girl at large

Kicking Around

Papa quote of the week: "I'm tired of not having any balls in this house"

 

 

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Play Time Out

The play area yesterday was crawling....with parents. The kids hardly had room to move, much less swing and jump. I remember French playgrounds where parents sat on the sidelines and had coffee and adult conversation while the kids sorted it out. I love you Vivi, but I find the playground incredibly boring, and I won't hide it. I brought a book to the park when I was a kid, I'll do it again now. You'll deal.

 

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Favorite Strangers

Spring came early this year, or so it felt as we were on the road heading south. The trees along the side of the road were nearly green when we made it to Berea, KY. Asheville, NC was our trip destination, but Berea became our favorite stop that we had made along the way.

The Boone Tavern Hotel (http://www.boonetavernhotel.com/) was perfect...historic, warm, comfortable. Though our room faced a rooftop, we didn't notice because we were outside in the cobblestone courtyard among the daffodils or on the front porch rockers watching Berea college students go by. The people of the hotel and the town were friendly.

At breakfast in the restored and sunny dining room, another traveling family stopped to chat at our table with my charming toddler. When they asked "his name", I had to do the apologetic

"Her name is Vivienne".

Strangers immediate response: "That's ok, it will grow out!"

My startled reply: "It's on purpose, I prefer her hair short"

She carries on: "...It could be worse, when my youngest got ahold of the scissors..."

Me again, literally head in hands: "No, I PAID to have it done"

Have a good day!

 

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Oops

Viv: "I saw your trunk today Papa"

Papa: "You saw my what?"

Viv: "You have a trunk like an elephant!"

Exit bathrobe, enter pants.

 

 

 

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Pick Your Projects

Don’t Discount Your House’s Exterior Statement… — Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival

Spring weather turns my attention to the outside of the house....which is a disaster. I want to paint it, remove the horrible aluminum trim and restore the old storms and screens. I'm itching to scrape the peeling doors, yank out the nasty chain link fence and plant a blossoming tree.

Spring may be here, but the budget isn't. I'll have to be satisfied with mud jacking the driveway and poop-scooping the yard.

 

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If Not Now...

Before:

After:

Little bits of progress...or, resignation. This kitchen cabinet, the only kitchen to speak of, is supposed to be ripped out some day. But, at our pace of Demo Quickly-Rebuild Never, I've forbidden it's removal.

So, in quiet acceptance of the fact that I have lived in this fixer for two years, and will probably do so for twenty more, I painted it.

New house Motto for 2015: If not renovated, at least less gross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I See You! (And Me. And the kid. And the dog...and, hey is everyone in the bathroom with me?!?!)

It only took six months...and 1 day and $33.18 but we finally got a mirror in the bathroom.

I've been doing my face in a hand mirror hanging off the latch on the cabinet door. In our only bathroom. A bathroom with no threshold, no door trim, chunks of plaster on the floor and a fan that sounds like an airplane landing overhead. I get ready each morning in this 4' x 5' tile palace while someone else showers and a little someone else peaks in because that's where everyone is and isn't this fun?!

The next time Paulie says he'll do some thing when he can afford it, I'm going to clarify what "afford" means!

 

 

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At Your Service

I've spoiled Viv with our travels. She has taken to it like a duck to water. Or like a toddler to a feather bed. Her love of travel extends to dining.

At breakfast, she ordered her own eggs and bacon. Imagine squeaky voice, serious little face: "Eggs". "And bacon".

When I neglected to bring her water at lunch, she said, "The lady will get it for me".

When she wanted to leave the dinner table, I said we couldn't until we had gotten the bill. She quickly spotted our server and waved him over. "He's right there".

If she keeps this up, soon she can take care of the tip!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Just Like Versailles

Just like Versailles, our favorite time at Biltmore was the gardens, not the house. And like every trip of my childhood, the warm sunny cobblestone courtyard with coffee and croissant was where we spent most of our time. I can't recall how many museums and chateaus we never did enter...well, because we didn't! But I do remember the legs of wrought iron cafe chairs, the color of espresso foam, little white cups and tired feet and conversations with my brilliant mother in the sunshine.

 

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