The Leatherwoods: February 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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I have a good excuse for being a blog slacker these last few months. A LOT has happened since I posted last. Namely, thanks to our amazing, talented, generous-with-their-time, couldn't-LOVE-them more FRIENDS, the Hunts, we FINALLY finished the BASEMENT!!! We've got a few things here and there to finish up, but it is basically done, it's definitely functioning, and we are VERY happy with it!

Michelle was the project manager and I was her first assistant. We needed the guys on a few occasions and made sure to get our money's worth out of them ... a task that sometimes proved a little difficult and involved a LOT of pizza and Dr. Pepper.

Now that's what I call TEAMWORK! One holding the sheetrock, two with drills, me with the camera. :) Do I know how to get out of heavy labor or WHAT???

Michelle REALLY loves a good project. She gets VERY excited. Wasn't that nice of me to provide her with a massive project that went on for months and months. I'm nice like that.

I got SO dang tired of the sheetrock dust. It was EVERYWHERE in this house!

Don't these two make such a CUTE team?

Uhhhh .... well this is awkward. Not really sure what he's doing, but I do recall having to remind him to stay on task a few times.

I promise I helped most of the time (see above picture for proof). In fact, I don't even think Dave or Sterling had a drill in their hand in this picture. They are just posing.

Dave got delegated to do most of the sanding ... too messy for me.

Michelle is basically a sheetrock expert and I do not get in her way when she is holding a power tool ... or sheetrock knife.

This is a LIVE action shot. I was actually WORKING in this picture.

Poor Dave, he drew the short straw and had to sand the ceilings after Michelle and I mudded. The sunglasses were a stroke of genius if you ask me.

Not bad for vinyl tiles. I LOVE the way the bathroom turned out.
The strangest thing happened. Just a day or two after Sterling and I both strictly FORBID Michelle from balancing on top of the ladder in my stairwell, I came home from work one day and the stairwell was textured ALL THE WAY TO THE CEILING which is very high, and the ONLY person here with her was a 4-year-old. Does anyone else find this VERY interesting?

Is it even POSSIBLE to hate priming any more than I HATE PRIMING? It's so annoying! Painting twice? Really?

Anyway .... drum roll please ...

The finished product. I realize this picture isn't very exciting, but it is informative because everyone knows CARPET is the FINAL step. There you have it folks ....that is in fact CARPET in my basement.

Funny kids

A new road just opened up by us called Pioneer Crossing. T.J. and I were on it the other day when he asked where all the pioneers were. I explained that they lived a long time ago and talked a little about the pioneers to him. He said, "Well, if the pioneers are dead, how can they be crossing the road?"
At the Qquirrh Mountain Temple Open House, there was a player grand piano playing hymns as we exited the temple. T.J. wanted to know who was playing the piano, so of course Dave told him it was a ghost. T.J. wanted to know, "Dad, is it the Holy Ghost?"
T.J. was changing himself out of his wet swimming suit today and into his pajamas when he took a few laps around the living room completely naked. I chased after him and said, "T.J., you can't run around naked. Get some clothes on!" He gets all indignant and says. "Mom, I'm NOT naked ... I have sunscreen on."
T.J. came running up to me this morning and said "Mom, I want to play knock-knock joke." I said, "Well good luck with that. You should probably wait until your father gets home becuase he's better with the whole knock-knock joke thing." T.J. said, "No I'll do it." I said okay, and he ran off. So a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. I answered it and it was T.J. laughing hysterically. I was a little confused and said, "What's up T.J.?" To which he responded, "We played it mom. We played knock-knock joke, and it's so funny." Apparently knocking and then laughing when people answer is now called "playing knock-knock joke."
London wanted me to buy her a new movie at the store today and I told her "no." She, of course, started in with the "Why not?" and "How come?" and all of that. So I just said, "London we don't have enough money to buy every new movie that comes out!" So she said, "Well, why don't you do some jobs and save up your money?" To which I responded, "London, are you serious? You want me to do jobs and save up my money so you can have a new movie?" She said, "If you work hard mom, you could do it."
I told T.J. the other day that he had to clean up some toys he had gotten out before he could have the piece of candy he wanted. So I said, "Come on, let's just hurry and clean it up. I'll help you." So he comes over for a minute and we pick up a few things and then he just walks away. I said, "Hey! Where are you going?" And he said, "You don't need my help mom. You're a big girl. You can do it all by yourself."
T.J. always wants me or Dave to lay by him at night while he falls asleep. Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. Tonight, we were busy with other things, and T.J. was in there calling for me, "Mommy, come lay by me." I said, "T.J. I can't right now but I love you." So he said, "No Mommy, don't love me ... just lay by me."
I think my kids might be getting a little too much "election" exposure this year. We were at Partyland the other day having fun looking at costumes. Dave found a Barack Obama mask and put it on. London was not amused and told Dave, "No Daddy! Don't be him. He makes bad choices." You got that right London.
T.J. got into trouble yesterday and I got after him for it. He says to me, "Don't get mad at me or I'll call you a big red chicken." Huh?
I've been thinking about going back to school, and we were asking the kids what they thought about it the other day. So Dave says to Austin and Jackson, "What do you think mom should be? What should she study in school?" Austin gave some perfectly reasonable responses like "teacher" and "writer." Jackson says, "Mom, can you be a really famous football player?" You bet Jacks. You know what Dave's response was? "Jackson, have you ever seen mom run?" How rude!
So T.J. is pretty much potty trained, but we're having a few issues with number two. So, I walk into the room today and clearly caught him in "the act." So I say, "Uh oh T.J. Guess what?" And he says, "Uh ... I don't know. Maybe you smell something?" I definitely smelled something.
I went to put T.J. in his car seat the other day, and he said it was too hot. I said, "I'm sorry. What should I do?" So he thought about it and said, "Can you blow on it for me?" So I did, and then he said it was only warm and happily got buckled up.
Austin needs to have a wart burned off his finger. Jackson happens to be an expert on the subject after much experience a few years ago. So he reassures Austin by saying, "It doesn't hurt too bad ... maybe like London scratching you about 5 times .... or maybe 10." Thanks Jacks.
In the midst of a Saturday full of errands, we agreed to take the kids to McDonald's to play on the playground and have some lunch. They were all excited, but I think London most of all. She jumped out of the car at McDonalds, ran over to me, and in her most dramatic fashion ever said, "Oh thank you mom! I just knew we were a happy family."
We always tease London about eating like a bird, and she really does. But it may be getting a little out of hand. Last Sunday when I handed her the sacrament tray of bread, she said matter of factly, "No thanks mom. I'm full."
The week of London's 5th birthday, Austin, in family prayer, makes a heartfelt plea that London will "understand the reponsibilities of being 5." What a good brother. Now if someone could just explain what these "responsibilities" are ... maybe I'll ask Austin.
Jackson broke the personal, family, and possibly world record the other day by thoughtfully saying in his prayer NINE TIMES: "Please bless us to have a good time." Wow! This kid is seriously concerned about having a good time.
London was playing her computer game this morning and after passing off a level, she was really proud of herself. I was happy for her and told her "Wow! Good job. You are really good at that." She was really excited about her accomplishment and my praise and exclaimed, "Mom, I did such a good job. Maybe I should be in a parade."

The Leatherwoods

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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