A Series of Letters: Part III

Dear Meg's Best Friend, Stool,

Stop being so available, you are getting that little girl into a lot of trouble.

Dear Safety Pin of Meg's PJs Used to Keep Her Modest,

You're not supposed to let her figure out how to un-fasten you.

Dear Adeline's Nose and Eyes,

Please stop putting out precipitation.

Dear Sun Room,

I think about you constantly, and there's only one thing keeping me away, money. No hard feelings?

Dear Un-named Baby Boy,

The following is a list of acceptable high-energy times: 12pm-2pm. Please note that I did not say 9pm-11pm.

Dear Chex Muddie Buddies:

You are like the gift that keeps on giving.

Dear Medford Drivers, AGAIN,

If you don't find it in your comfort zone to go the speed of 35 mph, please find an alternative road with a speed limit of 25, heaven knows there's enough of them around here.

P.S. It's called acceleration, it's what one does when the light turns green.....

Dear Bryce,

Thank you for fixing the gaping hole in our wall. And thanks for switching the dryer door, it almost makes me want to do laundry.

Dear Self,

You're awesome, hang in there.

Dear Rat,

I'm so glad that you died and that you didn't tell any of your friends about us before your great demise.

Dear People I Silently Judged for Having Ants in Your Bathroom,

I'm sorry.

Katie

One More for the Road

This is an old wood gutter. I picked up three of them at a garage sale for $20, this one being the shortest. I had Bryce drill holes, string some rope and hang it from the wall. It's the perfect display shelf. I got the oar at a garage sale for $.25.

I also found the flash cards at yet another garage sale and just picked out the 'boy' ones.

The postcards are from Bryce's family and the two pictures of the boys were my grandparents'.

I'm really lazy and just attached the flash cards and paper to some pieces of sheet metal with some magnets.

I painted the words on the top window pane and made a banner for the bottom part where there is no glass.

The sign says Men's Restroom, another piece from Bryce's side of the family. The guest bed and the baby's bed are in the same room, if you didn't pick up on that.

The old tins and flashlights are from Bryce's dad, he really gets my style and never hesitates to pass on things that he thinks I'd like.

A stack of blankets, hats, and burp cloths just waiting to be used.

Have a good weekend.

Katie

I Wasn't Lying...

when I told you I was a liar.

Remember how I said I would have the kitchen done like um, four days ago??? Yeah, me too. I'm embarrassed but moving on.

See that fabric? Pretty great, right? I love it. Putting it up was the biggest nightmare.....ever. You know how you have those really, super duper, great ideas? This was one of mine. And then not so much.

I can't reach that open shelving, it's pretty narrow, and I don't want to have to dust up there. So my solution was some cute little curtains.

So this is what went wrong:

1. I cut my fabric wrong, even though I did measure, lots.


2. The drill died.


3. The rods were too short, then the rods were too long, and then I didn't have enough.


4. I didn't have enough fabric.


5. I decided that I hated how it looked.


6. I'm 9 months pregnant going up and down a ladder and bending over.


7. I decided I'd wait after I got the first one up to see what Bryce thought, just to see if it was my raging hormones putting out negative criticism.


8. Bryce was out of town.


9. Bryce came home and said he loved it, with no encouragement.


10. The sleeves for the rods were too small.


11. The curtains were too short.

Yup, that fabric that I love almost made me cry....that's the way of love though.

Feel free to tell me that this was the best project post eva' and how you are amazed at how I harness such creativity day in and day out....

You will also see pictured images of my laziness....a pail that holds dirty dish cloths that I can't summon the energy to walk to the laundry room approx. 10 feet away and also the recycling, which is the same situation.

Katie

What I Learned From My Sibilings:

(I was going to post the big kitchen reveal but since I can't remember the last time that one of my projects was 1)finished on time, 2)looked exactly how I had it pictured, and 3)was never frustrating, that's not going to happen today.)

• Getting in trouble is way more fun if there are twice as many people in on it.


• Laughing when you get a spanking does not make it hurt less, no, no, instead you'll get a double dose.


• If anyone ever says: I have a good idea, chances are, it's not a good idea.


• Sometimes people actually think that you're really cool, even if they never tell you.


• Telling someone else's secret is always a bad idea, even if it's telling your brother's crush that he likes her, when he was seven.


• The age limit on a McDonald's play structure is more of a guideline.


• Hanging out with a sister and her boyfriend is disturbing and not really that fun.


• You can believe in Santa Claus for an embarrassing amount of time if you have siblings in on the action.


• Sharing a room with a sister is the best recipe for a good relationship....ten years later.


• Singing into a wooden spoon can make anyone feel like a rock star.


• You don't remember as much of the fighting as one would think.


• Sometimes it helps to have a common enemy, like parents.

The kitchen WILL BE ready to show off tomorrow, but just in case, maybe check for a posting later in the day....

Katie

A Conversation with Myself

While shopping for jeans:

'I love these jeans. Nice color, good length, great bum. I'm totally getting these. Where have they been all my life?'

6 months later, same pair of jeans, while looking in a full length mirror:

'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I've been wearing these jeans almost every single day and they make me look like this. Why hasn't some one told me they look awful? My bum has NEVER looked worse. I definitely need to go jean shopping. I'm putting these in the far recesses of my dresser drawer. I'm humiliated.'

While shopping for jeans:

'I love these jeans. Nice color, good length, great bum. I'm totally getting these. Where have they been all my life?'

6 months later, same pair of jeans, while looking in a full length mirror:

'I hate these jeans. I don't know why I ever bought them. What a waste of my money. I'm putting these in the far recesses of my dresser drawer.'

While putting 2nd pair of jeans in far recesses of my drawer, I happen upon 1st pair of jeans, I put them on:

'Holy smokes, these jeans look awesome. I wonder why I haven't been wearing them? It's like the whole package. I don't know why I thought those other jeans were better than these ones, it's pretty obvious they're not.'

Repeat yearly.

Happy Valentine's Day

Katie

The Kitchen

Unfortunately, this is not a big reveal. I didn't finish a single, blessed project this week. Instead, this is a bit of a teaser for the kitchen. Bryce and I have been painting it this week and it will for sure be done by next week.

This is a bit of a walk down memory lane so you can see where it's been and where it's going so you'll be genuinely astounded with the after. Right???

It's been awesome trying to cook around this disaster....

You can hardly wait till next week, huh?

Katie

P.S. If you know of anyone who will take out my old counters and give me new granite ones, for free, I'm interested....

10 Things...

I want right now:

1. a nap


2. to not be pregnant so I can take Ibuprofen


3. a snack I don't have to prepare for myself


4. Meg to potty train herself


5. for my kitchen to be painted


6. to be able to find some maternity pants that actually stay up


7. to never have to pluck my eyebrows again


8. for Bryce to realize that I have the better list of boy name options


9. for Adeline's play date to show up so she will stop incessantly asking when she'll get here


10. for my kids to never learn how to tell time. Cruel? for sure Effective? without a doubt

You'll find in my trash can:

1. hair clippings, the girls got a haircut last night


2. countless pages of unfinished and forgotten about art work


3. leftovers


4. lots of tissue from my ever-running nose


5. dead flies, remember those maggots, well, apparently they weren't all vaccumed up and now we have a lot of flies, fortunately they're pretty stupid...


6. fabric scraps from the quilts that I'm making for Meg and baby boy


7. my sanity


8. my patience


9. a broken plastic hanger


10. dirty diapers

I'm decent at making:

1. breadsticks


2. toast


3. a bowl of cereal


4. anything with cream of chicken


5. chili


6. green salad


7. love


8. people laugh


9. a to-do list for Bryce


10. grape juice

Katie

I Love You, Kissy Face

Adeline's kissy face with two-day old hair. Do you see that stuff in the corner, against the wall? That is the makings of some curtains, that have been sitting there for a while....
Meg, don't let that smile fool you, it's taken me an hour to put together this post thanks to that charming individual.

Fireplace mantle sporting vintage Valentine cards. Bryce's grandma was a teacher and she saved all of the cards her students gave her. I am the happy recipient.

Post cards, calling cards and old sheet music.

I copied this garland out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

I'm excited for Valentine's Day this year because it's Bryce's turn to plan.

Have a great weekend.

Katie

20 Rules I've Broken

1. Jay walked all.of.the.time in college. I actually don't remember a specific time I used the crosswalk.


2. On more than one occasion I didn't finish my food growing up. Although it looked like I had finished my food, it was really in the toilet, in my napkin, in the heat register behind my chair, or under my youngest siblings' high chair.


3. I speed, daily.


4. In college, I went on multiple dates with multiple boys all in one day. I actually don't know if it's a rule how many boys you can see in one day...


5. I hardly ever iron. I think that must be some sort of housewife rule. Isn't that what the dryers for?


6. I bribe my children hourly. I've read a lot of parenting books that say you shouldn't do that but....


7. When I play the piano, I never count. I know how, I think, but I'm really lazy.


8. Sometimes I feed my kids cereal for lunch.


9. I sleep my babies on their tummies.


10. I rarely take my prenatal vitamins.


11. When we used to go to the zoo, there was this door for employee use only, I used it all of the time.


12. I wipe junk from my counter into my open dishwasher rather than into my hand and then the trash can.


13. I only shave my legs a couple times a week.


14. I don't floss.


15. I rarely remember to put on sunblock.


16. I call African-Americans black.


17. I let my kids eat food off the floor.


18. I wear white socks with mostly everything.


19. I left A-Town without paying my $4 library fine.


20. The tags on my van are expired.