Gone for a couple of days

We are all really sad today. 

I am taking my 12 yr old to Big D today and putting him on a flight tomorrow morning to Seattle to go and spend the next 5 weeks with his dad. 

It's ok and it's a good thing for him to be with his dad.

But, we are sad too.

We love our bubba in this house. 

We love him BIG TIME. 

So, I'll be out of pocket for a couple of days and then, when I get back, will probably be pretty sad for a bit.
I'll try and get back to posting soon.

My Alec

We'll miss you Bubba. Have fun and come home safe.

Wordless Wednesday

Sand and Water tables are BIG fun

Mother's Day

Wordless Wednesday

A look back at our Easter weekend

outside enjoying the Sun

Piper

Max

Alec

getting sleepy

This picture cracks me up - it looks like she's trying to grab a beer!

my first attempt at the "artsy" photo...lol....table place setting for Easter dinner

Easter Ham! Yum!

artsy one of our China

Pip

Pip trying to get into the dog's bowl

 2 very tired kiddos  :)

Wordless Wednesday

I opened my cupboard Monday morning to put the plates away and found THIS staring at me

 ahhh...the joys of having boys.....

and again...just cause :)

This Praying Mantis moment was brought to you courtesy of Alec

Hope it made you smile.    ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Chocolate and Kisses and Fun Stuff

Yes, it's Valentines Day. I really don't do this "holiday" much just because I think it's a fake holiday designed to sell overpriced chocolates and junk we don't actually need. But, the sentiment behind the day is a nice one. A day that revolves around love *is* a good idea - commercialism be damned. Anyway I got the boys a couple of small-ish candy hearts and suckers and the hubby got a couple of items.

That was really it around here as I've been fighting off getting sick again and we were gone to a birthday party here all day yesterday. That wiped me smooth out. Seriously. That museum is awesome and a ton of fun but trying to keep up with 2 kids and dealing with a baby will make you need to take to your bed and sleep for 14 hours.

Something really cool happened while we were there yesterday. We went for our cousin's 6th birthday. So, needless to say, Alec was the oldest "kid" at the party. He war surrounded by mostly squealing 5 and 6 year old girls and their smaller, squealing brothers and sisters - including his own. Evidently while he was sitting at the table a smaller little girl couldn't see and he turned around, moved from his chair to another and then helped her get situated so she could see the blowing out of candles. I wasn't aware that any of this had occurred until a woman approached me and asked if I was "that young man's mother?" Yes - I said. And then she proceeded to tell me what a very polite young man he was. I asked what had happened and she explained the entire scene to me and went on to tell me that her Siciliy (the little girl in question's name) now thought that he was the cutest boy she'd ever seen.

It all made me smile and made my day. There are moments that you feel like you have utterly failed as a parent and then there are moments like this. And these are the ones that make you feel like maybe - just maybe you didn't raise a serial killer but possible a contributing member of society; or better yet, a good, solid young man.

Today is Sunday and that means another Shop Your House day. I'm linked up with Kendall over at Finesse Your Nest again. I did not get the projects I "shopped" and found last week done because the weather has conspired against me and my spray paint as it has snowed again off and on all week. So instead I shopped again yesterday, this time in the basement, and uncovered a couple more treasures! Here goes:

 

I found these tin squares and painted the top and bottom one a red color that we had left over from when we painted the dining room. They were just sitting in our basement waiting on a home. The one in the middle is actually made of wood and I had snatched it up at a thrift store about 2 months ago. I didn't have a place to put it yet but I rearranged the living room and voila! a spot for it!

  

OK - also this black stand and green bamboo I confiscated from the dining room and moved it to this corner in the living room. I think it works better in here and I like the pop of green over in this corner. 

Then I found this old mirror. I bought it several years ago at a thrift store and I've had it sitting in the basement ever since because I didn't know exactly where I wanted it to go. It is now living in the Dining Room. I want to do more old mirrors in here and this is the beginning. 

Another shot of the mirror - just closer up and you can also see some of the Dining Room in the reflection. 

That's it for me. Hope everyone has a good Valentines. Hug your peeps!

Superbowl, Kids, and Shopping the House

We had a nice, lazy day today. We hung out, played a lot, and made a bunch of yummy food. Max continues to rock on the potty training, in fact he has filled in his potty chart completely and I am VERY proud of him.

Mommy Stuff

First of all - some pictures of the cuties I took today.

Our youngest - Piper - our little girl. She changes every single day. These days she is sitting up and working hard at crawling.

Then, our *middle* child  Max. He is a handful and then some.

And, our oldest, Alec. He is SO grown up now. Please excuse the hair - it needs to be cut but he is liking it long. There are worse things and I am SO not sweating it. It's a small thing - you know?




 





We made some yummy food today to munch on while watching the Superbowl. We made a Calzone from leftover Chicken Parmesian, Brats, Guacamole and chips, Brownies and Ice Cream. Max helped me "make" all of it.

Shop the House

And inspired by Kendall over at Finesse your Nest - during all that I went "shopping" in my house. Actually, I went shopping out in the garage.

I found an old magazine stand/table that belonged to my Grandparents. 

Literally 12 years ago I spray painted it Off-White and used it for awhile then stored it away. It is still Off-White but I have some plans for it that involve glaze. I'll get back to you on this once it's done.

I located the art easel that was Alec's when he was 3. Yes, I've drug it around and kept it all these years (Alec is 12). It needs a bit of refurbishing and it will be Max's. There are times it is good to be a pack-rat.

And LOOK what I found. 

Do you see those? They are old windows and they still have the glass in them. There are big, plain ones and some that have a small pattern along the sides. PSYCHED about these. No idea what I"m doing to do with them yet - but I'm excited. It usually begins this way....excitement.

So that was my Sunday and what I found when I "shopped" my house. I'll be working on these projects in the coming days (as long as the kids cooperate) and I'll be posting updates!!!

Feed Good Fridays

I'm going to designate Friday as the day I'm going to post about things that make me happy. Hopefully the list will be a fairly long one - but if not always, then that is OK too.


Lots of Mommy Braggin Going On

Max is potty training. Yes, indeedy, he is. AND whatsmore he is having SUCCESS at it. He filled in all the squares on Thursday on his success chart and started on Friday - yesterday. He got his SuperWhy potty prize. Today he has filled in all the squares for today and has earned his next potty prize - an Art Easel. He is going into the bathroom on his own when the timer goes off, getting undressed, and using the potty and then coming to get me to show me. I'm so proud of him.

Max also slept in his bed ALL NIGHT last night; no trips to mom and dads bed. When he got up this morning, at 7am, he came in and got in bed with me and said 2 things. The first was, "Mama - I slept in my bed all night!!!" I said, "I KNOW! I'm so PROUD of you!" And the next thing he said was, "MAMA I DIDN'T PEE IN MY DIAPER!" I said, "I KNOW! OMGOSH! You are SO AWESOME! OK, let's go potty!!!" And we did. And he didn't put up a fight. And it was most awesome.

Pip is sitting up all the time now. She doesn't topple much unless she is trying to reach something or her brother knocks her over.

She isn't crawling yet but she is on the verge. LOTS of up on the knees rocking and sometimes, accidentally, inching forward. So anytime really.

Also she does this tongue thing which is just hysterical to me. When she is concentrating or working hard at something she sticks her tongue STRAIGHT out. Remember how Michael Jordan would have his tongue sticking out when he'd make a slam dunk? Yep - just like that.


Alec is awesome. He is having attitude at times but really not so very much. For a 12 year old in the midst of puberty he is not much trouble.

He is a VERY good person and a wonderful, loving soul. He always has been. I don't have words for how much I love that young man. And he *is* a young man now. He is damn near as tall as me. His feet are a size larger than mine now (and I'm a women's 7 1/2) and his voice cracks pretty often these days.

I swear to God just the other day he was 3.
Just the other day...

All stuff about Me

I had Acupuncture a couple of days ago, I talk about that over here, and since then I have felt great.


The sounds of Loreena McKennitt waft through my home again. I have missed her sorely. I also have some Nag Champa burning. I have a white candle lit. The sun is shining. I am beginning to feel like mySelf again. That in itself is a Wonderful Thing.

Here's where I go all Crafty on you

I have managed to do a few crafty things this past week. Here are some pictures - they are not big deals but it gives me a creative outlet and makes me happy.

First I made some Jute twine balls *snicker* (I know, mentally I'm 12) Anywho - I got the idea from Kendall at Finesse your Nest and these are how mine turned out.

They are just Styrofoam balls wrapped in Jute Twine and hot glue. Really easy to do (took me like 10 minutes total) and cheap (!) and, I think, very cute.

I also wrapped a cool shaped, empty, clean olive oil bottle with Jute twine and filled up some old bottles (that were in our basement when we moved in and I wouldn't part with them) with wine bottle corks. I keep all the corks from the wine we drink, and have for 6 years now, and I put them in these old bottles. I like how it turned out.

The Jute twine balls *snicker* turned out so cute that I decided to attempt some others. I made wrapped one tennis ball in Raffia.

And another tennis ball wrapped in plain white rope.

I didn't have enough rope but I wrapped it until I ran out. I will finish this when I get some more because I LOVE how it turned out. I am digging the texture of it.

So that's it for today. My first Feel Good Friday. What kinds of things do you guys Feel Good about today????