kids with their grandparents!

Parting is such sweet sorrow!

The time came for us to go. It was a long time coming-longer than we had originally planned and much awaited, perhaps especially by Grandma, though she is to polite to say it out loud!

I was anxious to get home and be in our place (not to mention some place a little cooler!). But is was sad to leave. The blessings and tender mercies were many and it seemed a little ungrateful to want to go.

My parents were completely, totally generous in their hospitality and when we extended the stay two more weeks they didn't even bat an eye.

I anticipated that about 7-10 days in the boys would have a bit of a break down and be ready to go home. That time never really arrived. They did really well.

Chris was able to finish his thesis. There were many small miracles involved in accomplishing that-from being able to leave a part out to fixing the broken down machine twice on the last day he had.

A father's blessing offered comfort and information to help in future planning.

Noah developing a relationship with his grandparents. This one is especially precious to me. Short visits are all we can usually manage and they aren't really conducive to this evolution of relationship.

Grandma and Grandpa got to know and see Sage grow. Her first smiles and cooing. When we left, they had been with her half of her lifetime!

I had help in my time as a single parent. This was also priceless. Two kids and a new baby-I couldn't have afforded Chris all that time to finish his thesis if I hadn't had mom to help me. Thanks again, Mom!

We left on Tuesday about 8:30 am. We thought we would get an early start, right after the boys woke up. You know, around 7, since they usually are up and about by 6:30. But no. That day of all days they slept until 7:30!

But we finally got ourselves together and got on our way. (Oh, one more note. I am a great packer. Seems to be in the genes. I could pack our corolla to within an inch of it's life. Turns out, I can do the same with the van-triple the space and all!)

My impressions of the trip home:

TX-"We're in OK already?" (We were going north not west:)

OK-75 mph? Sweet! Ugh, construction. 75. Construction. Poop stop on the side of the road, no poop. 75. Construction. Poop stop, no poop. 75. Construction. 75. Poop stop, no poop. 75. Construction. 75. Construction. Are we ever going to get out of OK?

MO-Precious Moments Chapel billboard-ALWAYS FREE! Adult bookstore. Church. Church. Adult superstore. Precious Moments Chapel billboard. Church. Adults only store. Construction.

IL-Almost home!!!!!


We also had Noah's first encounter with a porta-potty on the way home.
"Daddy, what is that?" asks Noah looking down the hole.
"Yucky, yucky water!"
I am so grateful to have my little girl but in that moment I was even more grateful that it was my son that needed to use the bathroom! And that my husband was willing to take him!!
And just to leave this post on a more...positive note-this was the best rest stop! Whoever thought of this and paid for it gets my vote!

For Chris

This post is for Chris. We are in our 4th week apart with one more to go so it is full of pictures-of our goings on but also just of the kids, cause they're ours and we like 'em.

We went to the Frank Buck Zoo last week. We got out later than planned and it was a scorcher-you're shocked I know! If we had gotten there when we planned I think it would have been perfect, or as perfect as you can get in TX:) As it was, we sweat through all our clothes and looked a little worse for wear when we were done.

I liked this little zoo for a variety of reasons.

1. Cute animals that looked pretty happy and well cared for.

This capybara knew how to beat the heat. Sadly, they wouldn't let me in there with them.

2. My kids liked it. And it only cost $4 a piece to get them in.

(Notice the hair-it is still looking fluffy.)

3. They had some cute baby animals.

The zebras were my favorite. The markings were just so amazing!

4. They had giraffes, which was all Noah asked to see.

(The hair ain't so fluffy anymore.)

(And in Ian's case, it is sopping wet! Poor kid.)

5. They had a little train ride, which I didn't get a picture of, that only cost $1.50/person to ride. The boys loved it, especially the tunnel we got to go through.

So, who was Frank "Bring 'em Back Alive" Buck? Apparently, he was the first person with that sentiment to go to Africa and 'hunt' the wild animals.

In the bottom left is the skin of a 30 ft. python.

6. It was only about 35 minutes away-the same as anything in downtown Dallas-without the yucky traffic to get there.

7. In front of the zoo there was a playground the likes of which I have only seen at Jacobson Park in Lexington. It is huge and fort-like and the whole area is covered by HUGE shade trees the likes of which I didn't know grew in TX! (We got there late, like I said, so we didn't get to play on it.)

All in all, a perfect opportunity for an outing with the kids. Next time we are getting there early so we can beat some of the heat, play and have a picnic!

***

Sage is growing by leaps and bounds. We think she is about 10 or 11 lbs now. Her head is bigger and her body longer. While she finally has one roll on her thighs, her body remains long and trim.

She was 2 months on the 27th of July and since we were here we missed her 2 mo well-child check up. Her stats, when we get them, will probably be closer to her 3 mo birthday rather than 2 mo.

Her smiles come easily if you talk to her or show her the least attention.

She regularly goes 5 or 6 hours (once she went 7) in the night but I think it will not be until she is in a room of her own that she goes through the night. She also needs to be getting just about 5 or so more oz each day.

The boys have started to ask to hold her. Ian says "Can I hold it? Can I hold it?" He also loves to give her kisses and help with her paci.

Cousin It was never this cute!

Since we had the time (2 extra weeks) we made a weekend trip down to Houston to see Elise and her peeps. She and Max had just come up, but we were missing Ava, Lukie and Dan. It was good to see them and let the kids spend some time with their cousins. Living so far from all our family really makes it tough for them to really even remember each other between visits!

Ava was so sweet to Sage. She helped bathe her (would have put in pictures but they need a little cropping:) And I had a better picture of the two of them but added the wrong one by mistake. Picture Sage with a pleasant expression rather than a worried one:)

While we were there, we went to the mall to play at the play place-we have the same need for indoor activities in TX as we do in IN-just in different seasons! Here are Elise and Max right before all the hoopla!

What hoopla you ask? Well, let me tell you. (Do not suppose that what follows is by any means unique or out of the ordinary if you have kids, but resembles a three ring circus, nonetheless!)

So, Sage makes a poopy diaper. No big deal. I wait a few minutes to make sure she is done. I feel a little something warm on my thigh and I lift her up to investigate. As I do so, a saturation line appears above her diaper and continues to rise to about mid-chest level, along with some fragrant and colorful bits of poop.

Elise looks at me and asks if I have a change of clothes, which I don't. She offers to go buy something from the Children's Place Outlet up the way. I readily agree. We start to decide who is going to go with her when we hear a howl.

Ian is not to far away, hurt, and not afraid for the whole world to know it. I had gotten as far as getting a changing pad out (luckily I had one of those! I don't always!) and laying her down on it, but couldn't really let her go. Elise goes to try and coax him over to me which, of course, he is not thrilled with at all. He howls some more.

People are staring.

He finally comes over and I use a leg to stabilize Sage and hold Ian in my arms while he cries and whines. Elise and I again start to discuss who she would take with her. She is worried that Luke will be upset if he is left, but when asked, he does not want to go (funny since he had just been asking if we could leave). Behind Elise, on the bench, Luke is standing and looking around. We both look that way when we hear a noise and see some flailing limbs out of the corner of our eyes--just in time to see Luke fly through the air (how did he do that?) and land in a heap on the floor.

Now people are really staring!

Elise hands Max to me (as I bust up laughing and the stares turn to looks of horrified outrage at my seeming insensitivity!) and gets Luke, Ian is still glued to my side and Sage is still an odorific mess on the changing pad. About 3 minutes have passed.

Who should come to the rescue? Super Grandma! She shows up just in time, takes Max and heads off to find a replacement outfit. Elise and I start in on rest of the kids-diaper change, clothes stripping, shoe finding and putting on, etc. We follow in the wake of Super Grandma but get stopped by a grouping of riding toys.

While the kids play, Sage gets to hang out in all her naked (but mostly modestly covered) glory while we wait for a new onesie.

All's well that ends well and besides, it was good for a laugh! And some new clothes!

The trip home was less than pleasant with extremely over-tired kids. I am not sure what the best part was. Maybe when Noah poked Ian in the eye to wake him up? Or was it when Ian screamed and cried his exhaustion for an hour and woke up a finally napping Noah?

Actually, I think the best part was back in Dallas, just after the boys where in bed:)

So, what to do with ourselves the rest of the time we have left? I don't really know, but I am sure it will have something to do with beating the heat (highs in the 103-105 range) and waiting impatiently for it to be time for our daddy to come!