So busy

I've been so busy with moving, unpacking, cleaning the old house and getting it ready to be on the market, I have negleted my blog.  I have a couple of posts in my head, but I don't have the time to get them typed up now.  I thought I'd post a few pictures and videos from my iPhone.  Some of these were also posted on Facebook, so some of you have already seen them. 

Maggie sleeping this afternoon.  Seriously - how can that be comfortable?!?!

Izzy being cute and quiet while her sisters sleep today.

Izzy pondering life before our move:

Maggie from a couple of weeks ago:

Izzy from a few weeks ago:

I don't know why I don't have any recent pix of Katie on my iPhone.  I'll have to make up for it in a future post.

The Move

We did it.  We moved.  This is one of the most difficult moves I've ever had to endure, and I've moved a lot.  Growing up, we moved a lot.  I actually liked it for the most part because I loved having a new space to live in.  I tend to get sick of a house after couple of years. 

I can only remember one time in my life when my family hired movers.  We usually did it all ourselves.  Robin and I last moved from Golden to Englewood.  We hired movers, and it was such a great experience.  I couldn't believe how fast they were.  It only took 3.5 hours from start to finish.  This time, we decided to use the same moving company.  They did a great job, but I sure did underestimate the amount of stuff we accumulated over the last 4.5 years.  I know we gained three additional family members, but I honestly didn't think there was that much more stuff - particularly because we left a lot of furniture behind to stage the house for showings.  Therefore, I assumed that for everything we gained, we were leaving something behind.  Well - that certainly wasn't the case. 

The movers were scheduled to be at our house at 8am - they were very prompt.  I had already scheduled the cable guy to be at the new house between 1-3pm.  I thought that would be plenty of time.  I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.  Well, by 11:30am, the movers were finally finishing up LOADING everything in Englewood.  AND - they couldn't even fit everything in the truck.  Seriously - we had to leave a lot of stuff in our garage behind.  They were finally finished unloading everything in Golden at 2pm.  That's 6 hours total.  This move cost me twice what the last one did, and I still have to go back and get more stuff.  Luckily, the cable guy arrived about 15 minutes after the movers left.  It all worked out perfectly (hey - that's not where you thought this was going). 

The movers were very nice, and they did a great job.  I know by 2pm, they must have been quite hungry (I know I was).  They said more than once that we had a lot of stuff.  He did compliment my packing skills (or wait - was he trying to get a bigger tip?!?). 

We now have to focus our attention on the old house.  We need to CLEAN it (yikes), get it staged and get the rest of our crap out of the garage. 

We focused our attention on getting the girls' room set up.  It's a lot smaller than their old room.  We were able to get three cribs, the dresser and the changing table in there with some creative furniture positioning.  We also had a chair and a bookcase in their last room, but there is no way wer are getting anything else in the new room.  Unfortunately, the closet is also smaller and it doesn't have doors right now.  We had new carpet installed in 2004 - the pad is thicker and the pile is higher, so the closet doors wouldn't open and close.  The renters we had in here before removed the doors.  We need to have them planed (I think that's what it's called).

I mentioned before that the Golden house is a duplex (kind of more like a townhouse, but we're on the end).  It's a really weird set up.  It's actually a group of four duplexes connected by garages and all of the front doors open to a common pathway (two duplexes on each side).  I feel like I need a diagram.  We, by far, have the best lot because we're on the corner.  We have the most land, the most parking and the best views of the mountains.  It's so nice to be back in Golden.

I'm completely exhausted.  I packed up the entire house, and I have done a lot of the work moving stuff around and going back and forth taking car loads of the girls' stuff.  My muscles are so sore, my back hurts and I just ache all over.  Sorry for complaining.  I could never be a mover.  I don't understand how someone can move other people's stuff all day, every day.  Even though it was expensive to hire them, I think it was worth every penny!!

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to post. 

11 Months

The girls are 11 months old today.  We're in the process of packing and moving.  I took a load of stuff to our new house today, and the movers will come on Friday.  I'm so exhausted - I just want it to be done!

This month was the most difficult for pictures.  Katie was the most difficult.  She's very adventurous, and she would not sit still for the camera.  Maggie, as usual, is a total ham.  Izzy just wants lots of love and attention.  When you look at all three of them standing together, you might think Maggie is the tallest, but she's not.  I think Maggie's legs are longer than Katie's though.



Here are their stats as of last Saturday: Katie is 28" and 17lbs 11oz, Maggie is 27.75" and 16lbs 12oz and Izzy, my little peanut, is 27.25" and 15lbs 15oz. 

This is a very picture heavy post beacuse a lot of our family lives far (and I mean far - like other side of the world far) away!

About me

Happy Birthday to me!  Yes, today is my birthday.  The big 3-3.  Yikes.  Where does the time go?  I feel like high school and college weren't all that long ago, but my 15 year high school reunion is this year.   

It's a lovely snowy day outside.  It's the second real (sticking to the ground) snowfall of the season.  I don't like winter, so I'm perfectly happy with the small amount of snow so far this year.

Anyway - in honor of my birthday, I thought I'd post 33 random things about me.  I did this once on Facebook (25 random things about me).  So, most of these are repeats for those of you that saw that post (some have been updated), but some I had to delete to protect the innocent - and at least 8 are new!

1. I had two imaginary friends as a child – BaBa and Mitchell. Because they didn't come with me when we moved, I’m convinced they were ghosts.

2. Spring is my favorite season. I love to see the plants and trees come alive.  Green is my favorite color after all!

3. I once quit my job (Target) by leaving in the middle of my shift. My “supervisor” pissed me off, so I left and never went back. I avoided their phone calls for a few weeks before making up a story about why I left and didn’t call.

4. My husband and I have owned the following cars since we’ve been married (2004-present):
     a. 1994 4Runner (grey)
     b. 2000 Kia Sephia
     c. 2004 WRX (I miss that car!)
     d. 2005 BMW 325xi
     e. 2005 Scion tC
     f. 2002 Audi A6 Avant (Robin's winter ride)
     g. 1994 4Runner (red)
     h. 1985 Supra (black)
     i. 1985 Supra (silver) (Robin’s summer ride)
     j. 2008 Outback 2.5xt
     k. 2005 Lincoln Navigator (my current ride)

5. I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket, but I always speed.

6. My wedding was featured in the Denver Post.

7. I’m at least a fifth generation Colorado native.

8. My girls and I were born at the same hospital - making them sixth generation Colorado natives.

8. I used to play on an 8-ball and a 9-ball pool league.

9. I would move to Vegas and become a professional poker player, if I weren’t too scared of failing.

10. I have traveled to three continents (North America, South America and Asia) and ten countries (Canada, British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Guatemala (ok - I didn't even get off the plane there, but I was physically in that country), South Korea (in the airport for about 15 hours - twice!), Indonesia, Haiti, Colombia, Panama and Grand Cayman).  I hope to be able to travel more!

11. I met my husband at a fraternity party in 1998. We dated for 6 years before getting married.

12. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the impacts of the Three Gorges Dam.

13. I’m mostly Irish and Cherokee Indian.  I think there is some German in me too.

14. My maternal grandfather died in WWII. His plane was shot down over Germany when my grandmother was 6 months pregnant with my mom.

15. I bought our Audi on eBay site unseen! There were, of course, pictures, but I didn't test drive it or anything. Luckily, it all worked out. I've also sold a car on eBay.


16. My mom and I are only children. We are also both left-handed.

17. I wish I had sisters and brothers. The joys of being an only child ended at age 23.

18. I was thrown out of a nightclub for being too drunk.

19. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I used to go to Starbucks every weekday for a vanilla soy latte.  Now, I have a cup of Starbucks Via with coffemate creamer every day.  Most definitely not the same!

20. I owned three horses, and I miss them!  I was in a high-speed precision drill team called the Westernaires. I was a trick rider.  I'm about 14 or 15 in this picture - look at how all four of my horse's feet are off the ground.

21. I won a spelling bee held at a local mall when I was in elementary school. 1st prize was a set of encyclopedias.

22. I think a lot of people mistake my sarcasm for meanness.  Trust me, if I'm being mean you'll know it!

23. I have more memories from the age of 3 than I do from ages 4-11 combined. A lot happened during that year!

24. I think only people who grew up in Denver will appreciate this one - Blinky the Clown lived across the alley from me when I was in high school. I was on his TV show when I was 3.

25. I’ve been hospitalized twice. The first time was when I got a concussion after being thrown off my mom’s horse when I was 3, and the second time was when I was on bed rest and had the girls last year.

26. I was a lawyer before I became a stay-at-home mom.  I'm still paying off my student loans.  Ugh!
 
27.  I've been to the World Series (2007 - Rockies v. Red Sox game 4).  I hate baseball.  It's my least favorite sport.  I was so bored during the game, but I went because I didn't think I'd ever have the chance to go to a "world championship" game again.  I'd love to go to the Super Bowl because I love football.  I'm the commissioner of my fantasy football league. 
 
 

 
28.  My husband became a United States citizen in September of 2008.
 
29.  My sister-in-law has spontaneous fraternal twin boys who are 10 years old.  And, no, this does not constitute "running in the family" because it only counts on the mother's side.
 
30. During law school, I worked as a valet.  It was such a fun job!  I got my only ticket ever while working that job.  I backed a LARGE van (like an airport shuttle van) into another car on the street.  Everyone who witnessed it said it wasn't my fault, but I got the ticket because I was the one backing up.  At least I was covered by the company's insurance and the van was a rental, so the customer didn't even care (the lady I hit on the other hand....UGH!).

31. My ears are pierced 5 times (3 in the left and 2 in the right).  I do not have any other piercings or tattoos.  I've always wanted a tattoo, but thanks for a good friend from college (I think you know who you are!), I realized that I didn't have anything significant enough in my life to justify getting a tattoo.  Maybe someday....
 
32. I love, love, love trivia.  I play bar trivia every Wednesday night with a group of friends.  I also watch Jeopardy! (and other trivia shows) every day. 
 
33. There are only 10 people in the entire world that have my last name, and five of them live in my house! 
   
Well - now you know A LOT more about me!  Cheers to being 33!

A *New* Abode

Well - there it is.  Our big news.  We're moving.  Better yet - we're downsizing.  Oh boy!

We're moving back to the house we lived in right after we got married.  It has been occupied by renters since we moved out in 2006.  When I quit my job as a lawyer, our income decreased significantly.  It's a decision neither of us regret, but we are now in a situation where we just can't afford our house anymore.  The good thing is - we would have moved in another year or two anyway.  Our house has lots of 1950's character - complete with only one bathroom on the main floor (it's a ranch with a walk-out basement).  Hmmmm - me and three girls sharing a bathroom (with a vessel sink) - I think not!!

Our current home is about 2500 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 1.75 bathrooms including the finished basement.  The *new* house is about 1425 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms including the finished portion of the basement.  YIKES!  We are also going from a 4 car garage to a 1 car garage.  At least we have more bathrooms!  For me, the worst part of the move is that we're moving to a duplex.  The thought of sharing walls when you have three infants/toddlers is not exactly exciting.  I apologize in advance to the neighbors for the girls' crying, but there isn't anything I can do about it! 

Our house will soon be on the market.  Please send us positive - sell the house quickly and for more than what we owe - vibes.  Yes, as I always do best, we bought at the height of the market in 2006. 

The best part of moving - I LOVE GOLDEN.  Golden is such a great city (it's really not as cheesy as the Howdy Folks! sign in the picture below).  Robin and I met there while in college. I'll be able to do so much more with the girls in Golden this summer.  We can walk to the park, to the rec center, to Clear Creek, to
*main* street, to Mines, to Coors (if you're ever there - just ask for the short tour, which takes you straight to the tasting room) - the list goes on and on.  There's even a Montessori school on the same block as our house.  I know we'll outgrow the Golden house in a few years - I mean we've probably already outgrown it and we haven't even moved in yet - but I think we'll try to buy a house in Golden when we're ready to move again.  The worst part of living in Golden is Robin's commute to work.  That commute is the whole reason we moved to our current house (I was the one making the crazy commute at the time).  The good news - they're extending the light rail to Golden.  The bad news - it won't open until May 2013.

This move is the reason I didn't decorate for Christmas.  I just couldn't bear getting everything out and then putting it away and moving it.  The reason I didn't say anything about the move until 2011 is because the house had renters who had a lease through the end of May 2011.  They wanted to move out early, so we made a deal with them.  Then, 2 weeks ago they changed their minds.  I let them know they couldn't do that, and they never responded.  We had no idea what we were going to find when we went to the walk-through yesterday.  Luckily, they were gone and the house had been professionally cleaned.  They didn't even show up for the walk-through. 

Over the next 2-3 weeks we'll be getting the carpets cleaned and doing some other work to the house before we move in.  There are two-three big immediate projects that I want to complete (not necessarily before we move - but SOON).  We'll be slowly taking our stuff there, but we'll hire movers for the big stuff.  I'm so excited for IKEA to open in the fall so we can remodel the hideous kitchen (project #4).  The renters removed the upper hanging cabinets, which really opens up the space.  In case it's not obvious - the house was built in the 70's.  Actually, I think it was built the same year I was born.  The yellow counter tops and the fake wood paneling on the back of the cabinets were all the rage.  Don't be jealous!

There are so many things going round and round in my crazy brain these days.  This move is very stressful for me.  The thought of taking apart and re-assembling three cribs is just too much.  The thought of trying to fit all our stuff in the new house is overwhelming. 

Does anyone have one of those Easy Buttons from the Staples commercials that I can borrow?  I just need it to zap all of our *stuff* to Golden.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?

Bath Time Part Deux

I've posted before about my hatred of bath time.  Now that I've moved it to the evenings and because Robin helps me, it's so much easier and more enjoyable.  Last night, our New Year's Eve fun was giving the girls their last bath of the year.  They all got mohawks.  Poor Izzy-B only has an alfalfa sprout!  They all enjoy getting a bath and being in the water.  Katie was having a blast - she was even splashing the water for the first time.

 

This morning I decided to give fresh avocado another try (after carrots).  As you can see - fail!!  Izzy-B didn't seem to mind it at first, but then she changed her mind.  Succumbing to peer pressure already?!?!  I even tried mixing the avocado with banana puree.  Oh well - we'll try again in a couple months.  If anyone is wondering - I have those blankets (which we got from the NICU) over the back of the chairs to prevent marks on the wall.