The major project

 Mike is building a loft bed in Noah's room.

The basement looks like this.  The garage looks pretty similar.  There is mess pretty much everywhere.

 I painted it Cubs colors, at Noah's request.

The children painted the underside.

That was a BIG mess.

Mike had to airlift them to the shower.

 

Then the carpet went down.

 Meanwhile, Noah's mattress was in the hallway.  Something new to climb, so curious kittens had to investigate. I was pleased that they weren't interested in the paint anymore.  They finally dozed off up there.

They kept inching closer and closer until their heads were together.  

 Ok, back to the project.  Here is a happy boy getting ready to sleep in the loft.  It still needs a ladder and a few finishing touches, and then we have to clean up and put his room back together.  Of course Sarah wants a loft too...

 Hanging out with a buddy in the loft

 His buddy helped him haul up some furniture from the basement. 

Update..now it has steps.

Boredom finally turned into creativity

Mike and I were working on a major project yesterday, and we told the kids they had to find something to do that didn't involve screens of any kind.  After lots of grumbling, whining, complaining, pestering, and general lolling around, we finally found them doing this:

They made a mailbox for each member of the family and then wrote notes to put in them.  We've been adding little things to them like stickers, candy, drawings, etc. 

There will be NO picture with this post...

While I was taking a shower this morning, getting ready to run some errands with Sarah, she asked if she could pick my outfit.  I said ok.  She said, "Whatever I pick is what you have to wear, every bit of it and nothing else. OK?"  That made me a little wary, but I agreed, mainly so I could shower in peace.

What awaited me when I got out of the shower?  Black dress pants 2 sizes too small (don't we all keep a few "skinny clothes" in our closets, hoping someday they'll fit again?), a red fleece Mickey Mouse pullover, white athletic socks, underwear, and no bra.  I couldn't button the pants, but thankfully Mickey was long enough to cover that fact. 

Decking the halls

Sarah holding up her favorite ornament

Noah with his favorite "ornament": the piece of his backhoe that broke when he was 2, and the ladder that broke off his fire truck when he was 3.  He couldn't bear to part with these precious treasures, so he hung them on the Christmas tree. He's been hanging them on it every year since. 

Sarah setting up the nativity scene, or as she calls it, "playing with the Christmas action figures".  Noah put out a little water bowl for the goat this year. 

Mike declared that no one was hanging anything anywhere until the lights were up ("One bulb goes out, they ALL go out!"), so Noah is guarding the area to prevent violations.  Not exactly a Norman Rockwell moment, but that's the way we roll. 

Lighting the first fire of the season.

using the tree skirt as a superhero cape

The kittens were quick to undecorate.  They are thoroughly enjoying their first Christmas!

This ornament is older than I am.  I remember putting it on our Christmas tree when I was little.

Noah hanging the stockings by the chimney with care.

Moments later, Shadow unhung them without a care.

Covered in the dreaded flocking.  How can any still be left after how much falls off every year?

That awkward moment when Mike realized he's too old to lift Noah up to put the angel on top of the tree.

But he can still get Sarah up there...barely. 

Dreaming of an exotic vacation

Shiloh studying the map

contemplating Argentina

and she's decided on Peru.

Jenga

Noah and I built a double decker Jenga tower.

But then the curious kittens noticed it.

 

We tried to keep playing.

The moment before Shiloh knocked down the tower.

 

The tower falling.  Notice Shiloh's tail as she fled the scene.

 

Noah ended up building smaller towers and shooting them down.

Presidential entitlement

President Marty stretched out in the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

Shiloh wanted to be in the sunny spot too, but Marty growled and hissed and ordered her to leave.  Shiloh kept slowly inching closer, until Marty punched her in the face.

Then Shiloh moved over to sleep with her buddy and gave up the nice sunny spot.  The whole episode reminded me of Proverbs 25:24:  "It is better to live in a corner of the attic than in a house shared with a contentious woman."