8.15.11

Happy 30th anniversary to my parents, 

who are creating such a legacy of love.

Mom and Dad, your marriage is a blessing and an inspiration.

And, happy 2nd anniversary to my groom. 

Thank you, Bobby, for making the past year one that I'll treasure. 

You bring me such joy.

I'm Ready.

Last night at Walmart, I spotted a former kindergarten student from Willard that I had the pleasure of spending a few days with in the spring when I subbed in his class. I recognized him immediately...the whipper-snapper had left quite an impression. We made eye contact in the snack aisle, and I could tell that he knew that he knew me...from somewhere.

I waved. He eagerly said "hi". Then...

Me: "Hi! Are you ready for school to start?"
Alex: "Yep. ... Look! I get to get these!" (holding up a box of Cars fruit snacks) "They're a snack!"
Me: "Yum! Those look tasty!"
Alex: (brief pause) "Are you a teacher...at Willard?" 
Me: "Well, yes, a substitute teacher." 

It was then that the little guy's eyes doubled in size...he'd figured it out! His mouth opened as if in complete and utter shock, and excitement, that a teacher (so to speak) could be shopping at Walmart...and he had seen her!

Alex: "So, I'll see you there?!"

That child caused a couple of headaches for me (and likely a few dozen for his teacher), but getting to see him yesterday and his happy anticipation of being back at school made me ever so much more excited to be back there myself.

Substitute teaching isn't where I ever would have expected my career path to lead me, and admitting that it's what I do "full-time" these days has taken a bit of time for me to say with confidence. But, truly, subbing is perfect for me right now. I enjoy it. I'm good at it! I get to be in the classroom, I get to have new experiences every day, I get to face constant challenges that keep me on my toes, I get a flexible schedule...and, it's a job that I can step away from easily when I'm ready for the one job that I've ever really wanted: motherhood.

I'm not a full-time teacher, and I don't pretend as though my subbing commitment is significantly comparable to the efforts that certified teachers achieve in their classrooms on a daily basis. But, I do believe that I can make a difference by doing this job well. Whether or not it's a particularly admirable job (it certainly isn't glamorous!), it makes me happy. I get a chance to do my best and make a meaningful impact. And, really, shouldn't that be the goal of any job or responsibility?

A new school year is about to begin. Between that brief encounter at the store, and the slight crisp in the air that's making it feel just a bit like fall...I'm ready.

Me: (smiling) "I'll see you there!"

The Finish Line

In anticipation of my two-year anniversary next week, I've been reflecting on our wedding day and moments of the day that made it memorable.

Here's one.

After the toasts at the reception, Bobby and I decided to say a few words of thanks to our guests. I went first, and it went something like this:

"This day has been absolutely perfect, all the way from the start. 

And, I know it'll continue to be perfect, 

all the way to the finish line...."

I didn't exactly realize what I had said, but I recognized my poor choice in wording quite quickly once the room full of our friends and family began to laugh and clap. 

Talk about awkward.

First of all, who talks like that?! It wasn't as though I used that verbiage in my day-to-day conversation.

--Hey, how was your day at work?

--Oh, it was great from the start. Pretty sure it'll be good all the way to the finish line, too.

I mean, really? I like to think of myself as a little less dorky than that. 

And secondly, what was I thinking?! 

Okay. I guess the answer to that was embarrassingly clear. 

But I didn't know that was on my subconscious mind!

Awkward though it was, I must admit that it does make for a good story. 

The getaway car decor, courtesy of Bobby's friends,
and thanks to my embarrassing inspiration.

Paint Progress

Using the file folders to aide in the trim-painting process in the living room worked like a charm! I ran a butter knife between the trim and the folders before removing them to ensure that the paint wasn't sticking. After that, the folders slid right out. The carpet was spared and the trim is now white, clean and bright...and looks happy to greet me. ('Sound of Music' reference...anyone catch that?)

Post-trim painting.

After the trim's facelift, it was time to paint the walls!

We used three colors of paint in the living room. The first, Valspar Khaki, is along the back wall and on the mantle (as pictured below). Second, we chose Valspar Colonial Beige for both walls at either end of the room, which is the darkest tone in the trifecta. Finally, we used Valspar Natural for the fourth and lightest-colored wall which continues down the hallway. (All color-matched to Olympic Premium No-VOC.)

This would otherwise be your run-of-the-mill, 'paint the four walls' of the room story, were it not for the incredibly-high ceiling situation in the front entryway.

Thanks to the ugly wooden shelf that used to live on this wall, we were left with unsightly scratches and holes...that left the otherwise-desirable option of leaving that really tall wall unpainted, as not really an option at all.

Getting to the top of the wall (even with the 8-foot ladder on loan from Dad, and a lengthy extender...also on loan) was not going to be possible. So, at Bobby's brilliant suggestion, we taped off a straight line (that is, as straight a line as one can eyeball from the very top of an 8-foot ladder) that was even with the third wall. 

See how high we're talking about?
That little line at the bottom is the top of the closet door frame.
Trust me. It was way up there.

The view, looking up, from the front door.

We painted below the tape and left the walls white above, which we think works well. We were definitely pleased with the result of what was most definitely a last minute, "what if we try this?" idea. (Don't you just love it when that happens?!)

So, this is where the living room stands now. I am quite happy with how it's turning out. The colors are exactly what I'd hoped for. The walls look different all throughout the day as the light shifts (which almost led me to believe that we'd made a very bad choice when we initially started painting on what was a dark, rainy afternoon), but I'm really enjoying that dynamic quality, and the changing moods that the room offers as the day goes on. 

As for the ceramic plate on the mantle.... Our guests signed that at our wedding, and the thing has been protectively concealed in bubble-wrapping at my parents' house for the past two years until we could provide a secure spot for it. It was such fun to open up the wrapping and look over the signatures of all the people who surrounded us on our big day and helped make it such a meaningful one.

And now, we get to be reminded of all those special people every day! Thanks to the Heavy-Duty Velcro pieces attached to the plate and to the brick, I think we've found the plate's permanent home. I'm about 99% confident that it'll be safe up there...but I'd be lying if I said that the above photo (and the ten others I took that look just like it) wasn't taken in the interest of preserving its' memory, should the unthinkable occur. If you ever see a post titled "Royal, NO!: A Lesson in Plate Tectonics", you'll know what happened.

"Royal, NO!" - Part Four

I'll admit it. I've developed a bad habit of taking pictures of Royal's bad behavior. The behavior continues until I've gotten the pictures I want, and then I discipline him. 

It's not good. (I know, I know. I've got to get it under control before it's a small child of mine that's misbehaving. So noted.)

He's just so stinkin' cute! Anyway, I'm working on it.  I must say, as he's destroyed more things, it's gotten easier to look past the cuteness and just see the trouble he's causing. 

But, for now, back to his cuteness....

You should have seen him that afternoon...rear in the air, dirt clumps flying, his little nose snorting around, paws going a mile a minute. He was as happy as could be!

There are holes all over our backyard now. This was one of several that he dug in the span of a few days. (He did unearth a very old dinner plate in one of his excavations. Impressive, right?) He does seem to have largely worked through this hobby of his since then (see? I discipline!), but it wasn't before he wreaked havoc on the lawn. 

Dirt on the tongue and everything...he's a mess.

I can't blame him entirely. I like digging in the dirt, too. 

Here's my garden these days. It's been a busy spring and summer, so I only had time to weed a small section of the overgrown garden, and plop in a few tomato and pepper plants. 

At this point, there's only one lone tomato. (Which is especially sad, since this photo was taken over two weeks ago...and there's still only one tomato.) I did get a late start with my planting, so I'm trying to stay optimistic that the rest of the plants will follow suit.

But, wait. This is about Royal...who has clearly also taken an interest in gardening. After using an old pair of pantyhose to tie a tomato plant to a stake, Royal ripped it off...and broke off the top half of the poor plant. I'm hoping it can rebound.

(On a side note, the pantyhose seemed to work really well before Royal's intervention...a smart tip from my green thumb/pinky/& pointer-fingered father. Thanks, Dad!)

One pepper plant was taken out during the struggle, too, and sadly it couldn't be saved. 

I was not happy.

But, I also can't stay mad at this little not-so-little guy for very long, either. What can I say? He's stolen my heart.

A Post about The Post

Since we bought our house, we've spent most of our time, energy, and cash working on the inside...which has been great! But, that's meant that the yard hasn't gotten the attention that it deserves, and so desperately needs in order to get it where we want it to be.

Bobby does an excellent job keeping the lawn (which is getting more and more brown by the day, through no fault of Bobby's and despite his valiant efforts to keep it alive...which has grown more and more difficult thanks to Royal's treatment of the sprinkler...but I digress) mowed on a regular basis. This act in itself is more attention than the yard had been getting before we moved in, but the flower beds are overgrown with weeds (there's only so much we can do, Grandma!), and there are shrubs that have turned into trees. 

I'm really hoping that next year (or even this fall, perhaps?) we'll be able to focus a bit more on outside projects. That seems likely. 

But, we have been able to make some progress lately in the landscaping department....

The lamp post in the front yard (I think of Narnia every time I say that..."lamp post"....) had a clematis plant attempting to climb it...key word, "attempting". It was really just more of a mess, and the look was quite dated. So, it had to go. (We still have a clematis in the back yard that is thriving, so I didn't feel quite so terrible ripping this one out in the front.)

Much better. Except that then we were left with the issue of the rotting wood at the base...which isn't quite the look we're going for. So, it had to go, too. 

After the wood was gone, the initial thought was to create a rock border around the base instead. So, we carried (okay, Bobby carried; I was on doggy-duty) lots of rocks from the backyard that had previously been used near the fountain. 

The fountain, I should mention, is no more. My sister said months ago that we "aren't fountain people", and though I can't say that I agree with her entirely, it was seeming to be more of a hassle than it was worth. Yes, the sound of trickling water was pleasant, but Royal was growing interested in the area, we didn't want to mess with chlorine tablets, we weren't particularly excited about paying for the electricity to run the thing...and, well, we know what it was doing to the bird population. So, when the pump stopped working and the standing water attracted bunches of Japanese beetles, we decided that enough was enough. Out came the fountain.

Anyway, Bobby carried lots of rocks to the front of the house, and I arranged them around the flower bed. And, wouldn't you know, I didn't like the finished look of it at all. It did coordinate well with the other rock landscaping around the yard, but it just wasn't working for me there. So, the rocks were removed...again (thanks, dear!)...and now we've decided to flatten out the dirt, lose the flower bed, and just let the grass grow around the lamp post. (Sweet Mr. Tumnus....)

I'll keep you posted. Pun most-definitely intended.

"Royal, NO!" - Part Three

Our screen didn't always look like this:

I'll give you one guess as to who is responsible.

Bingo. (Well, of course, not B-I-N-G-O.... It was Royal.)

Apparently the doggy door was just too tedious an exit, so Royal made a new one. Bobby says he was chasing a bug on the other side of the screen (Royal was, not Bobby...that would be weird), and just got too excited. 

Speaking of bugs. Screened-in porches are great...when all of the screens are present and accounted for. When they aren't, though...well, let's just say that I think our chances of being not surrounded by insects are better outside of the patio. It's been quite the popular stop for flies and wasps lately. And when I say "stop", I mean stop as in "last stop", since once they're in, they can never find their way out. 

Do we have problems, or what? 

(No, we don't. I love that my "problems" are having to fix a messed-up screen on the porch of the home my husband and I own because of our sweet puppy. Life is pretty darn good these days.) 

Once Royal started trampling on the flower bed, wouldn't you know the little tea roses started blooming? Go figure.

Then he trampled too much and they died. It happens.

The good news is that we found some matching screen out in the storage shed from previous owners. The bad news is that the piece doesn't fit. So, I guess that negates the good news. Rats.

We've Bobby has since removed the ripped screen, so at least it doesn't look mangled anymore. We'll replace it soon, but until then, Royal still has his "doggy opening"...and we're getting really talented with the fly swatter.

The End.

"Royal, NO!" - Part Two

I mean, you saw the title of the post...so you have to know what's coming. 

The none-too-pleased puppy parent.

The culprit.

Bobby and I came home one evening to find that the hose had been dragged into the middle of the yard, and entirely severed from the sprinkler to which it had previously been attached. 

I love this one.
"Son, I'm not happy with you...."
"Yeah, I know, Dad. So sorry about the hose. Couldn't help myself."

"See? You have another one! No big deal. Let me help!
By the way, I really like it here...please don't make me leave."

Sometimes he actually rests! (Sometimes.)
And he sure does look cute when he does.

The hose we're left with now has yet to be severed entirely, though it has been chewed to the point of having multiple holes throughout. Sure, it's annoying, but we're actually able to water about five plants at the same time...can you do that?! (It is pretty entertaining...the duct tape "plugs" didn't hold, so the holes are getting bigger and shooting off in several directions. Thank goodness it's so hot and getting a bit wet is refreshing!)

Anyway, there's not much point to replacing the hoses right now...who knows what else he's capable of?!

Stay tuned...I'll show you.

"Royal, NO!" - Part One

I've been looking through photos from the past month with the intention of getting up-to-date on all of Royal's latest "learning experiences". And, I'm discovering that in order to best showcase all of them, they need to be written in a series that I think I'll call, "Royal, NO!"

So, thus begins aforementioned series...the length of which depends on how quickly I can get these tails tales written...and what the dog decides to do in the meantime.

A few weeks ago, we had a morning thunderstorm. (You know, back when it still rained around here.) To be fair, I did very much appreciate that Royal decided to spend the rainy morning on the patio, instead of being outside and getting wet. But, mornings are usually his playtime and he had lots of energy to kill...so, he killed his blanket.

The blanket ended up with a lot less batting inside than was there before, and his bed got a lot less comfortable. His teething and chewing phase had begun...look out, world!

Doing the Laundry...Room

So, where were we when I last wrote in June? (June?! Has it really been that long?)

Ah, yes...Royal ate a squirrel and the living room was lined with file folders. We'll catch up later with the specifics of the last month, but let me just say that Royal has caused more destruction and the house has been further updated.

Speaking of house updates, I am happy to report that we have made serious progress in the laundry room!

Before.

During.

After all of the wallpaper removal...and mold treatment...and re-mudding the damaged sheetrock, we painted the cabinets and the walls (and the fuse box!). The room is adjacent to the kitchen, so we opted to use that same color scheme in an effort to make the rooms feel more cohesive...and, truth be told, we needed to use the rest of the paint. I was skeptical with the choice at first, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. The rooms really do flow quite well now. (Thanks for the idea, Mom!)

On our initial cleaning day at the house, my sister and I made short work of removing the mirrored cabinet above the sink. It seemed out of place and bulky for the space, so it had to go! I was thrilled to find a black mirror at the thrift store ($6.98, thank you very much!), and after giving it a quick spray paint facelift, it suits the space perfectly.

Here is the laundry room as it stands now:

I'm picturing (pun intended) a gallery of frames
to the right of the mirror...we shall see!

Now, the dryer is actually pushed up against the wall.
We still had some work to do getting the dryer duct in place at this point.
(I'll spare you the details...it was every bit as boring as you might expect...
except when Bobby cut his finger...that was kind of dramatic. He's okay, though.)

Big difference, yes? I think so. There's still work to be done, of course. (When is there not?) I can imagine a patterned Roman shade over the window, and the walls need...something. There's also still the issue of finding a hanging space for clean clothes, but we're getting there.

Oh, yeah...I'm back in the blogging mood now. More to come soon!