Carving Pumpkins, Decorating the Tree & "First" Snow!

On Saturday, November 7th, Fischer enjoyed a lunch of noodles prepared by Papa. There's a video of him eating on the Fisch Finder. He loves noodles. In fact, that's one of his favories right now, along with pizza and CEREAL! We've found, though, that pepperoni and some other meats tend to upset his stomach :( But pineapple pizza is still a hit! In the Fisch Finder noodle video Fischer's eating just before his nap, so it looks like he'll nod off mid-noodle-slurp!

Better late than never--on Sunday November 8th, Fischer and I carved his first pumpkin! He didn't really want anything to do with the "guts", but once the shapes were carved out to make the face, he enjoyed putting them back in and out like a puzzle or shape-sorter :)

He enjoyed seeing it lit up, too--wow!

Fischer's made himself at home in our new kitchen. He has his own cupboard where we have spare utensils he can bang around. He also feels free to empty out the "tupperware" drawer along with the napkins, ziploc bags, etc....This pic was taken on Saturday, November 21st.

While Joe went deer hunting up in Tomahawk by Grandpa Kenny (didn't even SEE any!), Fischer and I put up and decorated our little tree. He only had to be told a couple of times to look or touch instead of pulling the ornaments and garland off.

He said it was "pretty!" when we lit it up, and enjoyed picking out ornaments he wanted a closer look at--like the Curious George one, and Santa (at the top of the tree).

Later, we took a walk together. At about the half-way point (when we were on a low-traffic street), I asked if he wanted to get out of the stroller and walk. He said yes, so I got him out. He did pretty well staying on the sidewalk and holding my hand crossing streets...when we could get through one whole block! Fischer was so busy collecting "helicopter" seeds, that the walk was not as much for exercise but rather for helicopter hunting! After awhile, he agreed to return to the stroller for the rest of our walk.

We had a nice Thanksgiving at home with my Mom & Bill, my brother and his girlfriend (my friend from work) Frances and her son Josiah (who is 1 year older than Fischer), and the 3 of us. Our new kitchen sure is nice for entertaining! Guess I was too busy to get the camera out!!! (Sorry)

This past Monday (Nov. 30), I began two new things: I began a special detox diet/supplement program for myself to get healthier in general and start my eating habits anew, and putting Fischer down to sleep without rocking him all the way to sleep (and leaving him when he wakes at night). Both are going really well! Though, I'm getting tired of eating only fruits and veggies...I've lost 5 lbs. this first week. That's encouraging!!! Also, Fischer's learning to get himself back to sleep...should've done this long ago--it just breaks your heart when he cries! Hmmm, I guess I'd rather feel sympathetic for him while staying in my own bed! He's doing great with it, though. The new bedtime routine is just the ticket :)

Yesterday (Dec. 4th) while we were both at daycare, it SNOWED! Fischer got to try out his snowpants for the first time. We got lots of complements on the yellow ("You won't lose HIM in a snowstorm!"). Fischer's boots turned out to be too narrow to get his foot into without a major struggle and lots of tears (on his behalf), so we left his shoes on. He was quite tearful while getting dressed, but was ALL SMILES once he saw the "NO!!!" Below, he's on the playground with one of his friends, Caleb. I caught him mid-wave. He's such a camera dude!

Once we get his boots all set, Fischer's gonna be all set for outdoor play. I think he'll enjoy winter/snow play. Don't you?????

There's a video on the Fisch Finder of Fischer and a few of his friends on the playground.

Well, Joe, Fischer and I hope this entry finds you all healthy and happy. A belated Happy Thanksgiving, and a joyous holiday season to you all!

We're still poor (and will be for some time) from our kitchen project, so please don't get us anything fancy for Christmas, as we cannot reciprocate this year. As for Fischer, he's all set for clothes up to size 2T (which he won't be in for awhile, as he's just a little bit height-challenged!). And he's pretty much set for toys. If you want to get him anything, he could use a set of wooden play-doh toys (like the brand Melissa & Doug at The Mom & Pop Place in Neenah), a booster chair for sitting at the table (maybe one with a seatbelt), a boys' potty chair (nothing scary that takes batteries, please), wooden puzzles with shapes/animals/etc. that have knobs on the pieces...As I think of more things, I'll be sure to add them to an entry.

Until next time...take care and lots of love!!!

Here It Is!!! New KITCHEN!!!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Since Fischer had 6 costumes to choose from this year...yes, six...we got a little wear out of almost all of them the week before Halloween. He had an Elmo and a Cat-In-The-Hat handed down from my boss, Tracy, whose son Vann is a year older than Fischer. Grandma Pam got him a frog suit and a Tigger (Pooh Bear's friend) suit from garage sales. And our friend Kit loaned us the pumpkin suit (below) as well as a giraffe costume. In the pic below, Fischer was 'helping' Joe hook up the sink.On Halloween, it was time to get the party started. Despite a small turnout, it was a nice "kitchen-warming" party. Below, Chad, Kristy, and Amy catch up while hangin' out in our new kitchen.
Benny D (Doc Brown from Back to the Future) and Joe tear it up on karaoke (my fave!).
Tom, Adam, Joe and Maggie socialize a bit (it was Adam & Maggie's first time at our house).
Chad D, Chad M, Neighbor Chris (Job Hunter--really), Benny D and Neighbor Mike sip their beverages in the new kitchen.
Benny D and Neighbor Mike converse near the chimney.
We're glad everyone came--it was a good time! Next year, maybe we'll do something a little earlier to include the kids...

Fischer had a great night at the Neighbors'. He got to try bacon with his frenchtoast breakfast the next morning. Despite the time change, he even slept in for them! What a good little guest :) Later Sunday, though, he came down with a fever. On Monday we ended up taking him to the ER, and discovered he had a double ear infection. Poor guy! The pics below were taken while he was feasting on some pudding and trying to keep his fever under control on Tuesday night. It is now Wednesday night, and his fever seems to be gone. The past 3 days have been pretty scary--Fischer's sick of having his temp. taken, being given Motrin and/or Tylenol, and feeling hot and restless and whiney. At least his appetite and fluid intake weren't affected. We had a follow-up with his Dr. today, and she said it seems as though the antibiotics are kicking in, and she'll see him in 2 weeks to be sure his ears look good again.

You can see Fischer in the background at his spot at the diningroom table. Below, you see breakfast bar in the view toward the livingroom, with our little under-the-counter fridge--which is working pretty slick! On the left is a seat with a mirror and our shelves/curio/coat closet.

In the pic below, where the stove/hood are, there used to be a humongous heater and window. The heater is now a little blower unit under the cupboard on the left side of the stove, and we plan to put a solar collector on the outside of the house where the boarded over window left a space in the siding. The sink and new window facing the backyard are on the right side of the pic.

Here's Fischer hamming it up on the curio seat hours before his fever got the best of him. There are drawers below the seat for hats/mittens/etc.

Below you can see the gated stairway (not my favorite solution, but it's safe--not necessarily permanent--I'd like a half door there!), the chimney, the coat closet/curio, the cubby over the steps, and the end of the breakfast bar. You can also see where the two new floors meet. There are a few re-plastered places we'll have to paint on the walls...

Here's a nice view of my Grandma's old table with our new chairs. The panel under the breakfast bar closest to the window opens to provide access to that extra-deep cupboard. We keep a rug under Fischer to make clean-up easy! Doesn't the floor look great?!

Though the pic below isn't lit up too great, it shows some of the under-cabinet lighting, the ceiling fan in the kitchen, and the view as seen while sitting in the diningroom. Bon appetite, Fischer!

Curtains will go up eventually, and we're waiting on a bar-height padded bench for the breakfast bar. The hall doorway, back door and basement door will get new trim (maybe a new back door, too), the steps still have to be done, as well as some of the crown moulding and baseboard. Not to mention the painting touch-ups I told you about before...But now it's all minor details in the grand scheme. What do you think?! It's a million times more impressive in person :)

I can't say enough how pleased we were with our experience with Brian from Distinctive Cabinets, Llc., Dust-Free Sanders (who re-did our dining floor), and H.J. Martin & Son (who did our kitchen floor and back landing). We will definitely use their services again for future renovations. We're really pleased with how all of the colors and tones came together, too--it's a really warm vibe. It's tough to imagine what the big picture will turn out to be when you're choosing colors and textures based on something the size of a playing card!

Thanks to my brother, Nate, who did a first-class drywall job for us--it's great! He's a fierce perfectionist when it comes to that...so if you need a drywall dude, we can put anyone in contact with him :)

A very very special thanks to my dad, Ken for all of the infinite kinds of help and expertise he provided before, during and now after our project. We couldn't have done it without you!

Halloween Potluck Saturday, Oct. 31st

For those of you who check the blog faithfully...

We're having our annual Halloween Potluck Costume Party at our house (516 S. Jackson St.) this Saturday, October 31st, from 8pm to midnight.

Since I'm only notifying people by electronic means (phone, e-mail, blog, Facebook), and there has been so much going on with our renovations, it'll be bring-your-own-beverages. Our friend Ben will be there to DJ and have karaoke (my favorite!), and you're welcome to sport whatever costume you want. Just come prepared to have a good time and to oogle our new kitchen!

If you'd be so kind, please let me or Joe know by Friday if you'll be joining us. You can call/text our cells (Val 819-7649 Joe 819-0170), e-mail us (Val grassizgreener@hotmail.com Joe gork3@hotmail.com) or facebook me.

We would like a good-sized turn-out despite the short notice...so costumes are optional. We just want to show off our new kitchen and share a good time with friends :)

Happy Halloween!

Val & Joe

OMG--The Kitchen's Almost Done!

On Saturday, October 10th, my good friend Jenny from work got married. Fischer had a ball playing with Holly & Maurice's son, Collin, during the dinner and reception. Here, Fischer's dancing :) He keeps his arms straight out to the sides and sways them from front to back--a tiny bit reminiscent of the Pee-Wee Herman dance...

Now that Fischer's getting a little older, and starting to be drawn to other kids more, he was Collin's shadow at the wedding. Collin is exactly 6 months older than Fischer.

Fischer took the time to appreciate the decorations...And managed to stick his fingers in the cake!!! Luckily, Jenny and Jacob had already gotten their photos taken with it, and the part he touched was mangled from them grabbing pieces to feed each other. Fischer's main comment about all of the decorations was "Wow!"

Here are the handsome guys (and their dad's, too). Joe with Fischer, and Maurice with Collin.

Now....our kitchen floor was redone on Thursday, October 8th. It looks like dynamite! It's hard to tell in the picture, because it was morning darkness when I took the pic, but it looks like bricks--looks spectacular next to the chimney! Also, notice the window is framed in (our cupboard guy did that). And there's crown molding up! My dad and I did that!

Here's a shot of the dining area where you can get another good look at the crown molding...and our spectacular newly re-finished diningroom floor! Yay! It was refinished on Thursday and Friday the 15th and 16th while we were at work/daycare and spent the night at Tundra Lodge. We had a good stay. It took Fischer about an hour to warm up to the waterpark part (very loud in there), but then he was saying "wow" about everything and almost didn't want to leave!

Here's the hi-light of the last 3 months....Our new heater! It fits under the new cupboard next to where the stove will be, and replaces the huge park bench sized one we kicked out to make room in the kitchen. With the installation of this baby, WE HAVE HEAT AGAIN!!!!!! This morning, before I left for work, I took pics of all of our cabinets waiting to be installed. As I type this, it's the end of my workday, and I should be getting home to a whole new kitchen!

Here's a shot of all of our stuff as seen from the livingroom. It feels like the anticipation on Christmas when you see all the wrapped gifts!

We are just giddy with excitement and relief that this huge project is coming to a close. Below you see the big tall cupboards that we'll hang our coats in.

Well, my next post may be this weekend, or early next week. I have a new kitchen to fill, and homework for my class to complete! If you don't want to be left hanging until a new post shows up...stop by and we'll show it off!!!!

Tepee Camping, More Kitchen Progress, etc.

The weekend of September 18-20, I joined some girlfriends for a girls-only camping weekend at Hartman Creek State Park (near Waupaca, WI) to camp in a tepee!
Kristy and Amy were there...

And so were Shana and Cheyenne (Amy's dog).
We had gorgeous weather, and the campsite was really nice. It was set back a little from the other sites, so we felt like we had enough privacy...however, with it being the only tepee around, we did get some uninvited visitors a couple of times. There was a trail right behind the tepee, and a couple of families went ahead and took a peek inside while we were by our fire or picnic table. Good thing no one was changing!
Here's the view from inside the tepee.
The tepee was up on a wooden platform that was on a little hill of gravel (to keep it dry). Good thing we brought things to sleep on so we wouldn't be on the hard wood. The nights were pretty chilly. The first night, we burned wood that we had gathered from around our site. It was mostly pretty rubbery pine. So the next night, we purchased firewood from the campground. That was the way to go! We didn't do a lot of cooking (it was our weekend off, after all!), but we had a camp stove to warm water for coffee and other odds and ends.
There were a number of lakes around us, and tons of cool trails to check out. On Saturday, we rented a canoe and a kayak and spent a few hours on one of the lakes just paddling around appreciating our surroundings. Later, we explored near a dam. Here are Shana, Amy, Cheyenne and me.
Here's Kristy exploring part of the dam and creek.
On Sunday, Kristy and I went for a little extra walk after we'd left camp (cuz we didn't have to be home quite yet!). This trail went all around the lake, and there was even another inner trail that was farther from the water and in the woods more.
The scenery was beautiful! We saw lots of cool plants and berries and other pretty nature things.
It was a fun girls' weekend.
When I had left for camping, Fischer was sick with a fever. Upon my return, we headed into one of the crummiest weeks we've had as a family. I'll spare the details, but we're just glad we're all healthy again, and will move forward.

The kitchen has been getting painted! I got an update from our cupboard guy yesterday, and he's on track for having them in our house sometime the week of October 12-16! The new kitchen floor and landing by the back door goes in on October 8th. We have new appliances waiting to go in (stove, hood, dishwasher, microwave, little fridge)...The end is truly in sight!!!

I think we'll be all set to host another Halloween party ON HALLOWEEN (10/31) this year. Hey...and I won't be pregnant or nursing this time! But we're not sending out invites just in case something doesn't come together with our project. So, don't give up other plans to attend our party...but if you don't have other plans, we're 90% sure you can spend Halloween with us :)

And...just because blog entries aren't the same without our little boy...here are some recent pics to satisfy!
We went for a walk with our neighbors Chris and Taylor the other evening, and ended up on a pier by the Fox River trail. Fischer and I had been there a few evenings before, but I didn't have my camera along.
Fischer enjoyed watching boats and geese through the railing. He kept saying "wow". It seemed like he enjoyed the breeze off the water, too.
To get this shot of him watching a flock of geese, I had to hold my camera up and over the railing!

Fischer continues to grow more independent every day. He gets frustrated easily (and lets you know with a ticked-off cry). He avoids a lot of frustration, though, because he communicates effectively with the signs and words he knows. There are still plenty of things to get upset about! Like not being able to use our cell phones or computers...so we try not to have those out around him. It's also frustrating for Fischer to be contained in the living room if we're in there, because he can't wander into the dining room/kitchen with wet paint, other building stuff, and an open stairway!

In the basement, Joe changed things around a bit near our current "kitchen". I had a corral set up with a play area for Fischer to be in while I made dinner. He'd cry every time I put him in it. Joe decided we can take the corral apart and use the pieces to block the basement steps and the doorway to the downstairs bathroom where the litter box is. After we close the doors to the two rooms downstairs, Fischer's got a pretty sizeable area to run around. We just have to remind him not to touch the knobs on the stove and water heater. This makes for a happier boy while he's waiting for meals to be made!

Fischer uses his version of the word "yellow" not only to describe the color or things that are yellow, but also to express happiness. When he sees, for example, that dinner's ready and coming his way, he'll say "lell-lell-lell-lell-Oh!" and clap his hands and sign "please". He's working on the sign for thank you, and is learning to nod and say yes (sounds more like "dets").

So, as things finally come together with our new kitchen, I'll be sure to take photos of the progress so they can go into a future blog entry. With the amount of time I've been averaging between entries, maybe the next one will be to report our project's completion...? Wish us luck!!!