my space

 i thrive on peace and order, but for too long now it seems like i never have enough of either. we usually have it on saturday afternoon after we spent all of saturday morning doing chores and restoring order to our home, but once a week was not enough. it's a vicious circle really, life gets crazy, so house hold responsibilities get neglected, which makes for more crazy, which makes me run straight to the ice cream. we pray as a family for a good spirit to reside here in our home so that whoever comes to share our space (including us), feels loved and welcomed and safe. it's hard to have that spirit when everything is so chaotic.

so i really only set one goal this year, knowing it was kind of a big one, to not only find more order and peace in my house, but find a routine to help me keep it that way.

i spent about three solid weeks painting and finishing little projects hanging over my head, purging every closet and storage space in the house, making a million runs to the DI (good will), labeling bins and organizing.

i  had accomplished the "find more order and peace" part of my goal, but i knew the bigger job would be to keep it that way.

the answer has been simple, a list of small tasks, that have to be done, every day. period.

beds get made every day.

bathrooms get wiped down every day.

at least two loads of laundry get done every day.

the kitchen is cleaned after breakfast and after dinner every day.

spend twenty to thirty minutes straightening every night.

that's it. doing these five things religiously has REVOLUTIONIZED my life. i feel so empowered! i have more mental stamina and time to tackle the big chores and projects that need to be done because i'm not so overwhelmed by all the little stuff. it's a simple solution, i know, i'm kind of a slow learner. but it's working. when the kids get home from school and my second shift starts, things are in order and i can focus on them and their needs and getting dinner made. there is a happier, more peaceful feeling here in this space that makes me smile, and more able to grab yoplait whipped yogurt instead of ice cream.

so here is a tour of my clean, and organized space. why i am doing this? one, i would love to have some detailed photos of the different homes i lived in growing up, think of the memories those photos would spark! two, it's a sense of accomplishment for me, a reward of sorts after all that i have done. a pat on my back, as self indulgent as that may be. and three, who knows how long i will be able to keep this up, so i'd better take photos NOW while it's good. (just keepin' it real ya'll.)

welcoming space

 visiting teaching, music playing and pondering space

 gathering space

cooking, eating and laughing space

allie's primping space
(my next project is to paint these cabinets)

blogging, crafting and nerding space

sanctuary space

nose powdering space

ethan's little boy space

allie's uber-girly space

taylor and spencer's smells like teen spirit space

boys' too much cologne to impress the girls smelling space

play space

ahhhh. now i need to throw a party.

boys

here are a few things i've learned about boys so far in my fifteen years of raising them:

1. they have a tendency to act before they think.
2. spiders are no big deal to them, neither is squishing one.
3. they really do have hollow legs and the need to fill them is constant.
4. they care as much about their hair as the girl in the house.
5. most of the time, they are best friends, except when they hate each other.
6. they like to compare muscles, strength, height and arm pit hair.
7. ping pong and frisbee are contact sports.
8. just about any object can be made into a weapon of some kind.
9. they want to be ninjas when they grow up more than anything else.
10. the percentages go something like 51% gentlemen, 49% pigs, depending on the meal.
11. they worry about how they will support their families and where to go to college.
12. they can pick up the controller to any video game and instantly know how to play.
13. they secretly believe that chuck norris is as awesome as his jokes portray.
14. they are as emotional or maybe more than the girl in the house.
15. they are consummate show offs and hot doggers

16. especially when filming each other.

17. they have big hearts

i love (most of the time) being a mother to boys

NOTE: taylor informed me that some of these photos were reenactments of a few star wars light saber moves. which forces me to add #18. boys are dorks. in a good way.

all over the place

a common conversation:
me: (after a long quiet minute) "where are you?"
rich: "all over the place"
which i can totally relate to.

this morning i am....

reveling in a very clean house
happy to be indoors with heat and slippers
thinking that maybe hot chocolate would be perfect for breakfast
already prepared for dinner tonight
thinking that all the birds at my feeder make me happy
looking forward to the thursdays girls coming over
excited to cross a few things off my random things to do list
already through two loads of laundry 
feeling a little like i've lost my way
wondering if my prayers go past the ceiling
having too many hang ups about my body
hoping i that i give my kids what they really need
glad that american idol finally had something to cheer about this season
missing my honey
counting down the days left until spring break
thinking mother nature didn't get the "spring break" memo

feeling badly for the tiny new buds on my trees
glad i didn't plant flowers yet even the though warm weather tempted me to
coveting this beautiful bag that i can totally justify, but not really
happy to have fresh pink polish on my toe nails
trying to decide if i should make my bed or crawl back inside it
thinking that twitter is the bees knees
desperate for my roots to be colored - tomorrow isn't soon enough
hoping i can sneak in a shower before ethan wakes up
hearing little footsteps coming down the hall...so i guess not
all over the place

all about ethan

occasionally, this little boy, who is not so little any more, will snuggle with me and let me count his freckles.

really this is code for letting me kiss his face off, but he knows this about me, and is usually willing to submit to my lips any way. a few times, he has even said out of the blue, "mom, will you kiss my face off?"  uh, YES PLEASE. any excuse i can get thank you very much.

the kids and i have been commenting lately on how he is losing that baby face and looks more like a little boy all the time. it's fun to see him grow up, but gosh it's hard to let that baby stuff go! every day, something funny is said, i try to write them down, but it doesn't always happen. yesterday while eating a churro he exclaimed, "i LOVE my lips! they're just so yummy!" probably because they were covered in sugar and cinnamon, but still. and he's asking lately, "what means 'couple' ", and "what means 'blu ray' "? he also loves to finish his stories with the phrase, "...and i was like WHAH?"  ya, i think he lives with teenagers.

his style of posing for the camera has evolved as well. lately, he feels the need to push out his hips one way or the other - 

or throwing his arms out like he's singing on broadway

or giving me his best dinosaur impression.

this one is the kids' particular favorite, every time this photo pops up on screen, you can hear laughing in the form of howling coming from our house. it's embarrassing, i hope the neighbors don't think we're weird. oh who are we kidding, they already know.

the last couple of days, ethan hasn't been himself, he's been kind of grumpy and winey, which is a frequency my ears just don't pick up, so you can imagine my frustration. then i figured it out. he misses henry. and who can blame him? for nine days he has a built-in brother, perfect for all kinds of good things...

like cracking each other up
which they did, constantly.

and puzzles

and secret telling, henry's a very good listener

and mario kart racing
(i love how both of their tiny bottoms fit on the love sac at the same time)

and racing (but mostly crashing) a billion match box cars down the hallway

and making pizza

and just plain old buddy time

he's asked me every day when henry is coming back to our house. poor guy.
i miss him too buddy.

fresh air

poor april, she's been making that crazy face on my blog for two plus weeks now. it's time for a change.

it's been a long couple of weeks, for starters, i tended my two nieces and nephew for nine days while their mom and dad were in hawaii on vacation. we had a lot of fun being a family of nine for that time, but i was so tired at the end of each day, that blogging took a back seat in my life. we're back to being a family of six again but i feel overwhelmed at the task of "catching up". i decided to just take it one little random thing at a time. so here goes...

i finally bought something i've been coveting now for two years, i've been thinking about since i first saw it. but it's a frivolous purchase and i could never really justify it. well, since all of our money is going towards fixing up and beautifying this house of ours lately, i decided it could really fall into that category. right? beautifying the deck? it's totally justified.

isn't it lovely? i know! i don't even have to sit in it to feel the love, i just peek out the window and there it is all inviting and sweet. i have a weakness for rocking chairs.

the best part of this house is the awesome view (although this day was over cast and gloomy and you can't see the mountains), but most days, it's really the perfect spot to relax and unwind. (by the way, that thing in the sky is the bottom of our bird feeder, not a UFO)

so a new rocking chair is not really a home improvement project per say, but it does feel like an improvement to my day to sit outside for a little while and enjoy the fresh air. i highly recommend it.

six for sunday

everything in my life feels so random right now, that a six for sunday misceallany post seems appropriate...

one. while april was organizing my pantry the other day (her specialty), i checked the mail and found this flyer...

since someone was at my house helping me clean, we both found it pretty comical. even better, was that it took about ten shots for april to re-create the face of the horrified woman on the flyer.

two. with all of the projects and spring cleaning going on at my house this week, i decided to finally take down the christmas cards/photos from the front door.

i usually leave them up until at least easter because all those smiling faces make me so happy.

after it was done, the space seemed so naked. 

what can i do to my front door to make it a happier space?

three. i figured out how to throw out ethan's pre-school projects guilt free! we hang it up on the fridge for a while, ooo and ahhhh over it to several people, take a photo of him with it, and then toss it! (sneakily of course, not infront of him) it's so freeing!

of course, i have saved a handful of things, but seriously, i wish i would've done this way back when taylor started bringing home the art work twelve or so years ago. he's only fifteen now, is it too late to have him pose with a few of his kindergarten projects?

four. my family came over for dinner tonight and for no real good reason other than taste bud delight, i whipped up these chocolate forest cherry cupcakes. yum.

i piped a little "nest" of frosting to house the tablespoon of cherry pie filling that went on top. it was the best part, next time i'm going to use a little more than i did tonight. i'm definitely going to make them again, they were as yummy as they were pretty. even rich liked them, and that's saying a lot.  i know i've said it before, but the wendy paul cupcake book, is so great!

five. this weekend i spent a chunk of time immaculately cleaning my office. it's so satisfying to get everything organized and dust-free, but so disheartening to know that it's such a high-traffic area that it will only stay this way for less than a day. 

so here's proof that it does get cleaned occasionally.

six. last week, i woke up way too early, somewhere in the five o'clock hour to take spencer to early morning wrestling practice. i found a certain teenager in her bathroom curling each and every inch of her very long, very straight hair with the triple barrel she got for her birthday.

apparently, this process takes hours and required her to get up long before the sun to get it done in time to catch the bus. and while very cute, especially with the flower, it just reinforced to me, the fact that i am so not a girlie girl.
i much prefer sleep over vanity.

whistle (or sing) while you work

over the last two weeks we've been having don bright, the singing handy man, over to help us with a few projects around our house. he came recommended from a friend, and i just assumed that "singing handy man" meant that he sang while he worked. well, he does that too, and it's delightful, but really his title comes from the fact that he performs a song for you with every visit. it's such a treat! on the first visit, by chance, he sang one of my most favorite songs, le vie en rose and i'm not ashamed to admit, i got a little misty eyed and was blown away by his big booming voice. of course i had to get him on video, and he graciously accepted.

 
 ( i always forget that you have to film the video landscape style, i remembered a couple of seconds into the performance to turn it the right way)

he was featured on local news several times back when he was a singing UPS man, so my blog is peanuts compared to that, but he was so fun that i had to do a post about him. the thursday girls were around today while he was here, so at least he had a bigger audience than just me to clap for him at the end. unfortunately for him, he's had to sing la vie en rose every time because i just love it too much to request anything else. fortunately for us, he's as talented at his house projects as he is at his singing, so we will definitely be calling him again!

i need a cookie

what in the world has happened to ameican idol? where have all the good singers gone? i am hoping that it was "first night" nerves because there wasn't really anyone either night that knocked my socks off. most of them were TERRIBLE, not like just ok, but genuinely awful. i do have some high hopes for a select few, like andrew garcia, crytal bowersox (thank goodness they made her brush her teeth!), didi benami, casey james, lee dewyze and lilly scott, but even they weren't as good as i thought they could be. i've been cheering for tyler grady because i think he's adorable and i love his style. i think they will get past their nerves and pull out some great performances. let's hope so anyway. another week like this one, and i just might have to do something productive with my time instead of watch tv.

but maybe the problem is me. 
maybe my standard has been set too high.
maybe what i really need...

is a cookie.

check list

re-surface bathroom shower and counter - check
replace haunted house looking light fixtures outside - check
replace brady bunch looking light fixtures inside - check
replace old, yellow-ish blinds - check
strip wallpaper (thank you patsy), sand and paint laundry room - check
do the eight loads of laundry that backed up while the LR was out of commission - check
clean out garage (thanks hon) - check
clean out storage - check
clean out boys' room, even the dark scary corners - check
thank the heavens above for my dyson so i don't have to touch the dark scary corners - check
make (so far), seven trips to the DI - check
take out dead tree and ginormous rose bushes in back - check
make a giant list for the handy man who's coming today - check
paint pantry doors - check
hang allie's drapes - check
spend a load of money at home depot on blinds, paint and light fixtures - check
go back to home depot two more times for fun - check

resolve my insomnia problem - CHECK!
maintain sanity - check-ISH
take before and after photos of everything - uh, whoops

i did take a few photos, which i will post when everything is done. still on the list, paint the kitchen, repair the bricks in the front, hang more blinds, hang drapes in my bedroom. paint my closet doors, and clean, clean, clean.
plus, probably a million other little things i'm forgetting. it's going to be SO great, and so worth it when it's all done! wish me luck!

for my dad

dear dad,

just because i know you'll be asking me soon why i haven't posted for a while...

here you go.

these are my to-do lists from the past three days. 

i don't know where saturday's list is, but it was crazy too.

i'll be back when i can catch my breath.

thanks for being my most loyal reader.

i love you.

-wende

concentration

practicing your name on the draw and wipe card requires a certain level of concentration.

this is serious business.

which calls for deep focus.

so deep, you have to purse your lips together.

so deep, you don't have time to pose for a photo.

ok, maybe just one. but no smiling.

but then, it's right back to business mister.

he's deep into it now.

when the tongue comes out, he means business.

no silliness ensuing here. 

only serious four year olds need apply.

after all, you're going to be writing your name for the rest of your life.

you want to make sure you're good and practiced.

to impress the ladies if nothing else.

"hey pretty girl, wanna see me write my name?"

six for sunday

nothing super big going on around here, so for now, all i can post are my random bits of life...

one. i'm so happy that chuck and american idol are back!

happy that captain awesome has played a bigger role this season so i have more time to look at him.

i almost forgot how yummy he is.

we already have a few favorites on idol, but i'm glad it's hollywood week coming up, i'm so done with the auditions.

two AND three. we should've bought ethan an ipod for christmas too. he's constantly pestering the teenagers to borrow theirs so he can play the games.

AND, i found these woody costume pjs online for so cheap i couldn't pass them up, i knew they would be a hit. he's been wearing them around the house with his cowboy boots non stop.

what's funnier than a toddler dressed as woody playing his sister's pink ipod on the couch?

four.  i bought a dyson! after years and years of needing a new vacuum every eight months or so (seriously), i finally talked rich into picking one of these sweet babies up.

i was so excited about the new purchase, that yesterday i vacuumed every inch of the house including dusty mouldings, blinds, window seals, cobwebs, and ceiling fans. i had to empty the canister SIX times. gross, but also glorious.

five. three words: good. mail. goodness. the first delivery, were these red farberware pots and pans that i've been coveting over forever. they're so gorgeous!

thank you april who found the killer deal and my mom who agreed to go in on them with her! second, my cute friend nicki spoiled me rotten with a fun box full of music, treats, home decor and delightful personal touches. i loved that she stuck this fortune to the outside of the box.

i'm so lucky to have such cute ladies in my life!

six. one of the best ideas i've ever had. last week at sunday dinner, i told the teenagers that they were going to be in charge of choosing a dinner that week, and that they would responsible for helping to prepare it. i'm realizing that although the kids have some cooking experience, taylor's leaving for college in 2.5 years (what the heck?!) and i probably ought to step it up in the kitchen department. taylor can't afford to lose any calories from his diet.

so this week, we had shepherd's pie, chicken & veggie stir fry and homemade pizza all prepared by teenagers. the best part is thoroughly enjoying my time with them in the kitchen.

the end.