Done Changing Diapers!!

No, Little Sister isn't potty trained—she's got at least 6 more months before that happens. However, Big Sister has decided to take over diaper duty.

This morning, Nate went upstairs to find Big Sister in the crib with Little Sis, new diaper completely and correctly in place, old diaper wrapped up and ready for the pail and Big getting Little back into her pjs. Little didn't really like being put back in her pajamas, but somehow, she was OK with everything else. !?!??! (what 1 year old lays still for their almost 3 year old sister as she changes her diaper, but won't do the same for her parents??)

I guess Big took it upon herself because Little had a poopy diaper and she knows that she has a REALLY bad diaper rash (or "ouchie") because of such diapers. And as she does love her little sister, she had to take matters into her own hands.

Wow, my life just got so much easier!!



(and just in case any of you are now concerned, we did have a talk with Big Sister and hopefully this was a one time thing. :) )

xoxo—Lori

Skinny Jeans

At Christmas, we decided to get a Wii Fit. Sunday I reached my first goal.

So this morning, while trying to decide what to wear, I came across my "skinny jeans" hanging up in my closet. I bought these jeans about 10 years ago and have been carting them around with me since then. I've been able to wear them a few times here and there, but for the most part they've just been hanging in my closet.

Well, since I did just meet that goal, I decided to try them on and see where I stood.

They went on EASILY!!!

I was so excited.

Then I looked in the mirror and started laughing.

They looked HORRIBLE. Completely unflattering! Not sure if it's an out-of-date cut thing, I've had two babies since I last put them on, or what, but it was not good. My husband tried to be encouraging and told me he thought they looked good, but then minutes later started laughing too and agreed with me.

So ladies, be careful with those skinny jeans you have stashed away in your closet for "someday." Just because they fit DOES NOT mean you have to wear them!!


xoxo—Lori

Weekend Projects

The funny thing about taking 2+ years to finish a remodeling project is that by the time you're getting around to completing it, you completely change your mind about colors, etc.

Thus, I've pulled the kitchen cabinet doors down for the third time. They started out just stained oak, generic cabinets that you would get from Lowe's or Home Depot. I personally don't care for that look, so I decided to paint rather than replace. My first choice was a drab green, but even before I finished them, we decided that was a bad idea and opted for dark brown instead. So up they went and they've been like that for a year and a half or so— though the cabinets have never been completely finished.

However, I was a very inexperienced re-finisher and apparently didn't sand the varnish off well enough because the paint started chipping off along all the edges.

So this weekend, I pulled the doors off again and started stripping the paint off so that I could sand them one more time—properly—and then paint them white.




I'm a little weirded out by the crazy green/yellow stuff and how quickly the paint bubbled up. The fumes off of it didn't really smell. . .just burned. And made me feel sick. Great, huh?

So after all that I was quite disappointed with the results.



I guess I figure that if we can get a man on the moon, surely we can get paint off. So I guess I have some work to do. . . .

I also finished the quilt I made for Little Sister. I think it gets a vote of approval. The Sisters plopped right down on it together and ate a snack on it when I gave it to her. Which, by the way, is a little out of the ordinary (sharing) and quite cute.



They've also ceased to run at me when I pull out the camera and instead start posing and saying "cheese." If I can get them to just smile instead of saying cheese, this could be a very good thing for me. :)

I'll try to get some photos of the quilt without little girls on top of it soon!

xoxo—Lori

Bad Mom of the Day

I took the girls to school today wearing light jackets.

Now, it is snowing.

A good Mom would have watched the weather and known that was going to happen.

In an effort to gain back some points though, I did go home over my lunch and get their coats. And, in my defense, Saturday we went to the zoo, shed our jackets and were quite comfortable in out t-shirts.

Crazy weather.

Things Big Sister says:

"Peyton don't have any fweckles. Maybe she'll get some for Christmas."

Unfolding Grace

Lately, I've been feeling tired. Emotionally, I'm just sort of done. November, December & probably even October were just a tad stressful and I thought come January I'd be able to bounce back and feel on top of things again, but such is not the case. Small things seem big & Big things just seem insurmountable. I desperately want to do something creative, but just don't have any creativity in the tank — much less anything else.

Mostly, I just want to sit down and cry for no reason or take a vacation away from everything and everyone for a few days.

Unfortunately, I can't do that nor do I think it would really solve the issue. However, I ran across this passage a couple of days ago and they've really been a comfort to me. Maybe you'll find the same in whatever things are going on with you right now.

"So we're not giving up! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (the Message Remix)

xoxo—Lori

Using my Christmas toys!

Every single person at our house was sick last week. All of us. There was a bit of overlapping going on, but at some point, we all had to stay home. So much fun. (I hope you sense the sarcasm.)

However, I did find a somewhat quiet moment on a day when I, myself was not sick, to use a new gift I've been itching to try.



I've been wanting a rotary cutter for about a year now, but every time I went to purchase one I became cheap and left without it.

So, I asked for one for Christmas.

Why, Oh why didn't I buy it sooner? I finally got a chance to use it last week to trim out the quilt I'm making Little Sister. So easy—Like I knew it would be. Such straight, clean line—Like I knew it would be. And I was done in at least half the time it would have taken me to measure out & cut with scissors—Like I knew it would. . ..

xoxo—Lori

Yesterday was . . .interesting.

I should have know I was in for it when I woke up to find my laundry room flooded.

My washing machine —which was not on— had water running, the basin full and spilling over onto my floor. Again, it wasn't on, it was just leaking water.

Then later that afternoon I got a call from the girl's daycare to inform me that they were closing at noon because of a water main break that was affecting the school.

At home I come to find that I too did not have water due to a near-by water main breakage.

My evening was topped off with an hour of late night phone calls from a man who insisted that he had the correct number no matter how many times I told him otherwise or let the machine get it.

At least today is shaping up to be a better day!
Now if only I could get warm!!!

xoxo—Lori

!!!!!!!! (where did december go?)

So I knew it had been awhile since I had last posted, but good grief! A month!? How did that happen?

Oh yeah. I was reupholstering a VW bus among other holiday madness. How could I forget.

Well, the bus is done and the crew is safely in Vegas for CES so my life can go back to normal—which is still a bit crazy, but at a level in which I can function and am not crying myself to sleep! :)

Since it's all a bit late (or really early) I thought I would just throw up a smattering of images from the last month and call us caught up. Sound good?















OK, so that's a lot and a bit random, and though I could put up more I think we're pretty well caught up! Hope you had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!

xoxo—Lori