Busy Busy

I have been pretty preoccupied and stressed lately. We have a lot going on and my mind races constantly.
1. We are having our first Open House on Sunday. Prepping for that has been taking up a lot of time. I'll sit with a box and try to decide what I should pack up and what I might need. My parents basement is our storage unit and let me just tell you, thank goodness it's big.
2. I am just shy of 30 weeks right now. The baby will be here before you know it and I'm starting to feel like we are not ready. Yes, we have all the baby equipment, but I still feel like I can't pull all that down yet until we know if we will be moving soon or not.
3. Tis the season for job postings in the teaching world. I started my resume and then have not finished it. Finding the time to sit at my computer and work on that is difficult. Even now, I should be working out and showering so I am not late to work. I have chosen to update the blog....priorities?
4. Not to mention, I have to update my teaching license and taking a class, with two kids, and possible new job in August....makes me feel like I might need meds just to get through it. 
5. Money is tight right now because we are trying to save everything for the down payment and closing costs of a new house. This is difficult because we are also trying to prep for the new baby and plan summer activities.

**Noah got his big boy bed and we have been working on that transition as well. He "helped" Daddy put it together. Today we take down the crib :( :) happy and sad. Happy my little man is growing up, but sad that he is growing up. We have to put a baby gate in his doorway because he can now get up and out whenever he wants, but I think he will get use to it soon. 

We're Listed!!!!

Yes!!! We have finally listed our condo! We are going to try and do it by owner. Many friends and family we have talked to have said it's not that difficult. It was a hefty price just to list it on a few realtor websites, but we wanted to get our listing seen. Wish us luck! I am so relieved we have, at least, started the process and listed it.

Time To Go

I truly hate complaining, it is unattractive and irritating. However, sometimes I like to consider complaining, as venting. A quick vent to a friend or family member can help just let it off your mind. So lucky you, you get to hear my complaints/vents....

The very place that is suppose to be a comfort, irritates the life out of me. Living in this house can make me go from zero to crazy in about 30 seconds. Every day here, elevates my blood pressure and I must move. (I have a picture of the outside of our condo below, since this post will mostly be a rant.)

So the number one reason I can 't stand being here any longer is the lack of a yard. Every time the dog needs to go out, the boots and coat go on, she gets leashed, we walk her across the street to the dumpster to poop and then we pick it up and throw it away. Maybe it's just because I'm pregnant. Maybe it's because its freezing in Ohio right now, or maybe it's because I have to leave my 2 year old in the house alone, but at least once a day I have to take her outside and it erks me to the core. I want to just let her go and do her thing and then open the door when she wants to come in. I think she would enjoy life better too if she could run outside freely without being on a leash.

 In addition, I want my son and daughter- on- the- way to have a backyard to play in. Somewhere to run and imagine with a swing set, sprinkler, and sandbox. This is a must! I want them to have a place to ride bikes and dig up dirt and enjoy life without the fear of them being kidnapped by passing traffic or run over by a car in the parking lot.

OHHHHH the parking lot....the second reason living here brings me to an irate level. If you don't have children or live in the city, this will probably not seem like a big deal, but for me, it is.  We have to park in the lot and then walk down a sidewalk to get to our unit. Then upon opening our front door, you must walk directly up about 13 stairs to our living room...no mud room, no foyer...just straight up. Well, carrying a toddler, groceries, diaper bags, purses, umbrella if it's raining, or anything else that I need to carry just plain sucks. I want an attached garage so I can make short quick trips, warm up the car, put the baby in the car and then load the bags...anything that would make motherhood easier. Trying to get out the door in the morning for work and than back in the door after, is such a hassle, especially if the weather is crappy.

The last thing I will complain...I mean vent about today....is living attached to others. My downstairs neighbors literally bring out the most unchristian like thoughts I have. For one, it is a single mother of four who pays for her place with Section 8 housing assistance. This means my husband and I pay a crap ton for a mortgage and living right downstairs is someone who only needs to pay about $50 to live in the same place. She screams at her kids at all hours and they scream right on back. I hear every door slam, which happens all the time. The kicker is that when she cooks her fried chicken or decides to smoke like a chimney it makes my house smell. That just boils my blood. Smoking repulses me, so the fact that my  house will smell like smoke because my neighbors are smoking is something that I just can't handle. There have been many other things that I can't stand about living attached to others, but this should cover the main reasons.

So all that, combined with...
*needing more storage and living space
*the ability to get my mail at the end of the driveway and not walk across the parking lot
*the convenience of wheeling my trash to the end of the driveway instead of lugging the bags outside, through the parking lot, to the dumpster.
*Having both our cars fit into a garage so that I don't have to chisel the ice off my car before using it every morning.
*and being able to fit friends and family in our house for parties and get-togethers

I apologize, if you have stayed with this post through to the end, for the blatant venting that has taken place, but I just needed to get it out. I promise, I won't have another one of these for awhile, so please don't be afraid to continue reading my blog.

House Search: You Have to be Kidding Me

I just have to share how frustrated I am with our house search. The condition of some of these homes is just unbelievable. I am a little bit addicted to the site, Realtor.com, so I see when new houses become available in the communities we are looking at. So far, we are not opposed to looking at short sales and foreclosures, because Adam is pretty handy and we might be able to get a larger house in a great neighborhood, for a lot lower price. Each time I go into one, I feel shocked by the poor conditions people allow their homes to fall into. It's not like they are in the inner city or anything. They are in beautiful, established, sought-after communities.

The next city over from us is a very well to do, established community. It has trees, sidewalks, and an adorable main street area. The schools are top in the state (which make the taxes unbelievably high) due to the fact that Ohio funds their schools by property tax. (don't get me started on that)We would love to live here but can't afford it unless we can get a short sale or foreclosure.

So....anyways...I just have to share photos I took from the house I just went to look at in this community. Homes on this road go for over $250,000-$400,000 and this home is listed at $195,000. It states clearly that it is a foreclosure but I was thinking, "how bad can it be if it's in this community? Well, let me show you...

This looks likes a beautiful front porch until you stand under it. The rotting wood and mold was just everywhere. That was the scariest element of this home. There was mold, rot, and crumbling foundation everywhere. (ignore my realtor's bum in the next photo.)

 It's hard to see from the photos but the siding is wood paneled and rotting right off the house. This is causing moisture to get into the home.

The backyard, however, was heavenly. It obviously needs to be weeded and cleaned up, but it was perfect size. There were shade trees, room for Lola and Noah to run around, and to entertain. I loved it!

 Even though the family room and kitchen are ugly as hell and need serious updating, I would be able to overlook that in normal circumstances.  Actually, the main floor of this house was pretty nice.

  Now, this is where it got scary. In the above photo there is an actual pool of water on the floor with mold. I don't know from where, but if it looks this bad to the eye, I can only imagine what it looks like behind the walls.

 The picture below is the "master bath" gross! Someone was living in this bathroom with it looking like this. It's just appalling.

I just had to share how bad this house looked, and pictures really don't even show the worst of it. The baseboards and doors look like someone let Freddie Kruger run around for a while blindfolded. I was so disappointed.