Work Week of Whirlwind Wisconsin Winter

I am sooo sorry I have not posted on my blog in over a week!   All I can say is "life has been crazy"!!!!

I last left off in my last blog about the pantry cabinets being yanked out and sold.  (yes, they sold right away on Craigslist).  We were fortunate to get a remnant piece of vinyl flooring that matched what we put in the kitchen.  This week we did get the flooring laid, and the dryer vent hole drilled through the wall to the outside. 

    (ignore the back wall in these photos... 

we are still restoring the window frame and will cover that wall with the textured wall board next) 

As we drilled out the hole for the dryer vent, it was interesting to see the wall composition---

• First was the plaster and thick lathe material on the inside wall.  The lathe material in this house is about a half an inch thick.  
• Then there was an insulation layer about 3 inches deep. 
• Then the outside wall of the house was 1 1/4"  thick wooden boards nailed on crossways.
• Then there was a layer where the old clap board siding would have been. That siding had been taken off years ago and replaced with an inch thick foam layer with foil on each side.. 
• then the layer of vinyl siding.   

No wonder this house has been very easy to heat with all those layers!   This week we will work on the washer and dryer hookups, as well as mounting the big laundry sink and faucets too.

Speaking of heating (and cold weather)  our crazy Wisconsin Winter just won't let us out of it's chilling grasp.  We had severe ice storms which coated everything in a thick layer of ice.  Trees came down all around us in town, but fortunately we only lost 1/3 of a gnarly old lilac bush.

All the tree branches were covered with ice like glass tubes around each twig.  Ice clung sideways onto all surfaces because of the pelting winds and sleet.  Even our windows on the porch were coated in a sheet of ice where it looked like frosted textured glass.

After the winds died down, we could hear chain saws all over town clearing up the messes.  Many towns around us had power outages that lasted into the next day.  Ours flickered a few times, but stayed on.

That was during the week---- but I forgot to post about last weekend!

Last weekend started out very busy with attending the littlest grandtot Clayton's first birthday party!  We had such a good time watching all five of the cousins together at the party.  Erin and Mark made up a whole taco bar to let us all make our own lunch the way we wanted our tacos.  What fun!

The wrapping paper came flying off the toys and clothes, cake was eaten and the kids played and played and played.  All the kiddos got construction hats, and sand pails full of goodies as party favors!

 The little birthday boy got his own special cake to demolish....

Boy oh boy, he sure did demolish it!  It was the first time he really had any type of sugar....

I took Chelsea and Clayton home after the party to our house.  Then mommy and daddy could have a quiet evening to kick back and relax.  After a nice bath to get the frosting out of his hair and ears, we snuggled up in the Grandtot Bedroom to read a story before bed.  The little birthday boy was out like a light... we didn't even get halfway through his favorite book "Brown Bear Brown Bear"  and he was zonked. 

What fun in the morning to have some grandtots jumping around in our bed! 

Chelsea wakes up and toddles on into our room on her own... 

Clayton shouts from the other room to come and let him outta the portacrib.

We kept them busy all day with playing, walked to the store, and even baking some brownies!

It was good to have them come over and spend some time.  

That was it for last weekend... but ...

This weekend we also did a grandtot-sitting stint.  

A busy weekend started with a bridal shower for Steve's niece Faith.  I brought chips, salsa and some homemade guacamole. We did all the girly stuff and had a wonderful afternoon, while Steve stayed home to work on the laundry room.  Afterwards, when I got home, I made up some more guacamole and more chips and salsa to head out to the next party.  We had to bring treats up to our son Dan's house.  

He carefully planned a surprise party for his wife, Heather.  She had NO idea about it, and came in to a house full of 30 people----  for her 30th birthday.   He pulled it off without her knowing, with the help of her family and friends.   

He even pre-packed two suitcases for the wee ones and hid them in their closets.  About 9 p.m. we stole little Allegra and Mason.. taking them home overnight with us.  That way the grown-ups could party late into the night, and sleep in the next morning!

We didn't get to sleep in, because two roly poly little grandtots were bouncing around in our bed by 7 a.m. !  Hahahaha  the joys of being a grandparent!

It was a horribly snowing icky rainy morning--- so we had to keep busy with inside projects and toys and playtime.  Granfaddah kept Mason busy while Allegra and I baked chocolate chip cookies.

Later as Mason napped, little Allegra and Granfaddah took a walk up to the hardware store where they have a live pet department.  She got to see the hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, birds and fish.  She also talked him into buying her a big pink bouncy ball and then a bat and ball for her little brother.  He is such a softy!

Later in the morning, Allegra decided to give her Granfaddah some weaving lessons.  She told him where to put his feet on the treadles, where to put his hands on the beater handle and how to beat beat beat to make a rug!     Little Mason was busy exploring the cool wooden tractor I recently added to the toy box.  I found the tractor and a trailer at a rummage sale last weekend.  Just love those old toys!

Daddy and Mommy came about noon to get the kids... and hung around for a while.  The kids were getting sleepy and ready for naptime on the long ride home.  (about 30 miles)  

Once they left, we looked at each other, and said "Grandparent Naptime" as we went up to bed for a long nap ourselves!