potty talk, spring time, and other things . . .

"You are a poopy!" 

This is her new favorite thing to say. I hear it several times a day. I have never had a problem with a potty mouth child before, not as consistently as is the case with this one anyhow. 

So far nothing I have tried is working. 

I work hard to teach my children to be kind, and take care of their siblings. 

Truth be told (although I won't ever admit it to her) most of the time when she says it, someone is acting rather poopy! 

We will keep working at it.

I have been chilled to the bone since coming home from Hawaii. 

I have not been able to adjust very well. We were only gone seven days. 

I think it is all in my head. Even so, I miss being HOT! 

But spring is here. And it brings many good things. 

The frogs are coming out . . . 

. . . And boys are coming in from a good, long play outdoors (right where little boys should be!) VERY DIRTY!

Along with frogs those dirty little hands carry spring's first flowers. 

My heart is grateful to bursting every time one of these boys gives me a freshly picked flower. 

Umbrellas. 

My children have a particular fascination with umbrellas, as I am sure most kids do. 

I, however, dread spending money on something I just know (without a doubt) will be broken within days. 

But when I saw these in the dollar store, I did not mind in the least spending that looney on a girl who has patiently waited for one for about a year now. 

So far, so good. 

It goes with her, rain or shine, to the library, to the grocery store, while playing games with her momma, and even to bed! One of the most rewarding dollars I ever spent. 

We were able to go to the airport and welcome home one of our most favorite people. 

After two long years serving a mission, Kevin is home! We love you. 

Everyday I am grateful for a safe, warm, comfortable home in which to raise my family. 

Some days, however, I feel squished. We have five children in two bedrooms.  

One room housing three girls and all their stuff can become quite cramped. 

We do not have the space, nor do I have the personality to be pack-rattish. 

We regularly purge and organize. 

This is the only way we don't drown in our things, and I stay sane.  

Most of the time we do a pretty good job at keeping things tidy . . . 

. . . sometimes we don't. And we go to bed too tired to pick up.

 Although only two share this space - the same goes for the boys room. Our goal (or should I say 

my goal) is to be neat and organized - but some nights it is just easier to admit defeat and go to bed! 

  They do ask sometimes you know - If they can have their own rooms. As if rooms just appear when you beckon. I look them in the eyes, give them a smile and ask, 

"Would you trade your brothers and sisters for your own room?" They always say, "No!" 

But somehow when children are tucked into their beds for the night, and I go around and kiss each one, It does not seem so tight, it just seems perfect for us.

 My house is in desperate need for a fresh coat of paint . . . everywhere.

I started with the mantle. It was painted to look antique and rustic, which was cute 

seven years ago when we moved in, but over the years it has just begun to look old and dusty. 

It turned out really beautifully. It inspired a furniture rearrangement and new accessories. 

Not new really, I shopped the house, moved some things around, tried painting my coffee table, twice (which for the record did not work out, 

it has now, once again, been painted white) it feels like a fresh, new, clean space.  

We have been busy as ever attempting to homeschool. 

We learned all about edges, faces, and vertices today. 

 That led to castle building, naturally!

Happy spring, and everything else.

trim

 The staining is almost done. We just have the 2 very most high peaks of the house to do. I cannot reach them, even with the highest ladder, so Darren is going to finish the job. I haven't minded doing the work up until this point. It was hard, balancing on the top of a ladder and on peaks of the roof, contorting myself into inhuman positions, pinching my neck and back up as I went, but in the end I feel such a sense of accomplishment. Not in a prideful way. The entire time, as I would look around to see just how many more shingles I had to go and began to believe I would never finish, I changed my thinking and began to be grateful for a body that would allow me to work long and hard.
This morning we woke up early to add the trim to the windows. The windows never had trim around them, ever. It has always looked unfinished. I have been looking forward to this for a long time, but the staining had to come first, yet another motivator.

 You can see in this picture below the dark water and weather stains on the shingles between the windows. 

These did not get stained, because we knew we were covering them up anyhow.

That is what the whole house used to look like despite a good power washing.

Still more to do, but for now we are off to Walmart to get supplies, of the school variety that is - it starts today!

peachy keen

We finished the bed, for those who have asked. As much as I like the color, I am still adjusting. I find myself walking into the room and pausing, walking back out, standing in the hallway and looking back in. 

I am in need of advice. I have tried to decorate this room several times over the 6 years we have lived here, and every time I lose steam because I can see it going in a direction I am not loving, or because I have run out of inspiration, or because I have loads of inspiration but I am unsure as to how to apply it. 

I have a ton of questions - 

Do I paint the picture frames and the curtain rods? What color?

Do I get white blinds or natural wood? 

Do I make curtains? What kind? Or do I forget about curtains altogether and just go with blinds? 

Do I embrace this peach that has become a pit of uncertainty, or begin again? 

These are not life altering questions, they are barely even important. But I want to be done, once and for all (for now), not for me, but for the 3 little ladies who share this space and call it theirs. I want this to be a place for them to love and imagine and dream and play. Problem is I have been looking at this room for so long - I need a fresh set of eyes and an unattached opinion. 

Have you got one? Please share......