The good, the bad and the ugly

We are pressing onward...Ben is trudging through his last class to finish his associates. He only has a week or two left. The math in it is really annoying him. Ben has also recently applied for the Hazmat promotion at work. We'll see if they consider him or not. There should be another driver promotion coming up but it hasn't opened yet. Maybe this will be his time...that is yet to be seen. The politics in this department are ridiculous!

Ben and I have been spending a lot of time over the last few months discussing our neighborhood. We really feel like things are going down hill and fast. We knew this house would be temporary but we honestly didn't believe it to be THIS temporary. We've spoken with a realtor and she took a look at the comps in the area and it isn't good. We stand to potentially lose all the equity we have in our home. I would rather loose all the equity in my home to get out before this starter home neighborhood won't LET me get out and we owe more on the home than it is worth. We've talked to a local builder that we go to church with and another realtor we go to church with and they both said the starter home market is taking the WORST hit. We're going to be putting our house on the market soon. We lack having some rooms painted and we are also in the process of de-cluttering. This should make for a FUN holiday season. We aren't sure where we will go yet but we are looking into all options. There is a beautiful new subdivision off of Old Jefferson Pike past 840 that we would LOVE to build in, but we are being realistic to the fact that we might be able to afford more house by looking at foreclosed homes as well. So that's why I say we are considering all options...except starter home neighborhoods. So we are praying it all goes well.

Alli continues to grow and change right before our eyes. She has had so much trouble lately with going to bed on time. One day she this past week I didn't get her down for her first nap until much later than normal so she didn't wake up till too late in the day for a second nap. So we trudged on without a second nap and by 7pm she was ready for bed without a fight! So the next day I did the same thing with her. I pushed her 1st nap later and went without a second nap. It has made bedtime so much smoother. She hadn't shown any other signs that she was ready to go to one nap a day. So I will keep playing it by ear and see how she does day to day. To top it off she's been cutting some more molars so she has had tooth pain AND she luckily inherited my horrible sinus problems and has had sneezing, watery eyes and drainage. Poor baby.

She almost in to a full out run now as well! It's becoming a challenge to keep up with her some days. She has also started to walk on her tip toes. She learned the other day that this isn't always fun. We were visiting Ben at the fire hall and I was standing there talking with the guys while Alli was running around. She tripped in her crocs and face planted her forehead into the corner edge of the kitchen cabinetry. By the time I saw her fall Ben was already in motion to pick her up. So all I could do was watch in horror as I waited for my baby to suck in a DEEP breath and start screaming. It immediately bruised and you could see the red indentation where she hit. She was quickly back to her lovable self after some soothing. Still not fun to remember!

We are hoping to take Alli to the pumpkin farm this week!! If we make it, then I should have some pictures soon. I've been a bad mother lately about keeping updated pictures.