Another Milestone: Full Day Kindergarten (sniff sniff!)

Ever since the first day of school in August, Moses has been asking to go to school full day.

But ever since Moses was born, I have DREADED full day kindergarten.

We actually chose our current town based in large part on the excellent schools and the fact that kindergarten is half day here. Then we opted for private school, with half day kindergarten and the option for full day.

After much deliberation, we decided that it is time Moses goes full day. The school has excellent art and music teachers, and he didn't get to have art or music class in the mornings. He thrives on school work and interaction with kids. Here at home, he ends up watching tv while the girls are napping and I am working.

We've had a countdown on the calendar for a couple of weeks- he was SO EXCITED when he saw the big red star on the calendar this morning. He was excited; I was sick.

BUT, I held it together. Only one time yesterday did I need to leave the room because I thought I was going to sob out loud!

Here is the happy full day boy, with his new Star Wars lunch box:


I think the girls sensed that something was "up" this morning. Hosanna met Moses at the door before he left, and leaned in for a hug:


Then as we were walking away from Moses' class this morning, ZuZu said, "I gonna miss my Moses." Somehow, I held it together!

Can't wait until 3:15!!!

Fall Fun

Since it has been OVER TWO MONTHS since I posted anything, I thought MAYBE it was about time to put something new on here! We've had a lot of fun this fall!

Playing in the leaves...




Playing in the leaves some more...








Roasting marshmallows...


Dressing up...






We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our new house and town! Tonight, multiple police officers who were patrolling stopped and gave the kids handfuls of candy. Houses in the area gave away full candy bars or packages of microwave popcorn. It's like living in a storybook! I know the fairy-tale feel will wear off sometime, but right now we are just enjoying the joy we have here!

A few more things I love about our house...

Because I was trying to be unbiased in the "House Hunters" game, I didn't post some pictures of House #2. Here are a few more things that won me over...

The beautiful hardwood floors in the entry/living room/hallway (with Hartco flooring in the kitchen). And the fact that all of our bedrooms are on one level, and all in the same area. No more running up and down the stairs at night!


There is a big linen closet in the hallway, along with this linen closet in the bathroom. I love this bathroom! And Moses is excited that "his bathroom" has a window in the ceiling. We're focusing on that, and not pointing out the fact that "his bathroom" is pink...


The fireplace can be gas OR woodburning, which is great for this family with allergies! The fireplace just flips on!


Huge windows looking into the backyard, and a door making access easy to the grill (or the kids, when they disappear behind the TREES...)


TREES! We have trees at this house! Four of them! One huge tree in the front, and three younger trees in back- one of which flowers. Going from zero trees to four trees is such a blessing! Moses' first comment when he saw a picture of the yard: "There are trees for me to hang in!"


This medicine cabinet in the master bathroom is so cool. Mirror on the outside, AND on the inside. In fact, there are two mirrors on the inside (see behind the shelves). So I will be able to see exactly how bad my hair looks in the morning! ;)


There are other things that I can't believe I didn't take a picture of... like the beautiful stained glass window in the master bathroom. There is also a laundry shoot in the master bathroom. And every window is new.

Counting down the days until we move in... today we are at 8!!! God has given us more than we imagined, and we are so thankful!

House Hunters: The Conclusion

So, which one did we pick?

House #1: Plenty of space outside city limits?
House #2: Lots of living space with little storage?
House #3: Big yard across from semi?

Well, we picked....

















House #2: Lots of living space with little storage!


The solid construction of this home was outstanding. No flaws. Beautiful floors. SO MUCH living space (Moses is super excited about having "TWO family rooms!"). It was actually hard to come up with a list of "cons" to make this choice less obvious. For example, while I am not a fan of wallpaper, the seller had it professionally done. It's quality and not hideous, so we can live with it for a while. And actually, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pink wallpaper in the main bathroom (who woulda thought?).

While the storage may leave something to be desired, I also know I need to be better at letting some things go. I don't NEED 12 tubs of Christmas decorations, when I only use about 4. The yard is so secluded and safe (even without a fence). And the best thing yet- it is exactly one minute from Moses' school!

And the kitchen? Well, I am just going to have to get creative with kitchen storage! There is ample room for an old buffet or some other unique piece, and even enough room for more cabinets/an island sometime in the future. And I love the open feel and natural light.

As for the other houses, I just couldn't shake reservations about House #1. Why hasn't it sold? Houses in this area of that quality are not on the market for months at a time, especially when they have 4 bedrooms. What were we missing that other potential buyers saw ? And after living for 4.5 years without city ordinances that control burning, etc., I was ready to be a city girl again. (*Update! Thanks for the scoop, Lisa! Apparently, that house has a mouse infestation and a mold problem! Glad I listened to my gut!*)

House #3 was too small- I really wanted a real dining area, even if connected to the kitchen. And I saw online that the sellers had purchased it just one year before- I didn't get a good answer from them on why they are selling, other than the fact that they realized it was too small. How did they not know that going in? They had three kids (older kids, even) one year ago... how did they not know it would be cramped? Something was sketchy about it... as was the wall that caved a little behind me when I leaned against it to take a picture in the basement...

So it's House #2! We can't wait to move in!!!

House #3: Big yard across from Semi

The basics of House #3:

3-bedroom ranch on a corner lot on a quiet street in town. Full basement with family room. No dining room.

Funny story: This one is for sale by owner. Soon after we started looking at the house, we asked why they are moving and the wife mentioned that they have 3 kids and it is just too small for them. Hmmmm... perhaps the seller should know the potential buyer before divulging those kind of thoughts? She looked a little sick to her stomach when I said, "Oh, we have three kids..." :)



Fenced backyard:


Living room:


Large kitchen with lots of cabinets and beautiful back splash, and slider to the backyard:


Master bedroom:


Bedroom #2:


Bedroom #3:


Main floor bathroom:


Family room in basement:


Extra room in basement:


Bathroom in basement:


Large laundry room with storage in basement:


The summary:

Pros:
Very large fenced backyard
Slider to the backyard means easy access to kids
Beautiful kitchen
Ample storage space
Tastefully decorated (well, except for that giant deer head...)
Nice extra room in basement would make a decent office

Cons:
Bedrooms are small
No master bathroom
No dining room
The garage smelled like dog
House is on a corner, which means the backyard (although fenced) is exposed to the street
And...

There was a semi parked across the street:


Could belong to the owners of the house?

So which one did we pick? I will reveal tomorrow!

House #2: Lots of Living Space with Little Storage

The basics on House #2:

3 bedroom, 2 bathroom all-brick ranch in town (near Moses' school) with main floor family room/great room and family room in basement. Current owner has occupied the house for almost 50 years (so almost the entire time since it was built). Solid construction with no apparent defects on walk through.





Living room (currently being used as a dining room):


Kitchen:


Kitchen opens into the real dining room (currently used as a sitting area):


Here's another angle of the dining room:


Dining room opens into a family room with a gas or wood-burning fireplace:


Family room with lots of natural light:


So, I would call this set-up more of a "great room."

Master bedroom:


Master bathroom (terrible picture, but the paint/tiling is really pretty):


Bedroom #2:


Bedroom #3:


Main floor bathroom with skylight:


Family room in basement with two double closets for toys:


Extra room in basement:




The summary...

Pros:
Solid construction with lots of living space
Two family rooms
Beautiful hardwood
Master bathroom (which has a beautiful stained glass window)
Open feel
Secluded back yard

Cons:
Basement is not a full basement, so there is little storage
Bedroom #3 is smallish
Few cabinets in the kitchen (again, a storage issue)
No fence
Wallpaper, wallpaper, wallpaper...
Older appliances and roof