Seeking Imperfection

Well, as of about 11:30 this morning, I am officially a home owner!!!

We had planned to go for a final walk through with the real estate agent before the closing. First, we had to stop at the bank to get a certified check for the closing costs. When we got back in the car, Roland looked at me and said, "let's go home." He turned on the radio, and the song that was playing was, "There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays." Roland and I couldn't believe it. I decided that must be a good sign.

We went over to the house and waited for our agent. While we were waiting, he called my cell phone and told us that the selling agents had supposedly left us a key, maybe in the mailbox, or taped inside the front door. So we looked, but couldn't find a key. Our agent showed up, and we all searched for the key, but no one could find it! Our agent called the selling agent, and would you believe the selling agents couldn't find a key??? Apparently they'd gone over to check the fire alarms and whatnot, and had duct taped the key to the inside of the screen door when they left, but when we got there there was duct tape, but no key. No one from the seller's office could seem to find a key. They gave our real estate agent a key code for us to go have one made! So after closing, we had to go to two different places to find a place that could make us a key, then we got to go to our house.

Late this afternoon we took Paige over. We told her we were going to see a surprise. When we pulled in the driveway, she said, "Who's house is this?" and we told her it was ours, and she said, "no way!" :)

I am so happy to have finally been able to bring my baby home. :)

Today my therapist said I'm starting to show signs of stress. Ha, you think? She said I need to really listen to my body, and that when the house stuff finally ends, I'm really going to crash. Woo Hoo. My body wants to sleep all the time right now, as I'm not sleeping really well at night and I'm just worn out from all of the stress.

The good news is that there was no school today due to Veteran's Day. It was a nice little break in the week, even though it was weird to have school for one day, and then have a day off. I'm going to be messed up for the rest of the week. :) Michelle and I took Paige to Old Navy and got her a new winter coat, hat, and mittens. She has a coat in the POD, but I'm not sure if it'll fit her at this point. She was excited because I found a red coat, and red is her favorite color. They are having a sale on their outerwear right now, so the coat was half off. That makes Paige's mom excited. :) Last year we waited until actual winter to look for gloves/mittens for her and we couldn't find any. So we wanted to make sure to get on that right away for her. She looked so cute bundled up.

Then we went to lunch at Chili's. She told me she needed to use the potty, which didn't surprise me as she's in the "I need to check out every public restroom I come across" stage, but I was excited that she actually used the potty when we got in there. Usually she just kind of visits it. We are a little behind in potty training - she totally gets it, but refuses to do it. I think it is because her life is so out of control right now. The doctor told me at her check up in June that she wasn't worried, as it is something Paige has control of when everything else is out of control. I'm hoping she'll be happy enough in a new home soon to use the potty all the time. Today she was happy enough to annouce loudly to the dining population of Chili's that she'd used the potty, so that's a start.

I liked the baked french toast. Paige took a nibble, but that's all she'd eat. She told me she liked making it better than eating it. Roland ate a piece, but I don't think he was all that excited by it. Michelle didn't really like it, but I wasn't really expecting her to, as she doesn't like eggs, and the bread had to sit in the "custard" overnight. I'm not really that versed in custard, but I guess the fact that the recipe used three eggs made it too eggy. Oh well. Roland said he thought that my grandparents would like it - probably because it had kind of a bread pudding consistancy out of the oven. I had a leftover piece this morning and liked it better today, as it had kind of set.

In parting, I ask, anyone have any good, simple stress relievers they'd like to suggest?

Well, after the 24th, we were on for a short period of time on the 31st. Then we were delayed again, but it looks like we might actually be on for this upcoming week. I am trying to be "cautiously optimistic" at this point. I would really like to be able to move before we are moving in snow!

Work has been VERY stressful, and home has been VERY stressful. I am exhausted from the emotional roller coaster I've been riding for the last few weeks.

In other news, I'm trying to learn how to make better use of my time by scheduling activities that I want to do and/or need to do. I've always been a bit resistant to calendars and scheduling systems, thinking they'd make me dull and would suck any spontaneity out of my life. However, I'm also learning more and more that the things I'd like to do "someday" will never actually get done if I don't determine when "someday" is. This week, I scheduled in time to make a recipe I've been wanting to try - baked French Toast. Paige, Michelle and I made it tonight and it sits in the refrigerator until tomorrow morning, then we'll see how it is. I like a breakfast recipe that I can make on Saturday night when I am coherent, and not have to try to figure out in the morning, when I'm not. If this works out, I might have to look for other recipes like it. Suggestions are always welcome. :)

Next thing to schedule is some time to play around with moving photos from my new camera onto the computer and sizing them, so that I can go back to posting pictures from all of my Unplugged Projects, Halloween, etc. I did much better with pictures when I could just stick the photo card in the computer and access all of my pictures. For some reason it seems much more time consuming to get the cord to hook the camera to the computer, and then to have to resize the pictures to post them here. I think maybe I just need to dedicate some time to it.

Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.

The past few weeks have been difficult. Our closing date keeps changing. It went from the 17th to the 24th, and then we found out earlier this week that we didn't have all the paperwork we needed to be able to close on the 24th. As of this minute, I don't know when we are closing, and it is depressing me.

Meanwhile work has been very stressful over the past week or so. In my position I am have to be both an administrator, as I am considered to be "head of the program," and also the teacher. I am finding more and more that these are two different jobs and sometimes it is difficult for me to manage the program and try to function as the teacher - especially when I'm also trying to manage buying a house, being a mom, being a wife, and living my own life.

Over the last week I've had a lot of hard administrator-ish issues to deal with, and I find that sort of thing to be very trying and tiring. Add that to the emotional roller coaster of trying to get out of my inlaws and into our new house, and I'm finding I'm pretty wiped out at the end of the day. So, I think my blog posts will be sporadic for the time being. I'm still trying to squeeze in Unplugged Projects and fun things like that, but I don't always get the chance to blog about them. I hope I can find more balance soon!

I'm having a hard time getting this link to work right, but there's an apple bread recipe on this blog that looks yummy. You might need to scroll down to find it.

I love this orange peel wreath. I might have to try one!

Two new blogs that I think look like fun, and are giving me some great ideas for projects to do with the kids who are coming down to my classroom at lunch to visit with my students: Great Solutions to Team Challenges and Think. I found the Think blog courtesy of this post. Thanks for the fun link, Julie!

Sometimes it seems very hard to work, raise a child, and take care of a blog. To top it all off, we are (finally) in the process of buying a house, and some days over the last week or so, it's seemed like I have several full time jobs.

I do the Unplugged Project every week, but I've had a hard time getting around to posting about them. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up and post HARD and FRUIT soon. I know, dear reader, that you are dying with curiousity about what Paige and I were up to for these projects. LOL

To top it all off, I've got a new camera, which I love. Although that part is great, it is hard because now instead of a memory card, I have to hook the camera to the computer to upload (or download?) the pictures onto the computer. Then, because the photos are really big, I have to size them before I put them on my blog. Lately it seems I haven't had the time to do all of this photo stuff in a timely manner.

Over the past few weeks I've read several blog posts about how to get more readers to your blog. They suggest reliable posting, for one. I don't know when I can ever promise that! They also suggest that your blog have a specific purpose. For example, you wouldn't expect car repair tips on a craft blog. I realize that I'm not sure that my blog has a specific purpose. I started it when I began to realize that perfectionism was ruling my life, but I know that that's not all I blog about, when I find the time to blog.

So anyway, just thought I'd let you know that I'm still out here, your totally unreliable, randomly posting, time-challenged, lazy photo uploading, blogger. Thanks for checking in on me.

I love the idea of this hand quilt. Very cute!

I love the idea of a Halloween Advent calendar! Oddly enough, I saw one at Target today for the first time and thought it was such a cute idea. It had a piece of gummy candy in each little box - that part didn't excite me that much, but I was toying with the idea of hiding other things in it.

I want to make some pumpkin rocks!

Very yummy looking - baked French Toast.

I'd also like to try these Faux French Fries.

I like this color mixing activity - it looks a lot like some of the Montessori type water transfer activities I've seen online, but also has a color mixing lesson!

Look at these cool juice box crayons!