So...who wants to buy a house?

I've been pretty excited about the fact that we are building.  So much so that I kind of have forgotten the part about selling our current home.  When I was pregnant with Natalie, we had our first home on the market.  I'm sure I complained about having to clean the house and prepare it for several showings with a one year old on scene and a baby on the way. 

Looking back, that was nothing!  :)  I would throw Scott's toys (ALL OF THEM!) in a large basket, we'd put them in our trunk, and happily stroll around Meijer during the showing.  Piece of cake.  Today, I think it would take a semi truck to hide all of the toys we've acquired.  (Did I mention that I love garage sale-ing?!  Ahem...:) 

A train can no longer be pushed around a simple oval track.  The tracks need to curve and wind around all sorts of objects.  The blocks need to be dumped to create structures along the way.  The construction machines need to be dumped for any track repairs that may be needed (think Kate).  If Natalie joins, the dollhouse characters need to be dumped so they have passengers to ride...and so on.  Then, since the kids went to so much work creating, they like to keep their villages out to "play with later"...

So...if I get a call saying that someone would like to show my house that evening, things might look a little different this time around.   Instead of Swiffering the bathroom floors for the third time that week, I may instead try to create pathways so that no one trips and breaks their leg during a showing.  It shall be fun, but I'm not complaining.  (Yet.)  

On a more serious note, if you do know of anyone looking for a brick ranch with a basement, four bedrooms, and a three car garage, send them our way.  Perhaps Scott could even throw in a train or two. 

We recently had our kindergarten parent-teacher conference with Scott's teacher.  Prior to going, I told Scott that I was excited to talk with his teacher.  He smirked and joked, "She'll probably tell you that I talk too much."  For some reason, that never came up!:) 

Yes, Kate...I found out that you really can sell used lots of pacifiers on ebay.  Sorry, child.

 The girls were playing downstairs.  Natalie was getting frustrated with Kate and commanded,  "Kate, you can play with me only if you be quiet and don't do anything!"  How fun, Natalie...

As I lamented before, Kate's very hit or miss on her naps.  I must admit that I sometimes take her on afternoon van rides just to get her to fall asleep.  That seems to do the trick, and she can then usually be carried into the house for her nap.  (Not one for the parenting books, I know.)  Anyway, yesterday she was exhausted around 6:00 p.m. and hadn't had her afternoon nap.  She came up to me and put her head on my lap and said, "Go van ride!"  

 Until next time...

Time for an update

Happy New Year!  Time for a collection of random pictures and stories for my digital scrapbook. 

Kate's a Minnie Mouse fan...think it grew from her love of Chuck E. Cheese. 

 

Scott and Natalie made silly hats one afternoon.  They started out making hats for a "marching band" and I'm not sure what kind of characters they became.  They even made a matching hat for me...sorry, no pictures.  

Jon's been doing a lot of this lately.  He's been trying to clean up the place so that we'll have some walking paths/easier access around the field.  I was going to go out and help him one day, but I decided to stay home and make brownies instead.  Brrrr....

Snow buddies!

Kate is two.  Does that say it all?!  Wow...this girl is full time!  The other morning, I had given her a glass bowl (bad idea, bad idea) and after eating her breakfast, she said, "All done!" and tossed it on the floor.  I scolded her and tried to explain that she could have broken the bowl.  I told her that she needed to say she was sorry.  She obliged and said, "Sorry, bowl!"

Lost his first tooth! Scott may be one of the few kids that groans when he hears he has a two-hour delay at school.  You see, when the morning kindergarten class has a delay, they end up going in at 10:15 and staying the rest of the school day.  So, he actually goes an hour longer on the days of delays.  Talk about a bummer!  I tried to build up the excitement however, since on delay days, he gets to have lunch at school.  He didn't buy it though.  The first day, he said he wasn't sure when to start eating.  He said he kept waiting and waiting for someone to pray, but no one did.  So he told me on the second day, he had more time to eat because he knew that he should just dig in.  :)   He's learning the ropes. 

Scott is really into the new house construction.  He begs to drive by about every time we are out and about.  He doesn't have to twist my arm!  Watching the progress has also helped him to put a different spin on things during his playtime.  Above, he's digging a basement prior to constructing his Lincoln Log house.  Below, he's putting up a layer of "insulation" in his blanket tent.   A future builder on our hands?  Who knows!

Natalie showing off her new room. 

Scott and I checking out his room...

Kate being Kate.