My Mother….

emails me.

Correction.

She communicates with me via email.

The difference?

She’ll post what she wants to say in the subject line,

and there will be no content in the actual email.

Today, I received this one:

“You need to blog all the new happenings going on at your house that I have missed out on.”

I humor her because….well, if you’ve never met her, she’s awesome.

So here’s what we’ve been up to:

My friend came to visit last week, for an entire week.

It was ‘good for the soul’ and was better than getting a full eight hours of sleep at night.

We reupholstered this chair while she was here.

I had picked it up at an estate sale for $5.

Before:

 

After

This little guy has smiled a couple of times.

Nothing compares.

 

He turned one month. (Thanks Chelsea!)

The kids discovered some really fun toys:

It’s called the ‘outside’ and the ‘riding lawn mower’.

Here they all are waiting for rides.

While Bryce was on paternity leave/furlough, he worked on a couple of things.

He made some headway on this wall where the brick was stolen.

We put up fence posts so we can fence the garden and put in more garden boxes.

Those pallets have like 700 retaining wall brick.

So if you aren’t busy…..

He rototilled so we can put in more raspberries and blueberries.

One of my hives jumped ship.  Their box is completely empty. 

I haven’t had time to look at their box to discern why, but the other hive is doing pretty well.

I wouldn’t be surprised if perhaps they joined forces for the upcoming winter.

I finished Bennett’s bed.

 

I made some hot air balloons for his mobile.

And I spend a lot of time with these two.

I also have canned more tomato sauce,

taken a couple of naps,

made a lot of meals,

bought another brood of chicks {I refuse to mention what that brings that total to, but it’s a lot.  I’m sure chicken hoarding is a real diagnosis.}

made plans for homemade Christmas gifts,

watched my neighbor build a shed,

checked the mail,

and winterized the children’s wardrobe.

I don’t want to beg, but feel free to leave a comment,

Katie

Reasons I’m Not Posting…

I’m napping.

I’m thinking about napping.

I’m putting Bennett down for a nap.

I’m putting Meg and Spencer down for a nap.

I’m debating about eating or sleeping.

I’m feeding Bennett.

I’m keeping Meg and Spencer from crushing Bennett while he is eating.

I'm sleeping while I’m feeding Bennett.

I’m feeding Meg and Spencer.

I’m at the grocery store buying food which people will eventually be eating.

I’m changing diapers.

I’m tossing dirty diapers in the trash can

from across the room

in the middle of the night.

I make most of them.

Very clean bank shots.

I raise my hands in triumph.

I realize no one cares.

{And unfortunately this is not a marketable talent.}

I’m talking to my mom.

{She calls a lot more frequently after I had an emotional breakdown when she left to go home….completely normal.  Whatev.}

And I’m trying to get decent pictures of our growing family….

Katie

A Series of Letters, Part ?:

Dear Bennett:

You are a big baby, my friend.

But don’t let your weight define you,

it’s just a number.

You’re so much more than that.

Also, can I just say, I love you but I’m so glad that first week is over?

Oh.my.goodness.

Dear Self:

No matter how cute the subject matter….

you’re still a terrible photographer.

 

Dear Elementary School:

I’m counting it as a blessing {as we all should} that crazy hair day coincided with bringing home a new baby.

Thank you.

{Elizabeth playing the piano to calm a fussy Bennett.}

 

Meg:

You’re super fun, but mostly crazy.

Dear Fairies:

You missed out on a really nice fairy house.

Your loss.

 

Dear Mom:

Thank you for coming to visit.

Please don’t ever leave.

Dear Andrew, my brother:

Thank you for coming to visit.

Please don’t ever leave.

Dear Bryce:

I’m still not entirely convinced that “you had no idea the neighbor was planning to bring meatloaf over” for dinner.

Pu.lease.

I’m sleep deprived, not dumb.

Dear Spencer:

Next time you have meatloaf, which will be never while you live at my house,

do not stuff four bites in your mouth and then spit it out.

It’s more than this girl can handle.

Dear Spandex:

So glad you’re in jeans…..

Seriously, best idea ever.

Sincerely,

Post-partum bodies

Baby Boy

He came this morning in the wee hours.  Katie was a champion. 8' 7".  He was big.  Meg, the next biggest, was 7' 6".  

The Waiting Game

Which is a lie.

Games are supposed to be fun.

Waiting for a baby is not fun.

It’s actually prett.y lame.

On the flip side, I’ve gotten everything done I was trying to accomplish.

One of the things on the list was this bassinet.

I bought it at a garage sale for $5.

Bryce reinforced the bottom.

I washed, sanded, and sealed it.

Bought a foam pad.

And made some fitted sheets.

And for the heck of it, some bunting.

Then Elizabeth’s like, are you going to paint it?

And I’m like, uh, no.

She’s like, but the paint is coming off and you can see the wood…

And I’m like, I know, right!?

She’s like, so you’re not going to paint it….?

Poor confused girl.

You think she would have caught on when one of her friends came over and she had to explain to her friend why her mother has a wall full of frames with no pictures in them…..

Have a good weekend.

Katie

Three Years Ago

I bought a quilt at a garage sale.

{Unfortunately, not an exaggeration.}

For, like, $3.

I’m just making that up…..

it was three years ago, people.

Someone {I’m sure they’re perfectly nice} decided to make it into a comforter and sewed some hideous 80s fabric around the edge,

with ruffles

and tied with yarn.

{Probably didn’t need to mention the fabric was hideous AND from the 80s…}

It was super sad.

Especially since the fabric was appliqued by hand.

I started working on it three years ago.

{Unfortunately, also not an exaggeration.}

So I finished it up this week.

Because we all know that finishing a project started three years ago is very pertinent to having a baby enter this world.

I hand quilted it and made a scrappy backing and used some leftover binding to finish it off.

So, when it was done, I showed Bryce how it turned out.

He didn’t even recognize the quilt.

Like, not at all.

Not even a recollection.

Sometimes three years is just too long….

Katie

I’m Avoiding…

my dishes from canning apple-cinnamon syrup (scratching the apple pie filling for the season) and thought I’d come post something…

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The last week of summer, my in-laws took the kids.

All of them.

For an entire week.

It was kinda like a second honeymoon because Bryce took some days off of work, except for the fact

that our house is an hundred years old

I was 9 months pregnant

and it was ten years later.

While the chil’ens were gone, we worked on the room for the boys.

First before

2nd before

After, with some new paint and trim.

 

 

I glued made the vintage looking sports pennants.

Bryce picked out the fabric for the curtains.

I’m waiting for my mom to come visit to finish them.

Because I’m banking on it driving her crazy that I safety pinned the tabs to the curtains.

Not a perfectionist.

I live in a house built in 1875.

That ship has sailed.

Before

 

We bought a new crib which will go in the blank spot.

I have the new sheet and bumper all made up.

Just wait.ing.

Before

(He’s pretty cute, right?)

After

We took down the old wood rain gutter and I’m going to have Bryce cut it in half.

Then I’ll attach it to the wall behind the chair so we can put little board books there and have a mini library.

All the curtains are closed because it’s still super hot here.

Like in the 100s.

Pretty sure we’re the only state not getting pounded with rain.

Lucky dogs….

Katie