Where are you going to put another baby??

As most of you know, a little over four years ago we bought a fairly dismal one-bedroom condo. It is pretty spectaluar now. Two years ago we finished the major life-safety issues of our remodel in the nick-of-time, literally the week before Tessa came home from the hospital. This was just when the housing market started to teeter and we really liked our cute little nest. So, although that would have been a normal point in our life's journey to move we stuck around and have been quite cozy.

Now...well - I am pretty sure we could make this place work with two kids. In fact sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about what it would be like to live in this condo when we add baby #3 (in some distant future), and how maybe the discovery channel would do a special about our non-materialistic alternate lifestyle. Of course, it would be extremely boring to watch me dink around the internet all day (I will still get to do that with three kids - right? ...right?) and there would be no place for the cameras...

Needless to say, now is an even more natural place in our life's journey to sell our one bedroom and find a two (or, dare I fantasize, three!) bedroom place (don't start getting excited/upset, we are staying in MA). So we are hemming and hawing our way to "getting this place ready to sell."

This is the latest finished project. These pendants took us literally YEARS to agree on. They are made from an Ikea fixture, a Lowes shade and canopy, and a plumbing pipe.

We'll probably do it, but just today I was telling Aaron about all the cool ideas I have for fitting another person into our dwelling unit and I almost forgot my real motivation for selling...

Two flights of stairs.

I can justify staying here with many reasons. Housing crappy market being a big one. Love it here, another biggie. And my favorite, most self righteous reason has to do with materialism and not trying to keep up with the Joneses and "our pioneer ancestors raised eight kids in 850 square foot cabins."

But.

But.

Those pioneers could just open the back door and let the kids and dogs and chickens run in and out all day. AND they did not have to carry a baby carrier up two flights of windy stairs with a toddler at their heels. (Cooking over a fire-heated stew pot a babe-in-arms and a toddler at your heels...piece of cake I'm certain.)

But anyway, while we are working on the very very very last projects in this house (I promise) we have rearranged. Its not conventional, and I think it takes people by surprise. But I love it.

Of course...it is always messy so I'm not going to post and pictures of it RIGHT NOW...here are some progress pics to give you an idea...

This is our study as it appeared for approximately 10 minutes on Thanksgiving...pretty hot isn't it!


Then later that weekend we moved our bed out of the, well, bedroom giving Tessa her own room. (This is it before we moved the toys into the newly dubbed "nursery").


Then Aaron and Tessa moved reassembled the bed in the study where the Thanksgiving table sat the day before.

Sorry the pictures are so vague...this post will never get posted if I don't just work with what I've got.

Bailout Needed - STAT

I read this article on Yahoo yesterday and have been overcome with worry and anxiety ever since. You see, it claims that Krispy Kreme runs the risk of failing this year. {staggering sorrow ungulfs me at the thought}

The ONLY way I have managed to continue living a productive life (excluding the past three weeks) after the local Krispy Kreme shops closed was the subliminal knowledge that they still exist - out there and that maybe I'd be able to someday eat another. BUT WHAT IF THAT NEVER HAPPENS!? What if that delicious and delectable flavor ceases to exist all together? What kind of life will that be?

So. Christin, I call on you to repent from the idea that 30 minutes is too far to drive (yes, she directly states that here) and Maria, I implore you to stop at the one near you house weekly, even if it means an extra - what? 3-4 hours on the treadmill. You must sacrifice for those of us who can't do it ourselves. You must.

Mishaps & Endorsements

I guess no Christmas travel is complete without its adventures, even if is a non-Christmas-early-December-attempt-to-avoid-travel-excitement trip.

Well to be honest, we (and by that I mean Aaron) only had one, pretty major, travel mishap. The other mishaps happened after we (and by that I mean I) got home. But I am going to use this forum to get sympathy for them as well. :)

Mishap #1: Aaron vs. Airport security - When Aaron got to work last Thursday and told a co-worker that he had lost his license she asked "What did you do?" She apparently was a bit scarred from being a passenger while he was driving them around Philadelphia on a business trip. He clarified that he had lost, as in "misplaced" it - not lost as in "had it suspended".

The timing of this was rather unfortunate. You see, Aaron returned to MA from ID a few days before I did via the 4:10 am shuttle to the SLC airport. At 8:45 am I get a call from him with the question "Have you seen my driver's license?" I insta-panic for a second before I find out he was already through security with an hour to spare before his flight.

However getting through security involved the following:

• A phone interview between some unseen security guy and Aaron, through the ticket counter guy. Various semi-random questions were asked that would come up on a quick background check and then what we assume was confirmation by the ticket agent that Aaron fit the description on his drivers liscense photo...which we assume is available to high level airport security via the inter-web.

• Removing an extra 7 lbs of luggage from his overweight suitcase (which he shoved in his carryon).
  
  
• A rigorous security screening which triggered a positive for nitroglycerin (2nd time this has happened to us...anyone with insight why?) and resulted in an even more up close and personal search of his person (clothes stayed on in case you wondered...like I did. I believe the phrase Aaron used to describe it was "just shy of invasive").

Moral of the story - it isn't the end of the world to show up at the airport without ID, but it is definitely better to check for your drivers license before you leave the house.

Non-mishap #1: Emily vs. travel with a toddler - Luckily Aaron was our weathervane for bad travel luck on this trip and despite my extreme anxiety about weather conditions and behavior (of both Tessa and I) our trip home was a breeze.

Related Endorsement #1: This was the first time we flew Southwest and I am a big fan because -
A) We got a screaming deal.
B) you can reschedule your tickets if you want (which makes total sense to me and I think other airlines are real ninnies for being so strict with their policies).
C) The flight crew attempts to be humorous.
D) the seats are unassigned and parents with children under 4 get to board very near the beginning of the group.

We had to use a smaller airport, Manchester, NH, which was only slightly farther away than Logan Airport but so much friendlier. And parking was even cheaper than we'd thought so perhaps next time we'll just suck it up and pay for parking (shocking) - Thanks to the Browns for letting us park our car at their house!

Related Endorsement #2: Southwest uses the Chicago Midway airport and in this airport they have a restaurant called the Potbelly Sandwich Works. I was drawn in by the reasonable prices of their sandwiches (even cheaper then I'd expect to pay in the "non-airport" world) and then as an added bonus because I had a baby with me an employee took my order and I didn't have to wait in line. I got teary-eyed at this. Seriously.

Mishap #2: Aaron vs. writing a check - First thing in the morning, after returning to "real life" at home I get a phone call from our local bank branch.

Turns out our mortgage check wasn't going to clear without over drawing our account by $1000+. Once again insta-panic...but for longer than a moment. The bank manager said if we could transfer the money into the account he would process the check after we did that...but what money would I transfer...and HOW did this happen? I had just gotten paid before we left, we didn't spend much money on the trip, and Aaron had just gotten paid that past Friday.

I asked the bank manager (whose name is Chad) if I could call him back...I checked the balance via the 800-number and we had more than enough to cover the check...what the...? I called Aaron...he hadn't written any big checks (I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed to find out I wasn't getting a mink shoal for Christmas)...there really must have been a mistake. So I call the bank back (after confirming the phone number Chad gave me was legit and I wasn't being scammed...I am so cynical), told Chad I was really confused, explained why, and somehow in the course of the conversation realized that, although Aaron had assured me that he "could handle writing a check" he had in fact written one from my "business account" which, sadly has no money in it, instead of from our joint account. WHAT A RELIEF...a quick transfer of funds and problem solved.

Related Endorsement #3: Sovereign Bank, Essex St. Salem Branch & Chad. True, we have unknowingly bounced a check (or two) with no phone call - but I was sooooo incredibly relieved that he called to solve this issue. They actually did a similar thing a few years ago when a huge check had initially cleared but 7 smaller checks didn't. Without a phone call they swapped the order and saved us $231 in over draft fees. AND when we refinanced our home equity loan the same week Tessa was born the manager at that time (Rhonda, I believe) was incredibly helpful. And of course it also helps that they haven't collapsed.

Mishap #3: Emily vs. spoiled toddler - While we were in Idaho, in unfamiliar surroundings I had to rock Tessa to sleep each night in order to have any success putting her to bed. So of course she was pretty mad that I just plopped her in her crib when we got home...so mad that she made herself vomit. Yeah...that was Tuesday night, Wednesday night Daddy was on duty (and he rocked her to sleep), so I am very anxious to see how Thursday night goes...

...just an update - I'm finishing this post during Thursday nap time and she went to sleep as she usually does (sans vomitting)...fingers crossed for tonight.

Mishap #4: Emily vs. Target parking lot - Picture me happily doing some Christmas shopping. Then picture me standing in the freezing cold drizzle trying to decide if I should have my car towed because it won't start or if I should just call a friend to get a ride home and let Aaron deal with it later that night. Don't worry, it all finally ended well when some amazing, wonderful, fabulous friends came by and managed to jump start our very very very dead battery. This was after a previous, unsuccessful attempt by a kind stranger who was parked in front of me. I was pretty much resolved that there would be a towing bill and a new alternator in my future...but that was not to be. After that I had some quality time with a box of chocolates...and I don't feel guilty at all.

Related Endorsement #4: Dusty and Crystal Pyne - who are amazing and wonderful (and have a really cute daughter). I am so grateful that in additon to a link to their blog I'm going to go ahead and link to the Chik-fil-a in the Northshore Mall. They own it, we love it - and if you order right it is very healthy. I do not - I order the chicken nuggets & waffle fries, which I coat in Ranch dressing, and a milk shake to top it off.

We chipped in our $20.99

We gave in and went shopping today, so if the economy continues to spiral downward, don't blame us.

Surprise Heating Oil "Discount"

I am Thankful this Thursday that -

Because we decided not to replace our furnace (hum...that in itself should be my Thankful...) and so we had to fill up our oil tank after months and months of letting it get emptier and emptier...it is 275 gallons and home heating oil is around $4.00...YIKES.

Luckily our 1st floor neighbors are friends with the people that deliver our oil so they convinced them to split the minimum 100 gallon delivery between our two units. So we got 50 gallons and $200 bill. Not as bad (although, yes, at some point we will need to by MORE oil).

The "discount" part!? Well apparently last spring I paid extra on the last bill, since I figured we'd be buying more and had been behind all winter. I forgot about it and when I got my followup bill from the oil company it was for $70.oo less than the original bill, because of that overpayment! YEAH!

Since I forgot about that I'm counting it as free money. Lutidootidootido (that is singing)