There are so many things to catch up on, but I'll focus on the present and I might actually catch up on the past few months at some point too.
I'm in Ohio. No, I didn't move here (though we did move last month!) but this is the annual summer trip to Ohio and Michigan. Right now I'm in Hudson with my three boys while Ryan is still at work in MA. One of the perks of being a stay-at-home-mom is that I can take weeks or even months at a time and head back to my hometown.
My parents bought this house in 1985, just before I started kindergarten. 27 years later, it's pretty much the same as when they bought it. We painted and wall-papered a few rooms, and they did gut and remodel the kitchen a few years ago, but for the most part, what they bought is how it remains today. The goal is for my Father to retire (Mom has already retired) and for my parents to move to "The Island" (long story for another blog) sometime in the next two or three years. It's been the five-year plan for about the last ten years, but I get the feeling this time it's more likely than not (also the topic for another blog!). The Island Home is much smaller than their current home, so the first item on the agenda is helping them downsize all the stuff that nearly 30 years and three children has brought into their home.
The second issue will be updating the house to prepare it for the current rough real estate market. The latest info we get from interior decorators and real estate agents is that wall paper is OUT, so we're not just downsizing stuff, but also preparing to tear out wall paper and paint the entire house. A fresh coat of paint makes everything look new and exciting, right?
I'm also assuming that we'll be updating the landscaping too, but that's definitely not in the cards for this summer!
This is the guest room. At various times in the last 27 years, it has been Greg's room and Doug's room, but now serves as the guest room for married adults. (Ahem, Doug!) All our high school books, including some Cliff Notes are still on the shelves, but I've removed everything else. I took five boxes of clothes to the thrift store and threw out another three boxes that I didn't consider donate-able. I've been working on this room since last summer, going through countless boxes of Doug's photo materials, old blankets, books, and clothes. The closet now has room for guests to hang clothes, there's a nice comfy mattress on the bed, the extra desk is gone and there's even room for the crib to be put up while we have Marek here with us. I vacuumed the rug today for probably the first time in ten years.
I still have a little work to do for this room, but I am just thrilled to death with the work I've put into it so far. I have one more box of Doug's sports and high school memorabilia to box up, and all those books to donate back to the high school (even the Cliff Notes. Especially the Cliff Notes!) but then we will be ready to pull down the wall paper and choose a color!
I've also been cooking, cleaning, shopping, going to the gym, strawberry picking and chasing my three boys during this renovation, so I'm more than a little exhausted, but at least I'm not pregnant this year! Oh, and my parents finally got the air conditioning fixed, just in time for this to be the coldest June on record... just my luck!
I'm in Ohio. No, I didn't move here (though we did move last month!) but this is the annual summer trip to Ohio and Michigan. Right now I'm in Hudson with my three boys while Ryan is still at work in MA. One of the perks of being a stay-at-home-mom is that I can take weeks or even months at a time and head back to my hometown.
My parents bought this house in 1985, just before I started kindergarten. 27 years later, it's pretty much the same as when they bought it. We painted and wall-papered a few rooms, and they did gut and remodel the kitchen a few years ago, but for the most part, what they bought is how it remains today. The goal is for my Father to retire (Mom has already retired) and for my parents to move to "The Island" (long story for another blog) sometime in the next two or three years. It's been the five-year plan for about the last ten years, but I get the feeling this time it's more likely than not (also the topic for another blog!). The Island Home is much smaller than their current home, so the first item on the agenda is helping them downsize all the stuff that nearly 30 years and three children has brought into their home.
The second issue will be updating the house to prepare it for the current rough real estate market. The latest info we get from interior decorators and real estate agents is that wall paper is OUT, so we're not just downsizing stuff, but also preparing to tear out wall paper and paint the entire house. A fresh coat of paint makes everything look new and exciting, right?
I'm also assuming that we'll be updating the landscaping too, but that's definitely not in the cards for this summer!
This is the guest room. At various times in the last 27 years, it has been Greg's room and Doug's room, but now serves as the guest room for married adults. (Ahem, Doug!) All our high school books, including some Cliff Notes are still on the shelves, but I've removed everything else. I took five boxes of clothes to the thrift store and threw out another three boxes that I didn't consider donate-able. I've been working on this room since last summer, going through countless boxes of Doug's photo materials, old blankets, books, and clothes. The closet now has room for guests to hang clothes, there's a nice comfy mattress on the bed, the extra desk is gone and there's even room for the crib to be put up while we have Marek here with us. I vacuumed the rug today for probably the first time in ten years.
I still have a little work to do for this room, but I am just thrilled to death with the work I've put into it so far. I have one more box of Doug's sports and high school memorabilia to box up, and all those books to donate back to the high school (even the Cliff Notes. Especially the Cliff Notes!) but then we will be ready to pull down the wall paper and choose a color!
I've also been cooking, cleaning, shopping, going to the gym, strawberry picking and chasing my three boys during this renovation, so I'm more than a little exhausted, but at least I'm not pregnant this year! Oh, and my parents finally got the air conditioning fixed, just in time for this to be the coldest June on record... just my luck!
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