Xmas morning

Phil and I wondered on Christmas Eve whether we would wake up before the kids as happened last year or whether the kids would wake us up.

At 2:07! Naomi came in to our room and said "Mommy, you have to get up and we should open presents." Of course I said it was too early and she said "But Mommy, Santa has already been here!" She did eventually go back to bed without too much protest. She and her sister were up at 6:00 ready to rumble.

Kitchen

We've made you wait long enough. The kitchen/great room renovation isn't done yet but it's close enough. You can see what it looks like from the pictures of Phil from this morning. We are loving it and it is far more beautiful than I imagined it would be.

White Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Have a happy day!

To see more pictures go to the My Pictures link on the left side of this page under the kidisms and go to the album dated 12-25-2008.

Preparing for Santa

Last night and this morning Naomi told us, "Make sure you have all the painting and construction stuff cleaned up before Christmas Eve!" (We have a pile of supplies on the hearth.)

Decorating the tree

SNOW

Are we still in Washington?

Yes! Believe it or not!

Big Storm Coming?

The second storm this week is forecast to come this afternoon. It's going to be a doozy with strong wind and lots of sleet and snow. We're hoping that the storm isn't too bad; this sort of weather right before Christmas is especially unwelcome.

The storm that knocked out power here two years ago right before Christmas is still too fresh in my memory. The kids were so cold and we lived on nuts and raisins. Thankfully we stayed one night at Phil's cousin's house when it got too cold.

We have since switched to a gas water heater and a gas range, so we will be able to have showers and hot food even without power. Phil is out getting logs for the fireplace so that we'll have some source of heat if we do lose power.

Snow day

The snow started yesterday afternoon and kept coming down most of the day today. It's beginning to look like Christmas.

Pics from Marty's visit

We had a fantastic time with Marty during his visit the last few days. Our big day was Saturday, my birthday. The kids got to visit Santa at Macy's downtown and we all experienced the carousel and the Seattle Center fountain. The girls and I had some much-loved hanging out time with Marty too. The kids especially enjoyed making a gingerbread house with Uncle Marty and making bead necklaces from the kits he brought them. I just loved hanging out and talking.

(That ribbon I'm wearing says "Birthday Girl." Naomi insisted I wear it.)

We miss you Marty! Thanks for coming to see us.

Itching to Cook!

Now that the appliances are in, I want to cook! Yummm, Christmas candy, cookies, quick breads, not to mention soups and stews, stir fries and fun stuff done on the gas (hurrah!) cook top. Phil's using it to cook eggs in the morning but I've not wanted to move up there to cook until the kitchen feels done. (I did dismantle a turkey on our island this morning though.)

The fridge is nice but, oddly, seems small. It also has an ear piercing alarm for when the door(s) are left open. We don't see a way to turn it down or off.

The dishwasher is very quiet, which we love, but it also seems smaller than our old one.

The garbage disposal in the main sink is in and is ultra-quiet. :0) I also love the prep sink. I'm glad I got a big one because I think I'm going to be using it a lot.

Hold onto your horses

The big reveal of our kitchen will be soon..........:-)

House update

You would think that people who work on other people's houses would make some effort to not be offensive.

False.

There is a fellow working on our house (subcontractor) who has a body odor problem. It is so offensive, the stench permeates the entire house. I always have to air out the house for half an hour or more after he leaves. It's tough to be here when he is here. Only one more day and I hope we never have to see him again. That's sad because he is a nice person but I can do nothing but avoid him.

Speaking of the house, we are now a little behind. The lights and all electrical should be done tomorrow. Some of the cabinet doors had to go back to the shop for a little touch up. The drywall guy should be here on Saturday rather than tomorrow. And, the guy who's helping put millwork up ...we don't know yet when he can come do that. We won't be able to paint until that work is done; we hope the millwork is done before Turkey Day.

Naps

Bedtime tonight; I had just finished reading to Naomi and I was stretching my back by lying across the narrow part of her bed. (By the way, I don't take naps normally--I tried to when the kids were both babies but that only worked for a little while when Naomi was small.)

N: Why haven't you left yet?
Me: I'm tired. Aren't you? I didn't get a nap today (joking). (but Naomi did get a nap)
N: Oh Mommy, you're silly. Grown ups don't take naps!
Me: They don't?
N: Only if they are too sleepy to walk.

Nap in a Box

This is Leah, too cute, napping in a box (right now, 3:30). Her legs might be a bit stiff when she wakes up, huh?

Renovation Progress

It's been a while since I posted about the kitchen. Work has been going on steadily. The lower cabinets and island are now in and the floors are finished.
We've ordered the cabinet hardware and this morning we approved cuts for the granite counters. The counters will need to be installed before the upper cabinets are installed.

Greta is on the Mend

Greta is finally eating. Hurrah!

Naomi with her Colby cats

I had to post this picture of Naomi and her two Colby cats. The stuffed one is getting so ratty I'm not sure it will survive much longer. Naomi likes to stroke its tail while she falls asleep or if she needs to calm down. It is her constant companion and even goes to preschool with her.

New York City T

Here's Leah wearing her NYC T-shirt from Aunt Miki. She wants Miki to come over to see it, which is a tough wish to fulfill since Miki lives in Indiana.

Sick Kitty

Greta refused dinner the other night for the first time ever. She looked pretty bad by the next morning, having refused water also, so I took her to the neighborhood clinic. She was treated for dehydration and her blood test shows first signs of geriatric kidney issues. I'll be taking her in later this afternoon for more subcutaneous fluids and we'll see what happens. The vet says that it all depends on the cat...some respond very well and don't have any issues for a long time and others decline rapidly. This news is better than we had anticipated as it seemed to us that Greta was on death's door. We tried to prepare the girls for her death--Naomi understood and is sad and worried. Yesterday she drew several pictures for Greta to cheer her up. They are now taped at Greta-height all around our downstairs. What a sweetie pie.

Kidisms--runnng list

Animal=amiler (both)
Boiled egg=oiled egg (L)
Yesterday=the day before this day (N)


Leah at 2 said she wants to own a shop that sells pumpkin muffins when she grows up.
Naomi at 2 said she wants to play the violin when she grows up (and Leah will play the flute).
Leah doesn't want any kids or wants me and her dad to be her kids (yikes). Naomi wants lots of kids.

The Popcorn is Gone

Here's how our new space looks without popcorn ceilings. This picture was taken before the wood floors were laid and you can see how dusty it is. The gyp dust is ground into the subfloor, which was brown before.

Three Year Old Tomato

Last week, I found a three year old tomato in the yard.

Leah couldn't resist the draw of the tomato cage. She said she wanted to play robot and got herself stuck inside--classic, if a little scarey! It reminded me of the time Naomi poured honey all over one of the kitchen chairs--all over, puddles of honey--so 3 year-old. Leah wasn't hurt and not even that scared but it did take me a while to cut off the cage.

Stairs

Our stairs are now beautiful cherry hardwood. Leah shows how they work and also shows off "matching" T-shirt and undies.

Classic Kid Conversation #1

Kid: What's that restaurant over there?
Parent: Burger King
Kid: Booger King?
Parent: No, Burger King.
Kid: That's what I said, Booger King.
Parent: No, a burger is short for hamburger. A booger is hard snot.
Kid: Ewwwwwww.
Parent: Try again. Burger King.
Kid: Booger King.

Happy Halloween

Brain food

It's been ages since I read a book (well, fiction anyway). I guiltily took some time "off" today and read a book I had picked up off the library editor's pick table. Talk about gloomy.
Contemporary fiction, of course. The book is called "Inhabited World" by David Long. It's about a ghost reflecting on his life and what led to his suicide, set here in Seattle. Bleak and dark. Kind of like the season. I wish I were a bear and could hibernate.

Floor Installation and Cabinet Delivery

Phil and the subcontractor we hired to help are finishing installing the cherry hardwood except for the stairs. And, drum roll...the cabinets will be delivered! Hurrah! They get installed tomorrow. Phil's taking off today to work on the floor and will work from home tomorrow so he can be here when the cabs are put in.

I got to pull a thousand more staples from the floor last night. I know I'll appreciate the finished renovation so much more knowing I actually helped with my own hands as well as doing much of the planning.

Entry Tile

I'm pretty sure we'll go with a soft, warm light beige travertine tile for the entry. Something like this picture of ivory classico.

Question for You

What sound does a butterfly make?

Gyp dust

Today I have the sinus headache from Hell. I think it's come from the super saturation of our home with gypsum dust from the dry wall work that took place last week. Ugh. Every object in the house is covered with a thick gray layer of rock dust. If you ever remodel, ask for vacuum sanding and then make sure it happens. Our contractor promised he would use a vacuum sander and didn't.

I tried to pick tile for the entry today while the kids were in preschool. It was kind of fun but there were too many choices (my life's great problem, but a nice problem to have).

Better Picture of Solarius Granite

Here's a better picture of our first choice granite, Solarius

Faucets

These are the faucets we chose. The candy-cane one is for the main sink and the other one is for the prep sink. Both will have a soap/lotion dispenser built in to the counter. The prep sink will have a hot/cold water dispenser too.

Experimenting with templates

Bear with me, I'm trying out templates. I don't think I've found one I really like yet.

Change in Granite Choice

I went down to the granite place yesterday to pick our slabs and discovered that we couldn't get the type we wanted. It is only sold in a narrower thickness than we need.

So, we decided to go again today and found two that will work, Santa Cecilia and Solarius. We will have to see about getting Solarius because it is a little more expensive than the guidelines we were given by the fabricator and contractor.
I prefer Solarius, pictured first.
And pictured second, is our second choice, Santa Cecilia.

Skunk joke

L: What does a skunk say?
Me: I don't know.
L. Maybe it says "Stink! Stink!"

Morphing

I never stopped morphing once I got pregnant. Now with a 3 and 4 year old, I find myself thinking in short, childlike phrases, struggling to remember simple words and evermore frequently realizing how dull my brain and person have become. Ever try to think, read, follow a recipe correctly, do anything but super menial tasks with anyone under 5 around? Is this a complaint? Well, yes. Being a mother is pretty cool but don't let anyone fool you, it does change you and not always in a good way.

Picked Granite

Here's our granite for the counters in the new kitchen (not one of the actual slabs; we still have to pick those).

Interesting question

Today, for the first time, someone asked me if my husband was white.

One of the tradesmen working on the house, Miguel, asked me how I learned Spanish. (I don't know how he knew I knew. I must have said something to him unwittingly in Spanish. Funny.) So I told him the relevant personal history. Hence, the question.

Profile pic

I'm 9 years old in the profile pic. The pic was taken during a family reunion held at our place. Everyone who came camped out in tents down by our creek. I was hanging out with my 5 year old friend Timmy that day. I can't tie many memories to age 9. I was probably reading a lot of fantasy by then as well as the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Maybe I learned to ride a bike that year.

Pumpkin Patch

Today we went on a school field trip to a farm in Snohomish for a 100-yard ride in a wagon to a pumpkin patch. Each kid picked a pumpkin.

N was grossed out by the dirt on her pumpkin--odd reaction given that she doesn't mind picking vegetables from our garden. L just wanted to get back to see the animals in the petting zoo.

Favorite part about the field trip: the tractor ride (N), picking a pumpkin and eating ice cream (L), the drive (me).

ET

We caught the tail end of the movie E.T. last night. I was 14 when it came out. I remember seeing it with Dad and E. I figured out what age Dad was and he was only 43! Eek. That's not far away for me.

The goodbye scene is still a tearjerker.

Taping and Mudding

This morning, a crew taped and mudded the drywall that had been put up on Friday. I managed to get the girls downstairs for lunch straight from the car so they didn't touch any wet drywall mud. That didn't last long. L swept the wall with her hand on the way back from the bathroom. Arghh. Thankfully, I think the crew has several more coats to put on. I decided to try to get the kids to take their naps down here in big chairs rather than risk more damage to the drywall. So far, so good. N is happily listening to the radio on my old Walkman and L is looking at a toy catalog.

Yesterday was our sixth anniversary. I stripped wallpaper and decluttered and P tore up the entry tile. This year our house will start to reflect our combined style and finally will feel like our house.

New Appliances