Finally I got my wits about me and we repainted a good deal of the first floor in a beautiful neutral that was equal parts beige and green and gray… Benjamin Moore Nantucket Gray. {I hope to use that color somewhere in the new house. The orange? Notsomuch.} We realized that we loved nice neutral tans, greens, and blues that are “muddied” or muted in shade.

{This is our old house after we repainted with BM Nantucket Gray. Very soothing, a touch of color, and yet still dark enough to hide kidprints on the walls!}

So, we pretty much consider our design choices in our first house to be a big experiment in figuring out what our design aesthetic really is {although I don’t really have an aesthetic, per se, and that phrase makes me feel much more fancy than I actually am!} We like traditional décor, with a bit of a cottage feel, with nice pops of color here and there. We like, overall, a clean, organized look {not minimalist} with lots of natural textures mixed in. Our house doesn’t need to look like it came out of a design magazine, but we want it to feel cohesive, welcoming, and comfortable.

Most of our home will be playing with complementary neutrals, which doesn’t mean just shades of white and tan. There are plenty of green, blue, and gray neutrals that can play nicely together, too! Since most of the first floor has tons of natural light and an open floor plan, we plan on painting most of it in just one color. There will probably be an accent wall in the family room that is painted a different color (maybe Nantucket Gray?) and the office and laundry room may be another color as well. But the foyer, hall, kitchen, sunroom, eat-in dining area, and most of the family room will get the same shade.

I made up a moodboard, or inspiration board, of what we plan to do in the kitchen and dining area. Mostly to show my husband what is running through my mind. But of course, he just looks and says, “That seems nice, but I’ll have to see it all together to really love it.” SIGH.

Maybe you, friends, could see the potential?

The tan color in the background is a frontrunner for the wall color right now. A nice neutral, which is actually the color in the model we toured. It is beautiful, just dark enough to warm up the space, but not so light that you’d see every mark on the wall.

In the top middle: that’s our granite color.

Top right: We will eventually install a backsplash, and I like the look of crisp white subway tile. Just below is a picture of our cabinetry.

In the middle is the dining set I love. Reasonably priced, beautiful wood, and rustic enough that the kids can do many a craft or school project without me worrying about the finish. I can’t wait to have a bench for the kids to use! Plus it will be awesome for family gatherings that we love to host!

Bottom right corner: I love the texture of seagrass rugs, and I’d like to put one under the dining table. They’re actually pretty easy to clean and I don’t care for high maintenance furnishings.

Bottom left: The wood floor is similar to our oak flooring with gunstock stain. Two of those white chairs would be a great addition to the table and make the dining set look a bit less matchy-matchy.

Finally, the two green fabrics are options for curtains. I will probably be making my own to save some moolah, and am leaning toward a nice bold color like this pretty apple green with a bold geometric print. I also really like the look of damask prints, so if we choose to go more neutral I might go in that direction.

~~~~~

So that’s our inspiration for now! We like that these options will give us a beautiful canvas to work with, utilizing some furniture and accessories we already own, with the flexibility to add new things in.

Whaddya think? Suggestions? {I’m still trying to figure all this out!} Anyone have the perfect curtain fabric for me? That’s the one area I am most undecided about!

The concrete driveway, steps, and sidewalk were poured yesterday. Unfortunately, some smart asses must have walked by right after the crew left, because there is now a bootprint and some… choice wording… written in the concrete right near the street. It ticks me off, but I’m sure the concrete guys will be able to come back and fix it up. {Good thing it’s the builder’s problem, not ours! Ha.}

But the most exciting news is inside. The carpet is being installed today, so there were lots of tools and clutter in there, but I did get to check out the first floor. And the hardwood is in, baby!

So pretty. It’s tongue-in-groove oak flooring, with a gunstock-colored stain. The best part is that it is handscraped, which means there is lots of character and rustic divots/scrapes in the wood. We have kids and dogs, so we are NOT a shiny, smooth hardwood kind of family! It has to have some character, so we can add our own “character” to it without it looking like crap. Heh.

The hardwood is installed throughout the first floor, except for the laundry room and the family room. We opted for carpet in the family room so we have a nice soft place for TV watching and family wrestling contests.

The powder room is almost done!

The staircase banisters are in! They look so pretty. I’m very glad we paid the extra $100 for the white rails… I hand painted the rails on the stairs in our old house and it was a total pain.

Light fixtures are in, including the pretty pendants over the island.

And the faucet, too!

Even the “builder grade” light fixtures, like this one in the foyer, are very nice. I love that their standard finish for all lights and doorknobs is brushed nickel instead of that cheapo looking faux-brass.  {Which, by the way, is what all the fixtures were in our last home.} I’m glad we will be able to focus our energies {and money} on other house projects beside replacing lights!

And one more picture of these beauties, just because they’re so pretty.

Our construction manager said they plan to have everything finished in about two weeks. Then the builder needs about a week to 10 days to finish permits and paperwork. So we are looking at closing on the house around Valentine’s Day. Perfect timing, as our lease on the apartment is over as of February 26th! {Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well and we don’t hit any snags!}

All this to say, now I am feeling impatient. Things are still moving along but it’s not like the contractors are there doing stuff each day. It’s more detail work now. Whenever we drive by and the house is empty I think, come on, let’s get a move on! Yes, I am very impatient. Also bossy. Ask my husband if you need more convincing. Heh.

So I haven’t posted much about the house {since before Christmas, I think?} but things HAVE been happening. The pictures below are from a couple of different days that we stopped by.

We now have granite countertops! And almost all of the ceramic tiling is finished, except for the tile around the soaking tub in the master bath. AND we have a mantel on the fireplace! Yippee!!

The new mantel. Can’t wait to add built-ins around this someday!

We chose a white wood mantel with slate surround. {That’s cardboard on top to protect the mantel from scratches.}

Standing shower in the master bath.

I am SUPER DUPER excited to have a tiled SEAT in the shower so I don’t slip while shaving my legs. {I probably should have asked for handicapped safety rails, too. I am an unbalanced old lady. What of it?}

Ceramic floor in the master bath.

The kid’s bathroom.

Ceramic flooring in the kid’s bathroom.

And now the pièce de résistance…. the kitchen counters! We had Corian counters in our old house, which we liked, but they were a dark color and also showed every little surface scratch. This time around, we decided to go with granite counters and chose a lighter color granite to complement the darker cabinetry.

You might also be able to see, under the protective wrapping, that the undermount stainless double sink is also there.

Next up is the installation of all the plumbing fixtures. Afterall, it ain’t a house without a toilet!

Can you believe it? {I can’t, and I’ve been here for every day of his life.}

This year is a big one for our boy. This fall, he should be starting kindergarten. Except, we aren’t sure if he is or not.

You see, we {meaning my husband and I} are of the mindset that the most important thing for young children is being with family as much as possible, lots of play time, fun and unstructured learning environments, and the less-is-more approach to schooling. That’s why we chose to become a one-income family and have me stay home with our kids. Believe me, we know how fortunate we are to have that option.

It’s also why Aiden has never attended “formal” preschool. When he was two and three years old, he was very attached to us and the thought of being separated from us for school was too much for him. He broke down in tears at the mere mention. We gave him time, and didn’t push the issue, and this past summer at age 4 he attended a few summer daycamps, sans parents, without so much as a tear.  We are so glad we let him move at his own pace when it came to stepping out on his own. Despite the lack of formal school, he is very well behaved, friendly and kind to other children, and follows directions with ease.

This fall, we enrolled him in a fun gymnastics/school skills program where he is dropped off in the morning and stays for four hours. There is a mix of gymnastics classes, plus crafts, circle time, stories, and playtime in an adjoining classroom. He also stays and eats lunch with his classmates. Aiden has loved this class and has no problem with being away from us during this time. We may up his enrollment to another day per week in 2012.

I have been informally homeschooling him with reading, math and science. He’s writing the alphabet and numbers, can do basic addition and subtraction problems, and is doing great with phonics. He can sound out words and spell them on his own, which he is so proud of! To supplement the work we do at home, we joined a homeschool co-op, which we attend every Friday at a church. Aiden has science, sign language, and social studies classes there with other 4 and 5 year olds, which he really enjoys. He likes his teachers there, too!

So the big question for us… as much as we enjoy homeschooling, would we like to continue it for kindergarten next year? At first, we thought yes. A big reason for this is that we are NOT supporters of full day kindergarten. Aiden still naps every day, for goodness sakes! My mom has a school bus business and regularly has sweet little kindergarten babies falling asleep on the bus because they are just tuckered out from the day. I think Aiden is more than prepared, academically-wise, for kindergarten. I’d rather supplement the academics at home and let him ease into a formal school environment with a half-day kindergarten program. Sadly, where we live, kindergarten is all all-day program.

On the other hand, we know Aiden is very bright and enjoys his “formal” schooling right now. We certainly don’t want to discourage that and don’t want to hold him back. We know that at some point, we would send him to traditional school anyway, so why wait?

Although our current school district is very good, there is also an amazing magnet school close by our new house, that gets rave reviews from parents as being as good as private schools in the area. It’s a technology magnet school, with a focus on new technologies, computers, and learning in a way that fits our digital society in a forward-thinking fashion. Students are accepted to this school via application and a subsequent lottery, and we have applied for Aiden to attend. We find out in March if he is accepted, and can make our final decisions then. If he gets in for kindergarten, he attends the school for his entire elementary career, and Lilah would be given special placement there as well. If we turn down admission in kindergarten, it is much more competitive and there are limited opportunities to get in for the later grade levels. The only downside to this school is that it is full-day kindergarten, but I do think our family can adjust to that if it is the only con on our list.

In the meantime, I will enjoy my days being my boy’s primary teacher. I will relish the opportunity to have an open schedule and unlimited opportunities to do what we wish with our days, because come next fall… things will be much more structured, whether he’s in a traditional school or studying at home with Mom.

My baby is really growing up. {Sniff}

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

Went on a cruise in January as a family of four, and we were ALL sick with colds during it! Saw my boy get his first stitches when he fell down steps on the cruise. Watched my baby girl turn one. Celebrated Aiden’s 4th birthday with an awesome pirate party. Had pretty family photos taken, outside a crappy portrait studio setting. Survived months of my husband’s unemployment due to layoff and we didn’t kill each other! Celebrated when he got a job. Due to new job, we put our house on the market. Went to Sesame Place for an awesome summer trip! Got a contract on the house in July, fell into a tailspin trying to pack up and move out in a month! Sold our family’s first home in August, and moved into a tiny apartment while starting to build our dream house. Joined a homeschool co-op. Went away for our anniversary WITHOUT THE KIDS, for the very first time! Kicked off the Christmas season with our newest buddy, the Elf on the Shelf. Decided to spend the night at Jason’s parents on Christmas Eve and celebrate Christmas there, since we’re in a tiny apartment until our new house is complete.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Well. I wrote a few resolutions last year, and failed miserably at a few of them. Others were pretty good.

Resolutions for last year:

• Adopt a reasonable exercise program that I can stick with. Somewhat. I did Couch to 5K and I can’t believe I am saying this, but I think I am a runner. I love it.
• Run a 5K. Nope. Wanted to do one this fall after finishing CT5K, but got sidetracked by the house sale and move.
• Stop all night-time snacking. YAY! I did this!
• Drink more water. Somewhat.
• Start working on a book. FAIL.
• Really learn how to use my awesome camera. Um, fail again?!
• Continue to strive to be a kind, gentle, patient person.  SUCCESS. It’s always a work in progress, but I am proud of my efforts in this area, and am happier for it.
• Make more personal time for me (reading, blogging). Yep. I am happy to say that I have stepped up my blogging efforts and I am so glad!
• Add frequent “day in the life” pics, quotes, etc to my Tumblr blog. Nope. I decided I just wanted to use this blog more, and forgot about the Tumblr blog.
• Put down the iPhone and be a more “present” parent. Some days I am better at this than others. My phone is my way of contacting people, doing my writing work, my organizer and to-do list, and a million other things. So it is hard to put it down, but I am glad that I have become much more cognizant of family time versus phone time.

So, resolutions for 2012…

• Continue to run and challenge myself to stay fit. I’m kicking off 2012 with a month-long bootcamp. Yay!
• Run that damn 5K.
• Learn how to really work that awesome camera.
• Cherish my time with the kids before Aiden {likely} enters kindergarten next fall.
• Enjoy the new house instead of feeling rushed to decorate it all immediately!
• DIY lots of house stuff myself. I know I can do this!
• Make new friends in our new neighborhood, and focus on finding playgroups and friends for the kids.
• Continue to work on being a more present parent and spouse.
• Enjoy the small things. They are, after all, the things that matter most.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

Um, whichever ones we visited on the cruise… I can’t remember… Belize… Mexico, and ??

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Maybe another baby? Yes, we admit we are entirely insane for considering it, but that’s ok.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January: the cruise. February: Lilah’s bday. June: Aiden’s bday. Summer 2011: the insanity of selling the house. August: tearfully walking through our home and saying goodbye before the settlement. Also, moving into the apartment during a freaking hurricane! September: Lilah stopped nursing, and Aiden started school for the first time and loved it! October: Our weekend getaway to Atlantic City without the kids. Watching the start of construction on our new place. November: Lilah gave up her paci! December: an amazing Christmas with both kids soaking up all the joy of the season!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Reiterating from last year: successfully parenting TWO children and not going insane. Enjoying another great year with my husband… we are a better team than ever before and things just get better every year!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Time management. I can do more with the time I have. I can do better with taking care of my body and exercising.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Um, our new house? Though we technically don’t buy that until next year! The money spent on family vacations was great!

12. Where did most of your money go?

Mortgage, house stuff, food, the kids.

13. What did you get really excited about?

Aiden’s karate classes this summer, our vacations, moving and building our new place, being back in Maryland and close to so much more!

14. What song will always remind you of 2010?

You Are My Sunshine. We sing it for Lilah at bedtime. It’s the family anthem.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Happier.
– thinner or fatter? Thinner, slightly.

–richer or poorer? Richer.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Less computer time, more in-person interaction. More time on the floor playing with the kids.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eaten.  Stressed about the small stuff. Less time second guessing myself and getting caught in guilty-mom syndrome.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

See above.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Dexter. Game of Thrones. Walking Dead. Homeland. Modern Family. Teen Mom. Private Practice.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

The Help.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

Mumford and Sons, Michael Buble’s Christmas album.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

I… can’t remember. Yikes.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Celebrated at home, with the people I love most.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Free, part time childcare whenever I need it!

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

I have horrible fashion sense. I live in jeans and simple shirts. :/

26. What kept you sane?

SAME AS ALWAYS. My awesome husband. My family. My iPhone. My awareness that life, despite the chaos, is so INSANELY BLESSED.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.”

“Plant your hope with good seeds. Don’t cover yourself with thistle and weeds.” Mumford and Sons

I am in charge of making myself happy. It’s nobody’s job but mine, and the way I lead my life will teach my children how to lead theirs. I want to show them that being a kind, caring, and loving person is the key to happiness. Every day, I try to find the good and feel grateful for our family’s many blessings. We are so, so lucky.

2012, let’s see what you have in store!

It actually looks like a kitchen now {albeit one without countertops… the granite gets installed next week}.

Sunroom, with our boxed dishwasher!

Master Bathroom cabinetry {all cabinetry is the same styling throughout the house}

This week, all tiling and ceramic flooring is to be installed. Still to come:

• Granite countertop install
• Banisters on stairs
• Final plumbing installs (fixtures and the standing shower)
• Painting outside trim and doors
• Carpet and hardwoods
• Shelving in closets
• A few final pieces of indoor trim
• Light fixtures
• Sod and landscaping
• Pillars and railing for the porch
• Pour concrete driveway, sidewalk, and steps to porch
• Install appliances

According to the rough schedule our construction manager outlined, everything is supposed to be complete around January 17th. It would be amazing if they can stick to that schedule! Counting down the weeks…

WOW!!

“These all say Aiden!”

Soon, sleepy sister decided to join us.

Hugging his wii.

After a yummy breakfast and lots of hugs, we left to head over to see Gram, Little PopPop, and Big PopPop.

Hugging his awesome new Ravens football.

Yeah, this was Lilah’s gift. Spoiled, I tell you.

After a crazy morning of being spoiled by so many generous people, we went home for a nap before a family party that evening. Fortunately, I remembered to ask my sister to snap a picture of the four of us that night!

It was a very merry Christmas, indeed! In just over 24 hours, we were able to spend time with most of our family and see our kids’ eyes light up with the magic of the season. It was awesome.

This Christmas was very different from Christmases past. For starters, we weren’t in our old house anymore, which was the place we celebrated almost every Christmas of our marriage. It was the only place our kids ever woke up on Christmas morning. We are also used to hosting all the big family gatherings at our place, which we knew couldn’t happen this year since we’re still in a small apartment.

We weren’t all that excited about waking up Christmas morning in our crowded apartment space, so I suggested that we spend Christmas Eve and morning with Jason’s parents in PA. They have a lovely, cozy house and the kids love spending time there. Fortunately they were game and that’s where we ended up on Christmas Eve, packed and ready for a sleepover!

Aiden couldn’t resist checking out the gifts and decided to hand out his presents to everyone. This has become a tradition, where he personally selects gifts for family at the dollar store.

Gum for Poppy!

Hugging Nanny.

It was so nice to hang out and eat some delicious food (thanks, Nanny)! We were so excited when Santa rode by on the firetruck! Aiden waved and then asked, “Where’d he leave his reindeer? How will he get back to the North Pole??”

Of course, we had to sprinkle some reindeer food outside.

Then it was time to put out the cookies and milk. Yum… peanut butter blossoms. Santa LOVES THOSE. So I’m told.

We even managed to find our stockings that were packed away!

Last stop before bed… we all read The Night Before Christmas. Well, ALMOST all of us.

Lilah didn’t care one bit about the Christmas book, so she snuggled onto another couch and read The Spooky Old Tree instead.

Then the kids were off for their long winter’s nap, while Santa did his work.

Kitchen {foreground} and family room

Jason in the eat-in dining area, admiring the view

Sunroom

Full view of the “great room” space with kitchen, dining area to right, and sunroom

Foyer, from the view point of the office.

A glimpse of the master bedroom

Finished lower level rec room {with a heater to warm up the house and dry the drywall compound faster}

A different view of the kitchen, showing the staircase.

Garage

YAY! We were so excited to see all the progress. Now let’s hope they make lots of progress and we get to close in 45 days!