10 Weird and Wonderful Things About Our House

One of things that we love about our new house is that it is not a cookie-cutter house. Instead, it is unique. Very unique. As my friend Abby says, it is an "Alice in Wonderland House." It has so many weird and wonderful features that are oddly charming. Such as . . .

10. There is a trapdoor in Daniel's closet. We did not discover this until after we moved in. Of course, the last time we tried to open it, Daniel accidentally dropped the lid into the crawl space below, so we are trying to keep it closed now.

9. The reason for our discovery for the trapdoor is that it goes down to a crawl space with water access to . . . the outdoor bathroom. Oh, yes. We thought that this wooden closet outside was for storing pool toys - but no, it also has a fully functional sink, toilet, and light. It has been a lifesaver for kids in the pool, although we need to actually remember to bring soap and a hand towel out there - someday!

8. Wildlife abounds. When we moved in, we discovered three baby birds, a giant wolf spider, and a snake - all dead.

And today, when Will went to take out the garbage, he ran across a friendly neighborhood raccoon apparently stuck inside of our trash can and staring up at him.

7. There used to be a wood stove in the weirdest place in the living room. We were told that this is still fully functional if we wanted to hook a wood stove back up - but it would block the doors to two bedrooms and a bathroom. But if we want to add a toasty entrance to these rooms, we are ready!

6. The master bedroom has a row of windows that open up onto the living room. This is one of the Most Bizarre Features. If you look up in the living room, you can see this giant row of windows. These windows look up at the . . . master bedroom. Which already has two sides of "real" windows. Oddly, we figured this would bother us and it hasn't yet. If it ever does, we can always frame it off. 

5. The "triangle room," aka the office/guest room/play room, has dormer windows and walls at the end where you can not actually stand up. This is like an attic room, and has walls that are very low to the ground. The kids have claimed this space as a perfect spot for Lego Building, and we are getting shelves the fit in in this space, so it is definitely usable . . . but odd. :)

4. There is stained glass everywhere. We think this is original to the house.

And by everywhere, I mean everywhere. This is a random wall at the top of our vaulted living room ceiling. Just because. ;)

3. There is a bar in the basement. The bar, of course, has a giant stained glass panel at the back (and on the ceiling). There isn't a way to pull up bar stools, but you can easily stand on the ledge below.

2. Daniel's room is on the main floor but is actually below ground. It is in "berm" in the backyard, so his window is actually a window well. Daniel loves it so far and has been sleeping later than ever before since his room is dark.

1. Our house is haunted. Literally right as I was starting this blog entry, I heard a giant crash and we found that the light fixture going to the basement had shattered and broke. Randomly. With nothing touching it. Well, it wouldn't be a Weird and Wonderful House without a few hauntings! ;)

What is funny is that even though there are so many odd features, our whole family is drawn to this house. We saw it three times before we put an offer in - when we had no reason to move - and were drawn back each time by the fact that it really felt like "home" in the way that no place we had lived before quite had. So I think this confirms that our family just loves Weird and Wonderful things - and that the Alice in Wonderful House suits us perfectly!

10 Things We've Learned Since Owning a Pool

When Will and I moved to Manhattan five years ago, one of the things on our list when looking for a house was a pool. As in, NOT a pool. We were moving from Florida, where, as our pediatrician put it, "drowning is in the Top 5 causes of death for children under age 5" (aka drowning in pools, drowning in lakes, etc.). We had two young children and owning a pool seemed like a huge, unnecessary burden. Coupled with the fact that Kansas is cold in the winter and pools can only be used at certain times of the year, and I couldn't figure out why anyone would ever want a pool.

Fast forward five years. and we just bought a new-to-us house with a creek in the backyard, on an acre of land....and containing a pool. I am still not entirely sure what possessed us to make this crazy move, but am so, so glad that we did. And one of the primary draws is having our own pool.

Of course, being novice pool owners, we have learned a lot in our first few weeks. Such as . . .

10. Even normal-functioning pools can lose up to 1/2 an inch of water a day. We freaked out at first, noticing that the water level was lower after a few days, only to learn that it was completely normal. I thought you refilled the pool once at the beginning of the year and were done for the season....not so much. ;)

9. Saltwater pools use A LOT of salt. Will added 240 pounds of Morton's salt (as in, table salt) to our pool a couple of weeks ago . . . and our pool is nowhere near as salty as the ocean.

8. But saltwater pools still take chemicals. It's nowhere near the amount of a "regular" pool, but I was surprised at all of the different chemicals our pool takes at different points to keep the water balance properly regulated.

7.  Life-jackets for non-swimmers are, well, lifesavers. Daniel is not technically a non-swimmer but I feel so much better with him using our pool wearing a life-jacket at all times. We've talked about buying extra life-jackets to have around so that anyone who comes over can use one, but we haven't actually gotten organized enough to go to the store yet.

6. Night-swimming is awesome. This is one huge advantage over having a pool right in our backyard - we can sneak in a quick swim and then hustle everyone off to bed.

5. We have only gone to the city pools one time. I was envisioning that we would still all get season passes to the city pools so that the kids could swim on all of the cool accessories, but in hindsight, there's no need to.

4. We unexpectedly discovered an outdoor toilet/sink, which has been great for kids (not sure about adults). This outdoor bathroom had been winterized when we moved in, and still has a funky smell, so it wouldn't be my first choice of restroom, but is awesome for kids who are all wet from swimming and who need to get to the bathroom quickly.

3. Robot vacuums are lifesavers, too. Our kids dubbed our machine that came with our house "Billy Bob Joe," and he has been not only efficient at cleaning, but fun to watch, too. It (he?) broke for a bit and I can attest that vacuuming the pool by hand is not nearly as much fun as it is cracked up to be. ;)

2. Animals LOVE the water. We have discovered two dead baby birds in our pool filter, and countless large spiders and other insects in the pool water. Swimming: It's a Nature Experience!

1. THE MORE THE MERRIER!!! Swimming with just our family is fun, having friends over is even better . . . and having 13 families with a bunch of kids, adults and food is pure magic.

Light Up with Joy

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

-This Little Light of Mine, by Avis Burgeson Christiansen

A while ago, I had a lovely discussion with some friends online on what brings your children the most joy. I started thinking about this after attending a dance recital - so many of my friends' kids looked utterly filled with joy and obviously loving what they do. I have seen this also on kids' faces when in the middle of a sporting match, or finishing a challenging piano piece, or describing a favorite book to a friend. There is nothing like it. 

What makes our own children light up with joy? In thinking about this question, I realized that for all of their many differences, at their core so many of the same things bring them joy. 

1. For both of them, art and Legos are a source of much delight. I can't necessarily "'cheer them on" while they are busy creating a piece of pottery, but I do bask in their joy when they show me their creations when they are finished. 

2. Cats. Particularly Annika - she can become instant BFFs with any cat around. 

3. Harry Potter. Annika has read all of the books, multiple times, and we've read to Daniel through the 4th book. (Because we sometimes make questionable parenting decisions, both children have also seen all of the movies. ;) ) Seeing them at Harry Potter World with all of their excitement and delight at their favorite characters embodied was truly magical. 

4. Reading. For Annika, this is reading on her own, particularly discovering a series that she loves, such as Warriors or Harry Potter. Daniel does not always light up with joy when reading, but I have seen flashes when he discovers a story that he loves, such as the Bad Kitty series. 

5. Science. Annika is doing an incredible STEM program this summer and when she talks about the activities, like dissecting a fetal pig and doing blood type testing, she positively glows. Daniel, meanwhile, has declared that the Science Rotation in Vacation Bible School is the very best, ever, and wishes we could have it every night. 

6. Swimming. I would not say that either of our children is a particularly great swimming - and one of them I am not even sure if we could truly use the term "swimmer" yet - but our children squeal with delight whenever they are in a pool. It is one of the most special things about our new house. 

7. Imaginative Play. Our children are not a fan of most traditional sports - with the exception of basketball, which they have both declared that they love - but they can be entertained for hours with making up and acting out complex, imaginative, cooperative role-playing games. With Daniel, these often involve weapons and destruction. 

8. Biking. Both kids learned how to ride their bikes last summer, and has been transformative for our family now that we are a Family of Bike Riders. Daniel still prefers the tag-along bike behind Will's bike, and often laughs with joy as they fly down the hills - "Faster! Faster!" Annika has declared that she wants to "bike a marathon!" and is looking forward to biking to school. And there is nothing like the sense of freedom that riding a bicycle brings. 

9. Drawing. Okay, this is probably under the "art and Legos" category, but I think that both of our kids could entertain themselves all day with a stack of printer paper and a pen. What they like to draw varies - Annika is drawn to dragons, while Daniel favors battle scenes - but their love of visual expression is united. 

10. Basketball. I never, ever, ever would have thought this would be on our list in the last year, but both kids decided to play for the first time this year and really liked it. I do not think that either has a future beyond the informal parks & rec leagues, but seeing them each enjoy a team sport and talk about the game with excitement is priceless. 

What about you - what brings joy for you, your kids, or others you know?

Summer Update

Hello! I am trying to do a better job of updating our blog on "daily life." Here's what we've been up to since our return from Disney:

The kids have been asking to go fishing every single day. Sometimes, their dreams come true. 

Daniel has been very interested in drawing. Annika, too.

WE BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE!!!! One of the craziest things we've done. There was no logical reason to move but we love our new house overall and it feels more like "home" to us than our old place ever did.

Biggest new adventure of the new house is that it has a pool. The kids of course wanted to get into the pool within hours after closing on the place.

We discovered a trap door in Daniel's closet! It leads to the water-turn-on/off valve for the outdoor bathroom. Two things we did not know existed when we purchased the house. ;)

Another discovery - a mulberry tree with delicious mulberries.

Oh, and a dead snake.

We have a lovely screened in porch now, where we have set up our treadmill and hot tub!

And love having friends and family over to swim. Here are the Thorntons.

Daniel lost his first teeth - two in one go! His permanent ones had grown in completely behind them.

Will has been doing lots of home improvement work on our new house, including much patching of ceilings.

This is Daniel's room - it was a very dark navy blue before, but he requested a Snow White color like Hath in Star Wars. Annika's is a very New Mexican turquoise.

I did take Daniel to City Park Pool one day while Annika was swimming at Northview with friends.

But mainly, we've been enjoying swimming at our house! We love having people over. Here are the kids with Brady & Brynn - they've also enjoyed having Bryn & Sage over, and other friends - everything in a pool is better with more people!

The kids are staying busy with activities this summer. Annika is in STEM this summer in the mornings, which is a collaboration between the school district and K-State to do all kinds of hands-on science modules. She has been in Vet Med, CSI, Coding to Mars, and the Science of Hollywood, and has loved them all.

In the afternoons, the kids have theater rehearsals for Mary Poppins, a giant play with kids in grades K-12. Both kids are in the chorus, and Daniel is a bird feeder and Annika is a toy. The costume requirements were a little bit overwhelming when I first saw them. E-bay to the rescue!

I was out of running/walking for a while after I hurt my big toe by dropping a giant mixing bowl on it. Daniel wrote me a sweet card.

MOVING DAY!!!! We had the most awesome friends and family in the world who came and helped us move. To my parents, Will's parents, Julie & Charlie, Monica, Abby, Joe, and Jeremy . . . Thank you, thank you, thank you, all!!

My sweet friend Abby packed up our pantry and discovered that we have a whopping 7 containers of oats. Oh my goodness.

Another thing our new house has - poison ivy. And not just any poison ivy - giant poison ivy.

Daniel's costume for Mary Poppins arrived in the mail! We are still waiting on Annika's arrival, but hers is coming from the U.K.

Daniel's completely unpacked room! Annika's is still a work in progress. 

Daniel was very proud to blow up this giant inflatable gecko all by himself. Thank you, Amy W.!

Annika went to her very first 4-H camp last week!! My sweet friend Abby drove her there with other girls. I was nervous but Annika reported that it was positively awesome, she loved everyone in her cabin, and she hopes that next year everything can be exactly the same because it was so much fun.

Annika & Eden.

Annika, Rachael, & Emma.

We had the most wonderful time this Friday night with a CAUMC pool party!! We had 13 families over and it was an absolute blast. I can't wait to do it again, especially since we were missing Annika and a few others due to 4-H camp. Abby and Kim came over ahead of time to help clean the patio and outdoor toilet to get ready - thank you!! Great evening.

On Saturday morning, my friend Christine and I ran a 5K race, then our family (minus Annika) headed to Kansas City for our dear friend Karen's pool party/housewarming/wedding shower. It was great to see her and we got to see both sets of Will's parents, too. 

Sunday was Father's Day, officially, but between 4-H camp pick-up and VBS preparation and beginning, we did not have much time to actually celebrate much. We have declared Sunday, July 5th to be Make Up Father's Day.

VBS!!! This started at our church last night and it is a blast. We have 76 kids registered - a new record! Will is one of the people in charge of science, and I am in charge of drama. The kids rotate through drama, science, music, recreation, and art. VBS at our church is in the evening, Sunday through Thursday nights, and also includes dinner beforehand. It is an awesome way for us to all really come together as a church family.  

What have you been up to this summer??

Day 5 of Disney - Epcot

Yesterday was the final day of our Disney Theme Park adventure - Epcot! It did not disappoint. The kids each declared it "The best Disney park!" and Daniel gave it "20 stars out of 10!!" We loved the food, the themes, and the rides. Highly recommended!

Arriving at the park, late as usual.

Our first ride - The Universe of Energy. This is a slow-moving ride that shows the history and future of energy, featuring Ellen Degeneres. As the ride announced multiple times, it was 37 minutes long. We all enjoyed it.

Next up - our first Fast Pass, for Spaceship Earth! You ride inside the giant ball and learn about the history and future of knowledge.

Designing an ideal future.

We headed over to The Seas area next.

The first ride is a theme on Finding Nemo, where you ride on a giant clamshell.

At the end, there is an aquarium with all kinds of animals - sharks, fish, and this cool eel below.

We then headed over to "Journey Into Imagination," another peaceful ride, this time featuring the dragon Figment and the five senses.

At the end, there were all kinds of displays to play on, including making music by waving your hands.

Our final Fast Pass was for the awesome ride Soarin', which is just like the ride in California Adventures. It truly feels like you are flying over the California countryside. This was the favorite ride for 3 out of 4 of us (Annika loved Test Track, which we did at the end of the night).

Next year - The Land!

We watched the movie "Circle of Life," which is a conservation movie featuring the characters from The Lion King.

Living with the Land was a really cool boat ride that featured a tour through greenhouses and showing all kinds of vegetables and flowers growing.

The greenhouse!

We then got ready to head into the World Showcase area and discovered something really cool - a Phineas and Ferb Scavenger Hunt!! We received a phone that gave us interactive clues. We did this for Mexico and China and it was so much fun!!

We used lots of our snack credits in the World Showcase area - churros from Mexico.

Mexico.

One of the most awesome parts of the scavenger hunt - we found this skeleton in the Mexico area, and he came to life with singing and dancing after we activated our scavenger hunt phone! We totally were not expecting that and the kids were delighted.

Boat ride in Mexico, featuring both videos and animatronic dolls.

Norway! Home of absolutely delicious pastries.

China! We did another awesome scavenger hunt here, including saying a code word to one of the workers and receiving a fortune cookie with a clue in return. ;)

Germany.

We stopped for a (non-alcoholic) drink break.

Italy.

America. Our non-adventurous kids opted to eat here for their dinner. ;)

Japan!

Morocco!

France! Will and I had a delicious dinner here and we all enjoyed the delicious pastries for a snack/dessert.

The U.K.

It's almost impossible to tell, but below is Canada. ;)

Epcot had Extra Magic Hours from 9-11 p.m. last night for guests staying on Disney property, and we decided to go for it and stay the extra two hours, because why not? We went on Spaceship Earth again, this time with only a 5-minute wait. We also had a blast playing some of the games at the end of the ride, including a cooperative game involving trying to power a city.

Artwork from within the ride. Will and Annika are showing off that they are the only ones in our family who can roll their tongues. ;)

Test Track!! We could either receive a Fast Pass for Soarin' or Test Track and had decided on Soarin', but at the end of the night decided to see if we could go on Test Track. Daniel opted to skip it so Will stayed with him, but Annika and I hopped in the single rider line. This is a super cool ride where you design a car, and then ride through on a track with all kinds of twists and turns and see how your car does. The best part was when we went outside in our open-air car at 65 mph and took the turn on the side of the car. Really cool and Annika's favorite ride!

Finally, since there was time and "only" a 30-minute wait, we opted to ride Soarin' again. It did not disappoint and I think was even better the second time.

What a wonderful day!! We would highly recommend Epcot and hope to come back sometime. We are heading back to Kansas this afternoon and are so grateful for this magical week to all just hang out together.