Intriguing book

Our book club is reading Devil in the White City for January's discussion, and I must say, this book is so fascinating! It's a story based on the true tales of two men who lived in Chicago in the late 1800s. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good story -- murder, mystery, and a lot of interesting history.

As one of the critics says, I am amazed I haven't already heard the details of this story!

Happy New Year!

It has been a whirlwind holiday season for us! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was filled with joy and celebration! The day began at 4:09 a.m.

Brendan (after running into our room): Mom, has Santa come yet?
Mom (half-asleep): Honey, I don't know. I'm asleep. But I bet it's still too early.
Brendan: OK, I'll go to the bathroom now.
(Rather odd. He never goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night.)
Brendan (nearly 5 minutes later): Mom, can I go check?
Mom: Oh no, you should go back to sleep in case Santa hasn't been here yet.
Brendan: OK!


Amazingly, Brendan went back to sleep and didn't wake until almost 7:30 a.m. I doubt we'll be so lucky next year!


All of the children enjoyed their gifts. Kelsey received several new outfits, which she desperately needed. Ryan and Brendan loved their new Elephant & Piggie book and Knufflebunny Too. Other favorites: a Knights castle, complete with red dragon; a parking garage taller than Ryan; an assortment of new cars from Cars; adorable new bath towels and rugs; and so many other wonderful gifts.


We managed to arrive at church Christmas morning. and only 10 minutes late! Within two minutes, Ryan was saying (rather loudly), "I wanna go home." He wasn't feeling well, as evidenced by a fever on Christmas Eve. Later in the day, we had a delicious Christmas feast.

After Christmas, our family -- my parents, sister and niece -- arrived from Oklahoma. The kids loved having them around, and having a house filled with guests reminded me of many childhood Christmases spent at my grandparents' or aunts' and uncles' houses. Kylie Jo, as we call my niece, played so well with the children. She's grown into quite a young lady (at the age of 11!).

They left Sunday, so we're starting the New Year on our own. I hope 2008 brings as much joy as 2007 did. Happy New Year!

Holiday parties

Brendan's kindergarten class celebrated the holiday season with a party Thursday. Really, it was a regular day disguised with holiday-like activities, with a bonus movie to end the day. I was able to attend thanks to a day off and a helpful, last-minute sitter.




Activities included making a house out of graham crackers, frosting, M&Ms, and wafers; bean-bag toss with chocolates as a reward; ornament-making center; creating snowflake frames; and a fun, thrilling game of musical chairs that was highlighted by Mrs. Benedict's attempt to step over the chairs to stay in the game. She was out, but the children thought she was rather funny.

Brendan measures oatmeal and glitter for his reindeer magic food.

Brendan enjoys a treat -- ice cream! -- after all of the party activities.

On Friday, we welcomed the Newmans and Galloways for our own children's Christmas party. With eight children ranging in ages eight weeks to 5 years, I wasn't sure we'd keep everyone entertained. But they all seemed to have fun. Our activities: decorating stockings with foam stickers, decorating sugar cookies and eating M&Ms. I think Ellie, Ryan and Cara most enjoyed eating the M&Ms! We also exchanged small gifts. The boys were delighted to get some new Play-doh and accessories. It's kept us busy all morning!

Ryan, Kelsey and Brendan wait with anticipation for our guests to arrive.

The children decorate sugar cookies, baked in shapes of snowflakes, trees, and gingerbread men. Ryan's cookie was most interesting: no frosting but a bottle of green sprinkles dumped on top. Cara (front, right) was most careful with her decorating and created two beautiful cookies.

Ellie (right) decorates her sugar cookie while Kelsey looks on.

Top-rated wines

From the Galloway's wine-tasting party, our scores on a 1-5 scale (with favorites in bold):

• La Famiglia Pinot Grigio: Laura 5; Ken 4.
• Kendall Jackson Chardonnay: Laura 3; Ken 3.
• Zeal Sauvignon Blanc: Laura 3; Ken 4.
• Pacific Rim Dry Riesling: Laura 4; Ken 5. This was a top-scorer for both, but we agreed we preferred the other 4/5s.
• Davis Bynum Fume Blanc: Laura 2-3; Ken 4.
• Anna Bella Cabernet Sauvignon: Laura 3; Ken 4.
• Angeline Red Pinot Noir: Laura 4-5; Ken 4.
• Altos Las Hormigas Malbec: Laura 3; Ken 2.
• Casa Lapostolle Merlot: Laura 2; Ken 3.
• Annie's Lane Shiraz: Laura 4; Ken 3.
• Villa Vitale Chianti: Laura 3-4; Ken 2.

Interestingly, we both enjoyed the pinot wines best. Ken isn't a wine-drinker, but he was surprised that he enjoyed many of the offerings.

December

This month has flown by, and I haven't blogged about much of it at all! First, our nanny had to quit, forcing us to find someone new. While we search, we've had wonderful help from Ken's mom and my sister. They both have been great and given us much comfort knowing the kids were happy and content while we worked each day.

Grandma and Brendan walk to school on a snowy day. It's been very cold here lately! We had 8-10 inches of snow last weekend, though it's finally starting to melt.

During that time, we visited Three Cedars Farm with Grandma. We missed Santa but enjoyed playing in Santaland, drinking hot chocolate, eating delicious donuts and taking photos by the tractor.

Santaland is in the upstairs loft of an old barn. It's nicely decorated, complete with Santa's list of "good" kids.

With Aunt Jen, we attended the children's Christmas party presented by Ken's office. This is an annual event that the kids enjoy so much. Santa brought Brendan a Power Ranger, which was on his top five list in his letter to Santa. What luck! Santa brought Ryan some Hot Wheels and Kelsey a new bath toy. The children were all thrilled.

Kelsey didn't mind sitting with Santa, but looked at him with much curiosity!

Brendan shows his disappointment early as Santa delivers gifts to the youngest children first. Sitting next to him are friends Cara (left) and Ellie.

Ken and I also enjoyed two Saturday nights' out this month. Wow! One evening we had dinner at Deadwood's Bar & Grill in Northville. (A side note: I really shouldn't be linking to CitySearch to describe Deadwood's, as they are officially our competition. The Detroit Free Press will venture into a new world in March as we launch our own MetroMix site. Look for it in your city or one that you're visiting soon.) Though their specialty is game, they had plenty more to offer. I enjoyed pork chops and Ken loved the ribs. The second evening we attended a wine-tasting party at our friends' Suzanne and Gary. We tried some great wines, and even Ken -- more of a beer drinker -- said he enjoyed a couple. (More on this later.) There were 11 couples attending, so it was a great evening to chat, relax and try new wines without little ones running wild.

Finally, Kelsey received an early Christmas present for Grammy and Papa last week -- a new highchair cover and tray! Her Prima Papa chair didn't have a "girlie" option, though I'm not sure that's what she would have wanted. But this design gives it a more modern and cleaner look. She certainly seems pleased.

The excitement is building

Kelsey, though unaware that Christmas is coming, still has plenty of joy to share with us. She discovers something new each day and surprises us with what she can do!

This house is full of energy! Age 5 has to be the best for Christmas. Brendan knows just enough to be wowed by the magic, spirit and excitement of Christmas, but isn't old enough to be disappointed or materialistic. He's also quite fascinated by the story of baby Jesus and asks several questions daily.

Ryan gets excited, though the concept of Christmas is beyond him. No doubt, he'll be thrilled when he realizes presents are part of the equation. For now, he likes discovering candy in the advent calendar each day.

Last year, I said that we'd wait another year, possibly two, to watch The Polar Express with Brendan. We gave it a go this week. He earned it -- 10 stars for good choices awarded by Aunt Jen -- and watched the movie with his aunt while the younger children napped one day. He said the beginning was a little scary, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.


The fun won't stop after Christmas for us, either. A day or so later, Grammy, Papa, Aunt Amy, cousin Kylie and maybe Aunt Jenn will arrive after driving from Oklahoma. They'll stay for 4-5 days. We're thrilled, particularly to see Kylie. The kids had so much fun together this summer, and at age 11, Kylie has matured and grown into a fabulous pre-teen. She's helpful, sweet and patient with the little ones. And no doubt, she'll be giving Kelsey beauty and fashion secrets already.

One more day

Tomorrow is my last day of work before I enjoy a few days off for the holidays. The timing is good, since we're filling holes in child care while we search for a new nanny.

I'm thrilled because it means I can finish final details for the holidays. I'll be cleaning for next week's visitors, planning our Christmas dinner (and other meals), wrapping gifts, checking in with Santa to see if he has everything covered for the Healys, baking cookies and doing tons of laundry.

On Friday, our dear friends the Newmans and Galloways are coming over for a small Christmas party. It's just the kids and moms, but it's a way for us to exchange small gifts and say, "Merry Christmas!" I have a few crafts planned for the children.

My goal, however, is not to stress too much over these holiday preparations. I want to enjoy these days. I almost always get sick after the holidays because I've overstressed myself, but this time I'm going to take many deep breaths.

And that begins now ... Good night!

Supporting a friend

Steve and Tyra, our dear friends in Texas, are going through a most difficult time. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. You can learn more here.

Red, white & blue

The eight colors in a box of Presidential crayons, available at the White House gift shop:

• U.S. Mint


• Cherry blossom


• Lincoln penny


• White House


• Presidential seal gold


• Monument gray


• Rockets red glare


• Liberty blue

(Hubby was in DC last week for training, and visited an old friend at the White House. She now works for President Bush. She arranged a White House tour and gave each of the children a box of Presidential crayons.)

Interesting product for nursing moms

If you nurse your baby and like to have an occasional adult beverage, you might find this product helpful. Of course, it's not wise to drink alcohol while pregnant or nursing, but doctors have long said that an occasional glass of wine or beer isn't harmful. (In European countries, women are encouraged to have up to three glasses.) This is one way to find out for yourself.

(P.S. -- I have not used this product. I only saw an advertisement online.)

Waving and a joyous child

First, Kelsey started waving today. This is noteworthy to me because I haven't a clue when Brendan and Ryan started waving. Maybe it's written in their baby books, but I doubt it.

We were at Pump It Up this afternoon in my attempt to completely exhaust the boys before bedtime. Basically, this place is a room (or rooms) full of inflatables. Lots of fun. Anyway, I was holding Kelsey while we walked around, watching the boys jump like crazy kids. I noticed she kept flicking her wrist and bending her fingers. At first, I thought she was trying to grab her sleeve. But she repeated it several times, mostly when the boys were watching. So I waved to her a few times, and she did it right back.

At bedtime, I told the boys they had to wave goodnight to Kelsey, and sure enough, she waved back!

Second story: Our house has lots of photos of Brendan as a baby. There are a few of Ryan, though not nearly as many. And recently, we've added some of Kelsey (though even fewer of her). So Ryan goes around the house all the time pointing to pictures and identifying who's in them. He apparently tired of hearing me always say, "That's Brendan." So now, every photo is Brendan in Ryan's world, if it's not Brendan.

Yesterday morning, I finally put a photo in our calendar for December. I'm a little behind, I know. I chose an adorable photo of Ryan from our summer visit to King's Island (the one of him with Pablo). His face is angelic! Ryan spotted the photo on the kitchen refrigerator from the other side of the living room. He started screaming with joy, "Ryan! Ryan! That's Ryan!" It's as if he had spent years and years waiting to see one photo of himself in our house. Poor child. I really must get more photos of him around the house.

How I saved my fridge

That world wide web, it is something special. I bet you didn't know that it's capable of saving your fridge? Really. Seriously. Read on.

The last two days, hubbie and I have noticed an odd smell emanating from the fridge. At first, I thought my nose was hypersensitive because of a sinus infection. Then hubbie noticed the ice from our ice dispenser tasted of this smell. (After a lengthy discussion about the smell during dinner last night, Brendan claimed that his treasured blankies also had this "smell.") Hubbie likened the smell to burning birthday candles. It reminded me more of flat-out burning plastic without the sweetness of birthdays.

So I turned to my world wide web, google.com, in fact. What could my fellow web users tell me about burning plastic in a fridge? The first finding: Some woman explained how her fridge almost caught on fire because of an overheated engine of some sort. Possible. The second finding: I almost neglected to read this one, because she described a Kenmore fridge, while we have a Maytag. But I continued. The writer explained that she noticed the smell of burning plastic, and found glow sticks had fallen in her freezer's defrost heater vent. They had melted into the heater. Hmmm ...

Turns out, as every good American should, we have glow sticks in our freezer! (Don't you know -- that makes them reuseable?) Several of them. Leftovers from our neighborhood party in September. I made hubbie read the two possible issues I had uncovered, and he promptly went to the freezer to discover one red glow stick stuck in our defrost heater vent. We pulled it out before it caused much damage, other than a lovely smell that will take a couple of weeks to eliminate. (The posting also mentioned putting an open can of coffee in the freezer to help with the smell.)

I can't thank that wonderful woman who posted her fridge problem online enough, and I especially love the geniuses at google for making information so darn accessible. My friend, the world wide web.

Kelsey at seven months

On Saturday, Kelsey hit seven months. This is truly one of my favorite ages, as Kelsey is generally happy (except when teething), her personality is developing, she's easily entertained, and she's changing with each day.

Kelsey at seven months ...

• Her two bottom teeth are finally coming in!
• She's added squash, sweet potatoes, oatmeal cereal, and bananas to her menu. She devours bananas. We haven't fed her peas or anything else green since she showed some signs of an allergic reaction. (So hard to know for sure when she was also teething and fighting a stomach bug.)
• She's taking a bottle now. Hooray! She has two bottles on the days when I'm working at the office.
• She loves bathtime. Loves it.
• She bounces like crazy in her exersaucer, and really enjoyed playing in her friend Jackson's new Rainforest bounceroo. Seriously, she could launch into space in that bounceroo!
• She talks lots and has learned to adjust her volume (read: get louder) when the boys are loud.
• Brendan and Ryan have been coughing lots lately. It's that time of year. On Sunday night, Kelsey spent all of dinner coughing. Not because she needed to cough, but because she noticed her brothers doing it. Already trying to catch up to her brothers!
• She's sleeping very well, though often wakes at 4 a.m. Letting Brendan cry it out was so much easier. Now, hubby and I worry that she'll wake the other kids, and we're just a little softer!
• She naps twice a day, though the afternoons can be a stretch for her on some days. Occasionally, she sneaks in a third nap.
• She's not crawling yet, but she is making her way across a room through other means, such as by rolling or inching her way on her belly. I'm always amazed when I find her in her bed exactly 180 degrees in the other direction. It's as if someone picked her and flipped her.
• She's sitting up but definitely needs support or she'll tumble over eventually.

Photo to come soon!

And a tiger says ...

The other night, Ryan was in the bathtub with Kelsey. We decided to make animal noises in an effort to entertain Kelsey. So I asked Ryan, "What sound does a cow make?" He answered, "Moo."

We ran through a dozen animals, and then I asked, "What sound does a tiger make?" Without hesitation, Ryan answered, "I don't want to take a bath!"

Readers of the Little Tiger series may recall the book, "I don't want to take a bath," in which Little Tiger says at least a half-dozen times that he won't bathe.

Clever kid.

Writers' strike

I need the writers' strike to end now. It's been two weeks since the Grey's Anatomy writers have posted a blog after a show. I need that blog! It offers such great insight. I would love to hear more about last night's episode, with the complete parallel of the high school bus crash victims and the hospital staff. The show has always just been high school in scrubs, which is one reason we can all relate to it so well.

Start your sewing machines!

Tomorrow night the long-awaited fourth season of Project Runway begins. (Doesn't it seem like it's been too long since last season?) This is one of my favorite reality shows, and I'm NOT a reality show junkie. I believe there are a couple of designers from Dallas, so I'll be cheering for the Lone Star State connection as long as they merit it.

What I love about this show is that it actually requires true talent. I am always in awe of people who design and sew clothes. (My mother has an excellent sewing ability, which sadly was not passed along to me.) Maybe that's why the show is more intriguing for me. And what is not to love about Tim Gunn?

And if you're really into this show, check out this blog that is insane with information about every season. No idea who these people are, but I love the blog.

On a side note: In today's Detroit Free Press story about reality shows, it lists The Bachelor as lowbrow reality. Come on! What is so lowbrow about 25 women acting in desperation (exemplified by sorority house-like behavior and fueled by many, many cocktails) and claiming their love for a guy they've spent two minues with in three weeks? Lowbrow, perhaps, but totally worth it!

Kelsey at six months

I'm a couple of weeks behind but wanted to share a bit about Kelsey at six months old:

• She's eating rice cereal and has recently added carrots and peas to her menu.


• While learning how to eat solids, she has also discovered her tongue. It's very difficult to feed a baby when she is constantly sticking out her tongue throughout the meal!


• She's teething ... terribly. I expect her first tooth to appear any day now. Until then, we're (she's) enduring endless BMs (TMI, I know), diaper rash, and general fussiness.


• She hasn't been taking a bottle, but began with some exposure last week. Today, I can happily report that she scarfed down nearly three ounces and cried for more.


• She loves to blow bubbles.


• She loves finding her feet during diaper changes and trying to get her toes into her mouth. Too bad her Aunt Amy isn't nearby. She'd be eating those toes every day!


• Kelsey does an impressive push-up. (She has the upper-arm strength to support this, believe me.)


• She's quite the roly poly, having discovered how to roll from her belly to her back now. Turn your back, and she'll have rolled halfway across the room.


• I can see the wheels turning in her little mind when she's playing on her tummy. She'll be crawling very soon.


• She still naps twice a day: one morning nap that begins about two hours after she wakes and one afternoon nap that begins around noon or 12:30. She could stand a late afternoon nap most days, but she's not convinced.


• Her brothers still absolutely adore her.

Halloween fun

Grammy and the kids

Brendan walks with his class during Gallimore Elementary's Halloween Parade. Brendan is the Special (silver) Power Ranger in the middle.

Kelsey, dressed as Tigger, with Grammy during Trick-or-Treat night in downtown Plymouth. The costume was cousin Kylie's. I think she looks like her cousin in this photo.

Last Friday, we attended a Halloween party at our friend Jen's house. (She's a friend from my book club.) The party was fabulous, though Ryan didn't wear a costume. We tried several, including this Woody outfit.

Brendan and Ryan are ready to go on Halloween night. In the end, Ryan agreed to wear a firefighter's jacket.

Soccer & pumpkins

Kelsey cheers for her big brother during Brendan's final soccer game. The season started and ended with rainy, cold, windy weather. (That's why she's wearing the adorable, hand-knitted hat from a good friend of ours.)

Brendan (right) huddles with the team during the final game. He'll play indoor soccer with this crew in January. Thankfully, it's only games, no practices. Practices were a little more difficult to endure.

A week ago, we visited the pumpkin patch with Grammy and Papa. It was a beautiful fall day. Cool and crisp.

Brendan and Ryan do their scary monster imitations. It's just not the same without audio!

Brendan and Dad trace a pirate flag onto one of three pumpkins. Now I remember why carving pumpkins was so fun as a child. The parents do all of the work!

Colorado & family

Grandma and Grandpa Healy with all of their grandchildren in Colorado.

Brendan (right) and cousin John Mitchell play superheroes. This was one of many costume changes.

Grandma and her granddaughter, Kelsey, who had just turned six months.

Kelsey tries cereal for the first time. She's since moved on to peas and carrots. So far, carrots are the fav.

Whew!

I have so much to say and no time to say it! It doesn't help that I keep waiting to download photos from the past few weeks so I can share some images, but I can't find the time. So I'm just going to dive right in with updates, and hopefully photos will follow soon ...

• The bathroom is finished! It's been so for a few weeks. As my hubbie says, "We now have an adult bathroom." We love it. It's amazing to us how changing the layout has transformed the space. Even though the shower is so much larger (about the size of a small tub), there is more space to move around elsewhere. Any regrets? Only one. Our showerhead is of the rain variety, and its shape doesn't allow the water to reach the bench seat. Oh well.
• Two weeks ago, we visited the Colorado Healys in Denver. Ken's brother recently rejoined the Army Reserves and will be heading to Afghanistan soon. We spent four days with them and with Grandma and Grandpa, who flew in from Dallas. Brendan loved playing with his older cousin, John Mitchell. They played Star Wars, superheroes, Legos and much more. It was fun to see them bond.
• And just to remind me that winter is approaching, it snowed on our final day in Denver. We spent 45 extra minutes on the plane, waiting for it to be de-iced. The poor gentleman next to me spent that 45 minutes uncomfortably fidgeting in his chair as I nursed Kelsey, then surely couldn't miss the smell of her dirty diaper. (I tried to hide it by laying her on Brendan's lap to change her and putting my back to the gentleman.) He was as nice as could be, but I felt bad! Turns out, he was friendlier than the woman who sat next to Ryan and hubby. She didn't utter one word to them, despite Ryan being the absolute best-behaved (and certainly cutest) 2-year-old on any plane ... ever.
• Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer in Brendan's classroom. What fun! Mrs. Benedict quickly put me to work. (Thankfully I knew what "touch reading" was so I didn't have to ask!) I helped the students draw their own Pumpkin Circle books, based on the story of the same name. Then we used touch reading to review the story. I enjoyed meeting other students and learning more about how the classroom works. Now I can interpret more of what Brendan tells me after school each day. I will be able to return once a month since I am working from home (see below).
• Brendan played in his final soccer game Saturday. He showed off quite well for Grammy and Papa, who made it in from Oklahoma City to see their star. Afterwards, the team celebrated a hard-fought season with donuts, hot chocolate, and hot cider.
• I returned to work on Monday. Grammy is sticking around for two weeks to help with the kids while I transition back to the office. My boss has agreed to let me ease back into my routine. I'll work 4 days for a total of 30 hours per week. Two of those days will be at home. At the end of January, I'll ramp up to full-time, but will hopefully continue working a couple of days at home.
• As a result of my return to work, we're in search of a nanny. We're using the website enannysource.com, which has worked well so far. I hope to interview our top candidates Friday and make a decision this weekend.
• Finally, today was a wonderful Halloween celebration. Power Ranger Brendan was exhausted tonight after trick-or-treating. He should be! Not only did we make the rounds tonight, but he also participated in a Halloween party and parade at school, and we went to downtown Plymouth last night for trick-or-treating. Needless to say, I'm taking a sack full of candy to work Monday. We have way too much!

Whew! Isn't that enough?

Almost complete

We're one step closer to a finished, remodeled master bathroom. All that remains are the final plumbing details -- connecting the plumbing for the sinks and shower. Today, we had a beautiful verde butterfly granite countertop installed by Rock Tops. They did a nice job and didn't bang up the cabinets or walls with this huge piece of rock.

So now I can unveil the bathroom with some photos:

Taking photos of small spaces is never easy. This is a view from one of two entrances to the master bathroom. This door leads to the laundry room and garage. Our previous bathroom did not have double sinks. No more fighting over the sink!

This is a view from the master bedroom doorway. The shower used to be the toilet's location. We added a light above the shower, which definitely helps lighten the space. It certainly helped the past week as I sat in there for hours, sealing the grout.

A closer look at the vanity mirror and sink. The walls are painted Softened Green, which matches our master bedroom.

The toilet -- nothing glamorous here! We chose to do beadboard wainscoting around the toilet. It really helps brighten the space.

A fair attempt at a close-up of the granite. This stone has quite a bit of green in it, hence the name "verde butterfly."

"Eat, Pray, Love"

This month, my book club is reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love." You must read it. Well, you don't have to unless you are interested in reading a book that could profoundly change the way you think or at least challenge you a little.

I am not a deeply religious person, but I was moved by Gilbert's spiritual journey. And amazed.

More importantly, though, the book opened my eyes and heart to what some people closest in my life must have encountered while enduring a divorce. To anyone who has ever felt that they needed a change or has asked, "What do I really, really, really want in my life?" or strives for inner peace, then this book is worth reading.

More low-key birthday fun

Thursday we celebrated my birthday in yet another low-key celebration. I decided not to cook on my day, so we made it Pizza Night in my honor. (Friday is always Pizza Night in our house.) Afterward we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood (until Brendan took off so fast on his Big Wheel that he couldn't even hear me screaming his name).

Once back at the house, we enjoyed more of our homemade cake from Ken's birthday. It is amazing how low-key a birthday can become as life moves on. I'm thankful I was able to spend the day with my children and for the summer-like weather we had. I'm also thankful for all of my wonderful family and friends who sent me birthday wishes that day!

Birthdays & bathrooms

Happy birthday to Ken! He celebrates today. We made it a low-key day, with homemade cards from the boys and me, a delicious home-cooked dinner, and cake prepared and decorated specially by us. Hope he enjoyed it!

Bathroom update: Well, the bathroom is nearly finished. I will wait to post more pictures because we are only lacking the countertop and faucets. Those will be installed on Monday. I'll post photos then, of the complete look. We are very pleased, though!

To pass the time waiting on the countertop, I have spent my evenings and some afternoons sealing the grout. What fun! Why don't they include this in the tile installation, especially since it's required? Who knows, but it's definitely taking more time than I anticipated.

Getting closer

I'm running a day behind on my bathroom updates, which I'm sure is so disappointing to my readers! Below are photos of the completed, tiled shower. Of course, we'll be adding a shower door. I can definitely see why the current trend is to go without a door. Who would want to hide such beautiful tile? (And imagine if you get the expensive stone tiles!)

Today the contractor worked furiously to paint and install beadboard, trim and a vanity cabinet. It was fun to see the various colors in the room come together. I only had a picture in my mind of how I thought everything would come together, but I had my doubts!

The countertop company, Rock Tops, also created a template so our granite can be cut and installed within the next two weeks. Tomorrow, we'll see the finishing touches: lights, shower doors, another coat of paint here and there, and accessories such as a towel bar.

So far, we are very pleased with our contractor, Ron Parko. Believe it or not, we found him on the Internet. The fact that he had a website that was somewhat decent encouraged me to call. From that phone call on, he has been the most professional contractor we have ever dealt with. At least from our experiences, he is atypical in his profession. Let's just say that he said he'd finish the job in two weeks, and he'll come under that timeline. It's not from luck; he's kept everything running on track since day one. We plan to be repeat customers.

A view of the shower, looking toward the bench seat.

In the corner above the bench, there are two shelves for soap and shampoo.

A closer view of the accent tile.

Five months old!

Kelsey is five months old today. It's hard to believe that five months have passed since she was born. It also is hard to believe I have to return to work in a month. But focusing on happier topics ... Kelsey at five months:

• She is beginning to sit up more. If you partially recline her in a stroller, she tries to pull herself up.
• She's handling her toys better now, moving them around a little better.
• She rolls from her back to stomach with ease.
• She'll stand on her feet with lots of support from Mom.
• Kelsey mostly smiles and laughs. She tends to laugh most when her brothers are entertaining her or she's getting lots of kisses.
• She naps anywhere from 2-4 times per day. Within the past two weeks, she has started taking a 2-3 hour nap around noon. She'll nurse, fall asleep, then move to her bed and sleep until 3 or so. This doesn't happen every day, of course. Her other naps are mostly catnaps.
• She goes to bed between 7-8 without too much fuss and sleeps until 3-5. She'll nurse and go back to sleep until 7 or so. (The other night she slept from 7:30-6:15 and I was in heaven! A full night's sleep!
• She loves her exersaucer, her main source of entertainment in the playroom.
• Kelsey will sit and watch my water bottle or drink through dinnertime.

Soon, she'll start cereal. I think she's ready. She watches with great interest when we're eating these days.

Laughing Kelsey

Can you see her chubby thighs?

Progress

The bathroom renovation project moved quickly this week. An update:

• The vanity is in! Yeah!
• We have a fully tiled shower and floor now. We're very pleased with it, because we find ourselves constantly looking at it.
• This week, the cosmetic touches will be completed, such as painting, installing the light fixtures, and vanity.
• On Tuesday, the granite guys (ooh, catchy name) will measure for our countertop. So that will be installed within the next two weeks, hopefully.

Some photos from the past week:

A view into the attic from the bathroom. It's amazing how quickly that room warmed without insulation above.

The shower is framed, including a bench seat that my husband is eager to have.

Drywall is installed on the walls, and half of the floor is tiled. Unfortunately, our contractor underestimated how much floor tile we needed. So I had to make a trip back to the tile shop. Then we made one more trip back when the tilers broke one of our shower shelves. Ugh.

Turn your head to the left and you'll see a partially tiled shower.

How much will that cost?

The master bathroom has been a hot spot in our house the past few days. We've had the plumber, contractor and his assistant, electrician and his assistant, inspectors, and tilers (I'm sure that's not the correct terminology) working throughout this week. Right now, it's actually quiet in the house. And I'm really enjoying it.

The good news is, our contractor is keeping this project to his timeline. He worked until 8 p.m. last night to do so. We also now have a framed shower stall complete with bench seat, lights and a fan installed, the plumbing lines reworked, and drywall with insulation. The bathroom is taking shape.

The bad news is, well, where can I start? First, it's not all that bad! But as with any project, there are surprises or delays you can't anticipate.

• Our vanity cabinet still isn't in. That's not good, because our countertop will be installed 2-3 weeks after our vanity arrives. Ugh. More than likely, by the end of next week, we'll have everything in the bathroom finished and ready to use, except we won't have a countertop.
• Ah, the inspectors. We chose to use a contractor who pulls permits, thus requiring inspections. We felt it was the right thing to do. But we also knew that we would be opening ourselves up to scrutiny in other parts of the home. Sure enough, we're now spending an additional $200 to add two outlets in the garage, which will accommodate the garage-door opener and sprinkler system. This is actually a good move, we know, and $200 isn't much money ... when you're not already doling out thousands of dollars.
• If we pursue a building permit, which we shouldn't need, we'll have an additional $500 to spend, bringing our house to code with new smoke detector requirements. Again, we know this is the right thing to do, but we really can't take on the additional expense right now.
• Finally, we discovered our current bath fan vents right into the attic, which isn't where it should be venting. So add another $150 to our bill.

I'll post more photos of the progress tonight, hopefully. Right now, I'm off going to enjoy a little down time while Ryan and Kelsey nap and Brendan recovers from school.

Goodbye, bathroom!

After weeks of planning and years of dreaming and saving, we're finally beginning our bathroom renovation project. At 7:30 Friday morning, the dumpster was delivered to our driveway. I spent one evening last week cleaning out our existing bathroom vanity and relocating our everyday essentials to the kids' bathroom.

About a year after moving into our house, a wise friend made the comment, "It's about quality of life." She's certainly right. Late last year, with a third child on the way and my working full-time, we decided we could afford and needed a new master bathroom that was actually functional. We could no longer function using one shower/bathtub for the entire family.

This project really is more of a necessity than a luxury. The bathroom is not the master bath retreat of modern homes. It's the typical 1970s setup, which means small. And seriously outdated. It's the only room on the main floor of the house that we haven't updated -- at all.

The shower stall is so small that it would be nearly impossible for me to shave my legs, or fit a pregnant belly into it. It's also not working. About two years ago we discovered a leak in the basement, which was linked to the shower. Since we didn't use the shower anyway (we all use the main bathroom's larger shower), we opted to disable the shower altogether in hopes of replacing it one day.

The old shower, which my husband would say is so small, you can't change your mind in it.

The biggest change we're making is moving the toilet to the old shower location, and moving the shower where the toilet was.

We've had these holes in our wall for ... well, it's embarrassing how long it has been. Those holes are now gone!

That day is here. This weekend, Ken spent many hours tearing out drywall, pulling up tile, and knocking down walls. The plumber also laid the foundation for moving pipes so we can relocate the shower to a larger, more comfortable location!

Our demolition crew arrives before dinner on Friday. We're a bit nervous that Ryan will think it's OK to knock holes into walls now.

This was all Ken's idea ... having Brendan sit on the old toilet in the dumpster. Actually it goes way back to a trip Ken and I took to Ohio State during my senior year. Somewhere in this house, we have a photo of him sitting on a toilet in someone's front yard.

If I had the energy and time (mostly, the time), I would start another blog to chronicle our first major home improvement project. (We've done many other projects, but none that cost quite this much money.) But, I have no time, largely thanks to this project. So you can read all about it here. With any luck, in less than three weeks, I'll be posting photos of a beautiful, functional, new master bathroom. With a shower where I can shave my legs and void of any bath toys.

Forners visit

Two weeks ago, we had special visitors from San Antonio ... the Forners! Pat and Riley flew into Ohio with their two beautiful children, Sean and Claire, to visit family and friends. They were also attending the Forner family reunion/campout in Chelsea, which happens to be 30 minutes west of us. Riley was thrilled, because that meant she didn't have to attempt camping with two young children but could call our basement their home for a few days.

The campout's organizers were wonderful to rent this inflatable slide for the kiddos. It definitely kept our children entertained! Brendan spent at least an hour on the slide before moving on to other activities. Ryan was timid at first, but after this first slide down, he was unstoppable. Here, Ken takes the plunge with both boys. Below, Pat goes down the slide with Brendan and his niece Kay.

The children had a wonderful time playing with one another. Brendan and Claire, who is two weeks younger than Ryan, seemed to form a special bond. I enjoyed watching, as I would expect this is how Brendan will treat his younger sister as she gets a little older. Sean was content to spend all weekend, with no exaggeration, playing with the boys' Shake 'n Go racers.

Brendan was so sweet with "Claire Bear," a nickname he picked up from Riley. He played with her quite a bit during their stay.

Mostly, though, it was the four adults who truly enjoyed hours of sitting around, reliving the old days and catching up on one another's lives. Though we have friends in Michigan, none of their friendships will ever compare to those with our friends from college and Texas.

Pat and Ryan continued to bond on this visit. Pat is Ryan's godfather.