Greetings from the Chiodo Family! We hope that all of our friends and family had a wonderful year and have more exciting things to come. This year has been a big adventure for us! Here are a few of the good highlights....I won't include the other parts of life... like the temper tantrums, sibling fights, pregnancy hormones, bad hair days, and moments of tears, frustration, and fears. That would be no fun to talk about. :)
Our Housing Situation: Here's the story behind the story... Jason loves real estate. And in loving a man who loves real estate, you have to be open to living the unconventional life sometimes when it comes to the roof over your head. In 2009, we bought a home after renting for a couple of years, and I thought that life would settle down for awhile. We loved the location, but we just felt so-so about the school system in the town we were living in. Since we moved to Connecticut, we have always wanted to live in the town of Trumbull. It is a wonderful town where we go to church, where there is a fabulous school system, and where the community is family-oriented. So in Jason's quest of looking for good deals in real estate, he found a house in Trumbull that was a deserted, dilapidated 800 sq. ft. home in a great neighborhood. One thought led to an idea which led to a conversation which led to a decision to basically flip the house we just bought and do a crazy thing....buy this little dilapidated home, knock it down, and build a house of our own. So here we are 6 months later and the zoning approval is done, the permits are done, the blueprints are done, and the house is being framed. Are we crazy? Sure. Unconventional? You betcha. Will I live in this new house forever? I hope so, but you never know. But, in the end, we are doing this thing called life together. And the ride is definitely an exciting one so far.
Our Baby Situation: Around the time that we made the crazy decision of #1, I threw out another crazy idea to have a 3rd baby. I sold it to Jason as a thing to just think about...you know-"It will take at least a good 6-8 months, honey....let's just see what happens!" What happened was me getting pregnant 3 weeks after that conversation! He is still making me eat my words on that one. :) After a few weeks of wrapping our brains around the shock of it all, we are ready and excited for this new addition to our family. Abby is thrilled to have a little sister. Ben just thinks everyone has a baby in their belly...including him with his little basketball under his shirt. Baby Girl Chiodo is healthy and growing and looking to arrive at the beginning of March.
Our Abigail: Abby turned the big 5 this summer, and started kindergarten this past fall. Her mommy did the ugly cry at the bus stop that first day to see her baby girl so grown up and heading off to school. Abby has a wonderful teacher, a fun class, and she is learning so much already. We hear all about the muscle words, rainbow words, music, gym, and art classes, and her favorite-library days. She is in a cute ballet class once a week, and she is also a Girl Scout Daisy this year too. She loves to read books, do fun crafts and coloring, wrestle with her daddy, and boss around her little brother. :)
Our Benjamin: Ben turned 2 this summer, and that boy knows how to keep us on our toes! He is a ball of fire with a personality that is sweet, snuggly, and stinker all in one. He has lots of Mommy time while Abby is in kindergarten, and I am soaking up the one-on-one time with him as much as possible. He is talking a lot (although I seem to be the only one to know just what he is saying), and he is on the verge of being ready to potty train. He loves playing with anything that has wheels, jumping on couches and beds, and copying anything that his big sister "Ab-Ab" does.
Our Better Half: Jason got the P90X workout DVD set this year, and he loves it! He is eating healthy, exercising regularly, and looking good! Since I work many Friday nights, Saturday mornings have become his special daddy time with the kids. He takes them to Home Depot kid workshops, and on many visits to the library, zoo, aquarium, playgrounds, parks, and hiking trails. I haven't scrapbooked one bit this year, but I would love to change that soon. But I love to read a good book, make a few hairbows for Abby, and have the occasional date night with Jason. I also asked for a nail gun and air compressor for Christmas because I have become a wee bit obsessed with woodworking and carpentry. If you look at my Top 10 list, you'll understand. :)
Our Travels: This spring I flew with both kids by myself (never want to do that again!) to Georgia to see my brother Jay graduate from Army Ranger School. That was a proud moment to see him become a Ranger after he returned from a year of combat in Afganistan. For Thanksgiving, we wanted to spend it in Oklahoma with my whole family. After finding plane tickets to be over $650/each, we decided to drive there and back. Again, we were called crazy, but it was a fun adventure. The kids were fabulous, and the two of us were road warriors. We set up the third row in our minivan like a bed, and took turns sleeping and driving. We drove straight through in a little over 24 hours. Swollen ankles, thousands of sunflower seeds, a few kid movies, and numerous ABC games later....it was well worth it to make the trip. Will we do that again anytime soon? No way. But we loved seeing my family, and we spent way less than we would have if we had flown.
Our Visitors: We had some fun visitors come see us up in Connecticut this year. My brother Jeff had business in Boston and came for a few extra days to visit with us. Cool Uncle Jeff was very popular with our kids, and Abby decided she needed to be a surfer like him. Our very dear friends, Jimmy and Bethany Jones, stopped by for a week on their adventurous roadtrip across America. Their daughter Kayla and Abby had a lot of fun playing at the sprinkler park, running around like horses, and seeing who could boss whom the most. :) We had a lot of fun memories from that week...too much good food, some good laughs, and a lot of talking and catching up. My mom and stepdad came out for a quick visit this fall. We put them to work since it was the weekend that we moved, but we definitely could not have done it all without them. We also had a fun trip to the apple orchard with them, and the kids always miss them too much when they leave.
Our Jobs: Jobs are the same, although I did switch to work the night shift at Yale in the PACU. Working 7 p.m.-7 a.m. two nights a week has been much better for our family. No more tears on the way home because I missed an entire day with my children. No more children being away from home for long hours. No more husband coming home from work and having to do everything...dinner, bath, bedtime. Now we have more daytime hours together, more dinners togethers, and more happy people in our family. I am so very thankful for a job that allows me to work flexible hours and still be a hands-on mom.
Okay, that's about it in a nutshell. Through all of our ups and downs, we thank God for taking care of us and leading us each step of the way. We are thankful for many things...good family, good friends, a good church, and a good marriage. I'm kinda hoping that next year's letter will be a little more boring than this one. I could use a good dose of boring. :)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
The 6th Annual Chiodo's Top Ten Favorite Things
1. Ana-White.com: Here's a little secret...this website could be life-changing. I'm just warning you before you take a look at it. This is definitely my most favorite thing this year. Just happened to find her blog, and I have become a bit obsessed. Ana White is an Alaskan stay-at-home mom who makes stuff with wood. Her website used to be called "Knock-Off Wood" but she recently changed it to her name. She is one amazingly talented woman who can look at furniture at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Land of Nod, West Elm...draw up her own knock-off version of it, and then make it from scratch in her garage. This summer, Jason and I made a kid picnic table from her plans, and I can't wait to make more furniture soon. She has only been doing this for about a year, and her popularity has soared off the charts. She has definitely caught the attention of Pottery Barn and also TV executives. There is also talk that she has her own TV show in the works.
2. The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com): My second most favorite thing of the year. She cooks, she homeschools four children, she calls her husband the Marlboro Man, she lives in Oklahoma, and she makes me (almost) wet my pants with her funny stories. You must sit for a spell and look at her blog. I love, love, love her (and her cookbook).
3. Amazon Prime Membership: I signed up for their free trial month of Amazon Prime earlier this year and became hooked immediately. As a busy mom, I do a lot of my shopping online...many times at Amazon and usually at the last minute. With Prime, you get free shipping with no minimum purchase, and the shipping is super fast. Totally worth the annual membership fee.
4. Becky Higgins (beckyhiggins.com): I have followed her for several years from when I first started to scrapbook. This woman is just a neat, neat person. She has great ideas on everything from decorating, organizing, cooking, and scrapbooking. She is very simple and real in how she goes about life. Her newest invention is called Project Life....a very fun and easy way to scrapbook/record the most meaningful moments of your life (without all the hours of scrapbooking).
5. Contigo Travel Mugs: We are big fans of these mugs. Costco sells a 2-pack for $19.99 and they are worth every penny. They are stainless steel travel mugs with a vacuum-sealed lid. They do not spill (ever!); they keep your liquids hot for a long time; they are dishwasher safe; and they are perfect for gifts. They seem to be more popular these days...they are for sale in several places now like Amazon, Kohls, or Target.
6. L.L. Bean Personal Organizer: For traveling, this item is a must have. It comes in various sizes and colors and can be personalized as well. I bought us a large one to use as a family when we were away. It keeps everything organized, easy to get to, and is very convenient to zip up and travel with without worrying about spilling toiletries all over your bag. For a personalized gift, the price is awesome too!
7. Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Cookbook: I seriously could not function in life without my crockpot. It makes me look like a good wife when my husband walks in at the end of the day and the house smells like I've been at the stove for hours. I love having dinner prep done and cooking at 10 o'clock in the morning before life gets busy and kids get cranky. This cookbook is written by the woman who blogged about cooking with a crockpot for one whole year. She picked out her favorite recipes and made a fabulous cookbook from her experience. What I love about this book is that the recipes are very good and include pantry items that you normally have on hand. She also has her recipes written as gluten-free which is fabulous for anyone who can't have wheat.
8. Pottery Barn Kids Preschool Backpack: Each of my kids has this cute little backpack. I got it for them when they were around 2 years old. It's perfect for a little coloring book, crayons, a few small toys, a diaper, and anything else that you might need for your child for a little outing. The kids love to put their backpack on and wear it...and it saves you from hauling a big bag of stuff by yourself. It is smaller than a normal kid backpack...so even though it is too small for school use, it is great to use for many other times when you are out and about.
9. Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer: We use these at Yale for taking patient temperatures because they are so accurate. I think I have sold many for Walgreens because patients and their families always comment on them. I bought one a few years ago to use at home...my kids love them, especially since I don't use the old-fashioned method on them anymore. They are accurate, simple, and very easy to use.
10. Little People Nativity Set: Jason and I are of the belief that Christmas is really about Jesus' birthday. We tend to act like Santa Claus is a fun character like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We try to instill in our children that Christmas is also about giving more than getting as well as spending time together as a family. I thought that this cute little set would help explain the story of Jesus a little better since it is a fun, hands-on toy to play with. It definitely does the trick in making it more real for them. Silly me thought that I could hide it with Christmas stuff and bring it out once a year. They always find it and play with it year round....Abby says she "needs to play with Baby Jesus all the time, Mom!" So there you have it.....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
My Name is Jennifer. I am a Slacker Blogger.
As many of you know, this year has been one kind of crazy. Last year at this time, I would have laughed out loud if someone would have told me what was in store for us. I believe I was of the mindset that I was done moving and done having kids around that time. Life lesson #1: Never say never...especially when married to Jason Chiodo. :) Since my last post in July, I've been a wee bit busy. Growing Baby #3, packing and selling and moving, making decisions about a new construction house, having Abby start kindergarten, and then chasing Ben away from the emergency room the rest of the time. Oh, all while working the night shift at Yale two nights a week. Never mind the cooking, cleaning, laundering, driving, and everything else that moms do on a daily basis. All that to say....my deepest apologies that I just couldn't seem to fit blogging in there with the rest of it.
There were many a day I wanted to sit down and type out my quirky thoughts. And I would look at other blogs and be a wee bit jealous with all their cute and thoughtful posts they somehow managed to write several days a week. The truth of the matter is this: the time that I have to sit down and write is around 3 a.m. when I am at work on a rare night that we aren't busy with patients. But then I hesitate because I'm not quite sure my ramblings would make sense at 3 a.m. And I tend to lose my filter when I'm tired and thinking about random stuff in my head. Lord knows I can get in big trouble when my filter isn't in place. :)
Today I'm sitting here letting my kids watch one to many Max & Rubys so I can sit and actually blog. And it's 3:30 p.m., not a.m. I have realized that I haven't put hardly any pictures on here (sorry, Mom!). I do good just to get the dang pictures uploaded to my computer and put a whole season of them on Facebook a few times a year. But I will put some pictures on here soon....
So how is life right now? I'm 7 months pregnant, and so thankful that this baby girl is healthy and not causing me any problems. I think this has been my easiest pregnancy to date. I'm just too busy to pay much attention to her. I feel like taking my prenatal vitamin daily is a good accomplishment. So I swallow it, pat the belly, and say, "There you go, baby girl. Thanks for hanging in there with me." Haven't picked a name yet...we're down to about 3 choices. I think I'm overanalyzing them a wee bit too much.
We put our house on Blueberry Lane on the market this fall, and it had an accepted offer within 2 weeks of listing it. That wasn't really in the plan, but it was a good problem to have to deal with. So we sold it the end of October and found a little house to rent in Trumbull for 6 months. It's close to Abby's kindergarten and our construction. Abby and Ben are sharing a room which is 80% great and 20% crazy. I think they like it so much they are going to want to share a room in the new house. Maybe I'll end up with a spare guest room after all.
The new construction house is starting to finally pick up. There were some very slow-moving days where I had one too many hissy fits to get something done. I will admit that I was not ashamed to blame it on pregnancy hormones when I needed to. :) But after the long process of getting zoning approval, applying for demolition and building permits, finalizing a houseplan (holy moly)....the new foundation has been poured, the old house has been demolished, and there are currently 2 new walls framed as I sit here. Yeah for progress! I'm finding that the way to a construction worker's heart is through their bellies. So I'm throwing on the apron and whipping up some baked goodies with some hot coffee. Might as well make them fat and happy while they work.
The kids are great. Abby loves kindergarten and she is enjoying ballet classes and Girl Scouts. Ben is very close to being ready to potty-train. I would love to tackle that before March.
Okay, I think that's enough ramblings for now. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I get asked here and there, "Are you really doing okay?!?" Truth of the matter is this: I really am. Working the night shift makes me a bit of a zombie, but it's so much better than working 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and missing my kids so much I would cry on the way home from my shift. I don't mind working...I have good friends there, the money and benefits are good, my brain gets used, I talk to adults, and my Love Bucket is all ready to get filled up again when I get home. I do have days where I feel like I'm doing the best that I can and it's just not quite good enough by my own standards. I'm late for this or that, dinner is sometimes a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and the house is definitely not perfect. But my husband thinks I'm doing awesome and I definitely couldn't do it without him.
Okay-until next time (which will be sooner rather than later). :)
There were many a day I wanted to sit down and type out my quirky thoughts. And I would look at other blogs and be a wee bit jealous with all their cute and thoughtful posts they somehow managed to write several days a week. The truth of the matter is this: the time that I have to sit down and write is around 3 a.m. when I am at work on a rare night that we aren't busy with patients. But then I hesitate because I'm not quite sure my ramblings would make sense at 3 a.m. And I tend to lose my filter when I'm tired and thinking about random stuff in my head. Lord knows I can get in big trouble when my filter isn't in place. :)
Today I'm sitting here letting my kids watch one to many Max & Rubys so I can sit and actually blog. And it's 3:30 p.m., not a.m. I have realized that I haven't put hardly any pictures on here (sorry, Mom!). I do good just to get the dang pictures uploaded to my computer and put a whole season of them on Facebook a few times a year. But I will put some pictures on here soon....
So how is life right now? I'm 7 months pregnant, and so thankful that this baby girl is healthy and not causing me any problems. I think this has been my easiest pregnancy to date. I'm just too busy to pay much attention to her. I feel like taking my prenatal vitamin daily is a good accomplishment. So I swallow it, pat the belly, and say, "There you go, baby girl. Thanks for hanging in there with me." Haven't picked a name yet...we're down to about 3 choices. I think I'm overanalyzing them a wee bit too much.
We put our house on Blueberry Lane on the market this fall, and it had an accepted offer within 2 weeks of listing it. That wasn't really in the plan, but it was a good problem to have to deal with. So we sold it the end of October and found a little house to rent in Trumbull for 6 months. It's close to Abby's kindergarten and our construction. Abby and Ben are sharing a room which is 80% great and 20% crazy. I think they like it so much they are going to want to share a room in the new house. Maybe I'll end up with a spare guest room after all.
The new construction house is starting to finally pick up. There were some very slow-moving days where I had one too many hissy fits to get something done. I will admit that I was not ashamed to blame it on pregnancy hormones when I needed to. :) But after the long process of getting zoning approval, applying for demolition and building permits, finalizing a houseplan (holy moly)....the new foundation has been poured, the old house has been demolished, and there are currently 2 new walls framed as I sit here. Yeah for progress! I'm finding that the way to a construction worker's heart is through their bellies. So I'm throwing on the apron and whipping up some baked goodies with some hot coffee. Might as well make them fat and happy while they work.
The kids are great. Abby loves kindergarten and she is enjoying ballet classes and Girl Scouts. Ben is very close to being ready to potty-train. I would love to tackle that before March.
Okay, I think that's enough ramblings for now. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I get asked here and there, "Are you really doing okay?!?" Truth of the matter is this: I really am. Working the night shift makes me a bit of a zombie, but it's so much better than working 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and missing my kids so much I would cry on the way home from my shift. I don't mind working...I have good friends there, the money and benefits are good, my brain gets used, I talk to adults, and my Love Bucket is all ready to get filled up again when I get home. I do have days where I feel like I'm doing the best that I can and it's just not quite good enough by my own standards. I'm late for this or that, dinner is sometimes a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and the house is definitely not perfect. But my husband thinks I'm doing awesome and I definitely couldn't do it without him.
Okay-until next time (which will be sooner rather than later). :)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Little Announcement...With A Heartbeat
Hmmm...I wonder who reads my blog and will discover big news gets put on here?!? Here's a little story.....
Once upon a time, there was a young couple (30's is still young) who went out on a date night one breezy night in May. They had two young, adorable children at home who they love with all their hearts, but who also used every ounce of their patience, sanity, and godliness (thus the date nights). Over a few glasses of wine during the date night, the couple discussed having another child in the near future. The wife told the husband, "It will take many months before anything happens! We should just go the natural route and see what happens." The husband huffed and puffed a little and finally said with a grin, "Okay, let's go for it!"
About five weeks later, the wife is preparing to host a fun-filled 4th of July get-together at their home. After thinking of the past month's timeline and the anticipation of having a wee sip of alcohol for the night's festivities...she thought, "I might take a pregnancy test just to make sure. I know that I am not pregnant because I just stopped birth control and my body is still regulating itself. But just to be on the safe side..." Then from across the room, the walls could hear the frantic shouts of "HOLY CRAP!!! HOLY CRAP!!! HOLY CRAP!!!" coming from the bathroom. (Who says "HOLY CRAP!!! when you find out you're pregnant?) That would be me, of course. So the wife and husband spent a few weeks a little freaked out and wondering how life would be in a short 9 months. A lot of trepidation but also moments of excitement and anticipation. After an ultrasound at 8 weeks, the parents-to-be saw a little peanut growing inside with a beautiful heartbeat. They thank God for this new life He had given them, and pray for the little one to be healthy and whole, and for an extra dose of patience, sanity, and godliness to be bestowed on them before March. It's not like we are planning on selling, building and moving houses in the next three months or anything. We'll be fine! We can do it! No sweat. To be continued....
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
My Life....Under Construction
One day I will find the time to blog more. But not today. I do have a few minutes so here's the scoop.
We're moving again. Found a great little deal in the town of Trumbull where we always wanted to live. So instead of living the rest of my days here on Blueberry Lane in Stratford, we are switching gears to Cottage Street in Trumbull. Was this in the plans? No. I threw away every last moving box when we moved here last year. So. Life...crazy. Trying to do all the normal everyday things...work, family, kids, etc. But now we are in a frenzy to remodel both bathrooms and finish up a few things that need to be done to list our house on the market. All at the same time that we are putting together blueprints and working out the zoning details to take the little shack we just bought and turn it into a beautiful home for us. Permanently. Are you reading this, Jason Chiodo? I'm not moving again after this. Seriously, this time. We've never done a project this big...so I'm a wee bit nervous and stressed out and excited and impatient. No biggie.
Enjoying the gorgeous summer weather. Doing lots of water play with the kiddos. The pool, slip n' slide, sprinkler hose. I'm washing beach towels every day. Getting ready for my kids to add another birthday to their young lives. How can Ben be turning 2 in July? How is that possible?!? Enrolling Abby for kindergarten. And August 31st (Abby's first day of school) I will be doing the ugly cry. Just bank on it. It's gonna happen. Jason may need to take the day off to handle his out of control emotionally unstable wife that day.
I did recently switch to work the night shift at Yale-still in the PACU. I'm sacrificing sleep for the sake of our family. :) It's not that bad. I'm working 2 12 hour shifts from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. More money (love shift differential) and less babysitting (love being with my kids more!) I was working 9:30-10 during the day, and it was just breaking my heart. I'd run around crazy in the morning, get the kids dropped off, and would come crawling home exhausted to see them fast asleep at night. Kinda hurt to miss out on whole days with them. So when a night shift position opened up, I jumped at the chance. If I don't work back to back, I can truly sleep 3 hours and get up and function the rest of the day. Head and words are a little fuzzy, but I think I come across as looking pretty normal. I try to do every Friday night so that Saturday mornings can be fun Jason/Abby/Ben time while I sneak in those 3 hours. Babysitter time just went from 18 hours a week to 4-6 hours. Sweet.
Okay. Off to get the paint off of my wedding ring. I dream of the day I will not need to paint something somewhere.
We're moving again. Found a great little deal in the town of Trumbull where we always wanted to live. So instead of living the rest of my days here on Blueberry Lane in Stratford, we are switching gears to Cottage Street in Trumbull. Was this in the plans? No. I threw away every last moving box when we moved here last year. So. Life...crazy. Trying to do all the normal everyday things...work, family, kids, etc. But now we are in a frenzy to remodel both bathrooms and finish up a few things that need to be done to list our house on the market. All at the same time that we are putting together blueprints and working out the zoning details to take the little shack we just bought and turn it into a beautiful home for us. Permanently. Are you reading this, Jason Chiodo? I'm not moving again after this. Seriously, this time. We've never done a project this big...so I'm a wee bit nervous and stressed out and excited and impatient. No biggie.
Enjoying the gorgeous summer weather. Doing lots of water play with the kiddos. The pool, slip n' slide, sprinkler hose. I'm washing beach towels every day. Getting ready for my kids to add another birthday to their young lives. How can Ben be turning 2 in July? How is that possible?!? Enrolling Abby for kindergarten. And August 31st (Abby's first day of school) I will be doing the ugly cry. Just bank on it. It's gonna happen. Jason may need to take the day off to handle his out of control emotionally unstable wife that day.
I did recently switch to work the night shift at Yale-still in the PACU. I'm sacrificing sleep for the sake of our family. :) It's not that bad. I'm working 2 12 hour shifts from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. More money (love shift differential) and less babysitting (love being with my kids more!) I was working 9:30-10 during the day, and it was just breaking my heart. I'd run around crazy in the morning, get the kids dropped off, and would come crawling home exhausted to see them fast asleep at night. Kinda hurt to miss out on whole days with them. So when a night shift position opened up, I jumped at the chance. If I don't work back to back, I can truly sleep 3 hours and get up and function the rest of the day. Head and words are a little fuzzy, but I think I come across as looking pretty normal. I try to do every Friday night so that Saturday mornings can be fun Jason/Abby/Ben time while I sneak in those 3 hours. Babysitter time just went from 18 hours a week to 4-6 hours. Sweet.
Okay. Off to get the paint off of my wedding ring. I dream of the day I will not need to paint something somewhere.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
A New Hobby
I found this blog the other day, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since! Let me back up first....I am the type of person who loves to look through the Pottery Barn magazines, "ooh" and "aah" at a few things, get a decorating idea here or there, but never buy anything from them. I love to see the look and find it somewhere else for way, way cheaper.
For instance, our bed. I love our bed. After 7 1/2 years of using Jason's old queen mattress and bedframe, I bought a king-sized bed and new bedframe when we moved to Blueberry Lane. I will admit that I kind of bamboozled my husband with the idea to look at a mattress sale, and then made the command decision to get the bedframe too...and "make it a king while you're at it!". I think his head was still spinning when we left the bedding store. But, my wrought iron bed looks a lot like a Pottery Barn bed that sells for $849 (+$150 for s/h). I bought ours for $299 (and no s/h).
All that to say, when I found this website, my heart did a little leap inside me. This girlie-girl mom who lives in Alaska has a blog called Knock Off Wood (knockoffwood.blogspot.com). She loves the look of the furniture at places like Pottery Barn but couldn't afford it, let alone the shipping of it to Alaska. So she made her own....many times copying the same look as she found in magazines. And she has this fabulous blog with very simple and clear lists of the shopping lists you need from the orange or blue store (as she calls it), the few tools you'll need, and then easy-to-understand FREE plans for how to make that piece of furniture.
So this coming weekend, I'm going to make my first project. I'm so excited! I'm already dreaming of all the furniture I could make for our house...stuff that looks like PB but costs thousands of dollars less! This weekend, I'm going to make a kid-sized picnic table. I have needed one for outside for the kids...especially when we have guests over. A few boards, a few tools, $30, and a few hours of my afternoon. And the best part is...I get to paint it whatever fun yummy color I choose. Stay tuned!
For instance, our bed. I love our bed. After 7 1/2 years of using Jason's old queen mattress and bedframe, I bought a king-sized bed and new bedframe when we moved to Blueberry Lane. I will admit that I kind of bamboozled my husband with the idea to look at a mattress sale, and then made the command decision to get the bedframe too...and "make it a king while you're at it!". I think his head was still spinning when we left the bedding store. But, my wrought iron bed looks a lot like a Pottery Barn bed that sells for $849 (+$150 for s/h). I bought ours for $299 (and no s/h).
All that to say, when I found this website, my heart did a little leap inside me. This girlie-girl mom who lives in Alaska has a blog called Knock Off Wood (knockoffwood.blogspot.com). She loves the look of the furniture at places like Pottery Barn but couldn't afford it, let alone the shipping of it to Alaska. So she made her own....many times copying the same look as she found in magazines. And she has this fabulous blog with very simple and clear lists of the shopping lists you need from the orange or blue store (as she calls it), the few tools you'll need, and then easy-to-understand FREE plans for how to make that piece of furniture.
So this coming weekend, I'm going to make my first project. I'm so excited! I'm already dreaming of all the furniture I could make for our house...stuff that looks like PB but costs thousands of dollars less! This weekend, I'm going to make a kid-sized picnic table. I have needed one for outside for the kids...especially when we have guests over. A few boards, a few tools, $30, and a few hours of my afternoon. And the best part is...I get to paint it whatever fun yummy color I choose. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Musings of a Mother
You know-there are several things I've been thinking upon lately that no one really prepares you for as a mother. For instance:
1. The intricacies of disassembling and then reassembling sippy cups. Who tells you that it takes a rocket scientist to put together these 'no spill' cups?!? And the husband doing it?!? Forget it. The directions need to say: "Must have a lot of patience and be very detail-oriented to do this correctly." It's really not that each one is difficult. It's when you buy a variety of them (trying to find the most non-spill kind), and then you unload the dishwasher and see the mountain of cups, lids, valves, straws, etc. looming in front of you.
2. Having to explain to your four year old about cars. All the questions about windshield wipers (why none on the sides?) and brake lights (why are their red lights on?) and blinkers, seatbelts, horns, filling up with gas, you name it. Had no idea the curiousity about vehicles.
3. Koolaid! I made them Koolaid for the first time this week. Abby saw the packet in the store and asked about it. In my mind I thought, "I drank Koolaid all the time growing up...why not?" Then I made it and realized you put in a WHOLE CUP OF SUGAR!!! (Mom-this is not a judgment on you). Somehow we weren't allowed to drink soda growing up, but we could have Koolaid?!? After giving my kids a glass each and then dealing with them bouncing off the walls for over an hour, I poured the rest down the drain. Thanks, but no thanks.
4. The magnetism to toilet water. I know I would've freaked out more if it was my first child...but my dear son seems to love toilet water. Let's just say I'm taking a supersonic fast shower, I hear the toilet mechanisms and realize 10 seconds too late that Ben has a Dixie cup in his hand, a mouthful of water, and a wet shirt up to his elbows. Yes, I'm assuming he got thirsty and decided the toilet was better than nothing. How do you undo the damage that has already been done? All while being wet and naked jumping out of the shower to stop the fella? Gag a few times and pray that the immune system works the way God created it? I swear I watch him like a hawk and he still gets things past me. It hasn't just been a one time occurrence either. (And I have to add...this is in a house where you have to still remind the 4 year old to flush....thankfully the two occasions have not met each other).
5. Explaining the story of Jesus. Oh-this was a heartwrencher. I was coloring with Abby the other day and we started talking about Easter. I asked her if she knew what Easter was about. I took a deep breath, prayed a quick prayer for just the right words, and told her about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and why He did it...Him rising from the dead, being in heaven, etc. (Talk about feeling so vulnerable and inadequate right then and there.) She even said, "Jesus lives in heaven, but He also can live in people's hearts!" I explained that a bit more in very elementary terms. I asked her if she wanted to pray to Jesus and ask Him to live in her heart. She said, "No, not right now. Maybe later." Then we kept coloring. A few days later, she randomly said, "Mom. How did Jesus get to heaven? Did he grow wings and fly up there?" So I know the thoughts are still churning in her mind.
There's more...but I have to start dinner now.
1. The intricacies of disassembling and then reassembling sippy cups. Who tells you that it takes a rocket scientist to put together these 'no spill' cups?!? And the husband doing it?!? Forget it. The directions need to say: "Must have a lot of patience and be very detail-oriented to do this correctly." It's really not that each one is difficult. It's when you buy a variety of them (trying to find the most non-spill kind), and then you unload the dishwasher and see the mountain of cups, lids, valves, straws, etc. looming in front of you.
2. Having to explain to your four year old about cars. All the questions about windshield wipers (why none on the sides?) and brake lights (why are their red lights on?) and blinkers, seatbelts, horns, filling up with gas, you name it. Had no idea the curiousity about vehicles.
3. Koolaid! I made them Koolaid for the first time this week. Abby saw the packet in the store and asked about it. In my mind I thought, "I drank Koolaid all the time growing up...why not?" Then I made it and realized you put in a WHOLE CUP OF SUGAR!!! (Mom-this is not a judgment on you). Somehow we weren't allowed to drink soda growing up, but we could have Koolaid?!? After giving my kids a glass each and then dealing with them bouncing off the walls for over an hour, I poured the rest down the drain. Thanks, but no thanks.
4. The magnetism to toilet water. I know I would've freaked out more if it was my first child...but my dear son seems to love toilet water. Let's just say I'm taking a supersonic fast shower, I hear the toilet mechanisms and realize 10 seconds too late that Ben has a Dixie cup in his hand, a mouthful of water, and a wet shirt up to his elbows. Yes, I'm assuming he got thirsty and decided the toilet was better than nothing. How do you undo the damage that has already been done? All while being wet and naked jumping out of the shower to stop the fella? Gag a few times and pray that the immune system works the way God created it? I swear I watch him like a hawk and he still gets things past me. It hasn't just been a one time occurrence either. (And I have to add...this is in a house where you have to still remind the 4 year old to flush....thankfully the two occasions have not met each other).
5. Explaining the story of Jesus. Oh-this was a heartwrencher. I was coloring with Abby the other day and we started talking about Easter. I asked her if she knew what Easter was about. I took a deep breath, prayed a quick prayer for just the right words, and told her about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and why He did it...Him rising from the dead, being in heaven, etc. (Talk about feeling so vulnerable and inadequate right then and there.) She even said, "Jesus lives in heaven, but He also can live in people's hearts!" I explained that a bit more in very elementary terms. I asked her if she wanted to pray to Jesus and ask Him to live in her heart. She said, "No, not right now. Maybe later." Then we kept coloring. A few days later, she randomly said, "Mom. How did Jesus get to heaven? Did he grow wings and fly up there?" So I know the thoughts are still churning in her mind.
There's more...but I have to start dinner now.
Monday, February 1, 2010
News from the Slacker
Okay, it's February 1st, and I realized I didn't even make a single post on my blog the whole month of January. I guess I kind of feel like there's not too much exciting stuff going on in the Chiodo home. Work for both of us is going well; Abby's still enjoying her preschool 3 days a week; Ben is growing like a weed. We spend our weekends together and do a little home project here and there.
Here's a house update:
1. Jason found out about Connecticut utility companies providing rebate money for make energy efficient home improvements up until March 2010. So we got their required energy audit and within the month of December we had insulation blown into the walls, ceilings, attics, and garage in our house. It costs about $1.10/sq. foot and we get a rebate of $1.00/sq. foot. We ended up paying about $300 to fully insulate our house. We also got central air installed (I find this quite lovely-especially since the rebate made Jason gung-ho to get it done instead of me asking for it many times over when it gets hot here). We already had all the ductwork set up in the house so it wasn't overly expensive to do. And we used money we got for Christmas to get a new front-loading washer and dryer. The ones that came with the house were still the originals from 1965. I'm definitely loving these Christmas presents. The good thing is-we're now getting our utility bills for January...and there is a big difference! Our electric, water, and gas bills are all significantly lower. Love that.
2. We got a new front door-goodbye ugly and creaky 1965 one! Still needs to be painted but it's a lovely one.
3. All of our new windows are installed except for our big bay window. That's a spring project. As I'm typing this, I don't think I posted on here the nightmare that we had with our new windows. The new window project started in November and it just finished about 1 week ago. Have I mentioned I'm not the most patient of people? This really pushed my patient buttons. Anyway-long story but it's finally getting resolved.
4. In November, Jason and his dad built me floor to ceiling built-in bookcases on both sides of my fireplace. I needed some storage and instead of buying cheap Target bookcases, I sweetly asked to have some built. And they did. And I love them. Although painting them white was a long and arduous project I wasn't fond of. But worth it.
5. This past weekend, Jason and I hung up curtains in my dining room/kitchen. I did a little happy dance once they were hung. I love curtains. And I haven't had any in my house for 2 1/2 years. When we rented for 2 years, I didn't hang any since it was temporary. So I had white walls and bare windows that whole time. And Sunday (yesterday), my dear husband made his wife quite happy with my curtains.
6. Projects still to come....both bathrooms need a total overhaul; our bedroom needs to be painted desperately (painted in 1965) along with a new light fixture. We still have the ugly globe one hanging in there.
So-home projects are exciting for us but I'm sure they're not that exciting for everyone else. But they keep us busy.
Abby & Ben:
We signed Abby up for soccer through the town of Stratford for Wednesday evenings. Her first one was last week. She was so cute out there running with her red curls bouncing up and down. They did lots of running and some soccer drills. When it was over, she sighed and said, "Mom. That was not fun. I was breathing way too hard." But she loved it. Abby also gave up her afternoon nap for good about 2 weeks ago. I figured I was one lucky mom to still have her take one until she was 4 1/2. And surprisingly, she's done really well. She has about 45 minutes of quiet time in her room, then she gets to watch a show, and then the two of us will play a game or do a puzzle or something fun. One day she fell asleep sitting on the couch around 5:30 when I was making dinner. And we can't drive anywhere late in the evening without her falling asleep in her booster seat. But she and Ben hit the sack around 7 each night and that makes the evenings for the two of us quite nice to spend together.
Ben is 18 months now...and no stitches, no broken bones or broken teeth or major boo-boos. He climbs on everything. And I mean everything....kitchen table, fireplace, top of the couch, etc. I tell people that BC may stand for Ben Chiodo but it really stands for Birth Control. :) He says "momma" and "uh-oh" and "ow!" And he's definitely a cuddler. He makes a "ooohhhh" sound and will just hug you so sweet and tight. And gives open-mouthed slobbery kisses.
Okay-I'm off to do some dishes. That's a quick update on us. I'll post some pictures soon.
Love y'all-Jenn
Here's a house update:
1. Jason found out about Connecticut utility companies providing rebate money for make energy efficient home improvements up until March 2010. So we got their required energy audit and within the month of December we had insulation blown into the walls, ceilings, attics, and garage in our house. It costs about $1.10/sq. foot and we get a rebate of $1.00/sq. foot. We ended up paying about $300 to fully insulate our house. We also got central air installed (I find this quite lovely-especially since the rebate made Jason gung-ho to get it done instead of me asking for it many times over when it gets hot here). We already had all the ductwork set up in the house so it wasn't overly expensive to do. And we used money we got for Christmas to get a new front-loading washer and dryer. The ones that came with the house were still the originals from 1965. I'm definitely loving these Christmas presents. The good thing is-we're now getting our utility bills for January...and there is a big difference! Our electric, water, and gas bills are all significantly lower. Love that.
2. We got a new front door-goodbye ugly and creaky 1965 one! Still needs to be painted but it's a lovely one.
3. All of our new windows are installed except for our big bay window. That's a spring project. As I'm typing this, I don't think I posted on here the nightmare that we had with our new windows. The new window project started in November and it just finished about 1 week ago. Have I mentioned I'm not the most patient of people? This really pushed my patient buttons. Anyway-long story but it's finally getting resolved.
4. In November, Jason and his dad built me floor to ceiling built-in bookcases on both sides of my fireplace. I needed some storage and instead of buying cheap Target bookcases, I sweetly asked to have some built. And they did. And I love them. Although painting them white was a long and arduous project I wasn't fond of. But worth it.
5. This past weekend, Jason and I hung up curtains in my dining room/kitchen. I did a little happy dance once they were hung. I love curtains. And I haven't had any in my house for 2 1/2 years. When we rented for 2 years, I didn't hang any since it was temporary. So I had white walls and bare windows that whole time. And Sunday (yesterday), my dear husband made his wife quite happy with my curtains.
6. Projects still to come....both bathrooms need a total overhaul; our bedroom needs to be painted desperately (painted in 1965) along with a new light fixture. We still have the ugly globe one hanging in there.
So-home projects are exciting for us but I'm sure they're not that exciting for everyone else. But they keep us busy.
Abby & Ben:
We signed Abby up for soccer through the town of Stratford for Wednesday evenings. Her first one was last week. She was so cute out there running with her red curls bouncing up and down. They did lots of running and some soccer drills. When it was over, she sighed and said, "Mom. That was not fun. I was breathing way too hard." But she loved it. Abby also gave up her afternoon nap for good about 2 weeks ago. I figured I was one lucky mom to still have her take one until she was 4 1/2. And surprisingly, she's done really well. She has about 45 minutes of quiet time in her room, then she gets to watch a show, and then the two of us will play a game or do a puzzle or something fun. One day she fell asleep sitting on the couch around 5:30 when I was making dinner. And we can't drive anywhere late in the evening without her falling asleep in her booster seat. But she and Ben hit the sack around 7 each night and that makes the evenings for the two of us quite nice to spend together.
Ben is 18 months now...and no stitches, no broken bones or broken teeth or major boo-boos. He climbs on everything. And I mean everything....kitchen table, fireplace, top of the couch, etc. I tell people that BC may stand for Ben Chiodo but it really stands for Birth Control. :) He says "momma" and "uh-oh" and "ow!" And he's definitely a cuddler. He makes a "ooohhhh" sound and will just hug you so sweet and tight. And gives open-mouthed slobbery kisses.
Okay-I'm off to do some dishes. That's a quick update on us. I'll post some pictures soon.
Love y'all-Jenn
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