Snapshots of Summer

Since I haven't been as on top of blogging as I hoped I would be this summer I thought I would blog with pictures as to what we've been up to this summer...or at least the past few months

Still working on the kids room...and it's almost done.  

This is a 'sneak peak' of part of a wall hanging

Lots of sibling loving!  They really are the best of friends...

unless they both want the same toy...

Playing outside...and yes, they're almost always out there with minimal clothing...

saves me on laundry because this boy loves the dirt!

Growing this little baby...I'm 30 weeks tomorrow and this pregnancy is flying by!

Sunday afternoons...well weekends for that matter.  We love family time  (In this photo: Ian wanted to nap but Lyric and Atticus wanted to play with him so Lyric is reading him a story)

Oh and our latest weekend project was turning this....

Into this:

I say 'our project' but Ian did all the building.  I happened upon this website recently --- www.ana-white.com (formerly knock-offwood) and that is where we got the plans for this table.  I have a long list of things I wanted to build but that wasn't going to happen in my 3rd trimester in the August heat.  So I showed Ian the website and he was hooked.  So yeah, he built it and I helped stain it and you know, keep the kids out of the way all day Saturday.  Although both kids were super cute mimicking Daddy!  We are in the process of chairs so this really isn't the final.  We are just loving designing and building and dreaming up ideas together...and we can't wait to buy our first home!

So that is a small taste of our summertime activities...we have enjoyed the summer but are eagerly awaiting autumn...the cooler weather, walks with the dog in the park, our 5th anniversary and the arrival of our newest family member!

Artsy Crafty...my second blog in one day!

I realize this is my second post in one day but I wanted to post some different crafty projects I've done in the past few weeks... since I'm not showing the kid's room until the 'big reveal'

I don't know why blogger wouldn't let me upload the photo I edited to say "before" but you still get the photo right here.  This is a wagon I used to play with as a kid.  Recently it made it into a garage sale pile at my parent's house and I took it to redo to hold the outdoor toys for the kids. 

I sanded off a bunch of the rust.  Then spray painted it with a rust preventative flat black paint.  Then the kids (with a little help) got to paint it.  They had such a blast.  My hands were too covered in paint to snap any photos of them covered in paint...but really like the way the wagon turned out :)

This was a gift project.  I bought the canvases at the Dollar Tree

(I love that place!)  I painted them blue...then watered down some black brushed it over then wiped it off to give it that 2 toned look.  I fell in love with Modge Podge too!  I had never used it before because it's $7 a bottle and I thought Rubber Cement worked just as well.  WRONG!  Not only can you glue with Modge Podge but you can seal and coat and do a million other things.  I printed off the photos...cut out some lettering and the flowers with my Cricut and then Modge Podged over it all!  Finally I attached the ribbon on the back :)

I made this for my grandmother.  After making it I realized it was a lesson in needing to make sure I take 'before' and 'after' shots every time.  This started out as a plain wooden frame (Dollar Tree) and I painted it green, then brushed it with black like I did the above project.  Glued on the ribbon and the charms.  I made the Word 'art' on the computer after seeing it on another blog.  Mounted it to the gold paper and put it all back in the frame!

This was my first attempt at 'mixed media' painting and I am in LOVE! I never really like painting before because I'm not really great at making things look how they do in my brain, on paper.  But this was so much fun!  I will be doing many more in the future.  Unfortunately there is a glare on the top of the picture so you can't see it has a verse on it too.  There are some things I would do differently next time but I loved making it for sure!

So there are a few of the fun, crafty, creative things I have been up to this summer.  You should see my 'want to make' project list...It's massive.  But I will slowly work my way through it!

Stream of Consciousness

Supposedly I was going to have more time to blog if I quit facebook for the summer...instead I have filled my time with various other activities.  Like what?  Well...re-doing my kids room, trying to maintain my goal of reading 50 books this year, blog surfing craft blogs, thinking of Christmas gifts to make (no it's not early...I need to get these made before my 2nd daughter graces us with her presence), taking Lyric to therapy, etc...etc...  I have really been enjoying my endless to-do list...I hate being bored.   The kids room is coming together...I finally settled on the theme of 'Dr Seuss books' because it was something that a) my kids love, b) wasn't gender specific since they will all be sharing and c) they weren't going to outgrow too quickly.  I would love to show you what I have done so far...but I have decided to wait and do a big reveal in a few weeks when it's done!  Saturday Ian surprised me by taking me out on a date.  We had a fun meal together dreaming of how we want to decorate the rest of our house (the kids bedroom has been the first one) and then went and saw the movie 'Inception'.  I am still blown away by the minds of the people who wrote that story!  Creative, imaginative and totally unique.  I get bored with movie after movie with the same story line...or a remake of a remake of a remake.  This was original and I loved that about it!  My sister gave me a great gift for my birthday...one day a week of her help.  So she is coming over every Tuesday to just hang out and help me in any way I need it...whether it's taking care of the kids while I get stuff done or getting stuff done with me, etc...   I am in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy which seems to have snuck up on me.  I am ready to be done with the heartburn and discomfort of organ squashage but I can't believe I am going to meeting this little one in just over 2 months!  Speaking of which...I better get back to my to do list if I'm going to be ready for her arrival!

A little...

Girl.  A Daughter and a sister.  

Our little one decided to cooperate for the ultrasound that our doctor graciously gave us to cure our curiosity...since the baby was modest at the first ultrasound.

Yes you read that right...It's a GIRL!

We are excited...for Lyric to have a baby sister, for Atticus to be a big brother and for us to welcome another beautiful little girl into our lives.  

13 weeks left and she will in our loving arms!

1/4

Because I spent my birthday weekend with my amazing dear friend Sam in NYC I didn't blog about my 25th birthday.  And I fully intended to after our epic weekend but then I came home and spent the week loving on my husband and kids who I missed and just well, plain ol' forgot about it!

This year was my golden birthday...twenty five on the twenty fifth (of July).  Because it was a slightly monumental birthday, what with turning a quarter of a century and everything I have been reflecting on my life, my goals, my age etc...

For a long time I have said that I fully intend to live to be 101 (at least!) so that means this year I have lived about 1/4 of my life.  This is an exciting and sobering thought.  Exciting because I have enjoyed my life thus far...with all of it's beautiful memories, painful struggles, monumental victories...the ebb and flow of certain seasons, the completion and dissipation of certain dreams...  Sobering because I have been contemplating these questions "How do continue to live with this rich quality of life I currently enjoy?  How do I motivate myself to improve and grow even as I reach milestones in life? How do I continue to stay true to myself in the midst of the seasons in life?"

I suppose to some degree I reflect on these things every year as I get older but perhaps I have done so a little longer this year.  As I realized last year and reflected on here I have lived a lot of life in the last 25 years.   I love all the bi-products of that...my husband, my beautiful soon-to-be 3 children, my dear, dear friends all over the world, etc...etc...  And that's just it.  I want to continue to live my life to fullest.  

So this will remain my goal for the next 3/4's of my life...To make the most of my every experience.  To love all those around me that I know and meet with reckless abandon.  To share what I have and to give out of my need.  To remain a student of life...both history and the present...both people and places...both thoughts and deep emotions.  To strengthen my weaknesses and live through my strengths.  To parent to the best of my ability and learn from my mistakes.  To always take time to do things that are life giving to me.  To be my husband's biggest support so he never doubts my respect, admiration or love.  To be honest, true and open with myself and others.  To create in my daily life, in my art, in my cooking, in my home and with pride.  To live healthily.  To love the unlovely.  To drink in deeply the little moments.  To be a Mary not a Martha.  To create an atmosphere in my home of peace, warmth, wholeness and healing.  To accept criticism and desire personal growth.  

Of course I have specific goals... you know life goals like become fluent in other languages, visit all 7 continents and 50 states, sky dive, become a life coach, retire in China, write and publish a book, teach my children life skills, celebrate my Golden Wedding anniversary, etc...etc...  Trust me this list is endless.  Because like said earlier I plan to live my life to the fullest.

It's pretty exciting to look back at the start of my life and see few regrets and many unforgettable memories.  It makes it so easy to look toward to the future.

1/4 of my life...and the rest is ahead of me!

L&A

Lately I have been spending lots of time with my beautiful children.  Lately my heart has been full. 

My children are amazingly beautiful spirits and the more time I spend with them the more in love I am.  

Lyric loves.  So often I am astounded by her perception on life and depth at which she feels and understands emotions.  The first time I met Lyric (when I woke up from my emergency c-section) she was staring quietly up at me with her deep soul-filled eyes.  How could I have known that they would be one of the defining characteristics not only of who she is but of how she lives and loves.  She is my thoughtful thinker.  My assesser of new situations.  She still can unnerve people with her thoughtful stare but I tell you what...this little three your old understands each and every situation in her life in a way that much deeper than surface level.  Because of her speech and sensory issues I know that I am only tapping into even a small portion of understanding Lyric.  I know most of what I do by how she shows me on a daily basis, by momma's intuition and from the few times she clearly articulates emtional thoughts.  But I know that as she is able to communicate more clearly it is going to open up a whole new world to those who know her and for Lyric herself.  

Lyric performs.  She has never been the child to respond to 'Lyric do this' 'Lyric say this'.  But when she has a captive audience and she decides she is ready...she LOVES to sing and do motions to songs.  Some of her favorites are old songs I grew up singing plus classics like 'Old McDonald', 'the Itsy Bitsy Spider', 'I'm a Little Teapot', etc...  I get impressed and proud when she sings because although she cannot clearly sing all the words she knows quite a few and remembers them time and time again.  Plus she is SO adorable.

Lyric is my ordered/scheduled little girl.  She knows and loves her routine often telling me it's naptime, etc.  She doesn't often intentionally do things she knows are wrong.  And is very quick to tell Atticus and Roxy (our dog) when THEY are in the wrong.  In many ways it's a typical big sister thing I'm quite sure (having been one myself) but for her it also stems from her knowledge of what is right and wrong.  

Atticus knows.  He's 18 months going on 18 years.  That little boy NEVER ceases to amaze me with his knowledge of how things and life work.  He understands differently than Lyric.  Lyric knows WHY, Atticus knows HOW.  His see once, do always nature both astounds and scares me.  Astounds:  Like the time I watched him climb a full flight of stairs with confidence at 10 months...just from watching his sister do it a couple times.  Scares:  When I turned around to see him plugging a cord into the wall (cuz that's where cords go...right?)...at 13 months.  I will never forget hearing Atticus scream when he was first born and Ian telling me 'he keeps shaking his fists like he's saying 'why? why?'.  He screamed for an hour until I was able to nurse him.  Those early moments taught me two enlightening things about my son.  First he knows what he wants.  Second he gets super mad super quick and over it in a second. Both of those things continue to be true.  

Atticus is BOY.  Rough and rugged, trains and cars, dinosaurs and balls...he is BOY.  He loves to tackle, play hard and get dirty.  He loves figuring out how things work, exploring and discovering .  But did i mention he also loves to dance and cuddle mommy.  He works against the common misconception that you're either a rough boy or a gentle boy.  No I think he's just a boy.  A boy who will make a great man like his daddy.  

Atticus is mischief and joy.  He's funny and he knows it.  He also knows that 50% of the things he does he shouldn't do and does them anyway...until he gets caught and then he makes a break for it (ie. Runs as fast away as he can.).  He tries to laugh his way out of trouble and he is always discovering a new way to make it.  Because  he's all or nothing unless he's mad (which isn't often) he's 100% joy and happiness the rest of the day.  He brings smiles to so many faces...including mine.

I know all these things about my kids.  I'm around them all the time. But the more I get to spend time with them, as they get older and grow up I enjoy each of these things more and more.  I don't like that they're growing up so fast but I love the little people who they are becoming.

Lately I have been spending lots of time with my beautiful children.  Lately my heart has been full

It's been a while...

I thought with being off of Facebook for the summer I would have more time to blog and such.  Turns out I don't really have more time...just lots more things I am thinking of to do!  But I figured I would do a stream of consciousness post...

Therapy with Lyric has been going well.  I am still trying to find my new normal with all the appointments and working the things she is learning into our home life.  Lyric has Sensory Input Dysfunction, Overall Muscle Weakness and Severe Speech Delay.  It's a lot to explain in a blog but the good news is although this is a long road ahead the therapy is going to help her SO much.  It also helps me understand some of her behavior...things that I have been completely out of my understanding trying to deal with.  Now I understand they are things that are somewhat out of her understanding/ability to cope with too.

We made a flying visit to Colorado for a family reunion in honor of my Grammie's 80th birthday.  It was her first time meeting my kiddos so that was special.  But it was a short stay for such a long drive and we all came back pretty tired.

I have been slowly working on DIY projects around the house and hope to do a post on that soon.  It has been lots of work but some good fun.  

I am 22 weeks pregnant and starting to finally look that way.  We tried to find out what we were having (gender) a few weeks ago and the baby was uncooperative.  My doctor is going to be nice and peek again for me in August when I go back for my follow up...normally she wouldn't unless it was medically necessary.  We also changed our baby names around again so it means the baby is not OC anymore but baby AC.  Minor detail :)

Funny kid stories:  

Atticus.  We were driving to Colorado.  After miles of open road/fields in Kansas we arrived in busy Denver traffic.  Not too long after I hear from the back seat "Hey.  Hey!  Cars!  Go Away!  Hey Go away!' from my son.  I guess he missed the wide open plains view!

Lyric.  In speech therapy this week she was kind of being uncooperative.  They were reading a book (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?)  The next page it says something like 'a red fox that's what i see".  The therapist was having her say the animal before reading what it was.  Lyric was doing it but super slowly and silly and basically dragging her feet.  Then the therapist put the book down.  Lyric picked it up and began to 'read':  "brown bear, brown bear, wa you, see?'  See a fox'.  fox Fox wa you see?  See a cat. etc.... The WHOLE book. Finishing with a sweet 'The end!' Guess she just wanted to do it on her terms. 

Oh and I am realizing I'm turning 25 in a few weeks and celebrating my 5th anniversary in October.  It somehow makes me think I'm growing up...but I'm really still so young...with lots of life lived in the last 5 years, pregnant with my 3rd child, etc...  I love my crazy busy little life.