Trading spaces

We have listened for the past 2 days to the pounding of drywall going up in the basement. It already looks so different down there. I found out yesterday that our washers and dryers were shipping today, so they should be here in about 2 weeks. I need to hurry and figure out my flooring and wall colors for the laundry room so we can get that done quickly after the drywallers are finished mudding and taping next week. I have no laundry facilities right now, because EVERYTHING is out of the basement. We put a big taped X on the laundry chute doors so that nobody accidentally throws anything down into the abyss. I may whet my appetite for my new set up by going to a laundromat this week!

In the middle of this all, we decided to paint the main floor of our house this weekend. After 6 1/2 years, the walls are pretty worn. 9 people can do a number on walls. We decided to paint now, because our new furniture will be here in a couple of weeks, and we want to have it done before that comes. So as if having everything from the basement crammed into bedrooms and the main floor wasn't crazy enough, we will now have everything from the main floor in our bedroom. Since we have no bedroom furniture, it won't be too big of a deal.

Mark's aunt Judy asked me last fall what style our house was decorated in. I told her "student ecclectic, and minimalistic." Basically none of our furniture matches, and it is a total hodge-podge of various things we have purchased or been given along the 16 years we have been married. We actually bought 2 nice leather sofas 12 years ago when Mark got out of dental school, but they have seen much better days. I've scrubbed them to death. I got a very beautiful sofa of my grandmother's, which is so comfortable, but it was ONE sofa, and we have 9 people. I love it very much, and we will move it to the basement when the new couches come. Anyway, I will be happy to tell Judy next time I see her that we finally have a style, which I believe is "traditional." I'm definitely not a contemporary gal.

So after our painting project this weekend, we will paint the basement next weekend, and then get some flooring down to get some things moved back in. I'm toying with the idea of doing the tile myself. It seems like something within my abilities. Have any of you done tile? Am I dreaming? My desire to do it myself is partially fueled by my desire to create, but more so by my desire to save money.

My little buddy

Zack is figuring out this "only-kid-at-home" thing. After we dropped off the kids today, we came back home, and I said, "Zack, it's just you and me. What should we do?" He immediately ran to the cupboard in the kitchen where I keep puzzles, and shouted, "PLAY!" So we got out the puzzles and did them all. As we were doing the 4th or 5th puzzle, Zack started talking to himself (which he does a lot). He was saying, "Daddy work.....Abram at school....Aubrey at school....Jacob at school....Joel at school.....Noah at school.....Nanny at school......Zacky not at school." After puzzles, we did playdough for a while, as we listened to the lovely sounds of screw guns putting sheetrock up in the basement.

Back to school

Today I had 6 kids in school. It was very odd. Even stranger than that, is that now, and for the next 10 years or so, I will have a high-schooler, a middle-schooler, and an elementary-schooler, or some combination of all 3. Crazy. To make things a little more interesting, Abram is going to a high school not in our district, but still only 3 1/2 miles from our house. It's a fantastic school, and we are all just so happy that they accepted him as a transfer.

His school reminds me so much of my beloved Skyline High, "Fair alma mater to thee we are true, ever we praise thee, gold and the blue....." Even the same colors! Another similarity is that choir is cool there, and so is the debate team. Just like my high school.

Jake is enjoying middle school so far. He is a happy boy to be out of elementary school. Such a handsome guy, and so dang sweet. He is excited for Outdoor School coming up in just a few weeks. He has also learned the valuable skill of mowing lawns. Good times!Aubrey is tolerating her schedule. Her happiest moments at school are when she TAs for our favorite teacher ever. Our middle school has a dearth of elective options. Let's see. There's drama (again), choir(not a chance), or technology--again. Hmmmmm. I'll take TA. No foods, home ec, woodshop, metal shop, or any of those middle school staples.
Joel and Noah love their charter school, or as Noah likes to call it, their "smarter school." They were up at 4:00 this morning in anticipation of school. They couldn't wait. Joel had a special surprise for him. His wonderful 3rd grade teacher moved up to 5th grade this year, so he knew he would have her for math. But then he learned that they were actually going to take 4 4th graders and keep them in the 5th grade room most of the day, so he gets to be with his beloved sensei for this year, too.

Savanna got silly-girl stagefright when she was entering her classroom this morning. It was like she couldn't believe it was real. She just couldn't make it through the door, and she giggled nervously. Finally she went in, and her whole world changed. She is a school girl now, and she loves it.

Zack and I had a great morning cleaning bathrooms and folding laundry. We got all 4 bathrooms clean, but it took extra long because Zacky was my helper. He sure was proud of himself, though. I'm going to have to figure out a new system now that I am his whole entertainment committee.

Downsizing

It is strange to be at a point in life where we are downsizing. For so many years it was one more thing for one more kid. Zack is our Z, and so it is strange to be giving away clothes and toys that we will never need again. The crib is gone, the bouncy seat, the teething toys (the high chair is ready when you are, D)... I could go on. It is actually quite liberating to be getting rid of things rather than trying to find a place to store them.

One thing I never thought I'd be rid of was a double stroller. I had a double baby jogger which I used to take Zack and Savanna on my walk/run route, or just for a walk to the park. It was great, but it was a beast. 17 pounds of a stroller, and 70 pounds of kids inside of it. Getting out of our neighborhood was the hardest part.

Before we went to Canada, I sold the double stoller on craigslist, and purchased the single-wide version. Baby Jogger has a new Q series, which actually folds up more easily than you can even imagine. I accidentally purchased the Q rather than the regular one for my friend's baby shower group gift, but once I saw the folding in action, I knew I had to have one for myself when Savanna went back to school. Because I am cheap, I waited patiently for REI to have another "20% off of one outlet item" sale, and they had one just in time for us to get the stroller before our trip to Canada.

It's a good thing. With Savanna starting school tomorrow, I will no longer need two seats for little munchkins to accompany me on my walk. Tomorrow will be a big downsizing day. I've always had 2 or 3 (or 4 at one time) pre-schoolers with me during the day. Tomorrow Savanna goes to Kindergarten, and it's just going to be Zack and me. I am very excited.

More pics from Eifel Lake hike

When we were at the end, the view and the meadow had me singing "The hills are alive...." and then also, "I'm on the top of the world looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find......" I love The Carpenters.Zacky got a break from the stroller once the trail leveled out.Savanna was the pacesetter for our hike. She did a great job of going and going and going. The lakes and rivers really are this crazy color of blue:

O, Canada!

I really like visiting Canada. Banff and Jasper National Parks are truly the most beautiful places on earth. I must say that my favorite place is still the Valley of the Ten Peaks at Moraine Lake. The ten peaks are so unbelievable, and they just all line up one right next to the other. You can't get over how amazing one mountain is, and then you realize there is another right there next to it! And in the middle of all of this the electric blue/green water of Moraine Lake.

We hiked one day to Eifel Lake which is at the far end of the amazing Valley of the Ten Peaks. It was a grueling 1 1/2 miles up steep switchbacks, and then another 2 miles along the edge of the valley to get to this lovely little lake right beneath Eifel Mountain (the 9th of 10 peaks). From Eifel Lake you look back down this beautiful valley at the peaks and the lake, with a meadow of wildflowers all around you, and really nothing could be more beautiful. Especially when people you love are in that meadow with you. I actually pushed the jogging stroller up the mountain for this hike. It was the hardest thing physically I have ever done. Here's a picture of me as I made it to the top of the steep uphill section of the hike.

We then marched along the trail to the end of the valley where we all sat down and enjoyed some much-needed water and snacks. It was unforgettable.

Just one of our adventures in Alberta. More posts to come, and many, many more pictures.

Back in the US

We're home. We had a beautiful week and a half in Alberta, Canada. I cannot believe the mountains there. It was a little cold, but we were prepared, so it wasn't bad.

I have lots of things to post, but I'm trying to catch up on laundry right now. Here's one funny thing that happened.

Savanna and Joel each got new hats in Canada. Joel used his own money to buy a really nice shearling bomber hat at a fancy leather/fur store in Banff. Savanna got a cute wool knit hat with an owl face and ears. One day as they were both wearing their new hats, I heard the following discussion:

Joel: My hat is so warm. I'm so glad I bought this hat. It is made of sheep.

Savanna: So, my hat is made of sheep, too.

Joel: My hat is leather and shearling. I mean it is actually made of sheep.

Savanna: Well, my hat is made of sheep, and sheep are made of yarn.