sentences

Just now, I heard loud and clear "Mama, come here now!" 

We have had some choppy words linked together, but they always come out slowly and with the words sort of spaced apart. This was 4 clear words all strung right in a flowing sentence! 

And, because inquiring minds always want to know... why did he need me now??   He had climbed up onto the wood stove (not on) and was stuck!

Another Progress Update

I might be pushing harder for the Little Boy's room to get done than I am for other parts of the project... but I seriously think nesting is starting... I really want to line up all the little clothes in the new closets!  Also, it would be nice to sleep alone with Bill for even a little while... I almost can't stand the wait! 

Last week we picked out the flooring for the bedroom, a light pine laminate.  I think it looks great with the wall color- it's very light and airy for a basement bedroom!  It took Bill a bit to figure out the system, but once he had it down he said it went together really easily.  We shall see how well it hold up, but for now I'm very happy with it. 

 We did the boy's room and down the hall.  We will carry it into our room eventually, but for now just got enough for the "new" areas.

 Next the trim and doors need to go in, then I'll have to paint that all white... then it's "just" closet organizers and we can set up a bed... and hang up clothes!

 Speaking of closets... the upstairs 2 got worked on this week as well.  It's nice to have this space looking a little more finished!  We still need the trim and paint here too- but you can see where we are going.  The left is a coat closet, the right will be pantry.  I need to do glossy white on the shelves, then I'll be able to load them up!

Slowly but surely we will get this project done!  It's so nice to see some semblance of the "final" product... even if its just here and there... a lot is still left to be done... but we have come far already!

Rumble Tumble

Again, where does time go??  I swear I was just sitting in the waiting room... How is it that Jay turned 6??

 He had his "Rumble Tumble" party this weekend, and after talking it all up at Billy's party we wouldn't have missed it for the world!

 Em and Kurt rented out this cool play space.  This half was easier to photograph, but there was a whole climbing structure/play ground on the other side.  It was all covered in nets, and none of my shots came out well. 

 Billy and Savanna had such a good time, they played dodge ball and bounced on the trampoline in addition to climbing and sliding all over the place!  Wes got into it, but also kept racing back to the cars in the waiting room.  Sigh.

At just about an hours drive it's too far to go back to regularly.  I wish we had something like this closer.  I'm sure it would be a favorite for rainy days!  We had such a good time, and it was so fun to see Jay with his school friends.  What a big boy he is getting to be!  He was cracking Savanna up while hamming to his buddies.  He had the whole room in stitched over some little thing and that cracked Savy right up!  Happy birthday Jay- thanks for a super fun party!

Pinewood Derby

Pinewood derby was this weekend.  It's these annual events that really mark the passage of time for me!  I swear we just did this?!  How is it another year already??

 Our pack in town is really growing!  I think there were maybe 6 or 7 boys the first year we joined and we are well up over 20 now!  It's pretty cool to be a part of!  The "leaders" are all parents in our age group, and it is such a nice family oriented group.  They even let Wes race a few times before the official heats began!

Billy's car did well, but not well enough to advance.  Which, frankly is fine by us!  His first heat he came in 3rd- then he got first all the other runs... but, some of the cars went really fast, so it wasn't enough to make up that first loss.  Oh well.  Next year I'm sure there will be even more tweaking for his final car!  And, I think maybe Daddy will have to help build 2 cars... I'm not sure Wes will be willing to sit and watch another year!  How long until Tigers starts up?!

Unseasonably

We had 4 consecutive days of 80 degree weather this week!  We are breaking all sorts of records with this amazing March weather!  I'm not fooled, I know there is more spring to come... but it certainly has been a nice taste!  We did have some mud, but its drying quickly.  Now, as long as the bugs don't get out of control we will be all set. 

Wes is filthy.  Like constantly dirty.  He has spent just about every waking moment outside this week.  Looks like I'm in for along summer! 

The girls spent one whole afternoon sunbathing on the front lawn (with a gallon of ice cream and 2 soda cans between them!)

Billy has been out on his bike, and he and Bill were tossing around a baseball after finishing up his Pine Wood derby car the other afternoon. 

Wes and I did a day trip to the Cabin.  Mom officially retired a week and a half ago, and we took advantage of the opportunity to join them up in Conway.  Wes and Pop played, and Mom and I did some outlet shopping.  I think I have full fall/winter wardrobes for both little boys for next year!  There were some serious deals to be had.  Wes and Poppie put their toes in the lake (and turned their feet red) and we swapped out the futon so it's ready for sleeping this summer!

The temps have all of his clients in a tizzy, so Bill has been crazy busy this week!  Really not much has progressed on the house.  We did a big Lowes run and got all the supplies for flooring in the boys room, hall and laundry.  Also the laundry shoot got cut down into the basement.  So, until we get going everyone has to carry dirty clothes and I'm sorting and stacking on the bathroom floor.  But, it won't be long now.  Trim and doors once the floor goes down and Wes will be ready to move.  The laundry counter and plumbing will come after that tile goes down.  Then, for all intents and purposes the downstairs will be fully functional for me!  The den has more work to go, and the bathroom will need to be switched from laundry to shower... but it's coming along! 

Warm weather has great motivational powers... now if I could only get everyone to come back inside and get to work!

Billy's Birthday

Last week we added another to the double digit club!  Billy turned 10 on the 12th, and I'm just now getting his pictures up!  I. suck.

Well, maybe since I managed to pull off a RAT themed birthday I get a pass?!  I sure do hope so!

On Tuesday he took a cookie pizza to class.  It went over well (Swedish fish = anchovy) except for Wes who cried when he realized the "pea-tz" was going to other children.  Thankfully Billy managed to bring home a slice.  

 Then, over the weekend we did his friend and family parties.  He wanted "rats" as his theme... so I pulled some Halloween decorations and scraped off a pretty decent display I think!  We used pictures of Sneezy as the invitation, and I printed off large ones to decorate the house with.  Add some small plastic rats here and there, and he seemed happy with the outcome!

 He had a small friend party (note to self, invite more than 6 kids next year... they never all come!) with an ice cream cake.  I think they played with Sneezy the whole time!

 Later that night we had his family party.  Bill was in rare form!

I swear this kid is growing up too fast!  It seems like only yesterday... sigh.  Welcome to the double digits Dude~

Paint and other Progress

Well, the only other major update, besides paint is the drywall in the stairwell.  Bill got started on that, and it's pretty much walled in.  One wall in the den (under the stairs) is done too... well, I have some more mud and tape to do... Which, by the way has got to be the worst construction job of all!  Remind me never to do this again.  I'll hire it out in a heartbeat if we EVER do anything else... I hate mud, tape, sanding... the whole process is such a pain- a major mess and drags on forever!  Thankfully Mom and Dad pitched in, because I was beginning to think we would never get done with the boy's room/hall/laundry.

 The walls are certainly not profesional quality (Mom and Dad wanted another day to sand and skim) but I was so reaady to get color on the walls and feel the progress.  I'm sure once the rooms are filled you will never notice the bubbles and bobbles.  The Wednesday while Mom and Dad were here we primed.  I was just ready to move on.   

Then Bill had the day off yesterday, so between us we got busy!  The light is "off" in my pictures- it was pretty overcast... but the hall and laundry room are now a light grey (with some blue undertones)

 and the boy's a soft yellow.  Thankfully I like both colors, since somehow I messed up the math for square footage and have about double the paint we needed.  Guess the stairs and den will be grey and the upstairs bath... why yellow of course!

Last night as I did touch-ups Bill started to rehang the drop ceiling.  We need to order the flooring, I picked it out at Lowes... but they didn't have enough in stock to do this room.  Bill is starting to fret about money... but I'm hopeful we can get Wes in here before too long!

Now, what to task Mom with tomorrow... since she planned to paint!

Goodbye Lake House

Now that Bill and Beth are back at the Farm full time, the Lake house on Horn Pond wasn't getting much use.  They decided to put it on the market, and this past week it sold!  When they got back from Florida the first goal became cleaning and clearing out!  We spent a few days this past weekend helping with the final push... getting the last of it out before the walk thru and closing.

 There were a few loads of the "big" stuff, and a few more of miscellaneous boxes from the basement and shed, but they had done a pretty good job of slowly making a trip here and there. 

I'm sure seeing the house go was bittersweet (and Billy in particular was pretty sad!) but I must admit, it is pretty nice having them just next door!



100s Day Celebration

Last week was the 100s day celebration for our little town's elementary school.  Since Billy is the only one left, it was sort of sad... this is one of my favorite things the school does!  The kids start after Christmas with a non-perishable food item per classroom and the goal to gather 100 before the 100th day of school.  All of what they get is then donated in this assembly presentation to the food pantry in town.  I'm am not getting much computer time these days, so with the delay I have forgotten how much was donated... but I know it was a lot!  These kids all work really hard and take such pride in getting to their goal. 

 Billy's 4th grade class had baked beans, and they made a rat display with their cans.  He has the whole group into rats with him! 

Wes and I went to Billy's school for the assembly, it was fun- I like these sorts of things.  The sense of community is great  It was especially nice where Wes didn't have to sit still and be quiet, it won't be too long before he and his kindergarten class have their own food donation goal!

And so it Goes On

Are you tired of construction updates yet?!  This is a big project... it's bigger and more complex than I thought- now that we are "into" it, I keep finding out there are more and more things that need to be done.  Or rather, Bill keeps pointing them out!  For example, I feel like the little boy's room is almost finished; then Bill reminds me we haven't started on the floor or ceiling.  Boo!

He does say we are about at the half way point...!  Yippe.  I feel like some of the larger tasks are done, so maybe the second half will go quicker?!  Well, this week progress will be slow as Bill has a pretty full week of shoeing.  We did get some more stuff done last week, with my Dad coming over twice and then we picked thru a bit more this weekend:

The largest change?!  The new stairs went in!

 Now we come down thru the old "pantry" and into the new "den!"

Poppie spent a few days pretty much exclusively doing mud.  Blech.  I sort of felt bad for him, but he said he didn't mind.  Its such a monotonous dirty job.  Ick. 

 As Daddy mudded Bill was building the stairs... once we had access to the basement, the spiral came out!

 Not having the stairs here opened up this corner of the livingroom.  It's space we have never had before, so a bonus to the remodel!  Bill's rolltop will move here once we get to that stage.  And, I'm happy to report the spiral has moved on to a new home... sold that sucker on craigslist and made some $$ for more supplies!

 With the new stairs came the problem of the door into the basement half.  For a few days we were walking thru the "utility" room and going thru the old door which now opens into the little boys room... it was sort of a hassle, and had us zigging and zagging all down there to get upstairs.

 And so, a hole was busted

 the new door opening cut out

and the door removed and patched in the little boy's room!

In Like a Lion

March came in like a Lion for sure this year!  We had a pretty nice storm roll thru on Thursday... after a pretty mild and uneventful winter, it was nice to have a snow day from school and play a little!  Bill did insist on a bit of work in the house, but once the construction work was done we went out to enjoy the white stuff!

 We got about a foot of a really lovely snow, enough to get out on the sleds for a while! 

Billy, Wes and I tootled around in the woods for a while... I'm sort of a chicken, I really don't want to crash with the baby (s) on board, so I took it pretty slowly and we putzed along the trails a while.  I guess we sort of freaked Bill out since he didn't know where we had gone... and we were out there a while.  Oops!  It was a fun afternoon, and I'm glad we were able to get out, while snowmobiling isn't my "thing," it's so much fun for Bill and the kids.  I will admit that the snow has made my outside chores that much harder; I have enjoyed the mild winter... it's been so slick doing the barn chores.  I guess I'll take it though, since I know this late in the season it won't last long!

A Jumping off Point

 For the Little Boy's Room

Anna found this fabric for me today, and I just love it!  I think it's the starting point for the little boy's room.  I had been thinking about a tan/beige for the wall color, but now I'm not so sure.  Wes is adamant that he wants "an-muls" for his new room and I think this straddles baby and toddler just right!  I'm not sure what direction exactly I'll take, but for now it's a jumping off point.