Moving on

We have yet to find a house, but the boys are doing so well in school I am not so pressed to move. I should say Riley is blossoming at school. Nothing does a heart better for confidence than a perfect report card. He has friends and tells me all sorts of fun things that happen to him at school. I dread moving him. Trevor will bounce. We are even thinking of having him repeat eighth grade. Trevor is not thrilled, but we can play it up that it will be easier for him to enter high school with friends from middle school. We'll figure that out as we go. He is young for his class. His concern is he is so big. But as an eighth grader there are other big kids. It will give him an advantage on the football field.

I have Tom all Wednesday. We are going house looking. We have to get something. He has rented an apartment from a friend, as he starts work in a week. The drive was too far a commute to his new office. He needed an address in Washington for his new business. We did not get either of the houses we wanted in our old neighborhood. Tom was disappointed as was I. The dive was almost a relief not to get as we would have fought over every step of the tear down and remodel. That would have been a real project.

The move in ready sold for almost asking price. $30,000 more than I wanted to pay. Tom thought I was cheap not to just buy it as he felt it was worth it. I am trying to stay in a budget. There are other houses. Its a compromise not to be in our old neighborhood. But if we can get the deal I want, who is to say we can't buy in our old neighborhood later down the road after Tom's business takes off and we can breath easy again. We showed the house last weekend.

Our realtor called to tell us the mortgage company wants to set the price at $289,000. I laughed. That is not a short sale price. It is more than we originally listed it for when we were not a short sale. It hasn't sold at $259,000, the price we thought they would like. Why they think asking more is going to get it sold I have no idea. I am not concerned about moving before June. The mortgage company doesn't mind, so neither will I. I can tell you we are doing our best. The house is clean and tidy for the showings. We are putting our best foot forward. With a house right in front of us abandoned and listed at $259,000, it is out of our hands. If the bank wants to try and get us $289,000, which is not a short sale and would save our credit history, let them try. But any doubts are gone that the banks got us into this mess with their eyes wide open. There is no guilt left. We truly tried to work with them and are continuing to try, but I wont be sorry to leave this financial mess behind us, even with a potential 100 point hit on our credit. We have been for sale since the beginning of March with no offers and four showing, and a dozen Realtors at an open house. Now the bank wants to raise the price.

I am off to work. I let them know that we would be leaving and to start finding a replacement. I will miss my job dreadfully. It just fit so well into my life with the flexibility and helping people. It made me feel useful again. I loved the pay check too. Tom wants me to find a career in Longview. I haven't decided what I will do yet. I am a people person and a great salesman. We will see what comes up for me.

PS Trevor was home vomiting Sunday. I never know if he is really sick or playing me until he really starts puking. He stayed home from school Monday. But this time his dad was home. As soon as Trevor showed signs of feeling better, Tom made him do chores. I just ban TV when the kids are sick. Too sick to go to school, too sick to watch TV. Tom thinks that banning TV is too severe a punishment for a sick child. I have been meaning to ask Trevor which he preferred, no TV or doing chores at the first sign of feeling better. He hinted at the no TV being better, but his Dad was standing there.

I loved coming home to dinner last night. Pork chops in mushroom sauce, canned green beans, and rice a roni. It was lovely. We all sat at the dinner table. Tom did take the end that faced the TV, but I just enjoyed the five minute camaraderie of everyone being at the table for dinner for once. I sat at the spot that kept my back to the TV. It didn't take long to eat. Trevor stuck with the rice only. His appetite was down from vomiting. We could tell he was on the mend. He ate ever bit of rice. He just wasn't ready for meat yet. Our advice is always to chew well and eat soft foods that come up easily when you have the vomit bug.

We thought Trevor might be allergic to something the way he was sick on Sunday. His face was brightly flushed and he complained of tingling in his toes and fingers. We watched him carefully, but what ever set him off he had definitely flushed from his system one way or the other. We called the doctor in the evening, who recommended flat Coke to settle his stomach. Tom went to the store to buy a can. he mixed in laxatives when he gave it to Trevor, thinking this bug was like Riley's and perhaps he needed laxatives. Trevor puked again. But that was the last time. He woke in the morning feeling tired and sore, which is why he stayed home from school. Tom wondered why Trevor's eyes were red and bloodshot when I got home from work. I told him it was from watching TV when he should have been resting. That went over as you can expect. I didn't offer any more thoughts, but set the example by going to bed early and getting a good nights sleep.