Goodbye carefree free time. Homework is here.
We just started a new chapter in our little family. And I have to say, I think it’s a little early. But with this and so many other things … it doesn’t matter what I think.
Sophie brought home her first homework assignment this week.
Homework. In pre-K.
I guess I was silly to think we had a couple more years before that started.
The most surprising aspect of this, though, is that Sophie is thrilled. She loves homework. Last night, she actually asked me if we could turn off Sesame Street so she could focus her attention fully on thinking of things that start with the letter A.
I’m glad she likes homework, because I know she won’t always. But it’s a little sad to me that the work-free part of childhood is already over for her. And she’s not even 5.
Tags: homework
Wordless Wednesday: Benny bringing the charm
Here are some shots my sister Heather took at the reunion of sweet Benny.
Boo!
Charming his cousins
shakin' his booty
Tags: wordless wednesday
Bush-league mommy
I don’t know why I thought it would be different with Benny.
But when we switched classes, I knew there would be an adjustment. I knew he would need some time to get used to a new teacher, new room and new kids.
I expected him to cry the first day. That’s natural, I reasoned.
What I didn’t expect was that I would cry too.
Blindsided by the waterworks.
I thought I was a seasoned mommy now. I navigated this separating anxiety thing with Sophie three years ago. I thought I could hack it.
So, so wrong.
My little boogie monster
20 minutes
That’s how long I listened to my daughter discuss boogers this morning. The truth is, I don’t even mind her jabbering about gross things like that. But she insists that I participate by asking me endless questions.
“Mommy, why do we have boogers? Why do they keep coming back? What will happen if I eat them? Why are they green? Does everyone have boogers? Even fish?”
She even told me about how her friend Nate … the son of our own Crafty mama … will only eat the green boogers. He’s very discerning about such things.
This went on and on as we drove into the city. Of course, I kept reiterating that she should not pick her nose and that she certainly should not eat whatever she finds in there.
When we reached day care, I finally had to scream uncle. “Sophie, can we please stop talking about boogers?!”
She was very reasonable.
“OK mama. We can talk about it after school.”
Tags: boogers
The pity potty is over
It took eight full days, including a weekend, but the bathroom renovation is complete. The Sams are out of our lives.
Here are a couple photos.
Tags: bathroom renovation
Day 5 and waiting
The Sams are still here. To their credit, they’ve been working hard. Showing up on time and working late.
Who knew re-tiling a shower and bathroom floor was so complicated?
Have you ever thought about grout? I sure hadn’t until this week. Now I find myself looking at sample colors with my head spinning. Why don’t I care about this more? The Sams (for those have haven’t read my earlier posts, we have a father son team of tilers. Big Sam and Little Sam.) seem to indicate that most women/homeowners are intensely interested and have strongly held beliefs about such things. Me? Um …
I just want my second toilet back. And my bedroom, which is now covered in weird demo dust that has infiltrated my head and lungs, making me feel like I’m sick every morning.
Anyway, they ARE making progress and we’ve been assured they’ll finish up tomorrow. I can’t imagine that happening, but I’m trying to remain hopeful.
The only surface that actually has tile yet is the tiny shower floor. No grout, mind you. Just tile. Still left are the floor to ceiling walls of the shower and the rest of the bathroom floor. Oh … and installing the toilet.
Here’s were we are today.
looks kind of like the floor of a Mexican prison
Tags: bathroom renovation
Wordless Wednesday: Murphy reunion
Benny discovers it's hot in Virginia too
Cousins rockin' at pop pop's
Tera gets her game on
Uncle Rob teaches Sophie to play
Benny's take on the "cornhole" game
The only photo taken of me on vacation
Grandma Beta with all her grandbabies
Tags: reunion
It’s my potty, I can cry if I want to
I’ve always believed that the best way to remain married, at least happily, is to have at least two bathrooms.
I don’t want to know what he does in there. I certainly don’t want to SMELL what he does in there.
And I like maintaining my independence and mystery as it relates to personal hygiene.
Starting yesterday and for who knows how long, we are a family of four with one toilet. Pray for us.
Now, I realize this is ridiculous if you consider that much of the world’s population doesn’t even have indoor plumbing. So please know that I realize this is petty whining. Since I acknowledge it, please indulge me.
Here’s where we are the morning of bathroom renovation, day 2.
Where my floor should be
Where my toilet should be
Where my shower should be
We’re told all will be back to normal, only better, by Thursday. But when Big Sam and Little Sam arrived today nearly two hours late, Big Sam warned me he wasn’t feeling very well and might not last the day.
Tags: bathroom renovation
Sam I am getting a new floor
Today marks the first day of what I’m hoping will be a short home-improvement project.
Our master bathroom shower and floor are being re-tiled. We discovered a leaking shower pan a month or so ago and have finally moved to that magical moment … contractors are arriving.
Or at least they were supposed to … about 15 minutes ago. I’ve heard a lot of nightmare stories about contractors, but I’ve decided to be hopeful. One of the guys called about 10 minutes before they were supposed to arrive to say they’re on the way.
Fingers crossed. I’ve been assured none of the workers will be sex offenders.
We’ve gotten two time estimates. “About a week” and “around two weeks.” So for however long it takes, we’ll have men in our bedroom and our little family of four will be sharing the same bathroom in the hall.
Move over mermaid bath toys. Slide in mama’s toiletries.
Gulp.
So husband has moved my computer out of the master bedroom, where it is usually stationed right outside the master bath, into my dining room so that I can work from home while “the guys” destroy and then reassemble the bathroom. He left with the kids a few minutes ago, and I have this rare moment of solitude in my own home. Ahhhh.
Here’s a before picture for you. Although I realize you can’t really see the floor. I’ll take photos along the way.
The work crew just arrived.
It’s two guys. I think a father and son.
They introduced themselves as “Big Sam” and “Little Sam.”
Seriously.
I’ll keep you posted.
Tags: bathroom renovation
Showering our Heidi
Last weekend, we had a shower for Heidi, of In the Family Way blog fame, at my house.
Although hastily thrown together, I think it went well. Anyone who knows Heidi and her growing family knows she deserves the very best. We can wait to meet her sweet girls. (I mean, we CAN wait. We’re very happy to wait until they’re full term and heavier than 2 pounds each!)
Here are some photos. (now that I figured out how to post them again.
Cindy Murphy is a special projects reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She and her husband, who is also a reporter, have a 4-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son. They live in Little Rock. 