Night Owl

I've been trying to get my night owl body used to going to bed at a decent time.

It's not going so well.

When you've been blessed with an "up and at 'em" kind of kid (like, 5:30 am up and at 'em), night owl tendencies don't really jive well with that. So, as a result, I end up drinking way more caffeine than I should just to make it through the morning. :)

And tonight, we set up the Christmas tree and headed to bed. My early bird hubby was out like a light...if I was ok with going to bed at 9 pm he'd be a happy camper. Me, on the other hand? I sat there tossing and turning and not getting a wink of sleep.

So, here I sit.

Knowing full well I should be in bed so that I can keep up with a very active LBB tomorrow, but unable to even will myself to sleep. I was too cold. I was too hot. My blankets were twisted. Dear Sweet Hubby was hogging the blankets. I had too much blanket by my face. The pillow is flat. Yadda, yadda, yadda. :)

I tried praying, and that didn't even relax me.

Here I sit, then, hoping that if I spend a significant amount of time playing around on the internet (and let's face it, looking at house stuff...I'm obsessed), I'll hopefully fall asleep.

Wish me luck, friends. :)

To Infinity and Beyond

photo from disney.com

LBB is a Pixar nut. Words can't begin to describe how much he loves Cars, and now his love has extended to Toy Story.

And his favorite?

Buzz, of course. :) My sweet little almost 2 year old does a wonderful buzz impersonation where he sets the "laser" on his arm, and then proceeds to flying around the house making whooshing sounds. It's adorable. And when he is watching Toy Story, which is now a daily thing, he gets excited when Buzz is shown for the first time. And at the part where Buzz realizes he is a toy and that he can't fly, my sweet LBB says in the most sympathetic voice: "Buzz?"

It's adorable...I love seeing LBB turn into a little boy who VROOOMS like Lightening McQueen and flies like Buzz Lightyear. It's all those little stepping stones that show his imagination is beginning to blossom. There's days that I'm very nostalgic that he is getting so big so fast, and then there are those moments when I can't do anything but stop and smile when he pretends he is Buzz.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

From our family to yours, best wishes

for a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!

We hope the day brings plenty of family love,

time to reflect on all you've been blessed with,

and a nice full belly at the end of the day!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

LBB is NOT Happy With Me

I made him go to bed. On time.

And, despite his repeated efforts, with a minimal amount of bedtime tv.

Sigh.

He's been playing this game the past few nights where we give him his bedtime snack, he doesn't touch it, and then as we say "It's time for bed" (with multiple "warnings" in between), he immediately starts fussing that he's hungry and wants his snack. So...we give in. What parent wants to send their kid to bed hungry?

Tonight, I let him have his favorite snack. He ate one bite and then ignored it, but as soon as I said bedtime, guess who was starving. And for toast. Because, you know, you have to cook toast.

So, I brought him in his room. Gave him a piece of toast, and said we could read a story while he ate his toast. LBB was not a fan of that. But, after 5 minutes of yelling in his room, he is now quiet.

He's either asleep (which is very possible...his eyes were closed as he was yelling), or he's eating the piece of toast I left in there for him. Sigh. I hate rough nightimes. :-(

But, I know he's just testing us to see what we'll let him get away with...but I can say, I do hope he sleeps through the night tonight. For some reason he's reverting back to waking up multiple times a night. Yawn. This momma is beat.

What bedtime stall tactics do your kiddos have? I thought I was good at stalling for bedtime when I was little, but LBB has me beat. :)

Yikes...

I keep getting behind. :) On both thankful thoughts AND pinterest challenge posts! Not to mention that I'd really like to just blog about something else...what, I'm not sure...but there just isn't enough time in the day. Right now though, I'll get caught up on my thankful thoughts before I go relax a bit while LBB sleeps.

It's been a crazy few days, so things have been a little all over the place. :-) You know how that goes!

My thankful thoughts are:

Monday: I'm thankful for my husband's safety. A few days ago, our sweet little car that we've had for 8 years (and was 3 years old when we bought it with 55000 miles on it) started making a few little tapping noises. My hubby figured out what things it could be and planned on fixing it this morning. Then, on his way home from work Sunday night, in a foggy little snowy patch in the middle of a field, Dear Sweet Hubby broke through a bit of fog only to see a nice little doe standing smack dab in front of the car. He naturally slammed on his brakes, and thankfully missed the deer, saving himself from any injury. But...

...poor little Focie (our Ford Focus' nickname, haha), wasn't so lucky. That tapping that was worrisome but we planned on fixing pretty easily quickly turned into something worse. And by the time, my hubby pulled into the parking lot at his work Monday morning, he couldn't even turn the car right, and the tapping had become a TERRIBLE thunking noise. Then, something broke off and the car made this nice "whirring" noise. And, with that, Focie was done.

Now, the car is totally fixable. BUT. In good condition, we could trade it in for only $1500 or so. Just to fix this one issue would be around $1300 or so when all is said and done. Despite the fact that we love that little car, it's time to let her go.

And be thankful, because had that ball joint and CV shaft busted when Dear Sweet Hubby was driving in traffic on the interestate, and he could have gotten into a serious mess, and caused some serious damage to him and the car.

I'm so thankful to God that He was watching over my hubby that night when the deer was trying to be a roadblock, and by having that very important part break in the parking lot and not while we are commuting.

And today's thankful thought? I'm thankful for new opportunities out of what could be seen as a bad situation. We are fortunate enough to have a second car. It's a clutch, so I lack the skills to drive it, but we will be able to make do for a while. It will take some planning and a little patience, but I think we can easily make it until June at the latest, which is around the time we were going to start car hunting anyways. There are a lot of small circumstances that make this situation, and all of them but one are good, so all in all, what seemed pretty cruddy isn't bad at all. :-)

OK...so I'm caught up on that. Now to try to get caught up on my pinterest challenge. Maybe tonight when LBB is in bed...but for now I'm going to go watch some Mighty Machines Diggers and Dozers with my little guy.

A snowy Sunday thankful thought

Last night, I had about 18 thankful thoughts go through my head. It was a wonderful sort of night. :)

We got snow in our neck of the woods! It was that lovely, first dusting of the year, when everything is fresh and new. We put the radio station on that plays Christmas music, which is always an exciting thing, and enjoyed the wintery goodness.

Dear Sweet Hubby and LBB played outside in the snow (but only for a few minutes...Mommy forgot LBB's gloves at PaPa and GiGi's. Whoops.) After LBB went to bed, Dear Sweet Hubby and I spent some quality time with our new Wii. :)

It was a wonderful night...so I'm having a tough time choosing just one thing to be thankful for.

So...I'd have to say my thankful thought for today is:

I'm thankful for every moment that God blesses us with. Each one is special. Each one is to be cherished. And each one is a gift from the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

I'm beyond amazed to think that the One who made the stars and each perfect snowflake makes sure that I'm thought of. That is quite an awe-inspiring thing. Sometimes I get distracted and think about the things that are "missing" in life...second child, our own home, and whatnot. But it's those nights like last night that make me remember how wonderfully I've already been blessed.

I hope that today brings you loads of joy and happiness! As for me, I'm going to go enjoy some quality time with LBB on this snowy day...and get some work done on this week's homeschool stuff. Have a wonderful Sunday!!!

(And I plan on posting two days worth of Pinterest challenges later on today. Check back later!)

Thankful Thoughts Catch Up

Whoops! I didn't even realize I ran a few days behind on my thankful thoughts! So, time to catch up. :)

Thankful Thought #17: I'm thankful for naps and Pepsi...without them I don't think I could function. I suppose going to bed earlier would probably do just as well...but that doesn't seem to work very well for me. HaHa. So, until I get into a routine of going to bed earlier (we are starting by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each day), naps and Pepsi are going to have to do it. :)

Thankful Thought #18: I'm thankful for new opportunities. I think I mentioned before that Dear Sweet Hubby is the store manager of a new store that opens in February, and it's so exciting to see the process and know that the team he hires is his choice. Last night we drove up to where his new store is to see the progress, and it's amazing to see how the store is coming along knowing that my hubby will be the one who opens it. I can only imagine how excited he is. :)

Thankful though #19: I'm thankful for LBB hugs...they really are the best hugs. :)

Yay! All caught up! Check back tonight for my Pinterest Challenge blog post.

Oh, and guess what?!?!?! This is my 200th blog post! Thank you to each of you who reads my little old blog...there are times when I know that there aren't a ton of people reading my blog, but that is just fine with me. I know the people that stop by here that like my blog, and that means a lot.

Pinterest 30 Day Challenge Day 4

Today's challenge was a bit of bust. I saw this pin and immediately thought of my gross showerhead...what a simple way to clean that grungy thing! But...after letting it sit ALL day, I came home to just a stinky bathroom and no clean shower head.

Sigh...here's picture of my gross showerhead after I spent all day letting it soak in vinegar. Ah, well, you win some, you lose some, right? :)

And yes, I posted this, much to the chagrin if Dear Sweet Hubby. :) I have to be real about the whole challenge, right?

Pinterest 30 Day Challenge Day 3

I have been wanting to make an advent calendar for a long time now, and when I saw this pin, I fell in love. What a good idea to use activities instead of gifts! After a quick tutorial on how to cut fabric with my cricut, I went to work. To be honest, this took me a few days of work in between other projects, but it was pretty simple! And so much fun...some of our activities are to go see Santa, go sledding with Daddy, and bake cookies for a neighbor.

Pinterest 30 Day Challenge---Day 2

I love my new fall boots. And I was pretty much convinced to buy them after countless pins in my style board that consisted of the same type of boot. :)

So I got the boots. I got the leggings.

But you can't wear leggings everyday. And I am convinced that there is not a single pair of skinny jeans made out there that fits me just right...so when I saw this pin I knew I had to give it a shot. So, I grabbed an old pair of baggy boot cut jeans that I bought right after LBB was born and went to work.

And here's the results: (Sorry for the cruddy pic...it's nearly impossible to take a picture of yourself with a toddler grabbing at you. This was seriously the best one I could get.)

Yay! Skinny jeans that actually fit!!!! THANK YOU PINTEREST! :)

Phew!

This has been a busy morning...

We took 5 rubbermaids, a backpack carrier, pack n' play, exersaucer, and a few other big toys, sorted through them, and Dear Sweet Hubby is bringing them to the kids consignment shop (but not really one because they pay up front).

That's 2 years worth of sweet baby boy stuff. :) But...it's really doing no good taking up storage space in the garage and play space in his room, especially with his Birthday and Christmas coming.

I always have a hard time going through his things, so I tend to save more than I sell, but this time we finally are at a point where we know that despite our attempts to get pregnant with a second blessing, there is no telling when or if that will actually happen...so what is the point of holding onto all that stuff?

I ended up keeping one rubbermaid's worth of stuff of LBB's...the cute little sleepers he was so cuddly in as a newborn. The adorable little blue suede boots that looked so dapper on his tiny feet. And the sweet little rattle he always had to hold onto. :) It was a hard morning in some aspects, but freeing at the same time. Now, our little guy is surrounded with toys that are evidence of his "big boy" status.

And while I know 2 is still very young, it's so much different from when he was first born. He plays with trains. He builds with duplos. He uses construction equipment like it's meant to be used. He races Hot Wheels.

He's a big boy.

Definitely not my little 8 pound bundle that I was holding in my arms 2 years ago. As his birthday nears, I've been filled with nostalgia and trying to steal as many hugs as I can.

They really do grow up too fast...here's to slowing down and enjoying each and every moment. :)

Pinterest Challenge Day 2 (well, sort of)

I can't post my pinterest challenge today because my cat is sleeping on it. So, it sits there being a cat bed when it should be handing nicely on the wall having pictures taken of it.

But that's ok.

She's comfy. It's Cat #1 and she's a sweet old girl so we pretty much let her do what she wants. :) I'll take pics tomorrow, along with my Pinterest day 3 project.

But, I do have my thankul thought! Today I'm thankful that my Dear Sweet Hubby's BIG store walk with the CEO of his company went AWESOME!!!!! I personally think he is an awesome store manager, but I may be biased. ;) But for him to hear it from the big-wigs....well, that's just amazing.

Goodnight!!!!

Misleading

It is a gloriously sunny day outside, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why the house felt so chilly! Even sitting here curled up in a quilt, I can't quite fight the chill...

...and then I glanced at the thermometer outside and saw a whopping 32 degrees. :) Ah, it's winter in the northland.

Right now, I'm excited for it, as all northeners tend to be. (That is, of course, one of the reasons we live up this way.) And of course, I'll be dancing a happy dance with LBB once the flakes start sticking to the ground.

But.

Don't talk to me in February about the snow. Because I can tell you right now, by that point, I'm sick of the snow and cold and ice and grayness. :) Where I grew up we'd get snow, but then we'd get chinooks...so one day it'd be freezing and snowy and the next day it'd be close to 50. But here, winter is from November to April...and sometimes even May, and it is NON-STOP.

But, I love it. If I didn't I'd be urging Dear Sweet Hubby to get a job in a warm climate. And as LBB gets older, I'm really looking forward to all the fun things a northern winter can bring...sledding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, snowman building, and hanging out in snow forts. :)

Yep. It may be sunny outside today, but that chill that is in the air is full of promise of snow very very soon.

I love where we live. :)

Pinterest Challenge Day 1

I started off with this pretty simple project, but it was on my Christmas Gifts to Make board, so I thought it'd be a good one to do today. :) Not to mention...I've got all this cute scrap fabric that I keep picking up, and never know quite what to do with it.

So, here's the little Sleeping Bags I made for LBB's Bearemy and Ni-Ni, both of whom seem to really dig them. And in fact, I had to resist from letting LBB con me into giving it to him sooner than Christmas, but I can proudly say that it is tucked away and Mommy didn't give in. :)

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and it's hard to tell in the photo but I even did a little quilting on the top. Bearemy's Outer Space sleeping is sporting some swirlies (like spaceship trails), and Ni-Ni's Batman bag is super cute with it's chevron-like stitchs. :)

These will be perfect for Christmas because I have it on good authority that LBB will be receiving a super cute sleeping bag of his own for Christmas...now he can have campouts in his little tent in his room with Bearemy and Ni-Ni.

And, I better add my thankful thought for today! Day 15 of thankful thoughts is: I'm thankful for the mess in my house today. There are train tracks covering all of the living room and into the hallway. There are cars scattered about. There are tractors and trucks lined up in LBB's bedroom. And it all is proof that my little guy has been busy playing, learning, and having a blast. I'll be the first to admit that I love having a clean house, but the days that LBB is busy at toddler work are the best days. :)

Pinterst 30 day challenge

So, I was on pinterest the other day (shocking, right?) and I came across a pin about this very creative lady who was doing a 30 Day Pin Challenge. And I pinned it and moved on. But then tonight, after spending probably way too much time pinning way too much cute stuff, I realized that I'm pinning more than I'm doing. And maybe that challenge might be a good idea.

I currently have 109 pins just in my crafty lil' things folder. That's completely separate from my recipes, LBB crafts, Preschool activities, sensory bins, home decor, clothing, garland, and yadda yadda yadda. Needless to say, there are tons of projects I could do.

So, I'm going to embark on my own 30 day challenge tomorrow. I am only going to do the simpler ones for now, mostly because it is the holiday season, and I don't want to overwhelm myself with all the other things going on. Who knows...maybe after this I'll want to do it again in a few months. :)

Wish me luck! I'll post my first project tomorrow night...now to go decide which one to do.

And I just have to add...this is my 96th post this year!!! What's so special about that, you may ask? Well, my goal at the beginning of the year was to write more than I did last year. And then our computer crashed, and I was sure it wouldn't happen. But...last year I wrote 96 posts, so this means I completely achieved my goal!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

Organization

That's my thankful thought today! I'm thankful for organization. Who isn't, right?

Well, I suppose messy people aren't. But me? I love it. Sometimes I'm not as organized as I'd like to be. Sometimes I'm obsessively organized. But there are those moments where a light bulb goes off above my head and I can appreciate my home for what it is, part relaxed, part organized...just the right mix of mess and structure.

And then there are those parts that are, um, not organized. My constant trouble spots...bedroom closet, anyone? Good golly...you should see that mess. Well, you won't, because if by some chance you do come over, that is my "clutter ninja spot." The spot where things go to get lost for an indefinite amount of time when I need to put something away in a jiffy, only to be found again in a frantic treasure dig through the closet.

We're working on it though, because I have big plans for that closet space. So, that's my thankful thought today because I'm about to tackle that nightmare in my closet in hopes of making it into a sweet little office nook for my hubby and I (with some rearranging of a few other places in the house to accomodate our clothes until we can possibly buy a new wardrobe.) I'll make sure to take some before and after pics so you can see that I am not joking about the mess. :)

Living in the small space we live in, we've learned through the years that organization is key. The best thing? When we finally do buy a house that is sure to have a little more space than our apartment, we will be in serious business because we'll already know how to organize and make the best use of the little space we do have.

So, tell me? Are you organized? Messy? OCD organized?

Whoops.

I didn't get back on here. And there's lots I'm thankful for...but...now I'm tired and my brain is foggy again. :)

However, I do think I can say that I am thankful for this: (Making this Thankful thought #13) I'm thankful for moments of understanding, moments of quiet, and moments of knowing that God is showing you something you've been missing. And I'm even more thankful that there is a peace in finally stepping back and seeing something for what it is. :)

And with that thankful thought...I'm going to sign off. I know it's a vague thought, and it's something that has been a pretty big deal in our lives for awhile. But...it's one of those things that I'm not ready to share. :) I don't know if I will be able to share it anytime soon, but rest assured (just in case you were worried), everything is fine, and we really are at a point where we are learning true contentedness. That's an amazing feeling.

So, good night!

I Think Too Much

And when I think too much, my brain starts to argue with itself, and I end up being up at 1:15 am listening to the two sides of my brain argue back and forth.

Sheesh. Quiet down, thoughts. ;)

Well, really, I'm up right now because LBB was fussing just a bit and I'm making sure he gets back to sleep ok. Before that, I was just getting ready to stop spending way too much time on pinterest and head to bed. Really. I was. (OK...I may be fibbing. If you hear of a "Pinterest Anonymous" group let me know...I might know someone who could use a little help.)

But, then LBB fussed because he fell asleep in front of his bedroom door, which I am sure is not comfortable after a while. The worst thing? He CHOOSES to fall asleep there. We put him back in bed, and he immediately tried going back to the door (while he was still mostly asleep, mind you). He even managed to argue that he wanted to sleep by the door.

Sorry, Buster. Not gonna happen.

And trying to get him back in bed is not easy when he falls asleep by the door. Mostly because he literally falls asleep-RIGHT BY THE DOOR! As in, most of the time his sweet little face is 1 inch from it. So, thankfully I am still pretty skinny and can squeeze my way through a 5 inch opening (I think I may try out for Cirque de Soleil...I'm sure that is one of their acts), because if not he'd be sleeping by the door everynight. I always have to stick my arm in, turn and scootch him over a bit without waking him, make sure his face isn't pushed against the door, and then shimmy through the doorway. I don't know why he likes to sleep there...I'm sure it partly has to do with the fact that all his Cars are in their door organizer and he loves to drive them around while he falls asleep. I think it may also be due to the fact that he can then hear Mommy and Daddy while he nods off. And...he's LBB and LBB does things a little differently sometimes.

Do your kiddles have any strange sleeping habits? Please make me feel better here and leave a comment! :)

But for now, I think LBB is asleep, so I'm going to go hit the sack too. Hopefully my brain decides to cooperate...I'm tired of listening to it argue back and forth. ;) Goodnight!

(And I suppose since it is technically Sunday, I should do my thankful thought....but I'm tired. And if I blog it right now, it will be "I'm thankful for my pillow, my blanket, and my fat white cat that likes to cuddle up at bedtime." I think that's a pretty good thankful thought, but I'll get back on here later today when I'm not half asleep.)

Elmo & Jason Mraz

We are big Jason Mraz fans in our household. And LBB is a BIG Elmo fan. So, it makes complete sense that LBB is nuts about this video...it's on his Best of Elmo 2 dvd, and it's definitely one of our favorites. :) And whenever he hears "I'm Yours" on the radio (which is often...it's Mommy's relaxing song, haha), he calls it "ELMO!" It's adorable!!!!

And while this blog is titled "Little Boy Blue" there is also that little bit called "and Mommy too." So, here's Mommy's version of the ELMO! song. :)

Also, my thankful thoughts for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and today:


Thankful thought #9: Thankful that my hubby had a good, safe, and productive business trip this week. (That was one of the reasons for my internet break...I had him take the laptop with him.) He had training for his new store opening, and he came back even more excited for this opportunity.


Thankful thought #10: Thankful for a day off with Dear Sweet Hubby after he was out of town for 4 days. It's always nice to just relax and have fun at home after a few days apart.


Thankful thought #11: Thankful for my family...my Dad drove Dear Sweet Hubby down to the airport (and LBB and I so we could say goodbye) and picked him up, just so I wouldn't have to drive through the city. My Mom watched LBB on short notice Thursday morning while Dear Sweet Hubby and I got our flu shots and then did some pre-Christmas shopping for LBB. It means a lot knowing they are close by and there for us when we need them.

I'm Taking An Internet Break...

...but only for 4 days. I just have lots I want to get done, and I just need some decompression time. :) You know how that goes. My project list for Christmas gifts for LBB has been continually growing, and before I keep adding to it (darn you, Pinterest), I need to get a bunch of the ones I have started done!

But, I didn't want to skip any of my thankful thoughts for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. (My self-imposed internet boycott ends Wednesday evening...I'll be back then.) I'm going to do them right now so I stay caught up.

Thankful Thought No. 6: I'm thankful for the toddler boy giggles filling my house right now, and Dear Sweet Hubby's laughter right along with him. They are goofing off right now and being complete goofs. It's so fun to watch them.

Thankful Thought No. 7: I'm thankful for my pretty, bright red KitchenAid mixer. I bought it 8 years ago, and am still in love with it. :) Is it wrong to love a kitchen appliance? I don't think so.

Thankful Thought No. 8: I'm thankful for toddler conversations. :) I love that LBB is at the stage where he is beginning to converse with us. He'll point to something, I'll answer him, and he'll respond. I love it.

I've been thinking alot today about how this age is such a fun age...I love watching LBB grow into a little guy (even though it makes me super sentimental.) He is chatty, brave, courageous, creative, outgoing, funny (make that hilarious), and troublesome all in one little package. It's wonderful.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to not going online...although it will be a bit odd. Have a great few days and I'll "see" you on Wednesday!

Happy Saturday!

Thankful Thought #5:

I'm thankful that Dear Sweet Hubby is leaving work a bit early today!!!! I love having him home, so I NEVER complain when he tells me he scheduled himself to leave earlier than normal, even if it's only 1 hour. :)

Not only is it a treat for me, but it's a treat for LBB because there are more hours before bedtime. Tonight they are going to go play outside a bit, and then we have a few things we need to do out and about. Nothing exciting, but relaxing and wonderful at the same time. :)

Anyhoo...today is laundry day, and since we live in an apartment, we do laundry in the laundry room. Luckily, the laundry room is literally right down the hall from our door, so it's never a hassle. LBB brought his Little People dump trucks down to push around while I put the laundry in the washer, and then when we put the clothes in the dryer, he checked the lint trap, put it back in the dryer after he tapped it out over the trash can (even though there wasnt't anything in it), and then closed the door when the dryer was full. Gosh I love that boy...he constantly takes my breath away. :) It's really the simplest things, isn't it?

Those are the ones that make life wonderful.

A big thankful thought...and then a small thankful musing

Thankful thought no. 4:

I'm thankful that God blessed me with a husband who holds my hand when I am sad, pulls me close, and says it will all be ok. I'm thankful that I've been blessed with a husband that reminds me how blessed I am, just when I need to hear it, and not in a "You shouldn't be whining" kind of way. And I'm thankful that the husband I've been blessed with can focus on me when I know he is a sad about the same thing.

And to add to today's thankful thought...I'm thankful for my amazing Mom that lets me call her at 11:45 at night when I am in tears just to tell me that it will be ok. (And friends, please don't worry much...everything is fine. Just a little sad, is all.) Thank you, Mom. :)

And not on my list of thankful thoughts, I suppose, but I had to write about it tonight because it was one of those moments that made my heart melt into one giant puddle of Mommy goop.

Sunshine spilling on my sweet little boy's blonde noggin. Pine needles tickling his face. And a smile that can make any sad thought go away.

My sweet baby is not such a baby anymore...he is growing and becoming a sweet boy. He played underneath the big pine tree outside his window today...joyously running around the trunk. Pushing his Cars through the pine needles. And watching in awe as the first bird came to the birdfeeder he and Daddy made.

I'm blessed, and I know that. I struggle sometimes, wishing for something that is seemingly not meant to be right now. My human ways search for understanding, and when it can't be found, my frail heart begins to doubt.

But then, my sweet son hugs me and gives me sweet eskimo kisses. And I can hear God telling me that it will all be ok.

I apologize for the forlorn post tonight...thank you for reading it...and I promise soon I'll be back to normal.

Good night, dear reader.

Small Spaces

On the front of the IKEA catalog is something along the lines of "A home doesn't have to be big, just smart."

Amen, IKEA.

We're in the process of re-evaluating our apartment space...since we are a homeschooling family, our home looks a little different than other people's, especially since we don't work well with just keeping it at the dining room table. (Clearly the need for well-defined spaces is a common denominator in our little family. HaHa.)

We split our very long living room into two, making a small living room, and small homeschool area. But...

...it's feeling a little crowded and not quite conducive to learning and teaching. So, after a little debate, we are going to switch things up a bit. Long story short, we are planning on making what is the "dining room" the homeschool room. It makes no sense to me to have that large of a room for a place that we spend maybe 30 minutes a day. (Yes, we have the terrible habit of eating on the couch. We're working on it.)

So I've been getting lots of ideas that I want to incorporate into our little learning space to make it even more learning focused. I think it's going to turn out awesome, and if it doesn't? Well, then we move it right back. :) No big deal.

There are a few other projects in the works, like converting the freshly cleaned hall closet into an office nook for me so I can do my curriculum planning and what not in a designated space.

Plus, we get to paint in our apartment, and that makes everything a whole lot more interesting. :) The next few months will be filled with tailoring our home to fit us even more...and on a budget. I'll make sure to take some before/after pics and post them when I can!

Ah, I love decorating. :)

Thankful Thoughts #1, 2, and 3

A few years ago I did one of those Thankful Thoughts a day, and I saw a few posts on other places this year and it gave me a gentle reminder. I'm going to do it again...but this time, I'm not going to do the thankful thoughts that are the big thankful thoughts (like salavation, love, family members, and so on) because I think that if you read any moment of my blog you probably get the vibe that I'm thankful for all that. :)

So I am going to focus on the little moments. And since today is 23 minutes into November 3rd, I will post 3 thankful thoughts tonight.

1. I'm thankful for the sweet little boy who is now all over his croup. I was missing LBB's rambunctiouness and downright craziness. :)


2. I'm thankful for Dear Sweet Hubby listening me vent about everything that was irritating, and not even batting an eye. :) I'm sure he didn't care to hear about the same things 3 times in a row, but he is sweet, and he loves me, and it's those little things that he does that really make me realize it.


3. I'm thankful for surprise sweet hugs and an enthusiastic "LOVE YOU" from LBB. :) And then him grabbing my face to give me a big sloppy kiss. :)