Oh Buckets

Once upon a time and a long, long time ago when I was pregnant with Mr Blue Eyes, Handy Man and I decided to re-side our little house on the prairie by our selves. Not because we enjoyed manual labor - although being 7 months pregnant, standing on a ladder holding siding could have caused me to go into labor - but because we were a cheap thrifty DIY couple, we sided our house by our selves. After hanging all of the siding, we had to caulk all of the joints and cuts in the new siding. Then we painted over the siding.
~The End.


Last weekend was beautiful. I spent the majority of the day Saturday out in the barn. Organizing first aid supplies, cleaning the paddock, attempting to grade my new arena - which was not very successful because it is January... in Colorado... and the ground is frozen. But I sure did enjoy getting back on that tractor. I missed feeling the farm girl alive in my veins.

I knew this week's weather forecast was calling for snow.

I no longer have fifty foot runs off the back side of my stalls. Runs that had water tanks at the ends that we would fill up and sink fancy water heaters in them.

I do have a fancy new automatic waterer now. But it's outside... in the paddock.

The dread of frozen water buckets flooded my mind. Oh, how I despise frozen water buckets.

It was a beautiful day. A good enough day to wash some old buckets and get ready for the snow that would be coming in just two days. I rummaged though the barn and as I was counting my buckets I came across one of my fancy purple buckets... caked with some kind of hard, white, goop.

Son-of-a-... who would have... HANDY MAN!

So, I asked him.

So remember that time we (see the above story) caulked the house? Well, we used that there beautiful purple HORSE bucket in the process. I am just guessing here... but I don't think it was really washed out properly and was instead allowed to dry.  

His suggestion, "Just use a different bucket." Geesh why didn't I think of that?!?!

Once upon a time, I used to have many buckets...

Back in the barn, I only counted 6 buckets.

I have 5 horses. (6-5 = 1)

I hate taking each bucket down, refilling it, then replacing it. It's much easier to have a community bucket to fill and dump, fill and dump.

But if I just use a different bucket and I only have 6 buckets, and I have 5 horses and I want to use one for filling and dumping... Oh, hell, I am too tired for a math problem.

Do you know how long it takes to clean caulk out of a bucket after it has cured for 2 years?

... about 20-30 minutes. Scrubbing. Scraping. Finding random possible tools in your barn because you are too frustrated to walk all the way to the garage to find something else.

Here is what I had to work with...

An old toilet brush re-assigned to clean water tanks.
An old food scraper-brush-thing also re-assigned to clean water tanks.
A hoof pick.
And some sort of a hose clamp.

I am an Equine MacGyver. You should see what I can do with bailing twine!

After 15 minutes, maybe more...

Cussing and scraping...

Scraping and cussing.

Voila!

 

For the record, should there me a "next time" I will take Handy Man's advice and just use a different bucket.  

And it will be shiny and NEW from my local feed store. 

And it will be heated so that I do not have to break ice in the winter. 

DIY Deep End

It's funny. You spend all this time searching for a new home that will meet all of your needs and the first thing you do once you sign on that dotted line is make a list of all changes that you need to make once you move in.

That's us. Handy Man and I no sooner walked out of the title company's doors and I headed right to the local big box home improvement store to buy paint. We had a whole game plan that first weekend. Our must do list of projects before we moved in.

1) Tear out three of the four - I am not exaggerating -hideous tiled sections in the master bedroom.

2) Paint kids' rooms

3) Paint master bedroom before Monday (we closed on a Friday)

4) New carpet in master bedroom

5) Paint hideous orange/red master bathroom.

6) Unload all our crap

The guys were in charge of the master bedroom demo and I was in charge of painting... there was a lot of painting.

There really is only one way to demo tile - or anything for that matter - just dig right in and start breaking stuff. My father-in-law took the honors of making the first swing with the sledge hammer. Tile chards went flying.

This tear out was weighing heavy on the guys' minds. They had three days to get it all out before the carpet company came. With carpet scheduled, our timeline depended on how much of a hassle this tear out would be.

No sooner did I get my paint supplies situated and was ready to start prepping the oak wood trim I was painting over, I was called to the master bedroom. The guys were almost half way done with the main bedroom area.

It was to our advantage that the previous owners had obviously not hired professionals for this job. The tiles came up with little effort.

Some friends of ours (and now new neighbors), Mike and Audrey, stopped by to bring us a tall ladder for painting the vaulted ceilings. They were amazed at how easy the tile was going. With a twinkle in his eye, Mike asked if he could "break one." I chuckled and said, "Have at it!" I went back to my painting.

Mike and Audrey nestled right in to the walk-in closet. Mike hammered away at the tile and Audrey disposed of the pieces.

I was ever so grateful for the help, but I scolded them non the less. They didn't need to be chipping out tile for us. Retired, I think Mike enjoyed the opportunity for the project.

Eventually Mike and Audrey met Handy Man and my father-in-law in the middle.

In just two hours, all of the tile was gone. The guys were flabbergasted. They had anticipated it taking them all back-breaking weekend to tear out the tile. A little final chipping at some of the left over globs of grout, the master bedroom was ready for carpet - on day one.

I, on the other hand, was barely getting started. I sent the guys outside to start working on unloading the trailer.

Painting...

The weekend agenda included prepping and painting over the old oak trim, painting the ceilings in all of the bedrooms, painting Mr Blue Eyes' room the same color as the last house (since it matches his bedding of course) and giving our Brown Eyed Girl a very purple room.

Throughout our home buying adventures, one thing has remained the same. Our Brown Eyed Girl wanted a purple room in her new house. Purple is her favorite color. While we searched for the perfect shade of purple, I leaned towards the paler shades while my Brown Eyed Girl went right for the deepest grape color she could find.

Regardless, I got to make the final choice. However, I couldn't help but remember my own youth. My sister and I were always aloud to choose the color we wanted our rooms. However, my parents would then choose the lightest possible shade of that color and that was what you would get. Unless you were looking down at the white baseboards, you couldn't tell what color your room was.

Handy Man and I both agreed - it's just paint. I wasn't willing to cave on the dark grape, but we did let her pick a darker purple.

I'll admit I was a little shocked at first at the contrast of the purple. Either way, I knew my Purple Princess THE Tangled would adore it.

This was a before picture, oak trim and all.

And after...

I really liked how her dark furniture looked with the purple. I couldn't wait to show my Brown Eyed Girl her new room.

While I inhaled paint fumes, Handy Man worked on unloading the trailer. 

He also worked on a few miscellaneous items that needed addressed right away. Like...

... setting up the new flat screen TV and positioning the couch - which was not going to stay there. Priorities.

He also fixed a couple of leaks under the sinks, fixed the tub drain, re-caulked all the bathtubs, replaced the 1978 ceiling fans and a few other honey-do's.

By Sunday, the kids' rooms were all done. I moved into the master bedroom. My wonderful mom came over and helped me by painting our walk-in-closet.

Sunday was also the first day that the kids came over to the new house. My Brown Eyed Girl wanted to jump tight in and start painting. With a brush in hand and a firm warning to be careful, she dug right in helping Grandma.

Thank goodness we didn't have to worry about spills and flooring.

I also got new baseboards thanks to Handy Man.

While we all worked, Mr Blue Eyes wandered around, just watching. I don't think he knew quite what to think.

Of all the projects, the walk-in closet ended up being the biggest pain in our rumps - well at least for my mom. Can you believe it took her 8 hours to paint this little room? But all those shelves...

She could hardly lift her arm above her head the next morning to apply her deodorant.But God bless her because I would have never gotten it all done in time for the new carpet.

While she slaved away in a poorly ventilated closet, I turned this...

... into this!

Okay, so I can't take credit for the carpet guys' work. The results were so much more relaxing than the old red southwestern tile.

While Handy Man and I assembled beds and arranged dressers in the bedrooms, the two greatest moms put together the kitchen for us. Wiped down the the cabinets. Cut to fit and applied new shelf paper and liners. Emptied box after box.

Saints!

By the time the bedrooms were all set up and the curtains were hung, I was fresh out of brush strokes. I put off the master bathroom for another day. I did manage to make one last small improvement to the kids' bathroom - out with the old and in with the new.

Amazing what just a new shower curtain can do for a bathroom.

Our DIY home improvements have not ended here. The list is growing every day.

Landscaping projects. Retaining walls. Raised flower beds. Handmade patio seating. Painting the family room & kitchen. Finishing the basement including adding a 4th bedroom. Addition to the barn. Fencing work. Sprinkler system. Refinish the deck. Play house for the kids... The list goes on!

We can't wait.

Orange Slices

I have never been a huge candy or chocolate person. I know. Weirdo.

But if by chance my sweet tooth gets the best of me, I usually go for some of these. Sweet, soft, sugary coated orange slices.

When I was a little girl, my Grandpa used to call us the week before we were planning to visit. He would tell us he couldn't wait to see us and then he would ask us a few very important questions.

What kind of cereal would you and your sister like to eat while you are here?

The magical part about this phone call was that we could ask for anything we wanted. We could ask for the most unhealthy, sugary concoction imaginable that our parents never would buy us. He would say okay, no doubt making his list on the other end. When we got there... everything we asked for was waiting for us. And more!

We always asked for Fruity Pebbles.

Or Captain Crunch.

Loaded with sugar.

He always had our favorite ice cream flavor and all of the toppings like chocolate syrup, caramel topping and whip cream or cool whip. Fudgesicles. Popsicles. Chocolate milk. Everything we asked for. 

On top of everything, he would strategically place large candy jars all around the house. Every one filled to the brim with candy corns, peanut M&M's, suckers, and orange slices. Always an entire candy dish filled with orange slices.

Our parents would ride us all week about staying out of the candy dishes. They would even try putting the candy dishes up on top of the fridge to cut us off. To which our Grandpa would just take the candy jars down, return them to their spots and refill each one to the brim again. 

An entire week in a sugar induced coma. 

An entire week of promoting cavities and false teeth.

Stock Show Time

January. January is more than just the first month of the new year. January is a special time of year for anyone with agriculture racing in their veins. January in Colorado is Stock Show season. Horse shows. 4-H projects. Stock Yards. Trade fair. Corn dogs, funnel cakes and dippen dots. Cowboys. Sheep sheering. Rodeos. Mutton busting. Tractors and Trailers.

I honestly can not remember a single year that I have missed attending the Stock Show since I have had my driver's license.

The atmosphere is the same every year. However, the experiences have changed over time. In high school and college, my girlfriends and I spent every waking moment wandering the isles in our painted on Wranglers chasing cowboys. Somewhere between the end of my college years and my adulthood, I started paying a lot more attention to the four legged attendees. I could spend hours watching good horses run through the pen all day long.

The last few years, my Stock Show adventures have been split between the petting zoo and Pony Trails. 

My kids eat it up.

Last year Mr Blue Eyes really didn't engage very much - he was too little. But this year, he and his sister were like little explorers. They sat on every stuffed horse they could.

Although having to share with Sissy was not his idea of fun. His independence is beginning to 'blossom.'

He didn't like the idea of sitting behind Sissy, since on the real horses he always gets the driver's seat. 

He refused to smile. He tried to convince me that Sissy had cooties when I told him to hold on tight.

Of course my Brown Eyed Girl was in heaven. Real horse or fake - it was a horse. 

Mr Blue Eyes did get a kick out of the cut-out photo boards.

Mr Cowboy Blue Eyes.

Mr Show Jumper Blue Eyes.

Mr Saddle Bronc Blue Eyes.

Of course when brother appears to be having fun and getting attention...

Brown Eyed Girl Bronc Rider

Brown Eyed Girl Polo Player

Brown Eyed Girl Show Jumper

We test drove a lot of saddles...

Our Stock Show adventure would not have been complete without a trip to the petting farm. 

Where there are goats... lots of goats. 

Cute baby goats (who unfortunately become head butting adult goats. Sorry kids, we will not be taking any goats home with us. Mommy is not a fan.)

There were wooly soft sheep. 

A couple pot belly pigs.

...who had baby pot belly pigs that like scratched behind their ears like a dog does. 

And this big thing...

... that sat very still. In fact, I am pretty sure Mr Blue Eyes either didn't think it was real or was so extremely comfortable around all of these animals that he could have cared less that this Lama could have taken an arm if he wanted.

Ahhh the goats... he loved petting the goats. Sorry kid.

 
I thought this little cutie was adorable. A baby miniature donkey. I would load this one up in the truck today! Though Handy Man would make me turn around and return him that very evening.

This year they had little buckets full of brushes so you could brush the animals. My Brown Eyed Girl thought this was the best part of the day. 

The other things she really liked were these two ducks in the little pen with the baby pot belly pigs. 

She informed me that she really, really wanted baby ducks. She reminded me we even had a place for the ducks to live - the previous owners had geese. They built this little pen with a little house and had sunken a couple shallow water tanks for swimming pools.

Ducks...

I have raised ducks before. They are very, very cute as babies. However as adults, ducks are SO dirty. They muck up all the water, poop all over the place, make a mess of their food... I told her I would think about it.

Of course the hugged me dramatically and said, "Oooohhh thank you Mommy. I loooove you Mommy." I said think about it! Good grief... 

I love sharing the Stock Show each year with my kids. I love that they are given the opportunity to touch different kinds of animals, see big cows up close and see all the different kinds of draft horses and watch the horse shows. I am thinking they might be old enough to sit though the rodeo next year.

I can hardly wait!