Just what I wanted....

My birthday was a good day. The kids kept wishing and singing Happy Birthday. I of course was hoping they'd be working their fannies off to get the house spic and span but it was a no go. I still had high hopes of getting something done around the place.

I mentioned to Tom that I wanted to remove the table our microwave sits on and replace it with a metal cabinet that was also in the kitchen. The table that's there now was a fabric display table at a craft store. It's really sturdy and the right height to work on. Unfortunately it's too deep, there's not enough room for a kitchen table between it and the fridge. We have a combo kitchen/dining room and in its present state the tables didn't fit in it. We have 2 - 4ft long farm tables that are only 30" wide (which I like and NEED). For WAY too long we've been eating in the livingroom. At times the older kids were even taking it into their bedrooms. Not good for general cleanliness and especially when you already have a mice problem. (yes that's still ongoing...it comes and goes and is on the upswing again, grrr) Anyways, Tom agreed with me and I said...that's what I want for my birthday. I want to be able to eat dinner at the table tonight. Then I ran out the door to drop off Val to the school for the play, drive into the city to pick up Michelle from work and run to grab a few things at a couple stores. When I got home the tables were where I wanted them. Tom hadn't realized I wanted the fabric table gone gone so he moved it. It can't stay where it is as it blocks a door from opening. I really want the room and want it gone...so that's one of my projects for the week...clear off, clean, take apart and lug it downstairs. (or have one of my handsome strong men lug it. ;o))

It's amazing what a small thing like sitting at a table together for a meal can seem. Yet it has a HUGE impact on things. We haven't had as much conversation as we had in a while. Yeah the meal was a bit rowdier since everyone wasn't vegging in front of the tv with their plate, but I liked it. I lost track of the number of times the kids commented on how nice it was to eat there, so they must've liked it too. They also commented on how packed in they were but that was ok. The table only holds 10 chairs so we have to SQUEEEEEEEZE in a few. Sean will eventually sit in the highchair (getting rid of the table will allow room for the chair) so that will be nice. Drew and Allison were there too (Val and Pat were missing) so instead of giving Danielle her own chair with her booster seat on it, she shared chairs with Liz, Eileen and eventually ended up in my lap along with Sean.

My BIL who's staying with us gave me some money to go out and buy a bunch of steaks and some snacks. And buy I did! I don't think we've ever had as much steak leftover as we had. If I'd stop sneaking hunks out I could've probably used it to make steak fajitas for a meal this week. As it is, Tom will be lucky if he has enough to take for lunch tomorrow.

Drew and Allison gave me a 7qt pot with a strainer lid. I really like it. It'll help cut down on dishes (no colander needed), and it'll make me use my lid like I should be (save on energy). Pat and Jess gave me a pot of pretty purple flowers. I'll have to figure out where I want to replant them, although with this weather I'll have a few months to make the decision. Michelle bought me a scratch off lottery ticket, it was a LOSER! but was fun to play anyways.

Michelle set up a sundae bar with tons of toppings and we stuffed ourselves silly with deliciousness. We were so full that we decided to wait to have the cake until the next day.

It's neat to see how my feelings about the kitchen, cooking and the house in general has been effected by the changes in the kitchen. I've always loved to cook and bake but I have only done the bare minimum in there. I wanted to avoid the crowded messy place. The more I tried to avoid it, the worse it got. Now I want to organize, decorate, and actually USE the appliances in the room. LOL And the effect doesn't just stay in the kitchen. The laundry and my room have gotten a bit more attention that it has in a while. My time constraints and full arms can be a bit frustrating when I start feeling like this and then the discouragement starts in again. I just keep reminding myself...baby steps. Pick something and DO IT!