Hmmm....

Well, finally all the mortgage stuff has gone through. We can sign the documents tomorrow hopefully and then it moves onto the lawyers. We are hoping for an Aug. 22nd closing but there is a possibility that they wont be able to get it done that quickly. We really are pushing them. I feel like I am on the phone all day. Real estate agent, mortgage broker, lawyer. Wehn I'm done with them, then it is the utility companies. I am getting so tired and overwhelmed. I guess phone work isn't that hard, and we aren't rushed to move in so I don't have too much work to do except talk on the phone all day.
But it still stinks. Preston is working 12 hour days right now and Saturdays so he is barely around either. It is just crazy busy and I'm ready for it to be all over. It's nice that this baby is still inside but it may be helpful for Preston to have a reason to have a couple days off...and I'd rather have her out of me.
Anyways, we are just doing our thing. The kids are in swimming lessons right now and loving it. I think it will put Clayton in Karate and Kayla in dance for September. Thats if we can afford it. I'm a little worried about carrying 2 houses even though 1 is being covered by renters. So much going on. Ugh.

I want a tv

I would rather be rlaxing and watching tv right now but Preston is in one room watching football, and my mom is in the other room and I just don't feel like socializing right now. So I'm here, doing some one way socializing:) I don't think I could get any more impatient and grumpy for this baby to come out. I am sooo not ready for her, but I still want her out. I'm tired of not being able to breathe when I lie down because there is just no room left in there for air. I also HATE all the kicks in the gut, especially near the top/ribs...so uncomfortable. I have to groan everytime I bend down and let air out so I can actually bend. Right now, I feel like I have to pee again, as she is kicking me in the bladder, again. Yup, this can be done.
Anyways, we did buy a house. It is on the west side of Kitchener. I am exicted now, but I had really wanted to stay where we were becuase I hate too much change and Clayton liked his school. I know I am worrying for nothing becuase he will adjust fine. I just have to drive Kayla to pre-school Tues/Thurs. and it wont be close anymore. It was a great deal as the house had been on the market for 90 days and it is a fixer-upper. The lady was getting impatient(we were told after) so she took our crummy offer...which is great for us! Really, it just needs a lot of paint and a new roof. Most of it is just cosmetic so thats great. It is worth atleast $60,000. more than we paid for it and we are really hoping that it does pay off in the end. This is just a temp. home for us (temp could potentially be 2-3 years)atleast that is how we see it. A lot of our things are still in Calgary so we went garage saling today to get some cheap dishes and stuff. Got a pretty good haul:)
Anyways, still getting kicked and now my back is sore from trying to sit up straight so I'm gonna go walk around the house. I'm just a bundle of joy, aren't I?

HOuse Hunting

o.k., suddenly on Tuesday we decided to start looking for a house. We realized we can't live here anymore. Too many different agendas. Last night we put in an offer on a house. We lowballed, but not too much so we will see if they even consider it. I am sooo impatient. The owners are camping and didn't check in with their realtor last night, which stinks. We have another property in mind that I like the location better It is really close to where we are right now and I can still walk to EVERYTHING so if this one we bidded on doesn't work out, we will bid on that one. I hope one of them works out becuase I find this whole process soooooo stressful and since we have decided to move out of my moms place, I have been so excited to just MOVE! Slept poorly last night and now I just sit and wait......(to hear from my realtor)

Mrs. Negative

I feel like I've been saying a lot of negative things lately. Well, it's not gonna change! I'm kidding, but I have been kinda down in the dumps. I can't tell if it is pregnancy or my living situation but my patients is thin, if even there. I'm not even smiley and polite to cashiers anymore. I am very blunt, and pretty snarky to my family. And if you are a telemarketer or a door to door salesman...watch out. I will tell you how I feel about your product! This is me, and I don't see it changing by tomorrow. Some people like pregnancy, but I don't...and I think it is getting to me. I'm quite sure this is the last. And I can't believe I am doing it in my family's house. It's crowded, smelly, and I have to compete to be the top snarky brat. It's too much. But Tuesday we are in the apartment, so a little more privacy. I'm curious to see how gross the kitchen gets when I'm not in it anymore. I'm better than yesterday. I was reading a book off and on, and I think it was getting to me. It's about a girl whos goal is to be better than her rich 'I don't need to do anything - everything gets given to me' friend. She stalks her and even has a baby just to ahve something first(and then she pays no attention to her child. I though I was enjoying the book, but I was so depressed at the end of the day, I decided I wouldn't read it at all today and I feel much better. So, I will toss it. Well, my happy blog. Just wanted to let anyone know that if I say something rude, it can't be helped. It's a part of me for now....

SAHM money making schemes

Every stay at home mom would would love to find a way to bring a small income in from home. That is why I am suckered into buying a thousand useless items from Pampered Chef, candle parties, scrabooking stuffs from friends. (I'm not complaining really, I find those parties a great opportunity to get together and chat and take a load off) Well, my husband wants me to find a way to make money from home. I've found a couple ways to start out, but I find I am embarassed to talk about it because these are not new ideas. SAHMs have been trying to make money selling crummy little homemade items for years. What makes me think I will be successful. Well, my first thought was Ebay. I could give it a try and it would cost me no money. Preston has acquired some electrical items that are worth money and I have some kitchen items. So far, going great. We sold our first item and I'm shipping it out today. My concern is that we sold it for $50 plus shipping (we will make a little on the shipping too) which is fine becuase the item cost us no money, but it is still way under it's market value. How do people keep acquiring stuff for so cheap that they can afford to sell it on Ebay. I'd have to get free stuff all the time! I can see what fuels theft with things like Ebay around.
Anyways, I don't see this lasting. So, my next idea is teacher gifts and other small treats. Yah, original, I know. But I got some awesome ideas from Jen Sellars (in my ward) and we are going to do it together. I've started making samples and we will take pics and make a pamphlet and maybe from there just start advertising locally, taking sample gift baskets to corporations and going from there. Unfortunately there is a small start up cost becuase you have to buy the cutel little cello bags(so many different shapes and sizes) and ribbon and the expensive Callebaut chocolate. We'll make chocolate covered marshmellows, licorice and pretzels...and wrapping is everything. Jen does this sooo much and she is very good at it. I'm willing and not afriad to market so hopefully we will make a good team. and if it doesn't work, we ddin't put too much money into it, we've got presents for the people we visit teach for months and some yummy treats to eat ourselves! Anyways, that has consumed my last several days. I'll keep you posted.

Buttermilk Cornbread

So I had a request for the buttermilk cornbread recipe. It is a simple cornbread recipe, nothing special, but it's nice to find a good standard recipe which I feel this one is. I've made it twice in the past 2 days and it keeps getting eaten so it must be good. Next, I am going to progress to the mexican cornbread, which I've had before and love, but have never tried. You put chilis and corn in it or something. If you have a recipe, let me know.

1/4 lb butter - this is the dumbest measurement ever. I like cups or ml. but pounds? I think it is about 1/2 cup but you may actually know.
Anyways, melt it in a pot and stir in
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk (combined with 1/2 tsp bk soda)
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt

pour into pan 8x8 or 9x9 and bake 30 minutes(ish)at 375.

Yum.

Fried chicken

I made fried check for the first time last night. It was actually pretty good. When I say 'fried chicken' I mean a pot full of oil and the the chicken fried in it. I would do it again. I didn't like the flour rolled ones as much, but I just sprinkled a lot of pepper, salt, garilc and even cayenne on the chicken and put it in the oil for 10-15 minutes. Dark meat. Quite good. Try it. Now that the kitchen is cleaner, I will try more recipes. I also made buttermilk cornbread. It was a good recipe too. If you want them let me know. I've made cornbread that is really gritty...this one was good!