Monday, June 20, 2016
Thursday, June 02, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Thursday, August 28, 2014
because we're crazy...
We are moving next weekend...I'm am just getting going with my packing and we somehow have to pick carpet and wall colors and hardwood floor stain, too. We weren't planning to move, and we had just decided that we would be in our house for at least a few more years. That was 2 months ago. Then, one Sunday afternoon, the kids woke up early from their naps and we randomly went to an open house. We go to a lot of open houses just for entertainment (because we're weird, I know), so it was not that unusual. But, this one was different...it is a major fixer upper (which we wanted), in a good school district, and had a huge yard. I kept thinking about it the whole next week (and bugging HJ about it), and we went back to take a look with a realtor. Fast forward a few weeks, and we have sold our current house (in a week!!), and we're closing on the new house tomorrow.
HJ and I really like to renovate houses together...I guess it's become kind of a hobby, so we are looking forward to fixing up this new house. Currently, the entire interior (including the kitchen cabinets) is blue! But, I am also sad to leave the house we are in. We moved here when W was just 10 months old, and it has been such a good house for us. I know houses are just material possessions like anything else, but this one has so many good (and tiring, stressful, crazy) memories. We brought both the girls home from the hospital to this house and we have really grown up some much ourselves here.
So, enough of the talk....here are some before and afters from our current house. The befores are the top picture in each section:
.JPG)
HJ and I really like to renovate houses together...I guess it's become kind of a hobby, so we are looking forward to fixing up this new house. Currently, the entire interior (including the kitchen cabinets) is blue! But, I am also sad to leave the house we are in. We moved here when W was just 10 months old, and it has been such a good house for us. I know houses are just material possessions like anything else, but this one has so many good (and tiring, stressful, crazy) memories. We brought both the girls home from the hospital to this house and we have really grown up some much ourselves here.
So, enough of the talk....here are some before and afters from our current house. The befores are the top picture in each section:
Exterior
Living Room
Dining Room:
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Nursery
Kids' Bathroom
Hallway (no before shot)...we recently painted the whole thing with dark teal chalkboard paint (when we were thinking we would be staying here for many more years and weren't worried about resale...haha...)
Big Kids Room (until W recently moved upstairs to avoid being woken up early in the morning:)
Kitchen (no before's)...we didn't do much to this room because it had just been renovated before we moved in. We just painted the walls white...so picture the before as this with beige walls. Basically, a sea of beige. If we were staying here, I would have liked to eventually change things up, but I guess I'll save my kitchen renovating ideas for the next house.
Upstairs (the previous owners painted this whole room, including the ceiling, beige before we moved in...wish they had left it white. This room was next on our list to redo before we decided to move). We did put central heat and air up here so it was much more comfortable at least.
That's it...we're going to miss this sweet house, but we're excited for a new adventure!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
#survivaltips
Here's another post on how we get things done around here. Just to clarify, this is not parenting advice...just tips on how we make it through the day with 3 small kiddos. Some day I'll look back at these posts and laugh at the fact that just walking across the street was a difficult feat. You can find my first #survivaltips post here (on how to cook a meal with no boiling water, no knives, no handwashing while wearing a baby in an ergo...fun times). Today's topic is, as mentioned above, crossing the street. Or the parking lot. Really, just getting in and out of places in general. I know this seems trivial, but the most stressful part of my day is often getting in and out of the car and in and out of school/church/stores, etc. Here are some things that make the process smoother for me:
1. Giving the kids specific directions before we get out of the car always makes things go better. For example, if we are just running into target to grab toilet paper, this needs to be explained before we walk past the princess toys and the legos or there will be a melt down.
2. Giving them something to do works better than telling them not to run out or to wait for me. Everyday while I get E out of her car seat, I tell the other two, "Backs to the wheel". This means for them to turn around with their backs touching the car. It helps them focus on something instead of thinking about how much they want to run away. I may or may not have a "backs to the wheel" song to the tune of "everybody move to the back of the bus". Outkast. I'm cool like that.
3. Practicing when I know it's not dangerous also helps. If I absolutely know there are no cars in the parking lot and no cars coming, I will let them practice crossing the road and walking without holding hands. This is mostly for H right now because W doesn't usually hold my hand in the school or church parking lot (because I only have 2 hands). If we go to a store with a busy parking lot, I try to get a cart before I get them out of the car or have W hold H's other hand.
4. Sometimes getting everyone in their carseat is just a free for all. Teaching them to buckle their top buckles has helped, but one of them will still often hop in the front or lie in the floor board...it's definitely a work in progress, especially when it's 5:00 and everyone's hungry and tired, including me. The concept that hurrying into the carseats will make supper come faster has not sunk in yet.
All these little things remind me of how far they have come. Even tackling these little obstacles is a victory, but sometimes it's hard to remember to celebrate one child learning to buckle a seat belt when another is currently beeping the horn or eating cheerios out of the depths of the carseat. I'm trying to notice when they get better at things and encourage them in even these little victories.
1. Giving the kids specific directions before we get out of the car always makes things go better. For example, if we are just running into target to grab toilet paper, this needs to be explained before we walk past the princess toys and the legos or there will be a melt down.
2. Giving them something to do works better than telling them not to run out or to wait for me. Everyday while I get E out of her car seat, I tell the other two, "Backs to the wheel". This means for them to turn around with their backs touching the car. It helps them focus on something instead of thinking about how much they want to run away. I may or may not have a "backs to the wheel" song to the tune of "everybody move to the back of the bus". Outkast. I'm cool like that.
3. Practicing when I know it's not dangerous also helps. If I absolutely know there are no cars in the parking lot and no cars coming, I will let them practice crossing the road and walking without holding hands. This is mostly for H right now because W doesn't usually hold my hand in the school or church parking lot (because I only have 2 hands). If we go to a store with a busy parking lot, I try to get a cart before I get them out of the car or have W hold H's other hand.
4. Sometimes getting everyone in their carseat is just a free for all. Teaching them to buckle their top buckles has helped, but one of them will still often hop in the front or lie in the floor board...it's definitely a work in progress, especially when it's 5:00 and everyone's hungry and tired, including me. The concept that hurrying into the carseats will make supper come faster has not sunk in yet.
All these little things remind me of how far they have come. Even tackling these little obstacles is a victory, but sometimes it's hard to remember to celebrate one child learning to buckle a seat belt when another is currently beeping the horn or eating cheerios out of the depths of the carseat. I'm trying to notice when they get better at things and encourage them in even these little victories.
Saturday, April 05, 2014
more reading and watching
Here are a few things I've been reading lately:
A Christian commentary on "The Overprotected Kid"
TIHIF (every Friday)...you're welcome.
Love this series by Andrew Peterson!! The fourth book should come out sometime this year (I think?), so now would be a good time to read the first 3! HJ just finished reading the first one to W, and he loved it. He keeps making comments about Fangs and Janner like everyone knows who they are. And, if you haven't ever listened to Andrew Peterson's music, it is wonderful. You will listen the first time through and think, hmmm, that was good. Then, you will listen again and really hear the words and think, wow, that's really good. And, each time you listen you'll catch another reference to a book or scripture until you are just amazed by his writing.
Stop it!
Happy weekend!
A Christian commentary on "The Overprotected Kid"
TIHIF (every Friday)...you're welcome.
Love this series by Andrew Peterson!! The fourth book should come out sometime this year (I think?), so now would be a good time to read the first 3! HJ just finished reading the first one to W, and he loved it. He keeps making comments about Fangs and Janner like everyone knows who they are. And, if you haven't ever listened to Andrew Peterson's music, it is wonderful. You will listen the first time through and think, hmmm, that was good. Then, you will listen again and really hear the words and think, wow, that's really good. And, each time you listen you'll catch another reference to a book or scripture until you are just amazed by his writing.
Stop it!
Happy weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)