Anyone else out there as crazy about Cararra marble as I am?  I LOVE it.  I actually more than love it.  I can’t really come up with a word that truly describes the feelings I have for this particular stone.  I have mentioned before that I didn’t put Carrara marble countertops in my kitchen.  Even though I REALLY really wanted to.  I’m just way too practical for that little maneuver.  But sometimes it’s fun to be just a little bit impractical, right?  I can’t be sensible all of the time, right?  So I am sprinkling Cararra marble elsewhere throughout the house.

And for the master bathroom countertops.  I may be a bit crazy for that last move – but I can’t help it!  It’s just so beautiful.  Even if it is so easy to scratch and stain and make a mess of.  I will be SO careful.  And most likely learn to love the imperfections.  Because I have kids.  And kids are not SO careful.

You guys.  I have been going CRAZY cleaning out my house.  Went through all of our paper and files…

 Anything we won’t need in the next two months in the kids’ rooms I’ve packed up!  Empty closets!

 Ellie asked me last week why I never wear any of the jewelry she made me last summer.  Well.  Good question!  So this week I have worked my beautiful assortment of beaded necklaces into my wardrobe.  And I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the smile on her face when she sees me in them.  New summer trend around our house.

I walked past this quote on some steps the other day – “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple.”  Love that.  It makes you want to smile and do something kind for someone, doesn’t it?

And just in case you weren’t frightened enough from my last post, here’s my scary little monster one more time.  In his mom’s sunglasses.  :)

 So I had to add one more.  :)  This is the door to my new scrapbook room.  They just installed it today!

And here is a peek of the room so far!  YEA for built-ins!  YEA for storage for supplies!  YEA for no crib and napping baby in the room!

This room is really such a multipurpose room and one I will be sharing with the kids.  It has many names!

Scrapbook Room
Mom’s office
Kid’s homework room
Art/craft room
Computer room

Anything messy that we want to leave up for a while will happen here!  This room is located right off of the kitchen/family room.  I wanted it close to the main living spaces so that I could be working and still see the kids, or so that they can be doing homework while I’m making dinner, etc.  There will also be a table in the middle of the room that is still a work in progress.  Next to having a real yard, I’m probably more excited about this space than anything else.  I’ve been dreaming about it for 15 years or so.  :)  I’m still debating the wall color and color for the dutch door.  Fun homework for this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, I hope you all have a fabulous 4th of July!  If you are traveling, be safe.  This is the first year in a while that we will be staying put for the 4th.  I will miss seeing family, but I’m looking forward to a BBQ with friends and a day with Kenny home from work.  And some time to finalize paint colors before the painters start on Monday.  Bonus.  :)

 Project Life Organizational Tray?  Don’t mind if I do.  :)  I ordered several of these on-line to help organize my PL supplies.

 Love them!  Everything in a happy little spot.  Makes me smile just looking at this picture.  (You can find them here.)

I was sorting, organizing and packing completely uninterrupted.  Listening to music and totally in my happy place.  Then I went to take this picture down off of the door.  {Ellie drew it when she was four.  I remember it like it was 10 minutes ago.  She told me a story about a bee and I told her it was a masterpiece and taped it on the nursery door.  I’ve almost taken it down several times but then I’ve just smiled and kept it up.}  Suddenly I was very very sad.  Saying good-bye to this house feels a bit like I’m saying good-bye to my babies.  It’s a phase of my life that is ending and while I don’t want to go back and re-live it, it makes my heart hurt to know it’s over.  I took it off the wall, wiped a few tears away and turned up my music in an attempt to cheer myself up and keep packing.  I’ve had several moments like that this month and will most likely keep having them until we’ve moved.  It is an emotional time for me.  A mostly happy time.  Just with a side of sadness.

I also came across more of the girls’ art.   I’ve been saving my favorite pieces to frame in the new house.  I just love the colors in this one!  Not to mention the adorable ducks.

And after a good five hours of blood, sweat and tears (k – maybe no blood, but definitely sweat and tears)  I had the whole place wrapped up and packed up.  Whew!  What a chore.

 I tossed a lot and only kept the things I know I’ll use.  Felt so good!  The boxes were HEAVY so I slid them in the hall and waited for Kenny to do the rest.  I’m always the packer and he is always the lifter.

 So you may have noticed my blogging time these days is LIMITED to say the least.  Summer is all about survival, right moms?  And this summer feels especially that way for me.  We are about two months away from having the house finished and ready to move in and every day that is pretty much all I’ve been doing.  I go up to the new house first thing in the morning.  Take a break at lunch.  And head back up until Kole’s therapy at 3:30.  Sometimes I have the kids with me.  Sometimes I get a sitter.  Sometimes Kenny works from home while Kole naps.  Sometimes I don’t know where my kids are.  Do I have kids?  I can’t remember.  My brain is clogged with too many things to recollect.  :)  Actually the kids are having a ball and love being at the new house.  They are getting so excited to move because of a certain little surprise that came in the mail last week…

Testing out the new trampoline!  This is hands down the best money we’ve spent so far.  Looking forward to the hours of entertainment it will provide!

Our new neighbors on one side just moved in and our new neighbors on the other side are in the framing stage.  We lucked out big time with our neighbors.  Nicest people!  We love them all!  The kids have been having a blast on the new trampoline.  This isn’t its final destination of course (and the kids weren’t allowed to jump high and w/o adults right there until it’s a bit safer!).  I especially bonded with one of my neighbors last week when I learned she doesn’t love to cook.  We stay up late emailing each other pics from houzz.com and she mentioned one night that she needs to learn to cook in her new kitchen – that she’ll feel bad just serving up plain pasta and cheese quesadillas.  I laughed out loud and responded that we had plain pasta for lunch and quesadillas (cheese tortillas my kids call them) for dinner that day!  Too funny.  Clearly we are kindred spirits.  Kindred spirits who need to take a cooking class at some point.  :)

 I chose a light grey flagstone to go on the stairs and the porches.  I thought this material would be used for the whole stairs.

 But Monday I pulled up and they were starting to put the stone we used on the house in the front of the steps.  I wasn’t so sure about that.  It looks too busy to me.  I was going to have them stop and change it to the flagstone but Kenny wasn’t on the same page.  He loves the stone on the steps.  And so does every other person whose opinion we’ve asked.

So I lost that battle!  And I’m ok with it.  This process has definitely been a give and take and really my husband hasn’t had an opinion about much.  So I told him I’m happy to give him the stone steps – and anything else he wants for the yard.  Just don’t mess with my kitchen.  :)

We are 2-3 weeks away from grass and flowers and I can’t wait!  I know it will make such a huge difference.  Everything is so neutral right now.  I’m ready for some pops of color!

I’m also so excited to start sharing inside pics now that the cabinets are in!  I just have to wait a bit because things are so messy at the house right now.  And everyone working on the house keeps covering floors and counters and cabinets to do tile work.  I’ve told the crew that they are making it awfully hard for me to take pictures of everything.  I know it’s a real concern for them.  :)

Hello friends!  I missed you all last week!  Quick snapshot of the kids’ last day of school.  It was a good day.  Fun and emotional for me.  My girls will go to a new school next year and while I’m excited for new friends and a new beginning, it’s also hard to say goodbye to a school we have loved so much. Kenny keeps telling me the girls will be fine switching schools.  It’s so close to our old one and they make friends so easily.  I remind him it’s not them I’m worried about.  :)  I will miss seeing so many faces I’m used to seeing each day.

 I became so close with both of them and can never repay them for all they did for my girls this year.  I cried saying good-bye.  Not just a sniffle, but a full on cry.  Wish I could say that was a first for me.

 Loved helping with Ad’s Hawaiian class party.  My darling friend put the party together and did an amazing job.

After the girls’ parties it was time for my little man’s preschool performance.  When I walked in the room he was so excited to see me that he ran to sit on my lap and wouldn’t go back to his chair to sing.  :)  I finally got him back with the class and then he put on quite a show.  This boy makes me so happy.  I get such a kick out of him.

We are so enjoying our first week of summer.  Hard to tell?  Movie party.  3:00 in the afternoon.  In our pj’s.  With only the essentials: blankets – pillows – fishy crackers.  Because what’s a mid-day movie party without fishy crackers?  Aside from lounging we’ve also been doing a lot of reading.  And hanging at the park and the beach.  It’s a rough life.  :)  I’m taking a few days off of blogging too.  Much to busy with all the lounging to whip up a post.  Wouldn’t want to wear myself out.  ;)

Really – after such a busy last month it feels wonderful to have some down time with my kids.  Just what the doctor ordered.  Down time.  And fishy crackers.

When they cry, you comfort them.  When they laugh, you laugh with them. When they complain, you remind them of all they have.  When they fall, you pick them up.  When they ask questions, you teach them.  When they take life too seriously, you tease them and remind them not to.  When they get discouraged, you lift them up.  When they work hard, you praise them.  When they hug you, you melt.  When they came into this world, you instantly became the perfect father for each one of them.  You are their hero and you are mine.

Happy Father’s Day babe.
xoxo,
Erin

We survived!  By proof of my used to be 1st grader’s shoes (yes – that’s scotch tape you see dangling from the tattered velcro) school is officially out for the summer!  I’m sure at some point when I have the energy I will post all about the past week’s festivities.  Or maybe not.  Maybe I will subconsciously block it all from my mind forever and pretend it didn’t happen.  Either way, at this point I only know one thing.  We are sleeping in tomorrow.  And I’m not packing lunches.  And the girls’ hair will not be done.  And neither will mine.  And we may or may not get out of our pajamas (just knowing we have the option makes me all tingly inside).  And that was more than one thing, wasn’t it.  That was a lot of things that when combined together all equal one word – SUMMER TIME!  That was more than one word, wasn’t it.

I’m feeling a letter coming on…

Dear Summer, 

        While you certainly have your drawbacks and are by no means perfect, this year especially you have been calling my name.  I usually crave a schedule, but frankly this year  – I am over ours.  I have been looking forward to you for so many reasons.  Less driving, more time with my kids home playing together (and fighting together, but that’s another thing I’m subconsciously blocking from my mind and pretending won’t happen), less alarm clock, more popsicles, less messes and piles, more purging and packing, less homework, more creative play, less activities, more sunscreen, less rushing, more relaxing.  You are also special to me this particular year because you are our last summer together in this home.  The first home Kenny and I have owned together.  The place I brought all of our babies home to.  You will also hopefully be (fingers crossed) the first piece of many happy summers to come in our new home.  So yes.  I am extremely excited about you this year summer.  Thanks for finally arriving.  There were so many times I didn’t think you ever would.

Your friend (at least in the beginning),

Erin

**The girls and I usually brainstorm together to come up with a fun Summer to-do list.  I didn’t do one this year because it would simply say: BUILD, PACK, MOVE.  :)  But here is our 2011 list if you are already a couple of weeks into summer and have completely used up all of your good summer activities and you are about to go out of your mind CRAZY with the kids home all day.  (Been there.  Done that.  Bought the t-shirt.)  And there is no doubt in my mind it’s on the horizon for us again this year too.  Just one more thing I’m subconsciously blocking from my mind and pretending won’t happen.