Here are just a few Claire-isms. I'll have to write more as I get them she makes me laugh! :
"Is she real?" (talking about Selena Gomez) "Does she live on the TV or on Earth?"
Me: I'm going to go and make myself look all pretty (I was getting ready to go out)
Claire: Yeah, you don't look too pretty.. but you look great for summer camp
"Every girl in the world is pretty. And every boy is pretty .. I mean every boy is cool"
"Mom, I'm going to marry Noah, because I love him"
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Leprechauns Don't Visit Us
Yesterday Claire was telling us all about Leprechauns: they are as big as your thumb, did ya know? I was told that about 45 times. Also, if you don't put your toys away, they will play with them at night and if you don't do your dishes, they will do them (sounds like a good deal to me!) they make food for you and leave coins around you house. Her friend Hailey got a few coins and she gave one to Claire. Claire seemed a little sad that the Leprechaun didn't seem to come to our house. Really? we need to do another thing that involves tricking our kids into believing in something that isn't real? I have no problem if parents want to do this but I really have a hard time doing it, myself. Call me lazy, call me cynical, call me anything you want, and maybe you're right.. but I still hate it.. how about just enjoying the day without having to be sneaky about it? I hate the whole Santa thing, I don't tell Claire he's real but I don't tell her he isn't real either, I think she'll figure it out on her own. and if she asks me, I will give her an honest answer. It just stresses me out to think someday I may have to tell her it's all fake.. She knows the real meaning, and that is what am most concerned about. I know I'll have the same problem with the Easter Bunny. It annoys me to keep up this pretend thing. But the Leprechaun? no. we are just not doing that. Maybe if we were Irish, but we aren't. She was talking about her friends and how the leprechaun visited her. Matt then blatantly says out loud, "You know, Hailey is probably Irish, that is why the Leprechaun visits her. he doesn't visit you, you're Dutch." way to be graceful about it Matt! So I try to intervene with..."but you get to celebrate St Nicolas day, and other kids probably don't get to celebrate that!" She was a bit upset by this..but then she decided that she still believes in the Leprechaun afterall and I'm happy to say we didn't damage her too much after this conversation...that's the great thing about kids.. they are going to believe what they want to believe no matter what you tell them. If they want to believe, they will.
Friday, March 4, 2011
What I'm dreaming about...
As we are getting closer to moving into our home (getting our furniture and things on Saturday!!) I am dreaming of making a whole now look in our house and slowly changing the decor to something that I find is more 'me'. I want to decorate it with the things that make me happy. This will be a long, slow process because I do not have a lot of money to just throw into things. And even if I did, I couldn't do that! I'm happy to use a few things that I already own and love but has no idea what to do with. It makes me so happy to know I can bring my beloved things back to life. So what am I thinking about that is making me so darn happy you ask?
well hold on, I'll tell ya!
My old steamer trunk that Matt got for me for only $20 at a antique shop while he was on a business trip in New York. I really had no place to put it, our house was oddly shaped and did not allow much furniture so the poor thing was just stuck against a wall, getting no love. It became a place to put junk. It is dated to late 1800s to early 1900s. I would love to fix it up (if I had any idea how to) and keep it around and let it grow old with us. First step is to get rid of that god-awful smell inside!
Here is a picture of me (that Claire took), with the trunk in the background being abused and used as a place to put purses, laundry and random junk in general (so embarrassing- I can't believe I am even posting a picture of the mess)- poor lil guy! I'm so sorry, I will take better care of you, I promise!:
The second thing I am dreaming of is my salt and pepper shakers that I previously talked about
The third thing I am dreaming about is this chair:
And don't you dare say it's ugly because it isn't- I love it and I can't stop dreaming about it. Unfortunately, in all our cheapness, it just costs a bit too much for us, especially when there are other things that we actually need (say, a dining table!) so you better believe that I am saving up a little money at a time for it. I will have this chair!
So that is what I have been dreaming and smiling about these days!
Tomorrow the movers will be here and we will enter pure chaos, I'm sure. I will be sure to take plenty of pictures! I am positive it will be quite a sight to see- thousands of boxes in our tiny house and the kids climbing and jumping off of each one. Wish us luck tomorrow and I wish everyone a great day!
well hold on, I'll tell ya!
My old steamer trunk that Matt got for me for only $20 at a antique shop while he was on a business trip in New York. I really had no place to put it, our house was oddly shaped and did not allow much furniture so the poor thing was just stuck against a wall, getting no love. It became a place to put junk. It is dated to late 1800s to early 1900s. I would love to fix it up (if I had any idea how to) and keep it around and let it grow old with us. First step is to get rid of that god-awful smell inside!
Here is a picture of me (that Claire took), with the trunk in the background being abused and used as a place to put purses, laundry and random junk in general (so embarrassing- I can't believe I am even posting a picture of the mess)- poor lil guy! I'm so sorry, I will take better care of you, I promise!:
The second thing I am dreaming of is my salt and pepper shakers that I previously talked about
The third thing I am dreaming about is this chair:
And don't you dare say it's ugly because it isn't- I love it and I can't stop dreaming about it. Unfortunately, in all our cheapness, it just costs a bit too much for us, especially when there are other things that we actually need (say, a dining table!) so you better believe that I am saving up a little money at a time for it. I will have this chair!
So that is what I have been dreaming and smiling about these days!
Tomorrow the movers will be here and we will enter pure chaos, I'm sure. I will be sure to take plenty of pictures! I am positive it will be quite a sight to see- thousands of boxes in our tiny house and the kids climbing and jumping off of each one. Wish us luck tomorrow and I wish everyone a great day!
Salt and pepper shakers
A about two years ago years ago while at Morning Star, (a flea market) I spotting a pair of salt and pepper shakers. They seemed old and not in very great shape. They were quite useless as salt/pepper shakers, seeing as how they were only about 2 inches tall. It was a little Dutch boy and a little Dutch girl. Looking back now, I wonder if they really are Dutch.. maybe German? Now that I have the Dutch last name and my kids have dutch blood in them, I feel a closeness with Dutch things and quite honestly, I'm a tad jealous that I am not Dutch! So in my Dutch-envy, I just assumed these little figures were Dutch.. and I will continue to think that no matter if it's true or not because it makes me happy!.. Now back to the point of the story.. I found these lovely little things and stopped and admired them for a while and then went on my way. I kept thinking about them. I came back and looked at them again. They were $8 I believe. not expensive- certainly something I could afford but still a little much for something broken down and old. And really.. what am I going to do with them and why do I even like them in the first place?? So I walked away again. Later on, I just got to the point where I couldn't take it any more, I just needed to buy them and I had no idea why. I just loved them, even they they were old, ugly and served no purpose- they needed to be mine! So I bought them. And I was thrilled with myself for doing so. I get home and found that I had no place to put them. They didn't match my decor and they are just so small. I put them on the mantle only to get swallowed by the busyness of the junk mail, keys and what not on the mantle. I put them away at Christmas and then forgot to put them back up. Now I know they are packed in one of my boxes.. and the movers are driving them through a few states and back to mommy! I miss these little guys and I honestly can not stop thinking about them- I know it's crazy, and stupid but it's true! I hope to God I find them and they aren't broken. I am planning in my head a special little spot for them so they can get the attention they deserve..
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Oh Happy Day
I am pleased to announce that my happiness has just gone up a few points these days.
As I drive back to our apartments after just visiting our new house we are now renting (and waiting for our furniture and other belongings to arrive), I can't seem to stop smiling. I realize that this was it, this was the answer. At risk of possibly sounding materialistic, I have to say, having a house as opposed to an apartment makes me happy and I think it will improve my quality of life.
Earlier this morning, after dropping Claire off at school, Emily, Noah and I stopped by the house so I could clean it. As I scrub the walls, I glance out the sliding glass door and notice Emily happily playing outside, with the sunlight streaming on her and a cool, feel-good breeze on her. This is what a kid is supposed to be doing! Not stuck in some apartment all day. They need to experience the elements, get dirty and play hard! It's a fairly warm day today, about 65 degrees and sunny, perfect weather for a stroll through our new neighborhood and some exploring! I strap the kids in the stroller and venture out. I see a sidewalk; just one sidewalk that seems to lead somewhere, so I figured we might as well see where it takes us. We pass a calm, serene pond with two houses overlooking it, we go up a slight hill, (rendering me out of breathe due to the heavy double stroller and two children in it- what a nice workout!) as I follow the curves of the side walk, I start to see a blue roof and I know right away that it is the elementary school that Claire will be going to this fall (did I really say that? My baby is going to Kindergarten!?) I start imagining cool, fall afternoons of walking to the school to pick Claire up, having her skip beside me, excitedly talking about her day. I'm no fool though, I know it will most likely end up with a tired Claire, complaining about having to walk so much and me forgetting my baby carrier for Noah, so I will some how manage holding her and pushing a double stroller while everyone is tired, hungry and crying.. but I can dream, right?
We get back to the apartments after picking Claire up from school, I unbuckled some cranky kids and got them to walk up the stairs, all while hearing them complain about how they are too tired to go up the stairs. We finally get to the door and I realize I left my keys in the (unlocked, thankfully) car so down the stairs I go, while listening to Emily screaming because she is just that grumpy and needs to let us all know; probably bothering all of our neighbors. I can not get out of here soon enough! Thank you God for helping us find this new house. I really liked the other house and I thought that was the one for us. We almost got it but this house came in at the last minute and won us over (seeing as how it allowed us to keep our dear kitty) I am realizing how this house is a better fit for us. Yes, it is a great deal smaller (less to clean!) but I love that there is a fenced yard for the kids to play all day in. I love that the driveway goes right up to the door of the house- so much easier for loading and unloading kids, groceries etc. I love that it is all on one floor, which greatly improves my likelihood of putting laundry away when done washing and folding it (stairs are so discouraging!) I love that there is a grocery store about 1 minute away from us, and a huge thrift store within walking distance. Now having the school within walking distance as well (but not too close) is another thing to add on my list.
This love I have for our new place and it's neighborhood will slowly diminish slightly as the months go by, I'm sure of it. The excitement will wear off. The one thing I know is that this house is the best thing for us at the moment and I really can't imagine it being any worse the stuck up 3 flights of stairs, with 3 small kids and no yard!
As I drive back to our apartments after just visiting our new house we are now renting (and waiting for our furniture and other belongings to arrive), I can't seem to stop smiling. I realize that this was it, this was the answer. At risk of possibly sounding materialistic, I have to say, having a house as opposed to an apartment makes me happy and I think it will improve my quality of life.
Earlier this morning, after dropping Claire off at school, Emily, Noah and I stopped by the house so I could clean it. As I scrub the walls, I glance out the sliding glass door and notice Emily happily playing outside, with the sunlight streaming on her and a cool, feel-good breeze on her. This is what a kid is supposed to be doing! Not stuck in some apartment all day. They need to experience the elements, get dirty and play hard! It's a fairly warm day today, about 65 degrees and sunny, perfect weather for a stroll through our new neighborhood and some exploring! I strap the kids in the stroller and venture out. I see a sidewalk; just one sidewalk that seems to lead somewhere, so I figured we might as well see where it takes us. We pass a calm, serene pond with two houses overlooking it, we go up a slight hill, (rendering me out of breathe due to the heavy double stroller and two children in it- what a nice workout!) as I follow the curves of the side walk, I start to see a blue roof and I know right away that it is the elementary school that Claire will be going to this fall (did I really say that? My baby is going to Kindergarten!?) I start imagining cool, fall afternoons of walking to the school to pick Claire up, having her skip beside me, excitedly talking about her day. I'm no fool though, I know it will most likely end up with a tired Claire, complaining about having to walk so much and me forgetting my baby carrier for Noah, so I will some how manage holding her and pushing a double stroller while everyone is tired, hungry and crying.. but I can dream, right?
We get back to the apartments after picking Claire up from school, I unbuckled some cranky kids and got them to walk up the stairs, all while hearing them complain about how they are too tired to go up the stairs. We finally get to the door and I realize I left my keys in the (unlocked, thankfully) car so down the stairs I go, while listening to Emily screaming because she is just that grumpy and needs to let us all know; probably bothering all of our neighbors. I can not get out of here soon enough! Thank you God for helping us find this new house. I really liked the other house and I thought that was the one for us. We almost got it but this house came in at the last minute and won us over (seeing as how it allowed us to keep our dear kitty) I am realizing how this house is a better fit for us. Yes, it is a great deal smaller (less to clean!) but I love that there is a fenced yard for the kids to play all day in. I love that the driveway goes right up to the door of the house- so much easier for loading and unloading kids, groceries etc. I love that it is all on one floor, which greatly improves my likelihood of putting laundry away when done washing and folding it (stairs are so discouraging!) I love that there is a grocery store about 1 minute away from us, and a huge thrift store within walking distance. Now having the school within walking distance as well (but not too close) is another thing to add on my list.
This love I have for our new place and it's neighborhood will slowly diminish slightly as the months go by, I'm sure of it. The excitement will wear off. The one thing I know is that this house is the best thing for us at the moment and I really can't imagine it being any worse the stuck up 3 flights of stairs, with 3 small kids and no yard!
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