Apparently we had hail?

And apparently when you get hail, it can dent aluminum siding.   Which ultimately leads to many strange people knocking on your door offering to fix your siding for free.  They look even more strange when they stick their faces right up to the siding to look for what to me can only be invisible dents. 

They've always been a bit sketchy to me and eventually I stopped answering the door and just hid in my office until I was sure they had moved onto the next house.

But one guy came to our door wearing an Indiana Jones hat and was the nicest guy I have ever met.  His name was Guy.  And he didn't stick his nose up to my walls like the other guys did.  Well maybe he did, but I didn't see it happen, fortunately. 

Anyway, we really did have some hail damage!  Which amazingly, insurance companies are willing to pay for.

And that is how the journey started.

Being pregnant, I can't make a decision to save my life. 

And that is how the even longer journey of deciding on a house color started.

It was agony.

For everyone involved. 

Which was a lot of people.  Polls on facebook. Going over and over color choices with  my dear friends and trying to figure out how the trim color would impact it.

Looking at a bazillion houses that had been done by this company.  Realizing that after the 10th house, they all look the same. 

It's like when you're trying to decide on a new scent at Bath and Body Works and they all start to run together so the lady tells you to sniff your sleeve to clear out your senses. And then you start wondering when was the last time you washed your jacket. 

I wonder if I had sniffed my sleeve in between houses I would have had an easier time deciding on a color?

Anyway, here are some pictures of our house! They started precisely at 7am and I didn't have time to go out and get a true "before" shot.  This is the best I can do:

After about an hour, it looked like a tornado had ripped through the area.  Siding was everywhere! Seeing it on the ground was the first realization that yes, it was okay to let go of the blue color that I hated but somehow pregnancy hormones made me cry when I realized my house wouldn't be blue anymore.

I don't recommend pregnancy hormones to anyone. 

They make you do and think crazy things.

And then the new color started to go up! And I secretly watched them.  And dreaded that the color was going to be very very light which was the opposite of what I wanted.

I kept thinking "what have I done?"

But then I stepped outside and realized that it's not nearly as light as I thought. 

And that I actually (gasp) liked it!

So, here is the finished product:

Complete with red star on the front door to get me thinking about painting it red. 

At the rate we went with the siding, I figure it should only take us about 3 years to decide on a door color.

All work was completed by Cornerstone Exteriors.  I highly recommend them! And if you're pregnant, go with Guy.  Very patient man. With a super cool hat.

The end.

Work it

Elisabeth and I went on a short mother-daughter date last weekend.  Really, all we did was exchange a pair of shoes and then explore an old mall, but we had so much fun together.  While she was busy exploring the old brick building I was busy snapping pictures and all of a sudden she started modeling for me.  I was cracking up!  She sure knows how to strike a pose.

untitled

Onomatopoeia

I just like saying that word. Sydney does too.  All while Elisabeth teaches us what the heck it means.

Apparently I've been out of school for too long.

Karaoke Kids

The Fun Fair (originally scheduled for Feb 5th but cancelled after the roof collapsed on the warehouse holding all of the goods because of all of the snow from "Blizzard 2011" {which obviously means that we won't get another blizzard in 2011}) was held this weekend at Elisabeth's school.  It was a blast for the kids and we are now the proud owners of something called Noisy Slime that truly is as noisy and disgusting as it sounds, along with 5 Chinese Torture Devices, 3 plastic hand clappers, 2 Parachute Guys, 1 Noiseless Harmonica and 1 set of Noisemaker Plastic Lips.

All of which is sitting in my purse and the kids haven't asked for once.

(Two more days and they're going in the trash.  But don't tell the girls that.)


"Mom! My Chinese Torture Device doesn't work!"  Well, try one of the other four, sweetie. I'm sure there's at least one in there that will torture you.

In addition to winning some really, um, "great" prizes, the girls were desperate to sing Karaoke. But the question was, what song to choose? A little Black Eyed Peas? Some Selena Gomez? Some other grrovy song that I don't recognize? Nope. Not my Elisabeth.  She likes to choose the classics. 

This year (as well as last year), it was "B-I-N-G-O".  This year Sydney decided she wanted to sing too, because Miss Rabya "tings dat tong!"

They waited on stage a looooong time.  Long enough for Sydney to develop her typical stage fright (and no pun intended on this one! Ha!) and put on her "I'm not so sure about this" face.  

Elisabeth's friend Ellie went up with them.  I'm pretty sure Ellie is trying to console Sydney here.  "Don't worry Sydney! Just say B.I.N.G.O. and you'll be great!"

And then Sydney probably said back "What are you kidding me? That's a bunch of BS.  I mean, do you SEE all of the people out there? Do you?"

And then Elisabeth probably said "DAA-AAD! Sydney doesn't wanna siiiing" in the typical "tattle tale" voice that only kids know how to do.

Eventually it was their turn to jam out on stage.  And jam they did! At least 2 of the 3 did. 

Can you guess which one didn't? 

(I love that Elisabeth and Ellie had to read the words on the screen.)

Oh sweet Sydney, you are such a good sport.  I promise you can have one more Chinese Torture Device to make up for your pain and suffering, okay?