Memoirs of a Moorings

OPAM: July 08 - The Front Entrance (BEFORE)

There is a cheery welcome sign on our front door, but there is nothing cheery about the walkway up to the front door. When we moved in two years ago, there was an awful jungle like ivy climbing up the wall and taking over this planter space. We removed it and that's where things stopped. I'd like for guests as well as us to feel so happy when we walk up to the door. TThis dirt pit is not doing the job. This is my mission for July! I'm not at all the green thumb type, so we'll have to find a happy medium.

(I just noticed how one door says Welcome and the other No Soliciting. i.e You are welcome as long as you are not soliciting :-) )

OPAM: June 08 - The Boys' Closet (AFTER)

The boys' closet is done....almost. Now that it's organized and half of the clothes are hung-the rest are still in the laundry basket and the dryer, (How can two little boys have so many clothes?) I realize that the inside of the closet should be painted the same as the walls and the bars need to be re-painted white. I see that their room is just going to be a forever on-going project. And that's okay....as long as there is progress.

The before shot is here. What a mess. And how appropriate that Rhyan and I are reading Just A Mess at bedtime.

It's such a joy to go in there now. There's a bin for outgrown clothes on the shelf. A bin for baby blankets which I am always looking for. A little space for diapers. And I love that little shoes are all lined up and each boy has his own section. Sweet. And I found this little cheap dresser at IKEA and stained it dark to match the beds. (That was a project in itself.) Now if only Mommy can keep it clean!

Seasons Change

“I'm not the kind of person who tries to be cool or trendy, I'm definitely an individual.” Leonardo DiCaprio

I used to consider myself hip. Okay, maybe not hip, but definintley in-the-know. Now it's becoming increasingly apparent that I am neither hip nor in-the-know. Today, while driving back from the baby's six month check up visit at the doctor, I turned on the radio and had no idea who was singing. It wasn't just one song, but a number of songs. Click. Turn off the radio. We don't need reminders about non-hipness.

Then my husband starts talkiing to me about Affliction t-shirts. Some new hot $50 t-shirts based on the works of tattoo artists. Never heard of them. He looked shocked.

There was a time when I knew what was going on in the world. As a single writer living in the city, I always had tickets to the latest plays and musicals. My name was on "the list" for movie premieres. CDs of music that wasn't even out yet would be waiting to be opened at on my desk

All that I'm hip about these days is what infant items have been recalled. The newest toys that Rhyan requests. And what percentile this little baby falls in. (At his visit today, the doctor said he was a perfect baby in every way. And we happen to agree with him.He's 18 pounds, 26 inches long. )

And to be honest...that's really all that matters to me now. Because in a few years, this time of being tired from pumping milk, and giving baths and ironing clothes and pureeing baby food and giving Tylenol after immunizations will be over before I know it.

Styling with the Spank Belt

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”  ~Yves Saint Laurent

You know you are a mom for sure when you are getting dressed and your four-year-old asks, "Why are you wearing the spank belt?"

I've never felt so old in my whole life.

*Bear with me as I satisfy the grandparent's yearning for mundane video of the grandkids.I captured them playing the kick game. Enjoy Ma and Daddy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Kick Happy Fun

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero."  ~Marc Brown

This has been the scene around these parts lately. A big brother who wants to hold his baby brother all the time. I'll walk into the room and hear grunting and see this little guy (who thinks he's big) trying to pick up this little fat baby. Funny stuff. And lately they've got a little game going. Rhyan will put his head or some other random body part in the line of the baby's legs and laugh when he gets kicked in the head. The funny part is this little baby gets kick happy when he sees a head is in line with his feet. The concentration is hilarious as he kicks with all his  might. Fun times around here indeed.

Six Months and Counting....

It really seems like only yesterday that we welcomed this skinny little baby home.......and now he's 15 pounds plus some and growing by leaps and bounds.

It's the halfway mark! And this baby still keeps his fingers in his mouth. It was slim pickings this morning try to find a shot where he was not sucking on them. As you can see, those little fingers were poised to pop right back in his mouth. Here's an update on our little baby:

:: He loves to blow raspberries....instead of it's more like he's spitting than anything else. Love his concentration when he's doing it

:: He's discovered his feet

:: Loves rice cereal, and peas, and green beans....

:: bananas--not so much

:: Is obsessed with undoing his diaper

:: Can sit up (unsteadiy) and would rather be sitting up straight more than anything else

:: Is fascinated and tickled pink by everything his big brother does

:: Cries if he is left alone. He wants to be in the thick of the action

:: Loves his daddy

:: And is intensely interested in Every Single Thing going on around him.

If I Had Super Hero Strength....

If I was Superwoman, I'd ask for the power to make bento box lunches like these.....not for my little one, but for me! Turns out these cute little Japanese lunch boxes are a popular phenomenon.

But I'd settle for the power to feel like I slept a full 8 hours on only five hours of sleep.

Perfection Is Not My Business

 Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.  ~ Michael J. Fox

Today marks my third day back at work...and it was one of those mornings.

A button fell off of my shirt.

The baby woke up too early.

There was an eyelash on my contact that would not budge.

Once I got it out.......I saw that I had smudged all my eye makeup.

I couldn't find Rhyan's jacket that matched his sweat pants.

I snapped at him for struggling to put his shoes on.

It took me 10 minutes to find the jacket to my pants suit.

I almost forgot to put dinner in the crock pot.

This is not the kind of mom I want to be.

I need to chill out and realize that being 10 minutes off schedule is not going to kill me. I don't even have to be in the office at a set hour.

I need to revel in God's grace and thank Him for the blessings that abound.

Such as:

My kids have an Absolutely Awesome daycare provider. And she lives 5 minutes from the house.

I'm not a nervous wreck like I was when I went back to work when Rhyan was two years old.

I have food to put in the crock pot and dinner will be ready when I get home.

My work wardrobe fits better than before I was pregnant.

I get to drive to work all by myself without a four year old in the backset shouting out musical requests.

I have a son who will remind me not to yell at him and who graciously accepts his mommy's apology.

And there's a sweet baby waiting for hugs and kisses at the end of the day.

 
 

Touchy Feely

Our little baby is such a tactile little one. He's always grabbing my hair, feeling my shirt, rubbing his hand across my arm, touching the material on my pants and moving his hand back and forth against the smooth sheets in his crib as he drifts off to sleep. It was so cute to catch him fascinated by his big brother's hair and head recently. He just couldn't stop rubbing and touching his hair.

OPAM ~ June 08 Boys Closet-Before Pic

      “I like my money right where I can see it... hanging in my closet.” ~Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie Bradshaw

I am continuing in the boys room since I'm on a roll in there. This closet is a MESS. The hanging thingy on the left was originally bought to separate Rhyan's outfits for the week. It has now turned into a makeshift drawer and the bins at the top were for outgrown clothes, but has just become another dumping ground. My goal is for everything to have a place and for it to be visually pleasing since there are no doors on it. Maybe add doors? Maybe not? We'll see once it's done.

Here's to a happy closet.

See the inspiration behind OPAM and her next project here.