Monday Moving

[helia]

Good evening all! I am home from work sitting alone in a quiet house. Aaahh! Lovely. Dd16 has orchestra rehearsal 6:30 - 8:30 and I think she was working with the costume designers of the high school play/musical (not sure which) beforehand. I guess she won't be home from school until about 9 pm. I hope she doesn't have a lot of homework.

Dh checked with me yesterday about scheduling a meeting at 6 pm, so he'll be home closer to 7, maybe? He told me not to cook the fish until he was home.

More Done:
- about half of a.m. routine
- finished groc. list
- graded quiz paragraphs
- lunch
- changed clothes and crated the beasts - er, dogs
- payroll
- groc. store
- put all groceries away
- started rice cooker
- checked phone message on my cell
- had big snack.

Next:
- relax a bit
- post quiz grades
- prep the asparagus to be roasted
- start load of whites
- unload dw

Hmmm.... I could get lost in item #1.

Oh, now I have book club Thursday night, so not a completely normal week. Pretty normal, though.

((lucylee)) Perfectionism can really get one down. I don't know, I find that the older I get, the more imperfect I realize I am. It's like the peeling of an onion where I slowly get deeper and become more and more aware of attitudes and thoughts - and actions too - that are not as they should be. At the same time, I do see (slow!) progress in areas of my life where I struggle. It's easy to lose sight of the progress. Both processes in tandem are good, though. The peeling keeps me humble and realizing I can't really "do life" on my own. Growing awareness is good as it is the first step toward turning and real change. And the progress over time encourages me that growth is possible. Sometimes, it is easier to see that change in others; over the years, I have seen growth in dh and some of my friends.

--edited to take out religious connotations. I think this sort of process can happen in everyone.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Helia: I'm reading (or attempting to read) "Falling Upwards; a spirituality for the two halves of life" by Richard Rohr and if I understand it (I'm still on the introduction which appears to be 1/6th of the book), your second half of life is not chronological point, but a turning point after a 'fall' which is often recognizing the sins one has committed. He also points out that without the downfall, you can not have rising again.

Dinner is done. I'm working on chits. Once they are tamed that will improved the paperwork 'snow' immensely.

[helia]

Sounds like an interesting book, Kathryn!

I'm doing well relaxing.

[Lady Maverick]

Take a break and visiting here as reward.

Today the Birthday House was inspected. It was a 3 hour process with every part of the home inspected. This was the event we have been waiting for to make the final decision if we would buy it and move. The inspection showed some things that need to be fixed, but all-in-all it was a success. We are going forward with the Birthday house purchase. The inspector said he would have the report to us by tonight. We are suppose to prioritize the repairs we want the owners to do and send it to our Realtor tomorrow.

Yesterday DMIL call and said "Well, I talked to everyone and they are thrilled about having Thanksgiving at your new house". I about had a heart attack! I don't know how she came up with that!!!! I stammered some reply in shock. DMIL is very hard of hearing and frequently doesn't hear correctly. She would be embarrassed and feel horrible if she knew she heard incorrectly and scheduled Thanksgiving at our house when we didn't say that. After getting over the shock and thinking about it for a few hours, I've decided to go with it. DH side of the family is smaller than mine - it will only be 27 - 30 people. How hard can that be? I'm in denial and want to stay there!!!

Sooooo.... this month we are in house buying mode, house repairing mode. moving mode & MPB selling mode, house staging mode, and house selling mode. We will also be caring for and getting to know DGD3 (plus LO care). Now we will be hosting over 40 people (FNG plus DH family). NO PROBLEM!! I can do this! yes, I am most definitely staying in denial

This afternoon I spent an hour getting the 4000,0000,000 or so lego's collected and boxed up. Only kidding about that many Lego's. I don't know how many Lego's we have but I found myself wonder if they have been multiplying! At least now they are packed up and contained in plastic tubs, so they can now multiple all they want. ha!

Break over.

[Harmony]

LadyM, I would definitely offer to make a Turkey or whatever meat you'll be having and ask if everyone can bring a dish to share. Really, this is only 3 weeks away. Are you sure you'll be all moved in and enough furniture around and dishes unpacked to host? Course, if anyone can do it, you can!

I got my walk in. I walk the first half then drag myself the last half. I wonder how long this will go on before I find some pep?

Helped DH load a truck. Discussed the voting guide with him...he has to leave here at sunrise or so to get his vote in before his very busy day starts. I think we should start doing the early voting thing; we'd have more control of that chore. I will go a bit later so I'm out when the bank is open.

Minutes typed up and copied and 3-hole punched. Only 2 more to do. Yay! I've been doing them for 4 years. Did another stack of paperwork, statements to match with receipts and pay. There's always more I could do - ALWAYS - I just find a good place to stop and then try not to worry about the rest.

Dinner / dishes done. Boy it's been crazy here.

[Lady Maverick]

Taking another break.

I unloaded the stuffed SUV this evening while LO was at Karate class. Needed to get that done before the rain started. We are suppose to get up to 4" of rain in the next 24 hours. WHOOOHOOOO!!!! Bring it on! I hope hope hope hope it happens.

Waiting for my s-l-0-w printer to finish printing the 32 page inspection report. Thirty two pages! I have read books with less pages. Once it is printed and LO is in bed, then will start prioritizing the repairs.

[lucylee]

LadyM, I definitely would make this a potluck kind of dinner! That is how my family always operates (although dmom is complaining that she will have to cook "half the meal, as usual, * sigh * " -- more on dmom later... ) But seriously, we always bring food -- my oldest girl cousin sorta coordinates it all usually and we always have waaay more than enough food. There's about 30 of us, too. If your family has not always done it this way, you have the perfect excuse to start now -- just tell them it is quite enough that you are moving into a new house PLUS managing an extra toddler that you are NOT used to yet... so you can supply the house, but they have to help supply the food.

Dmom... * sheesh * ... I made that DPC, and I felt bad about not calling over the weekend -- dmom said she had been having stomach upset all weekend and just felt miserable and that today she was just in a bad mood and "mad at the world and everyone in it."
But she said she had decided that it would be too much trouble to try to get my grandmother's house ready for Thanksgiving, so she guessed she would just have it at her house. Grumbling about how much cooking she has to do, etc. etc. I told her I would make the congealed salad and whatever else she needed me to help with, and that maybe this was a good thing, b/c it would give her an incentive to finish up the decluttering of her own house before she started in on moving stuff to my grandmother's.
I'm sorry she's in a bad mood about this, but maybe forcing herself to do something like this will be good for her, and I'll be darned if I'm going to volunteer to host anything at my house this year. I had Thanksgiving and Christmas here last year, and I guess Thanksgiving is going to come around every other year since there's only two in dh's family... but gee... Christmas... there are EIGHT households in ddad's family and I think that means w/two holidays a year, my turn shouldn't come around except every four years. Of course, one cousin takes on 4th of July and Labor Day -- but she's the one with three boys and a swimming pool. Her house is automatically the "best" house for summer gatherings. If we take her completely OUT of the mix then, for winter, I still should not be called on for another couple of years, right?

Well, anyway, I made that phone call...
walked away the pounds 15 minutes...
watched The Affair... (looks like this was episode 4 of 11, FelineFriend, AND from the previews, it looks like it's really going to hit the fan next week... I can't wait!!!)
washed all but one load of clothes -- and I will do that as soon as I sign off here...
helped dh get tickets ordered for the Alabama/Auburn game... (Thanksgiving weekend)
ate supper & s/s the kitchen...
played Halloween w/dgs -- they got home and came over to let me get a picture of him in his puppy dog costume.
^ That was the best part of the night, LOL!

Helia, thank you so much for your encouraging words. I think you are right, probably the older the we get the more we are aware of our shortcomings, but that's the only way we can improve, isn't it? Kathryn, that book does sound good.

OH NO... Nancy... gluten intolerance??? Please, no... I have a dfriend who has celiac disease, and she cannot eat ANYTHING, basically. Oh my goodness... I hope the doctor thinks it is something else. I just do not think I could EVER stay on that diet. Oh my goodness...

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Back from class. Nearly didn't go. Nearly drove. But ended up walking since, while I was exhausted and felt sick, I did feel strong enough to walk. I gave myself permission to leave at break but stayed for the second class too.

At break the principal asked me to consider joining the curriculum committee.

I'm back home and think I'll just focus on getting ready for bed and hit the paperwork in the morning.

[Harriet]

"I need pep pills." - Harmony.

That's B-12, Harmony!
I'm not saying they work that well but they are a step!

LadyM, it's probably out of your hands whether you can do this. You are now waiting on the sellers, who will be waiting on various repair people (or getting estimates), who will each be waiting on their suppliers to ship materials, so that they can set appointments later, to come and do multiple tasks before the sale can go to closing. And then you will wait on an appointment for closing that suits everyone, or some other delay will come up. Surely it wouldn't embarrass your dmil if the reason plans changed was that you simply couldn't close on the house fast enough.

I spent the whole evening on Angel Tree calls. Super social. Still have one call to make, since the second-to-last took almost 1/2 hour for such a large family. Also one letter to send since one household's phone numbers are not working.

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! I am done with new employee training and paperwork except for insurance paperwork. No matter what I choose, it will be cheaper than what I got as an individual. I've also been looking into a new budget. I'd like to start rebuilding my emergency savings, start saving for DD12's college, see if I can afford that Hawaii vacation this year (may be dreaming). I have to start paying child support again starting December. Not fun, but gotta do it. Especially since it is a requirement of my job that I don't get behind (I never have or I would not have been hired).

I have done some Halloween party cleanup - 3 bins and a box have gone to the shed. I have cooked some lunches to take to work, checked and sent some emails. I calculated how much vacation I will accrue by Christmas and will have enough for a short trip to Mobile. I am going to ask about leave without pay to extend it. The worst they can do is say NO. Whatever answer I get, I will need to make travel arrangements SOONEST! Girls' Night Out tomorrow will have to be Girls' Night IN with homework.

Enquiring minds want to know: Emptynester, how is your dog?