We're in the new house!

And the movers came today and emptied 28' of stuff into the place.... So it's a bit chaotic in here. But it's air conditioned chaos. Though the heat has broken and it's not as steamy as it was.... The boys still appreciated it after our walk today.

But we're in! Took the boys for a stroll around their new hood today. Not sure that Ben remembered where home used to be, but he'll know this one soon enough.

No Internet or landline phone yet. Funny, those things are hard to take care of without internet..... I will see what I can do.

Washer, dryer and fridge showed up yesterday. Now it's just a matter of putting the all of pieces together.

Think I might start tomorrow. Have a book I've been dying to read long before this journey started and I've hardly had the chance to open it.

Kat has enjoyed seeing some of her favorite (and forgotten?) toys again. I'll post more pics Thursday.

progress? and frustrations....

the very cool wading pool in Clarence.

After our Sunday AM boatride with Jim & Lisa.

Watering the plants at Grandpa & Grandma's.....

With Charlotte & Grace at the Chautauqua County Fair

Watering plants at Bruce & Corey's (with Jordan and Ben).

News about the house, other than the seller or their attorney is an (insert your favorite word here).....we should have our mortgage commitment by the end of the week, or shortly thereafter. BUT, as the sellers now want $52/day (supposed to be their mortgage, etc, maybe it is and that's not unreasonable) and then $100/day for every day after the closing date listed on the contract (8/31), allegedly as incentive for us to close fast (like we need incentive, seems more like incentive for their lawyer to stall), AND, as of today, and $2500 deposit! Unless our realtor can make their realtor see sense, we won't be renting it out beforehand, and no one will be offering to pay their mortgage and insurance for the next few weeks.

It's too bad cause the appraisal is done and the paperwork is flowing. I guess I'll just have to continue to make my daily phone calls to the mortgage weasel and his minions for a few more weeks....they also have incentive for this to close fast....

John has been an excellent sport about us transforming his house. From an unnamed human amongst us peeing in his plants on the porch, to some unnamed canine stealing his bagel and other foods, and all of the Kat detritus and dog hair in between.....he's been great. Even takes the boys around the block now and again.

Our morning routine involves the boys, Bob (stroller) and sprinkle doughnuts (well, one, if I get anything it's a muffin). The 5 of us get a lot of looks moseying around the block. And, that's about all we do, as it's been so hot and they truly are a handful for just me, so we don't do much more than that.

Yesterday Kat went to see her new Dr. And today had a hearing test. To be followed by another tomorrow with 2 audiologists. We knew before that there may be an issue with some frequencies and they confirmed that today. After today's tests, the audiologist told me that hearing aids were probably the way to go. We will see what we learn tomorrow, but I expect it will be along those lines. Now my frustration increases, because I KNOW she will need services from the school district after age 3 (that would be Sunday), but we're not actually in the district yet so I can't register her and get the ball moving (I don't know how long the process takes, but I would love to get her registered and tested by the school so that they can determine what she needs (I'm certain that she needs speech therapy at least) and start whatever her program is....but thanks to the weasel sellers/attorney, that's not likely. I did send a note to our realtor telling her what I had just found, in the event that the family with 5 kids mights show some sympathy, but it seems unlikely.

So, as Dad said in his blog, we are definitely living in limbo. We can't go to community pools, because we don't have a community. I don't want to sign her up for daycare/preschool because I don't know where the school district will provide services to her.... I can't buy the washer/dryer and fridge because I don't knwo when I want it delivered..... The only thing I can do is sit in my (now) air-conditioned room eating ice cream and whine about things. I'll try to limit that.

Dan will be in town for Kat's big 3rd b-day! I have no idea what to do for that event either. I figure at this point it will be a small family gathering for those who can make it on short notice. I think her real party (such as it will be) and Dan's b-day and our housewarming party will be inthe new house at the beginning of September. I think.

house pic

The best I can do for now....it's late, I'm tired, this connection sucks..... here's a pic of the outside. Did I mention it has AC? And a private woods behind it (not ours, but we'll aim to make it ours eventually buy using it so much we can get an easement!). Its about 3 blocks from our old house. Uncle Greg.....can you......(I'm sure we'll think of something)?

a bunch of posts/pics in no particular order....

Well, we hit the ground running here in BUF. Kat and I (and the kitty) arrived Tuesday afternoon (2 weeks ago now) after a marathon 18 hour journey from Seattle to Boston to JFK and finally to Buffalo, just 7 hours later than originally scheduled. I believe we can thank summer thunderstorms for multiple delays! The next two days we were out looking at houses (and found one)!

My high school reunion was that Saturday night and friends Bruce and Leslie came from Bay City, MI to hang out (it had been YEARS) and Leslie came to the reunion with John and I. My goal was to tell teh mopst outlandish stories to the most people. I'm woefully out of practice so was only marginally successful.

Also arriving on Friday night were Dan, Tom, the dogs and my Rav4! And Tom's daughter and her fiance from Rochester, to drive Tom that last 1.5 hours of his journey. And John was running a race though his own neighborhood, so Bruce, Leslie, Kat and I headed down the block to have dinner and watch the runners go by. Races are a lot of fun when you're watching them from a comfy chair.

Then we headed back to John's for the arrival of the rest of the gang. Kat was very excited to see her daddy and her doggies. As was I. Though the smell of my car was a whole other story.....not sure that will ever go away.

Dan was here through the following Saturday, then headed back west for a few weeks. But not before spending a few days looking at houses and buying one. And doing the home inspection, spending time at the DMV to get my car registered and meeting with the mortgage weasel. Then he flew back and we headed to the lake for family day, which Kat thoroughly enjoyed.

This week we got the dogs up to speed (heartworm tested and drugged), the RAV inspected and oil changed after its incredibly journey, and gave our realtor a big check for our deposit. ANd went with the extended family to the local splash park, which we both enjoyed.

Back to the lake this weekend for the family reunion.

Here are random pics of the last several weeks.

side of the new house- there's a strawberry bed here and they were out (in late July?). Kat had a great time hunting them down and eating them!

The three stooges....course, mine's the one pulling up her shirt!

Placing an order in the window with Grandma!

With her favorite playtoy, Cheryl!

The gang, Leslie, Bruce & John. We gave up on the dogs.

Dan showing Kat how she's getting to BUF.....Way up in the sky....

They had no idea what they were in for (or for how long).

All 4 boys....on their way out of town.

Uncle tom at a Ms baseball game.

Never a dull moment

Go to www.buffalonews.com and check out the tornado story that happened about 5 miles from here. (mayville) But....despite the off/on again thunderstorms, and calls from at least a few folks telling of a violent storm and high winds (70mph)....we decided to head that way for the Dewittville fire station's 75th anniv open house (and free food). And to stop Kat's post nap crying. So, not knowing a tornado had JUST passed through, we headed that way. Well the rain was driving so hard I couldn't find the firehall and kept driving. To point Chautauqua. At which point, seeing other people pulled over to wait out possibly the worst rain I'd ever been in (though in a nod to Dan, I had put the RAV in 4wd). And we see smoke from the fire at the golf course. We were (virtually) on scene before at least 2 firetrucks were, as we passed them on our way back toward dewittville, once I concluded that we'd gone too far. When we turned around and headed back, Kat was screaming about leaving the rain, which apparently she thought was pretty cool!

We then caught up with my folks who had wondered where we'd gotten to. And none of the firefighters or firetrucks were at the firehall for their celebration (though the hovercraft boat was there). Kat had a 1:1 ratio of hot dogs to cupcakes and then the sun shone and we went outside for some serious puddle jumping.

Of course during this time, the idiot twins saw fit to free themselves from the trailer and go on their own adventure through the Viking campground. They let themselves out the back door and who knows where they went, but the neighbor across the street called them and they hung out under his canopy and watched what was left of the storm with him. And then he tied them out in front.

It could have been worse on either front, I guess. I'm glad I didn't spend the night trying to find 2 idiot lost dogs. And glad we were just moments behind the tornado...not in front of it!

Sent from my iPhone.
Sorry for any typos.

The Farm

Last week Kat and I went to the Farm (read kiddie amusement park) with our next door neighbors, 'Drigo & Nicholas. They had so much fun. Kat's first pony ride, first roller coaster ride, and a major hissy fit on the way home because it's hard to leave all of that fun behind.

HAIRCUT....BY KAT

So, after I cut Dan's hair I gave him the scissors (Fiskars, no less) and told him to put them somewhere safe. And he put them where I used to keep them before Kat started to get into everything. Well, she found them! Luckily, it was just her hair that she cut AND she didn't go for the root! She's now sporting a summer 'do, a little bit shorter than it was. The bad bang cut was my work- I figured between us, it was time to pay someone.

Playing with the doll stroller in a new way.

Why, oh, why would Ben loiter near the kids' table?? I cannot imagine what he was thinking.

Apparently Ben was planning on riding a bikee? And then he changed his mind?

Love the tunnel.

I finally got the Ann group pic up! After drying out my camera, after leaving it in the rain (luckily in its leather case).

Kat and Dan were taking pics of one another. I think hers was better.

Ann's Visit and BASEBALL!!!

We had Ann here for a few days. AND it hardly even rained while she was here. Of course, she's gone and it's pouring out there. Again.

Anyway, we went to Green Lake playground yesterday and I think you can say that they had fun.

This is #24 in the middle of the field. We were at the Mariners game on the day that Ken Griffey Jr. retired. So did his number, I'm sure. He retired exactly 22 years from the day that he was drafted by the Mariners. Course, he wasn't at the game, he was driving home to Orlando. But nonetheless they celebrated his tremendous career in baseball. He's 40, his body took some hits over the years, even broke down a bit, unlike some of his peers who were tainted by the steroid scandals, etc. I think he stands as #6 on the all time home run list, behind at least one doper. Anyway, it was pretty cool to be there, even if he wasn't.

Here is Kat's first baseball class. It was too cute. She has a power swing and those pylons best stay out of her way. The other is at the playground.

It stopped raining...briefly. And Joli's visit

Well, it stopped raining for a bit today. After pouring about as hard as I've seen it rain here in the west. Amd. luckily, the voices were not speaking to Boo today, so he willingly got his fat but in the RAV to make the trip to the dogpark. The last two attempts this week, he refused. So the first time, Kat, Ben and I went (and Kat mocked his 'cries' the whole way there and back-she has it down). and the second time, no one went. But we all needed to get out of the house and jump in some puddles....

This is clearly torture to her!

This was her outfit yesterday, at least briefly.

Joli & Sara passed through Thursday night, on their way to Alaska. They are driving from Phoenix, took the car ferry from Bellingham to somewhere in AK and expect to be gone 6 weeks and drive 15,000 miles. Yikes.
Forgot to get the pic before Dan left for work.
Rides in the laundry basket are always fun.