An Overdue Snapshot

I thought I would do a snapshot since I haven't written anything in a WEEK.


What's at the top of my to-do list?
--PTO 80's Dance is January 19th. We need to get the keg, soda and check our paper product supplies. We need to advertise more and get those tickets sold! So far our fundraisers have brought in $8765! Our goal for the year is $12,000 and I think we will make it!
--Laundry, laundry, laundry
--Clear off the shelving in my bedroom hall to make room for more items to store. Ted needs more closet space. We are going to reorganize his closet and make two rods for clothes by moving the one and adding another. This will eliminate his floor space, so I want to clear off his floor and high closet shelves and move the items to my hall shelving. This will double his hanging space! Since he has to dress up for work, he needs more space for suits and dress shirts!! Pictures will come later...
--Prepare for Children's Liturgy homily for this Sunday
--Prepare for leading music for Women's Group this Monday.
--Get ready for Crop Weekend at the end of January!


What have I accomplished?
--A while ago a wrote a blog about needing help with my full brick wall fireplace. Millions of people responded with their ideas. Just kidding. No one did. It turns out it was heavily googled by people who needed their OWN help. However, I did solicit friendly help from anyone and everyone who would come look at my puzzling wall. I got all kinds of responses from "Don't EVER paint that brick!", to "It is a little too much brick" to "Can you cover part of it?" to "I LOVE that brick wall!". Anyway, I decided to keep the wall for now and embrace it...change other things and see how it works.


I've always been a little frustrated by my choice of furniture from 9 years ago. At the time, plaid navy and hunter green was all the rage! I thought it was a safe choice for a life with children. Unfortunately, it held up REALLY well and I never felt I had a good enough excuse to replace it. I knew that new furniture would change my feelings about the room. Around this same time, Ted saw a flyer that advertised a free 50" plasma TV if you spent $3300 in furniture!! We felt we could make this purchase with Ted's end of year bonus check. We went shopping at the store and picked out this leather couch (in dark chocolate brown), two chairs (photo not available) and a console for the new plasma TV! I don't know if I've ever made decisions that fast for so much furniture! But really, I've been thinking about it for a long time. So I was ready. I really wanted to make sure I did it right this time. I chose a dark, chocolate brown, leather couch and for the 2 chairs, I picked a golden wheat fabric. Since it is custom order, we have to wait 12 weeks! But we figured that would give us enough time to replace the disgusting carpeting that I've been complaining about and to pick out end tables and a coffee table.


I got these two end tables at World Market , this leather ottoman in the Global Bazaar section of Target. And finally after bringing home a handful of paintings, until I came upon one at World Market that outshone the rest when I put it up on the brick. I will show that later when I do an "after" picture of the room. Unfortunately, you have to wait until the end of March for that!!

I'm really looking forward to putting it all together.

What is my latest obsession?
--Finding accessories for the mantel.
--Reinventing the hall that leads to my bathroom. I think I'll take before and after pictures.

What's been bugging me?
--Mary and Ben fighting. It actually makes me look forward to Ben going to school so they don't have a chance to fight as much. It's really sad to say that. I don't want to feel that way. For example, today, I took Mary to Target while Ben was at school. I bought her a pink watering can with butterflies on it. I was about to walk away, when I KNEW I had to get one for Ben too, or I'd be in trouble. I got him an orange one with frogs on it. When he saw it, he was immediately upset because he wanted to a pink one too. He cried and cried and demanded that Mary let him have hers! A pink one! He wants whatever she has! It's exhausting.

What's been making me happy?
--Shopping for the family room!
--Watching Ben and Mary play nicely together (I really appreciate when it happens and I always praise them for it whenever I see it.)
--Planning the 80's dance has been a lot of fun!
--The warm break in the weather
--Knowing that I only have less than four months left on the PTO. I've enjoyed it, but it will be nice to be a regular mom again...without the added responsibility of all these fundraisers!!
--I'm really looking forward to my weekend crop
--Watching Sam and Abby be such a big help to me with Ben and Mary. They always chip in.