01/05/08

It is quite weird writing '08....

Well, my first post for the new year. Sorry for not posting before now. I guess I was a bit "lazy" on my last days off from school and then school began in full force again on Thursday.

My picture is from my in-laws house last spring. They love birds and have many birdhouses and feeders around their yard. Since I have no snow or winter scene pictures I had to pick from ones I haven't shown!

The first day of the year for us was quiet. Steve cut wood while I read a book. I pretty much read all day long. That is something I don't get to do often anymore and I enjoyed it immensly. Plus, in trying to get Wesley and Mikayla to ENJOY reading and not just do it because they have to, I figured this would set an example for them. They kept coming up to me and saying "You read THAT much, Mom??!" I had to laugh. Wesley got the book "The Wind in the Willows" for Christmas and he has really gotten into that. Mikayla has been reading her American Girl Doll books. She just finished one today that she started when we got off from school for Christmas. I am thankful for how well they both are reading now. Two years ago we didn't think we'd get to that point! ha! I finished my second book I had started over my break in around 2 days. I hadn't done that in a long time, either. lol Usually it takes me forever to read a book because I fall asleep in the middle of the page.

My last day off from school was not complicated, either. I wanted to enjoy that last hoorah before the craziness started again. Steve has been after me for a while for us to get a new couch. My thoughts (as the tight one with money) is that our couch now is FINE and still workable. It is only 10 or so years old and in great condition considering two kids have been on it. lol I realize it has some issues with the piping around the edge coming out but that is just from use. PLUS, I brought my babies home to that couch and I have read many a story to them there. You know me.... sentimental as I am. Well, he called me that day and told me to get over to the LazyBoy store and pick out a new couch. lol He had wanted to get one last fall and I kept putting him off but now he is determined. I just hate to spend money....

Anyway, we met him over there and sat on four or five, then narrowed it down to three. I laid on them and kicked back in them to make sure they were supportive yet comfortable. I can't stand a couch where you feel like you can't relax on it because it is so stiff. We finally chose one that was what we felt we wanted. It has a recliner on both ends of the couch (which truly is one of the sole reasons why Steve wanted a new couch....) and it is taupe. It should blend nicely with the other furniture we have. I just hope it looks alright with our taupe walls! It should arrive in four weeks or so and we'll go pick it up. Meanwhile, I am relishing in the last few times I'll be reading to my babies on the old couch. I WILL miss that one... lol

Thursday was back to school for us. Overall, it wasn't bad. It is just hard to get back into all of it when you have been off.

Went to see The Spelling Bee performed on Thursday night with my brother. At first, the play seemed really cute and funny. The farther along it got the more I realized this play was not fit to see, in my opinion. The people were portraying children in a spelling bee.... it went beyond that. I did not appreciate most of it as it went a long and I walked out of there feeling like I had wasted my time. My brother felt the same. We'll not see that again if it comes through. Our next one is in three weeks and we'll be seeing Cats. We have seen that numerous times and I know we'll enjoy that one.

Mikayla had a play date yesterday after school. Unfortunately, she is still not over her crying about leaving me. I am a bit frustrated and don't quite know what to do anymore. I want to comfort her and say it is alright on one hand, but at the same time I know if I do that she will continue this behavior and I don't want her to do that either. I know it is probably a phase. My Mom keeps telling me "Wait till she doesn't want to be with you anymore and then you'll wish for these days." OK, that is true, but I also don't think Mikayla will be that way, either. I had moments as a teenager like any do but I never wanted to purposely be without my family. I just wasn't raised that way. (That was such a rabbit trail, sorry...) SO... Mikayla cried at school throughout the whole day. I had to be "tough love Mom" and tell her she WAS going because she didn't want to hurt her friend's feelings. It broke my heart but at the same time I had to move past it because I knew this was good for her to keep going. She had a pretty good time but was glad to get back home. Thankfully, the parents of her friend understood and didn't take offense!!

I think I have created a "cleaning monster" in Wesley. lol He has been obsessed with that little Shark Vacuum I got from Steve for Christmas. He always wants the house to look "neat and clean" ALL of the time. Now, believe me, I am all for that but I also know when you live in a house it isn't always going to look "perfect." He got upset the other day when we were going to meet Steve because Mikayla was leaving out some of her toys she had been playing with. She was going to play with them again when we got back home. He was NOT happy about that and came to me a couple of times over it. At one point he looked like he was almost in tears! I told him as much as I appreciate his desire to have our house clean that we can't be perfect all of the time. As long as she cleaned up her stuff before she went to bed, I was fine with that. He finally relented and was OK, but still not that happy about it. lol He has used that little vacuum every day since we got it charged. lol I was going to have that as a chore for each of them to take turns in days but he may have an issue if Mikayla does it before him! HA!!!

Today we have been cleaning and he has been his normal little cleaning self. I appreciate it about him, though, and don't want to complain about it. He could be a slob that I would have to get straight!

Since the house is clean and Steve is out cutting more wood I guess I'll try to work on some scrapbook pages today. I finally journaled on all of the ones I had done from last year to August. I now have to start scrapping pictures from August through December. Now that my dining room is cleaned I hate to get it all out in there again but it is the only place I have for it. I'll just have to keep it more in the containers and not spread all over the place.

I also want so badly to get out and photograph something. I have photographed stuff around here so much I am running out of options. I need to go somewhere but not sure of where to go. I'll figure something out. I had thought of photographing the birds on our back deck. They are feeding so fast on the bird feeders and look so cute. I'll see what I can do.

I still miss my Christmas sparkle and lights. Seems so dark around here at night now.

Well, I need to go get busy with the other things I mentioned. Have a wonderful day and love your furniture like I do. lol