Oh, The Places You'll Go

2 years ago (when we bought a bank owned property) we were fully aware that this house would take some major loving care to get it back to "livable condition". 

So, livable condition has been the goal everyday since November 2007.  2 years and 2 months later we are still at it.  The bright side is that we only have 2 bathrooms left.  Well, 2 bathrooms, paint in the kitchen, woodwork in many parts of the house, electrical work in 2 bathrooms and insulation throughout the attic. 

I'm sure that's not an exhaustive list but you get the idea.

Here's what we did this weekend. (Double click on each if you really want to see the pics).

Basically, we tore out all the tile and drywall (yes, drywall...some moron didn't know to use water resistant board) so we had major water issues and some fun mold.  Yuck!

Weekends are always a barrel of laughs here in our home.  When oh when will we get our social life back?

Swiper, No Swiping!

There is snow everywhere.  We left home on December 18th and the weather was getting a little chilly but it was clearly Fall.  We came home on the 3rd and it was FREAKING cold...and 2 inches of snow.  We've been home exactly one week now and there are currently 8ish inches of snow and it's even colder than it was 7 days ago. 

When life gives you snow...well, you make snowmen.  Unfortunately this is not packing snow.  It's the nice, fluffy snow that skiiers love.  Nothing wrong with that unless you have 3 kids who just don't get it.

Since we couldn't make snowmen, we went sledding.  That's all kinds of fun unless you have a 3 year old.  We've decided that if sledding fit into a box, the box would say "For ages 5 and Up".  All of my kids have detested the snow until about age 5.  The twins are currently loving that white stuff...now only if it wasn't so fluffy.

We wanted to take pictures of our fun in the snow but couldn't find the camera.  We searched all day long but it wasn't in either of the places that my husband and I like to hide it.  Again, we needed it to take some pics of a bathroom renovation...still, no camera.

Getting ready for bed tonight I found the camera.  When I turned it on, this is what I found:




Obviously one of our 3 feet tall family members got a hold of it today..and judging by the skirt, I'd say it wasn't one of my boys.  And do you think this might be a sign that she's watched me sell too many things on Craigslist and Ebay??? =)

And it runs in the family...

2 hours after Boy Wondertwin went to bed last night, hubby found him standing at the open refrigerator with a sippy cup (he's 5!), a sippy top, a gallon of milk, and a top for the milk.  He had just poured his milk and was trying to put the sippy cup top on the gallon of milk.  We have no idea how long he was in front of the refrigerator or how long he was trying to put the wrong top on the milk but one thing was clear.

He was asleep.

Pray for my life, people.  I have craziness sleep-walking all around me.  I fear for my very existence.

And I almost forgot...

My husband is a freakshow.  Yep, I said it.

I've alluded to his strange sleeping habits but let me lay it all out right now.  He goes from a conservative, well meaning, think before he speaks kind of person to a complete freakshow within minutes of falling asleep.  Although I have stories to fill an entire blog in itself, I'll tease you with an instance from last night around midnight. 

I was reading "The First Patient" by Michael Palmer.  Decent fiction.  Anyway, hubby was asleep...maybe 20 minutes into his first sleep cycle when he props himself up on his elbow and takes a DEEP breath and says, "What was that word?"

What?  I say.

Him- "What was that WORD that just flew by"

me- WHAT word?

Him- Oh, nevermind.  I guess I'm asleep.

I then cackle with laughter...and he yells at me for waking him up.

Yep, it's pretty much a nightly affair.  Welcome to my marriage.

Words That Work

Little Dude has a slight speech delay.  Nothing for which to seek treatment but a delay nonetheless.  It's frustrating (for all invovled) sometimes when he can't get his point across.  He's improved greatly over the past 15 months.  Last September (at age 2.5) his first sentence was, "Me Go".  We were psyched.

He's not blabbing like a banschee but we don't always understand his pronunciation.  Today he was telling me a story and I understood about 90% of it...progress.

I asked him if his teachers at school understand him.  He said no.  I then asked who DOES understand him.  He answered, "God."

What a profound statement by a 3 year old.  It's something I need to take to heart on this cold Winter's day.

New Years Resolutions

I'm never the one who makes resolutions, writes them down, tells them to everyone they know, and follows through.  I'm the one who thinks about things that could be different and wonder if they will ever happen.  Yep, that's me.

Last year, more by an accident in timing than anything, hubby and I decided to take the television out of our room.  This OF COURSE led to WAY less TV.  That was definitely a helpful move in my life.  With the TV out of the bedroom, I ceased watching wasteful TV (well...not completely...I still watch The HILLS) and I started reading a lot more.  I read close to 50 books last year which I think was an accomplishment for me.  4 of those included the Twilight series that completely consumed 10 days of my life.

The whole TV thing went quite well until hubby ordered a DVR when he found out it was going to be cheaper to have one than NOT have one.  Not sure how he pulled that one off.  Anyway, we got the DVR in November and since then we have been catching up on every show we've never seen.  Needless to say, those 50 books were mostly read before mid November.

This year the resolutions aren't coming as easily.  I'm going to continue exercising.  In fact, I've been running for the past 3 weeks.  Today I ran 3 miles in 8 degree windchill.  I don't recommend it.

What are your New Year's Resolutions (or as I would rather call them) goals?  Maybe I can steal a few of yours.

Whoosh!!!

I have a good excuse, I promise.  I can't belive it's been 3 weeks since I've blogged.  I didn't fall off the earth.  I just drove 19 hours (with 3 kids) to Texas and back.  That's a good excuse, right?

Also, I didn't want to broadcast to the world that my house was unoccupied for that long...blogs make me nervous sometimes.  You just never know.

And then there's the whole in-law thing.  Over 3 weeks I acquired a lot of good blog material but unfortunately, it's all for not.  I just can't go there. 

I will say that it was so good to get away for almost 3 weeks and it's even better to get home.  What did I miss the most?  My Heated Mattress Pad.  Ooh, I'm falling in love with that thing all over again.

Besides the mattress pad, I'm thankful for our home and even the few inches of snow we found on our doorstep.  It's amazing how 3 weeks away can make you feel so content about what you have. 

It also could have something to do with living with 10 people under one roof for 17 days.  Hopefully we don't have to do that again.  It was complete insanity...thus the blog material that I can't print. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.