Donuts, Romps in the Rain, and Stomach Viruses

Getting donuts has become almost a weekly treat.



Usually Daniel takes one kid or another as a special thing, but the other day I took all three.



It was really fun.  Oliver had never been before, so he was not happy that he couldn't immediately eat all the yummy things visible through the glass. 


 I don't suppose there's  really a way to adjust the expectations of a 16 month old.  At least he did perk up when we got home.


I've embarked on a photography challenge more ambitious than any other I've attempted. 
 

It involves the submission of 150 images that are graded on a scale from 1-7 in seven different categories.  
 

As part of the preparation process, I've joined a group of other aspiring photographers, and we critique each other's images. 

It's been really fun, but it's caused me to view my photos (and the others' in the group) much more critically. 



And it has certainly expedited the learning of some material I've been meaning to get around to for a while but just haven't had the energy for. 



I'm hoping it doesn't ruin my enjoyment of photography, the way serious critical attention toward your shortcomings sometimes can. 



I don't think it will, though.  I think it will open doors that I didn't know existed before, and I'm hoping that through this process I will grow in good ways.



There are plenty--plenty of photos of my kids and family that are imperfect, and I don't think I will love them any less after I complete this process.



On a totally different note, the kids adore playing in the rain and splashing in the puddles.



We babysat my niece Hazel the other day, and after watching her bigger cousins for a bit, she decided she wanted part of the action.  Since it was nice and warm, I let her crawl out into the rain and feel the drops for a few minutes before we all got dried off and into clean clothes.  It was nice. 


This--as it turned out -- was mere days before every child (including Hazel) pictured above came down with a stomach virus. Yuck.  Those are the ups and downs of caring for children, though.  Donut runs, delightful romps in the rain, and stomach viruses.

The Finished Bunkbed Playroom

It's been a while since I did a post like this, but it occurred to me that I never actually posted a finished set of pictures of the kids' closet-bunkbed-playroom.  So I thought I would!

 
The concept for this room was pretty simple: toys out of reach to help keep it tidy, beds in the closet (to maximize floor space), and no clothes.  I designed this room--in my mind--when Lucy was at a developmental stage where she loved to remove all the clothes from her dresser drawer.  I have had a hate-hate relationship with laundry basically since becoming a mom, so walking in on "rest time" and seeing my freshly folded hard work all undone on the floor got old real quick.  Plus, when are you supposed to put away the laundry, if not during rest/nap time? 



So, with all those things in mind--Daniel set to work building the bunk beds.  I was about 6 months pregnant with Oliver then, so bending over to build the beds was a nonstarter.  Daniel did a fabulous job with them, and they were finished in time to get Lucy and Elliot settled in them before Oliver's birth. 



I'm sad to say the kids aren't currently sleeping in them--because of frequent night time wakings that make sleeping in our bedroom on the floor more practical.  But eventually, they'll be back in the bunk beds, I'm sure.
 

For the shelves, I bought some plywood, painted it in colors to match the bedding, and anchored each one to the wall with L-brackets Daniel found online.  I love that the toys are high up and that the kids have to ask permission to play with the next thing.  It helps keep clutter minimized, and I love that each toy has a place to belong at the end of the day.  It is a constant battle, keeping the amount of "stuff" manageable.


Mom made these cute curtains the week after Oliver was born.  She used the valence from the bedding set and attached it to some coordinating fabric she found.  


 I love making those paper-covered wooden letters.  It's such an easy project to do with the kids.  I should blog a tutorial about it some time.



If you have a 2-year-old in your life, that light switch extender is a great birthday gift.  They have improved our lives quite a bit.  No longer do the kids wake us up in the morning just to turn on the light.  They can do it themselves!  Actually, motion-detector night lights in the bathroom have also been a game changer.  I love those things.



One thing that is missing from these pictures is Lucy's play clinic (Doc Mcstuffins, of course).  It lives in the bunk room, and she spends a lot of time in it.  She adores it. 
 

It didn't make it into the other pictures, because I'm using these for a guest blog on a home-improvement/DIY site for mommies.  But it looks like this, and she loves it.
 

I hope you've had a great week and that you have a good weekend!  I work this weekend, so I'm sure it'll go by fast. 

Step Stool Frustration, Laundry, Writing, and Partner Dependability

I'm not sure what his end goal was, but it involved this step stool.  BOY was he frustrated. 



I'm enjoying this new phase of life, where the kids are actually able (if they're willing) to load laundry into the washer, add the soap (thank you, Tide Pods), and push the start button. 

 
It is an amazing site to behold.  Makes me want to take back all my complaints about having to do my own laundry as a kid (while my friends' moms continued to do theirs).  

My maternal perspective on this is so very different from my childhood perspective.  If the kids can reach it, they absolutely can do it.

Lucy's been enjoying her "reading lessons."  They always end with "writing time" -- when she practices writing two letters.  

 

Actually, we refer to them as "sounds," instead of letters; it helps her keep straight what the letters actually sound like, so that she remembers that R is pronounced, "rrrrr," as opposed to "Arrr."  

We've been experimenting with some grippers to improve her pencil marker grip, and she really likes them!  

Actually, Elliot really likes them, too.  

He practices his writing, too--since he's decided that napping is for chumps and now sits sort of quietly beside us while we do Lucy's reading time.

 I've been wanting, all summer, to get a picture of Lucy's adorable freckles.   They are so cute.



This is an actual text conversation with Daniel from this past week.



I think he saves my sanity on a daily basis.  A good friend recently said something about how dependability is attractive, and it is SO true.  I am so thankful for a parenting partner who's got my back.