Thursday, June 7, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
living room project
So, I know that we've been working on our addition for like 45 years and I should be focusing on that, but I have been saving up for new couches for what seems like even longer and I'm going to finally be getting them!!!
Here's what they look like.
But, I knew that they would look out of place in a living room with olive green walls and mismatched everything. So, what's a girl to do?
Repaint. And better yet, repaint a room that really doesn't need it. And worse yet, repaint a room when I have an office, a hallway, a powder room and a master bedroom to finish. Sigh. I'm going to just convince myself that the new couches deserve a new room to live in.
(Insert five second pause here.)
There that wasn't hard at all. Now to the fun of picking out paint colors and puttying holes in the walls.
Here's what they look like.
But, I knew that they would look out of place in a living room with olive green walls and mismatched everything. So, what's a girl to do?
Repaint. And better yet, repaint a room that really doesn't need it. And worse yet, repaint a room when I have an office, a hallway, a powder room and a master bedroom to finish. Sigh. I'm going to just convince myself that the new couches deserve a new room to live in.
(Insert five second pause here.)
There that wasn't hard at all. Now to the fun of picking out paint colors and puttying holes in the walls.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
the fun side of motherhood
My job as a mom has many responsibilities. Some of them I never knew existed until I had kids. Some of them (like changing bed sheets or watching Legos reproduce) are less than thrilling. Others are just plain fun to fulfill.
For instance, it’s a bit of a kick to finally be on the other end of “You’re wearing that?!?” since I have been (for years) a bit sheepish about what boys are willing to wear in public. Once teenager-dom shows its face, somehow clothing (and showers) become important. It’s a refreshing change. It’s also thoroughly entertaining to put together interesting clothing combinations, just to see if anyone notices and starts to sputter.
I am now able to check this off my Mom bucket list: Arrive at least a half hour late to pick up offspring from an extracurricular event. (I was actually 45 minutes late). But in my defense, I waited 30 whole minutes for the bus to arrive the day before. My only regret is that apparently middle school coaches are required to stick around with the kids until parents show up. And that I left my phone in the car so I missed the phone call alerting me that someone was waiting. (I brought the coach a gift card to the local coffee shop as an apology.) It was nice to have someone wait for ME for a change though.
I never realized how much fun it would be to purposely make meals that my boys don’t like. For the most part, they are great eaters, however I do have one child who doesn’t like tomatoes or onions and another who detests peppers. The other night we had fajitas for supper, which put two of them over the edge - onions and a plethora of multi-colored peppers brings out lots of gagging noises and a bit of whining. My response is to smack my lips and pile more onions into a certain child’s tortilla. And then wait to see if he will actually eat it in order to get a snack before bedtime. The suspense is addicting.
When I do laundry, I throw all the socks into one basket. When a boy claims that he doesn’t have any socks to wear, it is joyous to show him the pile and tell him to start searching and matching. The worst job ever is no longer my problem. I took the time to write little initials on the insides of sock bands and since I think they all know the alphabet, they are more than capable of sorting socks. (It hasn’t solved the missing sock problem though.)
My boys are not terribly responsible (I know, it’s all about the training), but this sometimes works to my advantage when I find little tips left just for me at the bottom of the wash. I collect change and dollar bills - now it pays to do the laundry.
I love to watch the joy they take in creation and how they pay attention to the little things. The other day the youngest spotted a hummingbird and spent the better part of an hour trying to follow it around the yard. The oldest fills the bird feeder within view of his bedroom window every day, taking note of what types of birds are hanging around. Another one has an affinity for flowering weeds and never fails to bring me clumps of whatever is blooming.
It’s been a ball being the family recorder and keeping track of all the things our boys say and do, all with the express purpose of using it as ammunition for a graduation party slideshow or stories at a wedding reception. I will have proof of many of life’s humorous moments in the form of photos, words and in the case of the one child who thinks he could start a business of dancing, plenty of video.
But honestly, the most enjoyable part of being a mom is seeing progress. We’ve moved from walking and potty training to bike riding and learning algebra. I’ve seen them go from spoiled toddlers to boys who actually might share their toys once in awhile. I’ve seen them help each other make their beds (those fitted sheets are quite the challenge.) I’ve seen them learn to pray out loud in front of other people and be willing to do it for special occasions. I’ve witnessed temper tantrums and selfishness, but I’ve also observed them asking for forgiveness and actually finishing their chores on time. They may be bottomless pits when it comes to food, but they always ask permission before raiding the fridge. They have opinions, tempers, questions and emotions and most days every one of them are evident. But there are occasional glimpses of God’s grace peeking through dirty fingernails and buzz cuts - quick hugs, playing together without fighting, obedience and successful Bible memory work.
Those are the things that make this job even more enjoyable. That and an endless supply of information on things like fish illnesses, how to raise meal worms, Roger Bannister, iPods and Sponge Bob jokes.
For instance, it’s a bit of a kick to finally be on the other end of “You’re wearing that?!?” since I have been (for years) a bit sheepish about what boys are willing to wear in public. Once teenager-dom shows its face, somehow clothing (and showers) become important. It’s a refreshing change. It’s also thoroughly entertaining to put together interesting clothing combinations, just to see if anyone notices and starts to sputter.
I am now able to check this off my Mom bucket list: Arrive at least a half hour late to pick up offspring from an extracurricular event. (I was actually 45 minutes late). But in my defense, I waited 30 whole minutes for the bus to arrive the day before. My only regret is that apparently middle school coaches are required to stick around with the kids until parents show up. And that I left my phone in the car so I missed the phone call alerting me that someone was waiting. (I brought the coach a gift card to the local coffee shop as an apology.) It was nice to have someone wait for ME for a change though.
I never realized how much fun it would be to purposely make meals that my boys don’t like. For the most part, they are great eaters, however I do have one child who doesn’t like tomatoes or onions and another who detests peppers. The other night we had fajitas for supper, which put two of them over the edge - onions and a plethora of multi-colored peppers brings out lots of gagging noises and a bit of whining. My response is to smack my lips and pile more onions into a certain child’s tortilla. And then wait to see if he will actually eat it in order to get a snack before bedtime. The suspense is addicting.
When I do laundry, I throw all the socks into one basket. When a boy claims that he doesn’t have any socks to wear, it is joyous to show him the pile and tell him to start searching and matching. The worst job ever is no longer my problem. I took the time to write little initials on the insides of sock bands and since I think they all know the alphabet, they are more than capable of sorting socks. (It hasn’t solved the missing sock problem though.)
My boys are not terribly responsible (I know, it’s all about the training), but this sometimes works to my advantage when I find little tips left just for me at the bottom of the wash. I collect change and dollar bills - now it pays to do the laundry.
I love to watch the joy they take in creation and how they pay attention to the little things. The other day the youngest spotted a hummingbird and spent the better part of an hour trying to follow it around the yard. The oldest fills the bird feeder within view of his bedroom window every day, taking note of what types of birds are hanging around. Another one has an affinity for flowering weeds and never fails to bring me clumps of whatever is blooming.
It’s been a ball being the family recorder and keeping track of all the things our boys say and do, all with the express purpose of using it as ammunition for a graduation party slideshow or stories at a wedding reception. I will have proof of many of life’s humorous moments in the form of photos, words and in the case of the one child who thinks he could start a business of dancing, plenty of video.
But honestly, the most enjoyable part of being a mom is seeing progress. We’ve moved from walking and potty training to bike riding and learning algebra. I’ve seen them go from spoiled toddlers to boys who actually might share their toys once in awhile. I’ve seen them help each other make their beds (those fitted sheets are quite the challenge.) I’ve seen them learn to pray out loud in front of other people and be willing to do it for special occasions. I’ve witnessed temper tantrums and selfishness, but I’ve also observed them asking for forgiveness and actually finishing their chores on time. They may be bottomless pits when it comes to food, but they always ask permission before raiding the fridge. They have opinions, tempers, questions and emotions and most days every one of them are evident. But there are occasional glimpses of God’s grace peeking through dirty fingernails and buzz cuts - quick hugs, playing together without fighting, obedience and successful Bible memory work.
Those are the things that make this job even more enjoyable. That and an endless supply of information on things like fish illnesses, how to raise meal worms, Roger Bannister, iPods and Sponge Bob jokes.
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