Sometimes in the mornings, Lukas and I like to go and sit in the sun room and look out of the windows.  Without fail, every morning we see some sort of little furry animal.  We say a bunny once, but usually it’s a squirrel…or two….or three…..or four.  I sometimes see them across the street running like crazies through the neighbors yard.  They get territorial on each other sometimes and bark at each other (if you’ve ever heard a squirrel bark, it’s one of the cutest/funniest sounds out there) and then chase each other all over my fence and the protruding parts of the house.  So you’ll hear this high pitched barking (it sounds like those little toy dogs that bark and then do back flips) and then you’ll see two squirrels zoom by the window.  It’s obvious who runs this neighborhood.  I have named them the Naughty Squirrel Collective.

Whenever I look out the window and see one, I announce, “There’s a naughty squirrel outside!” and Lukas and/or Jessie comes running to watch the little varmint.  When I have to go outside to get wood from the wood pile (a source of annoyance with me.  It’s termite infested and I’d like to wonder WHY the previous owners had a huge wood pile and never used it!) a naughty squirrel always leaps into a tree in my yard and glares down at me as I carry the logs to the patio to dry off.  I have a feeling that if I ever go outside in the dark to get wood, a group of secret squirrel ninjas will leap from the night sky and tie me to a tree and bean me in the face with acorns.  It’s a little intimidating.  Would you like to see the little beasts?

Naughty Squirrel #1.  Sitting in the Dogwood tree outside of the sun room window.  It was glaring at me and muttering something about shoving peanuts up my nose.

Naughty Squirrel #2.  This one was flexing his authoritative muscles in the neighbor’s yard.  I don’t think he saw me…which is good.

And that’s the Naughty Toddler watching the Naughty Squirrels.

We also saw a Naughty Cardinal, a Naughty Flock of Sparrows, and a Naughty Neighbor’s Cat.  It’s possible that we’re just easily entertained, but we really like looking at the West Reading wildlife….all the while trying not to incite the wrath of the Squirrel Mafia.

I was lying in bed last night, unable to sleep because my mind wouldn’t stop wandering.  Don’t you hate it when that happens?  So I’m laying there and I remember this hilarious thing that happened at our closing and I started laughing.  I had to keep it quiet because Jessie McSnorepants was sleeping next to me, but I made a mental note to blog about it today.

The closing lasted about 45 minutes, but you try making a toddler sit still and quietly for that long.  I DARE YOU.  I brought a few distractions with me to try to keep him quiet.  He sat on my lap and as paper and paper after paper was passed over to me to sign or initial, I had to wrestle with Lukas to be still and not put the paper in his mouth so that I could do my part.  Luckily, I brought a big lollipop with me so he could have something to occupy himself.

We got all of the papers signed, and started passing around congratulations and shaking hands.  Then the lady from the land transfer company (who had been making faces at Lukas the entire time and playing peek-a-boo with him) decided to start clapping and saying “Yay!”

She did it before I could stop her.  She did it before I could warn her JUST HOW EXCITED clapping and yelling “YAY!” made Lukas.  I was helpless.

Lukas screamed at the top of his lungs and threw his giant lollipop across the table into the nice gentleman who had just sold us the house.  He was nice about it, we had after all just bought his house, but that image of Lukas launching that huge lollipop across the table at this man will send me into giggles for the rest of my life.

I should also add in that when we were at that office a month or so earlier to make the offer on the house and signing thousands of papers, Lukas kept farting every time the room got quiet.  He’s still at that age where it just happens and he takes little notice, but the realtor and our loan officer laughed every time he ripped one in the silent conference room.  Kids.  What can you do?

I’ve been busy busy!  But I’m at least glad that I have internet enough to be able to blog again.  Man, that sucked so bad.  But  I bet you guys maybe want to hear about the house we just bought?  No?  Well too fucking bad, I’m telling you about it anyhow.

This house is over 100 years old.  All the houses on this street were built around the same time.  They have similar looks and are all red brick.  It is a quiet street, with large mature trees lining the road.  Although the neighborhood is at this time very comfortable looking, it is obvious that when this neighborhood was first built, it was for well-to-do families.  This house has a stone foundation, plaster walls (when we got our home insurance, we had to out in the policy that if the place burned down, we would rebuild with drywall because plaster is effing expensive apparently), hardwood floors, copper piping (although it sounds nice, it SUCKS when copper piping goes bad…been there done that), a new roof, a family room with travertine marble tile floors, two working wood burning fireplaces, 4 bedrooms, two and a haf baths, and a very sweet backyard for city dwelling.  We are three miles from any shopping we could want yet our street is very quiet.  It’s not a thru street, so the only traffic that comes through is our neighbors.  It’s awesome.  It has a forced air furnace and since I like for my home to be warm, that is awesome.

This whole house is awesome.  I’m very impressed that we were able to get such a gem.  We had a modest budget, especially for the area.  I mean, we’re not living in a poverty state OR city.  We’re living in a boom town, a suburb of the second biggest city on the Eastern seaboard.  Even better, I’m extremely happy that we got a house that doesn’t look like anybody else’s house.  Yeah it’s on a street where the houses look similar, but 100 years of different owners moving in and out, renovating, and putting in their own touches has made this neighborhood a little gem.  I’m so happy that we’re homeowners and can finally get comfortable in one place and not have to worry about signing leases or wondering if rent will be raised next year, or if our next place will be big enough for us.  We’re settled.  After too many years of feeling displaced we are finally home.

This is the living room.  As of right now, we don’t have any furniture for this room.  The hardwood floors need to be refinished and the walls will be repainted a very neutral yellow very soon.  I am in love with that big window.  It was made to have a great Christmas tree displayed inside.

These last two are our sun room.  This was a room that was almost the best feature of the house to Jessie and I.  We call it the “snuggly room” because we are cornballs like that.

Lukas’ room.  I’m sure you could have guessed.  It’s such a sweet and cheery room.  I’m so happy to have given him his own room.

The family room.  It’s a great room and it’s amazing how comfortable I feel in there already.

We’re not unpacked yet.  We’re about two-thirds done.  The master suite is getting a little love right now.  We’re putting in a walk-in closet and refinishing the hardwood floors.  So for now we are sleeping in what will be the office and that means that I can’t unpacks office boxes or all of the bedroom boxes.  However, my family room is unpacked and decorated for Christmas, my living room is clean and there is a Christmas tree in front of the big front window and Lukas’ room is finished.  We’re a little cramped, but feeling very homey.

And now for the funny story of today’s post:  Last night we were out to dinner with my mom and brother.  The waitress brought us plates for the appetizer and they were still warm from having just come out of the dish washer.  Lukas put his hand on it, and said “Hot!”  We told him it wasn’t hot and I showed him that we could touch it.  He put his hand on the plate again and said, OW!  Goddamn!”

I COULD take the blame for this one, but Jessie says it just as much.  I guess we’re going to have to start saying “fudge” and “Fiddlesticks” and “Poop” a lot now.