7 Quick Takes (#37)

1) Oh sweet energy.  I missed you.  I seriously woke up Thursday morning feeling happy and energetic!  I think I was fighting something and the fatigue was my body's way of telling me to rest and power up.  But I was so tired I couldn't really even muster excitement or energy about anything!  Now, I'm ready to rock and roll.  IN MY NEW HOUSE!!!!

We found the house the first week we moved to Texas.  We put an offer in on it right away and since then, it has been semi-smooth sailing.  Turns out the lender isn't super excited about someone without a paycheck trying to procure a huge loan???

I had a ton of photos of the house...but they died along with my computer.  So, on our final walk-through yesterday, I snapped a few photos

 

Okay so the house looks like a complete dump if you only refer to those three.  So here are some photos of the original listing from the seller.  

The seller agreed to sell me those six tall chairs for only $100!!  

We also get that floral couch.  For free.  I know I know - JEALOUS!! 

 

We settle today but can't move in until Monday.  It's going to be a loooooong weekend...

Who could ever part with this ample couterspace???

2) Now that we are leaving this 2 br duplex, I can finally talk smack about it.

Things I won't miss about this house:
Not having a dishwasher
The kitchen
Sharing a bedroom with Roman
Having to do all the dishes by hand
One bathroom...
The furniture
Being stuck in a sketchy part of town

The beds

Our only couch

Not having our beds

Never having utensils, plates or cups...

...Because I hate washing them by hand

Not having any my cooking equipment!

The dull knives trying to kill me
The sharp furniture trying to kill my children

The weird noises this old house makes

Being the loudest while sharing a wall with the quietest nun ever

Our daily folding card table dining experience

3) Elena is a broken record these days with 2 phrases in particular:

"Sometimes mommies daddies need me"

Same phrase said in multiple emotions: joy, sadness, excitement, or even as a question

"Mommy, in the whole world"

Either expressed as a statement or a question.  Occasionally tacked onto beginnings or ends of sentences.  The correct answer is: Yes.

Chipmunk grape-stuffed cheeks!!

4) Leo: When are we going to have another baby in this house?
Me: What??  Another baby??  What about Roman - he is still a baby!
Leo: No, a girl baby that matches like El?
Me: Oh.  Well you have to ask God to give us another baby.
Leo: Okay!  And then you go to the doctor to get the baby out.  But tell the doctor to make it a girl this time.

I started laughing so loud.  He just looked at me like I was crazy and asked, "What's so funny?  Why are you laughing?"

He is so sweet to worry about Elena to have a matching playmate like he has.  His favorite game to play with Roman is called "Hulk Smash".  Roman is actually pretty good at it.

5) So, while I understand why he is concerned that she has a baby that "matches like her".  But, I think she is okay with having a baby brother.  So we can just stop all that baby talk.  Momma needs a chance to breathe!!!

6) It is taking me a little while to get used to being in the South.  People are so friendly here and it has me in such a state of confusion!  I am approached by people to chat every time I leave this house.  At first, I thought it was all due to my kids.  But even when I leave the house alone, people talk to me!  I was in line at the bank and the woman behind me just struck up conversation.  So weird!!

It made me think about the urban art project my crazy talented friend and high-school classmate Nicole did recently called "As Is" which asks the question:

"In a world where most human interaction is strained down to its digital pulp, this project asks the question “Do we really see each other anymore?'"

If you didn't hear about the project, check out her blog to see how it all unfolded when she dropped huge portraits of random people on the streets of DC with a sign "If this is you, this painting is yours to take."

This is one of the large portraits she dropped on the street!  How talented is she????!

I have to wonder if a project like this is more appropriate to the north than the south.  If anything, I feel more exposed than ever down here.  I feel like I better remember to brush my teeth and put on make-up because I might speak to 20 random strangers during our shopping trip to Sam's Club!

7) And lastly - My latest kitchen experiment:

Bean Sprouts for my Pad Thai!!!

PS - A good friend of mine with two small children and the third on the way just moved to Austin and is trying to find some friends.  Are you in Austin?  Can you hook her up?  Please let me know!!

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