Deck Expansion Project

Last Fall, when we were having some routine maintenance performed on the house, we also got an estimate on expanding our deck.  Our deck has been on a "long list" for overhaul since, really, the day we moved in.  We got the estimate, and then we began saving. 

 

Finally, we were ready to tackle this project.  You can get an idea of the scale of the original deck here.  Since the existing deck was still completely solid, we kept the deck foundation.  Prior owners had painted the deck -- a huge issue for us, as painted decking is bad... VERY bad.  By keeping the original portion, we were able to cut costs without sacrificing on stability, given the quality of the original work. 

 

 

New lumber was purchased. 

We rented a dumpster.  This was, by far, Skip's favorite part.  All of the shrubs were removed, and this process was made less painful by the fact that they were ready for replacement, having outlived their life expectancies. 

 

Three workers spent approximately a day and a half removing the old decking.  Again, the deck was solidly made and did not come down easily.  The old decking and shrubs were deposited in the dumpster, and new construction began. 

We added footage to the length and width of the deck, and we added a second set of steps leading to the playground.  The playground-friendly steps are my favorite feature.

Approximately 10 days after the project started, we had a new deck, one that is three times the size of the original. 

Previously, our table for six took up most of the deck space.  Now, the table is tucked in a corner. 

What remains is significantly more space for the trio to run around. 

We love the finished product!  If you are local and have a similar project, send me a note, and I will share our contractor's information. 

 

Also, join us for some lemonade on the deck!

Friday's Quote

Cades Cove on Heritage

I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird, and not enough the bad luck of the early worm.

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

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iTouch

Santa brought Gracie and Lauren an iTouch for Christmas last year. At first, I jokingly referred to them as  "tip calculators" as an homage to the Seinfeld episode where Jerry got his father a personal digital assistant, and he used the device to calculate tips in restaurants.

Initially, they used the iTouch to check the weather forecast.  See? Tip calculators.

 

But then they realized all of our music is stored on the iTouch and that they could control each and every song with the touch of a finger. Next, they discovered they could watch videos, use a variety of apps and play games. Finally, they realized they could access Peppa Pig and Caillou on YouTube.

 

And they still like to check the weather.

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Collaborations for Christmas

Target, Neiman Marcus and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) are partnering to share looks from 24 designers. The goods will be available online and in stores on December 1st, and prices range from $7.99 up to $499.99, representing the low (Target) and high (Neiman Marcus).

Y'all.  This is a Christmas miracle.  Get the scoop here, and see the promo below.  I will be working on my tactical plan for December 1st.  Will you be shopping, too?

 

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WGL, 13 Months

William George turned 13 months on August 12th.  He is doing fantastic!  I don't think I recorded his information after his one year, well visit, but he weighed 20 pounds, 10 ounces (50-75% ), and was 30 and 1/2" long (95th).  His head circumference was 18 3/4 (95th). 

George, you are running now!  You also climb into chairs.  Just this week, you started walking backward, and you seemed so pleased with yourself.  You can climb off of the dishwasher now (previously, you could get onto the dishwasher door, but could not get yourself down).  You sign "more," but to you that sign means "gimme".  You use that sign all the time for whatever shiny/interesting object is catching your eye.  You are exceptionally curious, and you have earned the obvious moniker ("Curious George").  Your sisters always say, "He's so curious!"  They also say, "George is so serious."  And you are serious.  Gracie and Lauren's teachers last year used to comment on your serious looks last year.  Suddenly, though, something will amuse you, and you will emit a joyful cackle. 

You had a return appointment with the allergist recently.  Although you continue to have medication thrice daily and continue with what we call your "skin protocol," i.e., various oils, ointments, topical medications, you are doing great overall.  Your doctor wants to repeat your allergy testing in approximately six months or so, and we are hopeful you will have outgrown them.  Currently, you are mostly eating carrots, green beans, squash and peas.  You have been able to eat vanilla yogurt and many fresh vegetables.  You still have a strong reaction to peanut dust.  For example, we cannot have peanut M&M's in the house, as you are sure to have a reaction if we cave and have some. 

Your favorite things include anything pertaining to technology, balls and Chapstick.  You have grown so much in the last few weeks and are a full-fledged toddler now.  You remain very jealous of your sisters, continuing to scream and pull at your sisters when they sit in our laps.  Luckily, they continue to adore and dote on you more with each passing day.  Gracie watches your every move, and is the first person to respond to you when you do something potentially dangerous.  Your dangerous activities usually take the form of putting some object in your mouth, and Gracie will grab you, perform a perfect "hook maneuver" with her finger to remove the object.  Today Lauren said she wished that you were their twin, too, so that you could "all three be twins". 

Happy 13 months, George!

Love,
Mommy

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Status Update

Monticello, 2004

 

When Skip and I were dating, we used to e-mail frequently.  We also logged hours and hours of telephone time (we had a long distance relationship),  but the e-mails are what we remember most.  Many of our e-mails were "status updates," wherein we would provide enumerated lists of what was happening on any given day.  These stripped-down updates were quick, and they freed us from having to write opening/closing paragraphs and follow other pesky grammar rules.

Here is my example to you:

1)  I have been gleeful about the $1B jury award Apple received against Samsung.  My inner nerd cannot wait to see if the judge upholds the award or decreases/increases the award.

2)  Farewell, Neil Armstrong.  An excerpt from his family's press release reads:

...Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He also found success back home in his native Ohio in business and academia, and became a community leader in Cincinnati.

...For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.

Let's do that, yes?

3)  Alice Bradley's blog post, "A List of Celebrities and What They Smell Like," is the funniest thing I have read all month. 

4)  We had a swimming lesson scheduled yesterday afternoon.  When we arrived, we were told the pool was temporarily closed because of a vomit incident (sorry... I hope you weren't eating/snacking when you read that).  Why are we having trouble with swim lessons?

5)  Prince Harry needs a new security team. 

6)  Finally, I was a huge Seinfeld fan in the 90's.  Skip recently told me about Jerry Seinfeld's new venture, a web show entitled "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee".  How I missed this is beyond me, but, thankfully, Skip stumbled onto the series. The content is not exactly family friendly.  But, I love it.  My favorite is the Larry David episode.  The combination of brilliance and neurosis is genius.  The Alec Baldwin episode is Skip's favorite,  but they are all really funny. 

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Laundry Rooms

The "Show Us Your Life" series discusses laundry rooms today.  We have a small laundry room, right off of the kitchen.  Although the space is small, it was packed with storage, with shelving over the appliances, and a supply closet (to the right, in the above photo). 

 

We have talked about moving the laundry room to the basement and that would accomplish the creation of a larger laundry room downstairs and space for a small office where the laundry room currently is.  However, I like the accessibility and having nice light in the room doesn't hurt either.

My husband would like to make the window a door that opens onto the deck, but we will need to recover from the cost of our deck remodel first.  I have to agree it would be nice to have an entrance there because the room could then almost function as a "mud room".  

The ultimate home expert, Martha Stewart, devotes a chapter to laundry rooms in her book, Homekeeping Handbook.  This book is one of her more practical works, and the laundry chapter discusses machine maintenance, different fabrics and the hallmarks of a practical laundry room. 

"A large laundry room is a great luxury and time saver.  Well lit, well ventilated, and practically laid out, it can make washing and ironing a joy rather than drudgery."

 

Granted, some of her methods are taken to an insane level of perfection.  After all, we are talking about Martha.  Having said that, I will admit that having a clean and organized area makes laundry more pleasant.  Since we average two loads per day, that makes a difference. 

 

What's going on in your laundry room?

Tech

William George loves anything tech-related.  He started with the remote control and quickly moved on to telephones and computers. 

He becomes consumed with jealousy whenever his sisters are using their iTouches.  They have to climb onto the sofa, out of his reach, to use their devices in peace.  Whenever they are not in use, George hones in on them with military-like radar.  He can spot them immediately, and he scoops them up. 

To appease everyone, I found an old, non-working smart phone and gave it to George.  After a lengthy amount of time on the charger, we turned it on, and he enjoyed it.  He loved it!  Even though the phone took a lot of abuse, I was sure he would get some enjoyment out of it. 

 

 

After about a day, he realized the device didn't really work.  He was not amused. 

 

Although he inherited my old iPhone, the original one from 2007, he is not allowed to carry it around.  His intent to have that phone in his hand at all times creates many disagreements. 

 

What we have is a gadget junkie. 

Friday's Quote

Lake Louise on Heritage

To live we must conquer incessantly, we must have the courage to be happy.

-Henri-Frederic Amiel

Charlie

We currently do not have any pets. Instead, we visit with some neighborhood pets, and find that is really the best of both worlds. We have Lucy and Ally, two neighbors' dogs, and we have our old friend, Charlie Brown and the Cheetohs (Cheetoh and her brood). They usually only visit when there is some issue at their residence, such as an interloper cat attempting to take over their food supply. Apparently, Charlie and Cheetoh think it is beneath them to protect their turf.

 

 

Anyhow, we have not seen them much this summer. William George found Charlie and Cheetoh on the front porch this week, and they were as fascinated with him as he was with them.

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Chez Fonfon

The kitchen has experienced a revival lately.  William George is discovering the joys of cooking for the first time, and Gracie and Lauren have enjoyed showing him how everything works. 

Lauren and Gracie put together menus, and bring covered dishes for us to experience.  We are expected to provide favorable feedback -- rave reviews are preferred. 

George gets right in the mix, happily putting together his own creations. 

Sometimes he prefers to remove the metal sink and walk through the house banging it onto tables.  At other times, he takes a more disciplined approach... using the appliances and kitchenware as intended. 

Gracie and Lauren, for the most part, are very accepting of whatever he throws their way. 

Fortunately, they do not subscribe to the notion of too many cooks in the kitchen. 

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First Day of School, 2012

Yesterday was very exciting for Gracie and Lauren.  They got up, put on their "cool" clothes, and got ready for the first day of Kindergarten. 

The girls completed some of their preschool in the public school system.  Therefore, their "nerves" were mostly the result of changing schools, meeting new teachers and new friends.  They knew what to expect, but there was still plenty of newness to create some nervousness. 

We went to the gym, where they lined up in rows, according to class.  While in line, one of the teachers reminded the students to take out a book and read while waiting.  She admonished the returning students, saying that prior students should know that school policy dictates that they should always have a book in their bag to read. 

In this quiet gym, where no talking was allowed, Lauren spoke up and loudly said, "But I don't know how to read!" 

You see, Lauren is frustrated with her reading progress. 

Soon enough, the bell rang, and the students filed out to their classrooms. 

Book bags were hung on assigned hooks. 

And everyone went to his/her assigned seat. 

Some coloring work began immediately. 

Currently, Gracie wants to be a doctor, and Lauren wants to be a teacher.  We have told them the work for those occupations begins with kindergarten. 

In reality, we simply want them to have fun. 

Go get 'em, girls!