Quick Post

I am so proud of myself for getting in a post so soon after the last!!!

The boys decided to be pirates early one morning (which means they chased each other saying "argh").  This practice continued throughout the week, the girls even joined in, but with girly panties instead ;)

Berry and Smaug having tea together :)

One of our apple trees blossomed... they're very cute and dainty!

We dropped off some stuff at the new house and happened to spy the dumpster removal guy... almost done!!!

Saturday morning we met our "New Orleans Friends" for breakfast as they passed through town on their way south.  Our new house is conveniently located minutes from the interstate and a Cracker Barrel ;)

After breakfast, our friends visited our new house and just as they left is started raining.  The rest of the day, it poured and thundered and there was a lot of lightening.  Perfect weather to test out our fireplace- it didn't last long, but it smelt nice and woody for a while!

I told you last time about the wiggly shower.  Good news and bad news.  I feared the worst behind the wall, and found the best!  No mold!!!  Just some water damaged tile board, on top of some perfectly good sheet rock!  Unfortunately, the tiles did not cooperate with me and fell off in groups (despite my spider arms trying to hold it back), and some broke.  There is damage in other spots and we are pricing new tile, since we can't seem to find the '88 original style :)

Aren't these two cute?

Last night, we found Smaug sleeping with TW's soccer shirts, one on top, one as shorts... this is how he came out of the room this morning!

Now, I know you can't see this clearly, but J was using the van, and our little pull behind trailer to haul junk from here to there and out to the road for trash day.  I have to admit, he is the only guy I know that can make a mini van look just as studly as a big 'ole pick up truck! Love you "George" :)

Yesterday, we spent many hours at the house.  I vacuumed out the master bathroom (it's still a mess), labeled the grout mistakes in the new shower and cleaned the floor in the girls room.  Fortunately, I had vacuumed it out early in the week.

And today, I spent about 3 hours cleaning the boys room... cleaning the fan (which stopped working about 5 minutes after I turned it on... I guess the dust is what made it work), picking up big chunks of drywall, little blue papers (the kids), insulation that was removed when the wall was repaired, and sucking up gallons of ceiling dust from the popcorn removal.  And then, I carpet cleaned it (Mom, I did find that soap I was looking for)!  The windows are still dusty, and so are the mirrors, the carpet is still stained, but it is clean(er)!!!  And because I spent so much time on it, I figured, you, my dear readers, ought to celebrate with me!

In Other News:  J has next Saturday off, so we have officially reserved a big truck and are praying for some last minute help from our church men!  Also, I baked (like in the oven) some eggs (for the first time) in order to decorate them for Easter.  I'll let you know how they turn out :)  

P.S.  R.B.... they are brown eggs, thanks for the tip!

A Quick Update

We have been super busy the past few weeks.  Daddy went back to work, but we have kept up our school schedule and still try to run a little bit of "stuff" to the new house.  One evening, when we pulled up, we had a new roof :)  So exciting!!!!

Another visit, we found handles in the bathtub.  We have since discovered that the over flow thing we have to replace is not standard (another trip to the hardware store, I suppose) and when I cleaned the tiles this weekend, I found that the lower left corner is flexible, so before the kids get any showers (which is how they normally bathe), we'll need to pull out the tile, replace the back and then re-tile.  When I say "we", I mean J... he's so good :)

We were very ecstatic to see our shower coming together ;)

Did I mention TW has started soccer again?  Practices are Mondays and Wednesday evening (Daddy is coaching!).  On Wednesdays, the girls have speech, so I take most of the kids with me.  And since, there are 3 to entertain at a time in a very small room, I take a movie with us... they think it's great!

The following pictures are all from yesterday.  Sunday afternoon seems to be the only day now we can guarantee some work time.  Smaug was super tired (despite a good snooze through church), and I made  him have some quiet time in the pack-n-play... obviously sleep overcame play :)

We have dumped copious amounts of pool chemicals in the pool and the color is up to "normal". 

J has also been diligently scraping up crud from the bottom and running the filter every time we are at the house.  The base pool opens April 1, we'll see if we're up and running by then too :)

While putzing around, I decided to go spy out the BBQ shack (very cautiously, just in case there were spiders).  I was so brave, I even went inside, but only because I saw...

... this!  And guess what, it works!  So, If I get really desperate or irked at the burners in the kitchen, I can go outside :D

I also spied this little seat :)

And, just so you know, the toilet in the master bath used to be pink, to match the bathtub I suppose...

Here is the shower now... it is supposed to be grouted today and then they can put in the glass!  See that electrical outlet?  It had to be redone because it was too short, my special guy did it all by himself (thanks to his military training he was up for the task)!!!  He's so handy, I think I'll keep him :p

Smaug woke up!

Did I mention the painter has been hard at work?

Now, about the fridge... it's here... and a cabinet guy came out yesterday to give us a quote for some work, if that is any indication on how it's going... *sigh*

In Other News:  I'll tell you more next time :)  Duh Duh Duh!!!!!!!!!

February

This past month went by so fast, granted, it doesn't help that it's a short month :)

I really can't recall much of want on, except for a few key events, but I do have a few pictures to share...


J proved (yet again) that he has mad skill and strength :)

The kids celebrated Valentine's Day at our science co-op with a rowdy exchange...

... and a more sedate exchange after nap time at home!

TW surprised me by making breakfast one morning!

We spied a woodpecker right outside the toy room window (he's in the center of the photo, you can just make out his red head-topper)... he kept the kids entertained for quite some time!!!

The boys made their own "TV" and were "watching" it one afternoon.

Important event announcement:  WE CLOSED ON OUR HOUSE!  We started the whole process at the beginning of December and finally signed on the dotted line (or, straight line, whatever)!!!  In this photo, we are taking a load of sleeping gear to the house (the boys stayed the night with Daddy one night)... if you look closely, you'll see that Mamie is on top of Berry's head :)

Mom, I took this photo for you.  December '83 is what it says... this is the water heater.  Let me back up and explain a few things we have learned from one of our neighbors (who has lived in the same home longer than I have been alive).  The man who built the house sold a beach hotel for several million dollars.... which explains the gold plated bathroom fixtures, the industrial laundry folding table, the pvc pipe plethora of pool seats, including a rolling tray version with a sticker telling us which channels give us certain stations, and an assortment of items we "think" came from the hotel, or the trailer that used to be on the property (we think), including a fairly new (at the time) water heater.  I have made up so many stories about this original owner (we are only the third owners).  Apparently he raised ostrich, and grapes :)  J and I really hope he stops by one day!!!

I took this picture to show that I took down one portion of stripes... I like it better already.  Now, I did find the original kitchen wallpaper in places... it was white with millions of little blue bows on it... not sure which I like better, the stripes or bows :)

Here is a picture of the "I refuse to use it, or touch or walk by it" fridge.  We set up a time for it to get picked up by the garbage company.  Then J took it outside to the road, within 1 hour, a truck stopped, grabbed it, and left... I need to cancel that request with the trash company!!!

I am pretty sure this is a dogwood tree (and boy).

A different tree, attacked by a woodpecker!

J tore out the bushes in front... so much better... it was necessary, one word... termites!

I tried to cook mac and cheese one day for lunch, but discovered that only one burner worked (so it took forever)... I jiggled a cable and got a second one to work (later, of course)... a new stove may be creeping up to the top of our list.  Also, an added item... the septic pump.  We were having the pump emptied anyway.  The guy came out and informed us that the tank was at capacity and the pump was not working... he was surprised we had not had anything... um, resurfacing :)  Oy!

The kids and I stayed home this Wednesday morning (school work, laundry, etc.), but when I showed up at the house, they had torn out my shower!!!  And found a nest of carpenter ants :(  And then the electrician showed up and told us that the outlets are no longer up to code, and instead of removing the dangling outlet, they have to put it in between the two sinks, which means we need to remove the mirror and put in smaller ones, or something... that movie The Money Pit has been running through my head a lot lately.

Did I mention that J also blew up the pool filter (literally, not figuratively), which will need to be replaced.  On the positive side, the roofing material showed up, and I removed the carpet from the kids bathroom before Berry had a accident all over the floor!

In Other News:  Mamie is up to 27 pounds, and I only like her when she is outside, or asleep, or doing anything except for peeing all over the floor *sigh*

Oh, and did I mention, my very first tooth crown fell out (the one that has been bothering me that I have been putting off getting fixed until we had moved, settled, etc.), I had to have it glued back in (twice)... I have an appointment next week to start the process of getting a new one *sigh* (again)!

But... we own a house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!