Guess what I did?
I helped Holly start a blog.
Yay!
Welcome to the dark side of non-facebookers my friend. It's okay, we have cookies here.
Check her out!
www.curto-culture.blogspot.com
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Milestones
Today was a day of milestones at our house.
First Avril is no longer in a crib. She has officially graduated to a big-girl bed.
And she loves it.
So do I.
It is so nice to be able to sit beside her and pray or sing or read. Her bed is now the easiest one to make in the entire house. She can climb into it by herself so that means I no longer have to lift her in and out. And it is stinking cute to see such a little P-body in such a big bed.
Secondly, my oldest son is practically toothless as of this evening.
Daddy helped pull the first tooth. adam was a bit distraught over the whole thing but he quickly recovered.
they wiggled...
and tugged...
and wiggled some more.
Then there was a swift jerk...
and now my boy looks like this:
First Avril is no longer in a crib. She has officially graduated to a big-girl bed.
And she loves it.
So do I.
It is so nice to be able to sit beside her and pray or sing or read. Her bed is now the easiest one to make in the entire house. She can climb into it by herself so that means I no longer have to lift her in and out. And it is stinking cute to see such a little P-body in such a big bed.
Secondly, my oldest son is practically toothless as of this evening.
Daddy helped pull the first tooth. adam was a bit distraught over the whole thing but he quickly recovered.
Then he asked daddy to get the second tooth.
So...
and now my boy looks like this:
Friday, March 16, 2012
Home Again, Home Again Jiggity-jog
Yay! We arrived home Tuesday evening and let me just say, "It is good to be home."
Much fun was had and our three-day journey north was sad as each mile took us farther & farther away from loved ones that we see far too seldom. But... each mile also brought us closer & closer back to the people we love on regularly. And closer to this beloved place we call "HOME". So with every passing mile is a bittersweet realization that it will be another year before we do it again. Bitter because it seems so far away and sweet because we get to recouperate in the best place on Earth. (Well, to us anyway)
I hardly took a photo on our trip. There are a few but I will share them later.
We are still dealing with the aftermath of vacation. The loads & loads of laundry that are actually already washed but still need to be folded, ironed, & put away. A messy 5th-wheel that is mostly unloaded but still dirty. Kids coming off of nearly 3 weeks of too little sleep, too much activity, & a constant sugar buzz. The rain. Oh how we miss the 70-degrees & sunshine! And the push to get back into a somewhat constructive & sanity saving routine.
There are a few things that become crystal-clear to me when we go on vacation. They have varied throughout the years but this year they are:
1) My children absolutely, without a doubt in my mind, cannot consume large quantities of dairy. In any form. Days of whining and screaming and overall grouchiness will result.
2) Our 5th-wheel is handy, but small.
3) Matt & Tennille are some of our favorite people to be around.
4) Long periods of time in a vehicle with three kids & a baby in the belly is harrowing no matter how prepared you are.
5) Pull-ups on a nearly three year old are a free pass to pee in her pants.
6) It is always, always wonderful to come home. Even when you didn't want to.
And I am excited to be home and get some projects done. Jay says we can probably get a mattress for avril this weekend so that means I get to start on her room. I have been planning & decision-making these last couple of days and I am very excited to get started.
There are lots of baby related projects I'm getting ready to do too.
But for now I've got to get this house cleaned up. Jay's mom will be here tonight.
Much fun was had and our three-day journey north was sad as each mile took us farther & farther away from loved ones that we see far too seldom. But... each mile also brought us closer & closer back to the people we love on regularly. And closer to this beloved place we call "HOME". So with every passing mile is a bittersweet realization that it will be another year before we do it again. Bitter because it seems so far away and sweet because we get to recouperate in the best place on Earth. (Well, to us anyway)
I hardly took a photo on our trip. There are a few but I will share them later.
We are still dealing with the aftermath of vacation. The loads & loads of laundry that are actually already washed but still need to be folded, ironed, & put away. A messy 5th-wheel that is mostly unloaded but still dirty. Kids coming off of nearly 3 weeks of too little sleep, too much activity, & a constant sugar buzz. The rain. Oh how we miss the 70-degrees & sunshine! And the push to get back into a somewhat constructive & sanity saving routine.
There are a few things that become crystal-clear to me when we go on vacation. They have varied throughout the years but this year they are:
1) My children absolutely, without a doubt in my mind, cannot consume large quantities of dairy. In any form. Days of whining and screaming and overall grouchiness will result.
2) Our 5th-wheel is handy, but small.
3) Matt & Tennille are some of our favorite people to be around.
4) Long periods of time in a vehicle with three kids & a baby in the belly is harrowing no matter how prepared you are.
5) Pull-ups on a nearly three year old are a free pass to pee in her pants.
6) It is always, always wonderful to come home. Even when you didn't want to.
And I am excited to be home and get some projects done. Jay says we can probably get a mattress for avril this weekend so that means I get to start on her room. I have been planning & decision-making these last couple of days and I am very excited to get started.
There are lots of baby related projects I'm getting ready to do too.
But for now I've got to get this house cleaned up. Jay's mom will be here tonight.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
10 - Less Than
1) We have less than four days until we head out for our annual Colorado/Arizona trip. The kids have been counting down for the last week. It has been a year since we've seen Jay's brother & his family. Way too long. So much has changed in the last year.
2) Less than 80 days until my due date. Sometimes 80 seems like a big number. But when I think that I had 280 days to go when I started, it seems like a drop in the bucket.
3) Less than 10 weeks until we are finished with the school year. I feel a big sigh of relief coming on. Mainly because I do not plan on having a baby next spring so there won't be quite the push to get it done early.
4) I have been less than consistent with my eating habits this week and it is taking it's toll. I don't eat anyting for hours and then I binge on whatever's handy for 20 minutes and then start over. Well, my stomach has released an angry beast in the last few weeks and if I find out what's causing it I am going to avoid it like the plague. The downside is: I am pretty sure it's sugar. I also have not been walking regularly which is something I am going to remedy on my vacation. Lucky for me, my sister-in-law loves walking too.
5) Less than two weeks I have been doing the new Bible study and I have to say it is already drastically changing my thinking. God knew exactly what I needed. I think it has been a long time coming.
6) My last appointment revealed that my platelets are less than they've ever been. 101,000. Normal is 150,000-450,000. The specialist said that they won't do anything unless they drop a bit below 100,000. The biggest reason this is a concern is if I wish to have an epidural during delivery. I do. But the anisthesiologists don't like giving you one if your platelet count is below 100. You know, something about blood not clotting properly and bleeding on the spine and so forth. And obviously, if they drop too low my blood won't clot properly which can cause complications in other areas of the delivery as well.
7) My hair is about 3-4 inches less than it was this morning. I got it cut and highlighted today and it feels nice. I love the feeling of freshly cut hair. It feels clean and more bouncy.
8) With this pregnancy I am grumpy less than I was with the other three. It may be hormones, it may be that so far I haven't gained as much weight, it may be that I feel better, it may be that I am not to the really incomfortable stage yet, or it may be a combination of all of these things. I believe it's that I am doing regular Bible study and prayer time in the mornings. God is so refreshing when we let Him be.
9) Although I feel better this time around, this pregnancy is less than perfect. And I am starting to feel it. The fatigue is setting in again. And I have days that I am quite edgy. Of course, going to bed after midnight and getting up at six o'clock can't be helping.
10) And since our vacation is less than 4 days away that means I have less than 4 days to complete the following:
1. wash & iron all laundry
2. pack clothes for trip
3. pack toiletries for trip
4. finish cooking & baking for trip
5. pack food for trip
6. clean floor of 5th wheel
7. clean entire house
-not just normal cleaning, people are staying here while we're gone.
8. one more quick grocery trip
I think that generally covers everything. Of course each step has many more details and will probably take every waking second that I have left, so I had better get on it!
2) Less than 80 days until my due date. Sometimes 80 seems like a big number. But when I think that I had 280 days to go when I started, it seems like a drop in the bucket.
3) Less than 10 weeks until we are finished with the school year. I feel a big sigh of relief coming on. Mainly because I do not plan on having a baby next spring so there won't be quite the push to get it done early.
4) I have been less than consistent with my eating habits this week and it is taking it's toll. I don't eat anyting for hours and then I binge on whatever's handy for 20 minutes and then start over. Well, my stomach has released an angry beast in the last few weeks and if I find out what's causing it I am going to avoid it like the plague. The downside is: I am pretty sure it's sugar. I also have not been walking regularly which is something I am going to remedy on my vacation. Lucky for me, my sister-in-law loves walking too.
5) Less than two weeks I have been doing the new Bible study and I have to say it is already drastically changing my thinking. God knew exactly what I needed. I think it has been a long time coming.
6) My last appointment revealed that my platelets are less than they've ever been. 101,000. Normal is 150,000-450,000. The specialist said that they won't do anything unless they drop a bit below 100,000. The biggest reason this is a concern is if I wish to have an epidural during delivery. I do. But the anisthesiologists don't like giving you one if your platelet count is below 100. You know, something about blood not clotting properly and bleeding on the spine and so forth. And obviously, if they drop too low my blood won't clot properly which can cause complications in other areas of the delivery as well.
7) My hair is about 3-4 inches less than it was this morning. I got it cut and highlighted today and it feels nice. I love the feeling of freshly cut hair. It feels clean and more bouncy.
8) With this pregnancy I am grumpy less than I was with the other three. It may be hormones, it may be that so far I haven't gained as much weight, it may be that I feel better, it may be that I am not to the really incomfortable stage yet, or it may be a combination of all of these things. I believe it's that I am doing regular Bible study and prayer time in the mornings. God is so refreshing when we let Him be.
9) Although I feel better this time around, this pregnancy is less than perfect. And I am starting to feel it. The fatigue is setting in again. And I have days that I am quite edgy. Of course, going to bed after midnight and getting up at six o'clock can't be helping.
10) And since our vacation is less than 4 days away that means I have less than 4 days to complete the following:
1. wash & iron all laundry
2. pack clothes for trip
3. pack toiletries for trip
4. finish cooking & baking for trip
5. pack food for trip
6. clean floor of 5th wheel
7. clean entire house
-not just normal cleaning, people are staying here while we're gone.
8. one more quick grocery trip
I think that generally covers everything. Of course each step has many more details and will probably take every waking second that I have left, so I had better get on it!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tidbits
It seems as though I don't post much over here anymore other than random tidbits. I suppose that's okay. I am trying to get into the swing of taking more pictures of the kiddos again but life seems to get in the way sometimes. You know, you get too busy experiencing it and living it to take pictures of it. I know that someday I will cherish every picture, video, blog post, or memory I get. So I am trying to get as many as I can!
Homeschooling is still a monumental challenge for me. I often wonder if I will ever enjoy it. I long for the days that the kids were little and our days were spent playing & cleaning house. Now most of our day is spent pouring over lessons and battling it out on just "how" or "what" it is that has to be done. Sometimes it seems like an awful lot for a first grader. Adam is constantly whining & trying to get out of what he is supposed to do. He doesn't want to do it. And he will sometimes take 2 hours to complete 2 pages of school work. Sort of like me with housework. There are days when I feel as though homeschooling has ruined my life. All I do is jump all over Adam like white on rice for half the day making sure he's actually doing what he is supposed to. Or disciplining him for NOT doing what he is told. And then I harp on the other two for fighting the entire time because I am so distracted by the schoolwork. It is hard not to fall into the pit of self pity and griping. I just wish I could find some way to enjoy my days with them more. Because someday, these days will be gone.
Potty training is going so-so. I totally agree with the people who say that it is actually training the parent and not the child. On the days that I refuse to be lazy and put her in a pull-up, she does surprisingly well. I am remembering now that I cannot ask if she needs to go potty(this is the third time she's wet herself today because of that)but I simply need to take her. I think a good week without any pull-ups and we would be able to trust her out and about fairly well. We are still working on the poo thing. She has an aversion to going on the potty for some reason and we have a hrd tim's e catching her.(Hence all the poopy underwear I swore I'd never wash before kids.)
The women's Bible study we have started is nothing short of amazing. It has gotten me into the Word on a regular basis and although I feel a little downtrodden, I think God may be using it to bring me up out of the despair I have been feeling over homeschooling, weight gain, parenting, marriage, and life in general. Because I have fallen into a pit. A pit of total frustration. I am sure it is a stronghold. My pit. I have allowed myself to complain and be unhappy with the trials in life to the point of it becoming who I am. A chronic griper. It is not right. Not who I am fearfully and wonderfully made to be. And it has been years in the making. I am tired. But not without hope!
One week until our two-week vacation! And I have quite the to-do list. I always have this obsession with getting my house perfectly clean before I start packing for a trip. It is so much easier to find things and all of the laundry is washed and ironed. It makes packing a fun experience. Plus it is so nice to come home to a wonderfully clean home after a vacation. It is nice to have the illusion of thinking all you have to do is laundry. It's not usually the reality but it's still nice to walk into a clean, nice smelling home that you missed and heave a big sigh of relief. Then you bring in all your stuff. And your road-weary kids. Bye-bye relief. Bye-bye illusion.
That being said, I had better get on it! This weekend will most likely be spent preparing the trailer. Then onto the house and hopefully mid-week I can start loading. I love trips. And planning is half the fun!
Homeschooling is still a monumental challenge for me. I often wonder if I will ever enjoy it. I long for the days that the kids were little and our days were spent playing & cleaning house. Now most of our day is spent pouring over lessons and battling it out on just "how" or "what" it is that has to be done. Sometimes it seems like an awful lot for a first grader. Adam is constantly whining & trying to get out of what he is supposed to do. He doesn't want to do it. And he will sometimes take 2 hours to complete 2 pages of school work. Sort of like me with housework. There are days when I feel as though homeschooling has ruined my life. All I do is jump all over Adam like white on rice for half the day making sure he's actually doing what he is supposed to. Or disciplining him for NOT doing what he is told. And then I harp on the other two for fighting the entire time because I am so distracted by the schoolwork. It is hard not to fall into the pit of self pity and griping. I just wish I could find some way to enjoy my days with them more. Because someday, these days will be gone.
Potty training is going so-so. I totally agree with the people who say that it is actually training the parent and not the child. On the days that I refuse to be lazy and put her in a pull-up, she does surprisingly well. I am remembering now that I cannot ask if she needs to go potty(this is the third time she's wet herself today because of that)but I simply need to take her. I think a good week without any pull-ups and we would be able to trust her out and about fairly well. We are still working on the poo thing. She has an aversion to going on the potty for some reason and we have a hrd tim's e catching her.(Hence all the poopy underwear I swore I'd never wash before kids.)
The women's Bible study we have started is nothing short of amazing. It has gotten me into the Word on a regular basis and although I feel a little downtrodden, I think God may be using it to bring me up out of the despair I have been feeling over homeschooling, weight gain, parenting, marriage, and life in general. Because I have fallen into a pit. A pit of total frustration. I am sure it is a stronghold. My pit. I have allowed myself to complain and be unhappy with the trials in life to the point of it becoming who I am. A chronic griper. It is not right. Not who I am fearfully and wonderfully made to be. And it has been years in the making. I am tired. But not without hope!
One week until our two-week vacation! And I have quite the to-do list. I always have this obsession with getting my house perfectly clean before I start packing for a trip. It is so much easier to find things and all of the laundry is washed and ironed. It makes packing a fun experience. Plus it is so nice to come home to a wonderfully clean home after a vacation. It is nice to have the illusion of thinking all you have to do is laundry. It's not usually the reality but it's still nice to walk into a clean, nice smelling home that you missed and heave a big sigh of relief. Then you bring in all your stuff. And your road-weary kids. Bye-bye relief. Bye-bye illusion.
That being said, I had better get on it! This weekend will most likely be spent preparing the trailer. Then onto the house and hopefully mid-week I can start loading. I love trips. And planning is half the fun!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Entry
I posted ideas I had for Avril's room a few weeks back and although I would love to start there, I am finding that it is quite the project & a little more spendy than I thought. Due to the fact that I can't really start until we purchase a mattress for her I felt inspired to look at other places in our home. Next to the bedrooms, the room I want most to whip into shape is our living room. Speaking of spendy...
Obviously, with our vacation coming up shortly, we don't have the funds to really delve into home decorating and organization. And to complete the living room is way out of budget. So I thought I could start with a small portion of the living room. The front entry.
Our front entry is basically a door & a slab of tile. It is not the entry we generally use as a family but it is the entry we prefer guests to use. There is no place for guests coats and very little area for their shoes, bags, etc. I am looking for those things and a little decoration.
My style has changed a lot since Jay and I were first married. I used to want a theme in every room. I liked a lot of different colors and I liked a LOT of stuff. Now I tend to like things a little more simple. I really enjoy the feel of a house that coordinates throughout. White, linen, burlap, & wire or metal are among my favorite colors & materials. Vintage and antique really appeal to me. As far as a specific style, the things I tend to be drawn to are of either the farmhouse or cottage style. I am to a point in life where I want my decor to have a function. If it is simply decorative and serves no other purpose I prefer to either make it myself or do without it. I have wasted a lot of money in the past buying things that I later lost my appreciation for or no longer had a place for because they didn't have a function. They were just clutter to look at and dust.
Anyway, I have been looking for entry way ideas and I think I know what I want.
This is our front entry now.
This is one of my favorite options. It has the white, the woven baskets, hooks, a bench, and still leaves room for the wall bins that I like. The biggest issue is finding a system like this that is narrow enough for our small space.
Obviously, with our vacation coming up shortly, we don't have the funds to really delve into home decorating and organization. And to complete the living room is way out of budget. So I thought I could start with a small portion of the living room. The front entry.
Our front entry is basically a door & a slab of tile. It is not the entry we generally use as a family but it is the entry we prefer guests to use. There is no place for guests coats and very little area for their shoes, bags, etc. I am looking for those things and a little decoration.
My style has changed a lot since Jay and I were first married. I used to want a theme in every room. I liked a lot of different colors and I liked a LOT of stuff. Now I tend to like things a little more simple. I really enjoy the feel of a house that coordinates throughout. White, linen, burlap, & wire or metal are among my favorite colors & materials. Vintage and antique really appeal to me. As far as a specific style, the things I tend to be drawn to are of either the farmhouse or cottage style. I am to a point in life where I want my decor to have a function. If it is simply decorative and serves no other purpose I prefer to either make it myself or do without it. I have wasted a lot of money in the past buying things that I later lost my appreciation for or no longer had a place for because they didn't have a function. They were just clutter to look at and dust.
Anyway, I have been looking for entry way ideas and I think I know what I want.
This is our front entry now.
I moved the couch to get a better view. The painting is one my grandpa painted for me. I like the painting but the frame is not my favorite. The coat tree was a good idea. Jay bought it for me a couple of Christmases ago but it was cheaper than he thought and many of the pegs have broken off and it is not very stable. It tends to tip if a coat is hanging on one side without another to balance it out.
This is what I am thinking:
I like the bins on the wall. Only I would choose metal/mesh ones for our entry. The bench is really nice and I would love the organization that the baskets underneath bring. However, this would be better for us as a family entry versus a guest entry. There aren't any coat hooks and company doesn't really need to organize their belongings into individual baskets. So the bins are really what appeal to me in this example. They would be great for organizing mail. A much better option than the kitchen counter where mail winds up now.
This is one of my favorite options. It has the white, the woven baskets, hooks, a bench, and still leaves room for the wall bins that I like. The biggest issue is finding a system like this that is narrow enough for our small space.
This is the last example that I have today. I like this because like the one before it, it has the colors and textures that I love and it also has space for mail and charging cell phones & such. There are no coat hooks but they could be added onto the side. I like the idea of this but I think it may also be better for a family entrance.
In the end I think I will go with a combination of the first two but will have to see what my budget and space allow. I will post pictures when I have it finished.
I would love any input or ideas that you might have. I have Pottery Barn taste but not the budget. And even if I had the budget, my hubby has worn off on me too much over the years for me to actually justify spending it!
Here are few pics of accessories I like for an entry as well.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Preterm Labor, Bloody Noses, Chickenpox, Absessed Teeth, & Antibiotics
Just a few of the things we're dealing with around here.
No, I am not going into labor but we are concerned Jay's sister might. She is 7 weeks out from her due date and worried she might have the baby too early. She tends to go 3 weeks early on average anyhow. And with all the added stress she's under these days she is not feeling so great.
Rowan keeps getting bloody noses. So fun. Today it was because his brother smashed his face into the slide. It is undetermined whether or not it was accidental.
There has been an outbreak of chickenpox. Jay and I have had them but the kids haven't. I wouldn't mind them getting it only... we leave in three weeks and that's about the time it would show up. So I am slightly concerned that they will get exposed.
Poor Adam has two absessed molars. They seemed to have been draining well but then the last three days he has seemed whiney & like he is not feeling good. I noticed his glands are swollen and then it dawned on me that the dentist said it might happen. So he had written him a perscription just in case.
Well, we are going to get it filled in the morning. I am nervous as all get out about giving it to him because we have never given our kids an antibiotic before. I am worried that he'll have an allergic reaction. Thankfully his teeth are getting pulled on Tuesday. Another thing I am nervous about.
All of that to say, if you all could pray for these things I would really appreciate it. We are feeling a little overwhelmed with things that keep coming up and we could really use some extra grace. Thank you in advance. I know that God has it all under control, I just need a little more faith and a little more grace to handle these situations.
No, I am not going into labor but we are concerned Jay's sister might. She is 7 weeks out from her due date and worried she might have the baby too early. She tends to go 3 weeks early on average anyhow. And with all the added stress she's under these days she is not feeling so great.
Rowan keeps getting bloody noses. So fun. Today it was because his brother smashed his face into the slide. It is undetermined whether or not it was accidental.
There has been an outbreak of chickenpox. Jay and I have had them but the kids haven't. I wouldn't mind them getting it only... we leave in three weeks and that's about the time it would show up. So I am slightly concerned that they will get exposed.
Poor Adam has two absessed molars. They seemed to have been draining well but then the last three days he has seemed whiney & like he is not feeling good. I noticed his glands are swollen and then it dawned on me that the dentist said it might happen. So he had written him a perscription just in case.
Well, we are going to get it filled in the morning. I am nervous as all get out about giving it to him because we have never given our kids an antibiotic before. I am worried that he'll have an allergic reaction. Thankfully his teeth are getting pulled on Tuesday. Another thing I am nervous about.
All of that to say, if you all could pray for these things I would really appreciate it. We are feeling a little overwhelmed with things that keep coming up and we could really use some extra grace. Thank you in advance. I know that God has it all under control, I just need a little more faith and a little more grace to handle these situations.
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