The Hunt

As it turns out, house hunting isn't nearly as fun or easy as I thought it would be - especially on a tight timeline in a sellers' market.  In the scheme of things, our saga hasn't been too bad, but it has been emotionally trying, full of highs and lows.  We just went into this really believing we'd have plenty of time to look around before our house sold, so the quick sale, although wonderful, threw us for a loop!

A few weeks back, we made an offer on a house we really loved.  We were super excited until we had a very disappointing inspection.  We had expected that the house, which was built in '87, would need some work and updates, but the list of "deficient" items in this particular house was overwhelming.  We weren't ready to give it up, though, so we chose a few key items and asked the sellers to fix them.  We were pretty upset when, a few days later, the sellers said they wouldn't fix anything.  Not a single item.  Frankly, we were shocked, and so was our realtor.  I expected them to at least try to meet us halfway, given that we'd still need to put money into the house once it was ours.  Anyway, we had to walk away.  (And now we are so glad we did.)

We were back on the hunt feeling frustrated and in a pinch.  But we kept perusing the listings, expanded our search outside of our initial boundaries, and took an afternoon off of work to see a bunch of places.  After narrowing it down to two houses, we came home to make pro and con lists, knowing we'd have to make a decision about an offer quickly, given the market.  After some good discussion and reminding ourselves about what we were really looking for in the first place, we decided to move forward on a home in the heart of Plano.  Our offer was accepted, but I was hesitant to get attached until after the inspection.  The wait felt like it took forever, but we were thrilled to find out that the current owners have taken great care of the house, even recently replacing the roof, AC, water heater, attic insulation, and other key items - such a contrast to the inspection on the first house.

So the house is ours!  It was built in '89, and is situated in a nice neighborhood with old trees.  It has a big, flat driveway for the basketball hoop Steve has wanted for years, and is just a block from a large park and the elementary school the girls will attend.  We made a compromise on number of bathrooms, and the interior needs a handful of easy cosmetic updates (lots of brass fixtures that will have to go as well as some carpeted areas that we'd like to replace with wood eventually).  But we felt like the layout and space would be perfect for our family, and we just couldn't say no to this little gem in the backyard:

And behind that fence?  Not houses!  A biking/running path that spans the length of the city.

It's time for all of you who tell me it's too hot to visit in the summer to give up the excuses; I'm offering poolside accommodations, and I'll even provide the refreshing beverages.  So book your flights ... who is coming to Plano, Texas?!?

Dance Recital

This was Sara as we pulled out of the driveway ...

This was Sara as we pulled into the recital venue ...

She used a lot of energy being super excited all day! Luckily, she woke up and was ready to dance.  As always, we were so proud of our girl.

ballet

tap

finale

 

Quick Catch-Up

Late last week, we made an offer on a house, and it was accepted.  Early this week, the inspection report came back incredibly disappointing.  We're still waiting to hear whether the sellers are willing to make the fixes we've requested, but we are considering walking away altogether.  In the meantime, all that's left to do for our current house is close (oh, and pack...).  We're definitely feeling the pressure to find a place, but we want the right place.

Also this week, Emma started clapping and seriously working on a crawl.  She also started spitting out her food, which she thinks is hysterical.  When I put a spoonful of food in her mouth, she blows out, and it goes everywhere.  Then she smiles, giggles, or claps ... or all three.  Geez. 

Sara's dance recital is later this afternoon.  She is especially excited that she gets to wear purple and that both her ballet and tap routines are to songs from Tangled.  Here she is with some of her dance friends at last week's dress rehearsal.

Last night we had open house at the girls' school.  They offered a hot dog dinner and lots of entertainment.  Sara would have stayed all night in the bounce houses if we had let her.  The teachers made really nice "yearbooks" for each of the girls, which I'm thankful to have (especially for Emma, given my lack of documentation of her first year compared to Sara's).  Depending on where we find a house, we may be able to keep the girls in their same school.  That would mean Sara could take swimming lessons there this summer and be part of the private Pre-K prep next year, both of which would be beneficial for her.  We'll see what happens.

Finally, The Office ended this week.  This is the third show that I've watched in its entirety - series premier to series finale (the other two were Dawson's Creek and Desperate Housewives).  Steve and I have loved The Office, and now we are show-less.  The finale was great ... definitely gave me the cry ball.  We'll miss this show and its quirkiness.

Have a good weekend!

A New Chapter

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned having a new job opportunity for next school year.  After lots of soul-searching and drafting of pro/con lists, I've decided to make a move to elementary school.  When I began my career, I never fathomed I would be the least bit interested in elementary (in fact, my initial teaching certification covered grades 7-12), but I'm now ready for a big change.  It was confirmed for me in mid-March that I'd be able to make the move, but my final decision became incredibly difficult when, just a couple of weeks ago, I was approached about staying in middle school for a potential principal job.  I was tempted, and wavered for a bit, but ultimately decided to stick with my initial plan of testing the waters at elementary.  I feel it's time for me to broaden my scope, and I will have the best opportunity to try another level be staying in my current assistant principal role.

I had been considering elementary school for a number of reasons.  First, of course, is my family.  Eliminating many of my evenings away from home (which can sometimes turn into multiple nights a week) is so important to me.  I love my work very much, but I can't ever let it be more important than the people I love at home.  Second, I have a lot of career left, and down the road, I want to have opportunities available to me.  I feel that by having a more well-rounded experience, I'll perhaps open more doors for myself in the future.  So many important things happen in elementary school that don't always happen by the time kids are in middle school: there is a lot more identification of special needs, there are bilingual programs, and parent communication goes far beyond just calling when there is a problem.  The curriculum and testing is as intense as it is in middle school and beyond, but it's different, and I want to learn it.  Part of what I love about being an administrator is spending time in classrooms, working with teachers, knowing and understanding the curriculum across the contents, and I'm excited about the challenge of doing these things at a new level.

I told my current staff last week that I won't be returning next school year.  It was a difficult announcement to make, especially because I was looking at many tear-stained faces.  A large number of us opened our building together, and as I told the staff, I don't believe there is an experience that can replicate that kind of closeness and commitment.  I remember working on the master schedule for our first year in a construction trailer!  Having had the experience of opening a building, starting from scratch, will forever be a defining piece of my career.  We have had a difficult year; morale has been low after some big changes that have taken place.  After my announcement last week, one teacher told me, in tears, "You are our anchor."  My point here is not that I'm wonderful or amazing or worthy of such praise; but as I told my sister, cliche as it sounds, I really do believe I've found my calling.

As I prepare to leave middle school (at least for the immediate future), I can't help thinking about all the things I'll miss.  Middle school kids are a totally unique breed.  They are funny, self-conscious, awkward, kind, eager to be grown up, yet needy of support and encouragement.  They are forward-thinking, and see past all of the things that get in the way for so many of us as adults, and there is nothing like watching them become thoughtful and inspiring people.  They are the best blend of young adult and kid, and I love them so much.  They enter 6th grade shy and quiet, and leave 8th grade with real visions of where life will take them.  I know this is magnified in high school.  And I know that I'll love the growth and development I'll get to watch and experience with the elementary students.  But I sure am going to miss middle school.

I'm lucky to have been assigned to an elementary school that is one of my current school's feeders.  This means that I'm already familiar with the community, and I know many of the families.  And luckily, I have a good reputation with them (somehow, the PTA moms decided that they like me, and whether you work in a school or not, I'm sure you know how powerful that can be).  I'm really looking forward to my new opportunity; I'm starting to feel stagnant in middle school, so it's a good time for me to take on something new.  Keep me in your thoughts as I embark on my new adventure.  I have a lot to learn, and that's exciting!

SOLD

 On a whim, we decided to put our house on the market.  We could use just a little more square footage, and we definitely want to be more centrally located.  After a whirlwind week of organizing, cleaning, and clearing clutter, our house went live mid-day last Friday.  About five hours later, we had a full-price offer.  We couldn't believe it!  Although I had been told by a number of people that our house would sell quickly, I figured it would at least be a couple of weeks.

What we thought would be the hard part of this process became the easy part. The hard part (which I thought would be easy) was finding a new home for our girls to grow in.  Although we had been perusing listings, we had to get serious last Saturday and pick a few of our top contenders to go see in person.  At this point, we have visited many homes.  Going in, I knew that I was looking for a home built somewhere between the late 70s and early 90s in a well-established neighborhood with big trees and parks nearby.  Our criteria has been tweaked multiple times, and we've weighed just how much work we're willing to do in order to buy a house in our desired school district.

It struck me as we were looking that I haven't lived in a pre-owned home since I was five years old.  I know that sounds crazy!  With the exception of college and apartment living, I've lived in new construction homes for a very long time.  Our realtor pointed out that that was probably getting in the way of my being able to see past other peoples' junk and general wear & tear.  I really tried not to be one of those annoying people on House Hunters who picks apart everything, but I quickly realized the only way to find the right house for us meant being picky.  I want more space than we have now, but not too much space (I've learned that there is such a thing).  And I want a house that feels like a casual home we'd actually live in, not a gallery.  Bottom line: finding a new home for our family is a lot harder than I thought it would be!

Eight Months

Emma Grace is eight months old!

 

Look at that smile ... we love it.  And we love listening to her giggle and squeal with delight when she is happy or excited or watching her big sister do something silly.  Last night I was listening to the girls from another room, and all I could hear was Sara dancing/jumping around and Emma laughing uncontrollably.  Such joy. 

 

Emma is wearing size three diapers, but she's still in her 3-6 months clothes (she's been wearing the onesie with the heart on it since February).  Her eyes are still blue as they can be; all of her other features, though, are so similar to Sara's.  Emma is still a good eater, has become a good sleeper, is - unfortunately - headed to the ENT next week, and has a growing appreciation for Disney Junior.  She is happy and cheerful and cuddly ... I wish I could bottle up this age and revisit it again in the coming years. 

 

Love this sweet baby girl so much!