It has a few vintage pieces that were really fun to photograph. I hadn’t really picked up my camera in weeks, but luckily I had tossed it into my diaper bag that day.

I had promised Drew some play time after he was finished. And he got candy, so clearly reading is fun.

And then took them to exchange meal toys for free ice cream at CFA because no summer outing is complete without a little dose of sugar!

(I think I mentioned a while back that we are doing a parenting small group together and it’s been interesting. We are arguing – I mean discussing – a lot of things :) We decided the difference between us (generally speaking) is that Andy is a lot more open to learning a few things from an opposing viewpoint and throwing out the rest; I tend to want to agree with (most? a lot of?) something or I tend towards dismissing it. At any rate, it’s been a great conversation.  Intimacy building.)

Anyway, Andy’s parents drove down to meet us. We had a great day – the kids loved it, which was the main thing. I think Madeline had a special birthday and that’s what we were going for.

The 3 older kids are in FL with his parents until Wednesday. It’s rather quiet around here! I closed up the legos and put them in Drew’s closet. Nice to not step on any for a few days at least!

I’m looking forward to a more relaxed pace and a hopefully slow and lazy holiday. Last week the stomach bug cycled through our house and this week the big kids are in Music Camp. But we did get out for an evening on the lake!

And, we now have a neighborhood pool, only one street over. I’ll go ahead an apologize in advance for the quantity of pool photos you will likely be hounded with over the next three months.

I haven’t pulled out my camera in weeks, most of the above pics are from my phone. I did take some shots of Arianna blowing bubbles this morning, one of her favorite things. (Until Ethan notices, anyway. Little brothers can be so grabby and tiresome.)

Madeline’s birthday is Saturday, and Andy’s parents are coming down for it. We’re hitting up a water park and then the big kids are going on a little beach trip with the grandparents.

Not that Andy and I are jealous or anything.

*****

Hey so Google Reader is almost no longer. I think I’m gonna try Feedly – have any of you switched already? Is anyone still reading blogs? ha

We are doing Loving on Purpose and I’m not sure where Monique found it but I really enjoyed the intro. Looking forward to it.

Another thing I’m LOOKING FORWARD TO is THIS WHOOOOOOOOLE WEEKEND! Two of my aunts (maybe three?) set it up so Andy and I could attend a Family Life marriage conference this weekend two hours away. Hence the reason for my momma coming. The sessions are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, with a built in date-night Saturday. So fun, can’t wait. The new white jeans may just get busted out since there will be no ketchup packets in sight.

Still hard to believe it’s already May 3. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock of sickness since January. (Right, G?) I’m so looking forward to summer, this one probably more than ever.

It’s the gallon of milk spilled under my fridge, or Adelaide busting her forehead, or Drew blasting the dining room window completely through (true story), or not paying enough attention to checking and throwing $100 down the proverbial toilet because apparently the overdraft-pull-from-savings suddenly isn’t working, or having to get a plumber because Ethan flushed my hand-lotion in the upstairs potty and we haven’t been able to use that bathroom for 3 weeks… and then yesterday I threw out my back.

I’ve been either laying on the couch or my bed for two days, or hobbling around when I have to and/or if something happens. (Like a broken glass or [a box of] spilled cheerios, or the water party Ethan and Ari threw when I was downstairs – all three from today.) My mom comes tomorrow and I’m dreading her seeing my house in such a state (hi, Mom!) but there’s only so much you can do with a broken vacuum and a bad back. And it’s too late to call in a cleaning lady.

Life, it goes on.

So now I’m 33. (Kinda handy to be born on an -0 year, I always know how old I’m turning, just by the current date. Helpful when I first thought I was going to be 32. Now I understand how my dad would get mixed up sometimes. haha)

I read a post once about doing the master room first – creating it first, cleaning it first. Good idea in theory, hardly ever happens in real life. (I’m guessing.) I wasn’t thinking I’d even have our room completed this year but Andy recently decided he’d had enough of not having a nightstand on his side and said I was free to go buy the ones I wanted. I got lamps, too, because what good is matching nightstands without matching lamps?

A few steps inside the door, looking left:

This is the Sorrento desk I inherited from Nanny:

A little peek into the bathroom…

From the far side of the room, looking back – closet behind door on left (horrid mirror needs to be replaced), and door to living room on right:

And then just sort of a backed-up general view from the door:

My kids had a rough day yesterday. Ari and Ethan had a well-check appointment and I could not BELIEVE how uncooperative he was. They were trying to weigh him and he was screaming and kicking the nurse. He’s usually laid back and laughing. Clearly does NOT enjoy being held down. Made his point loud and clear.

Later, Ari dropped a pole on her pinkie toe. The kids were “weight lifting” in the yard with some garden tools. I don’t think it’s broken, she moves it and bends it with her hands but it’s definitely bruised and swollen. (She came down this morning and said “my toe’s messed up.” Which made me laugh a little at her choice of expression but then I realized she meant her nail polish. She hasn’t stopped asking me to fix the pink paint. Seriously, kid.)

AND THEN.

The older kids had been riding bikes around the driveway, as usual, no big deal. Madeline currently doesn’t have a bike (I think the last one she had was left out and possibly hit by a car, can’t remember). Adelaide’s back tire is popped. So the only real working bike is Drew’s. Which is way too big for Adelaide.

But she came in and proudly announced that she could ride Drew’s bike now. Honestly I think she had done fine down on the flat paved half-loop we live on. But then she wanted to ride from our driveway around to the loop, which is sloped and curvy. I advised against it. She would NOT listen, so sure she could do it now. She was so adamant, I started believing she really knew how to ride his bike and agreed to let her have one turn. BIG MISTAKE.

She started screaming and panicking when she realized that pushing the pedals backwards did not slow her down. I didn’t even THINK about the fact that she didn’t know the brakes are in the handle bars. Like, it never even crossed my mind. So I’m watching my baby fly away from me on a way-too-big runaway bike, screaming and panicking and disappearing around the bend in the road. I freaked a bit and ran after her.

The next thing I know she’s climbing out of the woods with blood running down her face and arms. I freaked some more. I told Andy later it reminded me of a Band of Brother’s scene. I could hardly believe this was real and happening. Thankfully it turned out to be just a small cut on her head and stopped bleeding almost immediately. We changed our bloody clothes and she took a bath. We had a long talk about maybe sometimes mommy really DOES know what she’s talking about.

Sometimes.

This was from last Friday. After school we went to go sled down this huge grassy hill but it was still too wet, so the sleds would not budge an INCH. So we played on the playground nearby instead.

And then we went for ice cream, since the kids had several free cone tokens from a gourmet ice cream shop. They thought it was completely awesome. And so did I, since it was free.

This boy is a little daredevil on the swings. He throws his head back and his feet up. I’m seeing rollercoasters in our future.

(Yep, popcorn in those teeth.)

“I FLY LIKE A BIRD, MAMA!”:

Drew and Madeline played ‘Spies’ most of the time; dumped a water bottle out and wala! Telescope!

Get good and tired dirty, kids.

All five of my children in a single camera frame together unposed?

RARE.

(I should also point out Nicky has spent her fair share of hours in here, notably scrubbing a blue stain off the etched bathtub he found for a steal of a deal. I know she also helped lay the tile. Girl power!)

What you see coming in from our room:

A little to the left:

And to the right:

Shower (otherwise known as Single Reason Andy Bought This House):

Sinks (I would have preferred a vanity but couldn’t convince Steve to change the plans):

My messy storage (Ican’tbelieveI’mshowingyouthis):

Bath:

More to the left:

And in the back:

Yep, we love.

My friend Lisa and I took the girls (minus Arianna) to lunch at the tea room.

And then back to our house for cake, presents, and candy.

She picked her cake out that morning.  Because that is how I roll.

I knew the top wasn’t really glued all that well to the rest of the cupcake pinata — one wack and the whole thing went flying. At least she went first!

And then Andy was gone a coupla days this week for business training. I always suffer as a single parent.

But… Adelaide turned 6 this week! I snapped some photos! So I’m going to start posting again.

I just have to get my foot back in the door.

Well then a coupla weeks later her teacher recommended her getting an eye exam. At that point I vaguely remembered her pediatrician saying something about it during her last well check, like a year ago. It turns out she has ’44-year-old eyes’ and probably has needed glasses for a while, for reading.

Whoops! (#momfail)

We picked them up last week. I have a feeling they are going to be lost or broken within the month, just knowing how things roll at our house.

I bit my lip and completely let her pick them out. She chose blue. The picture looked ELECTRIC blue. (I was skeered.) But in the end, they look more purple.

And they’re pretty cute.

Ethan’s very favorite thing in the whole wide world is any form of a ball. His favorite word, too.

This is coming in from the back door, you enter into a little entryway that is my laundry room (which is why I was adamant that the washer & dryer had to be stainless and match the kitchen):

Looking back:

The view looking in from the dining room:

This one you can see the laundry room, just off the kitchen, and then the back door.

I’m sure eventually I’ll put something lovely on top of the two shorter cabinets but I haven’t decided what to do there yet.

This is what you see coming into the house, I didn’t realize I didn’t have a shot of this view until I was editing photos that night and snapped one.

And then looking into the dining area from the kitchen:

Um yeah, we love it. And no, it doesn’t stay this clean.

Matilda Jane spring collection “Good Hart” opens tomorrow! My friend Amy and I are doing a release show but it will only be open one day, so if you would like to place an order let me know asap. Comment here or send me a note at Moriah@pleasepassthesalt.net and I can get you ordering info. :)

(for reference, the table is 94″ x 46″)

From this last shot you can see how to the left is the family room (with the huge blank wall I haven’t decided what to do with yet), the arch is the stairway, and to the right is the kitchen. (Up next.)