Cute Kids

Two cute things each of my kids did today:

Turns out Bentley knows what bobby pins are for. He has been putting them in my hair. And after his bottle I was burping him and he started patting me on the back, too. It was such a sweet little pat. I melted! What a sweetie!

And Chickie made glittery signs to post around the yard for our neighbors to see. She had me write on each one. They say "COMING SOON PIRATE PLAY AT CHICKIE'S HOUSE." I guess I could have taught her how to write that, but I was feeling a little impatient and there were a lot of signs. Her glue stick wasn't working so I volunteered to staple them to the trees for her. And this morning she made a trail of toys to lure Bentley away from the excitement of mom doing the dishes to play with her. Totally worked.

I am SO thankful for my kids!

Cleaning Therapy

The comments on this post have become a post in their own right. I would love to have more comments on the subject because I am seriously distraught over this matter and I just won't let it die! Check it out here. If you have been reading all the madness, but haven't posted a comment yet. Now is the time! If you aren't a blogger, you can click the 'other' button and type in your name.

Edit: Chickie took this pic of me sweeping her room. I guess I killed the cleaning subject...It's just as well, my lovely neighbor told me "A clean house is a boring life!" She said that is what she did for 35 years to please her husband...now she is more lax. I adore her. She is a very sweet woman and a lovely lovely neighbor. And her house is so so cute, basement and all!

neat vs. messy

I found two cute new blogs. One from Jordan Ferney, who on her profile lists the following under interests: nice cleaning supplies, a nice linen closet, and the best way to fold a fitted sheet. I think it is safe to guess that she is a neat freak and possible perfectionist. She obviously likes pretty things.
The other, Kyran Pittman, definitely not a neat freak, but obviously delightful. Her dandelion essay cracks me up. Especially her dad's poem to the neighbors.

It just goes to show that neither neat or messy is wrong. We are all so different. That is what makes life beautiful.

I'm thankful for new inspiration.

Why I am the way I am...

These are my cute sisters singing. They sound awesome, by the way! I wish I could carry a tune!
Notice in this picture the brown drawer. Then look over to the top left at the lone handle.
This is my mom's kitchen. It has been this way for a good two years. I asked her why was it again, that there is one brown drawer. She had been painting and she got tired. And besides, she likes it. The handle was a trial run. She was trying to find some hardware that fit the old holes in the cabinets exactly. I told her that you are supposed to putty the old holes and make new ones. She doesn't mind, not one bit that her kitchen is a little quirky and unfinished. She thinks it's funny, I think.
And then there is my Grammy, on my dad's side. I remember her fixing some sort of hole in the wall with duct tape and a paper plate. It really didn't look that bad. I think she may have painted the paper plate. Grammy lives in a very cute white house with a pink door. It used to be a church and her bedroom is where the pulpit used to be. It is 100% charming, even if she uses duct tape for home repair.
This is why being a perfectionist is completely against my nature. I try. Really, I do. But, it really does not come naturally. Much to my husband's dismay (he wants our house to look spotless 24/7). A lot of the time I don't see the need for things to be perfect. I don't care if there is a mess once in a while. Apparently other people do. They do things that don't even occur to me to do. Like my friend Christina who folds her used grocery bags into a knot. I have always been of the "Make it work" philosophy. I don't think there is anything wrong with being the way I am, at the same time, I would hope that all of the perfectionism from the people around me can wear off on me a little. If only because I like things to be pretty. Perfectionists know how to make things pretty.
Today I'm thankful for my quirky family and the perfectionists.

Love Love Love - Tristan Prettyman

This is the song Katie and Rose are singing in the picture above. What a great song!

Happy Labor Day

Gracias, Danka, Merci

On Sundays we started a new tradition of having breakfast for dinner. A lot like Sam's pizza nights...which are a lot of fun. I have also decided to do this more in my life, a schedule I guess. It's kind of nice. I think it probably makes things a lot more productive...instead of just hit or miss. So I thought it would be fun to start gratitude Sundays on my blog.
First of all. I love blogging. It has been really beneficial to me for several reasons. For one, I have an outlet for my thoughts. Because of that, I find myself listening a lot more to others. Instead of waiting for a certain topic to come up in conversation and then pouncing on an unsuspecting friend, unloading all that has been on my mind, I find myself much more able to listen. Secondly, this blog has really helped me on my quest to live a grateful life. A lot of the turmoil in my life has been brought upon myself by ingratitude. Because of that I have started trying to saturate our days with gratitude. One instrument in this cause that has been very effective has been our gratitude moments at the end of the day. As a part of our bedtime routine, before family prayer and scripture study we all go around and say what we are thankful for that day. Of course the most enthusiastic thanks giver is Chickie. Children are a delight! Our prayers, in turn, which were once lack luster in the thanks department are now 90% thanksgiving. I think it has had a very positive effect on our outlook on life.
Today in church our teacher asked us to think of an unsuspected service that someone has done for us to share later in the class. I, of course, had to take my baby out in to the hall. So I'll share mine now. The first one was when a friend brought over 3 months worth of FHE ideas geared toward my daughter. She brought a basket filled with activities and toys to supplement the lessons. I was amazed and so grateful, this really helped us get into the habit of FHE. We didn't have anymore excuses and we realized how easy they could be. Plus, Chickie loved it! The other was after a funeral. We were all so devastated, and a neighbor left a bag of food and a note. It was at the perfect time, unsuspected and such a comfort.
I am the first person to sign up when someone needs a meal or when I hear of a need where someone has asked for specific help. But both of the most meaningful acts of service to me were done without me asking for help. They were just thought of and performed. Both of those acts taught me how to truly be of service to others (now if I'll just try it).
If you want something else to be thankful for read this beautiful talk on gratitude: here.
I am thankful for you who read my blog and thankful for your comments. I would love to hear any comments if you have inspiring stories of service, or things you were grateful for today. I saw a squirrel with a huge nut in his mouth, that was kind of cool. I'm thankful for the huge windows in my sun room.