California Knows How To Party

2 Years Old

  

 Birthday Girl & Her Cupcake

My little girl turned two last Thursday. We didn't do anything huge because 1) we already had our California trip coming up and most of our money was going to that 2) personally I was worn out from all of the other birthdays throughout the summer and weddings... I just didn't have the energy to give her a fantastic birthday party 3) I couldn't find the right time or venue that would bring all of her favorite people together at the same time and 4) she's young enough that it isn't as big of a deal to her yet. I WILL throw a big party for you baby girl... just you wait! Seriously thought, I can't wait myself. It's going to be fun and a huge success! So on her birthday, we went to Strouds and she had a lot of packaged crackers and green beans. (She's so weird. I've never met a child who loves vegetables and iced tea and things like that as much as she does.) I was surprised that she ate the cupcake they gave her. It did have a sparkler on it though.

The next morning we set off for our trip to California.
So...

Day 1 - Friday, August 11th
We woke up at about 3 o'clock in the morning (but really it didn't feel like we even slept) and left for the airport at 4:15. Thankfully I had a list of everything I had packed prior in the week and what still needed to be put in the bag as far as toiletries, etc. We got to the airport and check in was so easy. First, we used a valet service. Just so you know, valet is about as much as economy parking except that they drive you to the terminal you need rather than walking and they'll pick you up when you return. My coworkers bragged about it. Was it worth it? Eh.... I don't know. I guess we'll see when we go on our next trip and opt for the cheap "nosebleed" parking.
Mila was awake. That was completely unplanned! We purposely made sure to wear her out the day before and NOT take a nap... but she was wide awake at the airport. She knew something was up. She wanted to carry her monkey bag and sit in her car seat (because it's different having it OUT of the car). Our flight with Delta left at 6 am and flew for 3 hours into LAX. Some things to know about flying these days:

• If traveling with children, you can take a car seat and stroller for FREE.
• Every person with a ticket gets one personal bag (diaper bag, purse, etc.) that has the ability to fit under a seat AND one carry-on bag for FREE. Carry-ons have to be a certain size though. AND if you are putting your liquids, creams and lotions in there then you have to follow the 3oz. rule in a zip lock bag. Checked bags cost $$$ and if less than 50lb. it's really not that horrible of a price. You can take any amount of liquids in the checked bag.
• Airplanes have wifi now! But you have to download the app. So do that before taking off if possible. That way you're set in the air.
• If you are getting snacks on the flight, get the drink too. Because the snacks make you thirsty. And the cookie snack isn't really a cookie snack. It's a hard European cinnamon cracker. Just be forewarned.

The car rental was fun. We picked our own out. Something we most definitely would do in the future as needed. Aldo said that driving in California was difficult for him because it's so mountain-y and has so many curves and turns, it's hard to figure out the system. Like, are you following the coast? What's the reason for the layout? It's not like Kansas where you can easily figure out where you are if you miss a turn or where you need to go. It's not a grid for sure. So we drove 2 more hours to Oceanside. There, we met up with our friends Zac and Rose, and their son Peter (who's slightly older than Mila), who we would be staying with for the next few days. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and getting ourselves situated. Zac had a cook out he was in charge of at the park, so we spent a couple hours there before napping from exhaustion on their couch.

Excited for the Plane Ride

I should back up real quick. Sorry this is so out of order here. But I have to tell you...

We had been planning this trip for months. And weeks before, Zac and I had talked. He asked me what our plans were for going out there. Well, Aldo and I wanted to go to the beach a lot and also our number one choice of hot spot was the San Diego Zoo. Since we had such a good time in Omaha and the kids would all enjoy it, AND San Diego is ranked #1 in the nation... it was a no brainer. Zac and Rose said they wanted to go to Lego Land too. I was ok with that. Luke would be thrilled and Mila always plays with Luke's legos so I think she would like it too. That's when he announced that they were talking and thought it would be best if they bought the tickets for everyone since he gets a good discount through the military, and that it would be more of a "CityPass" - which gets you tickets into Lego Land, the Zoo, Sea World, and....... Disneyland and California Adventure for 3 days! Say what?! I was so thrown. You got to be joking. But they weren't. I had to Google it... City Passes go for $300+ a person. Thankfully Mila is still free to get into those places, but if you count three people that's about $1000 dropped. I honestly couldn't believe it. What excited me though, was that Aldo, Luke and Mila didn't know. I kept it a secret for about a week and a half. It was so much fun scheming and planning. I searched what the must see places were at Disneyland and looked up all the tips to get the most out of the experience. I bought a My First Disney Pins and Lanyard game. I was ready!

Of course, Aldo ruined it because he called up Zac the day before, on Mila's birthday, and I remember him saying... and I quote... word-for-word, "What's your itinerary?" I knew then, that the secret was coming out. Zac nonchalantly told him the plan. I have pictures of Aldo's reaction. #priceless

So what was a relaxing vacation turned into a very busy, attraction-packed vacation. Thank goodness though, Zac made the executive decision NOT to buy the CityPass. After thinking it over, they thought it would be too much for the kids to do all of those things. (I think he underestimates how much energy they have... but still so happy they made that decision.) Instead, they bought the tickets to just the Zoo and one day at Disneyland. Still, incredible!

Day 2 - Zoo Day
Nothing in Southern California is close. It takes at least 30-45 minutes to get anywhere. And another thing, Zac and Rose are early risers. We, the Alvidrez clan, wake up usually around 10 (except me and at times Luke) and go to sleep late at around 11:30 pm. California is 2 hours difference from Kansas. So if it's 7 am in California, it's 9 am in Kansas. It was the perfect time change. When we had to get up at 7 to get to the Zoo somewhat early because it's about a 45 minute drive... we were only waking up at 9 o'clock. Yesssss.
Here is what I can tell you about the San Diego Zoo. There are a lot of aviaries. No joke. I think we walked through at least five aviaries to get to other places. And, I can't really make a decision on how I liked the zoo because I don't think we started off right (We immediately went to the oversized tortoises. You don't go there first! You go to the animals that are awake and playful, that in the heat of the day are going to go into hiding. Tortoises aren't going anywhere... they can't move that far... you can see them nearly at any time. Bad decision on our part.). And, I don't think it was Peter's best day either. We have become zoo snobs. I have made the ultimate decision (and you think we would have learned from previous experience) that we just need to go to zoos alone. It's my goal to get through a zoo in one day. And we could have done it, I think, even at San Diego. So during our stay this time around, we probably only made it through half of it which consisted of tortoises; snakes (legless, eye-lidless lizards) and other reptiles; birds, birds, and more birds; and kind of monkeys that didn't do much. At the end we took a double-decker (after waiting half an hour in line) to see the regular zoo animals: zebras, elephants, giraffes. Except a lot of them were hard to see, Mila was napping so she didn't get to experience the large-scale animals which I would have liked to see, and Luke also couldn't get a very good snapshot because we were breezing by on the ride. Not the best zoo experience we've had, but I'm not opposed to going to San Diego Zoo again if the chance ever arises. I'm willing to have my mind changed about it. But let me say this... Omaha is a hard one to beat.

Turtles & Tortoises

Fun Fact: Back in the day, these giant tortoises were fed dog food. The dog food had so much protein that it made their shells grow too fast and so now some of them can't fully extend their legs out how they're supposed to because the shells don't fall where they're supposed to. (Ok, so NOT "fun" fact.)

<3 They Love Each Other  <3

A Long Day at the Zoo

Ooh, also during our stay Zac and Rose took us out to a lot of delicious places to eat. One of my favorite spots was Wulan Ramen Tap House in Oceanside. I don't know if it's Japanese or what, but their spicy shrimp appetizer and bbq pork sticky bun things were sooo good. I imagine it is something I would crave and go to if we had one in our area. And the ramen soup or teriyaki rice is incredibly flavorful. They also took us out to In-N-Out Burger the day before (the cool part about here is that they have a secret menu) and to a bubble tea place (the drinks that have the extra large balls of black tapioca in them). <Shakes my head> Zac and Rose and their bubble tea. #noted

The Delicious Ramen of My Dreams

Day 3 - The Beach at Oceanside
The plan our hosts came up with was that it would be wise to go back and forth from big day to relax day. That way the day before our flight out wouldn't be extreme. Makes sense.
For our beach day we started out with brunch at Swami's. A little expensive and one of those ... organic, vegan, weirdo hang outs. The smoothie was delicious. But I ordered straight up coffee. Oops. And the eggs and croissant were delicious, and so was Mila's black bean burrito (which she DID eat, but couldn't finish).

Our Day at the Beach

~ water so cold and sand so hot ~

Livin' Up Every Moment

 Beach Babes

(yes, I got burnt)

Palm Trees

The beach was wonderful. The sand was hot until you go to the wet sand, which was cool and smooth on your feet. The water was ice cold, but felt like it came to life when a small wave would hit you, or the broken white of the wave would chase you back to the beach, and the water would slowly creep up more and more to where the towels were because the water changes like that. Aldo and Luke were amazed by the grandioseness. And how salty it was. Mila, surprisingly, was made for the beach too. She loved it just as much. She didn't care if a wave pulled down her britches, or made her running slightly more wobbly. It was fun. It was a game. It was thrilling. I spent a lot of time chasing Mila. Aldo and Luke, along with Zac, spent a lot of time trying to catch waves on the boogie board. Only to find out later that the board (we bought from Walmart) was too small and not enough weight for someone large. You have to be able to ride ON TOP of the wave, otherwise you aren't going very far. But it was perfect for Luke. He had one really sweet wave that I didn't have my phone on me for. After that, he wiped out and went under, and didn't want to get in again. But we convinced him. And he probably had at least four more really nice runs. I got to try too. It's hard because the waves you don't want to catch keep bringing you back in toward shore and carry you a little farther sideways too (if you've been aiming for where the water breaks). And if you go deeper, you can't touch. Must be a good swimmer. And, I wasn't going to "duck dive". I get too many ear infections to do that. And I knew how salty the water was. I imagine salt in my eyes would sting and salt in my ears would be hard to get out. One day, maybe. Maybe on something bigger like an actual surf board.
Zac and Rose left early because Peter and Rose aren't water people. So we spent another 30 or so minutes taking it all in. And then slowly made our way back to the house. For the next beach day, know this: wear clothes and sandals, take beach bags and towels that you don't mind getting sandy. Leave the purse in the car. SAND GETS EVERYWHERE. And it's difficult to get off. And, it can burn too when you're scratching it off.. so don't shave on that day. My legs still hurt from that. Also, don't use spray sunscreen. Or if you do, make sure you get every part of your body. Otherwise you'll end up with an abstract, ink-blot-test on your back. Just take my word for it.
A plus - no sharks in sight.

A quick word on sharks. Before our trip I had a very scary dream where we were attacked by sharks and basically shredded like paper. Afterward I couldn't keep myself from looking up the migration of sharks in California's waters. The latest news said that there have been increased sightings because it's a nursery for great whites. Over 40 shark sightings were logged since May and for a time there was a group of baby great whites that weren't moving along. A lot of beaches closed. I researched shark defense.

• Don't look like a seal. On a board? In a boat? Flopping around? You look like a seal. Don't look like a fish either. Bright swim suits and shiny jewelry look like the metallic scales of a fish.
• Don't go swimming when you're bleeding. Duh.
• Swim with a buddy. The more the merrier. Don't swim at night though.
• Avoid areas where sharks are known to be. And also, watch the turtles, fish and birds. If they're freaked out, there's a reason.
• If attacked, go for the nose, eyes or gills. 

I just looked it up using the Dorsal Fin app. There was a great white sighting on August 12th (our zoo day) at Oceanside. About 12 ft in length and 7000 yards from shore. And there were several sightings near Capistrano Beach (which I remember seeing a sign for on our drives) where the shark was 20 yards from shore. How far out were we? Aldo and Zac could have been 30 yards out easily (120 yards is a football field and you've heard of "10 yard lines" where each line is marked). Oy vey.
Remember this: "You're more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than a shark."

Day 4 - Disneyland

"The Happiest Place on Earth"

 Pulling the Sword from the Stone

Another early start for us. Finding parking takes quite a bit of time, so some advice would be to show up 30 minutes early for that reason alone. Do you need to do the early morning thing? No, not really. As long as you have a MaxPass on a busy day, you'll have no problem. I think for our stay the crowds were rated as a 6 out of 10. All I know is that there were 70 min. waits for rides, which is ridiculous. But with the MaxPass we could save our spot in line for a ride about every 30-45 minutes and it would give you a time window to show up. In between those windows you could find another ride, most likely a kiddie ride, or eat or shop or meet characters. I wish we took time to meet more characters, but overall we did a good job. Don't waste your money on the button trading. Characters DON'T have buttons. Helpers at the end of the lines have buttons and very few of them are cool. If you purchase a button, it's like $7 alone and a pack is around $30. That's just crazy. Disney is not going broke any time soon. Just saying. Luckily, I had a short list of rides that were "musts" according to various blogs, and I looked up how thrilling they were to see if Luke would ride it or be traumatized by it. Here's what we rode: Storybook Land Canal Boats (total waste of time and boring as all get out), Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones Adventure, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (twice!), Star Tours, Space Mountain, and the train that was more of a way of transportation to get from one "land" to another than a ride. I just realized... we didn't get to see Peter Pan, which was on my list.  :( Bummer. And unfortunately the Fantasmic Show didn't have any passes available by the time we could save our spot. We also saw the Electric Parade, but from far away. And we were at just the right spot for the "Dreams Come True" firework display by the castle... only for it to be cancelled due to wind conditions. It really wasn't windy at all.

Waiting in Line for Indiana Jones

 Buzz Lightyear Ranking

(Aldo DID NOT get Level 7... more like Level 3)

What I found out was that Disneyland is different from World's of Fun in that the rides are not really focused on as much as getting into the "theme". So while Pirates had a couple of dips, it was more focused on being IN the world of pirates. And fun fact, Pirates was a ride before the making of the Pirates movie. Only after was Jack Sparrow added in.
Two apps I used a lot were: Magic Guide (great for showing wait times and what "lands" the rides are located in) and the Disneyland app (to operate the MaxPass, wait times, where characters are located, and find showtimes). Another handy thing was the $30 battery pack we bought to charge our phones on the go. After all the MaxPass business and taking photos, it drains the phone's battery and we really needed it to find our way back to the house. I hear from a lot of people that you really need to spend at least 2 days exploring, but I think we could have done it in one. I know I said it before, but my only wish was that we got there at opening so we could meet with more characters. And, that we wore our Disney shirts, which I still don't have one, and bought our merch (like the Minnie ears) through Amazon rather than at the park.
This was hands down my favorite day. Nobody had attitudes. I felt like it was a vacation day with my family. Everyone enjoyed it, even Mila, who was able to ride quite a bit actually. And Luke rode all the bigger rides twice with the Rider Switch (where if you have a kid in a stroller, one parent can go with older kid and then immediately after the parents switch and can go to the front of the line). Luke's favorite ride was Buzz Lightyear where you shoot at Zerg and evil aliens. I agree that it was fun because we could all go, all shoot, turn our "cars", and get a score and a picture in the end. I also liked the Pirates but only because Mila wanted to cuddle with me after the two dips. Space Mountain was even too fast for me. And I was surprised that there was nothing more than utter blackness and then some stars, galaxies and time warps thrown in. Space Tours was better. It was like you were riding a ship in the Star Wars movie. It had humor thrown in which I liked. But, Aldo's ride with Luke on Space Tours was different than mine. He wasn't attacked by a giant underwater crocodile-like monster, and an alien didn't throw paint on their windshield in the end. I guess that one needs to be ridden a few times too. By the end of the day, we were all worn out. Mila even fell asleep on my head, when I put her on my shoulders to get a better view of the firework show that we didn't see. Haha!

Disneyland's Famous Castle

A Fun Day with the Fam

Day 5 - Trampolines & Rest
Zac and Rose wanted to take us to an indoor trampoline place. Peter was ALL over it. Mila also enjoyed it, but she hasn't figured out how to jump off of both feet yet. She enjoyed racing up and down the long trampoline in the kiddie area and throwing (or I should say "cleaning") the foam blocks back into the pit. Luke got better at his front and back flips. And Aldo and Luke worked on walking across a tight rope type thing. By the end, both of the boys were sweaty, so it must have been a good time.
When we got back, we rested and packed up for an early morning because we had to leave at 4 am. It was a bittersweet goodbye. Peter was finally getting used to having us around (although he and Luke kicked it off right away). And Mila was finally understanding how to treat Dally, their skittish dog. But it was probably the best we could have done anyway.

 Pretending to be "Tired"

 Way to Balance, Luke!

Day 6 - Back to KC
We could have slept in. We made time on the highway because we used the carpool lane most of the ride and not too many people are awake at 4 am, except in LA. The reason we left so early was because of the 2 hour drive and also, LAX seemed like a busy airport. Check in was right outside the terminal doors and super easy. Security pushed us through as fast as possible. So we were stuck in the waiting area for nearly an hour and a half. Kids. Wide. Awake.
On the airplane back, Mila did sleep for at least an hour, so I took advantage of the time and watched a partial movie. Luke and Aldo watched Harry Potter on the other side. American Airlines didn't let us on first to set up the car seat (which I liked about Delta) and we had a bit of turbulence in KC from storms. Other than that, it was a great flight. Toward the end, you could tell Mila was itching to get out because she wanted to play with the tray on the back of the seat.

My final thoughts: It was a great trip, but in the end... there really is "no place like home". (So timely because I just saw a coworker in the production of The Wizard of Oz and... we're from Kansas and... we took a bunch of KC gear to Zac and Rose.

Probably our last BIG trip for a while, but for sure one for the books. 

This is Insanity

21 Months

So, for the last two weeks I've been exercising. I just got to the point where I was "tired of being tired". I had absolutely zero energy, I knew I was eating out of boredom, and I was disgusted with how I looked. It was enough. I texted Maecy and said, it's time for a change - will you be my accountability partner? She agreed and has been absolutely amazing! We've been talking a lot more (which kind of stinks that it had to take this to be able to talk, but I'm glad anyway...) and it's been working. I started with BeachBody's workout "Brazilian Butt Lift" for a few days. After a few days of checking in with Maecy she told me that she thought I was doing the Insanity workout - I felt like I wasn't pushing myself for the results that I wanted and reluctantly switched over. Since then, I've probably completed TWO actual Insanity workouts that I think I'm satisfied with... as far as form and high intensity and time spent. And sweat.
I have noticed a change; I have more energy and it makes me want to eat healthier and make healthy choices. It makes me want to move more because then all of that work is going toward something. And, believe me... it's a lot of work.

Well, the last couple of days my legs have been hurting when I bend over... I assumed it was just soreness. And yesterday my leg (the portion between the ankle and calf muscle) was hurting... I assumed it was "ruma". Then today during my workout, I was afraid my calf was going to just explode, it was so tight and pained. Turns out I have a calf strain. Ugh. My plan was to cardio this fat right off my body and eat what I want. Then, Aldo's sister told me that 80% of losing weight is watching what you eat. Again, UGH. So Maecy recommended a phone app, MyFitnessPal, that counts calories and watches exercise, and keeps track of water intake, etc.
Am I turning into THAT person? I guess extreme goals require extreme change require extreme habits require extreme daily decisions.

So here are my goals:

• Wear a bikini by August 11th (our family trip to California). I weighed myself the other day because I was so excited that I was feeling better. I weighed 215lbs. What a disappointment! That is the heaviest I have EVER been. I was 205 after I had Mila. Shouldn't that have gone down since I've been breastfeeding for 2 years??? Breastfeeding for weight loss is a joke. Anyway, I used to weigh 165lbs. in high school when I was in weight lifting, gymnastics and karate. Because the app asked for a goal weight, I chose 180lbs. I thought that would be a good start, although for my height less than 160lbs. is considered a healthy weight. Come on.... for real? To get there, it says that losing 1lb. a week is recommended. Well, I ain't gonna lose much by August with 1lb. a week. So this is the goal - wear a bikini. I don't care what weight, if there's a few stretch marks or not - I just want some results.

• Pee more. It makes sense. If I'm drinking more water, then I'll be peeing more. Results you see... The "recommended" amount of water to drink PER DAY is 1 gallon. That's 7.5 of those purified drinking bottles. I barely drink 1 right now. This is going to be something I need to push myself to do. Shortly after deciding to exercise, I found a Youtube video of Joyce Meyer preaching on "Healthy Habits". It was exactly what I needed to hear. One of her main points that I took with me was instead of focusing on the unhealthy things, focus on the healthy and positive things. Sounds more like a Joel Osteen message, but I would have to agree in this case. And it has helped. Instead of getting bummed out about missing 2 days of Insanity, get back on the bandwagon the 3rd day. And if you miss that day, get back on the 4th day. Don't beat yourself up. That would just send me back into a slump of eating peanut M&Ms. 

• Reach ___ HEALTHY calories per day. So I like to eat. And I like a challenge. And from what Joyce Meyer said, I need to keep this positive. It's really negative for me to think - oh, I can only eat lettuce every day and stop completely with the sugar. And I know I will fail that mission. So I'm switching my thinking... my goal is to eat [so many] calories per day of medium to healthy food. Like, my goal IS to eat. But the challenge is to make it a healthier thing. So maybe I want peanut M&Ms... well, instead I'll have some blueberries. Or maybe I just want to eat something... the challenge is to not go to the frozen pizza or cereal bowl and get crafty to make a healthy something. AND, to my benefit eggs are easy to make and so is oatmeal.

Let's see how this goes. Expect a thrilling follow up of how much of a babe I am!! <3

Little/Big Personality

Mila is now 19 months (... in other words slightly over a year and a half... because who keeps track of monthly milestones anymore?) and her little personality, although she always had one, is reeaaaalllly coming out. I thought I'd catch up on just her. Not to mention, this blog also needs some more pictures. We'll start with some noticeable favorites...

Person(s): There is a list depending on the day and where we are. After a Wednesday and Thursday of working at the library, I'm her favorite person. But really, am I? Or is it just because I have the "night nights"? The other person she seems to RUN to is Grammy ("Mami"). I'm so glad mom chose to stay in Kansas. She would've missed out on this little girl's cuddles every Sunday at church. And the pleasure of seeing all of her quirks descended down into this crazy, lively toddler. Seriously. We'll explore that later...

When Papa visits, sometimes it's a hit and miss. BUT, when I'm on the phone, it MUST be Papa and he MUST be calling for her. Papa is her number one to talk to on the phone. He just knows how to carry on a meaningful conversation with her.

The friends she always looks for are Asher ("Aster") and Noah ("Wawa"). They are her boy.. friends.. that Aldo and I have to keep off of her. Apparently their parents are planning the nuptials already. Not me though. See, I wouldn't mind, but I know these things are delicate and can't be forced. Let her think we don't want her with the Pastor's kid... She doesn't care for people that cling on her. Which is sad because there are a lot of people that would love her hugs, like Ember, who Mila is just now warming up to. I have to throw in a short story because it is the cutest thing and reminded me of the most famous and quoted line in Dirty Dancing. Asher confessed to his mom one day that he wasn't sure he could be friends with Levi any more. When asked why, he said that Levi wanted it to be boys only but Asher said "Nobody closes Mila behind a door." If that isn't her motto.

Luke is a given favorite. Anything Luke has or does is awesome. He is the only one that can get her to laugh hard (not forced). Their bond is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. With that said, they already bicker and get on each other's nerves too. It's those that are closest I guess...

Place: Hmm, this is a hard one. She's an explorer. She likes to get into things, especially if she knows she shouldn't. She's most "at home" at the apartment. But she also doesn't mind getting on the swings or slide at the park. Or on the swings at church in the kids' area, or in the blinky car in nursery, or ON STAGE going up and down the stairs in the SANCTUARY! She does better in the car, thank you Lord, but not her favorite place. And does better in a shopping cart for a limited time. Because eventually curiosity gets the best of her or she sees something that she needs and can't reach, and will fuss until she gets her way. She must be heard. I want to say this... at home, her favorite spots to hang out are by the pateo because outside is fun (another inherited trait that skipped a generation), the bath which is our most repetitive activity (we always take a bath the same: empty floating animals into tub, run water, play, Mommy showers at same time, water is emptied below, Mila gets lathered in soap, showers with Mommy, we drink and spit out water, get out and dry off, put on lotion, and nurse), and on one of her pillows because she knows it's "night night" time.

Food: This is where her similarities with Grammy come into play even more. She likes vegetables! She'll eat green beans one by one. She'll eat a whole cucumber by herself! She'll try to pick the healthy things off of my sandwiches. She likes black beans and rice from Chipotle. She loves spicy! She'll dip fries or chicken nuggets in katsup and suck the katsup off. Same with chips and salsa. And double dip of course. She loves fruit like: grapes, blueberries and apples BUT not bananas. Hot dogs are alright but not with the corn covering. Pizza bites are good. She's not interested in poptarts or breakfast bars, doesn't care for fruit snacks anymore. She can sense an open package of chocolate from across the room. One thing she does take after me, from when I was younger... she is choosey about her food... she WILL examine it first. And she doesn't like her hands dirty. So in between eating cheeto puffs or pizza bites, I have to wash her off so she can eat more.

Movie: We are not to where she'll sit down, but she does ask for Elmo now and she recognizes the sounds of Big Bang Theory (which Luke also loved when he was little).

Music: "Barbara Ann" by The Beach Boys, "Hey Ya" by Outkast, and "Gangnam Style". She has started singing the alphabet song (we're as far as A - B - ...) and some church songs ("I may never...").

Book: Wow, I never thought we'd get here. Since she doesn't sit still for long, it was hard to read anything. Or even get her to look at a black and white board book with no words, just shapes! But now she's a little, book-lover. Her favorites are, "Clifford Counts Bubbles," the "I Love Music," book that actually plays different instruments when you place your finger on circles (I knew she would love this one! Except that now he batteries need replaced...), and the sign language one she got from a doctor check-up. It's those three on repeat whenever she's in the mood for reading.

Toy: Ha! It is mostly whatever Mommy or Luke is currently holding in their hands that she wants to play with. Example: I'm folding clothes. It means it's time for dress up... lets all put underwear on our heads and multiple shirts on our legs. Whenever I am vacuuming, she is in the direct path of the vacuum cleaner. And thanks to my mom, she has her own cleaning supplies to play with. She scrubs the carpet sometimes. (What kid wants cleaning supplies for Christmas?) I would say that the toys she plays with most are her little kitchenette and cooking items (she hides her real bottle in the play oven, makes me some food and drink every once in a while, and stirs things), Luke's Pokémon cards, and the alphabet game on her phone or Pokémon Go on my phone. She gets in trouble with phones. She also gets in trouble with the remote, the keyboard for the Rasberry Pie, my laptop, and pens that she steals from the top drawer of the antique desk.

So in short, we've got a little/big personality on our hands...

That day she locked herself in the bathroom...

(Literally the first week we were in the apartment.)

Enjoying the Sunshine

Mami & Mila

No Kidding.... Really?!? & Other Reactions

One and A Half Years Old

I never finished the sale of the house story.
Mom stayed at the house with all of her belongings except a few things packed away in her trailer, Jerad's horse stall, or in her camper in Tennessee. Daily she would go to the library to use their internet to work from home, and I would even run into her on my days to work. She gradually cleaned the house to her standards of perfection (cleaned under stoves and fridges, re-painted almost all walls, wiped down all wood borders, etc.). She had an appraiser come back to give a second opinion. I know this because I was there the night before painting the basement with Granddad, Nancy, and Mom. Another last minute decision from mom.... let's paint! The next day I went back to help her before the appraiser came at noon. Jerad and I painted Luke's old room. The paint was still wet when the guy arrived. And guess what didn't make a bit of difference?? Paint. He only measured rooms and made sure everything was counted correctly. <sigh>
The good news eventually came back. Mom and the new buyer talked and made arrangements. He said basically, "Let me take you to dinner and I'll pay the closing costs, the cost of a survey, and I'll convince your guy to take a cut in commission so you can get the money you need based on the numbers you've cracked." Mom agreed. She went on the date. They signed papers on Monday, January 30th. So now mom and Bullet are staying at Granddad's.

This is not the end.
Mom has continued to go on dates and text back and forth with the new owner. She even left him little notes and words of encouragement hidden around the house. He has since confessed his feelings to her and they are now "courting". Mom has a decision to make... (and this is what it appears to me) that she will cancel the move to Tennessee. ?!?
On one hand I am glad that she'll be around for the grandkids. On the other I am completely caught off guard and questioning motives of both parties, but thankful that..... we are in our own apartment and I'm not in the middle of anything nor do I have to deal with awkwardness or drama. :)
Find the irony though... if they get married, she'll be in the house again right back where she started. It almost makes me sick to my stomach.

On another note: Luke had his first bad day at school. He told me that he missed his old school with his old friends and so he cried on the swings at both recesses. It broke my heart to hear! I could just picture him, sitting there all by himself, not swinging, no teacher paying attention, all alone in the world, tears running down his face. So we took him to T-Rex, paired with Maecy's birthday.

And another story: Apartment living has its pros and cons. For instance, we had to wait forever for our mailbox key which turns out they were fitting for the wrong key all along. The same happened with our storage key. And, that same day we realized that the pointer on the furnace is off. (It's freezing in our house when it says 80 degrees.)
However, today I had one of those days.... I was ready to take a shower and told Mila "let's take a shower". In the minute it took me to plug my phone in, she locked herself in the bathroom. I tried earring backs, small screwdrivers, metal hangers, shimmying a flat scraper in the crack to hopefully push the lock down... til I had to call maintenance (all the while trying to remain calm). Mila didn't cry much but I heard her open and shut the toilet lid. When I called the office, they were at lunch.
In total, she was locked in the bathroom about 40 minutes. After, when I had gotten us in the shower I couldn't help but cry. All the emotions came flooding out. I was reminded of when Luke was in the hospital for drinking cough medicine. I could imagine Mila getting a hold of any of the sprays and cleaners, or pesticides, that are under the bathroom sink. Or getting hurt attempting something. She's so curious!!! She isn't scared of anything!! I felt like a bad mother. Other moms don't let their one-year-olds lock themselves in the bathroom. And they don't leave cabinets un-babyproofed. And they have a key on standby just in case. I promise my head is screwed on right. I'm not negligent. It happened in one minute.

One minutes can be the scariest things sometimes.
So, I think I'm going to write a thank you card to our apartment office. They really are nice and understanding. And haven't reported me yet.... <sigh>

Is "crazy" hereditary?

A Year of Promotion (Retold)

I wrote this post once and accidentally deleted it. I'll be brief....
I mentioned to someone a while back that I felt this year, 2017, is a year of promotion. Days later, and the next day after we got a bit of news, one of Aldo's co-workers unknowingly confirmed my belief by using the words verbatim, "Aldo, I just feel like this year is a year of promotion for you." Wow! Here's my list of reasons:
• We're in a new place. Physically. Aldo and I have our own space. Our family has its own space. And we're already looking at the next step: a home!
• Aldo could possibly get the job as Sales Manager at work. NFM is going through a major manager shift and Aldo fits the part. If this is true, we're looking at his position change in the next 3-4 months. And that adds another point to the list...
• Aldo's looking at going back to school. First to get a BA in Business. And then continue on the pathway to becoming a chiropractor and having his own business. US having OUR own business. Because he wants me to finish also. !! We're looking at scholarships and FASFA's now.
• Mila is sleeping in her own bed. (Half the night anyway. About 3:00 am, she's been waking up and I'll go get her out of the crib and lay her down next to me.) We're also working on weaning her. She's doing better. There are times when she'll ask for her bottle. And times when she'll be so cranky for a nap that I'll hold her down and that'll wear her out and she'll fall asleep without mama's leche. (I count it as a promotion.... it's a step forward....)
• And last, this is a big one... the "bit of news" we had just found out... Aldo and I were offered and have accepted the position at our church as Children's Church Directors. That makes us Pastors!!! Official Pastors!!! We were just getting used to the idea of Dr. Aldo. Can you imagine Pastor Aldo? Or Reverend Aldo? Haha! Crrrraaaazzzzyyyy! This has been the craziest year already, and we've only completed one month!!!

We Have Arrived??

So we made it to the apartment. You know how when you're going through something all you can think is... if I just make it to -this point- then everything will be alright? That's how it was. We were hanging on until January 3rd. A Tuesday. It couldn't come soon enough. I just knew that as soon as Tuesday came everything would be DONE... and DONE!

... I forgot about the unpacking process.

So after two trips in a costly 17' Uhaul (advertised to fit an entire two-bedroom home - that was a lie), nine bodies moving the stuff, and an unending amount of climbing up and down Jerad's stairs (it rained the day before so going straight out the basement back door was a no go), our apartment was finally filled. Seriously filled. That night we had to create a path to our room so we could put up the bed. Then we stacked everything on our bed to create a path to the bathroom and Luke and Mila's room to put up their beds. (Luke's is so giant that there is no space for Mila's.) By the time we got that done, Luke had created a "fort" by burying himself in pillows. So we left his bed piled high and collapsed.

It's been almost one week. Today I went through and made a stack of boxes and tubs that need to go to storage. There's just no other way to fit it comfortably (and safely) in the apartment. I'm continually asking myself - How did we get all this junk? Do we really need all these VHS tapes? High school yearbooks? Stuffed animals? Ugh. Cant we just get rid of it all? But then I think... this is only temporary. The plan/goal is to stay for six months and then try to get pre-approved for a loan again. We'll finish our our lease as we look at homes and go on from there. I'm thinking maybe we'll do a six-month lease just so we don't have to move in winter!

My advice  for moving:
1. Get a babysitter!
2. Pack up ALL things. Don't leave anything out that can fit in a box. Trips back and forth to the car for little things is a waste of moving time and energy. And, if it can all stack flat that would be best.
3. Don't buy different types of tubs. Otherwise they won't fit together when you unpack!
4. Color code or label the boxes and tubs. That way if you're not there at least the ones unloading can place them in the corresponding room.
5. Hold out on buying more stuff.

It'll take at least another week before the place is ready to add some character. We still have to (we're GOING TO HAVE TO) go through the toys and decide what to keep and what to donate, maybe we can hang some stuff, and ultimately wait for a storage space to open up. Until then I'm afraid we're looking at boxes.

I got a lot accomplished today. After picking up Luke, the kids and I are going to mom's to paint the basement, scrub floors and fix the sheetrock in the garage. Yep, just because we moved doesn't mean we're DONE. My encouragement for the day: Hang in there! ;)

Moving Month, Part 2

This has been the hardest month (week) physically, financially, emotionally, and any other which way you look at it. Originally our Must Move Out Date was December 15th. But when the new buyer's loan didn't come through, the date was pushed back to December 30th. Aldo and I had most of our stuff moved out by the 15th. The final things were bicycles, tools, and the like in the garage. And some condiments in the fridge. Then, the week of Christmas mom informed us she was going out of town to Tennessee to move her camper and put an offer on some land down there. She said we (Aldo, myself, my uncles and Granddad) had to move her stuff out by the time she got back. Because the next day she would be signing the papers over. !! We had three days.... AND this is Aldo's busiest season, full of BLACK OUT days. 

Well, we did it. We got it done. With a toddler too!

Let me vent for a second.... I thought I might get a break from moving on Christmas Day. I didn't. Mom was taking off the next day for her trip, and all Christmas she was grumpy, saying stuff like "well I need to pack... I guess I'll do it by myself... nobody is helping me..." in her passive aggressive way of asking people to help her move. It's Christmas! So I went all day hearing this while trying to be with family, and finally couldn't take it any more and went over to help her get things loaded on her camper at night, since the guys just wanted to watch football. We pulled the camper in front and were checking the tail lights when we found that the entire right corner was covered in mold. The cushions were ruined. The corner needs completely gutted. So I couldn't pack anything on the camper. At the same time we found a leak in the garage. Apparently all that work mom and Jerad did on the garage roof, pulling up the surrounding metal, cleaning off the top, patching, and painting didn't fix the problem. So all night mom was furious. I went to help her pack so she would be ready to leave at 6 or 7 in the morning, so she could get down to Tennessee at the time she wanted, but instead  most of the time was spent shaking her head at the cushions and the puddle in the garage floor. The next morning she took her Durango to the mechanic to have fluids checked and wound up getting things replaced... and didn't leave until after noon.

Day 1 - Monday : Jerad cleaned out the 3rd garage stuff like mom's tools that she wanted in the trailer and put a load of things in his horse stall.

Day 2 - Tuesday : Jerad and I started packing boxes and moved them all to the large trailer with the furniture so we could figure out the best way to pack it on mom's trailer (to fit it all and get what mom wanted by the door.) Then when Jul came over we started moving it over to mom's trailer. It was probably our biggest moving day. And all this time Luke, Jenna and sometimes Jenna's friend were watching Mila.

Day 3 - Wednesday : Aldo and I both had to work in the morning, so Jerad watched the kids for us. Dad wanted to meet with me and the kids after I got off work for a special Christmas shopping spree. And then when we got back, Jerad was ready to finish with mom's house. I guess he had moved the rest of the garages and back room to the barn?? Or somewhere. I have no idea. So what was left was craft room junk and outside junk. We spent the night moving old, good-for-nothing (not even firewood) lumber on Jul's trailer. 

By the time mom got home on Thursday I was super excited that we got all that she asked done. Thursday morning Aldo and I went to sign papers at the apartment because it would be his only day off. Mom wasn't impressed at all when she saw what we had done. She said we didn't have to move the wood. The trailer was packed wrong. And where did her computer go? And we need to stop using her internet. ?!?! 

The newest news is this: the sale of the house fell through.

The appraiser for the VA that the guy was getting his loan from appraised the house too low. An appraisal that may stick with the house for 6 months. Mom doesn't want to come down on the price of the house again... (it would be $232K). All of our rush and work, I feel, was for nothing. She commented that she's letting the contract with her real estate agent run out and she'll do a For Sale by Owner. And in the meantime bring up the price of the house by updating the kitchen.

Lately, she's been hovering. The other day she wanted Luke to go with her to recycle, and when I said no because we had plans, she began to interrogate me on what those plans were. And got defensive when I said she's judgemental and that's why I didn't want to tell her. (Maecy said she told her our conversation and that she assumed I was at our Pastor's house. A Pastor's is not a bad place to hang out. No wonder I never had friends growing up...). When I went over today  to finish up the basement by shampooing the rest of the carpet and sweeping and mopping, and scrubbing the bathroom floor like she wanted... she came down and started spraying cleaner in the creepy bathroom (that we never used and had already cleaned) and started looking under sinks and such. When are we going to be free of her criticism? Are we ever going to be finished with the house? We have our own apartment now, pushed out / forced to get into by my own mother... when is our life going to become important?   Nothing we ever do, no decision we make is ever going to appease her.

I'm seriously bummed for my mom that the house didn't work out. This whole adventure / process has been one obstacle after another. I'm sorry her hopes were set high. I'm sorry she's now stuck in a house to pay for by herself, with an animal she'll have to take care of by herself, with repairs or remodeling she wants to make to get it sold at the price she wants and I'm sure she'll be left to do it by herself. The outcome to all of this isn't what I thought. What should be a celebratory thing hasn't been that way with every step. All I know is now we have the keys to a place called home, and we're going to be sleeping there on Tuesday. 

Moving Month, Part 1

1 Year, 4 Months

We're half-way through our move. Like any other major events that happen in life, there's been some good and some bad points, although I would say this has been better than what I expected, and the so-called "bad" have just been "surprises". For instance, I thought the kids would get on my nerves. They don't at all. The kids are hardly here, and when they are Luke has someone to keep him busy and off the tv, Mila has young baby watchers so we can move or clean or cook, and if none of the above, they actually keep to themselves. When they're not here the house is absolute quiet. My uncle is usually off doing horse business making the big bucks, or in his room. Another example, I thought Mila would be too much for them because she can be demanding and loud. The kids LOVE her and she has this weird communication/connection with Jerad. He LOVES her. My guess is he has a little baby fever. (After all they used to foster all the time. So kids had the run of the place.) For some reason I keep imagining my mom talking with family members and as a side note questioning how it's going or somehow making us look like bad renters (whether it's not getting the laundry through in a timely fashion, not cleaning up dishes, always watching tv, always sleeping, always reading, using all the internet, using all the water, not offering to help with horses, not painting the place..... these are just some valid to outlandish things I could come up with, and it's not really that far-fetched of a daydream). And Jerad answering for us.. "no, they're good tenants." Of course we are. I feel as if Jerad would rather we stay longer; if not for the extra money then for the company.

This past week was the first time we actually "hung out". Aldo and I had to go somewhere, I can't remember, and Aldo told Jerad he could watch on our tv. When we got back Jerad has his feet up on the couch all comfortable-like and was watching off of Kodi (the movie set-up Dad did for us). The next day he was on it again. And the next day. And then the kids were here for the weekend. At first they played outside in the snow, and then when they came in... watched on our tv again! This was the surprise. I thought for sure they would leave by bedtime. Because they were watching the movie for the second time. And it was a school night. And privacy. Nope. Aldo wasn't here so Luke was put in bed and Mila and I hid in my room watching a DVD on my laptop. So this was the one time where privacy ever came up. And it really wasn't that bad. Not what I thought.

The other surprise has been the fireplace. It's not bad or anything... just a nuisance. You have to restock the logs more frequently than what I would have thought. Our first night here was the coldest night ever!! And so now we know how much firewood, size of logs, when to put them in, how to control the fire, etc. I guess for if we ever need to know that information. But more importantly, central heating is a MUST and a fireplace can be back-up.

---

Today I had a morning meeting, so while Mila slept on Jerad's watch, Luke came with me and then I took him to school. This would give me the chance to ask about transferring later on and virtual school, etc. The office lady was a heckler. She gave me the 10th degree and dug in to where I had to tell the truth about us moving. And she was like... <use Wicked Witch of the West voice>.. "well using a different address is illegal." Ugh. Do you know how many people live out of district and still go to the school of their choice? Or use a different address than where they are really living? A ton of people. AND, I've had several people tell me that they knew people who didn't have to transfer. A Piper kid for instance. That's KCK school district. Hmmmm.... So it's not like I was asking for Luke to ride the bus or anything. She said, "well, he'll need to get approved by the district office and you'll have to call them... and usually only people who need special attention or special reasons get through." Baloney. (I know that's not how you spell the word... But I think that's how It's spelled when it's not the lunch meat, and more of phoney information. Just so you know. I'm not illiterate. Haha!)

So... today I've spent scrambling to get paperwork together: birth certificate, lease information, immunizations, utility information, etc. All before the schools and businesses are closed for the holidays and winter break. Luke's last day at Basehor Elementary is tomorrow!!! He doesn't even know. Him, his teacher, the schools... it's like nobody had been prepped and made ready for this transition. Poor buddy. His friends are going to be surprised to know that he's not coming back from winter break. He's moving away. And so what should be a fun thing has become an emotional, sad thing. My poor baby. I can see a few benefits from this:

1. The new school is directly across the street from the apartments. So I no longer have to travel back and forth to take Luke to school. Less money spent on gas for transportation. And I do t have to travel during the winter months either. And I can be there at a moment's notice if need be.

2. We continue to break out on our own. Is Johnson County where we see ourselves in the future? Well, we aren't still hitched to family in the boonies.

3. It's easier to transfer now rather than in 2nd or 3rd or 4th grade, or middle school. It's better now while he's young. And at least it's one kid and not both of them.

4. This is weird, but another daydream I've been having is that what if this is all part of God's plan? What if years from now Luke is sitting across from his wife, whom he met in 1st grade at this new school, and she confesses that if he had come sooner he would never have "stuck out" to her. An de if he had come sooner he would never have been coupled up with her to learn the class rules, catch up on the subject, etc. What if this is all God's plan? (That should have been my #1.)

As I was being handed all the paperwork to sign at this new school from this new face in the office, I was heartbroken that Luke had to be plucked out from what he knew and pushed into something else. I said out loud, "<sigh> this is sad." The office lady looked at me like I was crazy. Like I was getting a divorce or something and Luke was going to need counciling. Not the case, lady. It's more like my expectations were hit by a train. And so all I can think is - it must all be God's plan to get us into that position where He wants us. Literally.

Let's Throw in a Wrench

Have my posts been mainly negative lately? I feel like every single one since June has been negative. Sorry, if so. It's not my intention.

HOWEVER, I have some good news and some... wrenches.
Aldo and I went and looked at the apartments on Wednesday and Thursday last week like we planned. Apartment #1 was right off the highway in a closed off neighborhood, but the lady immediately turned me off from it because she was snooty and didn't seem to care (or maybe she thought it was out of our price range). Even so, because she didn't try to "sell" it to us... Aldo and I picked that place apart! We were so skeptical, which hopefully surprised the lady into treating the next couple differently. Truth be told, the corner kitchen was almost non-existent and I need room in my kitchen. I don't want dishwasher on top of oven and fridge hidden in a weird place. So Apartment #1 was a big, fat NO. The next day we went to scheduled, Apartment #2. The lady there was much nicer, the apartment wasn't terrible per se, and they had a fishing pond as an amenity as well as the usual outdoor and indoor swimming pool, which was really cool. But, on the downside they couldn't show us a two bedroom and they have over 30 different floor plans. I want to see what I'm buying! That way I can plan for it. How do I know if I can get my couch in the door? So, that was a red flag making Apartment #2 a NO also. Driving down the street, Aldo said that a friend recommended one that was close by, so just in passing we decided to drop in unannounced and check it out. Apartment #3 lady was so sweet to us and to Mila. (A good sign.) She showed us a model that was almost the exact floor plan of what was available. It was nice and open. The kitchen was big. Large closets in both rooms. AND the apartments are gated and after doing a search, I found that they're across the street from a brand new elementary school. AND, in the right price range!!! I got so excited leaving. It was an actual possibility. The more and more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. Luckily for us, someone put in their deposit that day so we couldn't. As I type, we are on a call list. When the next apartment opens, we're putting in our application and deposit. !!!!! Finally, we will be adults again. On our own. No one judging what we do. No one complaining. No one getting upset because we didn't offer our to help out of our free time or family time.
I am so eager, I can't contain it!

But, like we agreed, we are set on not moving in until February (tenants must give 60 days notice), if an apartment opens. And of course, after we test to see if it's affordable. My guess is - we can make it happen.

Now for the wrench. So we've got the ball rolling... this week we moved around Jerad's furniture and dusting, preparing for a carpet cleaning and to get our stuff moved in hopefully by next week. Then, last night... mom said she was taking the downstairs room that's closest to the door. THAT'S LUKE'S ROOM. You know when you plan for things and then... someone else throws in a wrench. There have been so many wrenches in 2016, it's like a nightmare for someone like me. So... I've been perturbed to say the least.

1. There's only two open rooms downstairs. The third room needs a lot of cleaning. I don't think it's going to be open by December.
2. ALDO and I have been prepping and talking about this. Nobody else has said a word.
3. I have barely dealt with living with my mom above us. And I was worried about living with another relative (male too!) and it ending up just the same. How in the world can we live with my mom in the next room? 

:|

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Whenever I get on here my mind is literally blank on what I should write. So much happens week to week, there's absolutely no way of catching up on all of it. This past week/month/year has been no different. I can't even begin to cover it all. So forgive me with the things that I'm writing on or the things I have missed...

Since Aldo and I caved in October and bought our first flatscreen tv (finally!) with our first credit card (yikes!) I've been able to keep up-to-date on all the happenings in the world. I'll tell you, I'm not impressed. It's wearisome. Today is Election Day. For the past 500+ days, everything has been this candidate and that candidate, accusation after accusation, this "tweet" and that document... It's hard to take seriously. But tonight there will definitely be a new president in the White House. It really opens your eyes to what's in store for the next 4 years. How is this going to look for my children? How can I teach them to be "informed" when they are surrounded with a ton of bipartisan and/or fluffed up media?

I had to have a conversation with my 6-year-old a couple weeks ago on politics. They were discussing who to vote for on the bus. First off, why can't our kids just be kids for a while longer!?! Second, how do you discuss with your kid the hard issues and topics? The ones people get really passionate about and even offended? I don't want to downplay it, but I don't want to burden them either. And I don't want to make the decision for them either. I explained to him what each candidate planned on doing, simply, and told him it was his choice to pick who would lead the United States best. My son is so brilliant, he told me it was a tough choice because he didn't agree with either one of the candidates fully. (This year the runners are Donald Trump [Rep] and Hillary Clinton [Dem].) 

If I Were President...

"I would say that it's a law to take showers weekly."

"I'll try to be a good and wise president."

I will be glad when this is all over. I feel cautious... There are so many people that have become hardened, I think. There is "Black Lives Matter", "Blue Lives Matter", different communities... and last night I just heard the phrase Divided States of America. This is scary folks. Our nation is on the brink of change. So where do we stand when all the pieces fall?

Another change has been the sale of this house, and the move to <fill in blank>.
Mom projected that the house would sell in October and her goal was $334K. It was an outrageous amount so we didn't think it would sell as quick. Every other weekend it felt like there was an "open house" without anyone seriously buying. And every other weekend we had to clean the house top to bottom, following our kids around AND making improvements on top of that. It was exhausting. AND some of those weekends we had to take care of the animals alone. It was beginning to be a fun-sucking process. Mom lowered the price (a total shock) and started getting some real bites. At the end of October, she came to an agreement on an offer $273,500. We had inspectors come... a ton of them... all on the same day! It was nuts. They checked EVERYTHING! (The lagoon, upstairs, downstairs, light sockets, water damage, mold, the roof, the dirt and poisonous air that might come out of it, etc.) It looked promising until the gentleman said he wanted the lagoon moved. How would you move a lagoon? Mom didn't cave; she said no. They agreed that mom would clean the garage roof (because Ollie pooped on it) and would have it patched where it had been leaking.
Starting in November, it appeared that we wouldn't be living here after December; we won't have Christmas here. I wasn't really torn up about it... a house is a house... but the more I think about it, the more it kind of saddens me. It is a basement, but it's difficult to imagine having Christmas at a new place. Anyway, November we began searching FOR REAL for apartments. The obtaining of a home loan without credit seemed too far-fetched when we didn't have the "alternative stuff" that they wanted specifically, and we didn't have enough of a downpayment either. So, option #2... rent an apartment. It's been a while since we looked at the apartment market, but geez... it's expensive. Our rating system for apartments was on a scale of 1-10... 10 being everything we ever wanted and 1 being better than a box. I googled, Zillowed, apartmentsearched, mapped, etc. every apartment in the area. There is hardly anything. It was overwhelming. It has come down to... you are paying the extra money to live in a neighborhood with less reported crime, drugs, shady people, and extra appliances.
To cut a long story short, we made appointments to look at two apartments this week that, at the time, I had a feeling we can't afford.
BUT THEN... I prayed. It seemed we had two choices:
1. Live with Jerad and save. But we wouldn't get the "alternative credit" for renting so we would have to get more credit cards (that we don't want) and open our own phone lines or pay for internet or some other utilities (that we don't necessarily need). And yet, Luke would easily remain in the school he's attending and I wouldn't need to worry about driving him.
2. Rent from a way over-priced apartment and go through our savings, as well as have to wake up early and drive Luke to school daily. Or rent in a questionable neighborhood and fear for what may be going on around us and who, and still drive Luke to school. Is it worth it?
After I prayed, God spoke to me. He said, "Why don't you live with Jerad in December and pay him what you agreed on and the difference put straight in savings? Pretend like you are renting." I thought about it and went through all the pros... Luke still goes to school; if we go negative on budget, it's not like we actually lost the money; we get prepped for how this will look; if we can make the budget work in December when it's Christmas then we can make it work any month, etc. But then I stopped and had to ask, "But is this still faith?" And He said, "Is faith being OBEDIENT?" When I told this to Aldo, he agreed that we weren't going to argue and we'll do the December mock-renting at Jerad's. It's wise, right? Like, why didn't we think of this earlier?
So, we are prepping to move to Jerad's. This week we are still going to the apartments to get our numbers to budget on, and next week we'll probably clean Jerad's basement and get it ready to move into. Then we'll move over the things that we don't use everyday. And by December the rest of it.
A quick side note: I never thought she would do it, but it looks like Mom is selling the chickens. I was beginning to think she was taking them with her to Tennessee. She said that the only reason she wanted us to stay as long as we have is so that we can let out the chickens in the morning. (!!!) Well, thanks for that.

At the same time... I don't want to put all her dirty laundry on here, so I'll leave out the details... Maecy and Mateo moved in. I have been watching Mateo a few days out of the week. He's a good kid, but two babies at the same time is almost too much. I look forward to when Aldo or Mom or Maecy, or Luke even, come home. I'm beginning to get the schedule down, like when nap times are and when to eat, or check for poop. But when they cry and you're tired from apartment hunting and cleaning and other small annoyances... it's like nails on a chalkboard. Thank you Lord, that this isn't going to last too long.

Our First Day with Mateo

(He was crying, and at first Mila tried to cheer him up, 

but when he just got louder, this is what followed.)

So the next few months and 2017 are going to have a whole new look. It's almost like earth got hit and is revolving on a new axis. Well, I'm not being dramatic or anything... <sarcasm>. I think I need to follow up this post with a few pictures maybe.

Halloween 2016: A Poke-Family

Luke was Infernape (a level two pokemon that is a monkey and catches on fire. 200 attack points.)

Mila was Pikachu. I was a Pokeball, and Aldo was the guy who throws the Pokeball.

I guess I didn't get to talk about it... Halloween was alright. Luke, Mila and I went to the Cubbages and trick-or-treated with them for a road and a half, and it was kind of stressful. Then we went with Maecy and Mateo, Mom, Jerad and the kids, which was also difficult but only because the kids are heavy when you're carrying them and wearing a gigantic Pokeball. It only happens once in a lifetime though. Enjoy your family when you can! 

When Papa Visits

Hair Long Enough for Pig Tails!!! <3