Floppy flower II

I tried the flower from this blog: http://artsycraftybabe.typepad.com/artsycrafty_babe/ and I think it turned out well. Erika was in the room when I was finished it up and her comment was: "Mama, sunshine! Sunshine inside." I liked it even more after hearing that.

Lazy Days

The weekend flew by without much fanfare. We skipped the kite festival once we realized that you had to park at one location and bus to the park where the kite festival was held. With two toddlers and 1.5 hours till lunch time we didn't trust that we could get back to the car in time. Instead we headed to a great local park and then out to lunch where the girls decided to have a melt down - both at the same time. Thank God Martin is a quick eater. He swooped the girls out to the car while I got the rest of the lunches boxed. This is the first time this has happened where I wasn't able to get the situation under control. Martin was patient, I was angry. It is hard enough getting Martin to go out to lunch or dinner and after Saturdays episode I know he won't be in a hurry to do it again. That isn't why I was angry. I was angry because of my total lack of control over the situation, and I was still hungry. I am sure that won't be the last time a major meltdown occurs. Things have been calm since then and we are having some lazy days. No rushing around here or there like usual. We did check out a GREAT furniture store today. It is all imported from China, Indonesia and other great places. I found about four things I loved and Martin found two. All were already sold but it was fun to look. They have another shipment in two weeks. I am hoping we can make another trip back before Martin heads to TX again.

Floppy Flower

I have finished my fabric flower and am pleased with the result. I was trying too hard to make it perfect, when in fact it shouldn't be perfect. Third time piecing it together was the charm. I received a different tutorial from Stacy (thanks!) and am anxious to give it a try. Check it out here: http://artsycraftybabe.typepad.com/artsycrafty_babe/2007/02/fluffly_flower_.html

Big sigh of relief

Martin comes home today. Perfect timing. All three of us girls are sick and I need his help. The past 12 days have flown by and have been pretty uneventful in a good way, but I am ready to have him home. He has one more trip out to TX by himself before we all make the move. Yah!!! Due to coughs (girls) and my soar throat we are staying away from the gym this morning. Instead we will hit a park since the weather is so nice. On the crafting front I have made some progress. The girls baby books are caught up - the photo portion anyway - and I have re-organized about 85% of their baby photos. I have started on my niece's birthday present and am pleased with it so far, and I am working on a fabric flower that I saw on this blog: http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/ (tutorial is on this blog: http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/). Unfortunately it is not turning out very well. I have stitched it together twice now and have torn it apart again. Third times the charm (I hope). The past two nights I have also made a large dent in the book I am reading: Living Simply: Choosing Less in a World of More by Joanne Heim. I am enjoying the book very much. Some ideas, no matter how simple, can be so evasive. Her book sheds light on simple ways to simplify. Now, having noted all the progress I made I am sure things will come to a screeching halt with the male half in the house. Why? Not sure, but that has been the trend. On Sunday a local park is hosting an international kite exhibit - I am thinking it will be a great family outing, and I hope to have some great photos to share.

Two sassy haircuts and one sad Mama

The girls had their third haircut yesterday, but it should actually count as their first official haircut since there was a definite loss of hair for the first time! Underneath those light brown fly-aways and wayward curls were two little girls. Where did my toddlers go?

The sassy, spunky little girls that entertain me daily now have haircuts that suit them. Their sudden toddler-to-little-girl metamorphosis is enough to make me cry.

On our move: we have a contract on our house, the inspection & appraisal have taken place, and we have a contract on a house in TX as of today! We should be in TX by the first of April. Lots of stuff still needs to happen, but things are going well!

a mom's worth

According to Redbook magazine, a mom's worth is estimated to be $761,650.00. All you moms run and check your bank balance. Their point was that would be the annual salary for mothers if we were paid in dollars for all we do. I have always worked, until this past month. For the past three years I worked from home on a part-time basis and could only perform my duties during nap time or after they were in bed for the night. I miss my little paycheck, but I don't miss the additional stress it provided while trying to juggle things or sitting down for a minute and thinking " I should be working right now". All the money I have made from all of my various jobs from babysitting at at 15 to underwriting at age 31 I can attest that motherhood is the hardest AND most rewarding. Money or no money.

Addition to my blog

I have added two links to the top of the left hand column. As if the myriad of blogs don't provide enough craft ideas and inspiration. There is always room for more!

Valentine blahs

This week is going by pretty quickly. Things are progressing with the sale of our house, and we may be making an offer on a house in TX tomorrow. Martin is a pretty good judge at stuff like this so I trust him to pick out our next place, but I do miss being involved (in person anyway). The nice thing is the home is new construction and almost finished except for the cosmetic stuff. So we may have some influence on what goes in. I should be feeling elated, but I am feeling so-so about it all. Very hum-drum. The girls received their good basket after waking up from naps. The little bags contained small stuff that they love and accumlate in their "purses" and then drag around the house. They also contained gummy bears. Those disappeard very quickly! It was fun to see them so excited about it all. Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Lastly, to anyone who has read previous posts & comments, I want to make a public apology to a fellow blogger for publishing her comment after she asked me not to. I believe everything has been remedied, and I have turned on the moderate comments option. Again - I am sorry.

Finishing what I started

I have completed a WIP that I started a while back. A yo-yo clip. I used Heather Bailey's tutorial http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com/ for the yo-yo and then just attached it to a mini clothes pin that I spray painted. I have larger clothes pins that I am going to do the same with. The larger ones will be attached to E & A's bedroom door to hang stuff (holiday cards, art projects, photos). I have an idea for the smaller ones but haven't started that project yet. Simple project, yes? Why did it take me so long? Well, I have made a bunch of yo-yos and am acquiring quite the collection. It just took me a while to put the yo-yo to use. Another WIP: baby books. I spent a chunk of time going through photos last night to put in the still unfinished baby books. I think I will try to work on those this afternoon during naps. Unless I decide to take a nap too.

On the hunt

We are officially looking for a house in TX. So far nothing has knocked our socks off and the TWO that we did like (out of about 30) already have contracts on them. Martin is working with a realtor and I am sending her "requirements" that I would like in our next house. Our last house was a 1931 bungalow style home with original floors, plaster walls & ceilings, a huge basement, one tiny bathroom and two tiny bedrooms. We renovated the kitchen with stainless appliances, marble counter tops and more cabinets than the lil' kitchen every dreamed of having. We also converted the attic space into a master suite. Sadly, we never used the master bedroom space. My husband accepted a job in FL so we scurried to finish the house, put it on the market, and moved out. It was very unsatisfying, but it sold quickly and we moved on.

This house is on the other end of the spectrum. Larger, newer, stucco- very Florida. We moved in, painted a couple rooms and that has been about it. While trying to decide what I want in the next house I am realizing what I am attached to in this house. One of the things is the kitchen pantry. I have never had a walk-in pantry and I love it. There are shelves for food, small appliances, cookbooks, baskets to hold my linens, hooks to hold my aprons, and it once served as our hurricane haven. This story is one of my husband's favorites: our girls were born August 9, 2oo4 - hurricane season. I was released from the hospital on the 11th. We came home that Wednesday with the intent of nesting for awhile. Friday, August 13th (coincidence?) hurricane Charlie struck Central FL with a vengeance. The night of the storm we holed up in the pantry since it was the safest place to be. My husband put large pillows on the floor and I tucked myself in the very back with our tiny babies and tried to contain my nervousness. I can remember placing one baby in my lap and nursing the other. I was hot and sweaty since we had already lost power and it was Florida in August. Meanwhile my husband would duck out to peek at the winds and videotape the happenings, then sit back in the pantry for a while. I can't remember how many hours we were in there, but I just remember thinking how much I would rather still be in the hospital. I am sure our girls will hear this story many times. All of our first memories of parenting and all of their firsts have happened in this happy house. Once again, the time to move on is nearing.

Cold pancakes, cold coffee

We eat in a lot. I prepare three meals a day about every day. This scenario is the norm: I cook, make plates for both girls, cut up their food, get them a drink, put on bibs, get them in their high chair (which are about to be scratched from the equation since the girls are about too big for them) and they start to eat. By the time I have gotten back to the stove to prepare my plate they have a request for a different color fork or spoon, more drink, more whatever so I tend to them. And finally, when I get my plate and sit to eat, my food is often less than hot. This isn't a complaint, just a fact. This morning was no different. The menu was blueberry pancakes (I love The Joy of Cooking recipe) and a latte for me, OJ and pancakes for the girls and Martin. My pancakes were cold and very unappealing which worked out fine since the girls ate most of them anyway (why is it they are quickly finished and can't be persuaded to eat another bite while in their chairs, but once they are free and able to walk & eat they can't get enough of whatever is on my plate?).

I think Holly Golightly called hers "the mean reds". Breakfast at Tiffany's has been a favorite movie for a long time. I discovered it in high school and instantly fell in love with it. In the movie she used the term mean reds to describe her agitated, not-fitting-into-a-groove mood. Not depressed, not angry, just sad and out of sorts. Today I have the mean reds. I know it is because Martin is leaving again tomorrow. He will be gone for 12 days before coming back home. I hope he will be able to remain home until the move takes place, but his March travel schedule has not been decided. It takes the girls and I about 2-3 days to adjust after he leaves. Three days is a long time with a cranky mama & two cranky toddlers. We did have a great morning at the park, and I am sure we will have another outing after naps - we're getting in our daddy-time while he is here.

Knots

I have had knots in my stomach for days now. The stress is getting to me, and I know it won't completely go away until we are settled in another house and back in our old groove. Inspections happened yesterday and ours went well other than some minor things. Thank God my husband is handy. All our "conditions" should be repaired by days end. Our buyers had some larger issues, but I think things could still work out fine. Until I know for sure I will have knots!
My days are filled with phone calls to movers, our realtor calling, me calling her, trips to Goodwill, list making. My downtime is spend reading blogs. I have said it before, but there are some crafty ladies out there and they inspire me to make great things. I am really looking forward to finding a new home and making it our own. My crafty attempts are stalled for now, but will resume once things slow down. First thing on my agenda after relocating are sewing lessons! Of course there will be researching preschools, finding a gym, a church, some other misc. activities for the girls, but THEN there will be sewing lessons. Off to call the movers - again.

Public notice

Well, our neighbors will now know. Our realtor put up the sale pending sign today. We have a contract - just shy of six months on the market! The inspection is Thursday and it is contingent on the sale of our buyer's house. Apparently the couple purchasing their house is pretty particular so I am a little nervous about them, but hey, this is better than the alternative. Now, my husband and I are a tad superstitious. If there is a deal in the works or the opportunity of something good coming our way we DO NOT talk about it for fear of jinxing the situation. We really aren't superstitious about anything else, but we do see eye-to-eye on this tactic. In my mind, by having the sale pending sign posted we are inviting bad luck. Crazy? I just keep saying my prayers and hoping for the best. I am hoping I will feel a sense of relief after the inspections since I haven't felt it yet.

On another note, http://allisonstrine.etsy.com has some very cute stuff on her site. I ordered a pendant after reading about her at http://maizehutton.com. Her jewelery has lot so color and is very whimsical. I have her bookmarked for some upcoming birthdays!

Problems posting photos.

The past two posts I attached photos to upload, but both times it didn't post successfully. I am trying again. This is Erika at about 9 months before a swim lesson.

Cleaning House

I am a little clutter-phobic. I am not sure why, although I have some ideas, but it is something that is getting worse vs. better. Part of it is the girls. It is sooo easy to accumulate stuff with little ones. But, I make an effort to keep it to a minimum. Our girls do not have a lot of toys, but they have more than they could play with on any given day. Just how little they do have was very apparent this weekend. I am a member of a mothers-of-multiples club here in town. I joined while pregnant with the girls so I could have a better understanding of what it would be like to have twins and to meet other women since I was no longer working outside of the home. It has been a great experience; there are so many amazing moms! Three times a year the members host a garage sale of sorts that is open to the public. This was my first time participating. We can only sale maternity, baby/ child clothes, equipment, toys. At each sale 25 members participate (the total club has about 200 members). Friday night we set everything up in the church gymnasium - it was astounding. There were mounds of toys on several tables, racks and racks of clothes for boys & girls, books, baby tubs, breast pumps, You name it and it was probably there. My clutter-phobia kicked into high gear, and I was determined not to bring anything home other than a check! The girls are 2 1/2 so I had a lot of clothes, some shoes and only a couple of toys (although in hind sight I really should have gotten rid of more toys). During the sale on Saturday I talked to women who were pregnant with singletons, twins & triplets, some had their little ones in tow, lots of grandparents, foster parents. It was great. Our clutter, was going to someones home to be made useful again. I feel great having cleared out some stuff, made a little money and everything is being recycled. Win- win.
One another note. We have a pool which was a requirement for both of us when house hunting a few years back. It is up to code and has a baby gate which we have always used, until we started showing our house. "It shows better with the gate down" was the comment of several realtors. So, we took it down. The girls have had safe-start swimming lessons, but again, they are 2 1/2 so we are always uneasy having them outside with the gate down. Wednedsay, little Erika took a dive while reaching for her cup she was playing with. Everyone panicked. Ainslee was screaming "sissy", Erika was just screaming, and Martin and I scrambled to get her out. The lessons kicked it beautifully - her head never got wet and she held on like a champ, but let me tell you. What a scare. A little while later I heard Erika giggling in the living room while I was in the kitchen cooking and I thought to myself: "If I never heard that precious giggle again . . .". We have both been rethinking our desire to have another pool once we move. This definitely confirmed my opinion!