Reasons to sell your house

Because trying to keep a house show worthy while living in it with four kids is absolutely hysterical. It is the definition of losing your sanity. But then I remember Romans 8:1
" There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,^[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
But my flesh is longing and thirsting for the pride that accompanies getting everything spiffy so that I can congratulate myself on the early sale of our house rather than God's gracious providence. Ow, die to self, OW!
After the baby broke the lamp ten minutes before we were leaving, my flesh cried out, "yell at the children, it is all their fault!" and yet the Spirit calmed me and I said, "it's okay, it's only a lamp....we could live by the flesh and holler, but we are going to live by the Spirit." My daughters, in astonishment at this unpredictable turn of attitude from their normally angry mother, responded with a relieved "yeah mom!"
So the pressure mounts as the engorged stomach of the economy is ready to vomit up it's excess and fast for awhile, and yet I am trying to sell a house. It is the Lord who steadies my husband....and I keep feeling nauseous as I quell waves of anxiety from thinking about it at all.

Who is Doing What

Annika is taping and poster goo sticking her multi-media artwork in choosy, obvious spots at about the three foot level around the house.
Tryn is reading everything, including chewing up four Encyclopedia Brown books in one day. She is thoughtful and pondering alot in her head, trying to make connections between facts, often interrupting my instructions as she seeks to clarify a fact.
Tristan is matter of fact. And he wails when he doesn't get his way, which is quite spoiled of him and I am a wee bit embarrased that it slipped under my radar so long. He knows all his colors, the Apostles Creed, and more about trains than I ever have.
Gideon climbs up the ladder, sits up on the top of the slide, lies down belly to the slide while holding on to the rail, then lets go. All very deliberate and and dexterous. I am nervous....Annika wasn't even as agile at that age.....and she is my most coordinated.
Gideon was chasing the chickens back and forth through the backyard. He also signs milk, please, more, and the most effective: point and grunt
Tristan, to my chagrin, is still not potty trained. But I am falling back on that old when we move he might regress so why start now.
Tryn is so very busy. I just bought the girls school uniforms for next month. She wants to wear them now.
The best part is that in September, all the uniforms are on sale at the Gap...teehee.
Annika is a lovely hostess and asks guest politely if they would like a cup of coffee and then brings them one. She has sweet people skills, until she kisses their arm or something weird which makes me worry that we are raising those kind of homeschool kids. ;)
We are busily and determinedly working on the house, preparing it for sale and hoping it sells sooner rather than later. The move to the northside is shocking in that God's means really bumped us into action, and then he took the motivator (a new baby) away, and now we are just moving and nothing is standing in our way of getting this crazy house by the freeway with a little yard? You know Stefan loves me when he buys a house with no garage.

Bittersweet

Bark Mulch. Isn't it great. Should have done it at the beginning of summer. Now we only have two weeks to enjoy it. Then, then we move.