Progress In Suburbia

I have to admit I've been feeling increasingly guilty about our current house purchase. Promoting urban sprawl and all. It seems this town's once gorgeous downtown area is being abandoned for building housing and businesses elsewhere, out where the grass is greener and the people with the money live. In the meantime the downtown crumbles and decays, and not just the buildings. My husband reminds me that we had very few reasonable options in our minister/stay-at-home-mom price range for clean and safe housing. He's right. Alas I do live in a brand spankin' new house in our own little piece of gated Suburbia and progress is being made.

It has been very exciting to see the first strip of about 10 houses go up in only 6 months, quickly sell and become homes to our new neighbors. I do still have plans to bake a bunch of cookies and make the rounds to meet everyone. I'm still living in this 50's dream of being the neighborhood welcome wagon and in so doing inspire the personality of this new neighborhood into being one of community, instead of what seems to be the modern norm of privacy and seclusion above all else.

Now they are building on the other side of our house and in a few short months we will have neighbors on both sides. Until then this is the view out of my craft room window. And out of my boys' window the view is: Porta-Pottie, big trucks and a constant stream of people.

As much as I hated to see the trees plowed down in the next lot over it was also really fun to watch the bulldozer dig and shove until he was victorious. That tree put up a good little fight.

My Baby Is A Big Kid

When Lil' Spitfire turned 3 we decided it was time to hit the potty training with a little more intentional effort. It's amazing how much more laid back we were with potty training our second child and how it seems they will still be fully trained at the same age in spite of us starting much later this time. We've had very little trouble this go around, due in large part to his "I DO IT!" personality. Lil' Spitfire was begging to be put into the big kid undies he got for his birthday (yes, we are apparently the kind of parent who gifts underwear to their children, but only because he was excited about them, I swear!). We managed to start the training but stave off the donning of the undies until we returned home.

After about a week he had his first day with no accidents so we went out for chocolate milk at Books-A-Million and to let him pick a gift for doing so well. Being the Wall-e freak he currently is he picked a Wall-e hoodie that lights up when he moves, good choice little man. He now wants to wear it every moment of his life and has to learn the hard lessons of life such as: Mamma is never going to let you wear a smelly, smudgie, mystery goo covered hoodie out in public no matter how high pitched a noise you make.

I know there are people who are probably sarcastically thinking "umm, yea, thanks for sharing." but it's incredible when you become a parent how proud the little things make you and how fun it is to find all those milestones and turn them into mini celebrations, little chances to show your child how special they are.

Art On Tap: Andy Warhol

My little Ode to Andy: Marilyn Through Beer Goggles

Last night I got to go to the Art on tap event for the Andy Warhol: 15 Weeks of Fame exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. All because the Bohemian loves he's wife so very very much as to set up a wonderfully fantastic early birthday gift extraordinaire! It was so much fun! Not only did I get to see Warhol but there was an international beer tasting before the gallery opened where we got to act like the snooty artsy people we used to be and we didn't have anyone else with us, no kids, nothin', just a good old fashioned date! It was all around fantastic! Fantastic art with my favorite person in the world.

"I Am That Hero!"

Pickle Pete earned some major uncle brownie points the week we visited by getting his nephews each their own Larry Boy Mobile complete with Larry Boy and Alfred figures, we are big Veggie Tales fans. One of his sons already owned this set and man, who knew a Christian based toy could cause such fussing and fighting?! The three boys just couldn't get along as long as that toy was in the room. We finally put a ban on it and hid it away, which caused much fussing and gnashing of teeth. When Uncle Pete pulled these out the boys' eyes grew 10 sizes and they acted like it was some kind of trap. You could see the wheels turning, "Alright, so they say it's mine but I've gotten in so much trouble for touching this very toy for days. Do they really mean it's mine or do they just like getting onto us?" They finally trusted us and all three boys played and "shared" happily for the rest of the week. Larry Boy can say it but Uncle Pete can claim it for himself "I am that hero!"

The three boys with their new toys, still managing to look grumpy, and poor little Z-man who seemed to take the brunt of the kids' selfishness.

A Study In Personalities

Two brothers with the same parents turn out as different as night and day.

Lil' Spitfire, my little animal whisperer, wanted so badly to be allowed to hold the birds at this cool exhibit at the Ft. Worth zoo. Full of curiosity without nervous hang-ups (like his Pappa)

Mr. Golden Curls got more and more creeped out as we walked the path and finally couldn't contain himself when he got buzzed by one of the evil feathered creatures. Ok, that was me too. I tried so hard to play it cool for his sake because I know he's easily creeped out and I did pretty well, only one quick yelp from me. Free birds in close range creep the heck out of me!

For Christmas we got the boys a sandbox and put pea gravel in it. They were very excited, Mr. Golden Curls had been asking for one for awhile, but we realized he wasn't getting in. We kept trying to encourage him to get in, "But it's wet and dirty." Lil' Spitfire dove right in without a second thought.

Mr. Golden Curls plays from outside of the box.

Wiping his hands disgustedly.

Finally the Bohemian says "Bitty, if you get in to play and get dirty we can go inside and wash your hands off when you're all done playing." That's all the reassurance he needed! This is also my doing. Poor little first born is going to suffer from all of my idiosyncrasies while his little brother enjoys the more relaxed life of his Pappa!

So, really I should say: Two brothers with the same parents, each parent as different as night and day, turn out as differently as night and day. Little surprise!

Ten Confessions Of A Super Nerd

It seems the lovely Erin over at Idyll Hands has tagged me! So, Honesty Scraps: 10 little known facts about me. I got tagged awhile back with a similar challenge, you can read that here, which makes this a double challenge as I try not to repeat myself!

1. I participated in tons of extra curricular activities growing up (softball, swim team, soccer, cheer leading, band, piano, bmx bike racing, running, beauty pageants, modeling, girl scouts, jazz dance, karate, belly dancing...) but tennis is the only one I stuck with. I played until I graduated high school.

2. I like Madonna. I like her music but mostly I like her because she had to work hard to come from nothing and she's an innovative, B.A., entrepreneurial inspiration.

3. In my past life I was a graphic designer, in my past past life I actually created real live art.

4. When I was a little girl I loved to read and set the personal goal of reading every book in the world. I had no clue that was impossible until I grew up and part of me still wants to fulfill the goal.

5. I really love snobby art films but some of my favorite movies of all time are Peewee's Big Adventure, Wayne's World and As Good As It Gets.

(I'm only halfway?!?!)

6. When I entered college my major was undecided because I couldn't decide between art and social work. I finally decided I couldn't hack it in the social workers' world.

7. I still have a pair of size 4 black satin pants hanging in my closet, not because I think I'll ever fit back into them, but because they're a symbol of a very fun time in my life.

8. Just after graduating college I lived in a tiny two room house with a Great Dane and 4 cats.

9. My favorite tv show is COPS and it makes me sad that I never get to watch it anymore because the boys are still awake when it airs.

10. I laugh hysterically and uncontrollably at the video montages on America's Funniest Home Videos.

BONUS nuggets for those who made it this far!

When the boys sleep I like to play with their stuff

The Bohemian and I like to act like idiots with my stupendously nice camera from my bro-in-law, Pickle Pete.

Homeschool Test Drive

'Round the table from the left: Lil' Spitfire, Mr. Golden Curls, Princess, Baby JW, and Warrior.

There are definitely benefits to having a fantastic older sis-in-law who has a similar mothering style and slightly older children. Other than just enjoying said sis-in-law's company, I get to watch her do it all first and learn through her experiences! Homeschooling is something I've considered off and on over the years. I know our public schools are pretty lacking in many areas. Anytime someone said they were homeschooling their children my ears would perk up and I started to wonder if maybe this was something I should consider. I was so glad I had the chance to watch Sarah homeschool the week we were in Texas because it helped me solidify the decision I had mostly already made, homeschooling simply is not for me!

My sister-in-law is a fantastic woman, one of those who is clearly born to be a mother and a homemaker. I'm more like the long lost, less impressive, product of a secret love affair, half sister of June Cleaver. Some people are born with the gifts of motherhood and household, others have to struggle with their nature to survive. The second is me. I struggle to stay on schedules that I know will work and bring balance to my life. I often have science experiments growing in the kitchen and bathrooms. And I can cook and yet so often run out of groceries that I call the Bohemian to pick up a few tv dinners on the way home. I also am not a teacher. I went to college to earn an art degree and tried the art ed. thing. After half a semester of the ed. classes I wanted to run away screaming. Well, I basically did and landed in the welcoming arms of graphic design after a life long mantra of "I will not work behind a desk all day banging around on a computer!"

More importantly I am not a patient person. I so wish I was and strive daily to achieve that goal. Sometimes I'm down right volatile. I've worked hard at becoming a person who doesn't throw things and stomp out the door when angry, which I thankfully got worked out as a newlywed, and struggle to be one who can be patient while her children learn life at a snail's pace, also getting that handled. I've come a long way but I know enough about myself to know I haven't come far enough to school my own children. I have 100% confidence I could pick good curriculum, schedule out a beautifully well balanced week full of education, hands on learning, art, music...I also know with the same amount of certainty I couldn't carry it through for a week without pulling out every hair on my head twice over. I do believe successful homeschooling can be achieved, just not by me.

So in a mere 7 months my first baby will begin his trek into the big big world and his trek will start with public school. And I will still be his Mamma: his teacher, his doctor, his chauffeur, his cook, his maid, his mentor, his shoulder to cry on but I'll also get to be the emotionally stable, often crafting, coffee toting mom helping out on the occasional field trip...and I'm ok with that.