7QT: The First of 2016

How is 2016 treating you?  We've been busier than usual inside the House of Martin because...

1)

We are smack dab in the middle of Maggie's new room.  The walls were built, the electrician's work is done, and now we are waiting on the contractor to finish putting up the outside wall (he was waiting for electrician) and paint it.  Maggie wanted to go with a lavender color but we talked her into white so that we could decorate it however she wanted as she grew up.

2)

Since we're doing this construction upstairs, we decided to remove the disgusting off-white carpets that have been there since who knows how long.  When we moved in they were stained and we tried to spot-clean them (this is the best rug cleaner I've found) but they're just more dirty than not, so away they finally go.  We will be installing laminate hardwood floors through the whole upstairs.  It's going to be so much cleaner and better looking!

3)

Of course, once you have to take out all the bedroom furniture in order to install new flooring, it only seems natural that you would reorganize the bedrooms.  So!  We are selling the oldest boy's bunk bed/desk/drawer unit because it's just too big in that room and replacing it with a smaller bunk bed.  In the little boy's room, we are taking out the crib and giving Declan a bed.  What?!?!  He is 21 months old and I hope he does fine with the change, we've found with the others that switching them before age 2 made for a pretty seamless transition.

Skating with cousins over Christmas break

4)

I'm really hoping after all this construction/cleaning/purging/reorganizing, we will actually like the second floor of our house.  I haven't liked it yet, so there's only room for improvement :)

Christmas Concert 2015 - A Singer, A Shepherd, Joseph, and Stage Crew

5)

The kids are all doing well, we've all been healthy for a looooong stretch which I probably just jinxed!  JP has his first middle school hang out tonight sans parents (a game night at the school) and he's psyched.  We make him go for runs since he's not currently playing a sport and he complainingly obeys.  Good boy.  Andrew and Eamon have been playing basketball and have coaches from other teams trying to get them to sign up for different basketball leagues.  The boys are like "SURE!  More basketball!"  And Phil and I are like, "NO THANKS!  One team per season per kid is plenty!"  Maggie has her first basketball game this Saturday, and she just moved up to Advanced Beginner in Irish Step class.  She'll be dancing in the hard shoes soon.  That reminds me, I'm like obsessed with watching Irish Step dancing on Instagram.  Go check out this one.

Post Confession DONUTS!

6)

Alexander seems to be doing great in school, we haven't gotten any emails home and he says he hasn't been "spoken to or reminded about anything" a lot.  He did get in trouble for "messing around in the play kitchen" the other day, and when I asked him why he was messing around instead of following the rules, he broke down crying and said "I just can't remember all the rules!  The girls can but the boys can't!"  It's tough being a boy :(

Roommates

7)

Declan is a sweet toddler, for the most part.  He does not like to sit in the highchair anymore, only at the big table like the rest of the family.  He can say a bunch of words now, and is just starting to put a couple together.  "More cookie" is a favorite.  He calls Maggie "Giggie" and Alexander can make him laugh non-stop.  He's discovered that he can hit and say NO which is just about as much fun as you would imagine, but it's all a passing phase.  His sound for cat and firetruck are the same "Wee-oh-wee-oh"  and we just think he's the cutest little thing ever.  Isn't it amazing how you can love each of your children so much without loving any of them less?  Mind.blowing.  

Have a great football watching, home organizing, finally put away the Christmas decorations kind of weekend everyone!

(Go see Kelly for more!)