Where Are You? Part One

Most seasons we get at least one visit from the in-laws, out-laws, grandparents. This year is a little different in that almost all of them started new jobs. Along with the blessing of new employment comes the bummer of no vacation time. Which means no visits. Which also means, no break for the mama.

No worries. I have everything under control.



So for the grandparents I'm going to post a three part series entitled

Where Are You?

You heard it right. A series. Don't get too excited. It probably won't ever happen again.

It's just a fancy way of saying I-know-I-can't-fit-it-all-in-one-post-because-nap- time-can-only-last-so-long.

Speaking of naps, Lainey is totally outgrowing hers. She's "resting" in our room, but as I write she's gone from singing Jesus Loves Me to a school yard chant about Michael Jackson coming to town and Pepsi-Cola burning him down.

A huge thanks to the Cousins for teaching her that one. Oh wait, here comes my favorite part,

Lincoln, Lincoln, I've been thinkin', what on earth have you been drinkin', is it whiskey, is it wine, oh my {gosh} goodness it's turpentine.

I may have to start considering home schooling.

And I really need to get on with this post before she launches into a mash-up of Gold Digger and How Great Thou Art.

This is a view of our joint from the road.



Wow, you're thinking, that looks small. There are two reasons for that. One being that the property we're on is a very narrow rectangle so the townhouse sits sideways on it and the other is well,

it's small.

Here's the front/side.



And here's the back/side. The shared laundry room is through that door at the top of the steps in the middle.



The first few weeks we were here I really enjoyed that little path to the laundry room. Even if I was carrying my load in the girls baby doll bed because I forgot a basket. It was peaceful and lovely.

Until The Incident.

One afternoon I went to let the dog in and there was a snake. On my peaceful path. Not only was he slithering around and being all snake-like, he was eating his lunch.

Which was still alive.

For the rest of my days I will never forget that poor little frog with his back legs caught in the vice of the serpent's mouth. He was giving it all he could to hop away, but the snake just kept pulling him back.

Of course, I saw all this in a matter of 3.5 seconds because I RAN back into the house, forgot the dog, ran back out to get him and then ran back in all the while fussing at Andy to save the frog.

SAVE THE FROG!

He said

Do you really want me to mess with nature?

Yes, yes I do.

And what should I use?

We have a broom.

A broom, you want me to save a frog's life with a broom.

Um, yes, yes I do.

And so, because he loves me with all his heart, Andy grabbed the broom and claims to have rescued the frog by shooing away the snake. In my mind all of Frogger's little froggy friends came to get him with a little froggy stretcher made of bark and took him home to recover.

In reality, the snake probably came back and ate him because really, how far can a frog hop without back legs?

Not far, I tell you. Not far at all.

Moving on to the inside.

You've already seen the living room, the dining room and the kitchen. If you could find it in all the mess. I took that shot sitting on the love seat, and here's the view as I turn to the right.



And that concludes our tour of the inside.

I'm just joshin'. But really, that's about it. So here's a view from the kitchen back to the couches.



That thud you just heard? All my friends with good taste who just looked at the windows and fainted. Because who puts a white panel followed by sheers in varying shades of blah? And then, because they think it looks great does it to the next window, in the same order?

I don't know people, I just live here.

Here's the master...



Nothing says romance like a shiny bedspread and garbage bags on the window.
And yes, that is Lainey tackling Anna Grace. I think she was forcing her to smile and then just decided to body slam her.

You know, the usual.

Here's the girls room, complete with garbage bagged window. The Nester would not be proud. For the record, Andy did it. He enjoys his sleep.

I can't really argue with the effectiveness, or the price.



Here we have the lovely bathroom. That's Emily who took it upon herself to brush her teeth. It's totally adorable, aside from the unfortunate fact that she's using someone else's toothbrush.

At least it's not mine.



Finally, the most important feature of this home, according to Lainey.



That's Willie, the miniature horse that lives right behind us. Lainey thinks he's the best and wants to feed him apples and carrots nearly every day.

And so we do.

That concludes this riveting tour of our current home.

Stay tuned for part two of the series which I am calling

Where Are You? Part Two.

Originality is one of my gifts.