Last Day of School

This was a sad week of goodbyes. We said bye to neighbors and friends and our church. We said bye to Leila's dear little school and her teachers and her Gymboree teacher. Shrek said bye, in his own way, to his favorite haunts on our walks. We move next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. So much for football, Patrick. We are sad not to spend Thanksgiving at the McKinney's ranch, but we will probably go out there later this winter.

The chaos in our house from moving is bothersome to Patrick, Shrek, and I; but Leila thinks it is fun. We close on the house on Tuesday so I will post some pictures after that.

Playing around before school

Ringing "Gymbo" the clown's doorbell in class

Moving boxes are Leila's new toys and chairs

She likes the carpet in our new house. This is the gameroom.

The windows in the living room are the perfect height for curious toddlers (and dogs.)

Sold!

I don't want to jinx anything, but we sold the house (again.) So November is going to be a very busy month! We still do not have a new house in Clear Lake, but hopefully I find one today. Knock on wood everything goes through this time.

Unsold!

Quick update....

Our house went on the market Thursday before last. Sold that Sunday. "Unsold" by Friday (the buyer pulled out.) So we are back on the market. We are considering another offer, so we still think it will sell quickly. And hope so as well.

I went house hunting in the Clear Lake area and saw a lot of houses. Hopefully one of them will work out, but there was not a single house that we had to have. I also saw some homes whose owners could have benefited from a little time watching "Sell this House." Seriously, paint over your unicorns on the wall. Hide your barking dog. And clean out your closets just a little.

Leila update! She used her first phrase today! She said "Nana dog" when I told her we were going to her Nana's and we would see her dog. We are so proud.

A Lot Can Happen in 5 Days

So... last post mentioned some big stuff: moving, illness, walking. Since then, we have some major updates.

First update, moving. Our house sold in less than 5 days. So it turns out all of that time spent watching "Sell This House" was worth it. We have had an exhausting week, cleaning, packing, de-cluttering, organizing. Our house looks better than it ever will again, LOL. But it paid off, since keeping the house clean just about killed us. I locked Shrek outside when the maid came and he overheated and threw up everywhere. We had a showing today, and Leila ripped the metal bins out of the wall, sprinkled pens throughout the house, took the kitchen dishtowels out from under the sink and dumped out all of our things in the bathroom, and then peed on the carpet while I was trying to change her diaper. Going through any more time doing THAT would have been horrific.

Second, illness. I am close to 100% better, still have a nagging cough/congestion while Leila has congestion. Somehow Patrick escaped it.

We are moving to Clear Lake and now have to find a home ASAP. So please keep us in your prayers since this is a MAJOR change and we have A LOT to do. Sadly, we just got our home exactly how we want it, and now we are leaving it! Since this is our first house, I am a little emotional about it, mostly over the nursery where I brought my 1st baby home. That and the fact I am leaving all of my friends behind since I have lived here since 1986. No, it is not like I am moving to a different state, but lets be honest, with a baby it is a big move since you can't just jump in the car anymore.

The good news is that Leila is walking better every day and falls less (which equals less injuries) so we are thankful for each new day! Today she learned how to "dance" so once I get it on video you will have some LOLs. She is also becoming increasingly verbal and opinionated. I am thankful for this as it increases our ability to understand one another. Other words she says are "ba" (bottle), "na" (banana), "mo" (more, also snack), and of course "mama," "dada," and "no," which were among the first. Words she signs include eat, sleep, more, please, friend, and a handful of others.

Here are some pics of our house that were on the internet.