10 Things We've Learned About Texas

DISCLAIMER: Texas is a huge state. We are very well aware not all areas here are the same. These are just a few things we have learned about the area where we are living.

1. Never leave your chapstick in the car.
2. Never leave your plastic ID badge in the cup holder of your car... unless you want it to take the shape of a cup holder.
3. If you want your cup holder-shaped ID badge to be flat again, leave it lying on your car's armrest for a few hours while you're in class.
4. Car seat buckles get hot really fast (Chase oh-so-delicately informed me of this fact).
5. There are deer EVERYWHERE. It's only be a matter of time before you read a blog post here titled "I Finally Hit One" (or "One Finally Hit Me").
6. There's a whole lot of testosterone down here... especially on the road!
7. People eat squirrels. By choice.
8. People eat squirrels. BY CHOICE!
9. You remember ice cream trucks? We have those... in addition to taco trucks.
10. All the spiders I have encountered here are furry. Furry!!!!

That's it for now! I'm sure there will be more....

We have a house!!!!

We closed on our house today. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

This feels good.

It wasn't without drama, of course. Friday our bank in Chicago informed us they couldn't do a wire transfer for our downpayment unless it was to a branch of theirs. Since there are no 5th 3rd banks around here that wasn't going to work. So they said they would overnight us a certified check so we would have it for our closing at 2:30 today.

Brian stayed home all morning waiting for the check. It never came. He got ahold of the lady at the bank who was supposed to mail it and she said, "It's sitting right here on my desk. I'll mail it today." Ummmmmm.... That wasn't really going to do us any good! So they found a way to wire it after all. We went to the closing without any money but by the time we left they received the downpayment over the wires. Phew! Of course this stuff is never easy!

ANYWAY, it all worked out in the end and now we have a house! Our movers arrive tomorrow morning (while I'm in class... ugh) and we will be slowly settling in throughout the week, trying to work around our school and work schedules. We will definitely be in there permanently by Saturday. YEE HAW!!!!

5 Years... and counting

It is our anniversary today. We have been married five years! Can you believe it? We exchanged our gifts this morning. We have been following the traditional anniversary gifts every year and this year we had to give wood, which was challenging for both of us. Brian got me this awesome wooden stool that folds out to become a step stool that I can use for my classroom in the fall. I got him some wood planters and wooden-handled gardening tools since he's so excited to work in a yard after our years in a townhouse.

Unfortunately, that has been the extent of our celebration today. I had to take a test for my Theatre Arts teaching certification requirements this morning, and Brian and Chase are on their way back from the ER as I type. Chase has been sick for a couple days with a runny nose and goopy (how technical!) eyes and today it got much worse. I would have thought it was pink eye but his eyeballs weren't pink. I called a nurse and gave her all of his symptoms and she said we needed to take him to an urgent care or the ER. Since all the urgent cares around here were closed (don't get me started on that!) I asked if I could take him in the morning and was told, "No, ma'am. You need to get him to an ER tonight." So of course I freaked a little bit, like she knew something terrible was wrong with him but wouldn't tell me. Anyway, so Brian took him to the ER while I worked on my MOUND of homework due Monday. After all that they said it looks like he either has allergies (since we're new to the area) or a summer cold. I hope it's not allergies because it is something NASTY to have to deal with on a regular basis.

So.... Happy Anniversary to us! I'm sure we'll do a real celebration after our crazy lives die down a little. We close on our house Monday (!!!!) so next week is moving week! We are SO excited, but it is going to be a CRAZY week for us, trying to move and still deal with work and school and all that. But we are ready to feel settled here. Let the games begin!

Step 3 Complete!

We are now into Step 4 of our move. We got to Texas yesterday evening and are settling into our temporary home here. We walked through our "final destination home" this afternoon to see how it was coming along and we can't wait til it's done so we can move in! It's very exciting.

At this point we are exploring the area a little bit, buying groceries, doing laundry, unpacking our suitcases, etc. Tonight I have a new student orientation at school and tomorrow I'll go back to campus to pay my tuition, buy my books, etc.

It doesn't quite feel real. If it wasn't for the 90 degree weather I wouldn't believe we were actually here! MAN it's hot!!

Baby Steps!

Well today we got official word on Step 5 of our move. We will close on our new house in Texas June 23rd. That means a month of temporary housing once we move down there at the end of this month, but at least we have a concrete date to focus on now!

Also in the "step" department, Chase is getting stronger and stronger with his walking! He took his first "real" steps at Nicole's house Tuesday night (meaning he let go of me and took about 5 steps completely on his own), and today he ventured all over the place, going from person to person, letting go on his own without prodding... and he was truly enjoying himself! WOO HOO! We are thrilled, just days before his 17-month "birthday."

You know, our pediatrician said at his last appointment that if he wasn't walking by 18 months he would need to go to therapy (Physical? Occupational? I don't remember). Anyway.... I was never sold on that idea so I'm glad he started on his own before his 18 month visit so we don't have to fight that recommendation. I mean, this whole time we knew he was strong enough and definitely capable, he just lacked the courage and motivation. And come on.... How many adults do you see roaming around on their hands and knees? I was like, "He'll get it!" And today he proved it. We are so proud!

Step 2 Complete!

We have completed Step 2 of our move (for a refresher on our "moving steps," click here)! This past week was a "transition week" out of Step 2 and into Step 3. We had a good time in Michigan with my parents, despite our crazy schedules while we were there! Chase played outside a lot at the house and at various parks. We also got to visit with step-family, which was nice since I don't know when we'll be able to see them next! The photos we took while we were there are now in our Photo Album if you want to check them out.

We left my parents' house Tuesday morning and headed for Chicago. We drugged Boomerang up with tranquilizers (he does NOT do well in the car) and he passed out in his litter box:


We stayed the night at friends Bart & Nicole's, who have the most adorable 3-week-old baby in the world! Meet Conor:


Chase thought he was pretty cool, too:


Wednesday morning Brian and Chase left for St. Louis while I stayed with Nicole through Saturday morning to help her with Conor (and to spend a little more time with her before I had to say goodbye.... But don't get me started on that or I'll start bawling again)! 2 nights this week I took over baby duty all night so they could get some sleep. While Conor was a WAY better sleeper than Chase ever was, around 4am both nights I was reminded of the sleep deprivation new parents go through.... And I'm not quite ready to do that again!

While I was in Chicago, Brian flew to Pittsburgh for his friends BJ & Andrea's wedding (Chase stayed in St. Louis with his Grandma & Grandpa W). Saturday we all met back in St. Louis and Step 3 officially began! It looks like we should have a couple quieter weeks ahead of us here in St. Louis until I fly to Raleigh for my friend Amanda's wedding Memorial Day weekend. PHEW!

What a Week!

We have had an incredibly busy week. I will begin with a little background. For those of you who don't already know, I am going back to school to get my teaching certificate to teach theatre! I haven't said anything on this blog before now because I didn't want to jinx myself in case I wasn't accepted for some reason. But I had my interview today and they said I would be getting registration instructions in the mail in about a week so I'm going to assume I'm good to go. I will start classes in June and go to school full-time (7:30am-5:30pm every day) all summer long, then start teaching in the fall (for my internship). SO....

One of the requirements of the program was to get 20 hours of classroom observation in before April 25th (the day after we had to be out of our townhouse). I wasn't aware of that due date until 2 weeks before (the week we were all home sick with the flu!).... I thought I had until classes began to get them done. Since I was working full-time and getting my hours in before we had to move would have been impossible, the kind people at Tarleton gave me a week's extension to today.

OK, now that I've set that all up, let me give you an idea of what we have done this week while visiting my parents in Michigan:

Monday
Brian and I spent the day in Saginaw. I observed about 4 hours of classes and then we spent some time at the mall and went out to eat. Grandma and Grandpa babysat Chase (hey, they volunteered)!

Tuesday
I drove up to Interlochen and observed classes there all day, then stayed the night. Brian drove back to Chicago for a meeting at his school and his LAST CLASS the next day. Grandma and Grandpa babysat Chase.

Wednesday
I spent another full day at Interlochen and drove home that night. Brian was in Chicago all day for his class that evening. Grandma and Grandpa babysat Chase until Grandma had to go to her musical rehearsal, then Aunt Kiersten and Cousin Kailey took over until I got home.

Thursday
I went back to Saginaw to observe their morning class. Immediately after the class got out I hopped in the car and drove to Flint to catch a flight to Texas. I got in last night and rushed over to take pictures of our ever-evolving new house before the sun went down! I then stayed up ALL NIGHT LONG (til 3:30am) putting my classroom observation journal together to hand in at my interview today. Brian drove back from Chicago and got there late that afternoon to relieve the grandparents. Are you tallying up the babysitting bill?

Friday
That brings us to today. I got up this morning, did my interview, and hopped in the car to drive back to the airport, which is where I sit now, just waiting for my flight and the chance to lay my head against the plane window and SLEEP my way "home." Brian and Chase are there waiting for me.

TOMORROW WE CAN BREATHE AGAIN (for a little bit, anyway).... Next week we get a little crazy again while I spend a few days in Chicago with my friend Nicole and her baby, while Brian and Chase will continue on to St. Louis (Grandma and Grandpa W's). Then Brian will fly to Pittsburgh for a wedding he is in there and we'll all meet up again next Saturday in St. Louis. After that we should have more "down time" before we move down to Texas... but we won't hold our breath.

Step 1 Complete!

So we figure our move is a 5-step process.

Step 1: Move out of our townhouse in Chicago
Step 2: Move in with my parents for a bit
Step 3: Move in with Brian's parents for a bit
Step 4: Move into temporary housing in Texas (for a bit)
Step 5: MOVE INTO OUR NEW HOUSE IN TEXAS!

There are mini-steps thrown in there (like a couple out-of-state weddings we are in next month, jobs/school to start, etc.), but those are the 5 biggies as far as moving goes.

Yesterday we accomplished Step 1. Woo hoo! We are 20% of the way there!! Chase stayed with my parents all week while Brian and I packed up and moved out. We are now in the midst of Step 2 (until May 5th). If we can keep our focus on the steps maybe it won't seem like such an insurmountable task. HA!

Brian would like me to add that Step 1 was probably the hardest step (*knock on wood*) and I have to agree. It felt really good to finally see an empty townhouse after all the hours we put into packing and all that jazz this week. Ahhhhhhhhh....

But of course there's the sentimental part that I wasn't really expecting.... Seeing Chase's empty room that we decorated just for him (complete with the wall mural I painted myself), the beautiful floors we both put in ourselves.... It was our first house and it holds a lot of memories. It will be nice to move into our new place that we're so excited about, but I think 1824 Bridle Post will always have a special place in our hearts.

New House Update

We got all excited this morning when we got updated pictures of how our house is coming along in Texas, but then this afternoon we got some bad news. We thought the house would be done by the end of May, which was pretty good timing for us to start school (Brian teaching classes and me taking them) June 1st. But as it turns out, the house will not be done until the end of June.

Ugh.

We move out of our townhouse here Thursday. That means 2 months living out of suitcases. Lovely.

Can you buy sanity at Wal-Mart? I think we're going to need a couple crates of it.

Starting the Goodbye's

Last night we had a "Goodbye Dinner" for Soapbox Theatre Company (and, consequently, me). It was probably the last time I will see many of my Chicago theatre friends. It's funny, you don't really realize the kind of support you have in your life until they all show up in one room at the same time to wish you well on your journey. It was incredible. Here is a photo of me with one of my best friends in the whole wide world, Nicole, who I started the theatre company with. She is due May 7th and I've been telling that baby he needs to be early so I can meet him before we move!

Nicole, as Dorothy said to the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, "I think I'll miss you most of all." No.... I know I will.

SOLD!

Well, we closed on our townhouse yesterday. PHEW! We had a bit of a roller coaster ride getting here because the buyers were having some problems with their financing. We didn't find out until Thursday that we were good to go for the Friday closing. But thankfully it all worked out in the end. We are now renting from them for a month until we can move out at the end of April. We never thought we'd be so thrilled to be renters again!!

I guess it's time to start packing now.... Let the fun begin!

Well, That Was Easy!

We sold our house today. Well, I guess technically we have a contract pending but we had our first and only showing this morning and they made an offer tonight. Our house went on the market THURSDAY, remember?? It has been 5 days. Unbelievable. If all goes according to plan we will be closing April 25th, so we'll be homeless for a few weeks but I guess that's better than having 2 homes (a.k.a. 2 mortgages)!

It's funny because when we bought this house it had been on the market for one day when we made an offer, and I remember our realtor saying that the wife of the couple who owned it was freaking out we made an offer so fast because they didn't have anywhere to move yet. I remember thinking, "That poor woman!" But now here I am! Must be the house.

Anyway, we are counting our lucky stars, with the market being the way it is today. Here's to hoping it all goes off without a hitch! Cross your fingers for us!

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.

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!

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!)