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Last Basement Update!

March 20, 2015 Only Hsuman 1 Comment

This may very well – I hope, anyway – be the last update until the basement is finished! A few of my favorite things happened over the past few days, so I have some more pictures to share!

Here’s our light fixture finally hung, and the walls painted their final colors. We went with the dark color on the big wall, to add a little depth. I pretty much love it.

With the light on, you can see the wall color a little better, as well as our newly laid and finished floors! That’s roughly the color of the hardwoods upstairs, so it should be a smooth transition once the stairs are in.

This is the countertop in the kids’ bathroom. It’s worth two pictures, because the slab we picked out has two different designs. The next picture is the other side of the counter. Same piece of granite!

This is my favorite side. You know, if I have to pick favorites.

Here is the laundry room cabinet and countertop, right when it was installed. (Hubby took the pic while packing for a gig, hence the mandolin in the corner.)

Here’s the tile backsplash I’ve been raving about! I’m totally pleased with it, and I’m already happy being in that room. Isn’t it the best?!

This is what it looks like a little more... and that's trash on the counter, not the design in the stone. — This is what it looks like a little more… and that’s trash on the counter, not the design in the stone.

This is the beginning (the top half, obviously) of the mudroom cabinetry. It'll be painted bright white, like the cabinetry in the laundry room. I'm going to find some really fun pulls for the doors and strong hooks that'll hold heavy backpacks and sports bags in the future. — This is the beginning (the top half, obviously) of the mudroom cabinetry. It’ll be painted bright white, like the cabinetry in the laundry room. I’m going to find some really fun pulls for the doors and strong hooks that’ll hold heavy backpacks and sports bags in the future.

Well, there’s everything you haven’t seen yet. I’m literally going to invite everyone I know to a ginormous party when it’s all finished and clean and ready to go. I’M SO EXCITED I CAN BARELY STAND IT.

faith, home, mommyhood, women

Wifely Bragging Rights

March 19, 2015 Only Hsuman 4 Comments

A friend of mine posted in a Facebook group recently that she had heard too much recently about wives/moms/girlfriends doing some man-bashing. She suggested that women collectively take a few minutes to brag on their fellas. Naturally, being married to the best fella in the world, I figured I’d jump on in there!

This one is from the St. Patrick's party last weekend! — This one is from the St. Patrick’s party last weekend!

Y’all, my Hubby is a rockstar. I mean that literally and figuratively. He literally is the front man (a sexy one) in a band that plays and writes awesome music all the time. That makes him a rockstar. He’s also the most loving, patient, and hilarious husband and father I could ask to have a family with. He’s encouraging, challenging (in a good way), exciting, caring, and a hundred other things I would never have time to list, much less explain. In short, love of my life. Big time.

Photo Cred. to my incredible wedding photographer, Eleise Theuer. She is the bomb, y'all. — Photo Cred. to my incredible wedding photographer, Eleise Theuer. She is the bomb, y’all.

One of my favorite things about him is that he is fun. He can take a boring situation and make it awesome. He can cheer up a hormonal pregnant woman, a tired toddler, or a cranky baby. He can make you laugh while you’re crying. He can make you forget all your troubles, at least for a minute. He’s the best.

Hubby's brother snapped this one when we were in the reception band at his cousin's wedding last summer! — Hubby’s brother snapped this one when we were in the reception band at his cousin’s wedding last summer!

I often find myself watching something (like the Bachelor) or talking to a single girlfriend about a terrible date, and thinking “I’m so glad I’m married.” I mean that on the surface level, in an I-will-never-have-to-go-on-a-first-date way, and also a deeper way – I know I’m married to the best man in the world, and I’d never choose another path. I keep hearing Taylor Swift’s lyrics in Blank Space, “Boys only want love if its torture…” and thinking of all the women I know that have found that to be true. Then I think about how I will never again experience torture, or even unhappiness in my love life.

Also, he is the most incredible, totally competent, loving, nurturing dad I’ve ever seen. He kept EK and then J as well for two years while I taught full time. I never worried for one minute that they’d be anything but perfectly cared for. He is an amazing cook, and is always able to please the picky eaters – and his wife! He is an awesome photographer, and getting better every day. Here’s a sample of his magic:

EK in my mother-in-law's magical backyard. — EK in my mother-in-law’s magical backyard.

I’d never be able to say everything I want to and could possibly brag on him about, so I suppose I’ll spare you a full-on rant. But he truly is the most wonderful Hubby ever. I love him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. I love him on his good days and his bad (though there aren’t many of those). I’m the most blessed woman on the planet. Really. I love you, babe.

home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently and Bumpdate!

March 16, 2015 Only Hsuman 4 Comments

Happy Monday! I’m linking up again this week with Becky at Choose Happy and several other fantastic bloggers, to share a little bit about my life currently.

Enjoying || the gorgeous weather! I spent all afternoon outside yesterday, and we’ve had the windows open and gone on several evening walks the past week or so. What a breath of fresh air it is after a dreary winter! Spring fever has hit me big time!

Reading || Green Mansions by William Henry Hudson. I’m really struggling through it… it’s not difficult to read, or particularly bad, but it’s slow-going. I feel like there are WAY too many details he’s trying to cram in. I dunno – just not my thing. It’s for my reading challenge’s category of “author with the same initials”, so I suppose I’m going to finish it, but I might start something else to keep my mind excited while I go through the second half.

Watching || SNL. We watched the 40th anniversary episode, but otherwise we were way behind. We have had a LOT of laundry to put away today (because we can do it here at our house again! Yay!) so we’ve been watching while doing laundry. I’d say I’m okay with it.

Excited about || All of the fun events we’ve got going on this spring! Egg hunts, EK’s birthday, and just plain being outside! We have a great deck and do almost everything out there. The kids love sidewalk chalk, too, so they like doing that anywhere we are.

Counting down || Not really counting down till my due date, but since I’m officially over halfway there, I figure that it’s close enough to pretend that I am! I’ll be honest – most of the time I’m too busy with the kiddos and the renovations and life in general to even remember how far along I am half the time. But as soon as the basement is finished up, we will move EK and J to their downstairs rooms, and I’ll transition the nursery away from J’s room to be a little home for a new guy until he’s sleeping well enough (aka through the night) to move him downstairs.

It’s always great to read what everyone’s up to… so link up with us at Becky’s blog and let us know what’s going on currently with you!

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, pregnancy, siblings

I am exhausted.

March 16, 2015 Only Hsuman 4 Comments

This post appeared on the My Big Jesus blog! We spent today bopping around town, carrying kids to and fro, shopping for this and getting ready for that. Our house is a madhouse, like it often is these days. I don’t mind – really, I don’t. I know that it’s a season, and that things will return to a semi-normal. I know that my kids will be these ages but once. I know that my niece and nephew (who I also got to see this evening!) will be these ages but once.

Yet, my lovely and insightful mother-in-law said something to me, in passing really, tonight that made me think. She had spent the morning with my son, and part of the afternoon with my daughter. She said, “I don’t know how y’all do it with these two. I guess I did it with mine, but I’m exhausted!” Going on, she explained that she meant chasing them around her house, entertaining them, and making sure nothing got broken.

Well let me tell you, I understood her completely. While my house is basically baby-proofed and I can let them run free a little more in our home than she can in hers (split-level=stairs upon stairs) I am still frequently exhausted at the end of the day. Even if I haven’t completed a single housekeeping task, or didn’t get in a work out, or haven’t left the house, or if I did catch a little snooze during someone’s naptime, I’m often exhausted.

It isn’t simply that my back hurts, or that I’m sleep deprived, although sometimes those things are true. (Have you lugged around a 30lb sack of flour recently?) It’s emotional exhaustion. It’s mental exhaustion. I’m not a creative person, so EK really makes me work my imagination (ie: silly voices, strange scenarios, and telling her “stories” that I made up). I’m constantly trying to think of ways to educate – nay, entertain – two developmental levels, two totally different personalities. I’m trying to explain to my daughter why she should share, can’t push her brother, and shouldn’t scream in the house. I’m trying to distract my son when he just wants to be held – for the entire 12 hours he is awake. I’m trying to make healthy breakfasts and dinners that also look enticing and taste delicious. I’m trying to not lose patience with messes and attitudes and too-short naps and refused meals. It’s a lot. It’s trying, giving, sacrificing, and pushing myself.

So yes, in a word, I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted when I think of how much love I’ve got in my heart for these little beings that need me so. I’m exhausted when I think that by the end of this summer, I’ll have a third little being that needs me like these two do. I’m exhausted when I think that in 18 years, they’ll need me so much less. I’m exhausted to think they won’t always snuggle into my neck or say “mmmmmm-ah!” when I ask for a kiss. But being exhausted in the midst of right now is a fulfilled, happy exhaustion. When I slip into my bed, and don’t have time to finish one sentence in my book, I’m not really upset about it. I’m just wishing I had more patience, more creativity, more knowledge to share with those exciting, excitable toddlers that I call my own.

food, holidays

St. Patrick’s Celebration!

March 14, 2015 Only Hsuman Leave a comment

What a fun day we had at our St. Patrick’s Day event! Everyone put on their green best, shamrock necklaces and tutus (well, EK did) and ate delicious traditional Irish food (breakfast, lunch and dinner!), sang Irish tunes, drank some Guinness, and visited with old friends.

This is still at home, but it’s the only picture of her whole outfit!

They don’t make many adorable shirts for bigger boys. All that “first St. Patty’s Day” and “Kiss Me I’m Irish” stuff stops for boys around 18 month size. He’s clearly a little past that.

The Bedlam Boys is the name of the Irish band Hubby plays in, and they always kill it at the big party each year.

Tim Finnigan, waking from the dead! (The party is called “The Wake” and it’s based on the song “Finnigan’s Wake” – obviously what the pub is named after.)

Let me tell you a little background about this pub we love so dearly. It first opened in 2006, but I first went there in 2007 – my senior year of college. I knew it first as a bar, but it’s always been a restaurant, too. My first visit was with Hubby, who took me there for our first hangout. They’ve got a lovely back porch to spend time on, in addition to the pub inside. It’s always been a spot for dates ever since we’ve been together, whether the whole date is there, the beginning or the end. The summer we got married, we did this thing called the “90 Day Club”. At the time, the rules were just that you came to the pub, every day in a row for 90 days. It didn’t matter if or what you bought, it just matter that you walked in the door. We did it the two summers after that, also, becoming the only couple (or person) to do three separate 90-day runs. We’re kind of a big deal. Ha. We finished the last time a few weeks pregnant with EK, so she became known as the first 90 Day Baby, and her one-week birthday was celebrated having dinner at the pub.

Ever since spending 90 days in a row there, and getting to know the bartenders, wait staff, and owners, it’s felt like family when we’re there. Hubby’s band plays there a couple times a month, and it’s a favorite lunch spot or dinner place to go with our kids.

That being said, one of our favorite days of the year is the big St. Patrick’s party, so naturally, our kids will grow up having that as their big celebration every March.

home, mommyhood, random thoughts

First Ever Friday Feats and Fails!

March 13, 2015 Only Hsuman 8 Comments

I found this link-up party through a blogger friend, and decided it sounded fun! Just summing up my week in a list of feats and fails – so naturally I love it. List-making + bragging + making fun of myself = total win. (By the way, I want you to know that when I typed “win” just now, I typed “wine” first. My fingers know what I’d like to be doing right now.) It’s hosted by Ash at More Than Cheese and Beer, and Jeanine at Jsack Mom Blog. You should join us!

Let’s get those fails out of the way first:

– I’ve been eating a lot of ice cream. At first, this sounds like a good thing. I promise you it isn’t.

– Besides ice cream, my main food groups this week have been tacos and pizza. I need to reign it in big time, or else I’m going to be a whale long before the third trimester.

– Because of the work in the basement coming into our hallway and living room, everything is covered in dust. EVERYTHING.

– I have overslept several times this week, which has been lovely until I’m running late for something… like church or preschool. Neat.

– Daylight savings time has thrown off my life by throwing off the lives of my children. Why do we do this, again?

– Let’s be honest…that first feats and fails graphic is pretty bad. I’ll do a better one next time, ha!

And now for some fantastic feats:

+ Dinner out with both kids tonight went PERFECTLY. It was amazing – everyone ate well, there was no whining or tears, and we took a quick trip to the Dollar Store to get some shamrock necklaces to boost our St. Patty’s spirit tomorrow. FOR THE WIN!

+ Painting upstairs looks amazing!

+ The washer and dryer got hooked up this afternoon! Hellooooooo, laundry in my own home again!

+ My parents arrived for the weekend… bearing oatmeal cookies. Yay!

+ The weather this week was glorious. Kids played outside a lot, I/we got to go on several walks, and there’s been limited heat/air running. I call that a total feat!

+ Tomorrow is going to be one of my favorite days of the year! I LOVE St. Patrick’s Day! (I’d love it more if I could drink all the Guinness, but I’ll take it.)

What were your feats and fails this week?!

mommyhood

Things Toddlers Say

March 10, 2015 Only Hsuman Leave a comment

I’ve been a little slack this week. There’s been a lot going on. Good things are coming, I promise! To show you, here’s a hilarious little glimpse into the conversations one might have with my sweet baby girl…

I’ve started trying to write down the funny things that EK says now that she’s such a great talker. Hopefully you’ll laugh about these as much as I did!

EK, unprompted, when I picked her up from childcare at the Y: Mom! I dressed up! I played toys! I played balls! I played diaper man!
Me: ….neat, babe!

Me, to Hubby: what time did EK get up this morning?
EK: at fourteen.

EK: Help me do my nightgwown!
Me: Okay, here, it’s inside out.
EK: I GOT IT! NO!
Me: You asked me to help you.
EK: I DON’T NEED HELP!
Me: …okay…

EK: I need a tissue.
Me: Okay, here you go.
(I hand her a tissue)
EK: Phew. I had two booders!
(Boogers, obviously.)

Hubby: EK, could you sing “Getting To Know You”?
EK: Hang on. I need my mikey-phone.

Those are just a few funnies from this week! What are some hilarious things that your toddler says!?

home, mommyhood

How to get your toddler to nap in 33 easy steps.

March 8, 2015 Only Hsuman 4 Comments

If only my kiddos loved naps as much as I do…

This is our simple, easy, nap routine! Is it similar to yours?

1. Notice your toddler’s getting a tad cranky.
2. Look at the clock.
3. Realize it’s definitely time for a nap.
4. Tell your little sweetie it’s time for a nap.
5. She asks for “5 more minutes”.
6. You agree.
7. 3 or so minutes later, you remind her it’s time for nap.
8. She asks for 5 more minutes.
9. You say “you already had five minutes”.
10. She cries.
11. You say, “This is why it’s nap time.”
12. Change her diaper.
13. Ask her if she’d also like to sit on the potty.
14. She says no.
15. Ask her to try anyway.
16. Put her on the potty.
17. Wait 3-5 minutes.
18. Put her in her clean diaper.
19. She asks to wear her “nightgwown”.
20. You concede, knowing it’ll be worse if you don’t.
21. Change her into her “nightgwown”.
22. Tuck her in.
23. She asks for a bottle (sippy cup) of milk.
24. You say, “Okay, stay here and I’ll be right back.”
25. Go to the kitchen, pour the milk, warm it up.
26. See a “ghost” with a blanket over her head walking through the living room.
27. Put the ghost back to bed with her milk.
28. Tuck her in.
29. Wait 3-5 minutes.
30. Hear a toddler playing with toys or reading books.
31. Put her back to bed.
32. Wait 3-5 minutes.
33. If all is quiet, you’ve finally succeeded.

mommyhood

Things Toddlers Say – Backseat Driver Edition

March 5, 2015 Only Hsuman 12 Comments

This may become a normal series of posts, now that my kids are speaking more and better (sort of). They say the darnedest things, right?

EK has this new thing she’s doing while we’re in the car. Her seat is on the driver’s side of the car, and so she sees mostly oncoming traffic. She keeps saying, “Mommy! Don’t hit that car! Don’t hit that trash can! Don’t hit that tree! Don’t hit that house!” half the time we’re moving. It’s about to get real, because when she shouts, “Mommy!” it startles me enough to make me want to turn around, or look frantically around to see what’s happening. She’s also about to turn into the girl who cried wolf, because now when she’s like, “There’s a ________!” I won’t believe her. I basically told her to stop shouting in the car because it made me nervous.

Has anyone else dealt with this with their toddlers?

faith, home, mommyhood, music

Currently

March 2, 2015 Only Hsuman 4 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Currently! As usual, I’m linking up with Becky at Choose Happy and other wonderful bloggers as we share what’s going on in our lives currently. Join us! We love making new connections!

Thankful for || lots of friends who let me do laundry at their place. The count of borrowed laundry rooms is up to five. It doesn’t sound like that many, but it feels like a lot. Thankful to have five places we can run to!

Loving || game nights with friends! Hubby and I have a few couples that like to play games with us on occasion, and they are some of our favorite nights! After our kiddos go to sleep, we play Taboo, Catchphrase, Buzzword, Heads Up, or spades (if there are exactly four of us). Looking at that list, it seems we like word games. Ha!

Excited about || leading worship at two services this week that are a little out-of-the-box for me. One is tonight (I’ve never even attended this one before!) and one is Wednesday. I’m excited to be worshiping with some different people in some other venues!

Listening to || 1989. I’m just now (kinda embarrassingly) jumping on the Taylor Swift bandwagon. I didn’t like her as a country artist, and I don’t like much current pop music, so I just sort of assumed that I wouldn’t like her any more as a pop artist. HOWEVER I do really like her new album. Must be her take-no-shit attitude and I-am-who-I-am sentiment in her music. Cue sheepish grin.

Counting down || the 24 days (exactly) that I have till Hubby and I have iPhone upgrades. We got our 5s right when they came out two years ago, and we have loved them well. Mine spends most of its time in a Lifeproof case, because I’m clumsy and I have kids, but it still has a giant crack (read: shattered screen) and Hubby’s does too (read: one crack). The memory is full, upgrades take forever, and they’re just plain running slowly. I cannot WAIT to get a new-fangled, enormous iPhone 6.

Thanks for checking out my happenings currently! What are you up to?

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