Apr 25, 2011

Heart


My last post was on how much this house has affected me in a negative fashion. Obviously it’s a feeling well shared by many new home owners. So with that, and a few more days past, I bring you the silver lining on this once dark cloud.

What I Love About This Old House:

1. Mornings.
I will admit I am not a morning person. I love my sleep. Back in the apartment dwelling days, being up before 10am was unheard of. I mean, why should I? Cleaning could be done in an hour, we had no yard to play in and the days passed by with nothing to do. That place made me miserable to be honest; one step away from “having to talk to a volleyball name Wilson” kind of miserable.
That all changed upon moving here.
Without the room darkening curtains to hide behind, the sun blazes in with a purpose. Averi rises her little bed head right with it, leaving no room to sleep in. Yet, I don’t mind it. I open our curtains and stop to stare at the view; birds playing upon the rooftops, the town in the distance buzzing, and sheer quietness of the area, all to take in. Beds get made and rooms picked up before we slide ourselves down the stairs. Shortly after, with coffee in hand and a happy 3yr old playing somewhere, I sit with warm laptop in the silence. And it’s only 9am....
2. Natural Light.
I never had a view in the apartment. A brick wall and nosy neighbors stopped any shed of natural light in that place. Curtains were thick and most of the time never even open. No sense in staring at garbage right?
Oh how that changed drastically!
This house fills with light the moment the sunrises. All curtains, if any at all, get pushed  to the sides letting the world light up each room. Warm weather hits and every window is open with it. I imagine the neighbors get quiet a view of our life since the rare curtains up are sheer and welcomes anyone to peer in. I don’t dare to cover them up, the view is far too beautiful.

3. Lazy Robin
Oh nature, how I love thee (ok, everything but our 100yr old wiggle tree).
Every day I am surrounded by the sounds of nature, birds especially. So it was a rather pleasant surprise to find out one of the porch pillars were a perfect Robin nesting location. The previous nest was knocked down by the contractors but this didn’t deter a certain Robin. Every day, he puts all this findings on our porch, no matter how many times Daddy knocks it off. Branches, string and feather like concoctions sit underneath his building place. Yet we’ve never seen a part of the nest actually being built. He gets as far as his collection, bounces back and forth from the pillar to the world but never has anything there. In a way, he fits us. He has his location, his items but is taking his sweet time putting it all together. I hope to see a nest one morning filled with eggs come summer.

4. Blooming.
Spring is a wild season. One moment its rain and warm, the next cold and snow; but this all has a pay off. I peered out my sunroom this morning to see every tree we have filled with green blooms. I was literally taken aback by this. It’s like watching the world come alive from a long slumber. I anxiously wait to find out the fate of each tree since some are said to bare fruit. We’ve never seen the trees in all their glory yet, being we found this place in the winter. Not to mention the rose bushes and other flowers that have sprung from there wintery beds. Every day brings us closer and closer to a beautiful nature show.

5. “Mom, I’m going to my room.”
Averi’s room is her pride and joy. The moment you step foot in this house she will insist on giving you a tour of it. The room is 3 times bigger then her old one and has a carpet perfect for tumbling. Toys fit perfectly in there with her big girl bed, so there is always something up there to enjoy. She was never one to play in her room in the apartment. I don’t blame her. It was cold, cramped and blah. Now that she has gotten comfortable with the new place she’s often found in her room, playing peacefully. I never thought I would enjoy hearing her say “Mom, I’m going to my room” so much.

6. Diamond in the Rough
That’s exactly what most people called this house when they 1st saw it back in the beginning. The potential was quiet literally unlimited. And it still is. Sure, the walls and floors are all done. It’s about as up to date as any house can get. Yet there is still untapped potential. Every day this house opens to me and I get a feel for what would look great where. The options are still endless.

7. Visitors.
Very few visitors came to our apartment. I don’t blame them! I hung my head low every time I had to leave my car to enter my place. Those who did brave the complex were always greeted with some form of trash, be it rap music or gangster children. You never felt safe to leave your car.
We haven’t had a “house warming party” yet, but it hasn’t deterred inviting anyone over. Heck, try to keep people away! This house has become a hot spot for anyone who knows us. I’m not quiet use to playing “hostess” but I am getting use to it. It’s nice to actually not be embarrassed of where I live. Sure, the place is still unfinished but no one seems to mind one bit.

8. Old House Smell
No matter how much I clean, how many pretty smelling things I place…this place always welcomes us home with one certain smell, the old 1907 home smell. It’s hard to describe, but it’s not a bad one.

9. Neighbors.
Have I mentioned how utterly nice and cool my neighbors are?
We never sought to get to know our neighbors in the apartment. When we did, well, it wasn’t worth it. So we secluded ourselves, having no part in the outside world.
Here, it’s another world!
Our neighbors are a bunch of wonderful people, including relatives. To the right is an older gentleman who is a gardening enthusiast. He loves Averi already and is always seen out in his yard, working hard. He’s full of information on the house and previous owners.
To left is a family who keeps to themselves most of the time, but the father is always chatting with Daddy when they pass each other. In front of us is our Uncle Marty and Mary, the sweetest people on earth. Marty always yells “Hey neighbor!” when he sees us and naturally loves to come over to visit Averi. Mary is always seen busting on the neighbors and going somewhere all dressed up. The other front neighbor is an elderly-ish man who just merely waves when he sees us. They have grandchildren who visit often , so they can be found taking nature walks around the block. Apparently he also bowled with Uncle Cory at one time. There are always boys riding bikes and playing down the street. People are usually seen walking there dogs through the dirt road behind us. A block down is Aunt Theresa, my fav Aunt on Daddy’s side. We will be visiting her tons as the warm weather continues. Ten minutes away from Daddy’s parents and a easy hop over to mine. The perfect almost made for us location.

10. My Dryer
Unless you have spent 3yrs drying clothes on a drying rack, I don’t think you’ll ever grasp the love I have for my dryer. I never had the luxury of it in the apartment. Not that we couldn’t, it’s just the high risk of them catching the place on fire that didn’t seem worth it. So I was only able to laundry enough clothes to place on 2 drying rack that sat in our bedroom. That is not a lot at all, so I was constantly backed up. The only time I was remotely caught up was on warm sunny days where I could hang them outside. Even then I battled my neighbors for enough line and put up with sexual harassment from the other neighbors. So when I heard I was getting a dryer of my very own, I squealed like a kid on Xmas day. The warmth of freshly dried clothes is a touch from heaven. Getting multiple loads done in a day vs. one small one in 24hrs is its weight in gold. When the wind hits just right it fills our house with a sweet dryer sheet smell. Oh dryer, I may love you more then my Kerig.  Shhh…

“The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed.” ~Jiddu Krishnamurti

Apr 18, 2011

Home



I love your house…
I’ve been hearing this since the moment our feet landed foot in our unpolished home. Before the keys we’re even placed in our hands, this house was the talk of the year.
What a deal! What a find! What potential!

With all this hype, I will honestly admit, I grew a dislike for the house. What’s so special about a roof, cement and some walls? While others made plans and gushed, I just ignored the thoughts of this place. My apartment was my home and as much as I hated the place, it was where I was at the moment. No pressure of color choices or what to do with this or that. No one expected my apartment to be a 5 star hotel, and I liked that.
As much as I tried and fought, I couldn’t completely ignore this home. Every redesign and paint choice included my opinion one way or another. This brought about pressure I never felt before. Do I dare do blue in a kitchen? Where will the couch go? Would my 70’s floral couch even match my now raspberry rooms? My head would burn every time I left this place, worrying if I made the right choice. Yet I pushed through, slowly watching this house become “ours”, not just a shell of a home left behind. The birds outside would sing as I painted every weekend, in a sense welcoming me to these new walls. Before long, furniture was moved in and people given grand tours, but the pressure, oh it has yet to leave…..

Here I am, sitting on my perfectly polished oak floors and in the back of my mind that pressure still looms. What do I put on my walls? What carpets do I put where? There isn’t a day that someone doesn’t ask what’s next. Is there a next? I wasn’t even thinking that far yet!  But it feels as if people have already pictured how this place should be long before I even sat here. Wait! Is this my home or the worlds? It gets to point where I turn stagnate, yearning for the days where anything anywhere would do. Where it was a couch, a radio and just us.

Cleaning this place has even given me anxiety on quiet a few occasions as I am not accustom to so much with so much detail. The thought of having a cleaning schedule actually alarms me, for what use to take an hour will take DAYS. 

I want to love this place, don’t get me wrong, and I am blessed to have it. Waking up to birds singing not stomping neighbors is worth its weight in gold. Not too many people can say they totally customized a house in what literally is the perfect location. I just wish it didn’t come with an audience & panel of critiques. I am not one to make a house look like a picture from a magazine. I am far from Martha Stewart. I enjoy the flaws, our mistakes and insane choice of colors.
Do I have an idea what I’m doing? Nope, not a single clue.
Do I need to? No! Cause then what’s the sense of owning this place.
I’m not out to appease the masses, no matter how much my perfectionism pushes me to. If I want polka carpets and neon walls, so be it. It may not be polished and perfect but be damn if anyone else will make this house feel less then a home to me.

So every morning I sit here, my coffee and this house. I listen to the birds and stare at the marvel that is ours. Sure, there is trimming to do. There is nothing on my walls. My entire upstairs needs a vacuum. But I got time. Right now, I want to just enjoy this. Welcome this house into my heart for a change.
What’s next? You’ll just have to wait and see.


Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.  ~Mother Teresa

Simple


"I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind."  
~Albert Einstein

Apr 17, 2011

Sway


I’m a tree hugger. I even have a favorite tree that I amorously stare at when we’re at our local park. To me they are majestic wise old beings, living long before and after us. Reminding us to be rooted and sway with the breeze….

So it was much to my surprise when I hastily decided the fate of our 100ft old pine tree in our front yard. The strong wind storm yesterday made this tree rock from top to bottom, making the ground wave with it. Something I have never witnessed before. This caused a very uncomfortable panic for me and even unease from the unshakeable Daddy. We decided that the tree is going to me taken down for the safety of our home. Not to mention the power company wouldn’t like the possible damage it could have to the power lines.
Sorry tree. You’ve probably been here since the house was built and you’re still a beautifully green being. You have been through a thousand storms and still stand with pride. But last night showed how much we love this house, with almost a paternal need to protect it. Perhaps its time to go old friend….

Much like the day, we found ourselves also swaying; this time to new foods and ideas. Back in the apartment day, our dinners and food choices reflected where we lived. We weren’t fancy nor tried to be. Usually sticking to simple and easy, for whatever fit in our tiny fridge. Occasionally dining on steak and sushi as a treat to ourselves for making it this far. Now, as this home has opened our views, it opened our pallet. We got giddy over breads to try with drippings. To try new cheeses, fresh new veggies and putting together true thought-out meals. I must admit I am not one with the stove but I am open to swaying my thoughts with it...

“Where desire doth bear the sway - the heart must rule, the head obey” ~Francis Davidson

Apr 16, 2011

Echo


I’m an apple that didn’t fall far from the tree. So when I find myself going “balls to the wall” on a passion, I can almost see my dad in my reflection. Everything he does he does 102%. I have found in my current years that I share that same fire. My fire is rather scattered though. Like all 20-somethings, I’m still grasping straws on finding who I am in this world. But once I find something, I throw my heart, sweat and tears into it.

This blog is one of those things….

I am not a gifted writer. My stories weave no exciting tales or humorous antidotes. There are days where I feel defeated as if I’m dropping a rose petal into the Grand Canyon hoping to hear an echo. But I find myself still sitting here, warm laptop on my lap and my fingers clicking away. Inspired by others and motivated by the thought that maybe just one person will hear me. Not that I’m looking for fame or like 1000 readers (that’s just too much pressure). Just like all humans I want to be just heard and accepted. So i keep typing...

Well, enough about myself….

I have been getting tons of requests to see the house pictures from those who are unable to take a live tour. We’ll your in luck! I’ll be throwing together all the pictures so far on the Dupontonia facebook page today.  
(Didn't like it yet?? Well get to it silly!!  Dupontonia Facebook Page )

Since the contractors are finally done making a mess of the place I’ll be spending a majority of the day finally doing a deep cleaning. So look out for the most recent “Now” pictures tonight as well!


I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.
~Richard Wright

Apr 14, 2011

Sunshine

Oh sunshine, how I have fallen in love  with thee. You slip yourself from behind our curtains, calling to us to rise and greet you early. Old apartment dwelling me would have cringed, cursed and miserably threw myself into the day’s routine. How dare I be up at THIS time! I would refuse productivity till noon.
But not home dweller me!
I sprung up, opened the curtains and took a moment to look out across the city. Birds chirping and flew past in the pale blue skies. I anticipate the sun to warms the air just enough to open all the windows. There’s just something about this place that makes mornings worth every minute. I sit personally amazed that I was washed and dressed before 10:30am and even threw in a load of laundry.
We welcomed the delivery of our counter-tops, which look just as amazing as I hoped. Tomorrow will be another early day as the contractors will be putting there tools to work in the final touches of our kitchen. Old me would have cursed the thought of them interrupting my spoiled sleep. The now me welcomes them with open arms. I only hope I can keep Averi out of their way.


The noon sun calls to me, “Come Lisa. Come outside and play.” And that I did. This time I had the key to the garage and rescued some gardening tools. Averi enjoyed once again her mud making and bubble blowing. I dug up what I thought was random weeds, only to find out I had vegetables! What I believe are called “wild onions” are spewing themselves literally all over my little garden. I filled a bucket full of these apparently editable guys. Although I will admit they are a pain in the arse to even have. I also found that I have/had carrots or what look like carrots growing as well. Google has yet to answer my curiosity on them though
.
So as the sun glowed, I de-weeded until my hands and knees couldn’t take it. Averi did about everything a little girl can do outside; including riding her bike, running up and down the sidewalk, collecting “flowers”, rock hunting, just to name a few. In dire need of a dirt break, we set off on a Dupontonian walking adventure. We strolled down the sidewalks hand in hand, listening to dogs barking from what seemed to be every house. But it was nice to be able to go down sidewalks and not be afraid. A block down and we aimed our sights on Aunt Theresa’s house, which is literally only a block down from us. Simba, her orange cat, was sunbathing on the back porch upon our arrival. Averi rang the doorbell and we could feel the excitement of the surprise visit. Aunt Theresa is my true gardening buddy (and fellow cat lover) so we almost immediately chatted about gardening and plans for the yards. Averi hunted down the cats, sadly neither wanted to be bothered too much. I’m sure in a few more visits they will be more accepting to us. A sweet small visit and we were on our way back to home. A little of a rougher walk since its uphill then (our butts felt it!). With the sun setting and the wind picking up we decided to bid the outside a farewell for the evening. I put away our things and we retired ourselves into the living room.

Now the days has ended. Child asleep, exhausted from all the fresh air. My muscles ache, hands are rough with dirt that seems to be etched into my skin and a nice farmer’s tan/burn on my forearms. All of this merely a battle wound I proudly accept.
Sunshine never felt so good.


Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. ~Walt Whitman

Apr 13, 2011

Mother


I always get a little more excited when Wednesdays roll around. It’s the day Averi and I get to go hang out with the coolest women I know, my mom (aka grandma). From the moment we pull in you could hear the barks and excitement from both Ruby and Chloe; our favorite furry loves. A welcome truly fit for queens!  Its not long before coats are off and Averi is off running with Ruby as me and my mother do something we do best, talk. About everything and anything that comes to mind. I don’t honestly think there is a quiet moment when we’re together and it’s a wonderful thing.

Today we adventured to our favorite place to wander on a gloomy day, The Christmas Tree Store. It’s like a refined dollar store, full of trinkets and things you normally wouldn’t buy but when you see its only like $1.99…well its hard to resist! They quiet literally have everything and are always adding more.
So we go up and down every isle like old women, touching and looking. Averi always finds things she insists on needing. I can’t blame her since I never leave that place empty handed either. We once again spent a good hour there, leaving with the usual cart full of random items.

I’m amazed on how fast the day always passes with this wonder women I call mom. But it always feels like leaving a best friend when its time to go. We missed out hanging with grandpa, as he was away doing work-related business that evening. But the great thing about that is there is always next week. Where there is plenty of furry love to go around and the chatter never stops.....

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”Washington Irving

Apr 12, 2011

Clouds

 We were spoiled from the day before, so when we awoke to a rainy day it seems to set a gloomy undertone for the day. Perfect for sleeping longer and taking it slow. I reminded myself that this weather shows signs that spring is truly here. I’m sure my newly soiled plants and their worm companions were enjoying the moist day. At least it wasn’t snow!

As you can now tell, Comcast came bright an early to bring us back into the “cyber world”. I spent 6 days without that connection and to be honest, I didn’t miss it. I probably would be fine without it but you HAVE to be connected. No one communicates otherwise so you are left feeling rather alone without it. The dependency is almost sickening. It sucks you in, before you know it your in its literal web. And I naturally fell right back in…

Another cloud swept over when we got a phone call that our counter tops are not coming as planned. Now we must wait until Thursday. Disappointment and aggravation truly was felt by us all. Washing dishes in bathroom has become the norm for now, something I’m sure everyone has done at one point in home ownership.

The day fast forwards to Averi’s ballet class, where the clouds seemed to follow. The class has grown from the “Fabulous 6” to the chaotic 12. At first none of us original moms thought much of it. The new little girls were perhaps having there 1st day jitters and overly excited for the new experience. We joked on how we’ll see who returns next week, as many have come and gone previously. A Survivor version of ballet class! Sadly, everyone returned and the air loomed once again of stress and chaos. 
Out of the 6 who have joined, only 1 has really seemed to fit the group. Of course, she’s been there before and has the disposition of very calm and precise (ok, a little bit of a show off and we’ve already dubbed her the “teachers pet”).  The rest, well, aren’t fitting at all. One especially, who has turned the class into a circus.. She plays absolutely no attention and spends a high percentage of the time getting yelled at and running off. Even at one point making Miss J, who is very unshakeable, annoyed causing her to pause the class to find the little wild child's mother. I’ve watched the little girl with her parents after class and it seems to be the norm for them. They have no control at all. Her parents haven't caught on that maybe it’s not the thing for her. I secretly hope she does not return. The other 3 are a slightly lesser “hyper” version of the wild child and might shape up over time. It’s hard to tell. 
Then there is “Justice”…..
Averi does not like her one bit, and anyone that knows Averi knows she loves EVERYONE. This girl has actually made Averi mad enough to push and yell this time around. Poor Averi spent a good percentage of the class trying to ward her off as this girl did everything she could to annoy and distract her. Perhaps it’s a conflict of personalities since Justice is very much like Averi but times 10 on the “spunk”.

So class was rather painful to watch. Miss J looked like she needed a good beer and hug after it was all said and done. We OG mothers agreed that perhaps she has taken on more then what is good. Thankfully Miss J has noticed this and I can’t wait to see what she is planning to do to help elevate the chaos.  I personally hope the “Fabulous 6….er 7” go back to the way it was. They are a tight knit well behaved (most of the time) group and we want to keep it that way for a long time to come. Yes, we’ve become rather clique-ish but what sport doesn’t have one?

Just when I thought the cloud would follow us home, I was surprised when it didn’t. I started up some of my house work, with RuPaul’s drag race playing in the background (GO RAJA!). I gave my washer and new dryer a whirl; falling in love with the wonderful smells that came from them. It was nice to have dry clothes in a 1hr vs. very little dry in 48hrs of my drying racks. They smelt heavenly and no wrinkles! I feel like a queen now.

Night time fell fast and easy. Averi went to bed; Daddy & I took to our computers clicking away. I caught up on my favorite blogs, finding a new awesome one along the way. Before long, our eye fell heavy so we crawled into bed earlier then usual. With the soothing sounds of the rain tapping the windows lulling us to sleep, we dream and hope tomorrow that the clouds drift away.


“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed...It feels an impulsion...this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.”~Richard Bach

Apr 11, 2011

Metamorphosis

Dust is finally settling on our new humble abode. Four long days of packing and unpacking, we are now adjusting to the new life as a home dweller. Boxes still sit in our kitchen as they await counter tops and the final touches to the cabinets. But in all honesty, even with not everything in its place, the air is so much better here. As if a dark cloud was lifted. People now come to visit as we are finally proud to be where we are; taking every compliment with a settling reassurance.

Now bring on the changes….
Averi’s 1st night in her new room & bed went smoother then anyone ever imagined. The tub had its 1st christening and worked quiet well given its different size. In hopes to elevate any nervousness, I made sure Averi picked out every thing, from pillows to pajamas. Book time changed drastically too. From rocking on the rocker (as we’ve done since birth) to me crawling into her bed and snuggling as I read. A new tradition I could certainly get use to.
Reminiscent of when she was a little baby in a big crib, she was now a little girl in her twin bed. But she slept as if it were nothing new. It was a sigh of relief felt by all.

Morning brought on a whole new light. Daddy’s first day back to work brought about a refinement of the usual morning quiet routine. It seemed as if it worked since neither Averi nor I were disturbed. Averi woke up a few hours later to her usual time, slightly disoriented but very happy none the less. I, who usually never enjoy the morning wake ups, greeted the day with quiet literally a leap and a dash of excitement for the day. We opened the windows, made our beds and popped right back to our usual morning. Well, not totally usual, since we are without tv and internet. So we took our milk, cereal and coffee to the sunroom. Sitting in our chairs, we watched birds come and go. People walking their dogs. A grandma with her 2 grandsons. The only sounds were the happy birds and the occasional bang in the distance of the new buildings up the hill. A whole other world far away from the ghetto nonsense we were so use to.
So with the lack of television and internet to hold us inside like zombies, I quickly took a bath (something I never really do, but can see enjoying) and we met the warm air with haste. I pulled out the slide as Averi found the “perfect” spot. The warm weather was much unexpected, especially when I found myself sweating just being out there. Luckily a breeze from storms coming cooled us most of the time. But boy did it feel good to be sans coat and in sandals. I aimlessly walked around our huge yard, not sure of what in the heck to do. Averi went off immediately to go “rock hunting, trying to unearth the biggest rocks she can find. I was sad to find out I was without a key to the garage so I had no much wanted yard supplies to work with. So with broom in hand I swept the sidewalk, picking up debris as I went along. The yard is filled with randomness and left over debris from the torn down sheds. It drives me crazy but I hope as summer comes and goes I will have a yard that fits with everyone else’s (not to mention a garden that out rivals another’s). 
Unsatisfied and still not wanting to spend a single moment inside, I took to the roses bushes, er sticks that are at the head before my garden. With only a broom and my 2 hands, I swept and weeded about half of the length. Averi loved helping me with “worm duty”, picking up the worms and placing them in safer “nicer” spots. I learned as I went what was a flower and what was a nasty weed. Unearthing soon to be blooming bushes and little herbs (although I have no clue on what they really are yet). I then took some of the bricks we have piled for whatever usage we can think of, and placed them as a nice divider in my now semi tidy garden area. I spread some nice “bag soil” over the freshly growing plants and called my garden time done. Gloomy rain clouds kept rearing there ugly heads awaiting the right moment to bring us inside. Luckily we got some bubble popping in just before the drops began to fall. So we gathered our things and headed inside, taking rest in the sunroom. The breeze smelled so sweet with rain and a hint of spring. I didn’t dare close a single window for this intoxicating scent (well except for the ones that we’re getting rain inside).
Averi went off in her own little way as usual, making dogs and bears have worldly adventures. I took on a few boxes in the kitchen in hopes to completely clear it for the construction workers. Found myself delayed by making a “castle” out of 2 boxes for Averi to decorate (Duck tape works wonders!). Before long Daddy arrived home with new groceries and swiftly dinner was prepared and served. Our 1st sit down dinner in the kitchen! Averi was for once excited about bedtime, getting to pick out her things and our new book snuggling.
So as she soundly slept, Daddy and I went out onto the porch with our chairs and just sat. Staring at the lights. Listening to the sounds. Just randomly chit chatting about whatever in the warm darkness. An early day awaits us, but its all for wonderful things. Internet, not that I miss it, and the final touches done by the contractors.

And with this, I bid you farewell for today.

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better."
~ King Whitney Jr

Mar 21, 2011

Potty Humor

"Why did the mustard poop chicken cross the road???"
TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE!!!! 
~insert loud exaggerated Averi laughter.~

Oh, how adding the word "poop" to everything makes a 3 1/2yr old's comedic world somehow anew. I remember reading about this "potty humor" once in a blog by a pre-school teacher. In hopes to get giggles from the fellow classmates, the little stars would add words like "poop" and "fart" for guaranteed spice. I must say even i have chuckled at her creativity with this. Sure, some adults might cringe in public and elders shake their head, but as far as I see it at least its not an expletive. Things could be a lot worse.

Speaking of poop....

 A horrible cold bug has swept the family twice over, making sure no person has been left behind. What started with Uncle & Grandpa has swiftly hit the little immune system of Averi. We've been battling it for 4 days now, eventually giving it to Daddy. I can honestly say even my super-mom immune system is taking a beating as i type. Nothing says family like sharing a cold bug!

So with this, there is not to much to report. Days have flown past with ice pops, cartoons and tissues. The house keeps moving steadily along, coming closer and closer to finally being moving day. All is calm and oddly quiet...for now.


I reckon being ill as one of the great pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill and is not obliged to work till one is better.  ~Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903

Feb 28, 2011

Back from Blog-cation!

That's exactly what i went on. A "Blog-cation".
Its not that I didn't WANT to make a post on Saturday, cause i did. I placed my butt in the computer chair with full intent on writing something glorious; filling you with voyeuristic insight of my day. I clicked "new post" and that's when it hit. The blank. The complete and utter loss of writing juice. I stared at the blank screen for what felt like an hour, but it was no use. I ventured over to Pogo.com and got lost in mindless games until my eyes no longer could stand it. No blog that night.
Sunday followed the same suit. Not that i write on that day, but none the less i couldn't even muster a photo.

But its back!
So here is the "what you missed" of the weekend.....


Saturday Feb 26th 2011

Kitchen Phase 3 is now DONE!
OR as Daddy puts it "Wow. We have a BLUE kitchen.".
OMG its BLUE!

We inhaled another share of fume (Uncle Cory, Grandpa, Daddy & Mommy) and finished up the kitchen. Not everyone is 100% in love with it cause it a very drastic and bold color combo. Even I kinda worried as I stood in the room of blue (perhaps it was the fumes). But once the cabinets get here, the floor put in, and all that jazz i am sure it will just work. All that's left to do is the trim around the doors and windows and wash the wanna-be Waynes-coating to death.

This coming weekend we will begin the next rooms, dining room and living room, with the priming to welcome the shocking berry color!


ETA:
Curious on how it all came out? 
Go to the "This Old House" for up-to-date photos!

Feb 24, 2011

Simply Frustrating.

You know those days where the moment you wake up and even your own body is telling you "Don't get out of bed, its gonna be a rough one..."? Well, i should have listened.

The apartment was its uncomfortable cold once again which rudely wakes even the thickest skin up. I evilly  sneered at the 3 men outside who appeared to be working on pipes; probably the reason for the lack of heat. The usual hot coffee barely warmed my hands as i prepared breakfast. From that moment on it seemed like nothing i did was its usual correct way. You could feel it in the air. Motivation was MIA. Averi had her attitude button on high, having me raise my voice what felt like every 3 minutes. So i had to find something to do...
Oh the glow!

Glow in the dark stars! My $1 purchase from yesterday! I swept Averi upstairs and we taped those suckers to her bedroom wall all perdy. With a quick blast of a super bright flashlight, we turned out the lights and marveled over the coolness that is glow in the dark. A good few minutes of fun none the less.

Returning to the downstairs, I clicked over to my super crafty inspiration of the Frugal Family Fun Blog, hoping to find something creative to do. Averi was behind me when she saw the Lets Build A Zoo post and yelled "I wanna do that!!!" about 12 times before i could even say ok. That looked easy. So i grabbed the blocks, the Littlest Pet shop animals, some train tracks and had at it. I even brought out the foam paper to add a little creative flair. Averi became preoccupied watching tv for the most part; checking my progress in between. Right there should have told me to she was not going to have any part of this. But i pressed on with hope.
My Awesome but failed FFFB Zoo
Once finished, i sat back and waited for her to have at it. Nothing. She walked around it once, grabbed a bunch of pillows and proceeded to make a fort out of the moved coffee table and couch. Really?

Deflated, i sat back in my computer chair. I put on some Laurie Berkner Band and bounced through my followed blogs for a moment. Out of no where i got the urge to play my acoustic and ran upstairs to get it. I also brought down Averi's cause i knew she would have asked. Mind you, i never really played the thing. It was a young mindless purchase (like my flute). I want to learn but the easily frustrated part of me usually kicks in before i even really try. But i strummed away none the less. Looking at tabs and trying to figure out how cords were held. This amused both Averi and I till it became dinner preparation time/dish duty. So i set it aside, mentally demanding myself that one day i will be able to play one of her songs.

Dinner and bedtime were filled with guitar talk; Daddy being a bassist. We ended the night with the breaking in of the "school books" w/ Averi (another CTS buy).
I can honestly say i was more excited for bedtime then usual. I read the night time book with more oomph and lingered longer at Averi's bedside. Perhaps for the hopes that with that little oomph will bring a better tomorrow. Cause today was simply frustrating.

“Life is not an easy matter... You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness.”~Leon Trotsk

Feb 23, 2011

Jump, Jive and Oh Bummer!

I'm going to take a minute and happily announce (if you haven't heard it already).....
I have over 50+ Followers!!!!
Yes, i practically piddled with excitement over this.
Its funny to think this all started last year with a mere 2-3 followers, mainly close family. With this I lost hope quiet a few times and went on a long hiatus. Yet after much begging and family spreading the word, i got the fire back this year and began clicking away. Now here i am, quiet proud of my ever-growing blog. 
I'm very thankful to all the other bloggers out there who jumped on my train as i did there's. Not to mention my "silent followers" of my family and friends. I get a thrill seeing everyone actually stopping by and reading my posts. This SAHM doesn't have much in means of hobbies or much of a social realm so that kinda means a lot to me. I like having a spot in the e-world and now that i have hit this milestone, there is only one way but up!

Ok, enough sapness....its Averi time!
We spent the day with my awesome mommy, as we do every Wednesday. Filling ourselves with all the doggie love Chloe & Ruby have to offer.

Our adventure today was to the Christmas Tree Store, a very addictive store. I mean, its hard to resist something kinda cool and useful and it only being like $1 or $3.99. Its filled with everything from decorations to furniture to toys/crafts. We spent a good hour just going up and down every isle, like old people, touching and ogling everything. Averi really brought out the case of the "gimmies" this time around. She kept throwing things into the cart, even when they have no significance to her. Bird cages, spoons, pillows, and a slight obsession with bears. Every "No" from me came back with a exaggerated Averi "Oh bummer!!". Her new catch phrase of the week. Its not like we left the store without anything for her. I naturally ended up buying more things for her then i originally set out for and grandma, well did what grandma's do best. Everyone got something lets put it that way. I even spoiled Daddy by buying him a huge bag of his fav candy, Pez.

So with bags in hand we made our way home for some pizza and playing. I will admit there were not to many photo opportunities today. If there were, well i missed them being so engulfed in the always great conversation of my mom.

The night past quiet quickly to say the least. Filled with ball playing, dog chasing, new toy playing and a little bit of Dora thrown in. Bedtime was short and sweet. Right before laying down Averi told me her favorite part of the day was "playing Chloe in the middle with grandma". As tired as she looked i think it shows how successful and fun a day with grandma can be. :)


"Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders."
~Tom Peters

Feb 22, 2011

Talent Show Tuesday

Another installment of...
Talent Show Tuesday!


Something about this Laurie Berkner's song makes her stop whatever she is doing and do this every time.  

Subliminals? Maybe. Quiet comical? Absolutely!

Feb 21, 2011

Monkey See Monday

Maybe Old Man Winter is bitter from the bragging of that one glorious spring day. How we all sang about its glory. In return he once again took a nice white dump upon us, rendering another wonderful snowed in day. We're so over it. That groundhog was a liar! Just sayin....

Poor Owl!
Any-whozle,  what better time then a snow day to do some crafting! Today our special thanks goes out to this wonderful blog,  The Frugal Family Fun Blog, for the craft we did today. (Monkey see, monkey do...get it?)

Ok, so we didn't make 3 super pretty owls BUT we made one hell of a spunky cat, dog and owl! Once dried and finished, Averi had tons of fun playing with them. Naturally favoring the dog and cat over the owl. Apparently the owl was the "bad guy" and was scaring the other two. That is, until Mommy reminded him about the time out chair.  :)

The new gang!

Feb 20, 2011

Wordless Sundays

Yo Gabba Gabba ain't got nuttin on me!

Feb 19, 2011

Run Around

Every friday night, Daddy and I make plans of what we plan on doing the next day, since its his day off. We tend to get overzealous, cramming all kinds of things into our imaginary time frame. Alas Saturday "morning" comes and well, those plans kinda get rearranged with the comfort of our pillows. We once again indulge in a few extra hours of sleep in even trade. Averi calmly plays in the midst of one of us on guard. Breakfast becomes lunch and by the time we are up and running the day is already half spent. But that is us.

An Alphie kind of morning.
Our plans started when we dropped Averi off at the grandparents, something well needed on this blistery day (yes, don't get me started on Old man winters dumperoo). We dashed off to Sears and finished up our last appliance purchases of a microwave and dishwasher. We now have a fully applianced kitchen....well sorta. Its actually all being delivered on the same day. So March 4th will look like kitchen Christmas with boxes delivered galore!

Next adventure was to trade in the old car seat for a new booster seat at Babies R Us. Serious madness in that place, i surely don't miss setting foot in there. Half awake parents grumbling, wheeling there tiny babies around (or pulling the toddling ones along). The atmosphere is unnerving. Like any second something will spit up or break. Didn't help that the trade in event ends monday so all the fellow slackers (like us) banned together to do this at last minute. We threw them our car seat, grabbed our coupon, bought the new booster and off to grocery shopping we flew. Stomachs rumbled so Daddy was very nice to treat me to a sushi "drunch" in the cafe there. Truly kills the dangerous shopping while hungry which is never good.
Upon paying and on our way out the door we stood in disbelief at the view in front of us. What was blistery and cold has now turned into winter laying a smack down all over the cars, grass and parts of the road. The spring we saw yesterday vanished under a coat of evil white. Grrr!
Window of winter

We jump from putting away groceries to back to the grandparents house in a flash. I, with the help of Uncle Cory, put together the booster seat. Averi, as always, never cared we were gone but was excited for the new seat.  She looks so small in it but at the same time so big. ~shed tear~

The ride home was dark, nerve wracking and dreary. Tromping to the door made me think winter had resettled itself once more. Our overly warm apartment was welcoming this time to relieve the chill from our bones. Averi spared no time going from bath to book, for i'm sure she played her heart out while we were gone. Now a nice silence looms. A reward for a day well spent. :)

Feb 18, 2011

The Traveling Circus

 If i were to stay inside today i think my soul would have died. Alas my mommy came to our rescue and whisked us away to a shopping journey. Traveler coffee cups in hand, Averi locked and loaded in the back seat and we were off in the noon day sun. Conversations and laughs blurred the time traveled. Even when we went the wrong direction we merely laughed and let the Garmen save the day.

Once parked and stroller set, our shopping journey began. The weather could not be anymore perfect. Warm enough for a light jacket with a touch of cool wind. The walkways buzzed with people. Stores with welcoming doors open (those who were not were not much welcomed by us). First order of business was lunch, with pizza and french fries.We sat among the mass, most outside absorbing the sun as they ate. Then we were off to the labyrinth paths. Glaring into store windows, clearance signs brightly hung in temptation. Averi made sure every coin operated toy was loved by her along the way. In and out of stores we rode, in search for a nice dress and bathing suit for my mom and well, anything clearance for cheap ol' me. Sadly only to conquer with a dress half way through the journey. There was nothing really that impressive out there, even though we must of groped thousands of materials of the overpriced variety. Averi and I played with hats and mirrors making even the most stuffiest stores fun.

When mojo ran low we stopped and grabbed 2 strawberry banana slushies to help us make a final round. At last ditch effort we gave Osh Kosh a try for the perfect Averi tea party dress (that comes at the end of the month). We almost immediately fell in love with a blue, gray and white plaid dress with a pink ribbon around the waist. It screamed Averi-ness. I then came across awesome little gray cowboy boots and Averi insisted we get them. And being clearance, how could i say no! My mom then found a perfect hoodie for her with "Dance Academy" across the front. A shopping victory! A last and perfect hurray!

We shuffled our aching feet back to the car, Averi growing cranky and in much need of a "ride home nap". The drive home was simple and sweet, no need to second guess our direction. Conversations and laughter continued between my mom and I. Averi caught her much needed beauty sleep during our endless babbles.
Finally, we were home. I bid farewell to my mom and we waited for Daddy to come home to continue our evening. We spent the dark time hours at his parents house. Averi made pizza and we all crowded on her bed to watch "Despicable Me" for like 20th time. A perfect ending to a wonderful spring-like day. :)

Feb 17, 2011

Simply Paint.

I could get use to this. The moment i opened up the windows i felt a rush of bath warm air hit me, holding me still in its enjoyment. Oh spring, please stay. The snow is almost gone, giving sprouts of green grass in the mix of mud a chance to peek out. I heard kids playing in the parking lot. Even though i know my car probably got a few new dings from there football, i was thrilled just to hear life outside the doors.
So with the gentle breezes blowing in the rooms, Averi and I took spring fever in pride, bring out paints in order to spring things up around here. And that's exactly what we did. Like a Louisiana summer we calmly painted, not saying a word. And the rest, well i'll let my (awesome) camera do the talking. Enjoy!
(Click on them to see them in full view!)








Feb 16, 2011

Cowboys and Cookies

Ruby, Averi's best fluffy friend.
Wednesdays are always wonderful. Watching the snow melt under the unusual spring-ish weather, we set out on our weekly journey to my parent's house. For once we traveled without the loom of snow, yet once we hit to the mountain roads it looked as if the snow there never got the hint to melt. Averi danced in her car seat with excitement, announcing "That's my song!" when RuPaul's "Supermodel" came on.

Once we arrived there was an uproar of barks which always excites Averi more. A celebrity style welcome from the dogs Ruby and Chloe are both overwhelming and thrilling to her. When the kisses and barking have settled she immediately asks Ruby to play which Ruby, in her own doggie way, always agrees. I've never seen a dog love Averi as much as Ruby does. Chloe, on the other hand, is much to old for those chasing games and can be usually found being loved by me. Not that i mind!

"I just want a little taste."
There is always something to do at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Helping being one of her favorite things. She loves doing the laundry cause of the buttons she gets push. She always helps feed the dogs and even helps make dinner. In-between all this there was painting, tower building and of course many games of Hide and Seek with Grandma. No wonder she sleeps so well that night!

After dinner there was a special treat to be had. Making cookies! This has become a tradition, not necessarily cookies but anything bake-able. Averi truly enjoys it. So as my mom puts the pre-made sugar cookie dough on the baking sheet, it was Averi's job to decorate them with little colorful stars. She was more interested in eating the dough then anything, placing a star here & there then asking for "a little taste" of the dough.
After a few times of practice we managed not to burn this batch making them pretty dang good (although HUGE). We took some home to enjoy at lunch the next day.

Hitting the dusty, er wooden trail.
Grandpa had to fix the furnace down in the basement so Averi took the opportunity to join him. Not to help but to take advantage of the wide variety of things to do down there. She played the drums, played pool & foosball and rode her bike. She even found a cowboy hat and proceeded to ride around singing and yelling "Yee haw!".

Shhh, she's hiding.
 The night winded down with some Nick Jr, a cookie, and a few more games of Hide and Seek before the travel home. It was nice to drive home without snow falling or fear of ice. Averi talked to the moon on the ride home and the music played softly, making the travel home a wonderful blur.
Once home, it was the usual tubby, book, and bed. Not a peep was had once i came downstairs. A sign of another successful and wonderful Wednesday.  :)

Feb 15, 2011

Talent Show Tuesday!

You've seen her live! You've seen her on stage!
Now put your hands together for........
THE AVERI TALENT SHOW!!!

Singing 
Butterfly Butterfly, Happy All Day.....
The Averi Remix of course!
&
Dancing
"Can you do the Dragon?" Laurie Berkner
See Miss Jennifer, there is hope! 

Hope you enjoyed the cuteness!

Feb 14, 2011

Struck by You!

Oh, bring out the hearts, flowers and things of love. Its that one day a year where we're all reminded to give extra love to the people we care about (and if all else fails buy their love!). At first i was resisting, as i scanned my Facebook filled with sappy love filled posts. "Bah-humbug! Just a overzealous holiday! I want no part of it!", i thought bitterly. The TV filled with special Valentine themes on every channel. Every blog i follow chiming the good cheer. No escape! So i jumped in the shower to cleanse myself of this dominating holiday.....
Then the b*stard struck me.
That diaper wearing, arrow carrying man must have followed me in there. Before i knew it i tossed my green baseball t-shirt to the side and reached for a pink top instead. Instead of the usual browns of my make up ritual, i twirled a pink blush upon my cheeks. Damn you winged angel!  Your arrow has struck me down! :)

Alas today is not for the weary. I have a plethora of cleaning to do from yesterdays festivities on top of the normal cleaning. To be honest, it smells like a taco bar died in my kitchen. So boy did i clean. From ceiling to floor i scrubbed, rubbed and beautified. Sadly only making it as far as half way through kitchen before dinner duties pulled me in. Alas more projects tomorrow before ballet.

Ok, enough about me today. Lets do some Averi-ness! She was rather preoccupied most of the day, helping me wipe down walls and finding new places to venture (like behind the moved couch). Besides being her usual cuteness with a hint of attitude, she did nothing out of the ordinary. When night time fell she disappeared into her room for me to find her snuggled up in our rocking chair. I almost fell down the steps trying to hastily get my camera in hopes she doesn't move on. Luckily she was there when i raced up and was actually happy to let me click away as she rocked.Got to love the Kodak moments!
Soon enough, she was washed, read to and whist off to bed with a reminded of ballet tomorrow for extra good sleep. Now here i am, a living room that is tidy and no longer does the dead taco smell haunting this place.

Was today a holiday or something? I don't remember.....



A Happy Reminder: Don't forget to look at the other tabs/pages above as i update them too. 

Feb 13, 2011

Wordless Sundays

Creation & Innovation. A Mom's natural gift.