So I haven’t fallen off the face of the planet.  And I haven’t forgotten about this little blog.  And I haven’t been so sick I can’t type.  (Thank goodness!)  But I have been incredibly busy…in a good way.

A few weeks ago we went to visit my friends in Augusta and go to this arts and crafts fair near their home.  You’re probably not going to believe this, but I didn’t buy A SINGLE THING!!!!!!  There were so many cute thing to be bought, don’t get me wrong.  But my children have more clothes than they could ever possibly wear.  And I was skeptical to buy anything while we weren’t in a house.  I figured if I couldn’t carry it in a bag, I didn’t need it.  I don’t even have room right now to store my extra deodorant!!  For some reason I really like to stock up on deodorant…never want to be caught without that around, I guess!  Bad memories from band camps long ago when I asked what that smell was…and realized it was me!  Oh, well…point being:  It’s a bit cramped here in my parents house.

The weekend after that we went to IKEA.  My mom nor Marshall had even been before, so it was fun to show them.  There’s lots of cool furniture, interesting layouts and designs, a yummy cafe with my favorite Lingonberry juice, and…here’s the best part: SMÅLAND.  Smaland is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  Kids over a certain height who are potty trained(boy, we BARELY made that cut!) are allowed to be checked into Smaland while you shop.  I think there’s a 2 hour limit, but I’m not really sure.  Anyway, while you’re off oogling all the wares, your potty-trained preschooler is happily playing in a ball pit, climbing on the playground and watching a movie on what appears to be an oh-so-comfy platform covered in down pillows!  I wish I weren’t too big for Smaland!  (I barely missed that cut off, too, for you smart asses who were thinking that I was probably short enough to get in.)  Anyway, I do have to admit that as I walked away from Tucker who didn’t care one iota that we were leaving him, I almost teared up(it must be the pregnancy hormones!).  I know that I lamented quite a few times about wanting him potty trained, and how great it would be to have a “helper” when the new baby comes…but it was a moment, however small, that I realized that he’s really not a toddler anymore.  He’s a big boy.  A real big boy…who doesn’t need me around quite like I thought he would.  And, although I’m really glad that he isn’t the skiddish-type when it comes time for me to leave, it would have at least been nice if he’d said goodbye!  🙂  Oh, well…he had a good time, and we were able to shop without having to chase him all over the store.  We got most of the furniture I mentioned in my previous post about IKEA, although I didn’t get the sofa or chair.  I’m really picky about texture, and it just didn’t live up to my probably-too-high standards.  But we brought home quite a bit of stuff.  So much that we almost had to leave Marshall behind and make him take a Greyhound bus.  (Do people still travel on bus??)  And we have even more stuff slated to be delivered soon!  Yay!

After that we took ANOTHER little trip back to Augusta.  I had some stuff to do on the house there(it’s under contract now!!!!!!!), and there’s a big consignment sale there twice a year that I love, love, love.  I was lucky enough this year to find something my mom and I had been searching for high and low.  Emmie found this little vanity table and chair at the store the other day that she loved.  But it wasn’t really…well, it was plastic and it was cheap-looking and so I didn’t get it.  But my mom decided she’d like to try to find her one for Christmas.  Have you looked up the prices for little kid vanities lately????  You could buy a full-sized one for the price of a nice wooden one.  So, I’d kind of resigned myself to the fact that we’d be going the plastic route(which isn’t all bad, but I really wanted wood).  And then, as I walked into the toy room(a whole gym full of toys to be sold), there sat my once-lovely-now-quite-dirty treasure.  It was an adorable little vanity with sleek, curvy legs; an oval mirror and two little shelves for all your girly goodies; a working drawer; and an adorable seat to match.  I didn’t care that it was covered in stickers and the paint was worn off in more than a few areas.  It was PERFECT!  And I was SO excited.  I called my mom and she said to snap it up…since it was only(get this!) THIRTY DOLLARS!!!  Wow!  I couldn’t believe it!  And I’m glad I got it when I did, because a little bit later I overheard somebody saying, “Man, I guess somebody got that vanity.  I really wanted to look at that!”  Ha!  I got it!  And it’s dirty, but it’s mine.  And we’ll paint it up and it will start a new adventure in a new home.

Ah…nice transition there: new home.  New HOME!!!  I have to admit that Tucker’s pretty excited, but I am, too.  We were supposed to close on our house yesterday.  But, well…one thing led to another and we got delayed.  Grrr….  But it’s all taken care of now, and we are set to close at 10:30 this morning.  That’s only 2 hours away!  And I’m getting pretty darn excited.  We went to the store on Monday night and bought all the big necessities a family needs. You know, a washer, dryer, vacuum cleaner(we’ve had only hardwood for so long, we no longer had a vacuum cleaner!), and the true necessity: a TV.  I’ve never been one to care much about how big my TV is or how true-to-life the color is, or any of that other nit-picky stuff.  As long as I get to watch Patrick Dempsey on Grey’s Anatomy (which starts tonight), I’m good.   He looks good no matter the quality of the picture!  BUT…I am now quite taken by just how amazing the quality is when you combine a high-def TV with Blu-ray discs!  I’m telling you folks, it’s just amazing!  There’s no other word for it.  I’ve never seen anything with quite so much detail!  I’m sunk now…out with the old DVDs and in with the Blu-ray.  Now we just need to a) get a Blu-ray player and b) convince Netflix to carry blu-ray discs!

Anyway, instead of sitting here and blogging away…I should be getting showered and dressed.  I’ll make a short little post this afternoon to let you all know that the deal is done and that we’re signed, sealed, and delivered on the house!   Wish us luck!

No Responses to
  1. angelag
    September 25, 2008 | 10:14 am

    Glad to get an update from the Ivey family. FYI, Netflix does carry blu-ray, you just have to pay $2 more per month. I know this only because Josh is the HD and blu-ray king (self appointed, of course!).
    Take care and hope to talk to you soon!

  2. Jesse
    September 25, 2008 | 8:44 pm

    Liar, you spent the afternoon packing, eating delicious Village Deli fries, and watching grey’s…..not blogging.

    But since I know things went well with closing I suppose it’s alright!