Getting a Move ON

After roughly 2 1/2 years of sitting on the market, our house will be officially sold as of Friday, March 23. That's THIS Friday and I kinda sorta began packing yesterday...just my winter clothes, but at least it's a start. I have really been dragging my feet about packing, and I still don't know, really, where to begin, but I'm about to run out of time!

House/Life Update

Our house has been for sale (with a short break off the market over Christmas 2010/New Year 2011) since fall 2009. We've changed realtors twice and lowered the price significantly since our home was placed on the market. We are fortunate in this day and age as we are not being forced out of our home; however, Greg and I have had a dream of building our "perfect for us" home "some day". Some day may soon be here as an offer has been made on our current residence.
Let me be clear-whomever buys 7845 Stonehill Drive is a lucky bugger. Located in the Forest Hills School District-rated "Excellent with Distinction" three years running-our home is on a cul-de-sac with a wooded, "park-like" backyard. Even better are our neighbors. Although we're not all of the same generation, that does not stop us from meeting in the cul-de-sac and hanging out in each other's driveways. No matter the season, at the barest hint of nice weather, someone is always outside ready to enjoy the sun (and an adult beverage) with you. Our neighbors/friends watch out for the kids and houses on this end of the street and help out whenever/wherever necessary.
In addition to our wonderful neighbors and excellent school district, any potential owners of this house will benefit from its proximity to, well, almost everywhere. Within walking distance of the post office, a park, an elementary school, a middle school, the library, the hospital, the YMCA, a fitness center and a few restaurants, we are also only a short drive from more restaurants, downtown, Kroger, Clermont County, Indiana and northern Kentucky. Greg said he will miss the nearness of Home Depot and Lowe's too.
7845 Stonehill Drive and Anderson Township have been our home since 1997. It's the only home Joey has ever known and the place Sammy, the best dog EVER, lived. So far, Joey has enjoyed the boyhood his father knew, living in a neighborhood with sidewalks and friends next door. Hopefully our inspections passes muster so Joey can experience childhood the way I did too (only without the tobacco hoeing part). We should know soon.
I'll get back to you on that:-)

House for Sale

Our house is for sale...again?...still?
We took our house off the market over the 2010 Christmas holidays and put it back on in April 2011. Frustrated is a mild term to explain our feelings with the lack of activity between April and July. We (Greg) decided to change realtors/agencies just to feel like we were actively doing "something" to sell our house and because we didn't feel a real commitment from our realtor at the time. Anyway, last night we had our first showing since changing agencies-amazing to us because the photos aren't even up on the MLS listing yet! Too bad I was out with friends when I got the message about the showing and only had a little over an hour until the showing!!! I couldn't pass up the chance to show our house so I raced home to clean up the mess. Luckily, Joey was very helpful, calm too. He repeatedly reminded me, "Mom, you don't have to rush." Yes, yes I did, until I fell down the steps-ouch! As I rush-limped around the house picking up and depositing under the bed or in the back of the car whatever was out of place and vacuuming, I heard, "That's what happens when you rush." Smart aleck!
We left the show-worthy house 20 minutes before the prospective buyers were expected. When we returned home an hour and a half later (2 new pairs of shoes for me, 2 for Joey), we searched the newly cleaned house for signs of visitors: footprints on the vacuum-tracked carpet, butt prints on the smoothed out couch cushions, etc. Here's hoping the house hunters came, saw and loved!

We're in Training

With Greg in Memphis to train for his new flying gig, Joey and I are having to relearn this 24/7 thing, especially with all of the snow days we've had. Since Christmas, we've only gone to school 2 or 3 days a week! The first day of homework after Greg left almost drove me to drink. "I can't" and "this is too hard" beat into my brain until I really wanted to puncture my eardrums or shake the baby. I refrained from both and used all the patience I could summon to repeat, "Yes, you can" and "no, it's not". I may have added, "Stop complaining" and "quit whining," once or eighteen thousand times, but who's counting? After posting my dilemma on Facebook, my FB friends gave me lots of good advice, the most commonly given 1. use a timer and 2. talk to his teacher (Does that count if it actually came from his teacher?). I did both and added my own twist-bribery. Hey, don't point fingers-if it works, it works. Two days later, the nine-year old in my charge explained to me that whining doesn't help him get his work done and that it actually takes a lot less time to complete the homework if there is no whining (from either of us!) He woke up yesterday-a snow day-and wanted to start his next project. Dee, I really hope you're going to do the weathering and erosion poster!!!

Wow, it's been awhile!

Yikes, I can't believe that it's been almost a year since I posted last. A lot has happened in 2010, a lot that I haven't shared. Must be that Facebook habit I haven't managed to kick. :-)
According to my last post, Brian and Katie had begun dating. They are now engaged and will be married in May 2011.
Joey auditioned for and got the role of Gus in Disney's Cinderella. He did a great job and loved it. Just this week he asked if he could try out for a movie role !@# The next time Cincinnati has a movie filmed locally, I guess we'll be auditioning! Joey continues to take piano and is having a successful fourth grade year.

Christmas Chaos

I love Christmas and everything about it-the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the hanging with family. Everything but one...when it's over. It seems as if the much anticipated holiday dawdles on its way here and then rushes through in a flash. I'm looking around my living room at the towers of boxes and piles of paper wondering where the time went.
Pete came early to see Joey's holiday program so our Christmases actually began early in December. Christmas Eve is always spent in Dayton with the Rachford side of the family. On Christmas morning, we open the presents that Santa left at our house, then have lunch with my dad's side of the family and dinner/appetizer with my parents and siblings. Lately, our tradition has included spending the night at my sister's house.
This year we added some new family members-Matt married Justine, Brian is dating Katie and Scott married Danielle. We missed Michelle and Quentin, although I'm sure they had a great time together in Colorado Springs.
I can't wait until next Christmas!!!

Getting Our Tree

Yesterday was our annual go to the Christmas tree farm and get a tree day. This is simpler than it sounds in that we (Greg, Cindy, Jimmy and I) are the only paid volunteers at Aunt Christina's Christmas tree farm. (Bottom of Backbone Hill, Rt. 50) Joey was not into the whole walking into the field and cutting down a tree thing, so being the good parents that we are, we forced him to do it with a little bribery, I mean motivation. You know, the whole Santa and the elves are watching speech. It didn't take long to find a tree, cut it down and drag it to the car. The best part, for me anyway, was arriving home after a long day at the tree farm and seeing the Christmas tree all lit up in our living room. Joey and I will hang ornaments on it as soon as I find them-they're in storage, of course!