a little time to play

I'm very deadline-driven - nothing like a deadline to get me to kick it in gear. So with the end of the school year fast approaching (not to mention a move), I figured it was time to tie up some loose ends!

K-lady and I made this for her teacher - the back ring says "love & grow." It was going to say "learn love grow," but the little set of metal stamps I bought was kind of lame - the A squashed flat on the first try! So we settled for a-less words. And I took the stamp set back to Harbor Freight and exchanged it for one that hasn't squashed yet. :) I followed the tutorial for this necklace from this website.

Then I slapped a few quotes together in photoshop and used up some of the misc. frames I've had kicking around (no need to move those again, right?) for some other favorite teachers.

And I needed more shelving for my stuff - this was harder than K-lady's desk - I bought cheap pine plywood that was super bowed. It would have been much easier and better to have bought something straighter and $10 more expensive. But it's done now and I learned something, and the books stay on the shelf, even if it isn't square. :) I can't get a good picture - it's wedged in the corner of the room far from natural light. But I LOVE having all my sheet music right by the piano where I can actually USE it (sigh...) These plans are also from Knock-off Wood blog.

And K-lady needed more shelving for her stuff (she really does take after me, doesn't she?). There is a set of plans for a hutch on the Knock off Wood blog that I used as my basis, but I adjusted everything to fit the desk and use scraps I already had - I only had to shell out $5 for one little 1x2 piece of trim! Yay! My dad and I are working on a little ottoman/stool to match the desk. But at the rate I'm going with this blog you won't see it till Halloween. :) (I'm sure the suspense is killing you).

J-boy

May 26th was J-boy's last day of preschool -- here he is with his teacher, Ms. Raquel, and his best buddy (and best buddy's little brother in the back). Preschool was pretty good to J-boy - he always told me Ms. Raquel made them LEARN so they didn't have enough time to PLAY, but that sounded like an okay problem to me. :) They met 2 days a week from 10-12, and Ms. Raquel built her curriculum working her way through the alphabet in order. She sent home cute little crafts and projects, and J-boy liked seeing his buddies (7 little boys and 2 little girls made up the class).

After school that last day, we got Wendy's and had a picnic on the front lawn.

J-boy is such a law unto himself as far as fashion goes. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on in that little head when he whips out a little number like the one pictured above. It drives me a little crazy (fashion is not my favorite thing on which to devote time/energy, but I do have some standards....), but we finally reached a compromise - I pick out his church clothes and his school clothes. And when we're home he can wear anything he likes. He's a funny kid - he is always smiling and happy-go-lucky. He's pretty easy to please, and loves to 'snuggle' with mom and a good book. He also is addicted to computer games - mostly race car games, but motorcycles sneak in there, too. He plays really well with Baby A (about 85% of the time) - the other day I had to laugh when I heard him plotting with her to tickle me -- "Let's do it, A!" And she just goes along with him - even when it means she comes in at dinner time with ears full of dirty car oil (gross!) -- "Yeah, I accidentally stuck my oily dirty fingers in Baby A's ear. Well, both of her ears."

So thanks to J-boy, you might hear something like this when you come visit our house:
"J-boy, are those K-lady's leopard print-stripped tights??"
"Oh, you found your belt! Wait, is your belt holding on daddy's underarmor as super hero pants? Of course."
"Oh, honey, yes, he looks like a cat, but you need to ask his momma before you draw on his face."
"Can you help me write my Christmas list? I want a 'mote control car. I know it starts with a mmmmm."
"I made my stretchy keychain fit around my neck! Now I have a collar!"
"Mom, where are my boots?!?!" (really, any boot will do - snow, moon, cowboy, hiking, rain, etc.)

We just gotta love that boy! :)

HA! About that last post....

That's what I get for leaving the computer mid-post to go make dinner -- Baby A finishes it for me!  Once we finally had the kids down and dinner cleaned up and the house put back together, I went to turn off the computer (love the thunder storms here in the summer!!!), and it was already off!  I thought that was odd.  But apparently Baby A finished my journaling, went ahead and posted, and turned off the computer for me.  What a sweet baby to finish my chores.  (She does try to clean the toilet and mirrors, too.  Maybe I've got an untapped resource here...)
Anyway, those pics are of our impromptu trip to look at practices - we got to go to church in our old ward (we love you!) and have a very quick lunch with our darling friends before we were off to look at two more practices - Joseph and I looked at 5 or 6 that weekend while the kids hung out with friends and family.  It was a whirlwind trip, but turned out really good - so fun to see people we love.  And it was also so nice to spend so much one-on-one time with Joseph - we actually had uninterrupted conversations and moments of comfortable silence in the car.  Amazing!  It was date-weekend for us (many many thanks to Joseph's parents watching our children so much!)

Trip to KC

When practice #1 became a no-go we had to umjmjmjhjhnjbnbnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnbdk,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnbbbnbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
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Sheesh....

And suddenly here we are in summer (which, in our family, means time to pack up the whole house again - this will be move #10 in almost 9 years of marriage). The only problem with this move is that we are still not sure where it will take us! And we're supposed to be there, wherever there is, in 24 days. Hmm.
It's been quite a roller coaster the last few months trying to make decisions, looking at as many possibilities as we possibly can, and praying more than I think I ever have in my life. I don't like to put too many details on here, but after looking at dozens of practices and two almost-did-it-till-we-realized-it-was-wrong-choices, I think we might have found a winner. We've had mixed feelings about this particular practice - it doesn't quite fit the picture we'd planned on. But I think we can fit ourselves into this slightly different picture and still have a good go of it. Right now we're waiting on approval from the bank that we can actually get a gargantuan loan (just add it to our tab?!) to purchase the practice - hopefully we'll find out within the next week or so. And if that doesn't work out, then I guess we'll just hang out on the roller coaster a little longer!
Anyway, with all of that I've been slacking on the blog. But life continues, whether you're making life altering and terrifying decisions or not. So while I procrastinate packing for the unknown move (HOW do you get motivated for that kind of thing?!), I guess I'll try to catch up on the blog!

Family Night in May at Highbanks Metro Park - bikes, picnic, swings, having our kids all to ourselves. We like that. :)

Social Skills

1 - Approach the situation defensively with trepidation and suspicion.  Growl a little.  :)
2 - once you realize it's safe, a little game of...
3 - peek-a-boo will quickly break down the barriers.
4 - identify head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth & nose (the essentials).
5 - your new friend has passed the test - seal the deal with a hug.

A Day at COSI

We couldn't let K-lady be the only one with a field trip, now could we??

When we first moved here, Heather introduced us to Cosi and bought us a family pass for the year (yay for student discounts!) - it's been a great place to play and explore.

L's "thumb's up" was pretty cute :)

 

These kids were so great - they are such good friends.  After a lot of playing we settled in a quiet stairway for some snacks to escape the mobs of school-age kids (definitely field trip season!).  When J-boy realized I was taking a picture he pulled that little pose out for me. :)  Love it!

 

A few of my favorite people at a fun place close to home - what a great way to spend the morning!