A true labor of love

Our floors.  Oh my our floors.  One of the first things we saw and was hard to "see past" when we first saw what would soon be our new home was the royal blue carpet, and the carpet in the kitchen.  Well, we decided to prioritize our DIY projects as there were several that needed our attention.  Flooring was NOT in the top 5, but it quickly raised to numero uno last month.

You see carpet in the kitchen with 6 chickens running around is just not a good idea.  So we decided to pull up the carpet and just live with what we thought was going to be the 1950's linoleum we found in one small corner.  As we started pulling up the carpet we noticed a small bit of hard wood, probably original to the 1910 house.  Well then we got ambitious and decided to tear up the 1980's pergo flooring, only because my amazing husband tried a few pieces and it came right up.  So we dug into THAT project only to get a third of the way done and realize they started using some pretty intense glue at that point, glue that was obviously some kind of "hyper-breed" that when left alone for a few decades bonds like cement in an effort to keep everyone in the 1980's era of home decor.  Well, my husband not to be defeated by said "hyper-breed glue" decided that he would cut the remaining floor out.

And so what started as a "lets just see what we have under this nasty carpet" moment, ended with a blow torch, hack saw, and 2 emergency runs to the ER of DIY-ing (The Home Depot)  We now have beautiful floors that are very anti-1980's and I could not be happier.  Moral of this story...NEVER.  and I mean NEVER.  EVER. Let anyone tell you the 1980's were great!!  I have blisters to prove it, and so do my husband and chickens.

I believe the following can give a bit more insight into the world of "the Bennets flooring adventure".

We had HIGH HOPES at this moment...

And then they were quickly dashed.

CN5 trying his best to look like he is helping and NOT getting into

 Daddy's tools that he was told not too.

One, gorgeous, and I mean GORGEOUS four by four area of hard wood flooring, if THIS had been all over the house I would have been elated, but alas, there have been too many additions onto this house and unfortunately one of them happened in the 1980's.

CN6 not too sure of the new floor.

The finished project, without the mammoth island, we decided it was just too big for the space.

Ah yes, what a labor it was, but one that was completely worth it in the end.  My husband would like to claim that we are done DIYing for a LONG time but alas, its onto the next big project, the #1 on our DIY bucket list...the basement.

Chicken Labor

I stumbled upon these pictures as I was looking for a different picture and thought I would share, for those of you who know what its like to have a day without laundry I thought I would post this little photo opp for your viewing pleasure...

You can never start them too young.  Cole helping me fold the daily laundry.

Mom of the year moment #9,462,385

Cole went for a little trip today.  Not the fun kind.  At least he did not think so...

He was sitting in his bumboo on the dinning room table and I remember thinking to myself last night at dinner, "Its time to stop using that as he likes to turn to and fro in it and he might just wiggle himself out of it at some point." well, as great thoughts seem to do in my life they go the way of the dodo and I forget about them till its too late.  

The phone rang and I left to answer it only to here Rebekah say..."Mom, can I show you something?" and then a THUD!!  

Apparently, he wiggled himself out of the bumboo and kind of floated onto the floor because thats where I found him, smack dab on the floor.  It appears that he forgot chickens cant fly.  

Mom of the year.  Mom. of. The. Year.

WARNING!! Objects may appear different than before

Brittany got glasses on Friday and a whole new world opened up before her.  As we walked home from the eye doctor she made a few comments that I thought I should share.

"Oh, so that cat is fake and really a bird.  I always wondered why that cat never moved.  Now I know."

"THAT'S A BUILDING!?!?!"

"So, I think I might be able to see the board at school now."
"You couldnt see it before?"
"Nope."
"Those are the kind of things you need to tell your mother Brittany."
"oh.  I just thought you already knew."

So, needless to say comments that I remember over the last year are starting to make a little more sense.  Comments like...

"look at that turkey on that car over there."
"Brittany, That's a cat."

Yup, a whole new world for CN1.  Side note: I was NOT prepared for how much older they would make her look.  AHHHHHHHHHHH She's growing up!!!!!  Help!!

Training a Chicken

Potty training a chicken.  Potty training a strong willed chicken.  Potty training a strong willed male chicken.  Yup.  When I potty trained my last strong willed chicken it was a she not a he.  There is a BIG difference.  I did not think so, but there is. Well, we have been at this for 2 months now and the longest we have made it is 5 hours.  He is SO excited when he makes it but is SO distracted.  UGH!!  Oh well, it will happen...some day.  But for now here is a picture of the chicken in question standing very proudly after he took himself potty and surprised me after he was done!!

A happy surprise

My husband surprised me this morning with a true labor of love, we took the carpet out of the kitchen today.  It was thrilling!!  No, really, it was.  I was SO excited to see that carpet go!!  Then a bonus...as we pulled it up it appeared that there under the carpet, glue and a layer of nasty 1950's linoleum was a big fat surprise...what we believe could be the original hardwood!!  Don't know for sure but I am very happy at the possibility.  Our house was built in 1914 so this would be incredible.  Even if its not, I am one happy Momma.  No more yucky carpet in THIS kitchen!!  YAHOO!!! oh, and a little side note, we were abe to move the island as a result of removing the carpet so now I can walk around my dishwasher when its opened.  Its the little things...

The War That Wages On

Coby and I have noticed over the years a trend with CN4, more of a battle than a trend.  This battle is one that is fought on the INSIDE of CN4, one that wages on day after day, minute by minute.  It is a war between being a princess and a tomboy.  She has this internal struggle daily, but every so often we have visual proof of this war, yesterday we happened to catch this "war" with a few little snap shots.  Note the blue tutu and dirt play.  Yup, its a war CN4 must fight herself....