It's garden 2013 time

The only new thing I'm growing this year is cilantro.  Everything else is the same old same old.  I'm moving things around a little hoping somethings get more sun/shade. starting from seeds is SO much cheaper than buying plants, but well, it's nerve wracking.  So much room for error.  too much sun. not enough sun. too much water. not enough water.  too cold.  

my first cilantro sprout

hoping for tomatoes, peppers and basil galore.  

check out my cross eyed porch cat.

The Grey Cats, together.

Remember the Wordless Wednesday  I posted this summer of the two grey cats?   Well, they are no longer separated.  In fact, now anytime the temperature drops below 45 degrees, the fat short tailed grey cat is invited in the house.  And he's probably the best house guest we've ever had.  He keeps to himself and doesn't care if the kids pick him up and carry him around.  

Short Tail is the name we gave him when he started hanging around out house over a year and a half ago.  He's such a big cuddle bug (which I love because my grey cat, Gracie, tries to kill me on a daily basis).

This summer, I met Short Tail's previous owner.  He's a neighbor who told me Smokey ran away from home after he wasn't allowed to live in the house anymore and didn't get along with the other outside cat.  He loves Smokey and wants him back (which I could understand) so for awhile, I'd walk Short Tail back to their house and couple of times, and they'd come to our house and get him, but it never failed, a day or two later, he'd be back on the porch begging for cuddles.  After a while I decided, ya know, I'm not going to keep taking this cat back to a place he clearly doesn't want to be.  He's a good cat and as long as he wants to be here, we'll feed him and take care of him.  The best part, he's already been neutered.

But the clencher as to whether he'd actually be able to stay in the house during bad weather, was if he could get along with Gracie.  And he couldn't be more oblivious to her if he tried.  For the first couple of times inside, she stalked around him, sniffing and deciding.  And she's decided she likes him more than she likes me.  So that's good.

Poor Son, he has a hard time telling them apart.

enjoying the view.  together.  

My favorite thing about Short Tail, is his short tail.  When he gets excited, he wags it like a dog.  It's pretty cute. And he purrs like a maniac.  Something Gracie doesn't do. ever.   I'm glad he has a warm safe place to go now that it's starting to get cold.  Right now, he's asleep upside down in one of the dining room chairs.

Halloween Part 2: downtown fun

Saturday our town had a (poorly organized and poorly advertised) downtown trick-or-treat thing.  Goodness, I don't even know what you would call it, but Husband went last year with Daughter and he said this year and 95% horribly compared.  

BUT

The kids loved seeing lots of kids in costumes and getting about 8 (yes, 8) pieces of candy.

The Friendly Tiger and Peppa Pig

Both kids were SO proud of their costumes. Son loved saying, "Trick-or-Treat GRRRRRR." and "Thank you, GRRRRRR."   And Daughter was just beaming with excitement that SHE was Peppa Pig.  And when kids would say, "hey, there's a pig, " SHE WAS IN HEAVEN.

walking.  You can't really see Son's tiger tail, but Peppa's is sticking out of her red dress.

Her nose was a little too big and also the bane of my existence for the 4 hours it took me to  finish the darn thing.  But, WOW, she loved it.

Peppa eating her candy.  The cat was checking for tuna or milk.

Son digging into his candy.

MANY MANY THANKS for the borrowed Tiger costume.  I only hope that next year I get to see a little Aubie in it!

Downstairs Improvement Part 1: Under-the-Stairs-Room

I guess I should start at the beginning.  In August, we took a family day trip down to Mobile.  But this one wasn't just for fun.  Husband had a job interview. Yes, we were seriously considering moving to Mobile. And if Husband got the job, we would have moved. Husband and I started talking about what-ifs, what-we-need-to-dos.  And talk quickly turned to the list of things we'd need to do to the house before we could sell it or, worse case scenario, rent it out.  Number two on the list was turn the 702 sq ft of finished downstairs space into actual usable family space. In the six years that Husband has owned the house, it's never really been used for anything except a place for the dogs to stay in extreme weather.  Husband ended up not getting the job, but I was still thinking of this list of to-dos.  

Why wait to do these things until we're trying to get rid of the house?

Why not do them now and actually get to enjoy our hard work?

There are 4 finished rooms downstairs (and the unfinished 300sq ft cellar that we ignored except for organizing and cleaning).  There's the under-the-stairs room, the main room, the smaller side room that sustained substantial drywall damage when we learned that the previous owners installed 3 of the 6 water sources in the master bathroom, that's directly above this room, incorrectly, and the half bath.  

I'm starting with the room I was probably the most excited about first.  And except for husband putting two nails in the wall, I did it all by myself.  

before.

bare wood paneling and plain concrete. cold and uninviting.

under the stairs

the 4th wall

The most important thing to me about this improvement was that it be cheap.  We just don't have the money to spare right now.  But I also didn't want it to look bootleg.  Luckily, so much of what I used in this room, we already had or I was able to find cheap.  The only exception?  The $10 can of chalk board paint.  It was the single most expensive thing I bought.

I used wall paint that we already had in the cellar (the blue that Son's room was when Husband bought the house). We already had the white paint I used to paint the window and door casings.  And since we had already decided the main room's floor needed repainting, I used a little of that paint on the floor.  I bought the chalkboard paint for $10.  Thrift store frames for the chalkboards for $5 each.  White spray paint to paint the the frames and a bookshelf I've had since college was $3.  I picked up two pillows that were $2.50 each to use as cushions.  Covered them with pillowcases we already had but don't use anymore. Then bought two .74 packs of chalk. $8 worth of shoe (the wood that usually accompanies baseboards) And that's it.  I still have to get baseboards, paint and install them.  THAT will end up being the most costly thing in the room, but the room really feels unfinished without them.  And I'd like to hang some curtains too.  Just something sheer and light.

Total spent thus far: right under $40

Total fun has thus far: priceless

the kids checking our their new chalkboards.

Daughter's first drawing

the cat approves

I used the bookshelf to butt up against the stairs and I still haven't decided if I'm going to leave the stairs unfinished or not.  The shelf now has coloring books, crayons and simple wooden puzzles on it. (the white strip on the left is the shoe.  I thought that was all we'd need as far as baseboards go, but they aren't tall enough to cover the gap between the paneling and the floor.  boo)

When the time comes that I trust my kids a little more, this is going to become a magnetic wall and I will bring out my 3 packs of magnetic poetry that I packed away when I realized Husband's fridge wasn't magnetic.  I'm excited for the day, but also realistic that it will probably be years away.

Since I took these pictures, I've hung my old cork board above the chalk boards for the kids to hang their art.  I'm really excited about this room.  And I love how much the kids love it.  Daughter calls it "my little room."  And Son doesn't seem to mind she claimed ownership because he has his own favorite thing downstairs and it's not in that room.

After I started painting my measured off chalkboard to fit into the frames and I saw how little of the $10 can of chalkboard paint I was going to be using, I ALMOST decided to scrap the frame idea and paint the entire wall.  But the thought of wasting $10 on the thrift store frames was enough to deter me.  Maybe later that'll be an upgrade to do - A SUPER HUGE WALL SIZED CHALKBOARD.

Wordless Wednesday: unrelated twins forever separated by a screen

Second Saturday Sewing: May - The Pleated Purse

I was right about Saturday being a lot of fun. Even if I was yawning most of the day. Fun was had.

It's always nice to have friends who know more than you. Especially if they're great teachers. I've never read a pattern before and I incorrectly interpreted how to cut the lining. So, I'm glad JSS showed me the actual right way before I put the rotary blade to the fabric!

Saturday, we worked on a pleated purse. I really like the way it looks and I was excited about the fabric that I picked out. (except for the price. I should have looked more and found something a little cheaper. Amy Butler twill = not the best deal in the world. But I do REALLY like the bright bold colors)

The tutorial is only 3 pages long.

Page 1: Cutting the fabric

Page 2: Prep for assembly

Page 3: Bag assembly

And we got the first page and ALMOST all of the second page finished on Saturday. I finished the rest of the page 2 on Sunday night. So I am ready to ASSEMBLE next time we meet.

This is what happened when I neatly arranged my purse pieces on the floor to snap a picture. The cat. What a beast. She slid in and bit the lining before I could shoo her away.

OK, here are the pieces.

the light blue trampizoids with the polka dot centers are the lining and the polka dot centers are double pockets.

The strips in the middle are the straps. One side is the lining and the other is the outside of the purse

The polka dot pieces on the right are the pleated purse fronts. (I didn't fan the bottom one out as well, but the pleats are pretty uniform on both pieces)

Husband had my camera at the zoo so I didn't get any pictures while we were working. JSS's daughter got a few. Most notably, JSS's really fun apple fabric and my excitement to get started.

I'm really excited about getting it finished soon. Learning is great.

Life is pretty fantastic when you're 2 - birthday roundup

Don't you just LOVE the way Son spreads dandelion seeds so we'll have even more to enjoy in the future? blah.

dunking

He was pretty interested in watching the NCAA tournament with Husband. Basketball seems to be his favorite sport of the moment.

(sigh)

I can't even begin to tell you how happy this picture makes me. I don't even care that Daughter is wearing a pair of her flood jeans and her hair looks like a bird lives in it. Or that Son is sucking those fingers. It's an amazing, perfect picture.

Son's cake. I thought Husband did a great job baking, building and decorating Blue. Daughter said it was an octopus and never really changed her mind on the subject.

Poor buddy. We had his party right after nap time. And he wasn't really awake or into it yet.

Daughter claimed Blue's tongue.

He asked for and got the nose.

FINALLY.

He perked up and started "hiding" in the hall and waiting for us to ask where he was. Then he'd burst through the streamers and laugh and laugh and laugh.

Seed Planting Time

Our seeds. First attempt. And hopefully the last for 2011.

If you weren't reading a year ago or don't keep precise notes about my life or you're not Tina, you've probably forgotten that I almost lost my mind this time last year over dirt and seeds. Thanks to Daughter and Gracie, we had to plant our seeds THREE times.

I found a sturdy (on clearance) container to hold everything and I upgraded the containers to old yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream containers we've been saving all year. There's still a couple containers in the fridge that I need to empty and run through the dishwasher so I can fill.

The Jeremy Giant tomatoes, Juliet tomatoes, Marketmore 76 cucumbers and the Livingston muskmelons.

Everything else (the crook neck squash, the butternut squash, the fennel, the onions and the carrots) can go directly into the garden after last frost.

The jury is still out on Husband's rhubarb. We'll have to find the "right" place for it before I start it.

I am getting antsy about the basil. Our Wal-mart is getting the garden center ready for the plants to arrive and as soon as they do, IT'S BASIL TIME. (plus the kids' tommy toe plant)

The Daughter sized towels

Until very recently Daughter has had no problem with what towel or robe she is dried off with after her shower. We still use a few larger hooded towels and 5 robes for both kids. Last week she decided she did not want to use a "baby towel" or a "baby robe" Yes, EVEN the fabulously cute bunny robe that I love so much.

She wanted to use my (and Husband's) over sized bath towels. You know, the really big ones. They're like beach towels, except they're bath towels. Anyway, we only have 4 of those so her using one every other day (sometimes every day) was out of the question.

I started talking to her about [Daughter] sized towels. They will be just her size and she can pick out whatever color she wants. She seemed jazzed about the idea. Sunday night we went to wal-mart (I really dislike how much we shop there, but in our town we don't have many options) and she got to pick out 3 [Daughter] sized towels. (they were $3.22 each and nice and soft)

She picked out yellow, green and purple.

Breaking in the yellow towel. She loves it.

Look at Son being a creeper in the background.

Now Son gets exclusive use of the blue hooded (formerly a clearance beach cover up from Target) robe.

See the pictures of our pets in the background? Son loves to point them out. EVERY time we're in the bathroom.

"Dack" = Jack

"Glacie" = Gracie

"Char-wee" = Charlie

He also says "Where Hen-wee?" = Henry the turtle.

You have to be a warm blooded pet to have a framed picture in the bathroom, kid.

The blinds came down

The window in our bathroom is such a weird size. It was custom made to center over the tub. I didn't mind the weird size until the kids broke several blades and messed up the pull mechanism on the blinds. They looked horrible. I wanted to take them down and replace them with something. ANYTHING. cheaply. the cheaper the better.

I still haven't checked anywhere but wal-mart. I'm not making a special trip to price blinds and we just haven't been to Target, Home Depot, Lowe's etc. in months.

Wal-mart's widest length was two and a half inches shorter than the broken blinds. I did a little more measuring to see if it would work and there would be a noticeable gab from where the blinds end and the window jam on both sides. I thought that'd look as bad as having broken blinds. (sigh) I hate when simple things are made difficult.

I ended up buying a tension rod on clearance ($3) and two panels of sheer crinkle white curtains ($9 each). So under $25 which was cheaper than the too short blinds.

While I was ironing the wrinkles out of the curtains, I had a slight identity crisis. When did I become the "kind of" woman who irons curtains? (This is the ONLY window in the house that has curtains. The kids have valances that match their bedding but that's it) I suddenly felt very domestic, almost maid-like. I didn't like it. Then I realized that the only reason I was ironing the curtains is because I wanted to because I was too lazy/cheap to search for blinds that fit. Cheap and lazy, that's me. I calmed down, hung the curtains, and sighed. They looked pretty great.

As you can see, the real winner here is the cat. She gets more space on the ledge because the blinds aren't there. You'd think she'd be a little nicer to me, but no. She still sleeps on my pillow every night and bites my hand every time I try to pet her. She loves Husband and the kids. She loves to bit me. The one who feeds her.

The curtains REALLY light up the room. It's a nice change. And maybe the next time we're out and about, I'll price some blinds.

I love: fresh flowers

I love when some catch Husband's eye and the grocery store and he brings them home.

What I don't like is when I have to put them on top of a very high cabinet in my bedroom so the cat doesn't eat them.

boo for the flower eating cat. yay for tulips.

In the Jungle

Because my current lot in life is that of a stay-at-home-mom/money saver/chief entertainer/educator for a single income family, one of my favorite places in the world in the $1 section at Target. seriously. Especially now that it's cold outside, we can't just go to the yard and play for hours. crafts. yes, I love crafts.

The $1 section is where I found It's Check-up Time, Elmo! That little gem made Daughter's three year old check up the best one ever. If Elmo wasn't scared, neither was she!

This summer I found these. And, WOW, I wish I would have gotten more than two. They are ceramic, which I think explains the 8+ age recommendation. (that and the paints are not washable!) But I figured it would make a great afternoon activity for Daughter and I.

She chose the giraffe and went to work.

Notice how we're using one of my yarn bins as a table?

working on my lion. I definitely don't paint with the mind and heart of a three year old, unfortunately.

She kept telling me how much fun she was having and how beautiful my lion was and how she was exited to show Daddy when he got home.

I also work faster than Daughter.

still working, with the cat over her shoulder.

finally finished.

She insisted that she be the one to take the "finished" shot

that was $2 well spent.

Wordless Wednesday: the cat

(the actual purpose of this email was to see how easy it is to post an entry from my phone)

the baby birds!!!!

Remember my Did it List for August 4th? It included saving baby birds. Well, here is the long ridiculous story of how I/we saved two baby birds' lives.

Wednesday, I decided I needed to go to Wal-Mart to look for yarn. (my current thank-you gift is wash cloth/dishtowels and a bar of goat's milk soap from a local farm). So, I'm always on the look out for the yarn I use being on sale. So, I take Son into his room to change his diaper and get him dressed.

The cat was on the floor which wasn't really abnormal, but she really doesn't lay that close to the fireplace so that was kind of weird. AND the birds were chirping REALLY loud. For the second year in a row there is a nest in the top if this chimney. And sometimes their chirps echo down the chimney louder than others.

OK, stop.

Just to give you a better idea of what I'd about to describe:

This is what the fireplace looks like (actually this is Daughter's. Son was asleep in his room when it came time to take this picture so I took a picture of hers instead. It's exactly the same just on the other side of the wall.)

It's a coal fireplace that we have NEVER used. We've never even taken the cover off. the middle comes out (somehow) and I have just discovered that the bottom also slides open). There is a fireplace on each side of the wall and it shares one chimney.

So, my back is facing the fireplace, changing Son. Gracie is laying on the hearth. The birds are going crazy.

I start to panic a little. They sound so close. They HAVE to have fallen out of the nest and into the fireplace. I call Husband. In a panic.

How can I get these birds out of the fireplace and back to their mom? oh man.

THEN I realize ... The bird isn't in the fireplace. It is IN SON'S ROOM. About two feet away from the cat!! The best I can figure, the cat pried the grate open (because I can't imagine that the birds did it).

PANIC.

Then I realize the bird chirping was in surround sound. That's right, there were TWO BIRDS in SON'S ROOM!!

I call Husband again. Ask him to find a place that we can take the birds (because climbing on our slick metal roof up to the chimney to put the birds back in the nest was just not an option).

I'm getting the kids dressed and mentally preparing myself for having to pick these birds up for transport.

Daughter could definitely tell I was anxious and said, "don't worry, Mommy. I take care of baby birds. I know." She obviously heard me telling Husband that I didn't know how to take care of baby birds. My precious daughter. What a sweet loving spirit.

Husband calls back. We can take them to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Oak Mountain State Park about an hour away.

Now comes the fun part. I find a box with a lid. Stick an old towel in. Put on two pairs of gloves and DID IT.

Well, the first one was like, "oh Thanks. I appreciate you picking me up. Where are we going?"

The second one was like, "I don't know you. STRANGER DANGER. STOP!!!!" tiny wings flapping. claws dung into the hard wood floor. screeching. That one was high drama. I'm glad he was the second one or I would have lost my nerve.

On the drive any time the birds chirped, Daughter chirped back. She told me they were talking to her.

We stopped in downtown to pick up Husband. I don't think I calmed down until we handed the box over to more capable hands. (Then we toured the facility.) When we registered the birds they gave us ID numbers and a card to mail back so they could update us when the birds were released. I thought that was cool.

SO. Here are the birds.

This is the nice one who let me pick him up effortlessly. bat-like, huh?

both of them during the drive.

stranger danger bird

calm bird.

Their new temporary home

sigh. I'm so glad it turned out like it did. What if the kids found the birds first? What if the cat stopped being a watcher and started participating? (sigh)

Wordless Wednesday: friends