Bored Husband Projects

AH has been in employment limbo for the past month and a half and for the most part it has been great.  Never one to have unfinished tasks lying about, he went right to work finishing up a few projects he just hasn't had the time to get done previously.  Projects like: caulking and painting the mudroom,  fully enclosing the chicken run, spending two days vacuuming out his car, and even doing my projects like:  sanding, painting, and installing new drawer fronts on the vanity in the guest bathroom, swapping out the ugly yellowed light switch in the entry way, installing a knob on the coat closet, hanging pictures in the living room and mudroom, and having the kids spring clean their rooms (even moving furniture and vacuuming the baseboards behind it). 

 

Alas, he is running out of projects and, I suspect, starting to get a bit bored. 

Here's what he's built for Beeb while she was at school today:

 

 

 

 

Don't forget the side buildings.

 

 

How am I going to keep AH from going insane with boredom over the next few weeks?  We both wish it were summer and then he could be doing yard work too!

Beautiful Smile

Over the years it became apparent that Miss Beeb had a mouth full of torment ahead of her.  Not only do her baby teeth appear to be super-glued into place, but she's missing a tooth on the bottom row, and one of her top front teeth was turned sideways.  Every time she had an x-ray at the dentist he would pull me aside and tell me to start saving for orthodonture because her adult teeth would be a crooked mess. 

 

After many months enduring an expander, braces on her top teeth, having a laser remove part of her gums in order to put a bracket on the tooth underneath and force it to move down (remember, super glued teeth), and the general pain of having braces tightened, wires poking, and eating restrictions; Beeb got her phase #1 braces off this week!  Of course she still has a bunch of baby teeth that need to fall out, and the orthodontist didn't touch her bottom teeth yet, but so far her adjusted smile looks fabulous!

The Evolution of a Gingerbread House

I'll just admit up front that I am super lazy about gingerbread houses.  I have friends who make it all from scratch (the gingerbreads walls, icing, etc.), those who make their own icing and use graham crackers, and those whose creations are Pinterest worthy inspirations for others.  I am not any of the above.  I am the "how can we get through it with the least amount of bickering and mess possible" type of parent when it comes to this particular family activity.  Bless Costco for their gingerbread house kits!  At one time you used the premade icing that came in the kit to build the house structure and add all the trim, which I thought was pretty fantastically easy, but now the house come pre-assembled and all we have to do is add the trim (which is really the best part anyway).  Each year they get easier better and easier better .

Let the festivities begin!

AH is always so careful with the details.

 Besides the perk of sneaking candy while decorating, Mr. B also enjoys licking icing off the table.

Every gingerbread house needs a bloody gingerbread man on the roof (note the red bullet holes).

Fini!