Old and New

This week was rather a whirlwind. Grandma and Grandpa Holman came to visit us from California. We had a great time with them and were very sad to see them go today.

While they were here, we pretty much completed an overhaul on our home. When we first moved in, there were two big cosmetic problems with the house- 1) the main bathroom was a bright yellow (with both blue and oatmeal colored tile with white trim- what were they thinking?), and 2) Luke's room was a pinkish-peach color (previously belonged to a seven-year-old girl). Now, after a week of painting, we have a cool greyish-blue in the bathroom that pulls together all the colors, and a great khaki color in Luke's room. Here are some pictures:



Also, Saturday was another banner day in yard sale hunting. We found a whole new living room set (couch, chair, marble top coffee table, and two end tables) for a great price after some serious haggling. The furniture is very old, but was completely re-upholstered very recently.

We will miss Grandma and Grandpa very much, but will remember their visit everyday.

Housekeeping and Diapers

Well, the cleaning has been going well... though not according to the Simple Mom schedule. I decided to tackle the kitchen first- mainly because that was where Luke wanted to be. I let him play with some measuring spoons and a tiny bit of water in the sink. It kept him busy for a WHOLE HOUR! In that time, I was able to organize the countertops, clean the counters and the sink with bleach, clean my stovetop and oven front, and wipe down the fronts of most of my cabinets (eww-there were still some stains from the previous owners!) At nap time, I sweeped and mopped the floors. Whew! I felt SO accomplished- like a cleaning high!

Today was a busier day due to more errands and library hour, but I still manage to get a few things done. Tomorrow the living room and dining room are going down!

Also, for all of those moms who need diapers, check this out! I got $50 of diapers for $25 and had it delivered to my home for free in 2 days!!!

Yardwork

I discovered a new hobby today- yard work. I bundled Luke up (partly because it was cold, partly to prevent more bug bites), grabbed a rake, broom, and trash bags and headed outdoors. I had been noticing that, since we have the biggest tree, our lawn tends to have the most leaves on it of all the houses on our block. Not wanting to be a poor neighbor, I got to work.

I love physical labor. It always evens me out a bit, lifts my spirits, and helps me think more clearly. It was a joy to see how much Luke liked being outdoors too. When we are inside, he wants mommy as a constant companion and playmate. Outdoors, he is very independent and excited to discover new territory. Luke walked all over my leaf piles, dug in the dirt, and hunted for acorns.

Here are some pictures of our hard work:


3 big bags!
Clean entryway!

Quick House Update

Things are going really well with the new house. The inspections were last week, and couldn't have gone better. There were a few minor problems, but those have already been fixed by the seller. Also, the pool has a great fence around it for safety that the owners will leave for us. It is called a Katchakid fence and is perfect for making a pool area safe for little ones.

Our closing date is Sept. 23rd.