Oak Hill Manor, Part 2

Here are pictures of the two-bedroom side of Oak Hill Manor:

Dining room view from side door

Living room (Andy has since refinished the floors and they turned out beautifully)

Oak Hill Manor, Part 1

Here are a couple of pictures of the three-bedroom unit at Oak Hill Manor, before final clean and carpet. For some reason I didn't take many pictures of this side; I'll try to do better next time.

The other big item we are lacking is the new driveway for all the units, including parking for everyone. We should be getting this figured out within the next week or two.

A Horrific Facebook Revelation

Andy Flanigan:
Can somebody explain to me how the center flap on the tissue paper public toilet cover deals is suppose to work? (Emily please disregard as I know you don't EVER enter a public restroom)

Yesterday at 8:56pm · Comment · LikeUnlike · Show Feedback (5)Hide Feedback (5)
You like this.

Blake ****** at 9:08pm April 19
always pull down not up with a beautifully folded point in the middle.

Emily ****** at 9:13pm April 19
Are you blaming me?? I don't have to deal with these issues! I think Blake MUST be going to some high-falutin' restrooms if he has seen "beautifully folded points"

Holly ***** at 9:23pm April 19
The center flap is supposed to ever so gently fall into the water of the commode. Then when you flush, the water should pull the tissue paper cover into the bowl swirling it into a watery vortex and then down the pipes... without you having to kick or push it in. *Of course that's all theory, since it doesn't always work.* ;)

Paige ****** at 9:25pm April 19
I miss you Andy Flanigan...your thoughts crack me up!

Kathy Morris Flanigan at 9:23am April 20
I am so, so disturbed that you are NOW asking for instructions on this, after how many years of taking our kids to the potty???

We are so awesome.

(A noteworthy fact about these pictures: they were not posed.)

BZA

A return to the topic of real estate...
We are proud to announce that by way of a favorable ruling by Nashville's Own, Entirely Awesome Board of Zoning Appeals, we are the proud owners of Flanigan Subdivision, consisting of two whole lots. On one sits the Structure-Previously-Known-As-The-Guesthouse, now an independent dwelling, and on the other sits Oak Hill Manor, now officially a duplex. I have to heap praise on my dear persistent husband for this one, as he navigated through several Metro departments and lots of skepticism and red tape to make this happen.

The story of how we arrived at the ZBA is a long and sordid one, but suffice it to say that although we had already invested many, many thousands of dollars in the guesthouse, without this favorable ruling we would have been forced to use it as a storage building or tear it down. Therefore, this ruling was an absolute coup in our renovation process. Without it, to use a common phrase, we were screwed!

Stay tuned for more real estate-related posts...

More Sophie-isms

Sophie has become quite entertaining to be around lately, so I decided to compile a post of some of our conversations. However, I have a feeling some of these were funnier in person than when translated to print.

1. Sophie needs to go to bed and has assembled an outfit of fleece pajamas, her tutu (aka Ballerina) and pink crocs. (She tried to add her leotard on top but apparently realized that wasn't feasible.) She is also extremely tired due to missing her nap today.

Mom: Sophie, you need to take off your "Ballerina" and your crocs.

Sophie dissolves into tears as she pulls off her crocs. "But I don't want to take off my Ballerina. It's not hurting anytang!"

2. Sophie is using her sweetest little-girl voice this morning.

Sophie: Hi, Stinky Will.

Will: I'm not Stinky! I'm going to tell Mom.

Sophie (ever so sweetly): Yes you are. You are Stinky Will.

Will: MOM....!

Then, that evening:

Sophie: Hi, Yucky Will. You are Yucky Will.

Will: MOM....!

(I know she is being awful and I shouldn't laugh, but she is so tiny to be such a purposefully irritating sibling!)

3. Sophie has just woken up and is groggy.

Sophie: Mama, I am not happy.

Mama: That's terrible news. Why aren't you happy?

Sophie: I am not happy because my dream blowed away.

4. I am getting the kids ready for bed, and Sophie is using the bathroom. Will is trying to explain, in his ever-so-wise way, the difference between boys and girls. (This could be a whole separate post, but it's a little graphic, so I'm not sure how appropriate it is for sharing.)

Will: Sophie, listen!

Sophie: I don't want to listen. I AM BUSY PEE-PEEING!

Will: Sophie, please listen.

Sophie: No! I am busy using the potty!

5. Sophie (putting her arm around me affectionately): Mama, you are my best friend!

6. We're leaving Publix when I see a sample lady with a table covered in carrot cake samples.

Mom: Sophie, would you like some cake?

Sophie considers, then agrees. (Sophie always carefully considers whether she wants food before she takes it. She doesn't get this from me!)

Sophie, saving her cake and holding the ends of the napkin so that the cake swings in the middle: It's a snack bag. I am saving it for the car.

Mom: OK.

Then in the car, as Sophie unwraps her treasure...

Sophie: It is so nice that that lady is there with cake!

7. Sophie is playing with her Barbie, who is wearing a Snow White dress. I'm not even sure how she knows what Snow White's dress looks like, much less the story of Snow White.

Sophie: Mama, you know what happened to Snow White? The prince come'd kissed her. And the prince come'd hugged her!

8. Sophie sees the strawberries in the fridge. "Mama! I want some LIBRARIES!"

9. Unfortunately, Sophie has thrown up in the middle of the night and is scared and upset. Fortunately, she hasn't been sick much so she isn't sure what has happened. Once she is cleaned up, she starts to calm down and relax. "Mama, I need some medicine to keep me from doing THE BAD THING."

10. Later that day, we are still concerned about her.

Mom: Sophie, how are you feeling?

Sophie: Dood. I'm feelin' MUCH BEDDER.

Fun at Oak Hill Manor

PB&J

Dinner with Friends

...and Practicality

(continued from prior post)

Mom: So where do you think Daddy will work now?

Will: Oak Hill Manor! ...but how will he make money?

Mom: Hmm... well, that's the part we're still figuring out. :)

Perspective...

Dad: Will, I'm not going to work at Centex anymore.

Will: Yay! Good!

(Later)

Mom: Will, why do you think its good that Daddy won't be at Centex anymore?

Will (no hesitation): Because I'll get to see him more!

(To be continued...)