Home Sweet Home

I've neglected this online spot of late. It's not a sign that nothing has been going on; instead, it's a sign that much has been going on. Nothing monumental worthy of notifying the world, but plenty of good ol' fashioned "can't-catch-my-breath-much-less-these-toddlers-due-to-all-the-living-we're-doing." Do you know what I mean? It's the cycle of meals and cleaning up meals and making the next meal and cleaning that up to make the next meal. And the cycle of doing laundry so you have something to wear so I have something to wash so you have something to wear so I have something to wash.

 Only it's become much less burdensome lately. Maybe some of it is happy second trimester hormones. Maybe some of it is growing content as I grow older. Maybe some of it is my children growing older and more helpful. And mostly lots of it is a husband who rearranges our entire downstairs and makes this house finally feel...right. A husband who installs a new kitchen floor (vinyl plank flooring...a distressed barnyard grey...I LOVE it, and thank you so much for the suggestion, Jenny!), and installs it twice (oops, it came up on the first side of the room, let's take it apart and do it again). It's a floor so nice we installed it twice!



That room that we never could use well? The one that ended up being the catch-all for school books and craft projects and ugly furniture? A new-to-us sofa and loveseat, and a new-to-anyone set of slipcovers tailored by my husband with about 80 upholstery tacks, and it's suddenly a very functional, entirely enjoyable Family Room.

The room off the kitchen? The one that used to be our TV room with not enough seating for our family? A new-to-us set of matched Ethan Allen chairs and some furniture rearranging, and it's now our music/work/conversation room (we've yet to agree on a name: I like "Living Room"; he argues that that is interchangeable with "Family Room" and likes "School Room" but I say that's confusing because we used to call the other room that...).

The bonus of having the piano right off the kitchen is that I am much more aware of how much time children are actually spent *practicing* and how much time is spent *playing...around*. Much to their chagrin, the time spent practicing has dramatically increased (and, I most happily add, so has their ability).

It just feels...right. We've lived here almost three years. Finally I've gotten around to making the boys lined curtains (I have only one window to go...woo-hoo!). The girls finally have curtains (store bought...thank you Blue Light Special).



Every night I walk through this house, and I feel this deep sense of contentment and satisfaction. It all just feels so very ... us ... now.

It makes the meals and the laundry and the rhythm of the days so much more bearable, enjoyable even.

Sigh...18 inches of Not Spring

A new dozen to join The Remnant from our first dozen

It's good to be home.