A Weekend Away- Kind of

Ok, so the title is a bit misleading.  Chad went to a coaching clinic up in PA this past weekend with some of his coaches.

So the boys and I went to my parents for the weekend.  We had a great time. I am so thankful that we are so close to my parents (and Chads) now.

The highlight of the trip was going to Issaqueena Falls.  It was really the perfect "hike" for the boys and they got to explore a cave.  I am sure mom can give anyone details about the cave since she read each sign thoroughly. 

 The group at the beginning of our trek into the cave.

 At the end.

 Picture with the boys...  one of these days, I am going to get an amazing picture where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling... one of these days

 Ashton said he was scared

 The floor was very lumpy, so Shepherd was anxious to hold a hand or be held

 Once out of the cave, the boys played around on an old train bed thing.

Hunter

 Shep

 Ashton is too active- couldn't get a good one of him

 So close to being an awesome picture.

Good looking boys!

 Good looking boys again... plus one!  Ol' Mantis decided to hop in the picture.  Shep is trying to get out of the group hug

 Queenie and Mantis with the boys

 The last part of the trip was to the Falls.

 

Our attempt at a group shot= Fail (haha, oh well, we tried)

  

 A bit blurry but sweet picture

 This just makes me smile.  I am so thankful for my amazing parents!  Love them!

 So sleepy... Dad and Shep fighting exhaustion on our way to get lunch after our "busy" morning.

 

Thanks again mom and dad for a great weekend and for helping me out while Chad is gone. 

The Art of Stripes

History
I started my stripe streak (pun intended) in 2006.  And I have averaged doing 1 striped room a year since then.

Something about stripes is a bit modern but still fits comfortably in my country chic style.

My first three striped rooms came while we were in NC. I striped my kitchen/ eat in dining room.  My second was doing an outline type stripe in Hunter's bedroom.  The third was doing just a big bold stripe in the middle of Ashton's room.  Since moving to SC, I striped my living room, striped our Sunday School class, and most recently did the boy's room.

Things you need.
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- Level
- Roller/ Brush
- Paint
- Patience

The Process
Step 1- Measure your room to determine your stripes.  If all stripes are going to be the same size then take that measurement and divide by the width of your desired stripes (my stripes have stayed in the 8" (living room) to 15" (boy's room) range).  Make sure you have an even number of stripes if only doing 2 colors.

       Example- If I am doing horizontal stripes.  I measure the height on my room which is 88".  I want my stripes to be about 15".  Divide 15 into 88 which is 5.8 stripes.  I will round up to 6 and then divide the 6 into 88 which is 14.6".  So, I am going to have 6 stripes that are 14.6" a piece.

Step 2- With your pencil and tape measure, go around the top of the room and make a pencil mark for the stripes as well as labeling what color that stripe is going to be (example, on every other stripe make a "b" for blue or whatever color you want)... make sure that your last stripe is around the same size and that you have two different colors butting up to one another (remember even number)

Step 3- It makes very little difference where you start in your room.  I personally like to end at the most obscure point in the room in case I am a bit off.  This is also a point that if you have a laser level then you are way ahead of the game... I however, dont have one.  So, for the po' folks in the world.  If you are doing 11.75" stripes, then make between 4-6 marks on your wall.  Take your tape and hit each  mark on the edge of the tape.  I have 84 strips in my living room, meaning I made roughly 400 measurements to make sure I had a straight line. 
I also want to add to make sure that you start at the correct point on your mark. If you are taping a section that is going to be painted, then start taping on the outside of the mark.  If you are taping a section that is not going to be painted then start on the inside of the mark.  Remember, when taped, the non-painted sections are going to be smaller because the 1/2" tape (or whatever size you use) takes up part of the measurement.  There have been countless times that I have taped on the wrong side of the mark and had to yank my tape down and re-do it.

Step 4- After each taping, take your level and run it across/ down your tape to make sure you are level.  This also is good to press your tape down.  Kill two birds with one stone.  Your eyes will play tricks on you so I highly recommend doing this especially if you dont tape or paint much.

Step 5- Once your room is taped, you are practically done. The painting is quick and easy.  Slap your paint on the wall.

Step 6- Take your tape off.  I honestly dont know when the right time is to pull the tape. I am normally so anxious that I do it as soon as I am done and I have never had any problems with that method. 

Some other Hints

First, use Frog tape (the green stuff).  It is sooo much better than painter's tape (the blue stuff).  Honestly, masking tape works just as good as the blue painter's tape.  If your colors are similar then you can probably get away with using masking tape as the bleed through the tape will not be very noticeable.  But, if your colors are quite opposite, just invest in the good Frog Tape.

Second, Frog Tape may sometimes still bleed through a bit.  The only way to totally prohibit this is to paint over the edging of the tape with the color that you are NOT striping with.  For example, if you are have tan wall and you are painting a blue stripe, then after you tape the wall, paint the edge of the tape with your tan color.  This seals between the tape and obviously if it bleeds through it doesn't matter because it is the same color.  This is not a necessary step and one that I do normally skip. But, if you are striping a wall that has some texture, you definitely need to do this!

Third- I debated typing this but... stripes are actually pretty forgiving.  If you were to go around and measure my stripes, there are many that are not going to be the exact same size.  As long as you are not way off, it will probably blend in ok.  But do double check your measurements.

If any of you guys stripe anything or heck just paint anything, send me a picture.  I would love to see it! I am always up for new inspiration. 

Happy Painting and Striping!

Boy's Room Curtains

As I mentioned here, I "made" the curtains for the boys room.

Besides our house being a bit on the small side, the other BIG problem is there is only 1 window in each of the bedrooms and they are small.  So, I knew I needed a curtain that would lengthen and widen the lone window.

However, I have no money.... hahah, seriously, I had very little in the money area to work with especially to achieve the look I wanted.

So, through pinterest and blogs, I start to narrow down how I am going to do this and I ran into painted curtains.

I find this pinterest link first.  I, however, dont have an IKEA at my finger tips and I still didn't want to invest a lot in the actual panel.  So, I found another blog (that I did not pin... oops... and I cant find it now).  Anyway, this blogger used a drop cloth. I went to Lowes and got a 6 * 9 drop cloth for like 10 or 11 bucks and a small paint roller.

Once home, I washed and dried the panel... hoping that it would shrink the length of the panel.  Unfortunately, it stayed 9 feet and shrunk the width to 5 feet.

For all my sewing friends (and GrandmaDean), dont even read what I did next.  But for the rest of us who can't sew... I then needed to make a place for my curtain rod to go through.  I got my hot glue gun and made the "sleeve" for the rod.  I also "hemmed" the sides (where I had cut it in half) with my glue gun so it would not fray.  I was a bit worried that the glue would not hold but it has done perfect

I then cut the panel in half.

Half of panel

.

Next, I decided the pattern I wanted (which is similar to the blog that I didn't pin) and then measured and taped off my stripes... you guys know my obsession with stripes.

Then went to the garage and started rolling.

A couple things I learned.  
1- Use a bigger roller.  I used a trim roller which I think is the smallest roller ever made which made this process take much longer than needed.

2- This takes a TON of paint.  I had over 1/3 of a gallon of paint left and basically used it all.  So, be careful buying only a quart because it probably will not be enough.
3- I did put a sheet under my drop cloth/ curtain when painting and there are a couple spots where it bled through onto the garage floor. 

4- I don't know if it is the kind of paint I used but my curtains are not overly flexible (that might have something to do with the stiffness of the drop cloth though).  I read somewhere that some paint is more flexible than others (maybe latex???).  The stiff look works well in the boy's room though.

Finished product

Overall, this is a super easy and inexpensive way to get customized curtains up!  If you are a pinterest person, type in "DIY curtains with drop cloth" to get some other really neat ideas.

We Got a Basketball Jones

Ol' Ashton has become quite the sports fanatic.  With it being basketball season, he is totally in love with b-ball.  We have gone to the high school to watch basketball games and once Hunter and Shepherd are ready to go, Ashton still wants to stay and watch.

I casually mentioned going to a Clemson basketball game about a week ago and he got so excited.  Chad was able to snag 2 tickets so today, Ashton and Chad got to go watch Clemson beat Georgia Tech.

 On their way out the door.  Look how happy he is!  And look at his cute little outfit.

 

Ashton is happy as a pig in mud.  Got his nachos, coke, daddy, and basketball.

 

Before the game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

And here is some of the yard basketball game.  Turns out it is quite hard to play and record at the same time.

Group shot.  Ashton is up to no good.

 Shep throws the ball in.

 Hunter dribbles down the driveway

 Ashton gets ready to shoot.

They make quite the little team when playing. 

But, Ashton had a great time.  I am afraid that I may have bleacher butt because of this kid- good thing I love sports (though I dont really like watching basketball... looks like I may have to get over that).

Eucharisteo Part 20

654- An extra nugget in the box

655- Clean blankie straight from the dryer

656- The 2 year old excitement from said blanket

657- Glitter on my floor from Christmas decor

658- Lights

659-5 (6 counting Molly) stockings hung by the fireplace

660- Chad getting recognized for achievements

661- Mom and dad, yet again, watching the boys for me

662- No shots on 2 year old visit

663- First lost teeth

664- Favorite worn hoody

665- Softening heart

666- Extra strength excedrin

667- Day of shopping with mom

668- Chad taking a day off work to watch the boys

669- Only a 12 hour stomach bug

670- Cooling rain

671- Shep putting covers on Molly

672- Multiple cat naps when not feeling good

673- A lot of toilet paper

674- Already having enough stamps for all Christmas cards

675- A Saturday  morning to get things done

676- Disinfect spray

677-A day to recover

678- A little bonus

679- 2 full weeks off

680- A little money to shop

681- Gas logs

682- Christmas fun

683- Safe travels

684- GrandpaGordie's words

685- Meet up dear friends

686- Chad actually being home

687- Date with Hunter

688- 3 healthy kids

689- Doctor's appointments that are typical, uneventful

690- Family movie day

691- God giving me contentment

692- Cold, clear, starry nights

693- Smooth transition of all 3 kiddos to one room

694- The playroom concept works!

695- Ashton's laugh when he gets tickled

696- The way Ash wrinkles his nose, I just want to squeeze him

697- A bigger tv

698- Steamy pot of spaghetti

699- Watching Hunter eat his new favorite food of pizza

700- Hunter finally eats some form of veggie in pizza form

701- Cough drops

702- Well-timed colds

703- Getting back into the routine

704- Dark mornings

705- boys sleeping past 7 (see #704)

706- A new year

707- Warmth of new bedroom shoes

708- Words of David in Psalms

709- Return policies that don't require a receipt

710- Timing the rain just right

711- Playdates

712- My family's health

713- Closed doors

714- Ministry opportunities

715- An empty sink

716- 6 year old's love to read

717- Shep sleeping 13 hours

718- 2 year old randomly singing "Red Solo Cup."

719- A niece or nephew on the way

720- One on one time with each of the kids

721- "The oldest" excited about a date with mom

722- Full court basketball with an overly athletic 4 year old

723- The compliment, "Shepherd looks so much like you."

724- Hunter planning a sweet "date" with me

725-Cat nap on the couch

726- Crisp January mornings

727- An ordinary drop cloth transformed

728- The boys room complete

729- The boys share in my love of Lois and Clark (Superman)

730-The way Chad sets the timer to do his master's work

731- Chad finally going back to school to get his masters

732- Surprise visits from mom

733-Times when the Thanksgivings just flow and flow and flow

734- Precious prayers

735- Seeing my boys practice thanksgivings

736- Jesus' love of children

737- Jesus' love for me

738- Seeing progress of getting in shape

739- Gymbucks redeemed

740- Hunter on 2 wheels

741- Comfortable temps in January

741- Molly getting white/ gray fur in her ears

742- Old dogs

743- A good week at Publix matched with good coupons

744- The way the boys care about eachother

745- Chore chart

746- Being able to stay at home

747- Finally feels like winter

748- Good deals

749- Always having what we need

750- The quest to find the perfect verse

751- Good deals

752- Precious young couples in our Sunday School class

753- Friend who serves as a great example

754- An abundance

Ashton's Prayer

The boys and I pile up on Ashton's bed for bedtime stories.  Hunter picked a reptile book and we read. I then suggest he go and grab his Bible and we would do a Bible story.

We read when Satan tempted Jesus.  After we had finished reading it, Hunter talked about good people going to heaven and bad people going to hell.  I started to correct him and then he corrected himself before I got the main point that even good people can go to hell.  He added that you must have Jesus in your heart.   I smile and agree.

Ashton told me, "I have Jesus in my heart."  Anytime, young  kids (under 6) say this, I think it is appropriate to just nod and say, "you do?  Good".  So, that was my response.

Hunter then questioned Ashton.  "Have you prayed for Jesus to come into your heart?" 

Ashton told Hunter, "I dont know how."

I hold my breath knowing what Missionary Hunter is going to say next.

Hunter said, "mommy will help you."

I close my eyes feeling unprepared to turn away a 4 year old and irresponsible in changing the subject to the thunderstorm outside.

Ashton looked at me and I at him.  I try to assess him- he seems so mature in this moment.

I ask him, "do you want to have Jesus in your heart?"

He answers with assurance, "yes."  And bows his head.

I think- "who am I to judge his heart or his readiness." So...

I lead the prayer and he follows me.

They follow me to follow Him. 

The responsibility of my role as their mom seems greatest at these moments. 

Is this the prayer that seals Ashton's salvation?  Only Jesus knows.  I do feel confident that Ashton is sincere in his desire for Jesus and that Jesus did not turn the children away.  If Jesus did not turn children away, I am sure not going to either.

It is hard to be any more clear on the subject than Jesus' own words were in Matthew 19:14. 
"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

The Boy's Room! Finally!

About a month or two ago we made the move...

What move?

The moving of Shepherd into the big boy room... meaning now all three boys share a bedroom.  Which also means I had a project on my hands- time to transform the boys bedroom.

I feel like I should first warn that my love of stripes continues.  If stripes ever go out of style, please don't tell me because I have a serious love affair them.  Thanks.

Theme
We decided on a loose theme of airplanes.  With the military playing such a huge part of my life, I thought it was fitting.  I knew I had seen military (Air Force) airplane prints in my parent's basement turns out they had more than I could even us.  These prints were given to them by my grandpa who served in the Navy.

Bedding
The bedding is not my dream bedding, but after MUCH searching, I settled on this.  I just could not justify paying over $100 for a kid's quilt. Here is what I am going to keep my eye on though.
Option 1- Wesley Explorer Bedding
Option 2- Star Quilted Bedding - which I have already seen at the outlet
Instead, for now, ol' K-Mart came through.  I just happened to go into K-Mart and ran into these lite weight (probably also known as cheap) comforters.  Best part, they were on clearance for $10 for the comforter and shams.  I grabbed 2 doubles and 2 twins (just in case one messes up). When I got home I got really happy when I realized they were reversible (which is the side I chose to use).  They are also had airplane sheets on clearance for next to nothing, I grabbed the THREE they had left... perfect!.  I was elated!

View from the bedroom door: 

                                                            Before                                                              

After

 I kept the base color the same.  I added 15.5" stripes in a navy blue... don't know the exact color as I had the Home Depot dude color match for me. 

 

View from the closet door: 

Before                                                                                

  

 

  After- Hunter's twin bed up top, Ashton's double bed on bottom

-Love these bunk beds.  Got at Rooms to Go Kids and added a front ladder.
- The lighting was put in by my dad.  Gives Hunter a place to "read."

View of the other wall

Before

After- Shep's bed

More of the airplane prints.  Plus airplane "ornament" again from PB outlet (thanks mom).

 Here are some other shots of the room.
Desk hooked onto bunk bed... love it- great place for Hunter to do homework.  I just need to find a little computer chair for cheap.

  

The board came from the Pottery Barn outlet.  I already had the hooks (got at Hobby Lobby) and just sprayed them blue.  We dont have a hall/ coat closet so coat hooks were pretty important.

 

The curtains.  I made them and I will do a post on that later... Made them out of a 6*9 drop cloth though... more on that later.

 

My favorite of the airplane pictures plus my favorite book to read to the boys... mentioned it this post.

 

A grouping of pictures.  I have to get one more pictures of the boys with their other cousin(s).

The shelves (also from my parent's basement--- used to be in my brother Zach's room--- just repainted them)

Thanks Dad for spending a couple hours getting these shelves up- these shelves were HARD to hang and I would probably still be trying to hang them if I didn't get help from the Mantis!  

Thought I would show a closer up picture of what I put on the shelves.  Though these shelves will probably be filled with trophies, right now I filled it with their favorite things.
-On their first birthdays, mom bought each boy the stamps that were out and framed them.  These are Sheps (we kind of cheated with his- I liked these stamps a whole lot better than the ones that were out when he turned 1 which were comic stars, these were closer to his 2nd bday, but they are forever stamps.)
- A dog book
-Hunter's first trophy

 

-The alarm clock also came from PB outlet, it doesnt work but how could I pass up an airplane clock.
-These stamps are Hunter's for .39 a stamp.

 

-The baseball was given to Hunter by Uncle Nolan.  It is signed by one of the Clemson Tigers baseball players who will probably sign pretty soon.  Kevin and Uncle are roommates.
-These stamps are Ashton's at .41  a stamp.
-And obviously need a couple more pictures to fill that frame.

 

I gotta say, I love this room.  It turned out exactly like I wanted.  I want to add red accents eventually but the reverse side of my el cheapo bedding would clash something awful for red, so for now, the navy is going to rule the room.

But most important, the boys love it!

The Price
Paint- 1 Gallon- $28
Frames for airplane prints- $42
Airplane clock- $12
Bulletin Board- $15
Collage Frame- $15 
Bedding/ sheets- $68
Lighting- $45
Curtain rod- $17
Curtain- $10
TOTAL-  $252
 *** everything else we already had.

***(Price does not include the bunk beds as technically they were apart of the boys birthday gift from my parents and Christmas gift from both my parents and Chad's parents)  Thanks again, Mantis, Queenie, Grandma, and Papa Hub.)

Happy Birthday Caelum!

Hard to believe that my youngest nephew is 1 today!  Happy 1st Birthday C man... wish we could see you on your birthday!

 

A Trip to the Dairy Rat

In keeping with some of my "resolutions", the younger two boys and I took an impromptu trip to Chuck E Cheese today.  After we dropped Hunter off at school, Ashton casually  mentioned Chuck E Cheese.  Normally, I would adamantly say (ok, yell) NOOOOO to this request, but, I instead I took a deep breath and said "ok."

So, we went and we conquered.  I must say I do enjoy the ol' Rat when no one else is there and weekday mornings before 11:00 definitely fits that description.
This is such an awful picture of them.  Shep refused to smile, I think he was scared by the Rat... see below.


Even though there were only 3 kids there (my two and another little boy), the guy working there was so sweet and went back and put on the Chuck E Cheese costume.  Ashton was thrilled.  Shepherd was petrified.

For some reason, Shep HATES Chuck E Cheese.  It is so weird, that is the only dress up character that he is petrified of.  I think it has to do with the robotic, singing, dancing action.  It really is a bit disturbing for a 2 year old I suppose. Here is a clip of Shep not wanting to go up and say "hey" to the singing rat (I am trying to upload it, check back Thursday morning to see if it actually loaded or not)

Ashton and I teamed up and scored 143 points in basketball.
 

In honor of Hunter, they did the simulator.
 
And perhaps the favorite activity... feeding the tickets into the machine.

Overall, it was a fun day that cost me nothing but lunch (we have a bunch of tokens left over).  And best of all, Ashton has been a saint of a child since going.  hmmmm, maybe Chuck E Cheese should be a daily thing... well, maybe not daily, but you get my drift.

Oh and shhhhh, make sure you don't tell Hunter... He would be beyond ticked off that we went without him.

Ramblings and Resolutions

Ramblings
1- I am so glad to be back in our little routine.  The two weeks was great but I was lazy and need my structure!

2- The boys room is basically done.  I need to make some curtains and hang a couple other things and then I will reveal it!

3- Hunter has started asking me for another dog. The bad thing is that I really want one but they can be quite expensive.

4- Shepherd's grasp of the English language amazes me.  He speaks full sentences that even those that don't speak "toddler" can understand.

5- Shepherd has also started using the potty.  He is no where near potty trained, but he will pee on the potty if I ask him.  His reward is Smarties.

6- Ashton loves to watch football.  Chad is so excited to have 1) a football watching buddy and 2) an excuse to watch football.  Ashton always roots for the team that Chad is against.

7- I was about 10 minutes late picking Hunter up from school yesterday and he told me that he had been waiting on me for hours!

8- Ashton is so competitive!

9- Shepherd knows his colors really well now, but he will always come up and ask "what's this favorite color?"  He is just really wanting to know the name of the color but he throws "favorite" into the question.  Too cute!



Resolutions
1- I am NOT going to butcher my kids hair this year... which means, I will have a professional cut their hair especially Shepherds!  I don't do a bad job cutting/ shearing the older two, but I am ready for something different- unfortunately I just sheared them a couple nights ago and TOTALLY regret it with every ounce in me.

2- I will get off this remaining 6 lbs since I had Shepherd.  Blah!

3- I will do "home school" with Ashton three days a week.  I was awful about getting into a routine last year with his preschool work.  He goes to MMO 2 days a week but those other three days we really  need to do something at home.

4- I will start to memorize Bible verses... I have gotten quite rusty.

5- I am going to be more conscience about my computer time when the boys are awake.  It is so easy to sit down "real quick" to check something and then 40 minutes later...

6- I will reach (and go beyond) listing/ naming 1000 gifts/ Eucharisteo.

7- I am going to say "yes" to the boys more.
Ashton:  "Mommy, can I have a snack during quiet time?"  Me: "No."
Hunter- "Mommy, do you want to watch me play this game".   Me:  "uh, no, not right now."
Shep- "play with me?"  Me: "not right now"
Just say YES!