The holiday season this year has been even crazier than any year we have ever had. Mostly because we closed on our new (to us) house in Snoqualmie Ridge on December 15th, moved on the 18th and closed on our Issaquah Highlands townhouse today.
Our new home is more amazing that I could have ever dreamed of, thanks largely to the generous investment of my parents, Mark and Judi, who concluded that helping us buy a bigger home is a better alternative than the blow-up mattress on the floor of my office entryway, or buying a whole condo that they would only stay in when they came to visit. Since my step-dad Mark is a pilot for Delta, they are able to visit from Michigan frequently, but our small townhouse never felt very welcoming without any kind of guest accommodations. The new house has a HUGE guest room and 3rd bathroom with shower. It also has a great big bonus room and separate rooms for Hayden and Brooklyn. I'll post more photos when we get it furnished and set up better, but here are some from the listing:
It was a bank-owned home so we were able to get a crazy good deal on it in exchange for quite a process in purchasing, and an 'as-is' condition, meaning minor touch-ups the house will need over time to make it 'perfect'. But it's practically perfect already, so I really can't complain.
So what else is new with us?
I have been working a lot at this awesome design agency called The Medium. The projects offer a lot of variety, from websites to brochures to logo design, and they keep coming! They have a lot of work and so far it's been a win-win with helping alleviate some of their overflow work needs and my desire to pick up a few more hours to help with our new mortgage! On top of The Medium, I also have some other great clients who I continue to work for, so I am busier than I have ever been and just trying to find that right balance so I'm not up until 2am working too many nights in a row. Sort of brings me back to my UW days of all-nighters!
Hayden is doing really well at Joyful Heart Christian Preschool. His teachers are very experienced, nurturing, and attentive. He comes home with several craft projects everyday and talks about his teachers and classmates with excitement. Though, half the things he tells me I don't really believe, and the teachers say they only believe about half of what the kids tell them about us! Ha! Hayden sure has an imagination so that is good! The other moms at the preschool are very nice and we have monthly Mom's Nights to get to know each other better. Even 2 of the families I know from our PEPS group go to that preschool too so it's nice to have good friends continue through life with us.
Hayden is still really obsessed with cars and trucks, but also loves crafts like painting, drawing, gluing, cutting, and play-dough. His favorite movies are Cars and Toy Story. He knows all the characters and repeats lines from the movies. His memory is astonishing and any fears I ever had about his vocabulary have completely vanished. He doesn't stop talking now!! We've lately had to crack down on a 'No back-talking' rule, since he likes to say the opposite of whatever we say. Overall, I'd say he's still a really well-behaved toddler, though we've had our share of tantrums and tears with him.
Brooklyn is ridiculously fun, and a lot of work! She loves to dance! She also likes 'talking' on the phone (or remote, or anything that resembles a phone). At the end of her conversation, she pulls the phone away from her ear and says "BYYYYYYE". It's been fun watching her try to do things Hayden does. She is also a pretty picky eater so mealtime can be frustrating, but she certainly isn't hurting for calories (still off the charts for height and weight, I'm sure) so we're just trying to offer her the veggies every mealtime and usually end up picking them up off the floor. If she had her way, she'd eat cheese for every meal.
She gets into EVERYTHING! She climbs like a little monkey, opens drawers and cupboards Hayden never even thought to touch, and ransacks purses, diaperbags, and closets at every opportunity. Babyproofing has gone to a new level. She is so curious and really skilled at opening things - ziplock bags, makeup cases, pen caps... oh boy! Keeps me on my toes. She also likes to be held and has major separation anxiety with me, so it's hard for me to get anything done around the house, like dishes, laundry or cooking with her tugging and fussing at my legs and trying to climb up on the oven and dishwasher, and unfolds any laundry faster than I can fold it. Sometimes I swear it is her mission to make the biggest mess possible.
Phil has been very busy at work in his new department for computer peripherals. I'm amazed he still has energy at the end of the day to help put the kids to bed, then do all the clean-up and dishes from the day while I head into my office to my work. We could use more time together, so it will be nice when my mom comes to visit more to have some scheduled 'date nights'.
We are really looking forward to getting settled in our new house, meeting our neighbors, and enjoying the peaceful space we now have.
1 comment:
Your house looks amazing!!
Congrats!
So happy to read your update- see you all soon!
Have a very merry Christmas!
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