Winter Projects

Doug has a favorite saying: "That is a Wintertime Project". Said whenever we need something done inside. This extends to assembling children's beds, changing light bulbs, etc.


And, while I was gone this weekend to my niece's wedding, it snowed. Maybe it's winter enough? Possibly...he actually started working on my number 2 item below! (!!!) I'm very excited.


So here's my short list for him this winter:

• Tiling! The kitchen and our bathroom really need help finishing tiling projects that are already started. A backsplash for the kitchen wouldn't come amiss, either.

The previous owners had this tagged as a plaster project. Behind the stove? Really?

• Children's beds: a captain's bed for Bonnie (maybe) and fixing the bunk beds for the boys.

Bed pieces stacked against the basement wall. Useful place for them.

• Light bulbs (seriously): The kitchen has a halogen lamp that I cannot figure out. Maybe he can get the @#&! bulb out so we can have light over the sink. Or maybe I'll just find a new fixture. I could do that alone...
• Update the bath hardware in the kids' bath. The hardware is already there (purchased by the previous owner), we just have to put it in. It would be nice to have a decent showerhead in my shower, too, but I might be pushing things here...
• Add cabinet hardware in the kitchen. My fingers are getting tired of prying the drawers out and opening cabinets. Perhaps a lovely bin pull for the bottom cabinets and something a little more funky for the top cabinets?
• Finish the stair railing. Again, the pieces are there, we just need to add them to complete the project.

Trim details are important...if you like finished projects. (Me! Me!)

• Basement bathroom. This will be a big project, but even if we get just the drywall done, it will be such a happier place in there. 

The spraypainted wall. And no, we didn't do that.

Guarantee I'll come up with more if I sit here much longer, so we'll call it good for now. : )

Progress!

It has been six months since we moved in. There are still boxes to unpack, but in the main, the house is livable.


To celebrate, I updated the main house photo - the pumpkins are actually our jack-o'-lanterns turned backwards. Reduce, reuse and recycle, right? I'm reusing them as my harvest decorations. Although the one by the couch looks kind of like a hard-boiled egg the way it's sitting in that pot. Something to make me smile and make everyone else wonder about our sanity. That's what I'm going for. : )


Just to remind you what it used to look like:

The three-months-after-move-in pic. Okay, not a lot has changed....

Channeling My Inner Control Freak

Here's how pumpkin carving usually goes at my house:


Mom says: "Come on, kids! Let's carve pumpkins!" The kids get their pumpkins and sit at the table. Then they fight over who gets the knives to open the pumpkin. Then, they whine over the gooey stuff in the middle: "Mom, can you get this stuff out? It's gross!!!" Then comes the actual carving, which is fraught with the possibility of one of the children loosing a digit or two.


By the time we're done, I'm a wreck and the kids must go outside because the mess is more than I want to deal with - at least, with them still under foot.


So here's what I tried this year:


First, I took the pumpkins to our outside table. It was a gorgeous day - sunny and maybe 65 degrees. The girls were off playing with friends. The boys were helping Dad in the garden and unpacking their camping stuff (from a week ago - Finally!). The baby was exploring the garage, which Doug and I have been cleaning out for the past two weeks. So I calmly carved off the tops, and cleaned them out. It was Zen-like. I even saved some of the seeds for next year's garden (Doug want s a huge pumpkin patch so the kids can sell pumpkins in our front yard next year).


The mess was negligible. It was cleaned up very quickly, and I was still in a good mood afterwards. Not bad. That was Saturday.

The emptied pumpkins, on a beautiful clear day in October

On Sunday, the kids noticed that there were cleaned pumpkins just sitting on the table outside. They brought them in, after getting permission first (they are learning!), and set to work drawing their faces.
The carving produced no blood, and the mess was again, negligible. I did get one complaint that I had already cleaned out the pumpkins, but it was from the daughter who Really Hates to get her hands dirty. So I am not concerned there. And, whew!, we are done with carving pumpkins.
Definitely doing this again next year.

Sophia's pumpkins (carved by me)

Collin's pumpkin

Bonnie's (left) and Malena's (right) pumpkins

Jack's pumpkin (carved by me, but dictated by Jack)

Note: for Halloween pictures, see the SideKicks page!