We are So Not Normal

When I recently predicted that things were going to start getting crazy around here, I had no idea what I was predicting.  Things have been more than a little nuts.  Last week we booked quite a few house showings during the most incovenient times.  Some unusual happenings have occurred at Dear Husband's job.  My dryer stopped drying clothes (can't wait for my Best Buy delivery next Monday!).  My remote control stopped functioning.  Baby G has started chasing our cats on her hands and knees while yelling "Da-da."  The temperature and humidity have spiked indicating that summer has arrived early.  I have been up to my elbows in medical records and legal work.  And summer is just getting started...

 

I'm starting to think that there's no such thing as "normal."  It seems that my little family is always in some sort of transition period.  When we first got married we had the graduate school phase where we anticipated starting our careers.  Then we went to law school and spent 5 years rethinking and planning our careers.  Sometime during that period I became a mother and completely gave up on everything I had planned during the previous 5 years.  After I graduated from law school, we had 6 months of "normal," which ended right in time for me to start studying for the Bar.  Following the Bar, I got pregnant and spent the majority of the next 9 months in bed dealing with sickness and preterm contractions.  Then began life with a baby.  We were kind of hoping that 2013 might be the beginning of "normal" for us.  But between listing our house for sale and dealing with some job issues, we are not even approaching the intersection of "normal" and "almost-normal."  Nope.  We're in that transition phase of keeping the house staged and show-ready while wondering what is going to happen each day at work. 

 

Some people might dread our constant state of going-and-changing, but I'm coming to the realization that change is NORMAL for our family.  Not having some sort of project or life-change to anticipate would probably drive us crazy.  In some strange way we sound unstable.  But I think that regular change is our form of adventure.  It's rather exciting to look at the future with optimism and excitement about the unknown.  When will we move?  What type of homeschool teacher will I be?  Where will our children do their extracurricular activities?  What activities will those be? and What will our legal careers look like in 10 years? 

 

It's safe to say that I don't have an answer to any of these questions.  Only God knows.  For now, I just have to take life one day at a time.  I have to give each day to God and follow where He leads.  Not being normal isn't so bad as long as I'm right where God wants me to be.

6 Months and Counting...

 

We had our first mother-daughter argument yesterday.  Sweet Baby G insisted on chewing on the cord to the lamp in my bedroom.  Mommy told her to stop playing with electrical cords.  Then she got mad.  And she ignored me.  Suddenly, my life skipped 16 years and I imagined having the same mother-daughter moment over something more "important."  (You know, like why I won't let her wear spaghetti strap shirts.)  Oh goodness.  What have I gotten myself into?  Aren't little girls fun?!

 

Baby G is already 6 months old.  She's crawling everywhere, drooling on everything, and loves to show you her 2 bottom teeth.  Although she's usually a happy child and super pleasant to be around, she has her mommy's temper, which means that when she decides she's mad, she gets herself really out of sorts.  The doctor said that she's still super tall and skinny, but her ridiculous growth speed is slowing down.  So hopefully the 12-18 month clothes that she's wearing will last us awhile (12 mo clothes in the toddler section are sooooo cute!).  At least her feet are still tiny, which is allowing us to get lots of use out of her designer shoes.

 

Hopefully my little girl doesn't grow up too fast. Despite our disagreements, we have plenty of fun together. Her adventurous spirit and sense of humor make her rather unpredictable. But maybe that's exactly what her Mommy needs--a little girlfriend to keep Mommy on her toes!

 

The Holding Pattern isn't so Bad

It's been 2 weeks, and our house is still for sale.  Thankfully, time is working to our advantage.  3 of the top 4 houses on our "potential future house list" have dropped their prices significantly over the past week.  Since waiting 2 weeks has saved us approximately $20,000 on some of these houses, I suppose waiting a few more weeks is only going to work to our advantage too--assuming that someone else doesn't buy some of these houses first.  Only time will tell...

 

The good news is that I'm still functioning--hey I'm actually blogging!--and my house is shockingly cleaner than it was when we had our open house. (Of course, as I type I'm hearing 2 little boys who are having a blast in their bath tub. So, who knows how the house will look in 30 minutes?)  But unlike some of my fellow home sellers, I haven't thrown in the towel yet. 

 

Some of my neighbors are trying to sell their large 2-story homes on my block.  Fortunately for us, ranch style homes are selling much faster than 2-stories around here.  Needless to say, some of the 2-story sellers are starting to grow tired of the process.  One neighbor informed me that she had given up on the cleaning part and would just do her best to pick up when a realtor called.  She also said that if the showing time was inconvenient, they would just head out to the backyard instead of leave.  I certainly hope that I had my best nurse/poker face on when she told me all of this, because I was horrified by her statement.  (No buyer EVER wants to see the seller or their messy house!!!!)  In my opinion, it's worth it to me to do everything to sell everytime someone comes to shop.  My housework is not going to deteriorate.  And I'm still packing up the cats, dogs, and children when a realtor comes by.  I guess we'll just wait and see who sells first.  Not that I'm competitive or anything!

 

I suppose you could say that at the moment, we're literally in a holding pattern.  We're waiting.  Between our real estate and work and homeschool plans, I think it's safe to say that at some point in the near future a whole lot is getting ready to happen all at once.  Sometimes it's okay to enjoy the calm before the storm.  Why do we never appreciate when God places us in these holding patterns?

Memorial Day

 

Happy Memorial Day!  Too often this day passes without a lot of notice.  In the past, Memorial Day has marked the end of the school year or the weekend of the Indy 500.  And in the present, I've come to realize that I don't personally have anyone in particular to memorialize on this day.  As far as I can recall, I don't personally know anyone who has died fighting for our country.  I've heard stories of great uncles who have lost their lives or limbs fighting in WWII, but these were men that I know very little about. Dear Husband and I were both blessed to have Grandfathers who fought in wars and came home.  Other than that, we are blessed to have been born in an era where the men in our lives weren't drafted and obligated to fight.  The men who we would memorialize are still alive today.  And we are both so thankful for this fact.

 

2 years ago, Dear Husband and I took our boys to San Antonio over the Memorial Day weekend.  Getting to spend my Memorial Day at the Alamo was really special.  Not only did I feel the weight of that battle on that day, but I stood outside the mission walls and watched as my Senator swore-in Navy Servicemen as United States citizens.  This was the first time that I ever really "experienced" Memorial Day. 

 

I don't have any special plans today to haul my posse around to some patriotic sight or battlefield.  I don't have any war movies cued up to record on my DVR.  And I don't have any graves to visit.  Still, I'm thankful for all those who came before me who died (or lost a loved one) so that I might live free.  Happy Memorial Day America!

 

Mommy's New Routine

So we've survived another round of house showings this weekend.  I have the utmost sympathy for people who have to do this for months or years while trying to sell their homes.  10 days of getting my house ready to be shown has turned me into a semi obsessive-compulsive cleaner.  You might think that with my type-A personality that this is not unusual.  But trust me, I've never been accused of being a super neat freak.  I've always had the ability to be organized in a messy way (much to the chagrine of my mother).  My disorganization peeked during my last pregnancy to the point where I was encouraged to hire a maid--something that I think is an utter waste of money.  So anyway, this whole keeping-your-house-beautiful thing is rather stressful for me.  And it's a new experience.

Today, however, I was able to do a victory dance.  The realtor who showed our house yesterday informed our realtor that our house was "extremely clean and well staged" so much so that his clients are thinking about making an offer.  Ironically, the only staging that we did was to move a couch and a TV to the garage.  Other than that, the supposed staging is just how we live.  (I abhor clutter and knick knacks.)  The extremely clean part is just the result of my OCD tendecies that are starting to emerge. 

Every morning I go through the same routine.  I dust, vacuum, sweep, spray the bathrooms, wipe the counters, wash the windows, light candles, and do whatever else I feel compelled to do.  Interestingly, my routine has started to get so nuts that some days I even get out the touch-up paint for the walls, spray special cleaner for the floor grout, and scrub my outside gas grill with Clorox.  I know that I'm obsessing over details that nobody really sees. But the longer the house is for sale and the more I clean it, the dirtier it is appearing to me.  Hence the fact that I was bleaching my pantry yesterday.

Needless to say, when the man said that our house was extremely clean, I was shocked.  The first thing I thought of was "Did he see the crayon mark on my son's closet wall?" or "Did he notice the blue speck of paint on the floor in the laundry room?"  My craziness has gotten to the point that I've been having nightmares where people are seeing rooms that have huge spots where I missed paint.  I mean, I'm turning into a nut case!

I've always been somewhat of a germaphobe.  But now that my germaphobe fears are combined with my real estate OCD, a whole new sort of monster is emerging.  Let's hope this monster doesn't go into heart failure when she buys a new home and has to battle with someone else's former mess. Stay tuned...

Enjoying the Process

As of noon today, our house will have been on the market for 1 week.  We've had quite a bit of traffic, but our future buyer has yet to make an offer.  Trust me, I'm not complaining.  I was getting tired-head just thinking about having to accept an offer and make an offer within days of listing the house.  Having some time to process and pray through our decisions is actually much better for type A "thinkers" like Dear Husband and me.  We are not spontaneous, go-with-your-gut people, so time is on our side. 

 

I confess that I don't enjoy my morning ritual of cleaning EVERYTHING in my home, but I secretly love having a clutter-free, clean house.  I'm thinking that if our house is for sale for a month, maybe my housekeeping skills will become an unbreakable habit (doesn't it take 30 days or so to form a habit) and I will always have a clean house.  Is it really possible?  Well, a mom can always dream...

 

Anyhow, it's kind of fun to hear what people have to say about your house.  We've had a few people say that our house and/or yard were too big--seriously?  3 bed 2 bath 1962 sq foot house on 10,000 sq foot lot is too big?--and we've had others say the house was too small.  Thankfully, all the feedback we've gotten has been on things that we cannot change.  We've been told that the house itself shows nicely.  All I can say is that it better, because I've done more housework in the last week than I did during my entire pregnancy with Baby G!!! 

 

So that's where we stand at the moment.  We have some good contenders for our "future home" and we're praying about those possibilities.  Other than that, we're secretly enjoying the real estate process and are hoping that this is the first and last time we have to do this in our forseeable future.  So why not enjoy it while it lasts?

Long Time No Write

I know, it's been forever since I sat down to blog.  I've actually had quite a few funny posts in my head, but I just haven't had the time to put the pen to paper.  Unfortunately, there's been lots to blog about!

 

I could tell you about the golf outing I had with the men in my life (Dear husband, Father, and little brother).  I probably have enough from that day to start a new blog about my family's golf adventures, but somehow I feel that I would be breaking some unspoken "guy code" if I told you about how terrible we were.  Let's just say that we were a team in a church scramble and they actually used my ball more than once.  Based on that information, you probably won't be surprised to hear that we tied for last place.  But hey, we were one of the best dressed teams out there!

 

I could also tell you about my little boy's birthday party.  He turned 3.  I was all excited to plan a Polar Express party, but instead he wanted a Ranger's baseball party.  So, we had a family outing with the grandparents to the Ballpark to watch 4 innings of our Texas Rangers (hey, we had a 5 mo old with us!)  Then we had a snow cone outing and some Texas Ranger cake.  He was thrilled.  We were happy.  3'rd birthday was a success!

 

So many other things have happened in the last few weeks, that I'm kind of sad I haven't taken the time to record all of our excitement.  Fortunately, my lack of blogging can be attributed to the fact that we've decided to make a big life change: We're Moving! 

 

Actually, we're listing our house on the market this week and will the start the house hunt accordingly.  We originally thought this could be a summer-long process until the house behind us sold on Day 0 on the market!  There's no way to predict what will happen, but it is more likely than not that we will be making a big move across town shortly. 

 

I guess you'll have to stay tuned for more...

Covered by Grace

"There but for the grace of God..." John Bradford

Over the past few weeks in our small group at church, we've been discussing "our stories" about how we were saved.  It was wonderful to hear the story of the man who had problems in his family life and with alcohol but completely changed when he found Jesus.  And I got chills when a girl told about how God got her attention when he gave her a word in a dream one night and it just so happened to be what the preacher was talking about the next morning at church (and Malachi is a random topic!)  I can definitely say that hearing personal testimonies of other believers is a way to unite a group and bring them together.  How can you not get excited with your small group when you get to hear how God is at work in all of your lives?!

 

Last week, I shared my story.  I've always kind of dreaded sharing my story in the small group setting, because it doesn't seem earth-shatteringly exciting.  I wasn't radically transformed from a person with a reputation of moral filth and addiction into a hungry Bible-consuming Christian in such a way that it shocked all who knew me.  As a result, I guess I've never felt that my story could really have the same kind of 1-2 punch on somebody's soul like the people who shared the week before me. 

 

But I've come to realize that my story is special and sweet.  Interestingly, it is very similar to my Dad's story...

 

I was saved at the age of 4.  My mom shared the story of the lost lamb with me and explained that I was a sinner who needed Jesus in the same way that the lost lamb needed Jesus.  I believed in Jesus and confessed my sins.  I gave my life to Jesus.  And ever since that time, God has been teaching me and molding me into the person I am today.  As far as I'm aware, I was never a "problem child" and never had the desire to get into any major trouble or illegal activity.  My friends probably considered me to be somewhat of a self-righteous prude, but the truth of the matter was that I honestly didn't have a desire to do what it took to be "cool" among so many of my peers.  I really wanted to obey Jesus.

 

So that's my story.  I'm not an amazing and wonderful person who was just molded out of moral cloth.  Instead, I am blessed to have been covered by grace at an early age.  Just like John Bradford said of a group of prisoners years ago, " But for the grace of God, there goes [me]."  I've certainly had struggles and have been taught numerous lessons by my Creator over the years. But by His grace, I've been able to avoid some utterly destructive paths.

 

I know that my story isn't over yet. Sanctification by Grace is ongoing. God is leading me and will use me as He sees fit.  He's taught me that other people's opinions of my decisions are irrelevant as long as I'm doing what He's called me to do.  And right now, he has me where he wants me for a reason.

 

My prayer is that He has me at home with my children so that they too can be saved at an early age.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could be covered by grace so early and protected from worldly filth?  God's grace truly is precious.  And I'm so thankful that it covers me.

Raising a Beautiful Girl

"Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." I Peter 3:3-4

I have a problem.  It's almost like an addiction.  I can't seem to go more than a few weeks before I have this overwhelming urge to find Baby G a new hair bow or headband.  You probably think I'm kidding, but I'm not.  I have baskets full of headbands, bows, and hats for my sweet girl.  And I have enough accessories in my collection that I could probably bling out every girl in the neighborhood.  I think my years as a boy mom has somehow influenced my desire to raise a girly girl.  And it's resulted in this monster who can't resist tulle, pearls, and anything lacy and pink!

 

The other night, my friend, Jenn was sharing about her experiences raising two teenage girls.  She explained that she and her husband felt it was important to emphasize inner beauty and to distinguish inward "beauty" from outward "fancy."  Thus, when her girls dress up and bling themselves out in pretty things, she always compliments them as being "fancy."  But when their character displays beauty, she compliments them as being "beautiful." Jenn's daughters are very pretty and always well dressed, so mom isn't advocating frumpiness.  She's just trying to distinguish beauty of character from magazine-type of beauty. 

 

I'll have to admit, as the mom of a baby girl, I'm relieved that I don't have to get into these deep discussions quite yet.  It had not once crossed my mind that as Baby G gets older, I'm going to have to deal with these issues.  And I'm going to have to make sure that Baby G doesn't think that Mommy only thinks she's beautiful when she's all done up.  I want her to understand that she's beautiful because of who she is and not how she looks.  (Although I do expect her to put herself together and be a good steward of the body that God has given her!)  Part of being a girl mom involves the duty to teach my daughter how to be beautiful both inside and out.  Talk about a high calling?!

 

Jenn's talk the othe night definitely gave me something to think about.  It's okay that I'm slightly obsessed with everything glittery from the toddler department (can you believe that in less than 5 months we've already outgrown the infant section?), but my little girl also needs to learn that there's so much more to being a girl than dressing like a princess.  Being a beautiful girl also involves having a spirit of meekness and modesty, having a submissive heart (vs. 5) and living without fear (vs. 6).  And raising a beautiful girl means teaching my Baby G how to have a beautiful heart.

Spring Fashions for the "Under 5 Posse"

It finally feels like spring outside.  I'm loving the weather.  I'm loving being able to take the kiddos outside.  And I'm loving the spring fashions--the kids' spring fashion!  Here are some pics of my favorite models...

 

And somehow they all managed to "kind-of" pose together...