Six

Sweet boy turned six last week. He'd been sick all week running a high fever and randomly throwing up. All he wanted was to be well on his birthday. And he also asked for a house too! (Which we have one under contract!! So birthday gift complete!) 

Joel woke up feeling good so we went to swim practice where Joel got to do his birthday belly flop. 

Then we went to this fountain park where they played for a few hours with foam pieces and the water. 

Joel had everyone at the end come together and build this huge aqueduct. It was impressive. 

Then we went to get lunch and a few minutes into lunch Joel was like this 

So I quickly packed up and we walked to the car and Joel started to throw up. And thankfully was fine after that and hungry.... Poor thing. And I wouldn't let him eat anything until a few hours later. 

He was mainly worried about not getting to open presents but we assured him he still could. 

(Notice the two different wrapping papers. My parents wrapped with pretty wrapping paper and I just wrapped Joel's gifts with brown craft paper. Colin pointed out that it was because we were homeless that our gifts looked like that! Haha) 

A few days ago Joel  drew out what he wanted for a cake and I made it. He was very specific on what went on it and how it would look. 

It was really good. 

Joel is our strong willed determined boy who can't be made to do anything he doesn't want to. But he's so sweet and always looking out for things his brother and sister like. He will find a pretty rock and give it to Norah since she loves to collect rocks or when watching tv always want whatever Colin wants to watch. But he will also be quick to push his brother and sister'a buttons. It's interesting because he is so strong willed but also so laid back about stuff and goes with the flow a lot easier than his brother and sister.  When I told him we got a house he sweetly asked which one and Colin was deveststed we didn't pick the one he wanted.  Joel is so creative and loves to create whether painting, drawing, cooking, or building. He loves to make us laugh and has been teaching Norah all his poop jokes which she thinks are hilarious.

 

Happy birthday sweet boy! It's been a rough summer for our routine school loving boy who got right off the school bus and left the only home he's ever known. A few more weeks and life with get back into a new normal when we move into our new house. 

Summer so far

We moved! This was our living situation for a week. All furniture had been moved out and we were camping out in the house while the kids finished school. What made me laugh was the kids all would ask to be excused after each meal! 

The boys got off the bus as a fourth grader and a first grader and then we got in the car and left the house for the last time. Such a crazy week with swim practice, moving, cleaning, and all the end of the year school stuff. 

Neighbor best friends. Heartbreaking that  this sweet girl has been asking why Norah had to move every day since then. 

Swim team has been different this year with late night practices at another pool while ours was getting fixed. Which meant after we moved into mom and dads we wouldn't get home until 10:30pm. Thankfully for the last two weeks of practice we will go back to morning practices which is better for us. 

We've explored parks and playgrounds 

Taken walks down to the river sometimes several times a day. 

Norah wears that butterfly dress almost every day. 

Helped in grandpas garden or "gam-pa" as Norah says

And had a scary moment with Colin. He hit his head on a metal pole playing tag with Norah and busted his lip. Then the next day he was really tired and didn't want to do too much. Went to a swim meet and he just sat in a chair the whole time except when he swam - not himself at all but he did drop a few seconds in butterfly. Then on our way to drop him off at his friend Connors house for the afternoon he started throwing up and shaking violently. So we took him in for a possible head trauma. Besides the head he had a stomach virus. Poor boy. But scared his mom big time! 

Spent the 4th in Yorktown 

Norah was not having Colin stand next to her. 

Goodbye house

Right  now the only thing in our house is random stuff that needs boxed, a few kitchen things, clothes and some odds and ins. And a sofabed couch. We will be camping out in a way the next week until school ends. 

We are closing on this house next Friday and continue to be homeless.

These were the listing photos of our house and it's been fun to see how much this house has changed the last seven years. 

Can't wait to start decorating another house....just wish I knew which one that was. We've made 4 offers on 4 different houses and haven't gotten any of them. 

It's not going to be the summer any of us planned but hoping and praying we can find a house and get settled soon. 

Lollipop store

In the midst of packing up the boys closet I found a stash of lollipops Colin had been storing from school. 

Colin isn't a candy or sweets person so candy for him stays around forever. 

Joel and Norah love sweets. 

Colin capitalized on that and told Norah that he'd give her a lollipop if she cleaned his room. She very happily cleaned his entire room while Colin sat back and watched.

The next day after school Colin came home and announced that the lollipop shop was open for business. This time he had Joel agreeing to not leave dirty clothes all around the room in exchange for a lollipop. (Colin loves things neat and tidy and in it's place) Joel agreed and when he threw off his clothes before bedtime Colin reminded him of the agreement they had. 

I told Colin I would keep his lollipop supply fully stocked from now on. 

New house

Norah is calling this storage unit her new house. And to be fair we did tell her when we were boxing up her stuff that it would to with us to the new house... 

We sold our home in two weeks! TWO WEEKS! Crazy since it took so long last time. We are feeling really blessed because right after we went under contract three other houses on our street went on the market for $10/$20k less! We close in three weeks and then will be homeless. We are putting our stuff in storage and going to stay with mom and dad for a few weeks...hoping it's just a few weeks and I'm sure they are hoping it's just a few weeks. I probably shouldn't have signed the boys up for swim team and Norah for ballet here this summer but had no idea our house would sell that fast. We will all just be in the car a lot this summer. 

And hoping not for too long. We put in a few offers but haven't gotten the houses so we keep looking and praying something would come up. We know what area we want to be in and it would mean an hour less of driving a day for Brent which will be nice. Just hoping a house without an inground pool three steps from the sliding doors opens up. (Seems like most have inground pools and since Norah just jumped off the side of the pool the other night I'm not living with a pool.  the lifeguard was thankfully closer than we were)

It's sad to leave our neighbors. We told them to come with us - we've loved living next to them. It's really nice to just let the girls go back and forth all day. And Joel follows too! I know we can still do play dates but it's so nice to just be so close. Praying we can move into a neighborhood with lots of kids. 

So we are praying our house comes up soon but also not willing to settle too much. And also praying our house closes on time. The new owners are ridiculous with what they want us to do.