Yesterday.
A bit busy.
Okay, a LOT busy.
But it’s been a rather typical day around here the past couple of weeks, especially since I’ve started with painting the house.
This was
YESTERDAY.
This post is dedicated to my mother, who asks me daily, “So, what did you get done today?” :)
[and this is long. my family is probably the only ones who will read it!]
– Day begins at 6:30. Got up with Olivia, fed her a bottle, put her back to bed
– stayed up. My day started with hot coffee and biscotti along with some quiet time
– checked my email and a few other internet sites
-chatted with a sister on facebook for about 2 minutes
-did 2 loads of laundry
-hung laundry out to dry on the washline
– Zoe woke up; fed her breakfast
-packed lunch to take to the Park House (what we call the new house because it’s across from a park, and that way Zoe knows which house we’re talking about)
-called Sonya to ask if she had a baby walker, since Olivia gets so bored in her playpen
-fed the cats
-Olivia woke up; fed her breakfast
-made a final grocery list (somehow thought I was going to go shopping for that yesterday but it never happened. Today we were down to using Zoe’s candy-flavored toothpaste for everyone, and down to the last roll of toilet paper.)
-loaded up the car, buckled 3 of us in
-stopped at a kid’s consignment shop on the way into town, bought a very dated walker thinking Olivia may be better entertained
-buckled the 3 of us back in the car
-stopped at Sugar & Spice Bake Shop and picked up donuts for the guys working at the house
-Zoe promptly eats 4 donut holes and is too full for any lunch
-Got to the Park House and unloaded diaper bag, lunch, Zoe’-s toys, Olivia’s walker, and both girls
-changed into paint clothes
-measured all the windows in the house so Mom can check @ the Habitat ReStore in Pennsylvania for plantation shutters.
-Ben mixed a 5-gallon bucket of trim paint for me. I organized my paint supplies.
-Talked with a sister for a few minutes.
-I forgot my paint flip-flops. Go barefoot in a FILTHY house rather than risk dripping paint on my pink flips.
-Zoe had to go potty. No toilets in the house, so we go behind a tree in the backyard. :/
-Lunchtime! Zoe is still full from 4 donut holes.
-introduce Olivia to the walker. There is no connection, no chemistry. Bummer.
-begin painting one of the four old beadboard ceilings by hand – again. Neck-breaking work. I need a chiropractor.
-move to bathroom #2 because a worker cleaning a brick fireplace in the room adjoining bathroom #1 is making too much dust.
-2nd coat of paint in bathroom #2. 2nd color too. So hard to get the “vintage aqua” look that I want. Still not settled on the color…
-begin caulking beadboard ceiling in bathroom #2.
-Olivia is grouchy. Try to settle her down. Carry playpen across the house so she can see me caulk. Exciting.
-Zoe needs to go potty again. Not the “squat by the tree” kind. The “Dairy Queen” kind. Both girls and I buckle up in the car and go 1/2 mile to DQ.
-Zoe heads straight for the restroom. She knows this place. Mission accomplished. Should be okay until it’s time to go home now.
-bought a dish of chocolate ice cream. After being in DQ daily for the past 1.5 weeks, I was feeling guilty for not being a customer and so bought something to compensate.
-buckled up in the car for the 4th time. Olivia is tired, so I explore little neighborhoods with the car until Zoe told me that Baby was sleeping. Zoe drips ice cream all over her.
-we go back to the Park House. Zoe plays outside in the dirt piles and with the water hose.
-Olivia wakes up. Zoe feeds her crackers outside the bathoom door to keep her happy. Carseat is covered in cracker-goo.
-Zoe pours shovel-fulls of sand over my toes as I caulk. Wearing my pink flip-flops now rather than get such dirty feet. Now have dirty flip-flops.
-I caulk some more. Ceiling is 2/3 completed and my neck feels terrible. Caulk gun messes up before I can finish the ceiling. Man. I so badly want to finish SOMETHING!
-Started painting ceiling in bathroom #2, but stopped because I forgot it first needs to be sanded. Start cleaning up paint supplies.
-Olivia is hungry. I feed her a bowl of yogurt.
-Zoe is playing outside with the water hose, taking off her shirt because she needs to “wash my tummy.” I check on her, then turn and run, shrieking as she turns the hose full-blast on me. Zoe soaks her remaining clothes on the bottom half.
-load everyone up in the car. Zoe is stripped down to her birthday suit. I hoped desperately I wouldn’t be stopped on the way home by a policeman and have to explain… Talk to mom on the way home. No luck with the plantation shutters.
-arrive at home. Unload the car and kids. Change the kids. Shower. Microwave leftovers for supper. Ben comes home and cleans up.
– we all load up in the truck this time. Is this the 6th time to buckle us all in? 6 times X 3 people each time = 18 buckles up and 18 buckled out. Whew. We take Zoe over to Aunt Sonya’s house – thank you Sonya! – then the three remaining of us head an hour away to B. to pick out tile. Tile man starts Wednesday and we need supplies.
-hit Home Depot first, check out their tile selection, then go to Lowe’s (1/2 mile away) and inspect their tile department; return to Home Depot. Give Olivia a bottle.
-walk around Home Depot for 2.5 hours, carrying Olivia the whole time (why didn’t I get a cart??). 2 construction carts and a whopping bill later, we check out at 9:30 pm.
-load up once more. Ben takes me by the Starbucks drive-through. Awwwwwww. Drive a hour home. Pick up Zoe after 11pm. Arrive at home about 11:30……………
And we call it a DAY!
Other than the evening trip out of town, that pretty much comprises my days right now…
Except TODAY it went like this:
-a morning that consisted of sleeping in, quiet time, feeding the girls breakfast, teaching a piano lesson.
-an afternoon that consisted of a very sweet friend who came to my house for the afternoon and watched my girls so I could go work at the house for a few hours.
-an evening where my husband was involved in a church event, and I went back out to the house and tried yet another trial color on the exterior of the house so we can give a final answer to the painter. Is this the 4th color? Hmmm, I think so. Poor painter. I went grocery shopping with the girls.
THAT is the kind of day I prefer. :)
Meanwhile, in the midst of the busy lives we have at the moment, I take a few moments now and then to daydream about what it will be like to live in the new house, and stay at home ALL DAY for days on end, just puttering around with my little projects and gardens and children…
well…i’m not family, and i read the entire thing! i love to read, and you most certainly have a way with words!
also, we’ve moved and worked at houses before we’ve moved in and are getting to do it all again this summer….i hate the stage, but it’s so worth it when it’s all done, and you’re back to a “better” normal. 
keep your chin up, girl!
i read the whole thing:) goodness girl! that sounds like pure craziness!!!!! hope things settle down for you sometime SOON!!!!!
Wishing you courage in the craziness.
I remember after we moved in and all sat down for an actual cooked supper the first time (we grabbed fast food more times then I care to think about), I tried not to cry. But they were tears of immense happiness. Normal never felt so wonderful.
Made me tired just reading it!! :) Just wanted to let you know you’re welcome to come use the bathroom at my office. We don’t have ice cream, though. :)
Oh goodness, what a day. Except in your little commentary you forgot to add “called other sister on the way to Park House and left her a sweet little voicemail.” And I was going to say, after all that manly construction shopping, I sure hope you stopped for Starbucks. And then you did. And it made me smile. Because lovely little things like that always brighten up a long day, I say. Thanks for writing, if only for the family. You know we like it. :) Can’t wait till you’re happily living in your new house, too! Miss you.
Bless you! That sounds like pure “hecticness”. Reading this made me realize how nice I had it only having one child during our house-building AND living in a camper right beside the house.
I can hardly wait to get out there and help you knock out some painting!!!
aw bless your heart. Children just add a new twist to these projects, huh? Your post brings back memories of our last summer, and our projects were not nearly that involved, and I only had one child and I still resolved never to do that again, not until the children are old enough to help, for sure! My lifesaver was borrowing young girlies from families at church that I could have here at the house to play w/ Abbi and entertain her-huge help!
i feel so honored to be the sister who got to chat AND talk on the phone with you! lol! ;) can’t wait to see you guys next week, and tear up that little antique cottage! (i’m in a remodeling mode right now) and i wish you were closer so i could take piano from you instead of the other lady. :)
@justcallmeM – I just might do that sometimes! :) Thanks!
@fruitloops115 – that is a really good idea, to borrow girls from church. did you pay them a baby-sitters wage then? and what about week days when they’re all in school?
I actually find this kind of thing very interesting…to see how others actually spend their day! And you have a good sense of humor too!
Although reading it did make me tired! Wow, that was a looong day!
wow. all in a day’s work, eh? it’s good sometimes to sit down and recount what my days consist of, especially when I feel like I didn’t get anything FINISHED, only started…..you have so much going on right now!! Hang in there, and keep the end in sight; I will be worth it all! :)
So if I come to the end of *my* day and feel like I didn’t get much done . . . I’ll know why! Cause I’ve been reading too many of your ambitious postings!! Agghh! Most of my days are much like your “very quiet” day and that seems like PLENTY to me right now. As I read along about all your “buckling up” of three people I could *so* relate, but wanted to say that for every “buckle” there has to be an “unbuckle” . . . but you did eventually mention that too. =)
Some days my attitudes don’t do so well with “making the best” of this season in life, but it really is my desire and goal and petition of the Lord that I would be able to “soak in” and enjoy this time of life, and to live it to the fullest as He meant for me/us to do, and not as the world or other’s expectations dictate that we should live. I’ve just been loving and treasuring the Word these days as I am able to read and reflect . . . but wait, that’s gonna have to wait for a post on my OWN blog instead of taking up space here on yours. =)
Anyway, be encouraged! #1. To enjoy even this hectic busy season your going through. and #2. To anticipate the rest/new house/life at home that you will soon get to enjoy! (Wow, that sounds kind of like life here and our hope of heaven yet to come, doesn’t it?)
Love you! Can’t wait to talk. Hopefully we can see each other a *little* extra bit at the wedding?? Maybe I need to call you . . . when will you arrive in Ohio and where will you be staying? I don’t know what we will do yet, but wouldn’t it be fun to stay together somewhere on Friday night . . . a hotel?? . . . and just hang out with our kids? Sounds lovely to me. But on, your sis will be there too, so maybe she wouldn’t like that? Or she could join us. =) We’ll see . . .
Clarita!!!
Of COURSE I remember you!! And what a FUN surprise and privalege to hear from you!!!
Let me just say, that I have had SO MUCH FUN reading your absolutely charming, real, refreshing, honest, beautiful blog. I love it, love it, love it. You are stunning (which means, both externally and internally!) and your daughters are absolutely adorable (no surprise there!). I also find my husband quite amazing, as he is a true ‘do anything’ handy man…I cannot imagine the money we’ve saved because he is able to do it (even though projects require more ‘single parenting’ from me (i STILL get frustrated sometimes when I realize that there is no such thing as a ‘weekend’ as defined by my pre-mothering life) and at times, wishing I could have the time and space to actually start, work on and finish a project within the space of weekend!).
I loved all your posts, but this one had me laughing. relating. smiling. sighing (for you). I know the struggles you speak of quite well! My favorite ‘line item’ of your day was:
“introduce Olivia to the walker. There is no connection, no chemistry. Bummer.”
(among 10 others!)
You can count me as a new ‘regular neighbor’ to your blog. Thank you SO much for taking the time to write and reconnect. Are you on Facebook? If so, I ‘d love to ‘connect’ with you there too!(Jeane`Martin Miller).
Warmly,
J.
PS. I see you girls are 1 and 2. I was there just 2 short summers ago, minus 3 children! Mine are ages 3, 2, 1 and nearly 8 month old twin boys. You will LOVE having them grow older together (and so close in age). (I also have a wonderful 15 year old stepson!). Over the summer and early fall, all of our birthday’s occur, so while they’re slowly getting older, I already see the benefits of the ‘big bang’ of babies that ‘suddenly’ filled my world!