Living in Munchkinland

Michael woke up and came downstairs last week to check his email and found out that his company is being bought. This is the fourth time that this has happened in the ten years that Michael has been working for his company. Kent, Sabredata, Avnet, Calence, and now Insight. It looks like a good move though. His job still seems secure and he is excited about the opportunities that Insight will offer. Things are always changing around here. Here's an article on the whole thing. Business Wire Article.

I love this show. I don't care who knows. I'm not embarrassed. I will shout it from the rooftops. I take more pleasure from this show right now than any other. And now there are no more episodes. Sob. At first I didn't care about the writers strike. I thought I would be fine without dramas and comedies because I had my reality TV. But my TV schedule is so empty and sad right now. American Idol isn't good yet. And Amazing Race is over. I'd feel better if Survivor was already on and Top Chef and maybe a little So You Think You Can Dance, but no. And so I REALLY miss Gossip Girl. This show is a little 90210 without the preachiness and a little Sex in the City without *quite as much sex. I love the clothes! I love the music! They are so pretty! The narrator is Kristen Bell! I don't care that the show is basically a soap opera and is pretty vapid. I just like it. And now you can too! This Monday, January 28, they will have a 90 minute special with...

When you have children, your life changes. We all know that. At first it changes dramatically and everybody feels it. Life is turned upside down and there are some growing pains as you change the very way that you live. But initially, while you notice the big things, you don't realize all that is changing. It's almost as if, because the changes are so massive, that you don't understand the full spectrum of what is happening. And then you get used to the changed and altered lifestyle and it becomes normal for you. That is all true for me. The constraints of having two small children is just part of my life. I have grown and lived within those limitations and seldom think of them. I know that people who do think of them often feel uncomfortable and unhappy and I completely understand that, but I have really embraced my role of stay at home mother and I also have been really enjoying it. Last weekend, however, I sat down with my single, childless friend and as we chatted...

And soon. I can't believe it's finally going to happen. I just talked to our contractor and he said the house will be ready in two weeks. So I’m going to try and book movers for the week of Feb. 11th. We're just waiting to see when Michael can get off of work. We're hoping he can get a whole week off. We've already asked both sets of grandparents to help with the kids while we pack and move and unpack. I’m so excited and all of sudden so overwhelmed. We’ve been waiting to do this since JULY, and so I can’t believe it’s actually happening. The house really looks pretty and we love the ranch and are excited about San Marcos. But I’m afraid too. Afraid that people will think I’ve moved too far and won’t make an effort to hang out, and afraid that I won’t make friends easily in my new town. I know I'll miss this house and my great view from my bedroom and my fantastic kitchen. I’ve loved Circle C and I love my neighbors too. And I’m scared to death the h...

We haven't done much this week. The weather has been cold and today is the coldest. We also haven't had many plans and haven't wanted to spend money so we've just been hanging out at the house. We did run down to S.M. a couple of times. Once to drop off some fixtures and pick some apples (pic included) and once because our dishwasher died and Mom and Dad had one in the garage they were willing to give us. I ran down and picked it up and Michael installed it that night. He looked good down there on the floor doing it too. Mmmmm. Sam is sick with snot, fever and just threw up this morning all over my kitchen floor. Looks like we'll be staying in for a few more days, though we hope to head down to S.M. on Sunday to work on the house. The move is getting close. The house is painted, the plumber comes tomorrow and the floors go in next week. We could be moving in as little as three weeks. Keep your fingers crossed. Love, Amber

I have some very exciting news! I enrolled Davis and Sam in Music Together classes last semester and they LOVED. Both boys really blossomed musically in this program and they loved their teacher, Mr. Michael. We were all very sad this semester when our tight budget allowed no money for classes and our move cut short any opportunity to take a full session anyway. Last week, Mr. Michael gave me a call asking me if I would be able to bring the boys back. He also asked me if I would be interested in training to teach the class! Now this is something I would be very excited about. We chatted yesterday and made a plan to put the boys in the class until we move (for a nominal amount) and let me train with him while we are there. I am thrilled. I was jumping up and down when I heard the news and the boys are so excited. Davis has been practicing non-stop and Sam hums along. So today, the boys will start the brand new semester of Music Together. If anyone wants to join us, I bet yo...

I spent last night curled up in my office going through my memory chest. I read through old journals starting when I went off to NYU and through my sophmore year at University of Arizona. Then I skipped ahead to read my first year in NY after grad and then my journal when I first met Michael. It was really fun for me. I haven't looked back in a while. It was like reading a journal of some other young girl. I don't know her really. I can't relate to her. I feel sorry for her. I was rooting for her and was so happy when she came into her own and met her future husband. It was like someone else's story. I may have had to distance myself a bit, because it was embarassing. I did so many stupid things! I was terribly insecure and tried all the wrong things in order to make people like me. Every page chronicling that 19 and 20 year old girl's life is full of angst and anger and passion and frustration. I often wrote pep talks to myself, but I never believed ...

Today, as Davis and I were waiting for our Peanut Butter and Banana muffins (from Deceptively Delicious w/hidden cauliflower!), we sat in front of the refrigerator to play with Sammy and his favorite letter refrigerator magnets. Sam showed them each proudly to me and pushed the button to make the alphabet song play. On a whim, I asked Davis to pick out the letter D. I told him this was the first letter of his name. He calmly reached up and immediately picked it and handed it to me! He knows the letter! I was so proud and explained about D sounding like "duh" and so on. He grabbed an O and told me the name of it and explained that it was like a circle. Then he took a U and told me the name of that! Finally, as I got up to get the muffins out and test them, he continued chattering at my knees. When I tuned back in, he was telling me that the word "duck" started with the "duh" sound and so must be a D word too! He figured this out. I'm so prou...

Good news: We do not have mice in our garage as we previously feared. Bad news: We have rats. Good news: I love my children and being around them. Bad news: We let go of our childcare in San Marcos and I am now without any type of help whatsoever. Good news: Sam's test results came back normal. Bad news: His second weigh in showed no weight gain at all, despite stuffing him with nurtritious, fat filled food. Good news: Sam no longer has pink eye and neither do I. Bad news: Davis scratched his eye ball at the park on Sunday and now has a blazing red eye. Good news: Sam is walking like a pro now. Bad news: Sam is getting into everything like a pro now. (How will I get any packing done?!?!) P.S. I miss Katie.

Well, I have had no time to post this week because Michael and I have been working so hard trying to get everything chosen and ordered for the new house. We've been through probably 10 revisions of our hardware spreadsheet. It's getting exciting. We hope to move by the end of February but we shall see. We are so lucky to be getting the chance to move onto such a beautiful property. We are really happy with this choice. But first I have to deal with a mountain of stress and frustration involving the payment for childcare I cannot use, the lack of childcare I can currently use, the loss of my best friend due to a move, our dwindling savings account, packing and lining up the move and showing and selling our current house. Ack! Must focus on beautiful children, fantastic husband, good sex, supportive family, and incredible future dream home on a riverfront ranch. Ah, I already feel better. P.S. 2008 Travel was pipe dream. But count me in for 2009! Love, Amber