What We’ve Been Up To

We’re still dealing with the ups and downs of home warranty repairs. Yes, still. But we’re starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Hey, at least all my walls and ceilings are the same color now. Which is a bigger deal than it should be.

So what else have we been up to?

1. Nana came for a visit. She’s back from Ireland and came to hang out with us for a couple of weeks. We enjoyed spending time with her and the kids loved having some extra attention – and an extra grown-up to read books to them.

2. Starting our garden. Yes, it’s barely spring…at least, I think it is. The weather can’t quite decide. But instead of buying all plants this year, the kids and I thought we’d try growing some things from seeds. So just in case you were to check out the ledge of my bathroom window (one of our only south-facing windows), you’d find a tomato plant, some cucumber plants, and a couple of green bean plants. I promise. They’re legit vegetables. Or fruit, depending on how you land on the tomato issue. We’ve had some failures, too. The jalapeno plans do NOT want to sprout. Neither do the bell peppers.

3. School. Kindergarten is still going well. I think we’re both about ready for a break though, so we will officially be on spring break for part of this week. I’ve discovered it’s more difficult to start back (both practically and in attitude) when we have a long break. So a three-day break may be just perfect for us.

4. More school. I’ve already begun to plan for 1st grade next year. Pause for a second while I take a deep breath. It’s a bit overwhelming to me, realizing that we basically double our course load next year. It’s a shame we don’t come into this world knowing how to spell, you know?

5. Frozen. We’ve drunk the kool-aid, folks. At least, Honor has. We’ve watched it daily since we got it. And I know everyone talks about “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and “Let it Go,” but my favorite song is the one Olaf sings about summer. And I won’t even go into the plot holes. How did Kristoff not realize Anna was the girl he’d seen the trolls heal as a kid? Or did he? And if he did, why didn’t he tell her? And how did the girls know all of the “princessy” things if there was no one (limited staff, remember?) to teach them? And don’t even get me started on the fact that if Elsa and Anna’s parents had ever actually watched a Disney movie, they would know better than to try to hide Elsa’s magic. That only leads to…bad things. But I did like the movie. And I pink puffy heart Olaf. How can you not?

6. We’ve discussed the fact that Disney needs to, nay, MUST make a spin-off for Sven and Olaf. You know, if they care about me at all.

7. Cleaning. Now that most of the dusty repair work is done in the house, it’s time for some deep cleaning. I don’t typically “spring clean,” because I prefer to follow a schedule to deep-clean the house year-round. But since I’ve basically just kept my head above water since right after Christmas, knowing that the repairs would cause a huge mess, the house is in dire need. I tackled the master bath & bedroom on Sunday. The kids get to help this week, too. Won’t they be so surprised?

8. I have a couple of artsy projects I’ve been waiting to hang, too. They’ll be going up this week. The house is still a long way from being decorated, but it’s a start.

9. Just heard from upstairs: “I think Honor hates me today!” What? All she did was tackle him. He tried to blow snot on her. I think it was justified. The kids love each other as much as ever.

10. The blog is still suffering. And I’m still sorry. I’m much more active these days on Twitter. 140 characters at a time is much more my speed these days.

I really am still alive. Sort of.

Oh, hi. Yeah, I’m still breathing. Basically, this past month has been kicking my tail.

There’ve been several times during the past month I’ve wanted to blog, but I just didn’t have the time, energy, or brain power left to form the sentences. I fear I lost out on a few good ranting opportunities, and some people on Facebook may have borne the brunt of that. I’d apologize, but I’m not really sorry. Oh well, there will be other chances. After all, this world is not getting any less stupid. And, um, 2014 Olympics, y’all. They’re coming.

Remember when we started potty training Honor back in, um, September? Yeah. We’re still in potty training hell, basically. Oh, she stays dry quite well - even overnight - unless she decides she just doesn’t want to go to the potty. Which happened four times before lunch just the other day – for no apparent reason. And don’t even talk to me about #2. Or bedtime. Let’s just say that listening to a 2 year-old scream, “I need to go pee pee!” every 10 minutes from 7:30-10pm every night just blesses your heart. And don’t even think she’s sleeping through the night after that. Because she’s not. Which means neither are we.

In the midst of all of this, Caedmon has been testing boundaries. At one point, I had to remove every toy from his room and he had to earn them back by having a good attitude and not whining for three days. That was fun. Each age has had its challenges, but this is a whole new level. Tattling, instigating, whining, plain old blatant disobedience, and “piling on”. I mean, if I’m in the middle of cleaning up poop, per se, why in the world would you think it’s a good time to ask me a deep, existential question? Or if Honor is getting in trouble, what possesses you to jump in and say, “Yeah. You know you weren’t supposed to do that.” Seriously? No. Also? I discovered the other night that he’s getting a 6 year-old molar. Which is just weird. I mean, I knew it was coming, but…weird.

But with the bossing that goes on between the two of them, I’d love to hear, just once, Caedmon say, “You’re not the boss of me.” We’ve been learning some tough lessons on personal responsibility lately and why you are responsible for your actions, even if your 2 year-old sister told you to do it.

Parenting is hard, yo.

I never thought I’d be so ready for Christmas vacation. Today was our last day of schooling for the year. I’m ready for a break.

In other news, we’re ready for Christmas around this place. Gifts are under the tree, and Caedmon is loving counting down the days until 1) Christmas, and 2) the days until he gets to open (some) presents (which is one day less). Husband and I are ready…I think. Last year, we spent several hours putting a LEGO fire station together late into the night. This year, it will be more of the ride-on variety of toys that will be assembled on Christmas Eve. For both kids. They are going to lose their minds. Provided we don’t lose ours first in the assembly process.

I know Christmas is always fun and magical, but I am especially excited this year, because I think it might be the first time Honor “gets” it. And she’s going to absolutely love her gifts. I never thought it would be so much fun to pick out girly things when I myself am not into all the frilly girly things. But it is.

And most importantly, our kids are more and more understanding the true meaning of Christmas, the celebration of Christ’s birth. Because that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Thoughts of Randomness

1. I know. It’s been a while. I really hate not blogging often. But sometimes, there’s just no way I can make everything happen.

2. I’ve already started Christmas shopping. I like to start early, especially if I know what I want to get. I do hate missing deals though, so I found a website to help with that. I signed up with ZingSale. It’s free, and it sends me an email when things on my list go on sale on Amazon. I was able to get one of Honor’s gifts for about $10 under retail. How can you not love that?

3. Yes, I realize we have to get through Thanksgiving first. And I don’t mean that like it’s a drudgery. But it just seems like there’s so little time between the two. My plan is to decorate over the next couple of weeks, but we’ll wait until after Thanksgiving for our tree since we’re planning to get a real tree this year.

4. Decorating for Christmas. We actually get to do it this year. Last year, everything was in storage and we dug out just a few things. But this year, it’s all going to be unpacked. I even bought a little pre-lit tree to go in the upstairs hallway for the kids. I want to get some unbreakable ornaments for it, so my plan is to take the kids to pick some out this coming week.

5. I finally made and ordered a photo book from our Disney trip. I narrowed our photos down to about 240, then put almost all of them in the book. It was both lots of fun and a terrible challenge to get them all in there and not spend a small fortune, even with a discount code. I sure hope we like it!

6. We had our family photos taken a few weeks ago. I can’t wait to see them all edited and share them.

7. So, you know how I’ve never been able to find just the right pair of boots? I think I found some. And I say that because I’ve bought them, but I’m not 100% sure I’m not returning them. 99% sure, but that 1% of doubt just kills me. I need to put them on and walk outside so I can’t return them, I suppose.

8. Honor isn’t sleeping well these days. Who am I kidding, she hasn’t slept well since she was 16 months old. But since we started potty training, it’s been worse. Some nights, she’s up once. Others, it’s 3 or more times. Craziness. And it makes for a tired Momma and little girl. Which as lead to her falling asleep randomly during her room time. And that doesn’t end well for anyone. It’s time for this to end.

9. I just got a good start on cleaning the junk up in our bedroom. And then, I started Christmas shopping and have almost immediately created piles of stuff again. Thankfully, the kids have no idea their gifts are in that pile of stuff. I’m past being weary of it, though. I just don’t have anywhere else to put it.

10. Flannel sheets - they’re on the bed. And they’re so nice. Especially since we officially have a teeny, tiny little chance of frosty flakes next week. Yes, in November. In Tennessee. You’ll understand my skepticism. So I suppose we’ll see what happens. The kids would love it, for sure. Who am I kidding, I would too.

Life After Disney

I know, it sounds pathetic. But I think life will now be categorized as “before Disney” and “after Disney”. At least for a little while. I can’t believe we got back just over a month ago. We’ve been pretty busy the past few weeks.

There’s been baked cinnamon swirl bread,

 

dried basil,

fun at Dave & Buster’s (Yes, she won those),

a movie date,

we picked our own pumpkins,

had family pictures taken,

Cini came to visit and we went to the Adventure Science Center,

we painted pumpkins,

Honor got a princess costume (and loves it),

I let the kids cut paper one morning, and they were quiet and happy for 30 whole minutes.

We hosted the Third Annual Mancation,

and I cooked and baked all weekend.

Monster Cookies:

Spicy Mac & Cheese:

PW’s Cinnamon Rolls (or what was left of them):

This kid has been building with Legos.

And Honor got these out and instantly knew what to do with them.

It’s been a busy few weeks, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. I love life with my people!

Ribbitt, Ribbitt

Husband was mowing the other day and found a frog. Seeing as how we have a lot of bugs around our yard, we need all the help we can get and didn’t want this little froggy to get caught in the mower.

So, the kids and I decided to take care of him for a little while until it was safe for him to be back out in the yard again. I pulled out an old Cool Whip bowl and cut some holes in the top. Our frog resided safely inside during his stay in the house.

I’d tried to get Caedmon to hold him, but as he has not yet perfected his frog-holding technique, we were afraid of squishing the little guy. And he wasn’t so thrilled at the prospect of getting peed on by a frog, either.

I know the frog wasn’t thrilled to be in the old Cool Whip bowl, but he was much safer in there than he would’ve been with these two. They started hopping around like frogs.

Someone was not thrilled with the frog in the house. He’s such a worry wart.

When the mowing was done, we took him back outside. Hop free, little frog!

Hopefully we didn’t run the little guy off. He needs to hang around and eat some mosquitos!

Commenting Challenge: Christmas Ideas and Favorite Meal

I’m participating in Jenna’s 4th Annual Commenting Challenge this week!

Things got a little crazy around here, and I skipped a day. Oops! So I’m combining days four and five today!

Day Four’s topic: Christmas Gifts.

I would like to say that I’ve thought ahead this year. But I haven’t. I bought the kids’ first gifts in July last year (and Caedmon’s big gift). It was cake from there. This year? I still have no idea what to get for him. And a birthday to hurdle before then. I have a ton of ideas for Honor. So maybe they’ll balance each other out.

Coming from a large family, gift-giving at Christmas was probably a little different than what some are used to. We always knew that Mom spent the same amount of money on each of us, but the little ones might get several little things, and the older ones got just a few things that were more expensive. We always had a gift to share, whether it be a movie, a game, or something we could all play with and enjoy. I like the idea of sharing, even with a gift.

Now that we’re older, we draw names. With seven of the siblings and three brothers-in-law (for now), it’s just too many for everyone to buy for. So, usually sometime in the summer, we designate someone to draw names for us. Just yesterday my sister, Curly, texted everyone and said, “I’m tired of waiting on you bozos. If nobody objects, I’m gonna draw names.” See? We love each other. We have a $25 limit that most of us stick to. We’ve started doing the same for the cousins. Those without kids are free to buy for the nieces and nephews if they choose, but they don’t have to. And usually, we elect someone to choose a gift for Mom and Dad, then pool our resources to get it.

Day Five’s topic: Favorite Meal.

This is so hard for me. Because I in some ways, I don’t care about food that much. In other ways, I love too many things to choose just one. It depends on what mood I’m in, really.

When we go home to visit, I love to go to MarketPlace Grill and get the Tostada Florentine with a side of sweet potato fries. They’re not really meant to go together, but, um, I don’t care. I also adore the tableside guacamole at Mojito’s. It’s meant to be an appetizer, but I order it for my meal. And I don’t share. I also love going to Hugo’s for a cheeseburger. So. good.

At Chuy’s, I order anything I can pour creamy jalapeno ranch dressing over. Or I just eat it with a spoon. Last time we were there, I had to fight Honor for it. “Dip my chip!” Yes. If you don’t ask for it to dip your chips in, you’re missing out.

At home, I don’t know that I have a favorite meal. One that I don’t have to cook sounds perfect. Or clean up after. I don’t care what it is, really.

From my childhood, I would have to say that Mom’s fried deer steak with green beans, rice, and gravy is just about the best. I think all of my siblings love that meal, too.

But dessert…well, I still couldn’t choose my favorite dessert ever. I would totally settle for just about anything from The Cheesecake Factory, though. You can’t go wrong there. Red Velvet, Key Lime, Godiva, I could eat them all. Maybe I could just have a meal of desserts? Some days, that would be completely perfect.

Thoughts of Randomness

1. We’ve been busy this past week. Just…summertime stuff, really. Nothing spectacular. But recovering from camping, swimming, going to town to have lunch with Husband, and two baseball games, plus our regular stuff kept us pretty busy. Busy enough that the kids seem to have come down with some sort of cold-type bug. Sore throats and goopy eyes aren’t supposed to happen in the middle of a blazing hot summer.

2. I plan to do another garden update soon. We almost killed it, I think. But it’s starting to come back to life. We’ve even eaten a couple of strawberries here and there and will pick our first tomato in the next day or so.

3. The house is good. We love it. We still have some projects to do, but it’s coming along. The master closet needs to be my next project. Our builder was kind enough to put one hanging rack all the way around the closet, so it’s not the most efficient use of space and not all of our clothes fit. We’ve purged, believe me. I’m just still trying to figure out the best layout for the least expense. And then comes taking everything out of the closet. I think that’s the part I dread most. It will be worth it to get the wardrobe box out of my bedroom, though. One day.

4. I’m in the process of finalizing our plans for kindergarten. It’s a bit overwhelming, with everything that’s out there. I don’t remember kindergarten being such a big deal. We circled junk on pages, walked in lines, went to recess, and took naps. Oh, and learned how to order our drink for lunch – orange drink or milk. (I never chose milk, just in case you were wondering.)

5. We are thoroughly enjoying our Disney Movie Countdown. Or at least, I am. The kids are loving the weekly movie night with a special treat. I’m loving watching the classic (and new) Disney movies, and introducing the kids to some of my favorites. We’re watching Swiss Family Robinson in a couple of weeks, and I know Caedmon is going to love it. I’ve been looking forward to it all summer. I purposely scheduled it for the middle of the summer so we could thoroughly embrace the activity I have planned. This whole planning an activity or treat thing though…I’m not creative y’all. It takes a lot of brain power for me to come up with this stuff. But we’re having fun and I hope it will be something Caedmon can look back on and remember as being special (instead of cheesy or dumb).

6. Speaking of Disney (I have Disney on the brain lately, if you couldn’t tell), I drug Husband into the Disney Store one night last week when we were out sans kids so he could look for surprises with me. Yes. We went on a date. Babysitter and everything. And after we finished eating some of the best Mexican food ever (Chuy’s), we went to the Disney Store. It’s what cool parents like us do.

The bad part is that we would’ve loved to buy about half the store. But we finally chose a few special surprises for the kids for the trip. I was already going to be ordering T-shirts from the website, so I just combined it all into one order so I could get free shipping. It got here super fast, and y’all, the inside flaps of the box even had Disney characters on them! Opening that box, I felt like a kid at Christmas. Of course, I have to hide it all from the kids for a while. And I was instructed to hide it from Husband, as well. I think the waiting is more torturous for him than it is for me.

7. Caedmon’s birthday is coming up in just two short months. I have no idea what to get him. This has never been a problem before.

8. The Coach awarded Caedmon the game ball on Saturday after his baseball game. He got a hit from the pitcher both of his times at bat. He was beaming. Paying attention out in the field seems to be a big challenge for all of them, but they’re getting better. And Caedmon is enjoying himself.

9. Honor has been so two lately. She’s growing in stature and attitude. Her favorite thing these days is to pretend to be crying, or fake cry along with others when she thinks they’re upset. Even cartoon characters. Her bottom lip pokes out far enough to trip over, her chin drops, and she peeks out at you with her big blue eyes. The best part is when she announces, “I cying,” and makes sure you notice. This girl is a mess. This photo was completely posed, but we tried. You get the idea.

10. We’ve yet to have a summer rain shower the kids could play in. I think every kid should get to play in the rain. Every time we’ve had rain lately, it’s been accompanied by thunder and lightning. No good for outside play. So the other day when I was working out in the front flower bed, I set up the sprinkler so the kids could ride their “bikes” in it. They loved it.

Our Weekend and Father’s Day

We had a fun and busy weekend!

Saturday morning, Caedmon had a baseball game. He had his first hit from the pitcher (our Coach), and got to play pitcher and 3rd base as his infield positions.

Little Sister was, again, bored and a hot mess by the time we left.  So while Caedmon’s team had their post-game meeting, Honor “drove” the stroller.

It was hot though, so after we came home and ate lunch, they busted out the Slip n’ Slide.

(Honor loved wearing her hat on the Slip n’ Slide because the water wouldn’t spray her in the face. She might be just a little bit her Momma’s daughter.)

And then? We got a little redneck and kicked it up a notch with a raft.

Sunday, we gave Husband his Father’s Day gifts before we headed to church. (Which I somehow managed to not get a picture of.)

After church, we ate lunch, ice cream cake,

and watched a superhero movie.

As a surprise for the kids (and to make sure it wasn’t going to be raining), we ate dinner and then declared, “We’re going to the pool!” We had a fun after-dinner swim and came home to warm baths for the kiddos, followed quickly by bedtime. We were all worn out!

It was a good weekend. I’m glad I got to spend it with my people, and look forward to more fun with them!

It’s Summer, Y’all

I suppose it’s officially unofficialy summer.

Everyone’s been posting their last day of school pictures. And I guess I should take one of Caedmon. We kind of coasted to the “end” of the school year. I say it that way because we kind of slacked off several weeks ago, but we’re still going. And probably will throughout the summer. I’m not really sure it’s a good idea to introduce Caedmon to the whole idea of “summer vacation” just yet. He already has a hard time with weekends – remembering that for two days he doesn’t have to do school work. Then starting back on Monday after two days off brings much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Honestly, that has more to do with the fact that he has to do his school work before he is allowed any electronic games than the fact that he actually has to do school work. He doesn’t mind the work, and even enjoys some of it.

But, summer it is. We broke out the orange push-up pops last week. It was Honor’s first time for one. She is not a huge fan of super cold stuff, so she had a hard time with it at first. But she enjoys the idea of it.

Caedmon is an old pro at these things. And he’s not bothered by the cold.

I mean, who would be bothered by cold in that sweet getup he’s wearing? Mismatched pajamas at 4 in the afternoon FTW!

I know she looks cute, but I think it’s important to note that after Honor finished her push-up, she needed to be hosed down. As did the patio and play equipment.

We’re easing into potty training with Honor, too. I’d said I wanted to wait until summer, and here it is. Can I change my mind and decide to wait until fall? She’s kind of ready. But I’m not sure she’s 100% ready yet. I know I’m not – there’s no question about that. She’s had some success on the potty a few random times, and she likes the idea of it.

But she’s not “driven” about it. And if there’s something we know about this kid, it’s that she’s not going to do something until she’s good and ready (hello, not rolling over until 9 months old). 

I did take her to the store with me the other day to buy undies. I didn’t tell her we were going to buy them, but when we stopped on that aisle, she immediately announced, “I want Minnie Mouse!” So, we came home with a bag of M&Ms, a package of Minnie Mouse & Daisy Duck undies, and a package of Disney Princess undies. It was all I could do to keep them packaged until we checked out. And I let her hold them on her way home. Which meant that by the time we got home, there were tiny little undies all over the back of the car.

Honor spent the rest of the day carrying those undies around the house. Not in packages. Or in a box or tote bag. In her arms. She was completely enamored with them. They went upstairs and downstairs. They watched cartoons with her. They almost took a nap with her. And the next day? It’s like they didn’t even exist.

I think we’re safe to wait a little bit longer before we start training in earnest. See how I just did that? Boom.

Yesterday, we made our first trip to the pool. The weather was nice, but the water was freezing. I don’t know how the kids stood it. I certainly didn’t want to get in. We played for about an hour, at which point I made them pack-up and go home. They didn’t want to. But when Caedmon’s teeth were chattering so violently his whole body was shaking, I think it was time to call it. He whined because he didn’t want to go home, then begged for a hot shower and “something warm to eat” as soon as we got home. The boy was cold. After they got sufficiently warm and fed, both kids spent the rest of the day begging to play in the water. Apparently they need some work on their short-term memories.

Thankfully, today, we’ve been invited to a friend’s house to swim. Their pool is heated. That means I might even want to get in.

Thoughts of Randomness

1. Happy Memorial Day! I’m thankful for all the men and women who have sacrificed for our country, and for those who still are.

2. So, the oven is broken. I used it at lunch one day last week, and then turned it off. You know, like you’re supposed to do. A few minutes later, it started beeping at me and flashing an error code. A few days later, the warranty folks sent an appliance guy. The appliance guy took some numbers off a sticker and told me he was going to order two parts. He’d have the parts shipped and be back on Wednesday. Oh, and not to use the oven until it’s fixed. It could get stuck in the heating mode, which would be dangerous. Seriously? Dangerous. So I’ve been using a brand new oven that could be dangerous. Fabulous.

3. The same day the oven decided it might become as hot as the surface of the sun, the outside dryer vent came loose. It was not a good day for our house. Or the warranty people. They probably heavy-sigh when they see my email address hit their inbox.

4. Why, why, why, is shopping for a bathing suit so excruciatingly painful? For women, of course. Guys, well, they get to just pick out a pair of shorts. There are so many options for girls. Which means decisions. And the fact that nothing fits the same from brand to brand. Or that you could spend a small fortune on such small pieces of fabric. It’s ridiculous. And then if you want to look decent in a bathing suit, well, good luck. If I didn’t have to spend the entire summer at the pool with my kids, I’d boycott the whole thing. Who needs to sit at the pool and sweat, anyway? My favorite swimsuit ever was one I found in about the 11th grade. One that my BFF (who lived an hour and a half away) also bought, and we had no idea until we spent some time together that summer. Man, I wish I still had that suit. Eh, I probably wouldn’t like it now. But then? It was awesome.

5. Y’all know by now that my kids love music. As in, super-duper adore it. And they love all kinds – except straight-up kids’ music. Thus the reason we bought the Razorback Marching Band’s CD on our most recent trip home. Anyway. We used Honor’s birthday money to get her an iPod Shuffle so she could listen to music in her room. I had an old CD/Clock Radio that had an input that I was going to use as a speaker for her. Caedmon wore out the CD player, but I figured the line-in would still work. So when I got it out, it didn’t work. I’ve been looking for an inexpensive alternative for her ever since. The other night, I bought a cheap little boom box at Target, and went to hook it up the next morning so she could listen to music during roomtime. She was excited. Like, climbing up on her chair and standing on her tippy-toes to try to see kind of excited. And then? It didn’t work. Brand new. Straight from the box. Would not work. While I muttered under my breath gently packed it back in the Styrofoam and plastic and placed it back in the box to return to the store, I told Caedmon to just turn his music up loud so she could hear it. The neighbors could probably hear it, too. But hey, it worked.

6. I’m super-duper loving the new piece of furniture I refinished for the living room. It’s actually not as deep as the entertainment cabinet we had before. It’s only a few inches difference, but it seems to open up the room so much more. The lighter color probably helps, too.

7. My next big project will be the master closet. It’s a big closet, but the builder only put one hanging rack all the way around the closet. (We didn’t have a say in that, unfortunately.) So though the closet is big, it doesn’t hold all of our stuff. It’s going to need a major overhaul. I keep drawing it out and fiddling with designs, but I haven’t figured out the best way to maximize the space yet. If ever I’ve needed Sheldon Cooper to pay me a visit, it is now.

8. Caedmon is officially playing baseball now. Our first two practices were rained out, so we had one practice last week. And then a couple this weekend. He’s never played before, but I think he’s going to enjoy it. I just hope he doesn’t enjoy it too much. We are not baseball people. But we will be there with bells on. And of course, I have plans to make Honor a spirit shirt like she had for Basketball. Our games start next weekend I think, so I’d better get busy!

9. It’s about time to potty train Honor. I’ve put it off for as long as I can. And I don’t think she’s completely ready yet. But. She’s constantly taking her diaper off (because she can), and has interest in sitting on the potty. So, a girl trip to the store is in our future – to buy undies and M&Ms. Bribery worked with Caedmon, maybe it will with Honor as well. The girl loves chocolate.

10. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen our weekly movie night for our countdown to Disney. The kids are enjoying it, and so am I. I’ll post our entire list when we’re finished. Sometimes we’re having a meal that goes along with the movie, sometimes just a snack, and sometimes a game or activity. I’m not creative enough to come up with all the ideas by myself, so I’ve had a little help. I think the one I’m looking forward to the most is Swiss Family Robinson. I think Caedmon will love it. And even if he doesn’t, I will!

Thoughts of Randomness

1. Since booking our reservations at Disney, I have become slightly obsessed. And by “slightly,” I mean completely, hopelessly, utterly obsessed. The sheer amount of information to process and decisions to make have my head swimming. And obsessing. And staying up way too late, reading about every place in every park. And clicking on every single Pinterest pin that has anything to do with Disney. I made a countdown calendar last night, and I felt like I was making a pregnancy calendar. See? Crazy.

I’ve seen this phenomenon in others and thought for some reason, I would be immune to becoming a Disney headcase. Clearly, I was mistaken. And I’m kinda ok with that.

2. I cannot promise the Disney crazies will not constantly invade the blog, but I’ll do my best to keep it contained. At least until during/after the trip. Then, it’s a free-for-all. You know I’m going to take a million pictures. You’ll be forced get to see at least 750,000 of them.

3. I painted Honor’s toenails for the first time the other day. I think I will be doing it more often. She LOVED it!

And I used Piggy Paint, so I don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals or smell around her little self. She keeps walking around saying, “Toenails!”

4. Caedmon and I played Dominoes the other day. He beat me. Thoroughly.

5. We don’t typically eat Ramen noodles (because, well, they’re so incredibly healthy), but we needed a change-up in our PB&J-5-days-a-week lunch routine. So we tried cheesy noodles. I wasn’t sure they’d even eat them, but they seemed to like them. So we tried them again. Apparently, Caedmon remembered that certain precautions were necessary. Smart boy.

6. The house is coming along, albeit slowly. I did manage to get our family photo from last summer framed and on the wall. That’s enough for this week, right? I’m still trying to decide about curtains for the living room before I move forward in there, so it makes it hard to do stuff when you don’t know what to do with everything else. Sigh.

7. Before I can go much deeper into the curtain venture, I’m going to have to fix my sewing machine. I made Honor’s 2nd birthday shirt, but just barely got it done. The zig zag stitch is crazy messed up and I’ve got to figure it out before I will be able to do anything else (Including making Disney shirts for the kids. Ok! Seriously, no more Disney stuff.). 

8. We’re going to be signing Caedmon up for summer baseball. It’s his first time to play and we’re trying to decide if he’s going to play 4/5 T-ball or 5/6 Coach Pitch. Such decisions. And I know it’s terrible, but I’m not that excited about baseball. I know, I’m evil. That’s already been established.

9. Can we all agree that it’s time for winter to be over? It’s supposed to be warming up. Nashville posted its coldest March since 1996. While I’m a girl who adores all 4 seasons, it’s time to move on to another one.

10. Honor turns 2 next week. I’m not sure how that’s happening already. But I can’t wait to celebrate with her!

Thoughts of Randomness

1. Do you know what a fence and a doggie door will do for your life? Change it. It’s been almost 2 years since a doggie door, and five months since we’ve had a real yard. We’re all thankful, but Oz is especially glad. Just yesterday it was warm enough for him to go out and get some sun on his belly.

2. Caedmon’s laser spots are healing well. And I think he’s feeling better about life.

3. Honor is growing up. I can’t believe she’ll be 2 in less than a month. She carries on conversations, answers questions, and loves to sing. Her current most requested song is “Be Still” by The Killers. Followed closely by the Razorback Fight Song.

4. I went through Honor’s closet the other day and pulled out some things for summer. We found some black Mary Janes I bought on clearance several months back. I thought they’d fit this fall, but I think they’re going to be just right this summer. Clearly, Honor thinks so.

When we put new shoes on, we sing the song (or at least the chorus), “New Shoes” by Paolo Nutini. She loves it.

5. We dug out Caedmon’s swim clothes and he insisted on putting them on. He wore them for 2 days straight, determined he’d convince me to go to the pool. Never mind that the pool is closed. Or that it was 40 degrees those days.

6. The house is coming along. I got to spend some time in the kids’ rooms this week, organizing a few things and going through their clothes for the summer. I still have a long way to go to have everything in its place in the rest of the house, but we’re getting there. We haven’t gotten to the garage yet at all. It hasn’t been warm enough to be out there!

7. I don’t know what we’re going to do when the houses across the street are finished and people move in. I’ve been counting on concrete trucks, landscaping crews, gutter guys, and brick masons to entertain my kids for part of the day.

8. I’ve bought stuff to make Honor’s birthday shirt. I bought fabric to make pants to match, too. We’ll see how that goes. It’s going to be interesting.

9. It’s time to dye eggs again. I know it’s going to be interesting with Honor wanting to get in the mix. I may try baking them ala Pinterest this year. We’ll see.

10. We want to have a small-ish garden this year. I’ve never really had a garden before. So if anybody has any suggestions for me, I’m all ears. I’m thinking maybe a small 4x6 or 4x8 bed with a few tomatoes, maybe a few peppers, etc. I’d love to make some of my own Rotel. We eat a ton of that stuff. And I’d love to have some herbs. Caedmon desperately wants to grow strawberries. There’s no way we could grow enough strawberries to feed my kids, but we can try. Caedmon’s also dying to have a blueberry bush. So we may be looking for a place to put one of those as well. But again, this is all still theoretical and hypothetical and maybe pathetical because we’ve done exactly nothing yet. Of which I’m reminded daily. Caedmon is dying to get out there. Anybody wanna come get that started for me?

Well, how do YOU pack your fighter jets?

We closed on the house on Monday. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to sign that many papers. And thus, the slow and painful process of moving begins.

I’ve spent the last couple of days cleaning and hanging blinds. There’s more to do. The kids are both sick with whatever caused me to lose my voice last week, but they’re troopers. A few toys in some empty rooms and a new Peter Pan DVD is helping that. (Cinderella came out the last time we moved. I’m not planning on any more moves coinciding with Disney movie releases. Especially since The Little Mermaid comes out this fall.) And today? Cable gets installed. They can watch Disney Junior to their little hearts’ content.

And today we’ll haul more things over. Including this box. Some things are just so awkward to pack. I know the master packer from our last move would not approve. But that’s just the way it goes sometimes.

And oh yeah, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Stream of Consciousness

I’m standing at the kitchen counter. My men are at basketball practice. Honor is sitting at the kitchen table watching her favorite DVD. Oz is firmly planted under/on my feet (where he and Honor usually vie for attention while I cook dinner). Jenna’s White Chicken Chili is on the stove and homemade freezer rolls (recipe to come one of these days) are in the oven. Dinner is smelling delicious.

My voice is back. Kind of. It still cuts out on me sometimes. And I still sound like a man. I know that when I called the fence contractor and called to set up trash service at the house today, they probably wondered if I was a he or a she. They guessed right both times. Maybe my voice isn’t quite as bad as I think.

The kids and I made a spur-of-the-moment trip to Hobby Lobby this morning and stayed for over an hour. That store tends to do that to you. But we got a mirror for the half bath at the new house and finished choosing hardware for our towel racks, I think. Now to put them all together and have them ready to install. And I rewarded my longsuffering children (and myself) with French fries.

We stopped by the new house on the way home. The finish paint is done. The ladies were there to clean (again). I’m so thankful they are there over and over to clean before we close and move. I’m sure I’ll clean some more before we move in, but they’re doing the hard work, really. When you hear one of them tell the other, “Go get the Shop Vac,” you just smile, thank them for their hard work, and leave before you see the reason for the Shop Vac.

The new maintenance guy came by the townhouse today. He was here to take care of a fallen tree branch in the back yard, and told me that he will be moving in here after we vacate. I had to bite my tongue. In fact, I almost laughed. He could keep himself busy in his off-hours in this place. If, that is, the squirrels will let him sleep. And the ants don’t carry away everything in the kitchen. Sweet, sweet justice.

I’m not sure if I should be excited about getting to go to Lowe’s by myself tomorrow or not. Husband is not a fan of the store, but I love it. But I’m going to have to buy things that aren’t necessarily fun. Window blinds. Chair slides. Air conditioner filters. Yeah, not fun. But necessary. And they mean we’re *that much* closer to actually needing those things for the house. Which is super exciting. But Lowe’s on a Saturday is never my favorite.

If all goes according to plan, we will close on the house on Monday. And then the hard work begins. Y’all know how much I hate moving. But I’m so looking forward to being in a house again and the kids having their own space. And having a little bit of privacy again. Well, as much privacy as you get when there are young kids in the house, anyway.

Honor is done with her DVD and is back under my feet, trying to move the immovable Oz. She’s chewing on a pacifier (that she usually only plays with), which can only mean that her gums are bothering her. She’s getting four eye teeth and possibly two molars, so I think that’s a pretty safe bet.

The rolls are out of the oven and my guys will be ready for dinner as soon as they walk in the door any second now. Time to uproot Oz from his firmly planted position on my left foot and get things rolling.

Thoughts of {Whiny} Randomnes

1. Honor learned how to climb out of the pack n play last week. Do you know what this means? It means that as of right now, I have nowhere, absolutely nowhere, to confine this child except for her crib. And if she figures out how to climb out of there, I may just go stark raving mad.

2. The day Honor learned to climb out of the pack n play was the same day she hauled off and punched Caedmon in the jaw. With her fist. Yeah, punched him. Not hard, but still. It was a conscious decision. And he was irritating the fire out of her, so I can’t really blame her desire to stick up for herself. I’ve been telling Caedmon he’s about to find out what it’s like to have a sister who will fight back when she’s mad at him. She about made a believer out of him.

3. At what age is it acceptable to make your child clean up his own pee? You’d think he goes to the bathroom in the pitch dark or something. Except that most of the time it’s broad daylight. I can understand a few drips or drops, but when it’s cascading down the side of the toilet, I’d say it’s time to pay attention to what you’re doing. I’m weighing the pee-pee clean up against the pee-pee clean up and then having to make sure the kid is cleaned up. And I’m not sure if it’s worth it. Thoughts?

4. The other night, Oz tripped over a noisy toy at 2am and woke Husband and me up. The toy he tripped over is a “slingshot” monkey that makes, obviously, a monkey sound. It’s loud. And annoying. Especially at 2am. The next day? I couldn’t get it to make any noise. I tried. So that night, I paid Oz back by making him wait 30 minutes extra for his last potty run of the night. Mainly because I was lazy. And tired. (He was snoring, so it’s not like he was actually suffering.)

5. Yesterday during our regular grocery run, I forgot some stuff. Not random “eh, we can do without it” stuff, either. Major ingredients to a meal. Multiple meals. So we have to go back to the store today. I really don’t know how it happened other than the fact that I feel like I am losing my mind.

6. Also? It was a dreary day yesterday, and we were all tired (and borderline crazy), so we skipped school. Yeah. I said it. We skipped school. Don’t worry, we’ll make it up. And then promptly take off a week (or two) when we move in a few weeks. One of the perks of homeschooling.

7. Speaking of homeschooling, Caedmon has been doing well in school. He is reading a lot, even though sometimes he doesn’t want to do the work. He does well with the pre-k math work he’s doing, too. It really has been hard to get back in the groove after Christmas, so I’m hoping the move doesn’t completely throw us off again. But yesterday, he picked up a pen and, on his own, wrote Honor’s name. Granted, it’s one of the things I’ve been having him practice writing, but he did it with no prompting and no help. And he was super proud of himself. I was too!

8. Perhaps my angsty day yesterday was actually begun Sunday night with Downton Abbey. Seriously, people. Why?

9. It’s supposed to be 70 degrees today, followed by a possibility of tornados. In January. And tomorrow? Cold and a chance of snow flurries by Friday. This winter seems to be losing its mind just as much as I am. I’m sorry for winter’s sake, but I’m glad I’m not the only one.

Awesome! Or Not.

You know what’s awesome? Simmering orange slices, cloves, and cinnamon on the stove all day, giving the house a yummy smell.

You know what’s not awesome? Forgetting about the simmering pot and letting the orange slices, cloves, and cinnamon run out of water and burn.

****

You know what’s awesome? Remembering that you threw out your old, nappy cheese grater before you moved and you get to buy a new one.

You know what’s not awesome? Remembering that you need to buy a new cheese grater when you need one to grate cheese for dinner.

****

You know what’s awesome? Finally hitting the hair barrette threshold so that you actually have enough barrettes floating around the house to be able to find one when you need it for your child’s hair.

You know what’s not awesome? A full 75% of the barrettes you can find are orange. Orange? Who needs orange hair barrettes? Not us. But we use them anyway. Because, you know, that’s all I can find.

What’s awesome (or not) at your house today?

Exactly.

I saw this on Pinterest and posted it to my Facebook page (it was originally found here). It’s hilarious. And so true.

I seriously laugh every time I read it. Now you can, too.

Thoughts of Randomness

***Happy Birthday, Curly!***

1. Remember the squirrels? Yeah, they’re still around. One might think that squirrels hibernate or something since, you know, they store up nuts for the winter and all. But one would be wrong. I guess I should’ve known that from watching Chip n’ Dale cartoons. When has a Disney cartoon ever failed me? (Besides Special Agent Oso. But I won’t get into that now.)

But now it’s gone to a new level of ridiculousness. Now they’re in the wall of our bedroom. And Oz, who doesn’t chase anything except a crumb dropped from the table, has begun to chase them inside the walls. Better yet, he will sit, staring into the corner, ears alert, head cocked. He knows they’re in there. He just doesn’t know what to do about it. This is another instance in which I’m glad I have a lazy dog. Our Jack Russells would’ve torn the wall to shreds by now.

2. Lest you think I let Oz stare at the corner all day, he spends most of his time buried in his blankets. He doesn’t care for the cold weather.

3. The house is moving along nicely. I haven’t taken a lot of pictures lately because it’s hard to see changes now. Since the sheetrock went up, things are getting done, but it doesn’t look like a big change. I can’t wait to see the cabinets in place. Also? We have a “window” for closing. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much in case something pushes us back some, but I can now count in weeks instead of months.

4. Very soon, I will be making lots of trips to Lowe’s/Home Depot. I cannot say that I’m sad about that. I know that lots of girls don’t like those stores, but I love them.

5. I went to Hobby Lobby this week for the first time since we moved in October. I think that’s the longest I’ve ever gone without going to that store. And I loved every second of being there. I may have walked down every single aisle.

6. While I was in Hobby Lobby, I suddenly recalled that Honor doesn’t yet have an Easter dress, and I have no idea what she’s going to wear. I know that’s a few months away, but I still feel behind. I bought last year’s Easter dress a year in advance. And now I feel like I have to coordinate with Caedmon’s outfit somehow. I know, I need to get over it. But I don’t know what he’s going to wear either.

7. Caedmon is starting Upward Basketball soon. We’ve never done basketball before, so this will be interesting. If anybody has any “basketball mom” tips for me, I’d love to hear them. I have dumb questions like, does he need “basketball shoes” or will regular athletic shoes work? I get that hightops will support his ankles and blah, blah. But he’s 5. I doubt they’ll be doing much fancy footwork. It’s probably just a step up from herding cats, so I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on shoes that he’ll grow out of in 6 months. See? I don’t know what I’m doing. I hope they need somebody to make cookies. I can do that.

8. While I’m so ready to get back to a regular schedule, I’ve really enjoyed our unstructured days and time off of school. I can’t wait until my children learn to sleep late so we can enjoy them even more. Or at least fend for themselves enough for me to be able to sleep in.

9. Speaking of sleep, that’s still a rocky thing around here. Honor is consistently waking up about an hour and a half after she goes to bed, no matter what time we put her down. Some nights, she’ll lay down and go right back to sleep. Others, we’re not so lucky. I’m going to have to pull out my sleep books and see what the deal is. Except that my sleep books are in storage. I guess I’ll be going to the library.

10. I laid down yesterday with the goal of taking a nap. I couldn’t go to sleep, so I turned the TV on, thinking I’d get bored with it and fall asleep. Except that the Season 2 finale of Downton Abbey was on. Of course I watched it again. Is anyone else excited that it starts back this Sunday? I will admit that I put it on my calendar months ago. I’m ready to see what kind of one-liners the Dowager Countess comes up with this season.

Thoughts of Randomness

1. We introduced Caedmon to the movie Home Alone a couple of weeks ago. We’ve since watched it approximately 8,973 times. He loves it. And I forgot how incredibly awesome it is. Since he started watching it, we’ve had our house booby-trapped, he’s drawn up a “battle plan” (like the one Kevin rolls out), he’s recreated the after-shower scene after his own shower, and he told me that he needs to go shopping on his own sometime while he’s still a kid. I’ll be allowed to sit in the parking lot, but he needs to go into the store and buy something on his own. In the words of Kevin McAlister, “I don’t think so.”

2. Honor loves the Christmas tree. So much so, that it’s not allowed to be un-lit in her presence. She yells, “Tee! Tee!” And she’ll try to plug it in herself if I don’t get there fast enough. She is also hooked on the song “Jingle Bells.” As in, she’ll go over to my laptop (where we usually turn music on), and she’ll yell, “Jee Bewws!” over and over until I turn it on. I will confess that I have resorted to putting it on repeat to keep her happy. Whatever it takes.

3. I’m excited to see the kids open their gifts this year. Caedmon gets it – and he’s counting the days until Christmas. Honor has no clue what’s coming, but I know she’s going to love her gifts. Our kids are super blessed by generous family members who make sure they have stuff they’ll love. I know it’s going to be a lot of fun!

4. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. Yesterday was the first time our heater kicked on in a week, I think. It’s been crazy warm. It’s been nice, but I’m ready for some actual winter.

5. There has been more progress at the house, but we haven’t been inside since last week. It’s been so wet and muddy, we’d have to get nasty to get there, and we haven’t been able to go when we could get dirty. But insulation is in and I got an email notification that drywall has begun. Hopefully things will dry out a bit (or someone will have built some sort of mud bridge) and we can manage to get in over there this weekend. It’s getting close, and I am getting more excited every single day.

6. Speaking of the new house, one thing I’m getting for myself after we move in is a new Kitchen Aid mixer. I’ve wanted one for years, but just haven’t felt like I could/should spend the money. I’ve been saving and have decided that when we get that new kitchen, it’s time for a new mixer. (Plus the fact that my 14-year-old hand mixer is about to bite the dust.) The only problem I have is trying to decide what color to get. I think I’ve chosen, but I’m not sure. If you have one, what color do you have? Or what color would you get?

7. I’m also thinking about starting to make our own bread. I’m tired of paying $2.50/loaf for the “decent” stuff. So if you have any good sandwich bread recipes, send them my way.

8. Honor hasn’t been sleeping well the past few weeks. I’ve tried to blame several things, but I really have no idea what’s causing her sleep issues. But waking up screaming 2 hours after she goes to bed and staying up (crying off and on) until midnight is not cool. Especially when she wakes up early and yells at Caedmon until he wakes up. All I know is this: I’m tired. She’s tired. Caedmon’s tired. We’re all tired of the screaming. I hope we can get it figured out soon.

9. And due to #8, this will be the last point. Y’all have a Merry Christmas!

Monday’s Hope

Well. Here we are at Monday again. It’s a different Monday than we all thought it would be. A more somber Monday. A more reality-checked Monday. A Monday when you will hug your kids tighter, decide to let some of the little things slide, and be just a little bit nicer to someone you don’t know. Perspective is just a bit different this Monday.

Maybe all Mondays should be this way. With the perspective part, I mean. Maybe if our perspective was just a little bit different each Monday, a little bit more outside of ourselves and our own little bubble, that would be a good thing.

Our friends and family have been too close to too much tragedy the past few months. It’s been hard. And though we don’t personally know anyone in Connecticut, we don’t have to know them to mourn with them. Because that could’ve happened anywhere. To anybody. And the names and faces of those 27 people could easily be the names and faces of 27 people that we know.

I don’t know why. I don’t really know if I want to know why. And though there are many, many opinions on how to fix things, there’s really only one answer.

Ed Stetzer had some great insight in a letter he sent to his church this week. Instead of trying to re-hash it, I’ll quote him below.

“Earlier in the gospel, Matthew recorded this:

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more" (Matthew 2:16-18).

Bible scholars think that this small village of Bethlehem had a population of about 1000, which means about 20 infant boys would have been killed by Herod's evil command. Yes, 20 children. Though Jesus was not among the killed, the weeping was real and loud for those who experienced yet another loss. And, we know that God grieved with Rachel who wept for her children.

Yet, outside of the Gospel of Matthew, this massacre gets no mention in the other historical records of the day. You see, such horrors were not uncommon then-- this same Herod killed his own sons. So, twenty deaths were not newsworthy in a world so filled with death, persecution, and injustice. Yet, it was in that very time, in that incredibly unjust society, that Jesus called us to be a people of love, grace, prayer, and forgiveness. He called us to a radically different way.

Yes, murderous evil is not as widespread today in our country, but the evil still happens and it is still here. We saw that this week. The massacre of the innocents at Sandy Hook remind us just how broken this world is.”

That answer? The one answer that is the only thing that can fix all this junk? It’s Jesus. He came as a baby, the most vulnerable thing God could send. And we get to celebrate His birthday next week. It’s a perfect time to remember that Christmas isn’t about a fat man in a red suit. It’s about the birth of a baby who came to save us all.

That doesn’t mean everything is sunshine and roses. But it means that in the midst of all the muck, we’re not alone. And when we’re done with our time on earth, we can spend eternity in a place that will never know sorrow, hate, unforgiveness, and injustice. We have hope.

And when hope drives your perspective, the world is a different place. It doesn’t make it less messy, just more bearable. So remember to share hope with someone today. You may never know how much they need it.