Old House Love - Family Room Update

It is not a surprise that at some point there would be a room that we needed to repaint.  Well, that has happened!  

The family room has been a favorite since meeting our house.  We let go of the paneling and put my favorite paint from our town house.  I still love that paint! but that paint needs more natural light than this family room offers. 

So, time to repaint, stay with the same feel, but get more light.  

The Original

Fall 2014

Painted drywall, newly white trim

Winter 2016

Darker Greige (darkened Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter), new light fixture, add curtains, new coffee table

We have loved how it turned out!  So much more light than before!  Now, we just have a little decorating to go:  finish the mantle, art for the big blank wall, and maybe something for above Gladys's cage.  For now, we sit back and enjoy more light mixed with a lot of cozy!

Old House Love - 2015 edition

In 2013, we bought out house.  We did our kitchen and Anna-Kate's room that year.  In 2014, Will cleaned out the yard, and we re-did our shelves in the den as well as Benjamin's room.  After 2 years including 2 major projects, 2015 was just the opposite!  We did two smaller projects and had a baby in between.  

Adding Bethany to the family meant that it was time to paint the nursery.  I didn't take the before/after pictures.  Imagine white walls with brown trim.  Then, we painted the trim and doors white and we painted the walls the same Accessible Beige that we painted the other two kids room.

I have taken the decorate sl-ow-ly approach with her room.  This will be her big girl room as well, so I have not rushed to pick out decor.  Here, you can see the colors that we are going with.  A painting bought from a friend at church, the quilt that I made for baby girl.  Night stand is currently being looked for. Then a lamp on top for the corner.

Her room has one double length closet, and that nook as you walk in the room.  Maybe a couple floating shelves for books there or a mirror or ... we'll see.

The lighting kept not working for this picture.  You can see one candidate for the wall, the "B" with two frames, maybe for behind the rocking chair.  Her owl bank.  Her bunny bookends from her aunt.  I am working on a mirror for above the dresser.

Maybe by the summer her room will actually be closer to a completed nursery.

My proudest 2015 moment was the upstairs hallway!  Love how this turned out!  The simple things, right?  

the before (kids bathroom on left with AK's bedroom seen straight ahead, Benjamin and Bethany's rooms are in the curve to the right)

Ah, so nice!  (AK's door needs to be replaced, a project for 2016)

So fun to see more pictures up in the house and love the pop of color!

Small bookshelf to house the kids' collection.  Cute elephant night light.  Painting Bethany was given by her Aunt Bonnie.  Love how this little bit adds fun and color to our house!  

Seeing projects start coming together just fuels the desire to work on more rooms in the house!

Celebrating Benjamin!

Benjamin, it was so fun celebrating you and the wonderful you bring to our family!

We started the day with donuts and candles,

and the best birthday bedhead!  

That's right, buddy, all for you!

Benjamin has had his mind set for almost 2 months on what he wanted to ask for for his birthday.  He wanted one thing.  With no hesitation.  With no deterring him.  One thing.

The Batbot.  

Batman robot that transforms by remote control into the Batmobile.  Dad was so excited to surprise his boy by letting the Batbot ride into the kitchen to surprise Benjamin.

It took Benjamin about a minute and a half to figure out how to drive the Batbot.

From Batmobile (above) to Batbot (below)

The night before when we unboxed the gift and got him ready for Benjamin, Will kept discovering new things about the robot.  He shoots. He has a Batman hiding inside him.  He says at least 12 different things.  And, all the sudden, Dad turns to boy and is a little green about his son's birthday gift.  

About the time Benjamin decided on Batbot, he also decided on what he wanted his birthday cake to be:

Baymax!

It is absolutely a treat to watch Benjamin share his birthday with Opa!

A birthday lunch with the family followed by cake and presents!

Happy birthday to you!

Until next year birthday boys...

Benjamin is 4!

Benjamin, you are 4!

You are so proud to be 4!  As much as I want to be sentimental that 4 always sounds like fully kid leaving little behind, I can really only be proud.  (Okay, like totally proud with sentimental mixed in.)

Height: 40.6in - 55 %ile 

Weight:  34lb - 25 %ile

At 4, your favorite playmate is Anna-Kate.  You love getting out your superheroes and playing Superhero/Barbie with her.  You love aggravating each other and playing together.  My absolute favorite is when you guys disappear outside and roam the yard for bugs and create habitats.  Your imaginations are finally starting to work together, and I love it!

You adore Bethany and are a great big brother.  You love getting in her face, entertaining her.  You need to give her hugs all the time.

You are so proud when you get to be Daddy's helper.  And, let's face it, you still love your mama.  You can sit and watch me cook for so long!  You help me so often that we have some pretty good systems in the kitchen.

so thrilled on his special daddy outing to the movies to see The Good Dinosaur

You love preschool!  You are learning so much!  We are seeing your art become semi-recognizable ...when you are in the mood to focus.  You love having friends to play with.  Preschool teaches you so much, but it is obvious that Anna-Kate just might be your best teacher.  When she counts, you mimic her.  She loves reading to you, and you love letting her!

in his preschool class

Evie and Miller are your favorite friends.  Hanging out with them is your favorite, if you have to be away from home.  You remain a home body.  You are happiest when you are home and when we are all  home.

You don't take naps any more.   You sleep from 7:30 until 7 or 7:30.

You love almost all food!  You love spicy food.  When I am making salsa, you will eat the raw onion straight from the bowl.  You love  your sweet treats as well as your veggies.  Your favorite lunch right now is yogurt and nuts or hummus and veggies/chips.  

The biggest food news is that this year we discovered that you outgrew your dairy allergy!!  In August you passed the heated milk challenge, and then only a week ago you passed the milk challenge!  You can eat all the food!!  We are so excited to slowly introduce you to pizza, cheese, butter, candies, ....

Benjamin, 4 years in, and we love it!  You have a great smile.  Your "spock eyebrows" always bring a smile to my face.  You love to learn and show off what you've learned.  You love watching shows and playing computer games.  You love being outside.  Talking about dinosaurs.  Reading books.  And, you love being silly!  

Can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Ending with the attempted birthday selfie!

10 months

Bethie girl, you make us smile.  

Your babbling is increasing.  I am enamored.  You pair your babbles with expressiveness and "ooh"'s, totally enamored.  You have both dadada and mamama down pat.  So, which one will be your first official word, we will see!  

You love bath time!  You can be getting to your end of day fussy but then you hear the bath water.  You stop fussing and crawl to the bath mat, ready to go!  

Right as you turned 10 months, you finally "got" eating.  Rice puffs, followed by green beans were you first finger foods.  As of today, you eat rice puffs, green beans, hamburger, butternut squash, and bananas as finger foods.  They are all cut so small, because you don't chew very well yet, but you LOVE to eat.  We are about to try wheat, the first of the higher allergen-risks that we will try.

Benjamin and Anna-Kate entertain you well, and can make you laugh so quickly...

...but Will and I say often that you are our most independent by far.  You play on your own for long spurts.

Your faster mobility helps with this!  Now, we have to look for you

Chewing on Mom's shoe

Finding Barbie and transformers more interesting than your board book

(not quite pulling up yet, but getting close!)

And, of course, the classic move stealing the dog's cage for your own play space!

You still nap in the morning, but normally for only 30-40 minutes.  You are already affected in the afternoon if your nap goes too long.  Your nap in the afternoon is anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours long.  Most of the time it is your siblings' schedules that determine just how long it can be.

Because of these shorter naps, you are ready for bed by 6:45, sometimes we can get you all the way to 7.  You sleep until 7:10 or even until 7:30.  I think you are making up for short day naps at night!  

We tried stopping the dream feed, but you woke up at 12:30 for a feeding.  I am not ready for night feedings again.  So, we will let your meal time diet increase a bit and then try dropping the dream feed again in a week or two.

Bethie girl, you are loved!