Birthday and Batcakes

Hallo,

Nate is four. How did this happen? We've been in Halifax nearly a year, how did this happen? Where did the time go? What happened to my BABY?

Four

Nate is all about Star Wars these days. Justin has started him out with the last three, which of course are the first three to us. It's Luke and Han all the way baby! After debating how old he should be to watch them, we just put one on to see if he would be interested. He was. Now it is Star Wars all the time. Princess Leah is his companion and often comes to dinner. Luke and Darth Bader (yep Bader) fight with their light sabers in our livingroom. I have to say, it is gratifying when your kid likes some of the same things that things you do, although I don't know what that says for me-sharing interests with a four year old boy. I know all the transformers, and lots about Ben 10, Bakugan, and Batman (in truth, I only had to learn about Ben 10 and Bakugan, I already knew lots abou the others). The boy will never have to argue with me about spending his money on comics.

On the 'me' side its work and house and work on the house. I've recently joined weight watchers and have taken off just over 20 lbs. I felt that it was time for a bit of a change and I'm pretty happy with the way things are going. I have been cooking up a storm trying to make dishes that are both yummy and suitable for my new watching of the food lifestyle. Surprisingly, it isn't all that difficult as my diet was full of good foods to begin with. Mostly it is just watching portions and lightening up recipes with alternative ingredients.

I started this entry this morning and it is now almost 8pm. Not super exciting, but there it is. I wrote one.

HA!

I say to the little voice in my head that said we'd never be able to pull it off. HA! I say again -- we are home. It feels good. As most of you know (because Justin's blog actually gets updated) we have a house now. I'm super excited to paint, buy appliances, start a garden, renovate the kitchen and a hundred other things. Mostly though I'm loving the anticipation of the appliance and furniture shopping. How often do I get to drop a bunch of cash on new stuff?

Nate is in seventh heaven about the house, but more importantly he is with nana and grandfather (Nate calls him that--we aren't sure why).

Justin is buying do-it yourself and home renovation books and magazines.

The house has a fenced-in yard and play equipment and is mere moments from many many good things like elementary schools, playgrounds, and THE MALL. Something for everyone.

happy happy happy

Sunny day, keeping the clouds away!

By winter standards in Vancovuer, it is paradise! No rain yesterday and sunny today. Very odd, but I'm not knocking it -- no siree! I'm going to enjoy it!

I've finally got my shit together and have boxed up some things to be sent, some for the holiday season, some that have been waiting for some time.

Nate and Justin are sitting on the couch having an intense conversation about cranberries (Nate's current snack favorite).

It is my last week of work in my supervisor position and I'm pretty much ready to be done. I really like the job and I love my team, but I think I'll like having less responsibility. It has been a full year with lots of challenges for me and I've learned so much. I'm ready for more time to spend with Justin and Nate.

I introduced Nate to Gumbi this weekend and he loves it! I forgot how much fun they were, but also had forgotten how American they are. George Washington, the Declaration of Independence, Ben Franklin all make appearances. Still so much fun.

He was once a little green slab of clay...

One trick pony

sell my condo
sell my condo
sell my condo

my roller coaster relationship

with real estate.

This is getting ridiculous! I'm soooo close to going home that I can taste it, hell I've even been dreaming about it lately. I know that's weird, but I had this dream that we all moved home into my mother's house which was, as it always happens in dreams, not my mother's house but a huge gorgeous old mansion with a basement to rival the coolest of houses. And in this dream Idjie was alive. I dream of Idjie a lot, and I'm not entirely sure what he is doing in all of these dreams except being Idjie. Anyhow, in this dream I'm joyous 'cause we are home and everyone is good and lights are sparkling in the sky (seriously!).

So I know that all won't be fabulous and all my troubles won't melt away just by going home, but dammit we had a plan.

It looks like we might have to lower the price on our condo if we want it to sell. I'm generally okay with that, but it brings up the whole what are we doing and why are we doing it thing. I feel like if I don't make this all happen perfectly then it won't happen at all and the stress is starting to get to me a bit. Part of me is also wishing that I had done this six months or a year ago and we'd be sitting pretty. Stoopid crash, stoopid banks, stoopid people who won't buy my condo.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry really. Or buy video games. Maybe an X BOX to take the edge off. Just a little bit of retail therapy.

I feel like something has got to give.

I love it when a plan comes together....

or almost comes together.

I got word on Friday that my director is supportive of my telework agreement! This means I can take my job to Halifax!!! No kidding! I had been trying hard not to count on it or jinx it (or think of it in any way)since it was a bit of a long shot. This means I can take my Analyst job with me and work from my home office in Halifax. When I get a home office, that is. Currently we haven't had any offers on our place yet and we are getting a little antsy. We had a fairly well attended open house on the weekend and have two showings tomorrow.

I really love the place we are offering on in Halifax. With my guaranteed income now we may be able to keep both places, but it would be stretchy. The idea was really to have no debt, not increase it. On the other side of it, if we can afford it the Vancouver rental market is waaaay hotter than the selling market right now, so we could make it work.

Keep up the voodoo magic folks, it seems to be working!

Patty

Sell this frickin' house

So our deal to sell this place with our neighbor fell through and we are now on the market. Being on the market makes me feel veeeeery insecure. As anyone who reads the papers or watched the news, or is alive knows, whatever "the market" is, it is not good. Places in this complex similar to ours previously sold in one lousy day! Now we are holding our breath to see if we can get at least $40, 000 less than we could have got for it six months ago. It isn't the money (well mostly it isn't), but the uncertainty that is killing me. I want to go home! I have a house all picked out and everything. Anyone who imagined me stamping my foot with the last sentence is abso-frickin-lootely right. So whoever is reading this do whatever prayer, strange pagan ritual, voodoo magic or whatnot you can to get this sucker moving.

In other news, Nate is awesome! We took him around and about on Halloween and once he hit the first few houses all hesitance went out the window! He was walking into peoples houses! Yesterday, he threw his arms around my legs and said "Mama, I'm your best friend." He tells me he loves me every night before he goes to bed (something I did even until my teens with my Mom and Dad--oops and now that I think it I still do it). It breaks my heart in a good way and I will never get tired of hearing it.

Screw being a rock star academic -- being a mom is better.