Foxies

Since no one woke up with a fever or nausea this morning, I was able to take Cozy and James to their class at the nature center. The class was about foxes, which are abundant here. We've even seen them in our back yard! ...and I learned a new word - "crepuscular". It refers to animals that are primarily active at dusk and dawn. Good to know. 

Cozy got a fox medallion for her necklace....and, when we got home, I had an adorable letter waiting for me in the mailbox...

...with a little fox on it!

Way to use your psychic powers, Sarah! (I'm easily impressed.)

...and now I can breathe...

Stayed up til 3am painting. 

By the end, I just had to admit I couldn't quite finish before the carpet got here.

I didn't want to be so sleepy that I'd fall down the stairs.

At least I got the bottom of the post...so that I don't go painting the carpet when I finish it.

Love my new carpet. Makes my yucky ol' stairs nice.

...and I thought they did a pretty good job on the sides. (Better job than I did on that picture. What? are my stairs sleeping?)

Love, love, love, warm squishy carpet.

The littles are already enjoying the "play basement".

We brought "Karen" down (That's what James calls our old-school TV/DVD combo. She does look a bit like plankton's wife.) and played some Nintendo 64.

...and Tony's office looks kinds weird without baseboards. Sorry, babe.

...and who taught Cozy to pose like this? 

I know it wasn't me!

Showing My Colors

I know, my blog is getting a teensy bit boring with all of this reno stuff...and yet this will likely not be the last time I make you look at pictures of my exciting, exciting basement.

Oh, there's a peek at my accent wall:

Isn't it gorgeous!

(It's easy to be excited when you get to paint something one of your favorite colors.)

...and my practice stencil. It's not perfect, but from what I've read online of other people's experiences, you have to just plan on doing lots and lots of touch-ups. I think it will be worth it.

That, however, won't be happening until I get some other, more demanding things settled.

Tony is going to be (someday) trimming out the area between the drywall and the carpeted stairs. I though I might as well paint it for now, before carpet. I used the khaki office color

The family room: 

It's a lighter version of the accent wall.

After painting all of that nice, new drywall, I just couldn't walk down past the dirty old plaster above the stairs. I patched lots of (biggish) holes and got on a coat of primer, and it already looks a ton better!

...and now I'd better go get my color (the boring "stone" one) on it, so it'll be dry before the carpet gets here tomorrow! :) The fun never ends!

Paint-color Impaired

I had everything taped up and was ready to paint...

...except for the paint color.

Yep. And some of those big paint swatches are actually covering up other samples.

Clearly I knew what I was looking for: a muted, mint-greenish jade, that didn't clash with my other more neutral colors. Easy, right.

I did finally find a winner (or two), so now I can finish my chore and get on with my life.

Cozy Fashion of the Week

Cozy has found a new hat that she thinks is rather adorable.

...and it is. Adorable and silly (- which I appreciate. I need a little of both of those things in my life right now.)

The hat is really a little moses basket for baby dolls, but Cozette thinks it looks like a baker's hat. Thus, whenever she is pretend-cooking, the hat is a part of her costume.

...and striking her "ballerina" pose....

...and Coze making me do the ballerina pose...but hatless...

Office Progress

Here is Tony's office part-way through being dry-walled.

...and now painted - by me! (...just a little bragging there.)

Tony has apologized for leaving me with the painting, even though we both know that, if he were home helping, I'd be following him around with a brush, making sure everything was perfect.

I'm a little bit controlling like that. 

I know what you're wondering: how can a perfectionist be such a slob?

Easy.

I either do it perfectly or totally ignore it. Ignoring normally wins.

The hubby and I had a conversation that went something like this(...over the phone...while he is enjoying a balmy Florida winter...and I am freezing my tush off...) :

Tony: If I die suddenly, you can hire someone to paint for you. (Lots of insurance $)

Me: Nah. I think I'll still do the painting. It's nice to have a mindless task to do while you're mourning. Lots of  good crying time...but I would buy really nice, five-panel doors...and have someone professional install them. Mmmm...five-panel doors...

We like to talk about morbid stuff like that. It's easier to do it without bawling before you have cancer...and then, when you get one of those terrible diagnoses, you've already hashed out all of the important stuff, right?  

So, back to the office. It's hard to show color in photographs (esp. indoors), but I think this one gives you a pretty good idea.

...and there is the latest in Annalia reno-update.

The Derby

We got to attend Jonny's pinewood derby last Saturday.

The boys are always so excited to make and race their cars!

Sofia (the one hiding from my camera...unlike Anthony, who's always trying to photo bomb) had a friend spend the night the evening before. Oddly enough, her friend was super excited to come with us to the cub scout derby (maybe because she's brotherless).  

She's sweet, so it was fun to have her along.

We have a long-standing pinewood derby tradition in our family. It mainly involves losing.

Jonny took it to the next level.

In his first race, his car almost made it across the finish line.

(Yep. That's not a live action shot. Where the car is in the photo - that's where it stopped.)

I suspect there were some real tears in the corners of his eyes in this pose-y sad face.

...but when I told him he didn't look sad enough and needed to crank it up a notch...he cheered right up.

A couple of high-fives for losing (plus a doughnut), and all was right in the Romero world.