So here's the catch-up for now:
1. We got a new septic tank on Golden Ave. (11 days late)
2. We found mold at Golden Ave., in large quantities (not good)
3. Trish finds out she's allergic to mold and also that she now has asthma (really not good)
4. The Phillips play legal roullette and "get out of" the 2-year lease (still no response from Golden Ave. landlord)
5. The Phillips, in looking at the local available rentals, find the first house they wanted is back on the market for rental (coincidence or divine intervention?)
6. The Phillips move to the new house (Bearslide Hollow) in time to "do Christmas" in the new house - how sweet it is!
We really love the new house - tons of space and storage (oversized double garage and a full basement), plus, we are back in a neighborhood, with neighbors and kids and the whole shibang.
And, there's no mold, and I am already feeling a lot better (except when I go back to the old house to pack up more stuff and clean some more).
I have to mention how wonderful my sis-in-law, Beth, and my in-laws, Sally and Jody are for taking the kids for a week so that we could move more efficiently. The kids had a blast, and by all reports were well-behaved. I know it will be a surprise for all to know that Fletcher came back to us with a new ER visit under her belt, stitches in her head, and completely unaffected by the whole experience. The kids were so excited about their new house and their rooms, which made all the work before they got here totally worth it. Fletcher properly and immediately initiated her room by doing a full-speed and unguarded face-plant in her excitement. By that evening she had come up with at least 3 non-conventional ways to go up AND down the stairs, and had managed to knock a tooth loose (again), completely unrelated to the stairs or the face-plant. The child keeps us laughing, but it is sometimes painful just to watch her "be".
Funny SJ story: We're walking to the car to meet the rest of the family after the Christmas Eve service at church and she asks "Does everyone have 'anne sisters'?"
me: What?
SJ: Does everyone have 'and sisters'?
me: I'm sorry baby, I can't understand what you're asking, anne what?
SJ: "ANN-SESTERS!!!!!"
me: OHHHH! Yeah, we all have ancestors.
SJ: What about 'ann-brothers'?
me: hysterical, incapacitating laughter that has me doubled over in the middle of the church parking lot
SJ: ooooooh kaaaaay? (read a sassy tone that indicates she thinks her mother is a lunatic) I guess they WERE all just girls.
It was nearly impossible to make it the rest of the way back to the car.
Christmas was nearly perfect, minus the dog who is leaking brown water out of her butt around the clock. I figure if we just feed her some of those colored foil wrappers from the Christmas candy, we could just chalk up all the "accidents" as decorations, and call it good.
Good times, good times...
Oh yeah! Melson is on his 3rd night without passy - we're over the hump, and one more milestone to whisk him away from his place in my arms as "the baby". Yes, I cried the first night much more than he did. I'm a wimp like that, but I'm getting used to it now. Thought these kinds of things would make the ol' uterus twinge with thoughts of "maybe just one more", but no such twinges happening in THIS reproductive system!
