For sale!

 

 We have been going back and forth for a while now about our house.  We have been here 8 years and have done lots of tweaking and improving and making it what we want it to be.  Now that we really love it we've decided it's too small for our family of 4.  It was perfect 8 years ago when it was just Jeff and I, but now things are a little cramped and a lot cluttered.  With interest rates being so low right now we thought we'd test the real estate waters and put a sign up "for fun" to see what happened.  Well, within 24 hours of the MLS listing we had two groups of people check it out and one made an offer for the listing price.  Needless to say, we are freaking out.  We seem to be awake every morning at about 2 AM and 3AM and 4AM thinking about what's to come.  I have big dark cirles under my eyes and I feel like I have a newborn back in the house!  We plan to do some serious house hunting in the next week and see if we find the next house of our dreams.  Stay tuned...

 We had a great Thanksgiving today.  Jeff's folks came down and we all had a mellow day.  Jeff tried a turkey on the grill for the first time and it turned our perfectly. 

Just a random shot of the kind of stuff you find around the house when you have a 4 year old boy!

Two of the things I am thankful for in my life!

Aunt Jen's visit

Life has been a little crazy these past few weeks, but in the midst of it all my sister Jen came to town and we had a great visit.  We shopped and lunched and played and had kid time.  I had more late nights that weekend than I've had in the past year!  People are always amazed that we are sisters.  We look nothing alike, we dress nothing alike, we have different interests, she is high maintenance and glamorous, I am not. Despite all that, she is my best friend.  We talk almost every day.  We get along like a million bucks, laugh together, vent about life's challenges and share secrets.  Love you, sister! 

I did put lip gloss on special for this picture :)

After breakfast at Mimis

Jen is a dental hygienist so she was excited to buy Miles a pack of kiddie flossers.  She told him the story of the sugar bugs that live between his teeth and how they make cavities if we don't get rid of them every day.  He is now officially hooked and has to use one every single night before we brush his teeth.  Thanks sister!

A very staticy Iris doing her part to prevent cavities!

Boom

Iris took a digger at school last week.  All is well.  She just looks tough now with a few scabs and a bruise!

Winter has arrived!

We just had our first wintery weekend.  There was enough snow to require a driveway shoveling, at least according to Jeff :)  Miles got in on the action, although he decided it was best we have a path shoveled across the front yard.

It was the weekend to fill up the hot tub.  We told Miles that we would do it as soon as all the leaves fell off the big tree.  Since most have been bagged up and taken away it was time.  We went out first thing this morning, then followed that up with breakfast and a lazy day.  Good stuff!

Halloween 2011

Halloween was a blast and I'm guessing it's just going to get better every year.  Miles was spiderman and Iris was a cat...thanks Mom!  They were both so excited.  We decorated the house and hung spiders and spooky posters.  We also had our annual pumpkin carving party/BBQ with our friends.  We lucked out and had perfect weather the whole weekend.  It was actually a little balmy for trick or treating as opposed to the usual 40 degrees and sleeting. 

The daycare does an annual Halloween Parade where the kids walk through the building and all the Department of Health employees hand out candy (or toothpaste or bandaids depending on the program they work for).  Iris was a bit unsure of things, but I suppose it was a little overwhelming being surrounded by so many kids and adults in costume.  

The hallway looks deserted and scary in this picture, but there were about 40 kids coming behind us.  It only took Iris 5 seconds to understand that people were tossing treats in her bucket.  At the end it was so heavy she had to drag it.  I tried to carry it for her, but she freaked and kept saying mine!  I did manage to sneak some of her tootsie rolls though :)

I think 4 is the year of the super hero.  Miles is the padded, webbed arm-pitted one!

Two black cats, one of whom wanted nothing to do with the other.

We strolled with the neighbors and had a lot of fun.  Note Spiderman shooting webs at the camera man!

The masked parents!

And just for fun...a video of Iris figuring it all out.