Good and crazy

"People are just plain good, Mom. Isn't that great?"

Said Chase after being so relieved to find no one had taken McKay's Game Boy. We accidentally left it in the waiting room of the doctor's office.

Where we were waiting because Chase is sick. With strep throat.

Again.

And hearing this news, Josh slipped into a frenzied seizure that almost sent him checking into a hotel, where he would be forced to grow out and eat his own fingernails, wear empty Kleenex boxes on his feet, and sport nothing but a long, white beard and a bed sheet. Ever the level head, I calmly reminded him of a little thing called hand-washing and Purell-hand sanitizer, which brought him down off his Howard Hughes-like ledge and back into reality.

Can't say that I blame him though. It was a nasty go-round for him a month ago (which you can re-read about here).

So yes, Chase, people are good. And Daddy is a little bit paranoid and crazy (but we still love him anyway).

Me, a thinker?

Peter, over in Scotland, nominated little ol' me for a thinking blogger award.

I am honored and have to say this is my first time winning ANYTHING in my life (unless you count the Future Homemakers of America National Conference I won in high school, which I pretty much touted that as the equivalent of, I don't know, the Nobel Peace Prize, but at the time it was a pretty big deal for me). So it is with great honor that I accept your kindness, Peter. Thanks for thinking of me, and thanks for reading the drivel that comes out of my blog on a daily basis.

So, as an honorary recipient of this award, I get to bestow it on five others (who in turn get to bestow it on five more). Kind of like sharing the blog love. So here goes:

I have to give my first award to my friend, Annie. See, when I started blogging, I wrote a post about Annie that you can read here. I sent her the link (and it was the first time I shared my blog with ANYONE). She sent me back the link to her secret blog, which prompted us both to come out of the blog closet. She's a very good friend that I miss, and I love reading up on her life (even though I wish she had less of a life like me and could post MORE FREQUENTLY. Hint, hint.) She is one smart cookie and well-deserving of a thinking award.

Second award goes to my fabulous mother-in-law, Oma. She is a well-traveled woman, thoughtful friend, doting grandmother, and fashionista extraordinaire. She constantly inspires and amazes me with her wisdom and advice. Chatting with Oma is one of my favorite things to do. I just love her.

Third one goes to a new friend in Alaska, Michelle at Scribbit. She is one of the most creative people I have ever run into. Her blog is full of humor, fantastic ideas for kids, gourmet recipes, and lots more. I can't imagine a nine-month winter, and she lives it with a smile. She's great. Pop on over.

My fourth award goes to a very funny lady at Here In Idaho. She cracks me up EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I discovered her blog quite by accident, and now make sure to check it daily. She is absolutely hilarious. Her writing reminds me to never take life too seriously.

And last, but not least, is the admirable June Cut-Off Cash at Bye Bye Buy. She and her husband are trying to go an entire year without spending money on anything extra (they've saved almost $10,000 since January 1). I think (besides that threesome with Angelina Jolie) that this is my husband's deepest fantasy (one, sadly, that he'll probably never get to see play out) and I truly enjoy her writing. She is fantastic, and always makes you think.

There are more obvious family and friends that I wanted to nominate, but I figured Oma could get that ball rolling. Plus, I wanted you all to have a peek at some of the blogs that make me laugh every day (in addition to yours). Keep the blog love rolling!

I'm BAAAACCCKKK (did you miss me?)

Well, I returned last night - safe and sound - from my mini-vacation to St. Louis. We had the house inspection on Saturday and it went really well. A few very minor things to be addressed, but nothing that gave us reason to want to back out of the deal. I took about 700 pictures of every nook and cranny in the house - so that Josh and the kids would have an idea of where they will be spending the next several years of their lives. Everyone was very excited by what they saw.

We are getting a steal of a deal on this house, but it is needing a bit of a face lift. The house is 13 years old and sporting the original, ever-so-lovely decor of 1994 (which means loads of mauve, forest green, and peach). Kind of reminds me of my wedding, actually. If only I had a bad perm, spiky bangs, and some tapered jeans, the flashback would be complete.

There is forest green linoleum throughout the kitchen and sun room. Pink carpeting adorns the dining and living rooms. The walls and counter tops of the kitchen are a bright, nauseating shade of mauve. Thankfully, the kitchen cabinets are fantastic and will stay as-is (white 42-inch beauties). We will be replacing the entire main level with hardwood floors; we'll be painting every room in the house; and replacing the counter tops in the kitchen. (I know, I know, we should keep the pepto-bismol counters, but really it would make Hannah far too happy. I am nothing, if not indifferent, to the happiness of my children).

The basement though is really great, with a family room, bedroom, full bath, sewing room, and two offices ("FINALLY, I'LL HAVE MY OWN WORK SPACE," says Chase), and the upstairs bedrooms will be like-new with a fresh coat of paint. The yard is beautifully landscaped, green grass and exquisite flowers and shrubs.

Best part? The homeowners association fee includes landscaping, snow removal, and use of the pool that is right across the street. Oh yeah, I am not at all sad to relinquish my post as yard/snow girl.

Otherwise, the trip was pretty uneventful. Got to relax, sleep in, eat bad food, and see a movie (The Hoax, which by the way, is fantastic!)

Josh had the home front well under control and the only complaint came from Hannah who said, "Daddy tried to do a pony-tail in my hair and it didn't look berry good." I give him props for even trying. I was sad to miss seeing their excitement on Easter morning, but had the good fortune to catch an early flight home on Sunday.

Anyway, thanks for all the well-wishes. We are excited to move forward on this new part of our lives. You will, no doubt, be hearing a play-by-play over the next few months of what will hopefully be our LAST move. Feel free to stop listening when you get sick of it.

Bursting with the weight of my secret

All right, time to let this all out. Most of the family already knows, but for the few friends that read this blog now and again, I can finally spill the secret that I have been carrying like a lead weight for several months.

We are moving to St. Louis.

Josh has a great job opportunity that came our way (surprisingly) from his former firm. It's a fantastic career move - one that we could not pass up. We feel that the Lord has practically beat us over the head to get us there. Never in our lives have we felt more inspired to make a move than this one. It feels right on so many levels that I won't go into here, but sometimes - when you know; you know. And there is no disputing it. This WILL be our last move for quite some time (or maybe forever). Yes, we're plantin' some roots.

We told the kids tonight - and surprisingly, there were no tears. I think we've shown them that moving across the country isn't as scary as it sounds. They had no trouble acclimating when we moved here, and they are excited for the new house.

Which, by the way, we have put an offer in on and not seen yet (talk about a leap of faith, no?). I leave early tomorrow morning to fly out for the inspection, but we feel certain it's going to be great. We've seen similar floor plans and pieced together the layout from online pictures. It's a 5-bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2,900 square foot home (plus a full basement) in the suburbs of St. Louis. It needs a teensy bit of remodeling - but we're hoping to get it all scheduled and done before the kids and I actually move in. We'll have a smallish yard - about a third of an acre (though by California standards that is quite huge).


Josh will move out there and into a hotel at the end of this month. We hope to close on the house mid-June, and a few weeks after that, the kids and I will follow - giving them the chance to finish school. We'll have Josh home on the weekends (fun commute for him) so it shouldn't be too bad. We've done it before; we can do it again.

We will be sad to leave California (and unfortunately I gleefully threw out all our winter gear when we moved here) but there are so many great things waiting for us in Missouri. We'd love to host any visitors - so feel free to stop by if you're passing through or coming just to see us. We'll finally have the room to host. St. Louis - here we come!

Torture by drill and suction

Today I had the unwonted privilege of paying an ungodly amount of money to sit hands clenched, toes curled, mouth gaping in the dentist's chair for about two hours. Apparently, all the top-notch materials used to repair my teeth as a child are now obsolete and my fillings needed to be replaced. Some of them had cracked and had decay underneath. Lovely, no? The things no one tells you...

I loathe the dentist. And that's actually putting it nicely. To me, if given the choice of having dental work done and poking my eyes out with toothpicks - I'd most likely opt for the toothpicks. Seriously. I hate it that bad. Josh tried to cheer my spirits this morning by reminding me of all the surgeries I've had, the fact that I've birthed three children (one without an epidural, thank you very much), and that I'm tough enough to endure daily life with the likes of him.

It didn't cheer me up. All of that pales in comparison to the endurance I need to face the dental drill. It's like nails on a chalkboard for two solid hours. Awful. Ugly.

So now I'm numb from my eyeballs to my neck, I have been deprived of my favorite hobby (eating), and I can't tell that I've got drool running down my lips. I am quite the picture of loveliness. Hannah summed it up ever-so-tactfully when she said, "You don't look berry good. What did you do to your face?" She finds it quite comical and keeps coming in to say, "Show me your smile again." Then she shrieks with laughter and runs off giggling.

I am so eating all her good Easter candy this weekend. That is, providing the feeling in my face returns by then.

Three Little Words

I got tagged for this Meme from my favorite Housewife, DCRMom. You have to answer the questions in three words - no more, no less. Thought I'd play along (as I am too stressed today for any clear thinking or poetic prose - neither of which I've ever had anyway).

Here goes:

Where is your cell phone? Right beside me.
Boyfriend? Are you kidding? (One husband is all the boyfriend I can handle)
Hair? Curly, straight, thick. (Yes, I am an oxymoron, even in my hair)
Your mother? Lives in Utah.
Your father? Lives with her.
Your favorite item(s)? Camera, scrapbooks, shoes.
Your dream last night? Didn't have one.
Your favorite drink? Iced diet coke.
Your dream guy? I married him.
The room you are in? In my bedroom.
Your fear? Being publicly humiliated.
What do you want to be in 10 years? Healthy, skinny, happy.
Who did you hang out with last night? Husband and kids.
What are you not? Disorganized, graceful, depressed.
Are you in love? Every single day.
One of your wish list items? A new house.
What time is it? Two twenty-four.
The last thing you did? Spoke with realtor.
What are you wearing? Jeans and turtleneck. (Yes, it does occasionally get cold here)
Your favorite book? Pride and Prejudice
The last thing you ate? Half turkey sandwich.
Your life? Charmed, blessed, happy.
Your mood? Usually very good.
Your friends? Loved, kind, funny.
What are you thinking about right now? Our new house.
Your car? Silver Honda Pilot.
What are you doing at this moment? Eating my lunch.
Your summer? Never long enough.
Your relationship status? Very happily married.
What is on your tv screen? The Wonder Pets.
When is the last time you laughed? One minute ago. (At Hannah who asked me for the fifty billionth time if she can get her ears pierced for her birthday)
Last time you cried? During my PMS. (That's the only time I EVER cry and it's always because I feel ugly).
School? Like to finish.

Okay, so I tag Marta, Annie, and my new Scottish friend, Peter. You're it - let's learn all about you!