Warm Brownie Anyone?

Well, Lisa @ Take90West suckered me into posting pictures of my humble abode.  The kitchen’s new paint job, to be specific.  Now, interestingly, the color we chose was actually suggested by my husband.  Usually when he starts his sentences off with “What do you think about…” I immediately begin thinking of a kind way to let him down easily, because whatever he is about to offer I’m probably not going to like.  Is that mean?  I’m sorry Mr. Man, but it’s true. 

But when he suggested we go with chocolate brown for our kitchen, I actually had to pause…because I rather liked the idea. 

First, let me offer the inspiration for the Warm Brownie color:

That chair.  The walls in the family room, which adjoins the kitchen, are called Martini Olive.  Because I’m all about the food. 

The chair picks up a lot of the green from the walls.  We wanted to try to tie the kitchen in with the family room.  Here is a tiny little nook in our kitchen:

 

I took one picture of this nook.

I then removed the hideous white plastic toaster.

And the crumb trail it left.

Then I took some more pictures.  Which you see here.

And by the way, I cannot stand those white outlets.  The Man says it is ‘white trashy’ to paint them.  Please, I need advice on this.  I cannot believe that for the last twelve years I have taken advice on this from a man.  A straight man I mean. 

Moving right along…

Here is another little nook in our kitchen.  The interesting thing about this picture (other than the fact that I had to crop out the laundry hanging on the stair rail) is that the room is only half painted, and you can’t even tell.   

It makes me wonder why we bothered. 

If you look past the double oven there, that dark strip on the wall is actually red.  The wall above the cooktop and by the stairs there is the warm brownie color.   Funny, huh? 

It’s all in the subtle details, people. 

Anyway, The Man promised that tonight he is going to spend a few hours finishing.  Yay!

So here are the two rooms together…please ignore the half finished photo wall there.  I’ve got the pictures, I need to find the right frames.  Why does that take so long for me?  I don’t know why I can’t just get a bunch of frames and finish the job.  I obsess over the details.

I think it works together.  And for the record, that chair is so much nicer in person…I look at it in the pictures and it’s kind of gaudy.  But in person, it is as lovely as can be. 

Here’s another view, because I like it:

Okay, I have to go now.  Time to put all of the junk back onto the counters that I took off so that I could take all these pictures and show the world how tidy I am.

Miscellaneousness

1.  We have these bluebirds.  They live in a house right outside my family room window.  It’s a quaint little house, whitewashed with a copper roof.  I thought the bluebirds had gone for a while (do they fly south?), but today they were back.  I spotted what appeared to be two males, which I thought was odd, because I’d never seen two males together before, just the male and female.  Upon closer inspection, there was also a female.  Hmmm.  Okay.  I sat and waited for a while, and another male showed up.  The ”lady” (and I use that term loosely, because what ensued didn’t seem too ladylike to me)  went inside, and then a male followed her, and then came right back out again.  At one point, 6 males were counted flying around that house.  Waiting outside the door.  Pecking at each other.  Jockeying for position.

I’m going to call her Roxanne.  I’m not sure what kind of establishment Roxanne is running over there, but we’ve got young children that are watching this.  Sheesh.

2.  Dreams I had last week:  a)I was recruited for an all star volleyball team.  Forget that I’ve never played volleyball in my life.  The trainer told me I was way too thin and I needed to bulk up.  I explained that I had been thin my entire life, and that’s just how I am.  He said I was unhealthy.  b)I had a dream that I asked my husband if the kids knew.  He said “of course they know we love them.”  To which I replied “yeah, but do they know that we love each other?”.  Profound, don’t you think? and c)I dreamt I got the wrong turkey.  I bought a turkey for Thanksgiving, and I woke up in a panic because I thought I accidentally got a turkey breast instead of the entire turkey, and how-stupid-could-I-be-now-no-one-will-get-a-drumstick!  So the first thing I did in the morning was check on that turkey I bought.  The man said “it’s so hard to be you.”  Yes, it is.

3.  We have this funny ritual in my house.  Tickling.  Well, it’s not so much the tickling that is the ritual, but how the tickling is stopped.  You see, in my house, the tickling only stops when the tickle-ee says ‘Ed Hochuli.’  So we, as the ticklers, tickle mercilessly.  Do you know how funny it is to see a four year old boy laughing so hard he can barely breathe and trying to say Ed Hochuli at the same time?  It’s pretty darned funny, that’s how funny it is. 

4.  The man came to me and declared that it is terribly sad when a four year old boy is convinced that the 19th of November is his birthday, even though you have told him repeatedly that it is not…that his birthday is actually December 19th.  Yet on the night of November 18th he goes to bed thinking it is his birthday tomorrow even though you tell him over and over that no, it’s not your birthday tomorrow, and then he wakes up on November 19th and says “it’s my birthday today!  Where are all the presents?”  And you have to break it to him (again) that it’s a whole nother month until his big day.  But, it’s nothing a little pumpkin chocolate bread won’t fix. 

5.  The Boots (cosmetics, not footwear) isle at Target.  First of all, you’ve got to be sly when you look at this stuff, unless you want the boots lady painting you up in the middle of Target.  I bought some concealer once, and when I was running low it, I knew I was going to have to face this lady if I wanted more.  So I was slick.  I waited until she was missing from the isle and snuck up there to get my stuff and bolt.  Well, I forgot whether I wanted the I or the II, and in the 3 seconds it took me to make up my mind she appeared out of nowhere.  “Can I help you find something?”  I told her I already found it, but thanks anyway.  Then she asked me if I was sure that was what I wanted.  Because I’m dumb and clearly don’t know how to apply cosmetics, as evidenced by the poor job I had done earlier in the day.  When I told her that yes, I already have some of it, and this is what I want, she asked if I was wearing it.

me:  “Yes, I have it on, but it’s been hours since I applied it.”

Boots:  “Really?”

me:  “Yes, I’m wearing it, but I put it on early in the morning.”

Boots:  “Oh, well let me try some of this on you.”

me, because I’m such a dishrag:  “oh, okay.”  Passers-by snicker.  

Boots:  “Are you sure you applied the concealer today?  The circles under your eyes just seem a little dark.”

me:  “yes.  I have four kids.  I got up at 5:00am.”

Boots:  “Maybe you need to put it on a little more thickly.”

me:  “Are you trying to insult my make-up application skilz, or are you insulting my looks?  You can take your concealer and conceal it somewhere that the sun doesn’t shine.”

Actually, I didn’t say that last part there.  Because I’m weak like that.  I felt like it, though.

6.  This week I decided it was high time that we repaint our kitchen.  We have talked about it for months, but since I have absolutely nothing going on this week, I just figured it would be a splendid time to begin a new project.   Because you know, right before a major holiday is always a good time to start a project.  In your kitchen.  Where you’re supposed to be cooking for the biggest feast of the year. 

So I chose the color.  It’s called Warm Brownie.  And frankly, I think that name just screams kitchen paint.  Anyway, I sent The Man off for the paint.  (Which by the way, don’t expect to send any man off to the Home Depot to just get one little thing and hurry right back).  And I took a little nap.  But only because he was gone for so long. 

So he comes back, and I made up this grand schedule of how we’re going to get the painting done and all kinds of housework done and the grocery shopping done, and it looked pretty reasonable.  So I gave him the schedule for his information, and then do you know what I did?  I went out to lunch with my friend, and painted pottery for 3 hours while The Man worked on the to-do list and painted the kitchen.  I think he probably wonders how it worked out that way.  Sometimes, I think it must be hard to be him.

And that is the extent of the miscellaneous for this week.

Nickel and Diming ‘Em

So we have this system around here. 

It’s the nickel system. 

Each week, the kids each start out with $1 in nickels.  

Each time they misbehave, they lose a nickel.  (And for an extra fun twist, if they hit or kick their sibling, they lose a nickel and the offended sibling gains a nickel.  Watch the fireworks people.  Nothing adds fuel to the sibling rivalry fire like watching your sibling earn nickels at your expense.)

But they can also earn nickels by treating their siblings nicely, or doing chores, etc. 

So at the end of the month, there are several rewards they can earn based on the amount of nickels they have left in their cup.  Just for your enjoyment, I’ll tell you what my daughter Kate, the highest earner last month, chose for herself:  $1.99 potty putty.  Really?  Yep, and if you’ve never seen it, it is pretty stinkin’ funny.  And that pun was totally intended, thought out, well-planned.  Moving right along…

So last night, the children were floating around, with not a lot to do.  Which is when the trouble usually starts, by the way. 

William decided he would like to help me.  I’m going to assume his motives were totally philanthropic.  But it could be because he had lost a few nickels that morning, and he was looking to earn them back.  And he’s really trying to get that big prize at the end of the month. 

So I told him he could fold the laundry in the chair.  And the moment I said it, Henry started over toward the chair to help out, and earn himself a nickel, too. 

You would think that this laundry was the holy grail of kid-pleasure or something.  William glowered at him, and very seriously threatened “HENRY, DON’T YOU TOUCH THIS LAUNDRY!  I’M FOLDING IT!”

At the time, I didn’t realize the hilarity of that comment. 

Henry immediately welled up with his four-year-old-I-can-produce-them-at-will tears, and cries “But what can I do?”

So I told him to set the table. 

Henry is setting the table, and William is folding the laundry.  Kate is quietly observing, as she so often does.  You see, she has figured out the system.  All you have to do is behave, and you really don’t have to do any extra work.  Then you get your prize at the end. 

Oh, she is sly. 

Or lazy. 

But always well-behaved. 

Meanwhile, William has finished the laundry, and wants to earn more.  So he goes over to the table to hijack the table setting help Henry. 

And I lavishly praise my boys for helping me out so much. 

It is at this point that Kate sees where she’s missing out.  Because she does like her some praise.  I’m watching her, and she’s kind of twitchy…she’s watching.  And she’s thinking about getting up to help out.  Because when everyone is helping, it honestly becomes kind of fun.

The kitchen is a-buzz; the nickels, they are a-flowin’.  The table is set, and it’s set all fancy, too, because that’s how the kids like it.  And I smile at their work.

I have a feeling everyone is going to be getting their choice of prizes this month.

And I sit here imagining that in a year or two, I’ll be kicking back with a glass of wine while the slave labor prepares dinner, does the laundry and cleans the house, all for a nickel. 

This new system of mine just might work out.

The Invisible Disability

Last night was yet another night that makes me question whether or not I actually understand the depth of complications a hearing loss can bring to a young child.  And again, whether or not I truly do understand and accept that Henry is going to experience some of these complications.

I attended a workshop put on by the county for special ed children moving from pre-k to kindergarten, and in the span of 90 minutes, my emotions ran the gamut, from sorrow, to amusement, to pride, relief, confusion and worry.  I sat there, before the session began, and read through some of the information handed out.  One of the sheets listed all of the previous year’s pre-k students who rose into kindergarten and which category they fell into.  I hated that they were categorized by their disability, and that Henry was in one of those groups.  I got this sinking feeling in my stomach…about how much harder kindergarten is probably going to be for Henry than it was for my other kids.  One of the other booklets handed out was called “Celebrating Special Children.”  I sometimes forget that I have a “special child.”  Yes, it is beautiful at times, it is moving, it is uplifting, it is encouraging.  It sometimes feels triumphant.  But it is also sometimes just plain old sad, to know that he’ll have any type of struggle. 

So I’m sitting in this workshop, and as the panel presents, I begin to realize the scope of the Special Ed program in our county.  All the children they serve…all the problems that some of these special children face.  The difficulties they have in school.  I think to myself that maybe Henry doesn’t have it that bad afterall, there are kids with some real difficult challenges, and Henry is only hoh.  (I sometimes amaze myself with my stupidity.)  Somehow, I routinely forget the challenges he will face.  I am so used to the day to day, the deaf/hard of hearing pre-k program that caters to his needs, the ease of his life right now, I forget. 

 

As irony would have it, I returned home to find a piece written by Karen Putz in my inbox.  It included the following:  “…hearing loss is often referred to as the “invisible disability.”   Often people are unaware at the incredible amount of work it takes to gather information and understand communication that goes on around us on a daily basis.   And others are often unaware of how much just slides by, because it’s physically impossible to get 100% access to all that goes on around us when the sense of hearing isn’t all there.”

And then I remembered, early on after Henry’s diagnosis, reading a book called Not Deaf Enough.  I remember something in that book about how children that are hard of hearing sometimes fall through the cracks, because they’re not really deaf…  They can “get by”…  Their disability is not really a disability… 

The cold reality is I understand very little about what life sounds like to him.  And I don’t know how to help him because I have no idea what this is like for him.  I can see why being d/hoh is called the invisible disability, because there are always people like me out there that perpetuate the idea.  I wonder if I’m ever going to get it. 

How Much Eggplant Can You Buy With $500?

This photo was taken during our family stay-cation here in the ‘burg.  Daddy made yummy eggplant parmesan for supper, and Ella devoured it.  Her siblings did not share her enthusiasm.  But that’s beside the point.  Here she is, after thoroughly enjoying a meal made by her daddy…

We spent a good long while cleaning her up in the tub.  And then we spent a good long while scrubbing the tomato ring from the tub, too.  But I digress.  The point of all this is that this picture is a finalist in the “Prego Fun With Food Contest” over at 5 Minutes For Mom.  The wonderful people over at Prego will supply the winner with a $500 grocery card for a store in our area.  There are some really cute pictures over there.  PUH-LEEEASE, get your little typing fingers over to 5 Minutes For Mom and vote!  For Ella.  She’s #1.  Coincidence?  I’m just sayin’…    

And feel free to spread the word.  I could use $500…eggplant is pricey these days.

Because I’m So Kreative…

Jen at Our Daily Bigtop gave me this award…

I am very thankful to Jen.  Just for the record, it is just a bit awkward for me to call her Jen.  I call her Jenny.  So from now on, she shall be called Jenny, but you’ll know that I mean Jen.  Soooo…  Jenny gave me this nice award.  Thanks Jenny!

Okay, so the idea is that now I shall name 6 things that make me happy, and then pass the award on to 6 other Kreative bloggers.  I gotta tell you, as I was writing, the happy things were just bubbling over in my mind.  Apparently it doesn’t take much to make me happy.  That’s a good thing, right?! 

1.  In case you didn’t know it already, my family is the number one thing that makes me happy.  Especially when they’re asleep.  Kidding.  Yeah, they make me happy.  Very happy.  What they say, what they do, how innocent they still are.  How inquisitive and curious they are.  How happy they are.  How their eyes shine when they tell stories or silly jokes that make no sense.  And the man who comes home to me every night.  And how each night he prepares the coffee to brew at 4:55 so that every morning at 5:00am there is fresh coffee, a mug and a spoon waiting for me. 

 

2.  My house.  My home.  We have beautiful trees.  We have lots of wildlife.  We have wonderful neighbors and friends.  It is warm, and bright and comfortable.  It has all of our memories.  All of the things we have collected over the last 12 years.  The things we have built together.  I love it’s sounds…the garage door opening…the bluebird pecking on the kitchen window…the deck door in the summer…the footsteps on the hardwood floors…the fan in the convection oven…the baths being poured…even the awfully loud dishwasher.   

3.  The autumn air.  The little puffs of wood smoke, the swirl of fallen leaves in the wind, and the crispness of the frost.  It puts a smile on my face every.single.time.

4.  Supper cooking.  The other day I was cooking potato soup for supper, and had a minute so I went and threw some laundry in the wash.  When I rounded the corner to the kitchen and heard the potatoes gently boiling, and the bacon sizzling on the stove, I am not kidding you I felt this little happy feeling in my heart.  What a pleasure it was to be cooking supper for my family. 

5.  Wine.  Oh, I kid.  Although if I’m being honest, it does make me happy.  But I wouldn’t put it in my top 6.  Probably not anyway.  Holiday foods make me happy.  Thinking about them, planning them, shopping for them, making them, eating them.  Yeah, let’s not forget the eating part.  In a few days I will sit down and go over my elaborate menu plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and begin the shopping.  And I can’t wait. 

6.  Christmas movies.  Yeah, sorry.  I look forward to this all year long.  It is–by far–my favorite holiday, and I’d say Thanksgiving is 2nd, so this is just the hap-hap-happiest time of the year for me (except for all of the colds and viruses and flus).  Last year I would watch Christmas movies every evening while I wrote and addressed Christmas cards.  I would have a glass of mulled wine, snuggle up in a blanket and write cards while something senitmental played on the tv.  Except one night I watched the Elephant Man.  That was just disturbing and sad. 

I actually started writing a seventh, and then realized I’m only allowed 6.  Just fyi, it was scents…scents of lavendar, cinnamon and orange.  They always, always make me smile.

So now I pay it forward to six other bloggers that I think are so Kreative.  Well, since I’m so Kreative, I’m going to change that up a bit, and just name one…  Drumroll please…

Beachy Mimi.  Yes, she’s the one!  The BM makes me laugh constantly with her, how shall I say, things-we-don’t-talk-about-in-mixed-company.  So there you have it.

For Your Reading Pleasure

1.  You mothers of growing boys will understand this one…

The kids each have their own lunch account at school, into which I deposit money every couple of months for their lunches at school.  I can log into their accounts to see what they are buying, whether it is milk, lunch, ice cream or whatever.  After the first month of school, William came to me and told me that his account was low and I needed to put more funds in it for him.  I didn’t understand how it could be so low when I had just put the money in.  So I logged in.  Well, well, well.  What have we here but a whole lotta ice cream being purchased.  And so I put the freeze on that real quick let-me-tell-you-what. 

Again, last month I deposited money into William’s account.  He came to me yesterday with a note from school that said his account was drained again.  Impossible, I declared.  They’ve got the wrong kid.  I just put money in his account.  I logged in again.  Do you want to know what he was doing?  He and his cohorts were getting to school each day, heading to the cafeteria, buying themselves a little plate of pancakes & sausage or cinnamon buns and taking it to class to have a little topper-offer before the start of the school day.   

It’s not like we don’t feed the kid before he leaves before school.  He eats a full breakfast, and then heads to school an hour later and eats again.  He brings a snack to school for after lunch, and he is continuously hungry from 3:15 when he steps off the bus until he falls asleep at night.  His metabolism is like that of a hummingbird.  And his activity level, for that matter, too. 

The boy is only 6.  He weighs about 45 pounds.  I don’t know where he’s puttin’ it.  I really don’t.

 

2.  My husband has a few (hundred) grays around the temples. I can no longer say that I have not fallen to a similar fate.  I found one (emphasis on the one part).  A gray hair.

A

GRAY

HAIR.

On my head.  On MY head.

This came on the day after election day.  Coincidence?

I think not my friends. I think not.

 

3. Overheard in my house yesterday–”Mom, can you leave this laundry here in the chair today so we can fold it for you when we get home from school?”  The next thing I remember was waking up when my head hit the floor.  In all seriousness, he is such a sweet boy.  He loves to help his mom with everything.

 

4.  Ella donned her apron and helped me cook supper the other day. 

Yes, it does say “dam good cook.”  It’s from a cruise line.   Something about all the dam places in Holland. 

Don’t worry, we don’t try not to curse ’round here.  And no negative comments please.  She can’t read.

 

5.  One more picture of Henry in the leaves.  ‘Cause he’s so dam darn cute…

 

 

Autumn Splendor

For more Wordless Wednesday Photos, visit 5 Minutes for Mom…

Losing a Tooth

This experience was far different from our previous tooth-losing experiences.  Kate will let those teeth dangle, and I do mean dangle, for days.  She is ever so careful not to tear that last thread that will earn her a visit from the tooth fairy. 

William, well, he came to me one morning late last week, with a tooth that was quite loose, but not on the verge of falling out.  This is the first I had heard that his tooth was loose.  Off to school he went, and upon his return he stated “This tooth has got to come out now.”  He walked into the bathroon, and emerged 30 seconds later with a bloody tissue and a toothless smile.  He was so happy, and I was so proud of my little boy.

The reminders around me remain, unbroken.  They are growing up.  Way.  Too.  Fast.

This Little Girl

This is the little girl that introduced me to motherhood.   

This is the little bundle that taught me how full my heart could get, so full that I felt it might burst; so full that it sometimes ached. 

This is the baby that slept well, that ate well, that snuggled, that quietly observed.

This is the toddler that daintily put on her ballet shoes and her tutu and twirled.

This is the little girl that picked dandelions and clover blossoms on Easter Sunday.

When William had his stroke, we shuffled this little girl off to the neighbor’s house once or twice a week so she didn’t have to hear him scream and cry during his physical therapy.  And though I think she would have preferred to stay home with me, she never said a word.  She just did what I asked.

This is the little girl that I took to preschool that first day.  When all the other children looked a bit nervous, clinging to their mommies, Kate sat confidently with a puzzle and replied with a simple “yes” when I asked her if she was ready for me to leave. 

This is the four year old little girl that understood and didn’t make a fuss when I told her that the dress she loved so much was very expensive, and that we needed to go home and think about it before we spent that much money on it. 

This is the little girl that would not get out of bed without Mommy coming to get her.  She would yell down from her room “I’m ready to get up!”  And she would patiently wait for me to come and get her.  And that could be a while–her two little brothers needed a lot from their mommy in the morning.

When Henry was diagnosed as hard of hearing, this is the girl that again got a little bit lost in the shuffle.  Because she didn’t demand a lot.  She didn’t demand the focus or attention that her little brothers did. 

This is the girl that can get overlooked.  Because she is a good girl.  Because she is smart, and capable and responsible.  Because she doesn’t get into trouble, and “knows better.”  This is the girl that almost always tries her best, and always does well.

She finds success easily in almost everything she does.  Which means that when something is a bit challenging, this little girl can get frustrated.

This little girl wants to help.  It was she who offered me a drink of water one day recently, when she could tell I was about to blow my stack. 

And she is a little girl who loves to paint her nails, and dance, and draw.  She loves sparkley things, and giraffes and dogs.  She loves to write in her journal, and she loves her Daddy.

She is the girl that I read with at night.  We lie down together and she reads her book, while I read mine.  And now and then I look at her, and she at me, and we smile. 

And this is the little girl that I stand over at night, and whisper how proud I am of her.  And how much I love her.   

In this little girl, I see so much of me. 

This is the baby girl that I fell in love with 8 years ago.  Happy birthday, Kathryn Sunshine.  I love you more than you can know.