++H-O-T++

That's the best way to describe us these days. Funny. We get to experience a piece of history soon after we arrive in Seattle: the hottest day ever recorded. Now isn't that so nice of them to make us feel right at home? It wouldn't be so bad (outside it really just feels like a summer day in Memphis) it's that there is no AC inside that makes it rough. We'll get through it. I am just going to minimize my computer time as the computer is hot too.

Here's the latest on what's up here...other than the mercury.

++We're getting adjusted to the condo. I've decided that living in 800 square feet isn't really for me. I can survive though.

++We're renting a minivan until the cars arrive on Friday. It was a good chance for an extended test drive because we were seriously considering getting one. I am officially no longer interested. Too big. Maybe I would feel different if we weren't parking in the worlds smallest parking lot at the condo. I am so excited to get my back-up sensors back when the Volvo arrives!

++We went house hunting on Saturday and Sunday. It's taking us a while to even figure out which areas we want to live in. We're narrowing it down though. Wyatt and Claire came too. Wyatt thought it was fun. I love that about him. Everything is a new adventure.

++Someone turned five months old on Friday. She deserves her own fancy post. It will come sometime. She is way too mobile for her own good and way too happy and easy (if there is such a thing). We marked her birthday with the introduction of rice cereal.

++I can't believe this is so far down in my post because it is such big news! My dad is home from the hospital today. He has a long recovery ahead of him but I'm just so glad he's home.

++I had four large glasses of ice water before breakfast this morning. I think breastfeeding and this heat really just suck it all out of you. Sorry. Bad choice of words there.

++Wyatt continually astounds me with how he is putting the pieces together with this move. We were talking about Little Gym and he told me that we can't go there anymore because it is too far away (I never told him this). Then he asked if they had Little Gym in Seattle. Seriously? He isn't even three yet!

++And, because I know all of you love a little visual aid. This photo kind of sums up so much about the last couple of weeks. Here's Claire, doing her thing, totally ignored, surrounded by chaos (but not total chaos, note the patented Kate check-list in the foreground) as we prepare to leave our house in Memphis. She wrapped herself in that shirt and was chewing on a wet-wipe package.

++One step closer++

We're one step closer to getting on with our lives. We moved out of the Residence Inn and into the condo we are renting indefinitely until we move into our new house (which we haven't even started looking for yet if that gives you an idea about this process). The way we have done this might make this part of the transition tougher because I don't think I will feel like Seattle is home until we have all of our things in a house here. Oh...and it would be nice to have my car too. That makes it a little tough to get around (because as much as it would be nice if this wasn't the case, Mark still has to go to work!)
Wyatt was thrilled to open his boxes of toys shipped from home today. He was so cute. There is a shoe rack in the closet off the family room and Wyatt decided that that looked like good toy storage so he decided to start putting his things away there. Our condo has a little patio with a small patch of grass inside a fence just for us. It's actually kind of nice that Wyatt can be out there while we are inside. It won't be too hard to keep track of the kiddos in this place. I'll take some photos and post them so those of you who would like to visualize what day-to-day life is like for us, you can (mom, Chrismary).
We got some other good news as well. My dad is finally off the breathing tube and breathing on his own. He should be moved out of the ICU as early as tomorrow. Such a relief. It sounds like he is ready to get out of there as well. I'm just looking forward to him being up for phone calls again. We have lots of well wishes to send his way!
Not sure if this is good or bad news but we got an offer on our house yesterday. It was ridiculously low with all sorts of other requests. We counter-offered and only budged a little. We haven't heard back yet. Mark laughs at me because I get all worked up about stuff like this. I know I shouldn't take these things personally but I do. Let's hope a more serious buyer comes along soon!

++We're Here!++

We made it. Yesterday could go down as one of the longest days of my life...but it's over now! We took a 6:30p flight with the hopes that the kids would sleep. Claire did. Wyatt didn't. He was such a good boy though. The flight that was supposed to be 4.5 hours was more like 5 due to some rerouting for storms. That's a long time to entertain a preschooler. God bless the DVD player. The cutest thing is that every time the pilot said Seattle Wyatt would get excited and say "he said Seattle!" We didn't get Wyatt to bed until what felt like 2am and he was doing better than us. Just wondering if we will pay for that today.
It doesn't really seem real because with the exception of clothes and necessities, we left the house fully intact. So it kind of feels like we are just on a long vacation. I think that really is the best way to go. The hardest part was seeing Wyatt and his buddies. Both Olly and Alex seemed genuinely bummed that Wyatt was not going to be around to play with any more. I overheard Wyatt tell Olly "I can't play with you any more. I'm going to move far away."
Prior to leaving for the airport we had a full day of packing and cleaning and packing and cleaning and errands. They came to get our cars for shipping (a highlight for Wyatt...photos later). But we're done and I'm really hoping that there isn't something glaringly obnoxious left out to greet everyone who goes through our house in the coming weeks! We had two showings in the first two hours after we left. Crossing our fingers for a quick sale!
I also spent the day thinking about my dad. He had to be put back on the ventilator to regulate his breathing. As a result, he is sedated again. Prior to that my mom said he was in quite a bit of pain. It's never fun to hear that someone you love is suffering like that. Get well soon Daddy-o!
So birthday #32 won't go down as my favorite. We'll try again next year.

++So far, so good++

The word from Florida is that my dad is doing as well as could be expected. What a relief. He has a long road ahead of him. So odd to think that yesterday he was perfectly fine and wishing he was out playing golf. We all know that this was the best thing in the long run though.

The house is 95% ready for showing. I'm struggling with where to stash the larger-than-life colorful baby items if we have a showing before we leave. Just getting to this point makes me so glad we won't be here while the house is on the market. Photos coming soon...I promise.

One final funny: I overheard Wyatt telling his friend Sydney last night that we were moving to Seattle (not quite pronounced correctly, but close). He followed it with "you know, by Larson's house."

++Quick++

This will be quick. No photos...just an update. Maybe just an excuse to sit down for a bit. We have been working our butts off for the past ten days.
++The window washer arrives tomorrow morning and the cleaning crew tomorrow night. We have our first showing on Friday. The house officially goes on the market on Saturday.
++Our tickets have been purchased. We leave town on Monday. It happens to be another special day on Monday. Someone you may know is turning 32. Doesn't that sound old?
++One of the best things about moving as often as we have is that every two or so years (yikes that sounds painful) you kind of give your life a nice little exfoliation---you get rid of all the junk and start all over again. Our biggest reality check has been as we pack up boxes for the interim. You start to think to yourself: "if I don't need this for the next two months...why do I ever need this?" And that is why I took five huge garbage bags of clothes to Goodwill today.
++We have worked with a stager for both our moves now. I love it. I try not to let all their changes hurt my feelings (you do start to wonder what they are really thinking about your house before they move things around.) I'll try to take some photos and do a little before and after once I'm in Seattle and bored in my little two bedroom condo (this to-do list is growing daily).
++Based on my love of stagers, I have decided to hire someone once we actually buy a house to come in and tell me how to set everything up. I think I have fairly good taste (if I do say so myself), I just suck at pulling it all together.
++Wyatt may have design in his future as well. As I am working with the stager and she is testing some things out in different places, Wyatt starts moving his toys around and asking me how they look in their new places. "How's this look Mom? Do you like this here?"
++Wyatt is starting to show some signs of not loving what is happening to his house. We took his McDonalds out of the playroom to put it away (I was told to only keep the cute wooden toys out---you know, the ones you always thought you'd only have before you actually have kids). Before we know it, he's dragging it back into the playroom to set it all up again. It can't be easy because this kid likes routine (like mother, like son) and every time he wakes up from a nap another room in his house looks totally different. I honestly think it will be better to just get him to Seattle.
++Claire is great. Smiley. Happy. Cute. Has no clue that her life is about to change. But actually since her life revolves around sleeping and eating and playing on a blanket on the floor...it probably won't change all that much.
++Finally (so much for this being short), I found out this week that my dad is going to have heart bypass surgery on Friday (or maybe Monday). I actually am glad that I am so busy so I don't worry about him too much. I know he wouldn't want that. I am praying for him though...and I'd love it if you'd do the same!

++Ten on Thursday++

It's my blog so I can change the "Tuesday" to "Thursday" if I feel like it--right?

1. We're back from our ten day trek to Minnesota. It is so nice to be back at our own house. Even if it is only for two weeks.

2. We had lots of fun and saw lots of people. I will have to do some flashback posts later. One highlight was reconvening the playgroup. When we left there were four. Now there are eleven. Each of the four has a new sibling and three more friends had new babies. One word for all of that: chaos.

3. The other big event was the wedding. Here is a quick preview of the kiddos doing what their mom likes best: looking cute! 4. Congrats to Uncle Matt and Aunt Taylor!

5. Claire is really growing up. She's no little three-month-old baby any more. It was like someone flipped a switch at four months. She started stringing her rolling together to make her way across the floor. She also does a skooch motion to get places (think inchworm). I'm so not impressed with either of these moves. Babies who stay quietly on their blankets...now that's impressive!

6. It's busy here in Tennessee. The house is painted. The stager has staged the rooms. The window washer is scheduled. Wyatt isn't quite sure what to make of all the traffic through our house.

7. Wyatt has added "how" to supplement his non-stop asking of "why." The problem is that most of the time I don't know "how" things work. Example: "We need to get gas for the car" "why?" "because the car uses gas to make it go" "how?" And that, my friends, is where I give up and tell him that he needs to go to school and learn that so he can teach me because I have no idea how gas makes a car go.

8.Claire slept for 13 hours straight last night. Mark was out of town so I am really hoping that it isn't that I just didn't hear her. Either way, she's still alive this morning and I had a nice night.

9. We have rented a condo for the short-term in Seattle. We found a place that rents furnished homes by the day. They have a house, which we would prefer, but it isn't available until mid-August. We may move there then. Our move-in date is two weeks from today. Crazy to think our time in Memphis is so close to the end!

10. Wyatt started summer school yesterday. He'll only go for two weeks but we needed the time with him at school to get stuff done! I'm grateful he has his favorite teacher, Ms. Christa, again. He needs as much normalcy as possible these days.

++What lies ahead++

I just got this photo from Mark. He took it from his cell phone. He stopped for a little sightseeing on his way back from a meeting in central Washington. We are really excited for what lies ahead for us.



Now back to reality. Wyatt is at school today so I am trying to get some stuff done. Mark reminded me that this is the type of stuff I am good at. We got home on Monday (lots and lots of photos and fun from that trip await...it just may be a while). Yesterday I had a stager, home inspector and realtor here. Today they power-washed the house. Tomorrow is painting the trim. I found us a place to live in the short-term and keep looking at the listings sent over from the realtor for the long-term. Mark is going on an initial outing with the realtor tomorrow. We'd like to have the house on the market by the end of next week. So if you are looking for a 4BR 3BA home in suburban Memphis...I have the perfect answer for you!