Playdate with Maddie

Morgan had a blast with her new friend Maddie (2 and some months years old). They played together as well as toddlers can, ran in and out of the sprinkler, took turns drinking the sprinkler water, drew with chalk, and ate some supper! Maddie didn't want to eat her own corn, but shared Morgan's with her...one bite for you and one bite for me! Morgan obliged! Hopefully the girls will be able to get together and play again soon!

Manic Monday

I had in my head that I was going to have 90% of my packing done by Sat when we leave for our week vacation...it is amazing how much 'stuff' we have hidden in crevices all around our house! The boxes keep filling up and piling up!

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I finally got done cleaning out Bob's coffee maker. I never knew how dirty a coffee pot can get! It is the kind that grinds the beans so there were pieces of beans in spots I didn't know existed!

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The dogs must know something is up! They are following me around like lost puppy dogs and literally laying at my feet! I feel horrible, but at times I need to give them some down time in their cages so I can actually accomplish something! Guess they were my 'babies' before Morgan popped into this world...but...yiyiyi!

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Well the end of Monday and I have the kitchen all packed except for essentials we will need until we move, and the dining room is done. I think the living room is done too, but hard to tell b/c that is where the stacks of boxes are sitting! The guest room is just about complete and all Morgan's books have been put away from her room. Now it is time to pack extra clothes from all the rooms. That is tough b/c I have to decide what Morgan and I will wear for the next two and a half weeks before we actually move out of the house!

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Did I mention I am also trying to pack for the shore? We leave Sat for the week so I have a pile lined up for the beach too... insane!

Brain on overload!

What a jam packed day! Today has been a whirlwind! We got up and headed into Quakertown to meet a new agent that was going to take us to look at a development on the edge of Quakertown called Streamview. Bob and I have been looking at this development for at least two years and it is almost complete now! Before it was just a pipe dream, now with our house sold it COULD be a reality! We talked with the agent and signed away our life...not really...just 180 days that we would look at real estate with him...then headed to the development. We had gone to a yard sale there just a couple months ago and talked to several neighbors. They all seemed very pleased with the builder and their neighbors. We talked in the model home about what we were looking for then went and saw a couple spec homes to see what we liked. We found that there was only one lot left that had the capability for a walkout basement and no water basin/pond/random anything else behind it! The neat thing about the land, we would own about 1/2 acre, then behind our lot it opens up to persevered land behind that will never be built on, but we can maintain which will make our property look even bigger! That excited both of us! After looking through three different models we picked one model that we liked the best. We are going to make some changes to it...the builders consider themselves semi-custom so we can make changes to walls and room dimensions without too much trouble! It was also agreed that we could wait until Feb/March/or April for settlement which will get us through the winter months and the first few months with Baby Lee x 2! We made the BIG move. We wrote out a $1000 deposit check to hold the lot, this is a decision to effect the next 20 years (at least)!! We ended up getting home after 2pm at which time Bob freshened up and headed to the shore. After a ten minute cat nap I woke up by the phone and got myself packing...sooooo much to think about! Morgan took a nice long nap and was in a great mood when she got up! We played, ate supper and bathed. She had a major constipation issue before bath but it was finally resolved after lots of red face expressions, tears, and a little help from the Momma! She drank her night bottle and fell asleep fast! She was pooped too...ha ha. I am off to do another hour or so of packing and then crashing, hopefully sleeping well.

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Oh...the picture is of Morgan at the conference table when we were signing our agreement...she's the one in charge!

Loads of Laundry

Among packing a million boxes laundry must be done! Morgan's new favorite thing to do is help with the laundry! She will look all over the upstairs for her step stool, carry it into the laundry room, with help get it lined up at the washer and climb up to help put laundry into the machine! With every piece of clothing she will comment either "DaDa" or "Momma" in which I respond if she is correct or not! Although putting a load of laundry in takes twice as long, at least she is learning, and let's keep up the positive attitude towards doing the wash!

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We dropped off some boxes at my in-laws today. It made a nice open area in my living room so I can put more boxes there! It feels good to see the boxes gone b/c now I feel like I have accomplished something!

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After the in-laws we headed to a local carnival/fair. By this time it was in the seven o'clock hour so I wasn't sure how Morgan would do. After a little bit of complaining b/c her corn on the cob was too hot she ate the whole thing, had a few bites of pizza, some french fries and some lemonade. It is amazing how much more she will eat when she is distracted! Daddy wanted to play a few games so we attempted the game of throwing little whiffle balls into fish bowls...Morgan wasn't too successful, Daddy won her a little bam-bam blow up hammer. Then we went to the kiddie both and payed some more money for her to pick up a floating duck. The price she got from that game was an ice cream cone pop-off. When you push a button on the cone the fuzzy ice cream scoop pops off into the air! She really liked that one, I'll have to try and get a picture of her playing with it! Soon after playing that game she was ready to go home...it was almost nine and the 'my way or the highway' attitude was arising... long but fun day!

Cheese and crackers

Licking the cheese off crackers while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...a perfect combination!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELANIE!

Craziness!

Today has been a whirl wind! The inspector came this morning. He was supposed to show up at 9am, but he arrived at 8:30am! Bob and Morgan were still asleep! He had to wait until 9...it was the only way! Then we met the man who is buying the house. Apparently he was going through the inspection with the inspector. Nice we knew about that! He works/owns a landscaping business...our addicted to his lawn neighbor will love him...or maybe it will be like the story...the shoe maker's kids had no shoes... Bob, Morgan, Nickel and I raced around running errands in the morning. Where's Lacey...at the vet getting spade, poor girl...but better for her in the long run! We had to stop by home and get Bob's keys b/c I was off to playgroup. When I went in the lady who is buying the house was also there. It turns out she is pregnant and due the end of Sept too! Hence why they wanted to move in so quick I suppose! They seemed nice for the two minutes I talked to them! . Rushed to playgroup...a closer one...yea...except I got lost (suprise to anyone?). Big time lost...I called the host two times and finally arrived an hour late! Only four other kiddos there but that was plenty! Morgan had a good time and some adult-Mommy interaction was needed on my end! The hour and 20 minute ride there only took 28 minutes home. Threw Morgan in for a nap and now with Bob sleeping (he works night shift tonight) and Morgan sleeping it is time for me to pack boxes...the story of the last week of my life!

Boxed up Monday!

The boxes are starting to mound up in the house! We are trying to keep a clear path from room to room but it is amazing how much space boxes take up! I've decided that we are going to stop eating off our dishes and begin the paper products only way of life! We are going to pack away all of our dishes, cups, pans, etc...except for the bare minimum! One less thing to do at crunch time! I know this way of life is terrible for the environment, but with our time limit, Morgan 'helping' and being pregnant...it is the best option for us! . Morgan is being a trooper...I let her destroy one section I have already packed and that keeps here busy for a while as I get another couple sections packed up...one step back, three steps forwards...still making forward progress! . All our inspections happen this week so let's keep our fingers crossed! I will keep you posted!

Rock Star

ROCK STAR...Need I say more?

Playdate with Claire!

Today Jo, Claire, and Zandi came over. Jo and I walked pushing the girls in their strollers around the neighborhood in the morning...a good two mile walk! We were pooped! After the walk we changed our toddlers into their swimsuits and they went out into the plastic frog pool to play. If I have to buy one more plastic pool...a leak here, a leak there...yiyiyi! So far the frog is keeping it's own! While the girls played in the pool Zandi tried to wake up for her bottle! The girls seemed to have a lot of fun. Claire loved playing with Morgan's watering can and all Morgan wanted to do was splash and laugh. Parallel play in the pool! It is so much fun to watch!

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After the playdate Bob and I went to a Verizon store to get new cell phones since his completely died...note to self...don't take a toddler to a store where everything is touch accessible! We were there over an hour and finally walked away with the new phones and a bouncy energy filled kid!

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In the afternoon I picked up some dish boxes from a local mover. Time to pack the china! The time is ticking...we are officially being moved out (as long as all goes well with the inspections) on Tuesday August 19 with settlement on August 22. Wow...one month left and one of those weeks we will be at the beach...can't even think about it! One day...one box at a time!

Wednesday already!

Wow! A busy few days have gone by! Monday we called movers and got prices and information, what a headache that was! In the long run we decided on two companies to come out and give us estimates. They come Wed and Thur.

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Tuesday was a blur!

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Today I went to get boxes from Melissa (a girl in playgroup). Instead of heading to playgroup from there I stayed and her little one and Morgan played! Melissa can sympathize...she moved when she was pregnant and had Luke running around! It was so wonderful of her to give us the boxes, the less we have to buy the better!! Got an estimate from a mover today, the same mover we used when we moved from our apartment to the house...we will probably go with them again, but we'll see what the other estimate says!

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Still time to read a book Momma? ABSOLUTELY!

Phillies times Two!

GO PHILLIES! For all who don't know...I am an avid Phillies fan and watch them daily! Bob got offered tickets for Saturday's afternoon game so we went with my sister and her friend Kimmy. Although it was extremely hot and they lost, we had great seats and I had a lot of fun! Today, Sunday I went to another Phil's game as a birthday present from Melanie, and they WON. The seats were great again! Both days in the 100 level slightly to the left of home plate on Sat and around 1st base in the 100 level Sunday. We had a blast! It was so hot...but lots of drinks can do the trick! NON-alchoholic that is! And nice cold showers on our arrival home!

It happened!

Wow! So much to talk about...where to begin?! It actually happened...someone put an offer on our house, we went back and forth once or twice and the offer has been excepted by both sides! I am an emotional wreck!! This pregnancy isn't helping with the emotional roller coaster! I had really decided in my head that we were not going to sell before Baby Leex2 arrived and in my head figured we would stay in our little house for another two years or so and put the house back on the market in Spring 2010. On Thursday night after a wonderful night with my parents our realtor called and started talking to Bob...Dad said you got an offer...I didn't believe him, how could that be true?! Sure enough when Bob got off the phone he said the same thing and we were both somewhat in shock!! (A little background...the people that put the offer on our house had 'fallen' off the face of the earth for over a month! They came and saw the house twice and asked for our utility bills...but our realtor left many messages and we never got any responses back from them.) Friday is when the deal was agreed upon verbally, now it is Saturday and we signed papers with our realtor. The scariest part is....they want closing and settlement on August 28! We bumped it up to August 22nd to correspond with Bob's work schedule b/c the buys did say the sooner the better. YICKES! This whole house needs to be cleaned up and put away by then...not to mention I am 29ish weeks pregnant, I start school around August 26th (I think), and we are putting most of our stuff in storage b/c we have no where to move and take it all! That brings us to the next step...we will be moving in with my parents, which GOD bless them...to allow Bob, Morgan, Baby Leex2, and me to move in with them...they must be crazy...but they have everything and we don't need to bring anything...but what if we do need something of ours that is of course stored in some big holding bin marked box 307? {EMOTIONS running wild, can you tell?} So now we wait...kind of! The buyers have 12 days to get all their inspections done of the house and if all goes well then our house will be officially sold. In the meantime we need to find a moving company, figure out what needs to go to my parents, what can be stored, and everything needs to be in boxes...with Morgan running around! This should be very interesting!!! I feel some tiresome days coming up for me! When I think about the whole thing I well up with tears...this is the first house Bob and I ever owned together, decorated it together, brought our first Baby (Lacey-our springer spaniel) home here, conceived Morgan here, brought another dog into our lives, brought Morgan home to this house, had many parties here with such fond memories...the list goes on...but as Bob keeps telling me, "We bought this house only as a starter home." Wiping the tears away...it is still hard to think about moving and really starting over in a new neighborhood, in a new house...although it is exciting to think of the possibilities! That is enough emotional blah from me.

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Went to my cousin's baby shower today on my Dad's side. We had a good time! Laura knows she is having a boy, so she got lots of blue things!! She got some great presents! Such tiny clothes...how easily you forget! It was a good stress relief to just go and relax...with Morgan climbing all over me like she was a monkey and I was her tree...her newest phase...let's climb on EVERYTHING...especially Momma if she is available!

Playdate with the twins!

Morgan and I went over to the Giampa's house today to play with the twins, Angela and Hannah. Morgan was shy at first, but easily warmed up and began investigating all of the new toys! She especially liked the ball pit! They have a small indoor ball pit with plastic balls in it...Morgan liked climbing in and climbing out, climbing in and climbing out. We all played outside with chalk for a little while and then went inside and ate lunch. Juicy watermelon was a favorite of all three girls, sorry Bethanne, watermelon juice all over the carpet! Thank goodness for chemicals...

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It is amazing how much bigger the twins are than Morgan. They have a good head on her, a few extra pounds and two foot sizes! Sorry kiddo...you must have acquired your Momma's short genes...hopefully you will get your Daddy's skinny genes and be a beauty! No matter what you are our cutie and our peanut! We left when it was Angela and Hannah's nap time. Ran some errands then came over to MeMom's. We played for a while, ate some grapes (cut up...heard a horrible story about a 3 year old choking on a whole grape, always cut the grapes!!), and then went down for a nap! Busy day!!

After nap we ate supper with MeMom and PopPop then walked the bike trail to get some water ice and ice cream! Mmm...you loved the ice cream! One little problem while we were eating our dessert...you sat on the picnic table bench and left a wet spot...it was about 8pm and MeMom and I realized we had never changed your diaper after nap! OOPS! You drank so much water at supper that you diaper was so full it was leaking, EVERYWHERE!!! Sorry kiddo, we won't let that happen again! Sorry Daddy, Momma's make mistakes too!! It was funny for a few minutes...after we realized what had happened!

Back to playgroup!

I was very nervous about going back to playgroup today! Maybe it is because I haven't seen the girls for so long, maybe because I am a little (ok...a lot) jealous of the wonderful lifestyle many of them lead without having to work and somehow I feel of a lesser person b/c I have to work... but once I kicked myself in the rear and got over my anxious feelings and told myself I was GOING, Morgan and I were off! Ran a few errands on the way there and arrived to see lots of warm and happy faces. All my fears and self-doubt melted away! These girls are so wonderful and I felt like I had never left! It is amazing what a couple months will do for between 1-2 year olds! They have all grown into little people...not just babies anymore! They are saying words...have hair...and have lots of teeth!! Insane how quick the little kiddos change!! Wish I would have brought my camera, but I was too lazy to go out to the car and get it! Although Morgan didn't really like it...there was a fun sprinkler which I think we may have to purchase...even if just for me! A ball that showers water out from all sides! Lots of fun, I am still a kid at heart! Especially if it is hot and humid and Morgan wants to be outside!

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Just a quick few pictures of Morgan...spaghetti anyone?

From chalk to bird chasing to ticks

What a wet, damp weekend...coming into Monday! This body really wanted to go walking but it doesn't want to stop drizzling outside!

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Yesterday Morgan and I had fun outside! Between the bouts of rain we played with chalk on the driveway! Her favorite part was to dump out all the chalk, draw a line or two and attempt to put all the chalk away again...with Momma's help of course! Occasionally we got sidetracked by running towards birds that would inevitably fly away...but hey it is fun trying to catch them!

Morgan finally napped on Sunday... three and a half hours! The two days before that she talked to herself for almost two hours each day NOT napping! After Morgan's nap she was drinking her afternoon bottle of milk and I was rubbing her head...yickes! A tick was on the back of her head...thank goodness she doesn't have too much hair (for once that is a good thing!). Poor little girl got the tick yanked out by tweezers...it didn't look like he had been on there long, but mark it in the record books...Morgan's first tick on July 6, 2008!

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy Independence Day! It is amazing to think how wonderful a holiday the 4th is and how long we as a country have celebrated our independence! I hope everyone thought about the true reason for a few minutes and enjoyed nice company and good food!

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Attempted an earlier nap for Morgan...did not work out...she played and talked to her self (still can't understand her language) for two hours before I decided a nap was useless and prayed she could keep it together later in the day for our picnic!

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We headed to the Mellon's house for a 4 o'clock picnic. We had a great time! Morgan was very well behaved and didn't throw a hug tantrum, although it was close once or twice! There was lots of yummy food and delicious home made desserts (icecream, cookies, cheesecake bars...) We decided b/c of the rain we would skip the Quakertown fireworks and Daddy came over for a quick bite to eat before we all headed home!

Kitty Cat

Morgan has become infatuated with cats! Aunt Meggie has Annabell a big white fluffy cat that is shaved down for (MeMom's) allergy purposes. Morgan loves visiting MeMom's house (now over the summer the cat is back in PA as Aunt Meggie is to work at the YMCA) just to see that silly cat who runs the other direction every time Morgan enters a room! Annabell does put up with a lot since Morgan's favorite thing to do is give her kisses smack on her mouth! Mmm...hairball!