All Aboard

I just logged in here for the first time in two weeks and am greeted with an entirely new interface.  Yikes!  Hopefully, this goes well.

This week Layla managed a great milestone: getting on the "Potty Train" at school.  She has been in underwear for several weeks, but getting on the train at school requires going #2 there.  Maybe that's TMI, if so Sorry!  But I thought you should know the parameters.

Thursday was a different day than usual.  I dropped Layla off early as Jason and I had an appointment and then headed downtown to KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) at McCormick Place, and then to the Real Estate Institute to take my continuing education and transition exams.  For the latter, Illinois has changed all the rules regarding classes of licenses for realtors which required me to take extra classes and exams to maintain my life as an independent real estate broker.  Let's be honest, it's really darn easy to take these exams.  The continuing education is literally the same every two years, with 2 additional electives.  If you can remember not to discriminate against people for any reason at all, you can pretty much ace these exams.  The transition exams were pretty straightforward, dealing with more current market conditions: short sales, foreclosures, risk management, etc..  Given all that's been going on I waited until virtually the very last moment to do this: licenses expire tomorrow!

Long story long, the exams were over quickly and I was able to pick Layla up early from school where I was greeted with this:

Layla was playing in her room, and was nearly jumping out of her skin she was so excited about her day!   The class has a train engine with cars behind, when you get on the train your picture goes on a car on the wall:

Layla's had asked for a Dora backpack as her reward for getting on the potty train about a month or so ago.  We had used this as encouragement for her to do her business.  So, we headed straightaway to Target to get her new backpack.   She loves Dora and of course, Dora has a backpack.

We stopped on the way to gab with the other Mommy friends that I don't get to see very often.  Of course, the girls didn't mind a bit:

Here she is posing on the big red ball outside of Target with her new backpack.  We had a brief (thankfully) conversation about a princess backpack that fortunately was really too big for a toddler.  There was ONE Dora backpack left.  She loves it and takes it everywhere!

Round Two

12 weeks down and only 28 to go! We are excited to announce that our second baby is on his/her way and due October 26th!

I have been feeling good, mostly tired with a few bouts of nausea. It's hard to say if I am more tired this time or it just seems that way since there is so much else going on in our lives.

Today we had our 12 week check up and the baby looked perfect. He/She moved around a little, but mostly slept peacefully during the appt., a dramatic difference from Layla who was moving all the time. Maybe this baby will be a good napper? Seems like that's only fair.

We are so thrilled to welcome this new addition! Layla was excited to take the baby pictures to school today to show her friends. Many of them already have baby brothers and sisters at school, so it's a popular subject. Layla mostly refers to the baby as CeCe (her friend, Alaina's, baby sister) but some days seems undecided on whether this baby is a boy or a girl. If a boy, she would like his name to be George, like the Curious one, natch.

Windows!!!!! and Easter too

Egg Hunt!

Showing off her loot to Dad

We worked our tails off all weekend getting the last four window openings ready. They were the largest, and also most difficult. Each opening holds 3 windows, and we needed to remove the windows and framing, scrape the paint, and frame new openings. As you may recall our house used to have wood siding. That was before they put the brick on. And you also may remember that they left all the trim on underneath. You may not be surprised to learn that this was a total PITA. It took us all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday (after our Easter morning celebration) to get everything ready. Our carpenters came after their normal work day and installed all four windows in about an hour. No kidding. I was so happy I almost cried. No kidding.

Layla was a trooper while we worked all weekend. She helped in the house and when she got bored, painted and played at her water table in the back yard.

We didn't dye our eggs until tonight.

Layla had no less enthusiasm and our eggs were colored and decorated in great style!

We had a great time at the pancake breakfast on Sunday, Layla loved the egg hunt with lots of her friends and I played in the bell choir during service. Layla also wore UNDERWEAR to school on Friday and to church on Sunday, so that's a big deal as you might imagine.

We had gone to Target on Thursday after school and she asked to have underwear. I was thinking Dora and she was thinking 'Dollies' a.k.a. Princesses, just like her friend Alaina. Well, despite my distaste for the American Princess Obsession, I let her pick any darn underwear she wanted. And she loves them, of course, her pretty 'dollie' underwear!

House Update

So, it's been an incredibly busy March, hence my lack of posts. I was very busy with work this month, as was Jason. We also continued to spend our weekends at the house and it has occurred to me that you probably need an update!

Our focus the last couple of months has been on the mechanical systems. The electrical was completely re-wired in the west 'wing' of the house. Jason worked in the basement while I worked on the first floor. Layla ran between and helped deliver various tools and parts and pieces. She loves being part of the team!

We also worked on the plumbing and have all the drain and vent lines in place. The supply lines need some attention and we need to get the water heater up and running before Springtime guest arrive.

Our new windows were delivered while Layla and I were still in Arizona and we have been slowly installing them. It is arduous just to take the old windows out (even though we can destroy them) and it took us almost an entire day just to take all the storm windows off. I guess 60+ years of paint and rust will take their toll after awhile.

The west wing has a surprising amount of windows. I tell Dad the cost and he says, "You are replacing all the windows?!?" and I tell him, "No, there are 16 windows in the west wing". Ack! You wouldn't believe there could be so many windows in 3 rooms. Layla's room has 8 windows. In her bedroom there are (2) sets of 3 windows and two singles in the corner of the closet. Those are the two we started with since I could actually carry them.

The first window. Layla was so happy when she woke up from her nap and it was installed.

When we unwrapped them Layla asked what they were and we explained they were the new windows for her bedroom. Her response? "Oh THANK YOU Mommy, THANK YOU Daddy!" Complete with big hugs and smile. We were shocked that she would care, but maybe she was relieved to learn that someday we will actually get to live in this house.

Yesterday, a bit to our own surprise the two of us were able to install the double window in the play room. Until last week it still had the horrible aluminum awning on it, so this was a dramatic change. The new windows are Integrity by Marvin, a fiberglass window. We chose bronze window clad and the prairie style grills, to give the house a little style.

The tricky part of this is not only that the windows are heavy, but that the openings are above our heads. Not easy and we will need a team of heavy lifters to get the 3 unit ones in (4 sets).

The masonry opening getting prepped for the new window.

Jason installing the flashing on the outside. Window in!

Our neighbors came over to compliment us on the windows and how much they liked the bronze instead of the white (their house is red brick with white windows too). Mike even said that it made him not like his own white windows!