Life On The Roof

We've moved

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:24:00 +0000

So we've moved. Literally, in the real world, and on the internets too.

We're over here now. You should stop by (heck, everyone in this village just "Stops by." It's the thing to do!)

Soon there will be pictures, I promise.

But in the mean time, visit anyway, would you? I miss y'all!

Extra adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 20 May 2012 01:12:00 +0000

Today we went and spent a hour or so at the new house. Moving a few things in, picking out paint colours, checking it all out again. It seems to get bigger every time we go (or it gets more empty?) and we fall in love with it a little bit more every time we're there.

There is something about the place that just puts me into a certain frame of mind. I don't know what it is, but it seems to scream at me to relax, chill out, enjoy the day. So we came home, and while we worked our tails off for most of the afternoon, we mostly just went with the flow of it all. We ended up having an amazeball of a day. Packing, cleaning, gardening, swinging, hammocking, bbq-ing, running-through-sprinklering. I came to a realization part way through the day that the kids don't give a rats patootie that the house is in 100% chaos right now. It's a mess, there is crap everywhere, and nobody cares. They just want some attention, some pushes on the swings, and someone to get them a snack when they ~~demand~~ ask nicely for it. Heck, the chaos is an extra adventure.

So I'm choosing to see it as that too - an extra adventure. An extra adventure is so much more fun than plain old packing now, isn't it?

Hope you're having a safe relaxing weekend, wherever you may be!

A milestone

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:23:00 +0000

Today we went to check out Griffin's new school. It's tiny, only about 35 kids in his grade...which is EXACTLY what we're looking for. I have high hopes for this little beautiful building. You open the front door, and walk up a flight of wooden stairs that creak and groan under your feet, the same way they did under the hundreds upon thousands of tiny (and not so tiny) feet that have gone before you. The building feels loved.

I'm excited for the change this will bring!

May of Insanity

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:59:00 +0000

So it's May, and this May is likely to be the May of Insanity. We've sold our house, we've been packing like mad people. Steve is off to Japan, and I'm to follow shortly. And then we come back. I have a show a week later, three days later than that, we move.

FML.

My dearest Gretel made a comment on the blog a few weeks ago, in the midst of my complaining about the endlessness of showings and whatnots. She said "When it happens it will happen in half a heartbeat and suddenly all will move at lightning speed - see this as the calm before the best lightning storm ever and when the sun rises afterwards you'll be sipping that coffee in your new home and all your dreams will be reality." I read it and thought "she's totally right." (I also thought "I love this woman!" and immediatly texted her to tell her so!)

So here we are, in the midst of our lightening storm.

I don't know how much I'll be able to post for the next few weeks. But what I have taken on as part of this month (like I don't have enough to do) is a photo a day challenge. A word prompt each day and uploading a photo is something I CAN work with. So I think I'll share them here too, if no other reason than to be able to remember a bit of this month of insanity!

May 1st - "Woven"

May 2nd - "Grass"

May the 3rd - "Up"

May the 4th (be with you) - "Wheels"

May 5th - "Breakfast" (teehee)

Hopefully I can keep these up while we're in Japan....eeeks!

It is done.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Still here...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:33:00 +0000

Still here! Hanging on, playing the waiting game. We have an offer on the house, and pending building inspection and a few other little things, it looks like we're going to make this thing happen. It's just what we do. So please don't go away, I promise we'll be back. There's packing and painting and a little trip to JAPAN (ZOMG, EEEKS!) in the middle of it all. But crossing your fingers, there's big changes on the horizon. And oh my golly, we're just so excited we can hardly wait! But the big day is going to be here, like, tomorrow. It's going to fly. So we're going to savor the chaos that the next few months are likely to bring. Revel in them, dance like no one is watching in them. And pack like the wind, my friends, we're gonna pack like the wind!!

Weekend in review

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:56:00 +0000

I posted on Thursday how happy I was. By yesterday afternoon, I was feel restless, like CRAZY restless.

I REALLY thought we were getting an offer on Friday. It still might come, but I thought it would be here already.

We went and visited some friends in the Valley yesterday, close to the new house, and talked some more about us moving up there, and what we were going to do with the house, and so on and so forth. And by the time we got home, I was feeling antsy...

Talking about all the wonderful things we're going to do is starting to wear on me...I want to actually DO all the wonderful things! I am so ready to move on, so open to doing it, that I'm getting restless to get it all started.

But then this afternoon I went for a hike in the woods. Found a crazy little piece of geography, just minutes from our house, that I've never found before. Relaxed a bit. And then I felt better about the world.

Oh, and this weekend there was also this: (note the gaping hole on the lower level.)

However, as I posted on Facebook, the next time the note from the tooth fairy should read: "Please don't wake your parents up at 5am to show them what I left you." Yeah.

Some of the beauty I found in the woods:

Somebody needs a haircut...

Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:53:00 +0000

I have mere moments to type this, before my battery runs out, but it was important for me to come here tonight and note this:

I am happy.

Life is good. Things feel like they are moving in the right direction. Maybe slightly slower than I would move them in said direction, but that's not such a bad thing either. Maybe it's time for me to slow down and savour all that is. Because it's all pretty wonderful right now. My children are both a wonderful ages - both learning and growing and constantly amazing me with all that they know, and the beautiful little men they are becoming. Our home life is about to change, for the better, the SO much better. The sun shines on my face each morning when I wake, there is coffee in the pot and food in the fridge, and more love to go around than we know what to do with some days.

And so, I am happy. We all are these days. And I'm starting to be convinced that through all the choices that we make, there is really no better way to strive to be.

I hope you are happy too!

With love,
Us.

Easter Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:32:00 +0000

Beauty and babies (that aren't so babyish) and swings and things. An excellent weekend, had by all.

So here's the thing...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:25:00 +0000

So as you know, our house is on the market. What you might not know is that showing our house means unplugging the computer, because the cord runs across a hallway that we usually keep the door closed on, but since people like to walk though hallways when they're seeing a house (whaa? Who cares?) we have to unplug the thing. What you also may not know is that when I type posts on the iPad there is no spacing, no matter how much spacing I put in the draft, it always publishes it with none. And you also might not know that all my pictures of Easter that are on my camera, are still on my camera, because the damn computer is unplugged, again, and it takes about 35 minutes to boot up. And what you may guess that all this is getting around to is that there are some cute pictures from Easter (Happy Easter, by the way) that I'd like to share, but won't right now, because I can't. What you also might have guessed is that this showing the house business is really starting to wear on me, and I think today's showing should be the one that sells the house, just so we can be done with this and move on already. That is all.

Crossing fingers and toes

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 03:01:00 +0000

*tap tap tap*

"Is this thing still on?"

"Can anyone hear me?"

(hears distant, far off cry in response)

"Yes? Yes! Can you hear me in the back there?"

*********************

Oh hai. Glad you're still here. Things have been a wee bit nutso around here this week. And aren't likely to get much better.

Slightly sad face, as our little Blue House on the roof has a big old "For Sale" sign on it. But as bigger and better things are afoot, we're not ones to dwell.

(I'll wax poetic about it before we go, I promise.)

In the mean time, we deal with showings upon showings, none of which we complain about (out loud,) as they all get us one step closer to our goal - to move forward and move on and to start anew.

And we cross our fingers and our toes and our anything else's, that this all works out the way (the way that we feel in our bones) that it's meant to work out.

If you have any spare fingers, or toes, or anything elses, won't you cross them for us too? We'd very much appreciate it if you did!

With love, from the Roof, Us

Plan D (or is it F? I've lost track)

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:01:00 +0000

Well, in typical roof fashion, we've gone and changed the plan. Again.

After some serious research, and some time spent gathering facts and (dollar) figures, we had to say goodbye to our dream property. It was sad. The plain fact was that it's "tucked far away from the road-ness" that was it's crowning joy, was also to be it's largest demise. We were going to blow 75% of the budget before we even started on the house, just getting services up the driveway, not to mention turning the path in the woods INTO a driveway just to get the service trucks up to the building envelope.

So there.

But now, we've gone and done something TOTALLY crazy. And so TOTALLY us.

We have put in an offer (and had it accepted) on a barn built in the 1800's in a teeny tiny village just a few minutes north of here. The barn has been transformed into a house, and a lovely, quirky, eclectic house it is.

And provided we can sell this house, it's our new home.

It's going to be big, because it's going to mean new schools, and new daycares, and a smaller house on less property, and a new community. But the community is nothing short of awesome, and about 90% of the reason we're moving.

I'm excited, and nervous, and crossing my fingers that someone will come along and love this little Blue House as much as we did when we first walked though the door, almost 7 years ago to the day.

Wish us luck. And if you know of anyone that wants to buy a beautiful little Blue House in the country, that is full of love (we got married right here in 2006) and happy baby vibes (Corben was born meters away from where we said our "I do's," just 4 years later,) then let us know!

Much love, from The Blue House
xoxox

The many faces of G

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 01:50:00 +0000

Asking Griffin to smile for the camera yields a lot of shenanigans these days. But since he's so damn cute, I really don't mind one little bit.

Happy Patty O'Lantern

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 01:23:00 +0000

It's March 17th, St. Patty's day. Never in all that I can remember, has there been a March 17th as lovely as today.

Not only was today lovely, in the "holy eff it's 20 degrees, and I'm gardening...and skiing, on same day'" (I know a woman who actually DID THIS today!) way, but it was also lovely in that "ilovemylifesomuchatthismoment" kind of way. (Combined with the "ireallylikefastridesbutimoldernowandpleasecanweslowdown!" kind of lovely.) (And the ever so popular "I love our children, but how much do you think we can get from them on e-Bay?" kind of "lovely.")

Too....much....punctuation....for...St....Patty's day....

All this to say:

Today was lovely. In so many ways. I know it's been quiet around here. And it's been quiet, along with strange, and cryptic, apparently, on Facebook. And it still is. But I promise you this: once we make up our minds, as to what we are doing with our lives, you'll be the first to know.

When I know, you'll know...just gimmie a few more minutes to figure it out, m'kay!!??

However, what I do know that I am doing right now is enjoying a campfire, in my
"camping clothes," on Saturday March 17th. And that we dined tonight, with our buddy, Al Fresco, earlier in the season that we ever have.

And I know that it's entirely too far on in the evening to be doing silly things Ike uploading pictures, even though they are copious.

And I know that even though I'm sure it's going to snow again this month, if not next; I am currently dreaming about gardens and picnics and campfires...and you can't make me stop.

And I do know that life is really not bad right now, but I'm about 97.9% sure that it's about to get so very much better.

And I do know that my wine glass is empty. Yup, that I know. Better fix that.

Happy St. Pati'o day, my friends.

Send sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:24:00 +0000

Oh February. We were so glad to see it go. February was the month of the sick. And I swore up and down and sideways on March 1st, that we had seen the last of the sick.

And it was going so well, until the school name came up on my call display at work today at 11:30am. And now? One five year old, down for the count. Fever, sore tummy, sore everything.

Well crap.

We need SOMETHING here. A break would be a good start. We need fresh air and sunshine, and vegetables that haven't traveled 3000 kilometers to get here from California.

I'm throwing myself on the mercy of the universe, and letting it know that we can't take much more of this. The tractor is broken, the car has been stuck in the driveway for 2 days, the kid is sick again, and I? I am finished.

That is all.

Please send sunshine.

February, kiss my ass.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:21:00 +0000

Ugh. February. It's been the rotating month of sick. My turn, Corben's turn, Steve's turn, my turn (and then Corben's turn) again. I'm so done. However, March is mere days away. I'm expecting us all to be miraculously cured by March 1st at the latest. You hear me, universe?? I've had enough of this crap! *Raises fist and shakes it at the sky.* That is all.

Day of rest.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:30:00 +0000

He lies beside me in the "big bed," restless. Displacing his father to the tiny little bed in the kids playroom, but Daddy is happy to move just so that our smallest can be closer to Mama. Boys need their Mama's when they're sick.

He's been feverish all day, coughing, snuggling, lying on the bed watching episode after episode of Diego, without so much as moving a muscle. His breaths are not the rhythmic deep breaths of a baby sleeping in peace. Every so often he let's out a cry, a moan, or a deep junky cough. Readjusts. Pushes his hand deeper down inside his shirt, a comfort measure he resorts to when he can't stick his hand down mine.

Upstairs, his brother stirs, and out of him tumbles the same junky cough, the one that makes me think that there's a good chance that there will be another missed day of work tomorrow, and maybe even a trip to town to see the doctor.

There are so many exciting things happening in life right now, that days like today, and likely tomorrow, are just as healing for me as they are for him...or them...we'll see. Beside me, Corben's feet reach down the bed; down, down, down, nearly kicking the dog if he tried. (The dog who has gladly stretched out to fill the spot that his masters legs and feet usually occupy.) He's so big, so tall all stretched out like this. And yet, when he cries for me as he wakes from a nap, or snuggles up in the chair to nurse first thing in the morning, those moments he still feels so wee to me. In those moments he's still my baby.

But he won't be for long.

So days of sick, and rest, and healing; days that remind you that the laundry can wait and the work can wait, and dinner can still be made with the baby in the sling, just like the olden days...days like these are good. And lovely. And feel right, despite the fact that he is sick.

And then he stirs again, crawling on top of me to snuggle, and making it damn near impossible to type, iPad or no.

And that's my cue. To rest.

(Linking up with Just Write.)

Warm welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000

I have to say, that just a few days into this adventure, I'm impressed. I'm impressed with the community that we're about to venture into, and become a part of.

I've been researching like mad, and come across quite a few folks in our area who have already gone down the same path. I've contacted two of them, and been invited into their homes without a second question, just like that. Virtual strangers, brought together by the desire for a simpler, greener way of life. I like that. That tribe that I've been missing? I think we might have just found it.

There's a good chance that this adventure is going to be overflowing with awesome.

The adventure begins!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:07:00 +0000

Remember just before Christmas, when we found The Perfect Spot? (you can go back and read about it if you don't remember. Go on, I'll wait!)

Since then, we've talked about this spot a lot, just about every day I'd guess.

We've hummed and hawed. How? When? Is it really right? Is it really perfect? Can we really do this?

Today we went for a walk, to go and look at another spot. And then we came back to THE spot, and then we made a decision.

Yup, it is. Right. Perfect. And yes we can.

So we're going to do it. (I knew all along that we would, I needed to do a little bit of convincing though!)

A slight change from Plan A though - the site, being as treed as it is, isn't going to support the passive solar home that we've been dreaming about. Plan B is even better though, and speaks to my inner hippie like nothing ever has before:

Straw bale, dudes.

(Squeeeee!)

First step - we're going to do this. Summer "vacation" this year will be 7 days in a place I've always wanted to visit, building a straw bale home along with 25 (or so) other people, and soaking up as much information as we possibly can.

We've ordered some books. Tomorrow we'll put in for our vacation approval. Officially sign up for the workshop. And call the Real Estate agent.

Eeeks. We're terrified. And excited. And terrified. (But mostly excited.)

Stick around, this might get good! ;)

(I cracked this puppy open on New Years eve...how's that for awesomesauce!)

(P.S. We're on the hunt for an inexpensive camper trailer for our North Dakota adventure, if you know of someone looking to offload one! It's gotta be good, we might end up living in it for a while when we get back!!)

Young love

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Griffin came home from school the other day, and announced that he has a girlfriend.

Not only that, but they are in love.

And then he did a little dance in our back entry-way (never making it beyond there before he could blurt out his news,) and skipped around in a circle and sang "I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love!"

Its super cute, and super terrifying, all at the same time. I've done that very same dance, maybe even with the skip, and it's a beautiful thing. I've also done the dance of heartbreak, which is significantly less attractive, and involves far too much alcohol for a 5 year old. I can't bear the thought of him having his little wide-open heart broken, now, or 20 years from now.

Then again, there's no point in living in fear of something that might happen down the road. So for now, we celebrate - life, love, and all other things that make us smile.

This Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:05:00 +0000

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A (single) photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember, Inspired by Soulemama. (My photos are from New Years Eve, but when searching for a photo I came across these, and wanted them under the "pause, savor, remember" category.)

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:18:00 +0000

So the desire to post is strong, but the desire to be creative is weak. I have a sick little one, who collapsed on the couch in a heap after his playdate, and 60 minutes later was running a 102.5 degree fever. Poor monkey. And I have a two year old...a stereotypical two year old, fulfilling every cliche in the book these days. Hittypants McThrowy Spit. Yeah. I'm waiting to write his "Dear Corben you're two" letter till I like him a little bit more.

Instead of trying to write when it's just not in me, I leave you with these few gems from our fun yesterday.

(This photo? Slays me!)

But look, he's OK!

And for today, mes amis, that is all.

Grrr

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:11:00 +0000

You know when you decide to be good and you decide to finally write a post for your blog and then you decide to click over to another tab in the middle of writing your post and then when you decide to click back everything that you had spent time writing and being clever about and pouring your soul out about (ok, not really, but I'm going for the drama) has dissapeared, and then you just get so mad and thrown up your arms and get all like "well that was all creative genius and shit, and I can't go pulling that kind of stuff out of my butt twice in a row to say the same darn thing, that was a one shot deal!" and stuff? Yeah, that.

A Year of Corben

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:30:00 +0000

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

My monkey turns TWO!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:20:00 +0000

Today we celebrated Corben's 2nd birthday (even though his big day isn't until tomorrow.) A light affair, with a few special people (and only a few gifts) made for exactly the day I was hoping for.

I asked Griffin the other day, what sort of cake we should make for Corben. "Chocolate chip banana" he replied, "with a monkey on top." And there you have it. We skipped the chips, and went straight for chocolate banana, and I took my first foray into the world of fondant. OMGolly, I had so much fun! I followed an excellent tutorial, and this little guy was born. Having spent all my hours last night on the monkey, I ended up going a little light on the letters. Plus there really isn't a whole lot of room to get poetic atop a 6" cake!

Corben loved him!

We had a lovely crowd, including Daddy, who Skyped in from Ottawa (you can see him there at the head of the table!) Technology is a wonderful thing some times!

Corben spent much of dessert "feeding Daddy" cake. Daddy gobbled it up. Everyone laughed. Repeat!

A lengthy nap ensued, as did an early bed time!

And tomorrow? I have the day off of work, and I'm going to spend the whole day with this little dude, soaking up every second of him, and likely writing my annual sappy blog post about how much I love this little devil.

And I totally do!