All Mel, All the Time

Saturday, May 26, 2007

My fortune:

"You have a natural grace and great consideration of others."

Me to a "T" - right? ha ha ha

Tuesday's Claire's birthday, by the way!

Monday, May 21, 2007

Snap

One of my favorite things about little kids...the way them improvise when they can't do something. Luke LOVES to dance lately. In the car, in the living room, anywhere he hears any kind of music. Rockin' Robin was just on Sesame Street, and Luke shouts, "DANCE!" and starts wiggling around. I'm sitting my computer chair, bopping my head and snapping my fingers. Luke starts moving his arms up and down and clicking his tongue to simulate finger-snapping. So cute. I just love that.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Can anything else be happening right now?

We found a great house! It's new construction - a market home that's never been lived in. However. We just need everything to go smoothly with the sale of our current home. The buyers had the whole house inspection last night. Tony is majorly worried about the results. I'm anxious, too, but really I'm just so stressed about everything else (Cameron is the biggest challenge he's ever been right now, my body is killing me, Claire will be here in 11 days, preparing to live on the tightest income ever, etc, etc, etc) that whatever happens at this point just happens. If the house is crumbling down and the buyers want to back out, whatever. My biggest concern, I guess, is the age of our roof...it's old, but it doesn't leak. I hope the buyers don't ask us to replace it. We can't do that now. Anyway. If the inspection is successful, we have our inspection at the new place in Independence. I'll take tons of pictures then and share. We decided on our financing company and I've been working with them to get our loan application going. I just dropped off the final paperwork for the app today.

Sooooo. Ok, I need to talk about something other than selling/buying houses.

Claire will be here in like four blinks. I'm feeling grossly huge and awfully uncomfortable. My back is killing me. None of my clothes fit and I'm sure I look ridiculous always hiking up my pants (belly makes them roll down) and stretching my shirt over my ginormous beach ball. We still have a few things we need for her nursery (mobile, more diapers, wipes, newborn bottle nipples and a bathtub, to be specific) but I feel like we are amazingly prepared for her overall. All of her stuff is clean, but I'm wondering if I should throw the clothes she'll wear immediately in the wash again. I probably will. I washed and hung it quite a while ago, in preparation for house showings. I guess I just can't believe she'll be here so soon. And with the hospital stay, arranging people to stay with the boys and everything else, it's just a big deal for us. Totally opposite of low-key!

I am totally starving all the time. Which leads me to share some valuable info with you. Kroger Ice Cream Bars....vanilla ice cream with the hard chocolate coating on a stick....AWESOME AWESOMENESS! The best ever. I want to eat the last one right now. But I've already eaten two today!

Outie.

Monday, May 14, 2007

House things

Yep. Let's see. Got an offer from the first people who looked at our house. A really great offer. Got another offer from another party - a low offer. Our realtor advised both parties to submit their highest offers, since we have multiple bids. Then the first people rescinded their offer (dumb reason, won't bore you with the details). But that's okay, because the second people amended their offer to be our asking price! Anyway, we had to finagle the closing and occupancy dates, what they'll get with the house (refrig, oven, pool table, lawn mower-do you really want our 8-year-old lawn mower?) and what they'll not get (our washer and dryer). We need to sign the final paperwork today. And we're going out on our maiden house-looking voyage today. Then again tomorrow. And we meet with the financing guy this morning, as well. I'm really really nervous about the financing. I mean, I THINK we'll be fine, since we were approved for a certain amount back in the Fall by several Lending Tree-associated banks. But, I'm still EXTREMELY worried, stressed and anxious that we somehow won't be approved for that much now...I mean, the anxiety is to the point of panic. I hardly slept at all last night. And it may be dumb and unreasonable to feel this way - probably is - but what I'm feeling is real. I think it just might be everything crazy that's been happening so quickly catching up with me.

Whew. OK, need to straighten up the house, since we are still accepting showings (I don't think we are even 'sale pending' until the paperwork is signed, and then I think we still consider back-up offers). Plus, my aunts are watching the boys this morning, so I need to stock the fridge with soft drinks.

Stomach in knots!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Fabulous Property For Sale. Want to buy it?

Here it is, my faithful readers....
our listing. I'm not extremely wild and crazy about the photos, but overall I'm satisfied. She posted a ton of the basement. Her pictures actually make the basement look halfway decent! Anyway, if it has wood paneling, it's the basement. Not too many upstairs shots, but the rooms are so small that I can't imagine anyone getting a good picture anyway.

The MLS number is 345054, if you like to check things out that way.

Oh yeah, we already have a showing - tomorrow at 2pm! Sweet!

Ignite, Dammit!

I am so frustrated. I just want to scream and cry. This probably doesn't sound like an awful situation, but I'm hormonal and sleep-deprived and my body hurts and I just have a whole lot going on right now. After Luke and I dropped Cam off at school this morning, I put the key in my ignition and it wouldn't turn from the 'lock' position. I tried and tried, but couldn't get it to work. Luckily my windows were already down, because it was HOT. I called Tony, looked in the owner's manual, tried different things. Finally, I was able to start it by turning the steering wheel to the left, holding it there and turning the ignition. Fine. Tony says sometimes that happens with cars. OK. So we get home, pull into the garage and turn the car off. Only it won't go all the way into the 'lock' position now - it's stuck in the 'accessory' position. The key can't be removed in that position and some of the electrical stuff is on, so my radio/clock light is on and the dash is illuminated. I'm worried about draining my battery now. (all this time, the dogs are barking and carrying on, dying for me to uncrate them) Tony suggests that I call a locksmith and have them replace the ignition and he acted like it's no big deal. I first call the one we've used before (like when a certain bonehead locked her keys in the car when Cam was a baby)...they don't carry ignitions for Mazda MPVs, but if we get one from the dealer, they'll remove the old one and install the new one. I called several other locksmiths - no dice, they don't carry it. One guy wants me to meet him later this afternoon so he can evaluate the situation. Um, yeah, I so want to meet you....I'm a chick with two kids and I want to meet some stranger alone? Whatever. I called the Mazda dealer to see if they even have an ignition in stock. If I just need an ignition switch, it costs an arm. If I need a whole new key set, it costs an arm plus a leg. And all parts would need to be special-ordered. So, I'm whining on the phone to Tony, not knowing what to do. Should I call the mechanic? Tony said he'll just look at it when he gets home from work. In the meantime, I have to pick Cam up from school, but I won't be able to get take the key out of the ignition when I get there. I just hope the ignition will turn to at least 'start' and then at least back to 'accessory' again, twice. And I hope my battery is ok. I'm so frustrated.

Oh yeah, the house goes on the market today. I'll post a link when it gets in the system.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

All washed up...

I just spilled some water on the the Northern Kentucky Water District bill. Is that significant?

- Posted @ 5/1/2007 12:33:13 PM