Christmas was a blast this year with Violet. She was at the perfect age to just start understanding how to open presents. She wouldn't really do it before, but this year she was really interested to see what was all wrapped up!
Unfortunately it didn't really feel like Christmas for us this year because of the house being in the shape that it's in. If the floor was in, that would have been much better, but it's not, so we did the best we could with it.
This year was a little more special because Marn's Grandmother from Winnipeg came down to spend it with the family. She recently lost her husband of 26 years, so I'm sure it was a nice get away for her. This was the first time that she met Violet as well. Violet went right to her when they met, which was nice and surprising. Vi usually plays pretty shy with new people, but she sat on her lap and was happy to be there.
We spent the morning at home opening presents and then got ready to head to Marn's Mom's where we had brunch, opened a few more gifts and then had dinner. It was a fun, but long day, especially because it was a late night the day before as well. Marn's parent's also put on a Christmas Eve open house, so we went to that and stayed late. What we didn't do this year was open anything on Christmas Eve when we got home, which had become a bit of a tradition -- the last 2 years it was Guitar Hero 3 and Sing Star. Both of which had us playing until the wee hours of the morning. This year, we opted for bed.
Boxing Day was spent at Mom's house again for Christmas. It was also a great day with lots of food. The kids put on a fashion show, which is also turning into a bit of a tradition. They balk at first, but participate pretty well every year. Violet was exempt this time, but I'm sure will have to participate next year!
It was a lower-key Christmas this year for us, but nice!
Photos to come...
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Electrical
Well, the electrical updates are finished (for now) and look good. 1 Project down and 199 to go! As far as the flooring, we decided on getting Walnut. I'm not sure I mentioned that before? Anyway, here's a sample picture of what it looks like (we hope!). This looks like the sample that we had -- and fell in love with.
We didn't go with the Hickory we originally thought because they couldn't guarantee that we would get the same look that the samples had, and in fact he convinced us that the sample they had was very unique and has never had it since. So that was enough for us. We wanted the hickory because of the hardness (as well as the look in that picture I posted). We decided on the flooring that we loved instead, even though it's fairly soft compared to hickory. So Echo will scratch and dent the heck out of it, but we're ok with that (until it happens the first time!)
We should hopefully get this in January some time, but have procrastinated on ordering it. Normally they have lots in stock, but they're missing some since we want the slightly cheaper option of the "designer" series which is random 3 1/4", 4 1/4" and 5 1/4" widths. They're sold out of the 5 1/4". You get a price break if you order the different sizes instead of all the same because they are able utilize more of the tree trunk with the multiple widths. It's still expensive, though! We'll need about 800 square feet which includes the kitchen and about 10% waste. We have decided to not do the kitchen this coming year and instead, concentrate on the mortgage for a while. We may do some small updates, like some appliances, counter top and paint, but nothing major for now. We still are ordering the flooring for it, depending on what the installer says and to also take advantage of the reno rebates.
We didn't go with the Hickory we originally thought because they couldn't guarantee that we would get the same look that the samples had, and in fact he convinced us that the sample they had was very unique and has never had it since. So that was enough for us. We wanted the hickory because of the hardness (as well as the look in that picture I posted). We decided on the flooring that we loved instead, even though it's fairly soft compared to hickory. So Echo will scratch and dent the heck out of it, but we're ok with that (until it happens the first time!)
We should hopefully get this in January some time, but have procrastinated on ordering it. Normally they have lots in stock, but they're missing some since we want the slightly cheaper option of the "designer" series which is random 3 1/4", 4 1/4" and 5 1/4" widths. They're sold out of the 5 1/4". You get a price break if you order the different sizes instead of all the same because they are able utilize more of the tree trunk with the multiple widths. It's still expensive, though! We'll need about 800 square feet which includes the kitchen and about 10% waste. We have decided to not do the kitchen this coming year and instead, concentrate on the mortgage for a while. We may do some small updates, like some appliances, counter top and paint, but nothing major for now. We still are ordering the flooring for it, depending on what the installer says and to also take advantage of the reno rebates.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Climbing Monkey!
Vi has recently taken to trying to climb everything. Especially chairs. I don't blame her since there are no stairs to go climbing up anymore, she needs practice! Little did I know that she was now capable of climbing right out of her crib!
It happened last night, MUCH to my great surprise! She was over tired and really fighting going down to sleep. Fighting it like I haven't seen in a long time. Usually she'll lay in her crib and cry and when she gets up we tell her to lay back down and she does, but continues to cry and scream. Last night she was standing up constantly and reaching out at me while I was sitting down on her floor. Screaming so hard that it was nearly puke inducing....
Anyway, after about 45 minutes of this, I gave up and walked out of the room to give myself a break. I had a tool I was using earlier to mount the TV in our bedroom, so I went to the garage to put it back then into the living room to turn on some Christmas music. The plan was to turn it up to drown out her screaming! lol
As I was tuning in the Christmas music station, Violet's screaming got louder and clearer. This puzzled me as I thought, "sheesh, it sounds like it's coming closer?" I continued to find the radio station and sure enough Violet's crying got even "closer". I look over across the room and listen to see if I'm just imagining this, and who should appear stumbling along the wall looking for me? Yes, Miss Violet rubbing her eyes and stumbling because of the lights, reaching out for me when she saw me. I was floored! I actually yelled out, "WHAT?" Marn was out with a friend, so missed all of this.
I picked her up and checked her out for bumps and bruises and she checked out fine. That little bugger! I'm still floored that she managed to get out of the crib on her own. Braeden didn't do this until close to 2 years old and Sadie never did.... Violet is only 15 months old!
5 minutes later after a quick 2 minute cuddle, she was out for the night.
After thinking about this for a while, I think there is a top railing missing from the crib that will add another 2 or 3 inches to the height or so. We'll have to get that installed soon.
It happened last night, MUCH to my great surprise! She was over tired and really fighting going down to sleep. Fighting it like I haven't seen in a long time. Usually she'll lay in her crib and cry and when she gets up we tell her to lay back down and she does, but continues to cry and scream. Last night she was standing up constantly and reaching out at me while I was sitting down on her floor. Screaming so hard that it was nearly puke inducing....
Anyway, after about 45 minutes of this, I gave up and walked out of the room to give myself a break. I had a tool I was using earlier to mount the TV in our bedroom, so I went to the garage to put it back then into the living room to turn on some Christmas music. The plan was to turn it up to drown out her screaming! lol
As I was tuning in the Christmas music station, Violet's screaming got louder and clearer. This puzzled me as I thought, "sheesh, it sounds like it's coming closer?" I continued to find the radio station and sure enough Violet's crying got even "closer". I look over across the room and listen to see if I'm just imagining this, and who should appear stumbling along the wall looking for me? Yes, Miss Violet rubbing her eyes and stumbling because of the lights, reaching out for me when she saw me. I was floored! I actually yelled out, "WHAT?" Marn was out with a friend, so missed all of this.
I picked her up and checked her out for bumps and bruises and she checked out fine. That little bugger! I'm still floored that she managed to get out of the crib on her own. Braeden didn't do this until close to 2 years old and Sadie never did.... Violet is only 15 months old!
5 minutes later after a quick 2 minute cuddle, she was out for the night.
After thinking about this for a while, I think there is a top railing missing from the crib that will add another 2 or 3 inches to the height or so. We'll have to get that installed soon.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Last Few Months in Pics....
We've been really bad with picture (of Violet) updates... so here's hoping this makes it up a little! I still have some pics to unload from the other camera, but we just haven't been taking many photos lately.
Are you going to share, Daddy?
(first time wanting to eat from my plate)
(first time wanting to eat from my plate)
cutie photo shoot
Sept. BBQ in Baden
Early October
The Pumpkin Patch - Snyder's Family Farm (KimGlo)
Oct. 25
Halloween '09
New House! Can you tell Marn's excited? That half-wall is no longer there, neither is the carpet, nor any flooring!
Nov. 1
Nov. 1
2nd Santa Visit... didn't go well either!
First Great Grandma visit!
2nd Christmas on the 20th at Dad's
Monday, December 07, 2009
Flooring
Well, I think we finally decided on a type of wood for the floor and will be ordering it this week, probably. We decided on a Walnut. It's "softer" than other species we were considering, but in the end we chose the floor that we loved instead of picking something around the dog that we were initially doing. We've come to terms with him scratching it (or dent it actually)... We're buying it from that local manufacturer and feel good about that. The operation is 100% Canadian (Ontario), and because you purchase direct from them, there's no middleman, so you save a little bit as well.
I also took out the half-wall in the living room this weekend. We now need to move the cold air return that was hidden in that wall (if possible) and patch the subfloor, tile a small area in front of the fireplace, patch the drywall and plaster and screw down the squeaks in the subfloor, then we'll be ready for the floor! lol The "good news" is, it could take a few weeks for the flooring to come in.... so there's some time. Ideally all the dry wall stuff will be done and we'll have time to paint the walls and seal the subfloor before it comes in.
Our electrician didn't come this weekend, and now has another job in Ottawa this week, so he's promising this weekend or next week, so we'll see about that. I may go and start doing some outlets or switches myself and then when he comes in he can double-check them. But it's not like I have a lot of other things going on...!
I also took out the half-wall in the living room this weekend. We now need to move the cold air return that was hidden in that wall (if possible) and patch the subfloor, tile a small area in front of the fireplace, patch the drywall and plaster and screw down the squeaks in the subfloor, then we'll be ready for the floor! lol The "good news" is, it could take a few weeks for the flooring to come in.... so there's some time. Ideally all the dry wall stuff will be done and we'll have time to paint the walls and seal the subfloor before it comes in.
Our electrician didn't come this weekend, and now has another job in Ottawa this week, so he's promising this weekend or next week, so we'll see about that. I may go and start doing some outlets or switches myself and then when he comes in he can double-check them. But it's not like I have a lot of other things going on...!
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
This weekend we had "Meyerfest" which we arrived late to because of some other happenings... Mom was singing in their annual Christmas tea and Teresa and Branko came over to help me close in the opening between the living room and 3rd bedroom. They came a little later than planned, so I missed the tea because we weren't done the wall. The tea started at the same time as the Meyer Christmas so we went when Marn came back from it.
Anyway, the wall is now closed in. I now need to finish the closet -- we're closing that in as well because it's a "joined closet" with the front entrance hallway closet. Retarded design whoever thought of that, but it's there so we're "fixing" it. That room will not have a closet, for now anyway. Some day we may add one in that bumps out from the wall (like the closets from the other house), but for now it's not being used other than to store crap until the rest of the house is more finished. We need to tape and mud it and I'm thinking I'll just hire someone to do that for us. I don't have the time to, and someone with skill could finish it in 1/4 of the time I could ever do it in. It's a small space too, so won't be too much.
The electrician is coming on Friday (hopefully? He's away in Montreal but coming home Friday) to switch out all the light switches, convert the remaining 2-pronge outlets to 3-prong grounded and add some light fixtures to the bedrooms and pot lights in the living room. Again, something that I could probably do, but it's just easier (and I feel safer) doing it this way. He's newly graduated from school too, so he's cheap!
As far as flooring goes, we're still trying to find something that we both like and that won't limit our kitchen design (which we don't have, and haven't started). We are still drawn to the darker brown floors and have really fallen for the "hand scraped" look. We think that this will minimize seeing the scratches that Echo will put into it. The problem with that type is it can look "country". But done right it looks really cool too. We're also really loving the look of a Hickory wood that's manufactured locally. It's not dark, but it's very cool and might not be the best choice for us (www.woodfloorsdirect.ca). This look was sanded and finished with Deft oil on site. So I don't know how durable it is or what the maintenance is like. But it looks gorgeous! (I like the matte look).
We're hoping to make some final decisions on this in the next week. The goal is to have the walls done (mudded and sanded, the electrical stuff done, and the floors decided on (or started??) in the next week or 2. We were hoping that the flooring could be finished by Christmas, but that doesn't look like it will happen knowing how things progress this time of year.
I'll have to charge up the camera's and take some pics of the progress, or lack thereof. All of them are dead and haven't been used in weeks....
Anyway, the wall is now closed in. I now need to finish the closet -- we're closing that in as well because it's a "joined closet" with the front entrance hallway closet. Retarded design whoever thought of that, but it's there so we're "fixing" it. That room will not have a closet, for now anyway. Some day we may add one in that bumps out from the wall (like the closets from the other house), but for now it's not being used other than to store crap until the rest of the house is more finished. We need to tape and mud it and I'm thinking I'll just hire someone to do that for us. I don't have the time to, and someone with skill could finish it in 1/4 of the time I could ever do it in. It's a small space too, so won't be too much.
The electrician is coming on Friday (hopefully? He's away in Montreal but coming home Friday) to switch out all the light switches, convert the remaining 2-pronge outlets to 3-prong grounded and add some light fixtures to the bedrooms and pot lights in the living room. Again, something that I could probably do, but it's just easier (and I feel safer) doing it this way. He's newly graduated from school too, so he's cheap!
As far as flooring goes, we're still trying to find something that we both like and that won't limit our kitchen design (which we don't have, and haven't started). We are still drawn to the darker brown floors and have really fallen for the "hand scraped" look. We think that this will minimize seeing the scratches that Echo will put into it. The problem with that type is it can look "country". But done right it looks really cool too. We're also really loving the look of a Hickory wood that's manufactured locally. It's not dark, but it's very cool and might not be the best choice for us (www.woodfloorsdirect.ca). This look was sanded and finished with Deft oil on site. So I don't know how durable it is or what the maintenance is like. But it looks gorgeous! (I like the matte look).
We're hoping to make some final decisions on this in the next week. The goal is to have the walls done (mudded and sanded, the electrical stuff done, and the floors decided on (or started??) in the next week or 2. We were hoping that the flooring could be finished by Christmas, but that doesn't look like it will happen knowing how things progress this time of year.
I'll have to charge up the camera's and take some pics of the progress, or lack thereof. All of them are dead and haven't been used in weeks....
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