Sunday, July 20, 2008

This week in the land of Cumby...

Since Heather and Rita already posted their obligatory pics of their cute kids from our beach trip, I will have to do that too lest I look unloving towards my boo bear. So yeah, we all took all our kids minus the dads (because if they are there, it is just three more whiners!) and stayed in a condo on Galveston from Sun to Wed. Pretty cool for the most part, except Heather's promise that the kids are easier to handle like that didn't work for me -- possibly since I came with one and never have people over to stay at my house. To me, it just seemed like constant loudness and chaos but since Rita and Heather live with chaos, maybe that was easier for them. I mean, Heather seemed content to read a book and pretend it wasn't going on and brags on her blog about getting to read two books that trip. Me, I found myself asleep at 10:30 everynight exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I actually had a very good time, but it certainly was not cucumbers on the eyelids relaxation. Very fun though, learned a new game (Phase 10), finally had some good competitors for Mario Kart (go Jackson and Jordan) and I did find time to gorge. Will go again, assuming I am invited...and now those obligatory pics...

sepia beach

2008-07-16 Galveston 069

and now that you are thinking...ugh, how is Galveston a vacation I will talk about something as gross as the water there -- the air here. I drove through downtown and was totally bummed by the ozone warnings and the haze over the city -- enjoy a pic of downtown on Wed coming home and then on Fri when it was nicer... It wasn't a rainy day, not even overcast, just a hazy day where you've been warned by a sign on the freeway that babies and the elderly shouldn't be out today

Houston smog 003

Houston smog 004

And finally, la casa del Cumby. Just cause I left didn't mean work ended. Raul's crew finished the painting and then while I was gone I got a call from the Window Guys (seriously their name) and they were ready to come Thurs and Fri to put in the new windows. Hot dang. Fri was also heavy trash, so Jason and Paul were trying to take down this shed/workshop thing that Grandpa Lott used a million years ago and leave it for heavy trash. It *may* have resulted in Jason getting a tetanus shot. Would you want to be jabbed by anything in the below pics? I think not. We also cleared the sunroom of all of its trash (like any remaining debris from bath renovation, etc) and the result is closer to godliness. Not there yet-- someone literally threw a bottle of piss at some point in the last five years into our backyard and that was gross to find. I mean, Dasani doesn't turn that color on its own. When that 12 foot fence goes up, life will be good for sure. Also in the trash was like a bunch of tree bits. The men took down like two gigantor hackberries -- the trunk even in pieces had to be dollied away to the curb. Pics...

Shed/workshop treasures including the fossilized remains of the oldest trike ever:

2008-07-16 Brookwoods Shed 006

2008-07-16 Brookwoods Shed 005

New windows -- except one in the master where the Window Guys mismeasured and now we have to wait another couple weeks for that to come in. Sigh on that, but the difference between the new windows and the old aluminum is pretty profound. Which is obvious since we can admire them side by side for the next couple weeks...

2008-07-20 Brookwoods Windows etc 008

2008-07-20 Brookwoods Windows etc 004

2008-07-20 Brookwoods Windows etc 002

Today I had the grand job of getting all the cover plates back on and the boys worked on putting in the Ikea cabinets -- where I am off to, yet again, tomorrow. Wish me luck!

2008-07-20 Brookwoods Windows etc 010

2008-07-20 Brookwoods Windows etc 011

16 comments:

Heather said...

I'm laughing out loud about the beach... and I only read one book on the trip- read another when I got home... but yes, if the chaos isn't the sound of someone dying, the ability to tune it out is amazing...
are you dusting off the trike for Dylan to ride? House is rockin' right along!

Heather said...

oh, and can you pick me up those baskets while you're at Ikea =) ?

Jenni said...

Love the vacation pics....totally adore that beach pic of the kids! And it looks like you're making some awesome progress on the house...so exciting!!!

Unknown said...

The house is coming right along girl - looing good - and LOL at all the kiddos -- I think that ia what happens when you have a singleton (I know) :)

Brandi said...

Going on a trip with just Drew stresses me out so I can't even imagine adding more! LOL!

That trike is kinda cool!

twinsand2boys said...

Great pics...your house is looking great.
I dont actually know Melanie, but I left her a comment on her blog that she should do SO. LOL

Rita said...

I always love your take on things. I wondered why you would go to "put Dylan to bed" and then we'd never see you again. Now I know. You just couldn't take the noise any longer.

I think Jim would take offense to being lumped into the whiner category so I just won't tell him. Trust me, in any kind of vacation situation with kids, you'd much rather have him along than me...he'd have them off fishing or kayaking or something. You'd never see him or them.

I'm glad my kids got to play Mario Kart with you so they can see that some moms actually are cool.

The house is looking awesome. Minus the trike and the bottle of pee of course.

Brandy said...

Brandy, I am so excited that you are posting the house stuff so I can live through your blog. I know it is a lot of work but you guys are rockin' it! Can't wait to see the finished house. (I know you are too!) The beach sounds like fun. Loved the pics!

Unknown said...

I'm totally laughing at your post about the beach after reading Heather's blog too :-) we have the constant chaos here as well, that's why we call them "trips" and not "vacations" - Dylan looks like quite the beach bum!

your house looks beautiful - amazing, you must be so proud of the progress

Janet said...

House is looking nice, Brandy!

Unknown said...

WOW!!! The house is looking fantastic!! How fun. Steve and I would love to build another house (which is pretty much what you're doing it feels like!)

I'm with Heather...I can read, be on the computer, whatever and not realize all the chaos going on, because that's our house 24/7. You learn to tune it out nd to distinguish between the different cries...whether it's real or someone's arm is cut off. But, you got some cute pics!

Oh, and seriously, I do like that light fixture in a kitschy sort of way!

Unknown said...

Great pics! :)

LOVE that lamp shade, btw!

(JenniferB from ReadySetCreate)

Anonymous said...

House looks great!

Carrie

Kache said...

mmm, bottle of piss. awesome.

Like how the house is looking all new and spiffy

Unknown said...

I am tagging you - take a look at my blog!

ellen s. said...

window guys made me chuckle. that is a seriously fun lighting fixture. glad the house is coming along. is this the first one you built?