Parenting packing tips

Packing our house has been going pretty well. I'm so happy to leave our condo that I don't mind the chaos. However, trying to get anything done with young children, although not impossible, is very challenging. Like today, for instance, I was packing a box, the baby was with me, and Noah decided to poop on his little potty chair. This is actually really great because we are still working on potty training. The bad part was when he decided to dump the pot in the toilet by himself and spilled his pee and poop on the bathroom floor. I think I packed two boxes over a two hour period. Thankfully, my sister took the kids and watched them so we could get more done. The picture below is another great use for plastic wrap.....

Sold!

Yes! I can't believe this is actually happening, but we sold our condo! Hallelujah! We have been packing like crazy and our close date is  March 9th. It's slightly challenging packing with two small children while working full time but it's so awesome because it means we are leaving this place. We have not found a house yet so we are going to stay with my parents for awhile- which should be interesting....

Irritated

I truly do not want to wish bad things on people because we never know what's going on in their life to cause them to come across as inconsiderate in our life, but.... I would like to wish diarrhea on the lady who requested to see our place Saturday and then did not show up. She did not call, email, or text that she was unable to make it and I find that disrespectful and rude.

In case you have never showed a home before, it's not just "oh come on in" its cleaning your house so that you could preform a surgery in any given room. It's hiding the clutter and toys so the house looks neat and inviting. Its taking the dog and child out of the home for the time of the showing. It's a lot of work to just have someone not show up or call at all. 

It was an especially beautiful weekend in Cleveland and we spent the whole day cleaning, we could have been outside enjoying the beautiful day. On top of all of this, I am sick as a dog and pregnant. I am aware that this type of thing happens all the time and is something we will just have to prepare for again, but it does not change the fact that it really gets my blood flowing. 

So...I really hope that nothing horrific happened in this woman's life, but otherwise, I cannot imagine why it would be so difficult to text or email that she would be unable to attend- a little human decency would have been nice.

Deal Breaker?

We are in the early stages of house hunting. We know it might be awhile before we sell our own place so we don't want to fall in love too soon. However, I did see this one house that is big and beautiful. We wouldn't normally be able to afford it, but it's a foreclosure. From the pictures posted online, the inside looks well kept too. It's in a nice neighborhood with good schools. I was so curious I decided to drive by the house after work today, and there... Directly across the street.... Was the deal breaker. An apartment complex and not the spiffy, ritsy kind- the low income kind.

Adam and I got to talking about what our deal breakers are. What makes the perfect house? What makes the perfect house worth it? What makes the perfect house NOT worth it? We have been living in a condo attached to others, across the street from apartments, with section 8 in the same neighborhood for 6 years... I think this beautiful house might be for someone else:(

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.

Crowded

It truly is amazing how fast life can change. 2 1/2 years ago, it was just Adam, Lola, and I. We knew we wouldn't be living here forever, so even though I didn't like living here, it was fine for the time being. Now, one little boy, and a second bambino on the way, has been the catalyst to finally move.

Noah and Lola love to play, but sometimes it just gets too crazy. It all happens in such a small space.

One of the main reasons we need to move is more indoor AND outdoor space. I want a yard, preferably fenced in, so Lola can run freely, off leash, and Noah has a safe place to play as well. I really hope we find the right home for our family.