Home sweet home finally!

Let’s start with the good.  We hit the subdivision jackpot.  The bulk of our cul-de-sac is filled with young kids and parents just like us.  The selling agent actually lives in the sub too.  Always a good sign when a real estate professional lives next to you!  While we spent a lot of the weekend unpacking and painting, we also spent a lot of time outside socializing and watching the little ones run around.  SO refreshing, especially coming from a sub where it’s on the more antisocial end of the spectrum.

We LIKE to have fun!

Parker transitioned to a big kid bike this weekend. Big kid princess bike to be exact, training wheels and all.  The other three and four year olds in the sub were riding around so time for Parker to do the same.  Scares the hell out of me watching her whip around the court but I’m so proud of her.  Got right on it, no fear, and started riding like it was no big deal.

Goofy as can be dressed in her Hawaiian gear for luau day at school.

In other Parker news, she slept all night by herself in HER OWN ROOM.  I can count on two hands the number of times this as happened.  We've been talking a lot about the new house = big girl room = you sleep there all night and don’t get up.  All our chats paid off! Go Parker!

You go girl at Goldfish too!

Poor Teagan was a bit sick during the move.  Fever, grumpy, body rash (which turned out to be bug bites + some irritation (perhaps from the new carpet we had installed) but was in the good hands of Nana and Pap! Thank God they came up and whisked the children away from us for an entire weekend.  Without their help moving would  have been impossible.  Not exaggerating. 

I am loving decorating this house.  My vision really is coming to life. From curtains to throws to pillows, I have been searching, buying and color coordinating for months now.  It’s really fun to put our personal touch on this house and make it our home.  Parker’s room is completely painted, I half ass hung curtains (15 mintues to hang the rods said the instructions.  Ha.  Triple that number), and the decorating is underway.  Teagan’s room is half painted.  Baby steps but we’re on our way!

We are both happy about it!

The new carpet upstairs was a well needed update.  The new stainless appliances make the cherry cabinets and corian countertops look even better.  The movers did a fantastic job and took some of the moving stress off our hands.  The swing set mover was phenomenal.  All the kids in the sub have enjoyed it this weekend. Along with the trampoline left by the previous owners!

Now let’s chat about the bad, shall we?

Bad news say baby T.

Our brand new Samsung French door fridge…Doesn’t fit.  But I’m hoping with a little nudge of the surrounding cabinets we’ll be able to make it work.  Our brand new Samsung microwave…Doesn’t heat up food.  So it was returned and exchanged.  The existing washing machine on the second story…I ran a load of laundry and came back twenty minutes later to water gushing out the front.  Thankfully the issue (broken seal) is covered by our inspectors warranty.  The hot water tank…Exploded.  The walk out basement…Flooded by the water tank.  My precious baby Teagan…found a red Sharpie in Parker’s empty bedroom at the old house.  Drew all over her legs.  By the grace of God not a dot ended up on the beige carpet. We were late to her sick doc visit so red Sharpie covered she went.  My precious baby Teagan again…was playing around in the car while I was chatting with the guy buying our house, pooped in her diaper, diaper leaked, and poop ended up all over my car.

Add this to the general stress of all your belongings in boxes, all parties exhausted, and new commutes…ugh! But life is good.  We feel very fortunate to be able to have our children in a nationally ranked district, in a great house, and in an even greater subdivision. 

Til next time!

Moving day and what we've been up to

Hi all! Moving day is tomorrow.  To.mor.row.  We close at 9am and then crazy mode commences.  Kris will take down the current swing set at our new house in preparation for the swing set movers on Saturday to move our set. Then he will work on moving boxes.  My job is to completely decorate Parker's room.  I really want her to be excited about sleeping in her own big girl room so I let her pick out her paint colors, new bedding and accessories, and even glitter to add to her paint.  Since we started talking to P about moving she has requested/demanded a room with glitter.  Then glitter it is baby.

I’m looking forward to getting settled in, decorating with all the new window treatments, pillows, and throws I’ve purchased the last few weeks, and getting some fresh paint on those walls! I am also dreaming of the relaxing bath I’ll be taking asap in the fab master jetted Jacuzzi tub with my US Weekly and glass of Merlot.

The new house is pretty updated so we don’t have a ton of huge projects.  The upstairs carpet is all being replaced the day after closing and the only carpeted room on the first floor (sunken living room) is being ripped up and replaced with wood (by my handy husband!).  We’ll have the rest of the wood (entire first floor) restained to a darker, more modern color when we're at Disney in September, and Kris is fixing up the walkout basement.   A custom breakfast nook will be built in the kitchen, the fireplace will be updated with a modern stone (like Kris did to our current fireplace) and built in cabinets will be installed.  Other than that it’s a bunch of crown molding, chair rails, and wainscoating, all those little touches that really make a home pop! Good thing Kris is so handy.

Saturday will be busy.  That's when new carpet will be installed and all new stainless steel appliances will be delivered.  Movers come Monday, we hand over the keys to our current house to the buyers, and we're off in a new zip code.

Other things:

Teagan is 21 months! Right smack dab in the middle of one of my favorite ages.  Why? Because every single thing this child does is cute.  The way her face lights up when she sees her very first Minnie Mouse balloon, the way she cannot help but to dance anytime music is playing, the way she’ll say “HI KARKER!” in the morning with a big smile on her face, the way her language is developing and she’ll ask for “sippy too” (sippy of milk), or “more cracker/appo (apple)/Jews (juice). “  It’s all so sweet, silly, and fun.

Apple mouth

It still amazes me how much Teagan mimics Parker.  If Parker runs circles around the house, Teagan runs circles around the house.  If Parker screams at the top of her lungs, Teagan screams at the top of her lungs.  Teagan really does look up to the bigger version of herself, even at such a young age. 

Cheezin it on my birthday.  Ending a fun day at the waterpark with Coldstone cake.  Minutes later the candles were lit.  Teagan thought it would be fun to grab the flame.  Turned out that wasn't fun at all.

Teagan is great at following directions so we’re probably going to enroll her in gymnastics this fall, just like we did with Parker when she was two.  I’m very big on having one-on-one time with the girls.  I think it’s important to spend time as a family but equally important to recognize the individual relationship between mother/father and child.  Enter date days! Gymnastics will be the perfect one-on-one time for Kris/me and baby T.

Those curls! Ahhh the cuteness. 

Speaking of date days, a few weeks ago it was time for a mama-Parker date.  First up was a visit to our fave mall play place, followed by dinner at Rainforest Café, then popcorn and an Icee at the movie theater for Rio 2!   Both Parker and I enjoyed the movie so much that we bought Rio 1 later that week!

Parker also enjoyed the 5th of July festivities in our backyard.  The 4th was spent at the county fair (I am from a country town you know so this is a  must) drinking lemonade, getting the most out of our all day ride wristbands, and watching fireworks.

Last week was another date day for me and P.  It started off at Goldfish Swim School for Parker’s first swim lesson! I’ve heard great things about Goldfish from friends and the reviews are phenomenal.  Cute décor, even a tiki hut hairblowing bar (!!), and a low teacher-child ratio (max of 1:4 though Parker’s group is 2:4) made it a clear winner.  We’ll most likely stick with swimming until dance and soccer resume mid-September and then start swimming back up in January or so.  After that we hit up Michael Kors for a new purse for mama.  Parker felt especially fancy walking around with her own little MK bag and MK stickers provided by the MK girls.  Some play place time after and singing in the car on the way home capped off the evening.

Dance girl before her spring recital.  

I turned 31 on Monday (how?!) so I spent my day with my loves. I also took off half of last week as well for family time and were we on the run.  Will chat about that later. Great job, nice new house, two sweet gals to call my own, amazing hubby…it’s pretty good to be 31!

xoxo,

Stacie