left of center

Oh my goodness, February whizzed on by!  And it isn't just because it is shorter since we haven't gotten to the end yet, right?  Let's see.  Last week Matthew and I went to the Suzanne Vega concert -- that was super fun!  I thought I would enjoy it, but I was never that into her music so I wasn't over the top excited about it, but then it was really amazing!  Her voice is so pretty and she has a great manner about her, just chatting and telling stories.  It was a stormy night, so I had thought we should maybe skip the whole thing, but the roads were fine so I'm glad that we didn't.

For some unknown reason I've been cleaning and clearing and decluttering like a madwoman.  I'm not pregnant so it isn't nesting... I think it is because I'm already anticipating our annual yard sale!  Every year I feel a little panicked and run out of time and am always disappointed by how many other things I have that I don't want or need, so I suppose that this year I want to be thorough -- leave no stones unturned, no closet undefiled, no cupboard unscathed.  My dining room has been a particular eyesore, aka the dumping spot, so I was thinking I needed to gut the whole thing and start over.  I listed my dining table and chairs Craig's list and started looking for something to replace it.  I sometimes think the one we have is a little too precious to inhabit the same space as my rambunctious children, and I am tired of the ends drooping when we lean on it to take our turn in Settlers of Catan, or worrying when the kids draw on it with permanent marker.  We need something solid and enduring, something oval, and something stylish, and perfect.  Am I asking too much?  Apparently.  Unless I want to spend 10 gazillion dollars.  I don't.  Matthew suggests we use the one we have.  Pfft.  Nonsense.  But I think it has come to that.  So I decided to rearrange the dining room.  A good friend came over and she helped me most by asking me to pick just two main colors and we could go from there.  It did look a little busy and looks so much more serene and lovely now.  I think I'll just keep my table.

::I found a before -- Ibby took a picture of her lovely Valentine table setting

::And here is after 

   

::Archie helped me take some pics.  You can't tell, because you can't hear the picture, but in both he is making kissing sounds.  Adorbs!

 

::Some left over valentine's photos -- loving the icing and sister, too.  That dye made for some very interesting diaper changes.  Too much information?  Sorry.

  

happy valentine's day!

We had a dance last week at our church in honor of Saint Valentine and I had the distinct pleasure of helping to plan and execute said activity.  Things of this nature tend to cause me a bit of stress and I wonder again why we don't have an activity committee any longer, but that is not for mere mortals to contemplate nor comprehend.  However, as with many tasks I undertake in my life, I found that once I started it was quite enjoyable to gather with like-minded women for planning and then again to set up the night before.  It looked very pretty, if I do say so myself, and I was quite looking forward to it.  So the day of the soiree arrived and I realized that as I have acquired the holiday spirit I would like to reflect that in my appearance as well.  But alas, I don't prefer the color red as a rule.  What to do?  I remembered that I had seen an adorable blouse at Old Navy the previous week and it had even been on sale.  I had some other errands to do, plus my usual life, plus the kids were home that day from school, so I found myself at the mall at 5:30 p.m. -- just 30 minutes before I should be at the church, oh my!  So I ran into the store, over to the rack, saw the perfect shirt hanging there tauntingly, but noticed immediately that it was no longer $15, it was $30.  My heart sank, my spirits plummeted, as I realized that I just could not in good conscience pay that exorbitant rate.  So I slunk, as quickly as one can slunk, home and hoped that I could find something suitable in my own closet.  I rushed upstairs and started rifling through the hangers when what to my wondering eyes did appear?  THE VERY SAME SHIRT!  Oh dear.  And yay!  I guess I hadn't been able to pass up the wonderful deal, and I hadn't worn it yet so it simply hadn't had a chance to imprint on my brain yet, right?  But I guess it does say something about my spending habits of late that I cannot even remember what I have and have not purchased.  I really did think I had put it down.  Well, I shrugged it on, pulled on my new to me $95 regular retail jeans from Goodwill, and felt pretty cute.

::the treat table, yummo!  I resisted, resisted, resisted... then ate two cupcakes while cleaning up, ugh!  I guess my willpower has a curfew...

 ::my friend had a great idea for a photo booth, she made cute little props, and I happened to have a spare frame laying around... possessing said frame and a camera also automatically nominated me to be the photographer for the evening, and photo developer the next day, yippee!  -- here's Ibby with friend

 ::Phin didn't quite get the concept, but he is still cute!

 ::Matthew is rocking that boa!  And isn't that a cute shirt?  I liked it twice!

 ::baby LOVED the music and danced, stomped, boogied the night away.  You know how babies can't quite jump, but they try really hard without getting their feet off the floor?  Yeah, that.  He did it all night.  Never ceases to charm and delight me!

wrapsody

So I have a new obsession.  I didn't need a new obsession.  I wasn't looking for a new obsession.  It just happened.  I have a baby -- a fairly big baby -- who likes to be held.  He doesn't like me to walk out of the room.  He doesn't like me to busily move around the house.  He most certainly doesn't appreciate me doing things like walk down the stairs without him!  I was willing to cut myself some slack the first year of his life.  So I wasn't accomplishing as much as I wanted, but I had a baby!  And probably my last baby.  Heaven knows I realize how quickly they grow up so I wasn't going to resent his babyhood or get frustrated with the undone tasks piling up around me.  But enough is enough.  There is something about the new beginnings of January and being inside all the time that makes me just want to get rid of everything and hose down the house!  Or at the very least streamline the cupboards and closets, sort through what clothes we really need and use, move some pictures around to appreciate them again, organize and discard old papers and files, not to mention prepare dinner regularly, learn to crochet, practice the piano, exercise -- need I go on?  Anyhow, despite his advanced age, I decided I needed a new way to strap him to me so that I can do what I need to do and he can have what he wants -- which is to be strapped to me.  

And so we have: woven wraps (aaaaaah).  They are so pretty, so silky, so vibrant... so expensive!  But I've gotten some used and some at deep discounts.  They're not all here yet, but here is my first one (and yes, I do need more than one since there are different uses for shorter wraps, different fabrics, etc. -- thanks for asking).

 This one is a silk / cotton blend and is so comfortable -- it's like I hardly notice him there at all.  He gets all comfy and relaxed, truly happy as a clam.  I brought it with me to my presidency meeting yesterday, tied him up, and he promptly took a nice little nap.  I've been watching youtube videos all week long for all of the best ways to wrap a toddler.  I seem to have found yet another subculture of which I knew nothing just a few short months ago.  It is fun, it is bonding.  And since I need some reason to justify all of this bother I'm already imagining wrapping up my grandchildren. Yes, I realize I'm crazy.

the story of my life

a new year

Happy happy New Year everyone!  We had a lovely autumn and beginning of winter.  I think we were trying hard to spend as much time all together as possible before our first little chick left the nest.  Oh my!  Bring on the tears!  I don't know if we'll ever all live together under one roof again and that thought is a tiny bit depressing, but what can you do?  I dropped her off in Idaho last Friday and when I called on Sunday evening I asked how she was feeling.  She said, "Mom, I know I'm in the right place."  Such a comforting sentence for a mama.  I was so worried, dropping her off in a place filled with only strangers, that she would be so lonely and scared -- not at all!  She has great roommates, a nice apartment, kind and helpful professors... such a relief!  And she hasn't even seemed annoyed when I call or text.

::Saying goodbye at the airport -- these were the last photos since I didn't get any of her apartment, etc.  Lame of me, I know.

 ::Ibby was trying so hard to not cry!  When I got home she told me that she was so excited to be upstairs sharing a room with Lulu now and then she started bawling.  I said, "You miss Ella don't you."  "Yes!" she wailed.  Indicating that the trade off wasn't necessarily worth it.

 ::Charlie being a goofball!

I just got back from our trip out west on Tuesday evening so I hadn't even started thinking about New Year's goals and resolutions yet -- one thing at a time -- but as I thought about some things this morning, there is a lot I'd like to work on.  I think a word I'd like to use this year is "Act."  Not as in playacting or pretending, but as in actually doing all of the many many things I think about doing.  I need to lose some weight -- so I'm going to!  I need to not waste so much time -- so I'm going to have an actual plan in place for my days and work on some side goals that will require me to plan my time better.  And most importantly I want to Act on the nudges and promptings that I get instead of ignoring them.  This is the most important one.  

I had to give a talk in church on December 30th and the topic was, "The Future is Bright" and I really believe that it is.  Come what may, if we are living right and doing our best there is no room for pessimism, anger, negativity, fear... Here is to a great year!

halloween

Happy Fall everyone!  It's getting pretty cold here, but I always forget how much I actually enjoy the coziness of it getting dark early and bundling up in jackets and sweaters.  I thought I'd share some of what we've been doing...

::The only pic we have of our Charlie -- he had to go to traffic school on Halloween night for four hours -- wah, wah!

::My two little pirates -- we said to Phin, "What do you say?" meaning trick or treat and he would say, "Arg.  That's what pirates say, mom."

 ::All the girls still like to dress up.  Ella handed out candy so that M and I could both take the littles around the neighborhood and Lulu went with some friends

 ::This was Ibby's miniature pumpkin.  I suggested that she not try to carve it, but she insisted and even included a mustache.

 ::Phin's jack-o-lantern -- he designed while daddy carved

 ::Lulu's

 ::And the leaves!  Archie loves to help!

:: Phin with his own purple rake

 ::The girlies helped for hours!  For some reason our two oldest slaves children missed this event

 ::He insisted on using one of the big rakes

 

In my estimation we raked about 55 million leaves last Saturday and one of our trees is still green!!!!  But we do love our big yard with its leafy canopy!

Babies crying, gotta go! 

lethargy

Wow!  That is all I have to say about my blog lethargy.  So it is definitely fall around here.  I LOVE fall!  The sky is so bright blue, the cool air is so refreshing (especially after this inferno of a summer), the brightly changing leaves are intoxicating, and the crunch crunch of the fallen leaves adds rhythm and sound.  We often talk about moving to a warmer clime, but I would certainly miss the changing seasons.  I also really like wearing more clothes!  I always feel a little too exposed in thinner tee shirts and capris.  There is nothing like putting on some jeans that pull in the tummy a bit and adding a cardigan to conceal some of the unsightly rolls.

I have been spending too much money, as usual.  I think it's because I'm tired.  It is energizing in a strange way, so maybe if I can get baby to sleep a bit more, that would be good in so many ways.  One way I am counteracting the thrill I get from procuring things is developing the absolute rush I get from getting rid of it again!  I've been selling things online and I think the whole process is so fun!  I like taking pictures of everything and describing them, checking to see if people are interested.  Then after they buy them I have a little scale and can weigh the packages and print out and pay for postage from my own computer!  It's like I'm a little girl playing "store!"  Another interesting thing is kind of getting to know and interact with different people that you will never meet.  For the most part, I'm selling kind of niche baby items so most of the people are educated and have similar interests to mine.  Well, a little while ago I decided to sell some household items on an online garage sale site and it was crazy the messages I was getting.  For example:

"I'm prolly posta be home at that time."

What?  I get that prolly = probably and must be a quick way to type it and I've seen it before, much to my chagrin, but posta?  Really?  I don't even want to hear this person speak in real life.  It made me realize that with texting and tweeting, what have you, the massacres of spelling and grammar are probably getting worse, but my friends are fortunately shielding me from the worst examples of it.  Thank you.  It is appreciated.

Anyhow.  It makes me think I should start a business of some kind.  Hmmm.  But what?  I'd love to have a virtual store because then I could buy things and then turn around and sell them again.  Perfect!  My husband is quick to point out that I do have a business -- teaching childbirth classes -- and perhaps I should work on growing that business.  Good point.  As usual.

That is it for now.  These few paragraphs were written over the course of a few days, with multiple interruptions, crises, laundry changes, questions, playing games, etc. ensuing throughout.  Doesn't make for much cohesiveness, but it is my life right now and I wouldn't have it any other way.

::walking is hard, must stick out tongue for assistance!

 ::Buddies!!!