Things I have been doing...

It all started with these red plates. I love them. I found them at Marshall's on the clearance rack for $2.00 a piece. I brought them home and placed them on my red hutch and they disappeared into the red hutch. 

As much as I loved the color of the hutch in my kitchen, I was never satisfied with how it was decorated. I love red and tend to buy red decor but you can't have cute red things on a red hutch, it just turns into a big red blob.  I am not buying into all this grey, all white and super washed out color schemes that have been popping up all over. I love the look, I just like a bit more warmth in my house. That being said it red was looking heavy and dated to me. I wanted a more clean and crisp look.

So I started painting it a cream color but that just melted into the wall. So there it sat for a few weeks, half cream, half red, with a bunch of paint samples taped to it. Then one day last week I got a wild hair, grabbed one of the paint samples and bought a gallon of paint. The color sample looked like a tan with a very small green undertone. Well it turned out to dry a bit more green with a tan undertone...

I did like it but it seemed a bit out of place. So I took the sandpaper to it to rough it up a bit and let the old red peak though. So much better. It looks like it was plucked out of an old farm house. I love it. Only one problem. Now I need to paint my entertainment center and lighten up some other dark decor to give everything that clean crisp feel. Oh yes and find the other drawer pull that Laine ran off with...

Up close. The pictures aren't doing it any justice. It looks really good in person.

I also got rid of the art piece that was over the hutch and needed something to fill the hole it left. So I made a set of these...

 Have you ever seen Cougar Town? Before I ever even watched an episode I saw a commercial and noticed the letters on the wall for the set of the kitchen. I googled it and found out they came from Anthropology. If you have every looked at or heard of that store you know that everything in it costs close to an arm and a leg. But they were to cute and SO very easy to make. I just found some scrapbook paper I liked, mod-podged it to some thick cardboard letters that I had already painted the sides brown, then kind of shaded the edges to make them look old and a layer of mod-podge over the top and there you go. A $12 solution to the huge Anthropology price tag.

And just in case you forgot what the whole thing looks like now here it is again. 

I really should have taken pictures during the day. They would have been much better.

I have also been busy... well you know.... making a little baby. I am 19 weeks today according to the last ultrasound I had. We will find out what we are having on the 13th of June.

Other than that we are just enjoying the summer by making huge messes all over the house. This afternoon it was play-dough, everywhere. Have I every told anyone how much I hate that stuff. Kids love it though. So I will put up with the mess. I am just glad that my two mess makers where also very happy cleaner-uppers and got almost all of it back in the little yellow containers. 

Dread...

In one week I will start my first attempt at potty trained Laine Jo. I say first because we might give up and retry later. I think she is ready. Scratch that, I know she is ready. She doesn't like a wet diaper, can pull her pants on and off, get up on the potty all by herself, hide when she goes number 2 and she will tell me she needs to pee pee right after she wets her diaper. 

I am just dreading having to actually potty train her. She is a very stubborn, strong willed little girl. She does not do anything she doesn't want to do. I think it will be a frustrating time for all of us involved. She is just about 2 1/2 and with Bode starting school and a new baby I need to do this one on one thing with her right now.

As much as I am dreading the thought of potty trained there is a small piece of me that hopes she might just surprise me and take to it right away. This might be wishful thinking though. Maybe her strong willed, stubborn, independent self is just waiting to tackle this next step. 

After potty training we will head on to the next big step; switching from the crib to the big girl bed. Laine loves her crib. She has only climbed out twice and it scared her so she hasn't done it since. She is getting way to big to be in a crib but I am not ready to let go of that security, for her and for me. She still takes an afternoon nap and I don't want to give that up.

She has really grown up so much that last few months. Her little legs are loosing their baby rolls and she is looking so long. She can say anything she wants and practices all day by repeating what everyone around her is saying. The other day I was down stairs and I yelled up the stairs, "Laine, what are you doing?" and she yelled back,"Mom. I just don't even know!". 

We are planning on going to the summer movies every Tuesday this summer. We started today. I was very worried about how well that would go with Laine. Our last movie attempt ended up with Jeremiah and her walking around the theater more than them watching the movie. So the whole way to the movie we talked about how we act when we go to the movies. That we don't yell or scream, we sit by mom, hold her hand when we walk and most importantly we sit and watch the movie and not run around. Bode was very helpful on quizzing Laine on good movie manners. She did so well! Who knows if it will last but today was a success. 

Laine prefers to be nude, all the time. By the end of the day, nearly everyday, she is naked playing in the back yard. First I find a shirt, then later shorts and then a diaper. So far today we are down to a diaper and shirt. It is only a matter of time before...

Signs of Summer...

Little wet feet tracked in and out of the house are a sure sign of summer just around the corner. We have been enjoying the last few days of cool nights and manageable days but prepping mentally for the triple digits that are bound to hit by the end of the month. I have decided that the only way to survive the summer is to keep everyone busy and add a little water into the mix. We are planning on movie days at the theater, splash parks with friends, swimming and a little water fun in the back yard to survive the summer. Or at least until we just can't take it anymore, pack up the car and head to the mountains.

We bought this little pool with slide for the kids to play in for the summer or however long it lasts. They love it. Everyday they want to go out there and "wimmm" as Laine would say. To bad for them we have been having a bout of cold weather and they haven't been able to use it this week. Although I'm not complaining about the weather, it has been beautiful!

It isn't huge or fancy but it gets the job done.

Cute little water babies. We are getting them into swim lesson in July. That should be fun.

Last Sunday after church we where eating in the kitchen and a big old wasp was just flying around the house. The kids were playing upstairs and I told Bode to get Laine, close the door and hide out in his room until dad killed the wasp. Well the next day Bode decided that we needed a "no bees allowed" sign. He asked me what colors bees are, how many legs they have and what their wings look like. This is the sign that is now posted on our sliding glass door into the back yard. I particularly like the angry eyes...

One day...

I keep hoping that if I enter in enough of these I might actually win one.

Thanks A Bowl Full of Lemons for the awesome giveaway.

Now on to kindergarten...

Bode last day of preschool was on Thursday.

He has been looking forward to it. He  knows that once preschool is over we will do summer movies, the splash pad, swim and then go to Grandma's in July to have the 4th of July then go camping, and most importantly, after all that is done, he gets to go to kindergarten. He is so very excited to go and tells me all the time.

Here is his whole class. Jaden, Hadi, Jalen, Braden, Brayton, and Bode.

They all sang songs and did such a good job. 

Bode has never been much of a singer. He just mouths the words but he always has the beat. He, like last year, just kind of taps his toe to the rhythm. Funny kid.

At the end they got to throw their hats. Bode has told me all week about getting to throw his hat. But when it came down to it he didn't want to do it. Everyone else screamed with joy and threw their hats over and over. Bode however held on to his very tight. After all the commotion I thought I woulds snap a picture of him grasping his hat so tightly. I guess the moment overcame him and he decided to toss his hat. He looks pretty happy doing it too.

Bode had 2 teachers this year. In December his preschool teacher, Miss Tracy, had some health concerns to take care of and had to stop doing preschool. Luckily Miss Jaime was available and along with everyone else was able to continue preschool with her. He loved both his teachers very much.

Congratulations Bode James! 

Things to come...

It this next baby happens to be a boy, Laine will be fine.

If it is a girl, Bode is in trouble.

Musings from the week...

• I watched the Royal Wedding last weekend. Not live, just a recording. Bode watched a little bit of it with me and had a friend over that morning I had it on. They were both eating lunch causally watching the wedding party in the horse drawn carriage go from the Abbey to the Palace. These two little boys did not get what all the fuss was about. They kept talking to each other trying to decide what I was watching. Bode's friend turned to Bode and said, "it must be a parade, all they do is wave and smile". Bode replied, " it can't be a parade, they aren't throwing any candy". Laine on the other hand sat with me for about 10 minutes ohhing and ahhing while the bride got out of her car and walked down the aisle. She got it.

• Bode and Laine have been playing house a lot the last few days. Laine has three baby dolls and they are each getting the best of care. Bode told Laine it was time to give them a bath. He told her she needs to make sure to "scrub all the hair real good, clean their buns and make sure there is no poop on them". Laine noticed my sister nursing her little daughter and every since then, at least once a day, you can find Laine nursing one of her babies. She is very careful to grab a blanky and cover herself all up. She then tells me her "babee hungee, she eatn' now". She then will take it up to her room lay it on her bed then turn off the light, come down stairs and tell me her "babee s sleepn, shh, be quiet, no wake her up or you get her". 

• Bode got all ready for bed himself the other night. He thought her was quite clever. He came in boasting of the Santa on his pants and the cars on his shirt. 

          He then proceeded to sing this little song to the tune of "Santa Clause is Coming to Town"

 (pointing to the pants) 

Santa Clause is coming, 

Santa Clause is coming to town.... 

(pointing to the shirt) 

in a CAR!!!!

          He thought he was really funny and just laughed and laughed.

• The first day of June we will start potty training Laine Jo. To get her used to the idea I bought a pack of underwear for her to try. She likes to take off her diaper and go toot on the potty and laugh. She will then wipe, nothing because nothing came out, and then flush the potty and say "goodbye poops". This morning she came upstairs completely naked. I asked her if she wanted a diaper and she said "no, I want unerwears". I thought yay! She wants to wear them, maybe she is more ready to potty train than I thought. I caught her about a half an hour later naked again with a pair of cut up underwear. She found a pair of scissors and showed me what she really thinks about underwear and potty training. Sheesh. It is bound to be a long summer.

• Bode is great a making messes. I have noticed a few things. On Monday's Bode goes to preschool all morning. Laine just follows me around, plays with her dolls, looks at books, snuggles her daddy or colors. She was meant to be an only child and loves that time when it is just her. The second Bode gets home it is like a bomb goes off. There are shoes everywhere. Not just his shoes, somehow all the shoes in the house magically come out to greet his shoes, papers go flying, all the stuffed animals are on the floor, all the books become race tracks and are now littering every imaginable walk way upstairs. Then when it comes to picking up the mess... his bones hurt and he has all at once lost the ability to walk, pick up toys or talk without whining. I know one day I will miss the messes, and my sweet young children. I keep telling myself that as I trip over the millionth toy or step on the tiny but painful legos. I will miss these messes.

• My dear husband has been slaving away the last week or so fixing our cars. The tahoe had an oil leak so we took it to the dealership to see what the deal was. They called us back an hour later telling us that there were a number of things wrong with it and for a measly $3,500 they could fix it up, when should they start? Lucky for me I married a man unafraid to tackle a car project. He, along with a friend who used to be mechanic, spent a couple of long days and fixed it all for a fraction of the price the dealership quoted us. After replacing the water pump, rear main seal, all the fluids, a ton of other seals, more cars words... and the car battery we are good to go! While this was going on and the tahoe was undrivable the alero decided to not work as well. Good thing that was a ten dollar fix. We have had the tahoe for almost 5 years and this is the most repair we have had to do to it. It is a good car and I am glad to have it to haul my little kids around in. Some days I want a new flashy car, but that is all it is, a want. I don't need a new car. I am very happy to have my tahoe. Now the alero on the other hand... I think its days in the Joncas driveway are numbered.  Thank you Jer for working so hard and fixing the car!

• I am 15 weeks 6 days pregnant according to my ultrasound and the size of the fetus. Officially in the 2nd trimester. I am feeling really good these days. Not so sick and grouchy. I have gotten my energy back and my husband, kids and house are grateful I am sure. We have been going back and forth on thinking this is the last baby we will have. For many reasons three could be it. That is today, that could change next week though. But for now I am thinking last pregnancy. If it is my last then I feel like I need to savor it. I have been feeling little movements. Mostly at night when I am still. Those are nice reassuring feelings. So special. I also know that I do not want to be induced at all. I was with Bode and that labor was hard. Recovery took a long time. With Laine I wasn't induced and it was a much easier labor and recovery. So I know that for sure I don't want to be induced, no pitocin (sp) or other contraction inducing medicines. I want to labor at home longer than I did with Laine. I am also even thinking I don't want an epidural.... yikes. I know my husband isn't to fond of the idea but I think it would be something I would like to do. Any thoughts?