So Much To Share

Sorry for not posting anything recently. There has been quite a bit going on around here and I've been slower than usual lately. I have a few things I'm working on, such as a post on our homeschool-field-trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science (Sugar Land branch) to see the Chronicles of Narnia exhibit. The exhibit was amazing and I'm worn out after spending the whole day at the museum (and three nights with very little sleep). So, please check back here in the next day or so. I have a lot that I want to share with you all but my brain needs a few hours of sleep so that it can gather up all its thoughts.

BSM: Working Hard

I need to pick up my camera more than I have been lately. Life has been hectic, at best, and the camera gets forgotten until I stumble upon it late at night. I miss so many moments that are worth capturing during the day.

I recently caught Violet while she was working hard on an art page that came with her curriculum. She was so focused that she didn't even notice the camera come out. I love capturing her on camera when she doesn't realize it, before she can pose or put on a silly face. My baby sure can get lost in whatever she's working on. It's as if she has shut the world out for a little bit as she focuses on whatever it is that has her attention. This day it happened to be the following art page...

You Can Call Me Quirky

[photo courtesy of www.candyblog.net]

Okay, I'm about to get personal with ya' and share one of my quirks that I consider to be part of my charm (aka craziness). Whenever I allow myself a sweet treat I tend to lean towards Starbursts. And whenever I break into the Starburst I have to start by lining up the fruit chews according to color before I can start to eat them. Then I usually start with the yellow/lemon and then finish with the cherry and strawberry flavors. I really don't like mixing the flavors. It's just how I roll. You can call me quirky. I'm okay with that!

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me or does anyone else get really excited when you're able to load the dishwasher to the point there is no more room? That feeling seriously ROCKS! (At least for me it does.) Here's why ~ for one thing, because I feel like I've accomplished a big household chore and secondly, because I feel like I'm doing my part (however tiny a part it may be) of helping the environment. I will wait a few days if I can to run the dishwasher until it's packed full. With that said, I really hate having to unload the dishwasher. Oh well, you can't win them all!

Ten Random Thoughts

Here are just some random thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head lately...

1. Shopping for furniture is harder than shopping for a car.
2. My tastes are more expensive than my budget will allow. Darn!
3. Anything worth having in life takes effort to get and keep.
4. God gave us two ears to hear with and one mouth to speak with ~ we should listen twice as much and speak less. This is especially true when you're angry!
5. Love is not always a feeling but more of a choice. A parent, or anyone
married for any length of time, will tell you this is true.
6. Laughter really does make a day brighter! (Especially Violet's!)
7. Family and friends are more important than status and wealth.
8. Coffee is good but it's no substitute for a good night's sleep.
9. I love, Love, LOVE being a stay-at-home wife and mother.
10. I would hate to clean Rachael Ray's kitchen because she throws salt over
her shoulder every time she uses it.

They're Coming To Take Me Away!!!

We have been searching, and searching, and searching the whole Houston area over for a new sofa. I've lost track of how many stores we've actually been to but it's up there. And, we've been actively looking for a new sofa for a month now. It has been driving me insane! Crazy, I tell ya! W to the A to the CKO! WACKO!!! I feel the need to sing...

They're coming to take me away, HA HA
They're coming to take me away, HO HO HEE HEE HA HA
To the funny farm
Where life is beautiful all the time
And I'll be happy to see
Those nice, young men
In their clean, white coats
And they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!

Yes folks, this search has really been driving me insane. That lost sleep that I mentioned a little while ago (see the post right past this one), I think this is the reason for that lack of sleep.

We finally decided to narrow our search to just three stores. Star Furniture, Bassett, and Lazy Boy. We don't have an ex ordinate amount of cash to spend on a sofa but these stores were having some great sales this weekend. Also, the other stores we visited their products were (dare I say?) crappy. And, as my wise Sister-In-Law (Hi Dee!), who works in the furniture industry, says, you really do get what you pay for. Basically, if you see a $400 sofa, it's that cheap for a reason. Aha! Got the point and that drastically narrowed down our range for our search.

We went to Star Furniture first and was met almost immediately by a nice ole chap named Sikki who very patiently put up with my neurosis of checking out every sofa in the store. And, he put up with my pre-set ideas of what I liked and what I didn't. No skirting on the bottom of the sofa. No nail-heads. I like the micro-suede, but Gregg didn't. I like the big pouffe cushions. No to anything gold, chocolate, and green. Step AWAY from the green!!! Poor Sikki, he didn't know what he was getting in to when he met us at the door! But, he was great and walked us throughout that massive store and helped us to narrow down our choices.

Finally, Sikki, the dear old chap, asked us, "Are you opposed to leather?" To which Gregg and I look at one another and we both said, "We've never thought of leather!" You can imagine the "Duh" moment we had when Sikki brought that up. Sikki, I just love that name. And yes, it's an unusual name for us, here in the states, but Sikki is originally from South Africa and he really was a wonderful ole' chap! So, at Sikki's suggestion, we started looking at leather sofas. And within twenty minutes we came up to the sofa that we knew was perfect for us. The insanity had come to an end! And the angels rejoiced! Hallelujah!!!


Oh my word, this couch is comfy!!! And, it's BIG. (Everything is bigger here in Texas!) There will be no crowding on this sofa. The three of us will be comfortable when we curl up on our sofa to watch a movie. I can't wait for that baby to get here! Yay! We have a brand spanking new sofa on it's way to our house. This is the first piece of furniture that Gregg and I have bought on our own (other than our new mattresses but those don't really count). I feel so grown-up all of a sudden. We're on our way towards furnishing our home with things that are from our own choosing. Things that WE, as a couple, have picked out. Now, if I can only stop second guessing myself then we'll be okay! Jeez, I've determined that shopping for furniture is a lot harder than shopping for a car! And, that ain't no lie folks!!!

I have to give a shout-out for the dear ole' chap, Sikki! Thank you Sir for your gentle patience with me. Your sense of humor and willingness to help was way beyond the call of duty. You have two loyal customers now and we will be calling you in the near future when we're ready to buy some more furniture!

Thief!

I'm sad to report that the sleep thief that I've had so much trouble with in the past has returned. Just when you think you've gotten rid of it you get slapped on the back of your head and you hear it taunting you. Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!!! (Rude little sucker.) Oh yeah! If I ever catch you sleep thief I'm going to strangle you! How do you like them apples?!!!


Um, yeah, I'm really tired right now. Desperate for sleep actually. And my head, oye it hurts. I need sleep. Guess I'll go try to catch some Zzzs. Again. Wait, how many times have I been in bed tonight? Two? Three? I've lost count. Meanwhile, look at my baby's sleeping face! That picture kills me every time I look at it. She was seven or eight months old when that photo was taken. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. We were at the Little Rock Zoo with my parents. Violet loved everything but it was easy to tell, even then, that her favorites were the elephants and the monkeys. She was tuckered out by the time we were ready to leave. Oh, to be able to sleep like that!