Saturday, June 30, 2012

More History

We went to a Lemonade Social/Open House at the Historical Society today, and got to pick their brains a bit about our house (yay!). We knew from chatting with some of the ladies before that a doctor used to live here-- the head doctor at the state sanitarium. It turns out that he was a fairly recent resident, because some of the older ladies actually remembered him. And he's the only resident that we have a name for at this point. But we learned a few things that were really interesting!

For one, our town had not one, but TWO hospitals. The state sanitarium and the V.A. hospital. I know where the old V.A. hospital was, and thought that WAS the state sanitarium. But nope! They were two separate hospitals. In fact, the sanitarium was the first public hospital in the country dedicated entirely to helping people with tuberculosis. Our town actually had this reputation as sort of a health retreat. Something about the clean air and thick forests-- all that good stuff.

Anyway... Our house is on a corner. If you go back behind us, it's pretty heavily wooded for quite a ways, and then there is a newer housing development. Well, that newer housing development used to be the home of the state sanitarium! I even found a picture of it-- it was a huge complex!
And, according to the old property maps, our house was actually located ON the land belonging to the sanitarium. Our house predates the hospital by about 70 years, though, so they must have purchased it when they bought the rest of the land. And based on what they know, the ladies at the Historical Society think that our house was probably used as hospital-provided housing for ALL the head doctors-- not just the most recent one that they know of. Crazy!

Anyway, I thought it was really neat, and I am still hoping to learn more. Especially about the people who built this house and lived here back in 1830. Our home inspector says it looks like it was built by shipbuilders in their off season, based on the floor support beams that are visible in the basement (they look like masts). This house definitely has a story to tell-- but I think I'm going to have to spend more time at the Historical Society to piece it all together!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Teddy Bear Picnic

The library in the next town over from us put on this amazing event today, and the kids had a BLAST! I was worried that it would be cancelled, since we had rain on and off all morning, with dreary skies. But right when it was time to leave, the clouds vanished, the sun came out, and the temperature jumped up into the high eighties. Whoa! Anyway, we brought a lunch, the kids brought their teddy bears, and they danced their hearts out while this children's musician performed a bunch of great, interactive songs. Seriously, both kids were dripping sweat by the end (especially Nikos). They had such a great time dancing and singing along with the fifty or so other kids who were there, including their friends Evan and Paige. I am so glad we went! And now... pictures!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Some Pictures

I am still exhausted! But yesterday, we stuck close to home and I painted more of the kitchen cabinets. We did play outside for a bit, which is when I took these two photos. I couldn't believe it when I saw that mouse hopping along through the grass at the edge of our yard. EEEEK! And he was headed right toward the raspberry bushes. I wonder if we will have any berries left to eat?
Today, I continued painting (which is horribly boring and tedious!) and dragged the kids on some errands. After lunch, I took the kids to a showing of "The Lorax" at the local second-run movie theater. This was Maya's first time seeing a movie in the theater, and I figured I wouldn't be out too much money if it didn't go well. As it was, it went decently! She got a little wiggly and loud about three-quarters of the way through, but the movie itself was loud and the theater was practically empty. I still don't know that I'd take her to see a more crowded film (like "Brave," which I REALLY want to see!), but it still went pretty well. Plus, the movie was adorable. I was impressed at how well they adapted the book and extended the story! They definitely did it justice! It's one I might actually consider buying for our home collection, even.

After the movie, we zipped home, got on our suits, and headed to the pool to meet up with Caryn and her kids for a swim. It is so nice to have a friend at the pool, because we split up and do "zone defense"-- one of us at the baby pool, the other at the big pool. But they are right next to each other, so we can still chat and have fun. I am LOVING our pool membership!!

A little after 5 o'clock, the kids and I packed it in and drove to the local restaurant that is owned by Nikos' t-ball coach. We missed his last game this past weekend when we went camping, and all the kids got little trophies. We met up with his coach in the kitchen of the restaurant (which Nikos instantly said reminded him of pappou's restaurant), and Coach awarded him his little statuette. He was SO excited! He also had to show his coach his new shoes, which he is just thrilled with. It was a red-letter day for this little boy! He even ASKED me to take his picture with his first-ever trophy! So we went outside really quick while dinner was cooking. I told him to stop squinting and open up his eyes, and he gave me this completely psychotic expression. It's so NOT his regular smile, but I love, love, LOVE this picture! It cracks me up!
Oh, and when we were heading out there, I caught not one, but TWO bunnies lounging by our swingset! Little punks! It's a blurry picture, but I had to act quickly. They've been nibbling my garden and going to town on the lower raspberries! I wonder how many of them there actually are?
Tomorrow, we will be going to a Teddy Bear Picnic in the next town over, complete with a music concert for kids. I can't wait!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Odds and Ends

I am still so tired! I think it's residual fatigue from camping. It was fun and all, but it was a LOT of work (especially for me, as the organizer). I just want to close my eyes and go to bed! Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Soon, perhaps!

Yesterday was a pretty quiet day. We were actually stuck at home, since Gus had forgotten that the kids' car seats were in his truck. Oops! But it forced me to clean up, which was a good thing. And it was POURING rain. We had a severe thunderstorm that lasted several hours, and I swear it was sitting right on top of our house! Windows were rattling from the thunder, lightning was flashing like crazy, and the sky was just dumping buckets. In other words, it wasn't a very good day to go to the pool, haha!

I spent most of the afternoon waiting for our new refrigerator and range hood. SO EXCITING! And, of course, the delivery people came almost an hour AFTER the window they had given me. But it's okay now, because my fridge makes me so happy. I hated the old one so much! This one is awesome!!
Not too long after the fridge arrived, Gus came home, picked us all up, and we drove to Caryn's house. She had very kindly offered to watch the kids while we went out to dinner for our anniversary. A real date night!! We went to a Mexican restaurant just around the corner, and I was honestly impressed! I didn't expect too much from a Mexican restaurant in a small town in New England, but it was pretty good! I guess the owner is actually from Mexico, so that helps. But the margaritas were strong and the food was tasty. Definitely worth a repeat visit. And so close to home, too!

We got back to Caryn's house and had to drag the kids away, they were having so much fun! Then it was home and straight to bed.

This morning, Nikos got to go to the dentist. He did GREAT! So much better than I had expected, to be honest. He is getting to be such a big kid! But he sat there clutching his two bears (more on that in a sec), and did what they asked. And his teeth look great! Both kids even let me floss their teeth tonight because "Dr. Ted told them to." We are on an oral hygiene kick around here, haha!
About the bears... One of them is Bear, his tried-and-true lovey. A few years ago I decided to buy a backup bear, just in case something ever happened to Bear. I tucked this new one away in a safe place. Recently, Nikos was so sad that the tag on his stuffed dino had come off (Bear's came off forever ago). He fiddles with the tag when he is tired/scared/whatever. He was literally crying about this! And then I remembered the backup bear, with its intact tag, just sitting in a box collecting dust. I decided to just give it to him, and he was SO HAPPY! It's Bear's brother! I will have to post a side-by-side comparison sometime, because it's hilarious. Bear is so filthy and ratty and well-loved, while the new bear is still white and fluffy. Nikos calls him Furry Face, and the two bears are now inseparable. It is so cute!

Anyway, back to our day... I dragged both kids along with me to MY doctor's appointment (just a follow-up, it's all good) and then we went to the market and the farm to stock our shiny new refrigerator. I installed our range hood this evening, too, while yet another insane thunderstorm raged outside. It really is amazing to live in a place where the weather can change so quickly and so completely. It was sunny again by bedtime!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Seven Years!

Together for 13.5 years and married for 7 of those! We've finally passed the point where we have been married for longer than we dated, haha! Seven years have just flown by! :)

Sunday, June 24, 2012

First Camping Trip!

It was AWESOME!!! It was definitely a learning experience, and I know a few things I would do differently next time, but we had so much fun. I am already excited to go again... We even drove around the campground and made a list of our favorite campsites for reference. We just need to pick another weekend! Woohoo!

DAY ONE
Anyway... We left just after lunch on Friday, and made the 30-minute drive up to Otter River State Forest, right on the New Hampshire border. We checked in at the ranger station, picked up some firewood (you have to buy it there; it's illegal to bring in outside wood), and found our way to campsite number 35. This was where things got a little ugly. Gus had actually woken up with some sort of stomach bug, and could barely move without feeling nauseous. Needless to say, it was very difficult for him to help me set up camp. He did his best, but the burden was mostly mine. And pitching a massive tent in 90-something degrees with blazing hot sun and high humidity? Not fun! We got it done, though. That was by far the worst part of the whole trip. But we had a home for the weekend, so that was kind of important! We quickly changed into swimsuits and headed over to one of the two swimming areas to cool off. It was much cooler by the water, and the weather was also starting to change. It was clouding over, and a nice breeze was picking up. We could hear thunder off in the distance, so we knew our time might be cut short, but we enjoyed it while it lasted. Gus actually took a nap on our beach blanket, while both kids played in the warm, shallow water and built sand castles.
It did end up raining later on, but only a little bit. I think we were in the tent for maybe 15 minutes. It wasn't bad!

That evening, we roasted hot dogs over the fire for dinner, followed by marshmallows and s'mores (of course!). The kids took turns regaling us with their very own campfire stories, which they had been talking about all week long. Nikos was SO animated-- it was hilarious! All of his stories centered around dinosaurs or rescue vehicles, and weren't particularly spooky... but they were great!
The coolest part, though, was later in the evening. As it really started to get dark, Gus noticed a flickering light in the bushes. At first, we thought it was a spark from the fire, but we quickly realized that the little sparks were all over the place. FIREFLIES!!!!! None of us had ever seen them before but, lo and behold, there they were! Lots of them, too! So, so cool!

Eventually, both kids asked to go to bed. They don't stay up very late to begin with, and it was way past their normal bedtime. Plus, I think they were excited to sleep in the tent. So we all got ready, and everyone went to bed but me (it was still early, but Gus wasn't feeling well). I read for a while, and eventually passed out. It was hard to sleep, though, because I hadn't put quite enough air in the matress AND we had some noisy neighbors. Plus, I hadn't been camping in about a million years, and I was sort of nervous. I am pleased to report that I slept much better the second night. And the kids both slept just like they would have at home, even though they were sharing a "room" in our tent. It was pretty awesome!

DAY TWO
Day two of our camping experience started out at 7am, which is totally normal for us (yay!). I cooked breakfast for everyone, and then we went on a ranger-guided nature walk that we had seen advertised. It was pretty neat, though it was a long walk over lots of rocks and gnarly tree roots that slowed the kids down a bit. There were also TONS of people on the walk, since a local cub scout pack decided to join us. We saw several beaver dams, an old beaver lodge now occupied by otters, and all sorts of plant life. AND, as it turned out, our ranger was Caryn's-husband's-childhood best friend's mom. Got that? I've met her husband's best friend a few times, and he had mentioned that his mom was a ranger at the park, but I never asked what her name was or even figured I'd see her. As it was, we saw Ranger Betsy a lot! And I put the clues together and finally asked her if so-and-so was her son. Yup! Small world!

After the nature hike, we went back and spent some time at the campsite. It was close to lunch, so we played and ate an early lunch so we could get down to the lake before all the cub scouts invaded (we had overheard their plans). Back at the site, I walked down to the creek behind us and got this picture of Maya. The location and light were so beautiful! If only she had been willing to cooperate, haha!
Maya also expressed her love for the small broom and dustpan I had brought to clean the tent. It ended up being completely futile with two small kids, but at least she enjoyed it!
Both kids also enjoyed "washing Daddy's truck" with their little spray bottles (which I had bought to help us keep cool... oh well!). As soon as we were done eating, it was back to the pond! Nikos had been begging to go fishing, and Maya wanted to go back to the beach to go swimming. Luckily, people are allowed to fish everywhere BUT the small designated swimming areas, so Maya and I were able to sit on the beach and watch Gus and Nikos fish right next to us. Nikos even came over to play in the sand a few times while Gus untangled the fishing line. It was all very convenient!
There were a lot of fish in the pond (bass, trout, minnows, and sunfish), and the older kids fishing nearby seemed to catch something every few minutes, but they were actually using bait! Our goal was to NOT catch fish this time (don't tell Nikos). I really don't like eating fish, and even the thought of touching it to do catch-and-release fishing makes me feel ill. So we fished for fishing's sake, and (luckily) didn't catch anything!

Meanwhile, though, one of the kids fishing nearby made it his personal mission to catch interesting things and show them to the kids. He caught a crayfish, a huge pollywog, dragonfly larvae, and a bunch of fish. When I asked him how he knew all this stuff, he very proudly announced that he was a Junior Ranger (and Ranger Betsy later told us that he is her "pride and joy"-- because she's in charge of the Junior Rangers.). It was actually really cool, and the kids were super interested in all the stuff he brought over. Gus and I were kind of entertained by this kid's dad, who was standing out in the middle of the pond, fishing while smoking a cigarette. I thought about taking a picture, but decided against it.

Eventually, Maya decided that fishing looked like fun, and wanted a turn. She sat next to me on a nearby bench and finished her sandwich (left over from lunch) while she waited. And she proved to be just as enthusiastic about fishing as her brother!
Back at the campsite, the fishing fun continued in the creek right behind us. The kids couldn't stop-- they loved it!
In fact, they loved it so much that they were begging to go back to the lake. After we'd rested and had a snack, that's exactly what we did. Except we weren't there for long. As soon as we set our chairs down, the sky darkened and it got really windy. And then the thunder rolled in. And as we were folding up our chairs, the big droplets started to fall! We high-tailed it back to our tent, where we lived for the next hour or so while it absolutely poured. Nikos kept himself entertained by playing "Angry Birds," while Maya played with the broom. Yup. That's my kid. haha! As soon as the storm stopped, I started a fire in the firepit and got dinner going. I wanted us to have food, just in case it started raining again. It never did, though! We had a lovely evening. We even went to the ranger-led campfire (with Ranger Betsy), came back, told stories around our own campfire, and then we put the kids to bed and stayed up late. The storms caused the temperatures to drop about twenty degrees, and sitting by the fire felt really good! It was also a much quieter, more mellow night in the campground as a whole.

DAY 3
This morning, we were woken up by two kids who wanted to snuggle with us at 7am, so we did that for a while (and loved it!). Then we got up, ate breakfast, and began breaking down our campsite. It went pretty quickly, especially with Gus feeling himself again! We went back to the lake to fish for a while, but eventually Nikos said he was ready to go home-- so we did! Baths/showers were had by all, and I did two huge loads of sweaty, smoky laundry. And wrote a gigantic blog post!

Camping was awesome, but it reminds me just how cozy my own bed is. I can't wait to sleep in it tonight!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Just Keep Swimming...

Ok, I am TIRED. But what a fantastic day we had! We started our day at our local state park. And by "local," I mean exactly that... it's less than 10 minutes from our house, located right here in town. How cool is that? Our very own state park! At any rate, there is a sandy beach at one of the many lakes there, and we met my friend Jen and her kids there this morning. It was already 90 degrees by 10am, and the humidity was crazy. But the water was cool, shallow, and clear, the bottom was sandy, and it was just really nice to sit and chat with my friend while the kids played at the water's edge. Nikos took quite a while to warm up to the sand (he didn't want to take his shoes off and get his feet dirty), but the heat finally forced him to do it. And he was like a new kid once he got in the water and cooled off! We ate our lunch right there on the beach, and ended up leaving a little after 1:00.
When we got home, it was "crash on the couch" time (formerly known as nap time). The kids just rested up and watched some TV before our next outing to the pool. It was some much-needed down time for all!

Then we headed over to the pool to meet up with Caryn and her kids. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday, which was awesome! One of my mommy friends from Nikos' t-ball team happened to be there with her kids, too, so the boys all played together. Oh! And one of the moms I chatted with yesterday was there again with her girls... and it turns out that Caryn knows her! It was such a "small world" moment! So it was fun hanging out with friends old and new. And BOTH kids were very brave in the water today... Maya even got mad at me if I tried to hold her, because she was SWIMMING, gosh darnit! And since I had Caryn with me, I was actually able to hop out of the pool and snap a few pics. These kids love the pool!
Tomorrow, we are going camping nearby, and the forecast is calling for warm temperatures and thunderstorms. That should be... interesting! Wish us luck!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

First Day of Summer!

So Mother Nature must have actually looked at the calendar, because it was most definitely SUMMER today! 90-something degrees and crazy humidity, all starting early in the morning and lasting all day. Thank goodness our house stays nice and cool, because we don't have air conditioning! Every time I went outside, my hair frizzed up and I thought I would melt into a puddle of goo. It was HOT. And now I fully understand why Southern Californians say, "Oh, but it's a DRY heat." Yes. Humidity definitely makes things interesting!

We started the day by going to the lab for bloodwork. Maya needs a lead test to enroll in preschool, and I needed to get my iron and vitamin D levels checked again. I am pleased to report that neither one of us shed a single tear! From there, we headed straight to Caryn's house, where she had set up her inflatable pool and water guns. The plan was for the two of us to sip iced coffee and chat on her deck while the kids played happily, but there was some serious grumpiness going around. Lots of tears and tantrums-- it was in the air! We ended up taking everyone out to lunch at a local dairy known for their awesome ice cream, and it did the trick. Suddenly, everyone was happy again! Amazing how a little ice cream can do that!

Caryn still hadn't bought her pool passes, so we all went to the town pool so she could do that. It happens to be right next to the town playground, so we figured the kids could play for a bit. But it was miserably, unbearably hot. And the pool looked so sparkly and inviting, though I didn't have my suit or anything. We didn't stay long.

As soon as we got home, I threw dinner together (pasta salad), tossed it in the fridge, and quickly loaded up a bag for a trip to the pool. I couldn't resist it! It was calling to me! And you know what? It. Was. AWESOME! The pool was pretty busy, but I never felt like it was too crowded. There's a kiddie pool that is just perfect-- nice and big, but only a foot deep with a little fountain water feature in the middle. I sat on the edge while both kids splashed and floated on their tummies. And then we'd venture over into the big pool, where Nikos loved "swimming" by himself (wearing his PuddleJumper) and Maya mostly clung to me (happily, though). It felt so good! And the whole place was so clean and lovely! I even ran into a mom I met a few months ago at the library, and we talked most of the time. I swear, I've gotten to a point all of a sudden where I feel like I know so many people. It's really, really nice! Everywhere I go, I see people I've met at the library or through t-ball. And everyone is so friendly and chatty. I love it!

Anyway, that was our day. We came home close to dinner time, and Maya promptly fell asleep on the couch while Nikos played Angry Birds. It was so quiet for a while! I really wore them out!
And, somewhere in there, I glanced out the window and saw this bunny: I literally thought he was injured or something, because he wasn't moving. But I think he was too full from nibbling on my broccoli plants, or maybe too hot. But he took off when I went out there. I'm sure he will be back. I've got good stuff in there!

Anyway... Tomorrow promises to be super fun, too. We're meeting a friend and her kids at the lake for a playdate on the sandy beach, and then we will most likely meet Caryn at the pool in the afternoon. Busy busy!

OH!! And my exciting news for the night? One of the t-ball moms just sent me a message inviting me to join her book club. She'd told me about it before, and I was interested from day one. It's more of a social thing than anything. I am so PSYCHED to be invited-- yeah!! More friends! Woohoo!!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

An Embarrassing Admission...

So... my kids have never been to the dentist. There, I said it. I feel like a horrible mom, too. But I have put it off for so long because Nikos has always been a "difficult customer." He still hates having his hair cut, or his nails, or really being put in any position where he is not in complete control. I figured that a visit to the dentist would be an epic failure. And I thought, "Maybe he will outgrow it..." From that point, I just sort of forgot about it. Until recently, where I would wake up in the middle of the night and frantically think, "FIVE! He's almost FIVE and has never been to the dentist!!" I consider myself a pretty good and responsible mom, so this really, really bothered me. ugh!

Anyway, I finally rectified it yesterday. I got on the computer, determined to find a highly-rated pediatric dentist nearby who took our insurance. And I did! I called them and scheduled appointments for both kids, though the earliest they could get us in was August. Well, that's not entirely true... they could have gotten us in earlier, but the receptionist was determined that the kids be with this one hygienist who was amazing with the more difficult kids. And I supported that decision!

Imagine my surprise when this same receptionist called me this morning, letting me know that they'd had a cancellation! Ack! So, Maya went to the dentist today! I had her go first, since she tends to be a little more easy-going about things than her brother, and it would give him a chance to see that the dentist was not scary. And you know what? It really wasn't! I had to pry my children away from the place when it was time to leave! Everything there was just perfect. It was a clean, bright office loaded with fun stuff. The dentist even wore a bow-tie and was so super friendly. I kind of want to go there for my teeth, too, haha! Maya did very well, with some gentle coaxing. They gave her tons of praise and encouragement, and she got to pick out prizes after each part of her exam. Everyone was so friendly and great with the kids! I am so, SO glad we had a positive first dental experience-- and I am hopeful for a repeat performance when Nikos has his turn!

Today's visit comes on the heels of yesterday's doctor visit for Miss Maya's three year checkup. She did great there, too! Our little girl is just perfect, and measured at the seventy-fifth percentile for both weight and height. I was actually surprised by that, since I feel like she is smaller than most three-year-old girls I know, but I am just happy that she is growing well. That's our girl!

Anyway... today was crazy, with the sudden dentist appointment, a very-necessary run to the store to get supplies for camping this weekend, a trip to the town pool to buy our passes for the summer, and then a magic show at the library to kick off the summer reading program. We were gone for about six hours straight, and lived to tell the tale! Tomorrow, we're going to go to Caryn's house. And on Thursday, we're meeting my friend Jen and her kids at the lake for some swimming. It's supposed to be in the mid-nineties over the next few days. Summer is finally here!!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Picnic at the Falls

Long story very, very short, we had a great time on our picnic today! Everyone was in a good mood, they ate plenty, and we played for a while before hiking down to the "falls" themselves (really, it's where the water shoots out from the dam and into the Ware River. More like rapids than falls, but exciting nonetheless.). Maya, our flower child, was very pleased to discover the daisies growing all over the place, and our hiking was slowed down by her need to pick bouquets. I made some of them into a little wreath for her hair, which she wore for about two minutes. Long enough to get a photo, at least!
She promptly decided that the sand volleyball court was the world's biggest sandbox, and lost interest in her flowers. sigh!

I also snapped this one of Gus and his babies, which I just love. Those are my three favorite people in the whole world, right there!
This week promises to be crazy, with activities suddenly popping up left and right. And with our camping trip on Friday, I also need to find time to organize and prepare for that. Not to mention paint another chunk of kitchen cabinets. Ack! We'll see if I find the time to post this week, or if I pass out on the couch after dinner every night! :)

OH, but before I forget... I harvested some baby lettuce leaves from our garden tonight! Not a ton, but enough for a side salad for Gus. YAY!

Happy Father's Day!

To all the dads we know, but especially our own. And here's a photo of Gus, taken yesterday at the mini golf place. I can't believe this is already his fifth Father's Day! These kids love their daddy so, SO much!!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Fore!

We went to play miniature golf today! We actually played yesterday, too, but that was an indoor glow-golf place at the mall (think: black lights and lots of fluorescent colors). Caryn had some free passes that were about to expire, so the four kids golfed while we mostly chatted. It was fun!

On the way to the mall, though, I noticed a sign for a "real" outdoor mini-golf place. And then Caryn mentioned it to me, saying it was a lot of fun. We had nothing planned for today, aside from Nikos' last t-ball game this morning (*sniff!*), so we decided to go and check it out! We had lunch there on the little deck by the course, and then played all 18 holes. The weather was gorgeous (hot, even!), and both kids did really well. I even got a hole in one on a more challenging hole-- go me! Yay! After we were done playing, we went in the arcade there so that Nikos could take a look. We gave him fifty cents so he could play one game, and he chose to do "The Claw." He's convinced it was broken, though, because it didn't pick up the stuffed tiger he wanted-- haha! Later in the afternoon, he announced that he had a plan. He wanted to get enough quarters so he could play ALL the games in the arcade. And he suggested that we go back there tomorrow so he could count how many games there are. Love that kid!! He has his "stinker" moments, but he is so clever and his enthusiasm can be so infectious! He even let me cut his nails this evening without putting up a fuss, all because I gave him two quarters in exchange. He's saving up so he can execute his plan!

Anyway, we spent the rest of the day just hanging out. We made some ice cream, which I have yet to taste. I finished painting the first section of the kitchen. We played outside, and ate our dinner there (some of the best grilled chicken I have ever tasted. The tequila lime marinade was SO GOOD!!!). The kids toasted marshmallows and got all gooey. All in all, an excellent day.

Tomorrow is Father's Day (of course!), and we are going to go on a picnic if this amazing weather continues. It should be another great day!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Kitchen: Before

The madness has begun! Ever since we moved in, I could see our kitchen's potential. It really is the heart of the house, with doorways leading to the living room, dining room, sitting room, front entrance, and laundry room. The space is great. But there are a few things about it that drive me nuts. For one, the cabinets. Without looking at the rest of the room, the cabinets are perfectly fine. Basic cherry cabinets that are in good shape. But the flooring throughout the house is this antique Southern Yellow Pine. And the color of the floor is close enough to the cabinet color that the two just look weird together. I've wanted to paint the cabinets white for a while now. I think it will really brighten up the kitchen, and the white will just fit in better with our old Colonial.

Another thing we disliked about the kitchen was that all the appliances were white and super basic models. It makes sense-- this house was a rental for years, and the owners obviously bought the cheapest appliances they could find. Do they work? Sure. But they are ugly and poorly designed. Our new appliances start arriving on the 25th of this month. I can't wait to get them!

Finally, there are the countertops. They are truly awful. They are this tan-colored laminate that would be ugly even in mint condition. But throw in all the burn marks, chipped spots, etc., and they are just gross.

Here is a "before" picture, so you can see what I am talking about... Anyway... I started painting today! ACK! I ordered a few Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations kits online, and they arrived yesterday. So this morning, I taped off a section of upper cabinets and got to work. I know a few people who have used this product, and it gets really good reviews. And after painting the cabinets at our old house, I wanted to go with something that would have a more durable finish. So far, I am really impressed! Step one is deglossing, step two is painting (which I am almost done with), step 3 is an optional glaze (I'm not doing this), and step 4 is the protective clear coat. I'm still painting, but I have to say that the paint itself makes it all worthwhile-- and I have become a paint snob, haha! It's thick and buttery. I can't wait to share the results!
So, that's that. I'm going to try and get the whole kitchen done over the next few weeks, and then I will share an "after" photo. We won't be getting rid of the counters for a while, since that is pricey, but we will most likely be replacing them with granite or quartz. This kitchen is going to be AWESOME!!