100th POST!!!

Has anyone read all of them? Really? Every. single. one? Yeah, I thought so, just me. Maybe that's a good thing....

I was trying to think of something new and fun to do - 100 is a big number; I had no idea I'd stick with the blogging thing this long let alone post 20+ posts in one month. So to celebrate, y'all are invited to my house. Look - I even made you cookies!

Now admit it, who's your favorite blogger? Not me? Well, I would be if "Wonkavision" were real and I could just blast these babies over to your house - mmmm, real butter, extra chocolate chips. Y.U.M!! But, *sigh*, I guess I'll just have to sacrifice for you. Now, (munch, munch, chomp) ifth ya culd pease (swallow), ah, please follow me. And, for the record, no commenting on the mess or my lack of talent as a housekeeper. (I already know!)

Welcome! Our piano, fly tying and lure making gear as well as a random box of hand-me downs are ready to greet you. Shall I play a ditty? Which hymn would you like? I know - not very danceable but it's where my (cough)..um..playing talents are needed the most.

To the immediate left we have our living area (yes the room is only 10' wide but 30' long; it's not an optical illusion to make my front room looking looong and skinny - it is what it is.), aka, Robert's bedroom.

(I have managed to put up the pillows and extra blankets - see them there behind the book shelf next to the love seat? - since Rob's been gone for over a week. And here you thought I hadn't cleaned up at all!)

To the right is our wood stove - the only used heat in the house.

Did you read that Robert? The cadets are just for the mortgage company - we don't actually use them. Usually there is more on the mantle but our kitty is getting more and more adept at climbing and well, I'm afraid for the life of anything up there. (Note her climbing perch to the left of the wood stove, which is really just to keep the dog from eating her food, and our lab's kennel.)

Oh, and I have to point out to you, see the rack on the wall behind the lamp in the living room? Here, I'll blow it up for you. The rack holds our movies. I recently moved the kids' movies to make room for all my exercise tapes (the bottom two shelves) thinking that the constant reminder would help....Has it? Uh, well, hmmm...no. But it's only been three days since I made the switch and one of those days was Sunday and oh, HEY - when was the last time you worked out? Yeah, I thought so. Moving on....



Next we'll just step forward to the small open space we like to call our "dining room." I know, I'm optimistic (makes up for my mourning on the longest day of the year now doesn't it?). See how close it is the back of the piano? The children have to sit back in the corner because Robert and I can't fit. And see that deep fryer on top of the dishwasher (right next to the flowers on the photo)? That's why we don't fit. -- Ooh, hey, there's my Mr. Quinn. Cute isn't he? I think even paranoid DH will let this photo fly.

As you can see, off the back of the dining room we have two bedrooms (the left is for the boys and the right is mine) and if you look closely you can just see the edge of the door to our one and only bathroom.


The bathroom is a small affair but big enough for the necessities. And hey, the toilet is so close to the shower you can almost take care of all your needs at once! See the mirror? That's the only one in the whole house, the only one; I can only see myself from the waist up. That's how I convince myself that I'm really not this big and those stretch marks from child number 1? Gone. Yeah, I like to dream. Oh and that black cord in the picture on the right? That's our new hair dryer. I bought that, not for me, but for my 9yo son who likes to spike his hair. Is it a bad thing when your son uses more product and spends more time styling his hair than you do? No? Good. Maybe they'll let me keep my chick card.

My bedroom is next on the tour. Again, no commenting on the housekeeping or lack thereof. I was going to say, "Move along folks, nothing to see here," but I do want to point out the dolls in the middle of the shelf in the picture on the right. See it?

The one to the left was my mother's. Her mother made them the Christmas before she died (my mom was 1.5yo). The doll to the right is a doll my mom made for me. I wanted to keep my mom's doll (her two sisters each have their own as well) for posterity but I was going to get rid of mine until I put them together and saw her doll with brown eyes and mine with blue eyes and well, now they sit together. (Yes, I cried over doll eyes. I KNOW!! -- now, can we just move along?)

The boys' bedroom is next. Robert built the bunks (hard to tell right?). Well, they may not be pretty but I could stand on the top bunk and jump up and down (if I didn't pass out from hitting my head first) and nothing would budge. These things are solid and perfect for my two growing boys.

The little closet to the left is the only closet for all three kids. (Lulu's 8'x7' room is too small for a closet.) Quinn's dresser is next and Rhys' is to the right. As you can see, my kids have inherited my clutter -oh -just -stack -it -anywhere gene. We tried to get organized (see those lovely storage towers) but have had mixed success. That and my children have been cleaning their room all by themselves for the last six months. At least the floor is generally walkable. Oh, before we go, make note of that doorway next to Rhys' dresser (we'll come back to that). See, the boys' bedroom has only inside walls and no window (perfect for convincing them it's bedtime in the summer) so they have to have two doors to provide that second exit.

Okay, now we'll back up into the dining room.


Oh, hello Quinn - why haven't you moved? (Hahahaha, yeah, I crack myself up!!) This time we'll head off to the left, past the deep fryer..again, if we had Wonkavision, I'd make you some fries but....sniff...oh, well. How 'bout you just go to McDonald's - on me - really, send me the bill. It's okay. I'll wait....And wait....Could you drive faster? Oh good, you're back. Let's head into the kitchen.

Notice the griddle on the counter - the boys made dinner tonight: bacon, eggs made to order and toast. As long as I don't cook, who am I to complain?

Ahhh, dishes drying next to the sink and our beloved Ish the Fish. I know you can't see him (the opaque plastic makes it hard) but in that white ice cream gallon bucket, right next the empty Gatorade bottle being reused as a water bottle, is Ish the Fish. He was won at a preschool carnival and has survived 2 years in that bucket. At this point I'm afraid to get him a real goldfish bowl; why jinx it if it's working just fine? Those kids on the fridge - not mine. Totally borrowed those photos to stage these pictures...okay, that's a lie. I know who they are. But I'll never tell.

Next in line is the hallway to the back hallway (hey, we didn't build the house, we were just the suckers who bought it) and the home of my computer. I love my computer. I love my internet. I love to blog. (Perhaps you should just give us a moment alone....)

There are two closets down this hall.

The first, on the right, is our pantry, which, you'll also note, is directly behind the computer desk. It makes snacking while blogging so easy. (See, there was a reason to our house buying madness!) The second is our file storage, extra plastic bags, canning supplies, sheet music, ironing board, too big to wear yet rubber boots, extra plant pots and breaker box storage area. It's very handy.

Finally we come to the end of hallway #1 and the laundry area. See my pretty plants? Aren't you impressed that they're still alive? I am in awe of my indoor gardening skills!


See my pretty machines? I lusted after them for years. (Yes, I know it was wrong but my DH loves me anyone and one day he did bless me with these wondrous machines - after the old ones kept flooding our floor and the dryer stopped even turning but that's another story). And yes, I could have taken a better photo but I wanted you to see all my hard work (folded laundry), our beauteous water heater and the plethora of cleaning products (just to prove that I do occasionally clean my house - I know you were wondering).

Okay, it's been a long tour and I know you are getting tired, but we've got just a bit more to do. I'm sure you're wondering where my darling daughter sleeps. Well, wait no more....

We are now in the back hall (remember that extra door in the boys' room) and Lulu's room is at the end of this hall. It used to be one long hall but DH used his handy dandy hammer and removed a sliding glass door, boarded up the extra door in my room and added a loft bed and a wall, et voila!


Lulu's Room. A wee bit more organized than the boys but certainly messier. We keep trying to convince her that, yes, a 4.5yo can clean her room. She insists it's too hard. (That's her dresser on the left.)

The chair on the left goes to her new vanity. (The middle drawer isn't really a pull-out drawer; the top lifts up and has a mirror.) After we put it in, she immediately asked for make-up to go in it. I told her when she was 10, she could have some play make-up. She's convinced that she will be 10 on her next birthday. I should have just said "No!" and saved myself 5.5 years of whining.

So, that's my humble little home. But before you go...oh please don't groan, it's just that I really must show you...my books. You didn't think you could leave the home of a Johnny, a bibliophile and a philologist without seeing my books did you? I won't show them all...just the major highlights.

These are some family history books, kids' chapter books (and the doors on either side are kids' bedroom doors so they can sneak out at night and get new books to read - see how I encourage their little minds to grow?!).

This is my wall of books, mostly stuff from college and what I've picked up at library sales. I have even culled the herd a few times and I still have all this left.

The first is mostly picture books and education books for the kids. But see those doors on the bottom of the shelf? Guess what's behind them? Yup, more books (music for me and cooking for Robert).

Well, hey, that's about it. Maybe next time I'll take you out to the garage and show you DH's pride and joy - his '56 Chevy Pickup. But, until then, thanks for stopping by. Hope you liked your cookies and fries! Also, thanks for not commenting on my housekeeping. Really. I so appreciate it. you were a super fabulous guest. Hope to see you again! Okay. Bye-bye. Good bye now. Have a safe trip home. Oh, but please leave a comment first. Because, well, this was about 3 hours of hard work and really I'm just an attention freak. (wave) Bye!

Are you gone yet?

Hallelujah! *sigh* My cheeks hurt from smiling.