Two House Notes and a New Experience

House Note #1

Here's a pic of the granite slab we picked for our countertops:

It's not the clearest picture of the slab but you get the general idea.  One less decision to make!

House Note #2

The siding is going up.  Another not great picture, but the sun was in the wrong position.  The color is a dark, grayish green.

New Experience:

My husband is out of town tonight so dinner was on my own. I usually head home and have leftovers, or open a can of soup, or something like that.  Once in awhile, I'll grab a sandwich at the local sub shop to take hope.  Tonight however, I was in the mood for Chinese, especially the wonton soup our local Chinese restaurant serves.  Normally, I'd do takeout.  However, I really wanted the soup, and they don't do take out soup.  So . . . .I actually went in and got a table for one.  I ordered the soup and one of the dinner combos, and I sat there in the restaurant ALL BY MYSELF!  I enjoyed my dinner,  chatted with the server and one of the owners, and watched one of the home improvement shows on one of the TVs.  My husband wasn't impressed; he does this frequently when he's out of town on business.  But I have NEVER done this.  Maybe going to the movies alone is the next step???

Some Disappointment

The good news is that the kitchen cabinets will be in this week!

This isn't the actual cabinet, but it's the same wood and same stain.  It's red birch with "espresso" stain.

The bad news is that the vessel sink for the guest bath that my husband absolutely fell in love with and had his heart set on is not available.  I have never seen him so heartbroken!  We spent some time this morning with our fabulous designer at the home center trying to find something else he liked.  I have to admit that his first choice was gorgeous, but it wasn't what I would have picked.  We ended up choosing this one ---- it is lovely, but again, it's not what I would have picked.  (I have to let him have final say on a few things!)

We had re-think all our choices for the bathroom vanity and countertop, and obviouslymy original paint color  color choice will have to change.

I also started looking at paint colors for the great room and the bedroom.  In our bedroom, I think I'm going to use Benjamin Moore's Antique Glass.

The great room I think will have the color, Misted Fern by Benjamin Moore, as the base color.

I still need to look for coordinating colors for the great room.  I'm thinking the green as the base wall, what you see when you first come in, and along the kitchen cabinet wall.  Then as you turn into the dining area, I think I want a lighter shade of the color, and then around the TV/fireplace wall, a neutral.  I might carry the neutral color down the hallway towards the bedrooms.  Decisions, decisions!  But at least paint color is easily changed!  (Relatively speaking.)

More White Stuff

It's snowing again, and we have ANOTHER snow day.  So far we've gotten about 10 inches since midnight, and more is coming down. I am really tired of it! And at this rate it will be July before we're out.  I think this is snow day #5, but I could be wrong.

We were teased last week with a short spell of spring-like weather, and a lot of melting happened.  I actually started to see some bare ground around the foundation of the house and was hoping to be rewarded by some daffodil or crocus stems peeping up.  No such luck.

All's Well that Ends Well, But It Was a Long Time Coming

This was a very long, difficult, frustrating week, at least until today.  All week long, my kids were off-task, unfocused, and general nudges.  I'm sure the time change had something to do with it.  My partner and I share 41 kids, and our group is top-heavy with boys (about 2/3 of the group.)  In that group, there are 5 with severe ADHD, 2 with anger issues, 2 are totally unmotivated, and the rest are normal, energetic, and very young 11 and 12 year olds. And EVERYBODY is chatty. So our classes are anything but dull. We hit some new lows this week for focus and behavior.   Both my partner and I had "come to Jesus" talks with our classes about expectations,  and then in my last class  I actually resorted to bribery!
I had had it up the wazoo with one group in my last class of the day, and I semi-jokingly bet one boy that he could stay quiet for the rest of class.  He took me up on the challenge, and the rest of the boys wanted in.  So, I told them that if we could get through the remaining 40 minutes of class without disruptions, interruptions, calling out, or other disturbances, I'd bring them in a treat.  (Of course, I added, the girls had already earned a treat).  So they became little angels and we actually finished up our class with 5 minutes to spare!  So I treated them all today to a piece of candy. The icing on the cake today came when I took the class down to the computer lab.  We have a school expectation that classes move silently and in single file while in the hallway, but trying to keep them silent is often an exercise in futility.  Today as I walked them to the lab, I kept checking behind me to see if there were actually students behind me.  They were perfect!  When we got the lab I asked them if they'd all been abducted by aliens and replaced overnight.  One of the most frequent offenders told me, "We took your talk with us to heart yesterday!"  And indeed, for one day at least, everybody did!

And to end the week on an especially high note, I had a good review with my principal.  He told me he was impressed with my adaptability, my willingness to try new things, and my ability to integrate my "years of experience" with the new technologies of today.   This was especially gratifying because when he arrived at our building 4 years ago, he assumed I was a dinosaur stuck in the past. He's young enough to be my son (and is the same age as our oldest!).

Kind of the Blahs

I haven't had a lot to say or much time to think about blogging.  My Feb. vacation was busy with taxes and bookkeeping, and the weather has been wintry --- if it's not snowing, it's gray and chilly.  We seemed to go through a spell without seeing the sun for what seemed like weeks.  We had another storm Thursday night that left us with another 9-10 inches and a snow day.  And despite all the new snow, at least the sun is finally shining! The forecast is for temperatures in the 40°s all week, so I'm hoping a lot of the stuff melts.  It's good sugaring weather now, though, and the sugar houses are all busy boiling the sap.

The house is coming along --- most of the sheet rocking is done, and they're starting on the "mudding."  The siding has been delivered, but there's too much snow to start putting it up!  The heating system is in, now too.

I have been knitting what I'm calling the "Never-Ending Scarf."  It's a pattern and yarn I bought at the NH Sheep and Wool show a few years ago, and I pulled it out last fall to start it, thinking it would be a snap.  Boy, I was wrong.  Despite the "simple" lace pattern, there are some rows I frogged and re-knitted 4 or 5 times.  Thank goodness I use life lines!  It's also cobweb weight yarn.  I still have at least another 10 inches to go, so I don't think it will be done for this cold weather season!  I am also a knitting monogamist so until this blasted scarf is done, I won't be working on anything else.  I told my husband the other day, that as soon as it's done, I'm gifting it because I'm sick of looking at it!