Please don't feed the dust bunnies

This mess is a place!
Today we cleaned, until I broke the faucet and we had to turn the main water off to stop the flood. I was ready for a break anyways. Thanks to Mamma Caponi for her help cleaning the kitchen. Was contact paper in cabinets en vogue at some point? Why why why!?

I must say this place is beginning to resemble something livable

Good thing cause we sure are living here!
Does anyone have a microwave they want up get rid of? This is one thing we are lacking- at one point we had 3 in our position and now we have none- I cannot bring myself to buy a microwave! Lemme know if you have one collecting dust bunnies somewhere.

We have lift off!

Sublime.
That is how I should be feeling, but we're in the middle of a house renovation hurricane and we're moving in! Picture one of those nutty weathermen gripping their microphone for dear life, hairpiece flapping in the wind, desparately holding on to the pier while a tsunami of destruction crashes in the background. Now add in an earthquake and locusts....... you get the picture. If you are questioning my logic to select this weekend for the perfect storm of moving and renovation I will remind you that we are paying two mortgages (well technically 4, but thats not the point) and have been since November. There is no money tree and I actually thought twice about chewing a whole piece of gum yesterday when I could stash half a piece away for today (Nana- I make you proud!). We've GOT to get out of Mike's house so we can rent it and I can chew my gum frivolously as I am accustomed to.

Thank goodness I 'gotta guy' who did most of the heavy lifting related to moving. Infact I only took in a few lampshades (and managed to drop one). But I was a little woosely from layering on the final coat of poly to the family room:

Remember this:

We've come a long way

Tire swings and delicious things

We love having visitors, even more so when they bring yum yums! I'm not talking about Cory (or am I?) 
Cory is in town so Nikki swung him by to see the place:

 with deliciousness in toe (again, not talking about Cory. Or am I?)

Nikki said she made these little spheres of heaven - so naturally I giggled at her joke. Come to find out she did make them!   Smack my granny and call me princess. After a few of those I needed a tall glass of milk (Cory?)


She brought just enough for me AND the little ankle biters that showed up today. 


Since Annie is fully entrenched in painting the family room Jeff brought Mietta, Warren, Magnus, and Evalia over to help us out (but mostly because it's the only way they can actually SEE their mother).


Question: How do you get kids to clean without them even knowing it?  
Answer: Rubberband some damp washcloths to their feet and send them on their way.

It really worked, their washcloths were filthy! 

Jeff started the effort to smooth out the ceiling texture in the foyer and library:

Mike was doing most of his work outside (the list has failed me yet again) and when I wandered out there to see how he was doing, well........he was in the midst of hanging a tire swing!

I think is was a list-worthy mission, the kids definitely thought so!


Meanwhile it looks like we have finished the floors upstairs, which inspired a little happy dance

Ended the day by putting the first coat of poly on the floors downstairs.....

T minus 6

T minus 7 and counting

On the way to the house- move in date set for next Sunday! Which means we will take some of this

And do a little more of this

And this

And some of this

(Mike photo bombed that one).
And a little less of this

Tee heeee, I keeed! Kind of - get to work !

New bowx

Remember the circuit breaker box to rival Mrs. O'Leary's cow? (look it up- you should have paid attention in 7 th grade history class).

Handy Randy replaced it!

I've never stared longingly in shear amazement at a breaker box before but it is a beaut!

We got approved on our electrical inspection, bitter sweet news though, as our time with Randy dwindles. As he turns to leave I may attempt to lob off a swath of his pony tail as a momento, Emma I'll try to get enough for us both. Your welcome.

Like Chicken Soup For the Stomach

We brought canned soup to the house for our lunch break. To which we were abruptly reminded by this site

That there was no soup for you, um, us- well at least heated soup. Too bad, it was actually in the 40's that day but the pumpkin bread we've had in the fridge for a few weeks will have to do.
Within an hour or so Caroline called to say she was stopping by, little did we know she had been cooking up a storm and brought .....

Delish home made chicken soup! Piping hot-

And 'smack your mamma good' as Kelly would say. No offense mom.
Thanks Caroline!

Headed to the house!

Stopped by the Home Depot

And headed to the house. Looking forward to some friends stopping by- come see our progress!
Then we will celebrate Melissa's birthday - happy birthday my friend!