Monday, August 27, 2012

Things Hear Around Here

If you tear that sticker my life will be ruined!

There's nothing like a touch of melodrama to make life interesting.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

This Girl...

This girl...


 ...drags that cow blanket everywhere.

...values the importance of ear protection.

...earned Mickey Mouse for going two weeks straight without having an accident overnight.  She's now working towards earning a large giraffe.  Mommy and Daddy are looking for one to use as a reward.

...hates to wear clothes and frequently wears only underwear around the house.


...likes to be in the middle of everything.


...likes to do everything her brother does.


...terrorizes the cat.


... marches to the beat of her own drum.


... and loves to sing songs.

I hope she eventually chooses to wear more clothes, but I hope she doesn't ever lose the confidence and individuality that she expresses now.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I'm Not Ready

I am frequently asked if we're sending Aric to preschool this year.  The answer is, I can't do it!  It's not about the cost of school, or that we haven't found a good school, it's that I am not ready to give up my little boy yet.  Yes, little boy.  My heart already aches at the thought of sending him off to kindergarten next year.  Where did the time go?  When did my sweet baby grow up into a boy?


When did he turn into a little boy who likes Star Wars, Superheroes, video games, tormenting his sister, ninjas, making Lego creations, and playing in the sprinkler in the front yard in his underwear?





I need another year to get used to the idea of him growing up and starting school.


Friday, August 17, 2012

What We've Been Doing

I find it hard to believe that it's already mid-August.  Sometimes it seems like the summer has flown by, and other times it seems like it has dragged on and on.  Thinking back on it we have been pretty busy with projects.  Some are completed and others are on-going.

I was busy sewing, sewing and sewing.  I had an order for 4 dozen wristlets.  I completed the order and shipped it out earlier this week.  It is nice to have a break from them for awhile.



Since I haven't yet geared up to begin any new projects, mainly Christmas gifts and stocking up for an upcoming Fall Open House, I spent some energy making things for me.  After being cooped up in the house all summer long because it has been 100+ degrees outside I decided that the interiors needed some sprucing up.  They have started to look boring and very brown.  With an interior design trained brain and too much time on Pinterest, my mind has been working overtime planning all of the changes that can be done to improve our home.  I started with these two oversized pillows for the couch.



I love the splash of color they add to the room.  I have another pillow I want to make, maybe some matching place mats and some curtains to add to the kitchen.

A week ago I refinished our ladder bookshelf in the kitchen.  Ryan thinks I made our old shelf look "old", but it was just the look I was going for.


I have plans for some more furniture refinishing in our living room.  I'm hoping to tackle that in the next week or two.

Ryan is working on our French drain and pathway.  It's nearing completion after we made a few wrong turns along the way.  That is a whole other story, though.


We have plans this weekend to re-stain our fence, finish the pathway, enjoy some family time and the cooler weather. 

We hope you have a good weekend, too!


Friday, August 10, 2012

Things Heard Around Here

Aric: Look Mommy, The TV shows me when I was at my swimming lessons.


I see the similarities.  Don't you? 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Growth Chart Ruler

Awhile ago I saw a growth chart ruler mentioned on a blog.  I thought it was a really neat idea.  As an Army brat I never grew up with a wall in a house that had our heights marked inside.  I always thought it was really neat when I saw a wall or closet in someone's home marked with the kid's heights.

When we moved into this house we marked the kid's heights in the coat closet.  As an Army wife, I realize that we probably aren't going to live in this house forever.  When we move that closet wall won't be coming with us.  That is why the growth ruler appealed to me, because it's portable.

The price was a bit exorbitant, though, ranging from $50 to $75.  That was more than I wanted to pay for a board that looked like a ruler.  I asked Ryan if he could make that for me.  Being the loving husband that he is, he bought me a nice board the next time he was at Home Depot.  The board sat in our garage for months.

This past week I was in the garage refinishing some furniture and kept looking at that board.  I decided since I was out there, I might as well work on it.  After some sanding, pulling out the miter saw to cut it to size, calling Ryan because I couldn't figure out how to unlock the safety on the miter saw, cutting the board, sanding it some more, staining it, putting the marks and numbers on it, realizing that I moved my tape measure and started the board at 9 inches instead of 6 inches, going with the flow since that mistake gives the kids an opportunity to grow to 6'9" instead of 6'6", and giving it a quick clear coat my ruler was finally finished.

Yesterday I hung it up in our kitchen and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out:


Now all I have to do is go back and mark the kid's heights from the last few years and we'll be able to take this with us when we move on someday.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Things Heard Around Here

Aric: Knock, knock.

Kellyn: Who's there?

Aric: Banana

Kellyn: Banana who?

Aric: You

Aric: Knock, Knock

Kellyn: Who's there?

Aric: Peanut butter chocolate

Kellyn: Peanut butter bucket who?

Aric: You

Kellyn: I'm not a peanut butter bucket.  I'm a banana!

Yes, the knock knock jokes have begun.  No, they don't make sense to me either.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Dear Ryan

I've been meaning to write this for well over a week now.  Everything else I've wanted to write has been on hold for a while because I needed to do this first.  Sometimes, though, it's hard to write to you, and I tend to procrastinate.  It reminds me how much I really miss you and that I can't just call and tell you the things I have wanted to say.

I saw The Dark Knight Rises recently.  It's crazy how things make me think of you when I'm really not expecting to.  Dad and Mom call them "Ryan moments" and that's how I tend to think of them.  I cried when we left the movie theater.  I told Ryan that I was sad about the trilogy being over and thinking about you.  I felt silly crying over Batman, but I wasn't exactly crying over the movie.  I was crying over you.  I remember watching the other Batman movies with you.  The silly, cartoonish versions that came out when I was in high school.  Remember those action figures we bought together?  I still have them:


The kids ask to play with them, but I treasure them too much.  It brings back memories of a time in our life when we started to get along again after so many years of annoying each other.  I enjoy those memories, and I put those action figures in my sewing area.

I pulled out some Star Wars action figures for the kids to play with.  Aric has discovered Star Wars and really enjoys it.  The sad thing is he is only acquainted with Episode I.  We need to introduce him to the real Star Wars.  Did you know Yoda and Woody are mortal enemies?  Yeah, me either.  It's surprising and a bit sad.  Did you also know that Jedi's are more concerned with making sure they have a coat to keep warm?  I guess that's what happens when your little sister plays with you.


Aric randomly gives light saber lessons and history.  It makes me giggle when I hear my 4 year old try to school me on Star Wars.  The other day I made him some light sabers out of pool noodles and duct tape from an idea I saw online.  They seem to be safer than half of the objects he was trying to use as light sabers.  He's pretty proud of them and likes to have light saber duels.  I think I earned Mom of the Year, or at least the day.


I know you would've loved hearing about all of this, and how I get attacked quite often by the little ninja that lives in our house.  You also would've done everything possible to keep encouraging all of this.  The two of you would've had a lot of fun together.


Kiss my babies and keep building those sand castles in the clouds.