Lifelong Learner

Two years ago, if you would have asked me what kind of tools I knew how to use, I would have responded, "a power drill, a sander, and a tile saw, with supervision."  Now my husband and I are arguing over who moved the tool out of it's usual location, who used all the screws, or who stole my drill bits, etc.

Albert Einstein said, "once you stop learning, you start dying."

When we moved into our current house, Will and I both knew it was outdated and was going to be a "fixer upper."  I spent the first year doing a lot of the easy cosmetic stuff such as painting, but I learned that I really hate painting large areas.  I don't have the patience; I just want it done.  I also decided that waiting on the hubby to get things done was not an option either.  He's busy working, bringing home the bacon to pay for all the repairs, and sometimes making repairs at rental units.  After looking at my ugly kitchen for months, I was tired of waiting on the hubby to get started, so I boldly said, "I'm going to start working on the kitchen, I can't make it look any uglier!"  So, I asked him to teach me to use the miter saw to help.  Then I needed a quick lesson on the nail gun.  After those two lessons...I was hooked.  I did cosmetically improve all the uppers in our kitchen this summer and enjoyed most of the time spent building and learning.  I've learned to use so many tools over the last few months and I love building things.  I still have to question myself and the hubby on the angled cuts, because "measure twice, cut once, right?"  In my case, have the hubby check behind you multiple times, then cut those angles!  I also have still only assisted in using the table saw...I mean, that's limb loss...eventually I'll get there.

Sometimes it's not about the books, or a college class, sometimes it's just about trying and learning something new.

Spring

Wow...we've been busy, but who hasn't?   We have survived the winter with very few illnesses or injuries.  Spring came with vengeance...a black eye and ridiculous allergy symptoms with all three children.   All three children are on allergy meds and two are taking regular asthma meds...tis the season!  Today was the first day of spring break and it was amazing!   We traveled to little Washington, honestly for a warehouse sale, but I will take any excuse to go to the waterfront!   It is beautiful!  We all went to the estuarium.  The estuarium was okay, but geared towards an older audience (as in 70+, jk, but older!).   The wildlife around the waterfront was awesome...the kids spotted multiple species of turtles, birds, and fish....we should've saved our money and just enjoyed a nature walk!  

We hope to have lots of big and amazing things to share this year, but at this point, time will tell!

2014 Year in Review

I can't believe another year has passed.  We've seen so many highs and a few lows.  This year started out with a pledge to blog more and that didn't happen.  We were all so busy with our jobs and life that blogging got away from us.   This year, we all ran our first 5Ks...yes plural for a reason; all of us ran at least 2!  We had so much fun doing it as a family!   We also had our first and second set of stitches!   I can't say "first trip to the children's Emergency Room," because Bella boo broke us in with that when the sewing needle that she had stepped on broke off in her foot.  Coleson rekindled our love/hate relationship with children's emergency department this year when we had to get two sets of stitches above his eye!  The first from jumping on the bed; apparently he didn't understand the message about the monkeys jumping on the bed!  The second from a freak accident with the same "healed" spot!   On a more positive note, Bella started "reading" with comprehension this year and the boys finally are potty trained!  Will and I have both worked very hard this year and between the both of us have earned grants and trips for our work!  We are very excited that our hard work and dedication is paying off.  We have very big plans for 2015, including a year of handmade gifts and can't wait to share it with all of you!

Mother of the Year Strikes Again

Mother of the year strikes again, but it wasn't a complete epic fail.  I seem to have the worst luck with vomiting at the most inopportune time...of course I'm not sure there is ever a good time.  Bella and the boys have thrown up on road trips and in restaurants like it was their job.  I've had to change both myself and my children in public more times then I can count. Today on the way to Will's parents, Kipton started throwing up everywhere in Will's truck.  Literally in the middle of some small town in NC, I proceed to strip my son down to just his diaper while I clean him up.  Then I allow him to sit in the front seat while I throw the seat and all the contents of the back seat on the sidewalk so I can clean the car seat and the truck seat!  Thank goodness I had a change of clothes for Kipton and a hoodie for myself so that I could remove my own vomit covered shirt...because if I'm being completely honest I have left a restaurant with a naked child and a different restaurant in Will's shirt!  Never a dull moment for this clan!

I laugh in the face of Chaos

Let me paint the scene for you...

I needed some stuff from Lowes (Home Improvement, not the food store) and I didn't want to get out the big stroller because there was too much stuff on it, so Bella agreed to push a small umbrella stroller along side of me.  The boys know how to walk in the umbrella stroller, so they don't truly contain them, merely slow them down.  As I'm coaxing Bella to stay with me and making decisions about exactly which pipe I want, one boy has decided to walk the stroller around the aisle nearly hitting an unsuspecting couple.  I make a decision and we start strolling around Lowes, because I like to look around Lowes for my next project.  Innocent people are dodging Bella and the boy she is pushing because let's face it, she is a simply a "bad" driver on her BEST day!  After walking halfway across the store, I change my mind and decide on a bigger(almost as tall as me) pipe and proceeded to put it in the storage basket of the stroller.  So as we're headed to the checkout, I get a phone call and have a brief chat while everyone in the store is looking at me pushing a child with a LARGE pipe sticking out of the stroller, while fussing at another child who is pushing another boy ahead without waiting on me.  A Lowes staff member stops and comments, "you have your hands full!"  I shook my head yes, because the only thing that could come to my head and out of my mouth was ridiculously sarcastic so I chose to keep my mouth closed!

This may seem like chaos to many, but this is my life and it doesn't even phase me!

Snow Day 2014

We got snow...it happens on very rare occasions, so what looks like a dusting to most, is a good size snow for us!

PS.  Bella Boo was out of town spending a few days with her Nana! 

Homemade Gifts

One of my New Year's resolutions was more homemade gifts, so here is the first homemade gift of the year...a mermaid outfit for an AG doll.  I made this pattern from scratch, so I will post the pattern and tutorial soon!