100 list revisited

i have been thinking all year that i need to do another 100 things list. it was so much fun the first time trying to think of 100 things, that since then, things that i could add to the list keep popping into my brain. the list ended up being sort of introspective and revealing and a great way to journal i think. i love to read other's 100 list, i always learn lots of new stuff about them and enjoy seeing how much we have in common. i decided that i would try to add to my 100 list slow throughout the year so i don't forget anything that pops into my brain. so here goes.

101. i don't really like ketch up.
102. i won't do a "structured" diet because i'm afraid of yo-yo dieting forever.
103. i once "drank" a pan of macaroni and cheese - true story.
104. i am crazy about felt food, i know i don't have a ton of use for it, but it makes me giddy.
105. i very much dislike the two deep lines that have formed in between my eyebrows.
106. i am not an eyebrow plucker and i'm ok with this. i just never learned how and now that i'm older, i just think it's cruel and unusual punishment.
107. when my kids were little, i used to stir a can of tuna and a can of peas into their mac & cheese. they didn't know for a long time that it wasn't called "mac & cheese & tuna & peas".
108. mounds candy bars might be my favorite treat, at least as far as candy goes. i love dark chocolate and i love coconut so they are a perfect treat.
109. i don't think i could wear a bathing suit if lands end didn't make them.
110. i like the managability of length of my hair now, but miss how feminine my long long hair made me feel.
111. my organization projects always seem to make things worse before they make them better.
112. i think i may have permenant brain and inner nostral damage from all of my spray painting projects. i really need to buy a mask!
113. having babies has killed my bladder.
114. i am becoming accutely aware of how much time taylor has left before he graduates high school.
115. i signed up for a national geographic subscription today! i loved reading NG when i was younger and hope my kids will love it too.

spencer has eyes!

spencer has the most lovely green eyes. for a long time now you haven't really been able to see them because his long hair hangs in front of them. this photo doesn't really do it justice because i told him to "move your bangs out of your face" right before i snapped it. i use this phrase at least ten times during any given day. at least, i used to. that all changed this morning after a 10am hair cut appointment.although i never really cared too much about spencer's long hair - mostly because i can totally relate to the feelings of wanting to be a little bit cool and a little rebelious, but also because i knew it was just hair, easily altered and he would get sick of it and cut it eventually, which he did. and, to be honest, i just don't really see what the big deal is, i mean, it's just hair. it's not like a tatoo or anything, but hey, that's just me.

however, it wasn't until after his hair cut that i realized how much i've missed being able to see his beautiful green eyes. i have to say, it's really a nice change. of course, the whole event had to be very dramatic, just like spencer. he can't wait to go to church tomorrow, and school on tuesday to see people's reactions. funny kid.is that a dead animal on the floor?

eye candy

just a lovely photo i found on elsie's blog tonight. this sweet heart all made out of flowers makes me happy on so many different levels. i need to just make one for myself. i know just where i would hang the finished project. will you keep your eyes peeled for vintage flowers for me? this kind of thing could take a lifetime to make. i'm the kind of girl who would want every single flower to have some kind of story. maybe i'll have to FOCUS on getting it made and enjoying it as a whole grouping. i don't know why everything i do has to be over done. oh i love this photograph.

igloo life

our water tank malfunctioned - long story - and so the bottom line is that we are living with no heat and no hot water. it was ok for the first two days because our new water tank should be coming any minute. now, we are to the end of day FIVE thinking that tomorrow was the blessed day when the heat would be returned. but that would be in a world where things go smoothly, and our journey with this lipstick house has been anything but. so of course we found out today that the wrong water tank had been ordered and we will be freezing until monday - saturday if we're lucky, so monday. luckily, we have a large collection of space heaters and kristy saved us with a couple of awesome dish heaters so our house is liveable. i had to laugh the other day when i noticed ethan having some down time watching little einstein in front of the heater. in the mean time, send us your warm thoughts!

c'mon, make my day

i seem to be sort of lacking the comments lately, so when i saw this little tag game on laura's blog, i thought it would be fun...

1. read this post.
2. post on your blog the same game.
3. post a comment.
4. the first 3 receive a surprise lovely thing from me sometime in the near future. except, i guess it won't really be a surprise because you'll know right away whether or not you were one of the first three. so it's really an expected lovely something in the mail. but still, it will be cute i promise.

i LOVE comments! thanks laura. comments make my day. no pressure.

the extended play date - i mean hang out

it is a common thing around this house to see any one or all of phil and lauri's kids playing with ours. in fact, they've sort of just become part of our household after years and years of play dates, school projects, and even vacations. they blend in with every day life, and, we love their family so it's all good. of course, now that they're teenagers, we no longer have "play dates". now we just "hang out". ok, sure. whatever.

so last weekend when six kids came home from school instead of three, we began a long eleven day "hang out" while phil and lauri vacationed with her family. i instantly became the mother to seven darling children instead of four.

to be honest, i wasn't that worried, i mean we're not talking toddlers here, there are no diapers to change and everyone besides ethan can bathe themselves. and let's not forget that i'm already a mom to four so it wasn't like i was trying to reinvent myself for this task. i did my best to prepare. i stocked the fridge and pantry, made a dinner menu with things i thought natalie would actually eat, posted a schedule of everyone's various activities on the fridge and washed every towel in the house. i even braced myself for some drama, especially between the girls. after eleven days of sharing a room and bathroom it was bound to happen right?

but what i wasn't prepared for was how much more effort i would have to put into being the homemaker of this group. just the general up keep of things like housework, meals and schedules. i was genuinely shocked at how much more laundry nine bodies as opposed to six made. and it seemed as though i could never keep the sink empty of dishes. not to mention the amount of homework that needed to be done each night, co-ordinating eight showers and one bath, getting everyone out the door on time for school, double the peanut butter sandwiches for all the home lunches....ok, ya, you get the idea. surprising because none of it was stuff that i wasn't already doing.

over all it was a great experience. did you read that lauri - i said great experience. it made me appreciate myself and all that i do as wife and mother and homemaker for my own family. i think because i was able to see it in hyper drive mode. when our kids are born we gradually build up into all that needs to be done, one kid at a time so we don't realize the difference that one or two or three bodies makes. dang it, i do a ton around here, even though a lot of days there seems to be little evidence of that. and it was a chance to provide service to phil and lauri who we love.

and one more thing. for all that i wasn't prepared for, the thing that i expected, drama, was the one thing i didn't need to worry about. everyone got along nicely, even on day eleven when the tension was a little tight and nerves were a little worn. all the kids made big efforts to work things out and i'm so proud of all of them. and grateful. and now that phil and lauri are home, i'm taking a big deep breath. and i'm hoping natalie doesn't have too many horror stories of all the dinners i made her eat. i'm tellin' ya'll, motherhood is not for wimps.

staying focused

it's only 6:39 in the morning and i've already been sucked into the blogosphere. today i'm staying focused on the tasks at hand, so many tasks at hand, by staying away from the computer. no blogging (after this) and no email. not even a quick phone number search from dex. at least until my "to-do" list is under control, then i guess it would fine. FOCUS wende, FOCUS!