Staying put

We're not moving. We're staying here. No reason to move.

The Hubs' boss has decided not to make any changes.

No merger. No purchase. Nothing.

It's good news really. This means that the Hubs won't need to take a paycut. That we don't have to find a new school for the Princess. We won't need to find a new daycare for the Bear.

My parents were disappointed to hear that we weren't moving.

But it's kinda like how I was disappointed about them moving here like they said they would...for 2 years.

Anyway....I had to let you know that no big changes for us!

He reminds me again that he's oblivious

We all have those moments when we realize that our spouses are dense to what's going on around them.

You KNOW what I'm talking about right?

Like when you've mentioned that someone's birthday is coming up and that a birthday card needs to be purchased.

Well...here's MY latest hubby foible.

Me: Gosh, next week is the Princess' last week of vacation.

The Hubs looks at me like a deer in headlights.

Husband: What? Next week?

Me: Yes. She starts August 7th.

Husband: She does?

Me: Yes, Sweetie. That's why we went to Meet the Teacher on Monday.

Husband: But I figured she was starting August 14th or 21st.

Me: Uh no. The date is on the family calendar.

Husband: Ohhh....

My husband. He can be so out of touch with the family. He loves us all dearly but MAN!

Freaky weather!

I know that most of the nation is experiencing a heat wave. Something you're not used to.

But me? I hate to tell you that a couple days or weeks of heat is nothing. How about 5 or 6 months of 90 - 115 degree weather? That's what I live with. The last couple weeks, it's been 90+ by 8am when I'm driving the Bear to 'school'.

I'm sure there are some of you thinking, then WHY the heck do you live where you live? Because it's where my husband's job is located.

But today? Today? It's an amazing day. It's only supposed to be 80 degrees. EIGHTY DEGREES!

What's even better? Is that it's raining. Not the skimpy rain that we oftentimes get. The steady pitter-patter rain. It's almost 9am right now and it's been raining since 7am! And what's great is that the AC is OFF. I've even got a couple windows open to get some fresh, fresh, FRESH air into this house. The windows that are open ar the ones that are underneath our back patio so we won't get any raindrops in.

To breath none processed air. It's FABULOUS!

---

The Princess and I decided to take a walk before lunch when it was still sprinkling. She SO enjoys the rain. And the recent storms out here have been violent. Lots of thunder following the many streaks of lightening. NOT the best environment to be playing outside. So I took advantage of the light rain and....

The ecstacy of cleaning

Oh the sweet smell of a clean house. There's freshly washed linens on all the beds. I vacuumed. I even swept and wiped down the main level floors. We've got tile on most of it -- hence the wiping.

But tonight? I found the BEST thing ever. Something that'll make me happy for days on end. Weeks on end. Months on end.

This thing will make me happy as I'm actually utilizing it. Immediate gratification.

I can't wait?

The thing I found?

THIS!

Yes. It's a DY-$ON.

I took the plunge. I'll be able to see the amounts of dirt coming out of our carpets. IT'll be great for the dust and dirt. I mean, I do live in the desert. The sand and dust and dirt make there way in no matter WHAT I do. If I purchased a vacuum that requires a bag? I'd be going through a bag once week! So that would NOT be a good investment at all.

And where did I find this? On tv. Yes. On TELEVISION! It was on sale. Sure, I'll have to pay tax, but I'd do that if I went to BB&B or Tar-jay or wherever. I don't even have to pay shipping & handling. I also get it paid in 5 installments! How fabulous-o is that?

Woohoo! I can't wait until it gets delivered!

I'm sure I'll be vacuuming for a couple hours once it gets delivered to my house.

Do you have a DY-$ON? Do you love it? Tell me! Tell me!

Cry me a river...

just saw a video that had me sitting with tears streaming down my face.

The song?

"Believe" by Brooks & Dunn

Have you seen it?

"There's more to life than I can see..."

Touched my heart.

Good cop and bad cop

Me? I'm usually the bad cop. I'm the bad cop again.

The Hubs' boss spoke to him again. About what the Hubs and I were thinking after being told the basic scenario that might happen with the business.

Boss: Did you and Grace have a discussion?

Hubs: Oh yeah.

Boss: What's she think about it all?

Hubs: She actually brought up a bunch of concerns. And some ideas that I hadn't even considered.

Boss: Like what?

Hubs: The fact that if I'll be building up from scratch, then why not build in XX (my hometown).

Boss: In XX? Why go there? [stunned look on his face as he says this]

Hubs: Well, Grace mentioned a few things that'll put us in a good situation. Here, it's just me and her and the kids. We've got no family here. What brought us here was this job. In XX, we've got a whole support system. Her parents. Her two sisters and her two brother in laws.

Boss: But you'll be priced out of the market there.

Hubs: Actually, we wouldn't be. Grace's parents will be moving in with her sister, that gives us an opportunity to have a house that we can rent at a 'family price' while we save up for a large down payment. Plus, Grace is making almost as much as I am now.

The two discussed a couple other points. But the fact is his boss was basically at a loss for words. We had stumped him. That we did NOT have to stay here. That we could go elsewhere and rebuild the Hubs' career.

My concern was WHY my husband would show our cards this soon in the game. The supposed transition (if his boss decides to go that route) would finalize at the end of the year. But the Hubs told me that he wanted his boss to know that we have options. That if we were going to stay that they'd have to make it worthwhile. Because if the business transitions, that it'll result in a paycut.

I'm like WHAT? A paycut? For you? But you're doing the amount of work that it took TWO guys to do before you came! You don't cause any waves. No drama like the two guys before you. You work. You don't bitch and moan. And it would mean a paycut for you for us to stay here?

Okay. THAT is why he put our options out on the table. I don't care that he made me out to be the bad cop. That I'm the one he said came up with the out of the box thinking of leaving this place. I'm glad about it now.

Fever alert

My little guy came home from daycare with a fever. Ugh!

He seemed fine. Acted the same.

But by the time we sat for dinner (about an hour after we got home), he started not feeling so hot. I laid him down on the couch. Covered him with a blanket. And lay behind him and stroked his back. We just sat there for about 15 minutes. Quiet. Together.

Bear: I wan wotch Li'l Foot.

We trudged upstairs holding hands. I turned on the VCR. Pushed in the designated video. We lay on the carpet on his Buzz Lightyear pillow. Quiet. Together.

He's upstairs asleep right now. Hopefully he'll be back to his chipper self in the morning.

[crossing my fingers that it's just one of those one-day fevers]

Otherwise....I'll have to keep the TWO kidlings busy while I try to work....

Kicking around ideas

Based upon the situation we're now faced with, we may jump ship and make a huge change.

One idea we have on the board is moving. Moving back to my hometown. To be near my family.

PLUS.....my folks will be moving into that house with my sister so....that leaves their current home. They were planning to keep it and rent it out. What's better than to rent to your own family?

I broached the topic with my Mom last night. She and my Dad are happy to hear that it's a possibility. But they need to give us a dollar figure as to what they'd expect in rent. We'll be on a TIGHT budget if we do move out there so the price has to be lower than market rate.

What'll suck is that we'd have to move mid-year. That'll be hard on the Princess since she's in school. But no final decisions have been made. We're still trying to figure out what's happening with the Hubs' boss and what he'll decide to do.

But that option is out there. And it's one that seems to be a good family decision....