In the Details

I love Billy's days off. Usually we all sleep late (the kids are pretty good about doing that if we put them in bed a bit later than usual), sit around watching PBS and drinking coffee, and then head off to the gym. The kids get some good play time with their friends, and I get a good run in. (It's not a good day if I don't get my run...heaven help us when BabyB3 finally makes me stop.)

Then a lot of times we head off to Sonic. It's our current food habit. Slushies and tots are in demand over here. It's conveniently located right next to my favorite junk/antique store in our area. We love to go there and browse around for stuff for the house. (Their stuff changes really frequently so there's always something new.) This last time we went we found some stuff for BabyB3's nursery that we've been working on. Who, as you can see, will have the initials J.H.B.

I'm pretty excited about the stuff we got, and the fact that we've finally settled on a name. Billy had settled on it about a month ago, but I was being a commitment phobic even though I love it. I did this with our other two hooligans...a name is such a big decision, I always am a bit scared to say this is it, even when it feels just right. This one feels just right, and I already think of him in my head as...you know, J.

Another little detail about this name is that Billy came up with the first name, and I just contributed the middle name this time. (I picked out the other kiddos' names.) I know some couples fight over names and have to hash out a compromise...we thankfully have never had to do that. We are a good name-picking machine in my opinion. My mom would probably disagree, as she has been known to cringe at the names I pick, but she always gets used to them.

I think we're going to keep the name (other than the initials) under wraps until his birthday. I've never done that before, and am terrible about keeping secrets of this nature. (This is why I could never not find out the gender. The suspense would drive me crazy.) So we'll see if I can actually follow through with that. The little details of the nursery, and naming BabyB3, are falling into place. I can't wait for that last detail of finally seeing his handsome face. :)

The last shot is for The Paper Mama.

His

We have recently started piddling, painting, and Pinteresting for BabyB3's nursery. Yes, I believe Pinteresting is a word. And I'm grouchy and pregnant so don't correct me if I'm wrong. ;) I've never really done that whole nesting, up-to-my-ears in pastel colored ruffly shenanigans that kiddo will just poop on anyway. Tirzah slept in the living room until she was almost 2 for goodness sakes and she's fine. Well, she's normal. Ok, nevermind.

We did decorate a bit with Babies R Us paraphernalia that all matched for Merrick, and at the time we loved it. And not to knock nursery decorating (cuz it's fun to dream and set up baby's room) but most of it (safari print diaper holder???) just went unused. So this time around I'm skipping cliche monkeys and sailboats and going for something a little different. (Why would that surprise anyone?)

We are painting BabyB3's room a metallic silver, with bright blue accents (like dresser drawers, frames for the walls, etc). Silver metallic is redundant, yes, but it's shiny paint so I felt the need to use the word metallic, ok? (Like I said...no arguing.) I saw it in someone's dream bathroom on Pinterest and decided that hey, a nursery is pretty much a bathroom for a person in tiny diapers...why not?

I'm pretty excited about how it looks so far. The walls are almost done and we are going to start painting the dresser and getting some stuff on the very bare walls. I'm also excited i haven't had to lift a finger yet (except the one using the mouse finding cool stuff on Pinterest) since Billy said 'no painting, you're pregnant'. For once I said, 'yes sir'. Can't wait till BabyB3 is taking up residence in his nursery instead of my belly.

The first shot is for Texture Thursday, and the second is for Show Off.

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid...

...Deep fry it. Growing up I hated Kool-Aid. No one ever told me you could fry it and put powdered sugar on it though. But at the State Fair, anything that's not tied down or talking can and will be fried and covered in powdered sugar. THAT I can handle. And at the State Fair last Saturday we had our first taste of fried Kool-Aid and fried Twinkie. We approve.

I don't remember ever going to the state fair as a kid. (I'm sure mom will call and yell at me that she DID take me to the fair I just forgot. Sorry mom.) But we decided to take the hooligans this past weekend. So glad we did. There were some moments of "what are we doing and what is wrong with these kids" but it was one of my favorite family days pretty much...ever.

We rode flying elephants and cars. (Well, one of us rode cars. One was too short but made sure to let us know she had the lungs to handle it.) We saw a lot of farm animals (and farm people...). We walked around and ate some good grease formerly-known-as-food. We ate ice cream and candy apples and will probably regret it later at the dentist.

We made lots of fun memories and left feeling exhausted, sore-footed and happy. Everyone slept late Sunday as a result, which made my hanging around taking pictures of the lights after dark seem like not such a bad idea. We laid around that following morning drinking coffee and working on BabyB3's nursery. I think I could stand a few more weekends like that. I could definitely stand another fried twinkie.

The the first shot is for Communal Global, second is for The Happiness Project, 

and last is for Simplicity.

Small

There is something about the crisp fall air, the simple clear beauty of the expanse of blue overhead, my kids holding my hands and hearing them call me "mama", that tugs at my heart and reminds me from where all these things come.

Standing at the fair this past weekend surrounded by the busy happy crowd, holding hands with my favorite little people and feeling the enthusiastic kicking of the son I've yet to meet, I am reminded of my smallness. And this reminder practically knocks me over with gratitude.

Check out more shots at Scripture and a Snapshot and Paper Heart Camera.

What?

You don't sit around in costume all day? Well, we do. Or they do, I should say. They call them "dresses" though...no matter how many times I tell Merrick what he's wearing is not a dress. Oh well. Pick your battles, people.

The only problem with this is the fact that Scarlet O'Hara and Spiderman cannot seem to coexist peacefully. Miss O'Hara is deathly afraid of Spiderman when his mask is on, even though she likes to pretend she is ferocious. Spiderman loves this. A little too much.

He takes menacing slow steps after her and it's all over. Shrieking like you've never heard. Usually this ends in Spiderman having to be de-costumed. But by this point usually Scarlet has had one too many meltdowns from tripping over her too-long skirts. (And yes, I've tried to fix it. She doesn't want it fixed, she just wants to have a little drama in her life.)

Which I guess if tripping over a skirt and scaring a sister is all the drama in my life, I should probably be glad. And I am. Nothing to call Superman, Batman, or Captain America about. Except maybe breaking up their latest wrestling match. Good luck, boys.

The last shot is for The Paper Mama.