2011-11-28

Mommy's wishing list:D

 This is kinda weird for me to express what I want. We usually didn't celebrate Christmas in Viet Nam. But Cayce wants me to blog about something I might want.So here's something I'm interested in :P

   For reference only:D

an updated post

 This is Avi's blogging..finally I have sometime off to write something(and logging onto Blogger without Proxy website)
 First of all,I have to admit,it hasn't been a productive couple of weeks. I didn't take a lot of photos,the weather was gloomy so Belle spent a lot of time sleeping also.:P She could easily sleep from 10pm to 10am the next morning or even 11am O_o...then have a nap from 1h30 or 2pm-4pm...(now I understand why bears spend their winter sleeping, its enjoyable:D)
 But I do manage to take a couple shots. As I try to turn Belle's interest into western food with cereal,milk, pasta and burger. She was expert at Vietnamese's seafood. And amazingly, she finishes 1l of cow milk in 2 days, and a box of cereal in a week. Its quite a taste kind of cereal with dried papaya, peach, apple and raisin.
 Here is some picture from her eating cereal
  In this picture, she's having cereal for breakfast. And she did wear an underwear:"> Because she loveeeeeeeeees wearing nothing at all, so as much as I tried, I can put on an undies,after she peed:">
  This is the box of cereal:D, look yummy from the first look:P.I did enjoy it too, but she finished it fast hehe
  A trip to Big C, and she recognize her favorite right away.
 Eyeing her milk to go with the cereal:)
 Today she was abit  lazy at the shopping trip, so I can't  film her pulling the shopping card and picking things from the shelves.:D
 Besides from the new foods, i just got her a new toys, its 100 pcs wooden bricks, so she can build whatever she wants ( she recognizes it as similar to what her friend Pingu has, so she is really excited to have the same thing):)
 Here is the view she's building her own
  And here are pictures that Belle took herself, after she built something and said tah dah:D


   :D Its time for me to put her to bed. It takes quite a long time to upload just a couple of pictures. So let end with a self-take picture she took of herself..She's in love with using the camera:P


PS: Hope everyone has a great day and enjoys this.Me and Belle say hello to Grandma and Aunty Jenny. I just read your comments :* Thank you so much
  xoxoxox

2011-11-27

Staircase Removal (Part 2 of 2)

Here is the next installment in the removal of the staircase from my home. In this post, you'll see how I remove a non-load bearing wall and prepare the area so that I can away part of the 2nd-floor area that leads up to the old staircase.  This will allow me to build a new straight-run set of stairs to a new exterior exit on the first floor.   The reason for all of this work is to make sure that the second floor unit has a secondary exit, for safety's sake and so that my rental property is in compliance with the fire code.  More on this later.  For now, check out the progress!

Here is the wall.  The staircase is behind this wall.

Here's a look at the original entrance to the old staircase.

Dusty, but a view up the old staircase nontheless.

Using my drill-driver, I first removed the ~one dozen screws holding this steel framed wall to the ceiling.

Next I removed the screws at the bottom.

I then demolished the 3/8" drywall and carried it out to the waste bin.

Progress!  The staircase is revealed.

I unscrewed all this metal.  I have a friend who scraps metal with his truck.  He came by a couple of days later to pick it up.

Another shot.

The side view.  Starting to make more sense now?

Look at the old wall paper!  This was originally a very nice, large one-family home (101 years ago).

Getting there.  Working in daylight now.

Note the last remnants of the tin ceiling.  This came out after after this wall was removed.

And, coming full-circle, look at this difference from this angle.

Note the old metal sill-plate on the floor.

The side shot.

Much better!

You could practically eat off of this floor! A thing of beauty ;)

C'est moi.

The money shot.  Hello everyone!

2011-11-24

Thanksgiving Update .. Belle's New Clothes

I managed to get out just before Thanksgiving to check out the pre-Black Friday sales.  All the sale, and 1/10th the crowds!  I'm posting these photos for Avi, so she can see what new clothes Belle has waiting for her here in NH.

First up.. a super-fuzzy short-length coat.  Diamond buttons! It is **really** soft.  Once I touched it, I had to buy it for Belle.

The back of the coat.

 This hoody is also fuzzy, but is less fuzzy.  
The dog is cute, and resembles her "ban" dog from her Duplo set.
The back of the hoodie.

Next, I hit the Disney Store.

Red red red red red! Belle loves Red. This is a super soft plush throw blanket for her and Avi.  Since it's been getting cold here recently, I have been thinking that I sure don't want them to be cold.


 A close up. 
A month earlier, I went  shopping in Wrentham.  This is another red blanket from that trip.

Full-length Gymboree  jacket for Belle. I got this a little bigger so it would last her and also allow for more layers underneath.

 The back of the jacket. 

A cute wool hat or "touque" as we would say in Canada.

Penguin pyjamas! Cute and warm.  If you hadn't noticed yet, Belle absolutely loves penguins!

Another view of Belle's new PJs.

A little red dress.  

A long-sleeve shirt.  Sorry about the blur.

 Lastly, a long-sleeved red shirt.  Perfect for Christmas Eve!