House tweaks

I'm still having fun doing stuff in the house. I wasn't satisfied with the fabric wall and made some changes there. Also got a new light in the dining area. I love it!

Some pictures from this week

Update on us

I know I've been sticking with strictly photo posts lately, so I thought I'd write a better update.

House
I now feel completely settled in our home. I have a short wish list of bigger-ticket items to try to get done over the next couple of years (paint the exterior; redo our closet; have recessed lighting in living room and kitchen installed; eventually get new windows), but nearly all of the small things I'd hoped to do to help the place feel like ours again are done. I didn't want the house to be like it was when we first lived here--my tastes have changed quite a bit (I have plenty of those "what was I thinking?" moments)--I just wanted a fresh start. I love it.

Christmas and Traditions
Christmas was great. We hosted the meal for the first time. I made creamed onions, among the other dishes, but the onions were my favorite.

Christmas break was GREAT. Having a break from the everyday rush was just what we all needed.

I spent some time feeling slightly guilty for having so few family traditions. We haven't done gingerbread houses. We don't do crafts. I don't go "all out" on anything. Yes, we do the tree and we go out to view Christmas lights, but I don't make a big to-do about the tree, and I don't pack snacks and hot chocolate and put on a specially made playlist to see the lights. Then I had a miniature epiphany... I don't view my main mothering role as making my children's lives fun--or even memorable. That's right. My main role is to teach them about Christ and to train them to be independent! I should be training them to be equipped (eventually) to live without me, not to depend on me for even more. Traditions and fun things are great, too, of course but I just realized that it isn't me--and that's OK. It isn't supposed to be my main goal anyway. I thought back to my growing-up, and what I appreciate now is not necessarily the fun stuff (there was fun stuff--yes--but not obsessed-over, has-to-be-done fun stuff) but the built-in life training stuff that prepared me for being confident later in life. So there it is--a mini epiphany.

School
Jon drives Nate and Lucy to school at least three days a week now, and it is wonderful. Levi and I don't have to rush out the door, and I can focus on making sure Nate and Luce are on track. Added benefit: Lucy behaves much better for Jon re: clothing bothering her and making it to class without fussing.

Lucy doesn't have anything particular to complain about, but she generally doesn't say she loves school. I can't decide if she's just trying to be difficult or if she's truly bored.

Nate told me over Christmas break that he didn't want to go back to school because no one plays with him. :( I had gotten the impression that no one was especially nice to Nate and that he also acted pretty annoyingly toward other kids (pestering them, getting into their personal space, not keeping his hands to himself, always trying to be first). I didn't know that he was by himself every recess, though. So we talked about some strategies for him and also decided he would make an effort with Jake, one of the boys who isn't "mean." (One of the reasons he was by himself at recess was that Jake always wants to play ball and Nate didn't want to. So we decided if he wants to have a friend, he should offer to play what Jake wants. After starting school again last week, this is what Nate says he did and it worked.) I'm hopeful the rest of the school year will be positive for him.

I've spent most of a day writing bits and pieces of this update... time to publish! :)

Some new favorite things

A clock from Target... A finished dining room table... A new calendar with some favorite colors.

Back to school

The house is quiet(er)! It's back to our regular routine, which includes more work getting done for me AND more play time, walks, and scooter rides.

Levi-isms

I made pot roast for dinner tonight after Jon requested it a while back. The children loved it, and Levi wanted to ask for more. Forgetting the name but remembering when we've had meat loaf, he asked, "May I have more meat love?" We said yes, he may have more pot roast. A few minutes later, he said, "I really like this love roast!"

The kids have little teeth floss things they use some nights, but Levi can't remember the name. "Mama, can I have a ... a ... a sloff?" ("A what?") " A sloff!" ("A what?") "You know--one of those things for my teef!"

Whistler

Having boys means...

...going out on a date with your husband but having to turn right around and come home because the 4 year old might need stitches.

(We're going the bandaid-and-eventual-scar route instead of stitches, though. He seems fine.)

More decorating!

Casey gave me the idea to do various fabric-covered canvases on the wall over the couch. I loved the idea!--and fabric is pretty much one of my favorite things.

I had several of these fabrics already and then found the butterfly one that has all the living room colors (yellow, grey, teal) and picks up the butterfly theme from one of the pillows I made. I love how it all turned out. I am planning on changing the rectangle on the right-hand side into a bigger canvas. (Right now it's just a covered flimsy gift box top!).

Merry Christmas!

Mispronounced

Nate, reading a Superman book aloud to himself in the back of the car: "Clark then emerged as his alter-eggo, Superman."

New couch

We got a new sofa from homereserve.com, and I love it!

Next up: dressing that extremely blank wall over the couch. :)

Favorite video ever

Colleen and I sang a song with the kids (6 of her 7 grandchildren) for the Christmas program at church on Wednesday. Halfway through, an unexpected visitor came on stage, and Levi wasn't too happy.

More kitchen love

I felt inspired this week and made a couple other small changes in the kitchen. The picture frame (looks like an old ceiling tile) is old, and the Micah 6:8 embroidery hoop is new.

A kitchen update

This little project cost nothing and all came from Mama's house! The burlap is left over from Lucy's wedding, and the lace is vintage from Mama (either from the previous owner of her house or Mama's--not sure which).

Hi from my phone

I think I'll post a bit more now... from my phone! Life has been busy and good. I have felt such a peace and contentment now that the financial stress and moving issues are over. I love where we live. I love our life.

Random update

Jon got me an iPhone for my birthday (I only hinted a tiny, tiny bit. OK maybe a lot). I love it! Here are some pictures I've taken.

This weekend I scrubbed all the grout on the floors through the entire house. Jon helped but did not think all that scrubbing and knee-hurting and sweating were worth it. But look at this before and after!--definitely felt worth it to me.

Things have been busy with school and life and work around the house, but I'll try to update again soon. :)

Surprise trip

On Monday morning, we surprised the children with a special trip to Disneyland. They had no idea. We wrote a note sealed in an envelope for them to find in the morning. It was about 6:00 a.m. when I heard Nate, so I grabbed the camera. Here is the end of that video with the "final reveal":

The full (very long, six-minute, includes-fussy-naked-child) video is here:

http://youtu.be/WKhfUNJmTpU

We had a really great day. We arrived at Disneyland soon after it opened, so we got on a few rides very quickly (the teacups, Small World). The boys and I went on Autopia together while Lucy went on a "scarier" fast ride (Matterhorn) with Jon. The whole day went smoothly, and we all had fun pretty much the whole time. What a great surprise!

Dining chairs

I've been working on updating our dining chairs for the past couple of weeks. We had four original chairs and have always used mismatched chairs for the final two. I painted the original four grey.

I really like how they turned out. I kind of don't want the kids to sit on them--hello! Not the point!

Then I found three of these chairs on craigslist; they are wood with caning and upholstered seats, and they needed some love. (And actually, one needed so much love I ended up not using it--but I needed only two anyway.)

I sanded, painted, sealed, and reupholstered them.

The upholstery isn't perfect--this was my first time doing something like this--but I really love how these turned out. The fabric is going to go very well with the curtains Mama made (they arrived yesterday! Thank you, Mama!).

Next up is painting the dining table. :)