This Old(ish) Townhouse

You buy the PERFECT house. Perfect location. Just adorable. Just enough space.

You live in the perfect house for 5 years.

You have a kid,

The walls of your perfect house start closing in on you. WHY DID THEY MAKE SO MANY WALLS IN HOUSES IN THE 80s?!?!?!

You realize you still love your house in spite of the tiny kitchen and lack of laundry room and tiny living room and huge fireplace.

It’s time to renovate.

We are embarking on our own HGTV show, so come on and join us for the ride!

Below are the initial renderings of the before and after for the 2 main floors we are renovating.

First Floor

Fingers crossed, we will be removing the wall separating the kitchen and living space, creating an open living space and better flow for the small 500 square space main floor. Also we are removing the huge, imposing, wood burning fireplace and replacing it with a sleek, thin, electric fireplace.

Basement

I’m referring to this part of the project as “Zach’s Bathroom and Kait’s Laundry Room”

This is where the big work is taking place as we are moving the bathroom from one part of the basement to another, and creating a dedicated laundry space out of what was part of the old basement bath. This part of the project will involve a lot of plumbing and busting up concrete but fingers crossed not a lot of surprises!

In following posts I’ll give you updates on what finishes I’m choosing and how progress is or isn’t (eek) going!

Which part of this rehab are you most looking forward to seeing - the upstairs transformation or the creation of the basement laundry and man bathroom?

The F*ing Fours

We made it through another trip around the sun.  Teddy is “this many” [shows four fingers]. Teddy had an awesome year being 3, he rocked it, really. Now I am holding on for dear life and hoping that we make it through this year in one piece.

Yep … that’s the face

I was told to watch out for the Terrible Twos and when Teddy hit three I heard “ahhh, he’s a Three-nager now.”  But none of that hit our house.  I walked through the world smug and smiling with my joyful and sweet little boy, thinking, “Not my kid.”  Never once did he run away from me in public or throw a tantrum in a store.

No one told me about age four. No one warned me my kid was going to become a possessed manic. I knew he would stop napping eventually, but become an exhausted sleep monster? I knew he would be smarter, but a manipulative genius? I knew he would get older and change but who is this person in my house?

We have hit the Fucking Fours. I”m here to give you fair warning that they exist.

It happened all at once.  One day he was a cute, toddling, little cherub and the next he was a lanky, leggy, fast and loud, maniac.  I was convinced I needed to consult a therapist for this sudden change in behavior.

In desperation, I asked my trusted group of friends what the heck was going on, was my kid going phsycho or was this some developmental phase I wasn’t prepared for. 

My friends told me that yes indeed 4 year olds suck (phew, my kid wasn’t turning into a Lifetime Movie headliner) and this phase is actually called the Fucking Fours. The **what?!** you say.

The Fucking Fours … because they are fucking loud, fucking annoying, fucking scream-y and fucking tantrum-y and it’s fucking exhausting.

My mind knows that this is a really hard age for kids, they are not (for the most part) trying to be jack-asses.  It’s an in-between age, between baby/toddlerhood and real childhood.  Full of BIG emotions and ideas but not quite ready to handle them yet.  Life is starting to become real and scary.  It’s the age of no more naps but damn he needs a nap.  Now he he tired and cranky by 4pm and wired again by 5pm but so ready for bed it isn’t funny. 

I want to scoop him up and cuddle him and make it all better when he is crying so hard that he says “I can’t stop the tears” but he won’t let me, he needs to figure it out on his own terms.  It does makes it that much sweeter when he is ready for a snuggle and a kiss though. 

He may not always be in the mood to hold hands, he might be running away at break neck speed, but he still always replies to my I love you with “I love you all the way around.”

The fucking fours are master manipulators.  They are aware of what you are doing and how to work around you.  Maybe it’s a stand off, maybe it’s a tantrum, maybe it’s tears.  Something will work today for them to get their way.  At least it often does in my house.  Is today going to be the day that mom just doesn’t want to deal with any tears/screaming/mess and gives in to that cookie before breakfast?  Probably.

The Fucking Fours are sometimes so fucking cute

Fucking Fours like to press boundaries with all things making bed time super enjoyable.  The once loved bath is touch and go.  Getting ready for bed is a delicate matter hinging on whether you set out the right pajamas and have prepared the correct books.  No?  Well then back to square one, after he’s calmed down.  But as he gets sleepier, he gets more cuddly and wants to read more (ONE MORE BOOK JUST ONE MORE!!!) and you lay in bed and sing songs like you did just a few months ago.

You tuck that long lanky kid into that big boy bed and the Fucking Fours slide away and he’s just your sweet little boy. 

Until 1:47am when he screams your name and demands you sleep in his bed …

What is Happening?

This is sad, scary, and heartbreaking. 

This is infuriating, and makes me see red. 

This is the line outside of Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen, which he recently opened in DC for furloughed government emoloyees. World Central Kitchens usually only open in locations where natural disasters have struck or where there is vast hunger or poverty. Let that sink in.

Thousands of government employees will pass through this kitchen while it is open (and many other establishments that are offering free and reduced meals). All while the decisionmakers in our country - on both sides - continue to get paid.

Congress AND the president should be eating with them - Hearing their stories, understanding what kind of toll their lack of action and seeming indifference to human lives is taking.

These men and women with families, young children, and bills to pay, are not bargaining chips or pawns in a game on Capitol Hill. They weren’t when this started and they certainly aren’t now. The United States of America, let alone the nation’s capital, should not need a food kitchen just for federal employees.

Take a moment. Look at this picture. Let it sink in.

CARE

Pho Sure My New Favorite Soup

Did we have a November in 2018? Are you sure? Between Teddy transitioning to a “big bed” and then promptly getting sick for 3 weeks with the never ending coughing cold, I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep at all and just zombied my way through this month. (See below for a snapshot 😑)

When I am exhausted it is the same as when I am sick. I don’t feel well, I am grumpy, and all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a bowl of soup and fall asleep.

One of the many days I felt like that this past month I was craving Pho, and craving it hard. There was a complicating factor, I did not want to leave the house.

A quick scroll of Pinterest, some recipe doctoring, and 30 minutes later my house smelled like a Pho shop and I was sipping some amazing soup. It really is incredibly easy and a great twist on the standard chicken noodle.

I promise you’ll enjoy this one. Pho sure :-)

INGREDIENTS

• EVOO

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped, green and white divided

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp ginger, fresh, minced

• 8 C cups chicken broth or Vegetable broth for vegan (note: I use one box of chicken stock and one of broth for a richer base)

• 2 chicken breasts (defrosted if from frozen) cut into quarters (you will shred later on this just helps with cooking time)

• 1 package of baby boy choy, usually 4-6 heads

• 3 whole star anise

• 1-2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce (depending on your flavor choice)

• 1 package of vermicelli rice noodles

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1-2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat in a medium-sized pot. Add the white part of the green onions, minced garlic, and ginger to the pot, cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes or until garlic and ginger is fragrant.

2. Carefully pour the chicken or vegetable broth into the pot and bring to a rolling simmer and add the star anaise**.

3. Place chicken in simmering broth, place kid on pot and let cook for 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.

4. While the chicken is cooking, near the end of the time, put the vermicelli noodles in a heat safe bowl and pour boiling hot water over noddles, let sit for 3-4 minutes and then drain.

5. When chicken is done, shred the chicken and add bok choy and soy sauce to the pot and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until bok choy is tender, add remainder of green onions at very end. .

6. To serve: place noodle in bottom of bowl and Divide soup between bowls and let each person season as desired with chili oil, siracha, Hoisin, and/or soy sauce!,

7. eat and feel better.

**do not eat the star anaise! Some people remove it before serving, some ooole like the way it stews and flavors leftovers.