Monday's Question of the Day - September 8, 2014

[MoochNNoodles]

 
@MoochNNoodles -- yes! i do have a lot planned. i've got home improvements planned for the next 30 years, either saving for them or having them done. i do what i'm able to myself, but my talents lie with organizing and planning and things not requiring a lot of mechanical or construction knowledge.

DH and I have plenty of plans; but we tend to take things one at a time instead of putting a timeline on things.  Or we have more of a general timeline I guess.  Maybe in time we'll be able to plan projects out better.  

Right now we are discussing adding a wood stove to the living room (for backup heat) and landscaping.  Or starting some landscaping in the next year.  I'd LOVE an addition and that is where i'd prefer a fireplace to go; but that seems more like a 10 year project. 

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
DH and I have plenty of plans; but we tend to take things one at a time instead of putting a timeline on things.  Or we have more of a general timeline I guess.  Maybe in time we'll be able to plan projects out better.  

Right now we are discussing adding a wood stove to the living room (for backup heat) and landscaping.  Or starting some landscaping in the next year.  I'd LOVE an addition and that is where i'd prefer a fireplace to go; but that seems more like a 10 year project. 

one of my strong points is being very organized, and planning. my 30 year plan allows me extra time (years) in case unexpected things come up. i do have an order in which i'll have the home improvements done -- some things will be done earlier because part of it will be repairs, and some things make sense to do before others (like having a second bathroom put in before remodeling the only existing bathroom). i have a good idea of what remodeling and home improvements generally can cost, and i add extra time (in years) to allow me to be able to save enough (and extra) for each of them.

i added a wood stove to my living room, it's now my primary heat source. i think you're right about an addition being more like a 10 year project -- they're pretty expensive. i chose a wood stove because they put out much more actual heat than a fireplace, at least the cast iron wood stoves do. my wood stove is morso brand, and has two doors with windows in the front of it that open to allow ash removal and laying the fire/adding more wood. i really love the windows because i can see the flames. sometimes i just sit and watch the flames, so relaxing.

i do my own landscaping, because it's something i'm able to do. i've planned, dug new garden beds, and planted perennials. i also constructed six 6-foot long planter boxes, and have got perennials planted in them now.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

 
one of my strong points is being very organized, and planning. my 30 year plan allows me extra time (years) in case unexpected things come up. i do have an order in which i'll have the home improvements done -- some things will be done earlier because part of it will be repairs, and some things make sense to do before others (like having a second bathroom put in before remodeling the only existing bathroom). i have a good idea of what remodeling and home improvements generally can cost, and i add extra time (in years) to allow me to be able to save enough (and extra) for each of them.

i added a wood stove to my living room, it's now my primary heat source. i think you're right about an addition being more like a 10 year project -- they're pretty expensive. i chose a wood stove because they put out much more actual heat than a fireplace, at least the cast iron wood stoves do. my wood stove is morso brand, and has two doors with windows in the front of it that open to allow ash removal and laying the fire/adding more wood. i really love the windows because i can see the flames. sometimes i just sit and watch the flames, so relaxing.

i do my own landscaping, because it's something i'm able to do. i've planned, dug new garden beds, and planted perennials. i also constructed six 6-foot long planter boxes, and have got perennials planted in them now.

Now doing the actual projects; that's something I love!  DH and I have always enjoyed working together on things.  Especially painting.  

  I think when our kids are a little bigger we can focus on the projects better.  Right now they are so young they really do require a lot of our attention.  Before long there will be soccer practice and that sort of thing; but they won't need some much constant supervision.  

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
Now doing the actual projects; that's something I love!  DH and I have always enjoyed working together on things.  Especially painting.  

  I think when our kids are a little bigger we can focus on the projects better.  Right now they are so young they really do require a lot of our attention.  Before long there will be soccer practice and that sort of thing; but they won't need some much constant supervision.  

i babysat my niece and nephew a lot when they were preschoolers. i totally understand what you mean about young children needing so much constant supervision. and it really only takes less than a minute for them to wander off or get into some sort of trouble. i always watched my niece/nephew like a hawk. i wasn't going to let anything bad happen while it was my watch.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

 
i babysat my niece and nephew a lot when they were preschoolers. i totally understand what you mean about young children needing so much constant supervision. and it really only takes less than a minute for them to wander off or get into some sort of trouble. i always watched my niece/nephew like a hawk. i wasn't going to let anything bad happen while it was my watch.

They are busy, fast and my 2 year old considers baby gates a suggestion. 

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
They are busy, fast and my 2 year old considers baby gates a suggestion. 

ahhh, i miss babysitting really young children. i do have several neighbor kids who come over to my yard to "help" me on a regular basis though. they like to help me rake the lawn mower clippings or leaves in the fall, though mostly they like to talk and ask questions about what i'm doing.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

 
ahhh, i miss babysitting really young children. i do have several neighbor kids who come over to my yard to "help" me on a regular basis though. they like to help me rake the lawn mower clippings or leaves in the fall, though mostly they like to talk and ask questions about what i'm doing.

My 4yo can ask questions faster than you can answer. 

  There is a lot I love about their ages; but it's hard too.  My 2yo hasn't been sleeping well and getting into new things every day.  

  I tell people I'm earning my grandchildren. 

 

[bbdoll22]

What's up with the not sleeping well. My guy will be 2 on Saturday and his sleeping is gone. He used to be such a great sleeper. Now he is up all hours and wakes up his 4 1/2 year brother. So then we have 2 up all hours of the night.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
My 4yo can ask questions faster than you can answer. 

  There is a lot I love about their ages; but it's hard too.  My 2yo hasn't been sleeping well and getting into new things every day.  

  I tell people I'm earning my grandchildren. 

LOL! i love when kids do that, so funny and cute.

when i would babysit my niece and nephew, i'd come home thoroughly exhausted. and my niece and nephew (and their dog) would sleep very well that night too -- i'd wear them out with playing all day. and i used to say that i didn't know how their parents (my brother and SIL) "did it", because i couldn't handle being that tired every day.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

What's up with the not sleeping well. My guy will be 2 on Saturday and his sleeping is gone. He used to be such a great sleeper. Now he is up all hours and wakes up his 4 1/2 year brother. So then we have 2 up all hours of the night.

I wish I knew!!  Last night he fell asleep on his floor.  Putting him back in bed every 2 seconds was becoming a game so i just left him and honestly; I needed a break so bad I got in the car and went to Walmart.  DH was home but in bed.  He woke up mad at his location and I tucked him in and he finally slept good the rest of the night.  I really hope this is just a phase that passes quickly!  My DD did not do this; which is good considering DS was a newborn when she was this age.  But yikes.  The strange thing is; as difficult as he has been, he is awfully clingy to me too.  He went shopping with DH and I today while DD made cupcakes with my mother.  He was with me all day.  When we picked DD up I went to use the bathroom.  I had to shoo him out and as soon as I came out he grabbed me and hugged my legs with a happy "MOMMY!!!" as if he hadn't seen me all day.