Madelyn's One Year Photos

Well finally Madelyn's One year photos are done. Here is the link: Madelyn
She was so cute & of course Brendan had to help us, but he was also still in his p.j.'s so we didn't get any good photos of the two of them together. Maybe later.

Kitchen Done & Playtime

Finally our Kitchen is done. Here is the photo of our new floor with all the appliances back in place. We are also going to be painting our kitchen (the blue color) later on in the project but with the fridge & stove out of the way we painted there ahead of time.
We had a busy weekend, people coming over for photos & getting some yard work done but of course we made time for some play time. Target had the Spider-Man scooter that Brian has been wanting to get for Brendan so between sessions the kids & I ran over to Target and got one. After dinner we took a bike ride to the park so the kiddies could play.
Here are the photos:
LuLu crawling on the grass in the back yard-remind you of anyone? That was the way that Brendan would crawl.Daddy & Brendan putting the scooter together.LuLu playing with Brendan's MeMe (motorcycle)Brendan on his new scooter.Maddie & Bunky swinging at the park.

Cute Kid's

With the huge mess down stairs Maddie has been wanting to play in her room more. Yesterday while I was getting ready they were both playing well together. When I was done I went in to get some more stuff out of their closet to eBay. Brendan was reading at their table & Maddie was trying to get into the other chair so I gave her a little boost and helped her in. It was just too cute I had to run down stairs and get a camera.
Here are the picture of my kiddies reading together.I also moved Maddie's bed under Brendan's to give them more space for playing.

Tile Cont. + Kids

All right an update on the tile-Last night we put the grout down, and had to clean off the edges and get the lines looking nice and then this morning I dry rubbed the tile to get the grout off the tiles themselves. Later today I get to go over them again with a damp sponge to get all the dust and most of the thicker parts of grout that were left.
Kitchen with grout.Entry way with grout. Three tiles cleaned so you can see what it will look like when finished. Now for the kiddies. Brendan had soccer practice last night and I took him so Brian could stay home to grout (he got the entry way done & I helped with the kitchen after the kids went to bed) and Brendan got his new soccer shirt for this year. Coach Doug had the kids names put on the back and now Brendan is #11 - Jim (next door) calls him sticks. Maddies is getting better at walking, she can walk longer by herself but likes to walk holding on to someones hand better.
Maddie getting daddy love.Maddie walking with daddy in his work pants-the same pants he wore to build the garage.Brendan playing with his slide in his new soccer shirt.

Brian also wanted me to take photos of his wood pile. He has half of it built right now and will work on the other half later in the project or if he has a break in time from his projects. Oh by the way did I mention how hard it is to get things done with a 1 year old-didn't we learn our lesson when be built the garage when Brendan was 1! Brendan is a great help and is starting to listen well, on the other hand Madelyn is just not happy that we are not paying all of our attention on to her-drama queen much?!

Weekend Work - Tile Phase 1

This weekend we started work on putting tile down in the kitchen & entry way. (Phase 1 of the whole downstairs project). On Saturday morning we started by ripping out all the old floor, and of course we found a suprise in the kitchen. That swell 70's clay tile! What a mess to get out. We didn't think that we were going to be able to get that out in one day. Luckly the entry way came out all in one large piece (is that a good thing or bad?). So on Sunday we put the backer board down and put mud/tape in the seams. Brian took Monday off from work to spend the whole day putting the tile down. (I am sure that he is glad to be back at work after this past weekend) Oh yeah on Sunday morning Brian went out with Jim to fish for a little bit and get a truck load of wood to put in his new wood spot. (Photos of that to come on wednesday).
Here are the pictures:
The nice 70's tile that was underneath the thin board that the lamanate was on.Entry way before.Bare kitchen floor-it is a bunch of 2x3's instead of press board. They don't make them like this any more.Bare entry way floor. Notice it is press board.Putting down the backer board. -My job was to screw in all the screws, just under 175, my little arms were sore after that. Brian did say that I did a good job though :)Our trash pile outside-I don't know what Brian is going to do with it.Backer board taped & mudded in the entry way.Finally tile in the Kitchen.Last but not least tile in the entry way.

Brendan Sayings

It seams everyday Brendan says those things that are so simple and cute you just think that he is the smartest kid alive. On Wednesday we went to the tile store and the lady helping us had those large opening earrings. Brendan of course notices and said something like those are big holes your ears. I was like yes, those are a different kind of ear rings than Mommy's and Maddie's.
And today after he was done watching his daily movie he took one of his toy boxes upstairs and I went up to get more water noticed the huge mess that he had made in the living room. I said that is one big mess you have. His response- I am a kid, I am suppose to make big messes.

Working Cont.

Set one is we need a large spot to store enough wood to make thru next winter. So the whole area behind the garage will be filled with wood. Now add into the mix that because our city area has some rodent issues we have to have the wood 2 feet off the ground.

Brian started last night digging holes to hold 4x4 beams-9 of them 8 feet in the air. And additional 4x4's as support in between the tall ones. But that also means that yet another buring bush had to come down. (Oh darn!) So while Brendan & Brian were digging the 3-4 foot holes, I got to saw down the bush-talk about fun!

Here is one of the holes that the guys dug. Notice that they hit water at about 3 feet. Here is the whole area that will be filled with wood.Here is my stump (which Brian took out) from my bush. Now we only have two burning bushes in the back yard & two in the front yard. The ones in the front yard are already scheduled to come out of the ground next spring. Yahoo.

Working

Since Brian already spilled the beans on his blog I will go a head and let you all know what we are doing.
Brian wants to put in a wood burning log fireplace in our living room. In order to do that we have come up with a list of things that we get to do this summer. Most of all the cost is coming from things that we have had in the space above the garage that he has sold on ebay. (I don't get that lucky).
Here is the list:
Have a spot to store wood (alot of wood!)
Tile in the kitchen & entry way.
Take down entertainment center that Brian had built.
Drywall hole from entertainment center.
Remove molding in all of downstairs.
Make hole under staircase for toy storage.
Paint living room & kitchen.
Put down wood floor in living & dinning rooms.
Sand, stain & finish wood floor.
Put up new molding.
Install wood buring fire place.

I think that is about it. I am sure that there is something I missed thought. Brian only knows for sure.

Bike Riding

Now that the weather is warm we have been able to get our bikes out, tune them up (guess who did that part?) and go out and ride.
This year is a little different. After I wasn't able to ride last year b/c Maddie was too little, I am able to get out and get going. Only now I can't carry Brendan & Madelyn, so Brendan rides his big boy bike and I pull Maddie.
Here is Maddie & Bunky trying on Maddie's helment.Here is Maddie doing what Brendan used to do when he was smaller, try to take off the helment.Here is my pretty Maddie.I will have to take some more photos today when go out for our ride. We go about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile so far, and stop at a park to let the kids play. I am trying to 'warm' Brendan up so he can handle the 1-2 miles that I used to do when I pulled him-visiting the library & video store with a stop at a park on the way home.

Parent Teacher Conference

Today, we got to meet with Brendan's teacher to see how he is doing in school.

I have been telling him all week "that we are going to get to talk to his teacher, and she is going to tell us if he is a good boy or a bad boy : ) So, is there anything you want to tell us?" Of course, he would always say that he is a good boy at school.

It was pretty neat. The teacher keeps a portfolio of stuff that the kids work on. We got to see how his stuff has progressed over the school year. Stuff like his writing, his name in particular, how is free form drawings have progressed from simple to more complex. Also, how his fine motor skills are improving by being able to cut out shapes. Another thing they do is show them the alphabet and ask them to identify the letters. Brendan was able to do all of them. Overall, his teacher said that he is doing excellent.

We also asked the teacher how he gets along with the other kids. She of course said great. Then asked Brendan who some of his friends were. He said "all of them." She said, that he is pretty much right. He gets along well with all of his classmates.

Anyway, we thought it was good news in general, and I thought I would pass it along.

Brian

New Hair Do!

At the wedding we worked on Sat. there was an cute little girl in pig tails so yestorday I just had to put Maddie in some too. They were so cute. And this morning after her bath I put them in again, this time the curled so I will have to take some more photos today.

Weekend Work

Since it snowed and was cold the whole time that me and the kids were in Ill. Brian had some work to get done this past weekend. Also since we had a wedding to work on Sat. all his work he had to do on Sunday.
First item on the list was to finish putting gutters up on the garage. Brendan was of course right there helping. Brendan had a little tool belt and was incharge of the screws & chalk line thingie.Here is Brendan putting the screws in each of the holes for daddy.Helping to carry the gutter to the side of the garage.Playing on the ladder.
Next came trimming the tree in the back yard. Brian also had some additional help with our friend from next door - Jim.
Here Brendan is helping to start the chain saw (it was having issues)Finaly Brian with his thinking face.

Tape Creations

Whenever Brendan makes something it becomes his creation. We are in the planning stages of redoing the first floor of our house (more details to come) but wanted to see how much space what we wanted to do would take (make sense yet).
So Brian got out masking tape to make an outline on the floor.Brendan had to make on too.Here is Brendan playing with the tape.

Last One

Okay here is the last set of photos from St. Louis.
Here is Grandma Mary with her two granddaughters Madelyn & Violet. (I made Violet's hat)Here is Maddie playing at a playground at the mall (like Great Lakes Crossing here)And Brendan got to ride on rides at the Nascar Store, it had an indoor race track and I think 3 outdoor race tracks and every kind of nascar stuff you can think of to buy.

Easter in St. Louis

Here are some of the photos from our Easter in St. Louis.
Brendan got a Ninja Turtle in Easer basket was very excited to show it off.Brendan's Easter loot: Ninja turtle, a bad ninja (for the turtle to fight), sidewalk chalk w/holder, Superman t-shirt, army men, easter pez & ninja turle air head candy.Madelyn's Easter loot: Purple flower shirt w/skirt, sidewalk chalk w/holder, fat crayons & a paper pad.Brendan in his Easter clothes.Maddie & Mommy.Miss Violet in her Easter outfit.