TVless

It was our kids nightmare, our dream. A world without Spongebob, JimmyNeutron, and the Fairly Odd-Parents. Our hiccup of moving was the lack of cable. Comcast committed to 1/12/09 (wha?). Not so bad during the holidays but my kids do enjoy watching a show in the early morning (and any other time we'll let them).

So hubby came home with this HD attenna last night. That is right, big huge rabbit ears. He installed it in the attic and we are instantly getting HD channels. Sadly we don't get Drake & Josh (even I miss that show) but we have tv without the "stupid, idiot, dumb" language of Spongebob. The giggly sounds of Curious George made all my kids smile this morning.

So, we are trying it out. No cable (less bills) and less bad influence. Yes, I still get Grey's and my favs. Hubby said he doesn't so much care about ESPN (shock to me). We'll test the waters and let you know how it goes.

Did you pack everything?

It is a good thing that I packed the cherubs when we moved!

Land of missing things:

We continue on our daily unpacking rituals. Most things have found a new place and things are running smoothly. Of course there are those quirky items that we still can't locate or just recently located. Just yesterday, I found the base of our phone. Lesson in cordless phones, they don't work without the base. Being trapped to the wall (aka-wall phone) has been torture. My face soap is still missing. Kel, I may just have to order a new one! Cherub 1's UGGs were recently uncovered. I am not sure where they were hiding. Alarm clocks have surfaced. Luckily we have alarms on our cell phones that we used in a pinch. My serving bowls are still at the old house. I guess technically they are not missing since I know exactly where they are. Try having the holidays without a serving bowl. Not so easy. Our everyday shampoo and conditioner (for cherub 1 & I). Still missing. We are using the knockoff brands...our hair...just a tad greasy in the am because of it. Shades. They aren't technically missing, but we don't have any. Dress in the bathroom or in the dark is your best bet for not scaring the neighbors with nakedness. Slowly in time, it will all come.

We have Internet!!

Ahhh, it must be Christmas time! I promise to post later to catch everyone up on moving, Christmas, etc.

Moving Day is Here

So, it is 11:30am and we have already had snowstorms, doctor appt's, drunk people and lots of moving going on. Here is a recap so far...

Up bright & early, hubby had to snowblow our driveway for the movers, then my dad's b/c he is on crutches from knee surgery (yes, he earned many brownie points for that from me), and now he is currently at the new house snowblowing the driveway so they can get in there. He ought to be pooped just from the snow removal part of his day...never mind the move.

Here is cherub 3 at the doctor's office at 8:30am. He has some virus. Ya know, non-treatable, 7-10 days to run it's course. Of course you aren't supposed to wish for strep but secretly I wanted it to be so I could give him medicine and have him feel better. He is resting at Nana & Pop's during the move.

Here are cherub's 1 & 2 who we sent out to play in the snow to get them out of the way. Since they are kids with selective memory, they seemed to always be in the same room as the movers no matter how many times I shoo'ed them into another. Now they are at the (currently empty) new house with Grammy, Grampy & hubby. Empty for now.

Here is Grampy after loading the snowblower to bring it to the new house!

Here is the truck half loaded at 11:30am. You can't see him but the mover that is in the truck is the one that hubby thinks is intoxicated. Hmmm, good thing he is not driving. The other two are fine, including the one driving. I guess that is good? I couldn't tell but hubby said he smelt it on his breath. Maybe last night's activities are lingering?

Moving Day-Tomorrow!

Boxes packed, cherub's excited, blizzard hit today, movers comin' anyway!
(That's the plan.)


'

Best Part of the Day

Making a snowman with cherub 2!

Nuts.Zapped.Slaphappy.No dizzy.Pooped.Boxes.

Today was nuts. Literally. Try to keep up: shower, over house, remove dishwasher w/ FIL, ZAPPED (below), to Radioshack in neighboring town to pick up robots on hold (for boys), realize they were trying to sell me 2 good ones, 1 crappy, off to another Radioshack to buy third one. Are you kidding? Book the movers. Bring cherub 1 to friends, pick up paint, drop off with FIL, check on floor progress, meet mom at hospital, stay awaiting Dad's knee surgery results, stay in recovering until his dizziness goes away (he is good now, went well), home, pack with MIL, break up cherub's fights, help clear brush to be hauled away (from ice storm), more packing with MIL, break up cherub's fights, more packing with MIL, make dinner, ignore cherub's fights, clean up, pack with BabySis, clean up, blog.

Below are some funny moments in our crazyiness!


FIL got me good! We were removing the old, yucky dishwasher from the new house and I was holding it up as he was disconnecting the wires underneath it. All of a sudden he jumped, wriggled and screamed like he was being electrocuted. I screamed, 'OMG'! He started laughing and chuckled 'I got ya. I've got to keep you on your toes MB!' He got me alright. I was the one who got zapped!!


MIL was trying like a trooper to entertain the cherubs and STOP their FIGHTING! She got cherub 1 to join in (aka- cherub 1 took 5 minutes off from toruring cherub 2). Yes, the packing with background noise of the cherubs fighting made us a little slaphappy!



MIL say cheese! Thanks for all your help today!!


The kids are pooped (from 5 straight days of being together, fighting with each other, staying up late and going back and forth between houses). Good luck to their teachers tomorrow, they are way off schedule.


The picture is kinda dark, cuz it is dark now, it's late. But, can you see the pile of boxes? Making headway as the panic sets in. 3 more days to pack.

Where have I been?

SO, officially it seems like I dropped off of the blogsphere. I have realized after being without power for 2 1/2 days that I am extremely thankful for our heat and electricity. Our world is crazy. We had a major ice storm that blacked us all out and today it is 65 degrees! Wha?

Now, we are in the middle of packing and moving craziness. We are scheduled to move this SAT! That is right. You read the calendar correctly-4 days before Christmas we will be sleeping in our new house. This week? New floors, rugs, kitchen counter, appliances, track down movers and pack.

Don't forget...Santa still has to come. Hmmm. Who needs elves now?

(BTW. The cherubs were making another xmas list today. Ummm, I think Santa is done. Don't ya think. Adding on at the last minute may or may not be possible. Ugggh. Isn't he packing the sleigh already?)

Dear Baby Sis,

Yes, I just said SORRY to my faithful blog readers (see previous post). I owe you a glass of wine.

We are the sorry twins, baby sis and I. We have been apologizing our way through life. So, now I have hit a new low, I am apologizing to my virtual friends. I need an intervention.

Dear faithful readers,

Sorry for the lame posts or should I say non-existent posts. I have been really beat lately with all of the moving/Xmas prep. So...off to bed and just maybe I can catch everyone up on the mayhem that is our life.

Moving during the Xmas season should be illegal.

The Elf's A Hoppin'

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

On the Eigth Day of Christmas

On the Ninth Day of Christmas
I forgot to take a pic...
On the Tenth Day of Christmas

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...a new house. We are going to the closing for the new house. Fingers crossed everything goes ok! I'll update everyone later.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

Cherub 2: Mom! I think St. Quiggly likes to play the piano JUST LIKE ME!

Cherub 1: Mom! Comehere! Mom! Look! Comehere! Look where he is!!

Cherub 3 (at night): Mom, I have figured it out. The days I find St Quiggly first, I have good luck and have a good day. I am happy!



(Pic from 12/3)

There were two chefs in town for dinner yesterday. As I served the cherubs and friend a nice "steak on a stick" (aka kabobs) dinner, cherub 2 was serving up his specialty. He was utterly hilarious with all his facial expressions, funny antics and drama. These are the moments I would love to bottle up.

On the Third Day of Christmas

(Elf was hiding on the kitchen shelf.)

Many are asking me where they can get one? Santa delivered ours (wink) to our doorstep. If that isn't working out for you...you can find them at participating Hallmark stores or google 'elf on the shelf' and you will see literally millions of results.

Miracle Wednesday
No one puked. Enough said. Seriously, this is a miracle b/c pretty much up to today it was: puke one day, no puke, repeat.

Don't Lose the Magic
RLF, Kris's (member her, she introduced me to elf) cherubs are just as into elf as my cherubs. Yesterday, Buddy (their elf), fell off their shelf. Since the book instructs you that touching the elf will make him/her lose it's magic, her youngest took this to heart. It was like a rescue mission. 'Get me a plastic baggie!' 'Another one!' With two plastic bags over his hands he gently lifted Buddy back to the shelf. Safe. Magic in-tact. No touchie!

Boxmania
My garage is filled to the rim with packed boxes. The house went on the market today with pics of the outside. Pics of the inside are to be taken tomorrow. I feel like I will never have it cleaned in time! Maybe I will just jump in a box and label myself fragile, to be opened when the unpacking is done. Do you think anyone will notice?

Priorities
In the midst of all the convalooded life I have been leading lately, I still have managed to hold onto (by the skin of my teeth) my Friday night plans with the girls. Since we are all supposed to arrive at the party at 7pm, we are all meeting at 6pm for a prepartycocktail. Since by Friday night I think we will be the (freeked out) owners of two homes (until this one sells), I think I might need more than one prepartycocktail. Sugar rimmed martini- you are calling my name. Yup, even during a move and a full weekend with moving, packing, xmas parties, cherub's activities...I can still find time to get my priorities straight.

Santa
Big Sis & I met today to take all 6 kids to see Santa. I had canceled my previous plans :o( b/c the boys needed some chill time. I figured low key visit to the Big Guy and a NAP was in order. The whole way there...baby cousin (the youngest of our 6) was like, "ya know, he isn't the real Santa. he's fake." My boys were FREEKIN out. "He has to be real. Mom, right?" On and on and on and on. Imagine the baby playing detective rattin' out the fake guy to the older kids.

On the Second Day of Christmas

Cherub 2 puked at the bus stop. Awesome.

Note: St Quiggly was found in our tree!

On the First Day of Christmas

Poor cherub 3, he woke up puking again.

After conferring with the doctor, we think that he probably is not suffering from the flu-ishness that was attacking our home for a week or so ago. He is experiencing the same freaky issues as last year. If just tuning in to our crazy world, last year he puked for 3 months and underwent ALOT of tests (blood tests, CAT scans, you name it). They found nothing and 'hoped' it was reflux and tried Zantac.

Zantac, the miracle drug. From the moment he went on it, he never puked again. Trust me, after THREE months, that is a miracle. We took him off of it in the late spring b/c he wasn't having any more symptoms.

It is all back.

The freaky thing? When doc & I reviewed the records on the phone, we realized he started puking within 2 calendar days of the date that it began last year?? It is kind of like ground hog day(year) around here.

We are going to a 'big city' doctor Thur for a consult. My poor little bug. I just want him to feel better.

* Note: St Quiggly the elf was actually found on our shelf!

A New Tradition

RLF, K introduced me to Elf on the Shelf. It is a wonderful story about an elf that hides each day throughout the holiday season in a different spot throughout your home. The elf that comes with the book has jobs! His jobs? He uses his magic each night to report to Santa about all the nice things (or naughty) things we do and also shares your Christmas wishes with Santa. Each morning when we wake up he is hiding in a new spot. How fun...instant hide-n-seek! We also had to name him. After 30 minutes we combined 14 different names to St. Quiggly. (Don't ask. I think we are soon to rename him.)

The cherubs are TOTALLY into this. They all race around looking for him in the morning. Cherub 1 is writing a book report about the book because she loves it so much. Cherub 2 draws pictures of St. Quiggly all the time and constantly walks up to him, shows him the pictures, whispers his xmas wishes to him and says hi and goodnight. Cherub 3 just freaks out with excitement when we talk about him.

The best part. "St. Quiggly is watching you!" That is what I hear all day/night. They are self monitoring themselves (and each other) and actually are doing nice things for each other because St. Q is reporting directly to the big guy.

I highly recommend this new tradition for anyone who has little or big ones that relish in the Christmas spirit (or for those who need someone to report to the big guy!).