15 Days of Christmas

Again it has been a while since I updated.. Somehow going to classes really took more time than I thought it would. This past term is just about over. I have to just do one more discussion board post about Reagan and Clinton.. and I'm done. I am very nervous to see what both teachers thought of my papers. We will see. It really is amazing how much extra time I have now that the classes are almost over. I have been able to do dishes, laundry, and clean everyday! Sad excuse for a vacation!

Sam's speech is AMAZING. We've been having fun with Christmas words, like "green tree," "wreath" and the like. He is just doing GREAT!!

We put up our tree.. which is really fun this year. No gates! There are tiny bulbs and magical lights, hot pink tinsel and a black bow or two.. kid ornaments and clear beads.. I love it!

The next step is getting the cookies and sweets done. I want to finish early this year and maybe get them out by this weekend or early next week. Russian Tea Cakes, Cocoa Crinkles (brownie like inside), Pecan Rum Clusters, Peanut Blossums with Snickers (Angel was on to something there), Coconut Cookies, Gingerbread People, Dinosaurs, and Elephants, and maybe some Cutouts.. Visions of Deliciousness Float in my Head!

Blue, Red, and Purple Ribbons!

Well the Grape has come and gone again this year. Too bad the weather kept promising to rain and kept the turn out less. Sam and Nathan decided to help me make some banana bread and carrot cake for the merchant's bake contest. I made some apple muffins (the apples somehow disappeared within the muffin.. hmm..) and my no-bake cookies. Sam won 2nd for his carrot cake and Nathan won 2nd for his banana bread! I did win a blue ribbon for the no bakes and lots of "purple" ribbons too. *smiles*
Next year we are going to try to enter more contests and win a couple more blue!
Today is another of the cold days. Can't wait for this weekend for it to pick up in temperature. burrr..
I am trying to get my house all cleaned up and organized for Friday. Sam's IEP meeting is going to be at my house, which means the principal of Austinburg Elem, the speach therapist, and his preschool teachers are all going to be in my house. I had the front lights installed yesterday, transfered flowers to the front yard, and mulched around everything. Now I have to work on the inside a little bit. And maybe bake something that morning so it smells wonderful.. and snacks help meetings go faster too.
Real Estate is going well with the new company, Miller Realty. Have had a little spat with one of the other realtors there. But I have a feeling she'll start doing things my way! She just needs to share!
I have a sale that should be going through by the end of the month and I am concentrating my efforts on referrals. That's right, everyone.. I NEED BUSINESS.

Disappearing VHS tapes...

We all remember VHS tapes.. right? They are BIG BLACK BOXES (retangles technically).. not so easy to lose.. right? Wrong. Somehow Sam and Nathan seemed to have lost one VHS case from a library (read super bulky) and a VHS (two different movies). I asked them to find them. Sam can find anything. He sees the one sugar ant crawling on the carpet. The kid is amazing at finding things. Can we find the VHS's? No. SO I even started looking, in earnest today. Dumped out every thing in their playroom.. nope. Under the couch, in the couch, chairs.. laundry that was folded and not put away yet.. wonder how long I can renew these tapes? Might be a good thing. Might make me re-organize/clean out some stuff.. Might.
I'm thinking about searching some more. I just don't understand where it went.

To Every Season*

Well I finally changed real estate companies two days ago. I had been waiting for a house I had listed in Perry to be closer to closing. I should have been able to switch in July.. but first they couldn't find the septic tank, or the well, and then the home inspection results came back (highest radon test EVER).. with shoddy electrical.. really thought the deal was going to not go through.. but they extended the date to this up coming Friday and it looks like it is going to close. Woo Hoo!! We will see..
In the mean time, I had a hunch that a client of mine was going to want to write an offer and I couldn't wait another 45 days to switch. So I drove up to Cleveland (car stalled twice on Superior Ave) and switched my license. Now I am negotiating that deal (where I had the hunch), and hopefully will get some listings and sell some too! Before I left I spoke with my sales manager and told him I have been trying REALLY HARD not to sell any real estate or list anything until the move, but it has been so hard to put everything off. .. he chuckled (as he thought that was crap) and said basically my paychecks would reflect that inactivity!
I am excited and nervous all at the same time! With the transition, there is a little confusioin.. but that will clear up soon!
I can't believe the Summer is almost over! Well Sam and Nathan really want to play outside before the big party, so I best take advantage of the beautiful morning!
*Turn, Turn, Turn*

Spider Cake Day!

Today is Sam's 4th birthday party day!! Ever since Nathan's birthday (where someone made him a lion cake, which he LOVED), Sam has wanted a spider cake. At least once a week since April, he has asked about his spider cake. I researched some spider cakes online and found some that "bleed"--so cool! Sam decided he wanted white cake with fudge frosting (and I filled it with some fudge pudding). I had extra batter so I made this little spider cupcakes.. it kind of looks like Halloween in my kitchen!
Luckily he wants pizza for the party (and it's at a park) so it should be really a laid back, easy party. I have to go to the store and pick up a couple things yet (extra napkins, balloons, cups, forks)--oh and since there's pudding in the cake I'm not doing icecream (even though I love icecream)! So much easier!
Some people can't make it to Sam's party so on his actual birthday, Monday, we are going to have a little birthday dinner. An idea I adopted from good friends of mine. They had to coach me a little about it! I was talking to my friend and told her I didn't know what I was going to make for the dinner, and she reminded me to ask the birthday boy (because it is HIS birthday dinner!). Good Call!

Shorts Parade

Not too much to report today.. We did go on a "Shorts Parade".. *Shorts Parade is a Sam idea: Wear shorts on your head (even Nathan's teddy bear participated), blow the train whistle, sing ("We built this City on Rock & Roll"), and march throughout the house.* It was probably the highlight of my evening!
I did decide to go with Miller Realty, as a trial. I have to wait a few weeks to wrap up another deal before I move, to keep my commission! Jerks were going to leave me with leaving me with about 0.4% commission... that's not so good! I'd much reather have my 1.25% thankyouverymuch!

Mid July 2008

Things have calmed down a bit.. Phew! Or at least it just feels like that. I still have price opinions due tomorrow, and two more tests this week with double the reading assignment, english homework, the annual Ashtabula Co. Board of Realtor's Picnic on Thursday, and the Ladies Golf Outing on Friday morning... I want to switch Real estate companies this week. And am working with three buyers right now. Septic inspections on the same day as the golf outing and meeting with another client.
I have some family pressure to ask my Uncle if he wants me to join up with the family real estate company.. but I doubt they want to get a website, or advertize, or hire someone to work the phones on the weekends, or do the things that most of the companies do now. I don't really feel like asking him to "update" their services in order for me to work there. It would be kind of nice, because not to many people really are working there. There is a secretary and my Uncle is in and out.. the old attorney has an office in there, and some auctioners are there.. but that's about it. I might be able to get a sweet office, but that has been offered at the other office I want to join with too. I really need to switch tomorrow or Thursday. I don't even know if my Uncle is a NAIDS broker (HUD authorized broker).. I guess I could use the broker's number in the Jefferson branch. I think it might be funny working for family anyway. I don't know. I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk with him, but I really don't want to insult him or the family company because they are behind in the times. It works for them currently.. it just wouldn't work for me right now.
Should be nice when I switch though, I'll get two new listings off the bat. A good start. Well, I'm off to go to a Broker's Open at a Lakefront property for lunch.. might even go back for dinner!