Today the task is to turn the computer cum messy toy room where the dog pees on the red run into a place for Julia and I to work and play this summer. I think, but I am not sure, that I read somewhere that it is a good idea to have a separate place to home school. Now, I wouldn't call what I am doing homeschooling. I don't think we are going to skip grades or do higher math, but the idea of a special place to do the summer work that I have planned is a good one. Somewhere to display projects and hang papers, record progress and calendar our days – our mornings and nights. Because Julia is being pretty negative right now – NO, to every new idea – I am going to go slow this weekend.
I am also putting toys away that she is not playing with – dolls are the main thing. I fear that this child is not going to demand new doll clothes from me. Ah, me. After winnowing, other toys will be displayed better and be seen.
Stormy this morning. Full lights on in this house to see anything. I could be doing this cleaning at twilight. I hope we keep lights on.
Showing posts with label housekeeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label housekeeping. Show all posts
13 June 2008
29 December 2007
Lists, swimming, and a snow blower
Two Julia things –
I have been using a daily list of activities with Julia during the winter break and although she can be a bit resistant to making the list, once we get started, it is good for her and she is enjoying. Today, our list was shoveling snow, food shopping, visiting the Y, swimming, shopping for a snow blower, playing a game, working on the number 3. I draw pictures of each activity on our small chalk board and we cross off activities as we do them. It is surprising to me that such a simple process works with Julia.
We joined the Y today – took the tour, signed the check, and went swimming. Julia was beside herself with joy. What a fish she is. I almost felt guilty that we have waited so long to find a place to swim with her. Definitely, we are going to sign her up for classes. One facility Julia is not old enough to use at the Y is the hot tub. There was no age limit at the JCC and Julia always enjoyed the hot tub, especially in the winter. Now she has to wait until she is 16. I’m also expecting to make some good use of the Y once Julia goes back to school. A good time for new year’s resolutions.
We bought a snow blower today. Ummm, getting in touch with winter? I guess we could have suffered though the winter, and as long as I am not working, I could take care of the walks and driveway, but I am not sure how we could handle it once both of us are working. And my mother’s been after me to look for something that we could use. Thanks, Mom.
I did the research last night, and ran into a neighbor early this morning who was using the Toro model that I was interested in. It is a smaller blower but this neighbor has used it for a few years and said he was very happy. That was all I needed to find a shop with some stock and sales help who could answer questions. And now we have a new machine!
I have been using a daily list of activities with Julia during the winter break and although she can be a bit resistant to making the list, once we get started, it is good for her and she is enjoying. Today, our list was shoveling snow, food shopping, visiting the Y, swimming, shopping for a snow blower, playing a game, working on the number 3. I draw pictures of each activity on our small chalk board and we cross off activities as we do them. It is surprising to me that such a simple process works with Julia.
We joined the Y today – took the tour, signed the check, and went swimming. Julia was beside herself with joy. What a fish she is. I almost felt guilty that we have waited so long to find a place to swim with her. Definitely, we are going to sign her up for classes. One facility Julia is not old enough to use at the Y is the hot tub. There was no age limit at the JCC and Julia always enjoyed the hot tub, especially in the winter. Now she has to wait until she is 16. I’m also expecting to make some good use of the Y once Julia goes back to school. A good time for new year’s resolutions.
We bought a snow blower today. Ummm, getting in touch with winter? I guess we could have suffered though the winter, and as long as I am not working, I could take care of the walks and driveway, but I am not sure how we could handle it once both of us are working. And my mother’s been after me to look for something that we could use. Thanks, Mom.
I did the research last night, and ran into a neighbor early this morning who was using the Toro model that I was interested in. It is a smaller blower but this neighbor has used it for a few years and said he was very happy. That was all I needed to find a shop with some stock and sales help who could answer questions. And now we have a new machine!
20 August 2007
Monday evening
Julia and I spent the day at home today, alone and inside. I cleaned and played with dinosaurs, Julia played with all her little animals and dinosaurs and the computer and clay. We had breakfast and lunch together and ended the day with a bath. It was a good day.
Julia has been incredible the last two days. She has been loving and ready to give hugs and kisses. She missed me and she is willing to show it. She was a bit angry with me on Sunday, but even that feels like it should. She did not ignore me as she used to do when I came back from Chicago. She behaved that way when David was traveling back and forth to Madison. I brough back a few gifts for her and her favorite was a few more plastic animals -- a llama, a duck billed dino, an ape, and a gazelle. This kid is going to know her animals.
I was feeling a bit off on Sunday and at the beginning of today, but it was the only problem I had related to my trip. A day of queasy stomach is nothing compared to what we've felt during our trips. I feel very lucky.
Julia is working on her words. We have been correction some of her mispronounciations and she is willing to try to correct herself. I think she is really ready for some good ESL training.
Julia has been incredible the last two days. She has been loving and ready to give hugs and kisses. She missed me and she is willing to show it. She was a bit angry with me on Sunday, but even that feels like it should. She did not ignore me as she used to do when I came back from Chicago. She behaved that way when David was traveling back and forth to Madison. I brough back a few gifts for her and her favorite was a few more plastic animals -- a llama, a duck billed dino, an ape, and a gazelle. This kid is going to know her animals.
I was feeling a bit off on Sunday and at the beginning of today, but it was the only problem I had related to my trip. A day of queasy stomach is nothing compared to what we've felt during our trips. I feel very lucky.
Julia is working on her words. We have been correction some of her mispronounciations and she is willing to try to correct herself. I think she is really ready for some good ESL training.
18 July 2007
More about the house
There is so much out there on the web about historic houses and I love researching this stuff. Especially because we are planning to do our bath and kitchen, I thought I'd find out about this new house. We know that it was built during the 20's and I found a book of old house plans. Although I did not find our present house or our Indy house in the plans, there were a number of plans that I am sure I’ve seen in Meridian Kessler, and there was information about housing types of the 20's.
Our Madison house is a Shingled Style house:
The Shingle style house plan falls under the family of Victorian home plans. The name itself describes the dominating finish veneer found in the style of home. The shingle style do not place emphasizes on elaborate detailing around the doors, windows, cornice, and other design elements as commonly seen in Victorian homes; rather, it focus on the design of complex shapes and unifying the uncommon with a smooth veneer finish (the shingles).
A typical shingle style design has an asymmetrical facade with multi-level eaves. Walls are finished in shingles with no interruption of corner boards. Roofs in general are steeply pitched and have intersecting cross gables. Large porches are common but, a porch may be omitted or small in scale.
We have a very small Shingle Style House but it does fit the description. Too bad we don't have a tower or turret. Cheshire and I always dreamed of a turret house.
23 May 2007
Housekeeping notes
You can dust every day.
If you take out the vacuum, the floor will be dirty.
Although it is pretty weird welcoming potential buyers to your house and showing them around (or following them around trying to be entertaining. Oh, what a mistake!) when you are doing a FSBO, it is weirder still to be told to vacate you perfectly clean house at a time certain and not even know who is looking at your house.
Contrary to any rational thought, a low bid is a reflection of my housekeeping. (Okay, just a little bit.)
A low bid by a Buyer you’ve never seen plants seeds of contempt, ingratitude, and down right unfairness. And some negative feelings develope. Okay, lots of negative feelings!
The owners of houses we are looking at give us credit for lots of imagination – they have very cluttered homes (who needs three couches in a livingroom?), they don’t clean up the dishes, the sign on their door says not to let the dog out (and who is on the other side of the front door ready to bolt? 65 pounds of golden fur). We, on the other hand, think our potential buyers are stupid. We clean, straighten, fix, declutter, hide books and family pictures, and generally try to make our humble abode into some sort of generic paradise. Who is doing this right?
Should I take down the travel pictures?
Will anyone think I really collect cookie jars and kitchie tea pots?
If you take out the vacuum, the floor will be dirty.
Although it is pretty weird welcoming potential buyers to your house and showing them around (or following them around trying to be entertaining. Oh, what a mistake!) when you are doing a FSBO, it is weirder still to be told to vacate you perfectly clean house at a time certain and not even know who is looking at your house.
Contrary to any rational thought, a low bid is a reflection of my housekeeping. (Okay, just a little bit.)
A low bid by a Buyer you’ve never seen plants seeds of contempt, ingratitude, and down right unfairness. And some negative feelings develope. Okay, lots of negative feelings!
The owners of houses we are looking at give us credit for lots of imagination – they have very cluttered homes (who needs three couches in a livingroom?), they don’t clean up the dishes, the sign on their door says not to let the dog out (and who is on the other side of the front door ready to bolt? 65 pounds of golden fur). We, on the other hand, think our potential buyers are stupid. We clean, straighten, fix, declutter, hide books and family pictures, and generally try to make our humble abode into some sort of generic paradise. Who is doing this right?
Should I take down the travel pictures?
Will anyone think I really collect cookie jars and kitchie tea pots?
More housekeeping
The 30ish couple looked at the house 3 times. The last time, they brought her parents flown in from Detroit and a contractor. I entertained the mother while the others went through the house and asked the contractor what it would cost if they knocked out the back of the house, put in a new kitchen and a big family room, added to the second floor, put in a master bath, an extended second bedroom for a master bedroom, made the third bathroom larger, and redid the existing bathroom.
This would have added another third to the floor space in the house, and they were shocked to learn that such renovation would cost some where between 135,000 and 175,000. Sounded reasonable for all that work.
Anyway, after talking and looking and taking up my time (sorry, I am a little bitter), they decided on the "other" house on our old street in Butler-Tarkington.
Oh well.
Then Monday evening, two potential buyers looked at the house. The feedback was that neither was really interested, but an offer came in on Tuesday. It was really low -- 35000 under our offer price. We countered to see if they are in any way serious. I tried not to be insulted. I tried not to be depressed, but an offer the second day after listing, however low, is not bad.
St. Joseph?
This would have added another third to the floor space in the house, and they were shocked to learn that such renovation would cost some where between 135,000 and 175,000. Sounded reasonable for all that work.
Anyway, after talking and looking and taking up my time (sorry, I am a little bitter), they decided on the "other" house on our old street in Butler-Tarkington.
Oh well.
Then Monday evening, two potential buyers looked at the house. The feedback was that neither was really interested, but an offer came in on Tuesday. It was really low -- 35000 under our offer price. We countered to see if they are in any way serious. I tried not to be insulted. I tried not to be depressed, but an offer the second day after listing, however low, is not bad.
St. Joseph?
Housekeeping
May 20, 2007
I've been trying not to write much about housekeeping and selling the house, but I give up right now. I wrote this on Sunday. And then, more to follow.
I showed the house again today. A young 30ish couple coming from Denver and their realtor. He is coming to a research position; she is either pregnant or they are trying. How do I know about her – just a guess, just a guess. They knew about working on houses and gardens and seemed to take their time looking. They are deciding tomorrow and may stop by again. I could hope that they do, but hoping right now is silly. They seem to me the type of people who have some vision, and I guess that is what we have been buying this house and living here. There is a bit more vision needed to complete the house. I do want to tell people looking that this is a good house, filled with really good feelings, good Chi tumbling about not too quick or too slow. But how can you say that to a looker. They have to know these things for themselves.
I have been keeping house. House keeping. Keeping house. The effort of keeping the house ready to show at less than an hour’s notice is a challenge. It generally means vacuuming at least three times a week. Rooms with tile need that to be perfectly clean. Stray dust, dog hair, a few stray feathers, crumbs that the spicy dragon drops – really hardly worth getting the vacuum out under usual conditions, not continually, not on some sort of schedule. I can appreciate those who keep house so well. I don’t remember when my mother or grandmother cleaned when I was too young to have cleaning chore myself, but I am sure that they spent their days doing it. Those houses were always clean – a baby could crawl in white overhalls, food could be picked up off the floor.
I enjoy the knowing of the house as I do right now. We have had no choice but know this house, considering all the work the house has needed, and this is just another way to know walls and ceilings and places where the wood floor is not perfect and doors that don’t close completely, and nooks that attract dust. I have theories of dust and how it gets to where it is going. Great physics experiments would have to be performed to determine whether dust is a sentient species that moved faster than light.
Today was a straightening and vacuuming day to get the house ready for lookers. I didn’t clean the inside of the microwave and the upstairs bathroom that needs doing. Not that they are really dirty, not really, really dirty, just not as clean as they might be, the faucets don’t shine, the tile is soap dulled.
I've been trying not to write much about housekeeping and selling the house, but I give up right now. I wrote this on Sunday. And then, more to follow.
I showed the house again today. A young 30ish couple coming from Denver and their realtor. He is coming to a research position; she is either pregnant or they are trying. How do I know about her – just a guess, just a guess. They knew about working on houses and gardens and seemed to take their time looking. They are deciding tomorrow and may stop by again. I could hope that they do, but hoping right now is silly. They seem to me the type of people who have some vision, and I guess that is what we have been buying this house and living here. There is a bit more vision needed to complete the house. I do want to tell people looking that this is a good house, filled with really good feelings, good Chi tumbling about not too quick or too slow. But how can you say that to a looker. They have to know these things for themselves.
I have been keeping house. House keeping. Keeping house. The effort of keeping the house ready to show at less than an hour’s notice is a challenge. It generally means vacuuming at least three times a week. Rooms with tile need that to be perfectly clean. Stray dust, dog hair, a few stray feathers, crumbs that the spicy dragon drops – really hardly worth getting the vacuum out under usual conditions, not continually, not on some sort of schedule. I can appreciate those who keep house so well. I don’t remember when my mother or grandmother cleaned when I was too young to have cleaning chore myself, but I am sure that they spent their days doing it. Those houses were always clean – a baby could crawl in white overhalls, food could be picked up off the floor.
I enjoy the knowing of the house as I do right now. We have had no choice but know this house, considering all the work the house has needed, and this is just another way to know walls and ceilings and places where the wood floor is not perfect and doors that don’t close completely, and nooks that attract dust. I have theories of dust and how it gets to where it is going. Great physics experiments would have to be performed to determine whether dust is a sentient species that moved faster than light.
Today was a straightening and vacuuming day to get the house ready for lookers. I didn’t clean the inside of the microwave and the upstairs bathroom that needs doing. Not that they are really dirty, not really, really dirty, just not as clean as they might be, the faucets don’t shine, the tile is soap dulled.
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