Whew!

I need to take and post some pictures, but here's a quick recap of the projects we've started and/or finished since closing escrow three weeks ago:

ripped out carpets downstairs and put in lovely new laminate wood flooring

painted Ruth's room

painted Alden's room

painted their bathroom and put up wall decals

started painting the downstairs baths

hung a shelf in the laundry room

weeded and planted flowers in the front yard (work in progress)

hung blinds and roller shades in four rooms

made curtains for  the playroom (out of an old shower curtain!)

hung up a valance in the kitchen (with thumbtacks, how classy)

unpacked a zillion boxes

arranged and rearranged furniture

I still have a mile long list of things to do, notably more painting and yard work.  This home ownership business is very exciting, every little project is enjoyable and makes me smile when i walk through the door.  I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune in a few months, but for now we are enjoying life!

We got the keys!

Finally, at 5:30 PM yesterday, we got the keys!!!!

I immediately started painting, the colors we've chosen are amazing and I'm very happy.  The kids' bathroom is a bright yellow, Alden's room is sapphire blue.  I haven't started the other rooms yet, painting with two three year olds is just as hard as it sounds.  I ended up going back over to the house after we put them to bed, I was there until 11:45 painting away.  Aldens' room is a little dark, so I think we might lighten it up with a lighter blue stripe at some point.  Or maybe three stripes of varying width....Roo's room will be a medium pink color with beadboard wainscoting on the bottom 36" and a nice chair rail/molding on top of that.  

The carpet cleaners are coming today at 11, the oven is being delivered tomorrow.  We hope to knock out a chunk of the flooring job today, at least the kitchen so we don't have to move the stove and fridge out later.  

An FYI prompted by HGTV

In anticipation for our move, I've been watching way too much HGTV.  I am being driven nutso by the buyers who enter a home and immediately say "oh I wanted granite countertops and stainless steel appliances".  The kitchen could be beautifully remodeled but people still want their granite and SS.  NEWSFLASH:  Granite and stainless steel will not make your food taste better and cook itself.  Stainless is going to be the Avocado Green and Harvest Gold of the millenium generation.  Now, my kitchen does have stainless steel appliances but that's only b/c the microwave and dishwasher were already there when we bought it and we want them to match.  I wouldn't rip out a perfectly good appliance just for the sake of having stainless.  Oy.   Time to step away from the HGTV On Demand channel.

The list is getting smaller

I have managed to cross quite a few items off of my to-do list!  We get the keys on Tuesday, the stove is being delivered Thursday, and I pick up the truck on Friday.  I'm hoping to knock out the flooring and some of the painting by the time we get the truck and start moving furniture.

Today I:

got more boxes

bought cleaning supplies and gloves for the new house

bought a shower curtain and hooks for the kids' bath

booked the moving truck

picked up a few assorted tools for painting and ripping up the carpet

When we got the Budget office,  Ruthie said "how we get the big truck outta da store?"  

I'm about to have a throwdown with Sears!!!!

We bought a range yesterday, I was pretty stoked to find out they were having a 20% off sale on Kenmore brand appliances.  I just went to their website so I could post a picture here, and I find that tonight from 6-9PM they are having AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF THE EXACT SAME FREAKING STOVE WE JUST BOUGHT!  You bet your sweet Aunt Betsy I'm going to be there at 6:01PM to ask for an additional 10% off.  I'm so irritated, that's $100 that we could really use for the multitude of other things we need to buy.  When we were there yesterday I saw the signs advertising a VIP After Hours sale (open to the public) but didn't realize it was an additional 10% off the very appliance we purchased.  It would've been swell if the salesman had mentioned that little tidbit.  If they won't refund us the 10% I'm going to cancel the order and head over to Lowe's.  I'd be happy with a gift card for the difference, but cash would be great too.

The signing begins

This house stuff is getting scary, my to-do list is a mile long and growing by the minute!  Yesterday I got to sign a huge stack of paperwork and make arrangements to hand over Ruthie.  It was either my first born or an arm and a leg, I figure the bank will give her back once they realize her motor never stops running.  Right?  

Closing is still set for 3/31, we have to be out of our rental by 4/11.  Hopefully we'll be able to finish at least a few projects before moving.  Painting is a definite must, the walls are in bad shape, the bank patched and painted over dings and holes, but the paint is FARRRR from a color match!  Ick.  Flooring would be great too, we are going to install laminate wood in the kitchen/living room/dining room area.  

So here's my current list, just in case anyone wants to volunteer to do all of this for me (just kidding, I'm just trying to stay organized)!  This doesn't even begin to include all of the things we have as longer-term projects (landscaping, kitchen updating)

-schedule moving truck

-pack

-purge junk

-schedule steam cleaning for upstairs carpets and stairs at new house

-pick out range

-pick out fridge

-ceiling fans (these could wait but summer will here soon and the bedrooms will be toasty upstairs)

-garage door opener (buy and install)

-set up PGE/water/garbage at new house and cancel old service

-change address with half the world (at least it seems like it)

-buy a real phone (we'll have a landline again!)

-buy a new bed (the one we have now belongs w/our rental)

-figure out window coverings (I know nothing about curtains/blinds/etc)

-stop feeling sad that the kids aren't going to share a room anymore

-clean up our rental so we hopefully get all of our deposit back

-plan the twins' birthday party 

-prepare for our Disneyland trip 

Twin love

Nick is cutting Ruth and Alden's nails while they draw.  

Alden:  "Hold my hand Roof."

Ruth:  "Be ray-ally ray-ally gentle da-ta."

Alden:  "Be soft."

Ruth:  "See, it's not too bad."

Alden:  "No, not too bad."

Both:  "See? All done!"

Alden:  "Can I trim your nails dada?"