Ruining A Good Thing

Oh my Macey. She makes me so very happy except for the times she drives me a little nuts.

I have previously blogged about how much I enjoy vacuuming. It's not just the clean factor. It's not just having cool lines in the carpet. It is all about not being able to hear my kids scream and cry and yell at each other for a few minutes. It's my own personal escape.

Well, it was. But now it's gone. Macey has decided to out-loud the vacuum. Ever had a kid out-loud the vacuum? Truly, that's some super-sonic loud whining. She's not intimidated by the loudness of the vacuum. She accepted the challenge, she decided that she would be HEARD, and truly, she ruined a good thing I had going.

Sing Along Time!

Just when I was getting too comfortable with the apartment life, we've had a tough week.

On Tuesday I could no longer take the thump-pound, thump-pound, thump-pound coming from upstairs. It was at night, and I felt that the toddler upstairs should be getting ready for bed, not running back and forth, back and forth.

We've put up with it for months, but once it woke Molly up, it was go-time. I got up on the dining room table and started pounding on the ceiling. That's right, I had sunk to the level of Mr. Heckles from Friends. I was a ceiling pounder.

I would have felt bad about it but instead of quieting down, they just pounded back and continued with the thump-pound, thump-pound. Grrr.

Last night I kept waking up after midnight. There were loud voices, dogs barking, cars beeping, argh! But around 1:15 the neighbor blared their stereo. LOUD. I could hear everything, word for word. Some of the songs I knew. I almost started singing along. After the seventh song we gave up and just called the police.

We cannot get out of here soon enough.

Super Score!

This is only Week 2 of soccer, and so perhaps it is a little early to get overly confidant, but Garry's little soccer team is fabulous!

Their only problem is running up the score. They often beat their little opponents by at least 10 points, but how can you tell little ones not to score? Emma helped out last week by kicking a ball into the opponents goal, and we thought that showed great sportsmanship on her part.

I was worried about the team last week. The coach for these 4 & 5 year olds came with bleachers for his team! Our poor kids sat on the grass while they sat in crazy luxury only Sports Authority can provide. I also realized that he had an accent and beautiful olive-toned skin.

"Good heavens," I thought. "I bet he's from Brazil and has been playing this game since he could walk and has been grooming this team since they could walk. We're in trouble."

But no, we smashed 'em. Go Team!

Those Pesky Pounds

Those pesky pounds. . .and I'm not talking about currency. I am talking about the poundage that has become a part of me since our move. More specifically, my thighs! It's been a stressful move; it still is a stressful process. And, guess what! Apparently I am a stress eater.

After a few months in the gym and even talking to my thyroid doc, the extra weight has stayed on. So yesterday I started a process where I only ate fruit during the day, a regular meal and dessert at night, and only water all day.

My life stinks.

I woke up this morning with a huge, huge headache. I think that my body is in sugar shock! It wonders where all the good times went, and so do I.

So now is the time to decide on what is a healthy weight, a manageable weight, a "accept that I am not in my 20s anymore" weight. Since I've worked out and worked out and stayed here, maybe this is my new normal? Maybe I can go eat a brownie now?

Okay, We're Even

Garry is a very tidy person. He never makes big messes, except in the kitchen when preparing a new masterpiece, and I guess it's for that reason that I am really hard on him with the small messes that he might make. Shoes that do not get put away, towels hung on the closet door instead of in the bathroom, socks, oh the socks! Little, little things.

We're had discussions about the towels, and actually he's gotten really good at it. I pointed out that there was not a "towel fairy" that was moving the towel from the closet door back to the bathroom everyday. It was me. And I already had three kids to look after, blah, blah, blah.

But, like I said, his towel habits are almost perfect now -- at least much better than mine. But his new weakness is shoes!! In our "luxury apartment" we do not have a coat closet. So there are two different slots I invented for shoes. And somehow his shoes never make it into those slots.

The other day I was grumbling about now being the "shoe fairy" but then I imagined all of the times I use my VISA during the week. And I realized that there was not a "VISA fairy" that magically came along and worked and paid the bill.

And I realized -- we're even.

That's A Bad Sign

For those following our house hunt, here's the Pottery Barn house I posted about a few days ago. Looking at it now, I can see why Garry was having none of it. It is kind of pink, eh? This seems to be a favorite color for houses built in the 90s out here. We are still waiting to hear back from the Bank of America regarding whether they will let us buy or even just rent the Esperanza house. We are frustrated, and I look for houses several times a day on utahrealestate.com because I would like to find something we could just buy now. Who could have foreseen such a time as this when you had to wait months to hear back on a house?!?!

In my search, I have been amused by comments made by realtors in the little paragraph describing the house. I know it's in bad shape if they praise the shed out back. And for some reason, RV parking is a BIG deal out here. If they have it, it's listed up front and center. One realtor wrote "Bring your imagination. . ." Wow, that's a bad sign.

The Idaho Trip

The week after Easter I took my two "big girls" to Idaho with two of my sisters and two of my nieces. It was an all-girl road trip! Here's my niece Chloe with Emma & Macey. Cousin Hug!

Here's Emma in my Mom's glasses. They are a little large, even on my Mom!

On Saturday we went to Cousin LeeAnna's wedding reception in Driggs. She looked beautiful!

Here's my Dad with his brother. My uncle just turned 80! Happy Birthday!

This is a cousin shot -- a big girl cousin shot. Cousin Kris, Sister Cindy, Cousin Karlyn and Sister Rachelle.

It was fun for my girls to meet so many members of their extended family!

Lucky Seven

Last week Garry & I celebrated our seventh anniversary!!

He was able to come home from work a little early and we dropped the kids off with my sister and headed to Salt Lake! Garry made reservations at Spencer's Chop House. It's a steak house that reminds me a lot of McCormick & Schmidt's in Washington, D.C. It was really nice, and for dessert I had the chocolate cake. It was a flour-less cake, which means it was like eating a chunk of fudge wuth ice cream and chocolate sauce. HEAVEN!

The girls were a little disappointed that we went to eat without them. Macey expected "Anniversary Cupcakes" whatever those are. Poor thing.

Happy Anniverary, Garry! I love you!

Game On!!

Today is a big day for the Cunningham Clan! Garry makes his debut as a soccer coach at an official game and the girls get to play in their first soccer game. They even have shin guards, soccer socks and cleats. They are so ready!!

Salivating Over Drawers

On Friday we looked at a great house about a mile from my sister's house. It was like walking through a Pottery Barn cataloge. I loved the house, and my kids were playing so HAPPILY in the backyard. I was ready to sign on any line of any paper they gave me.

But then Garry pointed out some flaws, and I realized that the house was beautiful because of her furnishings. What would it look like with my stuff? Not as spectacular, that was for sure.

But I still wanted Garry to consider it, but he still preferred the Esperanza house. To exercise the ghost of Esperanza, we went back and saw it on Sunday. We have not seen it for over three months; we probably romanticized it. It was probably NOT that fabulous.

Nope, still fabulous. Check out the kitchen.
In my townhouse I had two dawers. In this apartment I have had a wonderful five. I looked at all of the drawers in Esperanza -- I lost count. She has a million, especially in the island.

See, isn't this house worth living in cramped quarters surrounded by questionable neighbors for months on end? Well, today it is. I make no promises about tomorrow.

Meet The Neighbors!

You know it's Spring when the neighbors start making out in the parking lot. For real. IN THE PARKING LOT. This is not some grassy park. This is the patch of grass on the other side of the parking lot. Our own personal grassy knoll.

Yesterday we were at the park in the apartment complex (our "luxury" accomodations) and two people were making out in their car in the parking lot right next to the slide. It looked uncomfortable. She was in the backseat and he was in the front. And there was a kid in there with them, too. It was just wrong on so many levels.

And then today we came home from church to THIS a few feet away from where we park our van. Well, I guess people worship in different ways.

I'm The Only One Who Can Call Me Large

Last Christmas Garry got in a lot of trouble when he bought me a pair of jeans that were several sizes too large. Really, I know that I've gained a few pounds since we sold our townhouse (I've discovered that I am a stress eater) but I was not quite up to that number. . .yet.

For our anniversary Garry got me a BYU hooded sweatshirt that I have had my eye on for the last few months. Bless his heart, he bought a size Small.

So, of course, we had to drive all the way back to the BYU Bookstore today to get a bigger size. After trying a few on, I picked out the Large.

"If I had bought that, you would have been so upset," Garry said.

True. It's not fair. But, I'm the only one who can call me large.

WalMart Madness

The other day we were shopping at WalMart as a family and Emma had to go to the restroom. I took Emma and while we were there we ran into a Screaming Mother. She screamed at her kids that they were taking too long, she screamed at her kids that they needed to hurry, she screamed at her kids that she wished she had left them in the car, she screamed at her kids that she wished that she had never brought them at all. Before she got to the part where she screamed that she had never had them to begin with, she left the restroom.

Feeling morally superior, I calmly waited for Emma, helped her wash her hands, helped her dry her hands. We held hands as we walked through the store and looked for the rest of the Cunningham Clan. Look at us, holding hands, being morally superior to all you crazy Moms.

While we were looking for soccer gear, Garry got sick. He had to run for the restroom and I was alone with my three girls. Emma wanted to look at bikes. Macey wanted to look at the 'Princess Stuff'. Molly wanted to be anywhere but there. It was hard to keep them under control as we waited and waited.

By the time Garry got back, I was the Screaming Mother! Get back in the cart! Get back here! Put that down! Molly, stay here! ARGH!

It's good to not judge. Because I think that we are all about 15 seconds away from being a wee bit crazy.

I'm Sorry, Do I Know You?

On Friday afternoon I went with two of my sisters and two of my nieces home to Idaho Falls. I took Emma & Macey with me. They were so excited about this 'big girl trip' that they wanted to pack days and days in advance and practiced sleeping in their sleeping bags for a week.

Molly got left behind. She got a little one-on-one quality time with her Dad. I think that she enjoyed the unfettered access to all of the toys and the attention. They went out to eat, to visit with family, to BYU Football's Spring Training to check out the new freshman. She was busy!

We came home on Sunday afternoon, and I was not sure what Molly would do when she saw me. Did she even notice that I was gone? Or would she cling to my leg and not even let me leave the room?

I guess she noticed that I was gone because she completely ignored me. She wouldn't look at me, kept her back to me, absolutely would not let me hold her. She just sat with her Dad and did not say a single peep to me.

It was a thorough punishment. . .just in case I thought about doing something like that ever again.

A Visit From The Glaziers!

One of the best things about living in Utah is that we live by a lot of parents and so we get indirect visits from a lot of our favorite people.

The Glaziers came conference weekend and we met up with them for breakfast at Beans & Brew. Looking back, we should have met at Kneaders. I think that they would have had more options. But, I digress.

Debbie & I lived in Virginia in a townhouse. We were roommates for 3 1/2 years. She is fabulous, and I'm happy to live down the street from her in-laws and across the valley from her parents!

The Candy Thief!

Here are some pictures from Easter morning.

Notice how puffed up Molly's cheeks are? That's because while the big girls were looking through their Easter baskets, she was grabbing candy fast and stuffing it in her mouth before she got caught. She must have had a dozen jelly beans before the girls even noticed what was happening.

The Soccer Coach

This Spring Garry is coaching Emma & Macey's little soccer team. He has seven little players, ages 4-6, and their first game is in a few weeks!

The girls are enjoying being back in soccer, and it is always good to have them in an outdoor activity where they can run off some energy!

Emma is our star player, she has a killer striker foot, but Macey is getting better. During one drill, however, the kids had to pretend that they were pirates and had to steal the ball from each other. Macey was having NONE of it and took her ball and ran off the field!

The Back Up to the Back Up That Got Bought Up!

We were outbid (deep sigh). We offered $11,000 over asking price and were still outbid by someone else. I am okay with losing this house. The main floor was only 900 square feet and included the master bedroom and bathroom, the living room, family room, dining area, kitchen, guest bathroom and laundry room. In other words, it was tight. It had a great second floor, but not much else.

We still have our fingers crossed that we will hear something on the Esperanza house next week. But, we've been told that before. Five times before, to be exact.

#500, Baby

This is my 500th Post! I guess that proves I can truly write about. . . nothing much. . .a lot. But one day I will print off these blog posts and hopefully have a really nice journal for my family.

Here's where we are now:

Garry: He misses his old job. I think he misses his old responsibilities, and he was really good at what he did. On the upside, I think that since his grandmother's health is failing he is relieved to be here and be able to help. And tonight is his debut of being a SOCCER COACH! He's coaching seven little kids.

Then there's me. Still a Republican! Still reading a lot. (Have you checked out my book blog? bloggingonbooks.wordpress.com It's fabulous!) Still dreaming of my Esperanza house. We're supposed to hear from the bank next week, so here's hoping!

My Emma. So smart, so helpful, so genuinely kind. She misses her Pre-K class and riding the bus, but we are lucky that in South Jordan kids have year-round school so she starts in July! I see spending July getting the right backpack, the right clothes, the right pencils. We'll have a great time! Oh, I hope we get a house soon so she can have playdates and ride her little bicycle up and down the block!

Macey Gracey Puddin' Pie: SO SMART. So funny. She really misses school and asked me this week if I thought Ms. Douglas (her Preschool Teacher) would move to Utah. No, Macey, I do not think so. I call her My Politician because she's great with names and makes a new friend wherever she goes.

Molly: My trouble maker. She wants to tackle things too early. This month she has started walking down the stairs going forward. Not on her tummy. Not on her bum. Sixteen months old and WALKING downstairs. It scares me to death. I've taken away her bottle and she is doing better at sleeping through the night but still wakes up occasionally. She LOVES to talk on the phone. Give her a call -- she's a hoot!

The Back Up to the Back Up

Yesterday we put another offer on another house (and yes, even though it's a new construction it's still a short sale because even the builders are upside down). For those of you keeping track, this house is the fifth house we have put an offer on. I'm not crazy about this house. You cannot tell from this great picture but the neighbor to the East is only about two feet away. The lot size is only .16. The backyard is not landscaped -- just dirt, the fence is not in, there is a road in the back, the driveway is only about six feet long which means I'd have to keep ahold of my kids the minute I opened the front door because the road is RIGHT THERE.

The main floor is only 900 square feet, and that takes in the kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, and the master suite. In other words, it's tight! The saving grace of the whole house is the upstairs -- four bedrooms up. Which means each girl could have her own bedroom and we'd have one left over for a playroom.

So with all that is not great about this house, why did I put in an offer? The price. The asking price was $258,000. You can forgive a lot for $258,000.

They LOVE ME Here

Garry's brother and his uncle married sisters. Uncle Barry married Michelle Wilson and Brother Jeremy married Meg Wilson. For that reason, the Cunningham and Wilson families are very close, and we have been very lucky to get together with the Wilsons a few times since we have moved here. Below is a picture from Christmas Eve at the Wilson's. On the way to their home for Easter dinner, Macey fell asleep in the van. We were worried because when she falls asleep she will be SO CRANKY and SO WHINY when we wake her up.

We pulled into the driveway, turned off the van and she woke up. Macey looked out her window and got so excited, "OH YEAH! THEY LOVE ME HERE!" she said.

They love you everywhere, Macey Grace.

Constant Bathroom Duty

While we have been looking for a house, I have been duped many times by a great photographer.

I'll get really excited about a house and then find out that it was not very well thought out: there's no room for a dining room table, the garage is not accessible, the bathroom is part of the master bedroom -- no wall, no division, just hello toilet!

So we have gotten better at reading the property details before we go and look at a house or get too excited. Like this house. Isn't she pretty? I think it's a great house! But, we never looked at this house because we found out under the property details that it only had three bedrooms. . .but seven bathrooms.

SEVEN!

Why would you put seven bathrooms in your home???

The Beautiful Back-Up

We've had some good news lately! HOORAY! The home we have been waiting for, lovingly known as the Esperanza house, had its third Best Price Offer (BPO) done on Friday. It's an appraisal for banks that tells them what a good offer is for the home. This is one step closer to a decision from the bank, and we are grateful it is done. What we hope for now is that it is a low number, something we can afford!

We found a back-up though, this beautiful home in Riverton. The current owner is a general contractor, and he put in some beautiful finishes in this home. It's actually 1000 square feet smaller than Esperanza, but its layout makes sense and so you do not miss the space. It has four bedrooms and a laundry room upstairs, a nice great room, a den, and a finished basement. The deck needs some work, but the landscaping is 100 percent done! We're actually third in line for this house (it's another short sale) but it's taken a long time to process and so the other offers may have given up and moved on. At least that's what we hope!

We are grateful for the good news and pray more is coming! We cannot wait to move into a home!

Macey's Three Wishes

We've been watching Aladdin lately in the Cunningham household. This morning Macey picked up a magic lamp that was part of her castle kit. She asked if it was real and I told that that unfortunately it was not the real one -- the real one was much, much bigger.

But I was interested and so I asked her what she would wish for:

(1) First on her wish list was to go and see Grammy;

(2) Second, she would like to play. BY HERSELF. (There was a lot of tears this morning as Macey had to share toys with Emma).

(3) To have fun. (See #2 above).

She's cute.

Tender Mercies, My Style

I told Garry the other day that I really missed my radio station from Washington, D.C.: Mix 107.3 Forgive me, but all of the radio stations around here seem to be. . .a little. . .family friendly.

While I was cleaning the girls' room, Molly was playing with the stereo. She found a radio station for me: 107.9 MIX 107.9 Could it be??? Are they here???

I am happy.