Smells

Update. So you can sleep better. Honestly not more than 10 minutes after I posted about the odd smell in the house Daniel called with good news. As he was looking for the filter in the furnace he came across an open box of MOTH BALLS. That smell was permeating the entire house!! It was horrible! He told me that as soon as he took it out there was a noticeable improvement in the house's smell! Why on earth would anyone have those things!? Anyway, we are both incredibly relieved as the smell was nauseating. (We still have the occasional area with its own scent, but I figure those will fade in time.) So now if you are with me and I have an odor, well, I have a problem.

Lately

I just wanted to say hi before we turned the computer off for a few days. I took pictures of the house--inside and out--but I don't have the camera with me. I know, I'm making you all wait. Sorry!

A friend of ours who is a contractor has been painting the inside of the house this and last week--it looks so beautiful! Especially compared to the dingy, dirty state it was in before. Wow. I've learned that picking colors is hard. There are way too many shades of brown, white, basically anything out there. And it's true, you really have to see it on the wall in the space it's going to be in before you know for sure (so get samples!). Light changes everything. And try not to have to paint your whole house at once. :)

We are cleaning like crazy (with much help from friends) to be clean, but also to try to get a weird smell out. Some say it's smoke, moth balls, old people smell, or what have you. It didn't smell like this much at all when we looked at it!! But something happened between the offer and the walk-through--ug!! (Perhaps the moving of furniture/stuff brought it up?) It's getting a little better with the paint coverage, and should improve with carpet replacement/cleaning. Perhaps duct cleaning. But I don't know, I worry. Please be nice if I'm near you and I have an odor.

It's crunch time with packing at the apartment now. Starting to look bare. Starting to feel real. Somehow when you feel like you're getting it all done, you look and there's a whole new area to pack that you hadn't noticed.

Kids have mixed emotions for sure. Excitement to frustration. Sometimes they (A and A) are mad that we are taking them away from friends who live in the building. They love having them only 5 inches away. Daniel and I, however, don't. It's interesting to realize that this type of living is normal for them, but for Daniel and I it's this temporary less-than-desired state. A house and yard and privacy is normal. Hopefully they love the house and adapt to the friend thing. Eliza, however, is more than excited about it altogether. So that is nice.

I guess that's all for now. I promise there will be some before and after pictures as soon as the dust settles.

I sparkle.

Yep, it's true. From two places on my head. It's called grey hair.

I found the first one just after I turned 30. When I lumbered into the bedroom to show Daniel, he smiled and sweetly said, "I know, I saw it a couple weeks ago." When I stared at that thing in the bathroom, it was the first time in my life I really truly realized I was going to die someday. You mean I can't escape it?

Now I have two. I pulled them out a couple months ago, but of course they're back. To stay. Embrace the sparkle.

Pinewood Derby!

Andrew and Daniel worked so hard on this awesome car. Daniel did lots of little tricks to make this baby cruise.Here are the girls and I at the races...thank goodness for lemonade, cookies, and derby bingo.
Andrew experienced a variety of intense emotions as his car came in first, second, and fourth twice. But because the places are determined by time and by age group, Andrew ended up with a ribbon! 2nd place in the Bears! True elation!

Food

It's not really about the calories.

I posted a comment a while back about us not having eaten Mac 'n' cheese or fish sticks for dinner in months. Though eating healthier has been an added benefit, the whole thing is really about meal planning.

I've always dragged with planning meals and shopping trips. But after 10 years of marriage I'm finally figuring it out. Inspired by the planning and couponing of a a couple friends and relatives I decided I had to get in on it. I now plan my week's meals on Tuesday. I use the grocery store's ads (which I used to recycle without even a glance) to plan according to sales and I also plan according to coupons I've saved. These things may save us a little money, but the real benefit is that they give me some structure; a place to start. I then shop on Wednesday (to take advantage of double coupon day), and my week is set. All the way until next Wednesday. Eliza and I also make a routine out of our Wednesday activities and it's been a really fun routine. I am so much less stressed! Honestly, I don't know how I did it before. Actually I do...grouchy, irritable, and frantic. See why it was a good change!? Oh! I also plan enough food or the right kinds of meals during the week so Daniel can take leftovers to work. So the real savings is him not having to buy lunch so often. I can't imagine going into this new school year without having this plan in place. So let's hear it for the farewell to Kraft's blue box!

Valentine's Day

There's not anything I love more than receiving homemade Valentines in the mail. And it's always a surprise who "did it" this year. I smile, open the envelope, and wish I had done the same for them. Because I would love to.

Here is our Valentines wall this year (not including a few late ones we got up today and some cards standing on shelves). Andrew and our swimsuit model. I did warn you about her clothing habits this winter, didn't I?

Some loving bears Grandma and Grandpa Koski sent us a few years ago. Pardon the kissing ones, they've been going at it all week!
I did not manage to do sugar cookie cut-outs for Halloween or Christmas, so I had a hankering!
Abby is growing out her bangs. Any suggestions?

Besides the fact that our Valentines Day ended in an excess of bodily fluids caused by viruses, we had a wonderful day!

Disney on Ice

A while back, my friend, Sheri, invited the girls and I to see Disney on Ice with her and her girls. And since the show was Princess themed, we couldn't resist. Well, February 4th, the big night arrived!

Here we are before leaving for the show.
Eliza, Grace, Abby, and Hannah waiting for things to start. The anticipation was great!
You can get the idea of the set here. It was a fantastic bit of entertainment!
The girls were glued to the show, enthusiastic, and loving every moment. A couple moments I even found my eyes welling up--what!?--there is something to the Disney Magic I guess. I felt better when Sheri told me she teared up too!!

A cool lift by Prince Eric. Ariel is Eliza's favorite princess by a landslide. Or an ocean.