The birth of each of my kids had taught me something and changed me for the better.
Sophie unlocked my mother's heart and awakened a feminine side of me that I had never fully known.
Ian showed me that I had more strength than I ever thought possible. The kind of power that propelled me to run half marathons when I had thought running a mile to be a feat in itself. It is a wonderful thing to know how strong we really are.
With Isaac's birth came a new level of calm and patience that got us through those first years of having three kids in four years. Come to think of it, that boy is still teaching me about patience.
Then, came Katie. And, for more than two and a half years I have wondered what lesson I learned from her birth. Today, I think I finally figured it out.
Katie has been teaching me a lesson that takes a long time to learn. And, I suspect it will take even take more time to master than opening a mother's heart, tapping into inner strength or increasing the reservoir of patience. I think that Katie is teaching me to accept what is happening in the present moment of life.
I often think back to my first trimester of pregnancy with this sweet little girl, when the other three were still little, and I found myself overtaken with daily migraines. It just about broke my heart to lie still in a darkened room and ask my seven year old Sophie to please look after her brothers for a few hours until I could pull together enough of that inner strength to make dinner.
It was hard and I hated not being there for my other three children as much as I wanted to be while I struggled with the physical challenges that continued through the pregnancy. I kept telling myself, "This is not forever. Just a few more days (or weeks) and everything will be fine again."
But, those days and weeks stretched into months. At last, our angel Katie Jane was born. But, the struggles did not end. They stretched on for years as I found myself completely overwhelmed with caring for four. Anyone who says "Once you master caring for three, it's a cinch to have more," is dead wrong in my opinion. From the beginning of my pregnancy onward, I have felt like my whole world was thrown out of balance.
I don't want to sound ungrateful - I would of course be devastated if anything happened to any of my children, I love them SO much.
In the months that followed Katie's birth I found myself thinking on several occasions -- "If I had only two kids, I could be a great mom. Pick two. Any two. My two oldest. Great mom. My two youngest. Same. One older and one younger. Any combo - great mom. I just know it!"
Don't get me wrong - I could never give up two of my kids now that they are here. I was just a little second guessing my decision to bring them all here in the first place.
It's a lot of people to pay attention to. And, a lot of nails to trim. I think after Katie was born I started to have a greater self awareness, in other words it was time for me to lose 40-pounds, pay more attention to my health, organize my home, etc. And, I realized that it takes a lot of focus just to take care of myself. How on earth could I be responsible for taking care of four other people too?
I was sure that I would be a better mom if only I didn't babysit as much. Sure it was hard taking care of seven kids, but I could probably do it if I just had my four. I would be a better mom if I wasn't so tired/stressed out/had to work so much . . . All of these things and more I have fantasized about and told myself that I could do better - if.
I feel like I blinked and suddenly Sophie and Ian were big kids. I mean, they both wear the same size shoe as me and their issues with friends and life are more complicated than they use to be.
In a nutshell, this has been a challenging three years for me. And, I have spent a lot of time looking back to that first wave of migraines when I thought everything would be alright in a few days and wished I could go back to my seven, five and three year old darlings and take better care of them from that time to the present. And, I've spent a few nights lying awake thinking that surely I've completely failed at everything I've tried to do in terms of my home and family.
Which isn't to say that Katie Jane hasn't been one of the brightest spots and most wonderful blessings in our lives. It's just been the whole package that's been a challenge to deal with.
Last week I finally made the time to meet my kids at their school for lunch. It was a great experience to see them there, in their element, with their friends, having the routines they have every day while we are apart. I cherished the moment.
As I left the school, I started the fantasy of, "If only I didn't have work so much, I could meet my kids for lunch more often. I wish I could meet the kids for lunch more often." And, then I stopped and asked myself, "Do I really wish that?" Because maybe I don't. Maybe I like spending an hour writing a story better than I would like meeting the kids for lunch more often. Maybe the amount of time I spend meeting them for lunch is just right. Maybe even the number of hours I spend cleaning the house is just right. Maybe all of it is exactly the number of hours I really do want to spend doing each activity.
And, so this morning, as Katie sat on top of the bathroom counter top watching me put on makeup and wanting to put it on herself too, she grabbed hold of a pink lipstick and applied it to her lips before I could stop her. She sat staring at her pink lipped reflection and I stared at it too. What would our lives be without this special angel who has come into our lives?
And suddenly I realized, "I have to start accepting what is."
This is my life. And, it's pretty wonderful. I've got to stop worrying about the past and feeling anxious about the future or wishing for this or that and just love myself and my family the way we are in this moment.
And loving this moment.
I think that is the gift Katie brought to me.
Acceptance.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Bedtime Prayers
It's common practice for our kids to say they are thankful for everyone in the family (naming each one by name) during our evening family prayers. But, last night, Isaac -- in his typical way of putting his own twist on everything -- said the prayer this way, "We are thankful that mommy, daddy, Ian, Sophie, Katie and me were invented."
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Home Rennovations
When we bought this house, it was hard to know where to begin with the home renovations.
Plumbing wormed its way to the top of the list when we realized that was a pre-requisite to moving in. But, once the plumbing was finished, followed by a long list of odds and ends, we had to settle on which large project to focus on next.
The sprinkler system and landscaping will have to wait until spring, and the new roof and new windows will have to wait until we officially sell our other house and get the equity. Other things, like the patio with a hot tub in the backyard off the family room (aka party room), and putting in our dream kitchen are even further down the list (and maybe on a list labeled "fantasy" or "for when we get insane amounts of unforeseen income").
Brian convinced me that the most worthwhile large scale project at present was enlarging two of the four downstairs windows to make two more bedrooms. Have you ever done this before? It is an amazing process! Holy cow! First, we dug two enormous holes outside of the existing windows (then, while we waited for the bids to come in on having the concrete cut, all of the rain caused the holes to partially collapse and Brian had to re-dig them).
Today, the concrete cutting company came and spent the entire day using their enormous saw to cut right through our foundation. The result is two enormous holes more then 4 times as large as the original windows. I am stoked! I can't believe the difference all of the natural light has already made in the basement. Now, Brian is working on putting the windows into the holes. And, I hope that in the very near future he will decide that putting a few of our walls and ceilings back together is the next most important project. I think he likes the demolition the best ;-).
Plumbing wormed its way to the top of the list when we realized that was a pre-requisite to moving in. But, once the plumbing was finished, followed by a long list of odds and ends, we had to settle on which large project to focus on next.
The sprinkler system and landscaping will have to wait until spring, and the new roof and new windows will have to wait until we officially sell our other house and get the equity. Other things, like the patio with a hot tub in the backyard off the family room (aka party room), and putting in our dream kitchen are even further down the list (and maybe on a list labeled "fantasy" or "for when we get insane amounts of unforeseen income").
Brian convinced me that the most worthwhile large scale project at present was enlarging two of the four downstairs windows to make two more bedrooms. Have you ever done this before? It is an amazing process! Holy cow! First, we dug two enormous holes outside of the existing windows (then, while we waited for the bids to come in on having the concrete cut, all of the rain caused the holes to partially collapse and Brian had to re-dig them).
Today, the concrete cutting company came and spent the entire day using their enormous saw to cut right through our foundation. The result is two enormous holes more then 4 times as large as the original windows. I am stoked! I can't believe the difference all of the natural light has already made in the basement. Now, Brian is working on putting the windows into the holes. And, I hope that in the very near future he will decide that putting a few of our walls and ceilings back together is the next most important project. I think he likes the demolition the best ;-).
Thursday, January 19, 2012
This and That 2012
(the kids watching a stunning sunset from our front room)
(Kate graces us with a smile - her idea, no doubt)A word about Katie Jane who gave me a fabulous gift for Christmas -- she decided to be potty trained! At last . . . nearly eleven years into this parenting saga, we are out of diapers!!!
If I thought Katie was an independent spirit before this latest milestone - 'Noooooooo, lemme do it!' - learning to use the potty has only increased her desire to do everything by herself. She has an elaborate balancing and climbing system worked out so that she doesn't need any help getting up on the big potty (she was done with that little potty after the first week and thanked me when I hauled it off to the D.I.). She insists on dressing herself - usually several times per day - which involves about twenty minutes of wrestling with her clothes. But, heaven forbid I should so much as turn a sleeve right side out during the process and she starts all over again.
She's getting pretty good at the dressing part, and watch out, because that girl has got some pretty progressive fashion ideas. She is suddenly really in to wearing 'skirts,' as in those fluffy princess skirts that have been collecting in her drawers over the years (they are just too hard to pass up when I see them in the stores). She even wears one over her blanket sleeper at night. And, it's a good thing she has a closet full of shoes, because she loves trying out different pairs with each outfit (and, she wears those to bed over her blanket sleepers on occasion too). The other day, after she had changed clothes a few times, she was wearing a shirt with leggings and a skirt over the top and when she did a somersault I realized she had gotten the underwear on the outside of the pants. Oops! And, adorable.
Miss Kate has been way too independent to snuggle with her mama since, oh, about the age of 9-months. So, you can imagine how thrilled I am that she has recently started climbing into my bed in the middle of the night. She tiptoes down the hall and sleepily asks to sleep with me. I pull her right in between Brian and me -- princess skirt, blanket sleeper, light up snowboots and all -- and we snuggle for a few hours. Then, she wakes up and realizes she is not in her own bed and that independent little spirit of mine jumps up and heads back down the hall. We didn't let our other kids sleep in our bed by the time they were as old as Katie, but I sort of love it.
If I thought Katie was an independent spirit before this latest milestone - 'Noooooooo, lemme do it!' - learning to use the potty has only increased her desire to do everything by herself. She has an elaborate balancing and climbing system worked out so that she doesn't need any help getting up on the big potty (she was done with that little potty after the first week and thanked me when I hauled it off to the D.I.). She insists on dressing herself - usually several times per day - which involves about twenty minutes of wrestling with her clothes. But, heaven forbid I should so much as turn a sleeve right side out during the process and she starts all over again.
She's getting pretty good at the dressing part, and watch out, because that girl has got some pretty progressive fashion ideas. She is suddenly really in to wearing 'skirts,' as in those fluffy princess skirts that have been collecting in her drawers over the years (they are just too hard to pass up when I see them in the stores). She even wears one over her blanket sleeper at night. And, it's a good thing she has a closet full of shoes, because she loves trying out different pairs with each outfit (and, she wears those to bed over her blanket sleepers on occasion too). The other day, after she had changed clothes a few times, she was wearing a shirt with leggings and a skirt over the top and when she did a somersault I realized she had gotten the underwear on the outside of the pants. Oops! And, adorable.
Miss Kate has been way too independent to snuggle with her mama since, oh, about the age of 9-months. So, you can imagine how thrilled I am that she has recently started climbing into my bed in the middle of the night. She tiptoes down the hall and sleepily asks to sleep with me. I pull her right in between Brian and me -- princess skirt, blanket sleeper, light up snowboots and all -- and we snuggle for a few hours. Then, she wakes up and realizes she is not in her own bed and that independent little spirit of mine jumps up and heads back down the hall. We didn't let our other kids sleep in our bed by the time they were as old as Katie, but I sort of love it.
(Sophie, left, with her cousin Tyla, right, on a hike with extended family near our home after Christmas)You can't imagine how proud I am of Sophie. She is selling Girl Scout cookies, and she has been working SO hard! One of the incentives for selling is an ipad. You just have to sell 2,500 boxes in two weeks. No big deal, right? She decided to make that her goal and she gets out there and knocks on doors every chance she gets. We hit the pavement for several hours on Saturday and Monday and we've gone out after school Tuesday and Wednesday. She has a special "cookie selling pen" to record orders, and she puts on these pink glasses I bought for a Halloween costume because they make her look "cheery," then she suits up in her Girl Scout vest and adds a sock monkey hat for warmth and we are off! I think more people buy cookies when I carry Katie on my back while we sell, but maybe that is just my imagination.
Last night, she even insisted on selling in the rain! I wimped out and drove alongside her in the van while my poor girl got soaking wet and struggled with the wind blowing her umbrella inside out. (note: people don't feel sorry for a Girl Scout selling in the rain, almost everyone said 'no' last night!!!). But, she didn't give up. She has already sold 342 boxes - which I think it very impressive. She has worked SO hard and I felt kind of bad last night when she asked in a super excited voice, "So - how many more boxes do I need to sell to meet my goal!?" Ummmm, only 2,158 more boxes to go sweetie.
She might be sad to not get her ipad, but horse camp is (hopefully) going to be (mostly) paid for.
How cool is a week-long camp with horseback riding?
(crazy hair day last fall -- Isaac insisted on the pink pigtails)Speaking of being proud, I was also really proud of Ian a few weeks ago when Isaac lost his first tooth. Just FYI - Ian is an amazing saver of his $. Another FYI - Isaac is not Ian's favorite person due to their vastly different personalities.
Back to the story of Isaac losing his first tooth -- the next morning we were all surprised (Brian and I most of all) when Isaac found not $3 but $6 under his pillow! Ian said with a sneaky grin, "Mom, come on, it's his first lost tooth."
I knew there was a soft spot somewhere in that sweet guy's heart for his brother.
And, while we are on the topic of Isaac, he is going through an "I love you," stage in which he writes love notes to me all day long. I have piles and piles of them. And, every time he finds a heart shape (for example, a spot in the snow that melted into the shape of a heart) he calls me over to show it to me and says, "that is for you."
He has turned into quite the scholar (as well as charming lover boy) and is loving Kindergarten this year. They have only practiced writing their first names so far, but, being the little over-achiever he is, he tries to write his full name on his papers and it looks like this:
Isaac Briin Nislkin
I love it!!!
I guess it's time to tell him his last name isn't really Nislkin. I haven't wanted to correct him all these years. It's kind of like the way Sophie use to say "mazagine" when she was little. So endearing.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Welcome 2012
Top tips to a successful New Year's Eve Party with the kids (and their friends):
1) A cotton candy machine. I'm not sure which was more fun for the kids, making the cotton candy or eating it.
2) Lots of snacks. The nice thing about kids is that they are pretty easy when it comes to party food. One of the biggest hits was the individual chip bags.
3) Games. In addition to the air hockey and wii, we broke up the night by coming together for party games like "Spoons" now and then. We also assigned each kid a number and drew from a bowl every 15 minutes for prizes.
4) Origami. I just discovered that Michael's is a good place to stock up on origami paper -- 200 sheets for $10. Sophie checked out a bunch of books with instructions from the library and the kids went crazy folding.
5) Geometric shapes. After writing a story for the newspaper last month about activities for the kids with cranberries, I bought a few bags (but, then never did any of the things I was planning to do). Last night, I busted out the cranberries and a box of toothpicks and was amazed at how the kids -- especially the Kindergarten crowd -- sat mesmerized for hours building elaborate bridges and pyramids. Pure magic.
6) Music. We kept the music pumping with tunes the 9-11 year-olds loved. This created a nice party atmosphere and I think it was a hit, since the volume was increased every time my back was turned. Plus, the two-year-olds and I made up a new dance in which we all held hands and jumped up and down repeatedly. It was awesome to see their giggles and I think it may have been good for my calves as well.
7) A fire. We've started using the fireplace in our front room and it is everything I ever dreamed about when I imagined having a home with a nice cozy fireplace. Around 9 p.m., Katie Jane curled up with her blankets and pillows and fell asleep watching the flames dance about. It was so sweet. And, I couldn't believe she never stirred with all the partying going on nearby.
8) A movie. Even with all the music, treats, games and prizes, it was still a long night. At 9:30 p.m. we popped in the DVD of the newest Spy Kids movie and nestled the kids in with soft blankets and buttered popcorn. Then, some of our friends showed up (Brian's brother who is visiting from Boston was also brave enough to join our crazy house full of kids), so while the kids were quietly entertained with a movie, the grown-ups had a rousing game of Cranium in the next room. I will never forget the moment when -- right before our super smart friends won the game like they always do -- one of them accidentally blurted out "Three fish, four fish" to finish the phrase "One fish, two fish . . . " Maybe you just had to be there. (side note: their nursery is decorated in Dr. Seuss with the correct phrase stenciled on the wall!).
9) Sparklers. At 11:50 p.m., we gathered up the ten out of the fifteen kids who had stayed awake long enough to see the new year and helped them put on their coats and shoes. We decorated them heavily with glow bracelets and necklaces, armed them with poppers and herded them outside where we counted down to midnight and lit sparklers. All ten of the kids were lining the balcony overlooking our driveway waving their sparklers while I was stood below watching their smiling faces. It was a lovely way to start 2012.
10) Fireworks. Just as our crew was waving their sparklers and blowing their horns, a neighbor launched a gorgeous fireworks display into the air. Unexpected and oh so perfect!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
1) A cotton candy machine. I'm not sure which was more fun for the kids, making the cotton candy or eating it.
2) Lots of snacks. The nice thing about kids is that they are pretty easy when it comes to party food. One of the biggest hits was the individual chip bags.
3) Games. In addition to the air hockey and wii, we broke up the night by coming together for party games like "Spoons" now and then. We also assigned each kid a number and drew from a bowl every 15 minutes for prizes.
4) Origami. I just discovered that Michael's is a good place to stock up on origami paper -- 200 sheets for $10. Sophie checked out a bunch of books with instructions from the library and the kids went crazy folding.
5) Geometric shapes. After writing a story for the newspaper last month about activities for the kids with cranberries, I bought a few bags (but, then never did any of the things I was planning to do). Last night, I busted out the cranberries and a box of toothpicks and was amazed at how the kids -- especially the Kindergarten crowd -- sat mesmerized for hours building elaborate bridges and pyramids. Pure magic.
6) Music. We kept the music pumping with tunes the 9-11 year-olds loved. This created a nice party atmosphere and I think it was a hit, since the volume was increased every time my back was turned. Plus, the two-year-olds and I made up a new dance in which we all held hands and jumped up and down repeatedly. It was awesome to see their giggles and I think it may have been good for my calves as well.
7) A fire. We've started using the fireplace in our front room and it is everything I ever dreamed about when I imagined having a home with a nice cozy fireplace. Around 9 p.m., Katie Jane curled up with her blankets and pillows and fell asleep watching the flames dance about. It was so sweet. And, I couldn't believe she never stirred with all the partying going on nearby.
8) A movie. Even with all the music, treats, games and prizes, it was still a long night. At 9:30 p.m. we popped in the DVD of the newest Spy Kids movie and nestled the kids in with soft blankets and buttered popcorn. Then, some of our friends showed up (Brian's brother who is visiting from Boston was also brave enough to join our crazy house full of kids), so while the kids were quietly entertained with a movie, the grown-ups had a rousing game of Cranium in the next room. I will never forget the moment when -- right before our super smart friends won the game like they always do -- one of them accidentally blurted out "Three fish, four fish" to finish the phrase "One fish, two fish . . . " Maybe you just had to be there. (side note: their nursery is decorated in Dr. Seuss with the correct phrase stenciled on the wall!).
9) Sparklers. At 11:50 p.m., we gathered up the ten out of the fifteen kids who had stayed awake long enough to see the new year and helped them put on their coats and shoes. We decorated them heavily with glow bracelets and necklaces, armed them with poppers and herded them outside where we counted down to midnight and lit sparklers. All ten of the kids were lining the balcony overlooking our driveway waving their sparklers while I was stood below watching their smiling faces. It was a lovely way to start 2012.
10) Fireworks. Just as our crew was waving their sparklers and blowing their horns, a neighbor launched a gorgeous fireworks display into the air. Unexpected and oh so perfect!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
2011 Holidays
On Christmas Eve, I was wrapping gifts all day. Isaac wanted to wrap some "gifts" to put under the tree as well. I gave him some paper, scissors and tape and he and Katie sat cutting, wrapping and taping the same item for over an hour. I thought they were so darling working on their project together. The next day, I looked at Katie and immediately noticed that she had bangs. And, I think you know what kind of bangs I'm talking about. The uneven kind, cropped up close to the hairline. I gasped in surprise and blurted out, "Who cut your hair?" Without even blinking she replied, "Isaac did it."
Further questioning revealed that wrapping paper wasn't the only thing Isaac was cutting on Christmas Eve.
It could have been much worse. I guess since Katie never wants me fixing her hair (and, she always rips out any barrettes I manage to sneak in), the bangs will suit her once they grow out a little. What can I say? She is still so stinking cute and I just smile a little at those bangs every time I see them.
We had a very fun Christmas that included a Kindle and four way radios for Sophie, the long anticipated "Skopio" -- a super bionicle -- and a remote control airplane for Ian, walkie talkies, a hot wheels track and lego set for Isaac and a "Melissa and Doug" ice cream set, tiny tea dishes and a baby doll in a cradle for Katie.
We also got a wii for the family and our kids said they now "know for sure that Santa is real" because he left a full size air hockey table in our family room (or, as we like to call it - the party room). Sophie and Ian said they are positive that Brian and I would never have allowed such a thing as that.
Brian had Monday off from work. We wanted to look for organizational nick knacks for our home at IKEA but we didn't know who to leave the kids with all day the day after Christmas. Then, I remembered hearing once upon a time that there is a free supervised play area at IKEA. A little on-line investigation confirmed this thought. So, we hauled all four kids along for the ride.
Upon arrival, we discovered that the only one of our kids who could go in the play area was Isaac. Sophie and Ian were a few inches too tall and Katie was just barely too short. Also, Isaac could only play for one hour, which is like five minutes in IKEA shopping time.
The good news was that Sophie and Ian could check out game boys to play and Katie could sit outside of the play area and watch a movie on a big screen T.V. from a kid size chair. The other good news was that kids twelve and under could eat at the cafeteria for free all day! Apparently, they can always eat for free on Tuesdays, but we happened to come during a week long special.
Brian did some work on his laptop while three of our kids hung out playing games and watching movies and Isaac had his hour in the play area. I speed shopped through the showroom. Then, we all ate lunch in the cafeteria and all six of us raced through the showroom area together. It wouldn't have been so bad except that Katie was way beyond nap time by the time we got downstairs for the actual shopping. And, I would like to forget about how much Sophie and Ian acted like they were being tortured absolutely to death from the moment we checked the game boys back in until the moment we arrived at the check out stand.
In the end, Brian and I got some ideas and we are hoping to return soon (without the kids).
This morning, I got a great surprise which was that Brian got to have another day off from work! He started his day by fixing the hot water faucet in the main bathroom and hanging pictures on the walls (yay!). His family started arriving by 2 p.m. (for his side of the family's Christmas party) and then Brian led several aunts, uncles and nearly all of the cousins on a long hike toward Malan's Peak. I love that they could walk right from our front door to the trail head.
After that, there was all sorts of revelry -- food, crafts, cookies, a fire in the fireplace, games, white elephant exchanges for the kids and lots of visiting and good times.
Next up -- hosting a 15-kid New Year's Eve party (I'm letting my kids invite their friends over this year).
Further questioning revealed that wrapping paper wasn't the only thing Isaac was cutting on Christmas Eve.
It could have been much worse. I guess since Katie never wants me fixing her hair (and, she always rips out any barrettes I manage to sneak in), the bangs will suit her once they grow out a little. What can I say? She is still so stinking cute and I just smile a little at those bangs every time I see them.
We had a very fun Christmas that included a Kindle and four way radios for Sophie, the long anticipated "Skopio" -- a super bionicle -- and a remote control airplane for Ian, walkie talkies, a hot wheels track and lego set for Isaac and a "Melissa and Doug" ice cream set, tiny tea dishes and a baby doll in a cradle for Katie.
We also got a wii for the family and our kids said they now "know for sure that Santa is real" because he left a full size air hockey table in our family room (or, as we like to call it - the party room). Sophie and Ian said they are positive that Brian and I would never have allowed such a thing as that.
Brian had Monday off from work. We wanted to look for organizational nick knacks for our home at IKEA but we didn't know who to leave the kids with all day the day after Christmas. Then, I remembered hearing once upon a time that there is a free supervised play area at IKEA. A little on-line investigation confirmed this thought. So, we hauled all four kids along for the ride.
Upon arrival, we discovered that the only one of our kids who could go in the play area was Isaac. Sophie and Ian were a few inches too tall and Katie was just barely too short. Also, Isaac could only play for one hour, which is like five minutes in IKEA shopping time.
The good news was that Sophie and Ian could check out game boys to play and Katie could sit outside of the play area and watch a movie on a big screen T.V. from a kid size chair. The other good news was that kids twelve and under could eat at the cafeteria for free all day! Apparently, they can always eat for free on Tuesdays, but we happened to come during a week long special.
Brian did some work on his laptop while three of our kids hung out playing games and watching movies and Isaac had his hour in the play area. I speed shopped through the showroom. Then, we all ate lunch in the cafeteria and all six of us raced through the showroom area together. It wouldn't have been so bad except that Katie was way beyond nap time by the time we got downstairs for the actual shopping. And, I would like to forget about how much Sophie and Ian acted like they were being tortured absolutely to death from the moment we checked the game boys back in until the moment we arrived at the check out stand.
In the end, Brian and I got some ideas and we are hoping to return soon (without the kids).
This morning, I got a great surprise which was that Brian got to have another day off from work! He started his day by fixing the hot water faucet in the main bathroom and hanging pictures on the walls (yay!). His family started arriving by 2 p.m. (for his side of the family's Christmas party) and then Brian led several aunts, uncles and nearly all of the cousins on a long hike toward Malan's Peak. I love that they could walk right from our front door to the trail head.
After that, there was all sorts of revelry -- food, crafts, cookies, a fire in the fireplace, games, white elephant exchanges for the kids and lots of visiting and good times.
Next up -- hosting a 15-kid New Year's Eve party (I'm letting my kids invite their friends over this year).
Monday, December 5, 2011
We Are In!
On October 25th we signed closing papers on our new home. The evening of the 28th, we received the keys. That meant we had just over 24-hours to move our entire collection, twelve years in the making, of stuff from one house to the next. We were so grateful when friends and family members showed up one after another to help us get it done.
Since Brian's first order of business was to overhaul the entire plumbing system, we packed a few suitcases and moved into my parents' guest room. The morning after we moved (Sunday), I was carrying Isaac down my parents' driveway when I rolled my ankle and sprained it. I felt like I was too busy to take care of it, but now that it's still swollen and bothering me more than a month later, I'm thinking that the next time I sprain my ankle I will put my feet up and get some crutches so it can heal properly.
Probably that will only happen if I'm retired and living on my own private island by then, right?. But, from a sensible standpoint, that is what I would do.
Brian took the week of Halloween off from work to focus only on the plumbing. And, then, the magic began. Our quiet, old house that has sat vacant for so many years was suddenly all abuzz with action. A friend brought over a big digger and made a 4-foot deep trench from the road to the house so Brian could replace the main water line. Brian wasted no time ripping out all of the downstairs ceilings so he could promptly rid the house of all its old galvanized pipes. Next came a series of holes in the walls upstairs (those freshly painted walls - ouch).
Brian is amazing. I can't believe he replaced all of our plumbing! He has been a powerhouse of energy since he began. For the first week, he worked 14-hours straight through every day including Saturday. The next week, he had to go back to work, but he has stayed busy every moment of his free time working on projects.
It took 2-weeks to get the water turned back on and flowing through the new pipes. During that time we were given the royal treatment at my parents' house. One night, they even treated us to a feast of fresh crab that my dad caught in Oregon on a crabbing trip the month before.
We were having such a nice time staying with my parents that we might have stayed indefinitely, except that we realized (with surprise) that it was already almost Thanksgiving. Since, my parents would be having a new slew of house guests for the holiday, we decided we'd better move along to give them a little reprieve in between. On November 12, we spent our first night in the new house. We didn't go to our new church until the following week, since our kids performed in their primary program on November 13. The next day, Ian turned 9 and we surprised the kids by taking them all out to breakfast at Karen's Cafe early in the morning before school.
I met with my girl scouts right after school and then I left the other three kids with a sitter so that Brian and I could take Ian out to dinner. When I asked him what he wanted, he said "Steak and shrimp" (I should also note here that when I asked him what snacks he wanted for his friend party, I expected him to say something like "Doritos" but he surprised me with "Crab and lobster" -- he got Doritos and muddy buddies). So, we took him to Sizzler. I was thinking it would be a cheap option for steak and shrimp, plus I could get the salad bar. And, he loves Sizzler after we took him there when he got a free meal gift certificate from school. I was amazed at how hopping busy that place was! And, on a weeknight. Wow. Sizzler? I had no idea.
He ordered his steak medium rare and ate it in bite size pieces by stabbing it with the plastic pointy thing that tells how the steak is cooked. I remember doing that when I was a kid. I sure love that boy.
He and Sophie are having a terrible time transitioning to the new house and going to a new church. You would think they would love having a bigger place and a bigger yard. But, they are so sentimental about our last home. You would think they would be elated at not having to change schools, but instead they are broken-hearted (and, I do mean that lots of tears have been and continue to be shed) to go to a different church (even though they know almost all of the kids already from school and Ian is now in a scout troop with his best friend). I suppose they will adjust eventually. It's hard to see them so sad. Isaac and Katie on the other hand are as happy as can be about the move and I suppose in a few years they will have forgotten all about our old house for good.
I loved our old house too and shed a few tears at our parting. But, I love our new house so much that I just can't bring myself to feel anything other than uncontrolled excitement and gratitude for our good fortune. I do miss going to our old church where we had many good friends. But, I believe we will stay in touch (we only moved a few blocks after all), and our new church seems wonderful too. Our neighbors have been so welcoming and kind to us. For the first few weeks, there was a non-stop parade of visitors dropping off goodies and welcoming us to the neighborhood. It seems this is a great place for us to live.
The thing we love most about our new home is the breathtaking views. We have huge windows that face west and we can see all the way out to the Great Salt Lake. The sunsets are stunning. The other thing we love is actually having space!
It's so nice to not be living right on top of each other. We are still close. The boys still share a room and the girls share a room too. Our bedrooms are close, but not within inches of each other. We are cozy, but at least we can fit two beds and two dressers in each of the kids' rooms. And, the closet in the master bedroom is lovely (his and hers). I honestly don't know how we ever fit everything in our old closet that was 1/4 the size. It's not so huge that we never see each other, but the space is just right so that the kids can have friends over and not annoy each other the entire time.
We are so very, very happy here. Even if the yard is dead, and the ceilings are ripped out, and it needs a new roof and the radiant heat sprung another leak just last night necessitating even more holes in the walls to get to the source. It's nice to be able to dream again. We had maxed out at our old house and it had been apparent for a few years that there was just no place left for us to go. It's going to take a lot of time to get this one fixed up, but, I know we will get it there.
When I turned in my November invoice to the newspaper, I realized I had written 11 stories (requiring 29 interviews). I also started a new job working as a grant writer on November 1. Sheesh! No wonder I haven't had a moment to unpack. Halloween, Thanksgiving, out of town friends, birthday, work, work, work . . . It's a pretty big mess over here. We finally unpacked half of the kitchen on Saturday (attempting to feed my family was interesting up until then). We haven't hung any pictures, curtains (still need to buy some of those) or even the hooks to hang up our towels in the bathroom. Everything is on the list of things to be done. But, the problem is that the list has about 30 things that need to be done NOW. So, we are being very patient and knowing that eventually it will all be done.
A gal from my new church has been asking to come and see our work in progress. Last night, I told her to come and see it and I wanted to see her house too. She bought an amazing house down the street from me 5-years-ago. I remember when that house was for sale. Brian and I were driving through the neighborhood and suddenly we came upon a huge (6000 square foot) home which was so very, very fancy and pink every inch from top to bottom (and the fancy fence was pink too). I had seen the amazing transformation that had taken place on the outside. It is just a gorgeous taupe and white home now with a black roof and shutters and amazing landscaping (nearly an acre plus a pool).
Last night, it was my treat to get to see the house on the inside. They have put about 200K into renovations and her decorating style was so beautiful. The house was such a unique piece of work to begin with. The entire thing is laced with the most unique fancy moldings. It feels like the inside of a palace! Even the bathrooms have elegant chandeliers and stained glass partitions. After going through that home, my own home felt absolutely plain. And, so it goes. There is always something better! Haha. Not really though. I'm quite happy with the deal we got on this home and not at all envious of the work they've had to put into theirs.
Now we have the rest of our lives to make ours unique and beautiful too.
Though probably never quite that fancy. It was really fun to see it though! She was such a good friend and kept it real by telling me that their heating bill is $400/month -- on level pay!!! We have yet to see the price tag of our single pane windows that frame the sunsets so beautifully for us (no reliable billing history since it was vacant for so long).
In other news, the windstorm on December 1st was one our family will never forget. We didn't sustain any damage, but dozens of our neighbors (and Brian's parents in Bountiful) lost enormous pine trees. All through the neighborhood, we saw tree after beautiful tree blown right over by the roots. The pine tree a few doors down from our old house went over too (this was a huge landmark for my kids all these years as in -- "I'm going to ride my scooter to the pine tree and back mom!"). The roots alone were taller than me when standing on end like that for most of the trees! I have never in my life seen anything like this. Our power was out for 24-hours. That is the longest I have ever been without power and it has made me ponder seriously the virtues of owning a generator. I'm just grateful it was only 24-hours since our neighbor directly across the street did not have power restored until yesterday (more than 72-hours). I think this area was especially hit hard because there are so many huge trees. It's one of the best features in the neighborhood (at least most of the time).
If you are reading this and you haven't been to the new house -- come on by! Most of our stuff is still in boxes, but it's going to be that way for awhile. So, I'm pretty relaxed about people coming over even though I would usually be mortified. Come on by, we'll have some pie ;-)
Since Brian's first order of business was to overhaul the entire plumbing system, we packed a few suitcases and moved into my parents' guest room. The morning after we moved (Sunday), I was carrying Isaac down my parents' driveway when I rolled my ankle and sprained it. I felt like I was too busy to take care of it, but now that it's still swollen and bothering me more than a month later, I'm thinking that the next time I sprain my ankle I will put my feet up and get some crutches so it can heal properly.
Probably that will only happen if I'm retired and living on my own private island by then, right?. But, from a sensible standpoint, that is what I would do.
Brian took the week of Halloween off from work to focus only on the plumbing. And, then, the magic began. Our quiet, old house that has sat vacant for so many years was suddenly all abuzz with action. A friend brought over a big digger and made a 4-foot deep trench from the road to the house so Brian could replace the main water line. Brian wasted no time ripping out all of the downstairs ceilings so he could promptly rid the house of all its old galvanized pipes. Next came a series of holes in the walls upstairs (those freshly painted walls - ouch).
Brian is amazing. I can't believe he replaced all of our plumbing! He has been a powerhouse of energy since he began. For the first week, he worked 14-hours straight through every day including Saturday. The next week, he had to go back to work, but he has stayed busy every moment of his free time working on projects.
It took 2-weeks to get the water turned back on and flowing through the new pipes. During that time we were given the royal treatment at my parents' house. One night, they even treated us to a feast of fresh crab that my dad caught in Oregon on a crabbing trip the month before.
We were having such a nice time staying with my parents that we might have stayed indefinitely, except that we realized (with surprise) that it was already almost Thanksgiving. Since, my parents would be having a new slew of house guests for the holiday, we decided we'd better move along to give them a little reprieve in between. On November 12, we spent our first night in the new house. We didn't go to our new church until the following week, since our kids performed in their primary program on November 13. The next day, Ian turned 9 and we surprised the kids by taking them all out to breakfast at Karen's Cafe early in the morning before school.
I met with my girl scouts right after school and then I left the other three kids with a sitter so that Brian and I could take Ian out to dinner. When I asked him what he wanted, he said "Steak and shrimp" (I should also note here that when I asked him what snacks he wanted for his friend party, I expected him to say something like "Doritos" but he surprised me with "Crab and lobster" -- he got Doritos and muddy buddies). So, we took him to Sizzler. I was thinking it would be a cheap option for steak and shrimp, plus I could get the salad bar. And, he loves Sizzler after we took him there when he got a free meal gift certificate from school. I was amazed at how hopping busy that place was! And, on a weeknight. Wow. Sizzler? I had no idea.
He ordered his steak medium rare and ate it in bite size pieces by stabbing it with the plastic pointy thing that tells how the steak is cooked. I remember doing that when I was a kid. I sure love that boy.
He and Sophie are having a terrible time transitioning to the new house and going to a new church. You would think they would love having a bigger place and a bigger yard. But, they are so sentimental about our last home. You would think they would be elated at not having to change schools, but instead they are broken-hearted (and, I do mean that lots of tears have been and continue to be shed) to go to a different church (even though they know almost all of the kids already from school and Ian is now in a scout troop with his best friend). I suppose they will adjust eventually. It's hard to see them so sad. Isaac and Katie on the other hand are as happy as can be about the move and I suppose in a few years they will have forgotten all about our old house for good.
I loved our old house too and shed a few tears at our parting. But, I love our new house so much that I just can't bring myself to feel anything other than uncontrolled excitement and gratitude for our good fortune. I do miss going to our old church where we had many good friends. But, I believe we will stay in touch (we only moved a few blocks after all), and our new church seems wonderful too. Our neighbors have been so welcoming and kind to us. For the first few weeks, there was a non-stop parade of visitors dropping off goodies and welcoming us to the neighborhood. It seems this is a great place for us to live.
The thing we love most about our new home is the breathtaking views. We have huge windows that face west and we can see all the way out to the Great Salt Lake. The sunsets are stunning. The other thing we love is actually having space!
It's so nice to not be living right on top of each other. We are still close. The boys still share a room and the girls share a room too. Our bedrooms are close, but not within inches of each other. We are cozy, but at least we can fit two beds and two dressers in each of the kids' rooms. And, the closet in the master bedroom is lovely (his and hers). I honestly don't know how we ever fit everything in our old closet that was 1/4 the size. It's not so huge that we never see each other, but the space is just right so that the kids can have friends over and not annoy each other the entire time.
We are so very, very happy here. Even if the yard is dead, and the ceilings are ripped out, and it needs a new roof and the radiant heat sprung another leak just last night necessitating even more holes in the walls to get to the source. It's nice to be able to dream again. We had maxed out at our old house and it had been apparent for a few years that there was just no place left for us to go. It's going to take a lot of time to get this one fixed up, but, I know we will get it there.
When I turned in my November invoice to the newspaper, I realized I had written 11 stories (requiring 29 interviews). I also started a new job working as a grant writer on November 1. Sheesh! No wonder I haven't had a moment to unpack. Halloween, Thanksgiving, out of town friends, birthday, work, work, work . . . It's a pretty big mess over here. We finally unpacked half of the kitchen on Saturday (attempting to feed my family was interesting up until then). We haven't hung any pictures, curtains (still need to buy some of those) or even the hooks to hang up our towels in the bathroom. Everything is on the list of things to be done. But, the problem is that the list has about 30 things that need to be done NOW. So, we are being very patient and knowing that eventually it will all be done.
A gal from my new church has been asking to come and see our work in progress. Last night, I told her to come and see it and I wanted to see her house too. She bought an amazing house down the street from me 5-years-ago. I remember when that house was for sale. Brian and I were driving through the neighborhood and suddenly we came upon a huge (6000 square foot) home which was so very, very fancy and pink every inch from top to bottom (and the fancy fence was pink too). I had seen the amazing transformation that had taken place on the outside. It is just a gorgeous taupe and white home now with a black roof and shutters and amazing landscaping (nearly an acre plus a pool).
Last night, it was my treat to get to see the house on the inside. They have put about 200K into renovations and her decorating style was so beautiful. The house was such a unique piece of work to begin with. The entire thing is laced with the most unique fancy moldings. It feels like the inside of a palace! Even the bathrooms have elegant chandeliers and stained glass partitions. After going through that home, my own home felt absolutely plain. And, so it goes. There is always something better! Haha. Not really though. I'm quite happy with the deal we got on this home and not at all envious of the work they've had to put into theirs.
Now we have the rest of our lives to make ours unique and beautiful too.
Though probably never quite that fancy. It was really fun to see it though! She was such a good friend and kept it real by telling me that their heating bill is $400/month -- on level pay!!! We have yet to see the price tag of our single pane windows that frame the sunsets so beautifully for us (no reliable billing history since it was vacant for so long).
In other news, the windstorm on December 1st was one our family will never forget. We didn't sustain any damage, but dozens of our neighbors (and Brian's parents in Bountiful) lost enormous pine trees. All through the neighborhood, we saw tree after beautiful tree blown right over by the roots. The pine tree a few doors down from our old house went over too (this was a huge landmark for my kids all these years as in -- "I'm going to ride my scooter to the pine tree and back mom!"). The roots alone were taller than me when standing on end like that for most of the trees! I have never in my life seen anything like this. Our power was out for 24-hours. That is the longest I have ever been without power and it has made me ponder seriously the virtues of owning a generator. I'm just grateful it was only 24-hours since our neighbor directly across the street did not have power restored until yesterday (more than 72-hours). I think this area was especially hit hard because there are so many huge trees. It's one of the best features in the neighborhood (at least most of the time).
If you are reading this and you haven't been to the new house -- come on by! Most of our stuff is still in boxes, but it's going to be that way for awhile. So, I'm pretty relaxed about people coming over even though I would usually be mortified. Come on by, we'll have some pie ;-)
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