Thursday, January 31, 2008

House on the Market and Furniture Jumping

Our house is on the market. Finally. I don’t know how we made it, but we did. Getting to this point was not without drama, of course. Between the installation of our new windows (1/2 of which don’t work right so they have to come back) by a bunch of Neanderthals who left pieces of our old windows (as memoirs, I guess) all over our yard the day before our realtor came to take pictures… and the plumber that was at our house til 12:30am this morning fixing a tiny little leaking water problem that flooded our bathroom last night… there’s no question what drove me to the chocolate binge I’m on right now. Mr. Goodbar always cheers me up. He’s sweet that way.

ANYWAY….

Chase has decided it is possible to move from one piece of furniture to the next, but he hasn’t grasped the concept that he can actually move his feet to help him get there. His new trick is to let go of one piece of furniture and thrust the top half of his body toward the other piece of furniture and grab on for dear life. Kind of like those flying squirls who jump from tree to tree.

After he lands, THEN he moves his feet. And he laughs the entire time. I tell you, who needs TV? This kid is entertainment.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Stair Master

So Brian and Chase were playing in the basement. Chase was playing with a ball and watching Barney on TV. Brian walked to the laundry side, shifted wet clothes over to the dryer, put another load in the washer, and when he came out Chase was nowhere to be found. He looked everywhere and all of a sudden he heard him... UPSTAIRS.

OK, after I got over my heart attack (which was shortly after Brian got over his) I thought to myself, "WHERE DID HE LEARN THAT?!?" OK, so one day a few months ago he looked interested in the stairs so I helped him crawl up them... but he went at a very slow pace and I was behind him the whole time. Since then he has never tried to climb them, or even looked remotely interested in trying. So tell me, HOW did he not only learn to do that by himself, but do it THAT FAST and SO STEALTH that Brian didn't hear him from the laundry room (located right under the stairs)?!?

One thing I have learned about my son is that he completely figures something out in his head before he attempts it. So by the time he does attempt it he's a pro! Example: He isn't walking yet, and it may be a little while longer before he is. But I'll bet that when he decides he's ready he will just take off running like he's been doing it forever.

So where are those eyes that are supposed to be in the back of every parent's head? Ours have not grown in yet and I have a feeling we're going to need them.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

First Haircut

Chase got his first haircut today. It was time. The boy was shaggy! He was starting to be known as the hippie kid at daycare. Anyway, we had no idea how he would take it but he was a champ. He only got upset at the very end when she put the electric razor to his head to trim his "sideburns" and the nape of his neck. The rest of the time he had fun steering the car, playing with the hairdresser's water bottle and watching Sesame Street. I went into the "salon" thinking nothing of it except "thank goodness we are finally getting this done," but when she started snipping away at his sweet little curls I got a tad teary-eyed. My baby is growing up!!

The salon (Snippet's) gave us a little snippet of his hair and a DVD of the experience. When we watched it tonight, with both of us standing in the background, we laughed and said, "One day Chase is going to look at this and say, 'Wow, look how young my parents look!'" And then I thought to myself, "I wish I had done my hair today." We hadn't planned on going anywhere (let alone being video taped)! *sigh* OH, well.... :)

More photos of the experience are in our Photo Album. Enjoy!

Friday, January 18, 2008

They Started Our House!

Woo hooooooooo!!!! That is all I can say. This is the first photo we've gotten since they started construction on our house January 7th. It makes it all feel so much more real. We are moving to Texas, y'all!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

We're Moving... to another planet!

So I think everyone has probably heard by now that we are moving to Texas! Well yesterday I was told of a news story out of Stephenville, TX (2 hours north of where we'll be) and thought I'd share. I have no idea what we're getting ourselves into!

Dozens Report UFO Over Texas Town

I mean, I knew we'd be in for a culture shock but... Omigoodness! To quote the article:

"'You hear about big bass or big buck in the area, but this is a different deal,' [Ricky] Sorrells said. 'It feels good to hear that other people saw something, because that means I'm not crazy.' Sorrells said he's seen the object several times. He said he watched it through his rifle's telescopic lens and described it as very large and without seams, nuts or bolts."

Hmmmm.... Big bass, big bucks, big rifles... and aliens. What planet am I moving to here, people?!? At least I know what all those things are. I mean, I DID grow up in Alma, MI.

Actually, truth be told, I may just fit in very nicely. Thanks to my friend Brian S for outing me!

(He used a photo taken about 4 years ago, right after my most horrible hair chopping crisis EVER!)

Monday, January 14, 2008

Quality Time

Brian had to teach a weekend class this weekend so Chase and I got to spend some quality time together. My parents also came back through on their way home from their trip out west so we got to spend a little time with them, too!

We got our first glimpse at a future with Chase walking on Saturday. He pulled up on a toy and it started sliding across our wood floor... and he followed it! I think he took about 5 steps that way. That was a first for us (we're sorry Daddy missed it)! It won't be too much longer now....

Yesterday Chase and I surprised Daddy by driving to meet him at the mall across the street from where he was teaching. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe, where we learned Chase loves coleslaw (random)! We have the hardest time getting him to eat his vegetables and then... coleslaw?? Eeewwwwww.... That stuff is so nasty!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Animal Rights Activists, Don't Read This....

There is no way I'm qualified to be a mother.

We have a huge 75-gallon fish tank in our basement. Awhile back all the fish died and since we were having a hard time keeping up with it anyway we decided we wouldn't restock it and just quit. We unplugged the heater/water filter/etc. and left it sitting there. Last night Brian started draining it so I could clean it out and sell it. Well when Brian lifted up the shipwreck our huge catfish swam out of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like an animal torturer... letting it live in freezing cold water without food for seriously MONTHS! Of course the water level was really low by the time we discovered the little guy and I totally panicked, begging Brian to find a big enough tupperware bowl to save him. I mean, come on.... The thing suffered for HOW many months, clinging to life? I couldn't let it all be for nothing. The poor thing obviously wanted to live so who was I to kill it after all the surviving it did?

("Surviving it did?" I don't think my old English teachers would have liked that grammar. Oh, well. Moving on....)

Anyway, now we have an empty fish tank and one skinny catfish living in a bucket in our basement. I have no idea how it's still alive. Seriously. My cats are trying to remedy that fact but I have him well protected.

Animal rights activists, not to worry.... We found a good home for it at Brian's old office so he will take him to a much happier place next week.

I cannot believe the guilt I am feeling right now over a fish.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Uh, Oh....

My son has a new word. Well, I guess it's two words... so technically it's a phrase. But I'm calling it a new word so I can add it to his list:
  • Kitty
  • Mama(mamamama)
  • Dada(dadadada)
And....
  • "Uh, oh...."
I swear it is the cutest word he will probably ever say. I noticed it one morning when he was throwing/dropping some balls. Every time one would fall to the floor I would hear, "Uh, oh...." And it's not the way you or I would traditionally say it, with the emphasis being on the "uh" with a higher vocal inflection. He likes to emphasise the "oh." Like "uh, OOOOHHHHHHH!!!!" Almost like he's saying "uh, WHOAH THAT IS AMAZING!!!!"

Brian and I were making fun of it this morning and every time we would say it, he would say it back. The three of us had a whole conversation in "Uh, oh's." Sometimes I think if we were to just step outside ourselves and look in we would make circling gestures at our ears and roll our eyes at us.... "What complete loons." The next time I look at Chase when he's laughing at a spoon and say, "I wish I was that easily amused" I need to remember times like this morning and say, "Oh, wait... I am."

Our Blog Has Moved!

Check us out at  3c-family.com !