First Game...

Well, I have to be honest.... Remi isn't so interested in flag football. Practices have not gotten much better and the game on Saturday wasn't great either.

First of all, the jerseys are so big that they look like dresses!



The first half was the worst. Remi had caught a little lizzard as he waited for the game to start. He DID NOT want to go out on the field because he couldn't take his lizard. I ended up getting him to somewhat cooperate by telling him I would just hold it for him. However, I accidentally dropped it and every time he came out of the game he instantly wanted to find his lizard. It was not fun!

By the second half, he had forgotten about the lizard and at least willing went out on the field... but that is about as good as it got. He sat down... a lot (I'm surprised he didn't get trampled) and walked around in his own world looking for lizards. He did run a couple of times which made me cheer from the sidelines like he had just scored a touchdown :)

The good thing is, we only have 5 more games!





And here are some of the spectators who came to watch...

Lots of Stain...

Well, the floors are done (except for the last coat of polyurethane, which will be the very last thing they do). I went with a really dark stain and last minute chose to go with clean and pristine instead of the very popular hand scraped. Either would have been pretty, but in the end I went with the traditional look in hopes that it will remain timeless...



and the staining has begun out in the barn...



My island butcher block top was installed and oiled (and is very dirty from all the floor sanding)...



We also got our mailbox bricked, dirt work started and landscaping will go underway soon. Move in date is getting closer (we don't actually have a 'move in date' but I'd like to think maybe next week)

Sweet School Days...

I love these sweet days of school where I can send my boys off in matching outfits, hand in hand, together taking on the world...



I think one day, I will look back at these fit throwing, mess makin' toddler days and say "those were the good ole' days"...

Out At The House...

Well, the concrete guys got all the concrete work done on Saturday! It all looks so good and I can't wait for the boys to break it all in with their scooters, bikes and tricycles! We ended up doing a bit more than planned by adding the circle drive...





And they have been working on our hard wood floors all week. I think they might have finished the sanding yesterday. Maybe we will see some stain today...?

On The Day Remi Turned 5...

So, Remi's actual birthday was on Sunday. I had a whole day full of fun 'Remi' things planned that didn't happen.

First, we ended up sleeping in and skipping church. We were all pooped from Remi's Birthday party the night before. Remi woke up and requested that we stay home all day long so that he could play with all his new toys... so, that's what we did. Micah went and picked up Babe's to-go (Remi's favorite), we ate lunch at home and then the boys had a blast playing with all their new toys!

Remi started his special day off opening his presents from us. He got lots of books, a volcano shirt and a new frog habitat...







The very first toy he wanted to play with his new magic science kit. We did lots of expierements...



And here he is playing with his new bucket of critters...



The boys had so much fun and I think they successfully broke in all the new toys! I'm honestly not a bit surprised that Remi wanted to stay home... that's my little homebody for ya :)

Birthday At School...

Friday, Remi celebrated his birthday at school. I sent cookies with him to share with his classmates at snack time and he got a pencil, certificate and a birthday crown (which he was most excited about)!



And here is the little booger bear last year...

Today Remi is 5...

At five years old...

Remi's favorite colors are red and blue

His favorite restaurant is Babe's Chicken Dinner (we go every Sunday after church just for him)

His favorite food is peanut butter and jelly sandwhich... he requests it everyday for lunch! In fact, he would rather eat this than anything else. If we are in town running around and I ask the boys if they want to stop and pick up food or go home and eat, Remi will almost always say go home and eat.

Remi is my home body. He LOVES being at home. He loves the freedom of exploring, imagining and building.

His favorite TV shows are Tom & Jerry, Clifford, Martha Speaks & Curious George

Remi LOVES animals. Anything from a silly little frog to a big ole' puppy dog... he wants to cuddle and keep any animal we come across. He loves capturing bugs and putting them in his bug habitat, but if they ever die, he will most definitely get upset and cry :(

Remi very rarely plays with a toy the 'right' way. In his eyes, everything needs to be altered- usually with duck tape, a bungee cord or rope.

Remi continues to be a great eater and will eat almost anything I put on his plate.

He no longer naps- except on the rare occasion that he gets behind on sleep. He goes to bed around 7:30 and wakes up around 7. While Roen sleeps, he loves laying on my bed and watching his TV shows. He wakes up often in the middle of the night and makes a palette in our room. He tends to get scared and Micah and I both feel that making him lay in bed being scared is mean, so we always promise him, that if he wakes up in the middle of the night he can come to our room.

Remi's best friend is Roen. He loves that Roen takes orders from him and listens to everything he says intently. They love making tents, pretending and building things together.

Remi is the life in my day. He never hesitates to let his presence be known and loves one on one attention. He is extremely head strong and has no problem telling us 'no', 'your mean', 'don't talk to me', or 'I don't like you'. Remi is happiest when he is with other people (he doesn't really like being alone) and being played with. He challenges both Micah and I daily (sometimes hourly it seems) and though he can be hard to reason with, we are both so very proud of the strong little man he is becoming. Remi is extremely sensitive and caring... he has the biggest heart and feels his emotions to the fullest! When he is happy, the smile on his face can bring me to tears, and when he is sad, he will cry and tell me his heart is broken. You never have to wonder how Remi is feeling because he will either tell you or you will see it written all over his face. He is filled with deep curiousity and has a desire to learn and figure things out. So far, he seems to be really interested in Science. He LOVES doing experiments and learning how things work. Remi is a collector and will collect ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. I allow him one junk drawer (in his night stand) and I have to clean it out weekly. The things I find in that drawer never cease to amaze me... anything from cut up rubber bands (that are super important) all the way to leaves, rocks, sticks and cords. This little fella loves anything in nature and takes 'all boy' to whole other level! I think if I had know Micah at this age, these two might have been a lot alike :)

Happy Birthday....

Today, Remi is 5 and I just can't believe it! He is just getting so big and the place he fills in this family is so special. I have been very emotional this week about my baby growing up so fast and the little boy he is growing into.

This is dedicated to my adventure seeking love...

Make a free picture slideshow

Bedtime Stories...

I forgot to get Roen's sheets in the dryer soon enough, so by the time it was bedtime, I was still making up his bed. I asked Remi if he would 'read' Roen a story while I finished....

Nothing sweeter than big brother teaching little brother all about super heros :)

Our Driveway....

I honestly, can't believe they started the flat work today for our drive way! It seems they rarely start a project on the scheduled day! Not only did they start it, they were all there at 8:00AM and by the time I dropped the boys off for school and got there around 9:15 they had already started laying forms! I feel like the concrete work and landscaping will really take the outside from 'in progress' to 'home'! The plan is to pour the concrete Saturday (if it's not raining) and from there, they will put in sprinklers, grass, flower beds and our mailbox.



Here are some other little tidbits they did yesterday...


Powder room sink


The pebble tile FINALLY came in for our master shower


The kitchen faucet


The boys bathroom sinks... If you remember, these aren't what I originally picked out. Here was ANOTHER sink issue we had. When I found them online, it clearly stated 'bathroom sink'. However, when they came in, it was so big that Roen could have actually sat in it and taken a bath... I think it was intended as a single basin kitchen sink.

I knew I wanted wall mounted and since it had already been plumbed that way, I didn't really have much of a choice but to go with that option. Even though, these little sinks are not what I had envisioned, they give the boys enough counter space to put a cup for their toothbrush or soap if needed and I really do think they are pretty cute. You can't see it in the picture, but there are gray barn lights mounted on this wall and medicine cabinets will be mounted above the sink.

My Clawfoot...

So, yesterday, the plumbers brought out my beautiful clawfoot. It's really no secret that I have an undying love for these tubs. I love that they are vintage-ly luxurious... ready to be filled with bubbles and not just functional but beautiful.

So.... when I envisioned our bathroom, I wanted the clawfoot to be the FIRST thing you saw. I wanted the vanity, toilet and shower to all be hidden away in corners giving my tub all the glory. I have to say.... today when I walked into our bathroom... she stole the show! That tub put a little pitter-patter in my heart and a pep in my step. I'm in love with my clawfoot :)

Like most things, I was pretty particular about my tub. I wanted the classic flat roll top (not slipper style) and I wanted it double ended... round at both ends. It was also imperative that the 'feet' be actual claws and surprise, surprise... white. The faucet definitely needed to be in the center of the tube since the tub is centered on the wall. All these details, and there you have it... the perfect 'Lauri' clawfoot tub!

I'm only showing you a peek because the completed picture will be worth the wait....



They have grouted most of the floors, and almost finished putting up all the backsplashes. They should finish grouting everything this week (about time!).

But... what's even more exciting.... they are starting our driveways on Thursday! And next week, they are starting and finishing our wood floors!! Which means, all they will have left are touch-ups!!

I can honestly say, with all my heart, I thought this day would never come!!!

Flag Football...

This evening, Remi had his first flag football practice. I was really excited about flag football, because it seems to be right up Remi's alley... with the flags around the waist and all :)

However, he didn't nap and I guess I should have drugged him with Benadryl or something because tired Remi is ALWAYS uncooperative. When I saw Remi yawning half way through practice, I knew trouble was coming. Sure enough, soon after, he left the team to come over to me to say that he was done with practice. I finally got him back on the field with bribes and threats only to be enlightened later in the car that "It was boring and I don't like it at all".

We have another practice this week and I am hoping that a nap will make a big attitude difference or this might prove to be the longest 8 weeks ever!


Sweet little spectators


Stretching... he was still smiles at this point


Getting the flags.... loving this


"Huting" the ball


And this is how we ended... see that boy over on the right playing with bugs and grass... that would be Mr. Remington... having not a care in the world about his coach, team or flag football...

Remi Humor...

The other day Remi and I saw a spider as we headed out the door and were getting in the car....

Remi: I bet that was a Daddy Long Leg

Me: No, it wasn't

Remi: What was it..... A grandpa?

He was being dead serious! 

Keepin' It Real....

This picture cracks me up! Yesterday morning.... it wasn't so funny, but now I can laugh about our morning.

This little picture describes many of our mornings and the boys personality a lot of the time! Roen just wanting everyone and everything to be happy and Remi upset because he, once again, can't run the show and do things the way he wants! Oh, this little stinker pulls this so many morings! Throwing a fit because he can't bring a million toys in the car on the way to school or because the tv show he was watching wasn't over and I won't let him finish it or because..... the secenrio never ends!

One of these days, Remi's strong will will serve him well, but today, well.... it really only makes him impossible to deal with sometimes!



This 'little' fit he threw was not just a pouty face, by the way. It was sitting on the floor screaming that he couldn't walk, telling me I was mean and needed to apologize to him and demanding that I atleast let him have my Ipad if he couldn't finish his show...

Plumbing....

Well, we have toilets.... 3 of the 4 anyway. I don't think I have ever been so excited to see a toilet in my life :) Most of the shower/tub fixtures have been installed and the guest sink/faucet has been put in. The rest is waiting for the grout to be done... which means the tile has to be finished! I think these tile guys only work 2 hours a day!

The last, most exciting part of this whole thing is my clawfoot... hopefully I can share pictures of that soon!


(powder room)

A Boy and His Dog....

Remi sure does love Little Anne.... and Little Anne sure does need to be groomed :)

Tile....

Well, the tile guys are still hard at work. They have most of the bathroom floors down and are waiting on the rest of our granite countertops before finishing our kitchen backsplash. *IF* the granite gets here, they should finish up on Wednesday. That means at the end of next week, plumbing (toilets, fixtures, my clawfoot) should all go in. Today, they were supposed to turn on the AC to acclimate the wood floors. The AC has to run 3 weeks before they can stain the floors. The floors will be the very last thing they do, which puts the house being completed at the end of September as planned. I am crossing my fingers that all these *ifs* will go accordingly.

I LOVE the tile for the bathroom floors. In fact, I saw them being laid on a HGTV show a year or so ago and bookmarked it in my brain. I was lucky enough to find the exact tile... a total 'meant to be' moment :)

Anyways, here it is...



This is what it will look like with the white grout...



I didn't really have to compromise with the house at all. In fact, Micah pretty much gave me free reign to do whatever I wanted. Anytime the builder called to ask him something, he would reply "Call Lauri.... I just want her to be happy". This was my baby from start to end and I think it's safe to say I am pretty lucky :)

BUT, there was ONE THING that Micah requested... a ceiling fan in our bedroom. This was a bit tricky because I had my heart set on a chandelier over our bed. So... I got my creative juices flowing because honestly, I hate ceiling fans... I think they are so ugly and I didn't want to lay in bed staring at my 'should have been chandelier' ceiling fan forever!

Well ya'll, I found it!! It's called a fandelier and I just love it! It is unique enough to fit right in with my quirky details and makes us both happy... well, so far anyway... I'm a bit nervous that it won't actually put out enough air flow to make Micah happy, but at least for now, it is just PERFECT....

1st Day of School...

School officially started for the boys today. They loved it! When then got in the car, they were both full of things to tell me and couldn't seem to tell me fast enough! Roen was very excited that he had lemonade at snack time and about playing at the playground. He tried to tell me the name of a little boy he played with, but neither Remi or I could decipher what name he was saying! Remi said he played with his best friend, Bradley and was full of smiles. I think they had a great start!

These little pictures make my heart proud of the relationship these two share and the big boys they are becoming...


Of course, Remi was tying something up and had to have his rope in the picture... and his little red frog





We started the morning off with baths (since we got haircuts yesterday and didn't bathe last night) and then breakfast in bed while watching Paw Patrol (Roen's pick)....

Orientation...

Well, today, was the boy's orientation. Roen finally got to meet his teacher, classmates and see his classroom. According to their teachers, both boys were very quiet. The students stayed in their classrooms for about an hour while the parents met with the director. Tomorrow will be their first official day at school.

Roen did great. His shyness kicked in a bit as we stood at his classroom door and I think I caught a glimpse of apprehension in his eyes, but he gave his teacher her present and slowly walked into his classroom with a smile on his face. I, however, almost lost it as I led him into his room.... his sweet little smile.... those big blue eyes... his heart of gold... can't he stay my baby forever!?



Remi was so proud to tell Roen what to expect and led him into the school. He was very sweet and reassuring with his words to his little brother.



When I picked them up, Roen seemed a bit disappointed because they didn't get to play at the playground- we have been driving by the playground and talking about getting to play there when school starts all Summer. Bless his heart, he probably thinks school is a just a place to play :)