My pun’kins with their pumpkins.

For more Wordless Wednesday entries: WordlessWednesday.com and 5 Minutes for Mom.

We finished hanging insulation in the kitchen this weekend, having worked most of Saturday and Sunday just the two of us. It was a bit of an art and my husband doesn’t do “art” so I took the reigns on this one. It was fun to finally get a little dirty and be able to get involved in the work, especially since we could see progress fast. It’s nice to have walls again. They may be brown paper backing walls, but they are walls. It helps clean the place up.

We are also very excited to have passed both inspections! Well, we passed electrical and mechanical the first time around. But the inspector came again today to check insulation/fire stop, which we passed, and approved our field corrections for the framing, which Shawn came by yesterday to take care of for us. The past couple weeks have been fun with progress giving us hope that the project will indeed be done in our lifetime! Thanks to my friends who were praying for us as we jumped some big hurdles the past two weeks. And we have some generous friends who are going to be helping put up drywall this coming weekend. I can hardly believe it! Yea!

For more Wordless Wednesday entries: Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Cabinets are ordered! We finally settled on the company we have gone back and forth with quite a bit, as their price was right and the customer service has been excellent. Tom and Elise from TCN Cabinets really have their act together. Their go-to custom cabinet line is Custom Cupboards. We are going with a Shaker style #7000, 42″ high painted antique white (technically “cotton”) cabinet with a slightly rounded edge. It’s MDF (saving us 10%), which is the only thing that makes me a tad nervous. But, it’ll actually hold up a bit better than wood, and it’s painted so it’s not like you can really tell. “I’m, like, 98% excited, and maybe 2% scared. Or maybe it’s backwards. Maybe I’m 98% scared, and, like, 2% excited. But that’s what makes it so great—I’m so confused! (Oscar in Armageddon)” Either way, I am excited that we finally reached this milestone. The owner of the company will be coming by in the next day or two to double-check measurements and re-check details, then we are set. We had to pay about half the bill so we are feeling quite a bit poorer right now. But we also feel good about our decision so far. It’s hard not to be excited at this point!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

We had inspectors come by today to evaluate mechanical, electrical, plumbing and framing. They were gruff at first and barely said a word so they made me nervous. Of course the first thing they said was something they didn’t like right away, but then that was about it. A few “field corrections” but we can move forward with insulation and they’ll check it again at the next one. I felt a bit like they hardly looked at everything and kept asking “What about this?” and “What about that?” Since the plans don’t show a new subpanel, the electrical inspector didn’t even go downstairs until I prompted him. Anyway, it was then that the other inspector started with small chat. He poked his head in the bathroom, which made me really nervous because we know it’s not up to code and it’s still not quite completely finished, but all he said was, “Oh this is a bathroom?!? There’s just enough room to get in there and scratch your nose!” Then he asked questions about how and when the house was built. He was really nice. Anyway, we are thankful to have passed and glad to be able to insulate. It’s getting cold fast and you can really feel a difference between the kitchen and dining room.

What we do have to change is use stud shoes instead of stud guards where the plumbing cuts through the 2×4s and in one part of the framing of the new window. He also mentioned that we need R30 in the ceiling instead of R19, which makes me glad that we bought it yesterday (on sale!) or we would have used the wrong kind.

We have lights in the kitchen! “Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
hall-e-e-luu-jaaaaaah!”
I have to say, it was beautiful. I was standing alone in the kitchen when the electrician turned on the power, and, voila! lights came on. It brought tears to my eyes. Seriously. Even though it cost us three times as much as the first time we did this, I was twice as excited.

The best part was, we got all our winterizing done, including cleaning up the garage (which is still full of junk from the remodel but at least you can walk around in there now, and we made $5.37 bringing scrap metal to the recycling center), while someone else did the work. It was one day of work with two guys, an electrician-friend of Shawn’s, who was unable to do the work for us.

They had to install a new box to accommodate all the new dedicated switches we needed. They used up all 8! The refrigerator, above the range microwave and dishwasher/disposal all required their own, plus the stove which needed two, not to mention the can lights, a fan/light, the outlets and an outside light. Because it’s only roughed out for inspection, we have power to just the circuit with 6 can lights right now, but it is an amazing amount of light considering we’ve been in the dark for 56 days. And before that, the kitchen only had one can light and one dome light anyway. We also have light in our bathroom again now, woot!

We also now moved the stove to its new location which will take some getting used to, but it’s exciting … all part of the “reconstruction” instead of destruction, which it feels like all we’ve been doing.

Anyway, we are both sighing relief and are ready to move forward. That is, of course, if we pass inspection next week (if you are a God-fearing friend, please pray for us on this!). One bonus was they left for us a can of fire-stop foam so we were able to finish the fire-stop sealing, which we had only been able to do half of with our can of caulk. So … we *should* be ready.

Cost to be able to see in the dark again: $1,631.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:3

Bad news: Charlie had craniosynostosis and a football-shaped head when he was born.
Good/bad news: He had surgery at just 3 months old to take care of it so it’s over and done!
Good news: You’d never know that we went through this terrible trauma, he’s so well-adjusted.
Bad news: His head is still oddly shaped with a flat spot and a “shelf” that juts out in the back.
Good news: He doesn’t care.
Bad news: We had to go for yearly check-ups with the neurosurgeon at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, and the appointment had been canceled due to emergencies. Twice.
Good news: We finally had his two-year check up yesterday.
More Good news: His head is growing in all directions, which was the goal of the surgery.
Bad news: It’s still growing more lengthwise than width-wise.
Good news: Dr says the important thing is that his head is growing in all directions, and he doesn’t have his “adult” head yet and he looks “great.”
Bad news: His growth for the next four years will be slow so there will be gradual, but little change to come.
Good news: We don’t have to go again until Charlie is 6 years old.
Bad news: There’s nothing we can do about it.
Good news: Charlie doesn’t care.
More Good news: And he’s just so darn cute anyway!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Barrack Obama’s campaign is all about “Change.” First of all, I’d love for someone who lives in Illinois to name something Obama has changed in Illinois for the better. Hmmm … Anyone? Anyone? There was no proposal to lower taxes, which he promised. And education is a MESS. He squandered the $110,000,000 million on who knows what for education via the Annenberg Challenge and has zero to show for it.

My mom reminds me that no one person can screw America up that bad (we are stronger than that). But then I think, this time, this guy is just radical enough that he just might unravel the little moral fabric that is left of our country. Change that he’s capable of (think Jeremiah White, William Ayers, ACORN, born-alive infants, not pledging the flag, education in Illinois) is exactly what scares me. Obama aside, I think we’ve had quite enough change over the years as it is, thankyouverymuch. From Roe v Wade and taking prayer out of schools to “equal” rights and “tolerance” … if anything, we need to go backwards. “Progress” seems to be what’s gotten us where we are today–no thanks.

Don’t get me wrong, I am proud to be American. And I am not going to apologize for being part of the most powerful nation on earth.  I am thankful to live here and have the freedoms and opportunities that we have here in America. That’s what it’s about, not money. We don’t need handouts or mandates that allows the government to decide what’s best for us. If we do, it’s because we’ve been relying on them too long already and have been conditioned that way. We’re not stupid, we know what’s best for ourselves and our families.

But what can you do? I guess vote for John McCain, put America first, and pray for the best!

For more Wordless Wednesday entries: WordlessWednesday.com or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Since Charlie’s birthday, I have been meaning to post his party from last year, too. So, I am finally gettin’ to it. I let Avery pick the theme and she selected Cars. No surprise since that was the big hit (and still is). It was her second choice for her party that year. Ka-Chow!

Colors
Red, bright Dinoco blue

Decor/supplies
Red plates and napkins
Cars cake plates and cups for the kids
Black table cover (with yellow construction paper lane dividers taped to it)
Red balloons
Route 66 signs and green Radiator Springs road sign
Stoplight: I covered a shoe box with a brown paper bag and glued red, green and yellow circles on it (outlined in black marker) and hung it over the center of the patio to represent the lone stop light in the center of Radiator Springs.

Food
Hamburgers/hot dogs
Fruit mix
Chips
Blue raspberry Kool-aid mixed with generic Sprite for “Dinoco punch” (I filled a 5 gallon Gatorade jug and taped to it the Dinoco punch sign I made on the computer)
Cars fruit snacks
Chocolate honeycombs
Stacked Oreos (for Luigi’s Casa Del Tires)
Veggie tray

Cake
I had fun with his cakes. And they turned out oh-so-cute! I baked several bread loaf cakes (not filling them too full so they wouldn’t be tall) and trimmed them with an electric knife to mimic the cars characters. I also made a mini loaf McQueen for my son’s personal cake. For the two little guys, I cut one cake in half (part if it actually fell apart which is why I even decided to do that). I used chocolate and white frosting (do all white windows first), as well as dyed vanilla frosting, depending on the colors needed for each car. If I were to do it again, I would make more white windows, the front windshield got a little tight when I started taking it over with the body color. For each of the eyes, I used a black gel writer with a bit of white frosting applied with a toothpick on top of the eye color.

McQueen was the toughest because he required a lot of red. He ended up a very salmon-y dark pink, but it was the best I could do. His headlights were 1/4 piece of yellow Starburst, and of course, Oreos for his sporty wheels. Sally’s headlights were white Smarties. For Doc, I used only half of an Oreo (taking one cookie side off) and attempted to use pretzels for his grille. Something else might work better. He had yellow Smarties for headlights. Luigi had Junior Mints I think for wheels since he was smaller. I printed an Italian flag on the computer and taped it to a toothpick just for fun. He also had yellow Smarties for headlights. Mater had one Smarties headlight, of course, and chocolate Honeycombs for wheels.

Activities
Cars books and toys
Ramone’s House of Body Art Cars tattoos for kids of all ages!
Pin the eyes on McQueen: I hand drew a picture of McQueen on a roll of extra-large paper, which was a banner at Avery’s birthday the year before, and made blue eyes with my scrapbooking supplies. Using reusable glue (I used ZIG 2-Way Glue), we were able to have the kids take turns pinning the eyes on, without messing with tape or pins.

Goody bags
I bought goody bags at the party store, and filled them with Cars stickers, wheel Yo-yos, bubbles and random candy, and who knows what else. This is a detail I don’t remember!

We went to Giordano’s for pizza this weekend with grandma and grandpa (Matt’s parents) and the kids got crayons to color with at the table. And blank sheets of paper (cost-saving measures?). Anyway, the crayons were new: CrayAngle. They were triangular shape so they didn’t roll off the table. Love it! We didn’t lose a single crayon to the restaurant floor while we were there. The only downside is that they broke easily. I don’t think this had anything to do with the shape, though, just cheaper crayons, kinda like RoseArt crayons (who can blame ‘em for not having Crayola?).

Today marks the one year anniversary of my very first blog post! So, unless you want to hear about my new hair cut or the fact that I went to the dr yesterday, finally, to get a prescription for the eczema that’s been plaguing my fingers, I’ll stick to the more traditional and review some of my favorite posts from the past year. Considering I had 264 posts in the past year, I think I was able to narrow it down to “just a few” …

Wordless Wednesday
Little helpers
Uh, I got dirty
Little patriot
I don’ wanna Awana
Little red dress

1. Pureology Antifade Shampoo and Conditioner. Just the best shampoo and conditioner I have ever used. I like Essentials and Hydrate Systems the best. The only one I really didn’t like was NanoWorks. My hair is so soft.
2. Pravana Keratin Fusion Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner. For those times when you need a break from your usual shampoo and conditioner.
3. Methode Physiodermie Soft Face Bio Peeling. Makes my face soft as a baby’s butt. What more can I say?
4. MD Formulations Facial Cleanser. My absolute fav face wash featuring serious AHAs. I can’t afford it now so Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is a good, cheaper substitute.
5. Neutrogena Acne Stress Control. Takes place of a moisturizer in the summer to help my face stay smooth but not oily or greasy. Though I can’t say it solved my blemish problems, I was really surprised by how smooth, and not dry, it feels on my skin.
6. Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid/Complete All Day UV Moisture. It’s not that I love this one so much but I have found that it’s a decent base and I’ve tried a lot that I don’t like. The Complete I don’t like as much but it’s got the every day UV protection.I’ve discovered that I like Cetaphil’s moisturizer even better.
7. Neutrogena Skin Clearing Oil-Free Makeup. Applies easily and dries to a nice finish. Has SPF, which I like. The “blemish fighter” claim again I am not so sure about but I like it anyway. I haven’t tried mineral cosmetics since they first started to gain popularity, so I’d like to try some of the new-fangled ones … I know they have improved a lot.
8. Jane Iredale Barely Rose PurePressed Blush. Their other products are great, too.
9. Eyelash Curler. I’m not a fan of the bent lashes, but a quick squeeze gets my wiry lashes in order.
10. Black mascara. Honestly, I use just about any mascara. Right now I’m using CoverGirl’s Professional All In One Mascara. It was on sale.
11. Clinique Quickliner. It’s a best-seller and there’s a reason for it. But I’ll also use others. I’ve got Max Factor in my bag now.
12. Slant Tweezer. If I ever lose my stainless steel Slant Tweezer from Tweezerman, I don’t know what I’d do. No other tweezer compares. (Yes, it really does matter.)
13. Dove Original Clean deodorant (invisible solid). They piqued my interest with their slender, sexy packaging, and now I’m hooked.

About once a week (I’ll be heading over soon today), I pull my tub filled with dishes in the kids’ wagon to my friend and neighbor’s house. Jen has been so generous to let me use her sink since we took ours out for the remodel. It’s amazing how many dishes we still dirty even though we use paper plates, cups, bowls and plastic ware. I did come close to throwing everything in the tub one day but she came to the rescue! I really can’t bear the thought to wash my dishes in the tub. I. Just. Can’t. We are so thankful for such great friends. Thank you, Jen!

For more Wordless Wednesday: WordlessWednesday.com or 5 Minutes for Mom.

I just have to say, I had one of those days with my four-year-old daughter yesterday. No, not one of THOSE days, yikes, we have a lot of them, too. One of those delightful days that are sadly far and few between so it’s worthy enough to blog about. We walked to the library and it was a beautiful, cool day for a walk. My son Charlie walked almost the entire way, mostly running actually, so I know he was having a great time using up some of his energy. When he was ready to ride, Avery gave up her seat in the front of the double stroller so her little brother could sit there, before he even asked (usually there is a battle for the front seat). At the library, Avery told Charlie to push the button that opens the front door (she usually will announce halfway to the library that, of course, it is HER turn). Then, she asked to do computer games (I loathe that our trips to the library have turned into computer time), so I suggested we do some puzzles and read books instead. She said, “okay, mom” just like I’ve dreamed about. Then, while doing puzzles, she was handing puzzles to Charlie and helping him with the harder ones (not taking over like she often would). It was delightful! After lunch, she actually slept during nap time, another rarity. And in the evening, she was sweet and cuddly, hanging out in my lap for some one-on-one time before supper. Sigh. Now those are the days.