Buyer Beware

Our house is officially up for sale. You can see the listing here: http://www.utahrealestate.com/951682. We have had a few showings and are receiving positive feedback from agents so far- good news.

Last weekend Ian and I started searching for our next home. We are looking for something larger with a larger yard and ideally in the same area we are in now. On Saturday our real estate agent took us out and showed us 8 homes that we were interested in. We learned very quickly that you can't judge a house by it's listing. Real estate agents are expert spin doctors. They can make an ugly kitchen appear charming and can construct a "truthful" sentence about the deplorable condition the bathroom is in that leaves you unaware that an outhouse would be preferable to the indoor facilities.

Here are a few red flags that we have picked up on:

• "Needs a little TLC, but great potential" Translation: I hope you have somewhere else to stay while you work day and night to make this house livable.
• "Kitchen updated in the 80's" Translation: The only remodeling worth mentioning happened over 20 years ago.
• "Great as an investment" Translation: This house is one broken pipe from being condemned. Good luck. If you survive the remodel you might be able to break even by re-selling it.
• "Occupy existing structure or build new" Translation: "Structure" can mean so many things, why do you judge?

This is a stressful but fun and meaningful time in our lives. Wish us luck as we sell our house and search for our next dream home.

Morning Hysteria

Attempting to eat breakfast while simultaneously keeping Aven's hands out of my cereal bowl and trying to entertain her.

Some mornings are easier than others. The ones I prefer go like this: I wake up at 5:20, get ready, and eat breakfast all while Aven stays in dreamland. I wake Aven up around 6:15, dress her, and nurse her and then head off to daycare/ work.

Mornings that don't go so smoothly start with Aven waking up wanting to nurse at 5 a.m. and then not going back to sleep (isn't it time to play, Mom?). Everything usually goes okay until Ian leaves for work at 6:10 (forty minutes before I leave). Forty minutes can be a long and difficult journey with a baby who woke up too early and is growing fussier by the minute. She doesn't want to play in her jumper, eat a cookie, or be put on the floor with toys so I am forced to improvise. While I try to get a few bites of breakfast I set her on the table and put on i-tunes visualizer which captivates her for about 2 minutes before she starts complaining again. I put on her favorite song (Viva La Gloria by Green Day) and sing along while I try to get my lunch packed, shoes on, and all the stuff I take with me every day ready to go. And trust me when I say that I get everything ready, that I possibly can, before going to bed each night. It often feels like I am doing some sort of hysterical, ridiculous dance (similar to the one Elaine did on Seinfeld) that I just can't quite get control of.

I understand that millions of people go through something similar every day, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart. I maintain that being a mother is an extreme sport.

Spring

I found this picture that I took at Red Butte Garden last year and I decided that I am ready for spring. Bring on the warm weather and longer days- I think I can handle it.

Big Decision Time

This April will mark the 5th year of owning our home. Back in 2005 we said that we would only be living here 3 years max and then upgrade to something bigger. We kept putting it off of course until suddenly we had another little human living in the house. She's just starting to get more mobile and we know that our little house just isn't going to do us for much longer. With that in mind we met with a Realtor today to discuss what we should do if we plan on selling. It's a big step deciding to sell a house. I've put my blood sweat and even some tears into this house. Making it nice and cozy inside. Part of me dreads the unknown home improvements I'll have to make on a new house. Especially since we really like living in one of the older parts of town. But another part of me looks forward to a new home with a larger yard for Aven and Grace to play in.

The biggest issue right now is that apparently March and April are the best times to list a house and as it's currently March 1st, we need to decide soon if we are going to do it. I really don't like rushing into big decisions. Even if spontaneous decision usually work out for me, it's still scary to do this quickly.

So what do you all think? Should we go for it? Is it a good time to sell? And who want's to help us move if we do? I promise pizza a beer for all. :)