This Full House Archive

Author: Liz@ThisFullHouse

The Money Shot
My mother-in-law gave me simply the best compliment, yesterday.

"Your house is always so warm and inviting."

Seeing that it is basically held together with spit and Elmer's glue. Seriously, having tacked up the loose wallpaper on Thanksgiving Eve, I am not even kidding.

Stupid Hurricane Irene!

So, besides telling me that I look way thinner, it really was the nicest thing you could say to me, at the moment.

"I just don't have your energy, anymore."

What do you say to that? To a woman who, as long as I've known her and even way before then, has loved the holidays best?

In my head, I was thinking all of the possible responses (and this would be a real good time to thank goodness you are not in my head) like:
- Well, I am, like what, 40 years younger than you?
- Yes, but you should see me tomorrow morning?
- Did I mention, you are much older than I am?
Instead, I promised to help my mother-in-law put out some of her Christmas decorations, today.

"But, why do I have to go?"

Much to the dismay of my 12 year-old son.

"It would make her happy and I said so."

Because, I'm good with the reasoning like that.

Although he would never admit it (out loud) that is totally my son's, "Yeah, you were right, Mom" face.

I texted my middle girl this photo, who stayed home to rest (stupid migraines!) and honestly, we had SUCH a great time.

Then, on the way home, my son hollered, leaving me slightly deaf in my right ear.

"QUICK! Pull over, Mom!!"

In my head, I was thinking all of the possible reasons why (yadda, yadda) finally deciding that, having just passed some major roadkill, I had indeed waited too long to feed the boy.

Turns out, he just thought the sky was too awesome NOT to stop and take a closer look.

Aaaaand, he was right. It really was one of the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen.

But, this? Being able to see his warm and happy expression, right through the shadows? In my opinion, it is the money shot.

And, to think, we almost missed it, if it weren't for one simple little compliment.

Thanks, Mom!

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

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November 25, 2011
Turkey Neck for Your Thoughts

We've hosted more than a dozen Thanksgivings (yes, on purpose!) however, this year marks a first.

We were ALL seated and eating by 1:30 p.m.

My in-laws aren't comfortable driving at night, anymore (we live in Jersey, I don't blame them) and I'm not comfortable with my parents driving the 45 minutes to get home (give or take an hour, which is equal to about 45-50 miles, if you're not from Jersey) either.

Still, in our minds, each moment we get to share, with each other, is a gift.

So, my husband Garth (NHRN) and I decided to have dinner early, giving our parents time to sit, enjoy themselves and then get home with time enough to spend a quiet evening, with each other.

Us, too.

So, now that the dishes are done (mostly) the dining room broken down and the kiddie table is back in the garage, it's time to start celebrating our own private little Thanksgiving.

I've already missed half of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the Jim Carrey version is our favorite and lines from the movie may or may not be quoted, throughout the year) soon to be followed by Christmas Vacation.

So, pardon me, while I change into my pajamas and squee-gee myself into a spot on the couch.

"Whassup with the turkey neck?"

Of course, I couldn't pull ANY of this off without the help of my husband, Garth (NHRN) and yet, have to remind him, every year, about the turkey neck.

"It's for my grandmother."

It was her favorite and in my mind, 8 years after her passing, she still gets first dibs. I know. I'm a dork. Still.

"If she shows up to eat it, I'm leaving!"

[one beat, two beats]

"Go ahead and give it to the Doofus-Dawg!"

I may be a tired, wigged-out, slightly sore and totally pms-ing major dork, at the moment (you're welcome) but, my Nagy Mama did NOT raise no fool.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, my friends.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

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November 24, 2011
Nearly Wordless Wednesday:
Williamsburg, VA 2005

One of our most favorite places and yet we haven't been back since? Perhaps I can convince Garth (NHRN) for one last road trip before the oldest goes off to college, next fall (SOB!)

Oh, and I almost missed seeing my youngest, way over there on the right, she was so, so tiny (double-SOB!)

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

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November 23, 2011
Luck Be a Cup of Coffee, Tonight!

22 days into NaBloPoMo and, well, NOW I remember why I have never NaBloPoMo-ed before.

This blogging every day thing is hard, man (for me, anyways) however, it's been a great writing exercise (so far) especially, this time of year, when my head could always do with a good, you know, brain dump-ing.

You're welcome!

Aaaaaanyway, the cool thing about NaBloPoMo-ing is that there are daily prompts to help get my blogging juices going.

Today's prompt: What is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you and why?

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November 22, 2011
Sometimes, I Just Want
My Baby Girl Back

Looking at this face, would you believe she's grounded for the next 2 weeks?!?

In preparation for showing off my spontaneous bathroom makeover (a.k.a. the extreme dork edition) I excitedly reached for my camera.

Memory full (DAGNABIT!) so, I scoured the house for a SD card and, surprisingly enough, found one!

"OMG!"

Okay, so, I know my middle girl is majoring in photography and everything, but I didn't really think the pics I'd just taken were ALL that bad.

"These pics are ALL, like, from 2005!"

[eyes go wide]

OMG, I don't even remember this or my youngest ever liking green beans.

I feel vindicated, however, in insisting that she used to wear dresses (on purpose) and yes, she also wore her pink cowgirl boots everywhere.

Then, this. And I felt the walls of my heart implode a little.

Sometimes, I forget.

Because, she makes it REAL hard for me to remember.

Sometimes, I feel like the worst mother in the world.

Because, once she got older and started needing me less, easy, breezy days like these seem so far and few in between.

Sometimes, I just want my baby girl back.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

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November 21, 2011
The Big-ish Reveal

12 cups of coffee, 6 trips to Home Depot and way too many potty stops I'd care to mention, at the moment (you're welcome!)

Before: last Thursday, when the wallpaper fell on my head and I vowed, before the bathroom gods and my neighbors, "NO MORE WALLPAPER, EVUH!"

Having spent most of Friday, Saturday and today working on it, I am proud to confirm that my spontaneous bathroom makeover is indeed FINISHED. ON BUDGET. AAAAND, ON SCHEDULE.

Wanna see? To quote my friend Busy Mom, it's time to "move that bus!"

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November 20, 2011
Under the Wire (Alternate Title: Nearly Forgot to #NaBloPoMo)

Well, my spontaneous bathroom makeover is finished (mostly) and I keep suprising the heck out of myself, by achieving a whole new level of tired, from when I first started this project 3 days ago.

This morning, I posted a sneak peek on Facebook. The color is actually a lot less yellow in person and looks more like lightly toasted, um, toast.

Here's the really cool part: being pressed for time, I came up with a way to cover up all the imperfections (i.e. wallpapering over sheetrock is NOT a good idea) I texturized (yes, it's a word!) the wall to make it look like stone.

In fact, my husband Garth (NHRN) was SO impressed (okay, more like shocked) that he treated me to a new light fixture.

BONUS!

Quite frankly, I am very proud of myself. Not only did I actually finish a home project (for once) it looks REAL gosh-darned good, too.

Also, I'm considering submitting my name to the Guinness Book of World Records for person with the most paint stuck, in places a person shouldn't have paint stuck.

Slightly related: My youngest daughter has a friend sleeping over tonight who, during dinner, seemed a bit alarmed at the amount of paint still splattered on the back of my hands.

"Is it going to stay like that forever?!?"

Yes, I will be forever classic taupe.

"I'll just connect the dots and tell people it's a Henna tattoo."

[sound of crickets, chirping]

BURRRRRRRRP!

"Good one, Mom."

Parenting Tip #29,188,299: When all else fails, burp REAL LOUD!

What?!? Pictures?!? Oh, yeah, I'm going to post the AFTER pictures tomorrow, when Garth (NHRN) promised to mount my prettiful new light fixture.

Heaven knows I could do with some more blog fodder: stupid #NaBloPoMo!

Until then, I remain forever yours,

I.M. Tired

P.S. I said mount (HAH!)

[Progress Report: having nearly painted myself into a coronary on Friday (stupid #NaBloPoMo) it's the big-ish reveal!!]

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

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November 19, 2011
Painting Myself Into a Coronary

Yesterday, I spontaneously started de-constructing our bathroom and, even though we've used other people's half-bathrooms that were WAY BIGGER (hrmph) when it comes to prepping walls for paint, size does NOT matter.

Every part of my body, even the parts that I forgot I even had, hurts.

About halfway through I was all, like, what was I thinking?!? I should of used a little Elmer's glue, some duct tape, perhaps sprinkled a little holy water and called it a day.

Look, it's Frankenshower!

Playing with painter's tape, however, IS AWESOME!!! In fact, I may or may not have been a little overzealous with taping the shower.

3 cups of coffee, 2 coats of primer (ceiling and walls, each) and 4 trips to the OTHER bathroom later, I've spent a total of 8 hours on this last minute project and was totally excited about being "this close" to being finished.

Until, all those little imperfections previously ignored (ahem) started bleeding through.

I have until this weekend to get this finished and seeing as I've pretty much painted myself into a corner (bah-dum-bum) a 3rd trip to Home Depot (today) and I'm pretty sure I've come up with a solution.

Tomorrow, we paint (and by we, I mean me) and, hopefully, I'll be able to show you the results in a lovely side-by-side, before-and-after shot, with my next post.

Only if it, you know, comes out good, of course.

In the meantime, if anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs, avoiding HGTV, the DYI Channel and fending off a coronary.

Stupid old house, dumbass wallpaper.

[Progress Report: coming just under the wire, late Saturday night (stupid #NaBloPoMo) my spontaneous bathroom makeover is complete!!]

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

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November 18, 2011
NO MORE WALLPAPER, EVUH!!!

So, there I was, just sitting, reading the latest issue of Cottage Living and minding my own (ahem) business, when, all of the sudden, RRRRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPP.

Aaaaaand, at about 10:30 this morning, something snapped and I went all Mommy Dearest, right there, in the middle of, well, you know.

Really?!? As if the crumpling ceiling and leaky walls in the living room, not to mention the mysterious black hole, forming on the ceiling above the washer and dryer, as we speak, weren't enough (stupid Irene) then again, who the heck wallpapers a bathroom, right?!?

Riiiiiiight.

4 hours, 2 cups of coffee and 3 trips to the OTHER bathroom, later.

A good day's work, eh? Tomorrow, we prime (and by we, I mean me) and I hope to be able to wrap up my extreme bathroom makeover by this weekend.

Why, yes, of course I remember that Thanksgiving is only, like, 7 sleeps away. Because, we're hosting an intimate dinner for 12 (so far) and, although the rest of the house maybe a shambles (stupid Irene) the bathroom/library is going to look mah-vuh-luss, dagnabit.

Oh and NO MORE WALLPAPER, EVUH!!!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go and find Garth (NHRN) because, I seem to have lost my ass somewhere in between the hallway and dinner.

Stupid wallpaper, dumbass Irene.

[Progress Report: having nearly painted myself into a coronary on Friday and then coming under the wire, late Saturday night (stupid #NaBloPoMo) my spontaneous bathroom makeover is complete!!]

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

^{Feed me, see more!}

November 17, 2011
I’m All #NaBloPoMo’d Out

So, allow me to present the lamest vlog post….EVUH!!!…consider yourselves warned.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

^{Feed me, see more!}

November 16, 2011