Mudroom Remodel

11 years ago we were immersed in a major remodel on our home.  We added on a 2.5 bay garage and master suite, nearly doubling the size of our home.  Since our house was basically a rectangle in shape, and due to how it is situated on the property, the most logical and visually appealing way to add on to the house was to angle the addition off of the far end of house.  Doing this created some additional space to be utilized beyond the garage and bedroom suite; one of my favorites being the mudroom.  How lovely it has been to have a room to dump all our coats, bags, shoes, and dirt before entering the main house, and it has helped keep the clutter to one room (that very few people see). 

Though the mudroom has been great to have, it wasn't our main focus during that major renovation so the design of the space wasn't thought out, nor proved to be visually pleasing.  It has dutifully served its purpose, but has looked like the afterthought it was.  We put in one cabinet with sink, smack center under the lone window, and AH built a cute storage system for our coats and shoes.  The rest of the space had a lot of blank walls and open areas that made it feel very sparse.  It was obviously not well thought out and lacking in storage. 

This last year AH and I (*mostly me*) decided it was time to bring the mudroom up to the same level as the rest of the house.  I really liked the coat/shoe rack system AH designed, but it was getting dinged up after 10 years of active use.  I also didn't like how the shoes were always visible and the dirt from the shoes was everywhere as it accumulated in the cubby slots that would eventually get brushed onto the floor.  I decided that I wanted a system that allowed for the ability to hang coats, store shoes out of site, included some misc. storage space, and provide seating.  I also wanted additional cabinetry for some of our angular walls.  Tall order?  Yep.  Impossible?  Never.

I met up with our favorite cabinet builder, laid out my design ideas, got his feedback, and had him go to work.  I think the results are amazing.  It is exactly what I wanted and will serve our family perfectly as well as looking fabulous for years and years to come. 

The original layout of the room includes two doors, one window with cabinet underneath, and a whole lot of angled walls.  Each tile guy who came out to bid the floor rolled his eyes at the number of cuts this room would require.

Early demo: Removed old coat/shoe system and wood laminate floor that had served the space well. 

 

 The "after" shot.  I love the dark floors with all that white cabinetry.  We kept the original cabinet with sink under the window, and added all the other cabinets and new flooring.

 

I love the storage above the coats (think hats/gloves/books, etc.), and I love that I now have a place to sit down while I tie my shoes.

 

 

My favorite!  The bench lids lifts up and shoes are conveniently hidden out of site.

 

Additionally, the hardware for the lids allows for a slow soft close.  Perfecto!

 

There is a big wedge (it is literally was wedge shaped) of space that was really unusable due to the living room door opening into the mudroom at that wedge.  Our cabinet guy designed a special wedge shaped cabinet to utilize that space, providing SO MUCH additional storage (the bottom cabinet is empty - I don't even have anything to put in it...yet.).  AH added some door stops to ensure the living room door doesn't accidently swing too wide and damage the cabinets. 

 

The space to the left of the sink is now tied into the rest of the room with its own small bench and storage compartment.  It really added a finishing touch to this area that was really useless before.

Other than the one cabinet that we kept, this is the only other unchanged area in the room; our art wall.  I recently thinned it out, but as the school year progresses it will once again become covered with art, certificates of achievement, outstanding school work, and other accolades the kids received throughout the year.  They love having a place to display their important accomplishments.

I wanted to tie in the mudroom floor with the rest of the house.  Knowing the cabinetry would be white I knew I could get away with a dark floor in this small space.  Going with a darker flooring would also allow for more cohesiveness with the other main floor spaces that have dark 5" hardwood.  However, while I love the wood, I hate how easily it scratches and shows dents and knew it would not work for the abuse it was sure to get in the mudroom.  A few years ago a tile product was introduced that simulated wood, but with the durability of tile.  I *pinned* that idea and knew I would use it someday... and I did.  It was the perfect product for our mudroom abuse.  It hides the dirt really well, looks like real wood, but doesn't scratch or dent. It's been in for several months and it still look as perfect as the day it was installed.  I couldn't be happier.

 I am thrilled to have this last room done and tied into the rest of the house.  I love how it looks, the additional storage, and how there is now a place for everything and so everything is in its place.

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!

Games in the Dark

Night time games, well more specifically games played in the dark, can be incredibly fun.  Our first family night game started when the kids were really young, maybe 2 and 3 years old.  Durng this time of year, when it gets dark in the early evening hours, AH would take the kids upstairs, turn off all the lights, and then hide from the them.  He'd give them a signal to come find him and they'd work together to seek him out... in the dark.... with no flashlights.  Occasionally AH would tap on a wall or piece of furniture near him to help guide the kids in the right direction, and then once they were close he's jump out at them and roar loudly.  Of course this scared the kids, but in a good way.  They'd scream and laugh and ask him to "do it again".  We call this game "Lion" and they still beg him to play, though now they take turns being the "lion". 

I remember taking Beeb in for her annual well-check with the pediatrician when she was about 3.  One of the milestone measurement questions he asked was "Is she afraid of the dark?" to which I replied, "Not at all.  She loves the dark." and then explained our Lion game.  Both kids are still fearless that way (though they do cower a bit more now in anticipation of AH jumping out at them).

Tonight we were introduced to a fun game night game - Glow Stick Soccer.  We met some of our friends at a local park.  Each of us brought glow stick bracelets (4 per person/per family).  We divided the bracelets up into colors and assigned two colors to each team.  My team was blue and pink, the opposing team was yellow and orange, and the remaining green sticks were used to outline the goal posts.  Glow sticks were placed on wrists and woven into shoe laces for easy team identification.  Our friends who arranged the game brought a light-up soccer ball that was easy to see. 

Everyone had a really great time with lots of laughter.  Initially some of the adults played a little too aggressively for the smaller kids on the field, but quickly toned it down and everyone cheered on everyone.  We had a couple of expected collisions but nobody was hurt and no hard feelings were felt.  A time limit of one hour was enforced (so we could all get home, shower, and get a good nights rest before church on Sunday) and we ended the game with hot cocoa for everyone because it was a chilly 30 degrees outside on a stunning cloudless night (you could see so many stars - another bonus).

I highly recommend Glow Stick Soccer for any fun family, friend, or party gathering.  Make sure you have an adequate number of glow sticks, a light up soccer ball, and a very dark field (no street lights, etc.). 

Geo-Walks

Sunday was a beautifully gorgeous fall day.  The sun was out, the temperatures were in the low 70's and AH was unable to spend a relaxing afternoon at home on such a perfect day.  Out he dragged us all to hunt for geocaches on a nearby trail.  We found 4 caches along the way, two of which were in amazingly beautiful spots that we never would have found on our own. 

One cache took us to a spot that had many old junk cars that were abandoned quite some time ago!

Mr. B has become obsessed with geocaching and now I use it as part of our reward system for getting school work done in a timely and happy manner.  He's always plotting out the next cache he wants to find.

Homeschool: September

The official start of the new homeschool year began in September.  Mr. B's lit class (that he's not taking but I am making him learn about anyway.... long story) is studying medieval literature.  I thought it would be fun to tie in some other areas of learning around this time period so I have been looking for some additional medieval curriculum.  As it turns out there is an actual medieval village just down the road from my house!  So off we went for a day at Camlann.

We were greeted upon arrival by a guard who explained the community and encouraged us to interact with the villagers.

 

The blacksmith was busy at work. 

All villagers maintained their characters to the fullest and were eager to answer questions about historically correct day to day life.

Mr. B had the opportunity to learn how to shoot a traditional long bow.

He hit the target several times!

We decided to experience an authentic medieval meal at the local inn.  The food was all delicious but the room was very smoky since everything was cooked over a fire in the kitchen and there was no breeze to help air out the smoke.

We were given spiced drinks and a plate of super delicious cheeses and pear slices.  (The cheeses were really really good.)

We were lucky that the village inn provided metal flatware for us to use, since they are a costly extravagance for a simple inn of the time.  The stew was comprised of a broth with root vegetables and herbs.  We were each given a large piece of bread and told to use our fingers to create a well in the center of the bread and then to use the bread as the bowl for our stew.  Yum!  (I may have to try this at home... less dishes to wash if we eat our bowls) 

After lunch we headed back to the blacksmith's hut to explore some more and Mr. B did another round of archery.  

 

Though I wasn't allowed to take interior photos of the shops and houses we visited, there was quite a bit more to the village that what I've documented: a traditional home with servant who answered all our questions, a scribe shop who also sold some books and allowed us to try our hand at writing with a real quill (she was very impressed that we knew our letters!), candle maker (we could have made candles but it was taking too long for her wax to melt), and a clothier who showed how wool was transformed into fabric.  The village also has festival weekends where visitors can watch medieval games take place.

 

Overall it was a great experience.  Mr. B learned quite a bit about medieval life and really appreciates our modern day conveniences and food variety!  

Crew

The new school year is in full swing.  It's been a rough transition back into the world of structured work and long daily schedules.  We are all suffering through it (some better than others). 

 

Mr. B is still homeschooled but does attend two classes a day at the local middle school, so he has to be up extra early to attend those morning classes.  The rest of the day is for he and I to work on curriculum at home.  He's participating in some cool classes this year: social skills (every kid glued to his/her cell phone should take this class to learn how to communicate in person using actual verbal skills and eye contact), musical theater (through our homeschool group - he's liking it so far, though it's a 2.5 hour class.... a bit long for him), and for P.E. he has joined a local crew team. 

 

For weeks I had to really talk up crew because Mr. B did not want to do it, but as a loving, devoted parent I made him do it anyway.  After dropping him off for his first class I worried the entire time and prayed that he would like it.  Thankfully he is such a fun kid, open to new adventures, that when I picked him up at the end of class he exclaimed, "That was awesome!  We got to take one of boats out and row it." and now he is hooked.  I am so glad.

 

Here he is on the training boat coming in after a beautiful evening on the water.

Beeb and I were waiting around for him last week and she spent the entire time talking my ear off.  She is definitely my daughter in that regard.  I just used the wait to snap some photos of her.

 

New School Year

Summer flew by, I think nearly literally because I blinked and it was over.

 

It's September once again and my munchkins continue to keep aging and growing, and progressing to yet a higher grade.  Can't say I like it too much.

Mr. B is still officially "homeschooled" but is taking a class at the local middle school each day.  Do you remember that first day when your oldest child started kindergarten and some of us even cried a bit?  It's even weirder when that child starts middle school.  I must admit that I cried again after dropping him off at school.  He is one of the bravest kids I know.

  Mr. B is really liking it so far (it's only day 2, no real work yet) and was eager to complete his first assignment as soon as he got home today.  He and I also set up his desk workspace today.  Last school year we mostly worked at our kitchen table, but I am tired of having stacks of his curriculum around the kitchen, so this year he is sharing my office space.  He's pretty excited since I let him have the phone on his desk instead of mine.

 

Beeb was quite reluctant to the idea of being a 5th grader.  Last year there were some 5th grade bullies that made her life uncomfortable.  She ended the year thinking all 5th graders were required to be mean, which she didn't want any part of.  She also had a pretty unfriendly 4th grade teacher so she was equally worried that she'd have another grumpy teacher this year.  When the class lists were posted we didn't know what to expect because her 5th grade teacher is new to our school.  However, after meeting her new teacher at the ice cream social, and now having spent two days with her I am delighted to report that her new teacher is super friendly and Beeb is very happy.

Ragnar Northwest Passage 2014: Wonder Women!

Another year, another Ragnar!

 

Going into this year's race I was extremely nervous.  After last year's fiasco with my leg I was super stressed about incurring another injury.  Thankfully the stretching I do now seems to be working and I was able to redeem myself and run a really good race. 

 

This year I was runner #1, which means I got to start us out in Blaine, Wa.  Our start time was a half hour later than last years time, which means that we had a fast group.  I really noticed the increased speed when everyone shot out of the gate and didn't let up too much during the entire 6.3 miles.  I did manage to get some "kills" (term used when passing another runner) but I also ran about 45 seconds faster, per mile, than I normally do.  Knowing my pace was too quick I decided to just keep going and see what would happen if I maintained it.  Surprisingly I didn't slow down at all and was able to finish strong, though tired.  The weather was about 67 degrees when I started, but it was full sun and felt much warmer.  I felt bad for my teammates because the temperature just kept going up as the day wore on. 

 

Van #1 representing at the starting line.

 

Every year there are some really amazing team costumes and a few that are always a favorite.  This year it wasn't so much the costume as it was the guys in them.  We started out with this team of fire fighters and pretty much hung with them throughout the entire race.  It was a friendly competition as we kept leapfrogging who would be in the lead between our vans.  They put on a nice stretching exercise for all of us at the starting line.

 

 

And we're off!

 

 

Jacki is awaiting my arrival.  Heck, I am awaiting my arrival.... I wanted to be done!

 

Lindsey posing at beautiful Birch Bay!  The PNW is a beautiful place to run.

 

Water support.

 

Jacki passing off to Lindsey.

Lindsey had the worst leg of the morning; 8 miles with no van support!  There was only one water station along they way, but thankfully she brought her belt to carry her own water.

 

Hanging out at the exchange.

Lisa flew into her exchange!  She rocked her first leg of the race.

Shannon showing why we are Wonder Women - happy, smiling, and running hard even in the heat!

Stefanie got to be the stoplight queen of the day.  Her leg took her through Bellingham and all the frustrating crosswalk lights.  As you can see when she wasn't being forced to stop she worked her tail off and finished our first leg super strong!

 

 

At some point in the race you think to yourself "Why on Earth am I doing this?" but then you see these signs and you are instantly motivated to keep going.

 

We met up with our sister van at the end of our first leg.  They were rocking some sweet blue eye shadow and red lipstick!  We so rarely see each other during the race that we cherish the moments when our paths cross.  We definitely appreciate how hard each of us work.

 

Van 2, runner #1 (really runner 7) Jill! 

She is so amazing.  I love that she smiles through it all.

 

This is how we bring our runner home!  Great job Stefanie.

 

 

Most of van 1 & 2 together briefly at the first major exchange.

 

Our team captain, Sommer, injured her ankle before she even started her first leg.  Their van was running a tad behind to make the exchange, so she jumped out of the van to get to the starting line and then pivoted to turn and somehow rolled her ankle in that pivot.  She still ran her leg but was taped up and sore the rest of the race.  Not letting an injury prevent her from running she still finished each leg strong, but her ankle is swollen today.  Bummer!

 

Kay Ann was van 2's last runner before they exchanged back to van 1.  See that fire fighter behind her?  This was our race with them most of the 27 hours we ran.  Kay Ann wasn't about to let him pass her and gained us a pretty good lead before she handed the baton off to me.

Another fun team was a group of ultra runners (6 runners instead of 12) called "The Postfontaines".  I loved their shirts!  This amazing group of runners started a hour after we did and finished the race an hour ahead of us.  I cannot imagine running roughly 30 miles each as fast as they did.  Amazing.

 

Stefanie waiting for her last leg to start.  She's got star power!

 

Shannon handing off to Stefanie.  Shannon ended her last leg with a killer hill.  Bleh!

 

Stefanie handing off to Jill and van 2 is now on their last leg of the race.  Van 1 went out and had a yummy breakfast while we waited.

 

Looky who we found near the finish line. 

This means Kay Ann is getting close and the race is nearly done.

We finished!  We all ran in together with Kay Ann and celebrated.

 

The 2014 Ragnar Northwest Passage Wonder Women! 

(minus Lindsey who had to leave early to head out on her vacation)

This was a great race overall.  I felt really good throughout and ran much faster than I ever expected.  Overall we finished in 2nd place in the women's division out of 32 other teams.  Oh, and we beat the fire fighters! 

Leg 1:  6.38 miles in 56 minutes (8:46 pace) - estimated pace was to have been 9:15
Leg 2:  4.5 miles in 38 minutes (8:25 pace) - estimated pace was to have been 9:00
Leg 2:  1.96 miles in 17 minutes (8:41 pace) - filled in the last two miles for a teammate who's IT band became too painful. 
Leg 3:  3.1 miles in 27 minutes (8:36 pace) - estimated pace was to have been 9:00

I felt great at the end and managed not to hobble around, though today I am a bit tighter than yesterday.  Overall this is the best I've felt after a Ragnar event.  Of course this year was my least hilly course so that may play into how good I feel too!

Looking forward to next year.... maybe.... ask me in a few months when I've forgotten the harder moments and I get caught up on my sleep. :-)