June 3: Getting Settled In

We are getting settled into our summer home here in San Francisco. My mom has graciously given us her bedroom to use because she has a sun porch attached and the double room is perfect for us and the boys. The sun porch has been my mom’s “secret” room for the last 8 years. No one has really ever gone out there, probably because it was filled with sewing machines and patterns…and half finished projects J As soon as my mom offered the use of her room, John went to work. (Side note, My mom’s house is an early 1900’s SF row house that my great-great grandpa built. Ever since John first laid eyes on the place he has had visions of renovations dancing in his head.) The sun porch got a new coat of paint to match my mom’s actual room. The old carpet was ripped up and a beautiful new floor was put in. The tile ceiling was reduced to its original glory, and fresh coat of paint makes it look stunning. The sewing supplies were boxed up and marked and sent to the basement. Then John moved the bed on to the sun porch and kept a chest and a simple desk in there as well. New window treatments and the room looks like something out of restoration hardware. Nice work babe!

The actual room part was next. John ripped up the carpet (and found beautiful hardwood floors in great shape!) and added new outlet covers to match the new door hardware…which matches the new dresser hardware. We brought up the toy bin from Libby’s old room and filled it with the boys’ toys. An additional book case from Ikea and two “road map” carpets and it looks like a bonafide “boys” room. Cohen is sleeping in a pack n play, but for Carter we had to get a little creative. He no longer fits in a pack n play, but he had just started sleeping in his big boy bed at home. We didn’t want to purchase a toddler bed or a twin bed because after we leave my mom has no use for it. We were not sure what we were going to do…until I was looking in one of the many children’s catalogs that I get and I found a perfect solution: a kids air mattress! It is a blow up air mattress that comes with a pump and carrying bag. It’s the size of a twin mattress and the way it is designed the sheet and blankets can tuck into the sides. But the best feature by far is the “bumpers.” As the mattress blows up so do two bumpers along each side so as to keep our Mr. Roller on his bed all night long! It is perfect and Carter actually loves it. So far the boys have done great sleeping in the same room….we will see how long that actually lasts!

Other things on John’s agenda this summer include: Clearing out the kitchen and organizing it, organizing the dining room to make it more functional, and last but not least: Backyard Overhaul! (More on that later).

Have I mentioned how eager John has been to get his hands on this house??!!