Telling Stories

Hair Styling for the Style-Challenged {Or "come laugh at me"...}

Let me just start by saying if you've come looking for any kind of inspiration or actual content, perhaps you've come to the wrong place.

Sit tight. You'll see what I mean. 

I've been sporting short hair for quite awhile now, and recently have taken a shine to the wedge cut. 

As evidenced by this photo:

(Which is even too wedge-y for me...)

The truth is, I like not having to fuss with my hair, and this style makes me feel like I still did something with it. 

It's no secret that I really have no fashion sense. If I wear anything but my everyday jewelry I feel like I should win an award. I shop right off the mannequin. I pin things to "My Style" and giggle as I do, knowing there's just no way I'm going to know how to replicate most of what I see...

So when it comes to my hair, well, let's just say I'm really low maintenance. 

But see, I have this husband. 

And he couldn't care less about my hair (or his), my clothes (or his) or whether or not I even wear makeup. We're just not fussy people when it comes to our appearances. I do realize this isn't necessarily a good thing.  

So when he said to me, "Why don't you grow your hair out?" I think my response was... "Huh?" 

I haven't had long hair in years. And my hair is THICK, so letting it grow means getting through that terrible, awkward, bushy stage. After confirming Adam was serious (multiple times) I thought, "Well, who else do I want to impress? If he wants me to grow it out--even just to eliminate my wedge cut--I guess I should try." 

(For the record...I'm not usually this accommodating. I'm tremendously stubborn in pretty much every way. I'm working on it.) 

So, yesterday, we had to go to Sophia's fifth grade graduation...and I am already in "I have to cut this mop" mode...It's getting awful. I realized I need to learn to style it if I'm going to grow it out...so where do I turn? The internet. More specifically, Pinterest. 

More specifically, Kate's blog. 

Even more specifically, this post. 

And I decided to try a couple of things. I knew there was a good chance I'd end up having to wash/dry my hair all over again because there is so much room for error. I am a girl who can't even figure out how to put a bobby pin in my hair the correct way. 

My first attempt was a bouncy, curled under style. This might actually work for me. 

And I maybe should've stopped there. Because my next attempt was a curled with a curling iron style. 

Let's just say, my results were less than desirable. 

sorry for the bad iPhone photo. I had to take this to make fun of myself, thus the stupid giggle-smile on my face. 

To me, this style was not unlike a pirate's hat in shape:

I know you see the resemblance. 

There's really only one thing missing...

Am I right?

So, of course, after all of this, I had no desire to start over and I was thinking I should've quit with the bouncy, curled under style which seemed doable for someone of me, shall we say, style-inadequacy... so I kept playing with it. I watched the video again and eventually came up with this: 

I know. It still looks a little like I should have a parrot on my shoulder... (my sister told me so) and my mom's reaction was "I don't really know what to say about your hair. Do YOU like it like that?) 

Which made me laugh out loud. 

Truth is, I have NO idea how to assess it and clearly have limited styling skills, so my plan is to either cut it off or keep practicing. 

I'm going to make Kate proud, darnit. 

And I'm going to do something with it that elicits a response other than "I kind of like it and kind of not" from Ethan. 

For now, I'll leave you with my new signature "goodbye"...

Arrrrr, Matey. 

 

My First MRI...nothing glamorous about this at all...

I try not to be an alarmist. It's not in my nature to call an ambulance or rush to the hospital. It's more like me to google or WebMD my questions...and then make my own deductions. 

But sometimes even Dr. Courtney needs a second opinion. 

(And I hope you heard the sarcasm in that last sentence.) 

Friday was Dream Day. I'd planned to paint and journal and dream. I had everything set out. After I finished my blog, I was going to read my Bible and then spend the day doing things I hadn't done in months...but my day went quite a bit differently than I'd planned. 

But as I started the morning, I realized that the dull headache I'd woken up with had gotten worse. Like, quite a bit worse. But it was Dream Day, darn it. And I had stuff to do... starting with Ecclesiastes...where, incidentally, I found this verse: 

Ecc. 5:3: "For a dream comes through much activity..." 

It confirms some things Adam and I have been talking about a lot lately. The fact that God often moves when WE are moving. We take a step of faith, he intervenes. In our case, twice now, he's steered us in a different direction...but only AFTER we stepped out and said "I think this is what you want me to do...so that's what I'm doing..." Sometimes we're so afraid of making a wrong move, but over and again, God shows us that when we're seeking his will, he meets us there...he even helps us stay on course. 

Even when it's scary. 

Anyway, I jotted these verses down and then I realized I couldn't really see out of my right eye. Black spots along the edges. I tried to read the verse out loud and it made no sense. It was like I was struggling to figure out what words were and mis-reading them, and I could hear that it was wrong, but I couldn't get it right. At the same time, the pressure in my head worsened and I felt nauseous. 

I went and laid down and Adam called me on his way home to bring me some Excedrin...in those few minutes my right hand went completely numb. By this point, I was pretty scared. I know numbness isn't a good thing and I couldn't feel my finger tips or my hand. The sensation kind of passed through it but by the time Adam got home, the whole right side of my face went numb and I felt like I had a fat lip. 

I admit. I was terrified. 

Adam...calm, level-headed, sensible Adam...called an ambulance (and yes, I was protesting. I know how much an ambulance costs.) He shushed me and told the paramedic what was happening. They arrived literally a few minutes later.

Long story short, the thing that concerned the paramedic (Steve) was that my symptoms were all on the right side, but my pain was on the left side. He said we could go to the ER but recommended we come with them...because if we came with them, they could get blood right away and if I'd had a mini stroke (he called it something fancy) they'd know about it and there would be medicine for me. 

He also mentioned that this happened to Ellen DeGeneres when she was about my age, which made me feel, you know, cool somehow. 

Off we went, in the ambulance...then into the hospital where they wheeled me in and hooked me up to a  bunch of equipment. They monitored my heart rate and blood pressure and dumped a heated blanket on top of me which was the most comforting part of the whole day. A bit later, the doctor (and his Jeremy Renner looking sidekick) showed up and I considered asking them if working there was like being on Grey's Anatomy but they had their serious faces on so I refrained. 

He said "Well, the brain is a funny thing. I could've been a migraine but since you have no history of them, I want you to have an MRI to rule out tumors." 

Fabulous. 

Just saying the word out loud hit me with the fear of God. I mean, I'm the chick who regularly peruses WebMD to see if there are symptoms I didn't know were symptoms and decides on a consistent basis that I've got lupus or at least shingles. 

The MRI was oddly peaceful. I sat in there and prayed the entire thirty minutes, laying, as "Rick" instructed me, completely still. The heated blankets kept me mostly warm and I used that time to imagine my days...the way I spend them...the stress I'm under...the attention I don't pay to my health. In those thirty short minutes, I started to realize that old cliche...

Life is precious. 

And is this how I want to spend mine? 

It was supposed to be 30-45 minutes before we got the results so Adam ran to get my older kids from school, but while he was gone the doctor reappeared. I did not want results without Adam, but he didn't even wait to make eye contact before he said "Well, I'm so happy your scans are all clear..." 

And so was I. 

So happy. 

They think it was a complex migraine, but I have to follow up this week with a neurologist who I expect is going to use big words and not look anything like Derek Shepherd. 

I'm still not 100% over here, and I keep finding random stickers with plastic snaps on them stuck to my body, but I'm better...and I have a feeling that once I get quiet and process all of this I'm going to make some interesting discoveries...and some big changes. 

For now, I'm going to rest and pretend I've got nothing to do today but watch Cupcake Wars and drink ginger ale. 

I hope the next Dream Day I schedule doesn't land me in the hospital...

Don't Cry Over Spilled Icee

(pictures from my swoony trip to Cozy Cottage here in Loveland.)

At the marketing seminar I went to last month in Chicago, one of the things I carried away with me was that as a writer, I create content. That's what I do. 

It's what I do in my job with Webster's Pages. 

It's what I do as a novelist. 

It's what I do as a blogger. 

I create content. 

So when the well runs dry and the content seems mentally unreachable, it leaves me wondering what on earth do I want to say? (Am I the only one?) 

Some days, I'm just lucky to get by. Some days I spill Cherry Icee all over the counter at Target only to have the annoying guy at the cash register shoot me a look like it's my fault he forgot to give me a lid. 

And did YOU know those things poof up like a teased out 80's perm? I had no idea. I filled the cup, set it down and watched it rise. And rise. And rise. 

Dripping and messy, I took it to the counter and swallowed my cherry-covered pride. 

"Can you please help me with this?" I asked the guy. (Who, the last time I was there made a point to tell me that he's the only one who can get those lids on those cups without a problem but it's probably because he's been working there for years. Years, he said. To which I responded, "Huh, maybe they should get new lids.") 

He turned up his nose and set down the big brown box in his arms. "Let me just...get a glove." 

I think he thought he had something to prove because he snapped that lid on in milliseconds and handed it back to me. "There you go."

*smile.* 

I.was.a.sticky.mess. 

He had a glove. 

I pushed the cart one-handed,  holding Sam with my other sticky, red-stained hand while my two older kids trailed behind. We hit the parking lot and were nearly plowed over in traffic. 

I swear these Colorado drivers are INSANE. 

So. What kind of content do I hope to create? 

Apparently the kind that humiliates me and offers no take-away, no value or importance whatsoever. 

Yep. I'm in the business of creating empty content today.

And yes, my hands are still pink. 

For Moms Who Want to Feel Really Good About Themselves...

Oh, friends. What a weekend. I'm in crunch-time for several projects I'm working on and yes, that means the house is starting to fall apart again. It's in these moments I almost back a dumpster to the garage and start chucking stuff into it. 

I'm just ready to part with the clutter. 

And the less I have to clean, the better. 

(I try to look sporty when I leave the house so people will think I'm athletic. Never mind that I slept in those pants.) 

I didn't really. 

Promise.

The good news is that slowly but surely, I'm crossing things off my list. Which makes me wonder if everyone lives with their to-do list on a  pedestal. And if so, do they also leave things off of their list like "Buy Halloween Costume?" 

Because I sure do. Thus, explaining our 8 p.m. trip to that god-awful Spirit Halloween store last night where I soon discovered that everything on the "Tween" wall should've been on the "Trollup" wall...and how do you explain to your 10 year old that you don't want her looking "slutty"? 

At any rate, she's going to be a punk rocker. Not to be confused with a "Punkin' Rocker" which is what was my suggested. That got me a lovely eye roll, but I still think it's darn clever.

Since I'm short on brain cells, I'm posting this fine evening all the Facebook statuses I wanted to post this past week but didn't. I love a good list almost as much as I love when Sophia's underwear accidentally gets put in my pile. 

There's nothing that boosts the self esteem quite  like trying to squeeze into a ten-year-old's panties.

TMI?

Before I get myself into real trouble, here's my list. In no particular order...

10. I wish the mailman would post a note on the outside of my box: "Don't get too excited, there's nothing in here but junk." 

9. Everytime I talk on my phone, I gross myself out with the residue my cheek leaves on it. (Does this happen to everyone else? My skin isn't even oily, and most days I don't wear makeup so...what is that??? ew.) 

8. I love that Sophia's after school snack of choice is a salad. 

7. I love my agent. 

Everytime I talk to her, I want to post this on my Facebook. I am the luckiest girl in the world. And I get to see her this weekend, which is a real treat given that normally I only get to see her once a year! 

6. I secretly love mac & cheese. Not the kind Paula Deen makes either. The kind you get from a box. One bite makes me sick for the rest of the night, but if I could get rid of my dairy allergy for a day, I'd totally kill some Kraft M&C. 

5. I talk to Adam more when he's out of town than I do when he's here. 

Oddly, our frequent conversations made me think that he was pining away for me while he was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago.

Really he was doing this:

4. I just noticed a toothpaste stain on my shirt, so I tipped my drinking water bottle over on it to avoid having to change. Does this make me resourceful or just lazy? 

3. The cover of my book is almost finished. I can't WAIT to show you. It releases February 1st and yes, I'm ridiculously excited. :) 

2. I want this shirt. I wish it came in a size other than a 5T:

1. There are just no words for this:

Sam. Oh, Sam. 

As a sidenote: I just this second remembered while we were at a church event on Friday night, Sam got chocolate on that shirt that I haven't yet washed. The same one he has to wear in an hour to go trick-or-treating. 

Mother of the year. 

Facebook Statuses I *Almost* Posted

Because I'm trying to limit my time on Facebook and because I don't want to overwhelm my Facebook friends with random, senseless drivel, I've compiled a list of Facebook statuses that didn't "make the cut..." 

10. Well, there goes my four pound weight loss. 

That would be posted with a photo of these: 

My drug of choice. They're also responsible for my recent break-out. You'd think I'd learn. 

9. Please pray. My daughter was last seen riding her bike around the neighborhood and she hasn't checked in for an hour. She usually checks in every 15 minutes. 

...which would've led to the following status update: 

8. Sophia is grounded. For life.

Because that's what happens when you find your child on the opposite side of the subdivision along a busy road where she knows she's not supposed to be...

7. I love when my kids come home with homework for ME. Makes my day...my latest assignment? Duck tape fashions for spirit week. 

She made herself a bracelet and covered her earrings.

I got to school this morning and realized perhaps I really am an overachiever. The kid in front of us had a big silver "X" taped to his back. 

The best part was trying to get Ethan's over his head. I had to remove all tape from the back of the shirt and cut off the collar altogether.

I realize he looks miserable here, but that's because he didn't feel good this morning...I promise he loves his shirt. 

Swear.

6. Every time I see the word "debuted" I think it's spelled wrong. 

5. Some days I think my fingers are long and elegant looking. I've actually caught myself staring at them (and my wrist) in the mirror thinking "ooh, fancy"... And then I see a photo of them and the only thing I can think is "oh, stubby."

(I think the cut on my index finger is an especially nice touch.)

4. They say every ONE blog comment is the equivalent of 100 readers. Let's just go ahead and let you believe that. 

3. Proud of my husband who is part of the core team putting on Group's Kidmin conference this weekend in Chicago. He's not even nervous about being on that big stage...so why is my stomach in knots?

2. Is it wrong that the main reason I wanted to cut Sophia's hair was so I didn't have to do that blasted ballet bun anymore?

1. Insert passive aggressive status here. 

C'mon. Like you don't know what I'm talking about. One of my least favorite things people do on Facebook and I'm sure I've come awfully close myself. I've adopted a new philosophy as of about a year ago...

This is one time when I don't mind being called an elephant. 

 

When there are no words...

My last post was all about me making light of all the things I seem unable to keep up with around here. Let's face it, we can't all be domestic goddesses. Some of us are just better at self deprecation then housekeeping.

Truth be told, I'm floundering a little...so I don't have a lot of extra words floating around. Only guilt.

And Jim Gaffigan quotes. (Chip Chop Chip? What does that even mean?)

And pictures of my girl before she got her hair cut...

 

That's all I really want to share today...pictures...

In spite of her hair, I think she's beautiful. And lately there are days when I want to strangle her but more often I want to hug her and tell her I"m proud of her. And I do. 

The other day when I was working on projects for my Papercrafting book, she sat with me in my office, doing her own creating. She made this:

It's a prayer jar. I didn't help her at all. I didn't even give her the idea. She just wanted to make a jar where she could tuck in her prayers. 

That sort of amazed me. She has a big heart, but her faith she mostly keeps to herself. It always surprises me when I see it coming out...and then I remember that I'm the same way, really. 

She's also picked up another one of my habits (though this idea didn't come from me either)... writing notes to herself on the mirror. Affirming love letters to herself. Nothing makes me happier...

She got that idea from a devotional she's reading written by a girl about her age (and her mom.) 

Sometimes I forget she's not this tiny person anymore. She's got a mind of her own. She needs independence. She needs to spread her wings a little. 

Never mind that the last time she "spread her wings" we found her on the other side of the neighborhood (where she isn't allowed to be) and is now grounded for the rest of the week. 

Those are just silly details. 

Speaking of details...

How about two winners of the Preschool Hands-On Bible??

The first winner...

Sharon said...

Courtney, I'm not quite sure why I have never visited your blog...but I suppose He drew me to it tonight with the post on FB about winning this :)

Good luck to me!

ReplySeptember 29, 2011 at 08:33 PM

and the second winner...

AnnaMarie said...

Ok this is pretty freakin' awesome!! :) How uplifting to be involved with a project like this...and love that it is experiential - it will really help the children to process the stories. Even if I don't win, I am so ordering one for my preschooler!! :) Thank you for the opportunity to win! :)

ReplySeptember 27, 2011 at 09:45 AM

You ladies need to send me your address so I can send you your Bibles! 

Thanks to everyone who entered! Hope you're having a great Tuesday. (Is it Tuesday?) 

 

Things I'm Really Good At

(An exercise in building one's self esteem.)

It's important, I think, for a work-at-home mom to reflect on all the many talents she has. It helps those banging-the-head-into-the-wall days seem much more bearable. 

I recommend everyone create a list just like mine. You're bound to uncover talents you never knew you had. 

So, now...a list...of the top ten things I'm really, really good at.

10. Laundry. My forte, really. 

'Nary a day goes by I don't at least think about doing it. 

9. Effectively executing my healthy eating plans for the family...even when I'm on deadline.

And let's not forget the importance of healthy drink.

8. Consistently maintaining an empty lint trap. I'm a real stickler for this one.

(and no, I did not attempt to turn that handful of lint into a craft project thankyouverymuch.)

7. Obeying the law by refusing to allow my three-year-old to operate a motorized vehicle.

 

6. Maintaining neat and tidy living quarters by promptly returning folded laundry to its home inside the dresser. 

I know. It's a gift. 

5. Unpacking my suitcase in a timely fashion. 

(It's only been six days...)

4. Keeping a mental tally of our food inventory so as to not waste money on things we already have.

3. Changing the toilet paper roll as soon as it's empty.

(I swear I didn't chuck a roll of paper towels at my daughter earlier tonight telling her in my best Tim Gunn voice to "Make it Work...")

2. Sweeping. I'm great at sweeping.

(...and that's about where it stops. That pile could be there for weeks, who knows?)

And the number ONE thing I'm great at: 

1. Knowing when it's inappropriate to take photos of my children. 

Like when they're in the middle of a tantrum. 

I'm really, really good at that. 

How about you? What are you really good at?

Cutting a Hobbit's Hair

Adam told me the other day we should start keeping track of the little things we're doing to save money rather than keeping track of all the big things going wrong that are taking our money. 

Most recent Big Thing: Not being able to get a fat rebate on our appliances because we can't get our Colorado driver's licenses without our Illinois birth certificates. Winning.

Little thing: Getting a fairly small rebate on all the paint we bought. Or using the Snapfish coupon and getting 99 prints for 99 cents. (Seriously!?)

Or, yes, cutting the boys' hair at home. 

I know people who do this and do this well.

I am not one of these people.

This is definitely one of those "practice makes perfect" kind of things. Or in my case "practice makes less awful."

We're fine shaving Ethan's hair because he has the right texture (coarse, like mine) of hair for this. (Maybe I should do the same thing?) and also a great little head. 

I do still like the mohawk though...

Maybe next time. 

But Sam? His hair has forever been different. Curly on the ends...

See those strange little curls? 

And you can't deny the simliarity...

So, cutting Sam's hair at home has never seemed like a good idea. But there's only so much Hobbit a mom can take. 

In an effort to prevent him from sprouting fur on his feet, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. Partly because hair cutting has NEVER been good with Sam. Last time I took him for a cut, the lady handled him really well but she was mean. Like, with a capital M. Like an ogre. 

"Does he squirm a lot, is that why his hair looks so bad?" 

I think she spit at me after she said that. 

So, taking him back doesn't rank very high on the top of my "can't wait to do that again" list. 

My hairdresser back in Illinois gave me some tips and showed me a video and I started to feel like maybe I could do this thing. Plus, I was concerned he'd start speaking in an Irish accent and wake up caked in a perpetual covering of dirt, so I bit the bullet.

Here's his "before" shot, in all its orange glowy glory.

And from the side:

I know. I should've cut it weeks ago. 

But I've been busy, you know, sunning and jet-setting and sipping Mimosas on the beach. 

(I don't actually know what a Mimosa is.)

During:

(Sophia had a feather in her hair up until yesterday when it just sort of fell out, except for the part that they glued to her hair. I'm thinking we may never do that again.)

And then, I just started cutting. 

I am not good at cutting hair. Give me a sheet of paper and I'm golden. Hair? Not so much. It gets everywhere and I can't help but lament over what's hitting the floor. 

BUT. I will say, that for the first time, it turned out okay. I mean, I'm not embarrassed to take him out of the house at least.

Looking at this picture, you can see where I missed a few spots on the sides (I cut them yesterday on the kitchen counter.) 

But at least he didn't squirm. So next time when she asks why he looks so bad, I can't blame it on him. 

Darn. I hadn't thought of that. 

He looks so old with short hair. It kinda freaks me out. 

I know. I'm not gonna rent a chair in a salon anytime soon, but darn it. I saved us $12. It's going on the list.

It's these little things that keep me out of my straight jacket and padded room. 

They're so Obedient.

I keep telling you how great my kids are when we take them to the new house. I ramble on and on about how this stretches their creativity, this "unplugged time." Days spent doing nothing but running around catching bugs, playing barefoot and spending SO much time together...

It amazes me how lucky I am as a mom to see them so happy all the time...

I mean, they are truly, always so well behaved...

...and all of my days are without tantrum or incident. My youngest never throws himself on the floor with a thud, never screams and kicks because I won't let him use the power saw.

Nobody spends the afternoon pouting or complaining. 

And the best part? They listen to every little word I say. I mean, they actually obey. All. the. time.

It's like Stepford up in here.

And I never have to whip out the guilt trip of a punishment because they are such angelic creatures.

I know. You're wondering how I do it. I have no answers. I guess I'm just living my dream or something...

Or is it living in a dream? 

It's such a fine line.

Ethan's Escapades

Lest you think my kids are perfect angels, I'm going to share with you a bit of truth this morning.

What's that you say? You didn't think my kids were perfect angels? What gave me away?

Could it have been this scrapbook page:

 
...the one where I chronicled a time during our first move when Ethan got a hold of an entire roll of raffle tickets and unraveled them all on his own? He really was so happy with himself.

Or perhaps it was this one that clued you in...

 
...in which I chronicled a litany of Ethan's escapades, from unrolling (and flushing) an entire roll of toilet paper... he overflowed the toilet in our carpeted bathroom two houses ago. That was fun.

Obviously these pages are kind of old, and while Ethan now knows better than to do these things, you'll be happy to know he's still up to his old tricks.

I found this on the counter this morning:

 

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say.

What do you think? Can you see what I'm up against here?

My (not so) shiny, happy life

If you read my blog Friday, you know I'd rather forget that day ever happened. Let's just say I was NOT in a good mood. I believe, in fact, that it was the single worst day I've had since we arrived in Colorado. I felt lonely and depressed and a little bit angry and very annoyed. Frustrated with a child I couldn't control and overwhelmed at all I'd piled on my plate.

I get like this periodically.

I could tell you that everything changed after I blogged (ungratefully, it turns out, as I AM thankful we have a landlord who takes care of this squishy small house.) But it didn't. That feeling lingered. Lodged itself in my belly and curled up like a snake.

I think depression does that. I'm not depressed now or clinically depressed, but as women, I believe we all have the ability to become depressed. It depends on what we choose to linger on. For me, on Friday, I lingered on everything that was wrong/frustrating/annoying/anger-inducing...and I paid for it.

There was a brief hiatus in my yuck mood when this passed by my line of sight...

 

I mean, who could keep from cheering up with the ill-fitting mask and one size too big Dash costume?

 
These are his muscles. Let me ask you...how long do you think that mask lasted? I should add this Hobbit's head is pretty large. And that mask was...pretty darn tight.

I'd also like to thank the Hobbit's mother for her excellent shoe choice.

 
We do what we can to make our kids look foolish around here.

I had to brace myself to pick up the kids from school (mass chaos with all the good parents who attended the Halloween parties running around with mini witches and Harry Potters)... and take them to Group for their Fall Fest. We arrived in one piece and I forced them to pose for me. This, it turns out, is the only chance I had to photograph them all in their costumes.

 
We were met by this hot guy who made my stomach go all a-flutter with his red bow-tie and Ice Cream Shoppe hat.

 
It seems he'll forever be wearing ridiculous get-ups no matter what his job is. I'm not sure he'll ever top this though:

 
In which he kissed a real. live. pig. ( I could dry heave right now just conjuring the memory of its smell.)

Group's Fall Fest is like what a lot of church strive to do as a Halloween alternative. Booths with games, clever costumes and signage and of course, lots of candy.

My Hobbit was hard to control, so I was thrilled that Adam suggested he handle Sam while I man the other two. (Who are, much, much easier.)

 

This was a landmark weekend for Sophia. Halloween party at a friend's house. Sending her off by herself. Taking steps toward young-woman-hood in other ways I've been forbidden to write about on this blog. She's growing up and so far, I actually like it. I feel like she likes me more now that she has all kinds of questions that I'm willing to answer. I like that I can be there for her when she hears something she doesn't understand.

 
This was the booth Adam's department put on. Mini ice cream (or whipped cream for Sam, which probably wasn't a great idea even still as it IS dairy, but he did ok with his tiny scoop.)

 

 

Everyone is so nice and so creative. We are so fortunate to be here...and we know it.

I loved the L.A. Ink booth. They were putting tats on the kids' hands just like they do on the show. Quite a sight...

 

 
Then their photographers set up a photo station and shot pictures of the kids. The long table of costume accessories kept my older kids busy, but Sam was ready from the get-go. All it took was a centurion helmet to complete his look.

 

I sure hope Group's photographer caught this motley crew.

 

About that time, Sam melted down and the angst returned to the barrel of my belly. I realized something Friday and it struck me in a way that's stuck with me ever since. Sam is constant, constant work. Hard, hard work. He tests me. He whines. He is strong-willed and frustrating. He pushes every button I have and finds new ones I never knew existed.

And I don't like the way it makes me feel. I feel resentful and frustrated and sorry for myself, poor little me.

 
But this kid has been special from the start. He has single-handedly changed my life. His food allergies led me to discovering my own food allergies. Led me to natural medicine. Led me to a place of trusting what I knew God was saying to me--rather than the overpowering voices of people around me.  
He is hard. And I think that makes training him that much more important. But some days, I just feel so weary. I am with this kid 24/7. Literally, because often he wakes up in the middle of the night.

And sometimes I resent him for that.

And that makes me feel like a bad mom. Sometimes I have to lock myself in the bathroom, but he still bangs on the door. Sometimes I need deep breaths to handle him.

You see blog posts about shiny, happy people and their sparkly, sugary lives and you wonder if anyone else EVER feels like they want to shut themselves in the closet and cry. Does anyone else need to be away from their children? or does that make them a terrible mom?

 

I know my answer. I'm good with my answer. But I hate that we as women feel the need to single-handedly hold up the world by the strength of our shoulders. I reserve the right to walk away. Just for a minute.

Because no life is shiny and happy 100% of the time. And that's okay. There'd be no rainbow without the storm and all that jazz.

That feeling passed. My husband talked me off the ledge. My weekend was incredible. And today, my life is starting out somewhat shiny and happy.

I've just been handed a shield and a centurion hat and asked to fight dragons.

You tell me... does it get any better than that?

Venting about Renting

Remember how I said I'm not crazy about renting a house?

Yeah. That hasn't changed. Today, if you were here, you'd see my ugliest, ugliest side. We have a great landlord--thorough and considerate, but I swear to you, since we moved in there's been someone (usually some random guy) working on some part of this house.

So far:

1. The house has been repainted. This was about a week-long process, maybe more, in which there were two men outside (right in the windows) all day long. The windows were taped shut. I'd be working and see a man's face reflected from behind me in my laptop. It was really unnerving and invasive. Did I mention annoying?

2. The doorknob fell off and needed to be replaced. Another man came to fix it. Then he left. Then he came back. I had to be here for all of this.

3. The landscaper came. Put rocks around the trees.

4. I've had to clear out the crawl space four different times. There's NO storage here, so we have a LOT of stuff stacked in that crawl space. Yesterday I was clearing it out and took a huge gouge out of my finger. It bled for half an hour.

5. Today I was working in the living room when I saw a man's face in the backyard. I had no knowledge of a man (two it turns out) needing to do anything in the yard. They apparently needed to fix some wood rot. (Please hold. One of them is at my door.)

6. (I'm back.) Yesterday the furnace guy was here. I have no idea what he needed, but he was here. In the crawl space.

7. Someone came to blow out the sprinklers for the winter.

8. The landlord's been here three or four times. Some of it was stuff that we needed to be fixed... others, I have no idea. And yet, the knob still falls off of the shower and the drain in the bathroom is completely clogged.

You get the point.

Have i mentioned that I WORK FROM HOME?    

Now, this could be because I literally did not sleep last night...perhaps that's why the snark-fest on my blog today. I could post about happy things and pretend that all is well, but seriously. I am SO OVER ALL THE "FIX-UPS" TO THIS HOUSE. I'm wondering why it wasn't done while the house was between tenants (for seven months, according to the neighbors.)

Yes. This is the ugly underbelly of moving. Spending an entire year in a space that's not yours. With not enough space for all your stuff. With men constantly in and out, invading my privacy every. single. day.

Today, I'm over it.

And in spite of ALL OF THIS. I know we're in the right place.

I'm going to stop now and try and focus on THAT for awhile. Wish me luck.

Oh, look, they're at my door again...

I am so over it.

To make matters worse, the banging on the house started today RIGHT at naptime.

RIght during my prime writing time.

And yes. I am upset.

Protected

You might think being by myself most of the day would give me cause for worry, but you'd be so wrong.

How can I worry when I'm protected by this Centurion?

 
Nevermind that said Centurion is so engrossed in his morning Diego that he doesn't even stir, doesn't make a squeak, when I get in his face with the camera.

 
Nevermind that his lips are so stinkin' huge they evoke no fear.

And nevermind that he's a little sleepy in the job.

 
He's still fierce. I mean, he's got a sword for a belt for pete's sake.

(Anyone know who "Pete" is anyway? Are we talking St. Peter when we say "for pete's sake?" I'm just curious.)

 
In other, less exciting news... the other night I was writing and I usually don't once the kids are home from school, but I'd had a frustrating day and needed to make some progress on something. Well, I had just gotten into a groove when Sophia came in and asked to paint.

How could I say no?

I'm still working on my painting, but here's a little hint at what it's gonna look like.

 
I'm kinda into cows right now.

:) I have three or four blog posts in my head, but I'm a bit slammed right now so I'm keeping it simple today. Just had to share my personal hobbitty bodyguard with you.

Hope it's a good Thursday!

How to eat gluten free cupcakes.

Sometimes at night we find the most hilarious things around the house. I'm over thinking die cast Thomas trains and Lightning McQueens are hilarious...those, to me, are just annoying.

But this?

 
Made me laugh. These pictures are from a couple of months ago but they still make me laugh. If you look closer, you'll see that Woody knows how to take down the bad guys.

Course he had a little help from his friends...

 
My guess is he's got Lego Indiana Jones under control in a serious way.

After all, he decapitated the poor guy AND ran over him with the police cruiser.

 

You don't get much deader than that.

I had no idea Woody was so hard core.

In other news, in beautiful but windy Fort Collins we have a Cupcakery. I want to do a whole post on it because, if you've been reading my blog for awhile you know about my Cupcake Dreams... Something about cupcakes...

Anyway, on Thursdays they have gluten free cupcakes.

And yes, that made for one happy little hobbit.

 

I want you to notice the placement of my hobbit's tongue. I guess he's more Sam-wise than Frodo given that Sean Astin has something of a lisp too. Am I gonna have to worry about this?

I mean, check it out.

 
Don't mind the residual blood around and on his nose. Sometimes fighting with him to clean it off just isn't worth it and I'm too lazy to re-open Photoshop to edit it. We come as we are on this blog. 

(Nosebleed update though: Humidifiers are awesome. Hasn't had one since we put it in his room!)

Anyway, he was pretty happy with his vanilla bean cupcake (I tasted it. You would NEVER have known it was gluten free. Ok. I did more than taste it. I ate one. A whole one. Gosh, I can't even pretend I didn't. It was really, really good.)

 
In the interest of full disclosure I can tell you we have little self control when it comes to cupcakes 'round these parts.

We just dive right in.

 

...and enjoy.

Happy Tuesday!

Mama's on Deadline...

...And everything goes to pot!

 
What's that you say? You want a close up?

Oh, I can oblige. There's no pride here.

 

So, I am working on my Sweethaven series for Guideposts. Writing Book Two when all of the sudden my edits come in for Book One. (It's a 3-book series.)

So I panic and drop everything to edit Book One, but no matter how diligent I am, it's always a race to the finish line. (Isn't that always the way??)

This is round three of edits on this book and I am getting a first-rate education in the massive amount of work it takes to write a novel. This ain't for the faint of heart, people.

And yes, I DO know "ain't ain't a word."

When Mama's on deadline...little boys swipe girlie hats and wear them to the bus stop...

 
They aren't proud about it. They like the soft feel of the girlie hat on their Hobbit Hair.

When Mama's on deadline...Little girls fall asleep listening to Mommy's Ipod...cross-legged and wrapped in a sweater.

 
Too good not to photograph.

I mean, who sleeps like this?

 
My belly would be cold.

Well, I would never let my belly hang out like that. I don't want to frighten my husband.

When Mama's on deadline...

Daddy does the boy's hair. And the boys don't get haircuts. It's just hair chaos I tell you.

 
And they don't care.

And neither do I.

 
La-la-la.

The back yard is a shambles...

 

Cause Mama's on deadline.

And we eat out more than usual. Typically, we only eat out once a week... unless Mama's on deadline.

Then we eat out, well, more than once a week...And we leave the leftovers on the table.

 
In case someone wants to nibble at them hours later.

When Mama's on deadline, the kids find great ways to entertain themselves. Like art.

 
Masterpiece. I'm thinkin' prodigy.

They always clean up after themselves so nicely.

 
So eager to help, ya know...cause Mama's on deadline.

I'm still on deadline for Book Two, but knowing I finished that edit makes me want to jump up and down and scream.

But...that's not happening anytime soon...

Cause this Mama has a house to clean!!

Happy Friday, friends. :)

Blog Question for Blog Readers

A bit of 'off the top of my head random' for today.

I have a question for people who read blogs. (That means YOU.) 

I am hoping you'll respond via the comments because I really need some answers here.

As a writer, I do a lot of reading about marketing yourself and the use of blogs and websites and this sort of thing. One bit of advice I keep hearing over and over is that your blog should be focused on one topic in order to draw an audience who will come back over and over again. (To which I respond... "What is this FOCUS of which you speak?")

I understand that point. There are writing blogs I read regularly and I like home decorating blogs and artsy blogs, but I can't get myself to believe that this is the ONLY way to do it.

Some of the most popular blogs I know of, often read, often commented on, are ones that explore a bevy (I'm highlighting that word because I like it.) of topics--motherhood, faith, art, reading, photography, recipes, home decor, fitness... a little bit of everything. These are my favorite blogs. I love to see what people are up to, what's working for them, how they're spending their weekends. Perhaps it's a little voyeuristic, (Translation: WEIRD.) and I really hope not, but I love to see how people live.

I'm curious what you think? Would you prefer a blog to be focused on one topic? What if that topic didn't particularly interest you...you'd leave right? Why read a blog about photography if you aren't a photographer? Is it the topic you're coming to see or the person?

Call this market research, but please, weigh in on this one. As I begin to dive into this whole writing a novel thing, I'm learning a LOT...but this is one area I just haven't wrapped my brain around yet, so your help is greatly appreciated. (I say that like I've wrapped my brain around a bunch of the other areas. Ha. I'll just go ahead and let you think so.)

Your answers may be recorded for training purposes.

Now, because I can't NOT post a couple of photos, I would like to share with you my sad attempt to snap a nice photo of my Hobbit.

Feel my pain, friends.

 
 
(No wonder he has a lisp.)

 

 

 

I've taught him to use the bathroom on his own, but we just haven't mastered this "smiling for the camera" thing. At. All.)

 
That's what he thinks of my camera, I think.

 
I started to wonder..."Where is he learning this? Who is modeling this behavior?"

 
Got my answer.

All this and I only got ONE decent shot... (meaning, one frame-able shot... I think the ones above are decent in that they make me laugh, capture his personality and would be awesome on a scrapbook page... but in terms of decorating the wall...eh, not so much.)

I think I sort of caught him by surprise on this one which is why it's good, I imagine.

 
Now, to help you kick off your weekend. I leave you wtih this.

Which got me through the elliptical this morning, started our family dance party last night and will undoubtedly continue to entertain us for at least a few weeks.

 

 

Gaping Smiles

Well, huh.

 
Little buddy lost his front tooth.

'Bout time. He IS seven. I was starting to worry since my niece, who is almost an entire year younger than Ethan (to the day) has lost both of her front teeth, but Ethan's proving he won't reach adulthood with his baby teeth.

 
I gotta say, this kid can walk around with a tooth hanging by a thread longer than anyone I know. I mean, he turned it around completely just to gross me out, but still it hung on for dear tooth life.

Nastiness. Something about teeth gives me the heebs.

I couldn't even try and pull it out. I just kept yelling "Go pull that thing!" and "You're so gross!"

Which only made him want to do it more.

 
The only reason I'm really blogging about it is to remind the Tooth Fairy she needs to show up tonight. On time and not all sneaky-like in the morning.

In case you haven't heard, we have a really crummy Tooth Fairy.

And some pretty whacked lost-tooth experiences dating way back.

Here's hoping she can deliver the goods!

what'chu workin' with?

I have a couple of deadlines next week that I need to get cracking on, namely edits for Book One in my Sweethaven series... so I thought for today I'd keep this short and sweet.

I just wanted to give you a tiny hint of what I'm working with over here.

 
I think it just really captures their personalities.

 
Don't you?

Brings to mind that old Sesame Street song "one of these things is not like the other..."

 
I admit I laughed out loud when this popped up on my computer because this is just SO HIM.

Feisty little hobbit, isn't he?

Other bits of randomness.

1. I'm trying to keep the weekend for PLAY and not for WORK. Not gonna happen this weekend. (But I love my work, so I'm good with that.)

2. I need a good desk chair. This little cheap-o one is killing my back. (Or, if you've got 'em, tips on sitting for a long period of time without having it hurt your back.)

3. Sam keeps getting nosebleeds. Yesterday I found four drips of blood on the kitchen floor and could not for the life of me figure out where they came from.

4. I turn 35 in 3 months. I'm feeling an insane amount of pressure to set some new goals for myself. I feel like 35 is the beginning of a new life. What kind of life do I want that to be?

5. I'm considering going back to Michigan for a little inspiration for my novels. They are set in a beach town there, and I haven't been in a few years. Plus, I'm starting to love traveling.

6. I'm such a dork I get excited when I get new emails...even when they are notifications that I've left my own self a comment on my blog (usually in response to someone else, but still)... This is a pathetic thing to admit, but it's true.

7. It kinda burns me up that my favorite photo of Colorado so far is one that Adam took WITH HIS PHONE.

 
(New blog banner?)

8. I really don't have anything else but feel like I should end on an even number, so there ya have it.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend of PLAY!

Heavy load.

 
i've got a heavy load...

 
I push it...hard as I can...

 
Everywhere I go...

 
I do pretty well carrying it around. But sometimes I look down and realize, "Wow, that's a big, ol' heavy load I'm pushing..."

 
But I'm persistent. Usually.

Sometimes, though...well, it just gets to be too much... 
That's when I decide to take a rest. 

We all gotta recharge our batteries now and then, don't we?

Yard Work...Walsh Style

What? You don't turn the leaf blower on your kids?

Puh-lease. You know you've always wanted to...

Just to create "riding down the roller coaster" faces right in your own back yard...

Check out this belly...

Girls are not exempt. In fact, they get a healthier dose of leaf-blown air because they have longer hair which makes for crazier pictures...

Here's my attempt at getting a nice, normal, weekend photo of the three of them. And I would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for that pesky daddy...

Back to the fun of it...

Check out her eye in this one. Even her eyes were getting flapped around...

...and you know there's no way my husband isn't gonna get in on this fun... 

Who says yard work is boring?

Crazy May

So much has happened lately. Do you ever feel like you just aren't slowing down? Like no matter what you do to try and relax, it's not happening? Like God is intent on stretching you even though you thought you were the laffy taffy that was about to break apart?

This is how I'm feeling these days.

This morning, I woke up and felt that tight squeeze around my heart--you know that feeling--the one that speeds up your pulse and could easily overwhelm you if you let it. I sat down with the coffee that I can't seem to quit and glanced at the big white board in my office where Sophia had been playing school. On it, she'd written this:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."

I know the verse from my childhood, but reading it again this morning, I was drawn to the phrase "lean not on your own understanding."

Sometimes things look illogical. They don't make sense. But God's peace is leading you...and I believe you can't go wrong if you follow the peace. I'm trying to remember that even though May has brought with it many, many challenges. Some good things too, but some craziness!

1. I finished my book. Adam bought me flowers.

Finishing the manuscript for my first contracted novel was the strangest thing. Exciting, scary, nerve-wracking... pretty much every emotion you could think of. Now I write the second book in the series and soon I will do the rewrites on the first one. It makes for a hectic schedule, but I absolutely love it! Still, it dredges up so many feelings of self-doubt of the who do you think you are kind. Nasty demons, those ones.

2. Ethan graduated kindergarten. He was equal parts happy and sad. Happy because he got to wear this cool get-up. 

 

Sad because he won't have the same teacher next year.

He loved Mrs. Munch. I think he likes her more than he likes me. I wish she could just go up to first grade with him!

3. Ethan learned to ride a two-wheeler.

After about two hours of practice, he was off and running. It was awesome. He was so excited. He even said, "Now those boys won't make fun of me anymore." Which tells me that stuff (which I wrote about in this post) sticks with kids. And that makes me sad.   

4. We have roses in our yard. We planted them last year but they didn't bloom until this spring.  

We love them. It's sad that the storms recently have blown the petals off of lots of them. They are so pretty.

5. We are coming up with new and exciting family nights. Sitting in the driveway eating ice cream after grilling out was last week's. (Creative, no?) We've discovered the important thing isn't what we do, but that we're doing it all together. Notice Sam is practicing his wink. This was the first time we tried Tofrutti, which is non-dairy ice cream, but I have yet to figure out what it's actually made of. Sam liked it. That's all that matters.

6. I took some family pictures and also some senior pictures of this girl:

 
Raeanna is one of my favorite little actresses. She was one of our disciples in Godspell and every time I see her perform, I just get happy. She's oozes stage presence! More from our photo shoot later.

7. My Big Picture Scrapbooking Class is now open for registration!

It's called PERMISSION TO LIVE A CREATIVE LIFE and it's a project to help you give yourself the a-okay to be creative. To take the time each day/week/month to sit down, free from obligation and create something. I will write more on this later too because it really is one of my soapbox issues! Go here to check it out! :)    

8. Of course, you know about the long and rambly trip to the E.R.

9. And then there was our short trip to visit my sister and her family. Sam's first flight.

I could tell you it was a peaceful car ride and flight, but I'd be lying. Sam is so strong-willed. He wanted to walk, carrying his suitcase...not holding our hands...not in the stroller. It was exhausting... but so worth it. I got to see this chick:

Doesn't this picture show you she is clearly the litle sister? She's always been the goofy one...and no one (not even Adam) can make me laugh like Carrie does. In fact, we were recently out (Adam and I) and he did something that had me rolling and he said, "I made you laugh like your sister does!" (He was quite proud of himself... but this is the first time in a long time he's been able to do that.) 

And my husband's a funny guy.

10. I don't really have a number ten unless I take a picture of all the home projects I am starting today, the potty chair that's calling Sam's booty and the multiple writing deadlines I am loving right now! Good, crazy stuff!

The big thing for me this summer is to take time to enjoy these guys...

Because it goes too fast.

And summers are supposed to be long and lazy.

I have a feeling this one is going to go fast and crazy.

I really missed blogging last week. It's good to be back! :)    
 
 

Love of the mundane

I sort of live my life on deadline. Ever since I graduated college, it seems I've been thriving on deadlines. I worked for a newspaper. We worked deadline every morning. Proofing and changing and writing...all to get the paper out on time.

I directed shows. Opening night gave us one great big deadline marked with a gold star on the calendar.

I started scrapbooking for publication. Getting assignments. Always on deadline. 

I started writing for Memory Makers. Every month: deadlines.

I wrote scrapbooking books. Always with a deadline. Artwork deadlines. Text deadlines.

I started writing fiction. Big. Fat. Deadlines. Scary deadlines because while I read about writing fiction all the time, this is my first attempt at doing it on deadline. With a contract.

And I loved every second of it. Even, I have to say, the rewriting, which is usually where I lose steam.

But when the deadline passed and I realized I had a week-long cushion before I had to tackle the next deadline (and then the next, and the next...) I decided to revel in the mundane.

Tasks that required no thought. No stringing together of words. No thoughtful metaphors. Just mundane. And I loved it.

I started here:

I'd already cleaned off two shelves before I realized I didn't snap a horrible "before" shot. The pantry was out of control. Every time I opened it, some hidden force from somewhere deep beyond literally THREW things at me. Boxes and cans would fall or shoot in my direction, landing on uncovered toes and challenging my personal conviction not to swear.

Something had to be done.

I started by dragging EVERYTHING out. Good lord, what a job.

I covered the table.

And later, the floors and counters. It's amazing how much STUFF you can STUFF into a pantry.

The word "ridiculous" springs to mind.

Equally ridiculous was the dust city waiting for me on the floor once everything had been cleared away. I hate dust. It's kind of annoying in a dirty, grimy sort of way.

I swept it all out and threw a TON of processed food away. I threw away food from 2008. I think one box was even "best by 2006" which is sad because that means I moved that box from my old house to my new house in 2007.

My goal was to move some of the pots and pans that are taking up precious counter space into the pantry. I succeeded.

It's certainly not going to be featured in Better Homes and gardens or win me any organizational awards, but if you could see the two huge bags of garbage I recycled or threw away, you would have a better understanding of the load that has been lifted.

The Hobbit kept me company the entire time. At one point, I realized I'd been duped into believing giving him apples and peanut butter was a great way to get him to eat some fruit.

Note:

All the apples. None of the peanut butter. Sneak.

Friday night, we had our weekly family night. We're trying to be more vigilant about protecting it, making sure the kids know this is important to us. I'm hoping it's a tradition we can continue until we're in adult diapers.

This past Friday we made mini pizzas. Everyone made their own.

Everyone also found it necessary to eat the shredded mozzarella by the handful.

It's a good thing we don't believe in germs 'round here.

I cooked the sausage, set out the cheese and sauce and let them go to town. Personally, I would've loved some veggies on mine, but I got sidetracked and ran out of time...

They did a great job. Even Sam.

Sam and I made special gluten free pizzas:

which I am going to tell you, were amazing. I buy these crusts from Kinnikinnick because I don't have a GF pizza crust recipe yet, but Sam and I both loved them. We could've shared one because we each only ate half, but they make great leftovers too.

It was a great night, after the kids finished whining about how they wanted to do something else and it's so boring to make pizzas. (This is my favorite part of family night...)

...that and the fact that no one can make a normal face for a photo anymore.

Not the middle monkey...

...or his Hobbity shadow...

...or even the girl one, who sometimes surprises me with how weird she can make her face look.

We then watched "The Spy Next Door" which was pretty cute even though it only got 13% at Rotten Tomatoes. It always makes me laugh because chick flicks and kids' movies get the worst reviews. But then a terrible movie like "Up in the Air" (sorry, I HATED it) gets 90%. I don't get it. Talk about depressing.

The rest of the weekend, I found time to read this book:

...which I absolutely loved. Susan Meissner likes to weave a historical thread into her contemporary novels, which I absolutely love. I LOVE history (especially WW2, which makes a grand appearance in this book) but for some reason, I'm not in love with historical fiction. This, to me, is a great cross between the two, and I love how this story unfolds. It was a great read.

I intended to pass it along to my mom but found out she had her own copy which she finished this weekend on the plane to and from Georgia. Great minds. She loved it too.

I especially loved (don't hate me for this) that there was realistic language in this Christian novel. Meaning...there were about four swear words. Light, mild swear words, but in the kind of situation where a person would actually swear. Even a Christian. Why did I like this aspect when maybe in the past my prudish tendencies would've been more surprised? I think because it added to the realism. Writing dialogue that sounds REAL is hard. Creating believable characters is HARD.

Susan Meissner did it so well. It takes guts,and I LOVE that she put the character before the "idea" of what a character should be.

A great read. I read it in two days. I highly recommend it.

How was your weekend?
 

Randomosity

I couldn't sleep last night. Perhaps it was the two hour nap I took yesterday. Someone on Facebook asked me if I was pregnant. Maybe that's why I couldn't sleep--I was worrying and being all paranoid, but NO, I'm not. I think this is all hormonal, this crashing and sleeping at random times.

I did get to spend extra time enjoying the thunderstorm. Just wish I'd been dozing at least...

So, for today...random.

My least favorite game my kids play. It's just called "Puppy." Sophia (the boss) always says, "Ok, come here, puppies," and the boys (the peons) get down on all fours and pant. This could go on for hours, I swear. And while they almost never fight while playing "Puppy", I find it to be a tiny bit disturbing.

I mean, she hooks this weird hook thing onto his pants and makes him a leash.

And yes, he's wearing pajamas. You'll see the theme throughout this post. He asks for them. What's a pajama-loving mommy to do? I can't be a hypocrite and tell him he needs clothes with a waistband. (shudder)

Ethan had his stage debut. I say "stage" but really it was in his classroom. They did an adorable play version of Aesop's Fables. He played two parts, the first was the Fox in "The Fox and the Crow."

I should tell you I DID agonize over his costume and when I found a tiger hat at Michaels, I thought I could transform it into a fox.

I had no idea Ethan wouldn't even put the ears up.

Here he is being dramatic. He loved it, by the way. He is already asking when he'll be old enough to be in CYT shows. :) Chip off the old blockhead.

Sam has a shoe thing. Meaning: he always wants them on. And usually, not his own shoes. And yes, he's in pajamas again. (Don't judge me.)

Those are Ethan's. Notice they're on the wrong feet. He doesn't care. He's playing "Where ARE me?"

Oooh, I think he spied me. I should probably run hide. He does sometimes hate to have his picture taken.

Just one more...

To prove to you that he's not picky about which shoes he wears, here's another one. I find these to be especially nice photos with the mound of laundry in the background.

Yep. Those are mine. Need a closer look?
 
Don't look too close, you'll see how dirty his pants are already (and I think these were taken in the morning.) Also, I really have confiscated that pacifier. These photos were in my "April" folder...before I laid down the pacifier laws.

Now that I'm going gluten free, I am anxious to try a bunch of new recipes, but there's just one problem. I am a total clutz in the kitchen.

Last week, I was making the kids' lunches when I tossed the bread on top of the refrigerator (what you don't keep your bread there?) and it JUMPED off, landed on the counter and knocked my Bath and Body Works LIT Twilight Woods candle onto the floor.

Hot wax. Everywhere. In the cracks. Thank God for my husband who ALWAYS cleans up when I do this. I think he's afraid I'll hurt myself.

Just the week before, I spilled the entire canister of bread crumbs on the floor:

It takes a special person to be this clumsy.

The Hobbit is a king with a throne. A pillow throne. He routinely takes every. single. pillow. in the house and creates a little nest:

He's also taken up winking:

He's getting pretty good at it, no?

One way he makes sure we never forget we're living with a two-year-old:

Inside my little church is also a small plastic "Yoshi" (from Super Mario Bros. fame) and a Hot Wheels Race Car.

Can't help but feel sorry for the dino, though... He appears to be suffering a great trauma:

You know how schools send home stuffed animals to spend the weekend with you? We had a visitor about a week ago. His name was Wooly. Don't tell Ethan, but Adam and I spilled an entire glass of paint water on Wooly. (Shhh!) Thankfully, it all came out. Stained our carpet, but...at least the lamb was safe.

We sent Wooly back to school with documentation of our visit:
  

It's so much easier to clean up after digital scrapbooking.

Also this month was Adam's birthday. 35. Ha. He's 35. Halfway to 40. Sophia snapped this lovely picture of Adam and his bride, who is in dire need of a haircut and highlights. (Seriously? Is my natural color black?)

Ethan wanted in on the action:
 

And then the Hobbit had to join us as well...
 

...and then mass chaos ensued. It was mayhem, I tell ya...
  

When we finally got these children off of us, we ate the homemade key lime pie I made. We also ate Giordano's Pizza (this was my last gluten-filled meal...)

Halfway through the dessert, we realized we didn't sing or do candles.

So not cool, Mommy.

Ethan wanted me to stick 35 candles in what was left of Adam's pie. I explained this wasn't happening... and we just did one.

Alright. That's all the random I have for today. I'm heading out to do some more editing before I turn in my manuscript Monday!!!

I cannot believe my deadline is almost here.

Then it's on to the next one!! Have a great Thursday! 

   

Hello? Poison Control?

Living with an allergy-laden child has its definite disadvantages.

But one that seems to EAT EVERYTHING is seriously exhausting.

Last week, I told you in THIS POSTthat Sam has this nasty little habit of eating whatever he can possibly find...usually things that he shouldn't be eating.

I kid you not, as I wrote that post (I am literally one room away from him. I can hear him happily playing with trains as I type...) he did the unthinkable.

The night before, I had made these cupcakes:

Yeah. They are good cupcakes. But not for Sam. Not for me either as I'm not doing gluten right now.

But they are tempting...what with their REAL strawberry, homemade frosting...

Well, after Think tank, I had three left. Figured my kids or Adam could eat them... that is until I finished my blog post and walked into the living room.

That's when I saw this...

Never mind my ridiculously dirty carpet... that is the remnant of THREE entire cupcakes...three cupcakes that were on a plate, wrapped in foil and stuck AT THE VERY BACK of the counter.

HOW is he getting this stuff? Who is this kid, Inspector Gadget?

 
So, I thought that was the worst of it.

But then, yesterday. I was blogging again...(do we see a pattern here? Mom blogs and son retaliates by eating things he's not allowed to eat...what next? Will I find him sitting in the toilet with a straw?)

But today, it wasn't something he was allergic to. It wasn't even food.

It came in a container that looked a lot like this:

He came into my office from the toy room and I could smell it. Something weird. Fruity. And he pointed to his mouth, opened up for me to look inside. I saw nothing.

"Sam, what did you eat?" (this is becoming my standard line nowadays...)

He gagged and I had flashbacks of Sunday morning when he threw up all over me...

But he didn't throw up...(small miracles)

"M'ere." He wiggled his little fingers in the direction of the toy room. I walked in, scanned the floor for anything it could've been. Considering that last night I watched a Private Practice where 10 year old boy ate his pillow, a chair cushion, toilet paper...I am thinking it could be anything.

But then I saw this little red circle on the floor. I thought it maybe was a wheel or part of a toy. Maybe he swallowed a piece of a toy like the time I ate the rubber nose off of the Operation game.

I freaked out, ran home and told my mom I was dying.

Sometimes it's good to be wrong.

It wasn't a piece of a toy though, it was the bubble bath inside the toy that he DRANK.    

yeah.

So, I called Adam who seriously put me ON HOLD while he took ANOTHER CALL. (Seriously?) When he came back I told him what happened and he told me it should be fine. It's not poison. And then I think he said "maybe you should stop blogging and start watching your kid."

Or something like that.

So, I hung up, but I still did not feel good about this massive soap ingestion, so I called the doctor. They were going to have the nurse call me back until I told them what happened, at which time they patched me through and the nurse came on and promptly gave me the number to Poison Control.

I just want to point out, I've never called Poison control.

Not with the girl one.

 
Or the monkey.

Just the Hobbit.

Hobbits, apparently not only have hairy feet, but they eat things they aren't supposed to.

Anyway. I called Poison Control. I told them what happened. I attempted to read the ingredients of the bubble bath to the guy, who I am SURE thought I was insane and who I think said at one point "Maybe you should stop blogging and watch your kid."

No joke.

So, I explained that it's quite possible he drank half this 10 oz. bottle. He sounded surprised and I started to re-think my assumption. The bubbles had been used in the bath (go figure, using bubble bath for its intended purpose...not as a surrogate toy...are we really in such desperate need for toys around here?) and there was still half left and he couldn't have just sat down and guzzled it...could he?

Now I felt even dumber.

So, the guy tells me it's probably fine but watch out for vomiting and diarrhea and oh, stop blogging and watch your kid.

So, that's what I'm doing...watching out for vomit and diarrhea.

It's the little things, folks. 

Before I got off the phone, the guy asks for my son's name. Without thinking, I gave it to him, along with my zip code, at which time I envisioned DCFS banging on my front door. I nearly hung up on the guy--no joke. I considered making up fake names for us. I thought about switching to broken English, or attempting to speak Spanish just so I could get off the phone...

...but I am not nearly that quick on my feet.

And the only Spanish I know is from Dora. I don't think counting to TEN or saying "Larga...Gorta..." would've gotten me very far.

I'm praying those poison control people are understanding. Surely I can't be the only person who's had to call them lately?

Am I?

Please, tell me you have an ingestion horror story???

Let me share in your pain. I think it'll make me feel better.

I'm going to stop blogging now. I have a kid to watch.

  
 

Someone should fire the tooth fairy

I really didn't mean to get all morbid on you with my last post. I had lots of emails and even some phone calls. My favorite was the one from my sister. It went like this.

Ring-ring.

Me: Hello?

Carrie: Hey. Pretty dark blog you got there today.

Me: Oh. Yeah.

Carrie: Wow.

We're deep, aren't we? The truth is, she's one of those people who just gets me. And she lives far away. Georgia is far from Illinois. Plane tickets for five are expensive and our van could never get us there! I should blog about our van. oh my gosh. Let me just say that things are falling off of it so badly that a guy actually flagged me down on the interstate to tell me to have it fixed.

But having no car payment is a beautiful thing, so my plan is to drive the thing into the ground.Sadly, I think we're there!

Anyway. I really am fine. I really do appreciate the wonders of the internet. Can you imagine all your friends moving away and NOT having an internet? I mean, it would make the mail REALLY happy...but the in-between days would be terrible. So, I know I am very lucky to have instant communication with most of those wonderful people. Who knows? Maybe I'll plan my own get-away!

Enough about my morbidity. Something fun happened last week and it's somewhat blog-worthy. But it reminds me of my inability to stay on top of things in my house...

If you look closely, you'll see that Ethan has finally lost his first tooth. He was six in August, and my niece who is an entire year younger than him has lost more than a couple teeth, so I was starting to wonder when this would happen.

It happened at school. I am not sad about that. Teeth sort of weird me out.

I noticed it as soon as he walked up to my car in the carpool line. He said nothing about it. Just the usual "Hey, Mom."

I said, "Ethan, did you lose a tooth?"

Him: "Oh, yeah! I did!"

He got a certificate and a little treasure chest to put it in. And as we drove away, I started reminding myself the Tooth Fairy had duties. She had something to do that night. She had a little one to visit. A morning to make special. Money to give away.

Made mental notes. I could do this.

But then, the night got busy. Adam texted me twice to remind me "DON'T FORGET THE TOOTH FAIRY."

I should've texted him back "Don't flush Ethan's tooth down the toilet."

Which is what he did with Sophia's.

Holy cow. She looks so small in that picture.

I suppose it is gross to hold onto lost teeth (gross right? not acceptable like holding onto hair?) but still. His rash decision to flush it shocked the mama in me.

Anyway. I doubt I'll ever scrap Ethan's tale, so I'll just tell you our Tooth Fairy totally needs to be fired. She stinks. She even borrowed a dollar from a friend and still forgot to put it under the pillow.

Nothing like waking up at 6:10 in the morning to Adam saying, "Um...you forgot the Tooth Fairy. And he's up and he's going 'the tooth fairy didn't come!'"

Picture me completely not awake, listening to this run-down of how I've already screwed up the day. Sigh. Insert Mom-Guilt here. I told Adam where the dollar was and asked if he could sneak it in. Maybe inside the pillow case or somewhere Ethan hadn't looked? I'm sneaky like that.

Thankfully, he was able to sneak it under the pillow without Ethan seeing him (though Ethan had already looked once.) I guess I should be thankful he didn't put it all together.

Well, it worked. Thank goodness. ethan was pretty happy. "Ohh! It was IN the pillow! I didn't look there."

Gotcha.

Sophia wanted to play the part of the fairy and I really should've let her. If you're looking for a fun read, check out my husband's now dated post on how Sophia discovered the truth about the tooth fairy. He sums it up better than I ever could. We told her after that horrible realization that she could help with the tooth fairy duties. Dumb of us to promise her that since she goes to bed at the same time as Ethan.

Anyway. That's the big news in our house! (Exciting, no?)

Now, we're in for a super busy week around here, so wish me luck!

Happy Tuesday!

Snow Play

My beautiful Mom comes up to my house once a week to watch on Sam and pick my kids up from school. She does this so I can go have a few hours of uninterrupted writing and I love her for it. I would post a picture here of my mom but I don't even know if I have any because she refuses to allow photos of her.

Let me dig around.

Found one! That's mom, me and Carrie, my sister. My face is glowing like I just drank uranium or something. I don't know how that happened, but just look at my mom and ignore the big head in the middle.  

Anyway, sometimes the kids tell me they've done things with Grammy that I don't allow them to do. Not like starting fires in the kitchen or using steak knives to play Star Wars...but simple things, like Sophia changing Sam's diaper. I never knew she could do it, but my mom let her and she did great.

Now, sometimes she'll get Sam up for me and change him. I'm always so impressed and surprised when she does this. But she is almost nine.

So, the other day I was out at the bookstore writing (I could do a blog series about the crazy people I encounter at the bookstore.) and I came home and saw Ethan running around outside.

In this cold.

Is he crazy?

I know I've told you what a hermit I am, and sometimes I think when it's -10 outside, it's best to keep the kids inside. But it's been warming up. And I'm still inhibiting their outdoor play.

Bad mommy.

He was having a blast. Looking at his snow angel:

 
eating snow... (with a loose tooth...)

...and just generally soaking up what's left of the winter.  

yeah, it was one of those "I should be doing this everyday after school, Mom" moments.

 

I think the lesson I learned is that so often my answer is "No" before I even hear the question. I mean, seriously, if he wants to go outside and run down the hill in the snow, why do I automatically assume that it's too cold? My first thought is that I would hate it so I attribute my own feelings to my kids when I really should let them figure it out for themselves.

And not turn them into homebodied hermits.

What about you? Do you ever find yourself inflicting your own feelings/issues on your kids without realizing it?

Please tell me you do. Because if I'm alone in this, I'm gonna feel like one rotten mama!

 

 

Typical Monday Morning...

I went in Ethan's room this morning after he left for school and was greeted by all kinds of "signs that Ethan lives here." It made me smile.

He plays Legos at night when he's supposed to be sleeping. By the light of the bathroom, he manages to build things like this:

which is especially cool because he looked at a picture and did that by himself. No instructions. No "this piece goes here and that one goes there." I love this little car.

I'm really glad he doesn't have to sleep all by himself in the dark. He's got so many friends to hang out with:

Wait a minute. What's that chick doing there? She's not allowed in my son's room after dark. That little hussy is going down.

...and Darth Maul is freaking me out a little. Do you think he'd notice if I painted his face with pink nail polish? Maybe put a bow in his hair? Something to soften him. Nasty bugger.

Don't they look happy? He used to line up his trains like this. He's moved on.

Sam's inherited the trains. They don't get lined up with this guy though. They get crashed. A lot.

Even Spencer is confused about what the heck is going on. And why is that other train ramming into me?

You can tell by the look on his face he's a little confused.

Sophia's equally hard on her toys.

Poor George, crumpled on the floor. I think he was a toss-off in the middle of the night.

That was my bear, by the way. I love that thing. If she'd give it up, I'd probably still sleep with it.

Our room isn't nearly as interesting.

In the bathroom:

If you need a good devotional, I highly recommend this one. So much good stuff like there. It's taught me so many things...and gently pointed out all the ways I am NOT like Jesus. (There are so many.) Max Lucado is a brilliant writer. One of my favorites. Good, applicable stuff.

And my reading table is jammed...

I have a major magazine addiction. Country Living, Cottage Style, Better Homes and Gardens. It's getting ridiculous. Then my mom gives me all the ones she is done with (which I LOVE) but I think I need a magazine day just to catch up! I've also got two other books that I've started...

 

I honestly didn't mean to buy either one, but lord knows I need the first one and the second one just really intrigued me. I mean, Gayle Haggard's actions in the face of her public betrayal astound me. The grace she has--grace I know I wouldn't have...just floor me. I'm curious, I guess, to read her story... I have to admit, at the moment I'm not a big fan of his, so we'll see if this book sheds some light on him as a man. Because we all are just human, aren't we?   

This is why it's sooo important not to put ministry people on pedestals. We are human. We will mess up. I think God allows it to remind us "Hey, I'm the one you're supposed to be focusing on, remember?"

Anyway. 'nuff preaching for today.

God gave me an earful this morning:

Good stuff in 1 Samuel. I haven't read that book in years. I skipped around a bit. Found some things I was looking for. Love it when God delivers just what I need.

Lightning McQueen Buzz Year likes it too:

And I imagine this little con-artist does too. She seriously was warm this morning. Sniffly, lethargic. I swore she was sick.

I mean, look at her.

But right at this very moment, I'm not sure. She just seems so...well, not sick.

I think I've been duped.

But she's still got a fever. What to do...

I think I'll drink some more coffee... because I found this:

which yes, is NOT healthy. and yes, is full of hydrogenated oils. Do not drink this if you want to eat clean!!

But I swear, when I discovered they were making it YEAR-ROUND, I had to buy a bottle. I love this stuff.

After this bottle, I swear I'll stop. I can quit anytime. I promise.

Just let me finish this bottle and then I'm done.

For real!

Ok, I have to go get this Monday started! Look at the time. Good Gravy! It's already 10!

Have a good one!

 

Inspiring Interviews Blog Series

I've been thinking a lot about inspiration--how you find it, how you keep it, why it's important...and I've discovered that the most inspiring thing to me isn't the rows of books and magazines at Barnes and Noble. Or the music playing in the background as I write...or even the art that people post to their blogs.

The most inspiring things aren't things at all. They are the people behind the things. And what I really like is the chance to pick those brains and be inspired by other people's experiences and beliefs.

So, I decided to start a new blog series called "Inspiring Interviews." I know interviewing people isn't exactly a new concept, but I really want to find inspiring people in all different fields. So far, I've lined up novelists, artists, designers, natural health gurus, photographers, inspiring women of faith... all kinds of inspiring stories... and I cannot wait to share them with you.

The idea is that every Friday (I think I'm going to do Fridays...kicked around the idea of Monday...) I will post a new Inspiring Interview with a woman in one of these fields. We'll get to know--and be inspired by--their artistic processes, their eye for design, their life stories, their bravery, their overcoming the odds, their simple approach to self nourishment...

And I believe that inspiration will hang around.

I love to learn about people. I love to uncover their stories. Some of the people will be people you recognize. Others will be quietly living a life no one knows about. All will inspire in one way or another. I hope you'll come back to read the first installment tomorrow. Maybe you'll learn a little something new!

I did another painting awhile ago but didn't get a chance to photograph it. When I realized I hadn't snapped a picture, I used my cell phone to get one quick just so I can remember what she looks like.

I cut the little bird out of cardstock and then used a Pop Dot underneath to make her stand out. I think that even though it's a terrible photo thanks to my cell phone, she is a happy little angel and I guess that's why I like her.

Because we all need a little happy in our lives.

Especially this guy.

 
Life is sooo hard. My mommy takes pictures of me when I'm mad and crying!

Not fair, Mommy! Stop doing that! "Dat. Not. Funny!"

Awww, poor guy. I can assure you I wasn't really laughing at him. I was taking my pictures and all the while saying, "Aw, buddy, what's wrong?"

Somehow my splendid show of sympathy didn't register with Sam.

Come back tomorrow for the first Inspiring Interview!

I can't wait! :)
  
 

Random things I love

I love a little bit of random. So, here's a random list of things I'm loving right now.

Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread

It's a big part of my new, nourishing eating regimen. Notice I didn't say "diet". I don't think I will ever use that word again. I have finally figured out that when your eating is connected to some sort of emotion, you have to tune into the emotion in order to treat the problem. And part of the solution is to have a pretty clear idea of how to eat.

For me, that means no white bread/processed flour, etc. Enter Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread. This stuff is so good. It's made from sprouted grains. I haven't tried the other flavors yet, but I plan to. I have two slices of this everday. In fact, I'm eating some right now. If you want more info about it, the Food for Life Website is a great place to start!

 
My college friend Jessica started a BLOG! Jessica was the friend in college who taught me it was okay to dream REALLY. BIG. DREAMS. I will always love her for that. I remember walking into my Com 101 class with Dr. Kasch -- it was a big lecture hall class, and I just wanted to sit down. (Because you know, everyone was watching me enter. I swear, I am so self conscious!) Anyway, I found an empty seat on an end and asked the girl sitting there if it was saved. She said no, and I sat down. Instantly, I noticed her handwriting. I am going to ask her to post a sample. It's so cool. It needs to be a font. (Even then I was obsessed!) But she was reading a Vanity Fair or something and began to tell me how she was going to work in TV. She was from LA. She wanted to work on the David Letterman show. In New York. I think I had stars in my eyes.

I said, "You're really going to do that?"

She said, "Why not? Somebody has to." (or something to that effect.)

Major revelation. Why not? Somebody has to! Why can't it be me?

Her blog won't be about television though because after working on The Tonight Show and for one of the networks, she started her family. I respect her so much for deciding to focus on them. Her blog is full of pretty things. Decorating things. Dreamy things. Martha-esque things. You will like it. :)

oh, and you'll also find a little bit of this:

I can't think of a better person to have my morning coffee with.

Also loving painting right now too...

This is the first painting I've done that's a little bit personal. I can't go into all the details, but I have learned that art can be a kind of therapy. And that alone makes me want to keep doing it. (By the way, those yellow circles are flowers, you just can't see the stems in the photo!)

Loving white. I am wanting to add white everywhere. Since I'm not okay with painting new cabinets yet, I've decided to bring it in in other ways. Like these:

I'm thinking about painting my kitchen some shade of green so then they'll really pop when I put them up here:

I think the rendering of me in that photo is really realistic.

Loving watching my boys together:

Ethan was home one day last week with a bad cold and headache and Sam was a little out of sorts by it. It's usually just he and I during the day. So I did have to break up a fight or two (almost always instigated by Sam)... but then they finally settled into this...

 

Yeah, I'm watching TV with my big brother.

You smiling, Ethan?

 
 Yeah, I'm smiling too.

 Also loving Archway's Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee

Pretend that label says "Pumpkin Pie Spice" on it. I couldn't find a photo of it and I'm really just too lazy to walk in the other room and take one. I've got a sort of love/hate relationship going with coffee. Instead of quitting altogther, I'm just cutting way (and I do mean WAY) back.

Have mostly given up sugar.

...which has been tricky. I am not "fasting" sugar like I've done before. I'm actually just not going to eat it anymore. A taste here and there is one thing, but if I want to really change my life, I feel like I need to keep it mostly at the bare minimum. We had a meeting here last night which resulted in half of a homemade chocolate cake being left behind. I had a half of a piece of the cake (and a bite of Adam's key lime pie) so I know it's good.

But I think what's been so liberating is knowing the I don't need the cake. Not like "Oh, I need that like I need a hole in my head" I don't mean it that way. of course, none of our hips need cake. But I don't HAVE to eat it. It has no control over me.

Sounds pretty deep since we're talking about cake, no?

If you have food issues, I think you'll understand what I mean.

It's pretty freeing. And I like it.

My friend Robin in Haiti updated her blog. She's still in Haiti. I still don't think any of this is real. In spite of the smell of dead bodies and the loss of physical items. She's such an amazing person. I don't think I could ever be so strong.

Anyway, last thing...

I'm also loving my upcoming BLOG SERIES which I will tell you more about tomorrow. If you like to be inspired and you like to learn about people, you will like this! I think it's going to be a ton of fun! :)  I hope you'll check back and leave comments once I start it!

Have a great Wednesday!
 

No resolutions here...yet.

 
I've yet to give any thought to my New Year's resolutions. I mean, there's things I want to accomplish this year--goals I need to set for myself, but in terms of actual "I resolve" statements, I haven't quite mustered the courage to sit down and think about those.

I think it's because, if I'm honest, 2009 was kind of a rotten year for me. Really rotten. I'd rather forget big chunks of it than sit and replay them over and over in my head. But the hard thing is that the ringing of the clock at midnight on January 1st didn't give me exactly a clean slate. I mean, whatever you're dealing with on December 31st doesn't just magically fix itself on January 1st. It doesn't work that way.

Unfortunately.

So, of course I have typical resolutions--eat better, get healthy, etc. etc. But truly right now all I'm focusing on is moving forward. Dealing with the old so I can embrace the new.

I've seen a lot of people doing photo a day type blogs. I pretty much take a photo everyday, but usually they aren't pretty and artsy. That probably won't change, let's be honest. But maybe I'll try starting my blog off with some random photo that represents where I am... that one up there...the bottom of a bowl of homemade vegetable soup.

Let's call it "Nourish Yourself."

I had a great conversation with a dear, dear friend last night. Yes, I said "dear friend." And no, I'm not an old lady.

The conversation led us to women and how we so often neglect ourselves. We forget to take care of ourselves because we spend so much time caring for other people. but I'm not just talking physically. It's everything--spiritually, emotionally...and my biggie...creatively. You have to nurture yourself if you hope to have any kind of lasting impact on any little (and big) people in your life. It's just the way it goes.

But we make it the last priority. Bottom of the totem pole. I'll get to that later.

We set up an art night here locally. I don't know what it'll turn into, but it's a night for creative people to come together and be creative. To drink coffee and paint or write or sculpt or sketch. A night to put aside the to-do list and nurture the inner artist. Aren't YOU worth investing in?

I think so.

Anyway. It's on my mind a lot and will probably creep its way into my resolutions. I'm anxious to see where that takes me. But I won't do them until I'm in a reflective mood.

For now, I'll show you my latest domestic blunder. First of all, let me just say that my husband is a god-send. Last night he and I brainstormed some important writing stuff (this is one creative mastermind, let me just tell you) and he managed to help get me over a major writing block... love him for that. but I also love him because he helps me. He folds clothes and helps make lunches...all the things that are more fun with a partner.

But...god love him...whenever he helps, I know I'm gonna find something like this a couple of hours later:

Oh, I thought that lid went ON the peanut butter? I always mumble sarcasm under my breath but quickly remind myself that the sandwiches are made and I didn't have to do it. 

Besides, I can hardly criticize when Adam had to scour the fridge for the jelly...only to find it here:

In case you're wondering...that's a cupboard. And yes, I was the person who put jelly away there.

Sometimes my brain doesn't accompany me on my adventures.

Last thing...

I am a little closer to having a plan for our toy room. I don't have a color yet, but I do have a map. These aren't the actual pictures that I'm using... but you get the idea:

I'm sort of a nutcase about sketching things out in Photoshop, but it really helps me because I'm so visual. I thought of adding some shelves because the smaller ones are harder to hang. One of those Olivia's isn't gonna make the final cut either because I found an adorable Curious George that is so cute. I'm hoping my brilliant husband will hang these today, though when he sees that peanut butter picture he might refuse.

Ha.

So, little by little....

Happy Wednesday!!  

House Fancy

Have you seen that episode of Spongebob?

I think it's funny they used Curlz MT for the font for that episode. Anyway, that was one of the many Spongebob episodes we had on our DVR during Sam's demanding Spongebob phase. See, we are still teaching him that he can't stomp his foot and screech like a little monkey and get his way, but oh, back in the day, when he screeched for Spongebob, by golly, we gave him Spongebob.

I think this is my least favorite Spongebob episode ever.

It drives me nuts.

I digress.

This post is not about the yellow sponge with the annoying voice that I am ashamed to say often makes me laugh...it's about my own house and how NOT fancy it is. I don't like fancy. Or pretentious. I like comfortable. Why do you think I live in my yoga pants?

Stacy London would have my head if she saw my typical daily uniform...

And so would Clinton.

But I want my house to be comfortable too. I want yoga pants for my house. I want every room to feel homey and cozy and filled with the things we love...things that make my family happy. And those may not be things that normal people would put in their house, but if they work for us, then I want them.

For instance, my house has two front rooms. When we first moved in, we had no idea what to call them. The fake living room? The not-dining room? The front room? But then that would warrant the question, "Which front room?" Vicious cycle.

So, I adopted one room as my office and we turned our formal dining room into the kids toy room.

My goal for this week was to not only paint and transform Sophia's room but also the toy room. It didn't happen, and I think largely because I have no idea what to put in there...Or where to start.

When Sophia was in utero (is that spelled right?) we didn't know if she was a boy or a girl. So we decorated her room a calm and relaxing color that was gender neutral... Red. Yes, I am crazy. Red is my favorite color, but for a nursery? Huh?

I don't know. My goal was to do a Dr. Seuss room. Little did I know that only eight years later, Pottery Barn would release this room:

For the record the pictures on the wall are exactly what I wanted to do. Could I find Dr. Seuss pictures to frame? No. Darn you, Pottery Barn.

Anyway, my goal now is to do this in my toy room. Frames with Dr. Seuss covers inside surrounded by the giant letters that spell out the word PLAY. But what color do I paint the walls? I don't want it to be TOO kid-dish. I know that's not a word. Sue me.

So, I started looking around a little and ran across this shop at etsy. I started thinking that if I got some super cute curtains in the room maybe that would help?

What about something like this...

What do you think? Too kid-like?

Remember I am deco-challenged, so I need all the input I can get. I would paint the room red if I could... I just don't really want blue on the walls.

So. I am struggling a little with that room.

I love what MEG did with this room...

But she has a heck of a lot more style than I do.

So this is my next house (ad)venture... I'll keep ya posted on what I end up doing... even if it's just sitting in the room drinking coffee and reading a book because my brain is overloaded with color swatched and I've tired of pretending I know how to put rooms together.

I so don't.

Anyway. That's that. Another random fluffy post.