Finished

I finished our taxes last night, and was surprised that it was relatively painless. This is the first year, since we were married, that we didn't have several W2's and multiple other documents to wait on. Although my "homemaker" status lightens the paperwork load considerably.

This is also the first year of throwing out a past year's jointly filed taxes. Yes, just seven years ago, we filed our taxes together for the first time. Pulling out our 1998 returns to shred, brought back a few nice memories. Back when we had filed that return, we had just moved into our first house and I was shaking at the thought of all of those mortgage payments stretching ahead of us for the next thirty years (that just seemed like such a long time to my newlywed mind, lol). We had just celebrated our first Christmas together, and because of said new house, it was a rather lean year and because of said newlywed status, we had no Christmas decorations (I ended up cutting out about fifty paper snowflakes and using them to decorate the tree and house. It was actually very pretty.), but it was a lot of fun and we are truly smiling in all of the pictures. I also noticed that our tax preparer gave us a discount and a smiley face on our receipt because we were newlyweds, and how often do you get a smiley face on your taxes?! lol!

I think instead of shredding our 1998 returns, I'm going to have a fire in the back yard and burn them. Seems fitting to do something a little special for such a special year!


And just in case you are wondering, yes I am certifiably insane. How else could I be in the throes of nostalgia due to a tax return?

Moving

I have now purged the dust and grime from corners of my home that have not seen the light of day or swipe of the cloth since we moved in over seven years ago. I think I'm suffering from extreme exposure to paint fumes, because I find myself drawn to staying in my little house and not selling at all. Who knew that all I needed was to do a little aggressive cleaning?

The house was officially placed for sale this morning. We received our first inquiry just 20 minutes after placing the signs in the front yard. Let's hope that is a good indication of the interest yet to come.

We also placed a bid on the new house today, and I became a little miffed. When we told the realtor our opening bid price, she and her husband both looked up and made a sour face. We were then promptly informed that our offer was too low to even bother writing up, and that we were being insulting. Granted, we started the bidding out low, as to leave room for negotiation, but we didn't start that low. The realtor then informed us that "...the property has so much potential and there has been a lot of activity and interest in it. You need to up your offer or you will be offending the seller. Besides, we both know that you like the property and that you want it. There isn't any reason to play games. If I give them these numbers, they will walk away laughing."

My husband and I are bargainers. We like the thrill of the search, and enjoy (and frankly who doesn't) getting a good deal, especially on something we want very badly. Now, I understand that it is this woman's job to get a good price for the seller, as this is what she is being paid for, and I understand that the higher the price that she sells for the bigger her own cut. What I am amazed with is the speed with which this woman went from "nice and helpful" to "evil cow who can't hide the malicious gleam in her eye" the minute that we made it clear that we were not naive first-time buyers. The whole point is to negotiate when buying an older home. That's half of the fun. She was having none of it and would not even let us make an offer until we raised our opening bid another $10,000. I'm beginning to think that this is not the home for us.

But the bid went in and we are waiting to hear from the sellers. The "lovely" realtor could also not refrain from telling us that there was "no way the seller would accept this offer" so we had better be ready to come a little closer to the asking price. I'm ready to pull out of the deal, just from dealing with their representative.

Oh well, just think of all of the other lovely houses out there just waiting to be found!

Home Sweet Home

Well, it's been awhile (and if thicketdweller's multitude of exclamation points in my comments are any indication, longer than I realized, lol).

But I'm still here. We are in the throes of cleaning and de-cluttering our house, as it goes on the market tomorrow. We are also putting a bid in on our new almost-dream house in the morning. Things have been a little (okay, a lot) crazy around here and I promise a nice long post with full details in the morning. Right now, I'm going to go fall into bed, lol!

I've Been Tagged...Twice

The lovely thicketdweller has tagged me twice this week, so I thought I'd better get them out of the way.

First Meme:

2 names you go by:
1. Mama
2. Shannon

2 parts of your heritage:
1. country cooking
2. Irish dreaming and storytelling

2 things that scare you:
1. The Unknown
2. The dark when I'm outside

2 of your everyday essentials:
1. Reading
2. My Daughter

2 things you are wearing right now:
1. Tan cabled knee socks
2. My glasses

2 favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment):
1. Gaelic Storm
2. The Wiggles

2 favorite songs at the moment:
1. "Lazy Scouts" (from the "Lazy Town" soundtrack)
2. "Finnegan's Wake"

2 truths:
1. I'm a horrible writer
2. I'm even worse at cleaning up my house

2 of your favorite hobbies:
1. Knitting
2. Reading

2 things you want really badly:
1. Time
2. Calm

2 places you want to go on vacation:
1. London
2. Edinburgh

2 things you want to do before you die:
1. Knit a complete pair of socks
2. Take my daughter traveling

2 things you are thinking about now:
1. Grocery list
2. When the laundry will be done

2 stores you shop at:
1. Barnes & Noble
2. Wal*Mart

2 people you would like to complete this meme:
1. I'm not officially passing it on but,
2. feel free to complete it yourself and let me know! :)


Second Meme:

Five weird habits of yourself:

“The first player of this game starts with the topic ‘five weird habits of yourself,’ and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don’t forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says ‘You are tagged’ (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.”


1. I almost never use a bookmark, but I can always pick up a book and start reading within one page of where I left off. I've been able to do this as long as I can remember.

2. I can't touch cotton balls with my bare hands. It gives me the chills.

3. I will only eat Heinz Ketchup and Miracle Whip mayonnaise. I don't like any other brands. I will buy scratchy toilet paper and generic shampoo before I'll scrimp on the Heinz.

4. I get up and check the door locks twice every night before I can sleep. My husband doesn't even know that I do this. He sleeps like the dead.

5. The sound of commercials on TV and the radio make me want to scream. I can't stand them. I always mute or turn down the sound when they are on. It's an automatic reaction.


There you go, a little peek at me.

Off-Kilter

Do you ever have those days when you aren't sure just exactly who you are? You are Baby's Mommy and Husband's Wife, but somehow that doesn't seem like it is enough or right or comfortable.

With the start of the new year, I guess that I've been a little more introspective. The subject has been on mind very often. Who am I? What do I really accomplish with my life? Am I really doing the things that I want to be doing? I don't know for sure.

I really love being a mom, and the fact that I get to stay home and be a mom is amazing to me. But sometimes we have these moments when everything seems to be going wrong and I'm overly cross and sniping, and I wonder if I really should be a mom. That maybe I'm just not cut out for the isolation and monotony. I wonder what kind of damage am I doing to my child because I'm never in a good mood and I always feel over-worked and over-stressed. I'm just rarely the nice, kind, quiet person that I want to be, anymore. What happens to my ideals and goals when I'm wiping up spilled juice for the third time that day, while my two-year old climbs the bookshelf with scissors in her hand and all I want to do is go somewhere to be alone and scream and it's only 11:00 AM?

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with these sort of feelings but somehow, it feels like I am. Most of my days feel like one, long, lonely repetition of the day before. My life just feels off-kilter.

Mud

Oh how I hate a muddy winter! The weather has been unseasonably warm here in Ohio, which has caused the whole front yard and driveway to become this squishy mass of mud. I would rather fifteen inches of snow than mud anyday. Yuck! Come back my lovely sub-zero temperatures!

Changes

Well, it's that time for me. The wrapping paper is finally all gone, the left-overs are looking depressing, and I've stepped on enough Duplo blocks that I have banished all toys to the bedroom. Yes, it's that glorious after-Christmas letdown.

But in some ways, it's a relief. Christmas just wouldn't be so special if it wasn't confined to a small part of the year. (although I'll admit to celebrating it for a bigger part of the year than most, lol!) We would not be able to keep up all of these festivities and whirlwind jolliness for twelve whole months. Besides, Santa needs his vacation just as much as the next person.

I do like to try to keep that spirit of giving and thankfulness going all year. That's why I shop and craft for Christmas all year long. But the lovely thing about that is the fact that you can take it in small doses and then go on to your gardening, or swimming, or football, with the rest of the world being none the wiser. No need for full-scale gaiety, lol!

So now, I go back to stodgy, old, practical mommy, with too much laundry and not enough patience, but in the back of my mind is that little glimmer of Christmas lights and holly that I can take out and dream over in anticipation of next year.

Back Again

Oh, I warned you all, didn't I? I told you in the beginning that I had very little in the Powers of Concentration department. Be thankful that I made it all of the way to the Nineteenth!

But onto more pleasant topics...


Christmas was really wonderful this year:

* We spent two nights in a row at home together enjoying our booty and each other's company

* I received too much as I am very blessed

* My husband pulled out all of the stops and presented me with an amazing, very-unlike-him gift that actually made me sit at the foot of our tree and cry Christmas Morning

*I had the strength to fight my pack-rat ways before the holidays and removed ten garbage bags of toys, clothes, and household items from our home, which were put to very good use by other people, allowing me the ability to find homes for all of the new things without cursing and sweating.

* Santa brought my Peanut a play kitchen for Christmas, so I have had the fun of sitting down to pretend meals of "Juice-covered Pancakes" and "Peas, Carrots, Eggs, and Cookies Casserole" lovingly prepared by my two-year old (but she still makes me do the washing-up!)

*We got a chance to see family that we probably will not see again , until next Christmas and of course I wallowed in the compliments on my child's beauty that were piled on by one and all!

* I went to see "Pride and Prejudice" all by myself and enjoyed it immensely, knitting my way through to Lizzie and Mr. Darcy's kiss. (my husband won't let me knit when I go to the movies with him. He says that it's distracting and embarrassing, lol!)


I hope that everyone else is enjoying a lovely holiday. Give your families hugs from me!

Jokes

Day 19

What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus?

Crisp Cringle.


If athletes get athlete's foot, what do astronauts get?

Missile-toe!


What is the best evidence that Microsoft has a monopoly?

Santa Claus had to switch from Chimneys to Windows

Pregnancy

Day 18

4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:4-7 ESV


The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is roughly 70 miles. A trip that would have been 4 or 5 days long. Now imagine that you are nine months pregnant and fifteen years old, riding on a saddle animal or walking. Swollen ankles, aching back, and exhaustion. My goodness, how Mary's faith must have been tried! I can remember complaining about the smallest things when I was that far along, lol!

What Christmas is Coming To

Day 17

As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"
The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't you get my E-mail?"