Where Have I Been??

It's a good question, really.

I feel badly to fall behind on blogging...but life has been busy.  We have done Spring Break. We have had family visit. We have entertained quite a bit in our back yard as this is one of the best times of year back there. Spring and Fall in Georgia??? So. Lovely.

My little sister is engaged. (!!!) It's true!  She will start her new life with a wonderful man, AJ, sometime this Fall.  So my mind is happily swimming in wedding details and loving every second of it. 

We have had sickies. (Chlo had the flu over spring break...poor. girl.)

Eli has started going to school a couple days a week.When he is there, is said to love it...enjoy it...fit right in!  Of coarse, when he gets in the van he doesn't like it and never wants to return.  We have some things we are addressing with some challenges he is facing...it's all too new and a bit on the emotional side for me.  Maybe I will write more about it in the future???  Maybe not.

Had a hot date with Kevin in the ATL that involved tapas and salsa dancing lessons.  Oh. Yes. We. Did.

I have been on Pinterest maybe twice in the last three weeks. (thus, the lack of Pintentional Posts.)

Life has been full.  Mostly good full.  But full.

I am tired. 

I am needing to learn how to allow margin in my life.

I have decided that if I can not find the time to shower in a three day period that I am lacking margin.
(Good measure, yes?)

So.  This week: Shower at least 3 times. Go to bed before midnight every night. Savor my family.
This seems attainable.

Around the House This Week...

St. Patrick's Day and a little Pintentionality

For our third year running, we tried to catch a leprechaun.  Chloe is so into this.  She reminds us every year.  Her first grade teacher asked the whole class to make traps this year to share with the class...Chloe could not wait to get started.

This years trap was complete with a ladder to the upper deck, bed, table/couch, chair, TV and a washer and dryer.  Chloe was hoping the comfort level would have a luring effect on the leprechaun. 

According to the letter they wrote,  they did in deed  appreciate her attention to detail

and thought it to be one of the comfiest traps in town.

While we did not catch the little guys, we were amused by their creativity in thrashing the back yard.  Hammocks all topsy-turvy, bike propped up on a ladder and lawn chairs placed on top of the pergola.  What a mess.

Our favorite evidence was the footprints and green water in the toilet. 

I saw on Pinterest that other leprechauns did the same thing...must have been a union thing. 

Pintentional Post #8

Spring is in the air here in Georgia...
But after a few days of the sickies, I thought the house could use a little freshening up.

Found this idea on Pinterest and it smells fabulous!
Apparently it is supposed to smell like the Williams Sonoma store...I do not shop there often enough to vouch for that...but it smells awesome in my house!

All you need is:

a pot

a lemon

some vanilla extract

 some rosemary sprigs

and water

Simmer all day and have your house smell yummy!

At Christmas time I always simmer:

Clementine peelings and cinnamon in water

This is also a super yummy smell for the house!

Word to the Wise

Over the past 4 days we have become more acquainted with the necessity and beauty of this:

 It's a mattress cover. 

One of those fancy ones you buy at the mattress store. 

The one that they cut a small portion off of

and rubber band to the top of a jar filled with water to show how water proof it is.

Absolute. Necessity.

Not only are they liquid proof...

they are also chunk proof...

while that may be a little too much information...

it is still true.

So.

If you are not yet a parent...or a parent of a baby...

or have not been 'baptized' by a child's vomit yet...

When you transition to a 'big boy or girl' bed,

Do. Not. Skimp on the mattress cover.

I repeat:

DO. NOT. SKIMP.

You will be tempted to buy the cheaper one...

Buy the expensive one.

You will thank me.

And the mattress cover when the stomach flu visits your house at 11 pm...

and 12:30 am...

and 2:30 am...

and 6:00 am...

and 11 am...

Our only improvement would be to have the water proofness also wrap around the sides of the mattress.

They may offer this as the step up from the expensive mattress cover to the ridiculously expensive mattress cover.  I may be swayed to purchase the latter if I am ever in the market for another one.

Water proof mattress covers you are a sanity saver.

And Kevin...

You win the 'Best Daddy in the World' award.

Seriously brave in the face of projectile vomit and gracious in the cleaning it up.

You barely flinched while it dripped from your hands.

You. Are. A. Rock star.

So blessed that I get to watch you be the best Daddy on the planet.

Guess Who is Diving Into Her Pintentional Archives Already...

Me.  That's who.

So...I have started working part time.
Mostly from home. Only one day in the office.
Only 15 hours.
And my brain has felt like mush for the past two weeks because of it.

Also-working-outside-the-home-mothers...my respect for you has only increased over the past two weeks.

How do you handle the constant feeling of forgetting something...or letting someone down??
Does this go away?? Ever? Not ever?!?

Last week I had a melt down on the eve of Chloe's Valentine Party.
In my pre-working-part-time world, remembering on Sunday night that I have a party to organize would have freaked me out a little, but I would have been comforted by the knowledge of a sprawling Monday the day before the party.  Monday would then be deemed 'party planning/party errand running' day. And all would go my kind of smooth with all kinds of bumps along the way.

So, remembering on Sunday and working in the office all day Monday lead to a tiny melt down.  Both Sunday and Monday night.  Ok. Monday's may not have been so tiny.

You know how you are mentally aware that things are going to be stressful...so you prepare yourself...give yourself a little 'you can do this' pep talk and resolve to 'hold it together.'  And then totally blow it??

Me too.  As I was out with the masses on Valentine's Day Eve (seriously...why are you people out in droves?? Since when did Valentine's Day become Christmas???) I maneuvered the crowds, thought I misplaced my phone across town, drove back across town and returned home to find my phone sitting by my computer (only after I had cursed and judged the people at the previous store who would 'clearly steal my phone if given the opportunity', and finally bought the candy hearts that I had meant to buy at 3+ stores over the past 3 days.  Once home, I assembled C's Valentine bags, did a couple hours of work and then collapsed in bed.

The rest of the week was pretty touch and go.
This week has been better, but my brain is still adjusting to the new level of activity.  I am thankful for the work...so trying to keep my head and heart there even in the adjusting.

All of that to say...lacking in Pintentionality this week. 
But Chloe and I did this back at Christmas time for her gift to her classmates.  :)

 Hope your Winter Break is REFRESHING! Love, Chloe



This Valentine's Day Is Brought To You By Pinterest: Pintentional Post #7

Is it possible to O.D. on Pinterest??

If it is...Valentine's Day has proven me a junky.

We had Love Potion smoothies for breakfast this morning.

(Which I saw on Pinterest, but apparently did not pin...)

Chloe and I made this banner last week out of cereal boxes,

twine, doilies and scrapbook paper from the $1 bin.

Chloe's class Valentines this year:

Cello bags from the $1 bin filled with Goldfish Crackers and a note:

Of all the fish in the sea...

I'm glad we swim in the same SCHOOL!

I made these cute I Love You Valentines with the students in Chloe's class for their parents.

They were all very pleased with their finished products.

Lesson in sign language and symmetry in how to make a perfect heart.

We used party ideas and printables from this site.

I spent the entire day in Chloe's classroom.

The sugar consumption was off the charts.

I may be officially Valentined out.

No big date for us tonight.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner.

Maybe popcorn and a short movie.

Baths then bed for the kiddos. (maaaybe add the glowsticks again...)

Then plopping on the couch with Kevin to watch an inappropriate amount of television.

Happy Love Day.

I found myself praying through out the day...

Thank you, Lord, for loving us first.

We love, because You love.