The Flanigan Family

Brewer - After

2012-02-05T12:00:00.001-06:00

Hopefully, by the time this posts, Brewer (click here to see before pictures) will be under contract. It's a beautiful house after an amazing transformation.

Summer Laggers

2012-02-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more summer pictures, lagging way behind because they were on our secondary camera.

This was, for the most part, a nice, sandy-bottomed creek. And this picture was taken just before I dropped my camera 5 feet into an enormous section filled with dense, dark seagrass. After feeling around with my feet and trying to peer into the water for 10 minutes, while the swift current moved me around just enough that it was impossible to figure out where the drop had occurred, I miraculously managed to find said camera. And luckily, it is the waterproof, shockproof kind.

These were in Gatlinburg, and that's Will & Sophie's cousin Nate with them.

Fall Break in Massachusetts & Vermont

2012-02-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

We spent Fall Break in Boston, MA and Stowe, VT.

At the Museum of Science...

On the duck tour...

In Montpelier, VT...

At Smuggler's Notch...

And at the Vermont Ski Museum in Stowe...

Ring Farm

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

Also on Evan's birthday, we made our annual trip to the Ring Farm, and had a great time as usual.

Evan - 1 year old

2012-01-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

This was the face that greeted me the morning of Evan's first birthday.

About a week later, we celebrated his birthday - along with a friend's - at our small group meeting.

Evan - 11 months

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-06:00

This - near the end of September - was the first of many, many times that Evan has snuck into the pantry and helped himself to a banana.

Brewer II - Before

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-06:00

Right down the street from the project he already had underway, Andy found this gem.

Will is salivating over the 70s audio equipment we "inherited".

Whispering Hills III - After(-ish)

2012-01-22T12:00:00.000-06:00

These aren't official "after" pictures, since the front porch columns weren't built until after our tenant moved in, but here are some after-ish pictures of Whispering Hills III.

Sophie's birthday

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

Just a quick pic from Sophie's 5th birthday back in September. She's one of the few people (around here at least) who can say they celebrated a 5th birthday with members of their kindergarten class.

Yep, that's another custom cake created by her Tia!

It's Back!

2011-11-14T10:00:00.002-06:00

Will created a company a year or two ago called Will Factory. Hence his blog, http://www.willfactory.blogspot.com/. Recently he decided to cease Will Factory operations and founded a new company, Flan Company (http://www.flanco.webs.com/). He can be very single-minded when dreaming up ideas and plans for his companies.

One sleepy night, after I read, tucked him in and was walking out, he sat upright in bed. "Mama!"

"Yes?"

"Our slogan is going to be 'The F Is Back'."

"Hmmm... OK, honey. Goodnight."

Evan - 10 months

2011-11-12T10:00:00.004-06:00

First Day of School

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

School started back on August 11. We were all excited to start back! Sophie was particularly excited to start kindergarten and go to school with Will.

Brrr!

2011-11-10T09:00:00.003-06:00

The very best time to have your kids in ice-skating lessons is the middle of the hot, hot Tennessee summer. Although it seems a little eccentric to keep snowboots in the back of your car at all times, they feel a lot better than flipflops inside the rink! Here is Sophie at one of her early lessons, back in July.
After renting skating for a while, Sophie's sweet cousin Zoe (with lots of help from her mom, I'm sure!) sent us her outgrown skates. Sophie was just a bit excited to have her own skates:

What a goofball!

We're still continuing the lessons this Fall. Sophie is getting to be a pretty good little skater, and Will has graduated to hockey lessons.

Summer Trip

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

This summer, we got to spend a few days in Gatlinburg with Uncle Dan, Aunt Katie, Nate and Norah, as well as Uncle Dan's family, who very generously shared their place with us.

An Enticing Path

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

To encourage Evan to crawl, Will and Sophie set up a path of his very favorite things - remote controls.

Evan - 9 months

2011-11-06T22:43:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures of Evan from July, when he was 9 months old.

It's in the details

2011-07-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

Will and Sophie were squabbling on the way to camp today.

Will (very mean, growling voice): "Stop doing that or you're going to be sorry, missy!"

I crack up. "Missy???"

Sophie (to Will - this is a game we play and use to break tension/whininess/faking): Don't smile!

Will: {smiles}

Sophie: You smiled! You smiled!

Will: Yeah, but it was an evil smile!

Bettering the World (While Turning a Tidy Profit)

2011-07-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

As we pass our neighborhood "party" store...

Will: When Will Factory becomes a real company, they're going to sell tons and tons of liquor. Then, once they put all the liquor stores out of business, they're going to stop!

Brewer Before

2011-07-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Andy's other new project, Brewer. It is going to get a second story addition!

Will Being Will

2011-07-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

This was posted outside Will's classroom at school:

And this is just one of his many, many electrical applications:

Whispering Hills III - Before

2011-07-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

Andy is in the midst of our third house on Whispering Hills. Here are some before pictures:

Detecting a Pattern

2011-07-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

This is a sweet paper I will always treasure. I would like to think that at the end, the interview suddenly turned into a game of Mad Libs, wherein "sleeping" just happened to be the random verb I was "so good at". However, the fact that almost every sweet adjective is checked in the boxes to the right, EXCEPT "craftsy" (which I must concede) and "energetic" makes it hard to deny his intent.

Underwater Fun

2011-07-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

An underwater camera is a lot of fun (although it does require some discretion, and it is generally not terribly flattering, especially to me adults)!

Sophie mid-jump:

Our friend Keagan with Will

Daddy's Other Helper

2011-07-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here is Sophie on a day that she spent a few hours as Daddy's helper at Whispering Hills 3. What a lucky guy!

Beach

2011-07-04T12:00:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Sophie and her friend Ava jumping the waves. We had a great time with two other "friend-families" this year.

Evan - 8 months

2011-07-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

Evan continues to excel at babyhood and being adored. He is pretty confident that no one out there is immune to his charms.

As I am writing this (on June 28), he is just a few days shy of 9 months, but he is not very mobile yet. He is pretty content to play wherever you put him, and will gladly eat paper and tape if he has the opportunity. His other hobbies include beating on things, beating things together, being carried around, watching older siblings act the fool, and slurping on pizza crust. It's good to be Evan.

G.O.A.L.

2011-06-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Nashville Predators sponsor an awesome Intro to Hockey program called G.O.A.L. (Get Out And Learn) that is totally free. We were lucky enough to get Will signed up, and he just finished his four sessions. He shows a natural aptitude for hockey and skating. We think his skiing experience helps.

Kraft

2011-06-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

Will is holding a Kraft single.

"Mom, isn't this fake cheese?"

"Well... not really. We call it fake cheese, but it's pretty much real. It's just... processed."

"But isn't Kraft a fake brand?"

"No, they make a lot of real cheese and other stuff."

"Well, why would do they call themselves Kraft? It sounds like they are making things to be like other things."

Will's Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

A few pictures from Will's kindergarten graduation...

Will Update

2011-06-10T12:47:00.001-05:00

Just a couple of cute pictures of my big boy. I'm very proud of his sweet heart, his smart brain and his passion and intensity.

"How To Plant A Sid (Seed):

You Pot It In The Grond.

You Wotr (Water) It.

You Tac Car (Take Care) Of It.

Vin (Then) You Injoy It."

Sophie Update

2011-05-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

Just a few sweet pictures of our little rising kindergartener, lover of drip sand castles, stuffed animals, and brothers both little and big...

Watsonwood II - After

2011-05-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Andy finished Watsonwood II just a few days ago. It was a very enjoyable project for him. Over a year elapsed between when we first found the house and started talking to the owners and when we finally bought it from them, so Andy had plenty of time to anticipate the project. It is exactly the kind of well-built ranch that he loves, and it hadn't been subjected to abuse - just a little neglect.

Highlights of the renovation include:

addition of a covered deck, including installation of a back door to access it.

addition of a 1/2 bath in a portion of the garage adjacent to the dining area.

new kitchen cabinets and granite countertops.

Watsonwood II - Before

2011-05-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures of a recent project, purchased in February. This is our second project on Watsonwood (also see the first project here and here), but we sold the first one. This one will be held as a rental.

Quick Easter Overview

2011-05-20T11:20:00.004-05:00

Will was sick on the day of his school egg hunt, but here is Sophie at hers:
Luckily, he was fully recovered in time to dye eggs (thanks, Anna, for taking the initiative to make this happen)...

And then hunt them.
(Something about this picture has a Sally-and-Nick-from-The-Cat-In-The-Hat vibe, doesn't it?)

Just for fun, check out what Easter looked like three short years ago here and here.

Evan Update - Seven Months

2011-05-13T23:38:00.008-05:00

Oh... my... goodness. You might think after having two kids, the third would be less enjoyable, somehow. Like the new had worn off and you'd seen it all before. Or like you'd already reached a certain level of complete chaos and adding a baby to the mix would just be more stressful.

You might think these things.
You would be *so* wrong.
Evan adds so much joy to my life. I'm sure the other kids probably adored me at 7 months, but I can no longer remember them gasping with delight when I walked into the room.

I can barely remember tickling them until they cackled and could barely breathe. Watching them reach out their arms to be picked up for the first time. Learning to feed themselves puffs (aka Baby Crack). Giving me slobbery, open-mouthed kisses on the cheek.

Whether it is the first, the last, somebody in between or someone else's entirely, there is just nothing like a baby, nothing like realizing how quickly it goes by and what amazing potential lies in those sweet little blue eyes.

I love you, Evan Andrew.

Gravity

2011-04-05T22:43:00.005-05:00

Will is in the backseat, thinking about his bunk beds and which cousin will sleep there during their upcoming visit.

"Nate or Gage should be on the top bunk. Because you can fall out of the bottom bunk, but the top bunk has a rail. You know, I've fallen out of the bottom bunk before..."

(We are aware of this due to the large THUD that echoed down in our bedroom in the middle of the night.)

"...and I thought, 'Aw, man, Gravity, I wish you weren't even around!'" {Reflects} "Although, times like right now I am glad we have gravity, so that we're not just floating out into space in this van."

Peer Parenting

2011-03-28T11:45:00.004-05:00

Will: I need a marker.

Sophie: Will, will you die without a marker? Because that's what you are saying. You NEED food, but you WANT a marker to use.

-- Sometimes I think I just need to keep my mouth shut and let them take care of each other. --

Great American Super Rof!

2011-03-24T12:00:00.002-05:00

Seriously?

2011-03-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Whoever-Signed-Me-Up-For-These,

Very funny. Very, very funny. They don't stop sending them just because you don't respond. Just so you know.

-Kathy

Sweetness!

2011-03-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

Will got me "Dollar Tree" roses for Valentine's Day. These were purchased several days in advance (with Papa and Grandma) and he couldn't WAIT to give them to me, asking me multiple times each day leading up to 2/14 if he could PLEASE give me my gift. How precious is that?

(In typical Will fashion, he negotiated with - i.e. conned - Grandma to purchase the vase, so he only had to spend one of his allotted dollars instead of two!)

The Incident Report

2011-03-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Is it terrible that we laugh at the way our kids get hurt (once we know they are OK)?

Pippi

2011-03-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Sophie on Pippi Longstocking:

"Pippi Longstocking is a girl movie AND a boy movie. She's a pirate, and that 's the boy part. And she's a girl, and that's the girl part."

Evan Update

2011-03-14T12:00:00.001-05:00

Evan continues to be sweet, loving, good-natured, and plagued by ear infections! In spite of that last part, he is starting to sleep a little better.

As of now, we seem to have a neopolitan family with respect to hair color. We've got strawberry, chocolate and vanilla all covered.

Rfr (Author) Will Flanigan

2011-03-12T22:34:00.004-06:00

Having a kindergartener is just one giant game of Mad Gab. Can you read these two pages? (Scroll down for answers.)

"My mama deserves three valentines because she is so nice."

"Electronics are dangerous. Do not touch things that say High Voltage."

Brought to you by...

A Qualification

2011-02-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

Sophie and her Aunt Shelly were playing around with my hair. When they were done, Sophie exclaimed, "Oh Mama, you look sooo pretty..."

"Well, thank you Soph-"

"...from the back!"

Thanks for that distinction.

Whispering Hills 2 - After

2011-02-21T12:00:00.003-06:00

Whispering Hills 2 was on the market for a couple of weeks, and is currently under contract!

Whispering Hills 2 - Before

2011-02-19T12:00:00.001-06:00

Here are some "before" pictures for Whispering Hills 2. These should have been posted months ago!

Lawndale After

2011-02-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

Lawndale turned out beautifully! We listed it for sale just before Christmas and closed on the sale 1/31/11.

Wait Your Turn!

2011-02-15T12:00:00.002-06:00

We thought it was weird when Will didn't get his first tooth until he was well over a year old. But doctors and dentists assured us that this meant he'd have "better teeth" and that his baby teeth would likely fall out later than most other kids.

I'm not sure what they meant by "better teeth", but certainly his baby teeth seem to be sticking around a little longer than average. In fact, his first loose tooth is so reluctant to leave, the new tooth has given up on waiting and decided to make its appearance. I'm pretty sure I see some orthodontic bills in our future.

Update: Evan

2011-02-13T12:00:00.002-06:00

We continue to enjoy little Evan. He is a very sweet-tempered and happy little guy. Night-time sleeper? ...Not so much, but we love him anyway.

The Third Adult

2011-02-11T12:00:00.000-06:00

Will...

a) is obsessed with purchasing Rosetta Stone, wireless microphones and public address systems.

b) When Andy complained about the low humidity level in our house, suggested, "Just put a pot of water on the stove and turn it on real low!" as a solution.

c) Window-shops incessantly at Amazon.com.

Meaningful

2011-02-09T22:56:00.001-06:00

Sophie looked at me the other day and said, "This is a mean-it thing!"

It took me a few seconds to realize that she has a hard time remembering the word "serious", so she simply makes a logical substitution.

***

"Mama, I'll put this on my fantasy."

"You mean your vanity?"

"Well, you can call it a vanity, Mama, but I will call it my fantasy!"

***

"Mama, is Christmas *really* Jesus' birthday?"

(They celebrated Jesus' birthday in her Bible class in December and must have made reference to this question.)

"Well, Sophie, we don't actually know what day He was born, but we know it was in winter. So we should celebrate it all the time."

"Why don't we just pray about when His birthday was? I'm going to pray about it right now:

Dear God, when was Jesus' birthday? Amen!"

Problem solved.

***

"Mama, I like two - no, three(!) healthy things:

Cereal,

Grilled cheeses, and

Peanut butter....

Oh, and bread!"

Awesome.

Just Trust Me!

2010-12-19T22:49:00.005-06:00

Will has somehow convinced Sophie that she wants a bullhorn. Now, Sophie likes attention - don't get me wrong - but she's not a girl that would think she needs a bullhorn to get it. Obviously there is a devious mind at work here, but that's beside the point of the story.

Will: Sophie, do you want a regular bullhorn or a girlie one?

Sophie: A girlie one.

Will: OK, Mama, I'm just going to go to Google and type "girlie" in to search for a girlie bullhorn, OK?

Mom: NO! Not OK! NO, NO, NO!

Hmmm... might be time to check in to SafeEyes now...

Praying for each other

2010-11-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

Excerpt from Will's prayer tonight (Will, Sophie and I were praying together):

"...and please help Sophie not be so irritating..."

Introducing Lawndale

2010-11-21T19:40:00.000-06:00

Here is our latest project house, as it was at the time of purchase way back on 8/27/10...

Front:

Back:

Side:

This one is now almost finished and looking amazing. Watch out for "after" pics very soon!

Will's Adventures in Electronics

2010-11-19T09:41:00.003-06:00

It all started innocently enough, with a snap-circuit electric kit (highly recommended!).

Then we let him take apart a vintage phone, as shown in the pictures above.

Now Will's fascination with electronics is out of control. It's almost all he talks about, and he has wired up speakers on all three levels of our house.

The system is complete with a megaphone in the basement and a telephone with which he can broadcast announcements (similar to morning announcements at school, only these are updated throughout the day) to keep us all on schedule. (Example: "Good morning everyone. It is now bathtime. I repeat, it is now bathtime, thank you. Have a good day!")

As an added bonus, he has a CD featuring Queen's "We Will Rock You" and Baha Men's "Who Let The Dogs Out" that he plays to give us that great "PE Class" feeling while we try to have a conversation or watch TV.

Here's to hoping this is just a phase.

Evan Andrew Flanigan

2010-11-17T19:01:00.007-06:00

God blessed us with this little bundle of joy on 10/1/10:

Evan Andrew Flanigan

8 lbs, 1/2 oz.

We are all living in constant adoration of this little guy. He is a sweet, happy, cuddly and perfect addition to our family.

Sophie's Birthday

2010-09-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Sophie's birthday. The cupcakes were for her preschool class. The other pictures are scenes from her party.

Immediately after the party:

Will's First Day at Glendale

2010-09-13T08:50:00.000-05:00

(That precious little girl behind Will was just sobbing quietly away. The teacher came over and comforted her moments later, and Will said by the third day of school she was doing fine.)
Will's school year is off to a good start! He has adjusted well to his new school, teacher, routine and friends.

Born Entertainer

2010-08-17T09:35:00.001-05:00

Baby Bee's Room

2010-08-09T10:18:00.002-05:00

Baby Bee's room is just about done. We're still going to change out the (dim) light fixture and hang his name over his bed. However, this requires deciding on a name, so that task may be a few weeks from completion.

This was previously a guest room and we wanted to keep the twin beds, since we fairly often have more than two houseguests at a time. We bunked the beds which left plenty of room for the new crib and changing table. Don't worry, out-of-town visitors - we'll move him out when we need the beds for family or friends (unless you just WANTED to volunteer for baby-duty)!

Between the reality of his room and his constant squirming, it's getting hard to deny that this is a real little person on his way into our family!

Fathers' Day - Flanigan Style!

2010-08-01T21:51:00.001-05:00

We aren't really huge celebrators of special days. It just doesn't always work, and since we're all on the same page regarding this (so far), no one seems to mind or get their feelings hurt.

Sometime within a week or two of Fathers' Day, we managed to present Andy with a gift he'd mentioned he wanted earlier: a set of camp chairs with attached ottomans. (By the way, somehow a small canvas ottoman seems to increase camp chair weight by about three-fold.)

Of course, the whole family (save the intelligent pregnant woman) had to try one out immediately - all at once. This picture was taken in the two minutes before the ottoman suddenly detached and hit the floor.

Whoops! Anyone want a very heavy camp chair with matching canvas... mat?

Status Updates

2010-07-29T09:46:00.000-05:00

Since this blog is meant to be a journal of sorts, and more and more I find myself using Facebook as a quick way to summarize happenings in our lives and tell funny stories, I thought I should capture recent status updates on the blog so that some of these anecdotes aren't lost. Readers, feel free to skip/ignore these. And while I realize this post could seem a little self-obsessed, please don't take it that way.

Kathy Morris Flanigan Sophie: Mama, when you grow up and get big, do you HAVE to move out of your parents' house? Mom: Well, a few people don't, but most people want to have their own house when they get big. (thinking: Aw, I have the sweetest girl EVER.) Sophie: Well, good.... because I don't want to spend all that money!July 18 at 4:36pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan Did I have ankles before I was pregnant? Or was it just an optical illusion caused by my then-higher heels?July 16 at 10:16am

Kathy Morris Flanigan I don't know much about Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, but based on the materials we receive daily in the mail, his campaign managers are NUTS.July 14 at 11:40pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan ‎"Sophie, why are your Barbies dancing without shirts?" "So they can be pretty!" Where does she get this stuff?July 12 at 5:17pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan is confident that NEVER has a snap-circuit electric kit made a child happier. If I'm not careful, I may accidentally learn something.July 12 at 11:03am

Kathy Morris Flanigan is completing online traffic school. :(

And it is designed for very slow readers. (yawn)June 29 at 3:48pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan I think I have a Ferris and a Cameron. Does anyone want to guess which is which, or what the next one will be?June 28 at 3:01pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan ‎'s 5.5-year-old is determinedly babyproofing our house three months early. It's a good thing someone in this family is responsible!
June 26 at 8:24am

Kathy Morris Flanigan Only 105 days left... how crazy is that?
June 24 at 10:01am

Kathy Morris Flanigan may not be as hopeless as a parent as she previously thought. :)
June 23 at 2:48pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan just acquired two new bottles of Vanilla Caramel creamer. Pro: Feeling happy and perky. Con: Now want to drink coffee ALL. DAY. LONG. Neither Baby Bee nor Dr. S. approve.June 23 at 10:29am

Kathy Morris Flanigan It was nice of the kind officer to point out that the speed limit goes up just one mile down the road from where he pulled me over. I thought that plus the pregnancy might equal a mere warning. Turns out my math was wrong.
June 16 at 9:31am

Kathy Morris Flanigan Live every week like it's Shark Week. Dress every day like you're going to get murdered in those clothes.
June 15 at 3:10pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan A book hasn't caused me this much trouble since Where's Waldo went to that barber pole factory. :)
June 9 at 2:39pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan
The future is like a Japanese game show - you have no idea what's going on.
June 9 at 3:37pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan is pretty sure her hair still smells like campfire!
June 8 at 2:11pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan Operation Raise That Van is a moderate success. Now we just have to see what happens when we load the whole family in there, including my pregnant self.
June 4 at 4:27pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan Will is skeptical on the value of stocks: "If I own a little part of Lowe's, why can't I control what goes on in that little part of the store?"
June 4 at 1:48pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan Note to self: 2 Italian ice popsicles = 3 golden minutes of silence, save slurping. Would it be inappropriate to give them 10 in a row?
June 3 at 8:46pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan forgot to consider ground clearance when committing to a new vehicle. Hubby is trying to figure out how to "raise" it to clear our driveway. Let's hope we can accomplish this without turning it into a hoopty wagon. HOA would prefer that I not park on the street for the next two years.

Kathy Morris Flanigan is going the minivan route, and is surprisingly excited about it!
June 1 at 2:51pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan Can someone please explain to me why we didn't purchase headphones for the portable DVD player two years ago when we first got it?
May 31 at 11:42pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan Really, Train? "My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest." You had to come up with a two-syllable adjective for chest, and UNTRIMMED was the best you could do? REALLY???
May 26 at 11:08pm

Kathy Morris Flanigan The world is made by those who control their own destiny. It isn’t made by those who don’t do. It’s made by those who do do. I do do. - Jack Donaghy
May 26 at 10:37am

Kathy Morris Flanigan Kathi and Chad (who were previously our houseguests) welcomed their son into the world at 3:23 AM this morning - 15 days AFTER his due date! The details are theirs to share!
May 26 at 10:26am

Kathy Morris Flanigan The world is made by those who control their own destiny. It isn’t made by those who don’t do. It’s made by those who do do. I do do. - Jack Donaghy
May 25 at 5:22pm

Cottage Life

2010-07-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we - along with much of our Michigan family - went up to Andy's grandmother's cottage in northern Michigan. The cottage is right on a beautiful lake. We had a great time just hanging out, swimming, boating, jet-skiing, and even collecting driftwood and minnows! It was one of our most relaxing vacations ever!

Real Estate Update - Foxview

2010-07-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

(After a two-month hiatus, I am bringing the blog back to the land of the living. I know it's not the most exciting return, but we're starting with a real estate post. Others will follow on a more reasonable timeframe.)

Here are the "after" pictures of Foxview. We're keeping this one as a rental, and it was turned over to its new residents on 7/15.

Not Me! Monday

2010-05-17T09:55:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

NOTE: This entry is not for faint of heart, or for men (no comments about whether those two are synonymous)...

Surely it is not me who, while already very blessed in certain anatomical areas, is finding herself EVEN MORE blessed now during pregnancy #3!

It was NOT ME that had to make an emergency trip to WalMart for cheap undergarments in an unbelievable, "how-in-the-world-could-someone-only-5'3"-wear-this-size?" size.

Then, while trying to dress for church, it was certainly NOT ME who found her maternity top so tight she had to lift said anatomy into position, causing her hand to slip and knock herself in the jaw so hard it was difficult to chew for several hours afterwards.

Thank goodness Captain D's doesn't serve hard fish!

Sophie

2010-05-14T09:47:00.001-05:00

It seemed time for a couple of new Sophie pictures, just on general principle. She is getting so big!

(Can anyone guess what familiar Nashville landmark she is visiting in the picture above?)

Jeremiah 1:5

2010-05-11T10:36:00.003-05:00

Some of you know Sophie's struggled with stomach issues lately. This seems to be due to an immature digestive system (GERD, for you medical types, although it hasn't been officially diagnosed), and is almost completely mitigated by elevating the head of her bed (thank goodness!). Saturday night, her mattress was damp from cleaning so she had to sleep on the floor. I didn't anticipate one night making her sick, but sure enough, it did.

She is always amazingly brave and strong when she is sick, and she is EXCELLENT at making it to the toilet or trashcan when necessary. It is enough to make me cry for her.

Early Sunday morning she was in bed with me struggling with her sickness. As I cuddled up to her, she sighed. "When I was just in heaven, I knew I wanted to be with you, Mama."

Wow. How am I so blessed?

Chevy Seats

2010-05-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

Andy and Mom F. have been busy on a multi-month project sewing new seats for Andy's Chevrolet. The seats are mostly finished now and awaiting installation.

Spring Pictures

2010-04-29T10:29:00.000-05:00

(note the sign in the back that says Hole-N-1 - FREE POPCORN!)

Real Estate Update

2010-04-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

I've been so behind on posting in general, for reasons I'm sure many of you can relate to. Mainly, life, however blessed and sweet, has seemed to fill my time to capacity this last few weeks.

I've gotten particularly behind on the real estate news. So, here's a brief update:

1) We sold Watsonwood, closing the first week of February. (This was right before we left for Winter Park, and made the vacation immeasurably more enjoyable.) We were pleased with the renovation and the sale.
2) Andy completed and sold Turley, closing the last week in March. Again, we were pleased with the end results. (The deal seemed shaky to the very end, due to the buyers being non-English-speaking refugees and putting exactly 0 dollars down, including closing costs. We didn't think this was possible in 2010 but they pulled it off AND got the $8,000 tax credit.)

3) We purchased our new project, Foxview, the same week as the Turley closing. To summarize, it is the newest house we've ever purchased and the easiest renovation Andy's ever undertaken. He's enjoying the project and we're hoping to keep it as a rental. Pictures below:

4) We even have a new project in the works, which should be closing in about 1 1/2 weeks. We'll post more information about it then.

Important Announcement!

2010-04-23T17:04:00.000-05:00

No need to check for this one!

2010-04-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

It had been a challenging visit to Target with the kids already, for which I take most of the responsibility since a) it was my idea and b) it was about 9 pm. We were just finishing up our trip by picking out new drinking glasses, when Will just sank to the floor, due to a combination of fatigue and frustration at his material desires going unfulfilled.

Sophie immediately fell on top of him. This seemed to me to be primarily just to be irritating, but she was also suffering from the same combination of afflictions as her brother. As we from the deep South might say, she was 'on him like white on rice'.

"Aarrggh! Get her off me!" he cried as he struggled to get away from her. "She's... she's like a TICK!"

My frustration and embarrassment at their antics dissolved into giggles. We quickly made our final selections and left.

Winter Park

2010-03-21T22:15:00.002-05:00

Back in early February, we spent a week in Winter Park, CO with my brother Tony, his wife Shelly and their three kids, Molly, Susie and Scott. We had a wonderful week of skiing and enjoyed the time with family we don't get to see as often as we would like!

Except for one day when Andy and I ventured to Winter Park, we spent our time skiing Sol Vista, a smaller and quieter resort. While the harder terrain is very limited there, it is a fabulous place for beginners and our ski students received unbelievable personalized instruction. In fact, on our second day of lessons, there were no less than five instructors working with the seven family members taking lessons. Considering we were paying for inexpensive group lessons, this level of attention was pretty amazing.

(Also noteworthy on a technical level: Sol Vista teaches a non-traditional, direct-to-parallel methodology, so there is no snowplowing involved. After witnessing this, I am not sure which teaching method is better. I think snowplowing can play an important role in helping beginners gain confidence on more challenging terrain, but our students progressed pretty quickly with direct-to-parallel instruction and seemed to develop better technique than comparable lessons using the snowplow. The first few hours seemed less enjoyable, though.)

These noteworthy events occurred:

1) Tony and Shelly skied for the first time in over 20 years! (They last skied when they were five, of course.)
2) Molly, Susie and Scott skied for the first time ever.
3) Will and Sophie rode their first chairlifts.

All the beginners took two days of lessons and were skiing amazingly well by the second day. Will's skills increased greatly during the trip. Scott reached the point where he could ski independently on the bunny hill. His skill level was more than ready to move on to harder terrain, but he found a small "jump" on the bunny hill and was content to perfect his technique on that and catch air! (Those of you who know Scott will not be surprised by this.) Both Molly and Susie skied great, but Susie took to it more, which gave us the opportunity to utilize Molly's amazing babysitting skills, which are always in demand. By the end of the trip, all the skiers over 10 could ski the green "beginner" terrain without falling! Due to her age level, Rof spent less time on skis than the others but definitely benefitted from her lessons and enjoyed skiing, especially when we took her on the chairlift and skied down the bunny hill together.

On the ride to the airport

Tony and Shelly

The whole Flanigan family on the slopes

Rof likes to ski with Daddy!

You would not believe the amount of planning and effort this picture took! (Beginners, while good at getting into unlikely positions on the snow, are not so good at contorting themselves into such intentionally.) Yet the ski instructor, after spending a good 8-10 minutes posing us, apparently could not wait for a clear background.

The Morris Family less Scott (who was busy catching air on the bunny hill)

Does Will look like he knows what he is doing or what???

The Flanigans

The non-teenaged Morrises

Molly and Susie with instructor Deb

Scott with his instructor Estevan
Scenic Sol Vista

Shelly found Marty Stuart on our flight! Since I now consider myself a Nashville native, I strongly discouraged this photo, but Shelly was not to be deterred.

(All of these photos are courtesy of Shelly. I may have a few to post from my own camera, but they are on a different computer.)

Sweetie-Head

2010-03-14T22:26:00.001-05:00

Will's affectionate name for Sophie is "Sweetie-Head." He has learned about God's and his parents' unconditional love for him, and he in turn bestows it on her by reminding her:

"There is NOTHING you can do that will make you stop being my Sweetie!"

Of course, our mischievous Rof takes this as a personal challenge and tries her best to aggravate him, just to ask, "Am I still your Sweetie?" He growls and sighs, "Yes, you are still my Sweetie."

So, in view of her tests, he has developed a Sweetie-number system through which he tracks our standings. Therefore, she can remain his Sweetie while suffering a decline in Sweetie-number as a result of her irritations.

For a while, my Sweetie-number was always 16, while Sophie's was 100. However, from school he's recently developed a better grasp of higher numbers, so my Sweetie-number is now usually somewhere around 10 to the 12th power, or in Will's words "One, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero...".

Tonight at dinner we had a small conflict as a result of him being rude and demanding. As I scolded him, Will's countenance (as it often does) transformed immediately from intolerant despot to injured victim, complete with tears.

Tonight we were back on good terms and I was getting ready to leave his bedroom. (When it's my turn to get them to bed, after reading and prayers, I put Sophie to bed and come back to say goodnight. And each night, he asks me, "Do you have anything you want to say?" and I tell him I love him or I'm so glad God gave him to me or something similar. Then he'll say, "We're starting the New Usual**." We lay in silence for a few moments, then I say goodnight and leave.)

This time, for the first time ever, after I'd made my final statement of love and pride, Will said, "Well, I have something to say. Even though I was disappointed in you tonight, I don't want you to think it changed your Sweetie-number."

{smile} Before parenthood, who could have foreseen the little declarations that one day would give us joy? Who else can understand the rewards of love that these tiny innocent souls offer us again and again? This night, Will had perceived my flawed humanity and was still offering me his love and acceptance. It meant as much as all the hero-worship I've received over the years as a mom and will never live up to.

** The New Usual became effective when Sophie got old enough to require extra attention at bedtime, and I explained to Will that I could no longer stay "the usual amount" of time with him at night. "There's going to have to be a 'new usual'", I explained then. Since then, the New Usual has come to symbolize a few moments of silent companionship just before bed. There is no talking allowed. In fact, even [my apparently] loud breathing is discouraged.

Inner Beauty

2010-03-06T23:15:00.003-06:00

I hear an altercation upstairs, and walk over to the living room to check on things. I notice that Sophie is dressed up in her brand new tutu (thanks, Tia!) and full ballerina garb.

"Wow, Sophie!" I say as she starts down the stairs.

Will watches her from the landing, shaking his head. He has a warning for me: "She's beautiful but unkind!"

A Couple More Doses of Will

2010-02-04T09:42:00.003-06:00

Will: I wish our (Little Einsteins toy) computer was like Maddox's. You can choose the game on hers. Ours chooses the game for you.

Mom: Oh. Does Maddox's computer look like yours?

Will: No, hers just looks like a regular computer. It doesn't have that jacked-up cartoon-y stuff on it like ours does.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will has just taken off his socks and is cleaning between his toes. "I wish there was such a thing as a toe flosser!"

Concept Application

2010-02-01T11:24:00.000-06:00

We've talked a lot about looking with our eyes and not with our hands, and not touching food on a serving dish until we've selected the piece we're going to take.

Now I am rifling through the Pillsbury crescent rolls at Publix, trying to find the ones with the best dates.

Sophie: Mama! Quit touching all those things you are not going to buy!

Yin and Yang

2010-01-28T14:09:00.001-06:00

Will and I are having a quiet morning in the car alone.

Will: Mom, I think I'm going to be a serious person when I grow up.

Mom: Why do you think that?

Will: Well, you know how you are a serious person and Daddy is a silly person?

Mom: I'm not sure about that...

Will: I think I am going to be serious. You know how I say {very serious voice here}, "No, Sophie, don't do that." ...I think that she is going to be a silly person like Daddy.

Questions

2010-01-25T10:32:00.000-06:00

Will continues to ask us lots of questions that completely stump us. Obviously, he should have been in charge of developing the English language:

Will: Why is a flashlight called a flashlight? It doesn't flash. Why isn't it just called a light?

Will: Why is sawdust called sawdust and not wooddust? It comes from the wood, not the saw.

Sweetness!

2010-01-21T10:06:00.001-06:00

I don't gush too much about my kids, but seeing their affection toward each other is such a joy. Most often I see them displaying... um, we'll just call them "Emotions Other Than Affection", toward one another!

However, when Will says goodbye to me before unloading at school, he has begun to say goodbye to his sister, too. First, he "surprises" me with a hug from between the seats. Then he lurches over to her side of the car to give her a big hug before getting out.

Sophie grins, hugs back, and says in a deep, jovial Fat Albert voice, "HEY, THAT'S MY BOY!!!"

When you start locking your bedroom door at night...

2010-01-18T10:31:00.000-06:00

...you just never know what you might find outside it when you wake up in the morning.

Sophie's vehicle of choice

2010-01-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

Sophie: Do you know my favorite cereal?

Mom: No, what?

Sophie: Miniwheats! Because they have "Minnie" in them.
...

Sophie: There is a kind of car that is my favorite kind of car.

Mom: Oh?

Sophie: A "Minnie"-van. I *really* wish we could have one of those one day!

Daddy's truck

2010-01-11T23:22:00.000-06:00

What's that smell?

2009-12-29T12:06:00.004-06:00

We were on our way back from Georgia yesterday when we got caught in traffic behind some big tractor-trailers with smelly exhaust.

From the back seat, a small voice is heard:

"What in the world is that funk nasty smell???"

Just a little more evidence that Will is a chip off the old block.

Halloween

2009-12-19T23:50:00.001-06:00

I recently realized I had never published an actual Halloween post, so here goes, just in time for Christmas:

At parental urging, Will drew his pattern before starting to carve. As you can see, the results were remarkably similar to the plan!

Sophie helped Daddy with his pumpkin...

...and also started her own, which was finished by Mom and sits next to her below.

Hippie Mimi made a return trip...

...and Mom had to figure out a Halloween-themed fruit item for Sophie's school party (which she unfortunately missed due to illness).

(Thank you, internet, for the fruit-salad-orange-pumpkin idea!)

Thanksgiving

2009-12-16T22:50:00.002-06:00

A photo from Will's Thanksgiving program (yes, that's Pilgrim Will, not Warlock Will) and a few from our Thanksgiving in Michigan...

(In the interest of full disclosure, I did not take most of these pictures.)

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-13T20:45:00.004-06:00

The ornament on the left was the model. I thought it was an interesting contrast with Sophie's work. Our girl likes some bling!

Ridiculous

2009-11-30T20:21:00.000-06:00

Sophie seems to go to the bathroom A LOT. I think she is impatient, and goes a little at a time.

The other day we were in Toys R Us. Almost immediately upon entering the store, she requested to go to the bathroom. I'd taken her at Walgreens about 20 minutes before, so I put off her requests. "OK, we'll go in a little while."

After occasionally bringing up her need a few times and my dismissing it, she looked at me and said seriously, "Mama, I need to go to the bathroom RIDICULOUS BAD."

I don't have to tell you our next stop.

People are crazy!

2009-11-23T10:45:00.000-06:00

Will is listening to Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy".

Will: Mama, this song lies to me. It should say, "God is great, people are good, and BEER is crazy!"

School Pictures

2009-11-21T17:35:00.000-06:00

Turley is underway!

2009-11-19T10:37:00.000-06:00

Turley is taking shape. Sheetrock is going in now, with HVAC installation on Monday. The exterior is just about done.

Myself and a helper installed all the paint you see. I had some special help with the shutters as well!

Watsonwood is done!

2009-11-17T22:17:00.002-06:00

Update from Andy:

Watsonwood is done and has been on the market for one week. We passed our final inspection today. Unfortunately, tomorrow we will be digging up a strech of the beautiful yard to replace the water line as I've determined that it won't provide the velocity of water that will be needed. It is the only pipe that wasn't replaced during the remodel. I'll let the before and after pictures do the talking; however do note that the house has these features: All new siding, shutters, storm windows, reglazed windows, all new plumbing, a new deck, a new half bath, new electric service and panel, new cabinets, new gutters, regraded yard, new bath, and of course new paint and refinished floors.

This is a great house in a great neighborhood if you know someone in the market!

Big Brother, Part 2

2009-11-12T09:45:00.000-06:00

Will: Mama, I don't want you thinking I don't love Sophie, because I do...

Mom: OK.

Will: But sometimes, she is just hard to love. All she likes to do is irritate me!

Big Brother, Part 1

2009-11-08T20:26:00.003-06:00

We are in the car on our way to school one morning.

Will: Sophie, you are such an irritater!

Sophie (in her sweetest, calmest voice): No I'm not... YOU are irritating to ME.

Will: See, that is what I am talking about. That is you being irritating to me!

Miss Priss

2009-11-06T22:01:00.000-06:00

If there are still any lingering doubts about Sophie's gender, I think those can be laid to rest, although I do think her makeup application skills could still be honed a bit...

My Baby

2009-11-04T22:06:00.000-06:00

Sophie is such a big girl now, I seldom catch her looking or acting babyish, so I had to capture this moment, when she was exhausted from a friend's birthday party and looking much more like my sweet baby than usual.

Ring Farm

2009-11-02T09:33:00.000-06:00

This October marked our 3rd annual trip to the Ring Farm. We had a great time as always. Thanks to everyone who came! :)

Trunk Or Treat

2009-10-30T21:57:00.001-05:00

We had a lot of fun at Trunk or Treat this year!

Will's Birthday

2009-10-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

I've gotten behind on posting, so bear with me as I get caught up.

First up: HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!

Will had his heart set on having his birthday party at his school playground, but we woke up the morning of the party to find that it was unseasonably cold with a high in the mid-50s. After spending a cold morning at the Walden Farm, we decided we needed to move the party indoors. Will was broken-hearted that he had to have his party at Chuck E. Cheese's, but he did perk up a little once he found out he didn't have to sit in Chuck E.'s lap.

Another fantastic cake decorated by Tia/Annie!

Will got a great new bike for his birthday that is just his size! He has been doing a great job of riding it.