Want to Feel Better About Your Weekend?

Well, if you have a newly walking toddler, you can congratulate yourself if you didn't let him/her dive headfirst into a patch of sidewalk. And even if you did let that happen, surely you didn't also get the band-aid stuck in his/her hair.


And even if you DID both of those things (unlikely), you surely didn't make a complete fool of yourself with your neighbors.

I'm quite positive your daughter didn't notice smoke coming from your neighbors' roof and that your view wasn't such that you couldn't tell if the smoke was coming from the chimney. Then, even after you walked out into the yard to get a better look and still couldn't tell whether the smoke came from a chimney OR whether anyone was home, I'm sure you didn't call the neighbors (who, incidentally, aren't polite enough to ever speak to you) to see if they were in fact home and find out whether they possibly had a wood-burning fire place that they were currently using. And surely you didn't make that phone call, only to be totally embarrassed when it turned out that they were using their fireplace for the first time this season. I am sure you also didn't have an extremely uncomfortable moment with the neighbor on the phone when she realized who you were and remembered how much she and her husband hate your dog.

And if all of that did happen to you, then maybe you aren't thrilled about all the moments of your weekend either. And also? It's pretty creepy how parallel our lives are.

Kitten!

My mom is visiting this week and when my dad called to talk with her tonight he said, "Can you send your mother home so we could get some new blog content?"

It's true that we've been too busy in the evening for me to update much. So here is a little nibble.

Auntie M got a new kitten - and Harper and I went to visit on Saturday. The kitten's name is Jem and oh, she is such a sweetie.





I'm allergic to cats, but I love me some kittens - and apparently Harper does, too!

Shameless Plug

Hi friends! I just wanted to take a minute to share the fact that I recently started as an independent consultant with Usborne Books & More. Books are kind of my thing, so this seemed like a natural move for me. Since I'm not working outside the home this year, I decided to pursue a home business in an attempt to contribute to our family financially. For those of you who are local I am available to do home shows and I can help you earn free books. For those a little farther away I can help you host an online show (and you can also earn free books) or you can just purchase books directly from me at any time.

I am not linking directly to my Usborne site from here, but if you are interested just email me and I'll let you know where you need to look to check out these wonderful books. (If you know me on facebook, the website link is on my profile page!)

I hosted my own show this weekend to get started, it was small but went well. If you really want to help me get my business going, you can order through my online show which goes on for the remainder of this week - until October 3rd. You'd been helping me earn some free books that I'll have on hand for demonstrating at future shows. Just email me for details.

The books are really wonderful - my children love them. Please trust that I would not sell products I don't believe in!

Okay, salesgirl pitch over. Whew!

Here Michael, Michael! (And an update about shots)

I know things have been slightly video-centric here lately, but look!





That happened last Thursday - precipitated by my luring Michael half way across the kitchen on his feet w/ a Cheez-It - I guess the kid just needed some motivation. We're still quite far from walking being his first choice, but he can do it!

I also wanted to update everyone on the shot situation - Harper's flu shot was on Tuesday, and even though she was exceedingly nervous about it, here's what worked:

1) She brought her stuffed dog, Max, to squeeze.

2) We brought a lollipop and I told her the bit about how babies think things hurt less if they taste something sweet. (Thank you Marie!) I told her she could have it as soon as we were finished (before lunch!) if the nurse said it wasn't okay to have it during the shot - and then it was okay to have during the shot - phew!

3) She was allowed to sit on my lap and asked if I could please give her a really tight squeeze. (I did!)

4) I told her I would take her to McDonald's for a Happy Meal afterward if she cooperated. (i.e. did not kick the nurse)

And it was fine, there was lots of nervous energy but no extreme freaking out, and only a few tears after the fact. No screaming OR kicking - mission accomplished!

Updates!

1) Well the guessing game wasn't quite the rollicking fun I thought it would be, since the total was actually around $75 - which seemed like a great deal! The fact that people were making guesses as low as $12 makes me think I need to spend more time at garage sales, if I can get that kind of loot in that kind of shape for so little... I must admit that Ann, my mother-in-law, was there with me and subsidized a portion of the purchases, so the part that I paid wasn't too far off some of your guesses. (Thanks again Ann!)

2) Mike and Ann stayed with the kids while Matt and I attended a wedding in Chicago this past weekend. It was one of the best wedding weekends ever and I would like to write about it in better detail, but it was so overwhelmingly wonderful that it is hard to imagine putting words to the events.

3) Look what Michael learned now:

I was sitting at the computer, turned around, and in a matter of seconds he had hoisted himself onto that rocking horse. The video doesn't even come close to demonstrating how wild he got - I'm sure it is great for his balance, but maybe we need to find a rocking horse that is lower to the floor, and padded.

We are in So. Much. Trouble.

Some Things I Love

It is no secret that I love books, and reading, and reading books with my children, and watching my children enjoy books, etc., etc.

Michael has always been a book fan, in one way or another. In fact, when we were working on his mobility with the physical therapist we used the book basket to motivate him. He would crawl to it or sit propped against it or work on strength by holding himself off the floor and emptying the books at the same time. Right now he will pull books off the shelf in his room and hold them out to me while signing, "please." How awesome is that? Of course sometimes he only wants to hear the first two pages before he is asking to get down again...

I LOVE watching Michael interact with books. He can frequently be found emptying book baskets or taking books off shelves. Lately he's also been "reading" to himself. This is the best because it also involves another thing I LOVE - baby gibberish! I am fully aware that this is probably just a mother thing, but I could listen to baby babble all day long, especially once they reach the point where it sounds like that have something so important to say, but have forgotten that I don't speak Martian, and so they just go on and on in this foreign sounding language. So yeah, Michael reads to himself in Martian.

I decided to try to capture this with the video camera, but the first tries were epic fails because the camera just kept distracting Michael. This is one of many takes that totally cracks me up, even if I didn't get the footage I was going for:

I was smarter the next time I tried to film him, I was sitting futher away, and up in a chair, so the video camera wasn't at his eye-level. And yes, it was on the first football Sunday of the season, and yes, both my children were in Packer clothes. :-) Please note the cushion that Michael is sitting on, it has become his reading seat. He has gotten into the habit of pulling it off the couch and plonking down on it to read his books.

His waving is pretty cute, too.

18 Months and All is Well (Plus bonus questions about shots!)

Michael had his 18-month well visit with our pediatrician today. He now weighs 25 pounds and is 32 inches tall. According to our doc that puts him at 50% for height and between 25-50% for weight - not bad for the preemie! He has been eating like a linebacker, but apparently he is using the calories; I was kind of surprised he hadn't jumped more in weight.

The doctor addressed a bunch of my concerns. As far as walking goes, after watching him stand and take a few steps toward me, she said, "Oh, he'll be walking next week!" Now I've been thinking that most of the summer, but truly he seems to be getting close. She was slightly more concerned about the lack of new words (um, none) since his 15 month visit, although I maintain that he is more communicative now than he was then. We decided that I would call her if he hadn't clearly increased his vocabulary in the next three months. She wasn't ready to recommend speech therapy yet, but doesn't want to wait until the two year appointment if things aren't progressing. Fair enough.

Then he got four shots! :-( Poor baby, as one would expect he was not quite himself this afternoon.

Speaking of shots - I have to take Harper in for a flu shot next week. And we'll be back for the H1N1 vaccine, when it is available, because both my children are considered high risk. And then she'll have the "kindergarten shots" at her birthday appointment in November. Here's the problem - last year when Harper had the flu shot she freaked out. As in, she nearly kicked the nurse in the face. I was looking back over old posts to see if I had written about that experience and I think I was probably too embarrassed to mention it.

Here are some questions for you:

1) How do I help her not freak out?

2) Is it wrong to bribe her for being even remotely cooperative? Especially given that we're going to have to do this three times in next three months? (I don't expect her not to cry, but I do expect her not to inflict bodily harm on the health care workers.)

Why have my parenting instincts totally failed me here? I thought we were prepared last year and it was a failure of epic proportions. We also had extreme difficulty when she needed blood drawn at the allergists in August this year, so frustrating as she'd done that w/ no problem the year before. What gives?

I hate the look of shock/pain/betrayal on babies' faces when they get shots, but I think this big kid anticipation is worse!

***
I'll share my sale totals by the end of the week - the guessing game is still on!

Haul

Let's play a little guessing game...

Saturday morning Ann and I went to a "Mom's Market" that was also a fundraiser for the local children's medical center. I had never been to one of these before, but it was basically a gigantic garage sale. It cost us a dollar a piece to get in and it was a madhouse. It reminded me of the Friends episode where they go to a huge sale to get Monica's wedding dress. I didn't know how crazy it would be but I had the foresight to make a list the night before of some specific items I wanted to look for - I'm so glad I did this or I would have been totally overwhelmed!

Here are the things we purchased:

Snowsuit and new-looking snow boots for Michael, dress and cardigan for Harper

Pajama set, two pairs of tan pans, one pair of tag-still-on Land's End cords, one pair of soft black pants, one pair of Gymboree knit pants (so cute!), and one turtleneck w/ dalmatians for Harper

Lion costume (so he can be Cowardly to Harper's Dorothy) and long-sleeve fleece romper for Michael

Three Baby Einstein DVDs and ball/hammer toy for Michael (these we'll wrap up for Christmas)

Also, not particularly pictured, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of tan pants, and one pair of gray pants for Michael.

Total: 10 pairs of pants, one sweater, one pajama set, one romper, one toy, three DVDs, one pair of boots, one snowsuit, one turtleneck, and one lion costume.

How much do you think we spent???

(Clicking on individual pictures will make them larger, if you think the quality of the items will help you guess how much of a steal this sale was.)

Edited to add: OMG you guys are killing my sale buzz! Remember that it was a sale but also a fund-raiser (i.e. I did not purchase anything for less than a dollar. Perhaps comparing it to a garage sale was a bad idea...)

P.S. Mommy Daisy - there is one in Vandalia in a couple of months, let me know if you want me to try to find some info for you - that's not too bad a drive!

One and a HUH???

As much as I know you must be sick of seeing this first picture, I can't help but marvel that, in 18 very short months, this guy:


has become this guy:

So cool, despite the fact that he's flashing a little diaper in the shot.

I mentioned not long ago that Michael is involved in some kind of marvelous development explosion. As evidence I offer the fact that I only managed to get one 18-month photo of him sitting in the chair. Why sit when you can stand, bounce, and attempt to fling yourself from a dangerous height? Sitting is so yesterday.


I've have continued to keep my fretting (mostly) in check regarding Michael's late blooming in the walking department. He will now walk when holding our hands. This is progress, despite the fact that when he's holding our hands he moves slower than molasses. No wonder the boy isn't interested in walking, his crawl is wicked fast. Two weeks ago in church he was halfway down the side aisle before I could catch him.

We've also been playing that back and forth game: Matt and I will sit a few feet apart and encourage him to go back and forth between us. Tonight we recorded serious progress as he took three and even four steps in a row!

Michael is taking his time learning to talk as well, and it is something I'm going to bring up at our appointment with the pediatrician next week. Yesterday he climbed up my chair while I was reading and I swear he pointed to my book and said, "Book!" clear as day. BUT I cannot get him to say it again, so it may have been coincidental babble.

Michael has just recently learned the signs for "please" and "thank you," giving up "more" in the process. Harper did the same thing, once she learned "please" she just used it in place of "more". Consequently he sits in his chair at mealtimes signing "please" over and over and over and over. You'd think he was starving over here - unlikely as he weighs just over 25.5 pounds! Seriously, I'm going to need physical therapy if he doesn't start walking soon, he's so heavy.

Harper continues to be a mostly doting big sister. I was talking to a friend on the phone tonight while getting dinner ready when I heard this insane sound behind me. I turned to look and Harper had Michael sort of pinned down on the kitchen floor; she was lifting his shirt and giving him the loudest zerberts I've ever heard. It was hilarious and all of us were laughing for a few minutes. Of course, as is the way with these things, Michael tired of the game before Harper did and the activity deteriorated into frustrated screaming. I hear the two of them should outgrow that dynamic by the time they are in their twenties.

A year and a half is looking pretty good. I love discovering the little boy Michael is becoming even as I cling to the remaining bits of his babyhood.

Hanging In...

Fortunately Michael is fine - I'm sorry it took me all day to post that update.

He just has a nasty virus that's going around, but his lungs and ears were clear and it isn't strep.

The trip to urgent care was worth it, just to know there wasn't something wrong that we were ignoring. No antibiotics necessary, but they did give him Motrin and I swear that stuff is magic. Harper was never very sick when she was as young as Michael and we never had Motrin for her until she was much older - it never occurred to me to look for infant Motrin. But Motrin helped us sleep and nap and sleep some more!

Everything looks better after a little sleep.


Of course Matt and I are now feeling the cold come our way, but I guess we won't wake the children up throughout the night as retribution. That would be pretty cruel.

Another One Bites the Dust

Now Michael is sick, as is the way of these things.

Harper, who is feeling significantly better, was the only one who slept more than forty minutes at a stretch last night. Our poor boy is miserable. Matt finally left with him for children's urgent care this evening.

I felt a little silly sending them off, especially when the main "symptom" he has is prolonged, inconsolable screaming. Unfortunately Michael has a knack for getting sick on holidays or on vacation. I think we would have suffered through another night if taking him to the pediatrician in the morning was a possibility, which, of course, it's not.

It never ceases to amaze me how impossible the interrupted sleep feels if I'm not dealing with a tiny baby. To be fair my tiny babies normally snuggled up with me to eat and be comforted, rather than screeching and writhing in my lap. Good times.

I don't imagine anything terribly serious is wrong with Michael, just something that is making him terribly uncomfortable. I'll try to leave an update later tonight or tomorrow, when we know what is (or isn't) wrong.

Don't you love it when I post from nervous energy?

Blerg

Harper had a great first week of school, and celebrated it by coming home with a terrible cold!

Ugh.

She's actually quite a trooper during the day, but oh, those sick nights. She wakes up crying, worked up beyond understanding, and there is nothing to do but help her calm down and hopefully sleep for another forty-five minutes. It is worse than having a newborn (although I never had a colicky newborn).

My kingdom for safe and effective kiddie NyQuil.

***

It seems there is a lot of yuck going around these days - having a child with a cold is getting off pretty easily, even if no one sleeps well the next couple of nights.

I wish for some peace for everyone who is having a hard time these days. Peace and a good night's sleep. Who doesn't need that?

First Day

Ah, the first day of school

I have to confess, today felt a lot less momentous to me than our previous first days. After all, this was our third first day of preschool! (Isn't that insane?) And today we were returning to last year's school and teacher. In fact, standing in the school hallway this morning, the entire thing felt so normal it seemed as though we'd really only been away for the weekend.

It was the first time, in many, many, many years, that I didn't have that back-to-school stomach feeling. I still love this time of year, but it failed to strike me in my gut this time around.

Harper was another story...


She was really, truly excited, and just a tiny bit nervous in the car this morning. I know it felt like a HUGE day to her and I made myself take a little extra time; I turned off the radio on the way to school and said appropriate beginning-of-the-year-mom things. You know: listen to your teachers, be kind, learn something, tell someone if you have to use the bathroom or don't feel well, we're proud of you, we love you.

Then Harper was all, "Mom, it's not my first time!"

(Your time will come all too soon!)

Harper had no patience with me when I tried to take her picture outside of the school building. It was TOO! BRIGHT!

Nana and Dziatku came to stay with Michael this morning, and I did some word testing with second graders while Harper was in school. Then we all met up and had lunch together at a favorite local stop -even Matt was able to meet us.

I can tell Harper had a terrific day, mostly because she behaved fairly appallingly at lunch (too worked up), but also because when we got in the car to head home she hollered, "It was AWESOME!"

Check and Check (and check and check and check)

Forms have been filled out (and copied).

Supplies have been purchased.

Art wall has been cleared.


Hair has been cut.
Bag has been packed.

Child has been bathed.

School starts tomorrow!

Why I'm Sad About the End of Reading Rainbow

Earlier today I listened to this NPR report about the end of the PBS children's program Reading Rainbow. And I'm not kidding when I tell you I was on the verge of tears.

Reading Rainbow will live on for a long time on DVD and I'm willing to bet there are copies of it at your local library right now. So I'm not so much upset that my children won't ever see Reading Rainbow again, I'm upset because of the shift in priorities that means Reading Rainbow isn't considered a good use of money any longer.

Simply put Reading Rainbow wasn't in the business of teaching the fundamentals of reading, it existed to help children learn to love reading - to take joy in reading books, and in thinking about books, and in making connections between what they read and the world around them - all of which are wonderful, important skills a reader should have. But they aren't phonics, and they aren't spelling...

For me, today, this strikes me as one small example of what I fear we're doing in our schools, which is to take the joy out of the equation. Standardized testing has put a great deal of fear and stress into the mix for children and teachers alike. While I know there are many wonderful schools and teachers who are still helping children love learning I think the current educational environment makes it more difficult for them to do so. We get so caught up in the results that we aren't taking enough time to be attentive to the process.



Of COURSE I think it is important for children to know how to read, I'm not denying that at all. I just think it is unfortunate when learning to read has to come at the expense of loving to read.


I'm aware that I'm grossly oversimplifying here. I wish I could articulate my point more efffectively.

Sigh.

Good-bye Reading Rainbow. I'll miss you.

(I love this picture of Harper and Erin's Calum from our recent visit. And speaking of our visit, Erin took the opportunity to interview me while I was there. Her interviews are hilarious so you might want to check it out!)

Almost Caught

I was trying to sneak up behind Michael and catch him walking behind the popper (Oh how I HATE that thing, but we don't have any other walk behind toys...), but then he started crawling instead. As per usual, ahem. I kept taping because I know how much I'm going to miss that little butt-waggle when he's permanently on his feet.

Mobility Updates

First of all, Michael is not walking yet, but have I mentioned that the boy has started climbing?

It started on July 29th, my sister's birthday. We were in the family room playing with some wooden puzzles and the holder they slide into just happened to be resting against the front of the couch. So Michael stepped up onto it...



Next thing I knew he was sitting up on the couch, just as pleased as could be. Lord help me!

As is the way with these things, he has mastered up long before mastering down. I have become accustomed to spending a significant portion of my day running across rooms to catch him before he tumbles head first off of some piece of furniture.

His favorite climb is the plastic slide in the basement - he would like to climb to the top and then step off.

Near-toddlers just don't have any appreciation for gravity.

Trippy

We are doing some cleaning out of the basement, or rather, an area of the basement that is overrun with very old stuff of mine. I have two large file boxes filled to the brim with old letters and I've been sorting them into a better storage situation, but it is taking a very long time.

Though I have improved over the years, I am a fairly sentimental person and I do attach lots of memories to things like letters and other odds and ends (ticket stubs, bits of candle wax...). Every once in a while I'm coming across something and I don't know what it is, or I will find a letter from someone I can't remember at all, and those things are unceremoniously disposed of. However, most of it is just wonderful, and, despite the many hours it will take me to organize it, I'm so so glad I have these boxes.

Perhaps the best find of the day? A birthday card signed by my (now all grown up) brother from back when he could barely write his own name.

I'm aware there may come a day when I come across these same letters again and find they don't seem so important to me anymore. OR my children may have one heck of a time reading them when I die!

I Heart Public Libraries

Okay, I'm cheating a little here by using last summer's pictures, but I wanted to talk for a minute about how much I adore our public library and the entire public library system. Go libraries!!!

Just this morning I was explaining to Harper that Summer Reading Club was over and that we'd have to wait until next year for another reading club. AND THEN we were at preschool story time this afternoon and found out that there is a special fall reading club, just for preschoolers, sponsored by the libraries and the metro parks. We signed up immediately. It's especially cool because there are several themes - each theme has a bookmark and each bookmark has a reading list and an activity list. You read a book off the list and do one activity off the list and then you can get your bug stamp for that theme. The idea is that you read books and they inspire you to get out and DO things.

Um, it sounds more complicated than it is. Harper is excited and so am I. It gives us something to focus on for the next couple of weeks until school beings. It's also good motivation to get out into our parks more. We are good at taking advantage of library programs, but not as good at utilizing the many amazing parks around here...

Anyway, back to the libraries. We consistently attend both baby and preschool story time. Harper has been going to story time since she was a toddler, about seventeen months old, and, when given a choice, she has never once told me she didn't want to go to the library. Michael already gets excited if you ask him if he'd like to go to story time, or if he'd like to go see our librarian, Miss Pat.


There was a huge uproar in Ohio this year, when the governor planned to cut the budget for libraries by 50%. Thanks to the public outcry the cuts ended up being only about 30%, better, but still such a shame. Our libraries provide wonderful public services, not only do they make books, music, and movies available for free, but they also offer all sorts of classes/services to help improve lives in our communities: literacy services, job services, computer access, etc. I know I'm not really even skimming the surface here, and a lot of that stems from the fact that the libraries offer a host of services that I don't particularly need, but I know my community needs them.

I wonder, sometimes, if all the parents are aware of how many early literacy skills are embedded into those story times. I wonder if they realize how much effort our librarian puts in to make sure those 30-45 minutes really count.

If you could see the number of books and CDs in my house (especially children's books) you would wonder why on earth I would ever bother with the library. But, as much as I may have tried, I don't have all the books. :-) And I love that the library carries things my children will enjoy temporarily so I don't have to buy them - like the 47 Land Before Time sequels.


I have loved the library since my dad used to take me there on Saturday mornings to look for Blue Bug books. Where I grew up our public library was inside a small building which was originally a church. It was tiny, but I wonder now if the stained-glass windows have anything to do with the reverence for libraries that I've always felt.

Libraries are easy things to take for granted, but I am hoping the people in my community don't, because they are going to be asked for money when we vote in November, and it will be badly needed.

(If you need convincing to feel good about your library, go there and find the book Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack!)

On the Road Again

A lot of the time I feel like I have to actively stop myself from worrying too much about Michael's development. All indications are that he's healthy and moving along just fine, though he is taking his sweet time with some of those milestones. Lately, as though he needed to reassure me, Michael seems to have ramped up to some new level of awareness of the world around him and his place in it.

For example - all of a sudden it is often important to him to do what Harper is doing. Therefore, if Harper colors...


Michael colors.


He thinks he's such a big boy, watching the cars, holding his crayons... For a moment I have a vision of homework sessions and afternoon snacks shared around this same table.

Then Michael starts to eat his crayons, and they have to be confiscated.


With Matt and his parents busy all weekend, I'm packing up the kids and taking this show on the road. Tomorrow afternoon we're headed to visit Erin and Tracy and I can't wait to throw our six kiddos together and see what happens, it's been far too long since we've visited. Put away your crayons Ladies, here we come!

Deer Park

Instead of either a) celebrating the fact that school starts soon or b) bemoaning the fact that school starts soon (for Harper), I thought I would take this stormy day to share a piece of our Wisconsin vacation.

Harper is a pretty big animal lover, so I thought we'd check out the Wisconsin Deer Park - which has been a fixture of the Wisconsin Dells since I was a child.

One thing I always, ALWAYS think about with a place like this (any animal interaction experience) is whether the animals are fed anything that might contain peanuts or peanut traces. Not surprisingly the regulations for animal food are different that those for our food, making it much, MUCH more difficult to obtain accurate information, in most cases.

I was delighted when the people I spoke with at the deer park were knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. And we determined that it was safe for Harper.

I have to say the grounds of the deer park aren't exactly impressive to look at, but the experience is pretty cool.


We purchased food, crackers made specifically not to upset the animals' stomachs, and entered the deer enclosure. Immediately several deer approached us, which Harper loved but Michael did not. Despite the signs asking us to avoid loud noises his first reaction was to shriek at top volume. After that we kept the deer a little further away from the stroller until Michael got used to the seemingly giant creatures walking around him.


The deer were pretty calm and mostly avoided us unless we were holding out food. When we did have food they walked over and kind of snuffled it right out of our hands, I was impressed with how gently they ate.


I was not nervous about having the children so near the animals at all, it was such a different experience than those frenzied goats you normally see at zoos...


Please note Michael is in his defensive position - thumb in mouth, but he did stop shrieking.


We were probably there for about an hour. I don't think it is something we'll necessarily do every time we visit the area, but I can imagine going back in a few years if Michael expresses an interest. I don't think Harper will forget feeding the deer any time soon.

MIA

My sister came to visit this week, bringing two of our cousins, ages 10 and 12. For years the girls have been asking to come visit and they were finally able to. Harper and Rebound, especially, are in mourning today w/out the two playmates that had been here most of the week. I had next to no "free time" for the computer - did you know that cooking and cleaning up after four kids is a lot more work than doing so for two kids????

It's been a great week overall and I'm so glad Natalie and Nicole (and Shannon!) were able to spend this time with us.

Where have we been?

The Art Institute
The Arboretum
The Children's Garden
A Baseball Game
The Air Force Museum
Picnicking
Playing
Entertaining







What did you do this week?

Score!

As far as I'm concerned, furniture is expensive. Any furniture, even the supposedly cheap, put-it-together yourself stuff. And when you buy the cheap stuff, it may not, despite your best efforts, be very sturdy. We've (I've) been in want of several pieces of furniture lately, including:

1) A comfortable pull-out couch situation for our family room

2) A recliner for Matt (that's more of a thing HE wants, but we've been looking at them so I'll add it here)

3) Some kind of long, closed, storage piece to go on the long wall in the dining room

4) A kitchen table and matching chairs (we have a table and chairs now, but they are kind of a mishmash and not in the chic way)

5) A new dining table and matching chairs

Until recently #6 on that list would have been bookshelf for Michael's room.

It seemed like time to remove the rest of the board books from Harper's shelf, then we had some on a shelf above the changing table (but Michael has been resembling a monkey lately and that shelf needed to come down), and the rest were sort of unceremoniously flopped into dilapidated* wicker baskets which weren't working so well as of late. So I was thrilled when, a few weeks ago, my friend MaryEllen (Auntie M) said her sister had a bookshelf she didn't need anymore and did I want it?

My expectations were not high, not because MaryEllen's sister has poor taste in furniture, but because if it was a GREAT bookshelf maybe they wouldn't be getting rid of it. But oh it is, it is a great bookshelf. And I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. And then we moved it into Michael's room, put things on it, and now I love it even more. It actually reminds me of something I would see (and covet) in a catalog like PBKids or Land of Nod - but we got it for free!!!

See how pretty:





One man's trash is my happy, happy day.


*I seriously always thought the word I wanted there was dilapiTated and I'm pretty sure I've always pronounced it as such. Embarrassing! I had to look it up three times after I saw the suggested spelling to make sure that was the word I meant. Which is a lot of effort for a blog post about a free bookshelf, but at least I learned something.