Boys Room Mamut Shelves

It is a testament to my (lack of) decorating skills that I'm posting pictures of four things up on the wall...  

But those of you who know me best realize just what an accomplishment this is and can celebrate my baby steps toward function mixing with the vaguest suggestion of style.

And once it's up there, baby, it's staying.  I will not "just move it over a titch", thankyouverymuch.

I had several (3) layouts, but Shane's preference was for none of them.  He quickly rearranged my floor mock-up, said he thought that was decent and then left the room saying he didn't care what I did.  However, time has shown (Catsup and Mustard Room??) that his style choices(of all our furniture) are easier to live with in the long run, so we end up going with that... usually.

It's always fun to put up a mirror at kid height.  So you can walk up to it and stare at your midriff.  But I think kids need to see their faces, especially when they are sure they've hoodwinked mom in the face-washing department.

Laundry Room ~ a new table!

I already did a few posts about my laundry room getting a bit of a make-over.  Strong words for the likes of me, but it did at least get some paint and new shelves!  Now a post on another small change that has worked wonders.

Since we went "dryer-less" last..... February?????  Wow, I had no idea it's been almost a year.  Okay, so I don't miss the dryer except for one thing:  down jackets and comforters.  Other than that, it's super! And there's even a fix for down: you beat it to death, gently.

I've had time to see what works and what doesn't, and one of my goals went unrealized for awhile.  I wanted laundry to enter the room, get washed, hang dry, and get folded all in that one room.  Couldn't happen.  Didn't have the counter space for it.  So Shane made me a quick, excellent little table that just fits the space and I'm in business!  Kids bring their laundry baskets in, sort the clothes into the proper hampers, and then take back their pile of clean laundry and put it away.  They also have to help hang and help fold, of course.... =)  I definitely qualify for a wicked mom badge.

We moved the washer into the corner, and now when the door is open, it isn't in the way.

The pile of laundry is just waiting for Aidan's helpful little hands to put it away...

I like that the laundry sorters can fit under the table and not look so sloppy.

But most of all, I like the extra space for folding!

You know what hanging wet laundry reminds me of?  Nursing!

Wait, hold on.  I am not folding laundry in some weird way.  I promise.  It's just that you have to be in one place to do it, and at first your mind races over all the other things you could do, should do, need to be doing...  And then the inevitability sets in and you resign yourself to just being in the moment.  Then you realize that you are enjoying the break, the quiet, the time alone with your thoughts (or your baby, if you are actually nursing).  It's a forced slow-down and I like it! =)


I'm off to do some laundry!

Letters of Love

The kids were yelling....

The house was messy...

Life was chugging along as normal.

I walked in on the kids while they were playing and bent over to pick up the paper strewn across the floor.
(I tell myself I will never do this; I will make them pick up their own messes!  But it takes a great amount of will-power, so in this instance, I was weak.)

This is what I found on the papers:

"You do kind things."

"I like you!"

"And the greatest thing of all: you are beautiful"

Aidan had written this for Julia.  A warm, life-giving elixir to the heart of a mother!  =)

I also love that more kids are at the stage for spelling things phonetically.  Once Lucas began to spell pretty well, I found I missed these cute little signs and sayings.  So I'll treasure them again while my baby still spells like this!

More Skirts

I made a skirt for Julia not long ago, but it was so full that the gathers at the waist were WAY too bunchy!

So I made a couple more.

This first one, I attempted to create my own pattern out of butcher paper.  And for a first try, it'll do.  But I know a little better how to create a pattern, now. =)  Nothing like a little experience, even if it is truly a "little".  This fabric is flannel, picked out by Calysta.

In the back, I tried to create a bit of a kick pleat, but after cutting out the material, I realized I hadn't thought it through properly.  So it's a nice little random visual in the back.

The second skirt I made using a pattern that I've used before.  A total circle skirt, perfect for twirling.  I made her "blanket skirt" using this same pattern.  But this time, I made the circle skirt in two layers, so that the second layer peeks out from under the first one.  The reason for this was to double up on a thin, cotton material for winter and to add interest.  Built in slip!

You can see a bit better the underskirt in muslin with the edging that matches the waistband.

No doubt poodles are twirly!

Get That Term Right!

I just love some of our conversations with the kids.  It's so enlightening and entertaining!

At every meal, there is a constant flow of conversation, or at least some sort of noise.  Today's lunch conversation included talk of puberty, a new term that we have discussed in basic outlines during science.  There was some general speculation on when they would reach puberty, and then some comments about how I was in puberty.  So I corrected them, saying that I was past puberty.  Then I posed the question:

"What comes after puberty?"

Lucas shouts out:  "Adultery!"

The Mother of Invention

You know, necessity.  But in my experience, my personal experience, laziness is the mother of invention.

Which is why I find every possible reason to crochet without a pattern.  Every time I use a pattern (twice) I have to learn something new.  Oh horrors!  So to save me this tedious process of learning, growing and improving, I look for shortcuts.  Which brings me to a couple of hats I made while we spent two weeks traveling to the old hometown of Champaign in Il and to visit relatives and friends in Ohio and Oklahoma.

Pixie hat for Julia:

Kinda hard to crochet with this funky yarn.  But it's cute!

And so is the model!

Circle hat for Aidan:

Classic example of learning something new.  In the past, I have sewn hats from the crown to the rim, expanding as I go.  However, one pattern showed me how to start from the edges and take up stitches as I go.  I like it!

A couple mistakes...  too much slack at the opening, as seen here.  And it is just a wee bit tight halfway through.  I should have taken it in more slowly as I worked my way to the center.  Oh well!  Wool stretches!  =)

Thin Hair

My husband was trying to describe to me the reasons he loves my hair.  He's apparently a big fan, and likes the way it looks.

"It's thin and flat.  That's what I like about it.  Oh, you don't like the word flat?  It's fine.  It's thin and fine.  It lays straight against your head."

Snape comes to mind.  At least he didn't say it was greasy.

I just try to remind myself that I probably give him "compliments" like this all the time.  And a lucky lady like me knows when compliments come from the heart.  Even if you've always wanted thick, wavy/curly hair that stands off the head.