Summer Fun

Really, I don't know if the boys will remember this as the most fun filled summer ever.

That's too bad, as it was also the longest summer break we will probably ever have.  Our school is under construction for the second summer in a row, and as a result, we had an extra three weeks to enjoy ourselves.

We didn't get to take a vacation, as we had to do a majorly expensive roof repair, which meant we missed out on the most looked forward to week of the year.

Instead, we tackled some additional home improvement projects that were long overdue.

We separated Sammy and Charlie, and gave each of them their own rooms.  This meant moving Evan downstairs to the basement guest room, which I think he overall enjoys.  He likes the cooler air (now that it's summer anyway), and he likes the privacy.  It also meant I had to paint Evan's old room and get it ready for Sam.  This about killed me, as it was the first room my Dad painted when we moved in.  He loved Evan so much, and he wanted Evan to be comfortable in his new room, so within a few days it was wearing a fresh coat of paint.  Evan picked out a planets and space border, which my Dad loved, being a space nut himself.  My heart ached as I removed the wallpaper and covered the blue paint with green, and the only way I got through it was by reminding myself that Dad would not want me to stop updating the house.  He was a firm believer in keeping on top of home renovations and painting, and I knew the painting would make him happy.  I also thought about how darn glad I am that I made him teach me how to paint only 3 short years before he died.  It's one of the most practical things he ever taught me.

Next I painted the master bathroom, and added some Uppercase Living accents that have been sitting in my closet for the last two years.  This job has been lingering on my to do list for years simply because I hate painting behind toilets.  Apparently, I am really great at talking myself out of unpleasant tasks.  VERY glad to get this one done.

Evan and I dug out a large area of sod in our backyard, killed a ton of weeds, and planted a perennial garden next to our pool.  We dragged bag after bag of mulch, and carted out load after load of sod, but sadly neither of us gained any arm muscle doing it.  Evan was disgusted at this.  I think he'd like to start looking good for the ladies.

And thanks to my wildly talented and handy brother Creighton, we were able to rip out the COMPLETELY craptastic sliding doors on the top and bottom floors and replace them with french doors that have the blinds between the glass that you can raise and lower with a magnet.  I love, love, love them.  I keep saying on Facebook that I really should have been nicer to Creighton as a kid, and I mean it.  We fought like cats and dogs.  Worse than that.  Once, as my Mom dragged me off the top of him at about the age of 11, she told me I was going to jail if I didn't stop it.  Creighton had an incredible talent of being able to push just the right buttons and annoy the hell out of me.  But now?  That boy takes the best care of me and my family.  When my Dad died, it was as if Creighton emerged from a cocoon.  He blossomed into an adult who is such an kind and caring leader.  He is truly the man and the leader of my family.  My Dad left hard shoes to fill, but Creighton does a good job of it.  I know my Dad has been busting his buttons with pride in Heaven just watching him.  I really feel like he is my older brother now, instead of my baby brother.  He is a blessing.

Which is all a long winded way of saying that instead of a really fun summer, it was a working summer, which is nice in a way too.  I did tell the kids we would try and do some fun stuff around town, so a couple of weeks ago we headed to the Children's Museum.

Our favorite part was the Wizard of Oz exhibit.  The movie has always been a huge favorite with Charlie and Sammy.  They loved sitting in the chair of the Wicked Witch of the West, and pretending to be flying monkeys.

We also really wanted to go to the zoo, but unfortunately we have been living through the hottest summer of our lifetimes (literally).  And it just doesn't sound fun to me to go to the zoo when it is 110 degrees outside.  We may have to move this goal to a weekend in the fall.

We've also been swimming almost every single day, and we've gone on some trips for ice cream and slushies as well.  

Sammy started out the summer knowing only his alphabet and sounds and a few simple words, and now he is already reading at the level of a first grader.  We went out to celebrate with a hot fudge sundae when he learned all of his Kindergarten and 1st grade sight words.  I am not above bribery, apparently.  Also, if I do say so myself, after all these years of practice, I am a kick ass reading teacher.  Want to know my secret for teaching kids sight words?  The good old fashioned Dick and Jane books.  Yep, the ones from the 1950s.  Dick and Jane knew what they were doing.  It works every time!!

Even though our summer was busy and maybe not the most exciting, I have enjoyed spending these days with my kiddos.  Even the days when Charlie's been grumpy, or we've had too many appointments planned.  I am sick to my stomach they will be over all too quickly!

Splish Splash

I am sad it took me half the summer to accomplish this, but I am so glad this is ready for us to enjoy!

It's just one of those above ground pools, but we have wanted one for years.  It took Evan and I 3 1/2 hours to put it together, and at several points it took all the patience I possessed to not swear a blue streak in front of Evan's young ears.  The pool box boasted it would be "Easy as 1, 2, 3!" to put together.  WRONG!  But I had a bee in my bonnet, and I was determined to do try to complete it myself.  I hate having to wait for other people to help me do things.  Jeff and I aren't the handiest of people with tools and projects, and I have to ask my brother for help quite a bit.  I don't want to overburden him, so I am always tickled with myself when I can do things without help.  I proudly texted this picture to my brother and let him know he was off the hook tomorrow.

The boys took their maiden swim this afternoon and loved it.  We are expecting temps this week over 100 degrees, so hopefully this will help us stay cool.

Finished!

This took me 6 days last week, but I am SO glad that I can cross this off my summer to do list.   I was even more glad I painted when Charlie announced, "This is the best room I have ever seen in my whole entire life!"  Here is the finished product:

I learned that perfectionists like me should not paint stripes.  I could have stood there and fiddled with the tape making these stripes perfect for days!  There are a few places where the edges aren't as crisp as I would like, but as my husband keeps telling me, "It doesn't have to be perfect!"

I got rid of their book case and a toy shelf I didn't like in favor of this shelf shown above.  I love the fabric drawers and how they match the stripes.  It seems to work for the boys too, as it has been a lot easier for them to keep their room clean with this system.

I am taking a break this week, and then on to the master bathroom next week!

Birthday Fun

I had a great day yesterday...I couldn't ask for a better birthday.  We made progress on the patio:

I got three walls painted with a double coat in Charlie and Sammy's room, and (miracle of miracles!) my dryer is fixed and working.  I also got to spend time with my family, which is the best gift of all.  My Mom took Charlie and Sammy to a movie in the afternoon to keep them out of the paint in their bedroom, so I got to visit with her for awhile.  For dinner, I made all my favorites (totally unhealthy): fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and homemade rolls.

I love making a feast for my crew.  It was a fun dinner.  Jeff brought home an ice cream cake, so we had a great desert as well!

Not a bad start to 34.

Good-Bye Nursery

In November 2006, just before I delivered Sam, my Dad painted and wall papered the baby's room with adorable little frog princes and a calming light green color.  You can see our newly finished nursery with double cribs here.   (Gosh this brings back memories...seeing those two cribs together.  It was so surreal to tuck in my two tiny babies, only 10 months and 10 days apart.  Having Irish twins is not for the faint of heart.)

A couple of months ago, I noticed a small hole had appeared in the wallpaper.  As the hole got bigger over the coming weeks, I knew it was a sign that it was time to update Charlie and Sammy's room.  It made my heart hurt.  I'm sad to say goodbye to the nursery, small toddler stage.  My boys are growing up, and ready for something a little more "boyish" instead of babyish in their bedroom.  I was also dreading having to redo something in the house that my Dad had done for me.  Having that wallpaper in the room was a visual reminder of his love for me and for his grandchildren.

Yesterday I bit the bullet.  I took pictures beforehand to remember the room by, and then I told myself that my Dad's love wasn't just put on the walls, it was poured into my heart.  And no matter how the walls look, my Dad still loves me.  I also reminded myself that a hole in the wallpaper would have driven him nuts, and he would have wanted me to get this makeover on the road.

Over the years the room has changed a bit...like Charlie's addition of his "art wall".  He loves to color, and insists on decorating our walls with his creations.

We added bunk beds in 2008.  You may notice that on these two walls the border is missing.  Putting Charlie in the top bunk allowed him access to the border as a toddler, and one day while having a temper tantrum, he ripped the whole thing off.  One of the times as a mother I have been most angry.

Yesterday I took down all the wallpaper, scrubbed the glue off the walls, and repaired wall dings.  We are off to get paint today, and soon we will start the transformation.  But there is one thing I won't change.  Whenever my dad would wallpaper or put up a border in a room, he would take a small square and put it on the light switch.  It added a creative touch to the room, and one that said "Dad" to me.  And so, even though it won't match, this will be staying just the way it is in their room.  A little piece of Poppo to hold on to.

 
I'll post some pictures when I'm done.  I hope the boys like it!

The Micek House at OneTrueMedia.com

Getting sad to say good bye to this place...

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The Finish Line

My dad finished replacing the wood work today, and a few little finishing touches. I so wish I had even 1/3 of his handiness. We would get a lot more done around the house!!! He did such a great job, and I love my Daddy-O tons.



LOVE IT!

Almost to the Finish Line!

This shows how my kitchen looks right now:



This fantastic mess is because my living room is currently residing in the kitchen. Those of you who have known me for even 5 seconds will understand that as a person with an unusually high need for order and organization, this situation is making me anxious as all get out. But since the result is well worth it, I am trying to ignore the tottering piles to the best of my ability.

Here is a shot of the living room chaos:



It does show, however, that we are ALMOST done with the floor!! We ran out of wood with one small strip to go by the wall, so we will finish up tomorrow. I am so in love with how it looks, and I can't wait to see how everything looks when it is all put back together again.

We are so, so, so blessed to have good family and friends. My dad, Jeff's dad, my brother Creighton, my dad's friend Doug, and Jeff all worked countless hours this weekend to help us get this in, and it saved us $2500 to be able to do the labor ourselves. In appreciation for all of their hard work, we are going to have them over for some steaks on the grill later this month.

And here is a close up of the finished product:



Seriously. I am in LOVE with it. Especially since I can just wipe up any mess my boys throw at it. Carpet and three boys? BAD. VERY BAD.

A Not So Fond Farewell

Wednesday night my Dad and his friend Doug came and ripped out the carpet in our living room. Jeff and I did the happy dance on the bare plywood when they were finished. We are so unbelievably glad to have that craptastic stuff out of our lives and our home!!!

Tomorrow is the big install day for the wood floor. Pictures to come soon!

Home Improvement

During late July, my Dad, who is super handy around the house, helped me to stain our deck and fence. I love the way it looks, and it will help the fence/ deck to last longer, but oh my GLORY! It was hard, hot work. Here it is in progress:



I think it would have gone a lot faster if this was a regular fence, but because it is a shadow weave design, it was pretty tricky to get the stain in all the nooks and crannies. And it was HOT!! Did I mention that? Or that I sweat out 20 gallons of yuck?

Here's the finished project:



In one week, my Dad and my father in law are returning to bless us again with their carpentry skills, and help us install a wood floor in our living room. My three boys and our cat have destroyed the carpet. I would show you a picture, but I don't want to make you vomit. I absolutely can't WAIT to have it out of here.

We are so thankful to have awesome Dads in our lives. I really don't know what we would do without them.

Decision

It's decided. We're staying put. For now.

We just couldn't find a house that we liked, and we both agree that we want our next move to be to our "dream" house, one we can see ourselves in for the next 15 or so years, and we don't want to settle.

So for now, we refinance. And we agreed to start looking again in a year. Hopefully the economy has picked up a bit by then.

In the meantime, we are going to do some home improvement projects to make our current home sparkle. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up wanting to stay!

So, this summer we are putting in wood floors in our living room and kitchen, and ceramic tile in the entry way. We are staining our deck and fence, and adding a retaining wall to the backyard. And maybe painting the master bedroom too. Busy summer, no?

At least I know though. I hate nothing more than LIMBO LAND. I like to know exactly what is going to happen next, and now that we have a plan, I can relax. And get excited! I love to pound a hammer when I have the chance, even though I can be dangerous with it. With my dad and Jeff's dad acting as foremen, maybe they'll keep me out of trouble!

Bummer

We went to look at a house today. We have only found about 3 to put on our list, as there doesn't seem to be a lot out there that meets our qualifications. Which I guess means we're picky. Which also means I really, really, really want one of these three houses to work out.

This one didn't. It was so disgusting I can't even believe the agent had the guts to list it under their name.

There was mold growing on the walls in the basement, there was water damage everywhere, and they hadn't even bothered to vacuum. You see some amazing things about the way people live when you go through houses. Sometimes it isn't pretty.

I'm really disappointed, but I am still hopeful one of the other two will work out.

At the very least, the whole thing made me feel better about listing out house. It's very clean and well kept compared to a lot of the other stuff out there.

I really just want to know what is going to happen one way or the other. I hate living in limbo land.

Organization: My Own Form of Heroin

I love to be organized. I love the process of organization. I love finding containers to organize things into.

A little OCD?

Probably. Nobody's perfect though, right?

Anyway, that's why the storage room in our house has bothered me for the entire 2 1/2 years that we have lived here. The room is big, which is great, but that's all there was-just a large open room with not a shelf in sight. When we moved in, we piled boxes up against the walls. My first months in this house were not restful ones that I could spend leisurely sorting through boxes and organizing this cave which seemed to attract spare bits of flotsam from all over the house. I was newly pregnant with Sam, and had a 4 month old Charlie to deal with at the same time. Needless to say, I didn't get around to organizing much of anything in there anytime soon.

Things got worse after Sam was born. Not only was I half crazed between taking care of two infants, but I started to need things that were buried in boxes down there. I would hurriedly paw through boxes and shove things around to find something quickly in the rare 5 minutes I would have to myself, desperately searching for a piece of baby equipment I knew was down there SOMEWHERE. The mess grew and grew.

Eventually things calmed down a bit in our lives. As they did, I stopped to notice how horrifying it had become in the storage room. Admittedly, not as horrifying if you are Jeff or someone else without a need for order, but to me it was horrifying. I hated walking past the door or going in to find something.

So, I started talking about getting some shelving units. My dad, who is a master at building things thought that was dumb. He said he could custom build me some floor to ceiling shelving units that would better utilize the space.

My rock star Dad took the day off from work on Tuesday, came to my house to work instead, and built me this:



They extend along two walls and I am just in love with them. I happily organized away last night, and I just feel SO. MUCH. BETTER. Isn't my dad great?



This is a part of what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. Not just my new shelves, gorgeous as they are, but for a wonderful Dad who loves me. Loves me enough to keep taking care of me with kind acts even though I am a grown up. It is a wonderful thing to feel cherished and loved by a parent, and to know that will be true no matter how old you are.

Christmas Shopping

I had the nicest morning today! I got up at the crack of dawn, and my mom, sister, and I headed out to the Younkers Community Day Sale. I got some awesome deals, like a crockpot for $19 (my old one was something I bought at a garage sale in college), a rice cooker for $14, and dress shoes for Jeff for only $35. Actually, looking back, the whole trip turned out to be Jeff themed, as I also got him a dress shirt, dress pants, a new belt, and his three big Christmas presents. I think I can cross him off my list.

The best part though was being with my mom and sister, without any kids. These moments are fewer and farther between since the kids came along, and so I treasure them more when they happen. Living with all boys, I think I crave girly moments like these more than ever. It's just so nice to be around other people with estrogen in their systems, ya know?

The end of the day wasn't as grand. The lights and fan went out in our hall bathroom after dinner, and even after flipping the breaker switch, they won't come back on. After this happened, Evan informed us that for the last couple of weeks the lights have been flickering in there while he has been taking a shower in the mornings. Fab. Luckily, my brother is an electrician, and he will be over in the morning. I'm hoping it's something simple.