Catch Up

I got behind with my blogging because I got obsessed with some home projects

We have been ignoring home maintenance for a while now - figuring we would focus on it when the kids are gone. Unfortunately the piece of mind was shattered a few weeks ago. It all started because I had the week of Thanksgiving off and we weren't traveling, so I planned on refreshing our kitchen cabinet woodwork which is badly in need of some attention. However, with home maintenance on my mind and in a spur of the moment decision, I decided I didn't like the french doors in the hallway entrance to the kitchen - so I removed them while Helen ran to the grocery store.  

The problem with home improvement is that everything is connected. One thing always leads to another. Many many years ago when we last painted the living room, I got obsessed with having a straight line where the paint met the bookcase and I ended up extending the paint line well onto the bookcase trim - despite Helen's objections at the time...and since. It was annoying, but we always kept the doors open so the doors obscured the trim that I mangled. When I removed the french doors, it exposed the messed up trim. So I also had to get some new trim and stain it to match.  

I also had to patch the wood in the doorway where the door hinges were. Adam helped me use some clay as a mold for the cut outs. I did the hinges on one side of the doorway and they look pretty good, but they still bother me. And the little piece of trim for the doorstop that is no longer necessary bothers me too. It will take some time, but one day I will walk past that doorway and not get irritated and one day I'll go back and fix it right. 

Lulu and Grayson like having Derek as a constant cuddle companion on the sofa

Helen loved the Cranberry Thanksgiving when she was little. She looked at various times over the years to get a copy for the kids, but the book must have been out of print because copies were very expensive. For some reason, this year the book was a normal price so she ordered a copy.

The boys also ordered something

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

My birthday

Adam still loves to gather leaves into a big pile to play in. It's so cute that he still uses his Tonka truck to help.