Two Big Projects Done!

So, Michael had this last week off of work and we worked hard and got two big projects done: we put up wainscoting in our dining room (we decided we would do this as a project for each other as both of our Christmas gifts this year); and we cleaned out and organized the basement so that all of the storage items got moved into the two smaller rooms in the basement and the larger room is now set up as a play room for the boys (which will be a fun Christmas gift from us to the boys, as long as we can keep it a surprise until then). He dining room took a little longer than we expected – just lots of detailed cutting, painting, etc. involved – but it turned out quite nice looking and we were pleased when we finished. And the basement play room will be so fun for the boys – it has rugs laid out on the floor, a couple of couches and some comfy chairs so there is plenty of seating for us and friends, a space heater that we put down there last night that is doing a good job of keeping it comfortably warm down there (plus that should help with the possibility of the pipes freezing down there this winter, and it may also be a little helpful with keeping the rest of the house warm too since hot air rises), two of those plastic climbing cubes with slides that I found on craigslist this summer, all of the boys little tricycles and riding cars, a basketball hoop and ball, a plastic tool bench, (and the lego table will go down there, along with all of their sets of toys when we move them down there too), a little rug with a road design to drive cars and trucks on, a wooden rocking horse, their little white table and their colored plastic lawn chairs that we had in the back yard this summer, and the two swings that we brought in from the swing set and drilled into the wood ceiling beams in the basement. And with all that there is still plenty of space left for them to ride their bikes and cars in circles around the pole in the middle of the room. After seeing how excited they got for the swing set in the back yard this summer, I just know they are going to love this playroom. (And what’s nice is that most of the things down there were free or very inexpensive, or they were things we already happened to have, so other than the hours of work we spent setting it all up, it was not a very expensive project – so even though we couldn’t get the basement finished yet with carpeting, dry walled ceilings, and paint, we can still use that space and the kids will have a ball down there). Michael and I are both so excited for them to use the playroom – we just can’t wait! Well, I know I haven’t posted photos to the blog for a while now (and I usually like to try to catch up and keep it somewhat chronological, but I just had to jump ahead and post a few pictures of the dining room and the play room).