Halloween Week

Yup, it's the most wonderful time of the year! Jamie just loves Halloween - it's a combination of seeing and being seen along with friends and candy... I think she likes it better than Christmas.

We went to SPOOKTACULAR at our local zoo last night with her friends from school and their families. It was alot of fun, alot less crowded and crazed than going on a weekend night as we had in the past.

So I took today off as the fun continued this morning with a field trip to Merrill Lynch offices for a bang up treat or treat run. I had to go as my girl has an issue with listening. Before we left Jamie took her pumpkin that you see in the photos and dumped all the candy in the trash can! (I really should have left it there, but I couldn't say good bye to all of those sweet tarts. How sad is that? Could have maybe taught her some sort of lesson. Not that she wasn't right, there was more great candy to be had. And it's not like we ever let her eat all the candy she gets anyway.

This afternoon I took her to her future elementary school for their fall carnival. We had a great time, but I was exhausted and fell asleep by ten.

I woke up at 2am and am still awake at four am. What's up with this exhaustion/insomnia stuff? This isn't me.

Hello Kitty

This is a rather new obsession Jamie has...it began at her first 'Build a Bear' event which happened to be Tori's birthday party last month. She just had to have the "Hello Kitty" one, (just like the Birthday Girl had picked.) Don't get me wrong, Cinderella, Belle and Aurora all still are in the top picks but a new girl has joined the posse.

Friends and Fun

Jamie loves her friends. So we try to make sure she gets to see them often.c

Lately we have been doing T-ball (or really Jamie is doing it but we feel like we are doing it too!) Mike is one of the coaches (third base coach) and I just go to watch but sometimes during practice get out there with a glove and toss some balls around.

Jamie isn't really liking the Tball...or should we I say we don't like how she behaves at Tball. She isn't all that interested in being in the outfield for more than a few moments so she daydreams , or sits down in the dirt or decides to go to the bathroom.

So it ends up being frustrating for her and for us. She wanted to quit the first week but we told her she had to tough it out. and she is, but we are not having a lot of fun.

It was supposed to be an 'instructional' league for 4 & 5 year olds, but they combined them with the 6 & 7 yr olds. So that means the little kids are in the outfield daydreaming instead of learning to play the more active positions.

Is it bad that I stayed home to cook tomorrow nights dinner instead of going to the game?

Actually I was going to go once I got the stew together and in the oven, but Mike had pocketed my keys while getting the glove out of the van and apparently the extra keys have walked away again. Anyway I missed another one of her games. Bet the other T-ball moms think I'm not a good T-ball mom. Oh well, maybe I'm not. I do what I can do.

Her New Prized Possession

Saturday we had quite a day. First to the thrift store looking for a white shirt for Mike's Men in Black costume which was requested by the hostess so he would be the matching counterpoint to her hubby. While there I found my gothy blouse and a long skirt and some nice almost new Childrens Place skirts for Jamie for $3 each. (She mainly wears skirts) We also got her a pair of pink open toed shoes she really liked.

We didnt get her the 15" Dinosaur she wanted. It just didn't fit into the cash budget and it was huge...and so dinasoury. "But I want it, its like the one Ander has!" I almost buckled and went to the Cash machine, (it was $8!~ not cheap by thrift store standards.) But I held firm and told her we would get her something else sometime soon.

Then we took Mike back home to meet the electrician who was there to grind down the screws in my cupboards...He remarked that the cupboard shelves are very thin, that that never happens. Oh great.

Anyhow I took Jamie to T-ball practice myself so Mike could get some papers graded. At practice I threw knotted up rags to her so she would get used to moving the glove to catch the ball. Then because we didnt find the black tie at the thrift store we popped into the conveniently located church rummage sale right there at the ball field.

I didnt find a tie, but I found some great costume jewelry (Note what I had on at the costume party), some more great clothes for Jamie, and Jamie found herself her new prized possession - A scooter! See Jamie it paid off not to yell and cry for that dinosaur! And it was only $5 or maybe $2.50 as they had alot of stuff on clearance.

Poor child wants to be out on that scooter every day all day long! Wish they had an indoor place for kids to ride scooters and trikes. I think the local school system should do it as a fund raiser. They could open the elementary schools and allow the kids to bring in bikes and scooters and balls...maybe charge the kids fifty cents each.

Wouldn't that be a great idea?

More Costume Party Photos

Costume Party!

Some friends really did it up last night with a bang up family style Halloween Party. threw this party 2 years ago and Jamie still talks about that party and how we dressed up. (I dressed up as a witch and made her cry and she went as Cinderella) Here is a link back to the great time we had that year.

This year was just as memorable. It was an Alien themed event so Mike went as one of the 'Men in Black' and I went as a goth girl. Jamie was a Goth Vampiress, which is what she chose when the Ariel costume was too confining down at her legs at the Costume store yesterday.

This is the only photo I have as of yet - the host took this shot and sent it via his new Blackberry Torch (cool phone, a bit like the I-phone) hmmm wonder if work wants to upgrade us as of yet!?

Anyway Jamie had a blast, well we really all did, they had Great food, a bounce house, a scavenger hunt for the kids, a wrap up your partner in Toilet paper like a mummy (also for kids) and this cool craft that was supposed to be for kids - Duck tape Bows! I sat at that craft table and made my girls some very kewl bows.

Today, we went to church and I did a bit in the Living room/Kitchen/Laundry etc. and now I am resting a bit.

I just needed to.

More photos to come.

2 more of the final kitchen photos

I know it was done before, but here is a couple of shots that show the new Faux wood blinds and the prettiness of our Laminate counter top cleared of contractor debris.

There were and still are some screws sticking up into the cabinets. Apparently these cabinet shelfs leave a bit to be desired in the thickness of the wood. This made a difference for the under the cabinet lights and also makes a difference with some of the shelf strength.

I now keep my plates on the bottom shelf in the cabinet as the middle shelf bows under their weight.

We can deal, but if anyone wants some advice, make sure the cabinets have thick shelving! And don't pay off any of the guys until their part is done.

That's all I'm saying.

New kitchen and new hair

I will get some better photos than these up, I downloaded these from the wrong camera, I have some better ones I think but you can get the basic idea.
These dont show my new blinds and have builders mess all over so I will get some more up eventually.

Today I had my hairdresser go shorter and darker with my hair and I am pretty pleased. It was getting way too blond and too long as well. Wouldnt you know it, I got like 10 compliments on my hair this week pre cut.

Oh well, I am happy with the changes - both my hair and my kitchen.

And I called the contractor today. Told him the job needed to be finished the right way. That spending over $10k and having sharp screws poking up into each cupboard wasn't going to work. That either he or the electrician would need to come back and switch out the screws for shorter screws and fill in the holes with putty.

I will handle the relining of the cabinets.

I left a message on his voicemail. Lets hope he does the right thing by us.

Over $13k and I can't slide my glasses in the cupboards. Something just not right about that.

OK the Kitchen is done!

And my work begins!

I sent Mike to Jamie's T-ball game this morning at 9am and I didn't stop all day til now.

Is it nuts to want to put shelf paper down in all cupboards before loading em up? My aching back says it is, but it's done!

The electrician's helper man came today, he got here about 2pm and left about 9pm. He hooked up the stove, garbage disposal and installed a new ceiling fan and put our under-cabinet lights in.

The cabinet lights were the last thing he did. I went in the kitchen and fixed myself a late dinner and found that in the bottom shelf of every cupboard over the counters poking out right in the middle of my shiny new shelf paper (that used to be smooth) - A Sharp screw head! ARGHG!!

Photos to come

During Four weeks of kitchen remodeling

This has been very challenging. See the green paint we almost painted those beat up cabinets we had? ugh it is hideous!

Can you imagine every morning being greeted with no cabinets at the top and boxes every where? for four weeks?


It's coming to an end. The cabinets are here and in place. The guy worked his butt off and get them in, Now for the finishing.

We changed plans several times, first it was painting the cabinets and putting down a silestone countertop.Then we realized that we really needed new cabinets and maybe $3000 was a bit much for the countertop.

So we ordered cabinets, but didn't know it would take weeks. And theat they would come in damaged.

ANd I hated my ceramic tile so we switched out and went with Pergo. (WHile waiting for the cabinets)

And I hate my semi flush mount light fixtures on our slanted ceiling. So they will be changed out as well.

Still don't have a kitchen in fact tonight we have no water.

Grins...but the cupboards are brand new and oh so pretty!