The wind is blowing. Don't even go outside. It is the kind of wind that takes fingers and feet off in car doors and sends trash cans a mile down the street for the owner to retreive, only to return home with bruised legs, teeth and hair full of dirt, and newly carmexed lips feeling like sticky sandpaper.
So my 2nd cell phone in a week is missing. Don't try and call me today. If you recall, Ezra threw my old cell phone in a sink of water. My mother-in-law was kind enough to let me borrow her 1998 model. Jace and I's recent trip to the valley produced a newer model. It was pretty and green, had an entire keyboard, a lovely camera, and awesome speakers.
When you are fortunate enough to have a small child sleep thru the night you really shouldn't complain...but I'm going to. The small child wakes at 5:30 AM every morning. I'm kind enough to lift him out of his crib and hand him some juice, then he is on his own until 7am (I'm being honest here). Well, this morning's lone adventures included finding my new pretty cell phone and then finding the nearest water source. I'm praying it was the bathtub and not the toilet. 18 month old children know how to turn on the bath water, right? And then turn it off it again? That's what I thought too. Well, the last sighting of the cell phone was on the kitchen counter - battery removed - drying out. I now have a pretty green battery and no pretty green cell phone. I guess I'm off to the cell phone store for the 8th time this month to have my '98 model reactivated. Wish me luck...this wind could take me all the way to Holbrook. Call me later.
Ezra quit messing around and tell me where my cell phone is.
Wait a second.....
Is this what she's been yelling about....green?....new?...makes lots of noises?
Yep, this has got to be it. Looks exactly like what I was using this morning to take pictures of the inside of the toilet.
So the cell phone search has officially been called off. Me and Mace could smile about that. The DANG thing still won't turn on. And by the way, our home phone has yet to be hooked up in our rental. Please email any urgent requests between now and tomorrow. Wait?....Jace (my non-emailing/internet/texting friend), you are going to have to put up a smoke flare....we'll come looking for you.
They seriously dressed in the aprons themselves and are carrying around clipboards/markers with all this exciting "chore" talk. They looked thrilled. How long do you think those smiles are going to last?
The appointment today by the way was a diasaster. What was I thinking taking both my boys at nap time and then what turned into be lunch time? The Dr. kept us waiting almost an hour. I thought the nurses were going to have to turn me into CPS. Ezra was eating things out of the trash can and screaming when ever Noah got within 3 feet of him(the room, by the way, was 5 feet wide). Noah was riding the stool on wheels back and forth (you know the one that every Dr's office should hide when children are in the room?) and looking for snacks in every cabinet. I promised the office staff that I would not be scheduling his pre-op or post-op appointment during nap/lunch time again. They smiled kindly like they understood and bid us all farewell.
I drove as fast as I could to the nearest eating establishment - Samari Sam's- for my rice eating Noah. We had just sat down with the food, when who should walk in? You guessed it. Two of the nurses who had just bid us farewell. I looked up and tried to smile. I told them, "I am so sorry you have to now spend your lunch hour with us. Would you all just sit across the restaurant over there, so you won't have to listen to him (refering to Ezra) scream all thru your lunch?" They laughed politely. And not kidding, 5 minutes later, Noah proceeded to spill a newly filled orange soda all over the table, Ezra, and the floor. About 3 employees appeared from the back with mops, buckets, a "Caution Wet Floor" sign, and towels. As I walked wet napkins to the trash, I passed the nurses and one of them said to me, "It's just not your day. Tomorrow will be better. And we have seen way worse children if that makes you feel better." No, it didn't make me feel better and no, I didn't tell that tomorrow won't be any better either. Ezra will scream on and off ALL day. Noah will find something not intended to be ridden and ride it into a wall or sibling. And I'm sure I'll find something else to interrupt Ezra's nap and delay an all important meal time. And I will probably yell at some point. And I will probably get another headache around 6pm. But I will love being those 2 rowdy boy's mother (Macy's too) and I will try to remember that these are the best days of my life. My children are my heart and right now I am their world. I wouldn't trade that for anything...including a quiet lunch out where the beverage stays standing and no one has to place "Caution" signs around my table. My time's a comin'.
It's officially over. We are moved. The house deal closed without a hitch. We are getting more settled everyday in our new house. We have "hung out our sign." The Baum's are back in business. 
Our best substitute plumber/dad/handyman/entertainer/mover is gone. Taft left to California the morning after the big move. Always a sad day at the Baums'. My children are having Nintendo DS withdrawls and Jace wonders around like a lost puppy dog. These shoes are all he left with us. Taft- just know Noah's bed is always open and your seat beside Jace in the plumbing truck will be kept warm for you. We owe you big time. Come back soon!
These pictures are for my sister Addie only. She hasn't been sleeping at night wondering where in the world the Baums now lay their heads. Addie- this is my new kitchen and Macy's sweet bedroom with her private balconey ("for the last time Mom, it's a porch"). I'll spare you all the entire house picture tour but as you can see, it is a really nice house. We feel so blessed that is worked out for us. Big thanks to Melissa and Ira. We love our new home.
really love each other. Could spend all day in this position. OK, maybe just Ezra could. 
Daisy the cow's new home (and our one remaining chicken). We are glad she could join us. The 1st time Ezra woke up from his nap at the rental and looked out his bedroom window, he questioned me, "Moo? Moo?" I had to tell him the cow would be residing on the side of this house and not in front of his bedroom window anymore. Kirsten said we had better get that cow on some pasture before someone calls CPS for animals. I guess she thinks the pen is too small. She's probably right.
And this is what it all came down to. This is what I got out of the deal.....a packet of papers and a big, fat check. Was it worth it? I still can't say. But I'm relieved to be breathing deep again, thrilled to be taking naps with Noah again, happy to be going back to aeorbics, and loving knowing where the TV remote/hammer/Macy's socks/ect. are again. Just so glad it's all over. Oh, wait. That's right. We've just begun....again.
I think she has a bright future in the photography field. What do you think?
This is the house Noah befriended the hand-me-down weiner dog, that still goes by "girl", "riff-raff", "hot dog", and "you DA_ _ dog." The house where he slept by his sister every night only because he loves her so much (and because one of Jace's employees/relative needed to use Noah's bed). 
