I Can't Believe I'm 45!!! (seriuosly)

Me and the hubs, all glammed up for a birthday outing.

It was great to get out with other adults!

Here I am more au naturel, doing one of my favorite things: cooking.  Notice the almost complete kitchen.  I love it!

Still Working On the Kitchen

I was supposed to have worked yesterday, but got cancelled. I spent the day helping Hubby lay hardwood flooring in the kitchen. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know he built me a new kitchen this year. It had been at a standstill for many months until I started gently and lovingly reminding Hubby that I sure would like my kitchen to get done. Honey does indeed attract more bees than vinegar (or is it flies?). As usual, he started all of a sudden and without warning me. You'd think he'd know better by now. Instead of bitchin' (OK, I bitched a little), I spent yesterday helping him get the damn thing done. He said he likes it when I help him with his work and that it makes him feel romantic! How sweet is that!? Today we were both sore and exhausted (yes, there was romance after the hard work).
Now we are planning the logistics of getting the floor sanded, stained and polyurethaned with three little ones in the mix. It looks like there'll be a least one night's stay in a hotel. We hope to get it done within the week as it's not wise to leave a wood floor unfinished with three rugrats running around. Good thing I don't buy red juices!
No word on my PC. Don't know if it's that serious, or if the doctor's just that busy.

Updates

I don't know what it was that had all our noses running and my head feeling like it was going to explode, but , thank God, it's over!
Delaney gained 8 oz over three weeks. The pediatrician was pleased because it showed that she could gain weight, but the labs show that there is a possible problem. More labs are in progress and I'm trying to put it out of my mind until I know something definite. Her appetite appears to have improved and she definitely enjoys feeding herself. So far we're feeding her regular oatmeal, avocado, pasta, baked or boiled potatoes, steamed sliced carrots, canned fruit, vienna sausage and what ever else I can think of that she can eat with four teeth.
The kitchen continues to be a work in progress. The concrete counter tops have been poured and demolded, but the polishing is another story. DH's work schedule has changed and it's slowing things down even more.
I'm currently planning our pre-K and kindergarten curriculum, which I plan to start in the next month or two. The renovation had brought schooling to a standstill. Ava misses her "atcibiries." I plan on using the Five In A Row curriculum and am in the process of buying the books as cheaply as possible. I've also discovered a system that I think will be very beneficial: The Workbox System.
My plan as of now is to "do school" three days a week. I hope to be able to cut my work schedule back to just weekends, but I don't know when that will be possible. I just can't commit to 5 days a week, especially just "officially" starting out. When we were doing it before it was sporadic and mostly unplanned. This will be my official "getting my feet wet" year. Although I already have an idea of the girls' learning styles, I hope to hone in on what will work best for each of them.

Kitchen Update

OK, I'm tired of not having a kitchen! I am having cooking fantasies! I'm dying to use my gas cooktop (a Thermador, no less).

When we discussed about how much we wanted to spend on the reno, we didn't figure the cost of eating out just about every day!

So this is how things looked a few days ago. There is now plywood where the concrete countertops will go. We chucked the copper idea when we got a quote of $8000. Courtney is so anal, that I knw he'll do an awesome job with the concrete. We both have been reading up on it and watching the DVD that came with a book he bought. Although he'll be doing most of the work, my creative touch will be included in the final product.

At some point, I will post the total cost. I have no idea where we are so far, but we have gotten some awesome deals on the appliances and cabinets. We have paid cash for everything! We did have to borrow some money from a friend in order to keep things moving, but that will be paid in no time and we will ramain credit card debt free.

I have been surprisingly patient with this project. DH works full time, and I know he's doing the best he can. I must say it does annoy me that every time he works on the kitchen he makes at LEAST one trip to Home Depot or Lowe's (on average it's two or three). In order to keep my annoyance to a minimum, I don't ask too many questions. He really is doing an awesome job. We (mostly I) plan to stay here at least until the girls leave home, but I think if we were to put the house on the market with the new kitchen, it would sell in no time!