backyard camping

Friday night we "camped" in the backyard. It's the only way to camp when you're nine months pregnant and have a one year old.

We went into the night with hopeful (though very low) expectations. Ivar was wired. He kicked his legs around like a donkey, diving into the sleeping bags and thermarests while yelling, "Mama! Daddo!" He laughed and screamed and in time, four of our neighbors had come over to see what kind of party we had going on in our backyard.

At 10:30 he still hadn't really settled down. We read our books, and he dove over our bellies laughing and saying our names as if to say, "Mama Daddo! What on earth are we doing? I am delirious tired and you still haven't put me to bed and we're all together and I love it!"

A bit before 11:00 Rory and I pretended to be asleep and Ivar lay between us. And then I felt a tiny finger go up my nose and heard Ivar say, "hello, nose."

We laughed so hard. And Ivar started kicking his legs again, force laughing and yelling, "Mama! Daddo!" I think that's about when we gave up on the idea that we might all sleep together in the tent that night.

I actually did fall asleep and at some point Rory took Ivar into his crib.

I slept soundly until 1:00 when I had to use the restroom for the fourth time. And then we decided we had nothing to prove and moved into our bed. I was achy the next day, but actually was surprisingly comfortable out there with my four pillows propping my back, belly, knees and head.

raspberry season

Earlier this week I gave Ivar a few raspberries to try and showed him where I picked them.

He didn't forget.

Now, when we go outside, he walks right over to the patch and helps himself. He does a decent job picking the ripe berries, but it doesn't really matter if the berry is fully red yet or not. And it doesn't matter if the stem is still on it when he picks. He eats it all and mmmm's while he feasts.

summertime

sold!

Well that was fast. They didn't even have time to put the "real" for sale sign in the front yard!'

We put our house on the market at 2:00 on Saturday and had two showings on Sunday, three on Monday and one on Tuesday. By Sunday night we had two credible offers. Quite the great situation to be in. Made me wonder if we were getting rid of the best house in the world.

Yesterday afternoon we sat down with our realtor, made our selection and signed our names and initials many, many times. And just like that, our house is sold.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am that we will not have to show this house for weeks and months. It cleans up easily enough, but Ivar is a champion at touching every glass surface in between showings, taking treasures from one room and putting them in the next, undoing all that was just done. I feel so fortunate that we can just live here again... with our kitchen garbage can out of the cupboard, laptops left out, and the high chair put back by the kitchen table.

So that's our good news! Thanks for helping us spread the word. Next on the summer to do list: have a baby.

For Sale!

We did it. I cannot believe how much we accomplished in seven days. Every room, corner and drawer has been tackled. And our house looks incredible. Makes it hard to put on the market! My tip of the week: for anyone inspired to work on your own home, go get yourself some new accent pillows. They are an easy way to add a little something something to a room. :) 

molly maids and a day full of grace

Yesterday we hired Molly Maids to come and attack our house. They were $80 an hour for two cleaners and then towards the end, a third cleaner showed up too to help finish the basement. It was worth every single penny. I am not receiving any perks for writing a blog post raving about them, but for the record, I would endorse their service with a television commercial if I could. I was so excited when my house was cat hair free, rid of plastered banana on the wall and smelled like the bleach and chlorine you smell at a health club. I told Rory it almost made me want to join a gym. That's such a good smell.

So check them out. The oven has NEVER looked so spotless (stove top included!) and they moved every single piece of furniture to vacuum and mop every inch of floor. Wiped down the walls, vacuumed the heat registers...I could go on and on. Obviously, I already am.

And then today Rory put on the second coat of paint on the porch floor, but it is going to need a third coat now...so our "house on the market" date has been postponed one more day. Oh thank goodness. The extra accessorizing of our house is taking lots and lots of trips to Marshalls, our own basement storage of home decor and to other people's homes to gather and collect the right pillows, vases and furniture. The extra day due to the paint on the porch was like a little present for me. I will gladly take it.

So that's our life right now. All consuming cleaning and staging and boxing things up. Next week I am planning a getaway to my inlaws where I will watch obscene amounts of HGTV while sitting sedentary on the couch watching other people work their tails off as they get their houses ready to sell. I can't wait.

so much getting done

It is unbelievable how listing your house suddenly necessitates the completion of every single project on the "to do someday" list. Like this picture from our wedding day. For six years we have moved this print around, always intending to get it framed. We looked into matting but it just felt too expensive and somehow another year would pass.

But with the house going on the market, we needed some bedroom art. And after a quick trip to Michaels and a $35 frame with matting included, we now have the wall art that we have been putting off for years.

Crazy.

We are utterly exhausted. The house looks incredible. Rory's dad is here now washing our windows. Rory is about to paint the porch floor. We had cleaners here today and the house sparkles. They hit every single room so that our next step is to add the little special touches to each corner before the photographer comes tomorrow.  We list on Friday morning and hopefully then we can rest this weekend. Like at a Barnes & Noble, because so many people want to come and see our house. :)

a sad goodbye

We said goodbye to Toonces yesterday and took him to the humane society. It was so sad. He has been a faithful sidekick for six years. We got him just a few months after we were married.

The crazy thing is that we both knew it was time to find him a new home, even before we found our new home. Our move really had little to do with his departing from our family. It had more to do with our growing family, wanting Rory's brothers to be able to come over without having their throats swell up and wanting a tidier house. He shed a lot.

Rory drove him to the humane society and only got a few blocks away before I called crying that they needed to come back because I hadn't held him while saying goodbye. (You can imagine any fifth grader behaving the same way.) And my sweet husband turned the jeep around and let me come and fall apart in the front seat, holding Toonces, who was very indifferent to the swell of emotions that held him. And then they left.

Rory said the drop off went well. The lady said that because of his age, proper litter box usage and the fact that he is good with kids that she though he would be adopted very quickly. I am sure she says that to every owner, but I am choosing to believe her words.

we're selling our house

Oh how we love this house. Adore this house. It is the perfect South Minneapolis home...complete with a front porch, lots of windows and the best neighbors we could ever imagine. This move is sudden...we found another home with three bedrooms that I'll talk about in another post on another day. But things are moving quickly and we are planning on listing this house by the end of the week.

It breaks my heart though. All the memories stored up in every room. We began our marriage in this house, learning to live together, working things out. We brought a teeny tiny Ivar home to this house and rocked him on the porch and took countless family walks to the lake. We have utilized the laundry shoot with great joy (going to miss that feature so much!) and played hard in the back yard.

Most of all we have been loved by the neighbors who surround us. Moving away from our neighbors is the very hardest part to swollow. We have been well cared for and looked after and we will miss our neighbors so, so much.

All this to say, we are sad to go. And hope and pray for a great new owner to start their own sweet season enjoying the sun porch, gardens and laundry shoot. If you, or anyone you know is looking for a move, interested in the South Minneapolis area (we're one block from Minnehaha Creek and four blocks from Lake Harriet) and would like to take a look at one charming and fantastic home, drop us a line at: beccagroves (at) gmail.com

Toonces is still looking for a home...

Last call for Toonces. On Monday we will take him to the Humane Society. If you know of anyone who would love a super great cat, please let us know. We posted on Craigslist yesterday and hopefully something will come together.

All of the details about Toonces can be found here.

We sure are going to miss him. He's such a great cat.

shish-kabobs

I made shish-kabobs for supper tonight for my first time. They were divine. I think the grill was invented just for shish kabobs.

After we were done eating, Rory asked that I put the recipe on my blog "for easy access for next time." So here it is, from Cooks.com

Kabob Marinade

1 1/2 c. salad oil
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. mustard
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together. Place sauce in glass bowl and add cubed meat: up to 3 large sirloin or round steaks or chicken. Can be marinated several hours.

 

Kabobs: Chicken, steak, pineapple, green pepper, mushrooms, onion, cherry tomatoes.

**We were out of propane, so our kabobs actually sat in the marinade for 48 hours. And they were so full of flavor!

And a tip: I remember from a cooking show I watched one time (I have watched many) that they suggested to keep like items on each skewer so that each item can be cooked to its perfect char. So I put all the tomatoes on two skewers, all the pineapple on three skewers, all the meat and onions on their own skewers etc... And this was really helpful for easy grilling. Everything was perfect.

it's strawberry season!

Oh my word. Went strawberry picking yesterday for my very first time. Every year I want to get out berry picking but I always seem to miss the window. But this year I hit it right on. And it was amazing. Heidi and I got about ten feet down the row before our boxes were full...the berries were everywhere. We were at Silkey Gardens in Northfield and I will for sure return to this place in two weeks for raspberries and another week after that for blueberries.

And not only did I hit strawberry season, but I got down and picked strawberries 8 1/2 months pregnant. With Heidi, who is 7 1/2 months pregnant. I believe we were quite the sight!

Now I have to decide what to make with them, though I'm not totally convinced there will be any left to make anything with, the way we (Ivar in the lead) have been inhaling them.

around here: garden edition

Around here our roses are spectacular. We do nothing to care for these poor bushes and yet they continue to impress.

 Around here we have four varieties of lettuce as well as spinach for literal fresh garden salads.

Around here our gardens are growing...potatoes sprung up between the two square beds. Obviously they were planted there, but it is clear that Rory is looking for every bit of possible garden space to plant more produce.

 Around here the snow peas are flowering, and they are beautiful.

 Around here we are growing carrots like Peter Rabbit. This will be quite the harvest.

 Our radishes are looking healthy. er...I guess I mean beats...

 And so are the potatoes.

And finally, around here our raspberries are beginning to ripen! I ate this one the second after I took its picture. Can't wait for raspberries on my cereal again.