Construction continues

The past few weeks have seen our basement go from storage area to construction zone. Rob is making impressive progress, with the framing and electrical almost finished, and we hope to have the electrical inspector sign us off this week. We'll then be cleared to install insulation (lots of it!) and put up sheetrock. We know you've been dying to hear our step-by-step progress!

Above: Our new window makes a big difference. Before this was just a cinderblock wall.

Use of the word "we" above really refers only to Rob. He's down there every spare moment of his evenings and weekends, and I've only gone down to help once (but many other times to give opinions...). Last Saturday we all spent the afternoon down there - Rob and I stringing wire and Haley practicing gymnastics. She has a bar to hang on and a balance beam made from 2x4's. Between that and her baby dolls she can self-entertain for hours!

Haley's decided she's really not fond of many of the power tools, especially the air compressor which she calls the "pa-chunker". It turns on randomly to, well, fill with air I guess. We were down there one time and she was playing by it while Rob and I talked in the other room when it turned on. She ran to me and leaped into my arms, literally whimpering and shaking. Now she won't go down the stairs without yelling, "is the pa-chunker off?" Every loud noise is now a Pa-chunka - if she bumps or drops something in the other room and I say, "What was that?" she'll yell back, "Nothing! Just a Pa-chunka!" I suppose we could tell her what it's really called, but that would spoil the cuteness.

Stay tuned for more updates on Hotel Wood...



















This is what I've been busy with the past 2 weeks - I completed my 2nd cake-decorating course, and we have a lot of Royal Icing flowers around the house to prove it. This was our final project - the birds are a little cheesy, but I made all the flowers myself!

Two going on 12...

Haley is continually surprising us - both in what she does and says. Some cute things Haley has said this week:

When asked after dinner if she had room in her tummy for a cookie: “Yep, right here (pointing to a spot on her belly). It’s a nice, round spot for that cookie.”

When we were saying she had eyes like Daddy, hair like Mama, etc.: “Where did we get all these pieces to build me?”

As she leaned her head against my belly: “Hello in there! How are you doing?”

As I tucked her in and said goodnight: “After I close my eyes and go to sleep it will be a new day, and we can stay home all morning and play, play, play.”

Christmas Eve Sledding

On Christmas Eve we found ourselves in an unexpected position - we were all done with our shopping! So should we sit in the kind of traffic jam that Grand Forks has only one a year, or find something more fun to do? We decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather (low 30's) and take Haley on her first sledding trip. We all bundled up and headed to a nearby portion of the dike that runs through town along the river (this is the closest we have to any hills here). Rob and Haley hiked up to the top and walked over to a not-so-crowded spot while I, in my current condition, stayed below with the camera. The hill was big, icy and fast! Haley had a look of surprise all the way down, then broke into a grin at the bottom and said "let's do it again!" We stayed there for awhile and then went to a less-crowded and smaller hill so Haley could try it on her own.

Afterwards she spent a few minutes on the toys - this is the park we spend a lot of time at in the summer - and then discovered the ice rink. Haley loves to "ice skate" around the kitchen in her socks and was delighted to be on real ice, even in her snow boots. She and Rob slid around and we were both incredibly impressed with her ability to keep her balance. I guess it's not too early to start her on those hockey lessons...