Welcome to Duprasville!

Latest pictures

2011-09-02T12:07:00.003-06:00

Brian's dream come true. A window and lights over our kitchen table.

Our new entryway.

Kathy's entrance.

At first, 2 ceiling fans seemed like it'd be a bit much. But it's really nice!

Kathy's closet.

Ah yes, just what we need

2011-09-02T12:04:00.002-06:00

So, I'm working on clearing out our closet today for the closet installer and when I got everything out, I decided to vacuum (found some mouse poops). I plugged into the outlet behind the dresser.

The lights went out.

So, naturally, I went outside and checked the breakers. None of them had been thrown, so I thought maybe the fuse died (?). No idea. Well, would you look at that? TWO electricians in my house.

I had one of them look at it. It's so much more than the breakers. Actually, the breakers are fine, it's, well "that" electrician, as the previous owner refers to him. He mixed the electrical gauges and didn't do the electrical to code. Our electrician said that we have a splice in the neutral wire (the white one) but isn't sure where it is -- maybe the attic? The opened up a few more boxes (our bathroom, boys bathroom) and was shocked. "Hey, Steve! Come look at this!"

I said "Thanks for your help today, but we'll have to take care of this later."

So now we don't have lights in our bedroom tonight or in the boys bathroom.

When I mentioned this to Brian, he said "Sounds expensive."

grrrr.... Boulder County

2011-09-02T12:01:00.003-06:00

Lightbulbs.

They count your lightbulbs to make sure you at 50% CFLs, 80% in new builds.

I can't tell you how much that drove me INSANE trying to make sure we had enough of the right lightbulbs. I won't even tell you how much money I spent on them.

Now I'm going to switch all the bulbs back and return the ones I'm not using.

The Finish Line is in Sight!

2011-08-30T13:01:00.002-06:00

The floor is in, the walls are painted, the cabinets have been installed and the electricians are here today.

It looks AMAZING. Seriously. It's gorgeous. You should come over and see it.

Kathy's front door

Cabinets

Tiled bathroom. I'm planning on showering in here whenever Kathy's not around!

Hi. It's been a while, huh.

2011-08-16T12:06:00.004-06:00

My dad wrote to me because it's been about a month since our last post.

Sorry about that.

The tile guys have been here for several days and have made Kathy's bathroom GORGEOUS. I'm going to take showers in there when she's out of town.

The painters are coming sometime this week -- exterior and interior.

The doors are up, but they haven't been stained or varnished. They don't have door knobs yet (they're still in their box) because our GC says not to put them on until after the painting is done.

Our garage is full of kitchen cabinets, the bathroom vanity, toilet etc. Brian's going to schedule a garage door soon. Please let it be soon, so we can cut down on our mosquito population!!

Our tentative completion date is the first week of September. We're almost done!!

This is going to be the week of dust

2011-07-24T21:57:00.004-06:00

Last week, the drywall was hung (mostly on Wednesday). The worst thing about it was we had to wait for an inspection on Monday (passed), they dropped stuff off on Tuesday, hung the drywall on Wednesday (when I had friends over. It was loud) and then Thursday... or Friday...? we had another inspection.

Tomorrow they start the mudding, taping and sanding. And the dust will begin.

Insulation this week. Drywall next week.

2011-07-16T09:19:00.003-06:00

Insulation is boring and loud.

Siding, Electrical and Plumbing

2011-07-16T09:12:00.003-06:00

While we were in Montreal, they finished the siding which makes the outside look complete. The electrical and plumbing is in (not a significant visual change, but an important step).

When we ask people who live in our neighborhood what they think, almost without fail, the first thing mentioned is "well, I'm glad you got rid of that sunroom."

This is what it looked like when we left

2011-07-04T10:40:00.005-06:00

Brian and I are in Montreal on honeymoon (15 years), so this is what it looked like when we left. What will it look like when we return???

Here we are at the airport:

I can hardly keep up!

2011-06-25T12:12:00.002-06:00

They started framing last Monday. Today is Saturday and you can see the whole space! It's amazing!

What will be our front door is on the left (hard to see from this picture -- I'll try to get a better one). This is a view from Kathy's door to the kitchen.

Yeah, lots of framing. Come over and I'll walk you through.

Our two-car garage door.

I have more pictures

2011-06-24T13:33:00.002-06:00

but they're building so fast I can't keep up! I'll post the pictures later!

That was then. This is now.

2011-06-22T15:58:00.003-06:00

Before we left for swimming lessons:

After we returned:

Three hours later:

Framing Has Begun!

2011-06-22T15:52:00.004-06:00

Here's what our kitchen looks like now.

A friend encouraged me by telling me framing is the best part. It goes fast and you can get a good idea of the scope of the project. You can actually walk around and get a feel for what's going on.

The Waiting Place...

2011-06-14T21:55:00.002-06:00

We're waiting on lumber.

Trusses or something.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting. (Dr Suess)

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

::sigh::

Boys love dirt

2011-06-09T12:52:00.003-06:00

Charlie, Isaac and their friends played on the dirt piles all afternoon.

Charlie and Luke.

Friday

2011-06-09T12:46:00.002-06:00

The removed the forms and now this is what we have now.

The removed the forms and now this is what we have now.

Wednesday

2011-06-09T12:39:00.003-06:00

Forms are put up to pour the second round of concrete for the foundation.

Tuesday

2011-06-09T10:11:00.003-06:00

Today they poured the concrete for the foundation. It's really taking shape!

Looks like Charlie wants to be a supervisor when he grows up.

My Camera is in Boulder

2011-06-07T14:02:00.002-06:00

I left my camera at church on Sunday and had not yet transferred the pictures off of it yet so I can't post all the progress that has been made in one week! It's incredible!

You'll have to take my word for it until I retrieve my camera tomorrow. Afternoon.

Is this bad?

2011-05-31T22:00:00.004-06:00

I can never tell.

Friday morning

2011-05-27T10:22:00.003-06:00

They started moving the dirt out -- on to a big dump truck. I wonder where they're taking it?

Thursday

2011-05-27T10:08:00.004-06:00

Holes in the garage! They need to cut holes in the floor to put in the caissons to support the garage.

A big hole.
Note the ladders. I think the one in the front is a 6 or 8 footer.

Lots of dirt.

Wednesday

2011-05-25T16:31:00.003-06:00

Moving dirt.
Lots of dirt.

Street View

Tuesday

2011-05-25T16:21:00.006-06:00

This was a crazy day -- 8am started with 8 men moving the hot tub, I had to clear out the basement closet for the HVAC guys, a doctor's appointment, carpool, and a baseball game. I had to choose a good attitude.

Men. Moving hot tub.

A view from the road.

...and so it begins

2011-05-23T23:34:00.003-06:00

before (for reference)

currently...

Would you look at that! It's May

2011-05-18T20:04:00.003-06:00

We were going to break ground today, but we needed an appraisal to lock in the HELOC. And it's raining lakes all over the property, so it'll be Monday.

No, seriously! Monday!

The Ups and Downs of Bidding

2011-02-24T18:59:00.002-07:00

Last week, we received our first bid back from one of the contractors we are thinking of hiring for our project.

His bid came back DOUBLE our budget. Double.

We had a sweet heart to heart with Kathy and a remarkable time of reworking the project, just the three of us. We've scaled down the project to accommodate our budget (wasn't that what we tried to do in the first place?) and we're all still satisfied with what we came up with.

The roof line is different, we won't deconstruct the garage, we took off the proposed (gorgeous) covered porch and we simplified Kathy's space.

I'll post pictures of the proposed plan when I delete photos from my web albums (using all my available space!). There's always something to do.

::sigh::

The Saga of our House

2011-01-27T07:39:00.002-07:00

I thought at one point, that I would document our Remodel progress. I guess I thought I'd start when the builders started actually doing something. What I realized, is that "something" is actually happening, it's just slooooww.
Here's what's happening as of right now.

We have a plan.
Our architect has drawn up a beautiful plan for our house. We will be building an addition for Kathy (Brian's mom) to live in, create a new front to the house -- which eliminates the solar room -- and bring natural light into the kitchen. We'll be sacrificing part of the garage, but we haven't been able to park in there up to this point, so actually being able to use it at all is a step in the right direction.

The Furnace
We were living without a furnace for half our house since we moved in last May. This wasn't that big of a deal until it got cold. Really cold. Below zero cold. We had 4 space heaters running all at the same time and it really wasn't all that bad, but we took a hit with the electric company. Ouch.
Two days after the cold snap, we got our new furnace installed. It's glorious! It's nice not having to avoid power cables on the floor or to have the extra white noise from the fans. The HVAC guys have been here all week installing duct work.

And guess what else they found?

There's been a small gas leak under the house. I guess it's been there for years. Fantastic.

That expedites the second stage of the HVAC project. We have installed one furnace to service three very different areas of our house: the front of the house, where the bedrooms are; the back of the house, a bi-level living space; and Kathy's space. All of these areas are independently controlled, but let me tell you, that's a lot of ducting!! So now we have a call into the Concrete Cutters to cut through part of the foundation to run the ducting to the back of the house so that we can get rid of our 25 year old furnace that is oversized, not ducted correctly and short-cycling. At least the heat exchanger isn't cracked, like the one we that was in the front of the house.

The Problem with Trees
Isaac took a bath the other day and when we drained the tub, the kitchen sink went "gurgle, blub, blub." That's when we learned that we had a block in the line. Brian removed the toilet (that wasn't properly set in the first place) and tried to snake out the clog, to no avail. We called a plumber and he came over at 10:30 at night and told us that we have tree roots in our septic line.
Excellent.
Yesterday, we removed one of the juniper bushes that was planted on top of where the septic line runs from the house to the septic tank. And this morning, when Brian was in the shower, he heard "gurgle, blub, blub" coming from the bathroom sink. Again, we are without flushing power.
At least when the plumber comes today, it's not at 10:30 at night.

And that's the latest.

When you don't feel like raking...

2010-10-17T18:24:00.001-06:00

...just remember. You could have 9 mature cottonwood trees on your property.

A Study in Doorknobs

2010-05-20T21:42:00.002-06:00

Let me introduce you to a little part of our funky house. Yes, those are chickens we hear in the mornings; yes, we still don't have heat; yes, we still don't know what all the switches do.
BUT here is one of the funkiest parts:

Look at the variety of doorknobs we have in our house!

Yes. All in the same house.

And then I, well, changed some more.

Did you know we're moving?

2010-04-10T20:48:00.003-06:00

We went under contract with our house on Regal the same day we put it on the market which is INSANE. The house that we're moving into (can I say that? we haven't signed anything yet, just sent cash that way) feels like home to us which makes living here tricky. I look around my house and see everything familiar, but now, it also looks kind of temporary. We're ready to move to our new house.

Now I say "new house" but it is by no means new. And it's a little funky, but I think it'll work for us. Brian and the boys call it the Turtle House. Brian says it looks like a turtle. Isaac runs through the house and says things like "I'm in the turtle's head! There are the turtle's intestines! This is where the turtle poops!"
Here are some pictures.

Well, I'll have to link to the pictures b/c I'm over my quota.
Here's at least a link to the house.

Behaviors That Could Lead to the Loony Bin

2010-01-22T16:49:00.006-07:00

Mom?

"Hey Mom? Where are my shoes?"

"They're by the front door..."

"What?"

"They're by the..."

"What?"

gahh!

Yes. These are excerpts from my children's extensive vocabulary that I've heard many many MANY times today.

Oh, and I almost forgot...

::funny noise::

Mom, did you hear that?

(yes dear, I'm 3 feet from you)

::whistle::

Mom, did you hear that?

(and yes, I heard that too. Now I need to leave the room)

Mom?

Dumb Stuff at Peppercorn

2009-07-27T15:34:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's more lazy-rant for me.

Brian's mom and I went to one of my favorite stores today, Peppercorn. I have a lot of gadgets in my kitchen, but today, when we were in the "unitasker" section I saw some just silly things for ridiculous prices. Is this my new life? Have I become a I've-been-to-a-Third-World-Country snob? Have I become too good for kitchen gadgets?

FOR EXAMPLE:
an asparagus peeler
onion goggles (and look how much they cost!)
a ginger peeler

My boys had a great time playing with the steamers. One was a satellite and the other was a spaceship. Oh, and then there was the elephant funnel.

I guess I'm with Alton. Be creative and seek wisdom from MacGyver.

Closet Organization

2009-07-25T23:46:00.002-06:00

Since we've returned from Africa, some funny American things have seemed just a little sillier.
Like paying gobs of money to organize your stuff. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a organization-addict as well (this does not necessarily mean I'm organized) and Brian makes fun of my basket addiction. But a closet is just a place to put your stuff.
Every purchase I make since we've gotten back has seemed... um, louder? It's like the price rings in my ears after the cashier tells me what the total is. It kind of hangs there for a moment. Maybe it's because I've been using Rand and Pounds for a while and didn't really grasp the exchange rate. 100 Rand? Ok, that's about $12? got it.

So today, while Brian and the boys are camping in Estes Park, I've been cleaning the house. I've gone through drawers, cabinets, bins, cubbies and thrown away all sorts of trash. It's kind of like cleaning inside out.

And now, it's late. Off to bed I go.

Don't look here!

2009-06-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

we're in South Africa!
Look here!
duprasoverseas.blogspot.com

Zoe 1996-2008

2009-05-08T21:35:00.003-06:00

My 12 year old bunny has bone cancer. On the x-ray, you can see how the tumor is literally eating away at her bone. Her vet says that bone cancer is very painful and that we should have "the talk." We decided that yes, she'll be put down tomorrow (saturday). Breaks my heart!!

our last family photo with Zoe:

Spring with the Dupras

2009-04-18T23:10:00.001-06:00

This is what Friday looked like:

So, on Saturday, we got bundled up and went OUTSIDE!

This made everyone very, very happy.

We got Charlie free ice cream at Glacier Ice Cream for his birthday.

We drove around Boulder like tourists.

Fleas

2009-03-24T09:25:00.001-06:00

IMG_2915
Originally uploaded by duprasville4

My mom said that "fleas are the scourge of the planet" and I totally agree. I started showing up with little red bumps on my ankles and thought that maybe it was fleas. I vacuumed really really well and they seemed to go away.

And then they came back.

And I started finding bumps on my arms. Back. Belly. Legs.

So we bombed the house. I have 8 trash bags -- big trash bags -- full of all of our clothes to launder. IT'S AWFUL.

Don't ever EVER go to the National Western Stock Show.

...is it? ...could it be?

2009-03-07T14:35:00.002-07:00

could we really get precipitation? ...really? ...in Colorado?

Rope World

2009-01-29T22:02:00.002-07:00

There's this retired gym teacher up in Longmont who puts together this elaborate obstacle course called Rope World for 2 weeks every year. It's amazingly cool and I wish it wasn't crowded and I didn't have to keep an eye on my boys (read: Isaac) so I could do the course myself.
We went last week, apparently on the first day, and it was the 3 of us and 2 other kids. Today we went back. Tomorrow is the last day and everybody showed up TODAY to have fun before it gets taken down.
We got to take a friend of Charlie's with us today. I think everyone had a pretty good time.

Don't Let Your Kids Lick Shopping Carts!

2009-01-12T11:18:00.003-07:00

After much deliberating (seriously), I decided to run some of my errands at Wal-Mart. I am a Wal-Mart snob. I really don't like going there but this particular day, I couldn't justify the additional drive to Target. Plus, Wal-Mart has a paint section.
Isaac and Charlie like those carts with the seats for older kids in the back that makes the cart even more difficult to maneuver and when it's just Isaac, he likes to sit in the little pocket created by the seats. I looked down at him and he's actually got his mouth on the side of the plastic seat. Yuck!

And now... look at him:
Poor guy. He's got a fever, a stuffy nose and he even threw up once last night.
I remember thinking, while at Wal-Mart, if Isaac would in fact get sick from his germ snack from the shopping cart.
So, one more reason not to go to Wal-Mart. Yeah, because this would have NEVER happened at King Soopers or Target.

Stay-at-Home Moms' Company Christmas Party

2008-12-10T16:30:00.005-07:00

Last Saturday, we had our 3rd Annual Stay-at-Home Moms' Company Christmas Party and this year it was Village Tavern. We had about 33 people and had a wonderful time!
Our waiter was wonderful, but not the best photographer...

I think everyone had a good time.

Did you guys hear about this?

2008-11-27T19:25:00.002-07:00

Woman's Craigslist Offer Solicits Full Thanksgiving Table

32 Strangers To Gather At Whites' House

LITTLETON, Colo. -- This time last year, Monique White was living in a tiny motel room and looking for work, pining for the Thanksgivings of her childhood when dozens gathered for the holiday feast.

On Thursday, White will fulfill her holiday wish. She has a home and a job, and thanks to an impromptu Craigslist posting, 32 strangers are gathering at her house to share a banquet of six turkeys, four hams, 16 boxes of stuffing and a dozen or so pies.

White, 36, posted a two-sentence invitation on the Internet classifieds site last week.

"So I got on Craigslist, and posted -- three or four people, we have room for you, give us a call. And they did, 32 of them," White said.

White, a receptionist at a dentist's office, was feeling a little lonely with her two sons spending the holiday with their dad. So she figured maybe four or five strangers would reply to her ad and join her and her husband, Doug White, at their Littleton home for Thanksgiving dinner.

Instead, dozens replied. People laid off work. People with no family. People ashamed to bring their children to a charity Thanksgiving dinner at a soup kitchen. Single mothers with kids, and an elderly couple.

"I thought there was no way I could judge who is worthy of sitting at my table. I have to invite them all," White said, sitting at her dining room table as she went over some of the e-mails.

One of them read, "My 5-year-old son and I would like to come celebrate Thanksgiving and we have no family here so I would appreciate it if you have time for us."

So all 32 people who responded are coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. White's boss heard what she was doing and said he'd pay for the food. A local hotel is bringing over tables and chairs. A professional magician in the area replied and offered to come perform for the kids. National media outlets including ABC's Good Morning America have shuffled through the Whites' modest town house writing and filming the story about her unusual offer.

It's a far cry from last year, when the Whites were living in a motel room. They had a long-haul trucking business that had gone out of business. Doug White was working construction; Monique White was still looking. Their holiday got worse when the window in their motel room caved in after a heavy snow, leaving them with little to give thanks for but a soggy mess.

"Last year it was just us two. It was horrible," she said. "I feel very fortunate getting out of that situation. We wanted to pay back.

"Things have turned around. Both are now working, and they've bought the town house. With the economy as it is, the Whites say they're barely making ends meet. But they feel compelled to share what they do have with others.

"That's what Thanksgiving is about: Helping other people out however you can," Doug White said. He's had little time to contemplate the meaning of Monique's craigslist gesture. He was busy making the first turkeys, putting one in the oven as soon as another came out. But there's truly plenty to give thanks for over the past year. "Looking back then to now, it's night and day," Doug White said. "People need to stop being so worried about me, me, me, my bills, my life. You stop worrying, and look what happens?"

"This is ordinary people doing a little something extra; making it an extraordinary thin," said Doug. "But everybody is ordinary. So what is the harm of doing something extra?"

"This will be the most memorable Thanksgiving I've ever had in my entire life," Monique said.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/18151810/detail.html#-

How I Make Turkey for Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T12:50:00.003-07:00

First, you thaw it.

Then you brine it.

Then you roast it.

and I like making a fancy stuffing, cranberry sauce from scratch and multigrain loaf from scratch. Yum. This year, I'm making an apple pie too.

Yum.

A Season of Giving

2008-11-16T10:49:00.004-07:00

I love love love to give people gifts. I love to find things that remind me of someone and bring them joy in a tangible way. But, like everyone else, I'm burdened by the economy -- the world economy, my economy, the lack of economy in others.

The other day, I was thinking about making eye pillows or neck warmers as gifts. These are simple crafts where you sew a small bag, fill it with rice, and seal it. I thought I could just pick up one of those huge bags of rice from Costco and it'd be a relatively inexpensive gift. And then I started thinking about the prosperity of America, that we can buy rice to make little crafts. We can buy beans for our kids to play in or make tambourines with paper plates.

Is this a new chapter in maturity? Is this a place that all people (esp parents) eventually reach so that they can nag their kids to finish their dinner?

I want to return to simplicity (was I ever there?). I read an article once that suggested that you follow the example of the gifts Jesus received from the Wise Men (this isn't the article, but it's the same concept)(oh wait, I found it).

I'm amazed at the sense of privilege my kids have. They think they don't have to work hard for anything and that when they're bored, it's my job to entertain them or that we should drive to the toy store and buy a new toy (please don't think I give into these demands. I don't). Brian and I try very hard to encourage independence, responsibility, respect and other wonderful character traits that we catch glimpses of from time to time in our boys. I'm just so surprised by how much of a battle it is! Charlie asked if a magazine came in the paper that he could use to make his Christmas list like he did last year. That really brought it all home to me. I suggested that he make a list of gifts that he would like instead of flipping through a catalog that would plant ideas in his head.

Creativity is a lot harder to foster than I thought.

So, here's a picture of my son Isaac doing what boys should do with presents:

Thank Goodness That's Over

2008-11-05T10:18:00.004-07:00

I voted for McCain. I wasn't crazy about him as a candidate and I didn't really think he would win. I don't know how Obama couldn't win with the media love-fest and the money that drips from his pores. It'll be a really exciting 4 years with Obama as president, and even though I could not vote for him (because I think he's as slick as a salesman and because I can't trust him and because I think he'll say whatever you want to hear...), I'm really interested in how he is planning on "changing" everything.
I've recently been reading through Randy Alcorn's book Heaven, which has really changed my outlook on my faith. It's refreshing and freeing to be secure in my belief that Jesus is the son of God and that his death on the cross gives me a relationship with the Almighty God. To know that I will be a part of the New Heaven and the New Earth and that the time I spend now is going to be as close to Hell as I will ever get.
So when I read scare tactics like the "letter" Focus on the Family wrote to make Obama seem like the most evil man on the earth, I just remind myself that, yeah, we know our world is going to get worse. It doesn't matter who's in charge because God appointed him anyway. We know that things are going to spiral into chaos and we know that Jesus will come on a white horse and rescue his bride when it's time to end this time.
All that to say, I will honor Obama as my president, but I will first serve the one and only true God.

Ah, it must be fall

2008-11-01T09:04:00.004-06:00

We had a delightful Halloween. It was a Norman Rockwell sort of a night with little crowds of kids running from house to house shouting "Trick or Treat!" The weather was perfect -- probably mid-60s, just beautiful.
Charlie was Indiana Jones and Isaac was a yellow and brown bird.

Lisa's wedding

2008-10-21T21:05:00.004-06:00

I've never been to a nicer wedding. The weather was perfect. The location was beautiful. Lisa was radiant. Both Chris and Lisa were beaming.
Oh, and Charlie and Isaac had a nice time too :)

Did you know that I'm a State Quarter Nerd?

2008-09-28T18:47:00.006-06:00

I've got a booklet with almost all of the state quarters, both from the Denver Mint and the Philadelphia mint (I'm missing about 10 from Philly, not including Hawaii).
Anyway, I'm disappointed with the design that Wyoming picked to represent their state. Their state with miles and miles of nothing and then a notch of one of the most interesting places in the United States -- Yellowstone.
So, here's the quarter design they decided to go with:

Ugh. Come on. Look at some of the other designs that they passed over in favor of the above coin.

I like the detail of the rider and bucking horse, but I don't really care for the one with the picture of the state in the background (really. If your state looks like a rectangle, don't go out of your way to celebrate it). But the Old Faithful is pretty cool!

Who are these people? Why on earth pick a quarter so boring? Have they no desire to boost their tourism? Even Nebraska and Kansas are more attractive.

Look at my Boys' Bedroom!!

2008-09-23T14:59:00.001-06:00

My mom came out for a 4-day visit and we put her to work! I had painted the room blue and let the boys have their own time of creativity but then, wow, then my mom came and painted a WAY COOL astronaut on the wall!

Arrrrr You Ready?

2008-09-18T22:44:00.003-06:00

It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Look what Brian Found in our Garage

2008-09-17T20:45:00.003-06:00

yikes!
look! It's a real Black Widow spider! From our garage!

While Big Brother is Away, Isaac Shall Play...

2008-09-11T12:22:00.003-06:00

with Legos! Isaac came up to me today and showed me the "soda truck" he built. "I built it allbymyself!"

He's certainly learned a lot from his older brother. His soda truck has a trunk that opens. I know I'm impressed!

What We Did Today

2008-09-07T20:10:00.005-06:00

Sundays are days for rest, reading the paper, reflecting on the week to come...

So, what did we do today?

We spent (in shifts) 5 hours and 45 minutes in the bathroom with Isaac, waiting for him to poop. Our efforts, praise God, were NOT in vain. He did the deed at 5:30pm. In the potty.
Over those 5-plus hours we feed him raisins, juice, dried apples, shredded wheat, anything to get things moving. At about 3:00, I (anne) put a pull-up on him with a big hole cut out of the back to allow, well, you know.
All that matters is, albeit 2 hours later, it worked. He's excited about it. We called all the grandparents. He got lots of chocolate chips. We'll see tomorrow whether or not this experience actually made any sort of lasting impression on him.

Maybe he'll get to open his Isaac-pooped-on-the-potty present that's been collecting dust since July.

Colorado is such a beautiful place!

2008-08-12T10:11:00.000-06:00

We went camping last week for 3 days, north of Rocky Mountain National Park, about 3 hours from our house. We were at 10,000 feet and I don't think it got above 80 degrees the whole time we were there. It was a little slice of heaven!
a view from our campsite

sun streaming through the trees

my two boys. Notice how Isaac is carrying his back pack.

can you believe this place exists?

a moose. A yearling, however, still huge. She couldn't care less that I was taking pictures of her.

Isaac and his stitches

2008-07-16T11:45:00.001-06:00

Isaac is back to normal after smacking his lip on flagstone that we recently put in on the patio. We went to Urgent Care and he got 4 stitches on the inside of his lip, which was a traumatic experience for all involved (Charlie watched TV in the waiting room).

So, here's a picture of him the day after he had the stitches put in:

and here's what he looks like today, 5 1/2 days later.

What happens when you leave sugar on the counter

2008-07-07T23:08:00.001-06:00

Isaac came to me today asking if he could have something to eat and he looked as if he was covered in sand... including his face. Then I noticed the ring around his mouth.

"What have you been eating?" I asked. "Brown sugar."

Yeah. I'll be more careful to put the sugar back in the cabinet.

Boundaries

2008-06-12T22:45:00.001-06:00

Today we learned how important it is to establish boundaries with 6-year-old boys who can ride a bike. Charlie was going to go move our neighbors' garbage cans up to their houses as an act of service. He said that he was going to ride his bike and I said that I'd be out in about 5 minutes to meet up with him.
Yeah, well, apparently, we had different ideas of what a bike ride meant. I thought he was going to go around the block. You can see the star that's at our house. We picked Charlie up and the other star.
Isaac and I saunter outside to meet up with Charlie. We walked the Cedar loop and saw him not. We returned home, I got the bike, put Isaac in the Burley and we did the loop again. I accepted my neighbor Hilary's help to drive around. Another neighbor, Steve, was sitting outside of his house and I asked him if he had saw Charlie, and he pointed in the direction that he had gone. Later on, Steve drove around in his truck. I called Brian to let him know and he told me to call 911 so then we had 2 patrol cars looking for him. My neighbor Ken drove around, our friend Craig drove around...
Charlie was fine, had no idea he did anything wrong and I was a wreck.
Now would be a great time to talk about specific boundaries with your kids. Use a map.

Oh, I should tell you that when Steve drove up and "found him," Charlie would not get in the truck with him. Good boy.

Brian's Latest Adventure

2008-05-25T22:16:00.000-06:00

...and this is the year of the sprinkler system.
before:
during:

Balloon Launch

2008-05-25T22:10:00.001-06:00

I thought it might be fun to take Charlie out -- just Charlie -- and watch a balloon launch. I'd never been to one and Charlie and I talk from time to time about going for a ride in a balloon (we're going to wait until he's tall enough to see over the side of the basket).

It was amazing. We had to get up before 6am, but we had a wonderful time. And then we had donuts.

Springtime

2008-04-29T20:02:00.000-06:00

Jeff and Jill came to visit for 4 days last week. We got to meet our niece and celebrate her first birthday with her and our family. Brian's grandma was also out visiting for the occasion.

All of my bulbs are coming up! The front of our house is so colorful and it makes me happy. Oh, did I mention the SNOW we're supposed to get on Thursday?

One of the other big events of our springtime is that Charlie is now riding his bike without training wheels. Brian coaxed him into taking them off after his 6th birthday. Charlie's just wired that way -- he makes his mind up to do something, and he just does it. It's pretty amazing.

Charlie also participated in a Run-a-Thon for his school and ran 8 laps in 1/2 hour!

Gymnastics

2008-03-25T19:59:00.000-06:00

Charlie and Isaac had a great time in their gymnastic class. The teacher even encouraged me to continue Charlie in the next session!

My Adventure Birthday

2008-03-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

Brian took me on an adventure for my birthday this year. He planned a whole day of events and I was just along for the ride!

First, we had lunch at Annie's Cafe and then we explored downtown Denver -- Larimer Square, 16th Street Mall and the like. Then we went for a stroll to our next destination: The House of Commons Tearoom for a tea tasting.
We tasted 6 or 7 teas side by side so that we (ok, I) could learn how the teas were different. The woman who runs the shop was tickled to be able to host us for this event! She's this wonderfully authentic English lady named Jessica and she really made us feel welcome. We had a great time! Two doors down from the tearoom is my new favorite spice shop called The Savory Spice. I had been to the spice shop before and I remembered when I was leaving that I wanted to check out the tearoom sometime.
After tea, we checked into the Magnolia Hotel, freshened up and went to dinner at Tables, a foodie restaurant in the Park City neighborhood. We had a delicious dinner and then went to the independent theater company Buntport for their production of "Contrived Ending."
That pretty much was it for the evening. Both of us were pretty tired from walking a lot and having so many fun things to do!
The next day, we woke up to a gray, snowy day (which was a huge contrast to the record 74 degrees the day before), had breakfast at the hotel and then went to REI and played around with tents. We then drove to Boulder (after almost getting into an accident!!) and had brunch with Brian's mom and the boys at Turley's.

We all came home and took turns taking naps. I did, however, run out for a quick visit to my "brother" Paul's party, since we share our birthday. It was so good to see him and to visit a lot of our mutual friends.

And as if that wasn't enough, Charlie and Brian made me homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner. What a day to remember! I feel so loved, so cherished and somewhat rested.

Look what Charlie built!

2008-02-18T09:24:00.001-07:00

Charlie loves Legos. Notice the small mark on his eyebrow. It's a Lego injury.

Charlie Lost His Front Tooth!

2008-01-23T14:02:00.001-07:00

Charlie was brave enough to let Brian pull out his front tooth after church last Sunday. Since his brother made it into the paper, we made up a special newspaper just for him called the Duprasville Times (I've got a pdf of it if you want to see it). The following is the article we wrote about his brave feat:

Brave 5-year-old Boy Lets Father Pull Out Tooth
Louisville — Charlie Dupras, 5, had a wobbly tooth for a few weeks. It was starting to get in the way of his eating so his father, Brian Dupras, 33, offered to pull it out for him.
At first, he was scared and didn’t want him to do it, but he decided that after church, he would pull it out.
“I was scared, and I wanted it to come out. I was that,” Charlie said.
Charlie tried to pull it out but his fingers would just slip off the tooth
“When he [Brian] was pulling it out, it hurted (sic) a little but he thought it wouldn’t,” Charlie said.
Sunday afternoon, after church, Charlie and his father, Brian went up to the bedroom to pull out his tooth. Charlie was very brave and allowed Brian to try to pull it out with his fingers, but they slipped. After trying a few times, Brian finally got the tooth out with a cotton gauze.
“Certainly Charlie showed a incredible degree of bravery,” said Brian. “and I thought it was really cool that he trusted me enough to let me pull it out for him, even though it was a little scary.”
Charlie is looking forward to what the Tooth Fairy will bring as he sleeps tonight in his bed.
This is the third tooth that Charlie has lost.

A New Year...

2008-01-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

...and maybe I'll keep up our blog this year.

Here's a funny thing that caught my eye today:

Isaac and I were at the grocery store today and I noticed a cute little kid's picture next to the masthead. Wow! It's Isaac!

Last weekend was the Lafayette Oatmeal Festival and apparently Isaac was cute enough to be recognized in the paper.

I have tons more that I could post, but frankly, I'd really rather be watching tv.

The Deck has Passed Inspection!!

2007-09-27T11:13:00.000-06:00

Brian laying the last deck board. The last one!!

Mr. Steve Swank installing our new sliding door.

our New Kitchen!

...and here's the final inspection! it's done!

here's the door from the outside...

Oh Yeah, How's that Deck Comin' Along?

2007-08-26T13:02:00.000-06:00

The end is in sight! We're almost done! I'm super pleased because we'll be able to enjoy my favorite season so much more with our beautiful new deck. Did someone say cookout?

...and lest we forget, here is a reminder of how far we've come...

Who Are These Children?

2007-08-25T21:55:00.001-06:00

I happened upon this pudgy kid who apparently ate Isaac:

...so I found it necessary to find a picture of Charlie at around the same age:

enjoy!

Charlie's First Day of School

2007-08-24T21:49:00.000-06:00

Charlie started Kindergarten this week and is doing great. He learned to take the school bus all on his own. Such a big kid!

Charlie (and Isaac) waiting for Mrs. Walden. All the kids line up and walk in together.

After a whole week of school, it was time for ice cream!

Road Trip to Chicago... and back

2007-08-13T16:11:00.001-06:00

We're home. Back in the land of High Speed Internet and Familiar Beds.
We drove 1,000 miles to Chicago, 1,000 miles around the Chicagoland area, then 1,000 miles back to Colorado. We decided not to drive the van today.
While we were in Chicago, we saw 5 sides of our combined extended family; Anne's Dad's side (Kowalski), Anne's Mom's side (Skafte), Anne's Step-Mom's side (Blair), Brian's Mom's side (Appleton), and Brian's Dad's side (Dupras). The boys did great meeting a million people that they're related to -- mostly because a lot of those people had kids to play with!
We were gone for 2 weeks and did A LOT. I've posted a boatload of pictures on Flickr but here are some highlights:

Our first stop on our roadtrip. Breakfast in Fort Morgan, Colorado:

The Children's Museum in Milwaukee with Grandma Jane:

Fishing at Lake Summerset outside of Rockford, Illinois:

Playing with Cousin Paul on the trampoline:

Finally meeting Uncle Matthew's Robosapien and teaching it to pick up things (in muck-boots):

Going to a Mastodon dig in Dupage County (about 2 miles away from where we were staying):

[ side note: this was cool, but I wouldn't really call it a "highlight" since it was about 100 degrees and 150% humidity that day. none of us were very happy ]

going to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago with Grandma Laura and "Grandpa-Grandpa"

Walking all the way to the end of Navy Pier and feeding the seagulls.

The 6 of us actually rode this ferris wheel. Yikes.

Grandma Belle's 80th Birthday Party

The Kowalski Cousins: Kaylee, Claire, Charlie and Isaac

We hooked up with an old friend of mine, Rebecca, at Oberweis Ice Cream shop and our kids played chess together.

...and then we drove home. In one day.

It's Pear Season

2007-07-26T20:12:00.001-06:00

Come and pick some pears from our trees!

I'm serious. Let yourself in!

That Triathalon I Was In

2007-07-26T19:57:00.000-06:00

I have a crazy friend who likes to do triathalons. I don't know why, it's not my thing. She invited our whole small group to do with with her and we agreed to do it as a relay. So I biked 12 miles. It was fun -- I mean, I like biking. The other ladies in our group did an outstanding job and we all finished.

All of us, with our medals! (l-r Paula, Julia (crazy friend), Dawn, me, Linette & Steph)

Isaac and Charlie showing off the shwag.

Julia and Linette before the big plunge!!

me, before the ride

Paula, before her 5k

Steph and Dawn, out for a yummy lunch and margaritas!

Some of the ladies want to do it again, or do it themselves. I feel like, well, I've done it. There. Now I never have to do it again.

Progress on the Deck

2007-07-26T19:44:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know. It's been FOREVER since I've updated our blog. I call myself a Deck Widow because Brian comes home from work, snarfs down dinner and heads straight outside to work on the deck. I think he's trying to get as much done as he can before we leave for Chicago (on Sunday) even though we keep telling each other that we don't have a definitive deadline.

So, here are the latest pictures. Brian's an amazing man.

This is what Brian did while I was doing a triathalon. Oh, did I forget to mention that? More on that later.

Isaac on the Phone

2007-07-10T23:46:00.000-06:00

the other day, Isaac was laying on the chair, talking on the phone. To no one, we thought. Later, we realized he was talking to the Operator. Whoops. Better than 911.
I took the boys to a donut shop today and senior fellow told me that my boys are VERY smart, especially Isaac, because he talks so well. Isaac? Really?

here are the videos of Isaac on the phone:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AnnieDupras

Raising the Beam

2007-07-08T15:34:00.001-06:00

We had 10 men lift a huge beam up to start Phase II of the deck project. We also christened our new deck with a quick get-together before the Big Lift.

an impromptu bbq on our New Deck!

Brian Layin' Down the Law

Brian is making sure the beam is lining up with the gas pipe. We'd hate to have a gas leak coming OUT OF OUR HOUSE.

Ken, our neighbor, supervising as Brian tightens the bolts.

The finished beam with the gas pipe sticking out. BTW, the beam probably weighs somewhere between 400-600lbs. My kitchen scale only goes up to 5lb.

Charlie's First Race!

2007-07-02T23:45:00.000-06:00

Lafayette Parks and Rec had a Sizzler Fun Run for kids last Friday and Charlie did AWESOME!! He came in 2nd place (they didn't score it or anything, but we know the truth) but it was really tight. If I had had a fully charged battery I could've gotten a picture of the finish line.

Charlie and his friend Danya (to C's right). Charlie is wearing DARK GREEN SWEATPANTS in JULY because they didn't have any pockets. He didn't want to accidentally put his hands in his pockets when running because it would slow him down. I didn't plant any of these ideas in his head, they're all his own.

Look at him go! They guy on the left (in the red) was the one who got 1st place.

See the shadow all the way on the right of the picture? That's how close Charlie was to the guy who got 1st place!

ahh, yes. Popcicle time.

Decking Laid on Lower Deck!

2007-06-27T21:32:00.001-06:00

The Latest on the Deck Project

2007-06-22T09:15:00.000-06:00

Brian got discouraged on the enormity of the project, so he hired a friend from church to take lead on the project. Brian is a NEW MAN!! The Grumpy Man is gone, and the Giddy Accomplished Man has returned! Enjoy the pictures of our progress.

Brian and a couple of his buddies helping out with framing.

Brad cutting the stringers for the stairs (an intimidating job!!).

Charlie overseeing everyone's work.

The stair stringers are up!

The framing is (almost) done on the lower deck!

the deck, in progress

2007-06-13T22:34:00.000-06:00

Brian and I keep talking about "posting pictures to our blog" so I thought I'd actually do it.

before:

tear down:

trash to be hauled:

now, the sliding glass doors have become DANGEROUS

Here's Big-Man-Brian drilling 30" holes with an auger.

Lack of Quiet Time

2007-06-05T15:11:00.001-06:00

I got spoiled yesterday because I followed through with Isaac's naptime (at an appropriate time for a change) and so I got close to 2 hours to do whatever it is I wanted to do. The frustrating part of my life right now is that I only get to choose one thing when I want to (and used to be able to do) many things. Glamorous things like: shower, balance the checkbook, wash the kitchen floor, plan dinner, read a book, check email...
So today, I'm lacking in the discipline department and I'm paying for it. I've got one boy laying on the floor (it's not that dirty) eating nuts from its container, and the other one making himself a lunch. The idea of doing anything else other than documenting my weaknesses seems exhausting to me today. And yes, I remembered to take my Zoloft.
Did I remember to eat lunch?

2007-05-13T21:02:00.000-06:00

here are some more pictures. I didn't end up taking very many because I didn't want to bring my camera. No reason, it's just a bit clunky.

Galveston, Texas

Cozumel, Mexico

Roatan, Honduras

The Champagne Bar, on the ship

My Caribbean Adventure

2007-05-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

Brian's mom, Kathy, and I just returned from our 7-day Caribbean cruise. We stopped at four ports -- Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, Honduras and Progreso -- and spent 2 days at sea. We had the opportunity to go on a jungle hike (not as exciting as it sounds) and did some sea kayaking through a mangrove... grove? We met some fun people on the boat and had time to go and do, well, nothing.

We went with another couple -- friends of Kathy's -- named Lee and Minerva. They joined us on the "jungle hike" which just about killed Minerva, who had specifically wore her hiking earrings for the adventure.

On our hike in Cozumel, we saw lots (3) of iguanas, some Mayan ruins, including a cave, and lots and lots of dirt.

The ship was huge. It was fully equipped with a casino, 4 or 5 bars, 2 pools, a spa, a fitness room and a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream.

Every day they would shape the towels into different animals. We got
a manta ray (with chocolates for eyes),

a squid (!?),
a swan,

and a penguin.

I'd like to write more, but I've got to get up around 4:00am to catch a 6:30 flight. Yes, but it will be so good to be home.