We've been stuck indoors for sometime...today it is finally warm and the kiddos are out (yes, in bare feet) enjoying the sun. We've been keeping busy. Zac is in his second week of academy....his hours are somewhat grueling. He gets home around 6 pm...by the time he eats and showers it's 7...he does homework until 8 and then he is in bed by 9 pm - he gets up at 4 am. I miss him at night, it's hard for me to sleep because I don't get my "thinking" time until he is in bed....last night I went to bed at 10:20 and didn't fall asleep until 1:30 am. Brutal. Oh well...the extra "up" time gives me opportunity to make lists, start couponing and working with our new budget - and to play practical jokes on Zac.
Whilst he was sleeping last night I packed his lunch and then wrote him this little love note and covered it in contact paper.
Then a quick little roll and I just laughed to myself imagining him on his lunch break, taking a big bite of his wrap that his little sweet wife made him...and chomp ....let's pray he doesn't eat too quickly.
Other newness....I cut Finn's hair. I loved his little blond beach hair but it was always such a mess the way toddlers wipe their hands in their hair. And - he has become obsessed with technology - be still my heart - he was playing Angry Birds in this picture. Gag. I don't actually let him play with my phone but I thought it was so cute I let him get away with it a bit and photographed him so that in later years I can be like "see? Proof that I was easy going." Not.
And on to less important things - gluten free pancakes made with coconut oil and coconut milk with apple chunks, cinnamon and just a handful of dark chocolate chips...topped with REAL maple syrup. To die for. Try it sometime, you will be amazed in whole food deliciousness.
My budget friendly "makeover" on Finn's room is coming in place. We found this dresser at the thrift store for 20 bucks...ten dollar Ikea curtain set, 4 dollar rod - and I'm making him ABC pictures that I'm sticking up on the wall with clipboards. I'm just using white paper and making collages out of old magazines and then wrapping them in contact paper. A couple of potted plants in the window and I would say it's satisfactory - not my dream room by any means but , once again, we are renting so we aren't investing in the "look" of things at present. But oh my gosh I can't wait to start making our forever home. In time right? But I can't wait.
Trinity is starting to embroider and she is doing very well...at least
I'm impressed. I started her off pretty easy...just a hoop with felt heart cut outs and she stitches them along the border. It's a sweet project and it can't really be messed up. And isn't she darling?
And...last but not least - I've been organizing the place drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard. I feel like I do this every month and it's just as messy 3 weeks later. At least I love organizing and it makes me feel accomplished on long indoor days. The fridge was a major deal this time. It was "oh so gross." Brady helped me and as he was helping I realized how much occupational therapy is in just normal everyday chores. Stacking, wiping, organizing - just clearing out the fridge was a challenge for him but he did well and was very patient (so was I) and it eventually got done. He's earning his keep. :) The things I want for my kids...to be kind, to be hard workers. He is very challenged doing ordinary things like washing his hands, making his bed, putting clothes in a hamper...but he's getting there. I have for tasks for him to do on his whiteboard and when he get's three checks in a row (for instance, makes his bed three times ) he gets a quarter. It's seems to be working pretty well.
But now it's so lovely and organized and I just love the way food looks in a clean fridge. It reminds me of my obsession with doll furniture when I was little. I just loved miniature foods and books where mice were using matchboxes as beds and little thimbles for vases. I had the American Girl catalogue when I was living in the mountains and I remember just dreaming and dreaming of owning Molly...because she had glasses and came with a food set. I never got Molly - and I totally understand why now. I saw the catalogue now that I understand money and Holy Moses - you could by a car for as much as a doll set and clothes and furniture would cost. I guess I'll just stare at my real life fridge and my real life little girl ---- maybe she will have glasses someday. Sorry...total rabbit trail.
My only mishap in the fridge project was turning off the fridge to clean it and not turning it back on for 24 hours. Oops. Amazingly none of the food was spoiled.
And then to find new uses for old things...mason jars labeled with a permanent marker...an old container to keep my dish clothes...
..a cut up cereal box to keep gadgets and an egg carton for the little things that always get lost in a junk drawer. Our budget has increased but we are working to decrease our spending in order to pay off the rest of our moving debt and begin saving for the day one of our vehicles dies permanently or someone breaks their nose or such - you know, life. I'm ordering the Dave Ramsey book tonight and we're on a money overhaul. It's fun to save money by finding a new use for something - a recyclable cereal box as a "catch all" instead of going out and buying something that costs more...but does the same thing. It's pretty fulfilling to save, even when it's just two bucks at a time. And then it's doubly nice to be able to pay for something that you need or have been wanting and to use cash.
And for laughs....I found Brady's fox in his room positioned like this. I don't think there was ever a beheading but looked like a close call.
Trinity says to me the other day "Mom, when we are big and we need help will you be there helping us?" I said "like what exactly?" "Oh, you know" she says "like if we need to go to school and don't have a place to live and we're learning to get a job." I looked at her "sweetie, you will always have a place in our home and we will always help you as much as we can." Brady overhears our conversation and starts quickly saying "oh yah, oh good...that's just perfect. Yah...as long as we're not violent or anything....yah, we can stay with you. That's perfect mom." Ha ha - I guess maybe he was worried? Anyways, it's nice to know your child sees you as a place of refuge...
Happy Wednesday
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