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Fall into LipSense!

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🙌🏻 IT’S A NEW MONTH! And also a new city! New house! New friends! New challenges! New season! New goals! And new (temporary) banners!

I’m sure most of you know I don’t really like change so the past three months have been challenging to say the least. But this month I’m ramping it up and jumping in feet first so I can ROCK this business. But I can’t do it alone…

🚌 Can you help me be successful and grow my business so I can continue to be supportive of my children in their new schools (okay, and also to keep Tom off my back and not to have to get a real job)?? 😂

👍🏻 Getting Lippy with Jen now has a public Page! I’d really appreciate if you could throw a Like or Share my way to help promote my business and keep me working from home. Pretty pretty please with sugar on it (as Katie would say)?

https://m.facebook.com/gettinglippywithjen

Gurnee, we are in you. 

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  1. Gurnee, we are in you. 
  2. There’s nothing like a 13-hour road trip to remind you that douchebag drivers exist everywhere. It’s a good thing the kids weren’t in my car. 
  3. The house…is a house. It certainly doesn’t compare to the house we just left and there’s lots of stuff we need to do to bring it to our standards (i.e. what I can stand to look at and deal with for three years) but it does have natural light going for it. 
  4. I can see me visiting Chicago much like I visited DC…which is probably close to never. And DC even had all the free stuff going for it. 
  5. I am exhausted and cranky so take everything I say with a grain of salt. 😂
  6. My brain can’t handle Central time yet.

Selling? Me? What? Huh? What’s happening?

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So I have BIG news!!! I am doing something I’ve never even remotely considered before in my entire life…

It turns out I loved the LipSense lipstick SOOO much (and have, um, *cough cough* ordered so much) that I figured I might as well just become a distributor!! I know a few of my friends are saying IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!!

So, some quick background on how I got to this point… 

Back in February I was cleaning out my bathroom drawers and decided that all my lipsticks were too old (like, seriously, most were at least five years old and some were 10+ years old!) and it was time for something new. I also figured the science/technology had likely changed and there was surely something better these days. Enter my online friend Sara (well, we’ve met in person, but she started as an online friend). She was selling this cool lipstick called LipSense and I decided to try one color. That was February 23. I wasn’t in love with the color but I loved the product and immediately scheduled a party with her, which meant I’d invite my friends so they could order and then I’d get a big discount on my own order. That was March 19. During the party and right after, Sara strongly suggested I become a distributor—saying just from my party orders alone I’d have made money plus it was likely there would be repeat customers. Nope, not happening. Then as a friend placed a second order, Sara said “Are you sure?! Look at it like a Costco membership—you pay $55 to get an automatic 20% discount on anything. And if you happen to sell more to friends, that’s cool.” But I didn’t think I’d need that much more and besides, I don’t sell things. So nope, not happening.

But this was happening:

Then I bought something on eBay that I couldn’t get from her and on April 10 I was ordering some more from her and once again, Sara suggested joining. Nope, thanks but no thanks, still not happening.

But by April 22 I had changed my tune. Why? Well, when I realized that Tom was really quite serious about me going back to work when Katie starts Kindergarten this fall…I knew I had to do something. Something serious. 😆 And since I had fallen in love with this stuff over the past few months—I mean, I’ve worn lipstick more in the past two months than in the past five years—I figured why not be brave and try something new? I’m always telling my kids to be brave…so now it’s my turn! But it just took me awhile to make the leap because A) I am scared of change, B) I am inherently lazy, C) I hate selling, and D) I am scared of failure.

But as I’ve discussed with Sara, worst case scenario, I hate it and want to stop everything after X months—and in that case, I simply sell off my stock to other distributors (technically you can sell back to the company but the distributors would rather have it). Mid-level case? I sell to my friends and make some extra money every month. Best case? I am a freaking whiz at this and end up signing up a bunch of people to sell under me and I earn commissions on their sales as well. Honestly, I’m setting the bar low: I’m looking to make back what I’ve spent on my own stash thus far. After that, I’d be happy with even $100 a month. Anything more than that is gravy. And what’s best? Tom is behind me 100%. 

So here we are, almost two months to the day from when I ordered my first color.

  • I have paid my membership fee.
  • I have the financials in order (separate checking account and credit card).
  • I am getting the invoicing, payment, and backend ready (you should see the spreadsheet—holy wah!).
  • I am ordering packaging and shipping supplies.
  • I am prepping to make fun treats (mini lipstick remover and lip scrub jars) to include with orders.
  • I am getting ready to place my first order May 1 (and hoping lots of stuff comes back in stock).
  • I got my new Facebook Group page Getting Lippy with Jen up and running tonight! (I bounced a few name ideas off my mentor and this was the one she liked the most! It’s different than most other group names AND it fits my personality!)

So, it shall be interesting! If you’d like to join me on this crazy journey or just come and see what it’s all about (or maybe even just watch while I crash and burn!), come join! And if you just want to see how cool LipSense is, check out this video (also posted on my Facebook group).

It’s official: we’re headed to Chicago!

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Well, what can I say about the military other than you just never know what’s going to happen…?!

For the past few months we’ve been thinking we’ll be headed to California. Tom’s top two job choices were there and we haven’t been on that coast yet, so we thought it was all set. It was a catch-22 for me—I know I would love the weather but it was SOOO far from family. It’s hella expensive there…but when else are we going to get the chance to test living there for three years? But I had honestly just started to wrap my head around it and get kind of excited about it…when Tom got an URGENT email from the monitor with text that included “Ignore this message at your own peril.” Yeah, that’s never good.

Turns out they need recruiters AGAIN. And he fits the four-point requirements perfectly (correct rank, summer mover, previous excellent record in recruiting, etc.). And the positions are in the Chicago area, Pennsylvania, San Diego, and Parris Island, South Carolina.

Crap.

So long story short…after calling and talking to the monitor, they had eight people and six positions to fill. Which wasn’t quite the odds we were hoping for. But good news, Tom was the first to respond so he’d likely get his top choice (and at the very least, he wouldn’t get the place he did NOT want). So…our top choice was Chicago (to be closer to family), followed by Pennsylvania and California.

Of course, it wasn’t an immediate done deal. They had to check some other things and yada yada yada they told us we would know by the end of January if he would be doing recruiting or if we’d be back to waiting to hear on our previous California options. Then I think it was only like four days until they said he was officially tapped for the recruiting in Chicago (well, technically Great Lakes Naval Station).

And they already have his web orders completed so this is serious.

So, yuck for weather…but yay for being 7 hours from Papa and Grannie and 6 hours from Gramma Jean and Grandpa David.

Recording my Naturally Slim testimonial!

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First and foremost, I finally got to meet Bryan! I’ve “known” him online for about 10 years on the Tivo forums but we’ve never actually met. Come to find out last year—long story short—he lost 140 pounds on Naturally Slim and has kept it off for three years now. He was one of the two people who were initially responsible for me joining NS. 🙂

Bryan befire and after Naturally Slim

He is a videographer/producer by trade (617 Production Group) and had been doing the videos for the program and after many years he had an AHA moment and never looked back. His company no longer does the official program videos but Marcia does call him in for stuff like this. And especially for my testimonial since I know him!

We were recording it at Bryan’s church because it was the most convenient place. The sun was in my eyes…

…so this is apparently my look as I’m figuring out if this new spot will work.

Getting ready to start!

A pic Bryan snapped during the filming.

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The whole thing was just…odd. And surreal.

First, even though Marcia was asking me questions, you won’t ever hear her asking them…so you have to rephrase/include the question in your answer. So if she asks “What was the easiest thing about Naturally Slim?” you’d have to start your response with “The easiest thing about Naturally Slim…” Of course, not every question led to a response that was that easy to formulate and I often had to take a moment to think how I was going to respond to get the question in. The good thing (which took some getting used to) is knowing that it will all be cut and edited for the best sound bite, so even though everything was recording, it won’t all be used. That was also helpful when I was answering a question, yakking on and on, and then suddenly losing my train of thought or realizing I had veered violently away from where I’d been headed with my answer and I would just stop and say “Yeah, that’s it. I lost it.” Marcia had told me to just pretend I was having a conversation with her, but honestly, it’s a lot harder to answer questions when you know someone is counting on you to give sound bite answers. That said, every so often as I answered a question, I’d see Marcia do a mini fist pump showing she loved my response. After one (which I don’t even remember what I was talking about), she said she really wanted to use it at the end of week one! So who knows, maybe I’ll actually be in the official videos!!

Second—and I touched on this above—is that I often veered totally off course as I was answering a question. I remember a time or two when I’d be talking and talking and then suddenly I was also thinking “Wait, that is NOT anything related to what they asked.” I would ask if they wanted me to start again or try another take and the answer was generally no, because even if I didn’t answer the specific question, there was still usable sections or they liked the direction I went. I did have to retell a story once because I mentioned IKEA and they said I couldn’t say that just in case a competitor ever used the program. So then I worried about telling the story again and hoping I got all the same excitement and inflections…and who knows if I did or not. Time will tell.

Overall they said it went very well—even though I felt I was completely ridiculous and out of my element—and we talked for about 30-40 minutes. I know Bryan’s company can work magic, but I am still crossing my fingers that I come off natural.

Afterwards, I asked Marcia and Bryan who wanted to get in my pants. 🙂 Seriously—I had brought my FAT PANTS and had thought it would be fun to get two people into the one pair of pants. (This did not surprise them—they had both been forewarned.) Marcia is SUCH a good sport and agreed to do it. First, though, Bryan recorded a snippet of me trying on the pants, so hopefully I’ll get to see that in the end. And then this happened…they were stretched out a bit more than when I actually wore them, but STILL. Two of us in one pair of pants. Good times. Again, SUCH a good sport.

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I have no idea when I will see a finished product, but you know I will let everyone know as soon as I see something. And don’t get your hopes up that it will be a 20-minute piece. It is likely to be a 20-second snippet here or there in a compilation of other testimonials. Fingers crossed!!

The live Facebook Q&A with Naturally Slim!

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So the Live Facebook event was actually going to take place at the combined offices of Holmes Murphy and ACAP Health, both new partners of Naturally Slim. I was VERY anxious about the event, but Marcia assured me I would do just fine. I was put a little more at ease when she told me it would only be about 20 minutes long—I had thought it would be an hour or something! Phew!

We got there early and Marcia showed me around the offices and introduced to many, many people…most of whom were all like “Oh, wow! I know you! You’re Jennifer Hudson! I recognize you!” It was VERY surreal. They were just as excited to meet me as I was to meet them! The offices were super fun and trendy, with named meeting rooms like the Vineyard (with a wall of bookcases and wine racks) and the Bead Room, which is where we ended up filming—yes, a “room” in the middle of the office space with floor-to-ceiling hanging beads encircling four chairs and a table!

Getting ready to start!

Our view during the event:

And then we were off and running…

Live Q&A with Marcia Upson, President of Naturally Slim
[iOS users, if Safari isn’t showing the Facebook video below, try Chrome]

And suddenly it was over! What?! Already?! Wow that went fast! I had a lot of fun and the time just flew by—I probably could have answered questions for an hour! Of course watching the video later I noticed things I didn’t like (like my roll of belly fat and a few strange looks I made) but overall I think I did pretty well!

And then on the way out, I got to meet Todd (Todd Whitthorne, President, ACAP Health—he’s in quite a few of the program videos)!! And just like Marcia, he was just the same as in the videos, too. And boy was he tall (I’m 5’9″ and you see how he towers over me)! 🙂

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What a memorable way to spend my 43rd birthday!!

I’m finally normal…BMI!!

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I DID IT!! I finally reached my goal of normal BMI (the top end of which is 169)!  I know you all know by now but I have to say it again: I couldn’t have done it without Naturally Slim!!

Oops! That’s hard to see on that background…so off to the garage!

And then I didn’t want to wear that out and about so changed into a new shirt (with my new jeans from the other day).

And the collage I posted online…and Naturally Slim shared!

Now I have to see if my body thinks it should lose another 15 or so so I can claim that I lost half my body weight! 🙂

132 pounds in 365 days!

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One year ago today at my highest weight ever, I crossed my fingers and started my attempt to lose weight doing low-carb (the only thing I really knew). Little did I know at the time I’d find my way to Naturally Slim and would end up successfully losing 132 lbs. (thus far—with a few more still to go)! If you’d told me a year ago I’d have lost that much I’d have said you were insane.

I can’t begin to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, but top shout outs go to Tivo friend Brad Nelson (who started the thread on Naturally Slim), Tivo friend Bryan McCullough (who turned out to be THE Naturally Slim guru), and my amazing husband (who supported me every hour of every day—and even joined in).

I owe my life to this program (and these people!) and I’m beyond thankful every. single. day. that I have a new, thinner, and healthier lease on life!! ❤️ 😀 🎉 👏🏻 🍾

100! 100! 100!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ME!

I DID IT! My first big goal—100 pounds—is complete! After “restarting” the program after not losing anything over the holidays, I busted my butt and lost 6.6# this past week and this happened at today’s weigh-in!

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I really wanted to make my goal by the end of the year, and I think this is pretty damn close! And since I’m technically still Obese, now it’s time for the next 30-40!!!

My 15 minutes of fame?!

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Do you recognize anyone on Naturally Slim’s Facebook page? 🙂

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A week or so ago I Tweeted my current results (81# lost after 26 weeks) and today they Liked it, retweeted it, and messaged me to ask if they could use it on their other social media accounts as inspiration for others. Of course I said YES! A little while later, it appeared on their Facebook page!

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Of course, I’m completely embarrassed that my bedroom is such a hot mess in the Before photos…but I’m hoping that the After photos take people’s eye’s away. 🙂

Unfortunately we’re not going home for a fun visit.

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For about three weeks now, we’ve known that Tom’s mom’s cancer had spread to her liver…but she was dealing with it…and the prognosis, while not great, still gave us hope. Unfortunately, I just don’t think her heart was in it. She didn’t want to deal with chemo the last time around and was glad when she didn’t have to do it. So when she learned that was in her future this time…

Tom got a call from his brother last night that she had fallen and was taken to the ER. The doctors seemed to think that she would rebound once they re-hydrated her but Tom wanted to head up anyway so he left Saturday morning. Unfortunately, about four hours in to the drive he got the call that she had died. So he turned around to come get us and we will all leave for Michigan tomorrow morning.

A second ride on the autism train?

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Well, we may be on the autism train again.

Because Owen is still having (to me) major food issues, I wanted to make sure there was nothing else going on. Yes, he could just be a very picky eater…but I would be wracked with guilt if something else was going on and my new food rules were creating more problems than I was trying to solve. (I still feel guilty about the whole pooping thing back before we learned he had a serious issue and I don’t want the same thing to happen with food.)

So I got a referral to see a Developmental Pediatrician again (the same type of doctor we saw at Lejeune who diagnosed him with autism) and crossed my fingers she’d just say “Oh yes, it sounds like he has eating issues, here’s a referral for therapy.” Ha. I should have known better. 🙂

Of course she had to do the whole background history, and during that discovery period, a few random other issues came out. They’re things that he’s always had/done that he hasn’t yet grown out of…which led her to think he might have ADD…or possibly autism. Sigh.

But that said, considering everything we discussed, she thinks he’s absolutely thriving and I’m doing everything right (in regards to meal times and food) so there’s no immediate concern. But she does want him to see an audiologist for a real hearing assessment (he still covers his ears with loud/annoying noises which she said should not happen anymore at his age), start OT for the food (and pooping) issues, and see a geneticist again (genetics has come a very long way since we got his results in 2012 and the doctor could potentially see something now that we didn’t see before—and we might get additional genetic testing done). The results of those appointments will determine if we go forward with actual autism testing.

She’s not worried but wants to cover all the bases. If it’s determined he can benefit from additional therapy, we will go through with the testing and an autism diagnosis will allow us access to tens of thousands of dollars in free therapy since it’s covered under Tricare. (This is the same therapy we qualified for the first time but we never went ahead with it because neither of us were convinced he REALLY needed it—especially compared to all the other SERIOUSLY autistic kids out there.) And she agreed that was an okay decision, but also told us that if there’s something we can fix NOW, it’s better to do it while he’s young, rather than wait and decide when he’s 10-12-14 and he could be MUCH more defiant and MUCH harder to work with. (Basically, young kids are much more pliable.) 🙂

She did a few tests with him and agreed that overall he was doing very well. But interestingly, one of the tests she did (I think it was having him repeat full sentences back to her) she said he tested at about an age 4 level. That really surprised me because I had been listening and I thought he did okay. However, I think it was more a point of him (not) paying attention—he started to fiddle with a crayon and wasn’t listening closely (hence the thought of ADD). She said he could very likely be extremely smart and his brain is just racing…and it’s hard to stop and focus because he’s already on to something else. (And actually, conversely, when he has laser-like concentration on something and spends too much time trying to be perfect.) I said that sounds like Owen on a regular basis.

I really liked her and feel comfortable with her so I feel okay. Of course it’s still a shock to think we might get an autism diagnosis again…but her main thought was that if he’s doing well and we expect (and get) good things from him, we’re on the right course.

The best part of the appointment? She asked him what his absolute VERY most favorite thing to do was. Of course, I was positive it would be Legos. But his immediate response? As in he literally didn’t even think for three seconds? “I like to go to school.” 🙂

So now I have to wait a few days to call and schedule the three appointments. Stay tuned!

I can’t believe we own a minivan. A MINIVAN.

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But of course it wasn’t easy. 🙂

Tom went for the test drive at 8:30am and long story short, that one wasn’t the car. So I was researching cars at home and texting him info—the dealership had a few other Siennas on the lot so he was test driving those as well. In the end, we decided that we were going back to a FWD instead of an AWD because there were a lot more 2012 FWD cars available to choose from. (We’d still have preferred AWD, but figured for the few times we’d really need it—the few times it snows that bad here, I just don’t go anywhere and for the once every year or two that we go to Michigan in the winter—it just wasn’t worth it to spend the extra money.)

On a whim, I had Tom look at a 2014 because, well, why not? A 2012 was cheaper, obviously, but it was already four years old. There happened to be a 2014—loaded, even!—for CHEAPER than the one we had looked at (and had been interested in) last night! And Tom said it was REALLY nice. And it had super low miles—about 6,700! (The lady had bought it new and decided she wanted an AWD!)

There were no crazy addon fees so out the door (and with our trade-in) it was still less than the 2012 we walked out on! YAY!

After a family test drive back to the dealer (they royally screwed up our address so had to redo the paperwork plus we had to give them the second key and pick up our floor mats), these are the major bonuses we’ve noticed thus far:

  1. I don’t have to duck to get in the car. Plus? The driver’s seat AUTOMATICALLY reverses when you turn the car off to allow more room to exit (and then renter). It freaked me out the first few times and I thought it was stupid. Now I love it.
  2. Maybe most importantly—and one of my absolute requirements for the new car—was the rear backup sensors/alerts (the Acadia had them and the Mazda didn’t and it drove me insane since I’m horrible at backing up). The Sienna has front, rear, AND side sensors—and they’re amazing!! (Of course it also has the parking assist lines which are cool but will take some getting used to.)
  3. The lift gate opens more easily via the remote…AND you don’t have to unlock it first! (I was used to that with the Acadia then the Mazda didn’t do it and it frustrated me endlessly!)
  4. The doors automatically unlock and lock more easily with the smart remote (the Mazda was a crapshoot if it would work nicely or at all).
  5. There’s a button to fold in the side mirrors. What what?! As someone who can’t judge distances well and is paranoid about hitting the mirrors at drive-up windows—and as such usually ends up having to open the door to reach—this is a total win. 😀
  6. The bluetooth sync works much, much better. In the Mazda, it seemed like my phone rarely automatically connected and you could either listen to XM or your phones’ directions but not both at the same time (but sometimes it would work…?!). This car does it seamlessly and perfectly. I was also able to transfer ALL my contacts to the car in about 30 seconds with one button press.
  7. The navigation is amazingly better. It’s not just newer with better map info, but it has more POIs and it’s much quicker to find something. It’s not perfect but I know I’ll use it more than we did the Mazda.
  8. The kids are BIG fans of the DVD player.
  9. The floor protector we had for the Highlander—that we moved to the Acadia and then the Mazda even though it wasn’t a good fit—fits nicely (even though it’s the wrong color).

The only meh thing so far is there’s no good place for my magnetic phone mount. I haven’t tried the CD changer spot yet (which was recommended for the Mazda and worked well) because I don’t think I want to cover up the touch screen this time. It fits in the slide out cup holder, but it’s too low to be useful for navigation. But that’s minor.

So overall we’re very happy. Of course we don’t like the bigger payment (we’re back up to what we were paying before we downsized to the Mazda) but it is what it is. 🙂

No school, the Pentagon, and an award!

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Tom was scheduled to receive an award at work (the Meritorious Service Medal) and we had decided we would ALL go, which meant taking Owen out of school. Since Tom knew he’d get the rest of the day off, we decided to make a special day of it and do something really worthwhile of missing school—take the kids to Baltimore to the National Aquarium!

A family selfie before we headed out:

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Thank heavens for the HOV express lane—this was the standstill traffic on the way into DC (well worth the few bucks it cost us):

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Then we had about a 3/4 mile walk in to the Pentagon from the parking lot. Yeesh—Tom has to do that twice a day. Tom was obviously already cleared, but the rest of us had to go through a metal detector and get wanded. Then once we were inside the Pentagon, we had to walk clear to the other side. With my horrid sense of direction, there’s absolutely NO way I would not get lost if I was on my own.

I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. 🙂 There were lots of wide open hallways and empty corridors with nondescript doors and exiting one ring to cross a “street” to get to the next ring. And while logically I know the Pentagon is HUGE, it didn’t seem as huge as I thought it would (if that makes sense).

And then we were in his office. No windows in the whole thing, of course, and a tiny cubicle:

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Before the award ceremony we had a brief meeting with Tom’s commanding general (the Senior Communications Officer of the entire Marine Corps) where he met me and the kids and had a few get-to-know-each-other minutes. Owen was really great with him and shook his hand and answered questions.

Then it was off to the conference room to wait. The kids had fun checking out the big room and seeing themselves on the big TV:

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And as more and more people filed into the room, Owen got more and more shy and hid behind me the entire time. Katie was shy, too, but at least sat quietly in a chair.

A coworker of Tom’s offered to take pictures so I wouldn’t have to worry about it so that was nice (even though I hated to give up control).

The general welcomed everyone and jokingly asked what time people were thinking of leaving and there was a pregnant pause while no one said anything so I piped up “9:07” (implying we’d be leaving as soon as the award ceremony was over) and everyone laughed and the general said Tom was welcome to leave and go celebrate and everyone else was to leave at noon. 🙂

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The kids with free reign to run through the halls on the way back to daddy’s office:

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The view as we are leaving Tom’s ring and heading directly across the courtyard to the other side to exit the building and head to the parking lot (this is where it seems much smaller than I thought it would be):

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Letting Owen ride the escalators on our way out (since he loves them so much):

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Then Tom gave us a mini tour of the food court area, some of the shops on that level, and we stopped at the chocolatier for some yummy treats! Then it was the long trek back to the car!

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Then it was an hour’s drive to Baltimore for the next part of our adventure…

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My 2014 year in blogging.

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WordPress keeps stats on just about everything and sends a year-end summary. Here are a few interesting facts:

  • This blog was viewed about 17,000 times in 2014.
  • The busiest day of the year was August 24th with 1,007 views.
  • The most popular post that day was We struck gold twice. (interestingly, a post from 2013).
  • In 2014, there were 1,277 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 5,487 posts.
  • My longest streak of posting was 107 days from 17 February — 3 June.
  • Fridays were my most prolific posting days with 212 total posts.
  • Visitors came from 95 countries.
  • The most prolific commenter? My mom with 108. (My friend Tori was in second place with nine.) 🙂

Holy crap we have a new car!

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It looks like we’re getting a new car today.

Tom went alone so we didn’t have to drag the kids and he just texted me that they agreed to our minimum trade-in offer (they had to come up $500 from their original offer to match that). Tom also got them to halve the “reconditioning fee” but I still hate all those fees—the “online special” price magically becomes the original price they were asking after all the fees, etc.

The cons? Our payment doesn’t go down quite as much as we’d hoped (but anything is better than nothing), I’m not sure my new phone mount will fit anywhere (thanks to that huge nav screen), our insurance goes up by $26/year, and we have to put a hitch on (but at least it’s wired for one) but…YAY I have a new car!

Nothing like talking about it Thursday, test driving Friday, and bringing it home Saturday! Stay tuned for real pics once the weather stops being gray and rainy.

The last pic of our old car as Tom left the lot…

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Please keep every appendage crossed for us!

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(This should have been posted on June 15 but it’s been crazy so I forgot about it.)

We have had a few showings lately (for sale and rental) so had our fingers crossed that SOMETHING would work out. Part of us wished we’d get a good rental so maybe the house prices would go back up in a few years and we could sell for a profit (or at least without having to have a short sale) but then part of us wished we’d just sell the damn thing so we could cut our losses and stop being stressed about it all the time.

So imagine our surprise when…we got an offer! For sale! HOLY CRAP. Of course, we had imagined we’d be excited about ANY sale offer, but honestly, we were a little gobsmacked with the offer—it was for $7,000 BELOW listing, which was already a pretty rock-bottom price. Plus they wanted almost $6,000 in closing costs, an $1,100 stainless refrigerator, and occupancy with pets prior to closing at a low daily rate plus no deposits of any kind…

My first instinct (after the ball of stress immediately appeared in my stomach) was UMMMM, NO. Did they really think they could get all that because they know we’re desperate to sell? There’s no way I’m giving them most of what they asked for. But after talking with Roger and discussing things, we ended up only countering with a few minor changes (a small price increase, a decent rental rate and deposit, and a cleaning addendum). We were kind of screwed with the refrigerator issue because they wanted prior possession—and since they’d technically be renting, we needed to have a fridge in the house. We also wanted to take up our fridge and we’d need one in the meantime… AND worst case, if this deal falls through and we end up having to rent it, we’d need a fridge. So there’s more money down the toilet for this damn house. We figure we’ve put in about $10-11,000 in the past three years (shed, deck, stainless appliances, wood floor), not counting all the other minor upgrades we’ve done since we bought it. Just to make ZERO of it back since the housing market is in the toilet (when all is said and done, we’re technically set to lose about $37,000 on it—though with the short sale hopefully none of that will actually have to come out of pocket). But, as Roger said, it was stuff we needed to have done to even get people interested (pretty much every comment on the showings were about the floor and deck).

So now we wait to see if our mortgage company accepts the short sale offer.

Fingers crossed. Toes crossed. Arms crossed. And anything else crossed would be appreciated…

House Hunting Day 3—Success!

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We met our friends to transfer the kids and Owen was excited to go play with his new friends.

We met our agent at the first house and actually really liked it. It was quite similar to the Band-Aid house:

  • Four bedrooms…but an unfinished basement.
  • More hardwood floors…but not quite as open a floor plan.
  • A deck…but no fence possible.
  • Kitty corner from a playground…but everything felt a bit crowded.

But $200 cheaper a month. 😐

So it was back to the Band-Aid house to talk with the owner, who had requested to meet us. He wasn’t thrilled with the July 1 start date but he liked the 3-year lease…so apparently he wanted to see if he liked us…?!?!

Amazingly he is willing to put up a fence and some ceiling fans. It’s only three bedrooms but it’s got a HUGE finished basement with a full bath so will be great for (long-term!) guests! The one small bad/strange thing [that we didn’t realize in ANY of our searching thus far] is that bedrooms here typically have no overhead lights…so we have to buy lamps again.

So it was a very tough decision. I honestly thought we’d be good in either house, but my gut said the Band-Aid house. Tom was in the same boat…but I think the agreement to put up a fence sealed the deal, so we filled out the app, shook on it, then went to get certified checks…and breathe a sigh of relief. And panic a little because it’s a bit over our budget. But we’ll make it work because we have to.

Of course then we started thinking about things…and looked at the listing again. It says 4BR but we don’t remember four bedrooms—in fact, both of us were sure it was three. But if it’s the same as the first house, then it has four (because I remember thinking the basement bedroom made five). And we can use our own washer and dryer—but we’re pretty sure it’s a gas hookup so we may need to ask to have an outlet installed (I’m not buying a gas dryer AGAIN—we did that in Troy and sold it when we moved back here). And where are we going to put our deck set with no deck?! I guess it will be a party table in the basement.

So…exciting and still terrifying at the same time!

So here’s the Band-Aid house—the houses are very close together but at least it’s a house and not a townhouse!

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You can just see the corner of the kitchen (hardwoods), then the main living area with the fireplace, and the carpeted (?!) dining room (which will likely be a play room):

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The kitchen—with Corian counters and the gas stove on the island. He calls the appliances upgraded but they’re pretty basic (though I guess the fridge is a side-by-side with a water dispenser). We’re debating bringing our awesome stainless fridge and putting this one in the garage (then buying a cheap stainless one for our house in Jacksonville).

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Cool windows in the stairwell:

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The huge master bedroom:

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And the closets are BEFORE the bathroom like I wanted—not THROUGH the bathroom like we have now. 🙂 It has a soaking tub (not jetted like we have now) but we never used it anyway so no biggie.

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And the kids’ bath has two sinks like I wanted!

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There’s not much of a back yard…but at least there’s some nice grass!

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So we’re just waiting on the app and credit check to be run Monday morning so they can send us the lease to sign!

Pentagon, here we come!

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Well, Tom unofficially got orders—he’s (we’re) headed to the Pentagon no later than July 31! (By unofficially, I mean there’s no actual paperwork yet but he confirmed everything with his Monitor.) Cue my typical post-orders paralyzing panic attack thinking about trying to sell/rent our house, find a place to live, and move within four months. At least it’s summer so I won’t have to deal with school stuff right away.

It’s a much better job for him than the one he was thinking he wanted (he says it’s a phenomenal opportunity) and he’s very excited. Of course the commute will be the killer, depending on where we end up living. Hopefully we can find a happy medium between a nice house (I want a great kitchen!) for the right price and a decent commute. He does have to work in Quantico one day a week, so we will be looking for housing in Virginia (as opposed to, say, Maryland).

So, stay tuned for more…

Help save the Rialto!

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Check out RESTORE THE RIALTO THEATER on Kickstarter!

The Rialto Theater has been in operation continuously since May 29, 1915. During that time it has been owned and operated by the same family. It is probably the oldest family-run movie theater in America.

Over the next few months, Hollywood studios will stop producing movies on actual film. The cost of the new digital equipment is beyond what an independent theater in a small town can afford. That’s why the Rialto is asking you to make this crucial investment with us.

Restoring the Rialto Theater means once again making it the best there is. That’s why this project is not only about buying a digital projector, but also replacing our seats, redesigning our concession and lobby areas, and refurbishing the historic paintwork and look of the theater. The result will be a state-of-the-art venue—by today’s standards—that also preserves the most important piece of historic architecture in our area.

I have backed this project, and wish I could afford the “get your name on a seat” level—but my husband would kill me!

Pre-K Home Visit

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The home visit was basically just to get to know the teacher and for them (the teacher and an admin) to hand out the laundry list of materials (handbook, calendar, supply list, etc.) and let you discuss anything about your child you felt needed discussion. She also took a picture of him to put on his bin. 🙂 But it wasn’t bad at all—and I really REALLY like the teacher, Mrs. Ashley.

We went over his general home life (baby sister, three pets, daddy deployed), his potential behavior issues (how he’s generally a very well-behaved and polite kid, but with a recent streak of attitude), his food issues, and of course his poop issues. As I’m sure you can guess, the last two are the biggest worries for me.

As with preschool, all food (in this case, breakfast, lunch, and a snack) are all provided—and you CANNOT bring anything from home. If you don’t like what’s served, too bad. And while on one hand I can understand that…on the other hand, Owen doesn’t like much so I anticipate him being hungry quite a bit. I did tell the teacher about Owen earning “bonus badges” for trying new foods, so she said she’d let me know what he ate or if he tried a new food (I told her it would likely be very obvious if he tried a new food because he would initially refuse to eat it). She says their policy is that the kids have to try something…so that might help Owen—especially if other kids are having to do it, too. They will also call if (for whatever reason) he doesn’t eat anything all day. I guess I’ll just have a stash of granola bars or crackers in the car for when I pick him up.

As far as poop…I reiterated the entire saga to them (a condensed version starting from Day 1 of potty training through being hospitalized last month and the likelihood that he’s already constipated again) because I wanted them to know that I wasn’t hiding anything. I even told them I was honestly TERRIFIED of him getting kicked out due to this issue and that I almost didn’t accept the Pre-K admission because of it. They tried to assure me that it wasn’t that big of a deal and that they “have seen it all” and they “have worked with other kids on this issue”…but at the end of the day, they can ask if he needs to go and suggest he try…but they can’t really can’t assist in any way (and to me, that’s where the biggest problem will be). As she said, “We can stand outside the door and say ‘I think you might need to wipe again’ but that’s about the extent of it.” If it’s something really bad, they have to call me. Yes, call me, so I can drive 15 minutes in to clean him up. 🙁

After they left I tried to tell Owen a little about his new class and expectations so he wouldn’t be surprised. I told him he’d be eating lunch there and he might not like everything but has to try it…and it was like talking to a wall. He doesn’t pay attention and it drives me nuts. So I guess he’ll learn the hard way…

Owen was accepted into Pre-K!

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Today was the day we were supposed to get word about Pre-K acceptance…and when we didn’t get any call, I just assumed we didn’t get it (which, honestly, was what we expected—and honestly, kinda hoped for so we could have more time to work on the poop thing).

Then the phone rang at 6:15 with the news that he got accepted!! Which means he now has to move back to his old classroom after just three days in the new classroom. But I’m not worried about that… What I am worried about, of course, is the whole pooping issue. It was one thing for him to be gone for just 3.5 hours—pooping could generally be done before or after. But being gone for 6.5 hours…?? There’s way more of a chance for…DISASTER. And I’m TERRIFIED that he’ll get kicked out and then he’ll be on a wait list to get back into preschool. 🙁

Interestingly, NC Pre-K requirements include a home visit…so that’s Thursday afternoon. Tomorrow will, of course, be spent cleaning up a bit. 😯

So, while I’m excited that Owen got accepted…there are two annoying things.

One? I GET TO MOVE KATIE’S NAP AGAIN!!! 👿 We had JUST gotten into the schedule of naps at 12:30 (to usually around 3)…and now I have to move them earlier because I have to pick Owen up at 2:30. So it’s possible we might have to go back to two shorter naps (one before pickup and one after). UGH. I’m hoping that she adjusts as easily as she did to the other schedule…

Two? I now have to drive an hour a day every day for drop-offs and pick-ups. (Accepting this placement means we’re off the wait list and cannot get placed if there’s an opening at the school five minutes from the house.)

That said, there are two minor bonuses: I no longer have to pay for school and Owen’s buddy was accepted into Pre-K as well.

It shall all be…interesting.

From the county website:

North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) is a state-funded, community-based pre-kindergarten program designed to provide 4-year-old children, who may not otherwise be served, with a valuable educational experience for 6.5 hours per day. Children must be 4 years old on or before August 31, 2013 in order to be eligible, and must meet income qualifications.

Children with identified disabilities and children with other documented risk factors may also be eligible. All families, including military families, are encouraged to apply.

The NC Pre-K Program standards are built on the premise that in order to be academically successful in school, children need to be prepared in all five of the major domains of development outlined by the National Education Goals Panel. Each of these domains is critical to children’s well being, in particular for their success in reading and math as they come to school. The five domains are:

  • Health and physical development
  • Social and emotional development
  • Language development and communication
  • Cognition and general knowledge
  • Approaches to learning

NC Pre-K operates on the public school calendar. Children are required to have a health assessment, including dental and vision, upon enrollment. A developmental assessment is also provided to identify special needs and monitor growth in the program. Children also receive family support, and other community resources as needed.

What Does NC Pre-K Offer?

Some of the features of the program include:

  • A high quality early childhood learning environment for children with developmental, social, and familial risk factors that may affect their success in school.
  • High-quality childcare centers, with degreed teachers and state-approved curricula.
  • Small class sizes, with no more than 18 children, and two teachers in each classroom.
  • Family support regarding health, nutrition, developmental screening and placement for children with special needs.
  • Kindergarten Transition Coordination to support families and children as a child moves from pre-kindergarten to ensure a successful start in school.

The NC Pre-kindergarten program in Onslow County serves 859 children in community-based child care and public school settings in 53 classrooms.

Owen’s school will be changing…

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But I’m not sure to exactly what quite yet. :~

First, I forgot to mention that we got Owen’s Pre-K waitlist letter earlier this week—so that was good news (definitely better than a flat out no).

So, today at pickup, all the parents were getting pulled into the office…to be told that the school JUST got assigned a Pre-K class so current class locations will be changing. The Pre-K class is going to be held in the current Tiger classroom (Owen’s room) so all the preschool kids will be moving to the building next door. HOWEVER, if your child is on the Pre-K waitlist and is approved, they will be staying in their current classroom—it will just be full-time Pre-K instead of part-time preschool. But we won’t know if we’re approved until Tuesday. But the preschool class moves Monday. Which means if he’s approved, Owen will be moving classrooms TWICE in the span of a week—once to the new preschool classroom for his M-W-F days, then back to his old classroom for Pre-K starting the following Monday.

There is also the option of moving to a different preschool where they will now have openings—but it’s farther away so we’re not interested in that (though there might be some that are, so his classmates would be changing anyway). There are still no openings at the Pre-K five minutes from our house. Of course. And we have no idea how far down we are on the waitlist to know if we even have a chance of being approved.

If Owen is accepted into Pre-K, he will lose one of his friends for sure—“his girl” Joselyne, as she’s only three and too young for Pre-K. And I know his other friend, Braxton, is also on the waitlist so maybe he will get moved to Pre-K without Owen.

Sigh.

The admin admitted that they hadn’t really wanted to add this class because of all the necessary changes (after all, they just got the kids all settled in their schedules with their teacher and the teacher knows them all) but they had already signed the contracts saying they’d take the class if it opened.

So, it shall be interesting.

Oh, the other sucky thing? I have to fill out ALL THE EXACT PAPERWORK again. All 10 pages of information, medical history, likes/dislikes, emergency information, etc. No, they can’t make copies—we asked. The only things they can copy are the shot records and school physicals, which I guess is at least something…

Pre-K phone call and thoughts…

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First, some background.

Preschool is what Owen is enrolled in now—generic preschool (that we pay for).

NC Pre-K is the North Carolina government-sponsored (free) pre-kindergarten—and is what he’s being considered for depending on what they decide about his poop issues. (This is the place I turned in the application late so at best we’re on a wait list.)

Preschool can be any ages up to and including 4—but generally at age 4 they go to Pre-K. I think Pre-K is more regimented—as they’re getting them ready for full-time school. Preschool is (as far as I can tell) glorified day care. (That’s not as bad as it sounds—they do have a curriculum so it’s not like the kids are running wild. But I think it’s closer to day care than kindergarten, if that makes sense.)

He doesn’t have to change any schools if I don’t want him to…but if I change him to Pre-K and he has issues, his original preschool spot might not be open (unless I continue paying for it—which seems crazy)…though I could get on their waitlist if there are no openings.

The plan is for Kindergarten next fall if all goes well as he’ll be almost 6. I just can’t see starting him and having him turn 7 in Kindergarten…especially since he’s already big for his age.

So, I just got a call from NC Pre-K to “ask me more about” Owen’s condition.

Yeah…I’m guessing they’re not going to even put him on a waiting list. Basically they have NO provisions (legally, etc.) to help clean up any accidents he may have or even to help with basic bathroom protocol. She said if he had any type of accident, he’d have to clean himself up, change his clothes, etc.

Which…wow. I can’t believe they expect a 4yo to do all that BY HIMSELF? I mean, I don’t think most 4yos could clean up a poop accident…but they get to go to preschool anyway. (Though I guess if there were too many accidents they’d get kicked out.)

I explained that he hasn’t had any major accidents since the hospitalization but if he did, he’s four and wouldn’t have the first clue how to clean himself up (well, he’d have a clue but it wouldn’t go well). I said he would be able to change his clothes but there’s no way he’d remotely be able to wipe himself but he does know how to wash his hands well.

It just felt like no matter what I said there was just no way to come back from “he doesn’t want to poop” and “he might have an accident” and “he has had issues pooping.”

So she’s talking to her supervisor and getting back with me to let me know if we’re placed, on a waitlist, or if it’s a complete no-go.

I asked where we’d likely be placed IF we were placed and she said Missy’s Private School or Shine 12 (next door to where he is now at Shine 14). She said they sometimes have a pre-k program at Shine 14 (where he is now) when they have funding…which they don’t right now. But Shine 12 and Shine 14 are right next door to each other (I actually just noticed today that what I thought was one big building is actually two buildings—so I googled and yes, it’s two Shine buildings.)

On the one hand, I like where he is (with two friends and moms I know and people that can pick him up if necessary) and the 3x a week is a hard adjustment as it is so I still can’t imagine going full-time 5x a week. (Both him handling it and me with the dropping off and picking up—though if it was full-time, it wouldn’t coincide with Katie’s naps at all.)

But on the other hand, he loves going to school and I imagine he would do okay in FT…plus Pre-K would be free and hopefully right down the street at Missy’s Private School (though of course I could get assigned the other one which would suck, but it’s at least the same drive I have now….just 5x a week vs. 3x a week).

So now I’m trying to think what I would do if offered which location… If I’m offered the close location, I think I’d be much more tempted to do it. If I’m offered the further location, I don’t think I would. Would it be better to stay on the waitlist for the location I want? If it’s available now, is it better to rip him away from his friends NOW or stay on the waitlist and rip him away at the half-way mark?

I didn’t consider any of this before because I didn’t know he’d have two friends in his class. I know kids are resilient, but I know he LOVES having his two friends in the same class…and it kills me to think I’d be taking him away from that. I’m leaning towards putting him in the Pre-K if he’s accepted…but the best case scenario would actually be to be put on the waitlist and magically have it come due about 2-4 months in so he’s used to the 3x a week schedule and can move up to the FT schedule.

But still. Ugh.

Owen’s going to preschool!

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Well, Owen is officially signed up for morning preschool three days a week! I wanted two, but she said better to start with more and cut a day (if necessary) than start with two and want to add a day and have there not be room.

Best part? One of his friends is in the same class! 🙂
Worst parts? Class starts at 8 and ends right in the middle of Katie’s nap. 🙁

So this means we’re all getting up by alarm (YUCK). This was a VERY rude surprise since we thought it was 8:30 (that’s what the paperwork I have said) and that was VERY doable with our regular schedule (Owen is up at 7, I’m usually up and showered by 7:30, but Katie can sleep until 8 or 8:30 sometimes—though it’s usually 7:30). But 8? Good god, that’s a BIG change in our schedule to be up and out the door by 7:35.

And on the other end, I either keep Katie up and deal with her being a hot mess and she falls asleep on the way to pick him up OR I let her nap but have to wake her up after 30-45m. Neither are appealing. Poor second kid gets the shaft nap-wise. The only thing I’m hoping is that maybe by getting her up earlier she will be tired earlier and will nap earlier… FINGERS CROSSED!

That said, one bonus to having a friend in the same class? I already know his mom well (she’s part of our mom’s group) and he’s an only child so she doesn’t have to deal with other kids napping…so she has GRACIOUSLY offered to pick up Owen on occasion and bring him home! So they’ll just come out for lunch and a play date! I swear, this mom’s group just keeps on giving and giving!

The only other thing I was planning on but didn’t pan out is dropping Katie off at the same place for once a week morning preschool…but they only do full-time care for one-year-olds (you have to be potty trained for pre-school classes). They do have drop-off first-come-first-serve daycare, though, so I may still be able to have a morning to myself now and again!

We got to meet his teacher, Miss Jennifer, and see his classroom. He had been SUPER excited about going to school and wanted to GO (not just visit) today but he didn’t seem too thrilled once we got in the classroom. I think (am hoping) it was because they just cleaned it (while the kids were outside) and it smelled like disinfectant. He also could see the playground and wanted to go play but that wasn’t an option.

After a few minutes he seemed a bit more at home and was walking around exploring. He had to go potty when he was there, so he got to check out the bathroom and wash his hands in the kid-sized sink (and learn how to use a different soap bottle and towel dispenser).

The teacher and I talked about his issues (mainly pooping and autism diagnoses) and she said she had another kid with GI issues and that she hadn’t noticed anything autism-related with him. She said they eat breakfast there, there’s no rest/nap time, water is available all day (they just have to ask for it), they have outdoor play time, and there’s no real regimented activity time (like “Okay, you HAVE TO sit here and practice writing for 15 minutes.”).

I still can’t believe this is happening. My baby is leaving the nest… I just wish he was taking a school bus so I didn’t have to spend an hour of my day trekking back and forth. 🙂

I’ll be scheduling Owen’s hospital visit soon.

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Today was Owen’s four-month check up with the pediatric GI. Unfortunately, we really haven’t seen much progress.

He’ll have good days and bad days, but pretty much every day he still has poopy underwear. Some of it is a matter of him not wanting to poop (which he admits) and trying to hold it in, but some of it is still the liquidy stuff that I don’t think he can control—which would mean he’s still backed up (impacted). But since he does seem to poop quite a bit (quantity-wise) I just couldn’t fathom that he was still backed up. Also, it seemed to me that when he has normal poops (i.e. not the soft squishy stuff) he has no problem going—he knows he needs to go and he goes and it’s perfect. We gave up on the daily mineral oil after the first few days because it just gave him diarrhea every single day (which is NOT what it was supposed to do).

So in talking with the doc and telling him everything…he said he thinks that Owen is still impacted. Especially when he asked if I felt that Owen was really ever fully cleaned out (like when we did the 8-hour no-food clean out)—like did he ever just get down to pure watery poops—and I said no. He asked if the semi-regular clean-outs after that were any better (we’ve been doing a semi-clean out about every three weeks) and I said no. So he said that if it was HIS son and he was at the four-month mark with no real progress, he would admit him for a hospitalized clean-out. Which could take anywhere from 3-5 days. IN WILMINGTON.

Hospitalization may sound awful, but he assured me they do A TON of them and it’s really no big deal. Some of the worst cases he’s seen? They remove 10# of poop from the kid! He doesn’t think Owen is that bad, but he thinks it’s the best bet to make sure we’re basically starting with a clean slate so-to-speak. He also warned that it isn’t the magic solution, though it can work wonders and a lot of parents said it was a miracle and wished they’d done it sooner. Of course, it won’t help with his emotional issues about not WANTING to poop, but at least we know we’ll be starting from scratch.

At this point, I’m game to try ANYTHING so I said of course we’ll do that. They said they can pretty much get us in whenever, so I just had to figure out Katie care since she can’t stay there with us. I can also stay overnight, but I don’t need to so if I think he’ll be okay then he can stay by himself.

Of course Owen was there listening to all of this and I was worried he would be freaked out or would refuse to go or would have a meltdown…but the doctor said “Kids don’t mind it at all! They can watch TV, movies, and play XBOX games!” Owen’s ears perked up. The doc asked if Owen would mind going to the hospital and he said no—and he actually wanted to go right then and didn’t understand why he couldn’t. 🙂

So I contacted my sitter (the same one we used when we went away for the weekend) because I know her summer nannying job is over, and she said she can do it…so tomorrow I have to call to schedule. I’m hoping for Sunday because I have a dinner outing planned Thursday, an old friend (one of my high school classmates) coming in from out of town Friday morning, and a birthday party and BBQ to go to Saturday. Then just hope it only takes two days and not four or five.

Stay tuned for updates!

He made it!

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Our first brief Skype:

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He popped up in gmail instant messaging asking where I was. I asked where HE was! He meant he was trying to connect on Skype but I wasn’t logged on. My laptop lost its webcam somehow so I can only use the iPad, iPhone, or desktop computer…so I logged on with my phone!

It was just about two minutes—long enough to say he got there with no issues and he loves us! The connection wasn’t great—there was a big lag and I could still only make out about half of what he said. But it’s a start!

I love technology. 🙂