We have found, as a family, a beautiful home. We were suppose to be in that home last week, but as I said below we are having "loan approval issues". So as much as we "love" living in our 2 bedroom "luxurious, air conditioned" apartment.....we are officially DONE! We have been living out of a suitcase since Nov 2010, we have no idea where anything is, and the one bathroom gig is getting a little old! Not to mention we are living ABOVE our very "interesting" landlord who has on occasion not been very thrilled with us. We were asked, on more than one occasion, to walk like "quiet indians" in the morning and if we could not flush the toilet in the wee hours(seriously?) plus water leaking in the sink, water pressure not working, no dishwasher, every time you take a shower the fire alarm goes off, and literally we are packed in like sardines with all of our stuff we have refused to unpack! Now, I think all in all, we have all been fantastic sports. We have moved so many times in the last 3 1/2 years, and we have really been totally fine with any and all of the "situations", but I think now we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We see a place we will call our own and as much as we have been so wonderfully positive along the way I think we have reached our "end" I mean in just this past 10 months we will have moved 11 TIMES! Oh my lord....we are NUTS!
But seriously, when you really look at it, we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, transportation to where we need to go, our health and most of all each other. That is what keeps us going...and remembering to put out positive energy instead of negative energy is the healthier way to be. Sometimes difficult to do, but it truly is the way to go! So even though life may seem a real mess, ya gotta brush yourself off and say" it could always be worse" and suck it up!!!!!
In the end we have been blessed and will continued to be blessed....... it is all in how you look at....eh? And all in all, it has brought us closer(more ways than you need to know) as a family. If you can live literally on top of one another, you aren't doing too bad, plus all the memories and stories we will cherish forever....... Not too bad!
Learning...PATIENCE!
I just want to try to understand one thing......they say that our housing market is not great and houses are sitting????? Well, I can tell you why.........NO ONE CAN GET A LOAN!!!!! If we cannot qualify for a loan then who the heck is? We have excellent credit, money to put down, no debt.....jeez what else do they want?
We have found a wonderful home to finally settle in after almost 4 years of moving around, and we have had a real go of it to get a loan approval!!!!!! Seems they look at our paperwork and see we have moved so many times and Mark has worked in several different places they categorize us as a "flight risk" I guess????...URGH What about all the 14 years we sat stable working away? They are now going to judge us because we moved around and had a fantastic adventure while paying our bills all along the way? Don't even get me started on "judgement"! In the end it has truly been a true test of our patience! What I don't understand is before our economy got the way it is, everyone and their mother was getting a loan. Now, that thousands have taken advantage etc... blah blah blah....we, the people who have made all the right choices, are being penalized for everyone else's mess! So darn frustrating!!!!!!!! When do "we" the one's who follow the rules and don't take advantage get our break? Seems we get punished for everyone else deciding to walk away from their loans...URGH!!!!! So upsetting! Well, just thought I would take a moment to vent.....
I'm okay now.........
Hopefully, we will get the loan soon or we are going to be sitting on the side of the road with all our stuff from storage(from Vermont) and no place to put it....literally!!!!
Praying to the loan Gods....come on you can do it!!!!
We have found a wonderful home to finally settle in after almost 4 years of moving around, and we have had a real go of it to get a loan approval!!!!!! Seems they look at our paperwork and see we have moved so many times and Mark has worked in several different places they categorize us as a "flight risk" I guess????...URGH What about all the 14 years we sat stable working away? They are now going to judge us because we moved around and had a fantastic adventure while paying our bills all along the way? Don't even get me started on "judgement"! In the end it has truly been a true test of our patience! What I don't understand is before our economy got the way it is, everyone and their mother was getting a loan. Now, that thousands have taken advantage etc... blah blah blah....we, the people who have made all the right choices, are being penalized for everyone else's mess! So darn frustrating!!!!!!!! When do "we" the one's who follow the rules and don't take advantage get our break? Seems we get punished for everyone else deciding to walk away from their loans...URGH!!!!! So upsetting! Well, just thought I would take a moment to vent.....
I'm okay now.........
Hopefully, we will get the loan soon or we are going to be sitting on the side of the road with all our stuff from storage(from Vermont) and no place to put it....literally!!!!
Praying to the loan Gods....come on you can do it!!!!
TO: MY DAD
From my earliest memories my dad has been there, always encouraging me to be the best that I can be. He taught me to play a wicked game of basketball, helped me with my math homework and watched numerous gymnastic meets, dance recitals and cheer competitions, while all along taking billions of photos! What a fantastic man!
And now as I watch him with my boys, he is proving to be an amazing "Papi". From making "log cabins" out of pancakes with syrup as "lakes", teaching boys to catch fish & clean them, to making homemade designed "weapons", he once again is proving to be unbelievably supportive and encouraging. Even though we are far apart he really has a great relationship with the boys and them with him.
As is true for a lot of men, my Dad is probably what you would call a "closed book", not one for opening up and talking about his feelings, but I sure can see his emotions through his eyes. For the past 11 years he has had to stand by and watch the woman he loves with all his heart deteriorate. As hard as it is for us all, it is my Dad who hurts the most, but says the least. My mom is a young 65 years, but has a debilitating auto immune disease, Inclusion Body Myositis. http://www.myositis.org/about_myositis/inclusion-body_myositis.cfm Simply put your immune system eats away at all of your muscles. In the past 11 years, she has gone from a vivacious woman to a very sedentary person. All her muscles are disappearing and her ability to accomplish simple tasks like brushing teeth, bathing, eating etc.... are becoming her everyday challenges. My brother and I are unfortunately not living in the same town, so my Dad, with some help, is her caretaker.
I know that everyday proposes new challenges, and I also know the stress that my mom is under is not easy. It is not easy to watch your own body deteriorate, but equally as difficult to watch it happen to someone you love more than anything in the whole world.
My dad is not a perfect person. He is a person with faults like all the rest of us. But my dad is some kind of wonderful man. I watch him and see how all he wants to do is make my mom comfortable, but what he really wants is to be able to fix her an make the disease go away. I have days where I am so sad, I can't stand it. But I am away and not there everyday. My dad has to deal with NOT being able to make it "okay" everyday. If anyone has ever dealt with a ailing family member, it is a very difficult, stressful, emotional time. Dad, you are doing an amazing job. Even when you feel lost and helpless you need to believe that by just being there it is enough. Sometimes it is the simple things. Those little things you do( that you have no idea you are doing)is why we ALL love so much. On your 71st birthday I want you to know the world is a better place because of you!
And now as I watch him with my boys, he is proving to be an amazing "Papi". From making "log cabins" out of pancakes with syrup as "lakes", teaching boys to catch fish & clean them, to making homemade designed "weapons", he once again is proving to be unbelievably supportive and encouraging. Even though we are far apart he really has a great relationship with the boys and them with him.
As is true for a lot of men, my Dad is probably what you would call a "closed book", not one for opening up and talking about his feelings, but I sure can see his emotions through his eyes. For the past 11 years he has had to stand by and watch the woman he loves with all his heart deteriorate. As hard as it is for us all, it is my Dad who hurts the most, but says the least. My mom is a young 65 years, but has a debilitating auto immune disease, Inclusion Body Myositis. http://www.myositis.org/about_myositis/inclusion-body_myositis.cfm Simply put your immune system eats away at all of your muscles. In the past 11 years, she has gone from a vivacious woman to a very sedentary person. All her muscles are disappearing and her ability to accomplish simple tasks like brushing teeth, bathing, eating etc.... are becoming her everyday challenges. My brother and I are unfortunately not living in the same town, so my Dad, with some help, is her caretaker.
I know that everyday proposes new challenges, and I also know the stress that my mom is under is not easy. It is not easy to watch your own body deteriorate, but equally as difficult to watch it happen to someone you love more than anything in the whole world.
My dad is not a perfect person. He is a person with faults like all the rest of us. But my dad is some kind of wonderful man. I watch him and see how all he wants to do is make my mom comfortable, but what he really wants is to be able to fix her an make the disease go away. I have days where I am so sad, I can't stand it. But I am away and not there everyday. My dad has to deal with NOT being able to make it "okay" everyday. If anyone has ever dealt with a ailing family member, it is a very difficult, stressful, emotional time. Dad, you are doing an amazing job. Even when you feel lost and helpless you need to believe that by just being there it is enough. Sometimes it is the simple things. Those little things you do( that you have no idea you are doing)is why we ALL love so much. On your 71st birthday I want you to know the world is a better place because of you!
What We Can Learn From Our Kids
If we just listen......
I can't say this enough. It is not what my kids are learning through this homeschooling process it is also what their mom is learning.
My son Cade decided he would like to play football. He looked online to find one near where we were going to be living in CA and registered himself start to finish. He had his first practice and loved it. It was a full first week of hard core conditioning. I could tell from the start that this organization was a much more competitive than his recreation league in Chicago. However, it was Cade's decision so have at it! After a full week of conditioning, Cade proved to be right up there with the top boys! He was very proud of himself. Working really hard and the coaches were very complimentary of him. The next week was the first week with full pads. Cade also decided to sign himself up for a full week of surf camp before his football in the evening so it was going to be tough to say the least. After the first day with pads, it was very obvious who the "new" players were and the returning players! Cade was completely beat up to the point he could not move his arm. He was not a happy boy. I watched him try to hang in there, but it was not looking good. Now when he came home his arm was still hurt a bit but not to the degree he was showing us after practice. I have watched kids enough to see the signs....are they really hurt or just trying to get attention or sympathy etc? That is a hard call. So I studied Cade's behavior. He looked in pain, there is no doubt about that, but at surfing he hid it and football he milked it.....hmmmmmmm?????? About midweek Cade came to Mark and I and said he did not want to play football because he was hurt. Mark was like no big deal and my initial reaction was "you start something you finish it" and "Is he really hurt or using it as an excuse?" So I pulled Cade aside and tried to get some answers. I tried to explain to him that being honest is a much easier route to go.... so decide are you hurt or is this just not what you signed up for? With tears in his eyes he says "Mom, I just don't like hitting other people or getting hit and these kids are way too tough for me! This was NOT what I thought it would be like!" Now that was pure honesty so now what do I do? Stand by the ole saying, "when you start something you finish it" or what? So I started thinking. I am an adult and if I do not like something I don't do it anymore. Why should I force my kid to do it? It is clear this is not his cup of tea. Sometimes as a society we all follow these silly "rules" and are concerned with what "others" will think when in the end we just need to listen to our kids and let them be empowered to make their own decisions. Cade actually came to me and said he would like to pay for any expenses that we had to incur, and he will call the coaches and director and let them know his decision. He is 11 years old and watched him work thru something very difficult, take full responsibility, make all the necessary phone calls even sent an email of thanks to the coaches and lastly, walk by his peers with his head held high to return his equipment and feel proud of his decision. In all honesty, I was scared of what people would think. They will say he is a quitter or wimp....Well, those are my own insecurities and issues and my 11 year old just taught me.....who cares!!!! I asked Cade if he felt sad or worried about anything did he think his Papi was going to be sad that he was NOT playing football and he said, "Naw, Papi would not be mad at me. He supports all my passions and desires no matter what they are." Thanks Cade, you just showed me how to stand up to what you want no matter what others think!
I can't say this enough. It is not what my kids are learning through this homeschooling process it is also what their mom is learning.
My son Cade decided he would like to play football. He looked online to find one near where we were going to be living in CA and registered himself start to finish. He had his first practice and loved it. It was a full first week of hard core conditioning. I could tell from the start that this organization was a much more competitive than his recreation league in Chicago. However, it was Cade's decision so have at it! After a full week of conditioning, Cade proved to be right up there with the top boys! He was very proud of himself. Working really hard and the coaches were very complimentary of him. The next week was the first week with full pads. Cade also decided to sign himself up for a full week of surf camp before his football in the evening so it was going to be tough to say the least. After the first day with pads, it was very obvious who the "new" players were and the returning players! Cade was completely beat up to the point he could not move his arm. He was not a happy boy. I watched him try to hang in there, but it was not looking good. Now when he came home his arm was still hurt a bit but not to the degree he was showing us after practice. I have watched kids enough to see the signs....are they really hurt or just trying to get attention or sympathy etc? That is a hard call. So I studied Cade's behavior. He looked in pain, there is no doubt about that, but at surfing he hid it and football he milked it.....hmmmmmmm?????? About midweek Cade came to Mark and I and said he did not want to play football because he was hurt. Mark was like no big deal and my initial reaction was "you start something you finish it" and "Is he really hurt or using it as an excuse?" So I pulled Cade aside and tried to get some answers. I tried to explain to him that being honest is a much easier route to go.... so decide are you hurt or is this just not what you signed up for? With tears in his eyes he says "Mom, I just don't like hitting other people or getting hit and these kids are way too tough for me! This was NOT what I thought it would be like!" Now that was pure honesty so now what do I do? Stand by the ole saying, "when you start something you finish it" or what? So I started thinking. I am an adult and if I do not like something I don't do it anymore. Why should I force my kid to do it? It is clear this is not his cup of tea. Sometimes as a society we all follow these silly "rules" and are concerned with what "others" will think when in the end we just need to listen to our kids and let them be empowered to make their own decisions. Cade actually came to me and said he would like to pay for any expenses that we had to incur, and he will call the coaches and director and let them know his decision. He is 11 years old and watched him work thru something very difficult, take full responsibility, make all the necessary phone calls even sent an email of thanks to the coaches and lastly, walk by his peers with his head held high to return his equipment and feel proud of his decision. In all honesty, I was scared of what people would think. They will say he is a quitter or wimp....Well, those are my own insecurities and issues and my 11 year old just taught me.....who cares!!!! I asked Cade if he felt sad or worried about anything did he think his Papi was going to be sad that he was NOT playing football and he said, "Naw, Papi would not be mad at me. He supports all my passions and desires no matter what they are." Thanks Cade, you just showed me how to stand up to what you want no matter what others think!
Let Go of the Reigns.....
And see what happens! That is what I did.
We have moved again and living in the most adorable neighborhood in Vt with some of the neatest people. Very small town feel with community garden and compost, loads of kids, cute community park, cliff jumping in the lake and more.....just a great summer spent inVT. So I decided since we are in New England we should do some exploring. Since I am normally the "cruise director" I decided to ask the kids and see what they wanted to see. They both said Boston, so I said ok..... you plan a 2 day trip start to finish. From where to stay, what to see, mapping it out, etc and try to keep to a budget of some sort. Well, I must say what a major accomplishment! I heard phone conversations with hotels, calling and asking about tours, google map print outs etc......Absolutely amazing! Now it was time to put it all to the test. Well, from hotel, to driving, to taking trains, to sight seeing, tours, art galleries and RAIN both days....they did an amazing job and it will be a forever memory in my mind and a dose of confidence and power in theirs! WELL DONE! I could not have done it better myself. I just let go of the reigns and got led around the wonderful city of Boston. Fantastic!
We have moved again and living in the most adorable neighborhood in Vt with some of the neatest people. Very small town feel with community garden and compost, loads of kids, cute community park, cliff jumping in the lake and more.....just a great summer spent inVT. So I decided since we are in New England we should do some exploring. Since I am normally the "cruise director" I decided to ask the kids and see what they wanted to see. They both said Boston, so I said ok..... you plan a 2 day trip start to finish. From where to stay, what to see, mapping it out, etc and try to keep to a budget of some sort. Well, I must say what a major accomplishment! I heard phone conversations with hotels, calling and asking about tours, google map print outs etc......Absolutely amazing! Now it was time to put it all to the test. Well, from hotel, to driving, to taking trains, to sight seeing, tours, art galleries and RAIN both days....they did an amazing job and it will be a forever memory in my mind and a dose of confidence and power in theirs! WELL DONE! I could not have done it better myself. I just let go of the reigns and got led around the wonderful city of Boston. Fantastic!
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