send reinforcements {or sonic ice--CLOSET REDO}

there's a blue dog with a binky on the shelf up there.

between the bin of legos and a stack of blankets.

can you see it?

chase was bound and determined to get it.

but I prevailed.

mom-1 point

chase-5 million points

i think we're making progress on this house which has catastrophies around every corner.

brennan's window well tried to flood on us again this week.

which meant sean was at home depot at 9:30pm on monday night after we wrestled all of the alligators into their beds, where he bought a 10 foot black ribbed tube to reroute the downspout off of the house until further notice.

it is currently still laying out across my flower beds and into the grass,

and i fully plan on planting my garden around it.

my children can smell that i can't move right now or enforce anything.

it's rough. REAL rough.

everything i do revolves around a bribe.

it's pretty awesome.

who wants to get in the car for a fruit snack?

want a bag of popcorn?

pick up the toys:)

if you go outside i will give you a popsicle.

it's just what 36 weeks pregnant is all about,

and i have absolutely no shame about it.

i only won this battle of the binky above out of sheer mc hammer can't touch this method.

the illusion of control, that's what we're fostering over here in the gibson home currently,

bahahaha!!!

send reinforcements.

or sonic ice.

i give you...

CLOSET BEFORE 

annnnnnnnd 

drum roll 

please......

CLOSET AFTER:)

would you look at that stuffed animal happiness over there?

also shown: Elsa, the doll that scares me in the night. freaky real. 

especially when you're coming around the corner.

hammer marks in the paint

it took us two days to buy everything.

4 trips to home depot.

half a day to get the wood to the proper lengths.

who knew the left wall would be a half an inch shorter than the right?

not me.

which is why when i measured the right side to be 24",

i figured i'd need two 24" pieces of ply wood.

i was wrong.

then it took half a day to caulk and paint.

which i did during the sleeping hours of the night.

then 2 hours to tape off the delicate parts and finish up painting.

which i did during some people's sleeping hours of the night.

then an afternoon to hammer half of the hardware knobs.

and another afternoon to hammer the other half of the hardware and knobs.

projects with little kids require phases.

this is what i'm learning.

we had no idea what we were getting into,

but i'm so glad we got into it.

i love to paint.

very therapeutic.

AND

sean is handy with a nail gun.

who knew?

lesson learned: it always takes longer and more work than you think it will take and be.

kind of like raising kids.

good thing though,

b/c even with the hold ups and the mistakes,

and the hammer marks in the paint,

i'm so happy with how it's turning out.

the closet too;)

anyone else think i have the downstairs of downton abbey in my coat closet now??? 

genius by mistake:) glory be!

a big thanks to the heyborne family for loaning us their nail gun!

coming soon: the OFFICIAL after picture.

anyone have a nail gun?

PROJECT!!!!!!

dear coat closet,

we're coming for you!

a special thank you to david in the lumber dept at the home depot in sandy, 

for helping me learn to speak lumber.

and for being patient with my pictures from pinterest.

when i said "can you cut me this"? 

and you looked at my pin picture and said "sure. we can figure it out!"

i'm a visual person, and therefore,

i speak best in the form of pictures.

you went with it david.

you're great.

great, great, great!

they should give you a raise mr. david in lumber!

and do you know what else?! 

my coat closet has two separate side lengths.

{david would know what i'm talking about b/c of my pictures.}

maybe you don't.

what.the.heck.coat closet.

whoever built you did not think anyone would ever want to do anything with your side lengths.

we'll be back for touch ups on our side length boards.

apparently.

{anyone have a nail gun???}

love,

me

p.s.
i planned our garden and bought all of the seeds for planting while we were there.
i can't wait until it's marigold buying time.
i think i'm gonna need to label some Popsicle sticks in the ground this year...
is it mother's day yet???

two drumsticks like a caveman

 grilled drumsticks with dad's famous terriyaki sauce.

baked potatoes, loaded.

grilled asparagas.

max stole half of my portion of asparagas, including hers.

little trash compactor.

 brennan ate two drumsticks like a caveman and declared it was the best food he'd ever eaten.

sean's mom too.

the boys did some good grillin'.

i made frozen cookie dough drops, rolled in chocolate.

yep, i can die now.

my life is complete.

 it was freezing,

pretty much all day.

christening cermony of the sandbox.

 we need more sand.

and more marigolds to keep the cats out.

there's mud and sand all over my house.

inside and out.

happy june.

i hope this means it's finally summer.

...

p.s.

we fixed the negative grade of the house with the extra dirt.

sean's a GENIUS.

and his dad's a saint for helping.

two sets of muddy paws {happy memorial day}

 max took a liking to uncle bob.

she sat by his grave the entire time we were there.

didn't leave his side.
wiped the dirt off his tombstone with her hands.

it was really cute. 

the weather has not been cooperating.

we knew it wasn't going to.

but seeing as it's june tomorrow,

i'd hoped we were going to get a little something nice.

especially since the groundhog said so.

boy was that little varmint wrong this year.

i heard an elderly woman talking to a man in the ice cream section at the grocery store on saturday night.

saying, "this is portland weather. portland! have you tried the Tillamock ice cream?"

i have.

it's amazing.

not the portland weather.

the ice cream.

so the sandbox is almost dug out.

and the rain is starting.

again.

which means i have two sets of muddy clothes sitting on my back steps.

two sets of muddy boots.

and two sets of muddy paws.

which means the basement is calling.

and i shouldn't have mopped my floors.

have mercy.