the law of entropy

This morning I had a super idea!  Hey!  Why don't I give the baby his own broom so he can sweep with me, and won't steal mine so that I can actually get the floor clean.  It was pretty cute as he grunted while helping me move the chairs and stayed so busy.  It was not as cute, and I soon realized my folly, when he discovered that his most favorite thing to do was to get the bristles of his little broom up under my pile and fling all of the detritus far and wide -- completely undoing all of my hard work.  This is pretty much my whole existence.  I just get the kitchen clean and someone comes in to have a snack; just get in the last load of laundry and someone changes their clothes; just mop the floor and someone walks across the floor with muddy shoes, or eating a juicy piece of fruit while walking and dripping (grrrr); pick up all the books and hear the blocks being dumped out; change a diaper and smell some new little gift -- I could go on and on!

But at least I'm kind of trying to keep ahead of the chaos.  I always think of the Orson Scott Card character who is always whittling away at a piece of wood so that something in the universe is being created instead of everything disintegrating into nothingness.  Ooh, does that mean my sweeping is some how a creative endeavor?  Reaching much?  Yes.  I still need to find something a little bit more artistic to fulfill that need.

Does anyone else feel like all they do is run in circles?

actual product tinier than it appears

 

I got this in the mail today.  I had thought I was getting a great deal on a cute banner for the boys' room, but for its diminutive size it looks like it was more of a rip off.  I guess it is a lesson in reading the fine print a little closer.  1 inch vs. 12 inches = huge difference!  But it does give me a business idea... get the kids to cut out teeny tiny triangles and set up shop!

little fox box

So I gave up shopping for lent (haha) but planned ahead by pre-paying, or rather subscribing, for a fun little box that comes every single month.  I've gotten three months so far and everything is so cute!  It's called Little Fox and you get a few baby/kid type things and an exclusive tee shirt. 

::Phin likes getting packages

 ::And opening them!

 

Oh, baby just woke up.  There is simply no time to pay this blog the attention it deserves!  Oh well.  Chat with you all later!

 

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