Help! My dissertation is eating me....

So I have not posted a lot lately because I am deep in writing my dissertation.
For those not familiar with dissertation format the tradition is 5 chapters. Newer formats may vary some, but traditionally it is 5 chapters. Chapters 1-3 usually are part of the proposal. They may change some after collection of data, but the bones of them happen prior to the proposal.

Right now I am deep in chapter 4. It is the results section. Since my research was descriptive, I have lots of describing to do.
I'm making progress, but I have a deadline. I've set a date for my defense so it has to be done 2 weeks prior to the defense so that my committee has time to read it.

My poor children miss me even though I am home. Mommy and the computer are spending lots of time together.

App Happy

My old cell phone was occasionally having problems and was causing me some frustration. We had an available upgrade so that I could cheaply pick up a new phone. So I went and checked into it and ended up with a smart phone....so I have discovered the world of apps.

So far all of the apps I have have been free. I'm happy to have finally linked my Google Calendar, and to have my Remember the Milk to-do-list a bit more accessible. Perhaps I can make a dent in my email with gmail mail easily coming to my phone. Fortunately for me the two places I spend the most time (home and campus) have Wi-fi so that I am not really concerned about going over my data allotment.

The kids are excited about mommy's phone having cooler games than it had before.
The funniest thing that the kids seem to like is an app called "WS Violin." I had to explain it to them...you remember when someone would whine and you would rub your thumb and pointer finger together and tell the person that it was the world's smallest violin playing just for them...well they have an app for that.

The tooth fairy has frequent flier miles to our house

With both Doug and Andy being 6, we are right in the middle of lots of loose teeth. It is a good thing that the tooth fairy has a stash of coins waiting...because you never know when she will be called upon.

Last night I pulled out a tooth that had been loose and wiggly for awhile with Andy. It was one of those that you could lean it out at a right angle to the rest of the teeth. When I finally got a good enough hold on it to pull it out, there wasn't even any blood at the base of the tooth. The only reason it was still in was because the next door teeth were holding there.

Then tonight we were getting ready for bed. Doug and Andy were supposed to be getting ready to shower, and the next thing I know is that Andy is crying and saying his tooth was bleeding.
First, I did not panic...always assess the situation to find out what the real problem is. I had him wash out his mouth a bit so I could see what was actually bleeding. Yes, it was the tooth.

Suddenly I am trying to remember what you are supposed to do for a loose tooth. It was also one of his front top teeth and to the best of my knowledge (and based off size) it looks like an adult tooth. So first I determined that it was in fact wiggly.

So I called the first person I could think of.... Jim, the man with personal experience with bumps, bruises, brakes, etc.
He didn't know what to do.
So I went straight to the experts...the dentist office.

Of course is it now after 7pm and the dentist office is not open. Fortunately the have phone numbers listed for dental emergencies.
We ended up meeting one of the dentists at the office and even with me tearing Doug and Josie out of the shower and having to get all three children into shoes we managed the beat him there.
It turned out that the reason the tooth got knocked so easily was that it was actually a baby tooth and the root was dissolved.

So Andy is getting a second visit from the tooth fairy tonight.

Wow...900

That is the number of posts I have on this blog since it started. (This one being number 901...)
I was trying to think of what to report on...I have not dealt with pictures from the holidays. Jim is back at school. Everyone seems to have their annual sniffling noses  and coughs at the moment. We are trying to make the most of the last few days before students report back to school.
I am sort of freaking out about everything I need to get done on my dissertation. I have this tendency to see everything at once and have a hard time breaking it into pieces and assigning priorities. I'm trying to just jump in and get started. So I do not know how much I will attend to the blog...

Merry Christmas!

Well, we made it through Christmas.
The flooring was put in the week before Christmas so we did not get our tree up until then. SO I put the tree up the week before and put the few ornaments we had been given/the kids had made on it. Then the kids (on their own) found random hangable items around the house and placed them on the tree. We were probably the only people with a belt, random plastic bracelets, Mardigras beads, and mini-flashlights handing on their tree. It looked festive and so I left it.
We left a small assortment of cookies, cheese puffs, and eggnog for Santa, and a carrot for the reindeer. We also left notes for Santa...who did write back. When we tucked Josie in, she instructed us to go to bed as soon as possible so that Santa could come.
Since Christmas was on Sunday we were those mean parents who let the kids do their stockings and Santa gift in the morning, and then we had breakfast, getting dressed, church, and then lunch prior to actually opening any of the gifts under the tree. We got lots of games and interactive toys so we have had a lot of fun playing. One of the best gifts is having Jim at home during the school break.
I will try and share pictures soon.

Just details left

We had laminate and vinyl installed on Friday. We still have to finish up painting trim and baseboards and the like, but I am so glad to pretty much be done. I will not be rushing to get ready for an installer. I don't want to slack off and leave something unfinished, but at least I will not be staying up until 1am so that I can paint a ceiling prior to new flooring going in.

Will break for workman....

The flooring installers will come sometime this week (not quite sure when). We got the old carpet up and out.The kids have become adept at prying up tack strip and pulling our staples. I don't know that I am going to get all of the painting done prior to the flooring going in, but I am going to get as much done as possible.
My real thing right now is that I do actually have a life outside of remodeling. Saturday Jim and I treated ourselves to massages, we went to a kid's birthday party, and we went to a holiday concert... and those things were on top of trying to get house stuff done. I don't know whether the flooring guy will come on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I will just get done what I can and go from there. Just one more coat of paint on the living room walls and then it is on to trim. If they come to work on the floors I might actually take a nap....

Functional!

My goodness I have been busy! We actually had appliances installed the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving. So here they are.
We have been working on painting the other room where we had already taken out the carpet. It was paneling too so good bye to dark wood.
We picked out a sheet vinyl for the kitchen. We had already purchased some laminate flooring for other areas of the house so we are trying to get it all ready for the installer.

I am realizing how much of major redecorating is a sort of a domino effect...we have to get the old carpet up (and paint prior to new flooring going down) so the areas have to be clear, and we have to have places to put things so we are going to use the kitchen to put the heavy furniture in (moving them short distances) which means that we cannot put the vinyl down (don't want to put a piano on new vinyl or move a piano over stairs or down a hallway).
I'm basically madly painting and packing up to clear the living room to get ready for the next step.

Looking more like a kitchen

On Friday afternoon, after much sweating it out to try and get people to the house and coordinated (it's like a domino effect...one thing has to happen before the rest can happen) there was a flurry of work after 2pm. The rest of the cabinetry was installed and finished to the ceiling. The counter tops were brought in and installed. The microwave was installed (he had to work a bit because the venting didn't quite line up with the old vent, but he worked it out.





Josie was thrilled because the microwave guy had his daughter with him and she had a playmate for awhile (the boys were a bit jealous).

On Saturday we looked at flooring options (no decision yet), looked at a light for above the sink, and we bought and installed knobs on the cabinets. I got all of the cabinets vacuumed out, wiped out, and I am in the process of putting down shelf paper.

Hopefully the rest of the appliances will go in easily.

Soooooo much brighter!

The above is a really old picture of the kitchen when we first moved in (none of my kids have been in high chairs for quite awhile now....)

Below is a picture of what the kitchen currently looks like.

It's not done, but this is definitely progress.

Jim took some time off (and had Veterans day) and his parents came up to help. We tore out all of the original cabinets. Took up the flooring. Threw out the old appliances. Then we sanded the walls and started painting. The Shaker saying, "Many hands make light work" is definitely true!
Monday morning the electrician came and did some work (including dealing with some things in the next room...but that is another story. Just consider if you get progressively blind as you age, that another option to adding additional light fixtures to your dark wood paneled room is to actually paint the paneling to a lighter color. The room was up to three separate and distinct light fixtures.)
Monday the guys came and put cabinets in.
Today the oven and dishwasher arrived.
We are sort of in a holding pattern until the counter tops (and a couple things that somehow did not get ordered with the cabinets) arrive.
I AM very excited because the microwave is supposed to be installed tomorrow morning. It will infinitely expand our food options because right now I am choosing between cooking with an electric skillet, an indoor grill, a toaster, and a coffee pot. There is a lot you can do with those items, but a microwave will allow so many more options until the range is installed.