Quick Update

I tried to post a nice long update last night, with pictures detailing what we've been up to, but the computer crapped out. So that will have to wait! Today is Scooby's birthday party, and the weather is GORGEOUS!!! (Sorry, all you folks who are slowing growing mildew in crevices you never knew you had)
Tonight we're heading south on the great rental-house hunting adventure. Hopefully, if all goes well, we may have an address by the end of the week.
I'll try posting pictures again when we get back.

Well, it's a good thing the inspector came yesterday!

Wild weather tonight!!! There was actually a tornado warning in Sewickley, right along Rt. 65. Craziness. One minute we're out on the back porch watching the thunderstorm, then Tarzan and Cinderella are running around the backyard playing, then half an hour later it literally looks like barrels full of rain are being thrown against the windows. Hail, thunder...and our back yard turned into a pond due to the storm drain being unable to keep up with the volume of water. Water was pouring over the gutters in sheets - not because they were backed up, no, because we'd gotten most of the foliage out of them - just because of the force of the rain. And Scooby is on an overnight camp-out with the church in a state park. They should have some interesting stories to tell. If you'll recall, last year when he went to week-long sleepaway camp, they also had tornado watches in effect. Awesome. Welcome to Pittsburgh, Mom and Dad!

In BETTER news, we got the results from the home inspection today, and there are only a few very minor things to be done. Totally manageable. And the roof is fine!!! So it looks as though the July 30th closing day will hold and this sale may very well go through! Yippee!

Happy 7th Birthday, Tarzan!

It was a Lego birthday this year, and although I scaled down from last year's Webkinz craziness, enough went into it to wipe me out.

Below is the "Pin-the-Happy-Birthday-Timmy-Badge-on-the-Lego-Man" game

Lego cake, courtesy of Granny. Don't know why the picture is sideways, and it took too long to load to do it again. Just tilt your head. And pretend it says Tarzan.

Lego cookies, also courtesy of Granny.

I can't believe Tarzan is 7! He's such a little ball of energy, whipping from one activity to the next. He's teaching himself to juggle, and is pretty adept with two balls right now. It may not sound like much, but you try it - it's a lot harder than it sounds! Very adept at entertaining himself, whether it's playing catch with his mitt and ball, reading, playing on the computer, or playing with, yes, Legos, he's rarely at a loss for something to do. A very sensitive heart beats beneath that skinny ribcage. He loves hard, and cries when touched or when confronted with loss. He is also, however, RESILIENT. A word that we've been exploring as a family. He will grieve his losses and move on, ready to laugh again, love again. Not much for extended cuddling, but quick to give hugs and kisses. He easily finds the humor in life, and when there isn't any, he's make his own. My little middle child - how I love you.

Tarzan and Granny

Light, part 1

Well, I've been waiting hoping I'd have two good pieces of news to post, but it looks like I'm going to have to settle for just one. We got another offer on the house (yay!) and it's even better than the first one. I'm half excited and half waiting to see what goes wrong this time. We have inspections scheduled for next Tuesday (originally they were scheduled right smack in the middle of Tarzan's birthday party, but we were able to reschedule. Maybe we should have left it...bribed him with cake!) so we'll see what happens after that. Closing date currently scheduled for July 30.
News is still squiffy on the job front. Progress bar moving VERY slowly on that end. Will let you know what, if anything, develops.

Light = end of tunnel???

Keep those prayers rolling, friends. Good things are rumbling, but I don't want to jinx them (and yes, I kind of half believe in that right now!) so I'll pass along details when things don't feel so much like a house of cards.

Last day of school today. Tarzan came home in tears. He really loved his first grade teacher - we all did! Excellent report cards from everyone...some kind of celebration is called for, I believe.

No, STILL no news

I am really bad at waiting. I mean, really really bad at it. If we could afford marital counseling, I'm sure one of the things that would get repeatedly discussed and anaylized and an action plan created for, would be the different internal rhythms by which Don and I live our lives. Mine is pretty fast. Which is kind of odd, since I'm an introvert by nature and can happily spend hours reading, listening to the ocean, or just chilling out with my loved ones and a bottle of wine. However, when I need to get things done, am working on a project, or WAITING for something to happen, my little internal chronometer is tick, tick, ticking away. I hate waiting in line, for anything. I REALLY hate waiting for someone to get back to me with information that I need in order to make something else happen, which needs to happen in order for something else to happen. Not being too cryptic here, am I? This whole house selling process is torture - not just for the sheer work involved in the preparation of it, but then the waiting around for someone to call, to see, to decide, to make an offer, or not. Those of you who knew me then, remember how bad I was with the whole waiting to get pregnant thing? But at least with that, there was something I could do. (heh, heh) Now, there are lots of things I'd LIKE to be doing, but can't because I'm WAITING for someone else to make decisions about the things which will affect me and my family for years to come. I suppose I'm supposed to be learning something through all this waiting time - but one of the main things it's reinforced is that I'm wired quicker than this and I don't like it. I do not like it, Sam I Am.

You know what I do like, though? Watching the boys play baseball. Particularly Scooby's team this year. He's moved up to the "minor leagues" which means they have umpires, and can steal bases, and scores count and everything. He had a game on Sunday which I sat and watched for 2 hours, and loved almost every minute of it. The weather was perfect, the boys on both teams were earnest and trying really hard, but being really good sports about everything and some excellent plays were happening on both teams. Scooby's team was ahead by five runs until the last inning (they only play 6) and the other team made four runs pretty quickly. It was down to the last out and they had the bases loaded. We had to put in a substitute pitcher for the last batter (the kids are only allowed 75 pitches to save their arms) and he managed to strike him out and win the game. It was great! Scooby is still not a confident player - he plays right or left field when he's not on the bench, and our big goal for his last couple of games is to get him to SWING the bat when he's up, but he's still enjoying it and the other kids on the team and his coaches are terrific. It's been a great year for baseball.