A little life lesson

Excuse me while I sweep away the cobwebs. What's been keeping me away from the blog you ask? Well, besides my wonderful, perfect, couldn't be any cuter bubbies, I've been sweeping my floors non-stop and spending money. There is the never ending entertainment wall unit saga, you know the one that's been going on since a year ago when we ordered one from PB and it was delivered twice and damaged twice. That left us with nothing, then we moved and held off but never stopped shopping around for one. Since we've moved in the house, I ordered another and sent it back (not from PB) and now I've reordered one that won't be in till December. Lovely.

Then there is the landscaping that needs to be done stat. I'd love to wait till Spring, but to make a long story short, it really needs to get done this month due wanting to refinancing our construction loan into a conventional loan. So we've had three yahoos out here to give us quotes, all of which make me reach for the anxiety meds I don't own. We would love to do it ourselves and save money, but ledgestone needs to be brought in with large machinery and who are we kidding. I don't even have time to wash my face at the end of the night let alone plant 100 yews in my free time. So hopefully by next week I'll be able to show some pictures of our pretty front yard and zero balance bank statement.

Admist all the chaos we leased a new car and got quotes for plantation shutters and frosted glass. We've since had the plantation shutters installed and they are gorgeous. But the important things in life are covered. We've been enjoying nightly bike rides with the boys. They love these, I make them milkshakes that they drink in the trailer while we ride through the beautiful trails around our house. I love riding my bike through the crispy fall leaves. We've been to the cidermill a bazillion times already and this weekend we are going to a pumpkin festival right around the corner from our house. The pumpkin festival is at a historic farm turned museum that is just beautiful in the fall as are all the historic homes that surround it. Pictures to follow.

A moment from last week that I don't want to EVER forget....right before I put the boys to bed, Jake told me "Mom, after I go to bed just don't look in the toilet." I said, "what are you talking about Jake?". He said, "Mom, just don't do it, don't look in the toilet after you put me in my bed." So the two of us went into the bathroom and opened the lid. It was clean and empty. Jake exclaimed "YES! It went down!". I asked him what went down and he told me lots of paper. So I said, "Jake, were you afraid I was going to be mad at you?" His reply? "Mommy, I just want you to be proud of me.". OMG, he is just three years old but I tell you it never ceases to amaze me just how deep the emotional well runs in these little guys. Makes me acutely aware of how my words and actions can affect them either positively or negatively. And isn't that what we all want, to make our parents proud.

Finally, my funny Anderson story. Anderson asked me the other day if the the weather was shitty. I asked him to repeat himself because I thought maybe I had misheard him. He said again with a little annoyance in his voice, "Is the weather shitty out today?" My dad has a habit of using that word and has no filter around the boys so I can't say I was too surprised. I told Anderson that I didn't know what that word meant. He said, "MOM! It means cold outside!" The poor thing was saying CHILLY. Here I was giving him disapproving looks and making him feel bad about asking if it was "chilly outside". I apologized to the little guy and in true Anderson fashion he was very understanding and forgiving. He has really moved into that peaceful period they tell you comes after the threes. He is so cooperative, inquisitive and just a joy for 99% of the day. We are still patiently waiting for Jakey to move out of the threes :).

Overdue Update

So moving sucked. It really, really, really sucked and it's still sucking. Moving coincided with the start of the school year so I felt like I was rushing to set up my classroom and rushing to set up the house and everything was kinda thrown together haphazardly and I'm having a hard time catching up.

There is still so much to do, but there is life to live as well. I don't like disrupting the boys nor do I want to push them aside while I work endlessly on getting this place together so for now we take it one small project at a time and our focus is the bubbies. I must admit I frequently have moments of regret. I love the house, the neighborhood, the area but it will be a much larger undertaking to care for than the old house. And the expenses that come with a new house are overwhelming as well. It's kinda like getting a puppy. You tend to turn a blind eye to all the work a new dog is because the allure of a cute little puppy is irresistible.

On a positive note, we seem to have some great neighbors. Many of them have gone out of their way to come over and introduce themselves. One neighbor ( with three boys under three) even brought over homemade cookies to welcome us to the neighborhood. Wow, homemade cookies!

The boys have been enjoying preschool. Their favorite activity is Show and Tell. Show and Tell happens once a week and they have brought the most random items to show their class. But it's their show and tell and I try not to influence their choices in any way. As long as they are enjoying themselves who I am to stand in their way.

Their teacher told me she could tell I had been working with them at home. She said they did wonderfully on all their initial assessments and she has mentioned to me on more than one occasion about how great their vocabulary is. Toot ,Toot! I just wish I could get those little stinkers to spend some time practicing to write their name or even just color. So for now things on the preschool front are great.

Blake's Cider Mill

Waiting to ride the train through the orchards

Daddy and his guys on top of a huge hay mountain

My bubbies and me

Just a reminder on how little these guys still are

They are really starting to join forces now. Today Jake came to me to tell me how sorry Anderson was for putting a gouge in the wall. Anderson just hid behind his brother and let Jake handle the situation.

Big Red Cider Mill Part One

Anderson James


Jake at the wheel!

Love the way they are all sizing eachother up

Jake and Uncle Brian feeding the goats

Anderson and his Daddy

Big Red Cider Mill Part Two

You knew I'd have to

Love the trestle wood plank bench that goes with our dining table

Some fun repurposed accessories

The island eating area that the boys love. We have a hard time getting Jakey to the table.

I'm loving my kitchen. The functionality has been great and I love the way it all came together. My plantation shutters will be here in just a few weeks and I'm on the hunt for some curtains. We've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen and it seems like when we have other people over, the kitchen has become the meeting space. The boys love to sit at the island on the bar stools and its makes for an easy clean up in the morning when we need to get out the door. I'm still drooling over my hardwood floors but I have to admit that they do show everything. People warned me but I would still do it all over again. I've just had to incorporate a quick sweep and swiffer each evening to keep up with it all.

We had a great day today at the cider mill and at the JDRF fundraiser at Grant's karate dojo. More to come on that....

Home sweet home

Eight long months later, this journey is finally finished. Last night was our first night in the new house and we are slowly settling in. There is still a list a mile long of things that need doing and our bedroom is the dumping ground for all the odds and ends, but eventually we'll get it done.

It has been a big adjustment to move into a larger home. My Grandma's condo was about half the size of this house so everything seems larger than life. I think I'll miss the closeness that a small home brings. I really dislike sleeping on the first floor with the boys upstairs. I had a hard time sleeping last night worrying about them and lots of crazy "what ifs" busied my mind.

The boys seem to be enjoying their new space. Tonight Jake asked me which bedroom was his...I thought they knew that already. I guess its going to take some time. They love to run across the bridge and bounce rubber balls in the rooms with tall ceilings. We brought out some toys that have been in storage so they are rediscovering those as well.

Speaking of toys, we went to Target this evening and they asked me if I was going to buy them a toy. I said no several times and finally Anderson said, "Whatever you want to buy us mom, whatever you want to get us is good for me." My three year old is using reverse psychology on me, impressive. He did end up getting something...organic milk boxes for his preschool lunches.

First Day of Preschool

First day of school

Jake Thomas
( he wants to "ride bikes" when he grows up)


Anderson James
(he wants to "cut down trees" when he grows up)

In front of their classroom door

Yesterday I was feeding my baby boys 16 bottles a day, today I dropped them off at preschool. And they never looked back. I basically had to smash my face against theirs to get their attention so they knew I was leaving. As soon as we walked in the door they dropped their stuff and headed for the toys.

When I got to work I couldn't focus on a thing. I struggled to do the simplest tasks all the while wondering if they were okay. Were they enjoying themselves, did they understand I was coming back for them, and most importantly is the teacher reminding them to use the potty. About halfway through I dropped in on them for a visit to see how things were going. They weren't exactly happy to see me, they were more concerned if I was there to take them home. They weren't ready to leave yet. Music to my ears.

Let me tell you about this guy...

This little guy is KOOKY. He started off so unassuming. As a baby he did his own thing, he was so easy going....then three and a half hit. In the past couple of months, this guy has has found his voice. He has decided it's his way or the highway and he thus far he's been quite successful. He lolly gags like no other, couldn't light a fire under him if you tried, and based on his recent antics it appears that he thinks he's the third adult in the household.

Today during his naptime (which by the way he no longer sleeps during) he told me he had to go potty. This is another one of his lolly gagging antics to not have to sleep. He called me into the bathroom and showed me his new hat....his pull-up. I like to call it the skull-up cap. Despite the constant battle that ensues with him, I love his tenacity and quirkiness.

2 week countdown

All the junk and scaffolding is finally gone. We had some trees planted yesterday by the street.

Carpet is in.

Wrought iron spindles have been installed

I'd like to put a nice entry way bench in this cove

The brothers hanging out in Jake's room

The house is nearing completion. The builder is looking for a C of O by the end of the week. We are hoping to move in over Labor Day weekend, if not a bit sooner. The house is filthy dirty, about an inch of dust covers all the surfaces and there is still quite a bit of paint touch up and corrections that need to be made.

Practice Preschool

The boys start preschool three half days a week on Aug. 30th. Today I had an intake appointment with the director and the boys joined in on the summer class to get their feet wet. The director asked me all kinds of questions about the boys, their likes, dislikes, temperament, etc...

While I did that, the boys joined circle time, had a snack, played and did a couple of art projects. They LOVED it! Jake so much so that he tinkled in his pants a bit. He didn't want to stop long enough to use the bathroom. I might add that this was right after I told the director that they rarely have accidents. Thanks, Jake!

When it was time to go, they squealed in dismay. Neither one of them were ready to part with all the new surroundings, friends and toys. I was so relieved and happy for them. They are such good boys :)

Fireplace is complete. I'm riding the fence on this one. One minute I like it, the next it's sending me into panic mode.
Mantel uncovered

From upstairs...not crazy about the hearth stones. They should be gray instead of cream.

Wood floors have been stained, they are filthy dirty but I LURVE them!

Outdoor lights were installed

My fun little number in laundry room. It was about twice the size that I expected.

Pot filler has been installed.

Some of the appliances have been installed

Jetted tub in the master bath. I can't remember the last time I took a bath!

Blogroll rejuvenation

I must admit, I haven't had the most productive summer. I should be organizing, packing, cleaning, sorting through outgrown clothes and toys and a plether of other much needed tasks. When I do get a moment to myself, I've been peeking into the worlds of DIY ladies and their impressive blogs that detail their work. I've added my favorites to my blogroll. They are worth a look.

So far I want to do the following in my "free time" in the new house...

Build playroom furniture
Paint and distress our computer desk and chair
Somehow incorporate numbers into the decor (apparently numbers are hot right now)
Beef up our baseboard moldings
Create a bead board ceiling in our powder room
Find some space for a chalkboard wall
Stencil a damask or quarter foil pattern on a wall

The list goes on and on.....now I just need to learn how to live without sleep.

Inching closer part 2

Forms are in for the driveway and sidewalks to be poured

Master bath vanity. I found some great brushed nickel hardware to dress it with.
The cabinets are a dark cherry, they look black in the pictures.

Entryway into house from garage. It's not much space but I wanted to have some beadboard in the entryway. I love the cottage feel of beadboard.

Master bedroom. I ordered the bedding below from West Elm and used it as our inspiration for the wall color.

West Elm clover bedding

Inching closer

Wood floors are installed

You can finally see the front door. Love it!

The boys playroom painted a bluish gray

Jake's room
The boys rooms, kitchen, foyer and great room are all this color.

Den a.k.a. downstairs playroom