Summertime Kate

It finally happened. I got brave, grab some scissors, and away it went!



It's a little lopsided and will need a touch up but overall it's just what I had hoped for.

Leia's Post

Leia is such a content peaceful child she tends to get overshadowed. Here are a few shots of her recent cuteness.

Slowly Growing

Kate made it to 2! She had her best doctor visit in a long time. She was goofy with the doctor and didn't cry when she got her shots. She weighs 23lbs 12.5 oz which puts her in the 12th percentile for weight. However she is 33 1/2 in tall and in the 45 percentile for height. We appreciate her smallness, especially when we carry both girls at once!

Table Fail

I put the dining room table back in the house, but there are so many things wrong with the way it turned out that I don't like. I did a do-over on the leaves, so they are not featured in the pictures below...they are still drying their first (re-)coat of teak oil.

I don't have any good before pictures of the table. The one thing that did turn out nicely is that all the scratches, marks, and water rings are gone. Maybe I am just being too much of a perfectionist on the finished product though. Since I don't have good before pictures, it's hard to tell if my complaints now were always problems. I should probably just assume they were and just be happy that its better than it was before refinishing it.

From afar, or at a glance when sitting at the table, it looks pretty nice. It turned out a little darker than it was originally, but I like the color. Here is a picture of the table:


One of my complaints about the way it turned out is that it appears that there are alternating light and dark streaks that look like I did a crappy job sanding. The leaves had the same effect after sanding them all the way down today, and I tried very hard to sand out the darker streaks but they would not go away. So, perhaps its just the pattern of the wood. Here is a top-view of the table where you can see the streaks I am talking about (click the picture for a larger version).


Another problem is that the table didn't turn out nearly as glossy as it was before. I am not sure this is absolutely necessary, but I was convinced I should have been able to achieve the same level of gloss. The picture below doesn't quite show the lack of gloss as well as I had hoped - plus I don't have a before picture to compare it to. But what you can see in this picture (at least in the larger version) is that it looks like there are splotches that turned out glossier than others. This kinda makes the table look like it is dirty or has sticky spill spots on it. This is probably the most irritating of the flaws I see. My guess is that I didn't get the excess teak oil wiped up very well. Here is a closer angled shot of the table top trying to show the varying gloss on the surface:


All in all I suppose it's not so bad considering that all the blemishes removed nicely and water beads up nicely on it now. Plus, it's better than the card table we had in it's place during the last two month while the table was in the garage. Laurie is just happy to have the table back.

If you're interested, here are the steps that were involved in refinishing the table:

• Sand off all finish on table top with 220 grit with random orbit sander.
• Apply teak oil, let it soak for 15 min, sand with 400 grit while still wet, wipe off excess.
• Wait 24 hours, repeat stain.
• Wait 2 months, repeat stain (this time without 400 grit sanding hoping for more gloss)
• Wait 24 hours.
• Apply Johnson Paste Wax. Wait 30 min to harden to a "haze" (whatever that means).
• Buff with terry cloth.
• Wait a few hours. Call it done.
• Skip staining anything other than the table top.
• Delegate cleaning the dust off the legs to Laurie.
  

Budgie Birds

When went to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium a few weeks ago with Willow and Dagny. While we were there we got to feed the Budgie birds, or at least Dagny did. She faced her fear of claws while entertaining the girls (and me). Kate loved the "big" birds.

The Play Pit

Here is Kate's first experience in the finished Play Pit. She was very excited and did eventually go down the slide. It was a hit at her birthday party and has got lots of use. I expect to spend plenty of time in the pit this summer.



*The polka dot pants were a last minute wardrobe addition for faster sliding.

Pictures from Kate's party are all on Aunt Michelle's camera, we will share them when we get them.

The (almost) Completed Play Area

The play area was completed enough to play in on Kate's birthday, just moments before her bedtime...so I think technically that means I made the deadline. Here's the before/after pics:

BEFORE (from inside pit, facing deck)

BEFORE (from deck, facing pit)

AFTER (from deck)

Work Items:

• [X] Remove gate between deck and pit.


• [X] Build step down from deck to pit.


• [X] Replace fence between deck and pit with handrail (and stain it).


• [X] Clear and level out ground with gravel.


• [X] Put down weed-killer and weed-blocking paper.


• [X] Build perimeter box out of 4x6 landscape timbers.


• [X] Fill box 6" deep with play cedar chips.


• [X] Install climbing toys.


• [X] Install flooring (astroturf-covered plywood) underneath play toys to avoid slivers.


• [ ] Install lattice under deck rail to prevent toys and kids from going under the deck.

Ok...so I didn't quite finish everything just yet...but it was definitely playable for Kate's big party on Saturday. All the kids had a blast. They even got to use the extra scraps of astroturf as toboggans for improved sliding viscosity. Laurie will probably post some pics/vids of the party soon.

In other news, Michelle came home to visit from Germany. She informed me that I was working on refinishing the dining room table the last time she visited. I guess I should get on finishing that table now...

3 Months

It is flogging mania today. I will try to be better about keeping you all up to date on our adventures as they happen.
Leia turned 3 months old yesterday. Scott and I can't believe it has only been 3 months, it feels like she has been with us forever. She smiles a big jolly smile and talks to us. She is a trooper and puts up with all the adventures we drag her on. She gets lots of love everywhere she goes so I don't think she minds too much.


Leia 3 Months



Kate 3 Months

Leia is really starting to look like her own person and not so much a mini-Kate.

Road Trip

We took a family road trip to Portland, OR last weekend. We got to see our good friends the Scrivners and play in the sun. We also made a very important stop for...doughnuts!


Kate got a doughnut covered in frosting and Fruit Loops, Scott had a Bacon Maple Bar (yup you read that right!), and I had the highly recommended Banana Fritter (it sounds like it has nutritional value but was covered in chocolate sauce, caramel, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and crushed peanuts). We were all in a sugar coma but it was worth the experience.


Enjoying her doughnut one fruit loop at a time.

Next stop: Jamison Park with Marianne and the boys.

Let's hit the water!


Soren cooling off in the fountain.


Kate loving the waterfall action.


A sensory foot experience.


Marianne trying not to get wet as Elliot decides the water is not for him.


Staying dry on the rocks. Elliot changed his mind about the water after a little bit and had a great time splashing with Kate.


Checking out another part of the waterfall.

After all this fun we stopped in at the Action Sports Expo to watch some skateboarders do tricks and meet up with Andrew. Then off for the drive home. Whew what a trip!

Big Zoo Trip

We made the trip to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. It is a little over an hour away, that's a long drive for a little girls in panties but we made it! We took the wagon and had a lot of fun. We got to see the walruses eat breakfast and splash in the water. We also got to feed the Budgie birds and help Dagny conquer her fear. It was a good day.




Willow got to ride a polar bear!

Kate got to ride a zebra!


Lunch on the toadstools

Learning how to be a spider


Leia's turn in the wagon.

We can't wait to take Aidan here this summer.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Scott has been busy in the yard lately and Kate has been helping as much as possible. Her favorite tools are the level and tape measure.
One afternoon a caterpillar joined us. Kate was a little weary but curious. This was the closest she got to her furry friend.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!! I hope everyone got a little spoiling. I got to sleep in and then had breakfast and an art project waiting for me. 

We have had a busy weekend. The girls and I went to a baby shower for a soon-to-be wonderful mom. Then we had dinner at Oma and Opa's. Today we headed to church and then did a whole lot of baking. Banana bread, Rosemary bread, and a chocolate cake now fill our counters. We still have dinner with Ben and Tiffany to look forward too. Hopefully we will have some good sleepers around here tonight. Leia is getting a head start.

The first "step" of the play area.

Today completes the first step of converting the dog area we never use into a play area for the kids: adding a step. Here is a pic of the area before work began:

BEFORE

For the first step, I removed the gate, and built a step down into the play area. The drop was 18 inches, and a standard step is supposed to be 7 inches, so I cheated a little bit. I dug a few inches deep in the landing and packed it in with gravel to raise the ground a little, and level it to reduce the drop to 16 inches. Then I build a box with Trex on the surface for the step and installed it in the doorway such that each step down is 8 inches. Close enough.

AFTER STEP ONE

I'll probably put some lattice behind the new step, just for cosmetics. I haven't decided on the next step...I'll either start prepping the rest of the ground, or deal with the fence between the play area and the deck. For that we are going to remove the fence boards and cut the posts down to a height more consistent with a hand rail and then either build railing out of it or affix lattice. Either way, the point is to make it so we can see the kids playing it from the deck while we are drinking beer.

Hoping to get this all done before Kate's birthday party...

The Sunken Porch Is Finally Fixed!

Today we had a visit from Superior Slabjacking. I know, it sounds like the title of an adult film, but it's not...its a local company that raises sunken concrete, porches, etc. via a technique called slabjacking, which is a process of drilling holes in the sunken concrete and pumping in a slurry solution made up of non-organic soil, fine sand, water, and Portland Cement that weighs approx. half the weight of concrete and "is ideal for replacing the soil that has settled or washed away under the slab."

Our front porch has sunk about 3 inches over the years. In just under 4 hours they lifted our porch back into its original location, and within 30 minutes, it was ready to use again. The process was quite amazing to watch -- Kate was facinated with watching a crew of strange men making all kinds of noise and mess in our front yard. She curiously watched most of the time they were here from the front window and gave the workers an occasional wave.

After they were done lifting it, they filled the holes so nicely I can barely even tell where the holes were. Here are some before/after closeups where you can see how much the porch sank. Notice the area under the door and the paint lines on the siding.

BEFORE

AFTER

One of the major concerns with this sinkage was that a good portion of the roof is supported by a post that is supported by the sunken porch. This was causing a major load-bearing beam to warp and crack. You can see in the pictures below some of the obvious places where things had gone crooked (pointed out with red arrows - click the images to see larger images with more detail).

My big question was whether or not this slabjacking technique would work given the extra weight of the house that was on the porch. These guys handled it with ease. The dug some holes under the porch and placed some jacks to help lighten the load, and the porch came up no problem. Then the filled in those holes with more of their slurry solution and replaced all the bark and everything.

BEFORE

AFTER

When we first embarked on this mission to repair/replace the sunken porch, we were certain we in for a huge bill -- expecting at least $5,000 to jack up the beam, replace the post, or even knock out and replace the porch itself. Boy were we happy to find Superior Slabjacking. The whole process cost $1,500 and there were no worries about replacing the concrete and having color mismatch, etc. A perfect, quick solution that got everything back in order in under 4 hours!

They also fixed a few other sinking areas of the walkway and driveway as an added bonus to make everything line up nice. If you live in the greater Seattle area and have sunken porches, driveways, or walkways, I highly recommend these guys. They were prompt, efficient, professional, and inexpensive -- they get my thumbs up.

The only problem is that I am so used to stepping down 3 inches out of our front door that I almost tripped stepping out onto a porch that is actually in the correct location.

Phase One of the Summer Home Improvement Project is complete...stay tuned for Phase Two...

Sick and Sunshine

There has been a lot of fun (and not so fun) stuff happening around here lately so flogging has taken a backseat. We have had some randomly wonderfully sunny days and have spent lots of time out enjoying it. We are destined for another trip to Farrel McWhirter Park soon (our third in two weeks) because Kate will not stop talking about the turkey. He hangs out in the barn loft and gobbles real loud. I am not sure she actually likes him but is fascinated none the less.

This weekend we were treated to a puking Kate in the middle of the night. She is on the mend but has needed lots of cuddles, hence the lack of hands to type a flog.

As we settle into our week I realize that I had been hoping things would slow down once we got into the swing of having two kids. Now I realize that was a pipe dream and I had better get mentally prepared for what is shaping up to be a fabulously busy summer.

Oh, and while the girls and I were busy snuggling Scott got busy on converting the fenced in side of our house into a play area for the girls. It is a work in progress but is sure to provide lots of joyful outside time once it is completed. We will post pictures as it progresses.