Two

My baby turned two last week. I'm still having trouble dealing with it.

 

In the past few weeks he seems to have grown so much. Using new words every day. We went through this with Munch...but I had forgotten...both boys got close to two and all of a sudden they weren't babies any more. They started acting like little boys.

 

It's so much fun watching him grow up and learn so many new things, but it's really heart breaking too. After all he is my baby...and it doesn't really seem like TWO years has passed.

It really does seem like yesterday.

Munch's Love of the Camera

I honestly don't remember when Munch decided to pick up my camera and try to figure out how to use it. I knew it would happen at some point, there is never a time that I do not have a camera close at hand.

 I'm guessing that he was around two. I know a lot of people would probably be shocked that I would let a two year old NEAR a camera...but we picked the Olympus Tough...because it's, well...TOUGH. I needed a camera that was portable, that I could just throw into the diaper bag. I needed one that could stand possible beatings from two small children. The tough seriously fits the bill...I would totally recommend it to anyone with kids.

 

ANYWAY...this wasn't supposed to turn into a product review. Olympus certainly isn't paying me to brag on their camera, although I am gladly doing it for free.

 

This is supposed to be a blog about a Mama bragging on her kiddo. Munch will be FOUR in October. He LOVES to take pictures. Sometimes he forgets to move his little fingers out of the way. Sometimes he moves the camera before he finishes pressing the button. But, SOMETIMES...he takes wonderful photographs.

 

I know, I'm a little biased, because I AM his Mama, but I love seeing the pictures he has taken. I edit them, but usually try not to do too much. This time I did use various actions by The CoffeeShop Blog. I also did some cropping as he hasn't quite figured out the zoom yet. It's mostly Munch though.

 

Here are the pictures he took during our walk the other day.  

 

 above created using: Blog Template by Maybemej and Hodge Podge Paper Pack by Studio 68.

 

I hope he continues to love photography and his skills continue to grow. I'm so proud of him.

Nox's Pad: After

Another before of what the room looked at when we first saw it. I still wish we had managed to get a good shot of what the warped linoleum flooring looked like. To see more pictures and read more about the before of Nox's Pad go HERE.

Here is a quick, during picture. This is the room right after Hubby finished the flooring. It's the first room he's ever done flooring in and I'm so proud of him.

Hubby made a little art board for Nox too using an old guitar neck, Papa had given us. The pictures on the wall need updating, but at least they are where they need to be. The fan really makes a big difference. The original one was SO tiny and wobbled so much I thought it might fall at any second.

I really love his room.

I made his blankets myself and revamped some store bought curtains.

It is never this neat. Munch likes to go upstairs on his own now to have some alone playtime. For some reason he mostly sticks to his brother's room.

Munch's Cave: After

I found a WAY before picture of Munch's room. This is the room as we first saw it. It looks so small. (You can see more before pictures and read more about it HERE.)

Here are the after shots. It's pretty close to his rooms in our other homes, but it's still a big change from what it was and the blue is a little lighter and less bright. Munch loves to sit on his book case and look out the window.

 Hubby made the art board for all Munch's projects. We haven't switched them out for a while, because Munch remembers doing those particular ones with his Gigi and he LOVES them.

The window looks so dirty in this picture. It's clean, but old. One of the big things on our list of things to do one day.



Had to show a close up of Munch's bed. We started having trouble with him going down for naps, so we would give him a book to read until he fell asleep. At some point he started placing them next to his mattress. He knows exactly what books are there and EXACTLY where he has put them. Don't try to move them...he'll notice.

I'm pretty pleased with how the room turned out. Munch likes it and really that is all that matters.



Kitchen

When we were originally looking at homes online, I skipped over this one.
One of the reasons were these cabinets. The color threw me off.  

 I still don't like it. It just seems an odd color for cabinets...possibly a good color for a barn though. The walls are sort of a creamy yellow. It is actually kind of a pretty color, but not my style and just painted really badly.

 It's possible that the microwave and oven were original to the house...I think that's the last time the oven had been cleaned too.

 The dishwasher was pretty old too and the rust stains at the base told of a leak...

 I love the granite counter tops and the huge sink with the beautiful window overlooking the deck outside. At our last house I was looking at an old air conditioner while I did the dishes.

The fridge was missing parts, so we planned on replacing it with my mother's old fridge. When that didn't work we went ahead and replaced all the old appliances with new white ones. 

Above is the set up the previous owners had. That's a curtain chilling out in the middle of the window, help up by a shower curtain rod and a bunch of strings looped through hooks around the window. I have no idea what was going on there. The window does get some insane morning sun, so we will need to put blinds up.

To Do:

Replace Appliances

Repair problem with cabinet wall housing the Dishwasher

HOPEFULLY repaint cabinets - white

Paint walls - really depends on if we CAN repaint the cabinets

Purchase and hang blinds in window

Repaint walls

Ultimately I would like a new backsplash, but that probably won't be anytime soon.

Wisteria and Lizards

A green lizard came to visit us on St. Patrick's Day. I wonder if he's lucky?

My phantom neighbors planted wisteria at some point in the distant past. It has come up under and over our fence.

It's so beautiful to look at while I'm doing the dishes.

I wish the blooms lasted longer. 

Half Bath and Laundry

 

 (above: view from doorway)

 (above: view from laundry)

(above: laundry)

Half Bath and Laundry To Do List:

• Find the exact right color purple
• Paint bathroom walls.
• Purchase and install new light fixture in bathroom
• Paint cabinets in bathroom (I'm leaning towards black...that might be crazy talk)
• Find or have John make a hanging cabinet w/towel rack for above toilet for added storage.
• If we do paint cabinets move toilet roll holder from awkward left to less awkward right
• Purchase and install bar for hangers at Ikea for laundry room. Maybe two? Need to find link.

 

Boys' Bathroom

Originally the boys bathroom was one of my least favorite things about our house. It gave me headaches...and nightmares. The shower honestly reminded me of the shower at "the camp" in Maine when I was little. It made me shudder.

 (above: view from doorway)

 (above: view of bath/shower. I have more detailed pictures, but I think they deserve their own post once I get some good after pictures taken.)

(above: okay technically NOT the bathroom, it's the linen closet just outside the bathroom. note: all the silver hardware? painted. previous owners were REALLY paint happy.)

Boys' Bathroom To Do List:

•  Have bathtub and surround refinished DONE! Thank goodness! Just need to take some after pictures...without a million bath toys in the tub :o)
• Paint - maybe....I may get them a new bathroom set which goes with the current paint color a little better.
• New shower curtain rod (one that isn't crappy and PAINTED silver...jeez)
• New hardware for vanity and linen closet (also NOT painted)
• Install new flooring. I actually like the laminate, I'm just not found of this particular color/pattern.
• Purchase and install towel rack for hand towels
• Bring over shower head from Mum's
• Build a laundry basket (with pvc piping) for linen closet

I would love to have a plumber come in and fix it so that we could but a dual vanity in for the boys. I'm also playing with the idea of painting the cabinets in the bathroom and the linen closet white, but this really isn't high priority. 

Munch's Cave

 (above: view from doorway. window looks over front yard)

 (above: view from right corner)

(above: view from left corner. you can just see the patch of flooring that wasn't completed in the closet. note: there is an extremely tiny opening (about house elf size) leading to the attic in Munch's closet, if we ever have the money it would be really nice to make a human size opening maybe in the hall outside the boys rooms.)



Munch's Cave To Do List:

• Finish flooring in closet.  Thanks, Honey!!
• Paint Thanks, Honey!
• Get and install more sturdy curtain rod.  Completed today!! Thanks, Honey!!
• Get Munch's fan from Mum's and install here
• Hang pictures/artwork

Eventually it would be nice to replace the flooring entirely, but at the moment the vinyl looks fine.

Nox's Pad

I really REALLY wish these pictures did the flooring justice. It was a HUGE piece of linoleum, that was extremely warped and kinda felt like a strange sponge when you walked on it. The pictures are way beyond deceiving.

 (above: view from doorway. window looks out over front.)

 (above: view from left corner)

(above: view of doorway and closet. note that closet does not actually have flooring.) 

(above: view from closet)

Nox's Pad To Do List:

• Paint Thanks, Love!
• Install new, non-crazy warping, flooring. Thanks, Love!
• Install sturdier curtain rod and hang awesome guitar theme curtains. Thanks, Love!
• Purchase and install new ceiling fan
• Hang pictures/artwork

Almost very nearly done!!

 



Master Sanctuary

I love this room. The high ceilings make it seem huge and so much natural light flows into it.

 (above: view from doorway. windows look out on the back yard)

 (above: view from the right window.)

(above: view from the left window)

Master Sanctuary To Do List

• Paint Thanks, Honey!!
• Replace carpet with laminate. Thanks, Honey!!
• Replace curtain rods and curtains Done! Thanks, for hanging them, Honey!
• Hang art work (partially done, need to figure out most of it though)
• Replace light covers on fan. I actually like the fan, but wouldn't mind something less builder grady...yep...I know grady isn't a word.
• Make some yellow pillows for bed - have some beautiful vintage material I bought - just need to get to work!

Our room is actually mostly done at the moment. Just need to hang some pictures to make it look a little more personalized. Updated pictures coming soon.

Master Bath

I just realized that I forgot to get a decent picture of the vanity, so I will be adding that to my list of things to do. Actually, the pictures don't really do it justice.

I think the size of the master bath might have been one of the reasons we bought our house. In an ideal world we would have the money to gut it and fix it up the way it deserves, but we can certainly work with what we have and fix things as we get to them.

Sometimes I think about going to Home Depot or Lowes and wandering the isles in the vain hope that one day I'll bump into Bath Crashers. I think they would have a field day.

 (above: pitiful picture of the vanity and shower. note: the silver surround on the shower is either spray or brush painted on....loverly)

 (above: his/hers closets. note: silver has once again been painted on, badly.)

 (above: shower. it's flipping huge. we love the size)

 (above: interesting bathroom bench. this bench was actually built around the tub. the crazy bench was then painted an awful burgundy.)

(above: toilet closet)

Master Bath To Do List:

•  Replace scary snake like shower head with something higher and a hundred times better (Thanks awesome Benjamin Franklin plumber!)
• Toss those ridiculous, dusty, plastic plants (check, check, checkity check-check)
• Paint vanity and bath box
• Make/buy new seat cushion
• Replace crazy light fixture above vanity. Ideally I would have have an electrician come in and set it up for lighting above both sinks and not quite so high. May need to check on pricing?
• White caulk the shower.
• Buy and hang hand towel rack
• Buy and hang new toilet paper holder. Ours is plastic AND spray painted. (I really don't know what the previous owners were thinking.
• Remove wire shelving from left closet   Thanks honey!!
• Install support bar for hanging rod (I don't think that's the right term) in left closet.
• Be brave and take a peek decorative niches above closets and clean them if needed.
• Purchase decorative storage baskets/boxes for above closets.
• Change out window treatment above bath box

Out Back

Our backyard! Photos taken November 2011

 (above: back gate)

 (above: view of our deck from back gate)

 (above: our loverly, spacious shed) 

 (above: view of back yard from deck. note: poor, brown cedar...)

 (above: view of yard and little magnolia from left fence)

 (above: view from rear fence)

(above: view of side patio off dining room)



Out Back To Do List

• Pray that our beautiful big cedar is still alive - pretty please?
• Remove dead limbs from magnolia
• Clear rocks/pebbles from flower bed near rear gate
• Plant some veggies in bed by rear gate
• Repair loose panels along rear fence
• Put panels up along rear fence, behind shed
• Attempt to remove old fencework from rear left corner flower bed
• Get soil  and fill holes in beds/yard
• Clean out rear flower beds completely
• Repair sprinkler system
• Clean out gutters
• Install lattace work to cover the underneath of shed and deck
• Sand and repaint deck
• Plant drought/butterfly/Texas friendly plants in flower bed
• Remove large hooks from rear fence (What the heck are those for anyway?)
• Get a smaller smoker to replace our insanely huge one
• Have BBQ and Enjoy (lots)