It's Been a Weekend

Well, a weekend and a Monday. It's been crazy.

We got up early on Saturday morning to go to the farmer's market. From there we headed downtown for some antiquing. In making the best out of our house, I decided that I needed an island to supplement the one square foot of counter space I had. Problem is, I didn't want to spend $1000 to have one made. So I got an idea... and in the second shop that we stopped in, it became a reality. I now have a vintage enamel top primitive farm table for my kitchen - and I'm absolutely in LOVE with it. It's gorgeous, fits with the oldness of our house, is the perfect height for a short little woman and adds some much needed space to our kitchen. It's perfect! And I got it for $80... down from twice that amount. And I was able to keep with our not wanting to buy new but rather reuse already loved items pact. I'll be posting pictures when I get a chance.

When my husband went to go pick it up (we had to come home to take the car seat out of the car), he also picked up a solid cream basin and pitcher. I had been looking for a solid basin and pitcher since before we were married, but could only find ones with flowers and decorations. Another antique at a good deal; he only paid $30. Which, for a nice basin and pitcher is a steal. It now sits on my new table and I plan to get some flowers to put in it.

After we found it, we went next door and had some amazing coffee (decaf for me) with fresh bagels and then walked around downtown for a bit. We spent the rest of the day at home until it was time to go to a baby shower for a girl at our church. She even came to me for advice on baby carriers, so it was nice.

Sunday we taught the teens in Sunday School and apparently, it was a crazy adult Sunday School as well. At about 10:45 we gather the kids from the classrooms and move to the sanctuary. Well, as we're going to leave, the Sunday School director came in and said to hold the kids, that the pastor was mad at the devil and had JUST gotten started on his actual message. So, we waited for a little while and then went in late. I don't really know what he was mad at the devil about since I was teaching, but it must have been something because last night the entire church flooded - no one else in the area flooded. And the place where there was the most standing water was the pastor's office. Craziness I tell you. But, the wall that was most damaged is the one that we're planning on tearing down to build a bigger sanctuary, so it's actually a blessing. Funny how that works out.

Today was absolutely insane as well. Until I sat down to write this, I had spent about 20 minutes at home all day from when we first left. The day started out regularly enough; my husband got up and showered and then came to get me up. He was in the front bathroom fixing his hair and I went in to draw water for a bath. Since Audrey was still asleep, I decided I would close the door so that the water wouldn't wake her. I have done this tons of times. Well, the 100+ year old knob on our 100+ year old broke - locking my husband and I inside the bathroom! The hinges to the door are on the hallway side, so we couldn't unhinge it. We couldn't climb out of the window because: A. It's sealed shut. B. There's a privacy screen on it that we'd have to take off. C. It's about an 8 foot drop down to the ground. D. Even if we wanted to go through A-C, it's a high window and would not be easy to get out of in the first place. And then we would still be locked out of the house.

So, my husband and I used my favorite pair of tweezers to unscrew the door knob from the door. This took about 45 minutes. The entire time I was paranoid that Audrey would wake up and get freaked out when she could find us. Then he kicked the door open. Thankfully, the noise of that had just woken Auds up but she was still in her bed so she didn't get hit. We then took the door off the hinges because Auds loves to close that door and we didn't want it happening again.

From there, we went to the doctor where I was informed I'd get the GBS test... no warning. Not fun. But, I was able to go over my birth plan, have my OB sign off on it, and told her that I didn't want weekly exams to check progress. She was okay with it. And I talked to them about how the deductible situation was handled last time. Apparently, the person who used to do the accounts wasn't doing their job and was fired for not letting patients know about what they need to pay. But she agreed that it was insane to fork over $3500 in three weeks and I should get the same amount of time that everyone else is allotted.

The day didn't end there... we grabbed a quick bite to eat (nasty fast food that we typically don't eat, but it was all that was available on the road) and stopped in at the fabric shop. Why did we stop at the fabric shop? To get fabric to make curtains for the front bathroom since it's without a door. But since I have no idea how to sew, I took it to my friend who made the curtains for me - such an angel. They're fabulous and fit perfectly. Pictures of that to come as well.

While she was sewing, I told her how I wanted to get a play house for Auds and had been looking around and found a thrift store that had a bunch. So, she got her husband and his farm truck to come with to the store to check it out. She got a pretty much brand new slide for her daughter (who is one of Auds' best friends) since they had been given a play house already. I was able to get a play house and a slide for...... $30! Those play houses run in the $300s and I was able to get one and a slide for a tenth of that! I was stoked. I've decided that I'm gonna battle those animals. If the lady down the road doesn't keep up with her animals, I'm going to call animal control. My kids shouldn't be quarantined to the house because she wants to feed the strays. Oh yeah, I'm getting ornery. And her husband loaded everything up on his truck and brought it to my house for me. Awesome, awesome guy.

We then scarfed down dinner, I hung the curtains and we ran out the door to prayer meeting. After prayer meeting we had musician and singer practice where we went over guidelines and actually "tried out" for various parts. There was a lady there who teaches music and we had to sing "Amazing Grace" on a scale and she'd recommend where we would sing. I'm an alto, in case you were wondering. After all that, we still had to learn a song. We were at church from 7:00 until 11:00. I love church, but thank God that all the practices aren't going to go that long! Thankfully, Audrey passed out as soon as we got home.

So, I have a "new" kitchen island, a pretty pitcher and basin, no door on my bathroom, curtains up, a play house and a slide, a flooded church and it is supposed to absolutely pour tomorrow. We're not even sure if we'll be able to get inside the sanctuary tomorrow night to have church (we had prayer in the fellowship hall tonight - and it was a great prayer meeting, too). If it floods again, we'll just have another prayer meeting.

Oy. I need a rest from my weekend!

Oink, Oink! Maa, Maa! Moo, Moo!

Tonight we went to our first 4H show because one of our youth kids was showing her pigs. We were actually surprised to find out that pretty much every little kid from our church was there and almost every family had an animal being shown! We're just minding our own business walking in when a ton of "Hey, y'all!" come our way. But it was great coz then we had a place to sit. We had a great time trying to figure out what was going on and eavesdropping on every one's conversations in French. My husband could sort of understand what they were saying... all I made out was "pig." That's appropriate though, considering we were watching the pig show. ;)

Here's little miss sass in her pants ready to go. I ask her to smile and she poses like this...

With her favorite pig raiser. She wasn't looking at the camera because she was too busy trying to get...

The leading stick thingy that they use to make the pigs go.

Honey took a picture of her watching the pigs. She was enthralled. She kept trying to get away to go see them. And then she saw the camera and stole it... here is how the evening looked through Audrey's eyes...

She saw pig bottoms. The brush in the kid's back pocket is actually to scrape poop away because all the pigs poop all over the place as they're getting judged. Thankfully, she didn't get THAT shot.

She also saw some crazy people that she recognized taking pictures of her.

She saw our girl trying to get her pig out of the corner. I may have helped her a little with this by holding the camera at a straight angle, but she took the picture herself. Our girl didn't place tonight, but she's got 11 more pigs to show tomorrow, so hopefully she'll get something.

Showing Auds the pigs. This one started grunting like crazy and scared the mess out of her.

So Mommy had to get in a pig pen holding a nearly two year old while being massively pregnant. This is no easy task. If you've ever been in a pig pen, you'd know.

Trying to get the pig to move. She was so cute. She even shouted out orders, "Move, pig! Go, pig!" When I told her that the pig was going to go to sleep she yelled, "Go to sleep, pig!" Oh, little miss bossy.

Checking out the triplet goats born two days ago. We couldn't get too close to them, because apparently if you touch them, they will die. At least that's what the sign said. They were so tiny and adorable!

And there was another baby goat born today!

It's that little lump of fur there. We also saw two brand new baby calves - one even still had it's cord. But the mama's weren't too keen on us getting close to take pictures.

Overall, it was a great night. Well worth the pain that I'm in now from climbing over railings and into pig pens while dodging animals weighing more than I do holding a toddler. And our girl even hugged my husband. I don't think he's ever had a youth kid hug him before; he was a little caught off guard. It was nice to know that we made her night by going there to support her. It was so sweet, I could have cried. But, I am pregnant and all.

The rest of the evening was spent listening to Audrey making animal noises and telling us how she saw and pet the pigs. Too stinking cute, I tell you.

My Cupcakes :)

This evening is definitely one that I will look back on when I'm 90 and still laugh. It was absolutely perfect, well... if you don't count the back pain, the contractions, the exhaustion and the toddler who insisted on sitting on her brother. :)

My husband decided to make my cupcakes for me, so that I could enjoy them and just rest. Rest included taking pictures for posterity and corralling an energetic toddler, but it was still fun.

My yummy mix. I believe they use organic ingredients, and at home all it requires is unsalted butter, milk, eggs, confectioner's sugar, and baking chocolate. There is a lady in the next town that makes butter and milk, but it's unpasteurized and when you're pregnant that's a no-no, so my husband just picked some up at the store. He couldn't find organic confectioner's sugar, but he did find organic baking chocolate. He gets an A+ for effort.

The first order of business was to make cupcake liners. I gave him instructions and let him at it. Audrey remembered from the last time we did it, so she volunteered to help him out.

Tracing his circles. Auds remembered that you put the circles inside of the 1/4 cup and smash it with the vitamin jar so she practiced.

Still practicing...

Cutting out his circles. It takes a few sheets of paper. Initially he was going to trace and cut each individual sheet. I kindly let him know that he could just cut them all at once if he lined up the papers. :)

Preparing to shape the liners.

You need a stick and a quarter of butter to beat.

Here he is working hard.

It took a while to get it light and fluffy like this, so my husband felt a huge sense of success when he accomplished it. He exclaimed "I have successfully Ferberized the butter!" I think he meant Pearlized, but I understood the sentiment. I found it absolutely hilarious.

Audrey made her own cupcakes while he worked and I sat on my big behind.

Time to add the mix.

He even made a well in it... and I didn't have to tell him. I was so proud.

Add in two eggs, one at a time. Yes, those are nasty store bought eggs. We didn't get to the farmer's market weekend before last because we were sick. So, we went to the store to buy eggs, and are using those up to not waste. Good news is, I talked to a lady at the farmer's market who said she would save me eggs if we ever got sick or couldn't get up early enough. Yay!

And he tried to spoon the batter into the liners. It didn't work out so well, but he tried. Bless his heart.

There was a step where he put milk in, but I missed it because I was playing "roll the container across the floor" with my angel. She thought it was a blast. This is also the first time in days that the took her hair out of a pony tail and head band. I have a feeling it will go back up first thing in the morning. She is, however, still clutching her bow.

Putting them in the oven.

Measuring the confectioner's sugar. I store all of my pantry goods in mason jars. (I didn't buy those Goldfish in the background... my husband couldn't find anything close to organic, whole grain, low sodium snacks, so he bought those because that's all he could find. He tried though. Audrey doesn't like them that much either, but I don't want to waste them so I keep offering. Most of the time she dumps them on the floor in church.) Anyway...

Melt your chocolate.

Beat some more butter and then some confectioner's sugar.

Pour the chocolate in.

Cool the cupcakes.

The icing - a diabetic's nightmare.

I went to my office to work while they cooled and he put the baby down. When he tried to ice them, I was called in for help.

This is what I found. I'm not going to lie, they were UGLY. This picture really doesn't capture the true essence of these cupcakes. The tops were falling off the bottoms. The paper liners didn't even make it to the bottoms of some of the cupcakes and were plastered on the sides. The icing was just slapped on there. But they were MY ugly cupcakes made by my husband. He asked me to help him out a little.

So, I picked up the tops of the cupcakes, evened out the icing as they fell apart in my hands, placed them back on the bottoms, and my husband placed the garnish on top.

We split one cupcake, and man - it was sweet. This is definitely a special occasion thing, I could never eat like that regularly. I think I gained 5 pound with half a cupcake.

It was possibly the sweetest thing (pun intended) that we've done together in a while between entertaining a toddler and being busy with life. I loved the experience and had a great time with my little family.

Okay, Nesting...

I know I really, really wanted you to come so that I could be productive and whatnot, but... would you mind easing up a big? 'K, thanks.

The nesting bug hit late Sunday night and has been going strong. I already wrote about what I accomplished Sunday and the little bit I did on Monday. Tuesday I didn't have time to do anything because we had Auds' Mommy and Me class, a play date, a photo shoot and then church. The first time I got to sit down for more than five minutes was at church. And Auds fell asleep so I actually got to sit there and enjoy the service with my husband. We even were able to finalize details for one of our youth kids to watch Audrey when we become a platform couple. Yup, starting next week, my husband will be playing guitar and I'll be singing. Audrey will be hanging out with a girl who she absolutely adores.

This will ease Auds into a transition for when Honey sits on the platform the whole service and preaches from the pulpit. The pastor is still mulling it over as to if I can sing on the platform baby wearing or if he'd rather someone right up front of my choosing to hold Tony when he comes. This has never been an issue before because I'm the most unconventional person in my church. Being green, organic (mostly) eating, natural birth, extended nursing, cloth diapering, baby wearing, mama cloth and all of that stuff was completely foreign to all of the people in the church until I arrived.

Anyway, I had some pretty darn uncomfortable and down right painful contractions all day and night from being so busy. I told myself that today I would take it easy. But what have I done so far?

Taken inventory of a whole mess of prefolds and covers that Tony's cloth diapering godmommy (who I converted, btw) is loaning us. Washed all of those and the small Fuzzi Bunz and one size Bum Genius that I got. They're on the line drying now. I folded clothes to put away later this evening. I also rearranged my office - again. This includes moving a cabinet that is taller than my husband and weighs about as much as him, a filing cabinet full of paperwork, a shelving unit full of packaging materials and client orders, and all of the previously rearranged props.

And I convinced my mother-in-law to take this set of chairs I've been trying to get my husband to let me sell for a while to store at her house so it is out of mine. Woo hoo! I dusted and swept my office and will do more laundry when the stuff that is hanging dries. I also reorganized the blankets on the bakers rack in the living room to free up a shelf for Tony's diapers. So, now receiving and swaddling blankets are on the bottom rack, Tony's diapers will be on the middle rack, and Auds' diapers are on the top rack. The big fluffy blankets are folded in his and hers piles on the wood opening behind the white chair. I'm going to look for baskets to put those in to make it look a little nicer.

I've also been running through my mind how I'll decorate for Valentines. It's simple - since it's right in the middle of Mardi Gras season, I'll keep the Mardi Gras wreath on the door, move the Mardi Gras candles to the entertainment center, put pink and cream candles on glass stands on the entry table and call it a day. And then I'll move the candles back to their original locations and call it a day until Easter time. And how I'm going to reorganize the fridge.

Easter will happen right after Tony is born so I have no idea what I'll do then.

So, now I'm sitting in my freshly organized office waiting for my husband to get home so he can fuss at me for moving heavy stuff all around the place - again. I have to get my nesting in now because tomorrow night I'm going to check out one of my youth's pigs. She's the same one who will be watching Auds for us and she's really opened up to me. 4H is really her thing and she's showing 12 this weekend, starting tomorrow evening. Last weekend she got 4 jackets and a belt buckle, which are apparently the highest awards. She also promised to let Auds ride a pig. Now THAT is something that I will take a lot of pictures of. I can't wait for Auds to go to her first livestock show. I think she'll absolutely love it.

The Afters

Because I know you've been on the edge of your seat in anticipation... I'm posting the after pictures of last night's nesting. And I even did a little more today.

I wrote about moving the changing station from the play room into the living room. I can already see how it will be easier than having it in a separate room. And Auds loves that she can now play hide and seek behind the chair. She'll tell me "I'll come right back to you!" and then squeeze between the chair and the baker's rack only to come crawling out behind the other side of the chair. It's adorable.

I also wrote about our lack of storage. If you ever find yourself without having a place to put something, this will make you feel a WHOLE lot better. Keep in mind, we have no attic access nor a basement. This is the only closet in the ENTIRE house. And I've maxed it out, we use those Magic Hangers (which are great), a closet organizing system, bins, etc. It's not open, because someone was playing in there while I was bagging up stuff to send to Goodwill this morning. It's not pretty inside. lol But it's got a crystal knob!

So this is my wall of bins. That basket is clothing that Audrey has outgrown that will be put into a bin this weekend. Yes, it's almost to the ceiling. And we have 11+ish foot ceilings.

Oh, yes, there is more. But at least the car seats and the exersaucer will be getting moved out soon enough. My big idea is to get the plain curtain rods (the white ones that screw into the wall at the bends), hang them upside down from the ceiling, and get some panels of fabric to hang from the ceiling to divide the room so that the bins aren't totally visible, but still accessible.

To the left is the futon/guest bed. It's surprisingly really comfy despite the fact that it was one of my only pieces of furniture in college. That thing's been around in my life as long as my husband. The only people who ever use it are church youth kids who stay the night and my mother when she's in town. I just hope no one will trip over my husband's weights that he leaves on the floor after he works out in the morning.

To the right is a little sitting area. Cheeto wanted to be in the picture. That is his chair and blanket. He fought me for it, and he won. We had some seriously hilarious fights over who could get there first, sit there, or sit the longest. We should have taped it and sent it into America's Funniest Home Videos. How sad is it that I lost to a cat?

Where the sitting area is now is where the two dressers used to be, side by side. Where the bins are now, that's where the sitting area used to be. The bins were scattered between on top of the futon, in the bedroom to the left of the closet, and my office. Trust me, it looks infinitely better having just one huge wall of bins than tiny clusters. There were also props hanging out in there that are too delicate to be in the studio area because someone would break them.

Here they all are together in my office. Except for the random pile of stuff that my husband put there. I'm still not sure what it is, so I haven't found a home for it.

So the dressers have a new home in the playroom. Believe it or not, every single thing gets put away each night. This is what it looks like after about 10 minutes. The baker's rack in the living room used to be where the white dresser is. The changing station used to be where the pink glider is, and the pink glider used to be where the brown dresser is.

This is Audrey's dresser and her little corner of the playroom.

And this is Tony's. And to the left is Tony's bouncy seat that I need to assemble. When it stops raining (it makes it sooo humid inside the house) I'm going to paint his letters in alternating colors like Audrey's.

These are the colors that Audrey and I picked today. I can't decide if I'll do blue first or brown.

And that's not all! I did a couple more things today, not too much since we spent our morning out looking for Tony's letters and paint and had prayer meeting this evening. Add in a 2.5 hour nap, and most of the day is gone.

When I was looking for Tony's wall letters, I saw these nifty tin letter tiles. So, I picked one up to hang in our entry way. It really goes well with the red curtains, as well as my diaper bag - ha!

I also rehung the shelf in the front bath. One day while I was in there, it fell out of the wall because it was apparently possessed. It also had a lit candle on it that dumped hot wax on me, on the wall, on the floor, on the toilet, on the cabinet, pretty much every where. I'm still working on cleaning up that wax, too. I've gotten most of it up, but it's stained the white surfaces. I'm getting some Scour Off from Shaklee in hopes that that helps. Since the initial fall until today, the towel was just hanging by a nail. I think this is a BIG improvement. The basket to the left is filled with little homemade soaps that were shower presents when I had Auds. The candle on the right is made by a local candle company. I don't think I'm going to light it because it makes the bathroom smell good just being in there... and I don't want hot wax on me again.

Tomorrow we have our Mommy and Me class, a play date, a photo shoot, and church, so I likely won't be getting much done. But Wednesday will likely be a busy day.