Dirt

Around here, another sure sign of spring is...dirt!

There's dirt...

...on faces.

...under little fingernails.

...on knees.

...on bottoms.

...covering the kitchen floor.

...in a ring around the bathtub.

...on the bar of hand soap.

...in the kitchen sink.

...on my 'good' towels.

It's spring time, there's dirt everywhere...and I'm lovin' it!

Weekend Projects

We've been getting some major things checked off of our to-do list over the last couple of weekends. It's been hectic, but it feels good to be getting these things done.

Last weekend, Jeff, my dad, his dad, and my brother-in-law got the piano from Jeff's parents' house and brought it to our house. Jeff parents gave us the piano over a year ago, but the timing never seemed to work out right for getting it, until now. So, we now have a beautiful piano for the kids to start learning how to play.


We're all very excited about it!

With the beautiful piano being moved into our living room, it made me want to get the room painted. We have been needing to paint the living room and kitchen for some time now, but just haven't wanted to hassle with it. However, this past week I decided that it had to be done this weekend. I'm not sure that Jeff agreed with the urgency, however, he went along with it, wholeheartedly.

Part of the reason why we've been putting off the painting: I have a horrible problem with making decisions. Especially when it's a decision about flooring, paint, furniture, what to make for dinner,...well, pretty much any kind of decision making is complicated for me.

If Jeff and I ever have a house built, it will not be a pretty sight. Too many options. Too many decisions. Too much for Nicki!

So, it took me a couple of trips to the hardware store - and until about 3 in the afternoon on Saturday - to make up my mind on what color of paint to use. And the funny thing about it all, is that the color that I chose - it's not much different than the color that was already on the walls. Yes, it appears I spent hours of my time choosing between the many different and exotic hues that are available for the color...beige.

I have come to the conclusion that not only do I have a mild phobia for decision making, but I also think that I may have a fear of color. Although, I did leave the interior walls of the kitchen untouched, with the thought that I would add a little kick of color on those walls.

But, we'll see if that happens. It may be too much for me to have to decide on something outside the beige family. We'll have to save that project for another weekend.

Letting the Creative Juices Flow

A couple of months ago, I took some engagement photos for my cousin and her fiance. One Saturday, we drove out to our aunt and uncle's house and quickly took some pictures, as rain clouds threatened overhead. We were able to get some pretty decent shots before the clouds opened up and began to pelt us with rain.

Since then, we've been working together on a save-the-date card to mail out to guests. This week, she was finally able to order them. And, the best part is, she got them all printed for free! I'm just crossing my fingers that they print out the correct way.

Also, she wanted to have a website that guests could go to, in order to get details about the wedding, hotel accommodations, directions, etc...Since she is trying to be responsible with how much money she spends on her wedding, we looked at some of the free wedding websites that are available. She wasn't exactly thrilled with what was offered in the free category and the price tags on the websites that you pay for, were a bit ridiculous.

Since I've done a little bit of web design before, and I'm fairly familiar with Blogger's platform, I decided to take a stab at making them a website. I just took a free Blogger blog and rewrote some of the coding on it to try and make it look more like a website than a blog.

Voila! A free wedding website.

It's still 'under construction,' but I think that it's looking pretty good...especially for being free!

Now, I need to get a little more creative with my pitiful little blog!

Bring Your Child to Vote Day

Today, was another one of those days that I was so excited about homeschooling. Every election, since they were born, the kids and I have made our way down to the local retirement village, so that I can vote.

This year, with my second grader, kindergartner, and preschooler, was no exception. I loved having them stand in line with me - for about an hour - and talking to them about what I was about to do. It was so great to hear the very inquisitive and thoughtful questions that they had about the whole process, too. The kids also had the opportunity to hear stories from other people in line, stories that often started with, "I remember when..." Which is always a great way to learn about history!

It just made me happy that the kids weren't sitting in a classroom, hearing about the election and the process of voting, but they were out there actually participating! Well, participating to a certain extent. Unfortunately, the poll workers wouldn't let them cast their own ballots...something about voter-age restrictions. Anyway, this was another time that reminds me to just laugh at the criticisms that we often hear about how homeschooling is sheltering our kids from the 'real' world.

I don't think so.

Today, was just another example of how my kids were actually out in the 'real' world, instead of just reading or hearing about it, while sitting in a classroom.

So, today, I'm not only thankful for the privilege that I have to be able to participate in a democratic society, but, also, for the freedom to be able to choose how to educate my children. And I pray that neither of these privileges are ever taken away from me.

Election Day 2006

(My nephew, Elijah, joined us on that day.)

A Boy Is...

Scuffed up knees,

a freckled nose

with dimples here and there.

A daring, caring, sharing heart

a mass of tousled hair.

Boundless curiosity

the spirit to explore.

Two twinkling eyes,

a smiling face and energy galore!

A love of life,

a bit of sass

a source of untold joy.

A wonderment,

a dream fulfilled

God's miracle...

...a BOY!

(Author Unknown)

I love being the mother of a boy!

Since I come from a family dominated by girls, Jacob has given me the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a boy. I love to watch him get lost in play, letting his imagination take him to far off worlds. I'm amazed by the variety of sounds that can come from his mouth - cars, trucks, planes, laser guns, light sabers, sirens, bombs...the list goes on and on. I love the way his hair smells when he hugs me: a hint of baby mixed with dirt and sweat.

And I love the opportunity that he gives me to take a picture like this:

Summer's End

Then followed that beautiful season called...Summer...

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new-created in all the freshness of childhood.

~Henry David Thoreau

I'll miss summer.

Our summer has been a joyous and full season; it leaves us with moments that will live on forever in our memories.

Yet, I'm also content in seeing it come to an end. I'm looking forward to the sights, sounds, and smells of autumn. I'm ready for crisp air and cozy sweaters.

I love autumn.

But, I'll miss summer.

I've linked this to the Theme Thursday post at The Land of K.A. This week's theme: Playtime.