October's almost over!

I can't believe that October is almost over. I had such high hopes for the month, but we have been overly busy. November to me means Christmas shopping and I haven't bought one present for the holidays yet. I better get going. I am usually halfway done by now. As of today, I don't even have a list started. I guess I could blame it on the house as well since I really had no place to put any presents.
Speaking of the house, I promise to put pictures up soon, Melanie and everyone else interested. But seriously, stop by (okay, not so much you melanie, Japan is kinda far to come here to see the house) to see the house. We are typically home during the day. We just bought a desk for the den. I have been on a 3 month search for the perfect desk and finally settled on one because I was sick of looking any further.
My list of things to do next summer is immense. So I need to start saving. We want to take the kids to disney, mainly because I want to go and because I know they will LOVE it. So that is in the plans. We need landscaping, a deck (this could probably wait another year), a dining room set (another thing that can wait) and I am sure more.
I am waiting to hear if I have tickets to see the Rachael Ray show in November. I guess I put my name on the list for tickets and I got the email on Friday that I was up for tickets. The first date I picked was chosen, but they gave me a second chance, so I am waiting for that email. It would be just perfect if she decided to do a Christmas show like Oprah does and it happens to be the time I go. Well, let's keep our fingers crossed that I at least get tickets.
I will update more soon, and yes I will have pictures up as well.

Someone to blame

Usually I am not one to point the finger, but I am about to point my big finger at Marrano right now. Why you ask? Well, we are still not in our house. Mind you when we originally signed the papers months ago, the kind woman that helped us told us August 16th. Terrific, just in time for Bailey to start school. Then somehow, they confirmed August 30th with us. Wait, confirmed? Wasn't the original date the 16th? Then we heard that people normally close within a few days of their final walk-through. Well, our walk-through was September 5th. And here we are on September 20th still without a house. and here is the big reason why (as Bill has described it to me...)
It was Marrano's responsibility to provide a clear title. They gave my attorney the title that was run through this big title search place, and it was clear. My attorney needed to get title insurance. The place that he gets title insurance from then runs another title search to make sure that the info provided from Marrano's title company was correct. And surprise!!!! There were 2 problems with undocumented mortgages on the property. Marrano says that they have no idea, my attorney is waiting on Marrano, and I am getting PI$$ED!
All in all, our attorney is not returning our phone calls (wait he is but at like 4:30 so nothing can get done the entire day) Marrano won't accept our phone calls anymore since this has been escalated and the bank is waiting to close. Yet, I drive EVERYDAY to my brand new, clean, vacant house. Put Bailey on the bus, drive Mia to school, and then go back to my new house and wait for Bailey's bus to come back.
So, why, you ask, didn't everyone else's title insurance company pull these mortgages? Who knows? Maybe they used the same company Marrano used, maybe their title insurance company didn't pick it up. All I know is that Marrano is probably cursing at us because we uncovered something not pretty on the property.
So I will update soon. Positive vibes my way and any advice would be gladly accepted.

We made it!

We made it without a tear (by Bailey or myself) and he is currently at school. He didn't even look back as he got on the bus, but luckily his bus driver asked him to turn around for a quick picture. He met a few other kindergartners at the bus stop and was good to go.
Mia was the most distraught and brought tears to Bill's eyes yesterday when she told us she was sad and her reply to why was "Brother, I am really going to miss you." Bailey had a little tear in his eye and Bill almost had to leave the table. It was too much. She'll start school next week, so we'll have to do this one more time.
On another note...
NEXT WEDNESDAY IS THE BIG HOUSE CLOSING!

More updates soon...