Looking In My Front Door

This is the moment you've all been waiting for, a tour of my house. (I'd much rather be showing pics of the lights we took the kids to see, or cutting down our Christmas tree, but since I forgot the camera, you'll have to view these instead!)

In the beginning.

The front entry.

Welcome to my hallway, er, house.

With carpet and lovely brown linoleum.

Without carpet and linoleum.

Eww....put it back!

(Just be thankful you can't smell this picture. I still can.)

Suprisingly effective drywall demolishers.

The finish crew. Aren't they beauties?

The bare studs.

(Note the section of flooring that is missing?)
Since this was a load bearing wall (for the garage) we had to re-inforce the beams in the ceiling (attic) before we could proceed forward. And do a little re-wiring.

No studs at all!!

But, where did they go?

Ta-da!

We recycled them into a wall in the former hall to really create an entry to the house.

This is the back view.

This is the front view.

Note the subfloor is gone, too.

Drywalled, mudded and waiting for texture.

Hardibacker down on the floor.

OOoooh, pretty paint!

Pretty paint all around.

(This is after we kilzed the entire house.)

A new foyer with 16" tiles.

Shocking that it took us a long time to come up with this design.

Simple really is best.

Close up of the beautiful tile.

Almost finished, with grout and flooring.

Not suprisingly we still don't have the transition piece in place, so this is still what it looks like. Maybe I'll get it all finished by March.

So, there you have the first mini-transition-tour. Look for more starring the kitchen, the family room, and the bathroom, with minor roles going to the laundry closet, hallways and bedrooms.

Now, you must remember, we only had minimal tiling and painting experience before this project (I'm talking the entire house). Most of the things we did here were new skills that we acquired or faked. Some things we hired out, due to time/safety constraints, but alot of things we tried on our own. Definetly a learning curve.

Sometimes

...I just open up my blog page so I can listen to the jukebox. *sigh* It's such a delightfully random collection of songs that I love. Each time a new one comes up I think, wow, that's a great song! I think it's especially good since I haven't heard it for three months!

Maybe next year I can make a Christmas song list that is just as good....

I'm BACK!

Yes, I know. This is the moment you've been waiting months for. So have I. FINALLY we got internet hooked up at our new house. Only three months, four days, six hours and 22 minutes. But who's counting, eh?

During that time we have started school, missed the first birthday of H, didn't miss the first steps, entertained Grandma, pulled of the Children's Primary Program at church, celebrated dad's birthday (by dad I mean S), gotten sick, traveled to see Grandma & Grandpa in Nauvoo, gotten sick (again, or still?), trick-or-treated, been called as Primary Pres., raked leaves, eaten turkey, raked more leaves, lost first and second teeth and swept the floor--alot. I think S has been to vegas for a couple business trips (hey, gotta fund the new digs somehow!). The kids are taking swimming lessons at the Y and A is in dance (again). I also managed to get over 1,000 pictures off of my camera (backlogged since March), and attempted to consume an entire refridgerator worth of food single-handedly as part of a new exercise and eating program. (Didn't work--had to throw the green stuff out. Funny, since most of it was green to start, teeheehee.) This year has been insane for our family. I'm hoping to post some house pics before 2010. I'll try to get the progression of a room. It's seriously amazing...and there are some things still left to finish. We've started not noticing them (baseboards, door trim, floor trim, dangling bulbs in nak--exposed wires on the ceiling, that one fritzing light in the kitchen, blurry paint edges, wiggly doorknobs, upside down doorknobs...the cementboard hearth...)

Isn't homeownership grand?

Now, if I could just find some horizontal surfaces besides cardboard boxes, I might be able to get those Christmas decorations out...

(seriously love it)

ps. did I mention a new hairstyle?

Humor Relief

Just for your Friday enjoyment, and to further my denial that there is still packing to do. I really want to sit down and watch the "classic" Star Wars now--the first three, Episodes 4-5-6. If I could only remember which box they were in...

Budding Artist

King H is such a cute little stinker. His latest favorite thing to do is grab a pen or pencil, find a piece of paper, and try to draw on it. He dug into the "to shred" pile last night for the right piece of paper, and if that pencil lead had been sharpened he would have made a masterpiece. Unfortunately I can't leave him with such dangerous objects for long. Who knows what he will use next for a canvas?

Cliffs of Insanity

I've decided that all things in life can somehow be related to "The Princess Bride". Ah, that classic tale by S. Morgenstern about true love, large beasties, sword fights...but I digress.

I have come to the Cliffs of Insanity.

We're moving on Saturday.

Have we finished the house? No.

Have we packed up this house? No.

Hence the Insanity.

Or rather, I should declare this undertaking, "Inconceivable!!" (Although, it probably doesn't mean what I think it means....perhaps I shouldn't use it anymore...)

I'm in such huge denial about the tasks at hand I bought three cookbooks today. Like a big slow-cooker full of beef soup with a little cornbread on the side will make it all go away.

Have I mentioned what a pain it is to move across town?

And for our Anniversary we bought baseboards and DH-S did get me flowers, but could only sign the card with a big "9" because he's so exhausted?

And that the kids start school on Monday?

And it's Sweet A's birthday on Thursday? (poor kid always get shafted, two years ago we drove out of Utah on her birthday to move here!)

And that DH-S has business related evaluations and people coming from out of town for three days?

And King H must have me in his sights or be in my arms at all times, or major meltdowns occur?

And lest we forget him, Sir C can hardly wait to wear his new school shogees (H helping me type--all typos are henceforth his fault), er, shoes, and thinks everything I ask him to do (like brushing his teeth before bed) is mean.

Oh Calgon, take me away!

(If I actually had a tub that I could sit in. ..)

Just what it's like in my corner of the world.

Send fudge. Fast. Or one of those HGTV guys to finish my house... in two days. And a nanny to watch the kids.

(Seriously, I've had alot of people helping out and watching kids, we wouldn't be this far along without such fabulous help. I'd probably be in a padded cell.)

And I have been taking pictures. I'm on my second memory stick since May. I just lost the reader/cables to upload them. The transformation will amaze you. Probably won't get to post them until October. Just to warn you.

So, I'm still alive. And if I can find a giant to carry me, I'll be on top of the world in no time!! =)

I should have made that rhyme....

Ah, well... life is ----good.

I've just fallen for the (third?) most classic blunder of all time... homeownership. The first is never get involved in a land war in Asia.

Swim Fun

Awhile ago, a camera guy was at the Y when Sir C was having his swimming lesson. I finally remembered to look it up! Isn't he cute? There's a quick flash of him at the beginning, and at the very end.

(fyi- he's not hairy and he doesn't have any speaking parts!)

Genius Plan for Making Millions

In the spirit of complete distraction and denial of what I should be doing I have come up with my million dollar movie idea...(or book idea, whichever...)

I know you are beside yourself with anticipation as to the genius of this idea. Ahem, here goes.

Have you ever started a google search with the words "how to" and read what comes up in the prompt box? You could tell an entire story with the list that pops up.

how to...

• tie a tie
• kiss
• get pregnant
• loose weight
• make a website
• write a resume
• draw
• solve a rubix cube
• write a cover letter
• get a passport

Our story goes something like this...(subject to change at authors whim...)

Wait!! I challenge YOU to come up with a story using these ten points. I'll work on mine and post it in a day or two. At least sketchy outline. Link me to it, can't wait to see the creativity flow! (and I really don't want to paint the inside of my cabinets!!)

When you see this as a famous book or movie, know that you saw it here first, and if you make millions on it, cut me in - k?

Seriously, it's brilliant.... at least worth an episode of seinfield...

Hot, Hot, Hot

yes, folks, and it's not just me.

The temperatures are large up here---107-ish on Sunday, when our AC went out (yikes!) and it didn't cool down at night, so we were sticky and sleepless all night, Monday we hung out in town and in the car, the AC came back on, and it was 108 yesterday, 105-ish today. All I want to do is eat ice cream for dinner and sleep in the afternoon. I remember when it got really hot in the summer mom would let us have vanilla ice-cream, topped with fruit coctail and cheese and crackers on the side. I loved it! No cooking in the heat and something cool to eat!

Not much progress at the house in this heat. Although the ducts got cleaned out, and a new furnace and AC were installed Tues, so we painted a bit more. Second coats aren't very exciting. We're trying to finish painting the house Friday am, then get appliances, and put in laminate flooring on Saturday. We're getting closer!!

Although, I've learned that the "best laid plans of mice and men (and mothers!) do often go awry."

We'll see what happens.

Paint

I made a trip to the paint store, and came home with four quarts to test out on my walls. Just to make sure the colors I've chosen are ones that I can actually live with. I also picked out a blue and green--for bathroom(s) and laundry room.

Paint chips lie.

Or, they tell the truth, it's just very, very small.

Large swatches on the wall look very different.

I'm glad the three colors I've held onto since March are ones I still like--the main house color, the living room, and the dining room. I just have to see if my other half likes them, too. They match all the tile I've chosen. I don't think I can change them. I love the blue and green I picked out, which match the shower curtain I bought (two years ago) and have never used. The blue is very bright. Which I want in the laundry room (makes me think of the ocean with white washer/dryer and white cabinets above), but probably not in the bathrooms. I think I'll have to get a darker blue for the master bath, and the green for the main bath. Any extras will go to painting the interior of the linen closet and pantry (with white shelves).

We'll see.

The only rush is that our appliances are being delivered at the end of this month. That means the kitchen floor has to be in place, which means we have to finish painting in there before that, which means all the paints need to be chosen and decided.... the domino effect.

Holiday

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!!

By Royal Declaration from the Powers that Be, aka Their Royal Personages, The Head Cheeses, The Weilders of "Veto-Power", The King and Queen, Mom and Dad

Today is declared a HOLIDAY in the House of A*******,

the Holiday of Tuesday.

And by official decree there will be

NO WORKING AT THE NEW HOUSE.

Not even stepping foot in the house, or the garage, or the yard, or driving down the street.

We need a break-- a chance to breathe.

(and so does our house)

--see previous post for an explanation

Notes to Self

Self,

Here are a few things I've learned over the past day or so....

• leaving the house at 8:30 am and returning at 10:00 pm is hard on little children too, not just adults
• sometimes its better just to rent/buy new equipment, rather than spend an hour or so cleaning old stuff, only to discover you need a crucial part, and end up buying the equipment (in frustration) anyway (we now own a paint sprayer!)
• time reserved for "paint prep" should be used wisely
• there are always more things to prep than you realized
• ...or even prepped!
• ceilings don't have to be sparkling clean (kitchen and bathrooms are my exceptions) in order to prime, they just need to be swept free of cobwebs
• car buffers and a tsp/bleach mixture work well to clean ceilings
• so does the Daniel-son "wax-on / wax-off" method
• children who claim they're bored may not be having a great un-scheduled summer, they may actually be bored playing in the yard of an empty house
• you know you've got good friends when they come over to help, get high off of the paint fumes, and take all your children back to their house for the rest of the day
• THANK YOU!!! (Can't be said enough.)
• One five-gallon bucket of kilz oil-based primer isn't enough to cover the entire interior of a house and all the doors
• four buckets is just about enough
• they need to be shaken before you leave the paint store
• kids don't like necco candy - apparently it's an acquired taste
• getting high on paint fumes is possible even with a carbon filter breathing mask
• and with a little dust mask
• it's not fun--just pretty much annoying
• but if you wait long enough, you can still drive a vehicle
• you just can't park very well
• melted ice (water) is the best stuff ever
• having white trim/doorways/doors is amazing (we came from 70s brown)
• walking through a freshly primed house, all in white, is amazing
• it's like walking through a cloud

We've felt like all of the work we've been putting in hasn't shown up very well. Things are finally all coming together. We primed the entire interior of the house yesterday. (As was pointed out, it's one of those jobs you have to finish once you start, because the thought of having to come back and do it again makes you want to vomit.) This is a huge change from all the dark interior wood trim and dingy walls. It's going to be sooo great when it's finished, and we're preparing for the home stretch now. This consumes so much of our lives right now, it's insane. But now we're getting into cool stuff, like paint, tiles and flooring, so the results are more rewarding. All that prep is paying off, and it's nice.

We just might make it afterall....

Good Grub

So. I tried out some new recipes for Father's Day. (yeah, this is a little late) They were simply fabulous. We had them as salad, as burritos, as soft tacos and loved every version! I've never had the original Cafe Rio pork salad, but I sure enjoyed the imitation.

So, if you like good food, and don't mind a little effort, this is a fabulous menu. I did have a very large pork roast, and I wish I'd doubled the rice and beans, since they ran out first. I think this could also be fun as a "pot-luck" where everyone brings one of the dishes. Oh, and I substituted Dr.Pepper for the Coke, since we prefer that flavor around here.

Enjoy!

Be Careful What You Ask For...

...because you just might get it!!

Did I ask for things to pick up?!? They have. That's why I've been *absent* (more than usual, anyway).

Things are getting crazy busy at our house--all the doors are sanded (cabinets and closets and regular old doors), half of the cabinets have been tung oiled (two coats front and back), the inside of the cabinets have been primed one coat, the bathroom floor has been repaired, the stone fireplace has been REMOVED, the "pit of despair" discovered under the hearth (that led to the crawlspace), a floor has been created over that, the hall-wall has been partially built, all the subfloor has been replaced and hardibacker put down for the tile areas, (bathroom, entry, hall, kitchen, living room), the kitchen counters are in!! beautiful laminate faux granite, the drywall guy has been selected, the furnace/air conditioner/heat pump is still being debated, and I'm looking forward to more tung oiling (my wax-on/wax-off muscles are in agony!), more prep for painting--cleaning walls from all the sanding dust, filling in nail holes, sweeping, taping windows... our floor has arrived, we just have to pick it up, and our appliances have been ordered and will be delivered at the end of the month. Phew. That's just the work at the house....there have been other things going on as well... like the kids in swimming lessons, my grandfather passing away, business trips to Portland, girls camp....and I lost my camera.

Perhaps next summer I can lay on my back and watch the clouds float by?

Musings

Once again, it's been a whirlwind week. We celebrated Sir C's b-day with a party, Sweet A's dance recital, traveled to Utah for my brother's wedding, DH's triathlon and back again in a week...and one day if you're counting. Doesn't seem like much, but I think I've just had 5 years of my life sucked from me. Like the man in black. All I can do now is whimper.

Seriously, it was great to see family. All of my family was together for the first time in years! The last brother is married. All of our siblings are now complete sets, not floating around like mis-matched socks lost in the washing machine! The next weddings will be for the nieces and nephews....we'll see how many years that will take...

Back to the grindstone.

We've managed to finish school, get shots, get a black eye, get a new gas line, get the lawn mowed, get a book read, get the primary activity over, get milk and get to the park, and it's only been four days! I'm waiting for things to pick up.

I'll post pics as I find them.

Hear Ye

Conversation in the car.

Sweet A: Mom, what does "XO" mean?

me: Well, it's like hugs and kisses. One of them is for a kiss, and one for a hug.

(Pause. Long, pondering pause.)

Sweet A: I mean "XO" [exo-] as in "exoskeleton"...

What?! Uhm, do you see why I forget she's only 6?!

Lizards

Sir C came downstairs, excitement filling his voice as he exclaimed, "MOM, MOM, I DID IT!! I CAUGHT A LIZARD--AND IT WASN'T EVEN HARD!!

(Now, he's been after a lizard for some time now, and has been slightly discouraged in not catching one sooner. I've told him he has to keep trying....this is the result...)

I turn around to see him dangling a little (about 4 inch) grey lizard by the tail.

me: (very supportive, and concerned about the waving critter) Yeah! Way to go! Good Job! Now let's find a box to put him in... (I begin searching for a box)

Sir C: MOM! HIS TAIL FELL OFF---AND IT'S STILL MOVING!!!

I looked down, and sure enough, there was a little grey lizard tail twitching on the carpet, and a little boy squatted down, staring with fascination and some delight.

Ah, the joy of childhood and being a little boy.

(the lizard escaped under the stairs...C wouldn't go after it because of the spiderweb, and I have no intention of pursuing it. The thing is on it's own!)

updated: Three days later, daddy found that the large stain on his shirt hanging in the closet was, in fact, a lizard. He captured it and Sir C positively identified it as his lizard. The release back to the wilds cannot be considered completely successful, as the kids smashed the rest of it's tail. It did manage to escape, without it's tail. Small price to pay for freedom, I suppose.

Reality

Yeah, the demolition revealed that the wall to be removed is load bearing, requiring weight-shifting trusses in the attic, and the rock fireplace isn't going anywhere. There's a reason it's been around for 30 years already. So, it's slightly pulverized facade, as well as the destroyed wall around it have to be repaired.

I'm not sure those were in the budget....

Getting Excited- Again

We met with a contractor friend last night at the house. We really have no idea how to do home remodeling (aside from watching the DIY network every spare minute during our free preview month!) and wanted a professional opinion before embarking on the next steps. I'm so excited about the things we discussed. I'd tell you all what they are, but you'd probably get bored. I think they're only exciting to us homeowners.

We have some more demolition ahead of us, and then lots of clean-up and prep work and some more huge decisions. I think my budget is already shot for the amount of things I want to do, so I have to really look at my list and figure out what's a need and what's a want. (I think they're all needs!) We also have to figure out what we can do ourselves (to save money) and which to contract out (to save sanity, time, and energy.) Major compromises will have to be made, and much creativity used to stretch the funds. Some things I'm getting hung up on are: cabinets (paint (white-ish)or stain (cherry-ish)?), picking laminate flooring (cool and still in budget), waiting for the appliances to go on sale (stainless vs. white?) and actually getting over to the house to do the work. It's not exactly kid friendly at the moment. (tacks, nails, dust, dirt everywhere!) Hopefully this weekend will see some progress and a few more trips to the dump.

Our goal is to be ready to move in August.

(Ha!)

Am I an optimist, or a realist? Hmm...

Grindage

Little Mr. Stickyfingers is teething. (I know, welcome to the next two years of life!)

His teeth are coming in all wonky too. I mean, they're semi-straight, they're just in a wonky order. Like the front and side coming in together, leaving a big gap, and then the other front and side coming in to fill up the gap. So, he's got all four front bottom teeth. Now he's getting a top tooth. No, of course not the center ones. A side one. Just one. And it's impossible to photo because he keeps his little lips clamped shut over it whenever possible. Did I mention he grinds it? Yeah. He slides those four little bottom teeth over and grinds them on the tip of the top one coming down.

Like nails on a chalkboard.

I try not to shudder violently when I hear it, and I wonder, just how long his teeth will last?

The Reason

why do we have to remodel so much, you ask? Well friends, let me show you. Here is the view toward our front door. Lovely carpet and brown vinyl.
Here is what was lurking beneath that flooring. I make my argument against animals in the house now.

Isn't remodeling fun?

just a taste

oh, no...no more baking at the moment.

Just a little house teaser....

this is the view of the fireplace. (before) (See what I mean by such a 70s house? I promise that I had that exact same fireplace "rock" at my house growing up!) The entire room was also covered in wood panneling - but not this pretty (and heavy-duty) type. I'm talking about the typical pannels. They're so ugly that I decided to spare your eyes and not photo them. There were even white ones in the dining room. And big ugly glue marks are left behind.

ANyway.

after a little bit of work this is how things look.

But, as ugly as it seems on the inside, there are some beautiful parts of the outside.

The lovely "rhodies" are in bloom along the front of the house.

And this is my most favorite tree right out front. I have no idea what kind it is, I just know it's so pretty. And Sweet A loves to climb it!

Ah, spring in Oregon is lovely. The blooms are big, and the sunshines (sometimes) even in the rain. Hope your spring day is beautiful.

Cream Cheese Usage-Part II

Since the cinnamon rolls only took one block of cream cheese, I think I'll be making a little of this for dinner. Cream Cheese Italian Chicken. Or whatever name you call it. Since it's so fabulous, easy, and even my kids will (usually) eat it, I'm sharing. (What is it with the recipe love today?)

These are just the *three* versions in my family cookbook. I know there are more out there--at least one to fit your needs. Happy cooking!

Creamy Chicken Bake
6-8 chicken breasts
1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)
1 (8oz) pkg chive & onion flavored cream cheese
1 (8oz) pkg plain cream cheese

Place raw chicken in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with dressing.
Combine soup and cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour over chicken.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour (or until chicken is done). Serve over rice.


Cream Cheese Chicken
4-5 bone in, skin on, chicken breasts
1 pkg Italian dressing (zesty is preferred)
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
Milk

In the morning, put chicken (I use frozen breasts and it works fine) in the crock pot on low and sprinkle ½ the pkg of dressing over the chicken. About an hour before you want to eat, take the chicken out and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Remove any excess fat from the juices in the crock pot and place the chicken back in the juices. Add the other half of the dressing packet and cream cheese. Stir in milk to desired consistency. Great over rice or egg noodles. Always a hit!


Italian Chicken
1 (8oz) cream cheese
2 envelopes dry Italian salad dressing mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 lb chicken

Marinade chicken in 1 cup water and salad dressing mix for 20 minutes. Bring water to boil in marinade and cook chicken. Bring chicken to medium heat and add cream of mushroom soup and softened cream cheese. Warm all the way through.

Baking

I just noticed in the deep recesses of my refrigerator that I've got a few blocks of cream cheese ready to mutate. (all that remains from the 10 I bought when they were on sale last...I forget when.) Hmm...can't throw them out! That's wasting good food!! What can I do with them.... Aha! Cinnamon rolls go well with cream cheese. And, since playgroup is at my house today, the kitchen is relatively clean and I can straighten up everything else while they're raising. Great! Everything worked out beautifully. The rolls were fabulous...even my gluten-sensitive friends indulged. (aren't I wicked?) Since it was so fabulous, (and really easy) I have to share the recipe: (like you need this, right?)

Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkg dry yeast (2Tbsp)
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 cups hot water
2 Tbsp powdered milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
7-9 cups flour

Mix all dough ingredients beginning with 7 cups flour. Knead until lightly sticky. (Add remaining flour as necessary.) Place in greased bowl. Turn greased side up and cover with a dry towel. Let rise in a warm place until double. (you can put the bowl in a 90-100 degree pre-heated oven for 30-40 mintues--just be sure to turn the oven off before putting the dough in!) Punch down and knead slightly. Divide the dough into halves.

Roll each half into a 9x15 rectangle on very lightly floured surface. Spread a thin coat of butter over the entire surface, leaving 1" butter-free edge on the 15" end. Mix cinnamon filling (1/2 c. sugar + 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon) and sprinkle (half) over entire buttered surface. Roll up tightly beginning at 15" buttered side. Pinch butter free edge of dough into the roll to seal well. Stretch roll to make even. Cut into 3/4" -1" slices. Place 4" apart on a greased cookie sheet (I use parchment) Allow rolls to raise until double, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees for 9-10 minutes or until golden. Drizzle rolls with glaze while warm.

glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients until glaze is smooth. To thin, add more milk.

That's the basic recipe. Here are a few variations that I enjoy--and I'm pretty sure you will too. These will take your rolls from good to amazing!

Rasl-b-dazl Rolls: replace cinnamon filling with 1 pkg cream cheese mixed (with electric mixer) with 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam. (Omit butter, cinnamon/sugar, and glaze). These are rich, but not super sweet rolls. Fabulous.

Craisin Pecan: Omit cinnamon/sugar. Sprinkle brown sugar on melted butter. Sprinkle craisins and chopped pecans on the brown sugar.

Cream Cheese Frosting: I mix a block of cream cheese and a cube of butter together. (softened, but still cool). Then add just enough powdered sugar to make it smooth. Add 1 tsp. vanilla to thin it out a bit. Best frosting ever. Coveres 24 cinnamon rolls nicely. (don't try to figure out the calories, you'll have a heart attack! Just enjoy the gooey creamy deliciousness.)

I grew up with mom's buttermilk cinnamon rolls loaded with raisins, sometimes nuts, and pow.sugar glaze. They are the best ever, but I 've never been able to make them the same. Now I indulge my family with *plain* cinnamon/sugar rolls and cream cheese frosting. I love the craisin pecan version. I dice the pecans super fine and the brown sugar gets carmely crunchy. *sigh* I think I need another one. This recipe is from my super-baking SIL. Thanks! =)

Work Party

Wow.

I am amazed at how incredible my ward family is.

It's true, that wherever we've lived, we've been surrounded by wonderful people. You have all become our family at different times in our lives. (Which is why I blog...to keep in touch and up-to-date with you!) It doesn't matter what state we live in, wherever we go we know that we will have friends and support group.

Saturday we had a "Work Party" at our new house. (Doesn't that sound like an oxymoron? -is that how you spell that? --looks ridiculous....) Anyway. It was amazing how many people showed up, early on a Saturday morning, to help us tear nasty doggy-pee carpet out of our house, scrape linoleum off of the floor --some as a suprise under carpet!, wash walls, mow the lawn, remove bushes, clean gutters...etc.-and babysit kids. Even more amazing was how many stopped by or called later that evening to see if there was any more they could help with. And were we going to do this again with the next phase? They'd love to come help. (We got so much accomplished in that one day--more than we could have done on our own in a week! We've got a jump-start and I'm super impatient to keep going. Kilz-ing the house is next!)

I am so humbled to be the recipient of such service. Such cheerfully and freely given service.

Thank-you.

Crankiness Justified

My darling King H is growing up too fast. During vacation he sprouted two new teeth! The funny thing is, he got his front left, then lateral right (is that correct?). He's sporting the most adorable snaggle-tooth grin right now. (hard to photograph with those tight little lips in the way!)

I was worried about the placement of his teeth (gaps forever? orthodontics?) until I noticed two more breaking through-the right front and left lateral. Poor kid, crazy teeth coming in all at the same time, in a strange order. At least the gaps are filling in.

Makes me feel better about the dose of tylenol I gave him at nap time yesterday.

House Musings

I've been distracted as of late, dreaming of color schemes and materials for my house. I considered waiting until it's all over to suprise y'all with the outcome, but let's be real....it's sketchy at best if that will happen. (the picture and posting, I mean)

So, here are the ideas I've gathered so far...Let me know what you think...

colors:
I want the entire house to be one main color (squire hill buff-1068), with ultra-white trim. Then I can add accent colors to rooms as I feel like. I have the dining room color (upper left corner, cranberry bog-ms002-on two walls) and the living room color (benjamin moore-classic caramel-1118). I tend to be attracted to greens, reds, browns, creams--did I mention that the outside of the house is blue-almost periwinkle? I think the main bathroom will be green-ish. The boys room will have more blues in it. Sweet A's room will be pink-ish and the master I see with chocolate brown and blue-grey. We'll see.

The countertops in the kitchen will probably be this. And the plan for the cabinets is to paint them white. Or off-white. Perhaps colorwash them and layer white/ivory. They are very un-charming 70s dark brown with no hardware and flat fronts. The budget doesn't allow for re-facing or replacing, so it's painting for them. After all is put back, I want to make a glass/ceramic tile backsplash. Probably all glass tiles behind the stove, and then (budget allowing) either a ceramic with glass accent backsplash behind the counters, or all glass tile mosaic (in browns/golds like this).

We're planning on putting in laminate in the kitchen/dining/hallways/family room since that's a pretty continuous space right in the center of the house. The family room at one end and the bedrooms at the other will get carpet. The bathrooms will just get fresh paint, and either ceramic or vinyl floors. Depends on budget when we get there. Haven't made it to carpet or bathrooms at the moment. I'm hung up on the laminate. I like this. (quintessa collection, walnut pattern). I like wide planks, non-shiny finish, and darker wood.

Those are the exciting parts. The boring parts are unscrewing cabinet doors (Sweet A removed nearl 100 screws from the backs of our cabinets--we pulled 33 out of the kitchen, and she and Sir C nearly took all of them out with the drill and screwdriver bit!!) removing plug and light switches, removing wood paneling, priming, tearing out carpet (we found the pooches favorite spot(s)...eww stinky!), discovering brown/green/orange/gold vinyl (I have to get a picture of it!), removing the vinyl, removing baseboards, tack-strips, doors.... you get the idea. We're still in the middle of all that. Then we get to clean it and prep it for paint. Then paint....and paint...and paint.

I haven't even begun to talk about the yard...

Solids-Part II

We're entering the solid food stage of life.

This is such a painful stage for me. I believe I am one of the minority in the parenting world with children who don't really love to eat. (Or, perhaps more are like me?!?) When I see my friends kids eating everything, and scavenging food from other plates (probably that belonged to my kids), I am amazed. Daddy is always better at feeding solids-I figure it's because they know that mom's got "the goods" and what is this solid junk anyway? Unfortunately, daddy's not always around to feed the baby bird. King H was doing quite well until we went on vacation. Now, he's not interested. He even spits out cheerios.

Yesterday I tried to feed him some rice cereal with pears. Not interested. I had to pry his little lips apart with the spoon, and dump the cereal above his tongue. Then he would swallow. Somehow we managed to get most of the food in his belly-albeit with MUCH complaining. I felt triumphant.

Fast-forward to dinner. He complained so much about sitting in his exersaucer I picked him up. I held him on one side and tried to eat from my plate half-way across the table. Nothing is safe from King H when he gets that look in his eye. Sure enough, he grabbed a fistful of broccoli. He was so pleased with himself. I figured, "Why not?", and fed him a smidge of broccoli. He loved it. He couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough. (Of course, he's not quite coordinated to get it in himself, so I helped.) Now he opened his mouth wide and eagerly ate.

Apparently I've been trying with the wrong thing.

Broccoli trumps pears.

(I'm just not looking forward to the "aftermath" of this new stage....)

Saving Water

I was having one of those days.

Mine began with rotten dreams and sleep deprivation from getting up with the baby 3 (or was it 4?) times during the night. Not good. Things didn't progress from there, and I'll spare you the gory details (although mountains of laundry were involved.) Not my best day or proudest moments. My husband got a brief heads-up on the situation when he called about our date plans for that evening. So, when he finally came home, he found me attempting to tame the wild piles of dirty dishes. He came up to me, held me in his arms and gave me a kiss. (Now, he always gives me a kiss when he comes home, but it's usually an old married couple "hello" kiss...you know the kind.) Not today. This was the perfect kiss for the moment, and exactly what I needed (who knew?) to diffuse the powder-keg of emotions I'd been storing all day and keep from completely losing it for the rest of the night. While we were thus sharing a moment, our 4 yr-old interrupts.

"Uhm, guys, you shouldn't be wasting so much water."

I'm pretty sure he ment the sink faucet...

Need a Laugh?

I have moments of creative genious...and moments of utter failure. Because of that, I thoroughly enjoyed finding this blog: Craft Fail.

Check it out for some not-so-martha moments in the world of creative endeavors.

Summer Favorite

If you've seen me in the last two years during fair weather, you've probably seen me wearing these:

They are my ULTIMATE favorite flip flops. Of course, I love cheap flip flops, because seriously, after wearing them with bare feet all summer, I'm not sure it's hygenically sound to keep them for multiple years. (At least not too many.) But with cheap flip flops there is rarely much support or cushion. (anyone for 2 for $5?)

While I wouldn't exactly categorize these as cheap, they are fabulous. Super thick and comfy. And sassy. And great conversation starters. And I have to get new ones. I've had mine for two years, and it's time to retire them. I just wanted to share where to find them. Here. And if the thought of running around with dragonflies, orchids and pineapples on your toes isn't appealing, they have plain ones. I think I need a few pairs. (I think I like them better than my croc-flops.)

Happy Flopping!!

Busy, busy, busy bees

Okay, so we're not bees, we're "A"'s ...teeheehee

But we have been busy. I almost don't know where to begin...

How about the suprise visit my sister managed to pull off? Yes, friends, I was completely clueless that she was coming, with her husband and cute daughter. My own darling husband managed to concoct a story about a fourth year student coming to interview. There were many holes in his story, and he evaded direct answers when I questioned him. And I was slightly grumpy and complained to my mom (and it got back to him). But, my house was spotless and I even put the good sheets on the guest bed (not the pink or floral ones) and the fluffy towels out (ones we did not get as wedding gifts) and kicked my kids out of their bedroom (we only have two here) and was prepared to be charming when our guest(s) arrived. I was definitely shocked when my sister came through the door with a huge grin on her face. It was so fun to see her! My (wiser than he realizes) husband kept out of the way to see if I was going to hurt or hug him. Needless to say, we laughed and played and visited and had a good weekend. My camera was dying out, so I have to beg some pics from my sis to show you how it was. Good fun. (I did learn alot from this experience of being suprised...)

Then, the week my sis left, I had to re-clean and pack up for spring break- which we started early. And Sweet A got sick (which turned into an ear infection on vacation). We went to Sunny San Diego for 10 days (taking into account the two days of driving on each end!) Let me just say, my friends, that after traveling 2000 miles I would fly and rent a car (to fit five?!?), the price be hanged! We spent two days at Sea World and the San Diego Zoo, a morning in the urgent care and ER, an afternoon at the beach, two dips in the pool, a night at the grocery store and doing laundry, and sleepover at each end of the trip with dear friends from Kentucky and Albuquerque. Mostly it seemed like a normal week, except we saw daddy every day, all day, there was no school and no nap times. The kids were troopers, and only complained the last three days or so. They were super happy to be home and sleep in their own beds. Once again, I learned alot. Like a backpack is great at Sea World, a stroller is better for the zoo, kids have to be 42 inches to ride anything fun (note taken for future Disneyland trip=All persons must be at least 42 inches tall), an infant is hard to take to the beach, and little kids with no body fat don't do well getting wet and then wind blown (makes it hard to keep warm), sunsets over the ocean are beautiful! Grandma and Grandpa got to spend three days with us and it was fun to see them. Having more adult hands made keeping track of the kids much easier. I have to finish unpacking and laundry and re-adjusting to normal life now. (no flip-flops or shorts) I'll get some pictures up once I locate the camera. We really had a lot of fun and this was our first family vacation where we didn't go to visit family. It was good. We might even do this again...after we recover from this trip!! =)

sore throat remedy

so. I hate being sick. I have no time for it...really, who does?

Last week I was fighting off a nasty cold, and when the sore throat followed the sinus pressure, I took drastic measures.

Salt and vinegar potato chips.

Yes, friends. I think they are just about the most disgusting snack food around (mostly because I'm psychologically hypersensitive to vinegar). But, their disgustingness also seems to repel sore throats. No bacteria/virus wants to hang out in a throat that has been smothered with salt and vinegar.

So, here's how you knock those germs away. (you might want to do this alone, so as not to disgust anyone else.)

Get a ginormous soup bowl full of chips.

Breath through your mouth so the vinegar doesn't make you pass out.

Crunch up the chips and make a paste with them in your mouth

Use your tongue to mash the past to the top of your throat and then swallow it down. This ensures maximum coverage to kill germs.

As soon as the chips start to taste good (you don't notice the flavor because your taste buds are fried) you can stop eating.

If your throat still feels nasty, repeat this process again in a few hours.

I know it sounds crazy. But I only had a sore throat for one day. So, next time you're at the grocery store, grab a bag of those nasty chips to keep on hand for a sore throat emergency. You won't be sorry.

Seriously, what do you have to lose? Just a sore throat!!

Tag-it Forward

I'm usually such a wimp about this kind of stuff. I figure what I have to offer isn't always that super. But with a year time committment, I just might be able to swing this. And I couldn't resist the friend it came from. =)

So, here's how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Just the thought of receiving something in the mail that isn't a bill is delightful! Come and play!!

Now, remember "ya get what ya get and ya don't throw a fit". (I am also pledging to use something I already have on hand, so this could be quite the suprise...teeheehee)

Come and play with me!!

Create

I couldn't pass up this message. I hope it inspires you today!

Solids

It's nearly that time. I am, personally, in denial about it. I don't want to believe that my darling new baby is ready to begin the culinary adventure of "Life Beyond Milk". But, ready or not, it's fast approaching. Which means I'd better get ready. And I don't have a high chair. I know, it sounds silly, since we've got two kids already and must have used something for them to eat from. We did, but for our last cross-country move we weren't using our highchair and my sister needed it more, so it found a good home--along with the crib. (I didn't even get to bring the fridge, and I would have gotten more use out of it than the crib and highchair...) ANyway. I always liked the look of the eddie bauer wooden high chairs, and figured I get one of those should I need one again.

My other sis has one, and likes it, but doesn't love it. I don't love the large plastic highchairs that never have a good place to be when not in use. My brother loves the space saver high chair they have, which sits on a dining room chair. I don't have any spare chairs (in fact, one is in the garage for repairs--a 1.5 year trip so far.)

So, I came up with a brilliant solution. I ordered new dining room chairs.... ...I say chairs because they have to come in pairs... (aren't they lovely? they are on the tall side and so nice with our "pub height" table--get your own at JCPenny!) and then I ordered a space-saver high chair. My brilliant plan lets me have the wooden coordinating look I want, with the convenience of functional high chair and then booster. I have a regular dining chair when it's all over and a smaller high chair to store/give away. (And did I mention that the price of a chair and the booster is still less than eddie's seat?)

Fabulous, right?

Stimulating Conversations

on the topic of rootbeer...

A: It's beer, made from roots. You can eat roots if you peel off the skin. Roots are the bottoms of trees.


discussing the spider in the jar...

C: How come spiders die in water?

Me: It's not water, it's alcohol.

C: Oh, it's ear alcohol. Qtips have germs on them, and they've been in the alcohol, so the spider dies from the germs.

Hmm, not exactly, but be sure to wash your hands just in case!


A: Scorpions aren't spiders, they don't have eight legs. They have stingers.

C: Oh, they're like bumblebees. And mosquitos.

A: Mosquitos don't sting, they poke.

C (knowingly): They're like half scorpion, half bumblebee.

New Digs

Hello! Exciting news out west...

We bought a house!!

We had to be out of this "rental" by September, so we were planning on getting into something more permanent this spring. Things just moved ahead of what our intended schedule was. (So much of my life is like that...things happen before I'm quite ready...) ANyway.

It's not glamorous or ginormous. It's a sturdy little house built at the end of the 70s. Translation: nothing "cute" or "charming" here, friends, just lots of wood paneling, dark wood (or plastic?) trim, dark cabinets, rectangular layout. Nice nearly corner lot, overgrown yard. Did I mention a cute little grandma lived there with three dogs? Yeah.

So, we decided that we have a little bit of work to do here before we move in, sometime this summer. All new flooring (tile, laminate, carpet), new appliances (I hope!!) and new paint are musts. Then there's that entryway wall we can't decide about, and all the countertops need to be replaced, and the trim, and doors, and fixtures, and cabinets, and windows... it's hard not to get carried away once we get going. This house is definetly a work in progress!! But it will be super cute when it gets finished. Assuming I have enough moolah to fund all my ideas. And the manpower....

So, that's what I'm going to be up to for the next six months. Refinishing a house, a family vacation, a wedding (my bro!), a triathlon (not me, S!!), moving...

I suppose my crafty projects will have to wait... except for the six baby blankets by July....

Creme Br-nt-lee

yes, folks. I know it's amazing (and horrifying) to think that I might concoct something in the kitchen and end up with less than stellar results. But it is a crazy world that we live in, and strange things do happen. Like my attempt at creme brulee. Seems simple enough, not many ingredients, not too complicated. I manage to mangle it. (I think it's easier for me to ruin recipes with fewer ingredients, and esp. when cooking on the stovetop is required--but I'll explain about the rice-krispies another day.)

First, I think I didn't cook it all the way and it curdled.
Second, I may have put too much brown sugar on it and broiled it too long, because the sugar burnt and carmelized like tar. Undaunted, I scraped it off and tried to broil the sugar again. Slightly better results.

I chilled it overnight, and ate it for breakfast the next day. (I like to be flexible in my meal choices.) Ew. Something not quite right. Could have been the curdly pudding or the crusty sugar. or that funny film in my mouth. (What was the date on that cream?) Not quite sure.... I was practicing for my chocolate-less valentines this weekend. Looks like I need more practice.

I'm too embarrassed to post a pic. Oh, and I can't find the camera. Next time....

*edited* there's the pic...I tried to hide the ugliness with lovely fruit...did it work?

Nekkid Snickers

Re-wiring my brain is challenging.

I was enjoying a game of cribbage against S, and he suggested an ice cream break. (I think I was winning.) I realized that my usual concoction of vanilla ice cream topped with dry roasted peanuts and smothered in fudge sauce wasn't going to work. So, I melted some carmels (after I burned the first bowl I remembered to add milk before zapping) and poured that over the vanilla topped with peanuts.

Hmmmmm. I dubbed my new creation a Nekkid Snickers, since it had the same basic components-caramel, peanuts and nougat/ice cream, and enjoyed every last bite. I was so busy I forgot to take a picture. Sorry.

Bye-bye Love...

...bye-bye happiness. Hello lonlieness, I think I'm a-goin' to cry-hy...

It's official. Or Semi-Official. Or whatever.

I can't eat chocolate.

I, personally, don't have a problem with it. But my bosom buddy does. After being awakened in the middle of the night by his painful screams I realized that the half bag of Hershey's mint truffles I had consumed might be part of the problem.

Being in denial, I decided to investigate further.

No chocolate the following day=no screaming that night.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins the next day (with only 1/2 c. choc. chips for 2 dozen muffins!) and we had screaming that night.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But it's not something I want to gamble with right now. I get little enough uninterrupted sleep as it is. I don't need it cut even shorter by a screaming baby that refuses to be consoled, has to cry it out, and then nurse to fall asleep. He's too cute to cry that hard.

Problem is, chocolate is a staple in my life. I esp. love dark chocolate, mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate...okay, just chocolate. Heck, I just won the "All Around Best" award at the book club chocolate party for my Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Brownies. I love to bake and eat chocolate, and there's just no good substitute. Nothing is quite like it.

Alas! (sad violin music in the background) I cannot consume the five pounds of Hershey's kisses I scored in after Christmas sales. (Perfect for "turban cookies".) Or the coveted Cadbury mini eggs and regular eggs at Easter!! MY FAVORITES!! (sobbing)

Hence, I will be exploring alternate substances to squelch my cravings and trying to fight through the withdrawl this week.

Cream cheese and caramel are in my sights....

...and so is a happier baby!

Word of the Year

I've been thinking. (You may have smelt it.) I want to become a better person this year, instead of just a person who is hanging on. This is a challenge for me, as I over think and over analyze most things, and have no time left for acting on those thoughts.

Then, I was reading my friend's blog, and discovered this idea. I loved the idea of having a "power word" for the year--and almost immediately I found my word. Ready for it?

Breathe.

Yes, it sounds simple, but that's what I need right now. This is the first thing we do when we enter this world, and it's the last thing we do before we leave. When done correctly, it enables us to complete more than we thought possible. Correct breathing techniques are the center of many activities, and I remember in massage school learning that we need to breath into our center, or hara. We bring in oxygen, and thus life.

So, this year, 2009, I am focusing on the most basic thing I can do--breathe.

I will breathe --
--before I get overwhelmed by the things I need to do.
--before I get carried away with the things I want to do.
--before I react to things I cannot control (the decisions of others).
--deeply so I can respond with love to those within my care.

So, here's your challenge--what is your word for 2009?

Milestones

I think it's safe to say I have somehow managed to miss most of the major milestones of my family on this blog. I have reflected on the last year, and I believe I missed A's birthday, Scott's, our anniversiary, the family vacation, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and my birthday. Do you remember me mentioning them? Hmm... I did manage to get the new baby up, and that's about it. So, for my own personal "ketch"ing up, I will be posting about these in the future (perhaps on their actual date this year. Don't hold your breath, though!

Betcha didn't know...

Which one? Which one?

I shall be...
You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?


This one's for Katrina Now you know.

Who are You?