Datebook April 13, 2010

Okay, I know it's Tuesday, but I have not had a lot of time to blog nor compute lately!

We had 2 viewings on Sunday (and yes, Nancy, ensuite means bathroom attached to master bedroom), one yesterday, and two more today. It's a bit of work keeping it all up, but at the same time, today there is very little I need to do to make the place look good. And it's nice having a clean house all the time. I'm glad I'm off work right now though to dedicate time to keeping it looking good.

On to datebook:
 Today:
Outside my window - gray and drizzling. But not cold out.

I am listening to - Halleluia from the Hope for Haiti album, hammering outside as they are replacing the roof of the place behind us, and nothing else - Cordie is napping and Duncan is at school.

I am thinking  - I need to go clean the kitchen and tidy before getting Duncan from school. I think we're going to go to Costco after, and have lunch there, and it will hopefully cover the time our place is being looked at today.

I am hoping - our place sells soon (duh!), and that we are really happy with the house we end up buying. I also hope our next door neighbours are home soon. They were due back yesterday, so I hope they are just delayed, and that nothing happened.

Plans for the week - Bill is out tonight, so this afternoon we're going to a friend's place for a playdate while we have the other showing of the day. Tomorrow I'm going into town with my Mom, Helen and Cordie to get my hair cut (town being Vancouver). I think we're going for supper after, but I'm not quite sure how that is all going to play out. Friday Bill has a flex day so Opa (my Dad) has said Duncan can come hang out with him for the morning while we go look at a few more places.

I am grateful for - well, many things. But specifically that our taxes are done, we do get a refund, and it should be just right for closing costs (lawyers fees, inspection etc...)

My favourite things - Duncan singing (his favourite right now is "Slippery Fish"), watching him play with his trains and totally use his imagination while doing it. He make stuff up, moves stuff around, and when he totally gets caught up in it he doesn't realize I'm watching him, and it's just fun watching him be himself. Cordie has learned a new sound and it is the funniest thing. She gets into everything. She loves book. She has this one book she keeps pulling out and honestly it's like she is studying it. It's awesome.

In the kitchen - this week is kind of weird b/c we were at the Bell's last night, Bill is out tonight, I'm out tomorrow night. But I think there is chicken in there somewhere, and something with ground beef (I know this b/c I need to go to the meat shop), and something with all natural smokies - which I think we'll do tonight.

Picture thought:

Real Quick House Hunting Update

Well it's house hunting/house selling update.

1st, we had two viewings today - one was through our old realtor - awkward! But our realtor assures us it's okay (of course he would LOL!!). Anyhow, they were both looking for a place with an ensuite, and one thought the carpets could be replaced. Well a. I also want an ensuite - hence the reason we're looking for a new house! and b. carpets - yes, but they aren't awful, and we're not beyond giving an allowance for them. Oh well. But we have another viewing tomorrow afternoon, so that's good. Place is still clean from today.

2nd - house hunting - saw 5 places on Saturday. A really good start. There was one house we fell in love with, but the more we think about it the more we think it's not for us. And there was another house we thought was wonderful, but ruled out right away due to space restrictions, but now are thinking perhaps it's worth considering. I hope we can look at some more yet. Well our place needs to sell 1st anyhow.

The kids are totally thrown off by all of this - so 2nd day in a row with Duncan not napping - and he needs to nap or he get down right owly. But we'll get beyond it. It's bed time. Good night!

Ultimate Blog Party

Okay, I'm going to try this. Going on right now through 5 Minutes for Mom is this Ultimate Blog Party which is an attempt to get people to discover new blogs. Goodness knows I already have enough blogs on my Google Reader Subscriptions, but for some reason I keep adding to the list.

So I've added the button (down on the right), and then you can also choose from a list of prizes you'd like to win right here. I'd like to win, well, any of them really, but specifically USC 42, USC 43, and USC 13.

If you're interested in checking out some new blogs, join the party!

Oh, well looking around, and having people stop by here I guess I should introduce myself!

My name is Carole, I'm a 36 year old working Mom, just on the tail end of my year of maternity leave. I return to work as a disability claims adjustor in 3 weeks (boo hoo!). I've been married for 10 years, and have two amazing children (really, who doesn't think that of their kids?) a 3 year old boy who is obsessed with all things Thomas the Train and an almost 1 year old girl who has an attitude and gets into everything and loves to laugh. She's awesome.

My interests are in quilting, reading - almost anything if you put it in front of me and say it's a good book. However moreso historical fiction - like the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I've also been known to read my fair share of fantasty fiction and some sci fi. I'm a geek. I stuggle with my weight like many people do.

We're currently in the process of selling our 3 bedroom townhouse in search for a bigger house and to move on up as it were. I've been blogging since um... I have no idea when. I had it in my head at one point that I was going to start a reviews and giveaways blog, but then life promptly got in the way, so that's on the hold for now.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Wordless Wednesday: Easter Sunday Cordelia

I think we're ready!

After all that hard work over the weekend, our place was actually in decent enough shape today for our realtor to come in and take pictures to post online. So as soon as we have an MLS number, we're good to go. Our realtor was quite impressed with the decluttering and work we got done on the place, and he quite liked the blue laminate in Duncan's room we put in last year that we received from freecycle.

This coming weekend we're going out and looking at houses for the 1st time. I don't expect to find that one perfect house right away, but we won't know what we like until we start looking.

Cordie was quite unhappy today - teething or something, but we didn't go to MOPS, and that's a good thing because I don't think she would have been too impressed with me if we had gone. So it was actually a nice quiet day at home (when she wasn't screaming at me), and I actually got some fabric cut out for quilting!! Crazy.

Weekending

As I sit here Strider is cold-nosing me. He's a sweet cat and awesome with the kids, but it drives me nuts when he rubs his cold wet nose against me. LOL! Oh, my poor cat.

Anyhow, it's Sunday night. We got some good stuff done this weekend, and we're making really good progress, but it's hard to sit down knowing there is still so much to do, but at the same time we're both exhausted.

We did get the master bedroom painted. It looks really good. Just an off white - nice and clean. The kids went to Mom and Dad's yesterday morning (thanks again!) and we 1st ran to Value Village - I picked up some curtains for Cordie's room, and then a few pictures to hang in the bathrooms. It was funny, the cashier asked if it was a famous artist we were buying the picture of and I laughed and said "no, we're staging our home and needed a cheap picture..." They do look good though and will fit real well. I got most of the touch ups for all the other paint done - I say most because as I look around I realize I missed a few spots. But oh well. Bill also redid the trim on various doors, and it looks nice and clean. Bill also got the entertainment centre cleaned up, and I did a good job on the kitchen.

We're almost to the point where they can at least come in and take pictures to post online- although our actual listing goes live tomorrow. Tomorrow Bill will be pressure washing, and I'll be gardening. If the weather is bad we're probably just going to buy some lava rock (Mom's idea - a good one too I think) and use it to cover up one of the front gardens. Everything else we can kind of keep working on as we go.

I'm still totally looking forward to this, but the idea kind of scares me. Also when you get so much conflicting advice from people it's hard to just make a decision based on your own hunches. "No, you shouldn't buy there" or "max out your mortgage, it's a better investment", or "go with a variable not fixed"... Now - we'll buy whereever we find a house we love, if I can help it we are not going to max out our mortgage b/c even if we're approved for a higher amount, it doesn't mean I want mortgage payments that high, and, said and done, we'll probably either go fixed or blended. But it's just hard.

Easter was really nice. We had fun doing up Duncan's basket. We just got Cordie a little stuffed rabbit, and then some chocolate for ourselves. I was in the nursery for church, and there were only two kids there - including Cordie, so it was nice and relaxing. Home, lunch, got Duncan down for a nap "I don't want to nap!!!! *snore....*" Bill also napped and so I puttered for a bit. Got them up and off to Mom and Dad's where they had planted a bunch of plastic eggs full of goodies. So the grandkids had a fun Easter egg hunt. It was just super relaxing. The kids play super well together, so the adults just vegged - read, chatted, hung out. Dinner was delicious! It was a really good day. Duncan didn't want to leave so we had a bit of a temper tantrum there, which carried on at home, but he settled down. I think he just didn't want the fun to end.

And that's what's going on. You?

Moving on Up

I once heard that moving is the second most stressful thing a person deals with, second to a death in the family. I'm not quite sure that's true, but the process of getting your home ready to sell is certainly up there.

We're actually making good progress. Bill has a 5 day weekend (Good Friday and Easter Monday being stats, and so his flex day was bumped to Thursday - w00t!) and so we've been able to put some good time into getting stuff done. Yesterday Duncan had preschool, so we got some stuff done then. Today Rhonda took the kids - bless her. And tomorrow my parents are - at least for the morning. Duncan miss his nap today because of it though, and by 6 PM You can tell. So I said to Bill that we need to make sure he doesn't miss it tomorrow.

Today we got the master bedroom painted. What's quite amusing about this is that it is the one room we have never painted since we moved in 9 years ago. We find it quite funny that we're finally doing it now that we hope to sell. And it looks quite nice! And so clean! It's just an off white colour, but it just looks crisp. Tomorrow we need to do other paint touch ups in the kitchen, living room and stairwell. Then it's just finish decluttering - we're doing well there too, and finishing our good spring cleaning. Oh, and the outside, but considering how stormy it is out today (blustery actually), it will probably be Monday before we get to that.

So, some of it is a little crazy, but we're making good progress. We like to chit chat about our next home - things we'd like to see in it. Perhaps all new flooring and paint before we move in (keep in mind we don't have a new home yet). Let's hope that once we are live on the market things go quick.