The Car

Mae at Conservatory. This trip will be harder for us now.

We are selling our car, yes we are. We are forging ahead into the modern age, one marked by less gas consumption, less excess, less laziness.

But really, we're just trying to save money. We bought our mini - minivan (a Mazda5 - hatchback with three rows of seating) when our Honda was stolen and we knew we were on our way to having three kids. And we hadn't thought buying a house a possibility for us.

Then we bought the house, and the monthly payment plus the increased insurance money really makes it hard to pay back all the folks who helped us buy this place.

So we're getting rid of our car. We'll have the other Honda that Chris uses every day for photo work, which currently is on its way to the 200k mile mark.

My mother-in-law has saved us from having to do the whole Craigs List thing, because she was in the market for a car, believe it or not. So she's buying ours. The minute this was decided, our car became marked; a target for all manner of mishaps.

First, I heard a funny noise from the front wheel area. I drove the thing to the dealership in Naperville and had it completely checked out. No problems. Probably just ice or salt build up at the time.

Then one night, Chris came home late and asked me who hit my car. I was dumbfounded. Hit my car? We went out to look, and sure enough there was a dent and a yellow paint scrape near the rear. The following day, in the middle of a cozy nap, my doorbell rang and my very kind and responsible neighbor had come to give me his insurance information. He had exited a cab the night before and the wind took the door and threw it into our car.

And on Tuesday? I hesitate to post this because I know you're reading this, Paula. But we got a call from Bela's school. She had been complaining of a stomach ache all day and wouldn't eat lunch. Chris went to get her. And then it happened: she barfed all over the middle row.

Dear Paula, will you still buy our car? Today I have a date with a full service car wash to have the interior shampooed.

I'm afraid that if I don't get this car to Urbana ASAP, it's going to blow up. Or have a tree fall on it. Or fall off the end of our street and onto the expressway.

So Sunday's the day. After that, our lives will enter a new phase, at least for awhile. I have never been without a car, not since my first 1983 Honda Accord 5 speed in high school. But the girls walk to school, I live a few blocks from the train line, and I figure that impeding my ability to "run out and get this one thing" that I want/need/must have right now will help me put into perspective my wants and my needs and my right nows.

Solo

Bela hugs moss during our trip to the conservatory last week

Chris has been very very busy lately. In this city and that, here and there, up late and gone early kind of busy. The girls complained today: We never get to see Daddy. We only get to hang out with YOU. I tried to not be too offended, because really, I was feeling the exact same way. Sheesh.

This weekend he's in the Virgin Islands. We knew the job was a go about a week ago, and I did my best to secure child care (free child care, that is) so I could go too. My trip would have been covered. 36 hours of solo adult time while Chris worked his tail off. Me, beach, wine. Sleeping through the night for the first time in over a year. Maybe a pair of running shoes in my bag but probably not. My carry on luggage is preciously small.

But alas, it was not in my fate to escape the constant and perpetual juvenile company that fills my home. Doing it alone, over the weekend, when I had piles of other work to do also...well, it left a sick sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I would have wrung Chris's neck on his way out the door if he hadn't have left so freaking early (3:30 am!).

But you know what? It wasn't so bad. I didn't get a lick of my actual paid work done, not a bit. But we roasted a chicken and made soup, we baked some snickerdoodles, ate ice cream, bought some clothes for the ladies (our favorite consignment shop had a 75% off sale!), watched a movie, and spent the afternoon at UIC pool today.

And now? I'm in the basement office, with wine, more soup on the stove, and three tuckered out little girls upstairs asleep.

*******

Bela has been anxious lately, missing Chris, worrying about him traveling so much by plane. Here's a letter she left for him before he took off for San Francisco last week:

Dear Dad I am afrade that you would crash in the plain. Do they have any life flotys so you can flote down? Love Bela

 I bawled when I found it.

And here are the texts she's been sending him from my phone while he slaves away in paradise:

Saturday
Dear Dad I am so exited that the baby is walking. I am also exited for you to come home to day. I was watching the baby so I playd with my toys and Gill was by the bed and then walkt to me! I miss you. Love Bela.

Dib you get my message? I cleaned the house do you know that I mopt the floor and swept the floor and poor glass cleaner on the windows anb made cookies love Bela Strong

Gess what mom got ice cream that hade little bits of cake in it! and it taste like cake! Love bela

 Sunday
Hi how are you doing did you land yet? Love you from Bela

Me and Mae got new tap shrews! love bela

Are you alive?

This moment

A moment from our week I want to share and remember. Have a great weekend!

Cafe Grey Skull

The basement of our house is set up as an in-law apartment, with a bedroom, small living room/kitchen combo, and a full bath. We have our tv down there, an office, and a few thousand Lego pieces.

Chris is a Lego guy. He used to get disqualified from Lego competitions when he was a kid because the judges swore he had help from his parents.

He didn't.

He is really good at buying a mix of what the girls lean toward (the Lego Friends collection - a series of very pink scenarios involving cafes, horse stables, fashion stores and the like) and the other (cooler) ones, like Lego City, Lord of the Rings, and others.

Bela spent the three days after Christmas assembling an impressive set that ended up being some Horse Summer Riding Camp thing. She did it all alone and was very proud. But in this house, it is known that Mae is really the Lego Queen.

She's got something going downstairs right now. With the help of Chris, she has assembled a part-Lord-Of-The-Rings part Friends-Cafe/Diner thing. I love it. Chris wants her to call it something menacing, but Mae has opted for Cafe Gray Skull.

 

This Moment

A moment from our week I want to share and remember. Have a great weekend, everyone! It's back to work for me on Monday - Winter Break officially over. Sniff sniff.

More from BEFORE!

My mother, after looking over my posted tour of our new living room, sent me a big batch of photos she took of our house as we were moving in! Thank you, Mom! These will be so great to look at in 20 years (when we finally install the recessed lighting in the living room).

You may not know this, but as we were closing on the house and moving in, Chris was away a LOT, traveling for work and spending a few weeks in Germany. Mae was starting summer camp at the park district and Bela was leaving for a week at farm camp in Ohio. I was alone with the kids, packing, moving, and my Mom came to the rescue, several times.

These photos are from after our closing date but before we moved all our stuff in. You can see the floors had been sanded but not refinished yet.

Thanks again, Mom! I'm posting the living room ones here.

The mantle took a long time to strip.

A glimpse into our papered foyer

Eek! While we removed paper in dining room, kitchen, and bath, I just painted over this  this stuff here. Couldn't take it anymore. Oil based primer, then three coats of "Spiced Cashew."

Coat closet

Living room with sanded floors. Newly painted walls (trim and molding still not done. And probably won't be until summer)

I went with the second from the right - Early American.

Thanks, Mom! I'll do more rooms next month!

Resolutions

I know a lot of people who refuse to make New Year resolutions, but I'm not one of them. What more can you ask for than a clean start, year after year? And I like to think of my own "resolutions" as personal challenges more than strict guidelines or agendas.

Last year I set out to get my finances in order and run another marathon and participate (I daren't say compete) in my first triathlon. I succeeded in registering for both, so I win a point. But I ran neither, so I lost on so many levels - athletically and financially. Those events can be pricey, so it's a big waste when you don't even show up.

This year I'm keeping the races on my list, but the only thing I'm adding is that I hope to be more creative in 2013, and I've gotten a good start. I recently started a 10 week quilting class at LillStreet Art Center, and I also took on a part time position there working with the executive director (my friend Karen) in their non-profit branch Art Reach. Go Karen! Go me! Go us!

The girls had this to say about resolutions:

Mae: Something she wants to learn how to do that she didn't know how to do last year - Cartwheels. Something she knew how to do last year but wants to get better at - watering flowers.

Bela: I couldn't get a straight answer out of Bela because she was too busy telling Mae what her resolutions should be. Gotta love her!

Happy New Year everyone!

Our house

We bought our house - a fixer upper -  in June. We have big dreams and high hopes, lots of plans. But I got ahead of myself. I thought some of the changes I wanted to make were priorities, important ones, can't live in this house until it's done ones. But, like most priorities when things get crazy, when kids outnumber adults, when money runs short, well - they get adjusted. The things I thought needed to be done TODAY are just as easily done SOME DAY.

And I realize I've been putting off sharing photos of the house as it comes along because to me it seemed so unfinished before, not something I wanted to share. Not the definitive "after" photos, but rather "somewhere in the middle" ones.

But we hosted Christmas here this year, and I also realized as I sat here with my wonderful in-laws, with 5 kids running around, with the dogs... my house has become my home and I am completely in love with it. I feel so happy here, so cozy - even though it's frighteningly cold in some rooms. Even though bare bulbs still hang from wires from most wall and ceiling fixtures. Even though it will be years before we can install our wood burning fireplace, renovate the kitchen, fix the porch.

I love it here. And I want to share these photos to mark the progress we're making.

I was not very systematic in the "before" photos. I have random ones from move in, lost the ones from the original listing, found some I didn't know existed. I'm sharing those here as well.

Today, we start in the front room, which is separated from the rest of the first level by a long hallway.

And, so, here we go!

BEFORE:

The fireplace, view from the front bay window. Notice air conditioner through wall. Bricks, mantel, and shelves painted a cream color, walls the same but dirty. Floors are kind of reddish pink. This is the north wall.

South wall, opposite fireplace. Brass sconces. Dirty built in bookcase.

East side of room, hall that connects Living room to rest of first floor. The walls look fresh in this light, but they were very dirty. Big can track lighting in hallway.

Just to right of hallway, another view of bookcase. Behind the shelf is the front entryway.

Door leading to foyer. Stained glass window in foyer, but weird wallpaper. Don't think I got a photo.

Partial view of bay window, which faces west.

A LITTLE LATER

Move in day. Walls had been freshly painted a crisp white. Floors were refinished the day before moving in, so they were covered in butcher's paper for the first month we lived here.

EVEN LATER

View from front door

built in - painted in gloss

a little something I'm working on

Pyramid 1. I love these things.

Remember this fireplace mantel? It had at least 5 layers of paint. I stripped and sanded and let sit for months. Just recently sanded and stained and applied several coats of poly.

the tree :)

On the mantel: This came from my great grandpa

I sanded and painted the built-ins that flank the fireplace

The other side

My new one! Thanks Chris. Pyramid 2.

I cleaned and painted the brick white.

Desk

Looking west into bay window. Found this couch used and I love it, though it's really stained and needs re-covering.

Living room. Floor refinished.

Wall east of fireplace. Found the awesome cabinet used and it is where I hide all my yarn.

Sheep skin from farm Chris shot some photos at.

I painted the entryway and hallway something called "Spiced Cashews." Makes me hungry. FLOR tiles cover 15 foot hallway where floorboards are starting to sag in.

Gillian knows where I keep my knitting needles.