A glimpse of summer?

What an amazingly beautiful day!

Fruits (and veggies) of our labor?

In spending some time looking around the yard, I concluded there must be some way to capture the sun that hits the deck without using floor space. If this works this year, next year's endeavor will be better-planned. For now, we're keeping our fingers crossed.

Day 1, seedlings were planted: Sweet 100s, Summer Squash, Burpless Cukes, and Broccoli.

Day 2, seeds were planted: Peas, Beets, 2 types of Spinach, and 3 types of Lettuce.

I can't wait!!!

First Zoo trip for the season... AND article in the paper!

Lauren called and asked if we'd like to join them at the zoo yesterday, and I'm so glad we did! It's great to get out of the house, and the weather was pretty close to perfect.





And one of my new favorite pictures! Love it!

Also - supposedly there will be an article about us and our team for the March For Babies in both the Saginaw and Bay City papers today or tomorrow. Haven't seen it yet, though. I did a phone interview with the journalist last Sunday, and we had a little mini photo shoot on Wednesday. Can't wait to see how it all comes out!

ETA.. here it is!

Living Room... Done!

An old pic, but just a reminder of what the vertical blinds used to look like...
The curtains the way they came from the store... too short!

After some work, I added the strip along the top, made them grommet tops, and fixed the rods. I love the result!

Busy-work projects

I taught myself how to crochet to keep my hands busy while we're watching tv, etc. My first projects are below.
My most recent completion, but I'm finding I'm so critical of my projects I end up pulling the whole thing apart and re-doing it a few times. But each project is a lesson learned on what to do next. Or what not to do.

V and I stitched her "lady bug house"
My second attempt at a dish scrubbie...

First Spring Rain

V finally got to use her new umbrella and rain boots! However, according to her, it's not a very good day for an outside picnic.

Second room... done!

V's old nursery/room... two days and two coats of really good paint covered what took much longer (for Rod and my mom, anyway!) before Victoria was born.


After four straight hours today of moving furniture, re-arranging, cleaning, and purging today, it's now the new guest room/my craft room!



And here are a few more pictures of her (mostly) finished room.

Spring Weather... briefly

Well, it's snowing. It's been snowing since we got up this morning. BUT... the ground warmed up enough the past few days that not much has accumulated. We got spoiled with a few mid-60s days where the windows and doors were open and the house was filled with the sounds and smells of spring.

I got Victoria's room almost completed yesterday. Now we just have to wait until she's earned the right to move in. Hopefully that doesn't take too long. We've got a severe lack of sleep to catch up on, though, and it's really affecting attitudes around here. I was trying to figure out bed placement. Can't move the bed yet, though. I may just have to start with clothes. There's no rule that says she has to sleep in the same room where all her clothes are, right?

The new digs

We're moving Victoria out of the smaller room into the one I figured she'd want eventually. It needed to be painted, and I can't be simple about anything.

Here were the pieces that started the color inspiration for the room.


After the base came measuring, measuring, measuring, chalking, and taping.

My first unsuccessful paint attempt. I didn't like the way the sponged diamonds didn't have clean lines.


Of course, I didn't decide I wanted to change until I'd started taping off for stage 2.


Change of plans, orange and yellow argyle. However after letting the yellow dry, I decided I didn't like that, either.

So, back to the paint store today to get a mandarin orange somewhere between the yellow and the dark orange I already had. Hopefully I'll be able to tape off the lines to complete the argyle pattern tomorrow, and maybe even finish it off!

Fun and family

What's in Your Heart?

Victoria told me she wanted to write a story ("I'm a good story-writer!") and asked me what she should write about. I told her to write about what's in your heart. Deciphered: Mom, I would like to play my leapster. (the Leapster got taken away for 2 days as punishment for something)

Oh, and she's correcting my enunciation! We were talking and I said "That's silliness!" But apparently didn't separate my words well enough, because she said, "No, mom. Not 'That silliness' - 'THAT'S silliness!'"

Can you read this?

Here's a hint: If you hold it up in the mirror, it'll be easier to read. Yup. She wrote her name as a mirror image (with the exception of the C, which sometimes goes one way or the other anyway!)

Funny Stuff

This is just more for my documenting all the things Victoria says to me that I want to remember, but know I won't unless I write it down somewhere.
Last night, Victoria told me she had a dream last night about bridges breaking. She and I talked about it and I think the bridge portion came from the bridge she saw on Dora yesterday. Here's what she remembered about her dream:

She was sitting by the side of a bridge by herself. A girl came along and she had two bikes - the girl's bike, and V's bike. She started to cross the bridge, but Victoria stopped her and told her to go the other way.

I think that's the first accounting of a "story" she dreamed. Up until now, she's just told me she dreamed about butterflies, or bubbles, etc.

Regarding the fact that she married Serendipity (lovey/bunny/blanket), V told me yesterday that Serendipity's last name changed, and now she has our last name because they got married. And of course, she loves her and she's her best friend!

Budding Artist

Tonight, V decided she needed to draw a monster. When she was done, she informed me it was a Mr. Tickle Monster.