The Hunt

It seems so simple in theory.

Save some money, pick an area, look at a few houses, buy one.

Live happily ever after.

No one really prepared me for a housing market that is way over priced . . . even in tiny, booney-ville places. I mean seriously, for a place that really doesn't have a draw, people are charging $300 000 and up for a 2000 sq ft house.

In the places we need to live, prices are even higher.

In fact, even in areas where we would consider moving to (although they don't cut down the commute in the least) are still far more expensive than what we are currently paying.

"You're in the best position. Renters who are entering the market at the 'crash.'"

Well, someone should inform the sellers that their house prices need to drop much more. Because I have yet to see a "drop", let alone a "crash."

And yes, it is nice to know that we don't have to try to sell a house right now, but we are still trying to buy a house in a market with extremely low inventory and close to sky high prices.

Add to that a little pressure from the agonizing commute and we're getting smoked out.

Forced to purchase something either tiny and still a good chunk of money (in a less desirable area), or to pay much more for something that would at least fit our current furniture and move in right away.

I have spent long hours, too many days and weeks to count, analyzing one area/house over the other. Going over expenses and scenarios.

Finally, I came up with a house that somewhat met our "live below your means" (or at least somewhat), space and area requirements. Something that will do us for 1-3 years.

It was settled. It would work.

Until our landlord showed up and all of a sudden took keen interest in having our place painted and fixed up.

I can already smell the realtors and potential buyers at the door.

See, the big problem is that the one place that met all of our requirements needs to be built. And won't be built until the end of November/early December.

If this place sells in the mean time, where will we live for 1-4 months?? And how much fun will it be to lug a baby grand, king sized bed, massive dining table and treadmill around for two moves in 1-4 months?

I don't think I have been more depressed or frustrated in my entire life.

Seriously, how hard is it to buy a house??????

It seems so easy. In theory.

8 Years and Counting

8 Fabulous Years Together

7 Cars (Most of which we still own!)

6 Moves (The 6th is still pending)

5 Cruises

4 Children (Guillermo counts, right?)

3 Degrees

2 Different Countries We've Lived In

1 Very Happy Couple

Another great year together has passed and we are still going strong.

When I think back to those early days of dating (when we were 17) I could never have imagined so much of a life with my "cute boyfriend." And certainly, I would have never imagined it happening in so short of a time period!

I can't wait to see what adventures the next year brings!

Potty Talk

Well, today is Sunday so naturally there is much to write about. It seems that ever since Jackson has entered into Primary he has provided much entertainment for everyone.


And mortal humiliation for his mother.


I have been very careful when questions about genitals come up. I always want to provide accurate names and information, yet I try to avoid giving more information than is needed or that might come out at an inopportune moment (like from inside a bathroom stall in a crowded restroom).


Today, Jackson watched as I changed Avery's diaper. As usual, he had questions as to why she didn't look like he did down there. I gave in today, figuring that maybe since he was almost four he might be mature enough to understand that we don't talk about such things in public.


I explained that she was a girl and didn't have a specific boy part. Jackson then went on to list a number of people and animals, asking whether they had said part and whether that meant they were a boy or a girl.


After an exhaustive list, I explained that these words were only to be used at home in the bathroom. Certainly not at church, school, or anywhere public.


Only at home, in the bathroom.

I should have known better.

It came as little surprise to me that while I was putting out the fires in the hall during Primary, one of the other counselors ran out to find me and tell me about what I "just missed."

"We were in the middle of the lesson and Jackson turned to his teacher and asked, 'Sister Mah, do you have a p****?" (Of course anyone who knows Jackson at all knows that he has only two volumes: way too loud and deafening.)

Fortunately, Sister Mah also knew that when Jackson asks questions he wants answers . . . immediately. And if he doesn't get them he continues to ask, even louder.

When she shook her head, no, Jackson pressed the subject.

"Why? Are you a girl?"

"Yes, Jackson, I am a girl."



On the bright side of "potty talk," Avery has taken an interest in bathroom happenings. We figured that maybe she might be ready to potty train when we found her one day with her pants off and squatting in the kitchen.

So far she has done really well and had 4 successes . . . without any kind of formal training.

She will go to the bathroom, close the door and call for me.

I am hoping it keeps up (and that I catch this little window of eagerness) because it would really be nice to have one quick, pleasant potty training experience. And how nice would it be to not have to buy diapers??

Art is in the Eye of the Beholder

Since moving has been taking a lot longer than I was hoping for, I thought I would finally get around t framing my artwork and photos from Europe last spring. And, getting carried away with the art thing, I have been looking for interesting art pieces to hang.

These are some of my favourites:

Le Buisson, Picasso

Lady (Leigh)

Upon showing Brad "ideas for Mother's Day," he told me that I was crazy to like any of these pieces. He claimed that even Jayden might be able to produce something similar--certainly he himself could. And then he tried to mimic a few of Picasso's pieces.

The Owl

Picasso

Brad (He calls his, "The Penguin.")

La Femme

Picasso

Brad

I will give him some credit, he did a pretty good job. However, I think Picasso's lines are better and the fluidity of his pen is much more crisp than Brad's.

I still think the tree would be too hard to reproduce and I just really love it. Especially for a family room or a "Family History" portrait wall.

Happy Earth Day!

Hope you have a great day planting and picking up litter!

The artwork is curteosy of Jackson. They learned about recycling and keeping our world clean in preschool.

We planted our seeds last week (for our vegetable garden) and have finally seen some green sprouting! Today, Jayden is picking up litter and the rest of us are going grocery shopping. (Maybe we will even use reusable bags.) Later, we'll head to Pottery Barn Kids for their Earth Day celebration.

**Addition: When asked what they would do for Earth Day, the boys gave the following responses.

Jayden: "I'm going to pick up litter!!"

Jackson: "I'm going to crap my pants."

Well, apparently Brad's joke a few months ago is still sticking around.

Mr. Speaker (and Elephant Connoisseur)

We all get traits carried down to us from our parents.

Brad has most certainly passed on the "gift of the gab" to Jackson.

Yet another primary incident involving Jackson and the podium.

I was teaching a lesson about reverence (of all things!) and right beneath my nose he darted from his little chair to the podium. In an instant he appeared at the top of it and belted out,

"Hello, what we learned today is elephants. Some are happy. There is a sad one too. . ."

And as I grabbed him with one arm (all the while carrying on with my lesson) I wondered if it might have looked better if I had one of those canes that they used to pull bad acts off-stage years ago.

I wondered if it might have saved my face a bit. Like the whole thing was kind of planned, instead of being hypocritcal on my part, expecting reverence from the other children while my son was the absolute worst.

I am at a loss. Sadly, I am counting down the days until he goes to school. I am praying that somehow the village will serve me well and come through for me; raising the angelic child that believe is there . . . somewhere.

Deep Thoughts . . . on Parenting

Truly, there are some kids that you are counting on the village to raise for you.

Happy Easter!

Wishing you a wonderful Easter!

May it be filled with love, friends and family, and a deeper appreciation of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

(And may you enjoy a few delicious chocolates from the infamous "E.B.")

Love,

The Templemans

Snapshots

Every year I try to do a bit of a summary of what my kids are like. Here are some current "snapshots" of our little brood.

Together, they really love each other. Avery holds her own on the rough-housing, Jayden keeps everyone in line and following rules, and even Jackson will step up to the plate and take care of his siblings when they really need it.

They are a lovely couple of kids. Busy, but lovely.

Jayden: Good As Gold

When it comes to writing about Jayden, it seems that I come up blank.

Not that there aren't a lot of wonderful things to write about, but it is hard to put into words just how good Jayden is and how much I appreciate him.

He almost always does the right thing. Whether it is helping the new person feel welcome, caring for his younger siblings, or deciding whether he should eat something healthier instead of having one more cookie.

I rarely have to worry about him or what he might do if I left him alone for a few minutes. I don't have to worry about a big struggle to get him to get dressed and ready for school. I don't have to worry about a big scene in a public place because he rarely has melt downs.

But with all this good comes one very awful reality. He sometimes just gets by passed. Avery is little and needs help, Jackson is always in need of lots of attention and praise whenever he does anything remotely right. And this leaves very little time or energy for this mom to remember to show just how wonderful her little Jayden is.

He often has to wait to be the last to be read to at nights because everyone else is more demanding (and in my opinion, more urgent to be put to bed), he often is the one that ends up sharing his food with Avery (even though he might have been the one who would have actually eaten ALL of his food instead of wasting it), and he is the one that I have high expectations for.

It's a lot for a little guy like that to take, but he takes it really well.

I do try my hardest to let him know just how loved he is. Every night that Brad is away I sneak into Jay's room and carry him over to my bed so he can enjoy "mom and dad's bed." Sometimes I sneak in an extra car exerpt from his "Car and Driver" magazine. And every once in a while, I let him stay up extra late so he can hang out with me for a little while longer.

I know it isn't nearly enough to show him just how special he is, but it's a start.

He is super creative; always making new vehicles out of old food containers, drawing up new plans for the best car of the future. He is incredibly bright and will memorize an entire car magazine cover to cover within 1-3 days. (Not to mention that he will be able to see a car on the road about a mile away, know the make and model, how many people it will seat and a few extra special features, and whether it is "recommended" or not.) He has a heart of gold and is always thinking of ways he can help someone else.

His favourite things of the moment: car magazines, cars, (in fact, his "dream car" is an econoline commercial van--so he can move all his stuff out of the house one day), he loves to draw and paint, likes to tinker around outside in the yard, and enjoys riding his scooter, and is very interested in science and the world around him.

Jayden is a great older brother, setting a fantastic example for his siblings. I am glad he was the one to break us into parenting. He made the transition pretty easy and gave us some great confidence in ourselves.

Jackson: Mr. Personality

Much has improved this past year with Jackson.

He is becoming a little man. Even a little gentleman. He lovingly takes care of Avery (on select occasions, but still . . . ); wants nothing more than to have Guillermo's undying love (even if it means that I have to lock the poor furball in Jackson's room at nights to keep him in there); and is working so hard at school.

For the first two and a half years of his life, I will admit I was always on the look out for Mack Trucks to run into or big metal gongs to hit my head against--at least 10 times a day--for relief from his antics, and giving out fake names for my daily calls to poison control. But now he is getting to the point where I can trust him to sit and watch TV while I take a quick shower, or be able to expect him to get into the car and put his seat belt on--all by himself.

It is so nice to have hope that this "never-ending phase" might just be ending. (Well, if you pretend that he didn't really bash his face into a table corner in a restaurant the other day, or trip in the garage and hit his head on the edge of the concrete step yesterday.)

And I have even been able to find "gems" in his technicolor personality that I admire (and sometimes secretely envy).

These gems would include:

1) Charisma: For better or worse, everyone is full aware that Jackson has entered a room. He makes himself known and will walk up to anybody--whether they have a pulse or not, whether they look funny or not--and immediately call them his "friends".

Just the other day we were walking across the street to pick Jayden up from school and Jackson, much like a beauty queen in a parade, stopped to wave directly at each and every car that was in the street. The large smiles that lit up the faces of these "new friends" on what might have otherwise been a monotonous car ride reminded me of the great influence of good that Jackson possesses.

2) Self-confidence: In Jackson's view, the world is his oyster; to explore and enjoy. Why wouldn't anyone want to be his friend immediately? Why couldn't he touch something that looked interesting? Why not try something new? He is probably really good at it. I love the fact that I know he can walk into a room knowing no one and be perfectly fine. And that he will have no problem getting up infront of a mass of people to speak off-the-cuff . . . even if it results in mortal humiliation for me.

3) Accute Senses: Even though Jackson is always on the go and sometimes resembles a tazmanian devil, he is keenly aware of everything around him. I used to think maybe he wasn't listening to me or maybe he was deaf or blind to miss walls that "jumped" in his way, or my constant safety recommendations.

Now I realize that he is just so consumed by what his senses pick up. From the back of the van, he can smell us smuggling Fuzzy Peaches way up in the front. The ants on the sidewalk are just so captivating that he blocks all other senses and misses my cries to watch out for the moving car. The little speck on the ceiling is just too interesting to give him a minute to eat his dinner.

And while all of this can really get annoying, particularly for this mom who is on a constant run, trying to keep up with a crazy schedule, it is something to be commended. How often do we really stop and smell the roses? If we are always rushing through life, when will we ever really live and enjoy it?

4) Will Power. I don't think I would need to explain this to anyone who might have tried to make Jackson eat anything that grows out of the ground. If he has his mind set on anything (which is almost always since he is very decisive) you haven't a chance to get him to change. I dare you.

Jackson has brought so much spice to our lives; lots of laughter, lots of frustration, and lots of headbanging too. We're so glad he's here.

Avery: The Ruler of the Roost

When I found out I was expecting a girl, everyone would always comment, "Aren't you so excited to finally get your girl? It will be so fun to dress her up!"

I would always respond, "Yes, it will be nice to have a girl to balance out the testosterone. But I love my boys, and dressing them is just as fun."

Now that I have had over a year with my little princess I can honestly say that everyone was right. I have had SO much fun dressing her. And just enjoying a girl.

I love her sweet personality. She loves to take care of people and things. (In fact, she really likes pets and babies and rarely tells them apart as evidenced by the way she "pets" her baby cousin, Jack.)

She laughs herself to sleep. Her smile is infectious, and her dimple to die for.

Avery's little independent personality is a sight to behold. She takes it upon herself to try to feed herself, make her own snacks from cereal boxes or dog food (and puts them lovingly in a plastic bowl before eating them), squating in the kitchen with her pants down to relieve herself, and cleaning up--after herself and the rest of us. (Finally! I thought there was something that I did wrong in the "Cleaning Training" session with the boys.) It is so very nice to have someone else in the house care that the garbage goes in the trash can, the laundry in the hamper, shoes in the baskets, and toys in the toilets. (Okay, so we still need to work on the proper placement of a few items.)

And eventhough Miss Independent likes to do things her way and show that she is a big girl, she still listens (more often than not) to her mom. (Thank goodness, at least for now!) She will willingly walk while holding my hand (something that certainly wasn't an option with Jackson) and will generally do as I ask.

My favourite image of her is seeing her at my computer desk, phone stuck between her ear and shoulder while she bangs away on my keyboard. (I really have no idea how she ever thought of such a thing to do.)

Her favourite things these days are talking on the "el-oh" (aka telephone); eating Guillermo's food (it's a good thing I buy the high quality gourmet brand); trying to keep up with her brothers in terms of wrestling, playing out of doors, and screaming like a banshee indoors; going for laundry basket rides; "D" the dinosaur; removing socks from her feet during every car ride; and watching movies while pigging out on popcorn with her brothers.

In truth, I have had a ball finding adorable outfits for her--and our bank records certainly account for that--but having a girl has been more wonderful than I could have imagined. (Perhaps two boys in a row prepped me well to appreciate the "calmer" nature that little girls possess.) She has been the sweetest addition to our family and I make no appologies for spoiling her ruthlessly.