Our Dogs

We have two dogs. One is a 2-year-old, dark honey colored pitt bull mix (possibly rhodesian ridge back, maybe greyhound), and the other is a 10 month old black lab mix (probably border collie - she has similar white patches). The brown one we call Monkey and the black one we call Panda. Yes, we aim to confuse our children as much as possible in the early years.
Tonight I was getting rather fed up with Monkey pacing and Panda licking my fingers. They both have other annoying traits, too. However, when I was in, brushing my teeth, I heard a noise from the hallway that sounded almost like my phone vibrating except my phone was in on the bed. I opened the door and Monkey started barking at the window directly across from the bathroom.
There was some creeper looking in our window!
No, actually, the reflection of me coming out of the bathroom was "looking in the window." That is why Monkey was only growling while I was in the bathroom (door partially closed) and why she barked when I started coming out.
Well, I was sure glad to know that if there were to be a creeper looking in the window, Monkey would have my back. Panda was just chilling, but ready to join in the fight if needed.

Outside Pictures of New House

Here are pictures of the 4plex that we bought! We only have the pictures of the inside that the appraiser took because all 4 units are occupied currently. I won't be posting any of those for the privacy of the tenants. Here are some outside pictures I took today though! I'll post pictures of our apartment when we move in (December, pictures posted in January after we're all moved in). 

 East side of main house with Joshua and Daniel on the steps. Left door goes to upstairs apartment (2 bedroom, 1 bathroom). Right door goes to main floor apartment (3 bedroom, 2 bathroom) where we will be living.

 South side of main house. 3 car garage with each stall closed off so rentable to tenants. 

 Other side of driveway. I'm planning on ripping out those bushes and plant grapes along that fence. 

 A small area on the west side of the main house. I'm planning on this being the vegetable garden area. I'm thinking raised beds with paths between them and a main path along the house because tenants will need to walk there to the garage. 

 Same area, view from the other side of it. 

 Between the two houses to the back area. (Scaffolding from the painting we had to do to get our FHA loan.)

 Both houses from the north side. 

 The second house from the north side. It's not terribly interesting, just a square. (Two apartments, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom each.)

 Main house from the north. Separate entrance for the office area (3rd bedroom). 

 Main house with second house in the background from the north-east. We'll probably fence off the north side of the house for our dogs. 

The rest of the front yard. We're going to cut down the large tree down by the driveway because we don't want its roots ruining our nice new driveway, and the needles are also killing the grass. The two closer trees will probably go at some point, too, because they're a very messy kind of tree - there are seed pods everywhere. 

Chicken!

After running around like chickens sans heads all month the day has come. Today is closing day. That's right, we are buying a house!...two houses, actually. I'm currently sitting in the car at the Title company giving Joshua a few more minutes of carseat-sleep before going in to sign our lives away. Wish us luck! More details to come!

Sleeping Arrangements

Joshua has been doing really well with his big boy bed. It's also his favorite toy right now. When we play in his room, most of the time is spent bouncing, jumping, and rolling off his bed to tell me that he is "ok!" He also loves it when I push him onto his bed. It looks almost abusive, but he just loves it - laughs his head off every time.
The other day I couldn't find any of his binkies anywhere, I can't remember if it was naptime or bedtime, so I just explained to Joshua that I couldn't find his binky and that he would have to sleep without it and he climbed in bed and went to sleep without it! Since then we have been binky free...except once when Dave put him down for a nap. I think I still haven't told him that we aren't doing binky anymore...I should do that.
Last night, when I went in to turn off the AC in Joshua's room, re-cover him with his blanket and leave the door ajar so he could get out in the morning when he woke up, I was surprised to find several toys and a stack of books in his bed with him. It's the first time he hasn't just gone to sleep. It was super cute.

Lost in Translation

I thought I'd document a few of the cute words Joshua says. Here's a video. See if you can tell the difference between the words.

Rant

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a word from our sponsor: my brain. I can't sleep. Partially because Dave is snoring, partially because my left nostril is clogged, partially because I took a nap today, mostly because my whole middle section feels like it's on fire, and partially because my mind is racing.
I've already done all I can to get rid of the fire (3 ibuprofen, 2 tylenol, 1 gas-x, heating pad), sitting up should get my nostril to clear up, Dave will stop snoring if I jab him enough times and tell him to roll over, and there's nothing I can do to retroactively tell myself not to take a nap today. So that leaves me with my mind racing.
What is my mind racing about? Pain. This brings me to my topic--it's one of my biggest pet peeves, but I don't think I've told many people about it. I usually just keep it to myself--grin and bear it. Here it is: I hate the phrase, "pain threshold". I think it's a bunch of baloney. It's the grown-up way of calling someone a sissy.
Just about this time of the month every month I get all mad about it all over again, if you catch my drift. The most I've heard it used is in reference to labor.
There is the big debate over natural birth vs. medicated birth. I have no strong opinion on which is the "right" way to do it for others, but I know that I will always choose to have an epidural. The only part that bugs me is when people talk about their labor and say some form of, "Oh, I didn't need any pain killers or epidural because my pain threshold is higher than yours."
Let me tell you about labor. It hurts. A LOT! It feels like cramps, food poisoning, bad gas, and being run over, all in one. Ok, I don't know what it feels like to be run over so I can't compare it to that. I'm sure it's close though.
Here's your fair warning: I'm going to start rambling because from here on out (you weren't already!?)--my thoughts are all jumbled together.
The only way I feel it is fair to compare "pain threshold" levels is if somehow the actual pain felt was able to be measured, which it really can't be. My pain is not the same as anyone else's pain. You can't tell me that you felt the same amount of pain and just dealt with it better. I do give so so so SO many props to all those women who give birth naturally. I am admitting openly that you are strong women with self control I can only hope to have. Some of you don't experience as much pain as others, which makes it easier to give birth without being numb from the waist down. It has to do with the way your nerves and brain are hooked up-not your pain threshold. Some of you experience more pain than others and still are able to give birth without being numb from the waist down. As for me, I experience more pain than I would ever like to deal with in my life without being numb from the waist down.
Bring in today's world: No I'm not planning on experiencing labor for a while. I can promise it's not in the next at least 10 month plan for me. However today I am experiencing what I like to call "mini-labor". It hurts like a @!%^@#&@$%*#$^*%^($&($%^@#$%!@#% and you can't tell me that you just have a higher pain threshold than me when it comes to cramps. I may slap you if you do. I'm not a sissy! It just hurts a LOT.* Do you think they make monthly epidurals for cramps?
Ok, I think I've written everything that was in my head. Hopefully I can sleep now.

*I actually have a uterus septum which causes menstrual cramps to be more painful. Just saying. 

May NM Trip: Garage and Food Storage

While I was in New Mexico, I offered to help my parents go through and organize their garage. The goal was to get it all done, but it was a lot harder to do with Joshua toddling around than I thought--mostly because I didn't want him to be in the garage while we worked.
Anyway, I don't have any before pictures. So here are some random pictures of Joshua playing while we were there. He loved being able to go into the backyard and run around. The "after" pictures are all the way at the bottom so you have to make it through the rest of the pictures to get to them. ;)

 Playing with Grandpa in the back yard, honking noses.

 Joshua started doing my little nose trick and I tried to get it on camera...this is as close as we got.

 Playing peek-a-boo with the ladder that was out.

 This was at the church playing with the donated outdoor toys.

 He loves these little cars! I need to save up and get him one for his birthday or something.

 We borrowed a bike trailer while we were there to see if we liked using it enough to buy one at home. We used to to bike to the pool a few times and it was a lot of fun! (Yes, we got one at home, and I've been using to get around town a lot this summer.)

 Ok, this is actually up at Colorado, but I just thought I'd add it in. He loved Mr. Potato head.

 Playing in the back yard.

 More playing in the back yard.

 We ate dinner outside on the patio furniture.

 Joshua's cheesy, goofy smile.

 My mom watches the neighbor kid, Hudson, a few times a week, and he and Joshua had fun together.

 Playing with his blanket in the living room.

 Playing with a bead track toy in the family room.

 Playing with tennis rackets around the house...see, I told you he was a busy busy boy around the house!

 Food storage all organized.

 "Ta-da!"