It's Day 1 on the market.
This week has been almost nothing but going to work, playing with Shane, and working on the house. Carrie's off to speak at a high school career fair and I'm doing last minute touch ups before Shane and I disappear. The agents are predicting a lot of traffic and hinted that we may not want to be around.
I was going to run around and take pictures of the house, but I think the agent did that job rather nicely. It's way cleaner than usual, but my memory can fill back in the junk.
Back to cleaning and getting ready to head out! Kathleen's baby shower is today so that should be a fun excuse to go over to Nana and Pa's!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Sign is up
The sign post for the big SALE sign just went up as I got home today. The house won't be up until this weekend, but this is getting more and more real.
Carrie and I have been working out butts off on the house. I came home on Monday to see huge mounds of trash bags. My first thought was that the neighbors who are moving must be cleaning out a bunch of old crap.
Turns out, it was Carrie cleaning out a bunch of old crap! She'd gotten off work early and ransacked the attic. She's been a one-woman construction crew racing around painting and fixing little odds and ends. I'd help more, but she hands me the boy and says "take him!" After Shane goes to bed, I switch in to work mode too, but most of the house prep has been my wife.
We're still waiting to hear what our neighbor's appraisal comes back as before we'll know just how real this is. I have a number I don't want to sell for less than, and if that number isn't beat we're going to go back into a holding pattern.
At the least, this whole endeavor has been a really thorough spring cleaning. The house has never looked better, if you want to make an offer...
Carrie and I have been working out butts off on the house. I came home on Monday to see huge mounds of trash bags. My first thought was that the neighbors who are moving must be cleaning out a bunch of old crap.
Turns out, it was Carrie cleaning out a bunch of old crap! She'd gotten off work early and ransacked the attic. She's been a one-woman construction crew racing around painting and fixing little odds and ends. I'd help more, but she hands me the boy and says "take him!" After Shane goes to bed, I switch in to work mode too, but most of the house prep has been my wife.
We're still waiting to hear what our neighbor's appraisal comes back as before we'll know just how real this is. I have a number I don't want to sell for less than, and if that number isn't beat we're going to go back into a holding pattern.
At the least, this whole endeavor has been a really thorough spring cleaning. The house has never looked better, if you want to make an offer...
Shane's getting so much smarter!
For the past month, Shane's been developing mentally as well as a bruiser.
If I snap my fingers and point, he looks at where I'm pointing.
If I say a word he recognizes, he can reacts.
If I snap my fingers, point at his snacks, and say "Crunchies?" he will race over and bring the snacks over for me to open. If my hands are closed, he will try to pry open my fingers so that he can put the snacks into an open-hand.
Today, there was a really cute moment. Shane loves Cars by Pixar. There are lots of bright colors and good tunes. Carrie put on Cars while I was feeding Shane to zombify him. After he was done eating, he plopped in Mommy's lap. Carrie pulled out Shane's shirt and pointed. "Look! Lightning!" Shane looked down at his shirt, looked up at the TV, and looked back down at his shirt. I could physically see the gears turning in his head as he made the connection. His shirt had the same picture that was on the TV!
Shane was fascinated. He kept pulling out his shirt and looking back and forth. Then he started trying to eat his shirt (I never said he was a genius).
It was really fun to see Shane make the connection. He's been responding and thinking deeper about many things lately. He recognizes sounds like a gate opening or closing and races to try and jail break.
Just a quick post bragging about my boy!
If I snap my fingers and point, he looks at where I'm pointing.
If I say a word he recognizes, he can reacts.
If I snap my fingers, point at his snacks, and say "Crunchies?" he will race over and bring the snacks over for me to open. If my hands are closed, he will try to pry open my fingers so that he can put the snacks into an open-hand.
Today, there was a really cute moment. Shane loves Cars by Pixar. There are lots of bright colors and good tunes. Carrie put on Cars while I was feeding Shane to zombify him. After he was done eating, he plopped in Mommy's lap. Carrie pulled out Shane's shirt and pointed. "Look! Lightning!" Shane looked down at his shirt, looked up at the TV, and looked back down at his shirt. I could physically see the gears turning in his head as he made the connection. His shirt had the same picture that was on the TV!
Shane was fascinated. He kept pulling out his shirt and looking back and forth. Then he started trying to eat his shirt (I never said he was a genius).
It was really fun to see Shane make the connection. He's been responding and thinking deeper about many things lately. He recognizes sounds like a gate opening or closing and races to try and jail break.
Just a quick post bragging about my boy!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Everyone worries about babies
One of the first things I learned about parenting, is that everyone worries about babies. It's universal.
The catch is, everyone worries about different things.
The chief worriers are the party responsible for the child. Usually, this means the parents. The amount of pressure that comes with being responsible for a helpless life causes stress. Nana once told me "Every parent starts off thinking 'I'm going to do the best I can for my child.'" Life happens and is much more messy and out-of-control than in our thoughts, and that's when the worry can creep in. I think the more you care, the easier it is to worry if you let yourself dwell upon it.
My life as a parent became much easier when I trusted my son to breathe on his own.
The catch is, everyone worries about different things.
The chief worriers are the party responsible for the child. Usually, this means the parents. The amount of pressure that comes with being responsible for a helpless life causes stress. Nana once told me "Every parent starts off thinking 'I'm going to do the best I can for my child.'" Life happens and is much more messy and out-of-control than in our thoughts, and that's when the worry can creep in. I think the more you care, the easier it is to worry if you let yourself dwell upon it.
My life as a parent became much easier when I trusted my son to breathe on his own.
It's official
We're planning to sell.
One of the agent's assistants came over on Friday to give the house a once over and give us a recommended selling price. I told Carrie if the price was over a certain number, I'd agree to sell. She texted me at work to let me know the good news: the agent quoted almost the exact price I'd mentioned that morning. It was only $100 less and in real estate terms that's exact.
However, I was still surprised to see a Realtor's lock-box on the door when I got home.
.JPG)
When my wife moves into 'project mode' she doesn't move at any other pace than 'breakneck speed!'
One of the agent's assistants came over on Friday to give the house a once over and give us a recommended selling price. I told Carrie if the price was over a certain number, I'd agree to sell. She texted me at work to let me know the good news: the agent quoted almost the exact price I'd mentioned that morning. It was only $100 less and in real estate terms that's exact.
However, I was still surprised to see a Realtor's lock-box on the door when I got home.
.JPG)
When my wife moves into 'project mode' she doesn't move at any other pace than 'breakneck speed!'
Monday, March 19, 2012
The day after...
The day after I write a post about our house, my wife gets the idea to sell it.
Ironic, no?
Ironic, no?
Sunday, March 18, 2012
An Evolving House: The TV
Our TV is still the one from my bachelor days.
When I first moved out, I thought, "I'm a bachelor and bachelor's are supposed to have decent TVs." So what did I do? I went out and shopped around for the best bang for my buck. I ended up with a 42" plasma TV from Walmart that's been around for the past 4 years.
When I first moved out, I thought, "I'm a bachelor and bachelor's are supposed to have decent TVs." So what did I do? I went out and shopped around for the best bang for my buck. I ended up with a 42" plasma TV from Walmart that's been around for the past 4 years.
An Evolving House
I remember the first time I walked into my house.
Carrie was beside me holding my arm. Our agent opened the front door and excited nails dug into my biceps. "Hardwood floors! Honey, they have hardwood floors!" came the breathless whisper beside me.
My wife was giddy.
Oh, and there was the single most foul-smelling refrigerator in the world in the basement. It was full of fish, kimchi, and who knows what else?
The outside of our house looks similar to then, but a great number of things have changed. We moved in, made the house ours, and then found out baby Shane was on his way. From that point forward, our home has been continuously changing and evolving. First, we had to make room for Shane. When he got here, we had to adjust for all of our ideas that didn't work as planned. Now, he's growing like a weed and things that were once inaccessible are no longer such.
Sometimes, it feels like we're in a race to stay at least one step ahead of the guy. We'll get a comfortable lead for a while and then one day he'll be pulling himself up somewhere he shouldn't be able to reach. That sends us back to the drawing board! If you are a parent, you know what I'm talking about (or you'll find out soon enough!).
Parenting feels like an ever-changing game for me. Just when you think you've figured out all the rules, something is changing! You'll never get it 100% and the only option is for you to keep adapting and learning as you go. I guess it's not surprise that my living space reflects this!
I'm going to be sorting through old photos and occasionally making a post in this 'new series.' I'll be posting them under the label 'House.'
Carrie was beside me holding my arm. Our agent opened the front door and excited nails dug into my biceps. "Hardwood floors! Honey, they have hardwood floors!" came the breathless whisper beside me.
My wife was giddy.
Oh, and there was the single most foul-smelling refrigerator in the world in the basement. It was full of fish, kimchi, and who knows what else?
The outside of our house looks similar to then, but a great number of things have changed. We moved in, made the house ours, and then found out baby Shane was on his way. From that point forward, our home has been continuously changing and evolving. First, we had to make room for Shane. When he got here, we had to adjust for all of our ideas that didn't work as planned. Now, he's growing like a weed and things that were once inaccessible are no longer such.
Sometimes, it feels like we're in a race to stay at least one step ahead of the guy. We'll get a comfortable lead for a while and then one day he'll be pulling himself up somewhere he shouldn't be able to reach. That sends us back to the drawing board! If you are a parent, you know what I'm talking about (or you'll find out soon enough!).
Parenting feels like an ever-changing game for me. Just when you think you've figured out all the rules, something is changing! You'll never get it 100% and the only option is for you to keep adapting and learning as you go. I guess it's not surprise that my living space reflects this!
I'm going to be sorting through old photos and occasionally making a post in this 'new series.' I'll be posting them under the label 'House.'
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Shane the narcissist
Shane's vain. That pretty much encapsulates it.
Shane enjoys looking at himself in mirrors. Normally it only distracts him for a short amount of time, before he gets distracted and moves on. When he was younger, I used to sing "Who is that baby in the mirror?" and it was always worth a big smile.
Nowadays, he's upgraded to the iPad.
Shane loves to watch videos of himself in the iPad. He will cackle and squeal when he hears himself cackle and squeal in quicktime. Carrie's iPad also has a handy-dandy feature where the camera can record from both sides. In effect, it becomes a 'recording mirror' for Shane. He was being a little fussy, so I brought out the iPad, hit record, and watched my son get mesmerized.
My boy had a lot of fun. Here are some clips I trimmed out of his play session.
Shane enjoys looking at himself in mirrors. Normally it only distracts him for a short amount of time, before he gets distracted and moves on. When he was younger, I used to sing "Who is that baby in the mirror?" and it was always worth a big smile.
Nowadays, he's upgraded to the iPad.
Shane loves to watch videos of himself in the iPad. He will cackle and squeal when he hears himself cackle and squeal in quicktime. Carrie's iPad also has a handy-dandy feature where the camera can record from both sides. In effect, it becomes a 'recording mirror' for Shane. He was being a little fussy, so I brought out the iPad, hit record, and watched my son get mesmerized.
My boy had a lot of fun. Here are some clips I trimmed out of his play session.
Ranger is doing well...
...and so are my allergies.
Carrie emailed the people we adopted Ranger from and they said he's fitting in well! The little girl was thrilled to see him again. All's well that ends well. He was as doggish* of a cat as I've seen before, so it's a shame he also carried the sneezing, sniffling death for me. I've taken maybe one or two of my allergy pills since he's left. Min and Max don't cause anywhere near the same allergic reaction. I guess it's true that male cats have more allergens.
Anyway, it's good to know the little stink is doing well. Both Min and Max have been much more present and friendly since he left, so I guess they're glad he's gone.
Cats. What can I say? They came with the wife.
*doggish - Acting like a dog. Actually caring for the people in your house and generally not being catty.**
**catty - Acting like a typical cat. 'Nuff said.
Carrie emailed the people we adopted Ranger from and they said he's fitting in well! The little girl was thrilled to see him again. All's well that ends well. He was as doggish* of a cat as I've seen before, so it's a shame he also carried the sneezing, sniffling death for me. I've taken maybe one or two of my allergy pills since he's left. Min and Max don't cause anywhere near the same allergic reaction. I guess it's true that male cats have more allergens.
Anyway, it's good to know the little stink is doing well. Both Min and Max have been much more present and friendly since he left, so I guess they're glad he's gone.
Cats. What can I say? They came with the wife.
*doggish - Acting like a dog. Actually caring for the people in your house and generally not being catty.**
**catty - Acting like a typical cat. 'Nuff said.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I guess it did go well!
"Dear Michael,
Thank you for applying for the position of Technology Specialist with Public Schools. Your interview, Level 1 technical assessment and portfolio clearly indicate that you have the skills required for the TS position. You are now an eligible member of the TS hiring pool."
Etc., etc.
I got the email 2 hours after my re-interview! Very cool!
Of course, being part of the hiring pool just means I'm not "too stupid to be hired." Going out and actually getting hired for a position at a school is an entirely different matter.
Still, step 1 accomplished!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Shane at 15 months.
Shane measured at 97th percentile height, 95th head circumference, and 90th weight for his age. My boy is already wearing 18-24 monther clothing depending on the brand. Carrie said he weighed in somewhere over 28 lbs. I'd ask her, but she was sprawled across the covers face down asleep when Shane and I came back from our walk a little after 7 PM. Our son is a high-energy toddler! He can tucker a parent out who chases him around all day!
He's a lot of work, but we love our son!
A day later, I'm restarting on this draft. Carrie passed out around 7:30 PM and I put Shane down just before 8:40 PM. Once again, I forgot to ask her exactly how much our boy weighed in at. Rats. At least she didn't fall asleep with the iPad upstairs. There are pictures and videos I've been meaning to upload.
On with the update!
Five words to describe my son:
He's a lot of work, but we love our son!
A day later, I'm restarting on this draft. Carrie passed out around 7:30 PM and I put Shane down just before 8:40 PM. Once again, I forgot to ask her exactly how much our boy weighed in at. Rats. At least she didn't fall asleep with the iPad upstairs. There are pictures and videos I've been meaning to upload.
On with the update!
Five words to describe my son:
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The clock's a ticking...
...and I need to leave for my flight soon.
Megan's wedding is in Florida and I'm flying down! The plane ticket cost me $447, but it's a once in a lifetime gig. I don't want to miss out on supporting her and my soon to be brother-in-law, Captain America.
I just bought victory bagels, and now it's time to pack and rush out the door.
Megan's wedding is in Florida and I'm flying down! The plane ticket cost me $447, but it's a once in a lifetime gig. I don't want to miss out on supporting her and my soon to be brother-in-law, Captain America.
I just bought victory bagels, and now it's time to pack and rush out the door.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Parenting is much more fun co-op.
I've been playing "single player" since Thursday night. Carrie's fever is only in the 100s tonight, so it'll be nice to have her back in the mix of things. She's certainly ready to get out of bed.
I think things are on the mend here (again) and hopefully will continue on that course. Funny, but I think I said that before. I guess I'm just an eternal optimist. It beats the piss out of wondering what will go wrong next!
I think things are on the mend here (again) and hopefully will continue on that course. Funny, but I think I said that before. I guess I'm just an eternal optimist. It beats the piss out of wondering what will go wrong next!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
It's been a tough month medically,
I haven't complained about my benefit premiums since getting married. They're worth it.
If I start counting at the first ambulance ride, there have been:
2 Ambulance calls
2 ER visits (Shane)
2 Urgent Care visits (1 Shane, 1 Carrie)
8 Doctor's visits (4 Shane, 4 Carrie)
That's a rough count without going back and looking at receipts. Shane got the nebulizer, went back the next day for the ear infection, had a couple of checkups on that later, and he went to the Urgent Care when they said he had croup.
Currently, Carrie is upstairs sick in bed. She's been fighting a fever that started at 103 this morning and has topped off around 104. The doctor has basically said keep taking medicine and as long as it responds and doesn't go up further, just stay resting in bed. It all started with dehydration when she somehow went a day without drinking fluids, ran on the elliptical, and then went out to train horses. Anyway, she's been trapped up in the bedroom all day and has avoided Shane.
I took the boy out and about a bunch today to get out of the house some. We went to the mall playground, Auntie Anne's for free pretzel day, Panera to pick up lunch, and we visited Dan and Bill's apartment. It was nice to see them again, especially because I had to bail out on Bill's surprise party tonight. I was looking forward to showing off Shane for a little bit and saying hi to everyone, but a sick wife has to come first. Hopefully, there won't be any sickness next weekend when I fly down for my sister's wedding. I don't know if the ticket is refundable or not and it's a (hopefully) once in a lifetime event!
Prayers for Carrie to get well soon and Shane and I to stay healthy are appreciated! You can bet I'm praying!
If I start counting at the first ambulance ride, there have been:
2 Ambulance calls
2 ER visits (Shane)
2 Urgent Care visits (1 Shane, 1 Carrie)
8 Doctor's visits (4 Shane, 4 Carrie)
That's a rough count without going back and looking at receipts. Shane got the nebulizer, went back the next day for the ear infection, had a couple of checkups on that later, and he went to the Urgent Care when they said he had croup.
Currently, Carrie is upstairs sick in bed. She's been fighting a fever that started at 103 this morning and has topped off around 104. The doctor has basically said keep taking medicine and as long as it responds and doesn't go up further, just stay resting in bed. It all started with dehydration when she somehow went a day without drinking fluids, ran on the elliptical, and then went out to train horses. Anyway, she's been trapped up in the bedroom all day and has avoided Shane.
I took the boy out and about a bunch today to get out of the house some. We went to the mall playground, Auntie Anne's for free pretzel day, Panera to pick up lunch, and we visited Dan and Bill's apartment. It was nice to see them again, especially because I had to bail out on Bill's surprise party tonight. I was looking forward to showing off Shane for a little bit and saying hi to everyone, but a sick wife has to come first. Hopefully, there won't be any sickness next weekend when I fly down for my sister's wedding. I don't know if the ticket is refundable or not and it's a (hopefully) once in a lifetime event!
Prayers for Carrie to get well soon and Shane and I to stay healthy are appreciated! You can bet I'm praying!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Score another one for Nana
I did a tribute to her last week, but Nana came to the rescue again today.
Carrie was sick and dehydrated this morning and said she couldn't handle Shane today. This happened at seven in the morning. I felt like I had to go in to work today for many reasons (including interims and fearing what would happen if whatever sub showed up was left with my runaway student for two hours on their own).
The solution? I called Nana.
I was a little late to work, but I don't have a morning class and nobody noticed. (I did email at 7 to let my AP know, and I even had to do a walk of shame by the front office and the principal's window when the card reader was magically broke at the entrance closer to my class.)
Carrie got to go to the doctor without a baby in tow. It turned out she was not only dehydrated, but sick as well. She was put on bed rest for the day.
Shane got to go to baby heaven. We have cats, but Nana has a dog and we all know how much cooler dogs are than cats! Plus, I think the boy adores having room to run all over without any baby gates or pesky stairs to slow him down. Each room has a different set of toys too! My son was incredibly disheartened to see me after work. I walked through the door and he started to throw his head and tantrum. How's that for a "make your father feel welcomed" greeting? It made me feel a bit like a boot heel, but if Shane ever has kids it'll be my turn to be the spoiling grandparent. Maybe I'll even have convinced Carrie to let me get a dog by then! Shane eventually perked up when he realized I wasn't going to take him from Nana's right away. He really loves it there.
Thanks, Nana! You saved me from having to use sick leave at a crucial time.
Carrie was sick and dehydrated this morning and said she couldn't handle Shane today. This happened at seven in the morning. I felt like I had to go in to work today for many reasons (including interims and fearing what would happen if whatever sub showed up was left with my runaway student for two hours on their own).
The solution? I called Nana.
I was a little late to work, but I don't have a morning class and nobody noticed. (I did email at 7 to let my AP know, and I even had to do a walk of shame by the front office and the principal's window when the card reader was magically broke at the entrance closer to my class.)
Carrie got to go to the doctor without a baby in tow. It turned out she was not only dehydrated, but sick as well. She was put on bed rest for the day.
Shane got to go to baby heaven. We have cats, but Nana has a dog and we all know how much cooler dogs are than cats! Plus, I think the boy adores having room to run all over without any baby gates or pesky stairs to slow him down. Each room has a different set of toys too! My son was incredibly disheartened to see me after work. I walked through the door and he started to throw his head and tantrum. How's that for a "make your father feel welcomed" greeting? It made me feel a bit like a boot heel, but if Shane ever has kids it'll be my turn to be the spoiling grandparent. Maybe I'll even have convinced Carrie to let me get a dog by then! Shane eventually perked up when he realized I wasn't going to take him from Nana's right away. He really loves it there.
Thanks, Nana! You saved me from having to use sick leave at a crucial time.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
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