Mantra 2

Happy weekend to you!

Mantra

I want this to hang in our playroom...

Mother's Day Wish List

I alerted Chris to these fabulous Mother's Day gift ideas. Either one would be a stellar choice, but I figure that I probably get a bonus gift this Mother's Day, since I'm pushing out a baby a week later, right? (Just kidding.)

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Baby Britches

I'm so happy that Nordstrom has started carrying Mini Boden! I've been admiring their clothes for a long time, but never placed an order. The clothes are even cuter in person. I picked up these britches for the little Miss. Couldn't help myself.

Bringing Home Baby

Obsessing over things that are NOT THAT important is taking up a lot of my time lately. Rug shopping, for example. Hours and hours. The other? Baby's coming home outfit & blankie. I've been obsessing over it. Obsessing! Can't find exactly what I'm looking for. As if it actually matters AT ALL! Oh my my, I'm losing it. I've studied Baby Nay and Zutano patterns extensively, searched every store (in person and online)...can't find what I'm looking for. What am I looking for? Who knows. But as of this moment, this is what I'm leaning toward. I need to just bite the bullet and order it so I can turn my attention to other things...such as sorting through bins + bins + bins of baby clothes. Or writing thank you notes for all the sweet baby gifts this little girl has received. Or, you know, cooking actual meals for my other children...goodness gracious.

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(For the record, my main hangup is that it's not "jammies". I'd love to find the perfect, cute patterned sleeper & matching blankie, that's what I really want. Help! Anyone?)

My Girl

Maya is a good one to have around, because she's always enthusiastic & excited about something. Life is never dull when Maya is around, she makes sure of that. Quite the imagination, that one, and always organizing us to do something or another.

• Maya started tennis recently & is liking that. She just LOVES sports. She's excited to do basketball this summer, too.
• Her school carnival was pretty much the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her so far in her life. Her favorite stops were the rock wall (4x up that one, and no fear whatsoever! She's SO not her Mama's girl!), the dunk tank (where she dunked her principal) and the cake walk (where she won back her pizza cake on her first & only try). Even eating chips and a snowcone were the biggest deals ever. She's so funny.
• She is saving her money to buy a Nintendo DS right now, and I have never seen that girl work so hard! We have never been good about being consistent about allowance and/or specific chores they have to do, but I do expect them to clean up after themselves and help me out with whatever I need them to do. But she's been asking for extra jobs so that she can earn money. I've got that girl unloading the dishwasher (takes her forever, but she does a great job of it!), switching laundry loads for me, setting the table, clearing the table, rinsing the dishes, etc. She's so motivated and I have to say, I love it! It's a great help and I love seeing her learn the value of money. She's always been a spender, but she's very motivated to save every penny right now.
• I cannot sugar coat it, Maya has the world's stinkiest feet. That's all I can really say about that.
• Maya is, like Mason, excited about having a baby sister around the house. She's wild about her baby cousin Mckensie (see pic) and can't wait to have a sister of her very own. She says Baby Girl is going to sleep in her bed. Um, no. But it's very sweet.
• She's quite the reader these days. Current favorites are the Flat Stanley books & Cam Jansen mysteries. Her vocabulary is growing and growing...she amazes me!

Maya is such a really cool girl. She keeps impressing me with how grown up she is, while still being so innocent and sweet. I'd like to keep her little forever, and keep begging her to start growing backwards, but she refuses. What can you do?

Sunshine

Here's a guy who is loving the Texas spring. He'd spend the entire day in the sandbox or on the swings or...dangerously swinging a large stick.

• "Doing math" is his latest favorite. The problems can only consist of 1-hands-value or less on either side of the + sign (2+3, 4+5, etc...nothing he can't count on his fingers) but he keeps surprising me with how many he has memorized!
• He's obsessed with They Might Be Giants' "Here Comes Science" and "Here Come the ABCs" albums. He is very specific in his music requests, and asks lots of questions I can't answer when we listen to the science album. There's lots of "Um, we'll have to go home and look that up online" going on.
• Cars & trains are still his favorite, but he's surprised me lately by finally catching on to the Star Wars phenomenon that all his little buddies are into. I've often wondered how kids "get into" Star Wars. Is there a TV show they watch? I'm clueless. Anyway, the other day he was playing with his "light saver" (a Mickey Mouse light-up sword we got at Disneyland) and telling me that "Nanakin" turns into "Dark Vader". So they get it somewhere, just not here. My poor kids. They get no help at home.
• When I bought him new PJs for summer, my choices were Toy Story, dinosaurs, Lego Star Wars and a bunch of stuff I've never heard of (Bakugan? Something?). So those were the 3 sets I opted for, and he immediately declared the Lego Star Wars his favorite. Seriously, I'm wondering what "age appropriate" Star Wars things there are for him. Is there a Lego Star Wars show or something? I actually searched the TV schedule for such a thing and didn't find it. Help? I'm not trying to deprive my kid, I just have no idea.
• Mason loves babies. In fact, he has a "baby" of his own (don't call it a doll), Baby Lucy. Baby Lucy eats with us at the table (in her highchair, stolen from Maya, who has never played with a doll in her life), sleeps in a playpen next to his bed (also stolen from Maya) and rides around the house in a stroller all day. I'm assuming he's nesting. I love that he's such a sweet, tender heart. Real babies are VERY exciting to him. "Look, a BABY!!! I LOVE BABIES!!!"
• Mason has more of a temper than ever before. He was an easy baby and a sweet toddler, and although he's still sweet, he finds ways to let us know when he's not happy. Usually there are tears of inconsolable grief, but he's also a little on the passive-aggressive side. Coloring on his pants with pen when he's mad, for instance. Grrrr.
• On the sweet side, the best time of the day for Mason is after Simon goes down for his nap and we still have an hour or 2 before Maya gets home from school. That is our snuggle time. He picks out a big stack of books (Berenstain Bears are his current favorite), we snuggle in bed and read. It usually ends with me dozing off and Mason watching Clifford or Martha Speaks, but there's still quality snuggling going on, so I let myself off the hook a little. (I am 8 months pregnant, right?!)
• Spending 45 minutes at the breakfast table trying to get through his 1/2 a banana is common practice, and drives me crazy. He's a daydreamer and a dawdler and he moves at his own speed.
• Mason has just learned to pump on the swing! It's a great day for a mother when that happens! He's also my first volunteer to push Simon on the swing, which has resulted in a bloody lip more than once. Since that usually means he gets a popsicle, he doesn't even seem to mind that much.
• Mason is Maya's most enthusiastic cheerleader. He's always first to pipe in with "That's really cool, Maya" or "That's really interesting, Maya". He adores his big sister, and he's just so darn sweet.

So that is the latest and greatest on my big 4 year old boy. I know he's going to be a GREAT help to me with Baby Girl - he's SO ready to have a baby sister!

Let's Talk Even MORE About Rugs!

Were you aware that Amy Butler had a line of rugs?! I was not. And I'm impressed, they are quite gorgeous. You can see them all here. Here are few of my faves...

Mini Desk

I finally bought some rugs for crazy amazing prices at Tuesday Morning (per a friend's recommendation). They are not necessarily my dream rugs, but I do like them very well, they are great quality and...well, they were cheap. I'll someday post pics of this house as it slowly comes together, and you'll see. They're very nice and work very well. As I said, maybe not my dream rugs, but since I couldn't make a decision to save my life, they will do just fine.

So now I can move my one-track mind on to something else. That tiny little spot of wall behind the family room couch, next to the laundry room. I'm thinking that a mini-writer's desk would be just the thing for that spot. A good place to set up a computer and let the kids "go on dot com" while I supervise from the kitchen. (In this dream scenario, I am in the kitchen dutifuly chopping vegetables after school, rather than sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep...) Anyway, I'm on the lookout for a cute + colorful, tiny little desk for that spot. All of these are a bit too large. And a lot too expensive - let's be realistic, I have no intention of spending thousands of dollars on a desk of any kind. But oh, so pretty. And most of them come in that awesome green. Love, love, love!

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A Blur

This boy is growing up so fast, it's only appropriate that I post some blurry pictures of Mr. Simon. What a funny kid he is! I can't tell a lie...this age isn't easy. There's a communication barrier, there's frustration and tempers (I was referring to him, but I suppose that could apply to me, too...). But he's also just hilarious and sweet and adorable. Here's some tidbits...

• He heads to the doc for his 18-month check-up later this week, and I'm interested to hear what the Doc has to say about his lack of vocabulary. Simon has lots to "say"...just hardly any words to say those things. So there's lots of grunting and hollering and pointing and gesturing. Every now & then he'll surprise us by using a few real words ("nana"for banana, bye, hi, thank you), but for the most part...not so much with the words, particularly if you're trying to get him to say something ("say thank you!", etc.). I know the hearing & comprehension are there (he follows instructions - "go get your blankie" "put your toys away" - very well and rather obediently for his age...you know, sometimes), I'd just LOVE love love it if he'd use some words.
• He's learned to open the doorknobs, so now he's got full access to the pantry. He loves to help himself to the Goldfish, dump them in a big ol' pile on the floor and sit down and help himself. On the bright side, he also loves to fetch the dustpan or feather duster and do a little cleaning for his Mama. So I can't complain about that.
• He LOVES babies. Loves. So fascinated by babies. (Thank goodness!)
• And doggies. Loves doggies, birdies, animals of all kinds. No fear. He's so much like Maya.
• No fear in any other way, either. I tell Chris that if he needs a kid to hang upside down off the side of a cliff with, Simon's his guy. He's crazy.
• He's getting great at feeding himself. He's no longer satisfied to pick it up and shovel it in by hand, he has to use a fork or spoon. I'm amazed to watch him feed himself a bowl of cereal! He's got some skills!
• Elmo is his favorite. He loves our old Tickle Me Elmo doll, hugs & kisses all over him and laughs right along. He also does a great "Elmo's World" boogie. Got to love a little boy shaking his diaper bum.
• Third child, third blanket loving finger sucker. But his kicker is, he has TWO blankies. And they're both required. I will admit it - I love that my kids love their blankies. I think it's so sweet.

Simon, Simon, Simon. I'm interested to see how his world is rocked here in 3 weeks when Baby Girl arrives. And how MY world is rocked. It will be..."interesting"!

Pizza Cake

We made this cake for Maya's cake walk cake decorating contest for the carnival this weekend. It turned out really cute, and super simple!

She was super proud of her cake, and annoyed with me that I put foil over it instead of plastic wrap, so it wasn't "on display". Whoops. I assured her that the judges would look under the foil.

She's absolutely SURE she is going to win the contest! There were lots of cute cakes there, but only one pizza cake that I saw, so we shall see...

Non-Pregnant Clothes

This is the time in my pregnancy when I start gazing longingly at non-pregnant clothes. You know, clothes I won't be able to squeeze into for a loooong time, because even once that baby comes out, I'll have quite a ways to go. That doesn't mean I can't go ahead and compile a wish list, right?

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Sadly, the clutch, the only thing that has any possibility of "fitting" me in the next year or so, will not even hold 1 diaper, let alone diapers for 2 + Mama of 4 paraphernalia, so it's useless. Ah well...

Nursery Input?

I'm just now turning my attention to getting Baby Girl's room set up. I've bought the most important components...

Crib Bedding from PB Kids (HUGE bargain @ the outlet...)

& curtains from Ikea.

I'm still debating the details. Maybe I'll make a flag banner. (Anyone seen cute fabric in this color scheme?) I'm thinking maybe some alphabet cards for the wall. Perhaps a growth chart. Maybe a fun rug (such as this, this or this). Our glider has most definitely seen better days, and in fact, wasn't that awesome to begin with. I don't know that I want to buy a new one, but finding replacement cushions is proving nearly impossible, and I'm not skilled enough to make my own. So...we'll see. Anyway, feel free to send your blue + red suggestions my way! I've got to get this thing whipped into shape in the next few weeks. Well, I don't "got" to, but, you know, it would be nice...

Cakes & More Cakes

Sidenote before this post even begins: one of several reasons I love Facebook is all of the amazing input I get from my friends on a variety of subjects...what to make for dinner, pros & cons of letting Maya get a Nintendo DS, and...resources for cute & simple cakes, among many others.

Maya's school carnival is coming up this weekend, and they have a cake decorating contest as a way to solicit fun donations into the cake walk. Well, we love a contest! And even though we're SO not good at this sort of thing (and by "we" I mean "I", I'm sure if Chris had time to work on this, he could rock an awesome cake) we totally have to do it. Tib recommended this post...and HOW CUTE! So many simple options. We're going with the pizza. Click over & check out all the cute cakes, all with complete instructions.

Girlie In A Not-So-Girlie Way

This dress is SO Maya & actually comes up to a size 8! Definitely on the list. (She needs the boots, too!)

The Furniture

Several of you lovely folks commented that you could make better rug recommendations if you knew what the furniture in the room looked like. I'm happy to oblige! So you see my dilemma...lots of accent colors/patterns going on (yellow, gold, blue) + a sofa + a piano (not pictured, but a dark brown upright). Lots of furniture in a fairly smallish space (and I'm still not totally satisfied with the arrangement, please send help!). Soooo, with this furniture in mind...how do you feel about my rug selections? (And thank you in advance for your help. I'm really clueless.)

Rugs, Rugs, Rugs

I have spent hours if not days-weeks-months-years looking at rugs since we moved into our new house. Holy hardest purchase to make, ever! I'm happy with what we ended up getting for the family room (see here), but the front room has just been one purchase-and-return experience after another. I thought I'd seen it all, but came across a couple of awesome resources recently. Rug Studio has pretty much every rug out there, and lots that I like. Here are a few I'm considering, the top one being my #1 favorite at the moment. Let me know what you think!

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