Prime Time

It's time for college football, and I AM READY!  This is one of my favorite times of the year.  I know that there will be inevitable heartbreak at some point this season, but for now, I'm just excited for the Cyclones to kick off.  Game 1: Saturday night.  Go State!

As for any other fall television, I don't have a whole line-up of shows I hope to watch this year like I have sometimes in the past.  As you know, most of the shows I once committed to have come to an end, which is totally okay with me.  I hear people talking about all of the good shows on TV, but I feel stretched thin as it is, and even with DVR, being over committed to TV stresses me out.  So this year, aside from football, I'm only committing to season five of Parenthood. After an abrupt end midway through the television season last year, I'm so glad it's coming back.  I just love this show, and committing to it will help me work in an hour of "me time" each week! 

What's on your fall Prime Time agenda? 

Book Talk

Between selling our house, buying a new one, a stressful end to last school year, and a summer break spent mostly in MN and then unpacking here, I hadn't read a book in a very long time.  I finally recently was able to read a little bit, sneaking in a few pages here and there.

Shanghai Girls was a rec from my sister.  The story is about two well-to-do sisters in Shanghai just before the start of WWI.  When they are faced with the reality that their family's fortune is gone and they have been sold into arranged marriages, they plot to escape this unwanted fate.  However, because of the looming war, they end up on a boat to America to meet their grooms in California, where they are forced to adjust to their new lives in a foreign land.  Intriguing and captivating, but in the end, mostly just very sad. 

When we were in MN, my aunt loaned me her copy of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  This book, by the same author as Shanghai Girls, was also about two young Chinese girls, but it takes place in 19th-century China.  The story gave detailed insight into the custom of foot-binding, which was very interesting.  I had a difficult time reading over and over about the feelings of worthlessness brought upon women who had daughters.  Again, a very interesting and enlightening book, but also incredibly sad.

 

Next up: I'm finally going to read The Kite Runner, about a million years after everyone else has read it.  It's one of those that has long been on my list, but kept getting pushed to the bottom.  Now it's time!  I'm also in the market for more recommendations, so send them my way.

updates

• My sister is getting married!  She and Adam got engaged on Laguna Beach during their recent trip to California.  I am beside myself with excitement.  The girls and I have flights booked to MN for a long weekend in October for dress shopping.  Let the fun begin!
• Steve received a big promotion at work this past week.  I'm proud of his hard work, and I'm glad that he has a boss who recognizes and rewards his skills and contributions.
• I've decided that they should make one more episode of Seinfeld titled "The Last Word-er".  Sara should star.  OMG, she is so into having the last word.  *Please let this serve her some day.*
• As for Emma, can you say hand+full?  She seems to already think that rules are just suggestions. Here's how she rode in the cart at Target today:
  

(But don't get me wrong, I do love my beautiful children more than anything in the world.)

• We continue to swim almost daily (except for a couple of rainy evenings this week), and we've had lots of Saturday swim dates the past few weeks.  If, for some crazy reason, we were to never use the pool again, we already would have gotten our money's worth.  Seriously.
• Today Steve finished removing the cloth wallpaper that was in our entry way.  Yes, you read that correctly: cloth wallpaper.  It was ... interesting.  But the drywall underneath is in perfect condition, so with a little texture and some paint, our foyer will be transformed.
• For her retirement, my sister and I bought our mom a new sewing machine.  Sara decided that Grandma should use it to make her a new princess dress.  Grandma got right to work, and the dress came in the mail this past week.  Sara was thrilled.  I think her big smile says it all! 
  
• I think my car is on the fritz.  I always said I would drive it until the wheels fall off, and that milestone might actually be on the horizon.  Last summer we put a new transmission in it, and a couple of weeks ago it needed a bunch of other repairs (the kind you have to do so it will move and/or not catch fire on the side of the road).  Yesterday the speedometer quit on me, and I told Steve that it's getting to the point where I feel a little unsafe driving it.  But seriously, I do not want a car payment, so I'll probably just ride this out for a while.
• It's been a busy day, and now it's feeling like a wine and hot tub kind of night, so I gotta go.  More later.  Hope you're having a great weekend!

New Tricks

The latest and greatest ...

 

Home Improvements

It's been fun recently to take DIY baby steps and make some quick, easy, and inexpensive home improvements.  Our initial purchase of fans and light fixtures for many areas of the house was very pricey, and although there are still a number of projects we want to tackle, I've been able to check some items off my list with just a little work and not much cash.

 

I knew I wanted to replace the hardware on the kitchen cabinets.  It was brassy and dated - probably original.  But if you've ever searched for knobs, you know they are expensive.  The ones I liked were running $3-$4 each at various stores, and I needed 49 of them for my kitchen cabinets.  That was going to add up quickly.  So what did I do?  I hit the internet, of course!  After some searching, I found the new knobs (below left) for 99 cents apiece.  A total steal!  When they came in the mail, Steve and I went to work replacing the old knobs ... we were done in no time, and it gave our kitchen an entirely new and updated look!

 The door knobs in our house are also all brassy.  When we first looked at the house, I thought, No big deal, quick and easy fix.  True - the fix can be quick and easy, but it can also be expensive.  When I went looking for standard knobs in a nickle finish, I was shocked to find that they sell for around $15 each.  I knew I wasn't prepared to spend that kind of money to replace knobs, so instead I decided to spend about $5 on a couple cans of Rust-Oleum spray paint, and I've been painting them myself.  I did a few last weekend, and a few more this weekend.  I probably won't keep them forever, and would prefer handles over knobs at some point, but this will certainly hold me over (and save me some cash) until other projects are finished and door knobs make it to the top of the priority list. (I'm uncertain about doing this with the exterior doors, though ... it wouldn't be outside the realm of absolute possibility that I would screw up the locks.  But since I'm saving money on the interior doors, maybe I can pop for new exterior knobs!)

Although I'm pretty sure most visitors to our home wouldn't notice the door stops, it was bothering me that 1) the previous owners had mixed-and-matched multiple different styles and finishes and 2) that most of them had lost their spring and were sort of just dangling.  So I invested a whopping 98 cents per stopper and replaced the old ones.  It's probably not going to provide great gains on resale, but it's another little update that just makes me happy.  Goodbye gigantic brass stopper (below), and hello more petite nickle stopper, which Emma will probably pull out of the wall tomorrow. 

I'm not sure how much DIY we'll end up doing on this house.  We'd like to have the molding painted, but the ceilings are high so I think it would be worth our money to have that hired out.  Things that I've mentioned before like blinds and floors are definintely projects we'll leave to the experts.  But it is fun to learn as I go and do little updates here and there.  As time and money allow, I'll keep you updated on any other projects I tackle.

Friday Fun: the art bar

Just thought I'd post another pic (different angle) of Sara's beloved art bar.  Come back and take a look whenever you feel like your house is a mess, your kids' stuff is invading your sensible living space, or your life in general is just a little too cluttered.  This will change everything.

 

Here to make you feel better.  Happy Friday!

innocence

When we were in Minnesota, Sara was - for the first time - really entertained by the fact that her Grandma and Grandpa are my parents.  She has continued to remind me over the past few weeks that, like her, I have a mom, too, so I also need to be nice and follow directions.  It's ... endearing?

Since returning from our trip to MN, where Sara brought up many times that, "Grandma is your mom and Grandpa is your dad, hahahahah!", it has been heavy on my mind and heart that, at some point, Sara will realize that Grandpa is my step-dad, and she'll undoubtedly request some sort of explanation.  I was figuring that this conversation wouldn't come up for a number of years, and that by the time she asked (or by the time I decided to tell her way down the road), she'd be old enough and mature enough to understand. 

The first Wednesday night we were in our new home, I noticed a bunch of cars outside the house across the street.  The following Wednesday night, the cars were there again.  This time, I also spotted some 60ish-year-old guys hauling in band equipment and beverages.  I texted Todd and told him that I was pretty sure the guy across the street plays in a band.  And just last Wednesday night, we were out front when the band members started pulling up, so I took a minute to talk to them.  Steve was mowing the yard, and Sara was wandering around the grass looking for sticks and flowers.  In my conversation with the band guys, I found out that they play classic rock, and perform at a nearby bar every four to six weeks.  I let them know that my step-dad in Minnesota plays the drums in three bands, and that he might like to jam sometime when he's visiting.  Then they went inside to practice, and we came inside to put on our suits for an evening swim.

The following evening, as Sara and I walked out front to get the mail, she asked, "Mom, why is Grandpa Todd your step-dad?"

*crickets*

Here's how the rest of our conversation unfolded ...

Me: "Where did you hear that?"
Sara: "Well, last night you told those band guys that your step-dad in Minnesota plays drums.  And Grandpa Todd is in Minnesota and plays drums.  So why is he your step-dad?"
Me: "Hmmmm."
Sara: "Why?"
Me: "Well ... I had another dad before Grandma married Grandpa Todd.  So that makes him my step-dad."
Sara: "Well what happened to your first dad?"
Me: "He is in Heaven with God."
Sara: "How did he get to go to Heaven with God?"
Me: "When I was younger, he died.  And when people die they go to Heaven."
Sara: "Why did he die?"
Me: "His heart stopped working."
Sara: "Who made his heart stop working?"
Me: "Nobody made it stop working.  Sometimes that just happens on its own."
Sara: "And then he went to Heaven?"
Me: "Yes."
Sara: "And then Grandma got married to Grandpa Todd and so he's your step-dad?"
Me: "Yes."
Sara: "But is he still my real Grandpa?"
Me: "Yes, of course."

And by then we had gotten the mail and made it back into the house.  Wow.  Instantly a million thoughts were running through my mind: Did I handle that okay? ... Did I say too much? ... I didn't think she was really listening when I was talking to those band guys. ... I had no idea she could connect so many dots ... I thought I'd get to choose when we had this conversation, and I wasn't planning on doing that for a very long time.

Later that night, after the girls had gone to bed, I told Steve about Sara's question.  He quickly responded, "What did you say?!"  I told him that I told her the truth, as delicately as I knew how.  I didn't want to lie to her, but I also didn't want to scare or upset her.  I had been caught totally off-guard, though the irony of the fact that this topic had been put on my mind so often lately didn't escape me at all.  I do believe that someone was preparing me for this conversation with my sweet daughter, who understands so little and so much all at the same time.

Since that conversation a few days ago, she's only brought it up twice: once to ask me again who made my dad's heart stop working (to which I reiterated my answer above), and once to tell me that Grandpa Todd should just be my dad instead of my step-dad since my first dad is in Heaven (to which I just said, "okay.").  Someday, hopefully many years from now, there will be a more appropriate time to share details.  For now, she seems satisfied with my answers.  And for me, what a poignant reminder that, try as I may, I can only protect my babies from so much.  Reality has such a way of infiltrating innocence.

House Tour

Here are some house pics for those of you who have been asking.  Please excuse my poor photog skills.  Now I know why realtors hire people with those fancy, wide-angle lenses to take pictures when listing  houses.  Anyway, the minimal work we have done includes updating fan/light fixtures and replacing seriously old and heavy drapes with newer panel curtains.  Work we want to do includes paint everywhere (you'll see the blank slate), new blinds, continuing to update remaining brass knobs and fans, and wood flooring throughout the entrance and front rooms.  All in good time, all in good time ...

view from the front door 

living room

supposed-to-be-a-dining-room-but-will-be-a-playroom-for-the-foreseeable-future (view from kitchen into dining playroom)

view from the back of the living room towards the front (master bedroom and patio entrances are back here, too)

view into family room from living room

family room (that back door goes into the garage)

view of kitchen from family room

This bar area separates the family room from the kitchen; it has become Sara's "art bar" and it looks like this ALL.THE.TIME. *awesome*

 I love my kitchen desk area.  New kitchen cabinet hardware is en route via UPS, and I'd like to - at some point - get creative with some paint and those shelves.

master bed & bath *not pictured: closet and toilet (duh)

 

 

Sara's room (with her "rugs for [her] pets" on the floor ...???)

Emma's room

 

(to help you picture layout) view of living room into family room from hallway with girls' rooms & bathroom, laundry room, and office/guest room

another view of front entry

*not pictured: laundry room, girls' bathroom, and garage because you already know what those kinds of things look like, and office/guest room that will be ready for our first overnight guests at the end of the month

We love this house. It's so comfortable ... it's "us" ... and we just feel like we made the right choice for our family in buying this home.

And here's Sara, who wouldn't be left out of my picture-taking festivities.

Eleven Months

It's true: my sweet Emma is one month away from being a year old.  I can't believe it, but won't dwell on it today.  At eleven months, Emma is testing her every boundary.  She fights her naps, loves cords and outlets, and laughs wholeheartedly when we tell her no.  So, yeah, we've been busy.

But of course she's still as sweet and lovable as she can be.  For just about a week now, Emma has continued to cry some when Sara and I leave her room at school in the mornings.  I've found that the crying is way less dramatic if she has something to eat.  Yesterday she had waffles, and barely gave a whimper.  Every afternoon, she is absolutely beside herself with excitement when we pick her up - I love those moments!

Like the rest of us, Emma enjoys the pool.  She loves to just float and watch the activity; she's especially entertained by Sara's big splashes when she jumps in the water.  Emma also continues to love bath time.  Our new bathtub has a really slippery bottom, unlike the one in our old house, so I had to buy one of those mats to keep Emma from slipping all over the place.  It doesn't help that she loves to stand in the tub, and even after I put in the mat, she managed to find the few inches of uncovered tub space to stand and slide around in.  Also, she thinks that having to get dressed is the world's worst form of torture.  The tears she can conjure up in the minute it takes to get her dressed really are impressive.

Emma is still wearing her nine-month clothes and size three diapers. She went back to the ENT last week for a re-check on her ears. Her hearing test had improved significantly, the tubes were in place, and no infection was present. Hallelujah. We'll go back to the pediatrician for her 12-month check-up in September; more growth stats at that time.  As of today, she has six teeth: four top, two bottom.  Emma's preferred mode of transportation is bear crawling on hands and feet.  She loves to stand, but hasn't shown much interest in walking.

And of course, Sara is still Emma's favorite person.  One time recently Sara was playing dress-up in her room, and she shut her door.  Emma was just outside of it and started crying immediately.  Sara opened the door and let me know that her sister could come in to play, but that I could not.  The fact that she let her sister in was enough to override my disappointment in not being invited to the party.  I know that the bond they have is one that will forever exist with or without me.  What an amazing thing.