Cousins, here and gone

CousinFest 2013 is over. How can that be? Our kids and their kiddos were here in various combinations from Monday (23rd) until today. Lots of fun, hugs, kisses, noise, playing, reading, sledding, technology use, puzzles, games, singing, dancing, superhero fun, eating, sleeping (adults taking naps whenever possible), 'toonie watching, playing "baby" and "puppies" and school, snowman building.... and more and more and more. 

For the last several cousin reunions I've posted multiple blog entries, sometimes arranged thematically, sometimes chronologically, other times randomly. As I looked through the mess-o-photos (over 600 this time!), I decided I'd put together photo books via Snapfish for each family instead. Annie did that a couple of years ago, and I've done it once, too. This will be the only blog entry to celebrate CousinFest 2013, and finish off my blog for this year. I'll print a blog book again, in case blogger.com disappears into the depths of cyberspace some day. 

CousinFest 2013

 There were elves everywhere, all week long.

Crazy cousins listened to stories galore.

 Moms and dads and grandparents and kids filled every nook and cranny.

Chilly children used great teamwork to build a happy snowman. This guy's most unique feature is a mouth made out of celery. Try to sing that line to the tune of "Frosty the Snowman"!

The Grimmius family grinned for a photo or two or ten.

 

The Dellons revved up the snow blower to rid the driveway of snow

The Potts four took a quick break from playing in the snow for a family photo.

The Superhero HGE theme was a super success, thanks to Annie. There were superhero tee-shirts and undies for the kiddos, superhero socks in abundance for the adults, and superhero-themed gifts for the HGE. The tree was decorated with superhero logo decorations.

Six superheroes were on duty throughout the week to keep the planet safe, for which we are grateful. Any resemblance between Batman, Captain America, The Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, and/or Super Girl to the elves in an earlier photo is purely coincidental.

The handprint collection is in its third year. Everyone has grown, so it won't be long before the handprints begin to overlap!

Dad/Larry/Grandpappy and I had a great week of family fun with Elisabeth, Evan, Charlie, Angie, Annie, Tanner, Hannah, Miles, Ethan, Owen, Weston, and Vivian. We love you all more than you want to hear, and we appreciate that you will sacrifice your time to be with the old folks and with each other several times a year. As usual when you all leave, it's far too quiet here!

Get your earplugs ready...

...because it won't be long 'til these six are under one roof. Ours! The Countdown to CousinFest 2013 has begun!

Friday the 13th

I didn't realize it's Friday the 13th until I looked at the calendar a few minutes ago. Not much of a believer in good luck or bad luck based on numbers and such, I won't connect our morning to luck of any kind. Just home ownership.

Any of you who've read the bathroom saga might want to stop here. It's not over.  The good news is that the mirror is being re-framed with a non-flawed frame today, and I should have it on Monday. The not as good news is that a plumber named Jesse, who we just met this morning, did this about five minutes after showing up. Sorry it's blurry. I was still shaking from the sound of the saw cutting through the plaster wall.

This is the corner of Larry/Dad/Grandpappy's bedroom closet.  There will likely be a matching opening in the wall on the right. That's two bathrooms out of three that have cracked pipes that are leaking....into the ceiling of the third bathroom, in the basement.  

The maybe good news is that Jesse the plumber, who replaced George the plumber (don't ask) probably won't have to cut into the new tile in the just-remodeled bathroom. 

I see more good news/bad news scenarios on the horizon. There will be more to report on Tuesday, when Jesse the plumber returns with more saws, blow torches, machetes, and Howitzers. Today I wrapped Christmas presents while the saw was buzzing. Tuesday I'll be baking cookies with Valium in them.

Superhero holidays, anyone?

Annie took on the responsibility of being the Holiday Gift Exchange Coordinator for 2013 (HGEC). It can be an easy job or a stressful one. It's especially stressful if any of the Gifters are thematically challenged like I am. As of this moment, I am close to knowing what my Giftee's gift(s) will be, provided I can locate what I have in mind. Enough about my shortcomings. 

The theme this year is Superheroes. If you're not a family member or if you haven't seen Annie's instructions for the HGE, you'll want to read her HGE 2013 blog entry for the entertainment value. It will be worth your time.

A recent addition to the HGE is tree decorations that fit the theme. The decorations really are for the six cousins, but oddly enough, the HGE is only for the adults (although I did hear a rumor that the cousins may be involved in some way this year, too). Last year's theme was Happy Holidays on the Farm. By now you've figured out that these are fantasy themes, as we have no known farmers or superheroes in our immediate family. 

I spent a part of the afternoon hole-punching and adding string to the superhero logos, which are ready to go up on the tree--a set for each Super Cousin that includes Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Captain America, and Superman.

Potts-Dellon-Grimmius adults, get busy and find your HGE Giftee a SUPER gift! I can't wait!

One more birthday to celebrate!

 Wishing a very Happy Birthday to our baby girl, who is a pair of 3's today!

Here is Annie at age 2 days, drinking glucose water with Dad/Larry (before he was Grandpappy)

Here she is at age 5, playing in the park with Dad/Larry.

Here's Annie last week, in her old office, a few days before starting her new position as Director of Quality Improvement at SCHA. And look who just happened to be there again!

We love you, Annie. Happy 33rd Birthday, and congratulations on your promotion!

Bathroom project saga

This post is for me, myself, and I as official documentation of the "complete" guest (and Larry's) bathroom conversion. It will be completely complete when the plumbing leak is fixed and the mirror frame that was damaged is replaced, but everything will look essentially the way it does right now, so I'll go with that. A few of the pictures have appeared in a previous blog entry, but I need repetition.

Here we are back in October, all green and pastel and Monet-like. 

 

I chipped away at removing wallpaper just in time for the plumber and carpenter to remove the toilet and the vanity, and to haul away the stained counter top and rusty sink.

 

Then it was the Wilsons' turn to prep the floor, remove the wall tile,

and get the surface ready for the new off-white ceramic tile.

End of Day 1

Day 2 Lindsey put in her two-cents as Jeff slathered on the adhesive. Three rows almost done, lots more to go. Somewhere around this time the plumber came back to deal with a tub drain issue, and discovered that our water heater was leaking and would likely be worthless very soon. So we saw George again a couple of days later when he came to install the new water heater.

 

End of Day 3

 

Day 4, tile is on the wall, "bling" trim installed, and ready for grout. Grout was done by the end of the day. On Day 5, Jeff and Lindsay finished up their work.

The carpenter reinstalled the cabinet on Saturday (Day 6) and brought the mirror, which turned out to be only the frame with no glass in it. Wait a minute... He prepped the wall by putting up the track clips, attached the track to the back of the frame, and then returned the frame to the store to have the mirror put in. That's when everything fell apart. 

Here's how I got the mirror at the end of Week 2. Notice anything?

 

The response from the glass place was "Wipe it off with a dry cloth. It will come right off. Or, use hot soapy water. That will take it off for sure." This was after I'd tried both of those things and also Goo Gone, which didn't budge the goo a bit. A week later they agreed to remove it because I said I didn't want to damage it further by scraping it off.  So they scraped it off, and of course left a  a mark. There's more to this, but the final answer from them was that they'd pay for a replacement frame and we're keeping the original one with the mirror in it until the replacement arrives. I hope it's not pink.

 

To condense the two weeks that followed, the plumber came and put the toilet back on the wall (it's a wall mount toilet, so that's why) and installed the sink and tub fixtures. A few days later, I happened to be in the basement bathroom and noticed that a couple of ceiling tiles were wet and stained -- a leak from the reinstalled toilet. Only it's turned into much more than that, and the plumber will be back to open up the wall behind the newly reinstalled toilet (which happens to be inside a bedroom closet in a place that we'd done the same thing a few years ago, and then had the wall repaired) and do whatever expensive thing needs to be done. I watch HGTV, so I know what will happen! 

It took the electrician a couple of weeks to get the pendant lights put in, and also a new bathroom vent fan, and he'll eventually come back to put one in the shower in another bathroom. 

Last, but definitely not least, Bryan came to paint after waiting patiently for everyone else to be done. He showed up with his brushes, drop cloths, and ladder, then took a at the walls and said we should have a skim coat layer put on because of the roughness in some areas caused by wallpaper pulling off some of the plaster. Fortunately, the plasterer was able to do the work within a few days and so Bryan come back the day before Thanksgiving. Bless him!  We were away for the day, so it was a delight to come home to everything finally done, except for the necessary cleaning from residual plaster dust, etc. He even sent a text with pictures attached to show me how it looked when he finished working. That's one guy I'll hire back for sure!

Here's what the bathroom looks like, sort of. The colors don't come through just right, but it's close enough.

You'd think we were doing some big-deal renovation for all the time, effort, and problems, but it's really a very simple change that updates a bathroom that had the original tile from sometime in the '60s when it was built. I miss the mint green a little. Well, not all that much. The new tiles and trim update the look of the bathroom without making it seem out of place in a house the age of this one. 

Here's a close-up of samples of the tile, trim tile, and flooring, and the paint color I didn't use. The flooring has a linen look--a soft effect. I like it a lot.

We're considering updating the kitchen cupboards and changing the layout in the kitchen somewhat, but we're not as enthused about it as we were one short month ago. It seems like it took three months for the bathroom work, so I can only imagine what a 4 to 6 week renovation project might feel like. For now, it's shelved until we can get our gumption back.

Gobble gobble

Happy Thanksgivukkah!

Thinking especially of the Baltimore celebrants... yes, you too, Vivi, even though you have denied your heritage! Lots of love to you, and to all of our family and friends on this Thanksgiving Day.

Bathroom

My family members may have noticed that I haven't been writing about what Larry/Dad/Gpappy and I will, in the future, refer to as "The Bathroom Saga, or How to Turn a 5 Day Project into The Never-Ending  Parade of Trades People."  We're nearing the end of part of it-- the bathroom may actually be completed from a cosmetic standpoint by tomorrow evening. Notice I said "may".  There is still a larger plumbing issue to be taken care of, involving more holes in walls and who knows what else, and another bathroom that is waiting for a new fan unit. But for now...

Ryan the plaster guy was here yesterday and this morning, so the upper walls in the bathroom are now skim coated, sanded, and ready to paint. Bryan the painter is coming tomorrow morning. We'll be gone to Rochester for my Clinic appointments,  but he can paint while we're away. He has to come back to finish up late in the afternoon because he's chaperoning an activity for his cute little boy's wrestling team for  a few hours in the afternoon. I'm picking up the supposedly gunk-free mirror after my haircut this afternoon, so if all goes well (now THERE's a laugh!) by Thursday morning we can hang up the mirror on freshly painted walls, and wash the tiled walls and floor at long last to get rid of the last of the dust that has been ever-present for four weeks. 

Here's where we were a few days ago before I took the mirror back to have someone else remove the black adhesive that should have come off the frame with a dry cloth or warm soapy water. Or Goo Gone. Or not.

Trim tiles, 4 x 16 cream-colored wall tile, and flooring. Ignore the paint samples at the top. Wrong color.

We'll get this thing done yet! Fortunately, the toilet has been reinstalled for a couple of weeks, so Larry/Dad/Gpappy is happy.

Somebody is SIX today!

Today Mr. Miles Jay Grimmius is six years old! This means there are two cousins who are six, two who are four, and two who are three. That's 26 linear-cousin years. Ha ha!

We celebrated with MJG in Otown. Charlie, Ethan, and Owen rode with us. From time to time, O and E broke into song. See if you recognize the lyrics:  

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
  They sing a few more lines that are very close to the actual words, 
  and at the end they add a line that's something like
Will you meet me off the stage?

Not what you expect to hear from 4-year-olds!

We missed Angie, who was in Morris, where it was quiet, she reported--at least by comparison to the Grimmius house and the noise of the party revelers--helping coach the Gustie women to victory. Lunch was scrumptious, Angie, with cake and ice cream topping off the festivities in sweet style.

Westy led the guitar, headband, and hockey stick parade around the house for birthday entertainment.

 

The birthday lunch was sooooo good, and the boys learned the difference between a MN hotdish and what the rest of the country calls a casserole. There isn't a difference, btw (Thanks to Annie for this cute picture of the hungry kiddos.)

 

After lunch, the cousins went outside to play in the brrrrr-cold weather.  Thanks for this picture, too, Annie. Miles and Owen look focused on whatever they're doing, and Westy is busy in the background, shoveling the driveway.

Ethan came inside before the others because he was cold. So naturally, to warm up, he took off his socks and pants and put on a devil mask. Works every time!

Earlier in the day, Miles and Westy decorated MJG's birthday cake, a marble sheet cake with chocolate frosting and lots of sprinkles. Marble cake is my favorite, so thanks Miles!

Of course there was a lot of playing with new birthday toys.

Grandpappy got in on the fun, too.

E, O, and Miles gathered around Miles' new Boogie Board to give him directions about how to use it. Thanks to GranMarge (who gave Hannah and Vivi Boogie Boards a couple of years ago) for the great idea. Now all the cousins have them!

The puppy kennel was activated, and little puppies were taken care of by Owen. Ethan was in the basement fighting off imaginary animals that might hurt puppies, such as cows, sheep, squirrels, and birds. Apparently it's been a big safety issue for local puppies, at least according to Ethan.

 

The Vivster and Elisabeth called to wish Miles a Happy Birthday about the time we arrived in Otown. Hannah was playing with a friend, and whatever Evan was doing might not be okay to print on the blog. Just kidding, Evan. But then again...

Miles, we wish you a happy year of being six. We love you. Smooches x 6 and hugs x 6 on your special day!  Love, Grandma Jill & Grandpappy

November birthday girl

Happy Birthday to A-N-G-I-E!!!

Yes, I've posted this photo of Angie before. It seems appropriate to share it  again, this time on her birthday, because Angie looks GREAT surrounded by celebrities (and Annie). Wait a minute... here she is with the REAL celebrities!

Wishing the best of birthdays to you, Angie! Love from Larry and me : o )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Weekend here and gone

November is 1/3 gone already. What?? There's been a lot going on, so I suppose that's why I am in a mild state of shock that today is the 10th and not the 2nd or 3rd.

We're almost through with a bathroom remodel that started last Monday. It was scheduled to be complete by the end of the day on Friday, but there have a few things left for the plumber and the electrician to finish. Everything got pushed back because of some plaster repair when the wall tile was removed. I watch home repair shows, so I was relieved that we weren't facing mold or asbestos abatement!  

Jeff and Lindsay Wilson did the tile work. 

Here, the wall tile is gone, plaster repair done, floor being prepped.

Lindsay was supervising Jeff as he applied adhesive to the wall tile. They were so nice to work with. I appreciated Jeff's attention to detail and his careful review of what he'd be doing before he started each day, and what was accomplished at the end of the day.

 Wall tile, done and grouted.

I'll put up pictures after the plumbing and electrical work are finished mid-week. Painting will follow on the weekend.

NOTE: It's now 11/17, a week later. Plumbing is back in, but today we discovered a leak that has soaked into the ceiling tiles in the basement bathroom. This, after picking up the mirror yesterday, taking it out of the box, unwrapping the protective cover, and finding a thumbprint-zed wad of what looks like shiny black chewing gum on the frame. It's elastic-y, so it stretches when I try to pull it off, but then snaps right back into place. GooGone doesn't work. I'm concerned I'll ding the wood or scrape off the paint if I try anything else, so I'm waiting for the word about what to do. I shoulda just bought a mirror myself at Target.

We had some visitors this week, too, of the little boy variety. Snow was a big draw for Ethan and Owen after preschool. They ran around making tracks in the backyard for an hour on Wednesday.

Then it was time to come in, strip off all the wet clothes, and play puppies. These puppies were wearing underwear, just so you know.

I was away all day on Friday and got home in time to greet Annie, Westy, and Miles, who came for supper and to sleep over. Their first act of business after eating was to shower and transform themselves into the penguin brothers.

Grandpappy and Westy did some reading.

On Saturday morning, Annie went for a run with Auntie Angie. While they were out in the chilly air, Miles and Weston made brownies to take to Ethan and Owen for lunch.

 

Before lunch at E and O's, the boy cousins offered to put on a show for the adults. The picture is grabbed from a video of the four of them watching "What Does the Fox Say?" on an iPad and dancing during various parts of the song. Anyone who wasn't fully engaged in watching the show had the option of sneaking a peak at football in the background. Masks, animal headbands, and superhero costumes are perfect for dramatic interpretations.

After playing with E and O, Westy rested with his mommy while Miles and I put together a puzzle. Miles has tremendous patience for 100 piece puzzles. When I asked him if he ever gets frustrated while putting puzzles together, he said no, it's fun for him to do. This happens to be a reenactment of putting in the final piece. Miles is good at reenacting, too.

Joel the carpenter arrived shortly before Annie, Miles, and Westy left to visit Grandpa Dave and Grandma Doreen. Miles was interested in what he was doing, and here both boys are getting a lesson in how to calk a counter top. An added bonus in this picture is the mirror that is not a mirror. It arrived, but the mirror hadn't been put into the frame. Joel installed the hardware so it will be ready to go when a glass company in Mankato corrects the problem!

Before supper tonight we had a fun FaceTime session with Elisabeth, Vivi, and Hannah. Mostly with E and V, as Hannah was helping Evan prepare their dinner and only had time to say a quick hello and tell us about riding horses yesterday at the home of someone Elisabeth works with. Apparently one of the horses gave a bumpier ride than the other, which H was eager to share with us.

That's about it for the weekend. All that's left is Sunday night. Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I was thinking about how lucky I am that my grandpa survived WW I, my dad and uncle survived WW II, Aunt Marguerite served stateside in the WAVES during that war, and another uncle made it through the Korean War. A third uncle was a jet pilot who flew missions over Viet Nam and lived through it, too. Nephew Jamie served in the Balkans, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, and is now an officer in the Army National Guard. Thanks to them, and to everyone who serves in the U.S. military.