Checklist

Escrow closed...check

Keys in hand...check

Locks changed...check

Carpets cleaned...check

Absolutely, positively ready to move in...check, check, check!

WS closed escrow today. We are official homeowners once again! Our Internet service will be in a state of transition beginning tomorrow. So, I probably won't update the blog until late in the weekend or early next week. We'll be busy anyway. Our official move date is Sunday, but we'll be making short trips throughout the week and on Saturday. Hopefully my next update will include info about how great our new house is and how much I love living there. I can't wait!

Sunday Musings

At night, as I lie awake listening to the little critter that lives in the walls of our house, I become excited as I think about our move to our new house. I am actually surprised that I've been able to live in this house for as long as I have been living here. I am known to be a squeamish, overly concerned with cleanliness person, but I've managed to live here (very uncomfortably) for two months. I know that my appreciation for our new house will be so much greater than if I had moved from our condo right into our new house. I will be constantly comparing our new house to this bug infested, rodent living, sloping floor house.

Here are some places where I've found moths (besides all over our closets, clothes, bathrooms, beds, etc.): In my cup of tea two times, in a bag of pretzels after I had already eaten a handful, and in my pancake batter this morning. I really couldn't look at the pancake batter after pulling out the moth with its little batty wings. We decided to have breakfast at the Corner Bakery instead.

So, I'm counting down the days. 7 to go!

Busy Week

Well, I've had quite the busy week and I haven't had any time to really write a new blog post. As you know, I began my new job on the 16th. This week I was able to do home visits for each student who will be in my class. I've never done home visits before and it was very interesting. First of all, it allows me to see the environment that each child is coming from. Secondly, the children are now more comfortable with myself and the co-teacher. Also, I enjoyed driving through Denver and really getting to see many different neighborhoods. Most of my students live in Denver, but Denver has more neighborhoods than I ever knew. It seems like there's a new neighborhood about every 5 blocks. So far all of the school families have been so nice. I was thinking that at least one of them would ask me some questions that I couldn't answer (about gifted children), but that hasn't happened...yet. We also hosted an open house for the children and their parents on Friday. That also went very well. Monday is the first day of school for the students. So, we'll see how that goes. It will probably be very different than what I've experienced with the students so far since their parents will be leaving them in the classroom and not staying.

Things are really moving along with our house. We close escrow on Tuesday. WS is taking the day off work. We're also going to have the locks changed and the carpets cleaned on that day. I'm going to begin painting on Wednesday. There's only one room that we are going to paint. The 3rd bedroom is a dark, brownish color. I'm going to go for a light greige. In fact, I'm buying the paint today!

I'll try to put up some pictures of our house this week. Our Internet will be in transition towards the end of the week. We move on Sunday the 5th! I can't wait.

Saturday Fun

E started her ballet class on Saturday. She took classes when we were back in LA and she was interested in trying it out again out here. The class was great! In LA the class was basically a fashion show. Everyone dressed their little girl in big, fluffy tutus and princess apparel. That was fun for E because she loves to dress up so much. However, the class itself didn't really teach her much about ballet. Also, there were 15 girls enrolled in her class in LA. That's a lot of little 3 and 4 year olds running around! I really didn't do much looking around out here. I found 2 places in the area and I chose this one because the other studio never answered their phone. However, I couldn't be more happy. Their dress code for the little ones is very simple-black leotard and footless tights. In fact, we didn't know about the footless tights, so we'll have to go out and buy those. They don't even want the little ones wearing ballet shoes at this point. I think they want to keep an eye on their feet. There were four girls in E's class total and we were told that it will be capped at eight.

I also watched some of the older girls dancing while E's class was going on and I was very impressed. They were great and looked very professional. I didn't take many pics because the parents have to wait outside. Although there are windows to look in, which I fully utilized.

E before her class started.

We also visited E's cousins. We stayed with them while their parents (WS' sister and her husband) went out.

E was making sand castles.


E checked out their vegetable garden. I was very impressed with how much they grow (beans, carrots, corn, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce). It's inspiration for me and our new yard.



We went down to their community pool. E's cousins live in a covenant community (we are moving to a similar one when we move to our new place). The pool is for the residents of that community to use.

Tired

Well, E and I started out our new schedules on Monday. I'm back at work and she's back at preschool. Things are going okay, but it's going to take me awhile to feel comfortable. I think that I like the school that I'm teaching at, but it's a totally different feel than my last school. I had been at my last school for almost 10 years and you just get so used to something that it's a big transition time when you leave. I think that it's going to take me months to get used to. I haven't been working with the kids yet, it's all professional development this week, but I'm sure that will go well. My co-teacher is great and very welcoming. It's so helpful that she's been there for a few years.

E likes her school and it's been okay so far. I was concerned about her food allergies because they're providing her lunch for her everyday. However, they've been very careful so far and I really appreciate that. It's very different than her last preschool, so it's also going to take some getting used to. One of the big differences that I've noticed so far is the lack of written communication. I didn't receive a back-to-school letter telling me about her teacher and what kinds of things to send with her to school (nap sheet, sunscreen, etc). So, I'm going to have to get used to that. I think that we got really spoiled with her preschool in LA, it was just awesome. Her school is having a back to school night next week, so I'm hoping to get a clearer picture of everything at that time.

And I'm just plain tired. I've started getting up early for work and it's definitely catching up to me. The good thing about that is that I've been falling asleep very easily in the evening. I don't sleep well in this house, so my exhaustion has been helping with that.

WS was approved for his loan pending appraisal. That should happen this week. The loan approval was a big relief for me because the buyers for our condo (the 2 different ones that we had) both got stuck in the escrow process when it came time for the loan approval. So, I feel really good that everything will work out with this.

Hiking and Wash Park

On Saturday we decided to try out our first hike as Coloradans. We went to a very close hiking trail called Mt. Falcon. It was about a 25 min. drive from our house to the beginning of the trail. The entire trail was too long for us to attempt on this try (several miles of uphill/downhill), so we decided to just get out there for 40 minutes or so. It was pretty desert-like with lots of grasshoppers. However, we were able to see some nice views of downtown and Red Rocks. The weather was great (lower 80s) and it was an overall success.

E and I just starting out on the trail. At first it was a little breezy/slightly chilly.


Following behind WS and E. E was definitely the one with the most energy. I could barely keep up. I'm really out of shape!


E wanted us to take a pic of her with one of the grasshoppers. They were all over the trail.


WS and E stopping to pose for a pic.


Tried to get a shot of downtown, but we were far away still and it was a little blurry.

You can't tell from the pic, but I was ready for a break. It was harder work than I thought and this trail was supposed to be easy!


Red Rocks!


Today we decided to check out Wash Park. That's the nickname for Washington Park. This neighborhood of Denver is pretty pricey with some great homes and the park is really big with lots of grass, a little lake, and gardens. I hadn't been there before, but WS had some middle school friends who lived right across from the park. He remembers playing there when he was young.

We were also there to check out the FAAN (Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network) Walk. Most of you know that E has lots of food allergies and we thought that this might be something fun to check out. There was a little carnival for the children and we picked up a few things from vendors that cater to children with food allergies. I think that my favorite part of Wash Park were the gardens. They were beautiful!

One grassy area. There are many more areas just like this.




E playing a carnival game at the FAAN Walk.


E loved these big pink flowers!




The gardens were beautiful!
Another great weekend in Denver. We also enjoyed dinner with WS' parents on Saturday night after our hike. Tomorrow I start at my new job. This week is all professional development for the teachers. E also starts at her new preschool tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Zoomily at the Denver Zoo

We went to a really fun event at the Denver Zoo. It was a special evening event for families. You were able to explore the zoo and see storybook characters, play games, and do activities. Many of the kids dressed up as their favorite fairytale character, including E. Also, at every area there was a dessert station. So, we sampled lots of yummy desserts. What I really liked about it was being able to enjoy it without the crowds. There were people there, but unlike LA, it wasn't so crowded that it was unenjoyable. We didn't have to wait for anything. It was amazing. I love Denver!

E and WS on the carousel.


Meeting Cinderella and the Prince. What a thrill!


Playing croquet Alice in Wonderland style.


Meeting the Queen of Hearts.


Enjoying a piece of cake. Every area had free dessert!


Bubbles with WS.


Trying to catch the big bubbles!


Inside the belly of a whale!


Playing with "muck" in the Shrek area! Very fun!


Sitting on the polar statue.


Up close and personal with the real polar bear! This was great!


Eating a hot cross bun in the nursery rhyme area.


Making a craft - nursery rhyme book.


The cow jumped over the moon...


Mary Mary quite contrary...


Little Miss Muffett


It was raining when we got there. We've had to get used to early evening thunderstorms!

Pictures

I just wanted to share a few pictures. These are a few that were taken of our new home while WS was there for the inspection. The inspection went very well! The home was built in 1978 and there really are no major issues. There are always a few minor ones. There were more problems with our condo inspection and our condo was built in 1989! WS really feels like the house is in great shape! We're so excited and can't wait to move in! Read my captions to know what each picture shows.

This is the back of the house taken from the backyard.



This is the view from the Master bedroom window. It'll be nice to look out on our yard and not into the apartment building next door like in our condo.



This is the family room. You walk out into the yard from this room.



This is the Master Bedroom. Their 4 poster bed makes the room look very small, it definitely isn't huge, but I like the size. We're used to living small. I prefer to call it cozy!



This is the living room. The ceilings are high and amazing. I love the window treatments and how this room just looks out onto the backyard! I think this is my favorite room.



This is our kitchen. Again, it's not big, but I'm totally okay with that. We want to put a little bistro table at the windows. I'll be able to sip my tea in the morning. Love it!



WS and E playing frisbee in the yard at our rental house.



Was trying to get a bunny shot for you Californians. There are at least 4-5 bunnies in the yard at any given time during the day. They love the early evening when the sun is going down. I've counted 10 or so out at that time.



WS and his Kettle grill. He loves it!

E's New Preschool

Well, we've progressed another step in our transition to Denver. E is now enrolled in a preschool. We've decided to go with Callan Rose. I looked at about 6 preschools total. Some were close to our home and some were close to my work, E's new preschool will be about 2 minutes from our new home. Although it's about a 15 minute backtracking drive currently. So, we'll have to allow extra time until we move into our new place.

There are a lot of reasons that we decided on Callan Rose. First, E and I went there on Tuesday to visit. We didn't have an appointment, the director really emphasized that the school is open door (although securely locked) and encouraged us to come in anytime. So, we showed up there and as soon as E and I got to the door, E threw up everywhere. Not just a little bit of spit up, but a pretty major mess. The director immediately went into action getting paper towels, water for E to drink, a mop, etc. She was soooo understanding. I kept apologizing and she just was unwavering in her sympathy. Although I was very embarrassed, we returned the next day to visit the school again. This time we actually completed the tour. The school was clean, bright, and the classrooms were large and well-organized.

I also liked that they use Core Knowledge in the pre-K classroom. I was a little bit unfamiliar with Core Knowledge, but I was able to take a look at the classroom lesson plan that is sent home each week with the parents. It seems to be thematic and really well-rounded. Movement, math, music, social studies, science, language, and social skills are all included in the curriculum. This week seemed to be kind of bird themed because they were playing Duck, Duck, Goose for the movement, Bird Watching in science and learning about Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in music.

Another really major reason that we ended up choosing this center is that they are willing to give us their half-day rate as opposed to full-day. Many of the other centers were going to charge us for full-day even though I'll be able to pick E up by 1 pm. The other schools' half-day programs seemed to end at 11:30 or 12:30 and they were unwilling to bend. Callan Rose was really willing to work with us on that. So, we'll see how it goes. E's first day will be on the 16th.

Our inspection is scheduled for tomorrow. I'm not too worried about it, but maybe I should be? The home was built in 1978, but it's been very well-maintained and updated. We should know by tomorrow afternoon if there are any major issues with the home.

Our New Contract

Well, the sellers countered our offer, but it was a very fair counter-offer. Therefore, we're in a contract with them! If everything goes as planned and on schedule (which is rare), we'll close escrow on August 31st. How exciting!

I sign my contract at The Ricks Center today! It'll be official.

Employed

Well, the newest news is that I got hired at The Ricks Center for the Gifted! Yea! I'm pretty excited about it. It seems kind of strange to me because I feel a little out of touch with the preschool scene (I haven't taught preschool in over 10 years), but I'm sure I'll be fine! My first day is August 16th, but I might go in there earlier to help out my co-teacher. I met her while I was interviewing and she seems very nice and experienced (which is great since it could take me awhile to get a feel for things).

Now that I'm going back to work I've already began my preschool search for E. We are going to 3 preschools in our nearby neighborhood tomorrow for tours. The first one is called Busy Little Hands. It seems like a standard preschool, but from their website it looks like a cute place. The second is called Hope Montessori. This looks like it could be great, but their fall term doesn't begin until August 31st. That could pose a problem because I have to go back to work on August 16th. Also, I've heard that this school is pricey and with a part-time salary we'll be on a major budget. The third school is the one that I'm most interested in. It's called Callan Rose. I loved that the director didn't want me to make an appointment for a tour. She said that I could come in anytime. That's awesome. Then you definitely know that they're an open school. She also was very nice on the phone. I also think that this is a newer school, so that could be a good thing, too. Maybe fresh ideas and energy.

I'm going to start with these 3 schools and see which one feels right to us. Also, I have to look at pricing. I should know more by tomorrow. We haven't heard from our Realtor yet about our offer (if it was accepted, etc.). A lot of waiting.

The waiting game

Well, we've finally decided to make an offer on our dream house. We decided to go with house #2 from my earlier blog post "Good Stuff." We ultimately chose this house because of the great neighborhood that it's in (Willow Creek), the schools, and it's completely move in ready. The pics on the listing site don't do it any justice at all. It's really a beautiful home with a very large yard. So, our offer was presented to the sellers this afternoon and they have until noon tomorrow to respond. We did offer them lower than their asking price of $320. Our offer is for $306. My anticipation is that they'll make a counter offer, but you never know. We could get lucky and they could just accept our offer! We should know more by tomorow afternoon.

We're really excited about the potential of this situation. It's all pretty exciting! Tomorrow is a big day for me, I am getting the big phone call from the Director of the Ricks Center AND we find out about our offer.

It's kind of funny because we were just on the seller side of this situation. Also, our place was listed for just about $320. It's seems very familiar to us! Maybe it makes us a bit more empathetic towards the situation. I'll update as soon as we know.