Oh well we're movin' on UUUUPPP!!!

This weekend is THE BIG MOVE.  Still not sure if I'm excited, exhausted or just eh.  Here is my top 11 list of WHY I am so ambiguous about this move:

1. Packing. Never. Ends.
2. Downsizing SUCKS SIDEWAYS (at least as far as flinging crap getting rid of the excess goes)
3. Toys breed.  Legos breed like rabbits, and moving brings them out of their dark little hidey-holes.  Just ask my feet - I haven't gone a day without stepping on a Lego since we found out we were moving.
4. Broken Toys.  No, they are not your favorite.  No, you did not just play with that last night.  No, you can't keep it.  Said eleventy-billion times a day.
5. Wedding presents I've never used.  It's hard to get rid of that stuff, even after almost 9 years.  I mean, who besides me really remembers who gave us stuff?
6. Grumpy DRIVES. ME. INSANE.  This week it's complaining about nothing being packed, being exhaused from work, having so much to do, and not doing a dang thing about any of it. 
7. Facebook & Pinterest - they make hours go by like minutes when I should be doing something else more productive.
8. The new house.  Landlords said this & that, but we went last weekend to paint, and geez, walls aren't ready for paint (dirty & holey & still have nails/screws/shelves/hardware in them), baseboards icky, drawers icky, just, a lot of work.
9. The new house - it's seriously adorb.  But I seriously need to purge furniture to make the people fit.
10. Kids.  Make. Messes. Of. EVERYTHING.  All of my gifted bubble-wrap has been jumped on, bags full of gifted packing paper rolled in and smooshed, boxes unpacked, or packed with a random pair of peed on chonies wrapped in clean clothes.  Ugh.
11. PROJECTS.  I adore starting projects.  I usually finish them without a problem.  But moving kind of puts all that on hold, unless I can tear myself away from blog-reading/FB/Pinterest long enough to go buff the wax finish on my credenza without killing my body like last weekend.  But now I have an urge to paint all of my picture frames to match - I'm sick of multi-colored frames.

I know I have at least 10 more reasons, but these are the most compelling at this particular moment in time.  Of course, now I'm blogging when I should be working because of the above, but let's call it my 15 and we're good m'kay?

Back to School: Yay! or Nay!

Yesterday was totally YAY IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL!!!  We had laid out clothes the night before.  Backpacks and shoes were properly placed by the back door, and lunch boxes were on the counter waiting to be filled.  All the horrid mom-work was back in the manila folders, signed, dated and duplicated for return to school on Day 1.  The boys got up with only a bit more coaxing than usual, but they did manage to clothe themselves without help and/or whining.

I did not have to be at work at the usual time.  After all, the first day of school is kind of a big deal.  I mean, parents everywhere are doing a happy-dance and wondering how many quickies they can get in between drop-off and work-time.  Only me?  Now that's a damn shame :)

There were no tears.  Only a smidge of clinging from the new kindergartner Stanky.  He balked at dropping his lunch in the bucket with everyone else's, but it wasn't a major roadblock.  A quick karate-inspired pep talk and he was lined up listening to instructions like a champ.

Dramasaur apparently did all but shove Grumpasaur out the door of his classroom.  I guess by 2nd grade, it's all old-hat and you really only need to figure out where to hang your backpack.

Thing was still hanging around, but hey, his "school" is on my work campus, so he finally gets a bit of mommy-time alone. 

I managed to cram 6 of 8 normal hours into about 4, and was only a teensy bit late picking up Stanky.  He bounded from the classroom, resplendent in a tall school-bus-shaped crown proclaiming his course along the road to learning.  He flicked his challenge-coin (a traditional Kindy gift from daddy) like a pro, and eagerly gushed about going to reading, play, group time, play, snack, play, stations/colors, play, sing, eat, play, read, home.  Geez what a life!

He was ecstatic to discover that Drama still had 90 minutes of school left, proclaiming the time a 'Mini-Mommy-Date'.  Now, I'm not sure that a quick trip to TSC for cheap dog-food and a stop at the Johnny for a slushie qualifies as a date, but hey, he's easy to please!

Drama, of course, had to create some.  I had specifically told him I would meet him AT his classroom.  So, of course, he left the room to wander out to the Kiss-N-Ride.  I really hate wandering the school looking for a kid.  But, once he finally decided to head back to his classroom, all was well and he was granted a first-day slushie as well.

Second day - not so stellar.  Grumpy, grouchy, teenager-channeling boys who couldn't seem to find the clothes dangling in their faces, or get the food so sweetly laid out for them to their mouths without whining.  Stanky didn't want to go to school.  Drama thought it was a Nana-day and he'd be staying home.  Thing made a foot-stomping issue out of every-damn-thing. 

I'm so happy to be at work!

Times, they are a changin'

Once again, I've gone MIA.  Once again, I apologize.  Life is so crazy hectic right now, what with summer ending, school prepping, my new hobby upcycling/refinishing/repurposing furniture, and oh, did I mention we are moving in 3 weeks?

Yep.  Moving.  In. 3. Weeks.  I KNOW! (did you just hear Monica?)

It's been a whirlwind.  Grumpasaur and  I have gone back and forth about wanting to move for a while now.  And Stanky always tells us how we should move to a smaller house with no stairs.  Well, he's getting 1/2 his wish! 

Here is a quick & dirty rundown of the haps:

1. Last Thursday, we found out we'd need to move by the end of October.
2. We started looking immediately for a house in our price range, since they are a hot commodity where we live.
3. Despite dozens of calls and e-mails to prospective landlords over two workdays and the weekend, we only got one call back.  And it was NOT from my first choice house, no matter how cute the photos looked.  It wasn't the house down the street, and that was it's only problem.  I wanted the house down the street.  But they wouldn't. call. back!
4. We looked at the house on Friday.  ADORABLE.  Seriously, even though it is literally 1/2 the size of our current house, I loved it. 
1. The kitchen is bigger with more counter space (yay!). 
2. There is a built-in entertainment center in the living room (no more gargantuan oak monstrosity in my otherwise cute room).
3. The laundry is upstairs!  No more schlepping heavy baskets up and down the stairs.  And no laundry-covered couch in the living room!
4. Its gate-controlled access and a small neighborhood.
5. TONS of kids.  The streets were literally crawling with kids of all ages on bikes, scooters, heelys, wagons, etc. when we saw the house Friday evening.
6. Pocket park!  No play equipment, but there are two schools within walking distance, and a city park just down the bike trail (you know, for when I finally get my butt in gear and get a bike, then conditioned to actually ride it farther than the corner).
7. Small backyard.  Yes, this is a perk for Grumpasaur.  There is even a raised garden bed just waiting for me to plunk down some yummy veggies and berries. 
8. The BEST part?  Our power bill will be cut in HALF.  HALF.  Guess that's what cutting half the house and the pool out will do huh? LOL
5. We went back with the boys and my parents on Saturday.  Other than the boys commenting on the small backyard and mom being concerned about the size of the house, everyone liked it.
6. We prayed.  And discussed to death.  And prayed some more.  Came to the conclusion that all those other dozens of doors and windows were slammed shut because God wanted us in this particular home.
7. Sent our list of questions and stuff we noticed needed attention to the owners.  Heard back within 3 hours with answers to all of our questions, and promises to have everything repaired before we moved in.  They are even going to let us have a key early, so that we can go in and paint the boys' rooms and such (yes, they are letting us paint, and don't even care to approve colors!)
8. We are signing the lease tonight!  Our 'official' move date is the first, though we will start painting and such next weekend.

I'm also over at my DIY blog Paint & Patience, with a chair rescue, and the details on Stanky's rescued desk.  Hop over and check it out!