We're ready Mama!

I'm always a little scared to share posts like this.  First, because I'm both a little horrified and a little amused.  And because I'm afraid Child Protective Services might come knocking at my door (admitting I'm a little amused might not help my case here - but I assure you the amusement came much much later).


So this morning, just after I snapped the cute photo of Sydney in her ballet outfit and gushed on Facebook over how Ballet Tuesday is my favorite day of the week, I proceeded to get myself ready for the day.

As many moms do, I showered and dressed while my kids ate breakfast, played and watched tv.  They were in and out of the bathroom with me during most of these activities.  Wanting to use my toothbrush, trying out lotions, turning faucets on, pushing each other and generally getting into trouble.  It was your average Tuesday morning. 


Until... I finished drying my hair and realized the house seemed awfully quiet.  A little too quiet.  


I called for Sydney a couple of times while I wandered around.  No answer.  But they have been known recently to try and hide - although their giggles give them away.


No giggles today.  


I walked upstairs to see what they were up to - in no particular hurry, picking up clothes and shoes and things on my way.  No sign of them in Fletcher's room.  Or the playroom.  Or Sydney's room.  


Hmmm.  This was a little odd.  Maybe they were hiding out in my office.  Oh yes, that must be it.  One of their favorite places they're not supposed to be!  I walked back down the stairs and peered into the office.  Not there either.  As I turned from the office, my eye caught the front door - it was UNLOCKED!


Sydney knows how to unlock the front door but she has only done it without one of us present once or twice and generally just stands on the landing, door wide open.


Not this time.  The door was unlocked but securely closed.  And no sign of the kids right outside.


Panic.


I ran to the sidewalk looking left and right.  To the right, I caught the faint glimpse of two small humans walking up the sidewalk.  Faint is key.  Those kids were far far away.  I realize I hadn't been quick to search the house for them, but I cannot believe how far down the street they had gotten!


There they were.  Sydney in her ballet outfit with a target bag in her hand.  Fletcher following dutifully behind.  Barefoot.


A car had just stopped across from them on the street and the woman called out "Are those your kids?" as she saw me sprinting down the sidewalk.  She helped corral them before they got further and turned them back in my direction.


When I finally reached them and started marching them back home, I asked Sydney, "where on earth were you going?"  


To which she flatly replied, "School.  We're ready Mama."

The sign of a good party...

...is dirty feet!

This was the case for Sydney after she had a filthy good time at her buddy's birthday party.

She and I took a girls trip a few weeks ago to Florida to visit some dear old (and new) friends.

Our trip coincided with one of her good friends' 2nd birthday party.  And what fun it was!  Who doesn't love a bounce house!?!?  Even the adults got in on the action after dark when the little kids were sleeping.  Tip (from our teenage bounce house aficionados) - spray the slides with pledge for speed!

 I keep trying to figure out when we're going to get the kids feet in the sand this summer.  This is not exactly what I had in mind.  But she enjoyed it nonetheless.

Syd with some of her best buds and our gracious hosts!

They had lots of cool toys...

 Making new friends.  Sydney loves loves loves babies!

Sadly some of her best times in Florida cannot be shared on this forum as she was inexplicably tempted to shed all clothing during seriously fun play.  I blamed her strip-tation on our proximity to FSU.  Pat has already crossed it off the list of potential colleges for her future.  Not.  Gonna. Happen.


Case in point...

Syd is a big fan of flying and planes in general.  She was an excellent travel partner.

But this is what she thinks of me taking pictures!

Before and After - Hardwood Floors

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw the dust filled picture of our living room as the carpet was coming up a few weeks ago.  Allergy sufferers were running for their tissues at the sight!  


We debated for a long time whether to leave the carpet for another year or two and let the kids really destroy it before trading it in for some hardwood... but the time had come.  We just couldn't treat and stare at the stains any longer.  Kids are so hard on a house but especially so on carpet!


Here is Fletcher bidding a fond farwell to the carpet.  Fitting really as he was responsible for a majority of the stains.

I can't believe I don't have a true BEFORE picture with all the furniture and the too-large rug that was moved to our master bedroom.  Or else it's lost in my massive pile of online photo albums.  Oh well.  This will have to do.

So out came the carpet - from our living room and bedroom (those pics will come later - more transformations have been going on in there).

Sydney was completely freaked out by the plastic hanging from the ceiling.  She wouldn't go near it!  Refused to even come downstairs the two mornings it hung in our kitchen - so we ate breakfast upstairs.

Despite the best efforts by the crew and the plastic, there was some serious dust around here.  The worst part was it seemed to take DAYS to settle.  I cleaned up right after they left only to find a thin layer of dust back on everything the next day.  Cleaned again.  Then Sydney and I left for a girls trip and came home to - yes, more dust.

But once the dust finally settled - literally - and was cleaned, here is the result... beautiful!  We couldn't be happier.

Growing up!

Little man is growing up!  It's remarkable what happens to babies around the 16, 17, 18 month mark.  They're not really babies anymore.

I know Fletcher's recent transformation is mainly due to that age, but we've seen him really blossom these last few weeks after he had tubes put in his ears.  He struggled a bit through recovery...

But after that first week, his true inner self has been shining!  He has always been such a good, content baby that I don't think we understood how sick he had been feeling.  He just dealt with the discomfort on a daily basis.  But since the surgery his energy level, playfulness and mischievousness have been soaring. It was sad to realize just how sick he must have been feeling - and fun to see him 100% again.

Last week we had neighborhood friends over for dinner.  Fletcher was released from his high chair to eat at the kids table for the first time!

Overnight it seems he learned how to climb up the ladder to the playhouse and slide.

He loves to go get the mail with daddy (see them in the background) - and walks with daddy instead of running ahead like his naughty sister.

It happens so fast.  He's even cooking his own meals.

Before and After - The Chair

I love when things in your home have stories.  


We have a new chair.  With a great story.


So... my fabulous interior designer friend, Katie, who is also a gifted bargain hunter... calls me up a few months ago and says that I have to go check out a chair and ottoman - at the thrift store.  Uh.  Ok.  I am not a Thrift Store shopper.  Not because I shouldn't be a thrift store shopper kinda girl - but because I have a terrible eye for treasures and it's generally a source of great frustration for me.


But Katie on the other hand.  She has an eye.  And a history.  She didn't steer me wrong with my buffet pieces.  So I trust her.  So I go.  


On the way, I'm thinking - I don't even NEED a new chair/ottoman right now.  There are a lot of things on our to-do list for the house and this isn't included.


I get to the thrift store and find the chair combo she called me about.  Now, if I had happened to go to the Thrift Store on my own (which I wouldn't) I doubt I would have even given this thing a second look.  All faded and dusty.  But now that I'm here and give it a second look, I can see that it seems to be in good shape and I can sort of visualize how it might look recovered.  Sadly, there is a red slash through the price.  This is a sign, I think.  A sign that I didn't need a chair/ottoman to begin with and now it's not even available regardless of it's great price.


A Thrift Store employee approaches and asks if they can help.  I explain that I was interested in the chair but it's clearly already sold - oh well, better luck next time.  "Oh no," she says.  "That slash means it's now 50% off."


Wait!  What?  50% off the already insanely low price?  You must be kidding.  My befuddlement must apparently looked like an invitation to bargain even further because she offered to knock off even more money if I would take the chair right then.


Sold!  For the crazy amount of $80 I bought this perfectly good chair and ottoman.

I then found some super inexpensive fabric and with the help of designer-Katie, found an equally economical lady to reupholster the whole thing.  


Tada!  New chair!  For a fraction (fraction) of the cost I would otherwise have paid for a chair like this.

Do you love it?  We do!  The chair's placement in our home is still currently under debate but I absolutely love the way it turned out.  And it's super comfy - we're all fighting over who gets to sit there - even the cat!  But part of it's awesomeness is that most all of us actually fit in this chair at the same time!


See all that carpet under/behind the chair?  All gone as of today!  Lovely hardwoods are in our future.  More fun before and after's to come!

Rodeo Time!

We hit the rodeo (or "roady" as Syd calls it) this past weekend with the kids.  This was one of our first big outings after we moved to Houston last year and Sydney had such a great time that we couldn't wait to go back.  This year -  although we brought the stroller - was much more promising for Fletcher's involvement.


He looks thrilled doesn't he!

Syd's first pony ride!  She was a little nervous at first but as soon as the horse started moving, she relaxed and let me step away.  Of course, the thing she talks about the most... the pony poo they had to stop and clean up midway through her ride.  Really?  That was the best part of your day?  (Excuse the blurred photos - Pat and the camera are NOT friends.  So I'll take whatever I can get when he is behind the lens.)

Fletcher loved the cows.  The louder the better!

 Bunnies!

I couldn't see his face but I love the girls!

 And finally - the petting zoo!  Fletcher's first real petting zoo experience.  Pat had to hold him back.  I think Fletch would have wallowed in the mulch right alongside the animals if we had let him!

Notice Syd's tense shoulders in the background?  She was a bit more reserved this year.

Yeah, that's close enough thank you!

 Here piggie, piggie, piggie!

They're still a bit too small for the rides and numerous other activities the rodeo has to offer, but we love it just the same.