Contract!

Well, we have a contract on our house!  It isn't the best situation to be in since the buyers have a house to sell, but they offered full-price so if it works out it will be worth it.  We were at the point where we were going to have to buy the other one first anyway, or lose it, so if the buyer's end up not being able to close we will put the house back on (repainted and after we move out) in the Spring and hopefully have a bigger buyer pool.  Of course we had an agent call the day after we got the house under contract and said her buyers wanted to make an offer and that they could close quick and had nothing to sell.  We had been in communication with her before, though, and she knew an offer was imminent and wasn't willing to move quicker so I think it was more of a case of "want what you can't have."  Fingers crossed that the buyers house sells and we get to enjoy this view at our new house (with our house sold) sooner than later!

The kids are excited about the new place, they love the basketball goal and the play areas, but they are sad at the prospect of changing schools.  We will definitely leave them at their current school for the remainder of the school year, but not sure what we are going to do next year.  On one hand I love their current school and they do too, and we know the teachers and administration and rules and school culture, and it really is a good school.  On the other hand, the new school will be the kids that they also go to middle school with and who live nearby, it is supposed to be a great school too,  and junior high starts in 6th grade in the new district and 5th in the current so they will have to go to that elementary eventually at some point and I think that it might be easier on the kids to not be the 5th grade new kids.  We will likely switch them for next year, and hope that they meet some other kids their age at the pool this year that can help them adjust. 

Basketball season has been an experience so far.  It is very hard to coach your own child, I think, but I definitely have a great group of parents and kids (which helps, tremendously) and we are having fun and actually winning some games!  Tyler's team is a different story.  They are being outplayed every game, and his coach is trying desperately to win and thus doesn't give the boys equal playing time.  I think it is important, at this age, to encourage all players to learn the game and fundamentals and to have fun.  You have no clue, I don't think, at this age who has talent and who is going to be a "good" basketball player.  Unfortunately, Tyler's coach doesn't see it that way and he has identified his good players and his bad and makes it obvious at game time.  We will stick with this team this season since Tyler doesn't seem to notice or care, but we will definitely request NOT to have this same coach next year.  I think early coaches and early teachers are similar.  Your first teachers inspire you to love school, to be confident in your academic abilities, and really shape what kind of student you will be.  Similarly, first coaches teach you why and how to love the game, try to identify strengths and work on weaknesses, and encourage lifelong talents and interests.  I wish Tyler's coach would recognize the influence that he has, and I try to remember that when I am working with my team.  Don't get me wrong, I am NEVER coaching again, but all in all it hasn't been as bad as expected! 
A pic of my two basketball players.  I can't take them of Katie when I am coaching, and keep forgetting my phone when with Tyler - so this is actually pre-game (8:00 game for Tyler this morning - way too early on a Saturday)!

8....0

Well, our house has now been on the market for 8 days and we have had 8 showings - 0 offers  :(.  We have limited time to sell due to the seller of the house we have under contract requiring that we close on that house by March 2nd or lose the contract.  Looking like we are not going to move after all.  It makes me sad, because I really like that house and it does seem perfect for what we want and how we want to raise the kiddos, but I truly do like our house and neighborhood and school (even if it seems that we are the only ones) so I have to keep telling myself that everything will work out as it should.  The feedback on the house has been brutal.  Yesterday, when I came home, the towel on the oven had been trapped in the door making it obvious that someone had opened the oven.  I didn't think anything of it until Lance talked to the agent later and was told that he thought it looked like we didn't really want to sell the house.  When Lance asked for specifics the agent said things like - the inside of the oven is dirty, there is a garden hose under the deck, and there were men's clothes in the closet of the room that looked like it was for a little girl.  REALLY, really?!?  Some of the other feedback we have taken to heart and some there is nothing we can do about it - lookers/potential buyers have said the floorplan is too open AND others said not open enough, one wanted a master bedroom downstairs and another wanted a bigger yard, one said that it was too "Pottery Barn," and another said we should remove personal pictures (we did that one).  The most common feedback has been buyers desire to be in a bigger neighborhood with more amenities (we love our neighborhood and there really are lots of kids, the school park in walking distance, and is really convenient without feeling like you are in a big neighborhood - but we don't have a pool and park and walking trails like the others on the market).  The fact is that besides the things we cannot change, I find it hard to believe that even if the oven had been clean, or if all trace of children living in the home had been removed - that would have made this the house for any of these buyers.  We know that if we were able to move out and "stage" the house it would sell better, but that isn't really an option.  We could definitely paint to freshen things up a bit - but guaranteed that the first feedback after painting would be negative about the paint colors or fumes - ha!  Fingers crossed that someone comes along soon that understands that a family does live here, can overlook the toys arranged on the shelves or stashed in closets, wants to be in our neighborhood and likes the house, and knows that this isn't HGTV!

Basketball season has started for both kids!  I will try to get pictures this weekend.  We are having fun, but we definitely aren't the best two teams.  I have seen improvement just in the last two games, though, with my girls and I think it will be a great season!