Monday Morning Numbers

3: Children running around like hooligans

4: The hour I was awoken this morning

57: Minutes I spent helping my father last night 

7: Number of minutes helping my father should have taken 

0: The number of inches of snow that fell at my house!!! Yay!!!

63: Today's glorious high

83: Messages in my inbox 

You take a break and jeeze! 

Hello wonderful Spring!!

Tick Tock

I'm slowly and sadly coming to the realization that these scenes are will soon be a memory. 

School is coming, to rob us of midday fun. Three of these ladies will vanish in the fall, sucked up by the Kindergarten vacuum. MY BABIES! I'm not sure I'm ready for this. 

What's more, I'm not sure HAM is ready. She will be the one left behind, she is the baby. Sure we can still do the same things, they just won't be the same. The walks will be different. The trips will be different. The house will be different. I don't know how to do just one kid!!

These next six months can take their time!

Perfection

The hubs is alone on the couch with a crossword. 

The ladies, rather enthusiastically, are pretending to be dogs and building tents. 

The dogs are pretending to be sloths. 

I'm playing family accountant at the dining room table.  

It's 7:39, dinner has been cleaned up, and Billy & Norah's Foreverly is quietly playing. 

Life couldn't be any more wonderful than it is at this moment. I couldn't be any more thankful for its perfection. 

Wordless Wednesday

Now taking wagers for how long this will last... Anyone??

Learning To Love

Learning to love this old house! 

When we bought this house 8 years ago I was desperate to change everything, every single thing. Only I was working full time plus, and going to school full time, and spent any sliver of free time sleeping. I spent a good chunk of my childhood in this house and I wanted to make it my own. I was young, ambitious, and clueless.

We've managed to do bits and pieces, we've painted and changed the flooring. The basement has had more than its fair share of work. But I can't say that I love the house. It's not warm, inviting, or a reflection of anyone living here. [Side note: that smell is very much a reflection of two inhabitants and the copious amount of artwork hung two feet from the floor belongs to of the other inhabitants.] Overall, it's just a house with an eclectic (I'm being generous) blend of furnishings. 

I browse P.interest and read design blogs. I drool over designer made houses and simple how-tos but have never ventured to try. It's not for lack of desire, but rather direction and possible financing [read: children], that has left he house in his state for the last few years. Where to start? What to do? Will it match? Will he like it? Is it kid/animal/husband friendly? I gave up. 

Until this year. 

I'm over it. I'm making and embracing changes. Baby steps. I've blended Nester's and Nike's philosophies -- It doesn't have to be perfect, just do it!

Small changes are happening, and I'm always thinking for the next. I've found that limiting myself makes me most successful. I keep it simple :

- Must be completed in one day (Wednesday)

- Must be a one person job

- Must be reasonably priced

I've also stopped using my husband as an excuse. Hear me out! I would ask him, and still do, for his opinion. I have asked him time and time again about everything in this house. He's done with me obsessing. So I've let that go. 

 It doesn't have to be perfect, just do it!

Bookcase gone! 

New dining room chairs bought!

New art display -- my pride and joy!

Ridiculously proud of myself over this. I love it. LOVE IT! It was so simple, and in true fashion I did no prior planning. I just did it!

Crappy phone picture but you get the idea. 

Go to store, buy frames. SIMPLE! I had no idea what pictures I was using so I just grabbed a few of each size. I'm not in love with the layout, and I still have 3 spare frames. Bless you 3M for you picture frame Velcro mounts!!! It will be so easy to change my mind! The hardest part was deciding on pictures. These are MY pictures. I even printed them at home Marcia! All those pictures that are tucked away on a hard drive are seeing the light of day. I can change them out as we grow. How fantastic!

I might have kept the dining room light on last night just to glance over and see!

From plain brown wall to pretty gallery. One day, one person, on the cheap! 

If I can decide on a new wall color, I can't wait to hang a gallery going up the stairs. Soon this poor house will be on picture overload. 

So what have you done around the house lately??

Also, what are your thoughts on this beauty?

St. Patrick Can Keep His Snow

Soooo tired of snow. It's not horrible, it's not that I don't like it. I'm on count down to SPRING and I would like the mounds of snow to disappeared so they're not crowding my pictures of colorful blooms and children frolicking in short sleeves! 

This doesn't scream Spring is in three days!!!! Ugh! The silver lining to this cloud is that I will hopefully get another year from our snowbibs and then we won't have another winter like this one until the ladies are 9-10! 

We were able to finish up our St. Patrick discussions in preschool. Today I learned that good ole' Paddy was born as Maewyn! Who knew!!

I was actually pretty surprised at what they already knew. I'm not sure how Miss Em knew the myth about the snakes. After reviewing some maps and browsing  "pictures of Ireland" complements Of Siri, the ladies all decided we should visit. While I couldn't agree more, I delivered some serious disappointment when I explained that little ocean isn't so little. A car drive wasn't going to cut it, Toby the van isn't made for crossing the Atlantic. Sorry. 

They then decided we needed to visit a castle. As in stay in a castle instead of a hotel when we visit, and perhaps we'll just stay and buy it from the people who live there. While I'm flattered they think we are so endowed, I again was force I crush their dreams. Welcome to reality chickadees! 

After that is was snow play and a green lunch. Crazy St. Patrick's Day but I managed to make the best. 

How was your St. Patrick's Day??

Throw Me A Bone

While we were tramping through the mud bog that is the secret forest today, lifting logs for salamanders and searching out nuts and crocus, my mind was clouded. The good Captain may have a Black Tie Event coming up. The Captain may have invited me along. I am sooooooo not a black tie kinda girl. 

I am stuck. This is hard! 

In mentioning this to my dear friend she suggested it would be a cinch. I'm small and prom season is coming up! 

JC Pe.nney just called me an old prude. This is what is marketed to teenagers?? Really? These things are essential for prom? Of the 272 items, there were maybe 150 dresses, maybe 4 of which I found acceptable for both myself and Jane. P. Teenager. Seriously? What teenager needs span.x? Kudos to them if they want to floss their cheeks, but I just see this as terrible marketing. I'll spare you my thoughts to everything else it's encouraging. There are many ways to be a girl, but this is just trashy. 

Aside from being appalled by the choices, and checking several stores, I'm at a loss. [Side note: WHBM sells colors now?!] I don't know how black tie this event is. When you're 5'2" and have spent your life running barefoot, long gowns and high heels are a death sentence. Do cocktail dresses not exist anymore! I'll admit that I'm not completely comfortable in my own skin and my self image is lacking. However, I would like to look presentable and maybe, just maybe, pass myself off as someone other than the Captain's daughter. Ahh, the joys of marrying an older man. 

I'm not dwelling on the negatives, although I can feel the stress piling up. I want to be supportive and involved, and to be that, I need to get myself together and not let these things distract me. I just need to figure out where to start...

Who's been out recently? I need style recommendations! 

Is there any way to wear flip flops? Can I skip all the jewelry?

Recipes for growing potions? 

What's Spring?

Seriously, we live in the tundra! 

I've neglected my birthday festivities, but soon I promise. 

We were fortunate enough to catch a few days of warm weather. Warm is now defined as above freezing and winds not strong enough to blow a child away. Sun is irrelevant. 

With the chance to escape the house, off we went! 

We found these which were a big hit with the ladies. I remember loving them as well. 

Everyone was so silly and happy just to be outside. 

We even ventured out to a new park. Being a totally awesome mom, I joined in games of tag and even handed over my camera. 

Some of the shots were keepers:

Some made me regret the decision:

Either way we all had fun and cannot wait for the return of outdoor weather. 

Bubbles just aren't the same when they freeze instead of float!!

Saturday Blurp

*Opens door to bathroom*

C: Oh hi Mommy! Sorry I didn't flush. Let me...

Me: No, it's ok. (Already seated)

C: So yesterday was Friday and today is Saturday. But I have to go feed my baby and you need some privacy. Bye. 

*Closes door*

Sometimes these random interactions leave me shaking my head. 

Happy Saturaday!

Salt Life

No, not that salt life. The winter kind. The kind that you find everywhere, for weeks. The kind that makes me loathe snow and ice. 

Everyone seems to touch the van. They rub against the van. They rub me against the van. It's disgusting! 

Then there is inside. 

They track it everywhere! The carpets, the seats, IN MY HOUSE! I've developed a new twitch. 

But wait! It's MARCH! Where is my sunshine? My sprouting flowers? The singing birds??

Soooooo over winter. Spring, come to me!!

March Goals

I made 6 of 10 goals for February. Maybe I'll actually get around to the important ones before spring!

Family

• Haircuts! For everyone. Our house & in-laws house. I think someone should send me to beauty school so I might learn how to do this properly. 
• Book vacations! 
• Take inventory of summer wardrobes.

Home

• Living room walls. Patch them. Now!
• Decide on dining room chairs.

Personal

• Order Feb PL pictures.
• Set up new-to-me photo printer.
• Plan out two more units for preschool.

Snow Walk

All winter I've wanted to go shoot in the snow. All winter people! 

Usually it's been bitterly cold, or horrifically cold, or holy-bejeezus-it-doesn't-get-this-cold-here cold AND I've had little people in tow. However yesterday I made it happen. I just went. 

It was cold. Very cold. A balmy 18 degrees with no wind, what a difference the wind makes. 

Thankfully we only received a smidgen of what they were calling for, although I am disappointed. I bought full size carrots and rescued the previous snowman's arms from the lawn. I WAS PREPARED!

Apparently the angle of the sun... yadda, yadda... no snow. 

I was totally unprepared to catch the flock. Their noise with the stillness of the snow really spooked Mr. Kenton. 

I think this is my favorite. 

I think I should write the archdiocese and tell them their abandon buildings are ruining my neighborhood. 

I have recently fallen in love with magnolias. 

I'm also dying to know what this plant is, and what it looks like in bloom! I feel like Louisa will know. HA!

Favorites? 

Snow Day Shout Outs

Yes, another snow day.

I'd like to send a shout out to...

• the weather men for stirring everyone into a frenzy. Snowmageddom..... err, it shifted and we're getting 8 inches, maybe.
• the dogs for their warmth and comfort.
• the boiler for still working!!
• the school system to gracing us with the hubs, again.
• Blogger for eating my last 2 posts. 
• the IRS for their timely response. 
• Lastly, the ladies for their new found joke telling abilities. 

I think I'll draw the blinds and go back to bed for the day. I can't sit and watch it snow it's a$$ off all day. Every time the ladies pass a window they're asking to go out and play.

No one wants to play when it's this cold, the temperature has dropped 4 degrees in the last hour!