If I'd only known

Isabelle: Mom if we were married we could have princesses!

Me: but I'm married to Dad.

Isabelle: But if we were married we could have princesses! (repeated with extra emphasis on the princesses accompanied by the big surprise eyes!)

The rellies are coming, the rellies are coming

Also know as - my house is a disaster from construction, we have had a slam packed weekend of fun, I have too much to do and I keep sitting down to knit, check blogs, e-mail,Facebook and any one thing to keep me from actually starting on cleaning my house.

This is partly because on Tuesday we will be getting a 3rd patio door put in the house. So I know it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

Today all of the hard work has paid off however, I was visiting with one of our dear neighbors at our church fall festival and she shared that she always thought it was so unfortunate that our house looked so sad from the outside. She also said she had to keep reminding herself that Todd and I are a young couple, and she was once there as well. Now she drives by and smiles. She was not the only one with complements, its amazing living in a small community how everyone keeps tabs on each other. I love it!

We will all soon be keeping closer tabs on another loved one. After a long haul, my grandmother is moving from more than 4 hours away to the town where my parents live, just 30 minutes away from us. She has maculardegeneration and has lived with in 10 miles of where she was born 83 years ago. This transition has taken it's toll on everyone.

It's amazing that even when a family does not bicker or fight how emotionally draining it is to begin caring for your parents as they once cared for you. So knowing that an incredibly challenging time in our summer is soon coming to an end, I need to pull up my big girl knickers, get some sleep and begin the cleansing of home, heart and mind, to stop avoiding and get things done.

Maybe the guests will just look out all of our new windows and enjoy the view instead of looking at my dirty house!

On a side note I was listening to Beyonce "if you like it, then you should have put a ring on it" when Isabelle was done with her bath and doing her usual run around naked time. She stopped, put her hands on her hips and popped one hip out, then started shaking her little butt. It was adorable. Turns out all the girl needs is a beat to start bustin' a move. I'm pretty sure that I was much more of a trouble maker than I remember to deserve a child so spirited as her, not that i would change it even if I could.

Reveal day

We have alot of clean up to do on the inside and 1 more patio door to put in this fall as well as finish off trim and some new siding on the back but we are getting there.

Construction Zone

I apologize for being away for so long... but I promise it will be worth the wait when you see the pictures of the many changes that have happened in the last 2 weeks. Here is a quick photo from exactly 10 days ago... It's really more of a tease.

By the end of this current project we will have put in 2 patio doors, 15 new windows, 5 light fixtures, some new siding, 12 gallons of paint, mucho trim and lots of sweat. We have not done it alone however. Thank you to EVERYONE who came to help us make such quick work of this HUGE transformation... now to try and convince the tax man that it was only minor changes...

Come on in....

This weekend was full of surprises, some good and some bad. Friday Isabelle and I saw the Nina and the Pinta in Hudson and spend the afternoon at the beach with friends only to come home for family front yard camp out.
The family camp out was great. Todd left early on Saturday morning to go into work for a short day and Isabelle and I headed in the house for a normal morning routine about 7 am. It was a short hour later when I looked at the weather and thought I should empty out the tent to avoid soggy sleeping bags from some anticipated rain. While I was loading out the tent Isabelle came out on the step and said, "Mama, there is a bird in the house." She was watching cartoons so I did a little more probing to rule her imagination out. She told me the bird was "flapping its wings" while flapping her little arms. It was at this point, still in my pajama's mind you, that I realized there was potentially a BAT in my house. Isabelle and I ventured in and rounded the corner from laundry area to kitchen when the BAT flew directly at us from the living room.
I grabbed my daughter, ran out of the house, hopped in our car and drove to my brother and sister-in-laws house just 30 seconds away.
We knocked and went in, explained the severity of the situation at my house. YES AT BAT IS SEVER SITUATION-let me clarify I have nothing against bats in the wild and out of doors, as I said we camped the night before. HOWEVER when the WILD ANIMAL enters my house all bets are off. SO my brother in law grabs a tennis racket and goes to our house. After a complete 30 minute search he came back empty handed. I reluctantly took Isabelle home with me after Tim convinced me that the bat had to be in the floor joyces in the bathroom where the false ceiling has not been put up yet. Before leaving Tim hands the tennis racket to 2 year old Isabelle and say, "Izzy, if you see the bat hit it with this." Isabelle takes this instruction like the karate kid listened to Mr. Miyagi.
We went home and tip toed into the house. Isabelle said, "shhh mom, we're hunting bats" (no joke seriously I could not make this us". Once I have stopped laughing and decided things are "safe" Isabelle begins to roam the house with the racket in hand while I remain near the entrance of the house in the laundry room doing some much needed laundry, thank goodness I could look useful while really just staying near the entrance of the house. I call Todd and tell him what is going on and urge him to leave work knowing full well I will have to wait at least 35 minutes until he is home to fix the situation.
While I'm dialing the phone to call my mom and notify her of the red alert at my house Isabelle comes over with the racket and stands next to me and says, "Come here batty, batty. I've got something for you."
I asked while the phone was ringing, "What do you have for the bat?"
"This." she simply replies with a grin while raising the tennis racket.
I almost couldn't speak I was laughing so hard when my dad answered the phone. Seriously who is this kid!
After finished being laughed at by my parents, clearly my natural fear of bats came from them, I moved to the couch in the living room with Isabelle, my knitting, the tennis racket on one side and a blanket covering my lap. Like if I saw the bat I could cover Isabelle and myself and then just stick the racket out and let the bat fly into it. This is how Todd found us when he got home.
Todd found the bat 1.5 hours later. Nuff said about that.

The Bat was not the only new thing in the house this weekend, we have 4 new windows! YEAH! While Todd and his brother installed new windows upstairs Isabelle and I played and continued life as usual on the main level of the house but every time Isabelle hears banging upstairs she would say," Come on in..." I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of that.

Setting a good example... sailor mouth

As of late I have realized how much I sound like a sailor, in other words, I have a potty mouth. Which hasn't been a big deal until now hen Isabelle repeats every little thing. I have been working on cleaning up my act.

One of the other things I like to do frequently is make my bed. Even if I don't make it in the morning I like to make the bed before I get into bed at night. Weird, I know, but there is something about straight sheets. In fact my favorite thing is crawling into bed with fresh line dried sheets,but I digress.

This morning, while ironed my shirt for work, I said "Izzy what are you doing?" because I couldn't' see or hear her.
"I'm making my bed!" she replied. My heart swelled with love! She needed a little help but did most of it by herself. I think it's the best made bed I've ever seen. She also removed the pillow case from her pillow last night, not sure what that is about, but her bed is made!

Moral of this tale: My sailor mouth and my cleaning neuroses cancel each other out.

Dried Tomato Red

Dried tomato red is the color we will be painting out house in just a week and a half. I can't contain my excitement. We have so many things to do to get ready for this, not to mention clean the house and keep up on all the other things in life. Regardless we are painting and I believe this project with come with 2 new windows in the house as well! Again much excitement. I'll take pictures to share along the way.

What are you excited about this week?

3 am Leg Warmers

Isabelle got knit leg warmers from a friend of mine late last fall and has played with them off and on for months. They are back “on” this week. She has been sleeping with them along with the green hat I knit for her. Last night she went to bed in her pj’s holding her baby, the leg warmers and the green hat. When she woke me up at 3 am to find the baby she had lost in her sleep she was wearing the leg warmers and the green hat.

Also this weekend I finished a pumpkin hat for Isabelle. (see pictures) I finished the hat while she was napping. When she got up we had to head out to a going away party. She insisted on wearing the pumpkin stocking cap to the party on an 85 degree day.

I told these stories to a friend at work. They said she has found her inner freak.

YEAH SUMMER!

Summer is here as is the treat of ICE CREAM!

Back in the good graces with my librarian

Disclaimer: I was never on "bad terms" with any of our local librarians- they are all very nice people that are always smiling, which I appreciate.

I have been a little busy this past month and forgot to return books that were due on May 11th. (today is June 9th) After checking due dates and overdue fines last night on the computer I collected all of the library books in our house, except 1. It's missing and I can't find it. After digging under the beds, looking in bags and car I figured if I returned all of the book that I have found and came clean with the librarians they might give me a break.

After paying $12.70 in over due fines for 7 books, I explained that I currently am unable to find the 8th book. The librarian kindly gave me a break, with a smile and renewed the missing book. While the search continues at home I breath a sign of relief knowing I will have 2 weeks before the fines begin again.

The missing book is a Nora Roberts book I have yet to read.

Song in my head today

This is the song in my head. LOVE IT! Seriously anyone who had children should be watching this!

Odd things in my purse #2

Why do odd things in my purse revolve around going to my fabulous hairstylist? Today I came to work with a sippy cup half full of juice in it... Seriously.

Knitting notebook & model

I finished my first hat last night. Todd so graciously modeled it for me. It came together very nicely and much easier than I thought. The knitting count stands at 4 scarves, 2 dish clothes, and 1 hat. I also started a knitting notebook last night where I can keep track o my projects, the yarn and patterns I use. Notes to self- be more conscious of the yarn type and colors for the project. This is a little loose and doesn't have much elasticity plus the color is an odd limey green. Don't fall for the soft and cute any more!

Goaty Goaty

We have loads of new baby animals on the farm here are pictures of Isabelle and 1 of our mama goats and her 2 kids, Oreo and Midnight June. We also have baby lambs, baby chickens, baby ducks, a baby goose and ofcours cows and to pigs. If my grandpa Staudt could see me now he would just laugh!

At Neumann Farms we also planted our 5 acres of pumpkins this weekend. It went amazingly well and we got done just in time for the rain. We took Isabelle last night to check things out in the garden. no pumpkins or squash had sprouted yet but but lettuce is ready. I cannot wait for a BLT from the garden.

Kitting Update, 4 scarves and 3/4 of a hat. We will see how it turns out!

My daughter the commedian

A conversation had while swinging last night.

Iz: I gotta joke.
Me: Ok, lets hear it.
Iz: Knock, Knock. Who's there?
Me: I don't know who's there?
Iz:Izzy's chocolate milk.
Me: Izzy's chocolate milk who?
Iz: Izzy's chocolate milk cookie.

Then we both fell apart into giggles. Later she told it as Addy and Mama's chocolate milk cookie. I believe the name is interchangeable so feel free to wow your friends and coworkers with that one.

Good Gollie Miss Molly

On Facebook I have a friend that said she didn't know who Little Richard is.

This one's for you Erin.

Odd things in my purse

Since I have become a mom I've carried all sorts of things in my purse that have struck me as odd. Sippy cups, diapers, general necessities for a child but then when I go out to drinks with girlfriends and go to pay it's odd reaching past the matchbox cars and diaper cream. Another reason I'm so glad Isabelle is potty trained, I am free of a diaper bag. However this does not alleviate the odd things in my purse.

All this week every time I go in my purse I find 2 dirty little girls socks. I took them off her feet sometime this weekend when we were out and about and in my purse they went. I generally don't need my purse at home so I always forget to take them out when I get home. I'm hoping blogging about it will help me remember!

I have a question for you...

While pushing Isabelle on the swing this weekend she said, " Mom, I have a question for you. Did you eat the monkeys banana?" I said "Nooo. Did you?" She said "No way Mama!" and we fell apart in to a pile of giggles.

So did you eat the monkey's banana?

P.S.

I didn't get to the scrap booking until February....

Spring

I have not forgotten you! We are just extremely busy. The holidays caught us off guard and the spring came barrelling in faster than anyone could have anticipated.
I'm not going to try and catch you up because it would take hours and days, just too much. I'll try for just a few highlights.
News-
*We are moving into making Lip Balm and lotions and all sorts of new products for Neumann Farms.
* I have taken up knitting that has resulted in 3 scarves, 1.5 homemade wash clothes.
Milestones-
*Isabelle turned 2 and sleeps in a big girl bed and is potty trained. The next feat will be drinking out of a big girl cup. Testing thus far has resulted in a soaking wet daughter.