Updating the house

As you may have heard, we've had new siding put on our house this fall. It's been a very long process (we're still awaiting the final walk through) and we're so very glad that we went ahead with the project.

This is what our house looked like when we moved in 4 years ago.

This past year, much of the siding was rotting and warping. We decided to redo the entire house and as we did, discovered that there was no paper wrapping between the plywood and siding. Hopefully, this new siding (and Tyvek wrap underneath) will last for 15 years or so.

Here is our house with the new siding and before paint.

With the entire house getting a fresh coat of paint, we wanted to pick out a new color scheme. And of course, that turned out to be very intimidating and a bit nerve racking. I mean, it's not like a pet's name, which you can try out for a few days and then change if it doesn't sound right. But, I think we did ok and I really like the new look.

(It looks kind of yellow here, but it's light gray with dark gray trim and dark blue doors and shutters.)

The previous owners left a bunch of paint cans in the basement, all from 2008. Which means that we are long overdue for an interior facelift as well. Subsequently, I have started the VERY long process of repainting the inside of our house. Over fall break (just a 4 day weekend) I decided to repaint the dining room and our bedroom.

I've never liked the dark red dining room, it alway felt like a bordello and was extremely warm under the chandelier.

The walls were striped with the same color red in glossy and matte paint. I'm sure it took a long time, but meh, not my cup of tea.

Also, the white walls below the chair rail were very dingy and scuffed.

A couple gallons of primer and paint later.

It's a very light tan on the top and a dark blue on the bottom.

We're now on the hunt for some artwork to hang on our bare walls. But I love it. It feels bigger and cleaner and less oppressive.

This was our bedroom the week we moved in.

And here it is half primed. It was at this point that I began to feel as if this whole project was a bad idea. There's nothing like your home being in complete chaos to make you feel overwhelmed.

But, it was totally worth it. Better than a deep clean.

It's a very light gray with blue undertones.

The entire room feels more elegant, lighter, and fresher.

The rest of the house really needs to be updated, but it's such a big job. Hopefully if I just do it bit by bit, I won't get too burned out.

To his credit, Aleks did try to help. He started to tape some molding until I swooped in and encouraged him to just take care of the kids.

I just can't help my perfectionist tendencies. I may have used one of the girls' crafting paintbrushes to touch up here and there...

Kindergarten

We are now 3 months into kindergarten and I am whole heartedly feeling like it is simultaneously the most wonderful and worst thing in the world.

Maia has always been a verbal and precocious little being, but kindergarten has just fueled and intensified her personality. She is like a little sponge, just soaking up all interactions with her friends. Maia comes home with new sayings every day. If we're Facebook friends, you might have read some of the things she has recently said.

Tyler is the most prominent contributor of these new sayings. Namely "dangit" "sexy lady" and the story that his "older brother hit him in the penis once."

At Maia's parent teacher conference we got very positive feedback: Maia is ahead of where she needs to be, follows directions well, and is a leader in the classroom. As a result Mrs. Hays sometimes puts Maia with the kids who are a bit rascally.

Tyler also said to Maia, "Say poop two times. I won't tell."

And that sums up why kindergarten is the worst and the best.

I listen with rapt attention and eager delight to hear what Maia has to tell us. It's the best. So entertaining and interesting. And it's also a little nerve racking. How strong is her moral compass? Today it's "poop" but before I know it there will be temptations to do things that have much more serious consequences.

I asked Maia what she thought she'd be like as a teenager. Maia thought for a moment and then said "natural."

All I can think to do is keep the dialogue open and enjoy the maturity and silliness that comes as Maia steps into each new phase of life.

I'll leave you with this conversation Maia had with Aleks the other day:

"Daddy, I love balls, but not the kind you play with...

...the kind you dance at!"

I mean really, what other kinds of balls are there?!

Busy, busy bees

Lately I've been feeling the enormity of life. All of it's possibilities and responsibilities swirl through my head leaving me simultaneously exhausted and invigorated. And mostly I'm just trying to keep everyone in clean clothes and fed.

We have fall break on Monday and Tuesday and I'm going to paint the dining room and our bedroom.  Yesterday I emptied out the china hutch and started taping. Just that little bit was a nice change from the monotony of work and home life.

Our bordello dining room will soon be no more!

I also have a couple of Anna and Elsa capes I need to make before Halloween, so we'll see how productive I can be this weekend.

Meanwhile, our house is newly sided and is in the process of being painted. We settled on a light gray color with darker gray trim and dark blue for the door and shutters. The painters came two days ago to caulk and apply primer. They put plastic over all our windows and doors, which makes it seem as if it's perpetually foggy outside. A cool front blew in today and I've been dying to open up the house, but we also got rain and now I'm sure we won't have any painters at our house until Tuesday. Do you think I could tear down some of the plastic? The night after they caulked, our house was filled with paint fumes and I kept waking up in the middle of the night worried we were all being poisoned.

Here it is before the primer went on.

Yesterday Maia came home from school and said "Erin doesn't like me. She says I talk too much." When I asked how that made her feel, she said "Sad." I told her that not everyone was going to like her and that I thought she was special and a wonderful friend. She seemed to bounce back pretty quickly because the next thing out of her mouth was "How come you guys don't let me play Minecraft? Gracee plays it. Have you heard of it? Do you think it's too hard for me or what? Just tell me." Then, "Let me show you something Tyler taught me. Give me five. Up high. Down low. To the side. To the other side. In the middle. Up high. In space. In your face. HAHAHAHAHA!" And earlier  she was trying out some new words she had learned: "You know what I dangit?" Where did you hear that Maia? "At school, Tyler said it." Aleks said "that Tyler sounds like a bit of a troublemaker." Maia was quick to tell us "no! He's very kind to me. He was only inappropriate once, when he told me to say poop. He's my friend, I like him. He's funny."

Kindergarten is the best. I'm so glad Maia likes to tell us things,

While Maia is opening her arms to the world, running full force, Ruby is more reserved. Taking everything in quietly and feeling so very deeply all that she encounters. There have been a few tears over going to school and some days she needs cuddles and hugs more than others. Ruby is going to be my athletic one. She loves to race ahead of us on her scooter while we are walking Isabelle. She's got incredible upper body strength and an amazing throwing arm.

Lately it feels as if I'm zooming from one place to the next, constantly working. When I'm not in the car or working, I'm at home getting things prepared so that when I am working the house can run smoothly. It was the article floating around Facebook that made me realize I'm not a stay at home mom anymore and that I don't have to try and do it all. Once that lightbulb went off, I understood why I haven't been particularly happy the past few months. And it took some of the pressure off. So now, I'm making sure that there is a bit more leisure time in my life, which does not include playing with my kids or working out, but more reading and painting and projects.

Happy weekend friends.