Not saying I've been known to exaggerate ..or blow a little smoke ...but "cute kitchen" can be a relative term. 

Housekeeping issues can be sticky ...I sometimes feel like I have to sugar coat things.. or walk softly.  I can empathize people -- believe me!

But two things that cause me trouble if I exaggerate or sugar coat them:

(1) The price I think you will get for your house --

 (2) What I think about the market we are selling in --

It's tempting when I'm looking into my seller's sweet, puppy dog eyes.. to say "Wow, this is nice!  Start packing this will sell fast!  Where do you want to price it?  Oh definately, I agree!"  But...

My broker puts it this way "I'd rather tell you now what I really think you will get for your home than put the wrong price on it and try to explain to you later why it hasn't sold."

With that in mind... Lately I have been talking about our local housing market in a very good light.   We are improving and the future is looking good -- infact, RIGHT NOW is looking good!

Not everyone believes me... (Wha??)

The following is a conversation I had on Linkedin the other day with someone who (it appears) has not spoken with a local Realtor about our market. 

I am not "blowing smoke" with this guy.  I quote him what's actually going on at our office. I really am expecting some great sales this year!  I hope I got thru to "SF"  but he sounds pretty indoctrinated with the negative stuff we are constantly being fed from other places....

Linkedin Convo from the Linking Terre Haute Group:

Debbie Hill • I'm experiencing GOOD THINGS connected to our local housing market. What's your experience? 'Just came out of a sales meeting where Brian Conley gave us great info about our LOCAL Real Estate market. If you have a house that could be priced between 100k and 250k NOW is the time to put it on the market. Our iventory is LOW in this price range!

SF • So long as the banks keep refusing to lend, you'll have very few buyers in that price range. The rise of rent/lease to own is the only good thing happening in the Terre Haute real estate market.

Debbie Hill • Hi S! So great to get a comment on my topic! Although, I really must respectfully disagree with you and here's a couple reasons why.. Our inventory in the Terre Haute MLS is the lowest it has been in 10 years.. GREAT time for buyers to buy. I just met with lenders from Terre Haute First Fiancial and they confirmed a USDA loan that can be had by a borrower with as low as 600 credit score. I have not experienced the banks refusing to lend. It has taken a little longer to get a few loans closed but we're ok with that. Rates are LOW.. really LOW. Thankfully Terre Haute is a "Market All It's Own" and buyers can take advantage of our stability.

SF • I don't disagree that it's a buyer's market and rates are really low. But 600 is still higher than the 520 it was a few years ago for FHA, and most of Vigo County is ineligible for USDA loans at 600, making 620 the de facto score for a buyer in Terre Haute. Generation Y (aka the Millennials) are screwed and will continue to be for 20+ years unless some reform happens at the Federal level. See: http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/education-planning/studen-loan-debt-bomb-threatens-us-housing-market

Debbie Hill • The mortgage business definately needed some correcting and although it does make some buyers with scores as low as you say ineligible for a mortgage, sales are not suffering. As of this moment 2:25pm on March 28th there are 68 pending sales on the board -- that's JUST AT COLDWELL BANKER! I can vouch that a good number of those are Generation Y'ers!

(This isn't me.. just a HAPPY Realtor!!!)

Check out this site: http://www.conleyappraisals.com/VigoCountyResidentialMarketStudy
This is great information about our MLS compiled by Brian Conley.. Call me and I'll go thru it with you!

If you could make your house look prettier...

I run through my neighborhood.  Got a 3 mile route mapped out and I can really enjoy myself with a some Need to Breathe and a little Daylight Savings Time.

I've been doing this for 8 years, running by the same houses. 

A week ago I noticed one house that I have looked at hundreds of times.. looked ...really pretty. 

Hmm!  What's different?

Then I figured it out!

It's something I often suggest my sellers do.

Infact NOW is a GREAT time for anybody to do it.

Matt always does it at our house.. but I may have give it a try.  Feel the power, slam some dirt.   Maybe it's a stress reliever at the same time it's a good tool for sprucing up your place!

Now you know!

They POWER WASHED their house!

This is the best way to get that GREEN MILDEW off your siding and make everything look NEW again.  If your siding is painted wood ..you might want to use soap and water with a scrub brush (not as user friendly as a power washer.)  But with brick or vinyl siding a power washer is a no brainer. 

And.. you can usually find these to rent from a local equipment rental company such as Complete Outdoor here in Terre Haute.  (They have no idea I just mentioned them here.)

The steps:

1. Grab a free afternoon (that may be the hardest part.)

2.  Plug some good tunes in your ears.

3.  Close your windows.

4.  Make sure your Christmas lights are put away.  All electrical items secured.

5.  POWER WASH!

6.  Take yourself out for a nice evening... :)

I'm reading a really good marketing book by my friend Jim Cockrum. 

Irrational Habit 2 ..from Chapter 6 reminded me of a time when I should have considered taking a referral and moving on.  If I stretch what Jim is saying just a little bit I can make it fit into this story...

(Que dream sequence sound...)

I was a new agent at Williams and Associates.  I hadn't sold a lot (maybe any?) homes in the 200k price range. 

I was intimidated by clients shopping in that price range.

And I was on the hook to help a new family about to transfer to Terre Haute and looking for a home priced around 200k. 


We met at the office, got in my car, (my 99 Buick Century) and started looking around town.  They were lovely people, I started to feel better about this...  We ate lunch together, we stopped for cokes, at the end of the day we headed back to the office to call it a night.

I was going south on 3rd Street towards the William's office and I reached for my coke, I lifted it out of the cup holder and I ...DROPPED IT ...into her purse.  The only noise you could hear above my gasp was the chug-chug-chug sound of my Diet Rootbeer pouring into her leather bag.


I barely slept that night.

We were supposed to meet again the next day to look at more houses.. Would they still want to see me?  How expensive was that bag?

Let me tell ya, it was expensive... but she was forgiving... so we were ok to continue.. I pushed thru with nervous laughter and swore off drinking in the car.

Skip ahead.. they found a house! It was a For Sale By Owner..  (Criminy!)  But I was able to get a purchase agreement together for them and we ordered our inspections.  They headed back out of state to start packing while the loan progressed and we waited on the inspection results.

Oh my goodness.. The inspector emailed the report to them.  It was Father's Day.. my sweet husband went shopping with me and the kids on that day -- can you believe that??  I was in the dressing room at JCPenneys when the buyer calls me. 

"Did you get the inspection?"  she asked.

"Yes! I did!" I answered.

"Did yours have porn on it?"  She asked.

"What?"

"Did your report have porn attached to it?"  She repeated.

"I don't think so..."  I said.

At this point the reception in the dressing room is waning.  I tried to confirm that she was actually talking about porn and in a loud voice (b/c you are supposed to talk louder when you have a bad cell phone connection) I over annunciated "PORN--A--GRAPH--EE?" ..and walked out of the dressing room (forgetting my surroundings) right into a group of women standing in the loungerie section at Penneys.

Okay... I called my broker.. he told me I was going to have to call the Inspector.. In my mind I just knew that he was better suited for the job.. but he did not agree.

So this do-what-you-have-to-do-to-avoid-confrontation girl ...called the inspector.  We worked it out.  (This really just has to be another blog about what to do when porn gets attached to your clients docs...)

Skip ahead.. we are at the appraisal.  IT DID NOT APPRAISE.   At first the seller did not want to lower her price  ..and when she finally came to her senses.. guess what the buyer said...  You probably guessed right!

And I have never heard from these people again. 

(Again -- que dream sequence sound....)

Sure you applaud my sticktuitiveness..  But in reality they were Debbie-Hill-Weary by the time that appraisal came back and I should have suggested a new strategy.  Too many things had gone wrong and I was still trying to talk them into spending more time with me! 

Thankfully, I have improved my troubleshooting abilities since then.  I am no longer intimidated by large price tags, I am more careful when drinks and clients are both in the front seats, and porn hasn't been an issue for me of late. 

I have also developed my sense for knowing when enough is enough.. or when there is no more I can do to help my client and it's time to take the referral.  In this case I wish I would have referred them for their next attempt at home buying .. rather than lost them forever.

Best day ever....

I see a lot of  "lovin' life" and "best day ever" posts on fb this weekend.  :)  Yay for us!!  Great days to be outdoors.. shed some winter fuzz.

Myself, I had a nice weekend.. nothing that would stop the presses.. but when my daughters kissed me good night and wispered "This was the best day ever..."  I knew they meant it.

Kids are like that. 

A man wrote about going fishing with his son.."Didn't catch anything.. waste of time".. His son wrote.. "Went fishing with Dad.. best day ever!"



(Insert exasperated sigh here)  ...It's not easy raising kids.. I just got mine to sleep after a very long time of trying to figure out why their covers were "not comfy".. (still don't know--  but they are sleeping now so...  ssshhhh!)

The thing is ..they're happier than I think they are in my cluttered, grown-up(?), jaded(only somewhat), trying to get stuff done, wanting-to-be-practical-but-desperate-to-be-fun ....mind. 


They are going thru these fabulous pre-summer days for the first time in their recent memories.. and THANKFULLY they aren't looking for them to be perfect in order for them to be "the best!" 

Social Media is helping me grow some CONFIDENCE!

This is my current Facebook profile pic.  (I joke that I was trying to warm up the crowd but they weren't being real receptive....)

This morning I asked a question during a sales meeting ..'wasn't quite understood.. 'could've kicked myself all day for asking a stupid question....

There was a time when I would have done that....

But!  I'M NOT KIDDING!!  Today I just thought.. Oh well, I throw things at my cyber wall on facebook.. I can throw things at the perverbial wall IRL  -- so what if it doesn't stick! 

WOW!  It was a great - move along - nothing to look at hear - don't cry over spilt milk - moment for me. 

I think social media might be helping to improve my self confidence... my ability to try something and not beat myself up if it doesn't work. 

I try to use Facebook/Twitter/Linkedin to market my Real Estate Expertise. (You have to say "my Real Estate Expertise"  with the hoytey-toytey accent I intended ;) 

But seriously, it's been trial and error...and along the way.... a great confidence booster?

Well, I just gotta say.. Thank you Facebook!

Alright! Alright!

I am going to admit what some of you already know...

There's no shame in it... look at Jennifer Hudson.. She belts it out on national tv...  and looks great doing it!

For crying out loud... I'm a Weight Watcher.

I've been married for 13 years and been weight watchin' for 12, lifetimer for (maybe) 3/4s of that time.

TODAY was a meeting just for LIFETIMERS at our "secret location" ...kidding!  (...At the Meadows.)


Upon finding my seat and hunkerin' down to listen to another immensly insightful discussion...

I, myself, am suddenly tapped to speak for 3-4 minutes. 

"About what?"

"What would you say to inactive members?"

Well... I love my leader.... but ....sometimes I can miss her ques and not know exactly which direction she's going in.... even in an ordinary meeting when I just pop-up with my two cents worth and all of a sudden realize "oops... that's not what you were talking about...sorry!"

She gave me no other idea of what we would talk about other than .."answer that question."

What do I do ..my brother is a pastor ... 3 point sermon.. do that... think of 3 points... and your on!

You may or may not believe this ...but it went over pretty well...

If you're struggling with something you know you need to get back to.. WW, exercise, devotions, continuing ed, MARKETING even... (I am going to connect it to marketing in my mind anyway.. gotta ALWAYS stay up on that)  here's my two cents on the subject:

Point 1:

I completely empathize... my journey has been up an down...  I know that when one area of my life is out of whack.. other areas tend to be as well.  And there are always excuses as to why things are topsy turvy or why I can't make a WW meeting.  But when I find that "groove" -- look out!



Point 2:

Funnily enough the successful Weight Watcher is referred to as a LIFETIMER..  There is no "6 Month Timer" that walks away with a success award.  Don't beat yourself up if over your lifetime you have ups and downs -- and don't give up what you want.. Use your lifetime to grab it if you have to!



Point 3:

Find something comforting in what you should be doing.  For instance, I find HUGE comfort in food... I can sometimes replace that [bad place to find comfort] by going to a WW meeting, listening to other people, know that they have the same problelms I have and they are finding success.  I recall their faces during the week when I am struggling and get encouragement from them. 

Lucky Gina

:) Good luck to you peeps!  ...I need a lot of it most of the time!!

Why on Earth did such a crummy thing happen yesterday?

Yesterday was a rough on Matt and I and even worse for ONE other person -- his name unknown to us -- but he is sad today ...and will be for a while ...because of something we were involved in.

We hit his dog.

More like his dog hit us ..but none-the-less...

That dog had no concept of traffic, or waiting, or fear..  We didn't have a chance to swerve. 

SHE was a big dog.  After the impact we were stunned, turned around and pulled over to check on her.  Matt thought maybe she was still alive.  I left the kids in the car and tried to figure which house was hers. 

The words "Oh No!  Crap!  How do we tell someone what just happened?" going thru our minds.

An ANGEL-OF-MAN, who apharently lives in the neighborhood, stopped and asked if we needed help.  Matt told him what happened and he knew who's dog it was.  He parked his truck, knocked on the owners door and brought him out. 

THE OWNER is a younger man, casual, from the looks of him he appeared to be the silent sort, expressionless.  When he walked passed me I didn't think he looked bothered.. in retrospect I think he was stunned by the sudden news. 

Matt, the owner, and the angel walked over to the dog.  The owner touched the dog-- at this point he became very emotional, it's obvious the dog has passed away.  The guys said a few words to one another, The owner and the angel walked back towards the house while Matt waited by the dog.  I was in the car with the kids and I could see Matt was unsure of what to do, say.   Honestly, the dog was so large, the impact so sudden and forceful, the only concellation we have is "atleast it wasn't a person."


The owner had apharently gone inside to get a jacket.. He came out with his hood up, head down, hands in pocket, walking straight to Matt.  He said "I wanna ask you something..."  Well I am ALWAYS afraid that somebody's got a gun.. Stupid!  I know!  But you've got some stupid fears too....right?

He wanted to know if she had suffered or died right away..

Aw Geez!  Why did this happen ..on a fairly dull Saturday.  We were just out to lunch.. the kids had begged for dessert but we passed (lesson learned...)


As we left the angel had gone to get a shovel that the owner needed and the two men were carrying the dog together to bury her.

Wouldn't it be great if:

The angel has been praying for an opportunity to talk to the owner.

The owner, feeling a sense of appreciation for the help he gave him, waves to the angel when they pass in the neighborhood.

The angel and the owner eventually become friends.

The owner now has a positive influence in his life that changes it for the better.

It was a horrible ordeal.  The dog lost her life -- she will be mourned.  But maybe it can be for a greater good....please. 

I BELIEVE IN A GREATER GOOD.


And ZERO deductible on COMPREHENSIVE coverage...

It appears it's time... R U READY TO LIST?

Erin draws these cute birds!

My husband just plucked a dandelion from the front yard and handed it to me.  Friends are saying their daffodils are coming up..( I haven't checked mine yet...  But as I look out my kitchen window it appears the Lamb's Ear is perking up... btw I'm not a fan of that stuff anymore..)  Erin's got cute "bird pics" all over the house.. she's honing her sketching abilities...

Has Spring sprung early this year?  These warm temps are taking my thoughts to the spring (and dare I say.. ) SUMMER months!!

Plus pendings are picking up at the office!  I just called Barbie and asked her to look up at the pending board.. she said there are 46 pended sales as of Feb 1st in our office alone.  A pended offer is an offer that has been accepted and headed to closing!  If I do the math that's 2.09 sellers accepting an offer every day so far this month -- JUST IN OUR OFFICE. 


Dance with me...

But only for a minute.. we are busy out here.  Take off that apron and put on your walkin' boots.. we've got houses to see!

BTW Here are a few TIPS that I have often given SELLERS who are PREPARING TO LIST their homes:

Check out your window blinds, make sure their straight, not bent or broken -- replace them if necessary.

Empty out a walk-in closet so that it does not look stuffed.  A buyer will not appreciate a large closet if it is full to the max.

Stand outside your front door and look closely at your surroundings.. this is where a prospective buyer makes his first impression while he waits for the agent to fumble for keys and open the house.

Don't bother (unless absolutely necessary) to have the carpets cleaned.  Let the buyer ask for this as there will (hopefully) be all kinds of traffic during these possibly rainy spring months.

Make sure your house does not smell like cigarettes or pets... and if you have to ask that one person in your life who won't sugar coat anything to come over and tell you straight.. then do it!

Less is more!  I hate to use the infamous HGTV term "de-clutter" but by all means.. it's a must.

Home inspectors offer a "pre-sale" inspection for sellers.  This will provide you with all kinds of valuable information and put you in a good position when it comes to negotiations. 

Remember -- if you want top dollar for your house you have to make sure the product matches the price!  Try as hard as you can not to be sentimental.  Use a realtor that will tell you the truth and not just what you want to hear.

Call me if you want more info about this!! 

HAPPY EARLY SPRING!

'Still be productive when I'm under the weather.. How is that?

('Hoping to escape the perverbial "JINX" that comes with the following comment:)  "I have avoided all but one tiny cold this season!"

However, some of my FB peeps -- not so lucky. 

I know something that might help you do-what-you-have-to-do even when you're under the weather!  (I should be paid for this but alas.. I believe in it so much I'm willing to spread the word for free..)

Starbuck REFRESH HOT TEA, straight, -- get a Venti -- or as Georgia says: "Go big or go home!"  ...and I'm especially fond of the shop at 25th and Wabash.

It's the mint blend and the tarragon in it.. Last winter I started throwing tarragon into several dishes I made -- in an effort to ward off the croop.. turns out I can only take so much of the stuff in straight "herb" form... but I can drink the tea all day!

A bonus (or what Starbucks considers a bonus..) get yourself a gold card.. buy 15 drinks and that 16th tea is FREE.  Hey!  If you're cold hangs on for two weeks... it's entirely possible!  (I know, I know! I'm rollin' my eyes with you!)

Oh.... we all know there's no gaurantee.. but it's worth a try.. it seems to work for me!  Be well sick friends!!  And drink up!!

I HATE IT'S BIG, FAT, STINKIN', UGLY BUTT!

It is hard for me to think about what happened to those two little boys in Washington state and not be shook up about it.  I haven't wanted to watch a news broadcast since hearing about them on Monday morning.  Unfortunately, the news just got worse since Monday and it has been hard to avoid.

I called Matt about it this morning after reading the headlines on my laptop.  He says they're with Jesus.  I know they are.. I sit at my desk and ask the Lord to remind me that he is their comforter and he has wiped away their tears.

Oh!  Don't I hate it.. But there IS evil in this world.  It lays low in my-life for awhile and I don't notice it so much.. then it stretches out and makes a loud roar and I can't get the ringing out of my ears.  My first reaction is always to shutter or cry about it for awhile... Not a good foot soldier, I guess.

I am going to pray about a way to face these kinds of evils in a more mature way.  Rather than recoil.. I could.. what?  ...I don't know yet..

I DO know that I CAN NOT WAIT for the day when evil gets it BIG, FAT, STINKIN', UGLY, BUTT KICKED FOR GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

This has been the week of CRAZY finds for me!!

You ever throw your line in a pond and pull out a boot? The TWO realtor equivalents of this would be: You ever been on a listing appointment, look in the dining room built-ins of a gorgeous, well preserved Victorian and find (a very nice set of) mounted "HOOTERS??" (Happened to me on Wednesday.)

You ever show a vacant home, walk into the kitchen and find "GUNS and AMO??" (Happened to me on Thursday.)

WOW! Wanna have some FUN?? Call me up to do some house hunting!! It's like HGTV meets SHOWTIME!! :))

How does a Realtor/Mommy work from home with a sick baby?

The entire time I've been in Real Estate I have also been heavily involved in raising two small kiddos (because my husband refuses to do it all by himself.)  So, where there's children -- we all know -- there are GERMS, and they manifest themselves at the MOST inopportune time... namely because NO time is opportune for the little green goblins.

Any other agent ever ask him or herself... "How IN-THE-WORLD can I sell Real Estate and take care of sick babies?"

It's been a learning curve.. I was a nervous wreck in the beginning... taking phone calls in my coat closet, implying that children's voices in the background were "other peoples kids"  ..can't do anything about "other people's kids" talking in the background now can I?

Geesh!! It can KICK MY BUTT trying to take care of a cherished child and a treasured client at the same time.

But eventually experience will breed wisdom.. true?  And he gains wisdom in a happy way, who gains it by another's experience... So here's what I got...

I remind myself that even though I love selling Real Estate..  this "Mommy" business is GOLDEN!  And (unfortunately... and I mean that) these days won't last forever.

I try to be real with my clients.  I tell them a little bit about myself and guess what??  We are often in the same boat -- dealing with similar things.  Talking about these things helps us connect on an even higher level.

Honesty and good equipment has made it possible for me to be successful during these times when I need to be at home -- making a bowl of chicken noodle soup while scheduling closings and writing listing contracts!

Here's some of my favorite equipment and devices...

I love a FAX LINE that goes straight to my email.

I love GMAIL.. which keeps EVERY address I've ever keyed into it.

I love a DIGITAL THERMOMETER.

I love OFFICE ASSISTANTS that work as hard as I do.

I love SOCIAL MEDIA... which helps me get in touch with all my cool peeps as soon as I need them.

I love the CVS version of CHILDREN'S TYLENOL.

I love my DROID.. (I sometimes call it my assistant.)

I love a SCANNER... that allows me to have EVERY document pertaining to ANY transaction practically on my person AT ALL TIMES.

I love TEXTING.

I love SPONGE BOB.. ????

It's on (Sponge Bob, that is) ...I just make her keep it down while I'm on the phone... 

Ok world that I love... Bring on the work.. bring on the sniffles.. I'm ON MY "A" GAME!  (Lord, heal Gina's sniffles in Jesus name!)

Great friends = great success!

Fabulous surprise!  Yesterday late morning I got a call from a friend currently residing in California.. We don't talk often and we've only seen one another once in the last 5 years.


How great that she was driving thru Terre Haute with her new (really super cute..and I'm not just saying that) baby, her sis, and her mom yesterday!  (Goes to show.. you never know what a day will bring!)

Summer, Debbie, and Dr. Scott

We met for dinner when her crew arrived in town.. Sushi Umi = great place to sit and chat with friends!


We didn't have much time but we were able to catch up on a few things.  Stepped right back into it as if there hadn't been a huge lull in our conversation over the years. 


Friends add more than "friendship" or "commradery" to our lives.  They contribute to WHO WE ARE..


Take the time out of your schedule to have a face to face, or phone to phone with your cherished friends!  WE NEED THEM to get THROUGH OUR TOUGH TIMES just as much as WE NEED THEM to be SUCCESSFUL! 

New Year New Way to SAVE YOUR MONEY

(I'm working on selling this house in Clinton.  I don't have it listed, I have buyers.. But the buyers are VERY concerned about the TAXES/ASSESSED VALUE...)

You're a HOMEOWNER?  Make sure you HAVE your HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS in place!  If you own and live in your home then you are entitled to it.  There are other exemptions people may qualify for too.  Go to the Court House -- specifically the AUDITORS OFFICE (In Vigo County go to the Annex at 1st and Oak). 

AND HERE'S WHY....

The above pictured house is located in Clinton, Indiana.

Asking Price $69,900 - reasonable

Assessed Value $$159,800 ??? (Question the ASSESSOR.. on this one!)

Current Tax Bill $3,358  - What the? Who the? What the?

Now...DRUM ROLL PLEASE.... (Look what it's possible to be saving here....)

New Tax Bill with HOMESTEAD and MORTGAGE EXEMPTIONS are estimated to be between $500 and $650!!! SCORE!!

You're GOING TO SELL? MAKE SURE you have your property taxes in order. If you're trying to sell investment property -- know that you probably don't have a HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION and a buyer will have to assume a larger than normal tax burden for the first year. That COULD EASILY scare them off.. so DON'T BLAME THE REALTOR (Oh!  But I know you never would...)

Always list your home on a MONDAY... (Why I think this...)

WHY? You ask.. would I venture out on a day like today?? (Springhill from 3rd to 7th was complete ice!!)

Because IT'S MONDAY! The BEST day to put your home on the market!

Who am I kidding? .. Any day is a good to list your house ...but -- LISTEN UP -- I have decided that certain days are BETTER than others --

BECAUSE:

EYES! MORE EYES are on your listing at the beginning of the week than the latter.

Our local Multiple Listing Service posts your property as a NEW LISTING and keeps it on the "NEW" list for 2 days. After that it falls into the sea of "active" along with the other (as of today) 855 active residential listings in our MLS.....

Who doesn't like to check out the "New" list?? You'd check it out, wouldn't ya?!

NEVER LIST ON A FRIDAY!! There are several agents out there that don't work Saturday (and bug out early on Friday) so your chances of getting viewed on that "NEW" list will dwindle.

Call me if you want more info... I'm going back out into it ...to please a little munchkin dressed like a gymnist!