tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31889126173862455692024-03-13T06:37:44.296-05:00. . . Gonna Eat a Lot of PeachesMovin' to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches...Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-4295803180934615762011-06-30T22:17:00.000-05:002011-06-30T22:17:11.212-05:00I'm in love with a stripperAnd not the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippendales">Chippendale</a> kind. Or the kind <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Pain">T-Pain</a> sings about. Nope, I'm talking about the kind who made our linen closet door look like this:<br />
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<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/kendragagnon/GonnaEatALotOfPeaches?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfavNbV-ZTPJA#5624214974607969890"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nAe7zyfyAA0/Tg05uJXwzmI/AAAAAAAAFiM/RD0bjkQ7T_o/s288/0.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center><br />
We've literally been elbow-deep in bathroom painting this week, trying to finish the bathroom remodel we started several months ago (see Involuntary Bathroom Remodeling <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/02/involuntary-bathroom-remodeling.html">Part I </a>and <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/02/involuntary-bathroom-remodeling-part-ii.html">Part II</a> and stay tuned for Part III). Last night, as I was painting around the linen closet, I asked Joe if he thought it would be easier to just take off the closet door so I could paint around it. He agreed that would work best, took the door off, and took it out to the garage to get it out of the way. I thought that was the end of it. Next thing I knew, in Joe's typical let's-take-this-to-the-next-level fashion, he was back inside explaining to me that the door really needed to be stripped, primed, and re-painted and telling me that he'd already scraped all the paint off the perimeter of the door. OK then. I guess we're stripping and re-painting the linen closet door. This is similar to the way he had to take off a little bathroom trim to put in the tiled shower, then decided that needed to be stripped, then decided that the rest of the trim also needed to be removed and stripped, and now has decided that the trim around the doors needs to be removed and stripped...you get the idea. Now, a huge part of this bathroom project involves removing, stripping, priming, reattaching, and repainting trim *insert huge sigh and "will this ever end?" facial expression here*.<br />
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So I'm officially in love with a stripper. And, no, he's not the Chippendale kind. But I think he's pretty cute, don't you?<br />
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<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/kendragagnon/GonnaEatALotOfPeaches?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfavNbV-ZTPJA#5624208312861605554"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LxQusMgJFAw/Tg0zqYbqPrI/AAAAAAAAFiI/Hf9v2uKtwD0/s288/1.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center><br />
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-33783096284067907412011-06-20T21:24:00.000-05:002011-06-20T21:24:27.774-05:00Home Improvement FAIL<div style="text-align: justify;">After a bit of downtime on our home improvement, I figured tonight was a good time to continue work on our bathroom project. In particular, we need to paint the ceiling. I prepped the area, then went to the garage to get the big bucket o' paint. I picked it up, and realized that there was a leak and that goopy white paint was now on my concrete garage floor. Thanks a lot, Home Depot.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Undeterred, I figured that, instead of painting, I would continue removing the trim from the baseboard. I went to go pry off a small piece in the corner, and in all the pulling, twisting, and bending, my 3" putty knife--probably my second-favorite home improvement tool behind my 1.5" putty knife--snapped in half.*</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>*Yes, not only do I have a favorite home improvement tool, but a top 5 list regarding same. The order: 5. Lineman's pliers, 4. Rotary sander, 3. Circular saw, 2. See above, 1. Ditto. I love me a good putty knife. I can't believe I'm actually saying (writing?) this out loud.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">To top it all off, as I write this Kendra is outside trying to fix a leaking hose in our hand-pump sprayer-thingy to spray the weeds in our gravel driveway and patio. This is one of those days when I think I should rename the blog, "F*ck This Old House." Cocktail, anyone?</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-91634617789571926712011-06-02T20:25:00.001-05:002011-06-02T20:25:30.575-05:00Follow-up to yesterday's post: our first tomato of the seasonI discovered this little guy today. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/kendragagnon/GonnaEatALotOfPeaches?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfavNbV-ZTPJA#5613798549132767538'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Lk1i_dUL9WA/Teg4CYmpcTI/AAAAAAAAFhY/_3JQfeUYIXU/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Our first tomato of the year. A Cherokee Purple heirloom.<br /><br />It's official. Summer is here. <br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-32510105932807847292011-06-01T21:00:00.002-05:002011-06-01T21:37:54.252-05:00How does your garden grow?This is my garden. <br />
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<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/kendragagnon/GonnaEatALotOfPeaches?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfavNbV-ZTPJA#5613436523670847298"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-js2_7xDMhqM/Tebuxuqav0I/AAAAAAAAFhI/1bb11WSnOA4/s288/1.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center><br />
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If you would have told Kendra from 4 years ago that she would have a garden, she would have laughed in your face. As <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/04/landscaping-for-dummies.html">I've mentioned before</a>, Kendra from 4 years ago couldn't even keep a house plant alive and had never so much as dug a hole in the ground. Now she has a garden. With green things growing in it. I'll be damned. <br />
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It's not much - probably just about 6 by 12 feet or so - but it's enough for 3 tomato plants, 3 cherry tomato plants, 4 heads of lettuce, 4 heads of broccoli, 5 various pepper plants, and some spring onions this year. More than enough for our little family of four. <br />
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This is the third summer I've had a garden, and I've learned a little bit every year. The first year, I learned you can love your garden a little too much. I watered my tomato plants every 1-2 days, and ended up with huge, green, vine-y plants but very little fruit. Last year, I learned that little cages (and some putrid spray called "liquid fence") are necessary to keep rabbits and raccoons from snacking on young plants. The plants were salvageable, but I ended up with some plants that didn't produce any peppers until very late in the season. <br />
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This year is off to a great start. I've watered (but not too much), applied the liquid fence, and protected most of the plants with cages. The spring onions are almost ready, everything is growing, and we even have a tiny pepper growing on one of our jalapeƱo plants. <br />
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No it's not much, but I've grown pretty proud of this little sliver of our yard. And one of the best parts is that Max enjoys helping in the garden, so it's something we can do together. I hope Charlie will be able to start getting his tiny hands dirty next summer. It's perfect, really, because I've found that gardening is a lot like parenting: full of hope & frustration, surprise & disappointment, exhaustion & reward. You sow the seeds not knowing what you're gonna get, but you tend those little plants the best you can. When you mess up, you hope the damage is reversible. And you learn as you go. <br />
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Kendra from 4 years ago would be amazed at what it's all become. <br />
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<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/kendragagnon/GonnaEatALotOfPeaches?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfavNbV-ZTPJA#5613436544066342146"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1oP5P2Ruzxk/Tebuy6pFTQI/AAAAAAAAFhM/Sk7ShSaMI2M/s288/0.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center><br />
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPadAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-58062032958441270852011-05-25T21:27:00.000-05:002011-05-25T21:27:31.418-05:00There's A Hole in the Ceiling Because I'm Fixing It......<a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-is-there-hole-in-my-bathroom.html">thanks for asking, Kendra</a>. I <i>did</i> start out this project as simply covering an air return between the bathroom and the playroom. One I got on the ladder and started checking things out, though, I realized we had some old water damage to the bathroom ceiling. I got to removing the damaged plaster, and soon my 12"x10" hole was now about 3'x2'. So, in all, your typical old house project that starts out small and gets bigger and bigger. <br />
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In any event, the hole has been patched with drywall, taped, and has a coat of joint compound on it. By the weekend, it should be ready to paint, which is the whole reason I was up on the ladder in the first place.<br />
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With the ceiling painted, we can move to the walls, then the trim. Except I'm pretty sure I'm going to pop all that trim off the wall, strip it, and repaint it. Stay tuned.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-81400797425969339902011-05-24T21:14:00.001-05:002011-05-24T21:15:41.758-05:00Why is there a hole in my bathroom ceiling?So sometime in the last 24 hours, Joe decided he needs to close up the unnecessary vent between the play room floor and the downstairs bathroom ceiling. Perhaps he is tired of Max peeking down at him and saying, "DAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDY! I SEEEEE YOOOOOU!" while he's getting into the shower. Perhaps he is worried that same thing may happen to an unsuspecting guest. Or perhaps he is truly hell-bent on NEVER finishing this bathroom project Did I mention he's also taken off about half of the bathroom trim to try his hand at paint stripping? That's a post for another day...<br />
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Anyway, now there's a large hole in the bathroom ceiling where the vent used to be, pieces of plaster all over the floor, and some sort of horrible power tool screaming from behind the bathroom door. I'm hoping it doesn't wake the boys. I'm hoping he has enough drywall and/or whatever else he needs to get it patched tonight. And I'm hoping Joe is documenting this to blog about later. <br />
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Good night, Peaches readers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-71639300096052686072011-05-13T22:38:00.105-05:002011-05-13T23:47:53.277-05:00What we've been doing instead of working on the house (and blogging)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Life is moving fast. Max wrapped up soccer last night and his last day of preschool (for this year) was yesterday morning. All of the sudden, Charlie is seeming less like a baby and more like a little boy - eating table food with his 4 (almost 5) teeth, trying to crawl, and even pulling himself up to standing at the coffee table a couple of times. I decide it's time to update the blog, and realize we haven't been on for almost a month. Wait a minute - didn't I just post that bit about <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/04/landscaping-for-dummies.html">landscaping</a>, like, yesterday?!? Slow down, time! Honestly, there's not been much to post as far as the house goes. Our lives have been too busy for home improvement and blogging. So here's all the non-house related stuff we've been up to (in no particular order):<br />
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1. Baseball-ing<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nznohhB0nv0/Tc39-1dV0II/AAAAAAAAFdU/IjAmloLOMtk/s1600/DSC06186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nznohhB0nv0/Tc39-1dV0II/AAAAAAAAFdU/IjAmloLOMtk/s320/DSC06186.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys in blue are off to a good start.<br />
Is this the Royals' year?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3HFb68nDtPk/Tc3-rUvHABI/AAAAAAAAFdo/lylDEIzXoTU/s1600/DSC06257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3HFb68nDtPk/Tc3-rUvHABI/AAAAAAAAFdo/lylDEIzXoTU/s320/DSC06257.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The now annual Gagnon-Bryant-Meyer <br />
Easter backyard baseball game.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qgbELCxodQ0/Tc3_KhCMDDI/AAAAAAAAFeA/_F3XkUgJY64/s1600/IMG_1385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qgbELCxodQ0/Tc3_KhCMDDI/AAAAAAAAFeA/_F3XkUgJY64/s320/IMG_1385.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max perfects his home run swing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div>2. Easter-ing<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yXIArJYNr5g/Tc4CYsU82QI/AAAAAAAAFeg/I4MpYpPwz-M/s1600/DSC06215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yXIArJYNr5g/Tc4CYsU82QI/AAAAAAAAFeg/I4MpYpPwz-M/s320/DSC06215.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max carefully dyes his eggs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq3_u2Uf4Hc/Tc4CjoHJi_I/AAAAAAAAFek/33-xXbHuJKE/s1600/DSC06226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq3_u2Uf4Hc/Tc4CjoHJi_I/AAAAAAAAFek/33-xXbHuJKE/s320/DSC06226.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Easter bunny was generous this year. The boys must<br />
have been good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m19bBp7cUJM/Tc4CvtcM-rI/AAAAAAAAFeo/7H05LjbC1pM/s1600/DSC06238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m19bBp7cUJM/Tc4CvtcM-rI/AAAAAAAAFeo/7H05LjbC1pM/s320/DSC06238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All dressed up and ready for church.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2M4EDPZS3Zk/Tc4C2cBf88I/AAAAAAAAFes/Dm9kmazadPk/s1600/DSC06261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2M4EDPZS3Zk/Tc4C2cBf88I/AAAAAAAAFes/Dm9kmazadPk/s320/DSC06261.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie "hunts" Easter eggs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
3. Swinging<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L4nN-V7xHJc/Tc4ETN2y5zI/AAAAAAAAFew/ve8LKjFPf08/s1600/DSC06254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L4nN-V7xHJc/Tc4ETN2y5zI/AAAAAAAAFew/ve8LKjFPf08/s320/DSC06254.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new back yard swing = hours of fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0GZFAXBCSc/Tc4ET9g4JHI/AAAAAAAAFe0/5CAm7kek860/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0GZFAXBCSc/Tc4ET9g4JHI/AAAAAAAAFe0/5CAm7kek860/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max loves to push his little brother at the park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
4. Bike riding<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-taveIFoMMgg/Tc4E05lObBI/AAAAAAAAFe4/ey69tP-zfwk/s1600/DSC06270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-taveIFoMMgg/Tc4E05lObBI/AAAAAAAAFe4/ey69tP-zfwk/s320/DSC06270.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max with his new set of wheels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
5. Golfing<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kCruUm15vhk/Tc4FND2O3-I/AAAAAAAAFfE/gyl26hDMF7U/s1600/IMG_1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kCruUm15vhk/Tc4FND2O3-I/AAAAAAAAFfE/gyl26hDMF7U/s320/IMG_1439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie's first trip to the course. I did not let him drive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMD0jbRh4ow/Tc4FNTNJrqI/AAAAAAAAFfI/K0HR5Tic9Zo/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMD0jbRh4ow/Tc4FNTNJrqI/AAAAAAAAFfI/K0HR5Tic9Zo/s320/IMG_1447.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is the next Tiger Woods in this picture?<br />
Not if they take after their parents.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
6. Camping<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PZr2QvC5hIM/Tc4E61KJfRI/AAAAAAAAFfA/O50aDYymbgk/s1600/IMG_1429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PZr2QvC5hIM/Tc4E61KJfRI/AAAAAAAAFfA/O50aDYymbgk/s320/IMG_1429.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max's first camping trip. I've never seen him so excited.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-THo1pSckimk/Tc4E6TLHs5I/AAAAAAAAFe8/7-hes_XDgKs/s1600/DSC06277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-THo1pSckimk/Tc4E6TLHs5I/AAAAAAAAFe8/7-hes_XDgKs/s320/DSC06277.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe and his boys by the campfire.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>7. Marching (for Babies)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vURKYwhptKc/Tc4FREDohtI/AAAAAAAAFfM/t-Jpt4GBsA0/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vURKYwhptKc/Tc4FREDohtI/AAAAAAAAFfM/t-Jpt4GBsA0/s320/photo-2.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the help of our family and friends, we raised <br />
over $1500 for the March of Dimes in memory of Lucy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RFdrS5T4z8A/Tc4Ht71a-DI/AAAAAAAAFfQ/-4GNMxIpViE/s1600/DSC06283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RFdrS5T4z8A/Tc4Ht71a-DI/AAAAAAAAFfQ/-4GNMxIpViE/s320/DSC06283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my "angel Mom" friends.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
8. Soccer-ing<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eDgmrReoFjg/Tc4ICVbCoSI/AAAAAAAAFfU/auDjIRlZhC4/s1600/DSC06131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eDgmrReoFjg/Tc4ICVbCoSI/AAAAAAAAFfU/auDjIRlZhC4/s320/DSC06131.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to take the field.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JayVQKltNjs/Tc4IGtcYrfI/AAAAAAAAFfY/d4rtqQUqvgc/s1600/DSC06146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JayVQKltNjs/Tc4IGtcYrfI/AAAAAAAAFfY/d4rtqQUqvgc/s320/DSC06146.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
9. Spending lots and lots of time with family.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MohoPy4yFw4/Tc4I2nshBuI/AAAAAAAAFfk/fEtX9XnhtZ0/s1600/DSC06267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MohoPy4yFw4/Tc4I2nshBuI/AAAAAAAAFfk/fEtX9XnhtZ0/s320/DSC06267.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max and Charlie with their three cousins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZV077psgvRw/Tc4IiYtQsVI/AAAAAAAAFfc/86-x1bOYfh0/s1600/DSC06289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZV077psgvRw/Tc4IiYtQsVI/AAAAAAAAFfc/86-x1bOYfh0/s320/DSC06289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They love their Nanni!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LljyI1No55o/Tc4IrMOb1GI/AAAAAAAAFfg/BLOq3dr2dhA/s1600/DSC06290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LljyI1No55o/Tc4IrMOb1GI/AAAAAAAAFfg/BLOq3dr2dhA/s320/DSC06290.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie and Paw-Paw share a smile.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Time may be flying by, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Our lives are so full, and these boys just keep getting bigger and better every day. </div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lucky them. </div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lucky us.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-13739598662976402042011-04-14T16:17:00.001-05:002011-04-14T16:52:46.488-05:00Landscaping for dummies<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Before we moved into this house, we never had a yard and I'd never tried to plant anything. Ever. I'd been given several houseplants over the years, and could never keep them alive. I figured I was hopeless. A brown thumb. The first year we lived here, our "landscaping" pretty much consisted of digging (ugly) stuff up and cutting (dead) stuff down. I wanted to plant something but didn't know where to start. So I hired a landscape designer to come up with a very simple beginning landscaping plan. The thought of planting something myself was overwhelming and intimidating. Then the local Garden Club had a sale and I bought a few hostas, dug some holes around the patio, put the plants in the holes, and waited. And guess what? They didn't die. So then I dug a few holes outside the back porch, put in some tomato and pepper plants, and waited. And they didn't die either. Those experiences gave me a bit of confidence, so I decided I'd try to at least get started with the landscape designer's plans. And so, for the past two years, I've slowly been adding simple elements to our landscape. With the exception of some mums and roses I planted in 2009 that didn't come back for 2010, everything is alive and - dare I say - thriving. And so, here I am, Kendra the Gardener. Who'd have thunk it? And the funniest thing about it is, I've found I actually like fooling with the green stuff.<br />
<br />
Today, it's 75 degrees today in Northwest Missouri. The birds are singing, the trees are budding, and the grass is turning green. It's been a long, cold winter folks, and I'm itching to get my hands in some dirt and pretty up the exterior of this old house with a bit of landscaping. I'm ready to get more brave. Add a little excitement to the yard. Kick it up a notch. So, Peaches readers, I'm posting today to ask for your suggestions on how to make our landscape shine. Remember, we are a young family with a small business so we're definitely on a budget. Suggested plants should be native to our area and hard to kill. I'd prefer perennials, but would consider planting some annuals in spots. I've included some pictures and descriptions of the current landscaping for you to view and ponder. Don't hold back. </div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rk5B39JSIEI/Tadrjqk4l2I/AAAAAAAAFYs/5_Ki9dK6wwU/s1600/landscape.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rk5B39JSIEI/Tadrjqk4l2I/AAAAAAAAFYs/5_Ki9dK6wwU/s320/landscape.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the house, facing east. We have 2 globe blue spruces (one on each side of the steps) and eight holly bushes out front. On the northeast corner (the right side of the picture) we have a young red dogwood tree and three hydrangea bushes. I'd really like to add some color and line the front walk. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ETXi7BFHx4/TadrRnSUUwI/AAAAAAAAFYk/jbB7myEHXe0/s1600/landscape-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ETXi7BFHx4/TadrRnSUUwI/AAAAAAAAFYk/jbB7myEHXe0/s320/landscape-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the side of the house, facing north, from the street. We absolutely hate this side of the house and have no idea what to do with it. It is hard to see in this pictures, but we have 3 summer wine ninebark and 3 viburnum planted on this side of the house. I also have some creeping phlox around the AC unit. As you can see on the right side of the picture, we have a gravel rainbow drive and a fence line on this side of the house. We also have a lot of yard to work with on this side of the house. I'm thinking more shrubs, color, maybe some bushes or trees that will be pretty in the fall???</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AxFndlZKkDY/TadrbNs6KAI/AAAAAAAAFYo/QQdRwDzqeu4/s1600/landscape-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AxFndlZKkDY/TadrbNs6KAI/AAAAAAAAFYo/QQdRwDzqeu4/s320/landscape-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the south side of the house taken from the southeast corner of the front yard. This side of the house isn't very visible from the street, so we'll probably keep it simple here. There are some daffodils and some sort of lilies that I keep trying to dig up but just won't die. The brown things are mums I planted last fall. This is my second shot at planting mums. Hoping they'll come back this time, but it isn't looking good. You can't see them here, but there are 3 hydrangea bushes planted along the lattice on the south side of the porch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-62622755211580898682011-04-07T19:35:00.002-05:002011-04-07T19:42:22.554-05:00Secret Window Repair?<div style="text-align: justify;">Kendra is out of town at a conference for a couple days, leaving me home with the kids. Now that the kids are in bed, I have a bit of free time. Since Kendra's not around to say "no," I have an overwhelming urge to start a home improvement project that will sit, unfinished, for several months. In particular, I think I should pull out this window's sashes and trim to refinish/repair it:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z16DO1pmyFc/TZ5Tk3Ir2WI/AAAAAAAAAME/BDXS9rM4qYw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z16DO1pmyFc/TZ5Tk3Ir2WI/AAAAAAAAAME/BDXS9rM4qYw/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">See the cracked window in the upper sash that the previos owner scotch-taped(!)? The broken sash cords? Missing putty? Peeling paint? Okay, you probably can't see that because it's a pretty crappy picture, but trust me that this window is a mess--and in a prominent location in our living room, to boot. This thing's got to be fixed, but it's likely to take a few months to find the time to do everything that needs to be done. So I'll put it to a vote; should I tear into the window while Kendra's gone?</div><br />
<h2 class="title">Should I tear out this window?</h2><div class="widget-content" id="widget-content"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="200" name="poll-widget-8119231397384272895" src="http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-8119231397384272895/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23222222&lnkclr=%23cc6611&chrtclr=%23cc6611&font=normal+normal+12px+Arial%2C+Tahoma%2C+Helvetica%2C+FreeSans%2C+sans-serif&hideq=true&purl=http%3A%2F%2Fgonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com%2F" style="border: none; width: 100%;"></iframe><br />
<div class="clear"></div></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-24487478608155139322011-03-31T22:13:00.000-05:002011-03-31T22:13:09.895-05:00Rub A Dub Dub!The new tub is finished:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vHFf7csa5fo/TZU2iKdh7WI/AAAAAAAAAL4/wDNZ35wWNTE/s1600/boys+in+bath.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vHFf7csa5fo/TZU2iKdh7WI/AAAAAAAAAL4/wDNZ35wWNTE/s320/boys+in+bath.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A mere 5 weeks after <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/02/involuntary-bathroom-remodeling-part-ii.html">announcing we were almost finished</a>, we finally got around to tiling the new tub surround. This was my first tile project; I figured that I <i>could</i> figure it out on my own, but I had a better plan in mind. I was able to convince good friend Steve Schaefer, owner of <a href="http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Steve.Schaefer.Flooring.LLC.Westphalia.MO.573-680-5307#b">Steve Schaefer Flooring</a> in Jefferson City, to make the drive to Lathrop to give me a hand. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ITfpshBMELQ/TZU2lmRqO9I/AAAAAAAAAL8/WTZJtaWyiC8/s1600/steve+schaefer+flooring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ITfpshBMELQ/TZU2lmRqO9I/AAAAAAAAAL8/WTZJtaWyiC8/s320/steve+schaefer+flooring.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, this was a pretty simple job for Steve.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With Steve's help, "we" were able to get all the tile onto the wall in a few hours, including fixing the major hump that was in one of the walls. Steve did most of the work, while I was the designated tile cutter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next evening, I grouted the joints and applied a sealant recommended by Steve. Next up was caulking the inside corners and the tile perimeter. Once that was done, I did my best to texture the new, unfinished part of the wall to match the old. Kendra and I are very pleased with the final* product:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CluKFKf9dv0/TZU2odYbuGI/AAAAAAAAAMA/mEbxdfkmKvg/s1600/finished+shower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CluKFKf9dv0/TZU2odYbuGI/AAAAAAAAAMA/mEbxdfkmKvg/s320/finished+shower.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>*Ok, it's not quite final yet, since we need to paint the wall. But it's close enough.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I think our end result looks good, and also blends well with the character of the house. I think the color of the tile (dubbed "lemon chiffon" by American Olean, the tile manufacturer) has an arts and crafts touch, and the radius tile we used on the built-out wall (on the right side of the picture) adds to the traditional feel of the tile. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall, we are very pleased at how the new tub turned out. It wasn't fast--and it wasn't cheap, even though we did most of the work ourselves--but the "before" and "after" difference is enormous. The only problem? With the new tub/shower in place, it makes us want to continue with the remodel of the bathroom, including a new vanity, countertop, and custom-built linen closet.</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-19066559494488735762011-03-17T12:47:00.000-05:002011-03-17T12:47:40.141-05:00You know you live in the country when...<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">...the only short-sleeved green shirts you can find for your little boys are sporting John Deere logos.</div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57C3-9QN40I/TYJI4sNwRqI/AAAAAAAAFXs/MQuOxEtZP6w/s1600/DSC06125.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57C3-9QN40I/TYJI4sNwRqI/AAAAAAAAFXs/MQuOxEtZP6w/s400/DSC06125.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy St. Patrick's Day from two of the sweetest little Leprechauns in the Midwest!</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-43450164163525552612011-03-13T21:51:00.000-05:002011-03-13T21:51:31.449-05:00Restoring Window Trim<div style="text-align: justify;">With Kendra's <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/03/cloth-love.html">cloth diaper post</a> pulling in 300+ visitors, as opposed to our usual 50 visitors, I have a tough act to follow here. I get it-- people are more interested in parenting than they are in two DYI-challenged folks futzing around with a (nearly) 100-year-old house. So consider this my effort to simultaneously yank this blog back on-topic and lose hundreds of viewers who might otherwise become regular readers.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">After my last update, I was working to get the bathroom in finished shape. Now that our bathroom is completely rebuilt and retiled, it's time that we start . . . wait, hold on. My mistake, the bathroom is NOT done yet. The walls are built and the joints are all taped and mortared, but there is still no tile. The projected completion date is end of month, but, of course, I said that last month.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Let's forget about the bathroom for now. With spring approaching, Kendra and I are contemplating what exterior work should be accomplished this year. We've done quite a bit to the east (front) and west (back) sides of the house, but relatively little to the north and south sides. Here's a view of the north side of the <i>Peaches</i> estate:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vvG52Lh7vmc/TX14VVCXumI/AAAAAAAAALg/mLqxLdo087k/s1600/side+of+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vvG52Lh7vmc/TX14VVCXumI/AAAAAAAAALg/mLqxLdo087k/s320/side+of+house.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">This side of the house really annoys us. This picture actually looks <i>more</i> appealing than the house looks in real life, I think. This side faces a street (I'm standing near the street in taking this picture), and we've struggled coming up with something to enhance the curb appeal. So far, we've done a few small things -- you can see the stone wall around the AC unit. There are also three nine bark bushes and three vibernums we planted last year (they are just sticks right now, but hopefully will be nice and bushy once spring arrives). Otherwise, this side is just a large expanse of grungy vinyl. Long-term the plan is to reside the entire house with new wood clapboards, but our empty piggy bank prevents us from moving on that right now. Another part of the plan is to plant some trees on this side and let them grow, but that does nothing to help in the short term. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Given the lack of curb appeal on this side coupled with its prominence to the street, Kendra and I discussed what small touches we could do to dress it up a bit. We had settled on a modest plan: repaint the windows to the basement, perhaps paint the stone foundation, and paint the vinyl window trim. That's when I got to really looking at the windows:</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1x35wZYJuV8/TX14Zsu24EI/AAAAAAAAALk/4V0ZIJPUPqU/s1600/close+window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1x35wZYJuV8/TX14Zsu24EI/AAAAAAAAALk/4V0ZIJPUPqU/s320/close+window.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We often lament the vinyl siding that's on the house. But look at that window--to me, it sure looks like we have some pretty ornate wood window trim lurking underneath that damn plastic. You can even see that the bottom sill is not cut flush with the side trim, which makes me think that the original trim is fully intact under the vinyl. After all, if they wanted to make the vinyl job easier, they would have squared off the windows, wouldn't they?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Taking all this into account, I think the new plan is to remove the vinyl from the windows and repaint/restore the exterior wood window trim. This is, no doubt, a much larger project than just slapping some vinyl-friendly paint on there, but I think the finished product--if we can pull it off--will be more impressive. Plus, I have already undertaken to restore our original wood windows, one at a time, and this will dovetail nicely with that project (more details on the window restoration in a later post). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So what do you think, <i>Peaches</i> readers? Does this have a shot of working? Have any of you done this type of thing before and have any tips for us? One of my biggest worries is flashing/waterproofing, but I think the siding and some caulk should take care of that for us. Or is there something I'm overlooking?</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-57929241448939048092011-03-10T22:27:00.000-06:002011-03-10T22:27:53.182-06:00Cloth LoveFirst off, Peaches readers, I know this is supposed to be a "house blog." But it is also the closest thing to we have to a family blog, and every once in a while I dream about being a professional Mommy blogger when I grow up. So I hope you will indulge me today, as I Mommy-blog my reflections on 6 months of cloth-diapering little Charlie (and my apologies in advance if you clicked over from <a href="http://Houseblogs.net/">Houseblogs.net</a>, but please read on if one of your upcoming DIY projects is to install a diaper sprayer on your toilet).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gT5cHAuYoAo/TJVotrVc81I/AAAAAAAAEsI/f6CzW022fsk/s1600/DSC04527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gT5cHAuYoAo/TJVotrVc81I/AAAAAAAAEsI/f6CzW022fsk/s320/DSC04527.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie's first cloth diaper: an unbleached Chinese prefold with an extra-small Thirsties cover.</td></tr>
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This is Charlie in his very first cloth diaper. He was just 3 days old and weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Why did we decide to cloth diaper him? I don't really know. We talked about cloth diapering Max, but never took the plunge. It just seemed so overwhelming at the time. But, over the 2 1/2 years or so that Max wore disposable diapers, I grew to dislike them. First of all, they were expensive. Like all babies, Max went through diapers like crazy, and seemed like we were always out of diapers, running to the store to buy more for home or daycare. We always had a diaper pail full of stinky diapers, waiting to be taken to the trash. I couldn't even think about the cubic feet of landfill space we were filling up with Max's Pampers. And all those chemicals up against his skin 24 hours a day? Ick! The chemical-y smell of a fresh disposable diaper wasn't much better than the smell of a dirty one if you asked me. So, when we were expecting Charlie, I knew I wanted to give cloth diapering a try and I convinced Joe - who was understandably skeptical - to join me in my cloth diaper experiment. Once I started researching and reading, I quickly realized that - while cloth diapering is certainly cheaper than disposable diapering - there is quite an up-front investment (especially if you want to use some of the new-fangled fancy-pants diapers). So we committed to trying cloth diapers for at least 6 months, both to make sure we recouped our initial costs but also to make sure we gave it a fair shot. And today, Peaches readers, I will share our cloth diaper experience with you.<br />
<br />
So what did it take to cloth diaper for 6 months?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-77Vi8m1UZQc/TXQSEW9vn4I/AAAAAAAAFVY/9Euh9obK4nw/s1600/DSC06089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-77Vi8m1UZQc/TXQSEW9vn4I/AAAAAAAAFVY/9Euh9obK4nw/s320/DSC06089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is our entire cloth diaper "stash," including almost everything we've used to diaper Charlie for the last 6 months. It includes items we've used almost every day from the beginning of cloth diapering, items we used at different stages, and things we haven't used at all.<br />
<br />
The primary cloth diaper "system" we decided to use with Charlie was <a href="http://www.gro-via.com/">GroVia</a> (more on that later). But their one-size diapers were just too bulky to use during those first few weeks, when Charlie was still so very tiny. Luckily, we also had <a href="http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/clothdiapers/prefolds/chineseprefolds">22 unbleached Chinese prefold diapers </a>(infant size) and found those worked best for about the first month of cloth diapering. These old-school prefolds are what usually come to mind when you hear "cloth diaper." But don't worry, folks - these aren't your Momma's cloth diapers. Plastic pants have been replaced by breathable waterproof covers and there are lots of styles and cute patterns to choose from. During the newborn phase, we adored our <a href="http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/covers.htm">3 extra-small Thirsties covers</a>. Not only did they fit Charlie's tiny body, but the double-gusseted design contained all the wetness - including runny newborn poo. I don't think we ever had a single leak using prefolds and Thirsties covers! We also had <a href="http://www.bummis.com/ca/en/super-brite.php?adr=2">2 small Bummis</a> covers, but because they were more bulky and plastic-y than the Thirsties covers, we really only used them when the Thirsties covers were dirty. Using prefold diapers and covers is easy. Most of the time, we just lay the diaper in the cover, like so...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9i8s8YOR4e4/TXQSAGYBUNI/AAAAAAAAFVM/HXWfmGVU-MI/s1600/DSC06070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9i8s8YOR4e4/TXQSAGYBUNI/AAAAAAAAFVM/HXWfmGVU-MI/s320/DSC06070.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regular (premium) infant prefold with one-size Blueberry Coverall.</td></tr>
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...then secure the diaper and cover around Charlie, like so. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lABUKSAEgGo/TXQSBTYn8pI/AAAAAAAAFVQ/Y31CMjBiBDU/s1600/DSC06073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lABUKSAEgGo/TXQSBTYn8pI/AAAAAAAAFVQ/Y31CMjBiBDU/s320/DSC06073.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It will be just as easy for you to use a prefold and cover, but - unfortunately - your baby won't be as cute. Sorry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If we ever want to fasten the diaper before securing the cover (which I like to do but Joe doesn't), we use one of our <a href="http://nickisdiapers.com/catalog.php?category=125">4 Snappis</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5ofv1FJOcAc/TXQR-uCaWAI/AAAAAAAAFVI/1scfr9P_pak/s1600/DSC06067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5ofv1FJOcAc/TXQR-uCaWAI/AAAAAAAAFVI/1scfr9P_pak/s320/DSC06067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diaper pins are a thing of the past! I just fold the diaper into thirds (see picture above), give it a twist to reduce bulkiness between the legs, and fasten it in front with a Snappi.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The covers were wipeable and reusable (unless they got poo on them, of course), so we usually just alternated between two covers every day.<br />
<br />
Once Charlie was back up to his birth weight of 8 pounds (about 2-3 weeks old), we were able to start using our <a href="http://www.gro-via.com/product.php?pID=100048&cID=180">one-size GroVia all-in-two diapers</a>. These GroVia diapers are a two-piece system consisting of an outer shell (we have 9 of them) and snap-in insert (we have 15). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X1bZUwPiKBA/TXQj6BgxwOI/AAAAAAAAFWs/1xiw9HRX6OY/s1600/DSC06095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X1bZUwPiKBA/TXQj6BgxwOI/AAAAAAAAFWs/1xiw9HRX6OY/s320/DSC06095.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of a GroVia shell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vlsV-72Pi1c/TXQj8r7gL0I/AAAAAAAAFW0/XgqKNtoS0xY/s1600/DSC06098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vlsV-72Pi1c/TXQj8r7gL0I/AAAAAAAAFW0/XgqKNtoS0xY/s320/DSC06098.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GroVia shell with snap-in organic cotton insert.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like the Thirsties covers, the GroVia shells can be reused throughout the day (until they get dirty). We typically use 2-3 shells per day. Early on, we struggled with occasional leaks with our GroVia diapers, but I discovered that they need to be washed and dried REPEATEDLY before reaching full absorbency. I also discovered that the tags would occasionally slip out of the shell and wick out the moisture, so I cut out all the tags. Since then, we rarely have leaks and we LOVE our GroVia diapers! They are trim, made of organic cotton, and the 3 rows of snaps make the shell "one-size" so they have grown with Charlie from 8 to almost 20 pounds now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GcG6HskoUmc/TJVoxBL9ztI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/hYigq1ueFhM/s1600/DSC04561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GcG6HskoUmc/TJVoxBL9ztI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/hYigq1ueFhM/s320/DSC04561.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One week old, about 7 pounds. The GroVia diaper was still a bit too big.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FYTKePQjGgE/TJVozY4i2gI/AAAAAAAAEsY/w_OjfpUOGhM/s1600/DSC04627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FYTKePQjGgE/TJVozY4i2gI/AAAAAAAAEsY/w_OjfpUOGhM/s320/DSC04627.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 weeks old, 8 pounds. The GroVia diaper was a bit bulky, was was workable.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UtaT30dvSBo/TMBXVIWia-I/AAAAAAAAExI/mmxiA40pjpU/s1600/DSC04847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UtaT30dvSBo/TMBXVIWia-I/AAAAAAAAExI/mmxiA40pjpU/s320/DSC04847.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 1/2 months old and about 14-15 pounds. He is pictured wearing a GroVia snap shell here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BvkFus1Tq_k/TXQkAf-aPYI/AAAAAAAAFXA/EBfiDgKLyhA/s1600/DSC06101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BvkFus1Tq_k/TXQkAf-aPYI/AAAAAAAAFXA/EBfiDgKLyhA/s320/DSC06101.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 months old, just shy of 20 pounds, and happy as a clam in his GroVia diaper! Compare to the newborn shots and note that we are now on the second row of snaps. There are 3 rows of snaps to grow the diaper covers from newborn to infant to toddler sizes. Genius!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One thing I really appreciate about the GroVia system is the versatility. We can use the shell and insert together, or can use the shell as a cover for a prefold diaper (which we did quite often early on, when prefolds seemed to do a better job containing the runny breastfed baby poo). They also sell <a href="http://www.gro-via.com/product.php?pID=100010&cID=180">BioSoakers,</a> which are biodegradable, disposable inserts you can use to make GroVia a "hybrid" diapering system. We have a 50-pack of BioSoakers, but haven't really used them. I imagine they would be great for traveling, sitters who are uncomfortable dealing with cloth, or if you were someone who wasn't ready to totally take the cloth diaper plunge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tgj1UniOZRE/TMBXY5BtOwI/AAAAAAAAExU/nVdHHx_pvfY/s1600/DSC04932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tgj1UniOZRE/TMBXY5BtOwI/AAAAAAAAExU/nVdHHx_pvfY/s320/DSC04932.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 months old. Wearing a GroVia cover over an infant prefold fastened with a Snappi (take my word for it).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In addition to our GroVia diapers, we also have <a href="http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/clothdiapers/prefolds/chineseprefolds">9 regular (premium)-size prefold diapers</a> in our current rotation with <a href="http://www.blueberrydiapers.com/Diaper-Covers_2">2 Blueberry one-size covers.</a> The prefold/cover combo isn't as trim as GroVia, but they work very well and we probably use them every 2-3 days, when all the GroVia diapers are in the wash. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5WoIOSWfI4o/TXQSKNwxwEI/AAAAAAAAFVg/LeV-Xjrczmk/s1600/DSC05933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5WoIOSWfI4o/TXQSKNwxwEI/AAAAAAAAFVg/LeV-Xjrczmk/s320/DSC05933.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 months old and about 17-18 pounds, wearing a regular size prefold with a one-size Blueberry Coverall. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Although GroVia and prefolds with covers have been our "go-to" cloth diapers, we also dabbled in a variety of pocket diapers. Pocket diapers are just as they sound - they are cloth diapers with a pocket that you stuff with inserts. They allow you to customize your absorbancy by stuffing as much or little as you want, and cut down drying time because the inserts are separate from the rest of the diaper. Charlie has always been a very heavy wetter, and the problem I had with pocket diapers, across the board, was that they seemed to leak after about an hour, no matter how much I stuffed them. So none of them worked well for us. Luckily, Joe's cousin Tamera (who I refer to as the cloth diaper fairy) gave us a lot of hand-me-down pocket diapers the she used with her daughter, so we were able to try most of these risk-free. I'm glad we did, because I would have been very disappointed if we would have purchased a bunch of these right off the bat. Of the pocket diapers we tried, my favorite were <a href="http://www.swaddlebees.com/All-in-One-Diapers">Swaddlebees</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qwlHMvPA8pI/TMBXSi2rjcI/AAAAAAAAExA/BV9SxYl5I7M/s1600/DSC04824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qwlHMvPA8pI/TMBXSi2rjcI/AAAAAAAAExA/BV9SxYl5I7M/s320/DSC04824.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Swaddlebees stuffed with two inserts. 2 months old, approximately 14-15 pounds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>They were trim, soft, and usually didn't leak as long as I stuffed them with at least two inserts and made sure to change them every 2 hours or so. <br />
<br />
Also included in our "stash" of pocket diapers were 5 extra small <a href="http://www.fuzzibunz.com/perfect_size_diaper.php">Fuzzibunz.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d_XWRfcTt2g/TK0f7srWsMI/AAAAAAAAEwE/6kaCEX8Pfns/s1600/DSC04644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d_XWRfcTt2g/TK0f7srWsMI/AAAAAAAAEwE/6kaCEX8Pfns/s320/DSC04644.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing an x-small Fuzzibunz at 3 weeks old, approximately 9-10 pounds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Fuzzibunz were cute and very trim, but leaked every time. Didn't matter how much I stuffed them (and I stuffed them as much as I could), Charlie would wear them an hour and then be covered in pee (but they did contain the poo). <br />
<br />
We also had 6 <a href="http://www.happyheinys.com/our-products/pocket-diapers">Happy Heiny's</a> (4 size small, 2 size x-small). We absolutely hated these. The legs weren't gusseted and did not contain runny newborn poo. And it seemed like my breastfed baby was pooing about every 10 minutes, so that's exactly how long one of these diapers would last. Maybe they would've worked better for an older baby. We never used our two Very Baby pocket diapers, but they looked almost exactly like the Happy Heiny's so I imagine I would have hated them too.<br />
<br />
In addition to the diapers themselves, there are several cloth diapering accessories that have made cloth diapering possible (and, dare I say, easy). Here are all the extras we've used along the way:<br />
<br />
Three rolls of liners. We've used <a href="http://www.imsevimse.us/p-124-flushable-liners-baby-200.aspx">Imse Vimse</a> and <a href="http://www.kushiesonline.com/Flushable-Biogradable-Diaper-Liners-p/l545.htm">Kushies</a>. These flushable, biodegradable liners lay right on top of the cloth diaper and are great for catching poo so you don't have to dunk, scrape, or spray it off in the toilet. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aumJ4yTS-ok/TXQj9241kRI/AAAAAAAAFW4/-h2kKsKZku4/s1600/DSC06099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aumJ4yTS-ok/TXQj9241kRI/AAAAAAAAFW4/-h2kKsKZku4/s320/DSC06099.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GroVia shell and insert with a Kushies liner on top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Incidentally, breastfed baby poo is totally water soluble, so you can just toss poopy breastfed diapers in the washing machine without any rinsing. So these liners are only necessary when you have to start getting rid of the poo before you wash. Since Charlie is an exclusively breastfed baby, we didn't start using liners until he started solid food at about 4 1/2 months. And we don't use the liners all the time since we installed a diaper sprayer on our toilet, which is an easy and pretty clean way to wash the poo off the diapers and into the toilet. Sure beats the old dunk-flush-repeat method our mothers used.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XgiPMb-ekyc/TXQSFTXFBpI/AAAAAAAAFVc/TaquL6-2pa8/s1600/DSC06092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XgiPMb-ekyc/TXQSFTXFBpI/AAAAAAAAFVc/TaquL6-2pa8/s320/DSC06092.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Bumgenius diaper sprayer mounts right to our toilet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2373657">diaper pail</a>. A cheapie Safety First model from Babies R Us. It is the same one we used with Max's disposable diapers, and is basically just a glorified trash can. You certainly don't need any special diaper pail for cloth diapers. You do, however, need...<br />
<br />
Two <a href="http://www.planetwiseinc.com/Planet_Wise_Diaper_Pail_Liner_38_cat.html">Planet Wise diaper pail liners</a>. Gone are the days of the "wet pail," where you throw dirty diapers in a solution of water and cleaners to soak until laundry day. We use the "dry pail" method, and just throw our dirty diapers in the pail lined with these washable liners. They make diaper laundry (which we do every other day) oh-so-easy - just throw the bag in the washer with the diapers and wash away! Which brings me to...<br />
<br />
Front-loader washing machine and <a href="http://rockingreensoap.com/">Rockin Green</a> laundry soap. Cloth diapers and front-loader washing machines are both environmentally friendly, so you'd think they'd work well together. The irony, however, is that a front-loader washer generally does a pretty crappy (no pun intended) job of washing cloth diapers. You see, cloth diapers need water - lots and lots of water - to get really clean, and front-loader washers use less water. This can lead to unclean, stinky diapers. There is no "best" wash routine for cloth diapers. It really depends on your washing machine and water quality. It has taken a little bit of experimentation and problem-solving, but we seem to have figured out the best routine for washing our diapers ( cold short cycle with no soap & extra rinse + hot long cycle with soap & extra rinse). Occasionally, if the diapers start to get that not-so-fresh smell, I run another cold short cycle with no soap & extra rinse and that takes care of it. We've also experimented with soap. I've had the best luck with Rockin' Green, regular Tide, and Charlie's Soap (in that order). But the Rockin' Green is far and away my favorite.<br />
<br />
Two medium-sized zip-top wet bags. We have one made by <a href="http://www.planetwiseinc.com/Planet_Wise_Wet_Bags_39_cat.html">Planet Wise </a>and one made by <a href="http://www.wahmies.com/pages/wetbags.php">Wahmies</a>. These waterproof bags are essential for keeping dirty diapers and all their wetness and smells contained while you're out-and-about or on days when baby is with Grandma or the sitter. Wet bags are handy even if you don't cloth diaper - I've used them to keep wet/dirty clothes and bibs from floating around the diaper bag.<br />
<br />
A few packages of Pampers. Charlie is a heavy wetter and gets really upset when he's wearing a wet cloth diaper. We just haven't quite figured out how to keep him cloth-diapered at night without leaks or fussiness. There are special overnight cloth diapers out there, but I haven't explored them. So he wears one disposable diaper overnight every night, and I think we've purchased about one package a month since his birth. I'm only human.<br />
<br />
So there you have it. Am I glad we took the cloth diaper plunge? Yep. Do I plan to continue? Absolutely. My plan is to keep little Charlie in cloth diapers until he potty trains (which may not be long since research shows that cloth-diapered babies potty train earlier). If (and that's a BIG IF) we have another child, they'll be cloth-diapered, too. Cloth diapers are cheap. All told, I think we've spent just under $300 on cloth diapers that will carry us through potty training, so they've been a very good economical choice. They're good for the environment and - after I got over the initial shock of all the options and accessories - it has been surprisingly easy to cloth diaper, even as a working Mom (thanks to our sitter, Pam, for being open-minded and trying cloth diapers with us). <br />
<br />
And, besides, what's cuter than a chubby baby in a cloth diaper?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Ob1MYfez1J0/TXQj-7Gg5UI/AAAAAAAAFW8/iTg-Ikanznw/s1600/DSC06100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Ob1MYfez1J0/TXQj-7Gg5UI/AAAAAAAAFW8/iTg-Ikanznw/s320/DSC06100.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-57682429737119818232011-02-27T14:12:00.004-06:002011-02-27T14:27:47.854-06:00It's always something......and here are our 3 somethings this week.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xHRjhG1B1jw/TWqt6OJ78gI/AAAAAAAAFUI/c9SFnF20qUs/s1600/DSC06058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xHRjhG1B1jw/TWqt6OJ78gI/AAAAAAAAFUI/c9SFnF20qUs/s320/DSC06058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">1) The lower spray arm on our dishwasher. Somehow, it came in contact with the heating element and melted. This has left us without a dishwasher until the new part comes in (2-5 business days, we're told) It was only a $25 part, so not a major head ache. Just annoying and time-consuming to have to wash dishes by hand. And since our New Year's Resolution was to cut our extra spending, especially in regards to groceries and eating out, a week of take-out isn't an option. How did people ever live this way???</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wnRIdqhJaNE/TWquEL0HakI/AAAAAAAAFUM/7uEzYSd_NQw/s1600/DSC06059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wnRIdqhJaNE/TWquEL0HakI/AAAAAAAAFUM/7uEzYSd_NQw/s320/DSC06059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">2) The upstairs shower is leaking. This picture is of the downstairs hall ceiling, directly underneath the shower in the upstairs bathroom. Joe thinks some caulk with fix this problem. I am less optimistic. Nothing is ever that easy.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OAQdy42VirQ/TWquMaD3mCI/AAAAAAAAFUQ/YzayOFjr0_g/s1600/DSC06061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OAQdy42VirQ/TWquMaD3mCI/AAAAAAAAFUQ/YzayOFjr0_g/s320/DSC06061.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">3) Our refrigerator ice maker. Hasn't made any ice for the last 24+ hours. We realized this after breakfast this morning, so we haven't investigated very thoroughly. Hopefully more ice will just appear and we won't have to worry about it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's hoping those are all the "somethings" we'll have to deal with for awhile. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to clean up lunch dishes, take a shower, and make myself an ice cold drink. Damn. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-73505736542800693072011-02-21T16:17:00.002-06:002011-02-22T11:29:50.054-06:00Involuntary Bathroom Remodeling Part IIIn my last post, <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/02/involuntary-bathroom-remodeling.html">I discussed the suddenly urgent need</a> to completely redo our downstairs bathtub/shower, and the accompanying demolition. With everything demo'd to dry wood, I had to contemplate rebuilding everything to support the new tub and shower enclosure.<br />
<br />
The first order of business was figuring out what tub to put in the space. The old tub was a 60" jetted "drop-in" that, you will recall, (1) didn't have working jets, (2) wasn't properly supported by the framing, and (3) didn't fit into the 57" space--the tub protruded three inches into the closet in the adjoining room. Kendra and I decided we would buy a 54" tub instead, which is harder to find than a standard 60" tub. We finally settled on a 54" tub at Menard's, primarily because it was available without special ordering. <br />
<br />
This still left us with a size problem -- a 54" tub to go in a 57" space. The best solution I could think of was to build a three-inch shelf out at the top of the tub. This meant more carpentry (ugh)* but seemed very doable. Since 2x lumber is actually 1.5", that means I just needed to nail a couple 2x8 to the framing to create the shelf. It all seemed very easy, until Kendra mentioned that she'd like to install shower doors in the finished space, instead of a shower curtain. Now, my simple shelf project turned into a new wall projecting three inches out from the old wall. Ugh, more carpentry.<br />
<br />
<i>*The reason I say "ugh" is not because I hate carpentry, it's just that I'm really bad at it. Driving a nail usually is a two- or three-take process for me. Which makes me hate carpentry.</i><br />
<br />
I set to work reconstructing the space so that we could set the tub. First, I needed to reinforce the floor joists, which had significant (although not catastrophic) water rot, so I sistered some 2x8s to the existing joists. Underneath the bathroom is crawlspace, which made the work more difficult in that I was flat on my back the whole time, yet also easier in that I didn't need to reach straight over my head to work. Due to the bathroom being located on an exterior wall, I was able to rest one end of the 2x8s on the sill plate, which should make them hold better (I think). After reinforcing the joists, I cut a piece of OSB board to fit the opening in the floor and screwed it to the joists. <br />
<br />
After a little bit of framing to correct the hole in the wall the old tub was shoved into, and then installing two 2x8s to create the proper width for the tub alcove, it was time to install the tub. I cut and fastened a 2x4 ledger board on the back wall to support the tub. Then I enlisted Kendra's help to lift the tub into place. It took quite a bit of coaxing, shoving, and pushing, but we finally got the tub set on the floor. I doubt we had a quarter-inch of space to spare. I used some shims to level the tub, and then we were set.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jgf6cbxcZOw/TWLdtON0vXI/AAAAAAAAALQ/ShbUwaefLGw/s1600/tub+install.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jgf6cbxcZOw/TWLdtON0vXI/AAAAAAAAALQ/ShbUwaefLGw/s320/tub+install.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tub snugly in place. You can see the new framing at both the right and left-hand sides of the tub.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After getting the tub in, I turned my attention to the new, 3" deep wall I would need to build out to accommodate our future shower doors. I decided I would attach horizontal 2x4s to the existing studs, then attach vertical 2x4s on top of that to run the length of the new "wall." This successfully narrowed the tub alcove from 57" to 54", and resulted in a plumb-enough new structure for installing the cement board.<br />
<br />
The cement board was surprisingly easy to work with, although there was some drama along the way. First, I needed to clean up some of the wiring by removing the switch and wires that worked the nonfunctioning jetted tub. In the switch's place, I installed a GFCI outlet, located in the same electrical box as the switch for running the exhaust fan. It doesn't really makes sense to have an outlet in that particular spot, but I didn't know what else to put in the box. I guess this will leave a power source in case we want to put in a 42" TV right across from the toilet. <br />
<br />
After the wiring, I called and had Cooter's Plumbing come over and replace some of the old PVC pipe that ran to the tub and shower with PEX pipe. They also installed the new shower valve and made the drain connections. With the wiring and plumbing done, it was time to cover the walls.<br />
<br />
I attached 4 mil plastic sheeting on top of the lathe board to act as a waterproof barrier to the framing underneath. I decided to install the cement board on the long wall first, because it would require the least cutting and let me practice my technique before moving on to the more delicate pieces.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ekx4OANUssI/TWLghHby2cI/AAAAAAAAALU/49vKxPiHCgs/s1600/cement+board.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ekx4OANUssI/TWLghHby2cI/AAAAAAAAALU/49vKxPiHCgs/s320/cement+board.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One wall down, two to go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I found the board easy to cut and work with, but my efforts were not without problems. After hanging the first piece--the one on the top in the picture above--I realized I had forgotten to cut out the opening for the exhaust fan. Luckily I was able to punch out an opening with the use of a utility knife and cold chisel. It added some work, but not an ungodly amount.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, after a couple weeks of no progress, I was finally able to hang the rest of the cement board. Here are a couple shots; this picture shows a straight-ahead view:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WNvUB_pNhLE/TWLhtw9qq6I/AAAAAAAAALY/j4fOI2srNQM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WNvUB_pNhLE/TWLhtw9qq6I/AAAAAAAAALY/j4fOI2srNQM/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
And here is a photo showing the new 3" wall:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D0fnwr7aRUQ/TWLhuxt3AkI/AAAAAAAAALc/euiE4bmC2K8/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D0fnwr7aRUQ/TWLhuxt3AkI/AAAAAAAAALc/euiE4bmC2K8/s320/photo1.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
As of today, we are <i>almost</i> ready to start tiling. I still need to mortar the cement board joints, and finish the perimeter with joint compound. And we still don't have the tile yet, although it's supposed to come in this week. After two months of no downstairs tub, and I'm guessing 40 hours of labor, we are getting close to finishing this project.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-35799894410348942772011-02-07T21:09:00.000-06:002011-02-07T21:09:48.576-06:00Snowpocalypse, Snowmageddon, Snotorious BIG, Snoprah Winfrey, Snow joke, SnOMG...Whatever you call it, we survived. Here are a few pics of our winter wonderland.<div><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCo7OqTpsI/AAAAAAAAFSs/T5CwIixkHjU/s1600/DSC05987.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCo7OqTpsI/AAAAAAAAFSs/T5CwIixkHjU/s320/DSC05987.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our old house and about a foot of snow (before drifts). Also a nice shot of our new roof.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoNlTAWFI/AAAAAAAAFSU/7YFiGgDdgyc/s1600/DSC05956.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoNlTAWFI/AAAAAAAAFSU/7YFiGgDdgyc/s320/DSC05956.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riding the snow drift wave!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoT0au2EI/AAAAAAAAFSY/Y-kIKx6m4so/s1600/DSC05963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoT0au2EI/AAAAAAAAFSY/Y-kIKx6m4so/s320/DSC05963.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wading through the snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCor1-tnoI/AAAAAAAAFSk/BYZLmxeqGc8/s1600/DSC05976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCor1-tnoI/AAAAAAAAFSk/BYZLmxeqGc8/s320/DSC05976.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joe had a whole lot of shovelin' to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCobAwzLjI/AAAAAAAAFSc/M40D2rcQb38/s1600/DSC05964.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCobAwzLjI/AAAAAAAAFSc/M40D2rcQb38/s320/DSC05964.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The freshly shoveled path between our garage and the back porch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoikFZhcI/AAAAAAAAFSg/bSZLS3gInV8/s1600/DSC05970.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoikFZhcI/AAAAAAAAFSg/bSZLS3gInV8/s320/DSC05970.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The dog, the boy, and a big pile of snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoJonrsfI/AAAAAAAAFSQ/WPjmWoOfQoo/s1600/DSC05950.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCoJonrsfI/AAAAAAAAFSQ/WPjmWoOfQoo/s320/DSC05950.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Snow angels!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCozqovOmI/AAAAAAAAFSo/J-uGuSdihlw/s1600/DSC05982.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCozqovOmI/AAAAAAAAFSo/J-uGuSdihlw/s320/DSC05982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just relaxin' in the snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCpC4CdaCI/AAAAAAAAFSw/nHDeu9uqDWk/s1600/DSC05998.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCpC4CdaCI/AAAAAAAAFSw/nHDeu9uqDWk/s320/DSC05998.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Max and Charlie wore nothing but pajamas for four days.<br />
I DID make them wear a different pair every day in case you were wondering.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCn4UVgtZI/AAAAAAAAFSI/v2Y55i70i9s/s1600/DSC05932.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TVCn4UVgtZI/AAAAAAAAFSI/v2Y55i70i9s/s320/DSC05932.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Watching movies and snuggling. Not a bad way to spend a few snowy days.</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-67502078451106850292011-02-02T15:21:00.000-06:002011-02-02T15:21:10.226-06:00Involuntary Bathroom Remodeling"What's THIS?!" we heard Max bellow from the bathtub. We had a suspicion something was wrong, but we had no idea what was ahead of us.<br />
<br />
It was about two months ago that Kendra and I rushed into the bathroom to see what Max had found during bath time. In his hand was a small plastic sliver--which, unfortunately, had chipped off the bottom of the bath tub. As we inspected the tub, it became obvious that the tub's useful life had ended quite some time ago. We always knew the tub would need replacing soon, but it wasn't really a project that was on the front burner. But with the cracked bottom the tub was now unusable. It was decided--we'd install a new tub, with a new tile surround.<br />
<br />
The first order of business was demo. Since I didn't take any "before" pictures, I'll have to describe the old setup. Our bathroom walls are textured plaster. We had a tub/shower combo, with the tub being a non-functional whirlpool tub. There was vinyl paneling on the shower walls for waterproofing. Demo started with removing the vinyl paneling. Unfortunately, this involved just peeling the panels off the walls, as they were stuck directly to the plaster with some type of adhesive. That was the extent of the wall waterproofing, and it showed. When I removed the panels, I was greeted by soggy plaster and drywall, which just crumbled off the wall in places. It made demo easier, but it was more than a little concerning how much water was passing through to the structural elements of the house. With the help of my craftsman multitool, I was able to cut out plaster from the area to be tiled. The multitool gave me a nice, straight cut, which should make the cement board installation that much easier:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/TUnEf7NUfyI/AAAAAAAAALI/80XqP8ObE4M/s1600/plaster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/TUnEf7NUfyI/AAAAAAAAALI/80XqP8ObE4M/s320/plaster.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
After cutting/demoing down to the wood lathe, it was time to remove the tub. As I started to take a closer look at things, I noticed that the old tub actually penetrated one of the walls. I guess I always knew this, but before now I never paid much attention. You see, the wall-to-wall measurement is 57 inches, 3 inches too short for your standard 60 inch tub. That didn't stop one of the previous homeowners from "installing" a 60 inch, drop-in style jetted tub, though -- just shove it three inches into the wall and call it good. This would not do for our replacement, so this was one area we'd need to address during the new install.<br />
<br />
After getting the tub out, I was able to assess the floor. It was awful. The tub was resting on a piece of plywood, which was so rotted I was able to fold it in half like a piece of cardboard. Tongue-in-groove hardwood flooring was laid underneath the plywood. It also appeared a little wet, so I poked at it with my finger--and a chunk of the flooring crumbled and fell into the basement below. On the optimistic side, the rotted wood made for an easier demolition, and soon I had removed the existing subfloor. I could peer into the basement (which is a crawlspace under that particular part of the house) and see the floor joists. Unfortunately, what I could see was that the top 1" or so of several joists was also rotted. When the demo was finished, here's how things looked:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/TUnJZUU8B6I/AAAAAAAAALM/0eDo_PAyG00/s1600/demo+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/TUnJZUU8B6I/AAAAAAAAALM/0eDo_PAyG00/s320/demo+bathroom.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The amount of water damage wasn't really surprising, but it was disappointing. With substantial rebuilding required before I could even start replacing the tub, the "new tub" project was taking on much more of a carpentry feel than I would prefer. But that's probably enough for now. You'll have to wait for the next blog post to see how the carpentry went.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-85942154664976493022011-02-01T14:29:00.001-06:002011-02-02T16:04:58.631-06:00Oh snow you didn't!A peek outside our back door during the now-infamous Midwest Snowpocalypse 2011.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TUhs2G2NgrI/AAAAAAAAFRc/P0yhjXDN7A0/s1600/snopocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TUhs2G2NgrI/AAAAAAAAFRc/P0yhjXDN7A0/s320/snopocalypse.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I'm dreaming of the landscaping and patio expansion projects we're planning once the grass turns green.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-57977558121345134222011-01-29T08:24:00.002-06:002011-02-02T16:05:46.137-06:002010 Year in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/gQoyqvlzH0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TUQS-xDunkE/AAAAAAAAFRA/nO9DMgj-bVg/s160-c/2010YearInReview.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our year* in less than 5 minutes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After multiple technology failures and a whole lotta drama, I finally got this posted. It's bugging the heck out of me that you have to click on it again after you get to Web Albums to view it, but I really think this is the best I can do. Seriously, I could write a blog post about how this simple little movie was such a pain to get posted. But I won't. Just enjoy the movie. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*note: I know this is supposed to be a house blog, but I didn't really find any of our home improvements this year (landscaping, furnace repair, insulating, new toilets, pipe repair, new roof, bathroom remodel in progress) interesting enough for our YIR. Stay tuned for updates on our DIY projects.</i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-157645678393722912011-01-18T13:06:00.003-06:002011-02-02T16:06:22.229-06:00Let's do this!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/01/redesign-and-possible-return-to-posting.html">Joe's right.</a> I long ago declared the blog dead. As many of you may painfully remember, my <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2009/10/lucys-garden.html">last post</a> was October 23, 2009. The day our daughter, Lucy, was due. I was overwhelmed by the support and feedback I got from that post, and I truly planned to continue posting to our little blog about our house and our lives. But every time I thought about opening up the blog and making a new post, I just couldn't do it. Somehow, it just felt wrong to me to follow-up the post about our dead daughter with something about installing new toilets... So one day recently, Joe brought up the blog (again) and I finally told him why I haven't posted for over a year. I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure my husband has the most beautiful soul I've ever known. I'm not sure if he understood my feelings at all, but he acted as though he did. And he made a simple offer that actually meant quite a lot to me. He asked me, if he redesigned the blog and made the <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/01/redesign-and-possible-return-to-posting.html">first post-Lucy entry</a>, if I thought I could keep going. I said yes. So he did. And I will. And I just read <i><a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2009/10/lucys-garden.html">Lucy's Garden</a> </i>for the first time since posting it almost 15 months ago. I have to say, I'm pretty damn proud of the words I wrote and the clarity in which I was able to express myself in such a time of grief. And reading the post allowed me to reflect on how far we - me, Joe, our family, and the house - have come since then. This house and - more importantly - our family have stories to tell, and I think this is a great place to do it. </div><br />
So I say to you, Joe, resurrector of the blog, <i>let's do this</i>! Let's bring the blog back. For real. None of this <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2011/01/redesign-and-possible-return-to-posting.html">wash, rinse, repeat</a> stuff. As I type, I am brainstorming a pictoral Peaches "year in review" post...<br />
<br />
And let me be the first to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Charlie, who entered our lives quickly, a bit unexpectedly, and absolutely perfectly last September.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TTXjEg5CwiI/AAAAAAAAFLc/QM_MfghLaKU/s1600/Max+and+Charlie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/TTXjEg5CwiI/AAAAAAAAFLc/QM_MfghLaKU/s320/Max+and+Charlie.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">GMaCP (gratuitous Max and Charlie picture)</span></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-29152456879210948862011-01-07T15:54:00.000-06:002011-01-07T15:54:00.177-06:00Redesign, and a (Possible) Return to Posting<div style="text-align: justify;">It all sounds familiar, doesn't it? A blog falls out of use, and then the author comes after 6 months and says he or she will resume posting, and then stops blogging for 6 months, then says he or she will resume posting . . . wash, rinse, repeat.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I spent a bit of time redesigning the site (and by redesigning, I mean changing the default Blogger template) in the hopes that it will jumpstart me on providing regular updates. The last year has soon a lot of work done to the house, and a new addition to the family--our four-month-old son, Charlie. Right now we are in the middle of a tub/shower overhaul that is consuming a lot of time, and we recently put on a new roof, which consumed a lot of money. Stay tuned for some substantive posts; if nothing else, I need to post just to prove Kendra wrong, who has long proclaimed this blog as dead.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So what type of posts are on tap? Here is a short list of improvements in the works or that have been completed since we last updated:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Refurbishing the first of 12 old windows</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*New roof</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Extensive landscaping</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Minor exterior repairs</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Insulation of pipes (because they burst!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*New tub/shower/tile job in downstairs bathroom</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Removing four loads of tree trimmings from our beautiful maple trees</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Construction of outdoor play set (not an improvement to the home, but a major construction project nevertheless)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm guessing that we can also get some pretty serious "before" and "after" shots done. But in any case, I feel like I owe it to someone (who, I don't know; the house maybe?) to keep this blog going. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-71507424825354872912009-10-23T09:29:00.019-05:002009-10-23T21:15:34.824-05:00Lucy's Garden<div style="text-align: left;">Our daughter died. She was stillborn.</div><br />I've said those words to myself over and over again. Sometimes to convince myself that this really happened, sometimes to break the news to others. Surprisingly, they're not that hard to say. We lost our Lucy before she was born. I was 8 months pregnant, in labor and delivery, hooked up to monitors, watching her heart beat. Then it stopped. Seven minutes and an emergency c-section later, she was born--not breathing with no pulse. And now she is gone. It is that simple.<br /><br />Yesterday, she would have been one month old. Today is her due date. And so, we have begun our year of "firsts" without Lucy and a lifetime of "what ifs," "should haves," and "might have beens." Today's post, Peaches readers, is the first since our Lucy died and is dedicated to her. I wish more than anything that I was posting about bringing home our baby, but I am instead posting about planting a tree in her honor.<br /><br />Since Lucy died, the kindness and generosity of friends, family, and our community have been overwhelming. We haven't had to cook supper, not even once, since we returned home from the hospital almost one month ago. We've received over 100 cards, 30+ flower deliveries, and countless emails and phone calls. People are so good, and I've never been more convinced of that since this happened to our family.<br /><br />It is surprising, when you lose a child, what you learn about yourself and about others in your life. You find you are stronger than you thought...and weaker. The same is true for your relationships. Many people open up and share their losses with you--some you never even knew had experienced such losses. You feel bad that you never knew, that you didn't even ask. If you did know, you feel bad you didn't do more or that you didn't understand. People you barely know--or don't know at all--come running with food and a shoulder to cry on. And yes, unfortunately, some of the people you are closest to, the kind of people who call every day when you bring home a live baby, are painfully silent. It is impossible to reach out when you are in this situation, to tell those people that you need them. So you instead focus on those that are there, who have reached out to you. And you hope the others will eventually find the words.<br /><br />When we returned from the hospital, the feeling of helplessness was overwhelming, and Lucy's due date loomed large even when it was weeks away. We couldn't save her, but we wanted to do SOMETHING for her. We knew this day would be a tough one for us, so--almost a month ago--we decided we would celebrate by planting a tree in her honor. We received several beautiful potted plants and flowers and several generous gift certificates to local nurseries from friends. So what began as just a tree turned into much more.<br /><br />We began last weekend by planting eight holly bushes in the front of our house. Beautiful little shrubs with pretty red berries and glossy leaves that will stay green all year long. We received three yellow mums in the week after Lucy died, so we planted those along the south side of the front porch. Although one has already gone dormant, I am hopeful they will all three come back next year. And when they bloom, in the fall, they will remind us of our sweet autumn baby. The rose bush that was sent to her funeral was planted out back. It also has gone dormant, but we will see what spring brings. <div><br /><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHshvE2kI/AAAAAAAADm4/dSaFAB9xrpg/s1600-h/max+and+joe+planting+holly+bushes.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHshvE2kI/AAAAAAAADm4/dSaFAB9xrpg/s320/max+and+joe+planting+holly+bushes.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395954133838912066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Joe and Max begin digging for the holly bushes.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><br /></i></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHtAMxcNI/AAAAAAAADnA/_UHaDiC3I1g/s1600-h/DSC02718.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHtAMxcNI/AAAAAAAADnA/_UHaDiC3I1g/s320/DSC02718.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395954142016532690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Max finds a new friend--a HUGE earthworm!</i></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Then we set out to find a tree for our Lucy. We wanted something beautiful, and decided a dogwood would be perfect. We looked for a pink one, but quickly found out that most nurseries only carry pink dogwoods in the spring. Many places had white, but for some reason that didn't seem right. Then we found it--a beautiful red dogwood at Family Tree Nursery in Liberty. Already over 6 feet tall with gorgeous buds just begging to bloom this spring. After we purchased it and got back into the car, I said to Joe, "The red dogwood is the right one. I think our Lucy would have been more of a red kind of girl than pink anyway." He smiled and nodded.<br /><br />We have spent this week debating where the tree should go. The "perfect" spot, in my opinion, was on an incline right under a power line that runs about 15 feet above the ground. Both of these things (the incline and the power line) made Joe nervous, so we settled on a compromise--still on the incline but just to the side of the power line. We've never planted a tree before, but the very nice gentleman at the nursery assured us we couldn't go wrong if we followed his instructions:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">just dig a wide hole (but not too deep)</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHtYbXQxI/AAAAAAAADnI/AOe6OhaYaeU/s1600-h/digging+hole.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHtYbXQxI/AAAAAAAADnI/AOe6OhaYaeU/s320/digging+hole.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395954148520182546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">put the tree in (after covering the root ball with some stuff called "Myke's")</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHt34lW0I/AAAAAAAADnQ/ge7FrVcIKV4/s1600-h/getting+ready+to+backfill.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHt34lW0I/AAAAAAAADnQ/ge7FrVcIKV4/s320/getting+ready+to+backfill.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395954156964240194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">backfill with compost and soil </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHuJsJPnI/AAAAAAAADnY/-SCWWpRDP10/s1600-h/hole+filled+in.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJHuJsJPnI/AAAAAAAADnY/-SCWWpRDP10/s320/hole+filled+in.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395954161743904370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">and top with mulch.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJKAgJ_IkI/AAAAAAAADng/uI4TgL4RHRc/s1600-h/Lucy+tree+finished.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJKAgJ_IkI/AAAAAAAADng/uI4TgL4RHRc/s320/Lucy+tree+finished.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395956676035551810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div>So that's what we did. Fingers crossed that the tree takes root and in the spring and summer--when our little girl would have been sitting up, learning to crawl, and even starting to babble ma-ma and da-da--we'll be reminded of her beauty with green leaves and big purplish-red dogwood blooms. To watch over the tree, we placed a statue of an angel, another gift from very kind friends.</div><div><br />We also purchased two globe blue spruce shrubs and planted them on either side of the front steps. And a very kind friend brought another gorgeous rose bush to us this week to add to Lucy's garden, so we planted that on the south side of the house today, too.<br /><br />Now that it is all said and done, here is an updated "after" shot of our house from the front and northeast corner (note that, since our last post, Joe got lattice put up around our front porch...he did a great job).</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJLfMjEHZI/AAAAAAAADno/uoAr8B1t2t4/s1600-h/front+of+house.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJLfMjEHZI/AAAAAAAADno/uoAr8B1t2t4/s320/front+of+house.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395958302859599250" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJLftZX4YI/AAAAAAAADnw/mbFnVA4AQ0w/s1600-h/side+of+house.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJLftZX4YI/AAAAAAAADnw/mbFnVA4AQ0w/s320/side+of+house.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395958311677321602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>The shrubs and trees looked so big at the nursery, </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>but look so tiny against the house. It will be fun</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>to watch them grow.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div>Although we will never be able to take care of our little girl or watch her grow up, we will be able to care for these plants and watch them grow and change. It may seem small, but planting this garden has allowed us to DO something for our daughter. And there is great comfort in that.</div><div><br />I want to close this post with the assurance that our blog isn't going to turn into a sad one about our lost daughter. Future posts will continue to highlight our adventures restoring and repairing this house. Occasionally, wistfully, we may mention Lucy and--if we do--we hope you aren't uncomfortable or scared. Or that you think we're not coping well because we are talking about her or because we feel sad or angry that she is gone. She is a part of us and our family and our story now. She has changed us, and this experience is now part of the very fabric of who we are. But it does not define us, and we will forge ahead. It is what she would have wanted. </div><div><br /></div><div>For those who have experienced a loss or who know someone who has, or are just trying to understand what we are going through, I recently ran across <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/health-article/what-we-wish-you-knew-about-pregnancy-loss-a-letter-from-women-to-their-friends-and-family_a3044fb2-eba7-ae77-d860-4e10ef2fa812/">this beautiful and brutally honest letter</a> written by a mother who lost a child during pregnancy. It is posted many places and describes "what we wish you knew about pregnancy loss." Unfortunately, I cannot find out who is the original author so that she can be given credit. Although much of it is specific to losing a child during a pregnancy (specifically miscarriage), I think much of it speaks to the feelings of loss in general, and I thought it was worth sharing.<br /><br />Our daughter died.<br /><br />Surprisingly, those words aren't that hard to say. I need to say them, in fact. I need to talk about her, to talk about what happened. To be reminded of her every day. It means she existed, that others know she existed. That she mattered and continues to matter. Thank you, Peaches readers, for letting us share Lucy's story. Or for at least reading to the end of this very long post.</div><div><br /></div><div>And to our angel--we miss you. Always will.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SuJLf0I4WEI/AAAAAAAADn4/Y_DeucT7O6E/s1600-h/lucy+sepia.JPG"><br /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-60744210565615868932009-08-04T14:10:00.002-05:002009-08-04T14:37:11.617-05:00Out with the old!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SniH3dl5_iI/AAAAAAAADPc/5MioIK2GMwA/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/SniH3dl5_iI/AAAAAAAADPc/5MioIK2GMwA/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366188342918118946" /></a><br /><br />Last weekend, we had a garage sale. Above is the "before" photo of Max's clothes, shoes, hats, socks, etc. that he wore during the first two years of his life. It was SHOCKING for me to see it all. How could one little person possibly have needed all that? Two boxes of shoes??? He has tiny feet that don't grow! And we have two more big bags of gender-neutral clothes (not pictured here) that we put away for baby Lucy...<br /><br />There was a part of me that was afraid to go through it all, thinking I'd probably get all sentimental and teary-eyed as I remembered the pajamas he puked on at my sister's or the outfit he wore when he threw his very first temper-tantrum. But sorting through it all reminded me that I am not a pack-rat and I just don't get sentimental about "things," so there were few tears. In fact, it was a lot of fun looking at his little outfits, thinking about how far he's come, and knowing that we should be so proud of the person he's becoming. And it was somewhat therapeutic to begin to clear out some space in our home--and our family--for our little girl. Just the first step in getting ready for the changes to come...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-67654782670515051242009-07-12T21:40:00.001-05:002009-07-12T21:43:43.687-05:00Porch Painting ProgressLately, we've had a renewed zeal for home improvement (ha!) and some cooperative weather, so we've been tackling some of those outdoor projects we've otherwise put off for too long. In particular, we've paid a lot of attention to our porches. If you'll recall, we reconstructed both our <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2008/05/back-porch-transformation.html">back</a> porch and our <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2007/10/good-news.html">front</a> porch last year. Our contractor used treated lumber for all of our new framing, so we had to wait a bit for the wood to cure before painting. After staring at raw, unfinished wood for a year, we decided* enough was enough and it was time to pretty things up a bit.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Okay, by "we" I mean "Kendra." She seriously kicked me in my butt to get back aboard the home improvement bandwagon. I have spent the last year content with the current state of the Country Estate, which I would describe as thoroughly adequate. She, on the other hand, is always planning the next move--which is not a bad thing--and has no contentment with "thoroughly adequate." I've had my come-to-Jesus moment, though, and am back to work and fired up to get things done around the house. Until Mizzou football season starts, anyway.</span><br /><br />While we haven't quite finished the painting on the porches, we are making solid progress. Some of the painting on the back porch will have to wait to accommodate our new garden, but we should knock out the bulk of it by next weekend. Here is a shot of the stairs and decking leading down to the patio:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/SlnvTHZWQWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/2VvmTPrOagc/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/SlnvTHZWQWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/2VvmTPrOagc/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357576343415832930" border="0" /></a><br />Everything in white is newly painted. Okay, I know that doesn't look like much, but it is a pain to paint those damn spindles, and I'm glad that job is done. We will be painting the steps and floor a red color to match <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/SlnvTHZWQWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/2VvmTPrOagc/s1600-h/photo.jpg"></a>our front porch, which, by the way, now looks like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/SlnvSh_O1LI/AAAAAAAAAKg/fFpXLoQiMOE/s1600-h/photo+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MndDyI3xm54/SlnvSh_O1LI/AAAAAAAAAKg/fFpXLoQiMOE/s320/photo+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357576333374182578" border="0" /></a><br />I just realized we didn't get a good "before" shot of the front porch, but let me tell you--there is a huge difference between now and then. Most of the stone columns you see in the picture above were buckling out, causing major structural issues. Due to this issue--or perhaps causing it--there was a giant hole in the ground under the porch, which I'm sure just pooled water, causing more movement, and further destabilizing the area. I'm no structural engineer, but that's my theory and it makes sense to me. To remedy the situation, our contractor propped up the porch roof with lumber, and then tore out the rest of the porch structure. He cleaned and re-laid the stones, rebuilt the frame under the floor (which was pretty well rotted and bounced when you tried to walk on it), and replaced/reused the old floorboards. He also filled in the hole under the porch to get water away from the house. The result is a porch that is structurally sound, safe to walk on, and pleasing (we think) to look at. Last week, <a href="http://gonnaeatalotofpeaches.blogspot.com/2009/07/powerwashing-momma.html">after the powerwashing</a>, we were able to finish painting the raw wood. Now, all that's left is to put on some lattice around the bottom and plant a few shrubs. We're crossing our fingers to get that finished by the end of July.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655835281537909086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3188912617386245569.post-57613454592140805362009-07-02T15:16:00.007-05:002009-07-02T15:25:51.405-05:00Powerwashing MommaJust because I'm nearly 6 months pregnant doesn't mean I'm not willing to get my hands a little dirty (or wet). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/Sk0Wl-kcw3I/AAAAAAAADLE/sKkFqiI24EE/s1600-h/powerwashing+momma+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/Sk0Wl-kcw3I/AAAAAAAADLE/sKkFqiI24EE/s320/powerwashing+momma+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353960373720236914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/Sk0WXM7r5-I/AAAAAAAADK8/R1wGy73af6Q/s1600-h/powerwashing+momma+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/Sk0WXM7r5-I/AAAAAAAADK8/R1wGy73af6Q/s320/powerwashing+momma+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353960119877756898" /></a><br /><br />I spent the better part of last Sunday afternoon powerwashing the front and back porches and some of our window trim in preparation for painting (hopefully this weekend if it stays dry). The fella from Sherwin Williams SWORE to me that the paint I bought was "self-priming" (in fact, he refused to sell me primer), so two coats should do it. Then we can put up the lattice on the front porch and FINALLY start landscaping. I also washed the back patio so we can re-level some of the stones and sweep some new sand into the spaces between the pavers. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/Sk0XJD-qhLI/AAAAAAAADLM/WyAYgnmkH3I/s1600-h/powerwashing+max+and+momma.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rh6FS2A1gwk/Sk0XJD-qhLI/AAAAAAAADLM/WyAYgnmkH3I/s320/powerwashing+max+and+momma.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353960976467788978" /></a><br /><br />And, of course, I also took time out to play with my favorite little guy!<br /><br />Happy Fourth of July.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860912087156483363noreply@blogger.com0