random update

If you pay attention to my blog as much as I do...(I'm sure none of you do, but play along won't you???) ...you may remember me saying in January that I had about 10 pounds to lose.

Drum roll please..... I lost 5 of that 10. I seem to be stuck, as I have been wanting to announce that five pounds for awhile, but I am pleased. So pleased, that honestly, I could stay here. I mean, I would love the other five pounds to go or redistribute itself to another part of my body... but this is doable. Livable. Manageable. I'm not 'hating' the way my mid-section looks anymore.

Which...again, if you've been reading... made my Olympic sport of closet clean-out all the more pleasant.

Other random news: I have finally packed up all the newborn onesies. (My baby is almost 10 months, but those NB onesies are always sooo big!) As a matter of fact, it is now official that all the 0-3 month clothes are packed up too. And... (tears) some of the 3-6 month clothes are starting to get too small....

You must understand - I LOVE babies. I ADORE babies. I love all of it. I mean, I love sleep and all... but I don't mind being a walking zombie for the trade off of having a sweet baby. And my "baby-baby" is getting big. :( Waahh!

As a matter of fact, I will be planning my last first birthday party before I know it. This is hard for me. As difficult as my pregnancies have been, last night I was missing being pregnant. I can't keep having kids forever. In fact, I don't want to. I don't, nor have I ever wanted more than four children. Neither did/does my husband. So we are done and we know it. But we also both know that I will forever love and miss that little baby phase.

So... that is my nonsense rambling for the day. I never promised that this blog would be profound! Good news, and sad? news.... I'm glad she is growing up, but these are the things on my mind. When you have children you almost constantly find yourself entering a 'new phase' - almost all of them are good, but some are hard to say good-bye to!

So with that, hug your babies, or go look at their tiny baby pics, and have a great weekend!

Celebrating babyhood ~

update on the basement

The last picture I posted was when the drywall was stacked in a 4ft pile on the floor in the middle of the room. This is what it looks like now.....
Ceilings are up...


Walls are started...

Kids are being goofy...



Walls are all up....


It is actually quite a bit further along, but I couldn't skip the process... plus I couldn't upload any more pics. More pics will be coming soon....

It doesn't take rocket science...

Here's a tip for ya-

I don't know about you, but this is how a trip/vacation works: We pull into the driveway exhausted. Actually, we were probably all exhausted about 100 miles before we pulled into the driveway.

Somebody has to go to the bathroom so badly they are about to burst. And this person may actually be you. One or more people are probably hungry, another is tired or overtired.

The luggage is buried and all you want to do is throw the kids in bed and crawl under the covers of your own comfy bed. That is because it is now 11pm, even though you were sure you'd be home by 8pm at the latest.

You jump in bed. The next morning you realize you didn't brush your teeth last night, and you can't this morning because it is still in the freezing cold car, in your makeup bag, in your luggage, that is out in the garage.

So here is the brilliant idea it took me 30+ years to implement: don't pack your toothbrush. Or your toothpaste. Or your deodorant. Etc, and so forth.

Yes, we all have sample/travel sizes. But I always pack my own contact case and toothbrush. I don't know why. So this time for this current vacation, I packed a new toothbrush - new contact case - and double of everything crucial. I'm a genius right??? I know.... I can't believe it took me that long to figure that out.

Well... no more nasty I ate junk food all day in the car and haven't brushed my mouth for 24 hours breath for me! Plus, now, I can actually take my contacts out of my tired eyes before crashing in bed - without the pressure of unpacking 426 pounds of 'stuff' from the back of the minivan.

As far as this tip of valuable knowledge for your next trip goes - you're welcome.

What to wear???

So while I'm sitting here waiting for the ice dancers to come back on, I'll tell you about a dance I did myself this afternoon. It also could be considered an Olympic sport.

It is called: Try everything on in your closet to see if you still love it/ it fits.

Lately I feel like I have nothing to wear. Nothing. Everything is either too big, too small, not gonna work for nursing/ too sloppy.... yada yada yada...

So, since I don't have a couple hundred dollars to drop on a new wardrobe (I'm thrifty), I tried something else. I was reading a fashion mag this morning and came to an article about thinking outside the box clothes-wise, and repurposing your items. Soooo.... I tried on 80% of my clothes. If I didn't love it, feel confident or sexy in it - out it went. (The other 20% are my go-to faves.)

Of course it depends on your lifestyle and taste. I have this olive green loose baseball style shirt - not hot by any stretch of the imagination - but it makes me feel great. So it stayed. For others it may be considered a rag, but I like it for just hanging out around the house and not looking stupid.

I am not a good cleaner. My house is generally a mess. But I am a GREAT organizer. And it is definitely a major part of any closet. ....or should be.

So that is how I spent my Sunday. Trying on clothes. Sorting clothes. Purging clothes. Rehanging clothes in new categories that will make getting dressed that much easier. Time consuming, but feels so good!

Here's a cheat sheet I 'stole' from a celebrities closet: Organize by event. We all organize the closet by color - don't we? And I also break that down into short sleeve, long sleeve...etc. But within those ranges, also sort by event.(ie: nice enough for parties/dates, nice but also casual, exercise/chillin - for example.)

Valentines x2

My dear husband had his birthday yesterday. Aww....

So this post celebrates the wonderful man I married. I like when his birthday falls. Around here, Valentine's Day is all about the woman.

I am totally okay with that, and enjoy the holiday thoroughly. (tee hee)

Then, just two days later it is his birthday. A little celebrating for me... a little for him... it works out soooo well!

And here's some of the things I love so much about him -

He knows when I'm stressed, mad, sad and trying so hard to hide it. He still knows.

He is kind

Tender (he wouldn't want this getting out, I'm sure, as TENDER is not so manly...)

He is sooo hot!

He is smart (has his doctorate)

Funny - but not always when he is trying!

Rugged - built me a deck - and a patio - and gardens...

Handy - built me an entire basement. Okay, he had help - but he has done A LOT of the basement. TONS of work.

Cuddly

Fun

My bestest ever friend!

The person I need to sleep next to for the next 90 years

My vacation dreamer/ planner/ co-traveler.

My babies' Daddy

The best daddy I could imagine.

(I don't want you ladies to get so jealous you stop reading my blog... so I'll leave it at that for now....) ;) But here's to a man that has made my life wonderful! I love you hun! Have GREAT next year of your life!!

Valentines

My Valentine's Day as pertaining to school children:
Two days prior, I talk to some other parent on the phone late at night and realize my own son has to bring 24 Valentines to school in two days.

I don't feel like running to the store or spending money so people can throw it in the trash right now, so hubs and I sit on the livingroom floor and cut out 24 hearts, 24 rectangles, write words of love, and tie them together with pipecleaners.

The next day my son signs them all.

The next day is the party. He brings treats, the Valentines, and I surprise him at the party.

Valentine's Day as pertaining to a certain mom in Alex's class:
Make 24 cloth bags.
Make sure that they all have a matching satin ribbon drawstring.
Fill bag with mini clay pot, dirt pack and flower seeds.
Fill with three candies.
Fill with handmade Valentine.
(I think there was something else)

So I ask - how much time does this lady have??? I mean, it was sweet. It was cute. But seriously.

So, the little bag sits in our trash can, and I have to ask, was it worth it?? I mean, good job on showing up all us other parents, but really. ;)

Anyway, my son had a great time - what kid doesn't love parties! He got tattoos, and candy and love notes and plants, and playdoh. It just doesn't get much better than that for a kid!

Hello??

Life called today.

It asked how many things I can handle at once.

Then it hung up.


... my hands smell like spit-up even though they are washed. I can't find my kitchen counters. or the kitchen floor for that matter. I also can't find a babysitter, or my daughter's beloved blankie even though she had it two hours ago. ..I won't bore you with more....but trust me the list goes on and on.... ahhh.... motherhood

all over the map

Motherhood takes to places you never thought you'd go (discussion-wise) and... places you never thought you'd go.....

Case in point: On the silly side, my 3 yr old came to me in all seriousness the other day and told me that the "fairy princess has frostbite!!! What are we going to do???" I have to admit - I had no idea. How do you treat an invisible fairy princess for frostbite? I was definitely unprepared. There is nothing in the parenting handbook for this.

On the more real side, my sister just had a beautiful baby boy and as I was telling the kids were going to go visit them in the hospital, and the hospital behavior I expect while we are there.... my son (6) interrupts with - "Where does the baby come out - that's what I want to know..." And so it begins.... I did in fact give an almost accurate answer that is true, yet vague enough for a six year old boy. Wow. I mean, I want to tell the truth, but I don't want him to freak out with the actual truth of information. So... vague was the word of the day. It worked. He was completely satisfied with what I said. I on the other hand couldn't wait to tell his daddy the conversation. The best part - when I finished explaining - was when my son said, "I thought that was what happened!!"

Then on to the most serious/frustrating: This morning my son said some kid at school told him that sometimes boys marry boys. I know! I know!! ARRGH - dumb society. I am so ticked. We were talking about Valentine's day coming up, and the party at school tomorrow and he wants this cute girl to be his Valentine. (he has liked her since K last year... awwww)
Anyway, he says that boy-marry-boy thing and I immediately went into how "silly" and wrong that is. (I don't view being gay as silly, but I have very young kids in the car. I try to keep it light - yet real and serious.) I explain that God created us to be a certain way. God created us to eat food - not rocks - that would be silly, right? God made rocks, but not for us to eat. And so... God made boys to be friends to boys, but not to marry. You hug and kiss the person you marry - just like mommy and daddy, but boys do not hug and kiss boys. Right?? Are you following me son??

Explaining this concept to my four young kids in the car on the way to school was interesting. I have to remember that anything I say may be repeated at school, and yet I want to not communicate anything lukewarm. We do not compromise. There are certain things we believe. Period.

So I go from fixing a fairy princess with frostbite, to explaining a complex distorted society to a six year old all in a matter of a couple days. The birth explanation suddenly became a breeze!! :) The challenge to keep it at their level, and yet firmly explain the truth is a tough one. But that is our job as parents.

My sister is in the hospital with her baby. It is not her first, but I was thinking about us with our first. You think about nursing, poopy diapers, the cooing, when they will start to crawl, to play with balls. You know that someday, a million years away, they will go to kindergarten. You think of Christmases, first birthdays, going to the zoo....

You never think about they crazy things they will be exposed to at such a young age, or health issues you never dreamed you would deal with... or any of the other parts of parenting they don't put in the 'manual'.

Well, take courage fellow parents! As my husband called to say this morning, 'you can do all things through Christ'! That is true! - no matter what may come your way today!

almost there

The house is still in major flux, but we are getting there.

The livingroom is painted and looks beautimous, but I hesitate to photograph it for you because it is not set up just right. That is because the basement isn't finished yet, and the livingroom is babysitting some of the downstairs furniture for me. ;)

The kitchen - I painted the green walls (two walls were green, two were red) last night. They are now orange. The upstairs of our home now looks like a Tuscan sunset. Beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow fill the main living area. (kitchen/dining/livingroom)But the furniture is still out of place and I need to hang up the kitchen window shades...etc.

My hand is basically *permanently* cramped in the position of holding a paint roller, but the house is looking good. For those of you who have actually been here.... it looks as though we have moved. The basement is almost a livable new space, the upstairs has almost been completely re-painted. The colors are so new it feels like we moved. Plus, to be honest, we have moved enough furniture that well...we might as well have moved. Last night we moved all the furniture downstairs for the drywallers - third time. And still will be doing it again.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering - my whole house if covered with dust from the drywall. I keep dusting - but it just keeps coming.

I will get pics up when it looks a little more finished.

Doesn't it seem like sometimes everyone in the world is having a baby? Or getting married? Well, right now it is strange. I feel like everyone I know is getting ready to move, to sell their home, has their home listed... and then there is us. We may as well have moved - from all the packing and moving and working we are doing. So... I guess it is the phase of life of 'new' homes!! Fun! Exciting! Exhausting.

How bored do you have to be.....?

Let me say this. My daughters consistently trash their room. ERRR!

You may remember me mentioning this before. It makes be go Ka-razy. They are young. But they are smart. They can hear me. They understand me. They physically CAN clean.

They choose not to.

So the day before yesterday, I gave them a one day warning. "Tomorrow" (which is now yesterday) "I am going to throw everything on the floor in the trash if it is not cleaned up."

They did not clean. Yesterday I threw 6 (six!)kitchen trash bags of stuff "away". (It is waiting to be unpacked at a time yet unspecified)

So this is my daughter yesterday at the lunch table. I am sitting nearby, and see her head bobbing and looking intently at something. Now mind you, her room is cleaned out. All they decided to keep was a couple little rubber princess dolls from Christmas, a princess puzzle and a drawing board.

Whatcha doing Vivianne?

"Watchin ice melt." She turns and looks at me. "If you wait long enough.... it disappears!"

and I say again...how bored do you have to be to watch ice melt???

Please tell me she is just into science and it is not reflective of me running the most boring house on the planet! :)

Completely random musings~

I wonder what it would be like if instead of sleep talking, someone was sleep writing. Umm... probably like this post.

A few years ago when I had an annual eye Dr. appt., the doctor told me I was sleeping with my eyes open.

uh- what??? I know. I said the same thing.

She said the dryness at the lower edge of my eye (which I didn't even know was dry) was caused by sleeping with my eyes just barely open. Okay... thanks for the interesting info doc!

I guess I can tell my kids I actually can sleep with at least one eye open - so they better watch out!!

Anyway....last night I'm SURE I did it again. My eyes were burning - even in the middle of the night. We went to bed at 10 but were awakened at 1am because the baby was crying. I don't normally nurse her at night, but I felt I had to last night because her eating was sooo off during the day. So after 30 minutes of her not crying herself to sleep, I fed her. Then, I laid there, awake in bed until 3:26 - at least that was the last time I looked at the clock.

Then I slept again until 6:30.

Why am I telling you this?? I know I had a point..... um... oh. Just that I am so freakin tired and my eyes are burning. Is it because I have been putting in long 'hard' hours? Is it because I only got 3 hours of sleep at a time last night?? Is it because I think I was sleeping with my eyes open?? I don't know.

But I do know this: Last night when I actually was asleep, I dreamt I was hanging drywall. I remember saying how heavy it was, and how tired and sore my arms were.

I wish I dreamt I was on a Caribbean cruise. I wish I was thinking how warm and beautiful and amazing it was. I wish I remember thinking the sand was squishy between my toes and that the top deck hot-tub felt great under the big ocean night sky.

Instead I dreamt about drywall. Oh well!! At least the basement is coming along!

Basement news

To clarify, I do know that yesterday's post was a little dis-jointed. (in the flow of the story/information)

I think you should know though, that if I didn't mention it, we are pulling some very long days around here.... for the last two days straight we have been up working by 6:20 in the morning, and not crashing in bed until almost midnight. And, I might add, we are not just awake for those hours, we are working our butts off! :) ha!

So, as sleep deprivation mounts, I will try to be cohesive.

We have been using our unfinished basement for 5+ years. It had one outlet (for electricity) and three light bulbs. You make due. You don't complain, you enjoy and use the space the best you can. But... there is only so much you can do with one outlet and no walls to hang stuff on. (like shelves for your junk)

We 'stole' new carpet from model home dumpsters (where the excess is thrown out) and we had a carpeted, mostly usable family room. Now, the family room and laundry room area of the basement is being turned into:
One amazing bathroom (trust me)
A furnace/water heater area
A small play room
My son's (all ready finished by my hubby) room
A large family room
A cool craft room/office that adjoins that by double pocket doors. (very cool)
Another bedroom
My laundry room
And lastly, a small storage area.

AAHHH! I'm so excited. But let me say this. That basement was FULL of ...STUFF. We have been working stinkin super hard to clean it out. And I'm proud to say that now, it is just a washer, dryer, and concrete. And... my muscles are exhausted!! ;)

Yesterday I moved all the furniture again. (we moved it for the drywallers and this will continue as their work progresses) I rolled up the carpet. Ummm.. I did other stuff... but I forget. Oh.. and the paint job in the living room is not quite done yet. Still have work to do up there. And I was registering a child for school this morning at the district building. And we are trying to plan a 'real' vacation. (we haven't had one in years) And we have friends coming from Nashville right before we leave on vacation... and the list of life goes on. But... in the meantime...let me brag on my hubby's and my work. Here is what the basement looks like....



The drywall arrived:

In with the new

We have been in our home for a few years with an unfinished basement. We are finally able to finish it out. The drywall is coming today! Hoorah! (more on that tomorrow)

We always thought we would be here about two years, and flip the house. This first house was supposed to get us through P's doctoral schooling. Well, no one thought the housing market was going to do what it did and now we are approaching six years here. Six years!! Where did the time go??

Since we moved in thinking we were not staying... there is alot we didn't do. We didn't have the option to finish the basement at the time we moved in, as the builder didn't allow it, but we also didn't start on it ourselves until Jan. '08. Last year we finished one room down there by ourselves, but this year we needed to have help. We hired contractors to do the drywall and mudding/taping/texturing.

We painted our livingroom upstairs a few years ago because I couldn't stand the white flat paint walls that came with the house.

But.... since we didn't move four years ago.... it is time to change colors, update, and make it fresh and new.

Let me say one thing. If you are afraid of heights, so afraid, that you think standing on a kitchen chair and looking up to change a lightbulb is frightful.... then you must be really ready for change to do this - (and usually, I was higher up, as you can see I can't reach the trim from the level in this pic. I know it may not look high up, but when your head is touching the ceiling of a 17ft room - it feels high!)

This is a shot of the old color.

We were so ready to say goodbye to the brown. We bought it when 'latte', 'mocha' and 'coffee' colored walls were all the rage. But we had just had our baby girl, and to us it was just 'dirty diaper' brown. So long brown!!

Coming soon to a blog near you...

I am posting just to let you know that I will be posting what I have been up to, soon. I promise. Busy, busy, busy... and I don't even condone business. Ha!

It is all good. We are having "fun". (You'll see....)

So, check back and I'll update you with pics and some info.

Here's a random piece of info in the meantime. If you read this blog around the new year, you know my mission is to cut out most (if not all) of the clutter in my house. Since then, I bagged a large bag for the Goodwill. Yea me!! But....as I was driving through the parking lot on my way out of their property, the girls begged to go in, and I caved. I came out with a bag of stuff!! AAGGHHH!

Now, mind you, it was very cute stuff. Very good bargain stuff. Stuff I'm glad I have... but more stuff nonetheless.

BUT! Redemption! I took another, even larger bag there late last week - and just drove away! Yea!

Aahhhhh.... feels good.