Tom Sawyer They Are Not

Apparently my girls have never heard of Tom Sawyer. Because this week...I tricked them into painting the rail on our porch. I guess I didn't really trick them...since they were eager to do it.

The rail was rusty and needed a few coats to spruce it up for spring. I put them in their "painting clothes" and turned them loose with a pint of paint and some brushes. Allie supervised from inside.

They did a pretty good job despite errant paint on the brick...porch...and in Ainsley's hair.

But that's to be expected I guess. Although, I can safely promise they won't be allowed to paint any exterior walls any time soon.

A New (Old) Lullaby

My girls have a tendency to listen to the same CDs over and over and over again in the car. Part of it is they love repetition and the comfort of knowing all the words. The other part is sometimes CDs get stuck in the CD player and we're forced to listen to whatever it deems worthy.

After a few weeks of the Disney CD on heavy rotation, we were able to sneak John McCutcheon into the player without the car noticing.

It's a CD of the album Howjadoo that McCutcheon released in 1983. We had a cassette tape of it when I was a kid. My sister and I knew all the words to every song. A few years ago, Nana and Granddad gave us our own copy of it and I was able to introduce it to a new generation. They were skeptical at first. In this age of Beiber and Gaga, a hammered dulcimer is a hard sell. But now they ask for the CD and each have their own favorite tracks. Ainsley prefers Molly and the Whale while her sister prefers Here's To Cheshire. There's a beautiful lullaby on the album as well. It's called Tender Shepherd and McCutcheon sings it as a round. In Googling the lyrics to post them here, I learned that it is actually the lullaby Wendy sings in the stage version of Peter Pan. I've been singing it to Allie lately to mix up our lullaby routine. She really seems to enjoy it.

Tender shepherd
Tender shepherd
Let me help you count your sheep
One in the meadow
Two in the garden
Three in the nursery
Fast asleep

Wordless Wednesday

Kitchen Update

So, we've met with two contractors in regards to our kitchen renovation. The first contractor's estimate gave me serious sticker shock. It's not that his estimate was that high, it's just that I was not prepared for the actual cost of home renovation. In other words...this ain't HGTV... where they show up, demo the room and leave two days later with the new kitchen in perfect working order. I haven't given up on the kitchen just yet though.

I have been pouring through catalogs and websites, looking for inspiration and to try and determine more precisely what we want to do. I found this picture of the bench I'd like to see in some form.

It not only is a practical, comfortable seating spot....it also has storage. In my dream kitchen, those under-seat cabinets house all our crafts supplies. Right now I feel like I am being taken over by crayons, glue and construction paper.

So each day I look through more books and get more ideas. It's really never ending.

There are so many cool features available that would make our kitchen more efficient. Most of them are priced well out of our price range, but it certainly is fun to look.

I'm not limiting myself to the typical Home Depot and Lowe's either. I've turned to some international inspiration as well.

I don't know what our next move is, but I prefer taking it slow. We've lived without a dishwasher in this house (or in either of our houses for that matter) for 5 years so we can hang on a bit longer. I want to make sure we do this right.

Marathon Week

Marathon week is here. That means obsessively checking the 7-day planner for rain chances/temperatures and hydrating like nobody's business. My final long training run on Saturday was completed in the pouring rain. Hopefully we won't have that much precipitation, but I am worried about it being too warm. The race starts late (7:30 a.m.) so for slow-goers like myself...I won't be finishing until noon or later.

But weather is the one thing not in my control for Sunday's race. Sleep, diet and hydration are all within my grasp so I'm choosing to focus on those. I'm very much looking forward to getting out there and running in my city again .

This is me during the 1/2 Marathon in 2008.

Can't wait to actually run the full marathon. I suppose I should study up on the back half of the course since I haven't ever run that portion before!

Read Me a Story

Allie is a tornado that rarely stops moving during daylight hours. But she does love to sit down for a good book. She requires me to plop on the floor of her room while she runs to her bookcase. She sticks her little arm into the row of books....

And emerges victorious with our next title.

Allie has access to literally hundreds of books. I'd say there are at least 100 in her room, plus the bookshelves in her sisters' room and the playroom. Yet somehow....we read the same five or six books over and over.

She knows the plots, knows the characters and will even try to finish the sentences. I'm trying to get her to branch out, but she's having none of it. Here are the current faves:

-Kitten's First Full Moon
-Pajama Time
-Violet's House
-Toy Story 3: Meet the Gang
-Blue Hat, Green Hat

Date Night

It has been a while since Jamie and I had a night out. We had quite a few days together in January, but that all revolved around my races so we didn't get relax very much. We booked a sitter for Friday and went out to dinner. We went to one of our favorite (and not-so-child-friendly) restaurants, P.F. Chang's. They have a special "Dinner for Two" right now so we got waaaaay more food than we typically do. We got soups, an appetizer, two entrees and two desserts. The food was amazing (as always) and we even went out on a culinary limb and tried new things. We aren't very adventurous so this was a big deal. And I as I was not driving I took the liberty of having an Asian Pear Mojito (or two).

After dinner, we rushed downtown to hear the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra perform. They were at the spectacular Tennessee Theater which never ceases to take my breath away. It is the perfect venue for a fancy night out with your husband.

We arrived a few minutes late and had to be seated after the overture. Someone had given us the tickets so I had no idea where we would be sitting. The usher directed us to our seats....on the second row of the theater.

As a man nearby said, "If we were any closer...we'd have to play an instrument!" The symphony's performance was wonderful. I'm so glad we were able to enjoy it as a part of our night out.

Spring Has Sprung

The calendar finally says spring. The signs have been everywhere for weeks, but now it's official. And even if the calendar didn't say spring, we would know it had arrived. I had to mow for the first time this week. If that doesn't say spring, then I don't know what does.

Wordless Wednesday

Hat Trick

Allie has beautiful red hair. But with that red hair, comes fair skin. We have to keep her covered up! And now that warm weather is here, even more so. She doesn't seem to mind too much.

An Anniversary I'd Rather Forget

One year ago today, someone broke into our house. I, being the weirdo that I am, have remembered the exact date of the break-in. I've been a little uneasy lately as the anniversary approached. Not that I think will happen again this week, but because it has dredged up bad memories of that day. It has caused that fear and anxiety to resurface. We've long replaced the door that was kicked in and the things that were stolen. But I still get that feeling when I turn onto our street. I worry when the girls are at home with the sitter and there is no car in the driveway just like that Monday last March. I wouldn't say the fear controls me or even paralyzes me. It's just always there, hiding under the surface as I scan the back door and front door when pulling into the driveway. I have become more aware of our neighborhood as a result of the break-in, which is a definite plus. I know which cars are supposed to be there and which ones are not. I know my neighbors, too. And while I wish no one had ever broken in, I'm thankful that no one was hurt and thankful that my kids are too young to let it affect them.

Our Weekend: Part 2

Saturday dawned a little cooler than Friday, but it was no less pleasant. Ryann and I did some shopping and then after Allie's nap we all took off for the rec center playground. We ate a picnic lunch and then we turned the kids loose on the playground. There was one for the smaller set and one for the big kids, too.

Swings, slides and jungle gyms kept all four of them busy for more than an hour.

We did manage to stop and take a few family pictures. I made sure to get one of the five of us, we don't have too many of those!

Here's one of all the girls.

After the park everyone went home for rest time. I went for my long run and when I got back Anastasia wanted to go for another hike.

This is obviously where she picked up the tick, but we still had fun. We went all the way down to the creek. You can tell it was still swollen with all the recent rain we've had.

After dinner and a movie the grown-ups opted for more cards. We taught them Monopoly Deal, which is a huge hit with my side of the family. Fortunately everyone enjoyed it and went spent several hours laughing and picking on each other.

Unfortunately we had to go home on Sunday. We enjoyed our morning together and I made sure to grab a few more pictures of the girls. They hadn't seen Isabelle since last May and with 12 hours separating us, you just never know when that next get-together will be.

I wish we all lived closer so we could enjoy more time together, but it makes the time we do get to be around each other that much sweeter.

Our Weekend: Part 1

We took off for Gran and Pop's early on Friday morning. Allie (who didn't travel very well last weekend to Chattanooga) watched her beloved Mickey Mouse all the way there. Her sisters weren't thrilled with so much programming by the mouse, but the agreed it was preferable to a screaming/fussing baby sister. Aunt Ryann, Uncle Scott and Isabelle had been at Gran and Pop's all week so we were itching to get there.

The weather on Friday was AMAZING. We spent the majority of the afternoon and evening outside. The swings, as always, were a huge hit.



We also did some exploring in the woods. I've been going to Gran and pop's house for well over 10 years and I've never been down in the woods to the creek until this weekend!

The girls enjoyed playing with each other. I love this picture of Allie and Isabelle looking at Monet.

The grown-ups played cards after the kids went to bed. In my book, there's nothing better than sitting around a kitchen table playing cards. We don't get to spend a lot of time with our Florida family so I am very grateful for our weekend with them.

Picnics and Porch Swings

This is the first time I've been online in almost three days. We've been relaxing and enjoying time with family at Gran and Pop's house. I have much to discuss. It was a wonderful three days filled with beautiful weather and beautiful family. Truly the perfect way to end Spring Break. But I am tired...and I have laundry to do and things to prepare for tomorrow. I'm a little behind schedule tonight because we had to spend about 45 minutes of our evening checking everyone for ticks. Apparently the woods wanted to explore us as much as we wanted to explore the woods. Anastasia and Pop walked away with ticks, but all has been taken care of and everyone is sleeping for the night, no doubt worn out from their weekend of adventures.

I took about 200 pictures, so this should hold you over until I have time to blog more.

Stepping Stones

Spring Break is coming to a close. Next week we'll be back in our old routine and counting the days until summer break. We had a good two weeks, despite a rough start. We took field trips and did crafts. The girls' favorite was making their own stepping stones for the garden.

I bought a kit at Target. It was on clearance for $2.48. Who can say no to a cheap craft product? Certainly not this mom! We carefully read the instructions which clearly stated to wear the enclosed mask and gloves.

They loved the masks and are now using them to play doctor. With masks in place, they mixed the cement stuff with water until it was the consistency of a milk shake.

They had to dry for a few days and then the artists went to work. This one is Anastasia's.

This one is Ainsley's.

Once they dry we'll be taking them outside for placement. I just hope they hold up in the elements!

Cousin Connection

This is Allie.

She loves watching Mickey Mouse. It's the only thing I've discovered that will cause her to sit still for upwards of 10 minutes, sometimes longer.

This is Isabelle.

She's Allie's cousin and apparently enjoys relaxing in front of her favorite show as well. Who knew they had so much in common?

We can't wait because very soon, the girls will get to play together. And I know a grand time will be had by all!

Wordless Wednesday

The Art of Art

It rained off and on here today and I always think rainy days are good for painting. The girls broke out their watercolors and covered the kitchen table and counters with artwork of all shapes and sizes.

But all good things must come to and end. As they cleaned up I looked in the sink and saw something wonderful. I snapped a picture of it. Who knew that cleaning up art could in fact, create even more art?

Coming Soon to a Kitchen Near You

I love our home. I like where it is located, I like the layout and I'm grateful it is ours. That being said, there are plenty of things that I need/want to be updated. We've decided to tackle the kitchen first. It truly is the heart of our home. It is way more than a place for us to eat. It's for homework, artwork and craft time. It's for game night, dancing and so much more.

It's a very spacious room and one of the reasons I fell in love with the house in the first place. But all that space isn't being used as efficiently as it could be. Storage and countertop space hasn't been maximized.

I'm very excited because a contractor is coming tomorrow. He will be giving us an estimate for remodeling our kitchen. Here are some of the things I'd like to see happen:
1. Dishwasher (this is THE most important part of the renovation process)
2. New countertops
3. New cabinets
4. Better lighting
5. New sink
6. New window treatments
7. Turn the weird concrete bench into a cushioned bench with storage underneath
8. Add cabinets, including one to house the trash can and my cleaning supplies as well as a pantry
9. New appliances

Just to name a few.....So consider the remodeling process started. We'll hear from this contractor tomorrow and a few others before we make our decision. No matter what, I'm excited about getting the ball rolling.

Consignment Cutie

With my youngest child growing out of clothes on a daily basis, I am constantly cleaning out her closet and trying to keep it current. I've saved a lot of clothes for my sister (obviously this plan is only applicable if she has a girl) but not all of them were deemed "save-worthy." I dropped some things off at a local consignment store last week. In return I got trade credit in the store. With Allie's help, we were able to pick out some new items for her wardrobe.

A sleeveless top!

This adorable outfit.

With little homemade pants. SO cute and a bargain at $2.99

Allie LOVED this fish romper. The shoes were just the icing on the cake.

She's really obsessed with shoes. Now if we can just get the weather to warm back up, we'll be all set!

A Tale of Two Spring Breaks

That's Anastasia and her best friend S. They are two peas in a pod.

See? S and Anastasia enjoy each others company immensely. So school breaks are hard. Especially when one of the friends gets to go to Hawaii and they can't even talk on the phone. Obviously WE didn't go to Hawaii, but S and her family are there right now. Anastasia had hoped to hitch a ride in S's suitcase, but I pointed out how long the flight was and that she would've been quite cramped by the end.

I knew S's family was scheduled to leave TN for paradise late last week. And I knew that would have arrived just before the earthquake struck Japan. I fretted about their family all day Friday and was quite relieved to see S's mom post on Facebook late Friday. She said they did have to move to higher ground when the wave struck Hawaii. We were so glad to hear they are all safe and enjoying their adventure. We can't wait to hear more once they're back in the Volunteer state.

Road Trip!

On Saturday we set out for a quick day trip to Chattanooga. My cousin had one of the lead Roles in A Year With Frog and Toad and we very much wanted to see the production. Fortunately for us, we have LOTS of family in Chattanooga and many of them were able to meet us for lunch.

We selected Coolidge Park because it is located right next to the Chattanooga Theatre Center, where the play was being performed. It was a little windy for a picnic, but we ate well.

After lunch, we all relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon.

Grams had come prepared (as always) with a kickball for the kids to play with.

After some running around, we went inside to ride the carousel. Sorry the pictures aren't very good, my main camera lens is broken and thus we have resorted to taking pictures with our old Kodak point and shoot. It's kind of like going from a Mercedes.....to a Nova.

But I digress....Allie LOVED riding. She had this look of wonder on her face the entire time. She chose to ride a frog, which was quite appropriate, given the play. After the carousel we walked down closer to the river. It was a sight to see after all the rain we've had in the last few weeks.

The play was wonderful. The girls enjoyed seeing it, but also enjoyed seeing Laura perform. Allie made it for about 30 minutes and then my uncle Johnny took her out so we could watch the performance. Laura is quite talented! We can't wait for her next performance.