Renos, roof leaks and preventable diseases...

So our basement apartment didn't get rented this month so we decided we'd do some much needed renos... Last time we did this, we changed all the carpets to click flooring which really woke up the place.  This time around, we are going all out, even though we really don't have the money to go all out.  Most of what we decided to do really kind of needed to be done if we wanted some semi decent tenants down there.  We had our old tenant there for close to two years and we really liked him so we're hoping that our next tenants are going to be just as nice and sadly, since our apartment kind of looked like crap before the last tenant, we had a lot of crap tenants so we figure if we class up the place a little, the class of the people that come to live with us will improve as well... I'm sorry if that's a little crass but I have to believe that all the taping, cutting, taping, and cleaning I've been doing all weekend instead of spending time with my kids is worth something.  I was telling Gabe that the reason I hate it so much is because it doesn't really advantage me in the end, I don't get to enjoy the finish product and most likely the people who move in won't appreciate all the work I put in because they're not the ones who put the work in... There are so many things I'd like to change in our own house but since it's all beautifying work I'd do, it's not a priority on our list of "where should we spend money"...  To add to our savings dwindling down the drain of our basement apartment, we discovered that our roof was leaking!  It needed to be done and we had planned on doing it in the spring when we had a little more cash flow (although with the 2000$/month daycare fee, cash won't really be flowing then either...haha) but now we have to do it before the spring as the snow will melt and that won't be pretty.   Nag nag nag I know but I'm a little miffed tonight so that's what you'll get... all this talk and I haven't even talked about the boys yet!  Who cares about the adult problems, we'll figure it out, we always do!  Anyone know Mike Holmes personally??  We could use his help :)

Pics of our work downstairs...

Gabe had a lot of patching work to do

His contraption for spray painting the baseboard heaters that he should have done outside because I'm pretty sure the boys and I got a high upstairs! 

We had a big fluorescent light (can you say school classroom?) that NEEDED TO GO

Gabe did the patch work and Winston did the electrical

Yeah! Painting... how fun! 

Not much new to report about the boys actually haha... Jacob and Samuel are standing without support more and more so as soon as they get stable, the walking will come so I think within a month we'll have our first walker!  Eeeekkk!!!   They were sick with a cold this week so we had to cancel our play dates so with that and the crappy weather we didn't get to go out much.  We did get to spend some time with my mom and we went on our weekly walk date with Alicia and her twin girls Piper and Phoebe who are just getting so big!!  I love those walks with Alicia as I get to exercise and gossip with a bff.  

Speaking of exercise... I have to confess that I've been lying to myself in thinking that I was back to living a healthy lifestyle... I've been off the wagon, yet again, but I got a big slap in the face this week.  My aunt is very sick in the hospital and most likely won't be part of our living world for much longer and it's so sad.  Most of what is making her so sick would have been preventable and since both sides of my family have history of diabetes and all sorts of other mostly preventable illnesses I'm not immune.  My aunt, if and when she goes, will leave behind a daughter and that makes me saddest of all.  I think that's what has hit me pretty hard.  If I don't start taking care of myself, like not just pretending but actually doing it, my boys might lose me way earlier than necessary for something I could have prevented.  They will be a year old in TWO WEEKS and I'm still way above my pre-preggo weight.  Yes, I'm busy blah blah blah but it's not excuse to eat beige for two weeks!  My sister, who lost about 75 lbs in total since her pregnancies is one of my motivations but my biggest is my kids.  How stupid would it be to die of diabetes or another preventable disease that I got from being unhealthy?  It stops now, you're all my witnesses... I know I've said that before but this time I'm pretty sure I mean it... I borrowed a spin bike that I plan on using nightly and since weight loss is 80% food, I'll be focusing on that too.  Food has been an addiction of mine for as long as I can remember and like any other addiction, it's tough to beat but it's beatable so here I go again for the nth time...

I'm sorry for my blog being so selfish this week, more on the boys next week I promise!  Here are some pics of the week, mostly of my children :)

They love this little house and I love seeing them in just their diapers! 

Playing in the leaves

So tired...

LET US OUT!!!  

This was happening while I was trying to make them a lunch... Zachary is in the back crying as well.  

They also love trying to all fit in this little play car

Boys cuddling up with Maman while watching some Toc Toc Toc

He was sleeping so we put him in the park so his brothers wouldn't bother him

Jacob LOVES playing with the car seats

Samuel has started holding on to facecloths and sucking his thumb.  

SO CUTE!!!!

Just one more

Sick little Jacob who napped really badly all week, he just wanted to be on us

Sharing some water

Samuel wanted his turn

Zachary and Jacob having some cuddles with Mamie

Jacob's face is full of paint from him biting his crib... figuring out a solution this week

Jacob is about to fall in

This is Jacob looking at himself in the mirror, he and Sam love this

Little boy in a shelving cube

He loves taking all the clothes out

Zachary playing with cousin Gabrielle

All the kids together... This is when it got solidified that we weren't having any more kids...lol

Lazy pyjama Sunday

Jacob spotted my abacus under the changing table

Couldn't get it

He fell out of the car... They still don't understand the concept of a door

Samuel playing with Daddy

Samuel is telling us that he's ready for bed

I was giving Samuel a bath and his brothers got jealous so we put them all in.  This time it went much better than when I did it alone! How cute are they??

Have a good week y'all!! xox