Kitchen Renovation

While Michael was out of town earlier this month, my mom had come out to visit and help me with Aislynn.  I had been poking around bloggersville and seen some caaa-uuuute play kitchen ideas! (here, here & here) Aislynn has been so into her play food, and loves to follow me around the kitchen.  I got such a bug to do my own "kitchen renovation", and knew my mom would be the perfect partner in crime.

We made an impulse shopping trip to a few Thrift stores, and didn't find anything quite worthy of re-purposing.  Just as we were about to leave the last Goodwill, my mom spotted these two gems!

 These were actual play kitchen pieces - straight from the 80s (but made really well).  One was marked as a washing machine, and the other was just a cabinet w/out a top.  They were $8 & $10/each, and the perfect size for the boox. (aka Aislynn)

My mom whipped up some sketches of what the pieces would like after, and we started making our plans & supply list.  Next trip: Home Depot.  We bought a small sheet of plywood and 1/4" thick mdf board.

We took measurements for what would be a back piece to the sink, as well as a new top insert.  I had HD make the cuts for me - and OOPSIE - their saw was "off" and the measurements were a little uneven.  As a result - they discounted the wood :) (I'm all about a bargain).

I found our drill, sander, and this cool multi-purpose oscillating tool that the hubs got several months ago - we had what we needed to do some damage!  We sanded & secured the back piece, and somehow hacked/sanded away at the top insert enough to make it fit.

(weapons of choice)

The next day, we sanded & finished priming everything. I had some leftover teal paint from Aislynn's room - and some very light green oops paint that we've had for about 8 months (never used)... mixed the two together for the cabinet paint color.

I built a shelf inside the oven and spray painted it silver. I also cut a square hole in the door (it was round before) and cut a round hole for the kitchen sink using my dad's rusty jig saw. (Very happy that all my digits are still in-tact)

We bought round knobs, popsicle sticks and 2 round wooden soccer ball decals to use for the oven knobs and burners.  My mom worked on those details while I painted the cabinets & added a little shelf to the backpiece.  Also painted the inside of the oven gray (also w/ oops paint)

(knobs/burners in progress)

(mom spray painting the popsicle sticks & me distressing the sink)

Almost there! (excuse the messy background - there was no 'picking up' until our kitchen was complete!)

I decided to distress the cabinets after we painted them and I loved the way it looked.  Gave it a vintage-country charm.  The last thing we had to do was add all the knobs, burners, doors and then  accessorize!

Aislynn couldn't WAIT to get her hands on her newly renovated kitchen. - but it needed some finishing touches!

The last thing we needed was a faucet.   My mom had my step-dad ship me an old sink faucet they had laying around which I added a few days later (who doesn't love free stuff?)  When my mom went back to CO, she took some extra fabric I had and made these little curtains.

Instead of making a wooden shelf, I bought this one from Hobby Lobby in a pack of 3 shelves for $11.00

(Play drinkware from Ikea) The decorative wood trim was only $3.00 for a yard - so cute at the top

I did have a little glass canister of sprinkles ("prinkles") but Aislynn kept opening them & dumping them out.  I wanted to get little salt & pepper shakers w/ white sprinkles & dark sprinkles in them for 'pretend' (just need to glue on the lids so my sprinkle-snatcher can't get them.

 

We used an old goldfish bowl to hold her cooking utensils, and bought a cheap picture frame from the Dollar Store (painted), added a pic of grandma's backyard, and stuck it up to look like a window.  The sink was just a dog bowl from PetSmart. 

 

We added scrapbook flowers to the middle of the knobs, with scrapbook letters & gemstones for some 'bling'.  We got the kitchen timer from the Dollar Store (I was going to mount it to the back of the oven)

 

I thought some old CD's make the perfect size burner and offer some shiny light effects :) (glued on top of the painted wooden soccer ball decals)  I decided to only have 2 burners b/c I knew she wouldn't need more than 2 and wanted her to have some prep space :)

 

Grandma made a matching dishtowel & pot holder (or "my hand" as boox says)

 Aislynn's goodies baking

 Push LED light inside the oven for a lighted effect

 

Her favorite thing to make is "soup"

 Cutting a 'mater

 Washing her hands like a good little chef

 Aislynn loves her play kitchen & loves to make us "tea and snacks".  I couldn't be happier with the way it came out, and everything came to under $50!  I probably should've saved this for a Christmas gift - but it was the perfect weekend project to do with my mom and a nice little surprise for Aislynn.  I already want to do another one! 

Time stands still...

I've been avoiding this post....
On July 27th 2011, very early in the morning, Sharon Elizabeth Adamski (my sweet mom-in-law) went home to be with Jesus in heaven.   She left peacefully, and in the company of her family.  Her suffering is over - she's perfect and living with our Creator.

The family is devastated at losing this precious life.  We want to see her, talk to her, touch her, spend time with her.  Now all we have is our memories and pictures.  I want to thank my family and friends who have been praying for the Adamski fam so faithfuly and full-heartedly.  The Adamski family has never experienced a loss like this - and it's quite the loss.

It seems like time should stand still.  Even though we know this has been a battle for Sharon and are grateful it's over, we still don't want to get used to life without her.  So right now we are taking things one day at a time.  Michael has been in Canada for the past 2 weeks - sadly Aislynn and I couldn't make the trip up there.  I've been thinking about my blog, and what I would say - what I would write about Sharon.  It's hard to think about - so I've been putting it off.

I will post some sentiments soon that other family and friends have composed so beautifully.  Please continue to pray for John (my dad-in-law) and for their kids.  It is hitting them especially hard (as can be imagined).

Goodbye Sharon - I love you and am so thankful for you.  You'll always be with us in our hearts!

June update: There & back again...

Is it really July? I'm pretty sure I hear Santa's sleighbells around the bend.... (denial).  June has been an emotional month. (The short version): Early in the month, Michael got a call he was hoping not to get.  His mom (who has been battling cancer) had only days left.  The world just seemed to stop.  We quickly found ourselves looking for last minute flights to Canada.  I was just praying that we'd get there in time.  We were on a flight the next day, took us all day to get there (3 flights) Ais did great though. 

Prayers answered, we were able to see Michael's mom the next day, she was doing much better than they expected.  Everyone was told she had hours, days left (at best). So we were happy to see her much improved.  I got to spend a few days up there, then had to come back for work. 

Ais with her cousins, Jay & Mackenzie

My fave

Aislynn stayed with daddy for an extra week, which turned into a few extra weeks (not what mommy had in mind) but - I know she enjoyed visiting with the big Adamski clan. 

Visiting Nanny in the hospital

Wee Weeeee, look @ me mommy!

To date:  Mama Adamski is still hanging in there and may return home soon (not out of the woods though).  I pray daily for God's will, for her comfort & peace.  It's unbearable to think of losing her - she's fought a hard battle and has amazed the medical staff.  She's a strong woman & we love her bunches.  We just take one day at a time b/c only God knows when it's time for her to go home.

So while I had 3 weeks to myself - I organized, cleaned, organized, cleaned... vegged out, laid around, didn't cook... then I started getting bored.  Got insomnia - bought a bunch of little "surprises" for my girl (b/c I missed her so much).  Then realized "I'm sooo not cut-out to live the 'single' life again"  I wanted my family back!!! 
I picked up Michael and Ais on the 4th of July - Aislynn is quite the accomplished traveler by now, lots of stamps in her passport.  I was ecstatic to get them back.  Ais got a little shy at first - but quickly warmed up and told me all about her trip. 

Her first surprise "s'pwise" was a stuffed elephant I gave her at the airport.  Then a box of goodies at home.  Then, for the big surprise (drum roll), I got her a fish!

Here's the lil' guy (a fancy beta) I just hope he sticks around for awhile.  This is the first "critter" we're attempting.  I think Aislynn can handle it.  If it gets rough, we'll move him to an "out of reach" location. When she went into her room for the first time, it's the first thing she sees.  She said "fish"!  I explained it was her new fish, and that she got to name it.  "What do you want to name him Aislynn, what's his name?"  She said "Phil" So - Phil it was.  Not sure how she came up with that or what she was trying to say - but Phil is the perfect name for this guy.  I got the food out, and let her feed him - she knew exactly what to do (except she wanted to keep feeding him)  She asks to see Phil all the time.  She woke up this morning and said "See Phil, see Phil mommy?"  I'm just waiting to find some crayons or toys in Phil's tank... but I think she's gonna do okay.  (more pics to come)

So after getting reacquainted with all of her toys, us 3 took a family nap.  Nothing better than that.  Later, we grilled steaks, made homemade mac & cheese & corn on the cob.  After dinner we did some sparklers and little fireworks outside.  A good nights rest completed our very long day.  Now, we're back to life as we know it. I thank God every day for my family

Yesterday, Aislynn helped me garden a little (aka, fling dirt all over the place), then we went up to the pool for a little fun before dinner. 

 *More on the garden later... that is a science project...  Happy July everyone!!!



2-2-2-2

According to my age tracker - Aislynn is 2 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days old, on June 24 (Fri). 

I realized I haven't updated anything on Aislynn's growth & accomplishments recently.  I keep telling myself "oh, I gotta write that down" or "oh, I need to remember that she does this".  No more excuses.  I want to keep track of this.

Growth:
-Ais has been in a size 4 diaper for about 4 months
-She wears a size 5 shoe, but will soon transition to size 6
-She wears size 24m and 2T.  Most 24m don't fit her torso in length, but she doesn't quite fill out a 2T (still a dainty little thing)
-Her hair is getting much longer, I've trimmed her bangs a couple times.  When she's in the bath, the longest part of her hair goes a bit past her shoulders. Still curly in the back.
-Aislynn is about 25-26 lbs, and was 33.75" tall on her 2nd bday (always in the 80% for height) lucky girl.
-2 yr molars aren't making their appearance anytime soon.

Personality, speech, habits & milestones:
-Ais still can't really jump.  She has gotten both feet of the ground @ the same time, but just for a small hop.  Usually she just bobs up & down real fast, or runs in place, hoping to get some air.
-She wants to show us everything... "Look mommy, ca'pillars" "Look mommy, I got baby" "look Daddy, flar-flies!" "Look Daddy, a bug!" "look look look" :)  She's great at spotting bugs from any distance.
-She likes to say "I got _____" (fill in the blank w/ anything)
-She likes to answer with "I am" even when it doesn't fit.  "Ais, did you go poopie on the potty?" "Uh huh, I am!" :)
-Other things she says: (she says them so clear now!)
*Oh my goodness
*Please, Thank you, Welcome, I sorry
*Slow down - hurry up
*I go poopy on big potty and wash hands? (or) "I did it!"
*I da hold it, I da hold it (when she wants to hold something) - says this a lot
*Again?
*Whe'h are you?
*Close eyes, close eyes.... S'Pwise!"
*Waschoo doing?
*Hucky's sad, he got bad leg (Huck is my bro-in-law's dog that we watched recently & he has a bad knee - That was in April/May and Ais still talks about it) She thinks Dr. Schue (her Ped) is going to fix him. "Dr. Shoo fix leg"
*Chocolate Milk?
*Special cookie? (she get's a special cookie when she goes on the potty)
*Eauhrs? (her way of saying "ears" - more on that in a sec)
*No, No, No (always 2 or 3 in a a row)
*If you ask her her name, age & where she's from, she'll say "Aislynn, Two (holding out 1 finger), Jo-Juh"
*She can sing the B-I-B-L-E really good now, something like "B-i-b-i-b, I sta'h a'yone, on word of God, the b-i-b-i-b" she misses the middle part unless you sing w/ her. 
*She loves to sing happy birthday & sings it real well.  Other songs she sings: twinkle twinkle, itsy bitsy sider, ABC song, Jingle Bells ("beeko bell"), Row the boat, Jesus loves me, this little light, Dora

*Open it
*Sure
*Alright
*Hey guys
*Where y'go?
*I'll be wight back, ok?
*I da he'ulp yew ("you want me to help you Aislynn?""Uh huh")
*Oh no mommy (but in this lower kind of silly voice)
*She knows all her animal noises and proudly tells them to you.  Our fave "elephant" it's cute.
*She can count to 10, and tries to count higher
*She prays before meals and says "Dear Jesus, dank-you, AAAAMEN!"
-Ais is definitely showing more preference over her left hand. She writes, colors, and mostly eats with that hand. She still uses the right though.
-Ais loves baby dolls, taking care of them, kissing them & putting them to bed, playing outside "ow-side", drawing/coloring, loves meeting new kids, loves her older cousins, and... playing w/ her fridge magnets. She also loves to play w/ Zues - she usually puts a blanket on him and kisses him.

Aislynn & Mackenzie

Aislynn & Taryn @ a car show

-Her NEW favorite activitiy is watching Tinker Bell movies ("beeko-ball") is how she used to say it forever.  Now she says "Teekur Ball".  She literally watched the 3 Tinker Bell movies 30 times in a week (no, she's not addicted to the movie, it's usually something we let her do before a nap or after dinner).
-Okay, one more FAVE thing to play with is our iphones.  I have several games, just for her.  Her favorite is Tozzle (toddler puzzles). Let me tell you, the girl is a WIZ at puzzles. I'm amazed!
-She still loves Dora & now her fave Tinker Bell (she knows all the names to Tink's friends) I think this may be her next Halloween costume.
-Still sucks the fingers & twirls the hair.  She used to love playing with and holding ears, but her new thing (as of a couple months ago) is to put ears between her toes.  Yes - this can only be accomplished if she's laying next to you, but she'll stick her little foot all the way out to your ear, then rub her big toe on your earlobe.  She's gotten quite coordinated at it.  When she doesn't have an ear, she'll use my hair, or put her 'blankie' between her toes.  It must just feel nice, soft and soothing, it's weird how she thought of doing it - but that's all she does.  "Eauhrs" "toes" she'll ask...

(A pic of her playing w/ my hair between her toes in the car)

(typical ears/toes - bad lighting)

-She still does good w/ her sleep, usually whines a little or runs away when it's bed time, takes one afternoon nap.  Still eats good (not picky). Usually wakes up around 7:30-8:00 ish, but is always up for a good snuggle after. 

-She can go up and down steps better (she was always cautious about this)
-She likes for us to lift her up in the air (when we are laying down, she sits on our hands & we push her up like a bench press) she'll just keep saying "again, again again"
-In general, she TALKS ALL THE TIME.  And rambles on in full sentances, but some of the words are just "filler" - her filler words are "dah dah dah" then a bunch of other words you can understand.

(talking about her Minnie Mouse "Mee Mose" & tinker bell "beeko ball" pajamas)

-She makes up her own little songs - sometimes we can understand her, sometimes not. 
-Occasionally she'll sign "please" or "more" but she doesn't do it often.

(Aislynn & Aunt "Tonto" @ Betty's bday party - June)

My little girl is getting so big.  I love that she's friendly & outgoing, even when she walks into a new situation or a room full of people.  She warms up quick.  She's not afraid of anything, only cautious about certain things. She's talented, smart, intuitive. She gives the best hugs & kisses, she loves her family and likes to play with big kids.  She's creative, and curious.  She's easy-going, but knows what she wants.  She's compassionate, and it melts my heart to see her get concerned when she hears a crying baby, or the look on her face when we pretend like we're sad.  I can only imagine what God has in store for her.  I savor every moment, every milestone, every expression and saying. I love her 2-year-old lingo.  Someday, she will be talking like a mature young lady and I'll miss all the little babbling and mimicking expressions.  

Next time, I'll be more on top of these little Aislynisms - b/c I don't ever want to forget.