Productivity and lots of mouth happenings

The last couple weeks have been super busy and productive here in the Daniel House. I have accepted the fact that I am moving, and am now packing.

I HATE packing, but have managed to box up a huge amount on non essentials and now have to side step boxes in every room so I guess that is progress although a tripping hazard and sorta makes a middle of the night trip anywhere in the house dangerous I suppose a good step. I finally picked a moving company and wow those guys are tenacious in trying to get your business. Went with Allied, a national mover with big trucks, and they are gonna pack some too....which I am really grateful for, since 2 days ago while I WAS packing Reid and Dale were occupying themselves wrestling and Reid bit thru his tongue....MOUTH 1:so I had a minor detour from packing to the urgent care....all is fine, tongue is fine, no stitches since it is in the middle and 2 days later you would not know it even happened....however point to story is kids with one occupied parent is not the best idea. So yea for packers....

... phone rings it is the kids dentist...a cancellation happened with their IV sedation appointments which is where we are at to have dental work for Macy since we have tried numerous times over the past year and she cannot cooperate and keep her tongue out of the way and not bite them...so we have to fully sedate her.....of course the most expensive option but a dentist I know and trust and I have seen firsthand the numerous failures....so I take the appointment and have to schedule a medial clearance from the pediatrician....ok they got me in the same day....all is working out well and now my Friday morning is booked at the dentist for her....MOUTH 2....and have to have Dale with me to watch her on the way home since they want 2 adults but my 7 and 9 yr olds will have to do as an adult.

...Mouth 3:.... Dale lost his retainer AGAIN....recap he lost it 2 times on day one..once in the yard playing catch, then at preschool graduation in a napkin, then Friday at the movies he left it on the seat. I call and low in behold they found it, we hop in the car go get the retainer and I am telling him over and over how lucky he is....fully aware it is not sinking in. Saturday we drive to Austin and back and as Duke and I are cleaning out the truck we find the retainer AGAIN. So we decide to hold on to it.....7 hours and 2 meals later he remembers....we let him fret and then give it back with a punishment. Monday we visit the urgent care, come home they eat lunch, and again 8 hours later he realizes he does not have it.....I have 3 large bags of trash that I have accumulated over the day of packing, and a car FULL of goodwill and he thinks it is in the trash, then the car. I bring in the trash from the curb that was to go out Tuesday morning and we dig....and dig....search the house.....I yell....we dig...we search....we take a break I open the fridge and FIND the retainer next to his tray of sushi! AHHHH found and hopefully a lesson learned as I was going to sell the ps3 to help pay for a new retainer.

CLOUD MOUTH: Final bit of fun is we had a HUGE crazy storm last Wednesday night....and we lost shingles off the roof....not a ton but enough to see a large section on felt paper, we see it on Saturday....so Duke from Mcallen called a roofer Monday who was to come on Tuesday and guess when it starts to rain....Tuesday, and is still raining today....nice so I am up in the attic numerous times a day looking for dripping water and if I had a way to get on the roof to put down a tarp you know I would but even our extension ladder is not tall enough....and a wet roof is not the place I wanna be in rain. So here's praying the felt paper holds water tight for a bit longer!

ROARING MOUTHS: Final bit of news is we have passed on the heritage of the Lions to the Corner Shoppe in Austin, TX. It is this cool eccentric hole in the wall place in Austin we love with everything bizarre and taxidermy....defiantly keeping Austin weird. We stop in a couple of Saturdays ago on our trip back from visiting Troy, Carolyn , Emory, and Sam and I randomly ask "Do you ever buy other people stuff?" "All the time!" was the response and we took a card and a few pics later had a come see from the owner. SO a couple of LONG hot afternoons of digging, looking, loading, unloading, unpacking, repacking.....he ended up taking the majority of the lion stuff and we kept the sentimental things Duke wanted and what ever we liked and also got in trade a Shoulder mount longhorn, raccoon eating cracker jacks, and an antelope of some kind....so all in all fantastic that others will be allowed to purchase and enjoy the items and we got something we wanted too.

......So I got that going for me which is nice!..........

what....What.....WHAT!!

This was my response when Duke calls to say "you wanna move to Mcallen?" He was sought out by a company to take over running the Mcallen division. SO in very fast motions we got my parents to watch the kids and made plans to drive to Mcallen and look around. I had visions of barren desert and illegals running around. To my surprise it was not like that at all....it was actually very much like the area I currently live in so quite livable. Also, our lifestyle is pretty re-creatable.... kids sports, work, movies, and dinner out....big change is leaving all the friends and comfort zone of what I have known for the last 9 years. So it is with a heavy heart we are moving.

We got the house appraised and its value was good so the plan is to move us out, re-paint, clean, repair and list for a under appraisal and hope for quick movement. I would rather have a little less profit and peace of mind that it is no longer a headache than more later.... bird in hand worth 2 in nest thing I guess.

So the kids have to leave their teams, I have to leave the cheer director job as well as the day care that has become somewhat of extended family. This will all be sad but hopefully the right move. At church the Sunday after we visited Mcallen the pastor said " If you change nothing in 5 years you will be in the same place" which spoke volumes and although out of context spoke to both Duke and I. You can never hit a home run if you are not swinging.

We are going through the house and cleaning out unused items and hauling them to goodwill and the dumpster and if NOTHING else will be some amazing spring cleaning. Also we are going through the lion stuff we have inherited and Duke is very sentimental and I am not....so that will be interesting to say the least but he had forgotten the massive amount of stuff packed away in boxes and just HOW MUCH there is.

In more normal news Dale got a retainer and lost it 2 times the first day, once in the yard and again at Macys preschool graduation when he wrapped it in a napkin and set it down....Reid picked it up (love that kid) and I instructed Dale it is better to leave it on a table 100% exposed with the gross factor rather than wrap it up b/c no one will toss/ touch a retainer but tons of people will toss a wadded up napkin. Then last Thursday he chewed a prong off and after today's unnecessary visit to get a new mold is wearing the prong less retainer since there was no structural damage. And yes I know he WILL loose the retainer at some point and even though I know that I will still want to strangle him when it happens.

We also met up with my folks and brother for Mothers Day and here is my sweet nephew and my kids. He is so funny he was all about boats and bepaw and macy and dale that day.

We visited the Alamo after 9 years of living in San Antonio we figured we should see it before we move so we took an afternoon and discovered down town SA....and my kids loved it as we usually do not venture there.

I have a picture in this same log as a kid

Macy graduated Pre-school and is all ready for Kinder...her ceremony was funny and with all the important expected elements including pomp and circumstance, she wants to be a singer and a fashion designer, and a mom. We celebrated with cupcakes and punch and the easter bunnies favorite restaurant ....ihop.

We finished up our football season and not to brag but the boys did awesome....and have turned into some great players...I truly love to watch them play ball it makes me shine inside. I lost count of the touchdowns run and the stellar tackles made. Macy cheered a little but really just wanted to do stunts...and now wants to do gymnastics just like mom. She is all healed from the tonsils and was given a clean bill of health so 100 % activity it ok again.

The end of school is in sight and Dale still has straight A's and did amazing on the TAKS test he was commended on both tests and on math missed none! He obviously has Dukes brain and my athletic skill! Reid is finishing 1st grade and is reading better every day ... pretty soon we will be prep-ing for college!

My puppy Bevo is amazing and super smart and although needed to be told who was the Alpha (me) he is so eager to please me ...potties on command, keeps crate dry all night....and so stinking cute. But he is at pup training for another 7 days to get super smart. Hopefully the kids will be able to interact with him easier....since he sees them as rough playmates and they have not given him any reason to NOT too. Also we will rent for a year in Mcallen and a well trained dog is easier to sell to landlords, however my peace of mind that a 500 dollar deposit is all I am out IF he did destroy something is pretty nice but obviously not my goal...since it is my stuff in the house as well. It is funny that I was the one who was hesitant to get another dog as Annie was amazing and irreplaceable but I have fallen in love with this dog and he is all mine.

So Duke leaves this Thursday and then down again Sunday for the week from then until we move....take about HUGE change about to happen and when I should be doing something I sit here an type. It is easier than tackling a task and actually we were pretty productive this weekend....although no laundry was washed and no groceries purchased but we have dinner plans tonight and clothes for tomorrow so those sound like issues for another day right! I Agree!

However I am at the end of my thoughts so I will sign off but I am so Proud of Duke that in a still faltering economy he has proven to be a commodity in his industry. He truly is an amazing father, husband, and provider....wow that was all sweet and heart felt and it is not even fathers day! see ya....until the packing drives me nuts