My Bathroom Project

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was working on the downstairs full bathroom. It's done except for a few details and I thought I would post some before and after pictures of my fine work! I painted the entire bathroom a color called Firecracker and I love it. I also painted the vanity white, it was black before and I painted the medicine cabinet, trim, and door the same white. I hung new fixtures for hand towels and our daily towels and I ripped up the brown carpet that was in the bathroom to expose the while tile with silver flecks and put down white rugs to compliment the rest of the while details and the new bright walls. Let me know what you think!

Please note that the items you see in the before pictures are from the previous owner and she left much of it when she moved out. While country can be nice, too much of it is more than I can handle.

The bathroom before:















The bathroom after:





You can see I still have a few details left to finish. The light fixture you see is still from the previous owner since I haven't decided what style I would like yet. I also have to finish painting the doors to the vanity and installing the new hardware I purchased. I have a picture to frame and hang, but for the most part I am proud of my work and feel more confident to take on future projects.

Happy (Early) Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! My in-laws arrived yesterday afternoon and my parents are coming tomorrow. I will be cooking my first full thanksgiving dinner for all of us and I am excited! I printed out my recipes on Monday and made my grocery list. Monday night I was off to the store to do all of the shopping. It was an experience.

I plan on getting up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with the little man and whoever else would like to join us. I have vivid memories of watching the parade with my grandfather when I was growing up so it means a lot to share that with my son.

My other favorite Thanksgiving treat is the newspaper with all of the Black Friday ads! Last year I went out at 5am to take advantage of some deals. It was the first time I had ever done that before, but I figured everyone had to experience it at least once, right? I am planning on going out again this year if there are some good deals. I like the time to shop by myself even if it is in the wee hours of the morning.

So I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. May you all be blessed with plentiful food, good football games, and long naps!

ABCs and 123s

Last Thursday the Fairport Public Library held a Preschool Fair. We thought it would be great to take advantage of so many preschools in one room and it would be easier to talk and gather information. So the boys stayed home (I wanted to be able to talk with the individuals instead of chasing a two year old around a small conference room) and I went.

A very nice woman from the library greeted me at the door and inside were at least 20different preschools with tables set up and information everywhere. I took my time and went table to table talking to everyone and gathering any information they had. It was a bit warm in the library so after visiting each table I made a run for the fresh air outside. When I got home and had put the little man to bed, we then looked through all the pamphlets, brochures, and papers that I collected. I never knew there were so many different types of preschools out there!

One of particular interest is a preschool at the Strong Museum. This would be wonderful opportunity for the little man and I could easily drop him off on my way to work. Another that really peaked my interest was the Pittsford Cooperative Nursery School. The Pittsford Nursery School (PSN) is a coop run entirely by parents. Parents help out in the classroom about once a month and the more you help out the cheaper the tuition is. The parents also play an important role in the direction the school goes in and the hiring of teachers and assistants for the classroom. They also offer enrichment programs one day a week where they teach music, art, and drama. The little man would absolutely love this! There are a few other preschools that I liked as well among all those that we have looked at.

It dawned on my one night that applying to preschool was much like applying to college. The little man is only two years old! As parents we gather information to look at the many options and want to make the best decision for our child so they start off their education on the right foot. You have to apply be sending in an application and there are application and registration fees along with tuition if you are accepted. We want to make appointments for a tour at each place so we can watch classes in action and see how the little man reacts to each classroom.

I have to laugh at this whole process when we are only choosing a preschool...I can't imagine what it will be like in another 15 years when we choose a college for him!

As Time Goes By

I know, I know...much time has passed since my last entry. Where do I begin? Life has been so busy lately. Let's begin with work...My job can be quite demanding, I love it, but it has been hectic lately. I have been bringing work home with my me, staying late, and even working the "fluff" holidays. At the end of September I traveled to Albany for two days of meetings at SUNY Central. In the short time I was there I felt like I was indoctrinated into an "Old Boys" club. I had a lot of information thrown at me and I met a number of SUNY people in a short period of time and it was fun, but there is a loneliness that I have when I am all alone in my hotel room at night. Maybe it's me, but I don't think I am the only one to feel this way being away from home and the family I miss.

The house is coming together. We have a few stray boxes here and there, but most things are put away and organized. My husband has been working really hard on the kitchen. He has been sanding and prepping the walls and wood work so that it can be painted. The previous owner did a lot on her own and it isn't all bad, but we are having to clean up some areas that would have been more advantageous if she had someone with a little more experience do them. I am excited because I have taken on the project of the downstairs bath. I started this weekend by prepping the walls and last night I primed the vanity. We bought the paint for the kitchen and the bathroom this past weekend and we are anxious to see color! We have also been busy "winterizing" the outside of the house which is a lot of work and a challenge when you have a two year old who likes to wander and flirt with the ladies in the neighborhood.

The little man...what can I say? He's growing so fast and is an absolute joy. His vocabulary has exploded and we can have conversations with him now. He is in love with this puppy that we bought for him before he was born. He takes it everywhere, brushes it's fur, and they read books together. It's adorable! He has been taking music classes at the Eastman School of Music on Saturdays. He seems to really enjoy it and it's very entertaining to watch the kids interact with each other and the music. The little man is very active and it adds to the craziness of everything else.

My in-laws came for a visit a few weeks ago and stayed at the house with us. It was really nice to be able to have guests. In the past they would have to stay at a hotel because we didn't have the room, but now we can host them as well as others in our new house. They are coming again for Thanksgiving and I am making Thanksgiving dinner! I am excited. I plan on putting the Christmas tree up that weekend and to start decorating the house both inside and out for the holidays. I am looking forward to seeing our red living room decorated for the holidays!

So the holidays are coming fast and the week after Thanksgiving I leave for another trip to Albany. I think I see a light at the end of tunnel...Brockport shuts down for two weeks at the Christmas...I think I see a long nap in my future!