last week was not a good week for blogging, and i’m not going to make any guesses about how this coming week will go, so i thought i’d better jot a few words here, on sunday night.

it was a busy weekend. the rain rain rain that washed the DC area from wed-fri in a gray drizzle, brought a shiny clean saturday morning, with lots of puddles and also – cancelled soccer games. James and I were secretly relieved. Jocelyn’s game was scheduled at 9am. Big relief there. I saw it as a sign, and started the big basement project: PAINTING!

But first, I managed to go out furniture buying – a craig’s lister was having a mid-century modern storage unit sale (in lieu of a yard sale, get it?). I wasn’t sure the guy ACTUALLY wanted to sell anything, because whenever I asked how much something was, he would have to check with his wife (who invariably said she didn’t want to sell that one), talk about how it needs to be cleaned up and/or refinished, or tell me how much he could get it on ebay.. OK, it wasn’t that bad, but it was disorganized. There weren’t any deals to really be had, as he knew exactly what each piece would fetch and stood firm, especially on the designer pieces. I did get 2 end tables that didn’t break the bank AND that James said were tolerable (he basically hated everything there (!!!)). Ooh, and a super cool retro lamp. I love them all, and they’ll look great downstairs.

So yeah. Painting. That was the real project of the weekend.

I had picked out the final paint color and purchased 4 gallons 2 weeks ago, which is so long ago that I couldn’t really remember what it looked like. The lighting down there is sooooo bad, that as I worked, it looked more and more like muddy, concrete gray (and I’m not dissing gray, gray can be very lovely) – not pretty at all, but then when I stepped back, or popped upstairs for a drink or a break and came back down and saw it fresh, it showed it’s true color, a lovely misty gray-green that just makes me giddy with happiness. The lighting situation however, will have to be remedied. It’s BAD.

I always put a DVD on my computer (laptop) whenever I have a big project like this, as boredom is my biggest opponent in finishing the project. Lesson learned: don’t put in an action movie (I put in The Rock). Because you’re working and half the time it’s just dramatic tension music – not good for boredom. Before the movie had ended, I gave up, as I felt kind of dizzy and naseaus and had a feeling the paint fumes were getting to me. The next morning I put in something with less action (first The Little Princess, and then Red Dwarf I) and a little more talking, and coupled with an open window, I got on quite well. So well, that after seeing the end well in sight, we packed up the kids and headed to Ikea, knowing that we didn’t want to have to wait until next weekend to get some of the furniture we want for the basement. I finished the painting and pulled a scant 5 feet of tape before I called it a night.

I must say though, even with the tape still on, it looks gooooood.

So here are the basement “tv area” items so far:

James is getting excited about picking out a TV.

I still have some final decisions to make about the kids’ area, mostly, WHICH corner of the room it will be in, and so I put off buying anything for that until I am more certain what I’m going to do.

Can’t wait til all the painting is cleared up and we can put everything where it goes.

We’ve got Halloween school parties and pumpkin carving and of course, halloween itself, so it’s going to be a busy week.

-amy is tired just thinking about it.

I feel like I have come a long way in the last year in figuring out what I like and don’t like. Or rather, what I like the BEST, and other stuff, just a little less than that.

I think my style is a comfortable, mid-century modern. When I thumb through design magazines, I find myself REALLY attracted to those minimal, all white rooms with white furniture, white walls, and the room itself studded with bright, breathtaking, accent colors. I love those, but I know I coudl never pull it off. We have too much clutter in our lives. Maybe I could do a white kitchen in our next house, whenever that is.

Ariana’s kitchen at Becoming Home

However, my newfound island of style (Can you just see me, sitting on an island with a lone palm tree and a flag planted firmly in it stating, “MODERN, BUT COMFY”) gets rocked from time to time when I see other styles that I just think are SO CUTE AND ADORABLE. Usually I can admire it and move on, knowing that it isn’t really for me. I don’t particularly like cute and cottagy, when you get right down to it. I rather, I DO like it… just not in my home.

This foundation is always rocked, ALWAYS, whenever Alicia from Posie Gets Cozy posts pictures of her home. I just melt into the beautiful, but not too frilly loveliness of it all and I think, “I love that. I WANT THAT.”

Alicia’s new buffet, at Posie Gets Cozy

And honestly, don’t you too? (I do totally want that cuckoo clock. In turquoise.)

My blog list is long, long, long, but you know how you glance over the feed reader list and click on your favorite feeds to read first? Posie is at the top of my mental “read first!” list. Reading Posie always makes me feel better about myself, happier about my day, skippier in my step, smoochier with my family.. and more thoughtful in my thoughts. She’s in my “craft” folder in Google Reader, but she’s just so much more than that. I can’t recommend her enough.

And honestly, I know that just because I am more of a modern style doesn’t mean I have to hold exclusively to it, I mean, free love baby, mix the styles around! It’s just that every time I see her photos, it’s like I jump in, nay, DIVE in to the romantic chic cottage feel and swim around until I get all pruney.

Oh well. A dip is always most refreshing 🙂 I am planning out dining room furniture in my head, for future (next year) reference.

Birthday cake for a co-worker, which reads, “One Step Closer to Death”.

First of all, let me clarify my earlier soccer mom remarks. (earlier = weeks? months? ago)

I was not saying being a stereotypical soccer mom is bad. I was having a hard time with the idea of ME being a stereotypical soccer mom, because you know, I have issues with being “grown up.” Soccer moms have to be organized with jersey colors, and game times, and fields and all that sort of stuff and as you know, we can drop the ball on that kind of stuff around here in the Panders household. Trying to be a “together” soccer mom was scary to me. And hello! I then had to embark on being a Team Manager! Those guys HAVE to be “together”!

However, I’m happy to report that I got over it all pretty early on – actually probably because of your comments, Ann & Anna. Soccer moms and dads ARE great, dad gummit! And I’m great too, warts and untogetherness and all!

I stopped trying to be something I wasn’t, and got into the Team Manager role. I write reminder emails every friday to let everyone know where/when/colors etc., and I’ve kind of let myself go in writing them. I worry every time I hit send, that I’m just cracking myself up, and everyone else just rolls their eyes, but oh well!

So I thought today, I’d favor you with this week’s soccer email, for both picture day, and game day tomorrow. I crack myself up, and you can feel free to roll your eyes 🙂 (times, places and names deleted.)

OK people, huddle up, we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Let me give you the run-down. FOCUS!

* Why blue? Because I’m the team manager, and I am making an executive decision here. OH THE POWER! I’M SO GIDDY!
** Anyone else notice that I always send these things out as if if WE are the ones wearing the jersey/playing the soccer/getting our pictures taken? Psychologically, this probably says something about me. I bet it’s not good.
*** What? No one said I couldn’t give myself fancy titles.

-amy knows you wish YOU were on her soccer team…

(look at me! getting photos up in a TIMELY manner! huzzah!)

Ethan’s picture day was yesterday.

Jocelyn’s picture day was today. (Ethan of course, had to jump in after the first few pictures.)

jocelyn: mommy, i want to play cars. i want you to play cars with me.

me: OK. Give me just a minute.

(minute goes by)

jocelyn: mommy i wnat another snack. I want another pulling cheese (string cheese). *gasp* MOMMY! You forgot to play cars with me! You forgot your minute! Mommy, you forgot your minute!

This girl just kills me.

Than seeing your newly hair cut 5 year old son dressed up in a coat and tie for picture day.

I have to admit, I cried a little bit.

I think all the “DISGUSTING! YUCK!” business kind of wore off, because even though I told him he could put his coat and tie on at school, right before pictures, he had them on when he left for school.

James took them in today.

I only wish I could have seen his whole class running around all dressed up.

Tomorrow: Jocelyn!

The question: Should I put her in pig tails? She’ll only be 3 once!

The next question: If yes, then how do I get her to let me?

-amy will have to be a tricksy mumsy, yes she will.

updates:

Fred has ALMOST left the building. It feels like there’s a tiny bump under the skin now. Smaller than a BB, but still there.

Jocelyn has finished her 2nd round of antibiotics, but 2 days into it, suddenly took a turn for the worse in snottiness. Since she was on antibiotics, I think it’s safe to assume that this is viral. The coughing and hacking at night, however, is MUCH improved. Her lips have been chapped a lot lately, and so now she’s in this bad habit of reaching up her lip with her bottom teeth and vice versa on the bottom lip, and so now even when we get all the chappiness cleared up, she manages to chap herself again with all the saliva/biting habit. Grrr. School pictures are on Wednesday. We may have pictures of our little girl looking like a clown.

Ethan ran a temperature off and on all weekend, a trip to urgent care pronounced him with “viral tonsilitis”. I stayed home with him MOnday just to be on the safe side, and since there was a dentist appointment in the afternoon, kept Jocelyn home too. The dentist’s appointment went fine, except for the part where Ethan threw up. It was truly disgusting. I was (and still am) amazed at the blase attitude of the dental assistant. I guess lots of kids throw up at the dentist.

Everyone’s teeth are good, and the dentist even said she was perfectly fine with Jocelyn sucking her thumb only at night. Yay. Due to the vomit encrusting Ethan’s hair, they took baths when we got back home and I let them wear jammies the rest of the day until bedtime. Boy do those kids love their jammies!

As you saw from yesterday’s post, I made some progress on my chairs, though I’ve run into a bit of a roadblock. The back supports (the top part) had double piping running around the entire thing, and I think in my mind I just kind of assumed I’d be able to sew that.. somehow.. but now.. that I think about it, and investigate the old piping, well, I don’t think I can. It’s not a matter of ability, it’s a matter of equipment. So I may take a swatch of cloth to an upholstery and beg them to cover some double piping for me. If anyone has any better ideas, I’m all ears.

I’m hoping to be done with the chairs by the weekend, which I hope will be spent in painting the basement. If not, then piecing a quilt for Jocelyn.

Today it was back to work and it was very hum-drum-y.

And now, I have to run find Ethan a blue blazer and dress shoes for picture day tomorrow. I got one for him that turned out to be too big, and the only words out of his mouth the entire time from when his eyes lit on the jacket, white shirt, and tie til when I put the jacket back in the bag (too big), was “I HATE it. Yuck. DISGUSTING.” I told him that Daddy felt the same way whenever HE wore a tie, and then on a whim, loaded up our wedding pictures to show them. Ethan was not impressed with the guy’s outfits, but was quite impressed with my wedding dress, and told me I was the most beautiful lady in the world. And then turned back to the bag his jacket was in, and said, “I do NOT LIKE THAT.” Fun fun. I promised him he could take a change of shirt to school and change right after pictures.

Jocelyn is enamored with the cute “picture day” dress I got her, which was a 4T, and was WAY TOO SHORT when she put it on !! My girl is only THREE YEARS OLD, and it looks like I am going to have to start looking in the GIRLS DEPARTMENT FOR HER!!! She loves the “dress” so much, I told her she could wear it for pictures with a pair of pants underneath. It is a awesome retro pattern of red, pink & white daisies on a black background which although I love now, will probably cause her to turn to me when she’s 18 and say, “Mom, HOW could you PUT me in that thing??” and I’ll shrug and say, “It’s just what they wore back then” and then I’ll add, “and YOU LOVED THAT SHIRT.”

No real ending to this post, except to say,

THE END.

Being home with sick kids has it’s up side…

I’m off to sew some piping now while it’s still quiet time.