Movin' on up!

The hubs and I went out house hunting a few weeks ago. It didn't work out so great. It turns out we both love older houses...the kind with exposed brick fireplaces and odd layouts that give the house character. Neither of us likes the cookie-cutter style houses that barely have enough room for a lawn mower between them. But where I would be content to live on 1+ acres in the middle of nowhere, he is not a country boy. The man needs to be near civilization...which is fine until you realize that the older houses (around here at least) are either in the country or the ghetto. So we kind of got stuck trying to figure out where to go from there. No one wants to buy a house they don't love.
So we started wondering what it was that was keeping us in this area. B is no longer in brick-and-mortar school. We set that up specifically so we could travel whenever we wanted to. Neither of us work in the area, so it wasn't that. Sure, his mom lives over here but our lives can't revolve around our parents. There is no other family in the area. Our friends are important to us, but not so much that we have to live by them. That's what facebook is for, afterall. We concluded finally that nothing was making us stay here. Nothing at all.
So where are we going to live then? What is it we like? Old buildings...exposed brick...character...civilization...freedom to roam...

Hubs suggested living downtown. I said it has to be by the museums and in a safe area. We found the perfect place for the perfect price. It's a security-gated-access high rise industrial loft overlooking downtown in the museum district. The unit we're getting is on the top floor and is considered the penthouse...although it's not the only unit at the top. It's across the street from a large park containing the zoo and outdoor theater, and golf course (not that we golf). Several Hospitals on the other side of the park, including the children's hospital. About 10 minutes from about 6 Catholic churches. I've never had to parish shop before, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

We really couldn't be more excited. We're moving in almost exactly a month. Hubs left today and will be gone for 4 weeks. That means I get to pack it all up myself. Not just pack, but attempt to sell as much of our extra stuff as possible since we're downsizing considerably from this too-big-for-us house. Not to mention all of the boxes of stuff that was just moved here from the storage in AL. I keep telling myself that once it's all over, I get to live in a great apartment in the city! Just one month of hard work and our new life will begin! I've been needing a fresh start in a new place. This is what I call living a fulfilling life!

A New School Year, A New Journey

I mentioned before that we are Homeschooling this year. B and I have been doing bits of schoolwork throughout the summer and it has surprisingly improved her ability to entertain herself. Before it seemed she was never able to be happy unless firmly implanted up my rear end. But it seems that if I [attempt to] teach her something in the morning, she will spend most of the rest of the afternoon creating or playing or otherwise leaving me alone. Sure that might sound harsh but let's be honest...I don't care how much you love your kids, everyone needs some alone time! I love having something productive to do with her. It enhances our quality time and helps us relate to one another more. I've learned so much about her in the past few weeks, and really feel like we've made the best decision for our family.

If for no other reason, I am loving it. But it is also extremely pleasing to see just how much she improves from week to week. She can read now. I mean, really read. She's been able to pick out little words here and there for over a year, but in the weeks of working one on one with her this summer, she has blossomed in this area. She wants to know what the words say and wants to get caught up in the stories. We have started reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and she is doing a beautiful job. I imagine it won't take us long to get through the entire Narnia series. Which I can't wait, 'cause I've never read it!

She is also an adding machine. She showed a great interest in math at the beginning of the summer, and really seemed to enjoy playing with numbers. At first, getting into addition seemed a little daunting, but I found a few ways of making it fun. Card games, math bingo, etc are things she really enjoys. The delight of recognizing the relationships between numbers shows in her eyes. She more she accomplishes, the more she wants to tackle. It's a beautiful thing.

However, having her home all the time, not having another person to keep her in line can really be a challenge. She's still a kid and she still has her moments of difficulty. All the rules of the home that used to be reinforced at school are no longer being reinforced. Since her first outside-the-home activities (which I will talk about soon) don't start for another month, we will only have playdates and park trips to keep her [me] from going absolutely insane. So today I made up a list of "House Rules". Something I never really had to do before because she's always been a pretty good kid who would straighten up with a cross look. Now that she's older, she's got more of a will of her own. Which is good in its own way, but I'm her mom and if she doesn't show me respect and follow my rules, she will get in trouble. Now that she can read, making a list to refer back to makes more sense. So I typed it all up today and plan to have a family meeting about it tomorrow, assuming the printer is working by then. Should be fun...

I'm easing us into a full schedule and don't really plan to have a first day. Though, I do plan to dress her up pretty and take some pictures just for the sake of having them in the future. We've chosen St. Nicholas as the patron for our school. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of schoolchildren, teachers and sailors (among many other patronages) which pretty much covers our entire family. We are officially St. Nicholas Homeschool Academy!

Happy Father's Day!

Today my husband, as I mentioned previously, was still in the North Sea. His company strictly moderates their internet usage, so he isn't able to get to those cute little ecards. So B and I wrote him this little rhyme:

Daddy, I love you for all that you do.
You work hard for us and you miss us much too.
We wish you could be here but this much is true;
When you are with us the dull times are few.
So when you get home, you'll see how much I grew,
There'll be good food and fun, you can kick off your shoe.
And we'll try not to make it too much like a zoo.
In the meantime, much love from the girls in your crew!

LOVE YOU DADDY!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

7 Quick Takes Friday!!

This is my first 7 quick takes Friday! *Applause* Thanks to Jen over at Conversion Diary, I've decided to play along. What is this, you ask? Jen says to play, "just list seven thoughts that are too short for a blog post but too long for Twitter and add a link to your post in the Mr. Linky widget at the bottom of my[her] post."

Here we go...!

~1~

I'm almost done with the loveseat! Yes I'm a few weeks late. Life happens. (It's a valid excuse, trust me) Here is a sneak peak:

~2~

My husband has been gone, in the North Sea for work, for 6 weeks. He was supposed to be home today. He was also supposed to stay home for a month the last time he was here. But he stayed home for 10 days. So in the last 14 weeks I've seen him a total of 10 days. As of right now, he's scheduled to be home in a week from today. But I won't hold my breath. I'm about thisclose to writing a letter to his company [complete with pictures of our precious little girl] explaining the importance of family and the father/husband's place in it. People seem to either have forgotten how much children and wives need the man of the house physically present in their lives or they think throwing money at us will make us shut up. Seriously? I'm not impressed. Plus, he won't be here for Father's day. The schmucks he works for must truly be heartless.

~3~

The homeschooling thing is going pretty well. We have yet to really stick to a schedule, but it's also summer and I don't want to overwork her. We're making a model of an ant today out of Styrofoam and lollipop sticks. Then we'll label the parts of the ant. Fun times!

~4~

Ahhh, summer! The sun, the bugs, the sweat, the sticky feeling you get walking back in the house after trying to get the groceries in before they melt into puddles. I've lost a few cans of biscuits in the heat. I thought at first I had dropped the bag too hard. But then it happened again on another shopping trip. Canned biscuits and Texas summers do not go together. Also, the gnats are pretty close to taking over the entire house. I clean and I clean and I can't get rid of them. I've poured bleach down the drain and sprayed and prayed. Usually I can handle it, but we're talking swarms. Does anyone have any recommendations? I avoid cooking because of this.

~5~

I've been thinking a lot about the future. I want to further my education but the program I'd like to be in doesn't seem to have a very good selection of distance learning opportunities. I want a theology degree. I'd like to have the documented education in case I ever needed to get a job outside the home. I've been out of the workforce for so long that I doubt I could work for someone else...unless it was for the glory of God. I mean, God would have to be all over it because I really can't function according to schedules and lists and...are there jobs out there for people like me? (obviously if it was that desperate I'd have to get over myself and work for the man anyway. But if I can avoid it, and serve God at the same time, I think I should try)

~6~

My health issues are getting better. Well, sort of. The pain killers work. I feel a little like I've been given a bandaid to cover a 3rd degree burn, but hey I can actually walk around and stand for longer than 10 minutes. I've mentioned before my past experience with drug addiction so having a script for this level of pain killer gives me a short thrill followed by terror. I hope I can switch to something that actually addresses the problem soon instead of just addressing the symptom. Because I know it is only a matter of time before I lose control without even realizing it. In the meantime I'm trying to take advantage of my mobility and be the best wife and mom I can be. Because if I've learned nothing else out of all of this, it's that being the wife and mom that my family needs is the greatest gift a woman could ever have. It's all too often we forget how easy it would be to lose the ability to be there for them when they need us. If I lose that ability again, I will at least know that I took advantage of the opportunity when I had it.

~7~

I clearly have a great following of readers. (/sarcasm) If you come and read here, please comment! Even if you just say "Yo" I will know someone is out there. If you disagree with me, I want to know why! If you agree with me, I'd like some reinforcement. lol. I joke about writing in a blog that no one reads. If no one reads here...I'm just talking to myself.

If I never see another staple in my lifetime... (part 1)

Some time ago, I started looking for a decent size chair to put in my daughter's room so we could sit together and read stories. Our area has an online yard sale site so I started there...my budget was approximately $60-100. My Mother-In-Law was in the market for a new couch but didn't want to get rid of the really cool love seat that her grandfather made. She didn't have room for both. So I took it off her hands with promises to reupholster it and pass it down to my daughter. Free furniture for me, restoration of a family heirloom for her. win-win.

They just don't make them this beautiful anymore!

/sarcasm

I'll spare you the step by step...but I will caption the photos.





This is just a closeup of the lovely fabric. It's really quite retro. Although at the time I'm sure it was chic.










I started to uncover the original color of the fabric. Lovely shades of green and gold, dontcha think?









I almost think if it had stayed the original colors, I could have been ok with keeping the fabric as is.

Almost.






And so it begins. Just after sundown and Day1.












The batting beneath the fabric was really exceptionally gross. Can you see the dirt? It was falling off and getting everywhere. This is only the beginning of the EW.





The batting was also STUCK to the fabric. I had to take the vacuum's brush attachment and brush it off. Which only added to the dirt displacement. And the EW.





I finally got the back piece off. And for some reason I commemorated the event with a celebratory picture. I think I also poured myself some wine. Does anyone else think this picture lends itself to furniture porn? Hey! That's indecent!






This is exhausting. And if you can't tell by the light streaming in the window, I'm on day 2.








Speaking of EW. I was very thankful to have been wearing gloves this whole time. I still sprayed the heck out of it with Lysol. Blech.






I mean, these are apparently just the type of things you can expect to encounter when reupholstering a piece of furniture that is 40+ years old. Water damage is just a part of life. We clean it up and we move on. But not before wishing we had just bought a new chair and realizing we're too deep into this to give up now. (Luckily none of the wood was damaged.)




Remember how I said the batting was gross? Well it was also stuck to EVERYTHING. You know how when you get cotton candy wet and it loses it's cushiony-ness and gets all sticky and stiff? Yeah, like that.






But I got it all taken off. And it is now sitting in the corner shivering while I gather the necessary tools to clothe it again. Poor naked love seat. Little does she know how beautiful her replacement wardrobe will be. Here is a preview for those who have endured the picture-journey. :)

Today we used the fabric I removed and cut the patterns out of the new fabric. I also realized that I bought WAY too much fabric, despite the "recommended amount" for this size love seat being exactly what I bought. Such is life. I will have to make some curtains. Or an oversized floor cushion. Maybe I'll upholster her entire bed, 'cause I'm pretty sure I could with the amount of fabric that is leftover. At least it's pretty. :)

Hopefully I'll have this puppy finished by next week...

Home Schooling Lite

This summer, I'm doing a sort of home schooling trial run with my daughter. I'm not sure at this point if we will continue it on past this summer, but the idea is to not waste the summer away watching television. I have every intention of taking her all over the place and playing and enjoying herself, so don't freak out on me about that. But she really loves learning, and doing things that exercise her brain so I think it would be better to do that than killing brain cells via Sponge Bob.

God willing, we will have the opportunity to travel outside the country a few times a year after we secure our home purchase. If we are blessed with the ability to do it, having a child in a regular school is going to basically put a stop to it...or at least cut it down to one trip/year. In the summer. When everyone else is traveling too. Hubby and I feel like it would be much more enriching for her to experience different cultures, see the historical sites, and have tons of pictures and memories of these places than to just read about them in a book. We realize we're taking a risk, but that's what life is all about, right?

But before we jump into that lifestyle, I'm being a responsible mommy and seeing if the homeschooling will even work out for us. There is a pretty big chance it won't, actually. B and I are polar opposites. She is an extrovert and I am an introvert. She is a pack rat and I am a purger. She is very much a social learner and I am very much a solitary learner. But on the other hand, I've been her mother for the past 6 years...mostly on my own...and I know what makes her tick, what sets her off, how she thinks and can pretty much guess what she's about to do before she does it. I think a little give and take and we'll be just fine. But we'll see how it goes. So far, I have been doing some supplementing of her schoolwork in the afternoons. She and I are enjoying it quite a bit. I've also noticed that instead of nipping at my heels all the time (I'm talking constantly), the more work we do together, the more likely she is to go and play by herself in her bedroom or outside. Which is something I've been desperate for since she started school!

You may think I'm crazy. And you may be concerned that she won't be socialized (that seems to be the biggest complaint I've heard from skeptics of home schoolers). All I have to say is that if I could have gone several days between having to be around the mean, confused, hormonal, and angsty kids at school all year, I would have had much more time to concentrate on learning. I won't even go into the state of mind kids today have! (no sir, I won't) I think she'll get plenty of socialization from not just kids like her, but kids all over the world. I always hear that we want to do the things for our kids that we didn't get to do. I want to give her not only that, but experiences that will truly educate her on the world. To be able to write a report on a country she is currently in. To have personal stories about train rides through Europe and Walkabouts in Australia and Cathedrals in Brazil. To see first hand the pain and suffering among those in 3rd world countries and to then turn around and feed, clothe, shelter and comfort them. As a parent, it is difficult to inspire our children to be humble, grateful, and honest. Especially in these times, in this country. I don't think it would be possible to have an elitest attitude after experiences like that.

So, as my picture above shows, I'm all ready for the party to begin. I have pencils and paper and curriculum all ready. So even if this is a total fail, my kid will be SO READY for first grade! :)

Edit: I have to add, just because I've been asked: This is not religiously motivated. I currently have B enrolled in one of the best, most orthodox schools in the area. (and it's a big area) I know that the school she is in will give her a very good religious education. In fact, I know she will have a good overall education from this school. So it's not about that.

New Hobby to replace the old one.

So I gave up the claying. It was simply too hard on my joints. So now I've taken up sewing. My Mother-in-Law came over last weekend and helped me learn my sewing machine. So I made some pillows (the blue plaid and the blue stripe):


and here's a freebie shot of my fireplace 'cause it's just a really cool looking fireplace!


Anyway, I think they turned out pretty good! I'm soon going to be working on a decorative pillow to go with the black and white theme I will have in my spare room, and also some head band/kercheif/veils for my daughter. I'm hoping to make a quilt for all three bedrooms eventually!