kitchen update

 The drawers before the fronts were put on

The large drawers are in

small drawers and you can see the dishwasher in the corner of the photo

spices all organized

backsplash

shelving

The kitchen is getting closer to being completed.  There are a few shelves left to make and then on to the finishing and "pretty" work.

My Security Blanket

My DD may have her lovey blanket (commonly referred to as "my loby"), but I have my own security blanket-a stroller.

I have been seeing some mommy discussion boards about when is a kid too big for a stroller and under what circumstances should a kid still be in a stroller. I had a friend send me a link to a blog that is all about seeing kids that were too big for strollers, but were still in strollers.

I think that the choice of when a child is too big for a stroller is a personal decision, however, sometimes I can be just as judgmental as everyone else when I see a kid that appears "too big" for a stroller in public. Even though I don't know the circumstances, like, if the kid has a developmental or physical delay, is the child large for his age, etc.

The reason I started to think about my stroller as my security blanket is that I don't want to give it up. We have one in each vehicle "just in case". I use it at times when I am afraid my DD won't be able to walk that far and I'm afraid I'll have to carry her or heaven forbid--stop and take a break with her. I sometimes want to be able to get done what I need to get done running errands without having to look at every item, tree, flower, etc. Or it's cold out and then I can put a blanket over her (she's 2 1/2 and has snow pants, etc, that I can bring with and put on her). I also like the security of knowing exactly where she is and that she is not in harm's way.

The funny thing is, most of the time, we bring it "just in case" and end up walking the stroller with our DD either walking next to it or helping to push it. We mainly use it outside, so there is so much to look at there is no way she's staying in it.

I know that it is getting to the point that I need to pack this item up. It needs to go in the closet with the bassinet, high chair, carrier car seat, the swing, my Moby, and the list goes on and on. Maybe that's the hardest thing of all, it's the last mark of babyhood. My DD does not NEED the stroller and in some ways it feels like she doesn't need me. She can walk all by herself and can be more independent.

We all want our children to become independent. I don't want to push an older child in a stroller. We are encouraging her to potty train and are excited about every step she makes in her journey to no longer need us and become a confident adult. It does not make it any easier when the big and little steps of the journey make us want to take a time out and slow things down...just a little bit.

Back to Normal??....not quite

Things have slowed down with the kitchen now we are getting into more of a "finishing" phase. We have ordered the part for our "new to us" dishwasher (that will not get here until the beginning of March) and have also ordered the brackets for the frames. My DH is planning on getting the wood for the drawers and the shelves next weekend. The drawers will take some time to be completed. Then the microwave will get properly installed (currently we have it hooked up via an extension cord). We also need to install the back splash and tile behind the microwave when it is installed. The walls will need to be re painted. My DH also hopes to re finish the floor this summer.

We now have all the cabinet doors in, so even though there are open spaces for the drawers, I am able to put some stuff in the bottom cabinets.

The upside at this point:
1. I have a sink and a counter top.
2. I have some storage
3. I found my measuring spoons (could not find them for the last baking project)
4. I have reclaimed my laundry baskets for their original intended purpose (been trying to do laundry for three people with one laundry basket)
5. No kitchen stuff in my DD's bedroom closet
6. You can walk in the bedroom without bumping into kitchen stuff


The downside at this point:
1. the DD can easily get to all the items in the bottom cabinets due to the open drawer spaces.
2. It is still disorganized and looks sloppy (my towels are spilling out of a bottom cabinet box for example.
3. storage is still very limited
4. some stuff is still packed at this point (under our bed at this time)

All in all it is going really well and a lot has been accomplished. There is still more to do, but it will happen in time. It looks awesome. It will take me some time to organize the cabinets and drawers as I will try items in a few spaces before I find the perfect spot for eveything.

Sink and Counter Top

I finally have a sink. After 14 days of not having a sink or a counter top, I am pretty excited. We ate a lot of soups and cook and serve meals on paper dishes. It was getting pretty old. Here are the pictures of our progress.




The beginning of the counter top










the 2nd layer of the counter top






the hole for the sink is cut out (my new sink is larger than my old one)










beginning of the tile work on the counter top







the tile is completed, including the grout











close up of the sink








a picture of the whole sink

kitchen update 4

The bottom cabinet boxes are installed. The top cabinets are getting the doors installed. Here are a few pictures of where we are in the process.



The bottom corner cabinets. The space is for the dishwasher










the large section of cabinets to the left of the sink










small cabinet section to the right of the stove. This one will have a section of butcher block on it (as shown).












The top section of cabinets, complete with doors (they still need shelves inside)

kitchen update 3

We have all the bottom cabinets and the sink taken out. The bottom cabinets are going in today and that will be about end of the long weekend at this house. I now have stuff stored in my daughter's room, her closet, and the bathroom. I dug out the camping wash basins for dishes and we are adjusting to not having a kitchen sink or prep area. Below are pictures of the progress.



bottom cabinets before they were removed












another picture of the old bottom cabinets and the old counter top. The blue tape indicates the drawers/cabinets that have my husband's stuff in it for him to clean out













no more cabinets









another view of the emptiness











some of the new cabinets, brought up from the basement

making progress

We now have the upper cabinet boxes up. That was a lot of work and I was needed to help with this. My 2 year old also made a few large messes in a short amount of time, so I had clean up work to do also. There is still a LOT left today, but it feels great to be making progress.

The bottom cabinets are being assembled and will be stained by the end of the day!

Here's some pictures of the progress:

Enjoying a snack on top of the microwave being stored in the living room












Cabinet boxes waiting to be installed











first section installed











the rest installed







my shelf for the microwave