The Grand Salon...

Okay, so really this post is about the bathroom, but once it's done it will be so much nicer than any other room in the rest of the house that I have decided to start calling in the Grand Salon...or something.

I feel like it's never going to be done. The vanity cabinet was supposed to arrive today, so the crew should be back either tomorrow or Wednesday to finish putting things in... and fix my upside down vanity light fixture. :) Countertop people were scheduled to come on Friday, but that didn't work for us (we still have to live our lives, no?), so that might not be until next week. I'm sure it's making Andrew crazy, but I am trying to have a very relaxed attitude about this whole timeline thing because, let's face it, no amount of stressing, complaining, and endless amount of phone calls is going to make this go any faster, so I am going to save myself the worry and go with the flow.

In the meantime, the tile and tub are done, and here is a little preview of how it is all coming out...pre-grout, of course...

A Day on the Island

Spent this past Saturday on Bainbridge... it was so beautiful! The weather was perfect, sunny and cool, and the boys had a great time at the beach. We decided that when we are older, or if the commute was not an issue, we would love to live there...just a nice quaint little 4,000 sq foot home overlooking the water. ;) A girl can dream, right? :)

Ooh, and on a side note...turns out the doctor missed a stitch (thought it was a piece of the thread simply imbedded in the scab, but it turns out the knot was still there, too), I discovered it on Saturday, so I grabbed my handy dandy tiny scissors out of my first aid kit and removed it myself. Go me! See, Andrew: scabs, survival stitch removal...I told you I was gonna man up on the blog. :)

Man Up

Okay, so I think Andrew might be suffocating from all the estrogen that has been pouring out of our "family" blog lately. I guess I need to man up and stop using it as my personal journal (although, that really is what I consider it). Sorry, hon. I promise the next post will have no "reflections" or "emotions" or any other other flowery, girly junk in it. Just manly stuff like knives and survival hikes and stuff. :) Or better yet... war wounds... more on Caleb's stitch experience to come... with photos! ;)

Warning: Deep Mommy Thoughts Ahead

The drive home from the cousins house today was so beautiful it was almost painful. Coming down the hill in the sunshine through the wooded area that is vibrant with new spring greens everywhere. And white blossomed trees and bushes on both sides of the road. It was gorgeous! And since both boys fell asleep immediately in the car, it gave me plenty of time to reflect. It's no secret that I've been... um... shall we say... "challenged" by the boys lately. Feeling like I can't win, like no matter what tone I use, or tactic I employ, no matter how kind and patient I try to be that it always ends with one or both of the boys screeching, yelling, growling, or otherwise disrespecting me when they don't like what I have to say (this is true confession time, here).

My wonderful mom always reminds me that there is "a time and a season for all things", and I especially have to think about this at my current stage of life. There will be a time to do and accomplish all the (unnecessary) things that I'd like to, be it performing in theater, singing in the choir, keeping on top of the laundry, the list is endless... but now is not that time. Right now is the time to focus on my children... appreciate the stage of life they are in (for better or for worse), NOT wish away their childhood, and to try... really try (which is often not easy) to remain happy and positive and patient and loving in my interactions with them. Because I want them to be happy and positive and patient and loving people. And if I don't teach them that, who will? (Besides their dad, of course). :) I'm trying...and that's all I can ask of myself.

When it rains...

...And a Sunday night trip to the Emergency Room for 4 stitches in Caleb's chin.

Happy Belated Anniversary, Seattle!

So, amidst all the chaos at our house over the past month (boys flooding the upstairs bathroom and family room, bathroom remodel, and all the fun events of the past two weeks), I realized that I missed our 2 year anniversary of living here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. In some ways, it doesn't seem like we have been here that long. But then I think about our time in the downtown corporate apartment and that seems like a lifetime ago. When I look at the boys now, especially Caleb, it is so strange to think about what they were or were not doing yet at that time. Caleb pulled himself to standing for the first time in that apartment...and he hasn't stopped moving since. And Liam had just turned 2, and would only eat pasta and and Cheerios (okay, so not THAT much has changed). :) Can't believe how much they have changed in two short years.

Clearly, Liam still loves to climb. :)

Back in the saddle...

Three bouts of cold/sore throats, two battles with pink-eye, two trips to the doctor, a broken toe and 7 pounds later...we're back on track. :) And as soon as I find the cords to reconnect my camera with my computer (post family-room reconstruction), I will post some current pictures: boys, bathroom remodel, etc. In the meantime, here are the boys from our most recent (February) trip to the Aquarium:

Perspective

In the quiet night (in between boy wakings), it's so easy to see all the things I did wrong with the boys today, and try to figure out how to do better tomorrow. But the quiet night doesn't last very long... Now if I can just remember it all in the tantrum-filled, defiantly yelling daytime.

The Adventure Continues

Everything has a learning curve...some are more "curvy" than others. I am learning a lot about the process of remodeling. Our unplanned bathroom renovation (more on that later) is moving forward, and it seems at every step, there is something else that I have done wrong, or chosen the wrong item: A tub that is non-standard and requires specialty plumbing parts and non-standard measurement faucets, etc. Things got sticky for awhile...not sure if I could find an affordable tub spout in the same finish as everything else that would work with the tub...but it appears as though everything is going to work out.

As I take a moment (a much calmer and confident moment than yesterday when everything seemed disastrous and out of control) to ponder this whole renovation thing I have a come to a few conclusions:

-There are showrooms that I would DEFINATELY work with again to help me find exactly what I need (thank you, Best Plumbing), and ones I would NOT (no names named to protect the arrogant).

-I need more professional help than most. Building and designing professional help, that is...my need of the other kind of professional help is not really that big of a revelation.

-I will purchase and supply most of the fixtures, etc. myself. One, because any "contractor rate" that can be purchased on most items, does not end up benefitting me all that much, and two, because sometimes the control freak in me comes out. I like to have everything in my own house ready to go.

Am I picking out the right things. Apparently not. Do I have all the information I need before picking things? Apparently not. Am I asking all the right questions to have said information? Apparently not. Needless to say it has been a little stressful, emotional and a bit of a roller coaster for me, but I'm learning. I know what I would do differently in the future, and there's a first time learning curve for everything, right?

Now I just keep my fingers crossed that there are no more "surprises" or unexpected expenditures. Ha ha.

Self-realization

So, today, I came to a significant self-realization. I have no love for the gym and working out. No, that is not the realization. :) I've realized why working out, getting/staying in shape, eating super healthy is a challenge for me. It's because I think I look better than I actually do. My sister and I have have talked a lot about this, and we both have the same problem (if you want to call it that): No matter what our weight and size, we think we look really good. I'll see someone in the grocery store or wherever that, in reality, is exactly my size and I think in my head "I'm smaller than that." Totally delusional! :) So, when you have this uber-healthy self-image (deluded as it may be), it makes it hard to tell yourself to do those extra 10 minutes on the elliptical (or get to the gym at all, for that matter), or that extra set on one of the weight machines. And is certainly no help when it comes to avoiding the Funyuns, Peanut Butter M&M's, and Cheeseburgers. :) I thought about posting a picture of me in a swim suit on the fridge to help motivate me (we've all done this at some time or another, right?), but then I realized that if it was an older before-children photo, I would simply look at it and think "that's what I look like now", and if it was a current photo of what I actually look like in a swimsuit, I would look at it and think "Dang, I look good!" :) In many ways, it's wonderful to have such an unrealistic positive image of myself, but a little realism sure would make the healthier eating and motivation to exercise easier. :) So, on that note...I think I hear some Peanut Butter M&M's in my cupboard calling my name...