Another Wild Goose Chase!

Today Paprika, Ginger, Bella (my ever-patient real estate agent), and I embarked on another wild goose chase in our search for a house.

I saw this house online last night, and as soon as I saw it, I really wanted it. It had just come on the market that morning, so I thought we'd have a good chance.

It is in a great school district, and on a huge lot. Nevermind that the house had been converted into a preschool 30 years prior. I figured that out when I saw the giant wood crayons hanging on the front porch. The house had no shower or bathtub, no appliances, and no toilets...well, except for these:



And we're potty training, so I thought these mini toilets might actually come in handy!

The house needed a lot of work. The floors were a mess, everything needed replacing...the house was built in 1919 and let's just say it showed its age.

All of the rooms had been converted into classrooms, so there weren't any bedrooms. No living room. No dining room. Just big open rooms. But, it is in a fantastic school district, and the house was big at 2100 sq/ft.

I saw it and thought, "this is an opportunity!"











And the backyard? It was huge! Incredibly huge! It had a whole playground in the backyard!





The backyard was so huge, it even had its own parking lot!



They were asking $599,900 for the property, and at that price, I felt like they were giving it away.

And...as it turns out, I was right. When we got home, my real estate agent checked and they had already received multiple cash offers over asking price. Someone is going to tear this property down and build a McMansion...or an apartment complex.

The seller wants all offers in by this Friday morning (2 days after listing it)...with no contingencies. So, if we made an offer, we'd have no option to get an appraisal or an inspection. And as adventurous as we are, we just can't play ball with the big real estate investors who pounced on this property the moment it was listed.

They say the market has tanked in Los Angeles...and I know that's true. But it seems like everything I set my sights on gets snatched up immediately. Ah well...it was quite an adventure! Farewell, Crayon House!

Two Months Old!

Ginger is two months old today. Having her in our family, well, it's just been amazing.

She is sweet, and wonderful, engaging, and soooo smiley. She is easy going and fun to be near. I am not sure if it's because we learned so much from Paprika's early days, or if it is just because Ginger is so laid back...but she fits right in and I find myself so much calmer this time around.

I can't believe she's already two months old. I find myself wanting her babyhood to stay with us. I savor it so much, every single moment of it. She is perfect, and just the most wonderful addition to our family.

I'm not sleeping as much as I should be, but that's okay. I'm trying to fit everything in: being a present and attentive parent to Paprika...being a nurturing and attached parent to Ginger...being a good partner to Mr. Mustard...being a good housekeeper for us all...it's a lot to juggle, but I think I do an okay job most days.

The past two months have gone by so quickly, and I can't believe that she is already holding her head up, getting so big, and outgrowing all those newborn clothes!

I remember Paprika at this stage, and some days that seems like a lifetime ago. It really goes so much faster than any of us want it to...



I know there are big changes on the horizon for our family. Paprika is three and is becoming such a big girl. She is going to transition out of her crib later this week into a toddler bed. I'm so not ready for that- potty training and a "real bed" all in the span of one month. Paprika may be ready, but I am not!



We're going to start our house hunt again in a month or two. I am so ready to be in a bigger house with a yard. I find myself going a bit stir-crazy in our condo, and long for a fenced in place where Paprika can have fun outdoors without me having to chase her down. She can run SO fast these days, and going out in public by myself with her is not really an option at the moment.

I know that getting a house won't fix everything, but I do feel it will fix some things. I just wish the stakes weren't so high in the Los Angeles housing market. It's harder to buy here than elsewhere for so many reasons...and sometimes it all seems overwhelming. A 4 bedroom house with a yard in a good school district, is that too much to hope for?

Living in Los Angeles is exciting, but sometimes it is just really hard. Crowded, expensive, full of concrete. But it never snows. So we save on mittens and snowboots.

I am grateful that I get to stay home with Paprika and Ginger- it is so challenging, but rewarding. These days are going by so quickly...all too quickly.

Paprika's Song

Here's a quick video of Paprika singing and playing piano.

Piano!

Paprika has really been enjoying our piano. She loves to make up songs, sing at the top of her lungs, and bang away. It can occupy her for a long time. Luckily, Ginger doesn't seem to mind the constant loud stream of somewhat dissonant music!



Ginger enjoyed listening to Paprika play. She looks up to her big sister- literally!



I am still getting over the fact that Paprika is now three years old! I have a three year old! It's very surreal, but exciting!

Paprika's Third Birthday!

We celebrated Paprika's Third Birthday yesterday! We had originally planned on taking her to Disneyland. But then I looked up the dates for the LA Unified School District and the Orange County School District, and realized that school doesn't start for them until mid-September, so the park will still be packed. We didn't want to fight crowds on a hot summer day at Disneyland. So, we are going to postpone taking Paprika for her birthday til September. She has been asking to go non-stop since we last took her in May.



So, in lieu of a big day at Disneyland, we kept it low key and simple. Paprika had a "Princess Day" with lots of princess themed party favors and presents. Princess plates, cups, wrapping paper and princess presents, of course!

Paprika is completely infatuated with everything Princess, so she was so excited about her special "Princess Day"! :-)











After opening presents and having cake, we took Paprika to her favorite restaurant...the McDonald's with the big playstructure. We got there and she didn't want to have lunch, she just wanted to play with the other kids! So, Mr. Mustard and I got to enjoy lunch while Paprika played. Ginger slept, nursed, and hung out with us.

We came home and watched The Princess and the Pauper, a DVD movie that Auntie Ann sent as part of Paprika's birthday present. The best part is that the princess in the movie is named Princess Sunshine (Ginger's middle name) and the Pauper is named Erika (spelled with a "K" even!) We got a big kick out of that!

All in all, a good birthday. Paprika told us she had a wonderful day! And that's what matters.