Wow, it has almost been a month since I posted. Lots going on. I need to post new house pictures, but I haven't taken any (shame, shame) so I have nothing to post. All of the trim and built-ins are finished, and except for the kitchen, all of the cabinets/countertops are installed. The kitchen cabinets/countertops should be installed by the end of the week. Some of them are already up and I love them! It is so nice to see all of the little details I chose last summer coming together in a good way! The painters have started working and that will take about three weeks. Then the hardwood/tile will be installed, and then closets, carpet, and finish work. It won't be long now!

We listed our current house last Wednesday, just before the sub-zero temps hit Indiana. Perfect timing. We are in the zone of keeping everything picked up and I have been pleasantly surprised at how the boys have stepped up. We'll see how long it lasts. We have our first showing on Friday morning, and then an open house on Sunday afternoon. We have a deal with our realtor that he will buy it from us on a four year contract if it doesn't sell in 120 days. If we end up doing that, we will still have a mortgage for four more years, but he will be making monthly payments to us that are only about $50 less than our house payment. He gave us several references of people who have sold on contract to him, and one of them was a nurse that works on L&D, so DH checked it out with her and she was very happy with the program. It will keep us from having two big mortgage payments, so that is good.

I think we are through the worst of the transition to the new building at school. My new room is much nicer than my old one, especially the technology, but since the school is so much bigger, I *never* see anyone else. The other teachers say the same thing, but I think my situation is exacerbated because I am in a completely different part of the building than the academic teachers. I used to have a science teacher next door and lockers outside my classroom, but I have none of that now. The band room is next door, but the band director teaches at the high school in the mornings, so by the time he comes over to the middle school, it is about time for me to go. On the bright side, I am getting LOTS of work done! My kids have Solo & Ensemble Contest coming up on February 7th, where they sing solos (or they can enter in a small group) for a judge and are evaluated according to a rating sheet and given a 1st, 2nd, or (hopefully not) 3rd place rating. I have 28 different entries this year, which is great, except someone has to accompany all of these entries and there is no way one person can do it all since they are scheduled in several different rooms over the same time period. My regular accompanist is going to help me, but there was still no way the two of us could do it, so my MIL is driving here from KS to help! I used to help her with this same thing when I was in college and she was teaching, so she figured she would do this for me. She has to be at Purdue the next weekend for a conference anyway, so she is just driving here early. I am so grateful to her! She is an intense person with lots of energy (like mother, like son!) but when that intensity is directed in a way that helps you, it's all good!

I didn't end up having school this past Friday because of the cold weather (our buses wouldn't start) but my kids had school as usual. It was DH's Friday to be off, so we had a great (unexpected!) day together, and Monday, he and I were both off, too, and the boys once again had school. SO no complaints from me about time with DH for awhile, I guess. We made the most of it! (Working on house stuff, of course!)

Time to put some kids to bed.....pictures soon, I hope![/QUOTE]