I have really been enjoying this particular linky party; its from a website I recently came across with some wonderful homemaking advice and inspiration:
{pretty}
Today the boys were outside most of the day playing with the neighborhood kids, and I used the time wisely! I tidied, decluttered, and organized the kitchen & dining area. Now, I'll be honest, I like clutter. *By 'clutter' I mean visual clutter in the form of walls completely covered in art & photos, and candles/rocks/plants/picture frames/baskets full of random things/piles of books covering every flat surface. I do not like messes, piles of papers/junk mail, and dresser tops covered with spare change, pens, crumpled receipts, used tissues, and other things dumped out of pockets.* So anyway, as much as I like a lot of interesting stuff to look at, I love my kitchen to be streamlined and shiny. Even more so when Fall is coming soon and I know I'm going to spend way more time cooking, baking, and spreading out cookbooks & torn-out magazine pages of recipes in order to meal-plan each week. So in preparation, I had a great time today clearing things away, wiping down the counters & backsplash, repositioning things like the utensil jar & toaster, etc., and organizing a few cupboards and the pantry. So here is my 'pretty':
Just look at that shiny sink! My beloved Flylady would be so proud.
I even wiped down the chalkboard wall! I always hate to do it, as we get so many sweet & funny notes from guests, but it must be done on occasion:
{happy}
Xander's tooth came out today! I absolutely love this phase of his life. I vividly remember having loose teeth and being so excited to pull them. It trips me out that I now have a kid doing the same. After his bath tonight, he was lying on our bed watching River Monsters just like this, and I simply had to snap a photo. He could not pry his eyes away from the TV, but cooperated enough to give Mommy a nice smile:
Goodness, he is adorable!
{funny}
[Scroll down quickly to the 'real' paragraph if you are arachnophobic.] This probably isn't really funny to anyone else, but it is to me. Because by Normal Mom Standards, I really am a giant weirdo. I used to be scared of spiders, and now I'm not. I cured myself with aversion therapy. That means a couple years ago I realized I'm going to be around boys for a long time, so I spent an embarrassing amount of time trapping the biggest spiders I could find in jars "for the boys" and holding them up to my face and staring at the spiders. Super weird, but it totally worked. So anyway, the 'funny.' A very interesting looking spotted spider snuck in our front door tonight, which was left ajar. Nighttime seems to be when every moth and spider in the neighborhood come to our porch for a wild party. Daddy discovered the spider; the boys got all excited; and I was at the ready with an empty ladybug habitat. [I keep a variety of bug-trapping jars and containers on the shelf in the front closet for this very purpose. Yes, I have the brain of a 10 year old boy, living in a 32 year old suburban PTA mom's body. I'm also entertained by armpit farts, wheelchairs, and by seeing people falling. Again, I say, giant weirdo.]
Those black specs in the container are the cocoon thingies that the ladybug larvae hatch out of when they become adult ladybugs. I cannot remove them and it drives me crazy! No bottlebrush fits, no amount of swishing water & soap around will dislodge them! I am open to any suggestions!
Honestly, if you don't mind bugs, this ladybug thing is the perfect container for keeping a bug as a pet, short term of course. The lid works as a magnifier (which worked out perfectly when I took the above photo) and the container is big enough for a spider to build a web. The boys and I spent a long time staring while the spider made her (his?) web. I could not believe how fast she (he?) was. Yet another thing that makes you want to shake evolutionists. Spiders! They're amazing! Wonderfully created, and incredible to watch!! We realized if we were going to keep this spider for a day or so, it would need to eat. Fortunately we had a few flies in the house and I was able to trap a lethargic one. We'll attempt to get it into the spider's home tomorrow; should be interesting.....
Its funny to me that I am not only OK with this kind of thing, but actually encourage it. Considering how afraid I used to be of spiders. I just want to take advantage of every opportunity for my boys to be up close & personal with God's amazing creations. And honestly a tiny part of me hopes that if I'm brave about bugs, it'll set some sort of precendent and when my boys grow up they won't be attracted to prissy girls who scream & squeal over a spider smaller than a dime ........
{real}
For a few weeks each summer in the great Pacific Northwest we get some really good, sunny, hot weather. Its so nice to throw open all the doors & windows; have fans blowing throughout the house; to wear long unflattering dresses, and slick back my greasy sweaty hair into a stub of a ponytail. Well aesthetically that last part isn't so great, I guess. The boys play outside all day: riding bikes, running around the backyard, blowing bubbles, throwing army men with plastic parachutes off the deck; we go through a ton of Capri Suns, Popsicles, string cheese, and Goldfish due to feeding every boy in the neighborhood. Its what summer is all about; I love it! But you know what? I HATE THE HUMIDITY. Its why I love Washington: I love rain. I love gray, dreary weather. I love wearing The North Face and Uggs 10 months out of the year. I hate being hot and sweaty. Bleh! So here's how this mommy keeps it real, and cools down in a jiffy before bed:
Whiskey and Diet Coke, with a ton of ice. Preferably sipped while lying on fresh clean cool sheets, while watching some sort of Masterpiece Classic movie on the instant media player. If it weren't so late I'd go do that right now! Instead I'll just finish my drink and go to bed.
1 comment:
Your kitchen is amazingly clean!! Your boy is cute! Your spiders are gross! Your drink is funny ;) I don't approve of diet drinks (have you seen studies proving that they increase craving for carbs??), but I can see the appeal :)
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