Et, Voila!!

Take a moment, if you haven't already, to look at the photos that run the side of the blog. These were the "during." My home was baby blue and pink before the grand transformation. I will do some more before and after shots in the next post, but HERE IT IS!



The funny thing, of course, is that I have to move all the furniture back out again so they can do the final coat on the floor, but I was going to have Thanksgiving in this house! And NOT in the basement. So, after 17 people were stuffed to the gills with turkey last night, I was one very happy and THANKFUL person.

Sooooo close

This remodel is in the final, you-can-taste-it, stages. The appliances are all sitting up there. The paint is on the walls, the windows are in and stained. The mudroom has cubbies but no hooks. The bathroom has a toilet and sink, but no medicine cabinet or working lights. The floors are just waiting to be re-revealed from under all the protective cardboard that was placed over it weeks ago.

We have been living in the basement since early June. Why is it that the first 5 months were no biggie, but the last 2 weeks are eternal. It might have something to do with Thanksgiving in 6 days, but even without that, I WANT MY HOUSE BACK!

After being literally and figuratively on top of each other for months, I really look forward to having no idea where Leo is again.

And the winner is...

... not us.

But that was not unexpected. Omar and I headed to Palm Springs this last weekend for the national Ernst and Young Enterpreneur of the Year award, having won the regional competition in June. But we had sun (i.e. NOT 8 inches of snow), rest, exercise and some quiet for a few days.

The guy who won our category is a man you may have heard of, Jack Link. Enjoy some jerkey if you would like to congratulate him. Other non-winners included CorePower Yoga, Sierra Nevada Brewing company, Sunny Delight, eHarmony, Noodles and Co, and, believe it or not, Magic Johnson.

So the way we look at it, we tied Magic Johnson. Who can say that?

becca

The kids are all right

Kids have a way of pushing your buttons. Some are better at it than others. Anyone who knows this family knows which kiddo is the one who really knows how to get to Omar and I. The one that we worry about and hope that in the big picture is "going to be OK."

So when the kindergarten teacher asked at conferences "How do you think it's going?" my response was "More importantly, how do YOU think it's going??"

And you know what? She had no concerns. None.

No spacy, spazzy behavior. No alienating other kids with jibberish or nonsensical wackiness. No meltdowns or refusal to maintain an upright body position.

He's just plain ol' normal.

Have you ever heard anything better?