Walt's Turn

The construction to date has largely been about Mommy and Daddy.  (Okay, mostly Mommy.)  So, we decided Walt and all his buds would need a place to hang out while their parents are chilling on the screened porch.  And because apparently we have decided to pull our weight and yours in the Bush plan to spend our way into an economic recovery.   (Seriously, no one should be expecting any good Christmas presents from the Spicklers this year.)

No, it's not finished yet, but Mr. Julio was kind enough to shovel some of the leftover sand from the cement mixing into the sandbox part for Walt.  This particular playhouse is a Mommy-designed original and will feature storage for outdoor toys, both covered and uncovered sandbox area, a slide and a fireman's pole (recycled from an old playground -- Bob the Builder would be so proud).  Walt's pretty excited.

Meanwhile, inside the house, we've been two weeks away from being done for about five weeks now.  We are more than ready to stop sharing our lives with a construction crew.  And that's all I'm going to say about that.  On a happier subject, the bookshelves are finished and, after a marathon session that lasted until midnight last night, they are even painted.  (The couch will go in the big open space, in case you're wondering.)  Some of the spaces on the right, which is where the computer will go, will have doors on them, but they're still drying.

I'm pretty sure we don't have enough books to fill up all these shelves, so if you're looking for any cheap gift ideas for us (to pay us back for the cheap gifts you'll be getting from us), our Amazon wish lists should supply some ideas.  Or you could always go with a $5 Home Depot gift card because it is practically our summer home.  This will all be finished soon, right?  Right?

Haircut

I really need a haircut (I didn't realize how badly until I looked at these pictures).  So instead of going to my normal stylist and shelling out $40, I decided to let Walt take a whack at it.

(No hair was harmed in the making of this post.)

Livin' Large at the Lake (now with Construction Update!)

As far as I'm concerned, there aren't many better ways to spend a summer weekend than hanging out at the lake . . . floating around in the water, eating enriched wheat flour products straight from the box and reading in a quiet lakehouse during naptime.  Josh, a redhead who apparently doesn't have enough sense to come in out of the sun and is currently sporting a pinkish glow because of it, might disagree.  Nonetheless, he joined the crew (Spicklers, Mills and Lareaus) on the trek to Arkansas for a weekend of fun and sun.  More sun for him than the rest of us, unfortunately.

For some reason, I am currently unable to get my vertical pictures to post thusly (or my text to go where I want it to), so you'll have to tilt your head to the left to see Meredith feeding her fishy-Daddy a snack.

And now for a little construction update . . .

Steve the Builder and Mr. Julio (Walt's names for them) beginning work on the bookshelves that will go on the wall with the little window.  This will be the den area.

Standing in the den area looking into the breakfast area.  The open doors on the left are a coat closet and laundry room.  Unlike the rest of our house, we decided to go with more neutral colors in the addition, except for the laundry room . . .

. . . which is orange, of course.  Party in the laundry room!  (We decided it's more of a University of Texas orange than a University of Tennessee orange.)

 

The new screened porch from the inside.

The new screened porch from the outside (trim on bottom not yet finished).  And now for the most recently completed part . . .

Again, not sure why I can't get my vertical photos to post vertically, so you'll just have to tilt your head to the left to see my BEAUTIFUL NEW PANTRY!  It's not yet painted and we've also not yet decided whether to put a door on the cabinet that will hold the beverage fridge, but it is so great I could cry!  A midtown home with an adequately-sized pantry is a truly rare thing.  Tomorrow they'll move the washer and dryer out (not in picture but currently sitting directly across from the cabinets) and I will do a little jig in there.  (No, I will not be posting said jig on YouTube -- you'll just have to use your imagination.)

So, there you have it.  They say we're a couple of weeks away from being done, but then they said that a couple of weeks ago too.  So, we'll see.  But, other than the painting and the constantly dirty floors, it has been a fairly painless process and I am thrilled with the results, thus far.  YAY!

Overheard: sometime last week

The scene: bedtime in Walt's room just after prayers.

Walt: Daddy, can God see me?

Daddy: Yes, he can.

Walt:  How can he see me?  We have a roof on our house.

Daddy: [after a short pause] Well, he can see through the roof.

Walt:  How can he see through the roof?  There aren't any holes in our roof.

Daddy: [after a longer pause] Well, God is everywhere so he can see you right here in your room.

Walt: [after no pause at all] Is God in my mouth?

Daddy: [after an even longer pause] Well, since God is everywhere, I guess God is in your mouth, too.

Walt: [barely intelligible because he's sticking his finger into his mouth and pointing toward the very back molar on the left side] I 'ink Gah is 'ight uh here.

Daddy: [leaves room]

Tree Hugger

I'd been warned earlier in the week that Mommy had a baby shower to attend Saturday morning.  I've been wanting to take the guided walk through the old forest in Overton Park, and a last minute check of a local blog confirmed that there was, in fact, a hike scheduled for Saturday morning at 10:00.  It was set.  10AM, 85 degrees, three-year-old, a mile and a half hike, mosquitoes, poison ivy.  All within two miles of the house.  What more could you ask for on a Saturday morning?  So, we gathered at the assigned meeting place and set off on our adventure.  Of course, Walt was immediately recognized by the author of the aforementioned local blog, who was also along for the walk.  This "Hey, aren't you Walt?" thing is happening a lot these days.













Did I mention that Walt likes to ride on my shoulders?
  



















(Photo credit: the aforementioned blogger.)

Walt was actually a good little woodsman.  He walked for over half of the time, and he got down when I asked.  He even did a reasonably good job of keeping up.  (Basically, I didn't lose him.)













We learned about stinging nettle.  And we learned the easy way to identify poison ivy.  Tip: stay away from the fuzzy vines.  We learned that some of the trees in this tiny little old growth forest are older than the city of Memphis itself.  I'm not sure Walt learned any of this as he was talking the entire time our guide was explaining it, but he was interested and seemed to be having a good time. 






























As a reward for his efforts, Walt even got a sticker.  (I won't get into the dirty details on this blog, but let's just say the defenders of the Old Forest, one of whom led our walk, and the Memphis Zoo aren't seeing things eye to eye right now.)  I wouldn't call him an activist quite yet.  But he didn't protest when we covered his beloved "red car" with this "Save the Old Forest" decal.