hairbrained schemes

Critical Instruction

So Gorgeous George and I were have a discussion (yes, that is discussion, as in when your parents have an argument and you wail and ask them to stop fighting and they say but sweetie we weren't fighting we were DISCUSSING) the other day about the proper way to distress our wood floors.

And I learned something.

Apparently, if you are doing something that you have done 3 times before and feel quite comfortable... nay, well-schooled at said task and someone stands over you and points out how you could be doing it better, that is not criticism (I know! I was as surprised as you must be) but "instruction".

I learned something else.

I don't like instruction.

I wonder if there are counsellors out there who specialize in couples therapy for people who have been living in their basement when they finish the rest of their house.

It might be worth looking in to.

We are getting close to moving upstairs. 

The floors are stained and are anxiously awaiting their minimum of three coats of verathane (that have 12 hours between each coat, you do the math), appliances come Friday and the rest of our stuff comes out of storage on Monday. 

My wise friend, Michelle, pointed out that the crankiness that has descended upon this household  basement might have something to do with the added anxiousness (anxiety?) of being able to see the end of this.

She is a smart cookie.

Hopefully I'll have pictures to share soon.

And hopefully, they won't include mug shots of Jason or I.

I'm dying to get scrapbooking again. It's like coming off drugs.

Here are some layouts that are "retired" from the SS site.

Mad Libs.

NOTE: when playing Mad Libs with anyone in the under 10 set, please be advised that in 3 turns or less they will realize they can use the words:

poop

pooping

pooped

poopy

Dawn warned me.

I am now a believer.

ASIDE: The hilarity that ensues is totally worth it.

A place for me to bake instant pudding...

I don't bake.

Right before we moved I was trying to use up all the stuff that had been sitting in our pantry for the last 3 years.

One night it was, "use up the instant pudding mix" night.

Lucas came into the kitchen, looked at me for a moment and then commented, "Mom!  This isn't like you...baking and stuff."

My poor children.

Maybe now that we have a large kitchen I will start baking.

It could happen.

Probably right after I garden in my new large yard.

Here are some pictures I took a few minutes ago. 

We are getting there.  Hopefully Jason won't collapse from exhaustion before it's finished.

Here's where we are living now.

The "lounging area":

The sleeping quarters (note: Canadian Tire was fresh out of Metallica flags, so we decided to go with the lesser used, but still as fancy black garbage bags for window coverings).

That picture depresses me a bit, so let's move on, shall we?

Our lovely new kitchen (countertops to come):

Front door/entryway:

Great room:

The man behind the magic:

 

Whistling: A Whole New Level

Today Lucas taught himself to whistle.

Which would be fine, even kind of cool...

if we weren't living in a pretty much one room basement at the moment.

He whistles on the computer,

he whistles while he reads,

he whistles while I am bent over tying his soccer shoe with my ear right next to his mouth,

he whistles in the car,

he even puckers up and whistles on the soccer field.

Throw in the ball? 

Punctuate with a whistle.

Get hit and knocked down? 

Bounce up with a whistle.

Forget you're at soccer practice and run aimlessly around the field?

Whistle, whistle, whistle.

Be told to STOP WHISTLING while in the car ride home?

Ponder whistling and all the nuances involved in said artform.

When we got home, I was treated to a lecture with demonstration on the conclusions that were reached on these ponderings.

This is what I learned:

There are five types of whistles and they are, as follows:

1. the low whistle - it's not that high - mostly used just for fun

2. medium - fun and cool

3. high - angry - for when dogs (Bella) don't come

4. very high - very loud - just for fun

5. in the middle between low and medium - in case you're bored to change things up a bit (variety is the spice of life).

Even though I now consider myself to be fully educated on the Way of the Whistle, I can't help but myself longing for the days that Lucas learned to wink.