Itching to Play

Last evening we had dinner with our friends.  After dinner, the guys decided to get in a few basketball games.  Michael was forced to watch instead of play.  He did surprisingly well with just watching and cheering.  There were a few times when Michael yelled various comments at Josh, which was a little distracting. Michael was very entertained by the toys in the yard, and the supply of cars at our friends' house.  

We stayed out so late, that Michael actually slept in until 8:30 this morning!  I can't remember the last time he slept that late!  Maybe last summer?  I think he slept late this morning thanks to the new curtains that Josh installed yesterday.  Michael's room is incredibly dark when the curtains are drawn, it's almost like a cave!    

We have been working really hard on the house this weekend.  We put all of the new bedding on Michael's bed and cleaned out his closet this morning.  His closet was full of art work from our old house.  So, today we have been hanging up pictures and sorting through other things that made their way into that closet.  The piles in our basement are INSANE right now!  Josh is incredibly sick of this nesting phase.  I'm pretty sure that I'm driving him crazy right now with all of these home projects.  It will be worth it after our beach vacation, I keep telling him.  Coming home to an organized house will be heavenly!  

Having fun down town...

We made it to story time today!  And, we even got in a little shopping on the walking mall afterwards.  For some reason, Michael noticed the fountain in the middle of the mall for the first time.  He really, really wanted to jump right in, or at least get his hands wet.  When we got home the painters were gone and all of the rooms are back in order, relatively speaking.  

This weekend Josh and I want to set up the crib and get Michael's room totally put together.  He's so proud of the paint in his room.  And he said that, "the baby's room looks really nice."  I'm so happy with the way the rooms turned out, too; particularly the master bedroom and bathroom.  It's time for me to start restoring order around this place, I suppose...  The laundry is calling my name.  : ) 

GOOOOOOD Morning!!!

                                       

The painter and his crew showed up this morning around 7:30.  I got out of bed at 7:20! At least I was dressed in shorts and a tank top when they got here instead of my pajamas.  I'm grateful that I wasn't still lounging around in the bed when they arrived.  Their goal is to be in and out by noon today.  (Amazing! )  It's incredible to me that they can knock out three bedrooms and two bathrooms and touch up jobs in just a day and a half. 

This morning Michael I are going to the last story time session of the summer at the library.  (Sniff, sniff... Story time won't begin until October after today!) We're also going to complete a few errands, which should buy us enough time before our afternoon nap.  

What a day.

What a day we've had!  The painter showed up with his crew this morning, I was still in my pajamas.  (Classy.)  The painter is a free spirited- kind of guy, who will randomly show up for an estimate or to start (and complete) a job.  He does a fantastic job.  We just have different mindsets.  I'm a little bit on the wanting to know the schedule side of things. I knew that at some point this week, Michael and I would be given the boot out of the house for the majority of the day.  I just was not sure as to which day this would occur.  

And so....Today was the day.  

Michael and I began our day with a walk around the park loop, which was hotter than hot. (Why do I torture myself so?) Michael was a complete doll, though, with his ride in the jogging stroller.  We then went to the playground, where I sat my big butt down while he played in the sand with some other children.  After playing in the sandbox, we did a little grocery shopping and headed home.  

Michael and I were curious about the paint job, so we went upstairs to check on the progress. As is turned out I'm glad I did because the baby's room was accidentally painted the WRONG color.  : ( (Taupe, it's supposed to be blue.)  So, I calmly walked back downstairs with Michael and got him situated, so that I could go back upstairs to let the crew member know that the color was not right.  I can't stand doing things like that... confrontation is not my strong suit.  It was really no big deal, and the situation was handled just fine.  

At this point, I knew that a nap for Michael was going to be impossible since most of the second floor is being painted and other crew members were going to be coming in and out the rest of the afternoon. As a result we did what do every day: hit the swimming pool!  (Poor, poor Michael.)  This was our longest stretch at the pool this summer, we stayed from one until five.  Michael actually got so tired at the pool, that he laid a towel out on the concrete because he wanted a spot to rest. I was at a loss as to what to do with the nap situation.  We could have gone to either set of grandparent's, but I really doubted that he would go to sleep easily at either house.  Just walking in the door of Michael and Mary Jane's or my parents' home makes Michael quiver with excitement.  

Michael went to bed easily this evening. Not one complaint.  

Our house is in shambles because I'm tired from today and Josh is working late.  I feel like it's pointless to clean the house right now with all this traffic from the painting crew.  They will be here all day tomorrow, too.  

The paint colors are FAB-U-LOUS, which makes all this chaos worth it in the long run. Michael's room is a taupe, the baby's room is blue (love this blue!!), and our bedroom is a greenish-blue.  I can't wait to clean and get the house put back together this weekend and early next week.  It's going to take some time, but it's such a relief to have the painting almost complete.  

Where to start???

We've been busy, busy, busy the past few days!  As a result, I've been feeling a little tired and cranky.  This afternoon I was able to nap while Michael napped, which helped to relieve my exhaustion tremendously.  So did the nice, cool, relaxing swimming pool for three hours this afternoon.  (What in the heck are we going to do when it closes???)

This weekend Josh and I went out on a  date for the first time in ages.  We went to see The Producers with another couple and we went out to dinner (just the two of us).  The musical was simply fantastic.  Both of us have wanted to see The Producers for years, but the opportunity has not really presented itself. So, we went to a matinee on Saturday and laughed our tails off.  This is a hysterical musical, especially if you are an accountant (or, an accountant's wife!). After we saw the musical, Josh decided that he needs to spread the word at the accounting firm to see this show.  

Our dinner out was heavenly!  I was able to use the restroom without stressing out over a certain someone rubbing his hands all over the toilet seat.  Josh and I were also able to carry on a quiet conversation, with very few "why" questions.  I ordered french fries, primarily because I'm going to enjoy the fattening food while I can.  I also ordered them because I could eat them without having to share; which always makes me feel guilty that my son is eating french fries while he should be eating broccoli! We ended the evening with a trip to a frozen custard stand.  Again, heaven!!  

I've been out running/walking a good bit lately.  (Not today or yesterday, though.)  Friday I ran a few miles on the treadmill and then walked that evening with my friend, Carrie.  And, Saturday my girlfriend and dear old neighbor came into town.  So, we met another running buddy at the track and did at least six miles (maybe more...) running/walking.  Yesterday I could barely move! Just kidding.  I was  little sore and stiff, though.  

Yesterday was an eventful day around here because we met with our painter!!!  He is coming this week to paint a number of the rooms upstairs: Michael's room, the Baby's room, our bedroom, and the two bathrooms.  I'm actually nervous about this situation, primarily because we picked out the colors rather quickly this time. Josh was getting frustrated with me because I couldn't make up my mind, so I just put a few check marks on the color swatches. The next thing I knew, the painter was in our house giving us an estimate.  (yiiiiikeess!!)

In terms of baby news, I hit the 30 week mark today.  Whoa!  And, a new name has risen to our "short list" for a girl, Caroline.  Josh really likes the name "Cara". So, we decided that if we have a girl and if we name her Caroline, Josh can have a special nickname for her.  Josh is fairly certain that we are having a girl this time.  In fact, he wants to start buying pink clothes and bedding for a girl's room. I told him that we need to wait.  

That's all for now...

Every House Loves a Party.

We're throwing a little sompin', sompin' for Granddad on Saturday morning. Granted, we're just providing the structure for the somepin, somepin; but it's a fabulous excuse to go out and purchase some new things for our house. We've done zero decorating since we've moved, it's so expensive! So, we're taking baby steps this week by purchasing luscious red velvet pillows for the living room and valences for the bathroom and framing photos of our sugar. It's been fun! It's too bad that my checking account doesn't feel the same way...

I've thought about doing a little flicker thing to display our feeble decorating attempts. Maybe someday...

Michael is feeling better today. Josh called this morning to check on him, just in case he needed to be picked up early; the sitter reported that he was doing great and was preparing for show and tell. He brought his little leap frog school bus to Peg's today for show and tell.

What are YOU doing this weekend?

Over the past few days, I've had this conversation with many people. When I'm asked this question, my response is always the same.

People: "Any big plans for the holiday weekend, Kate?"

Katie: "Well. I'm watching tennis."

People: Not sure what to say. Respond with silence.

Tennis is my all time favorite sport to watch. Any of the major tournaments are just like the Super Bowl to me, except they are so much better! I l-o-v-e Roger Federer. (Love, love, love him!) He could teach some of the professional athletes, that you hear so much about on the news, a thing or two about class, intelligence, and not using steroids. I always have something to say about professional athletes, and I'll save you from the speeches that I deliver to Josh while he is watching ESPN. Surprisingly, he usually agrees with me. Maybe he's trying to shut me up?

I'm not sure why I love watching tennis so much because I certainly don't play. I will tell you that John McEnroe cracks me up. I love the outfits of the players, watching Sharapova and the Williams' sisters play is like watching a fashion show. But most of all, I love the athleticism and grace that comes with tennis. I rarely let Michael watch TV when we get home from school, but this week we watched tennis every afternoon.

So. In a nutshell, that's what I'm doing this weekend. Watching tennis. One of these days I'll get to Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. Michael has already agreed to play in Wimbledon one day, we talk about when he'll make his debut frequently.

Oh. And, another thing...the painter is coming on Tuesday! TUESDAY!?!? YIIIKES. I think we're good though. I'm not 100% sure about the chocolate/mocha shade for the kitchen, but I've got a pretty good idea. So, stay tuned for photos of painted walls! Yay, yay, yay!

Fresh Air.

Today was a real breath of fresh air. I'm very happy.

First, as I mentioned in an early morning post, Michael was happy to go to Ms. Peg's. He danced the whole way there, but did take a quick thumb-sucking break halfway through a Wiggles song.

When we got to Peggy's, I received so many complements on my hair from her?!?! What a fabulous way to start off the day! She continued to talk about my hair this afternoon! I *love* that woman. : ) She said that Michael told her that he wants to use the potty. He makes her laugh about something everyday. I love that he makes people laugh.

School was terrific. The faculty meeting was very positive and succinct, as it should have been. My office mate is a real sweetie. Our office is surrounded by other sixth grade teachers, which is so fun. I didn't realize how isolated things are in the gym.


To top off the day, Michael and I returned the library books and checked out some new ones. He entered the library and said, "old books drop off, PUPPETS????, NEW BOOKS!, MOMMY, PUPPETS???, ssshhh. BE QUIET!!!" The librarians laughed as we headed to the elevator. He loves elevators these days, except he calls them alligators. It's all the same, right?

Michael's new favorite book is called PAPA, Please Get the Moon for Me. The illustrations are beautiful, and it has some awesome pop up features. Even though it's a library book, Michael is going to take it to Ms. Peg's for story time tomorrow. I'm afraid, though, that he'll yell at the other children about "breaking it!". He was very concerned this evening that Josh and I were going to break it. He's a keeper!

Also, I bought three new paint samples today: Mexican Sand, Sprout, and Beach House. We'll see if they suit...

Times have Changed.

There was a time when Josh and I would go to Lowes, check out the paint samples, buy a gallon or two of that sample, and then go home and slap it up on the wall. No research was involved, no planning was involved; we just found a color we liked (or, didn't like...in some cases...) and we began to paint.

Not now!! Times have CHANGED!!

Oh my goodness. This is excruciating! I'm losing my mind (and, sleep!) over paint colors! I've been to Sherwin Williams twice this week. Each time I go, I pick up as many little cards as I can stuff into my purse, and I buy at least three small containers of paint. I've painted about eight poster boards with various shades of greens and browns, and I've found ONE color that I semi-like.

We aren't painting everything, so I have to keep the "future" in mind...For example, if I paint my kitchen purple, then I proably won't be able to paint the entryway turquoise. Although, they just might be on the same palate, who knows?

Tomorrow I'm going to head back to SW and to get a few more samples. I'm drawn to colors with names like Beach House, Mexican Sand, Tiki Hut, Sprout, and Lemon Verbena. It's probably the name, and not the color, that I'm drawn to. Check them out if you get a chance... Just click on the name of the paint color. Tell me what you think by leaving a comment!

Sherwin Williams does have a great website, if you're looking to paint. You can pick a room and then move colors from the palate around. It's helpful to get a general idea of colors from a certain palate. I'm still baffled by it all, though...

Return to Me

Oh, my sweet camera is in the clutches of the Canon folks, somewhere in Illinois, I believe.

They have a site for obsessive people, like me, so that we can track the progress of our camera repairs. That just didn't cut it for me today, however. I broke down and called the folks out there in Illinois.

I explained to this kind woman, that I am going on vacation in a week and I desperately NEED my camera.

At one point in the conversation I said, "Tell me. Should I have the camera shipped back to my house or to the vacation spot? What would YOU do??? Do you offer over-night shipping?? The odds are that I won't get it back in time, right??? And, what is your extension so that I can talk to you about this next week? Oh, and when I call you back next week, what day should I call??"

She gave me the extension, but also mentioned that I could just as easily talk to someone else about this issue. Hmmm??? Was that a "get lost, psycho" cue???

We do have another digital camera, but this one...ahhh...It's my baby. And, I was hoping that I could take some shots of the ocean and blow them up into canvas prints. That way we could display them, like art or something...Even though Josh thinks that is a ridiculous idea...(Remember, operation decorate? Well, we're still struggling!)

I am still hopelessly optimistic at this point. Maybe I'll check once more, just to see if it's been shipped.

Lookie, Lookie...Here...

Guess what we did yesterday?!?



(I say we, but it was really Josh who did all of the work.) We finally(!) installed the curtain rods and lovingly hung the new curtains in the family room and the breakfast nook. The breakfast nook was a challenge to figure out, but thanks to a few elbow connectors, we're all set.



Michael is doing better, his spunky personality seems to be coming back. As you can tell from the photo, he's a little bossy. We noticed at the pool that he likes to tell other children what to do. He said to one girl, who was younger, "Girl. You play with that! Play with that!" He only did this because he didn't want her touching his toy. Josh says he gets that from me. He's right.