Ofurohhh

Here is one of the tub.

The Reluctant Plumber

Well, here it is. The moment we have all been waiting for ~~ the new bathroom is finally finished! Hip, hip, hooray! We thought that it would never really happen, but here it is a mere 10 months after we started our project and we are the proud owners of 2 full baths. I know it is a little lavish with 7 people in the house, but that is just the kind of extravagant people we are. There were times when we had to practically beg our plumber to come and let us pay him money, but he was nice and just happens to be a victim of what we affectionately call the Bloomington work ethic.

Before:

After:

A little bit of an improvement I suppose.

It isn't quite finished (like a door for under the sink) and we still haven't had a soak in our ofuro, but we are looking forward to it. Can you tell that the tub is 36 inches deep from the pictures? I might have to take another shot sometime. And can you see the little black beaded accent tile that was the most expensive tile in the room? It might as well have been pearls. The little sconces by the sink are from a local old house salvage store and are the same age as our house. My favorite parts are the floor and the black toilet seat. Now I just have to find a shower curtain and you know what? There are a lot of very unappealing choices out there. I have to ask, as I have more than once in my life, why do so many people make so many ugly things when there is so much beauty all around? I did find the perfect shower curtain yesterday at the Urban Outfitters website, but then when I went to buy it a few hours later it was out of stock. It figures. Perfection just ain't my thang.

Badge of Honor

Yesterday was a first for me. Actually yesterday was literally the 1st, and so was a first for everyone, but that happens every single month so it wouldn't be an especially noteworthy topic for a blog post. I guess it could be if one were clever enough, but I won't pretend to be that talented and will now return to why it was a first for me. I sewed scouting badges onto Charles' shirt for the first time in his now long 5 year scouting career. I know! It is the little things that make one proud. I am not quite sure why I haven't done it in the past, but I was told in no uncertain terms a little over a week ago that he was required to show up at scouts with flying colors last night. I tried to explain to the person that his empty scout shirt, bereft of insignia of any sort, was like an outward manifestation of what a lame mom I am. I didn't know if I was quite ready to give that up, so of course, there is me screeching into the parking lot of the scout store 10 minutes before it closes and 1 hour and 10 minutes before he needs to be uniformed at his scout meeting. I come home and we scramble to find the scout shirt, search through drawers for any merit badges he has received, then we scramble to find the now missing bag with all of the badges I just bought. Baby! Then I sit down to start sewing the patches down and have to call my mom for some advice. She is sweet and wishes that she could be there to help me. I have to get off the phone because I have just sewn a huge pucker in his sleeve and have to unpick it (you think he might be embarrassed to have an empty shirt, try seeing it after I get a hold of it), get the council badge, the fleur de lis thing, the troop numbers (why are they all separate?) sideways and slowly marching down his shirt, the lone merit badge we could find on the sash, and put the little ribbons on shoulder buckles. Whew! Did he look more neglected before or not? It is hard to tell. I thought that perhaps I would feel better about myself after accomplishing this little task, but his shirt is still a badge of dishonor for me as a mother. At least I don't have to wear it.

seventeen years

Seventeen years ago today, Matthew and I got married. How could this be? I don't feel that much older than 17 now, but of course I must be. I look back and feel like we hardly knew each other then and know that it was God's hand that brought us together. I always am fascinated by how two people meet, but so easily could have never met, and then decide to never be apart again. The longer we are together the better suited I think we become.

There is one thing that is an irritation to me, but upon reflection (and the viewpoint of my good friend, Berta) it is that very trait that I think makes us infinitely compatible. Sometimes I wish that my husband were more "take charge", if you will. There is something in me that wants to step back and not be responsible for so many things, but I realize that Matthew is merely being very, very nice and no one can say that he isn't one of the most amiable guys you could ever meet.  And I wouldn't be happy with someone who didn't let me do any ole' thing I wanted to. He doesn't care if I want to: cut my hair, dig up the back lawn to plant a garden, have a home birth, take an art class, make strange meals, home school my kids, train to be a Bradley teacher, gain 50 pounds, have more kids, not have more kids, paint the bedroom, buy a 36" inch deep tub, talk about baby names even when I'm not pregnant, stay up late, rant, rearrange the furniture, go to Kmart 12 times in one week when they are having double coupons, not make dinner, watch Pride and Prejudice, be obsessed with things, not stick things out, go on some crazy diet, bring furniture home I found on the side of the road, buy fabric I never use, buy lots of other things I don't need, laugh too hard, start a blog, go to Ikea, worry, visit museums, try another crazy diet, go hours out of our way to visit National Parks, not eat meat, buy all of my clothes at Goodwill, get a new pet, cry about a fictional character in a book, etc.  He just says, "Okay."  Admittedly, more hesitantly at times than others, but mostly he is very supportive of anything I want to do.  What a marvel.

And he is so good.  He wakes up early and spends an hour reading scriptures, meditating, and planning his day.  He makes all kinds of goals and is very good at having dreams for the future. This is one way in which we are so different.  What a great example he is to me of self-mastery and discipline.  I can't plan ahead very far seeing as how I am always pretty sure in the back of my mind that we won't be alive in 5 years.  Why plan?  He is always pointing out that we are a good parenting team and that our kids will be well-rounded coming from two such opposite people.   Also, M is very smart.  I love his reasonable and thought out opinions on music, religion, politics, etc. and we enjoy many energetic exchanges on a wide variety of topics.

Thank you for being a great companion, a wonderful father, and mostly for not only letting me, but helping me, be the best ME possible.

Cleaning

I had decided that we would deep clean one room of the house every week this summer, but amazingly enough, that did not happen.  We halfheartedly dragged some dust cloths around the living room.  The kitchen really needed some attention.  I recently found a full serving of macaroni and cheese in the utensil drawer (okay not a full serving).  Sometimes I think it is just the kids, but even without them the dust bunnies multiply under the beds and the spiders congregate in the corners.  Sometimes thorough cleaning just needs to happen. 

I started a new Bradley class last night so that is always the impetus for a brisk sweep through the house which is nice because otherwise one becomes used to seeing the same things lying round.  The mail by the door, I'll get to that later.  Baby toys strewn from room to room, they'll just get brought out again (especially since he doesn't really play, he transports).  Dust on the mantle and lamp tables, what is the point of dusting?  Trash on the floor -- wait a minute!  Why are there wrappers on the floor?  Erg.  I am always finding garbage around my house ~~ from used tissues on the counters to empty cereal boxes in the pantry to toilet paper rolls left forlornly in their spot on the wall.  I know!  Let's throw our garbage in the garbage can!  What a great idea!  I have placed some strategically throughout the house so at any given moment one can be found merely steps away.  I even found one like this for a great price at a garage sale this summer:

What do you think? I think it is quite nice, and dare I say, fancy? Doesn't it just scream functionality? And you don't even have to be bothered to use your hands, just give a little nudge with your toe and it opens in all of its glory. Let's try it.

I should go clean the rest of my house. Ouch! What did I just step on?

Mommy Guilt

Since school has started I have felt guilty about my kids not eating a healthy breakfast.  I haven't felt bad enough to get up at 5 a.m. and make a hot breakfast before oldest heads off to early morning seminary, just bad enough to feel lame.  I found some recipes for healthy egg muffins (like mini muffin shaped omelets) and breakfast casseroles, but so far haven't had the gumption to actually prepare said items the night before.  I guess we have the entire school year ahead of us (I rationalize hopefully).  Last night I did try making oatmeal in our peachy keen rice cooker.  It was so easy and totally worked out, surprisingly enough.  I tried steel cut oats because oldest loves oatmeal, but I hate to feed them the instant variety.  It shouldn't even be called oatmeal.  Maybe just sugar coated oatmeal likenesses.  Just call it what it is: dessert.  Speaking of which I came downstairs yesterday and my two younger girls had just eaten two pop tarts each (!!!) for breakfast.  I know there are two in the package, but that doesn't mean you eat two.  And I know that they are touted as being breakfast foods, but they are so not a great start to your day.  And I know I shouldn't even have them in the house, but I had a coupon AND they were on sale and I thought they might make a nice TREAT sometime, but I certainly didn't intend for them to be the first things on the stomachs of my precious little ones who then have to go out into the world and think thoughts of all things.  Hence the guilt.  And we have now come full circle.

More Questions

Today I had the distinct pleasure of taking four of my children to the dentist at the same time.  You would think that the actual dentist part would be the most painful, but no-oh!  It was gathering them up for the 1:00 appointment.  Which brings us to the first question:  Why is it harder to take my children out of school early than it would be to break them out of prison?  Oh my goodness.  I will spare you the details, just know that it may be my undoing (I used to think that would be poop, but I have grown accustomed to that which I suppose is a good thing...maybe).  And why can't a pediatric dentist try to be available after school hours?  It would make MY life so much easier so I think that it should be taken into consideration.  

It has taken us much too long to recover from our stomach ailment.  I always return home from our continental treks feeling motivated to make a fresh start.  This may be because we always return at the beginning of the new school year and also I have had a reprieve from the mundane.  On our journey home I daydream about how I will transform into the organized, creative, efficient, thin, kind woman I long to be and I am brimming with ideas of how to bring it all to pass.  Well, it usually comes to nothing in the end, but not quite so abruptly as this year.  We had one day before school started so it took us much too long to unpack and then the nasty bug on top of it didn't help one teeny bit.  The whole thing has made me feel quite despondent which makes me into something of a baby.  I look at lovely photographs and think, I wish I could take pictures like that.  Why haven't I learned how to use my camera so I can take pictures like that?  I see beautiful art and I think, I wish I could express what I feel inside in that way.  Why haven't I sketched even one single thing since I took an art class last fall so that I can feel more comfortable with that form of expression?  I hear a great song and think, I wish I could sing all the time.  Why can't I?  I look at everything that way and think why, why, why?  I need to stop being so why-ny (oh no she didn't!) and focus on something.  

New trend alert:  Today baby made the magnificent discovery of nostrils ~~ his and mine ~~ and thinks they are altogether terrifically entertaining.