Showing off Christmas Ornaments from Nana

Nana sent Titus a Criscraft ski boat ornament for this year. Isabele got a "sweet pea" ornament. Here they are showing them off so we can sent a picture and thank-you to Nana.

Titus helping Isabele walk

Isabele has really been working on her walking skills in the last few days. These pictures are from late last week. Titus was helping her walk. Sweet.

House pictures, finally

The dining room from the edge of the kitchen. The chimney is to the left. The kids little project table and the computer desk are now in the dining room. The china cabinet and the dining table are off to the right.
Here's the view from the living room/dining room doorway looking back at the kitchen.

Here's the counter that Brian built for me. 1x3's laminated and then another 1x3 that we steamed and bent to the curve. The double oven is just to the left - you can see a little bit of it. the microwave is on top of the oven cabinet. The dishwasher is under the counter - there was no way to put it on the other side of the kitchen by the sink without tearing out all of the counters and we don't want to do that on this remodel - maybe the next one, although after not having a dishwasher in years, it doesn't really matter where it is :-).
Here you can see the microwave and ovens and dishwasher. We aren't done with the counters by the stove - but what's there is usable while we get the wallpaper off the walls, and then work on painting.

Nothing has been painted yet - so these aren't final pictures, by any means - but a glimpse of what progress has been made so far.

Harry Hat Niner

Nana sent Titus a fake rubber snake the other day in the mail. After a long conversation about where it came from and that Nana put it in the mailman's hand and the mailman brought it to us, I asked him what the snake's name was. He didn't answer, so I said, "I guess the snake's name is 'Snake' the snake". Brian came home and asked him what the snake's name was. After a bit of thought, he said, "Harry Hat Niner". "What is his name Titus?" "Harry Hat Niner".

So, a week later, the snake's name is still Harry Hat Niner.

This week

Titus found Brian's razor, and managed to only cut his finger a little and shave about a 1/4 inch of one of his eyebrows - they're so light it took me a couple days to notice. No worries - I noticed the finger rather promptly, though he never cried and didn't realize he cut himself - just wanted to know what that stuff was on the toy he was playing with.

Isabele can take 2-3 steps holding onto only a spoon. She also climbs on anything she can manage - little chairs, the stairs, Titus' bed. The other day she climbed up on the kids chair next to my computer desk, then up onto their little table, then, if I hadn't picked her up and told her "no", she would have climbed right up onto my computer desk. She climbs the step stool in the kitchen, too. She's not quite big enough to climb out of her bed, or onto the couch or my bed, yet.

For my Birthday, I got a new bicycle!! It's purple and pretty. Brian's finishing up ordering the rest of the parts to update it as he got it off of Craigs List in Tennessee (gotta love being a pilot for a living) from a guy who hadn't used it in 4 or 5 years. It will be wonderful! Brian's also working on wiring in the new used ovens after building the base cabinet for them and then will start on plumbing the new used dishwasher - then the work-space countertop.

The mudding is done in the hallway and the kids room and also the arch in the diningroom/kitchen. Now I need to pick out paint for the hall and the kitchen and prime and paint. Looks like Brian's going to be off most of this coming week, so maybe we can get lots done.

The Things They Say

Titus woke up on the wrong side of the bed from his nap this afternoon. He wasn't crying, but was rather snively and whiny and generally pathetic. Of course, he won't or can't tell me what's wrong. After telling him that he needed to talk normally and stop whining, he said, "The battery from my mouth is dead and my mouth can't talk normally anymore." I asked him where we could put a new battery and got no response. Apparently he hadn't thought through his theory that far. Gotta love 'em, even when they drive you nuts.

Isabele at Dinner Tonight

"Mother said that it is all gone, but I think I can get a little bit more."

Is it working?

"What? You have a problem with my technique?"

"It worked. Mess? What mess? Not me."

"Now I'll just rub my hair a bit."

"Don't look at me. Look over there at Titus."

"I don't know who you thought you were watching, but it wasn't me. I'm innocent."