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? 

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