Random snipets from our existence

Still here, just not that interested in blogging these days (or weeks)...there seem to be about a million other things that need to get done! I'm constantly amazed at fellow bloggers that find time to post every day, and often multiple times a day...I must not be organizing my time well...oh well...my bathroom and the kids' bathrooms are finally totally painted, with new towel bars, towels and shower curtains, even though I haven't posted any current photos in weeks! For as busy things are, we don't do much that's photo worthy right now...no amazing outings or photo ops...just working on the house and enjoying everything about it...we had our first major "event" (at least it seemed major at the time...now we would know what to do...) last week when Andy ran over an old sprinkler head with the lawn mower and there was a fire hydrant of water shooting straight up into the yard...this was Friday night as the sun was setting...Holy c**p...we had NO IDEA what to do, or how to handle the situation...we couldn't even find the main water shut off...things that long-time home-owners take for granted, but there's always that first time of "how the heck do we even turn the water off?" Well I found it out in the alley behind our house, and then Andy made a run to Ace Hardware 15 minutes before they closed, and somehow he capped the pipe and we fixed it...kids didn't bathe that night, but oh well. He kept asking if he should call his Dad, but he didn't want it to get around the family...too late now! I was proud of him! Tonight we had 3 appliances lose power right before dinner, and again the first time question, "where the heck is the breaker box???" I pulled out our inspection report and it said "north exterior wall" so we found it and luckily fixed it...I'm sure there will be many, many, many more of these instances.

Both my parents were here most of Saturday and we worked and worked and worked...my dad patched the gaping drywall hole in our master bedroom that we created when we ripped out a cabinet, we ran cables under carpet, bolted furniture to walls, painted and painted some more...we're getting there...there are still tools everywhere, but we've painted more than half the surfaces in our house, and now really just have to paint the living room, dining room, boy's room and hallway. Here are some of the only pictures I've taken lately...

I thought this was cute of Gilligan Kate...she looks like a boat deck skipper in this picture...doesn't the yard need some landscaping?

Jail bird Kate...
We went to the Hollywood Bowl last night with Allison and Ted...great company with A LOT of inappropriate conversation...thanks Al! We kept having to remind her that the 80 year old couple behind her on the shuttle could hear everything!!! We had box seats, thanks to our realtor, and it was the closest I had ever sat...Mozart under the stars...good times...
The kids slept at my parents because we got back so late from the Hollywood Bowl, and Kate insisted on eating cat food...she literally sat at the front door and ate Toby's food, as if she was picking up Cheerios...I stopped her once, but 10 minutes later there she was again...I guess it won't kill her...
Our empty living room...the only piece of furniture that belongs there is the piano...it'll probably be the last room to get furnished...too bad it's the first room you walk in to!

The dining room...
The family room with it's new paint...we painted over 2 red walls, a little bit hesitantly because we really liked the red, but it sure has lightened things up and really made the fire place stand out a little more to have lighter walls...we have 2 darker brown and 2 lighter brown and the fireplace mantle was painted white...we also plan to paint the wood lining the counter top white...a quick fix until we can remodel it...our plan is to most of our eating at the bar...we're ordering new barstools and so hopefully the dining room will be more formal, especially when we're able to get a new table and hutch for that room.

Right now the TV armoire is in the corner in front of the window and door, but the plan is to mount it above the fireplace...we'll see when that happens...


So, we're well...Andy is still enjoying his job...the market slows a little in the summer because brokers go on vacation, so he gets home early and it's nice. Lauren is in preschool 3 full days now and it's really, really nice. Kate and I have good alone time together, Lauren is completely active and stimulated by her teachers and friends and school, and everybody is happy when we come together in the late afternoon! I'm really trying to enjoy this time because in 3 months from now, it's going to be crazy.