Pushed and Pulled

I sometimes feel like I have so much running through my head that I don't even know what to sit and write.  I've got so many different projects and ideas running strong that I'm struggling to prioritize what I need done as opposed to what I'd like done.  Of course the kids keep me busy, too.  I've been having a wonderful time taking pictures of them, learning more about my camera and trying to figure out what I'm doing.

Of course there are outer circumstances that throw me off track, or intersect my track.  My neighbor had a son on Christmas day, and I've been helping her some with getting her other two boys to and from school (they go to the same preschool as Jordan).  The poor woman, her first day on her own and her washer broke, flooding her kitchen.  I got back from taking the kids to school to find her wading through her kitchen.  It made me thankful that I didn't have a flood or a newborn.  In addition, my father in law has been having some health issues that they are having difficulty diagnosing.  He's been in and out of the hospital and seen several doctors each week.  They were getting ready to try to send him to John Hopkins or the Mayo clinic to try to figure things out when he began to feel better.  This has caused much upheaval in both our personal lives and my husband's professional life (as it's a family run business and my FIL is in no way retired).

This week my husband has decided to quit smoking (thank all that is holy).  He has quit before but never for any real length of time.  I am really praying that it works this time.  You would think, as an ex smoker and recovering alcoholic, that I would have more support or wisdom to offer...Apparently you would be sadly mistaken.  The other day he sent a text that he really missed the taste.  I told him to go lick an ashtray as it was about the same.  Yep, that's me; I'm just oozing sympathy.

On a different note, I came across a website called the Winter of Wellness.  It is about "Igniting Optimum Health in All Areas of Your Life."  Four days a week there is a track you can listen to (via phone or computer) on one of four areas--Body, Mind, Heart, Soul--with one of the pioneers in these areas.  I am listening to the tracks later, after the kids are in bed and I'm able to listen without interruption.  These sessions are amazing.  This whole summit is put on the The Shift Network, which I had never heard of before last week.  Their tagline is "Accelerating the Next Evolution," if that gives you any idea of their purpose.  This ties in with so many other moments and areas in my life that I know it is not coincidence that I stumbled onto this site.

In between all of this, I have been sticking with my New Year's resolution, which has to do with follow through.  I am determined to actually carry out all my great plans and ideas instead of just starting them and setting them aside for later.  I am terrible about beginning a project all gung ho and losing interest when it gets down to the less exciting aspects of it (like the actual mundane work) and moving on to another project.  So, back to the actual follow through part.  I bought an antique bench in November.  It was in pretty good shape but needed some cosmetic help.  I decided it would be a good starter project for me and opted to paint and recover the bench.  A week and a half ago I got my girlfriend to go with me to pick out some fun fabric and then to get some paint.  I (with the help of Chase on the recovering part) finished the bench Saturday night.  I learned some new things, such as what NOT to do, but I think it came out pretty well.  I'm happy with the end result, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.  It matches my bedroom perfectly, which is unfortunate since I don't need it in there!  I'm sure I'll find the right home for it eventually...

I'm thinking my next project might be the cute little rocker I bought for the kids that is in great shape but could use a coat of paint to brighten it up.  We'll see.  I don't want to start anything until I've got the time to finish it...There's no rush on the rocker since they have an awesome cardboard box to play in right now.  Chase brought it home from work the other day, and they LOVE it!  They use it as a car, a bed, a fort, or they sit in it to watch T.V.  I've been able to get some great pictures of them while they are being still in their box.

Have a happy Thursday!  Oh, by the way, anyone have any tips to combat the thumb sucking?  I don't mind it at bed, but we need to cut it out during the day.  Aside from the million other issues, can I just say we don't need her to be ingesting all those germs?

New Lens

Santa brought me a new lens for my camera.  It made me extremely happy.  I have been taking pictures constantly, trying to figure out what in the world I am doing.  Well, until last week.  I have spent most of the last week being a huge waste of mass.  I have had some strange bug-continual low grade fever and extreme fatigue though I felt perfectly fine otherwise.  I was like a little baby, eating and sleeping and not much else.  Fortunately I seem to be fine again.  Very bizarre.  Since not much else happened last week I'll show you some of the pictures I managed with my new lens (thanks again, Santa).

Okay, so obviously I didn't take this one...It's us, New Year's Eve.  Chase had a gig at a country club so I tagged along.  I figured I'd get a free meal out of it and perhaps the opportunity to play with my camera.  It was that or hang out alone...

Of course, me and Ashley.  

The room was still decorated from a December wedding.  These tree branches were stuck in big planters and were gorgeous.  While everyone was occupied I played with taking pictures of these branches.  It seems that lighting is the biggest issue for me with photography so it was fun to just experiment.

My brother in law.  This was an accident-at first.  

Nature is amazing.  Who knows what hollowed out the innards of this log?  It looks like a "C" to me!

Speaking of "C"-isn't he just precious?  I can't believe he's almost 2.

I love capturing pictures like this because she is so often still.  Or, if she is, she's got her head down and her face concealed by hair.

He looks like such a little boy here.  Behind that ratty bunny he has his fingers in his mouth.  Neither kid would take a paci but both are fanatics about sucking on their fingers.  This is right before he tells me, "Bu Boo (Love You) Mommy.  Nigh nigh."  Is there anything sweeter than the mispronunciation of our children?  I was sorry the day Jordan learned to say 'thank you' instead of 'gitz.' 

So now you see what I have been doing...I hope your New Year is off to a wonderful start!

Santa

We have never taken Jordan to see Santa.  Ashley and Mitch were taking the kids last night and invited us to go.  It's hard to pass up an opportunity to let Jordan see her cousins since she soooo completely adores them.  So I hunted up the kids best Christmas-y outfits and hauled booty to the mall in the pouring rain to let the kids get their picture with Santa.  As with most things, once we got going it was fun.

Aren't they all adorable?  Jordan had on lace up brown boots and a Hello Kitty tattoo, but Santa didn't seem to care!

A very Merry Christmas to you all!

Do a little dance

We've been busy getting ready for the holidays. It seems that, even with not much planned, we've managed to be busy, busy. I have happily avoided most of the Christmas crowds by shopping a few weeks ago and by doing as much as possible on Amazon. It's amazing how much easier it is to navigate the web than the overcrowded aisles of the stores. Plus, I end up spending less because I can find deals and I don't stumble across items that scream "You need me!" as I look for the things I do need. Plus I can shop in my pajamas without taking the kids along. Hoorah.

Yesterday we made Christmas cookies. Connor also had his first encounter with time out. Completely ineffective, but I am going to keep trying. Actually, it's reached the point that when Jordan asks if I'm going to send him to time out he goes ahead and sends himself. It seems like we've missed the point. Sigh.

I have a great little app on my phone that will turn my videos into old timey looking deals. I hope you enjoy this little clip! By the way, there was no music on so I have no idea what inspired their dancing:)

Thanksgiving

We have all been sick since Thanksgiving weekend.  It's the sniffles here, a cough there, vick's, and humidifiers.  I was fuzzy headed for a couple of days and then feeling pretty much fine.  Of course, as it seems to be a mother's lot, now that everyone is feeling better I am suddenly feeling crummy again.  It seems that this is the norm for anyone with young children...oh well.  I am thinking it's time to leave the cold pills behind and embark on a natural approach; any suggestions?

Speaking of Thanksgiving, it was amazing.  For me, this time of year is about Family, Laughter, and Music.  We definitely had all 3 going for those few days.  I took lots of pictures and even managed an audio recording of our family music night.  I've yet to play with it but know that I have a few hours worth of stuff to sort through.  It makes me happy.

One of my uncles brought an old box of pictures with him.  He spread them out one night and let people get the ones that they wanted while we wandered around asking who this picture was and so on.  It was great fun.  What I found really touching is that in the midst of this I looked up and saw Connor in the corner in the rocking chair.  The one that was my grandmother's.  The one that is for sentimental reasons only because it's certainly not strong enough for anyone to rock in anymore.  It was as if we looked over and knew my grandmother was there with us.

Incidentally, after we got home I got to work scanning all of the pictures my dad had brought back with him.  It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it might, and we've all enjoyed them.  I have more pictures I've found that I've not yet scanned, but there are only so many hours in a day, right?  There were also some letters which reminded me of the trunk full of my great grandmother's papers sitting in my sister's basement.  She had gotten them after my grandmother's death, and she and I have never gotten around to going through them.  I have since gathered some of them and brought them here so I can go through them, take pictures and share them with the rest of the family.  It is slow work, particularly trying to decipher some of the old handwriting, but quite fascinating.  It's a glimpse into a different world, a different time.  It's also given me new information to jumpstart my genealogy work.  I'd hit quite a wall but these letters have opened several new doors.  It's amazing to me that my grandmother kept all the old envelopes as well which means I have addresses.  Quite a handy bit of information since they all moved so much.  So far the earliest bit of information I've found is from 1912.  It's an old deed.  I also came across a letter my grandmother wrote to Santa when she was 8.  Since that was in 1930 I'm betting she didn't get the Victrola she asked for.  

As for the rest of our Thanksgiving, we had beautiful weather so the kids (mine and Ashley's) were able to play outside alot.  Thank goodness.  The house may be nearly 6000 sq feet, but I doubt that's big enough when you have 6 stir crazy kids in it!  My cousin had rented a bouncy house for the munchkins which was amazing and great fun.  Even Connor eventually got to where he liked it.

Jordan, upon seeing this, pronounced my cousin her favorite cousin EVER.  See, bribery works!

Connor and my dad.  It was so wonderful to have my dad with us!  I love to see him interact with the kids since so much of his relationship with them is via phone and video.  

Being down there with my family made me even more aware of how very much I love them.  This was the first time that the brothers (my dad and 2 of his 3 siblings) had gotten together since their mother's death 4 years ago.  I didn't even see them then as it was only 2 weeks after Jordan's birth and we weren't quite able to travel.  The whole trip reminded me so much of the family gatherings we used to have.  It was very poignant.  I think part of what made me so happy was the knowledge that I am providing my children with memories that so closely resemble some of my own happiest moments.  

My cousin's home that he and his wife so kindly open to us each year.  Gorgeous, no?

The three brothers, youngest, middle, eldest.  My dad's in the middle.  

Holidays long past.  My dad is on the far left, my oldest uncle on the far right.  The youngest uncle is the one in the middle back with my grandmother's hands on him.  The two middle boys were absent, one because he was in Colorado for Thanksgiving and the other (my dad's twin) died nearly two decades ago.

Look at my gorgeous boy who is so much more of a boy now than a baby.  I can't believe how much he's grown.  If I didn't stay so busy chasing him around, pulling him off of anything he can find to climb, or laughing at his antics I would be quite melancholy at the speedy passage of time.

My baby mid-jump.  

My youngest cousin with my sister's youngest step daughter.   

My oldest cousin, owner and builder of aforementioned home, sharing a snack with Connor.

Jordan (left) with two of her cousins enjoying a ginormous bubble bath.  Remember when life was full of these simple joys?

My sister's birthday happened to fall on Thanksgiving this year.  Isn't she pretty?

Our new future-Thinking outside the box

I recently spent a couple of days in a near panic about our finances.  It’s as if I suddenly woke up and realized that the expenses we were incurring couldn’t always be offset by Chase’s income.  Hunh.  I have loved being a stay at home mom, loved that I have the opportunity to do what I so desired, and I have acknowledged my gratitude for this on a near daily basis.  I finally had to admit that something about our situation would need to change, and the knowledge had me both sad and scared.  

I have felt guilty over time because I’ve not contributed financially in about 5 years.  I began to brainstorm, trying to come up with a way to do both things that I felt a need to do: stay at home to take care of my children and find some way to bring in some income.  I won’t fill you in on all the ideas that floated through my mind but will admit some were less feasible than others.  In the midst of all of this I came across a few quotes that seemed to shift my thinking a bit, ones that pushed me to explore my creativity and do things that scared me as well as ones that reminded me to have faith that with effort and time it would all work out.  So I gathered my courage and admitted what I’d like to try.

I have enjoyed the process of creating though I’ve not done much of it for awhile.  I used to cross stitch some and enjoyed the continuously changing landscape of a piece, the way there was a clearly visible beginning, middle and end.  There’s something about starting with a few items and investing your time and effort into them to culminate in a completely different product at the end.  Knitting has been the same way for me, and I was thrilled when I finally finished a baby blanket a few months back.  Even the process of creating my kids was awesome (though not always enjoyable).  At the end of the day I love looking at soemthing and being able to say, “Wow, that’s beautiful.  And I made that.  Holy cow.” 

You can probably guess where this is going...this new money making plan of mine involves making something.  Well, you’d be correct.  Sorry for the terribly predictable revelation.  I’m not quite sure which train of thought sparked the current plan, but I think it was actaully several trains that collided.  When I told Chase what I was thinking of he was immediately supportive and wanted to be a part of things.  Thank goodness!  It’s somehow less scary to broach the unknown when you’re not alone.  

Here’s the plan:  create new treasures from abandoned ones.  Sell said treasures.  Enjoy the process.  Enjoy the creation.  Make money.  Learn about all sorts of fun stuff in the rehabbing process, broach the scary unknown like the big girl I am, and stay home with my children in the process.  So far things have gone well, and we’ve had fun.  Everyone we’ve talked to about what we are doing has been very enthusiastic and supportive which gives me the warm fuzzies.  Our biggest issue thus far has been an inability to decide what we’d like our Etsy shop name to be.  

In the midst of all this frantic brainstorming and wood gathering I managed to find a bit of peace.  I reached that place again where I found that I had confidence in our ability to manage our current circumstances with a bit of ingenuity and flexibility.  Naturally, this is when another opportunity sort of fell into my lap.  It’s just that this opportunity came with a guaranteed paycheck, something that has decreased my worries significantly.  And, like often happens when one quits pushing for a certain result, this opportunity seemed tailor made for me.  I am now doing some paperwork for my husband’s company.  It is the sort of time consuming and often tedious work that no one there has the time to do.  Back before the economy changed they had plenty of staff to handle all of this, but they now have fewer employees and none that aren’t already pulling double duty.  They also can’t afford to hire another full time employee but can’t afford to continue setting aside this paperwork.  So, it being a family owned business, and me being family, there’s a bit of compromise and flexibility.  I go into the store when I need to pick up or drop off papers or run off copies and such, and the majority of the work is done at home when I can get it done.  They manage to get the work done without having to pay too much, and I get to make some money and stay home with my kids.  Win-Win. 

My days look a little different than they did a month ago.  As much as I loathe change I am actually okay with that.  Getting a paycheck helps with that.  Actually, it’s nice to use a different part of my brain and interact with others in a different manner.  I’ve also discovered that when I have a couple of hours a day that I know need to be dedicated to something specific I am more careful with the other hours in my day.  My house is a little messier, my garage is currently a woodworking facility that doubles as painting facility and outdoor toy storage (should that be triples?) and  my dining room table now houses thick sheafs of paper and an adding machine.  Yes, some things have changed.  

I’m hoping that having a little more routine will allow me to slip in to blog with more regularity.  I need this outlet and I feel connected to you.  I miss you when I don’t come visit.  So there’s the update on us...

Do you have any name suggestions for a shop selling wood products (shelves, boxes, tables, crates, planting boxes, etc.) made from reclaimed wood as well as the occasional vintage piece that’s been refinished?  If you do, pleeeeaase share!  We can’t seem to agree on anything other than that we don’t really care for one another’s ideas:)

   

Hello, I love you

It's been crazy busy here with our new project, my new sort of part time job, out of town visitors, and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I'm hoping the next few days will bring me a little time to actually sit down and blog a bit but until then...

Here's my little monkey. He's a whopping 21 months now; I can't believe it. So kick back for all of 10 seconds and enjoy cute little loving words!

Happy Thanksgiving:)

Let's Play Dress Up

My kids enjoyed Halloween.  What's not to like, right?  There's dress up which even some adults participate in(!) and there's candy.  Two things that most kids love.  Jordan was already excited because she had a parade and Halloween party at school.  They've been learning about community helpers recently so they were asked to dress up as a doctor or teacher or whatever.  We pulled her Puppy Doctor outfit out of the Dress Up bin, and I let her pick a wig to wear from our Halloween collection.  I got Connor to wear the headband for a little while, at least long enough to get some pictures.  That's easier said than done these days because he is constantly on the move.

I didn't expect Connor to really do much, but he loved walking up to the houses.  Or, in a couple of cases, trying to walk into to houses.  I swear that my children are the friendliest kids out there.  Every time Jordan waves at someone she tells me she has a new friend.  It makes me happy to see that because I was so shy growing up, and I don't want my babies to have those fears.  I guess it's typical for a parent to want their child to avoid the pitfalls and heartaches they experienced.

Getting ready to take Jordan to school...Happy Halloween!

Here's my curly headed Vet at the Halloween parade.

My little Monkey and my Rapunzel (all dressed in layers because it was in the 40's-a little chilly for a nearly sleeveless dress!)  This is the same monkey costume Jordan wore last year...

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair."  I just happened to have a long blond wig in my bag o Halloween stuff.  Thank goodness because the prices for a 'Rapunzel' one were ridiculous.  

All dressed and ready to go!  He didn't stay in the wagon the long...

He's thinking, "Who's that, Mama?  She doesn't look like my sister!"

And he was right-she didn't look like my baby girl, either!  But I guess that's part of the fun of dressing up.

As soon as we got back from trick or treating Connor made a bee line for his toys...

...while Jordan went to the porch to give out candy.  I think she enjoyed that more than trick or treating:)

I hope everyone else had a happy holiday.  It's back to the semi normal for us now, at least until Thanksgiving.  I can't believe that's only a few weeks away!  Can someone please explain to me how time speeds up as my age increases?  I swear each year goes by faster than the one before!

Growth Spurts

Most of you know that growth of any kind is rarely fun or pleasant.  I now have a renewed sense of appreciation for that.  I am smack dab in the middle of my own little period of growth, and I'll admit that I'm not having a hell of a lot of fun.  I'm thinking it'd be easier just to stagnate.  Oh well, I'm the one who's been espousing the need for self improvement on several levels so I guess I'm just receiving what I've asked for...

All of this has meant I've been a bit absent, not just from posting but also from reading y'all's blogs.  I must say I've missed your posts (mine not so much)!

In the interim I've also been a bit busy with some different projects around the house as well as helping my sister and her family move about 30 minutes away and then helping my best friend move across town.  I'm grateful I'm not the one in the midst of that upheaval!  I also have the desire to start purging my own belongings...

I hope everyone is having a happy weekend and getting ready for the fun of Halloween!  I'll have lots of pictures of my little munchkins dressed up to share with you soon:)  In the meantime, I'll show the photos that were put on FB after our family photo shoot a couple of weeks ago.  These are just the tip of the iceberg-the photographer is fabulous and of course I think my kiddos are gorgeous always!

Funkless

Star was right in her comment on my last post: I was in a funk.  It was one of those weeks where we were all sick, it was cold and rainy several days running, people I care about were inexplicably ill or dying, and I just wanted to hunker down and wait for the sunshine.  Well, the sun is back and though still snotty, we are all feeling better.

I have discovered that in the midst of our routine it is helpful to have projects and adventures to look forward to...that helped get me back on track as well.  I had a meeting with a photographer this week to discuss our upcoming family photo shoot.  She is the one who took pictures of us last year and possesses such a lively and effervescent personality that her upbeat energy is contagious.  I don't know that I wrote about it, but I took a photography workshop with her in August and have made some definite improvement in my own photos.  I'm not looking to start a business but do want to take better shots of the kids and of the band and her tips and such were extremely helpful.  So after she and I talked about the shoot for next week I got some advice on where to take some promotional shots of the band.

The next day was Jordan's very first field trip.  She was so hyped about this, as was Connor because there was lots of excited jumping around which wound him up.  Jordan attends a church preschool which doesn't have busses so field trips involve parents and younger siblings since we have to drive our kids to the trip.  This one was to a local park to do a leaf/tree branch/nut scavenger hunt.  It was a gorgeous fall day and I really enjoyed helping find all the different sizes, colors and types of leaves and trying to point out root systems and little pinecones and such to Jordan and Connor.  I think sometimes it just helps to get outside and wallow in the joy of nature.  I'm sure DJan would agree.

Nature is fun

Connor enjoyed the limb hunt as well.

Along with the field trip something wonderful happened:   Chase had jury duty and got out early-like 10:30 early.  He showed up at the park and got to be a part of Jordan's field trip.  I love it when he gets to enjoy these moments with us, the ones that usually occur while he's at work.  He ended up staying home for the rest of the day since he'd already taken the day off work.  This gave me the most exciting opportunity to go downtown to scout out places to take photos of the band.  Here I was, newly re-inspired, photographically speaking, and given the means to pursue it.  It was a case of life providing me with exactly what I needed.

Here's where I plan to start!










While on my explorative jaunt I wandered into a wonderland of possibilities, a shop that does estate sales.  I have known they were there but rarely head downtown to shop because it's so difficult with the kids in tow.  It's not like taking them to Target or the grocery store where there are carts and wide aisles; the shops downtown are not made for strollers and have treasures crammed into all available spaces, not an ideal spot for children.  So, I shopped with joy and appreciation for the unusual opportunity.  I also shopped with great success.  I ended up hauling home a children's rocker that's in great condition and some old picture frames.  I have great plans for both.  I also found some old school chairs that looked to be still sturdy and usable though seriously in need of some cleaning.  They didn't have prices on them though and were on the second floor so I left them there.  My arms were already loaded down with my camera and shopping bags and my car was more than a block away so I figured I would leave them there until the weekend.  Fortunately for me I didn't have to wait that long.

Chase called me the next day to say that he wanted to check out this store now that I'd come home raving about it and was going to swing by after seeing a customer near there.  I jumped on the chance to go back with an extra pair of hands so I loaded up the kids and zipped down there to meet him.  I was able to show him the chairs and get his opinion (not to mention his help carrying them down).  It's a good thing he was there because he was cool as a cucumber when asking about the price whereas I'd have been a complete pushover.  We got the chairs for an amazing $5 each!  I was silent but jumping up and down on the inside.  I had big plans for these chairs.  I dragged the kids to Home Depot later to pick up some paint and sandpaper because I was ready to start the work on turning my vision into reality.  I won't go into boring detail now because I have taken pictures instead:)

The rocker

My $5 chairs before I did anything to them

After sanding.  Very sturdy, well built and just begging for some TLC.  Can I just say that I've never done anything with furniture aside from dusting?

While Jordan was at school yesterday Connor decided to help me.

Post sanding

Just the perfect size for a little boy

"Mama, why doesn't this boot fit over my tennis shoes?"

It's all about perspective

Ready to paint

Here's the nearly finished product.  I say nearly because I want to do a coat of polyurethane to help make it easier to clean-it is going to be used by extremely messy children!

TaDa!  One down, one to go.

The weather this week has been beautiful, cool in the morning and evening and reaching the mid 70's during the day while the sun has shone continuously as if to highlight the changing colors of fall.  This caused me to suggest we take a little trip this weekend to enjoy the fall foliage.  It's rare to have a weekend where Chase isn't playing music, the weather is amazing, and we have no plans or obligations so I asked if we could take the kids to the Parkway (Blue Ridge) and take a picnic lunch, some sturdy shoes, and my camera.  We aren't really going to hike, but I want the kids to be able to wander through nature while I get to take photos and we all make some memories.  I know the fall leaves are not going to be at their peak but doubt we'll have another weekend that's as perfect as this for the outing.  My dad gave Jordan her own pair of big people binoculars for her birthday so we're taking those as well.  I have to thank DJan for this idea because her own weekly (or more) posts on her hikes with amazing pictures was the initial inspiration for this plan.  Hopefully I'll get some fun photos and I know the kids will enjoy running around in nature.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Okay, since that last sentence we've had both kids fall off the sofa.  Connor is currently holding an ice pack to his cheek and Jordan is resting so that her head doesn't start bleeding again.  We'll worry about washing the blood out of her hair in a little while.  So while the accident prone take a little break I'm off to gather goodies for our excursion!  Wish us luck.