My Five Little Monkeys

Now How Much Would You Pay?

I gave in. William got his own room. It really wasn't quite as bittersweet as I had thought it would be. To be honest with you, the child hadn't had a "room" in ages. He had either been sleeping with us, or had been reluctantly sleeping in his old bedroom for so long, that it seemed more natural to just not have him in with his brothers anymore.

I did really feel as though he needed his own "space", whatever that may be. I really was having a difficult time defining that though. Not only with myself, but also with him. His space seemed to be a place with red walls, and a pillow. My space seemed to be something with a bed, and one that wasn't MY bed. It also was an issue that nearly everything I suggested to him, I was met with a sort of indifference. It didn't seem like William really cared too much either way. I have to admit, that was kind of frustrating. I really wanted him to be passionate about something... Even if it was Bakugan, or iCarly... Just give me an opinion, something to go on.

However, since he gave me NOTHING. I went with what I had... A twin size quilt that my Great-Aunt Judy gave me when the boys were born. Aunt Judy gave me three quilts, all different, yet very similar, her friend had spent quite a bit of time making them for us. They are really unique and super fun. They're really brightly colored, and all three of them have the boys names embroidered into the blanket. I think that makes it so special. I've loved them since the day she gave them to me... I never was able to use them while the boys were in cribs, but proudly pulled them out when I moved the boys one by one to toddler beds. I hope that someday they love them as much as I do.

So since the quilt has so many awesome primary colors in it, I decided that would be a fine focus to have. Small problem, I just needed a bed... And a mattress... And a dresser... Clearly the quilt was the smallest part of my project. But hey! It was good to have a jumping off point right?

Fast forward to one week later, I had proudly acquired all of the things I needed in order to make Williams room complete. Two weeks later, the room was done... I spent a whopping $193.60 to complete the look. I was SO pleased with the way that it all turned out! Especially on a budget! I must admit, I had a little help from my Mom on some of it... But not too much!

Here's the rundown!

$160 - Mattress/Boxspring, Bedframe, & Dresser (Craigs List!!)

$33.60 - Picture Frames - Michael's (I used 40% off coupons on all 4 sets of frames!)

That's all the money that I personally put into the room. My Mom bought William a new set of sheets and nice red curtains. The curtains already had the rods up, so we were all set there.... I also had the desk and chair, so it was just an added bonus! The artwork is all William's own creations! We've saved it over the years and he helped me choose some art that he thought would look nice on his walls... 

So even though William didn't give me any idea of what it was that he wanted, I think he really loves his room now... He plays very contentedly in there and sleeps nicely by himself (most nights), It's a learning process right!? 

Now we'd like to move onto the boy's room... My biggest hurdle will be mattresses, but I'm not in a hurry! And Craigs List is my friend! :)

It Was All Fun & Games Till The Cop Showed Up...

So last week while Jonny was mowing the lawn, the mower accidentally kicked up a stone and knocked out the glass in our sliding glass door. Thankfully nobody was out in the yard, or in the basement while he was out there mowing, but regardless...What a total pain in the butt. We immediately got to researching the cost of replacing the door, only to find out that replacing merely the door itself is kind of unheard of. Typically people replace the entire thing... The casing, the fixed door, AND the slider. The price for this accident was going to run us upwards of a thousand bucks. Irritated didn't even begin to cover the feelings that we felt...

Jon and I being the savvy shoppers that we are, happened across a Craigs List ad in a neighboring town for a door similar to ours. Jon and his Dad rode out to take a look at it and found it to be in great condition! *Score* $100 bucks later we were the proud owners of a 'new to us' sliding glass door.

Now the project consisted of getting the old, busted door out of the frame, and get the new one in. Fun times I tell you. I sort of stood back and just watched this one unfold, since door installation really isn't my area of expertise. It was kind of like watching, um, the most ridiculous scenario... Two cats competing in a turd burying contest? Like that. There was simply NO getting this door out of the frame.

I had brought the shop vac down from the garage to clean up some of the stray pieces of glass that were being flung everywhere. I figured while I had the vacuum out it would be a good idea to clean the stairway too. Ever used a shop vac? Hella loud. While I was cleaning the stairs, I hear the guys finally putting together enough swear words to give me the impression that either the door was out, or they had finally given up. Lo & behold, the door was in the yard, in one piece too!

As I was about to commend them on their job well done, I thought I heard my cell phone tinkling away in the distance. Trying with all my might to run up my (very clean) stairs to catch it, since I did have 3 kids in school mind you, I heard another sound... This sound was far less familiar, and far less tinkly. It was more ear piercing, and wasn't something I could quite place. Just as I realized the ear piercing noise was in fact our home alarm, signaling a break in, I heard our doorbell ring... I literally had no idea where to go. My cell phone had stopped ringing thankfully, the house alarm was still blaring in the distance, and now the doorbell... All while Evan & William circled around me asking what that noise was, and WHO was at the door.

William ran off to answer the door, I went ahead and fumbled with the alarm realizing that the little screen was showing a error code that I was unfamiliar with. Before I had time to really decipher it, I hear an unfamiliar voice asking William if Mommy or Daddy was home. Being jolted back into the moment I went dashing over the baby gate, smashing my ankle on the top rail. Trying to contain the string of profanities that were on the tip of my tongue, I see out of the corner of my eye, a blue flashing light. Stumbling towards the door, I see standing there, staring at my children, and now at me... A police officer. William is literally plastered to the opposite wall, and Evan was sitting on the floor just staring.

It then all made sense to me... When we took the door out of the track, we tripped the sensor for the alarm company, they attempted to call our home phone, and both of our cell phones, but because of the noise from the vacuum we couldn't hear any of that. The next step for these companies? Dispatch the police. Excellent.

I made a total fool out of myself, and probably looked more suspicious than anything. All while explaining all of this to the cop patiently standing outside of my home. She asked me for some identification, I ran off to get it, the kids trailing close behind. Just before getting back to the door, Jon comes busting up from the basement, yelling about the new door not fitting and how annoyed he is. Seeing the police officer standing in our doorway, everything suddenly became roses, and he disappeared very quickly. Comical.

After calling my information into the station, she gave me some information about procedure to call the alarm company so that this didn't happen again today. Thanks, I'll do that. She left, not once smiling or dismissing this as if it happens all the time. Way to make me feel like a moron.

I hurried the kids into the family room and slumped into my chair, William plopped next to me. He glanced over at me, and did a quick double take... "Mommy, what happened to your face?"

Turns out, while carrying the enormous shop vac up and down the stairs, I busted the knuckle on my hand. During all the chaos, my nose was running and I apparently kept swiping at it with the back of my bloody hand... Wow... Way to make a really harmless scene look really really bad. When I went to clean it off in the bathroom, my face, under my nose was covered in blood. Awesome.

True story people, I can't make this stuff up.