Mark found out this morning that he didn't get the job in Dallas. While we are a bit disappointed, it definitely takes a lot of the pressure off of our home renovation timeline. And, it's nice not being in limbo anymore. Uncertainty makes you feel like time has stopped and you have no idea what you should really focus on - do you keep living in the moment or do you try to plan ahead even though the future is unknown? Though I was excited to entertain the possibility of living a new city, I didn't want everyone around me to feel like I already had one foot out of the door.
Thinking about moving makes you evaluate all the great reasons to stay - and we have a lot in St. Louis: a great church, a great Bible study group, amazing friends, fun activities for Taylor, and a cozy house (no matter how many improvements we might think we have yet to make).
Despite the news, I'm still in redecorating/rearranging mode. I came up with so many neat ideas and got such good advice on fix-ups in the last few weeks that I still want to try it all out. I'm really excited about actually getting to make my custom curtains now! I was worried that the pretty fabric we bought would continue to sit in plastic bags for years until we were settled in a new house. But now I have some motivation to focus on the projects I had lamented not doing over the last few years - like framing pictures and hanging them on our very bare walls.
Plus, all these decluttering ideas I've had will be nice to implement for the joy of making our home a more pleasant and welcoming place instead of merely depersonalizing to make it more sellable. I'm still holding out hope for some nice Black Friday sales at Lowe's and Home Depot on light fixtures, etc too. Actually, I'm excited for Black Friday in general. Last year was my first to go out to the stores in the wee hours of the morning, and I really enjoyed it. Amazon also had incredible deals that whole day and a few days following, so Mark and I already know we'll be logging plenty of time searching for gifts there.
In other news, the permit has not yet been approved for work on our guest bathroom, which means it will sit in demolition mode for at least a few more weeks. Sadly, we will not have a second shower to offer our guests until after Thanksgiving...but maybe it'll be done before Christmas (??). At least the toilet and sink are still functional. And if I rehang the towel rack and mirror, it will be as if nothing changed. I'll just rig the shower curtain somehow to block the gaping hole of the icky tile shower-that-was.
Let the countdown begin - one week until Thanksgiving! Mark and I will be hosting my family this year - our first time ever. After my cleaning/decluttering/rearranging madness has subsided I'll begin planning the shopping list and such. I can't wait for homemade pumpkin pie - my all-time favorite.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Last week in review
I was about to go and trim Taylor's fingernails as she is sleeping (one hand and two feet down, one hand to go), but then I remembered that quite a bit has happened in the last week and I wanted to blog what I could now before Taylor wakes up!
House rundown:
House rundown:
- Covered over concrete graffiti with leftover concrete we had in garage. It seems to have worked.
- New formica countertop in master bathroom for around $20 (from Hoods). Mark and friends made the necessary cuts and we saved a LOT of money.
- Inside doors are in process of being painted white. The hallways look fresher and cleaner already. The goal is to have them finished before the weekend.
- Mopped kitchen floor with bleach, but grout stains are still there. Must try alternative solutions, likely involving hands, knees, and a toothbrush.
- Other potential projects this week: buy and hang trim and mantle for fireplace, remove layer of wallpaper glue from guest bathroom, remove wallpaper from master bathroom.
- Taylor and Samuel really enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit at the Science Center (From a distance and hands on). At first they were a little apprehensive about gigantic creatures moving and roaring, but by the end they were waving at even the scariest ones.
- Our Parents As Teachers representative, Meg, said Taylor listens to directions extremely well and seems to be very in tune with emotions (noticing expressions in a book - angry, sad, etc. She also hides her face from me now when she knows I'm upset with her). Meg was also impressed with Taylor's drawing technique, that she uses only her fingers and wrist to draw now and that her strokes are small and purposeful.
- On Sat, after church in the sanctuary, Taylor did her FIRST unassisted forward roll (somersault). She has become quite a gymnastic daredevil lately, doing jumps and back-flops on the bed every evening.
- Finally, Taylor is actually starting to put her shoes on by herself on the correct feet. It seemed before that she preferred having them on the opposite feet, but she's been coming around.
- I smashed my left pinky finger/fingernail pretty badly when opening up our running stroller on Saturday. It got caught in a section that snaps closed. The tip of my finger is still red and swollen and very sensitive, but it's getting better. Thank God it wasn't Taylor's finger, or the situation could have been much worse (see Maclaren recall)!
- We'll have visitors this weekend (Yay for Ann and Jon!) - the beginning of our holiday madness. After this weekend there won't be much of a break until after New Year's. We'll be squeezing in home renovations when we can.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wet concrete + Neighborhood hooligans = Trouble
The city has been replacing sections of concrete on our street for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday, the section in front of our house was up. At 8am on the dot, the doorbell rang and one of the workers let me know they'd be drilling the concrete soon, but I should still have access in and out of the driveway (barely). As they started drilling the house was going BOOM BOOM BOOM. But it only lasted a few minutes.
Taylor and I left a couple of hours later (driving mostly over the grass to exit) and stayed out as long as we could so we wouldn't be in the way of the worker's back home. When we returned at 1:30, they were all done and the concrete looked great.
Until around 6pm.
That was when Mark and I came back from our trip to Sam's to find little hearts and initials etched in the wet concrete just off of our driveway. Mark did his best to scrape away what he could, but the concrete was pretty stuff at that point.
Then I woke up this morning to this:
Taylor and I left a couple of hours later (driving mostly over the grass to exit) and stayed out as long as we could so we wouldn't be in the way of the worker's back home. When we returned at 1:30, they were all done and the concrete looked great.
Until around 6pm.
That was when Mark and I came back from our trip to Sam's to find little hearts and initials etched in the wet concrete just off of our driveway. Mark did his best to scrape away what he could, but the concrete was pretty stuff at that point.
Then I woke up this morning to this:
and this:
and this:
Which is all RIGHT in front of our house:
I saw the concrete workers picking up their equipment, but didn't flag them down to talk about it before they were off, so I called the concrete company to ask if anything could be done. The secretary said she'd talk to a guy to see if they could pour a little concrete over it or something, but I didn't get any specifics. I didn't want to be a pain, it's just that if we are going to be selling this house in the next year or five years I don't want "AJ + DJ " to affect our property value and a potential sale. Sigh.
Another full weekend
No word about Dallas yet. We've been getting more done around the house though. On Friday, Mark took a home plumbing certification exam at Florissant City Hall so he would be approved to do work on the bathroom. He passed! Then yesterday, he dropped off his plans for the bathroom to the City in order to get a permit for some of the work. He's hoping he'll be approved to do the minor electrical work required if we install a jetted tub (a potential incentive we've been considering for prospective buyers). Mark finished painting the front of the house this weekend and installed a new light fixture in the kitchen (quite an ordeal as the ceiling started falling apart around the hole). And I did some yard work and indoor organization.
On Saturday, we went to the evening service at church and again when we went to pick up Taylor we were told, "Your daughter is so funny." "What did she do this time?" I asked. They told me that she somehow managed to take her ID sticker off her back, gave it to the workers, and then ran all around the room to avoid them as they tried to put it back on her. Then she tried to take out the trash from the room. The workers assured Taylor that they would take care of it. She was also a hit with her little purse, which I let her take in with her. Half the time we leave the house now, she insists on taking it.
We had a "first" this weekend as well - when Taylor woke up from her nap on Sunday, instead of beckoning me to come and get her, she called out "Daddy!" Mark was just putting away some tools outside, but when I told him his daughter had just requested him, he kicked off his shoes really quickly and ran in to greet her - relishing the moment. He came out of the room holding her and within a minute Taylor was fast asleep in his arms, so content.
And yesterday was another cool moment with Taylor. I was busy in bedroom and my cell phone started ringing so I asked Taylor if she could run to the living room and grab it for me (I think it was probably in my purse). Within a minute I heard her little feet running back and she appeared at the door, phone in hand. What a smart little baby! I was so proud.
Today we're headed to the Science Center with Sarah and Samuel to check out the new dinosaur exhibit. I think the kids will get a kick out of the life-sized animatronic models.
On Saturday, we went to the evening service at church and again when we went to pick up Taylor we were told, "Your daughter is so funny." "What did she do this time?" I asked. They told me that she somehow managed to take her ID sticker off her back, gave it to the workers, and then ran all around the room to avoid them as they tried to put it back on her. Then she tried to take out the trash from the room. The workers assured Taylor that they would take care of it. She was also a hit with her little purse, which I let her take in with her. Half the time we leave the house now, she insists on taking it.
We had a "first" this weekend as well - when Taylor woke up from her nap on Sunday, instead of beckoning me to come and get her, she called out "Daddy!" Mark was just putting away some tools outside, but when I told him his daughter had just requested him, he kicked off his shoes really quickly and ran in to greet her - relishing the moment. He came out of the room holding her and within a minute Taylor was fast asleep in his arms, so content.
And yesterday was another cool moment with Taylor. I was busy in bedroom and my cell phone started ringing so I asked Taylor if she could run to the living room and grab it for me (I think it was probably in my purse). Within a minute I heard her little feet running back and she appeared at the door, phone in hand. What a smart little baby! I was so proud.
Today we're headed to the Science Center with Sarah and Samuel to check out the new dinosaur exhibit. I think the kids will get a kick out of the life-sized animatronic models.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Photo Friday
All the girls are bundled up for walk
Pot roast with mashed potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower
Improvements on the left: Newly painted window frames, pillars, and door.
Trimmed bushes and removed tree by front door.
Trimmed bushes and removed tree by front door.
More work in store for front: Rotten wood and chipping paint
Bathroom demolition begins
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday Fun Day
Taylor and I are feeling much better. We're on the right schedule (even going to bed at a better time) and just coughing a tiny bit. I took her to a follow-up visit with our pediatrician who said she could maybe justify giving her antibiotics if I was really concerned about the cough, but if she was that apprehensive I figure the best course of action is to wait and see a little longer.
The childcare workers at our church think Taylor is hilarious. When we picked her up after the service last night, we heard the whole story: Taylor was playing when she noticed that one of the children had a runny nose. So she went to the changing table, opened a package of wipes, and wiped the child's face. Then she proceeded to wipe all of the children's faces...and then the walls and other surfaces. After that she went back to the changing table, got out a pair of latex gloves and put them on, and then she grabbed a diaper and started walking around with it (perhaps looking for a doll or a child in need of a diaper change). And during all of this, she would occasionally get distracted by the music they were playing in the room and break out in spontaneous dance [the woman telling me the story then acts out the arm flailing and head banging].
Oh my goodness, our child is so funny. When Mark and I picked her up we found her carrying two purses (one on each shoulder) with a diaper tucked inside. The childcare worker also said that she was amazed with Taylor's comprehension, that Taylor understood absolutely everything they said. What a smart cookie.
Today begins another stint of intense home repair. While Mark works on the baseboards and repainting around the door frames, I'll be working my way through the piles of laundry and dishes. Mark's mom is coming back into town this afternoon and will be here until Thursday helping us out. We'll likely know the outcome of the Dallas position by Wed (definitely by the end of this week), so we can adjust our repair schedule accordingly.
The childcare workers at our church think Taylor is hilarious. When we picked her up after the service last night, we heard the whole story: Taylor was playing when she noticed that one of the children had a runny nose. So she went to the changing table, opened a package of wipes, and wiped the child's face. Then she proceeded to wipe all of the children's faces...and then the walls and other surfaces. After that she went back to the changing table, got out a pair of latex gloves and put them on, and then she grabbed a diaper and started walking around with it (perhaps looking for a doll or a child in need of a diaper change). And during all of this, she would occasionally get distracted by the music they were playing in the room and break out in spontaneous dance [the woman telling me the story then acts out the arm flailing and head banging].
Oh my goodness, our child is so funny. When Mark and I picked her up we found her carrying two purses (one on each shoulder) with a diaper tucked inside. The childcare worker also said that she was amazed with Taylor's comprehension, that Taylor understood absolutely everything they said. What a smart cookie.
Today begins another stint of intense home repair. While Mark works on the baseboards and repainting around the door frames, I'll be working my way through the piles of laundry and dishes. Mark's mom is coming back into town this afternoon and will be here until Thursday helping us out. We'll likely know the outcome of the Dallas position by Wed (definitely by the end of this week), so we can adjust our repair schedule accordingly.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Home and readjusting - plus home adjustments!
Sorry there was never a Part 2 to my "On my way home" post. We didn't end up having anytime in Tokyo to use the computer before the trans-Pacific flight and I don't think any free (or moderately priced) internet stations exist in the Dulles airport.
Anyway, long story short, we made it home safely with extra seats on every flight. Though we had a few rough spots during travel, overall Taylor was very very good and we survived the sleep-deprivation and the airplane food and the close connections.
The only sad news: Taylor picked up a cough in KL and I ended up contracting it after we returned, so at points we've been feeling pretty miserable. But lots of sleep is helping us recover.
There's a possibility we will move to Dallas! Mark has applied for a position with Boeing down there, so while we await the interview process and such, we decided to get moving on some of the home repairs we've been intending to do for so long. Whether we move in the next couple of months or stay in this home for 5 more years, this stuff needs to be fixed.
This weekend, Mark filled holes in our door frames and baseboards and then mudded around the door frames where there were gaps in the paint. Yesterday, he power-washed the house and the back patio, built a brick border around our backyard garden, and trimmed half of the trees. Then he and his mom started repainting the front of the house. Quite a bit of work done, but a lot more left to go!
Over the next couple of days they will do more painting, plant some bushes, and start some of the inside repair work. By the time we're done (in a few months?), we hope to have two newly redone bathrooms, a finished fireplace, a couple of freshly painted rooms, and new curtains and blinds on every window. Whether the curtains will be generic or my lovely handpicked fabric all depends on if we're actually moving or not.
Last night we tried the first meat from our 1/4th of a cow (a Missouri-raised, grass-fed cow). We made spaghetti with ground beef. I could tell a difference as soon as I plopped the meat in the pan. The raw beef smelled so much better than the stuff we usually buy at the store. In the final product, I think the meat was more tender than usual. I'm really looking forward to trying out new recipes for the cuts of meat I've never cooked before - brisket, pot roast, flank, etc - that showcase the meat more.
Anyway, long story short, we made it home safely with extra seats on every flight. Though we had a few rough spots during travel, overall Taylor was very very good and we survived the sleep-deprivation and the airplane food and the close connections.
The only sad news: Taylor picked up a cough in KL and I ended up contracting it after we returned, so at points we've been feeling pretty miserable. But lots of sleep is helping us recover.
There's a possibility we will move to Dallas! Mark has applied for a position with Boeing down there, so while we await the interview process and such, we decided to get moving on some of the home repairs we've been intending to do for so long. Whether we move in the next couple of months or stay in this home for 5 more years, this stuff needs to be fixed.
This weekend, Mark filled holes in our door frames and baseboards and then mudded around the door frames where there were gaps in the paint. Yesterday, he power-washed the house and the back patio, built a brick border around our backyard garden, and trimmed half of the trees. Then he and his mom started repainting the front of the house. Quite a bit of work done, but a lot more left to go!
Over the next couple of days they will do more painting, plant some bushes, and start some of the inside repair work. By the time we're done (in a few months?), we hope to have two newly redone bathrooms, a finished fireplace, a couple of freshly painted rooms, and new curtains and blinds on every window. Whether the curtains will be generic or my lovely handpicked fabric all depends on if we're actually moving or not.
Last night we tried the first meat from our 1/4th of a cow (a Missouri-raised, grass-fed cow). We made spaghetti with ground beef. I could tell a difference as soon as I plopped the meat in the pan. The raw beef smelled so much better than the stuff we usually buy at the store. In the final product, I think the meat was more tender than usual. I'm really looking forward to trying out new recipes for the cuts of meat I've never cooked before - brisket, pot roast, flank, etc - that showcase the meat more.
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