Hello, we are now ohioans

I apologize again for such a long time between posts. I am pretty much computer illiterate and am trying to get used to a new e-mail, using my parents' computer for now and trying to keep up with facebook. Miss all of you we left behind in Tennessee (including our house!) but it is nice being with the family. We really appreciate my parents letting us take over their house even though my mom follows my kids around with the vacuum cleaner all day. The girls are adjusting pretty well, the only problem being that they are getting too comfortable here and are having trouble minding. Isabella started school last week and is doing fine. She cried the first day for a while, but I expected that. She has had the whole summer attached to me, and what can I say, I am a terrific mom. I wouldn't want to be away from me either (ha ha). Seriously, I am so glad to be here and out of that house because I was the meanest mom all summer trying to keep the house clean and presentable. She did better on the second day (a few tears as I left and then totally fine). Now I am trying to convince her to take ballet, or swimming, or tennis, or ANYTHING. She definitely has separation issues. Today she said to me, "I am special in a horrible way." Well, maybe, but I also love her to pieces and think she's the greatest thing on earth (tied with her sister). I'll keep you updated on her progress. Noelle continues to develop her language skills and is talking in sentences. I can understand pretty much all that she says and everyone else can get about 75%. She has found many new things to climb on at grandma's house. We will be doing swim lessons and gym class this fall at the Y. Both girls are loving their grandmas' big flat yards to play in and the cooler weather. We have been outside more in these 2 weeks than we have all summer in sweltering TN. I am sure my opinion of Ohio weather will change once March comes and we are still having snow storms up here and the Tennessee dogwoods are blooming. Our house is still on the market as of this writing although we may have a prospect - I hate to say too much. We will be renting if we do not get an offer soon. Lots of lovely houses for sale here, don't know if we will buy or build, but we are excited to be moving into a home that we will raise our children in for most of their school age years. No pictures this time as my camera battery is dead and who knows where the charger is in my mess of boxes. Will try to have some next time. The kids still look the same, but Ben and myself have a little more gray hair due to all of this.

Chattanooga

We are trying to visit anything we have missed down here before we go up to Ohio for permanent residence. Last week we went to Chattanooga and rode the train, visited Rock City, Ruby Falls, Chttanooga Choo Choo, and Coolidge Park. Despite the crazy schedule that we gave ourselves we really did have fun. The girls would've been fine with just the waterpark and the overnight stay at the hotel, but Ben and I really enjoyed the other parts. It really is a beautiful place. If you live down here in Knoxville make sure you go see these things sometime.

the #1 reason not to have a kiddie pool (aka why no one will ever come play at our house again)

So last evening, Ben was taking way too long to mow and trim. After about an hour an a half I went to find him just to make sure that he wasn't a victim of heat exhaustion. I have to admit i was a little peeved because I had the children all day and I wasn't in the mood to bathe them and get them ready for bed all by myself. I grabbed Ellie and with Izzy in tow we stormed outside. There was Ben by the play area in the back where the pool is with a rake, a shovel, and the stinky trash can. He could tell I was mad but he quickly said "I've got a situation here". Then I watched as he put a looong snake into the trash can with the rake and threw it with force down the hill towards the woods. That is only the 2nd time I've said "oh Sh.." unapologetically in front of a child (the first was when Isabella peed through her swim diaper onto my upholstered chair 2 minutes before we had to leave for swim lessons). Ben said it was a copperhead and that it was pretty aggressive when he cornered it. I am not happy that he thought he could handle the situation (let's call varmint control next time please) but I am glad he found it and not me or the girls. I think I would have died on the spot. He thinks it was attracted to the water in the pool. So goodbye pool for now. We were going to take it down while we were away anyway, but it just might not go up again until Ohio.

chatterbox

The lightbulb has popped on in Ellie's brain and it seems that there are alot of things she has been thinking about. She will now say pretty much any word you ask her to repeat. When she wakes up in the morning or from her nap she now says "want mommy" or "want daddy" instead of crying. She said (I kid you not) "I love Izzybella" the other morning and she is the next person she is looking for after mommy and daddy. Other interesting words she has said are water, medicine, and glasses. She knows every friend of Isabella and hers by name and says them all. She kept saying "Look! Reed! Millie!" at church today (they were sitting in the pews where the good kids sit while my monkeys took the safer," easier to extract them "route of the back section.) She knows all of her Sesame Street characters and a song to go with each (Elmo is Melmo "la la la la"). It is so interesting since Izzy didn't really talk at all until she was 2.

Isabella is big into dancing right now. She won't go to class, but she is learning a little from me and from "So you think you can Dance" episodes that I DVR. She really does feel the music with her whole body and I'm not just saying this because I want her to be a dancer. Today at the Conatser's house she was doing an interpretive dance to the soundtrack of Caddyshack. Not something that everyone can do. The last time we visited Aunt Suzy an SUV rolled by with some heavy bass rap music and she had no problems shakin it for the c-bus. I need to find a dance school in Ohio that teaches contemporary/jazz. That is her genre no doubt. In other developments she is learning how to sound out words and write all of her letters. I am getting nervous about finding her a new preschool.

House for Sale

It has been a while since I've written as we have been working hard to get the house up for sale. Finally we made the call and have had the sign in the yard for about 2 weeks. We have had some traffic come through so I am cautiously optimistic. Of course, I do love Knoxville and all of our friends here, and all the shopping, and all the things to do here, and the winter time here, and the natural beauty, and my job, and Ben's take home pay, and the southern living culture. So, what I am saying is I will not be heartbroken if we do not sell right away. We visited our family in Ohio this past week. It was so nice to see them and the girls just adore their grandparents (Izzy the grandmas and Ellie the grandpas). And that, my friends, is the real reason we may leave. We looked at a totally awesome (forgive my surfer adjectives) house on a totally awesome lot too. Still don't know what we will do, build or buy. We'll just have to see if the right place is already existing for us. Ben said to me on the way home, "How does it feel to know nothing about your immediate future?". I said, "kinda feels like being pregnant." I don't know how long I can stay sane and keep my house sparkling clean though.

The Wedding and Easter Sunday

Haven't written in a while due to my preoccupation with my dear friend's wedding followed by a visit from my parents and Easter. The wedding was beautiful, very classy. It was great to be with all my old high school friends again. We even got to spend a little extra time with Lori, who I have been friends with since her birth (I know we did not play together that early, but you get the point). My girls loved her and the princess nightgowns she brought. Isabella also got to catch up with her godmother Becky, my other best friend who I have known forever. Tana was gorgeous and looked like she belonged in a bridal magazine. I hope that she has a wonderful marriage and good luck to her and Brad as they move to Hawaii. We rented an awesome house with several bedrooms, waterfalls and landscaping outside, chickens, horses, and cats for the girls to play with and feed. We even got to collect fresh eggs from the chickens each morning. If anyone is interested in going to Asheville let me know- I would highly recommend this place.

The girls had a great time with the grandparents. First with Ben's parents in Asheville and then mine here in Knoxville. We can't wait to see them more often. Ellie even is saying grandma and grandpa now. She was looking at pictures last night and pointed right to grandma and said it. She does seem to gravitate towards the grandpas though. Izzy loves her grandmas.

Easter at our house began as any other Sunday would with the girls arrising early and a frantic hurry to early church. We discovered that Ellie loves chocolate and Izzy loves t-ball and is actually somewhat coordinated. I was happy to see that Miles had a little meltdown on Easter too. Both my girls were sugared up and CRAZY and fighting, and unappreciative, etc. etc. At the end of the day I said to Ben, "I wish we could just do this day over". He said, "You'd want to go through that all again?". Anyway, the pictures are sweet and we will just remember the fun parts I am sure. Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday!

This one's about me (mostly)

In a change of character I just had to write about the Knoxville 5K today. My friends Nicole and Ann joined me at 6:30 this morning to embark on the adventure of running the hills of Knoxville for 3.1 miles. I have not run a 5K since college. Although my time was a full 10 minutes slower than my run 10 years ago, I am still proud that I did it. A year ago my pelvis would have broken apart I think. It was so inspiring to see the marathon runners start their race and the spirit in the air was all positive. One of the marathoners running by said, "26 miles to go!". Although the race was NOT easy (especially the beginning 1.5 miles that were steadily uphill!) I had renewed hope in myself and my body's ability to get in shape again. Who knows what the future may hold, but that half-marathon is looking enticing for next year. I believe that Nicole and Ann are inspired as well. In fact, we need a 4th person for our marathon relay team next year. Any takers?
Just had to take a second to brag about my baby too. Noelle stayed dry all afternoon and even asked (in her own way) to use the potty 2 times. Not too shabby for 17 months. What a smart chicky she is. But that's all I'll say since this one is about me.