Bryan on Grill

Evie doing the dishes

Chores are fun!

Brining Turkey Take 2

Utini 2

Looked better cropped and full res

Brining the Turkey

A certain turkey is up early from here nap.

OOOO MY CUPCAKE

Evie's First Birthday

Evie had her first first birthday party, don't worry we are going to have one for family too, there were friends, cup cakes and chaos, what more do you need.

Hey miming means pretending you have a cupcake!

Can you detect the one most likely to stain your child...

Super-Batman

Party based entropy

Cooking some food for the party

Evie Loves her 'Po

KIIIITTTTTYYYYY!

Playing at Skedaddle

Christmas Photo's

So a little preface, I warned Erin not to do these photos. It was back to back with a busy day for the kids which had interrupted nap, and was in the middle of their nap again so I was petrified it would be a gone show.

That being said, Erin's planning and execution were superb. Offering Bryan a present (of new Christmas pajamas) in the car on the way to the studio for pretend Christmas was genius, and the first shot of them opening presents is authentic, as it was another gift for pretend Christmas. It wasn't anything big, but for Bryan it was the perfect bribe without him evening knowing he was being bribed.

Scheme executed and great results, enjoy.

Family Photo Wall

Working on my collage of photos.

It sure is purple

Laser Wolves Corralled

The room really speaks for itself, so I will spare the commentary, and just thanks to everyone who helped out. 

This picture is nearing finish, it is missing the decorative spheres.

We actually already had the cat, he isn't new, just ubiquitous.

The Battle of the Laser Wolves

So in the continued and delayed saga of Erin's B'day present (the saga delayed, the present is done) I thought I would continue with some of the construction pictures.

So the gist of the gift was a whole room reno on the master bedroom, everyone (parents on both sides, Candace and I) to pull this together.  Erin's mom and I have been scheming since about August, and while here work was ALL the sowing (and there was a lot.)  My real task came in the 36 hours ahead of the unveiling where I stripped  the room of furnishings, packed the closet, painted, and then put it all back together with everyones help and gifts.

So here are some of the in progress shots.

Everything jammed in the bathroom

Everything that wouldn't fit in the bathroom stacked in the middle.

Their in the Walls

We celebrated Erin's birthday last night and her gift was a pretty big family effort.  Before I get to what we did, I will share one of the funnier bits, in order to prepare her present, it became essential to hide some things from here, at first it was just receipts and a few odds and ends that would have given it away. So I put them in my work bench, she rarely goes in there, but just in case, I labelled the drawers "Caution Laser Wolves."  Erin and I are both pretty good about cultivating a sense of self surprise, hiding things in plane sight, and playing along with the silliness just enhances the surprise.

Fast forward to this Thursday, and our months of silly reference transformed into this:

Ah yes, a species under control  by our fine ministry.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

In Touch with Nature

Evie can pretty much walk when she needs to get in trouble, and she
can certainly climb too!

At the Dentist

Bryan's first appointment was on the 26th, and he did very well even
with full X-rays.

Ahhhh a Kryptonite Scarf

Superman squeezed the pumpkin to hard.

Superman let's his cape down for some stories

Mommy Jobs #2

Frog Pod up for bathroom toy storage! And I didn't break any tiles,
thanks to pre-drilling like Geoff said to :)

Mommy Jobs #1

Evie has been a stair-climbing maniac this week, and it was way past
time to get a gate up for upstairs! Finally done, without marring the
banisters!

Hiyaaa!

Batman likes PB&J

Fire!

Hanging Out

Swing time the other day at the park. New hair clips, can't really see
them though... They are candy corn peices.

Offense Withdrawn

So this is a post back to Feb, but I finally "had my day in court." At which time the ticket was withdrawn. I'm going to claim vindication, but moreover rededicate myself to vigilance when driving. Cars are weapons of negligence, and much hardship can be avoided if we use caution.

Basement Slowgress

Since going back to work, everything has slowed down a bit.  In part for lack of time, and in part because it is getting down to the hard bits that just take time, and thought.  All of the macro framing is complete, so that leaves the duct bulkheads you can see starting to take shape here:

We are actually going to do a drop ceiling, but you still need dry wall on all the vertical surfaces, even the stupid ones.

To go with the odd framing, is the electrical, this stuff is mostly slow because of thought, we keep having to check code books, and double check each others work (Erin is doing most of the box wiring, while I'm framing.)  We are trying to keep our options open with respect to the basement as a future mini-appartment, so we are wiring the "bar" as more of a kitchenette, so everything to code with respect to the number and wiring of junction boxes near the sink, and for the future fridge.  So that means 12 gage conductor for 20 amp boxes, and two full circuits of it.  Everyone you ask when it comes to code has a different answer, and it isn't because any of them are strictly wrong, but because code seems to shift every three  to five years.  Especially where it comes to water and electricity being close to one another.

Some good examples of receptacle and sconce junction boxes.

Our dead line is fast approaching, Monday the 18th is when I've self reported to the ESA that we will be ready for inspection.  The inspection hasn't actually been booked, but I figure I have a window of about a week from that day in which the inspection will be done.  I'm optimistic we can nail this on the first inspection and avoid any delays in getting the insulation done.

Speaking of insulation, I now have two more companies coming to quote, so I think I'll have some leverage and a good price.  This is probably going to be the single largest expense in the basement, so I figure doing my research is time well spent.

Anyways, all things go according to plan I'm thinking we will have unfinished drywall in place by Christmas.

Not withstanding the stuff going on in the basement, we finally put the pendant lights in the kitchen, and hung the art we picked up a few weeks back.

New kitchen pendant lamps, appreciate how in this brief moment in time my kitchen counter is emulating clean.

Art/Thing sill preposterously underpriced for how nice it looks.  Erin and I are now on the scout for any run down barns with old windows we can nab and turn into adhoc frames.

Going on Kinect Adventures

So it turns out I only play Kinect in my pyjamas so these pictures are pretty terrible, but B and I worked up a sweat to make them.  So please don't laugh to hard that milk comes out your nose.

Anyone for kebobs?

It's ok, it doesn't REALLY go all the way through...

Which earrings go with this sweater?

I like Myam sweaters!

Cute patrol to command: it's sweater season. Commence Myam sweater wearing!

Go the hell out and vote

Well there seems to be a lot of comment worthy stuff in the introwebosphere today, but I'm just not feeling capable of comment today.  So with lack luster effort my regular flag waving go the hell out and vote message has been reduced to this: "go the hell out and vote."  Half of the Arab world is on fire right now for the right Ontarian's are taking for granted, so "go the hell out and vote."  PS do it in an informed and conscientious way, don't vote out of personal greed, and elect a leader who will create the Ontario your proud to live in.

Big Girls escape at the Doctor's

Evie is 9 months, and 21 lb 4 oz, I forgot how tall, and 17.5 " head
circumference. She's about 85th %ile across the board.

It's like Habitrail, but for people

Bryan LOVED the ... Thing. It's for going up and down, or so I hear.

Crikey! There's crocodiles!

Checked out the newest neighborhood park, which is also attached to
the existing Coates Park. Fun for all!

First Tooth + First Word

Well fang has her first tooth finally, and her first word, which
we've heard before we just heard a lot yesterday afternoon, evening
and all night long, it kind if goes like this "whhhhaaaaaaa"

Still here is a picture of her from get darling morning happy period:

Framing Complete, well almost...

I came so close to finishing the framing this weekend, but failed on account of one inch.  So I now have a door frame stuck in the bathroom, but I also have a reciprocating saw, so problem solved (Malcolm solves his problems with a chainsaw... and he never has the same problem twice.)

Bathroom Interior wall, theoretical shower side

Theoretical sink side

Place a door should go, HRV feeds for the cold air return patiently waiting to thread through the door header.

Place the door is stuck in stead...