almost!

 The kitchen flooring is almost done.  The downstairs hallway is halfway done.  We still need the trim, and the stairs are a project for another day, but hopefully not in the too distant future.  (We're ripping off the carpet, and instead of replacing it, we'll sand and stain some tread/boards, then water based polyurethane matte finish, then just paint the risers white).  

I want to wait until it's all done and back in order to show how nice it is, but here's one from right now:

We've cleaned and dusted and wiped things down, but there is still so much dust, have to wait until it's finished to really clean up.   

Cartoons with grandpa!

Waffle bowls with whipped cream for breakfast, these two had a sleepover!  They slept on the futon in the living room and I slept on the couch across from them.  It was midnight when they finally settled in, but they are so cute.  They woke up at 8:20, not too bad.  (The waffle bowls:  I bought the waffle bowl iron/maker at the thrift store recently for three dollars, it looked like it had never been used.  The boys were delighted.)

Today has been an absolute delight.  I stayed home and organized things.  You cannot tell, the place is still topsy turvy, as the floor isn't quite done yet, but I cleaned out the two junk drawers, the spice cabinet/medicine cupboard (the winner was a 2012 script for Camille, a cough med, do NOT know how that survived all the clean outs ha).  The cupboard that stores the coffee, tea, peanut butter, nuts, ect., also got a nice clean out, as well as the lower cabinets where all the pesky storage containers are.  

Now I'm tired.  :). But, I still have to make dinner.  We're having fajitas, so it won't be too hard.  Charlotte Claire and Camille are both doing school work, and Jonathan is home from work now, working on the kitchen floor.  I shall finish my afternoon coffee and get busy on dinner in just a few minutes.  My comfy chair is extra comfy right now...

Today is Emily Anne's birthday.  I became a mother 39 years ago, on a freezing cold day in January.  Emily was absolutely perfect.  Her birth, well...not so perfect, although it ended well enough, a beautiful healthy baby girl, the most beautiful baby ever born.  She was transverse, so after signing all the papers for a possible c-section, into the OR/Delivery room I went, and was put to sleep for a mid-forceps delivery.   I will be kind, and not go into details of the...never mind.  But the healing up was rough.  These days, no doctor would attempt that, would they?

Anyway.  I woke up briefly to Paul crying happy tears, and I asked what time it was.  Then I asked him if it was better than shooting a deer.  Then I woke up again and I was in a room, looking at my inky fingers from the fingerprinting they do, is that still done?  Paul was holding her, saying, "We have a girl first, a baby girl!"  I said, "FIRST?  I am NOT doing that again!"  Well.  um.

Emily grew up way too fast.  She could read when she was four, and Paul told her she couldn't turn five, she had to stay four on every birthday.  She didn't listen.  

Her idea of a good birthday is probably staying home and not having to go anyplace in the evening.  But I am going to get her something, and stop over sometime.  Her house is warm and cozy, a perfect place for a winter visit.  

Ah well, as with every sit in the comfy chair, it must end sometime, and it's time to get up and move again.    There's dinner to be made and it won't make itself.  (Paul is cleaning up the scrap linoleum and taking care of the flooring boxes...it's been a very busy few days here at our big dusty house!).   Have a good evening, stay warm!