peelosophy

I keep finding myself with bits of time.  I don’t know how or where they have been coming from but I’ve accomplished lots in the last week.  I even started a project that I told myself I would have done in 2009.  I thought I had blogged about it before and found it here dated March 2009.  Two years late.  Thinking back, I made that list when George was 2 months old — those were some high expectations. Ha!

So here’s the chair I found at the curb down our street about 3 years ago….

I haven’t done any upholstery in over 2 years and it wasn’t until I got all my tools out I realized how much I missed it.  I love taking it apart just as much as I love putting it back together.  I love making something old new again.  I love wondering what kind of life the furniture had before it came to be in my hands.  Maybe it was someones favorite spot to read.  Maybe it was grandpa’s favorite chair or did it get jumped on a lot by little kids?  When I started taking this chair apart, I kept thinking that lots of kissing went on in this chair – don’t know why.  Wouldn’t that be cool of I was some sort of upholsterer/Medium person… I could tell the past life of the furniture while I was taking it apart.. I digress… a lot… sorry!  That would be cool though.

Anyways, I haven’t picked out the fabric yet.  I think I want something masculine and modern – I think.  I really don’t know yet.   I’m liking something like these so far….let me know what you think or find something for me……

My sister-in-law, Katie, is pregnant with her second baby.  They are finding out on Wednesday if it is a boy or girl and I am dying.to.find.out!!!  Before bed tonight, I asked the boys if they wanted to place a bet on whether or not Aunt Katie’s baby is a boy or a girl.  Now, betting is not a common practice in our home, so I had to explain what betting was and how it works, etc.  They caught on pretty quick and were very excited.  I also explained that we were not betting money or toys but rather experiences and gave them some examples.  They were all on board and we decided on the wagers.

First, we were down the middle with what sex we were placing our bets.   Henry and I are betting that it is a girl and JJ and George are betting that it is a boy.  Easy enough.  You could tell JJ was thinking about what he would bet right away. Asking all sorts of questions what would count for a bet, weighing his options, but never sealing the deal.  This is SO JJ he is a thinker and is nervous of making a bad decision -  poor guy unfortunately this is a genetic trait.

George and Henry both decided that eating out qualified as an experience, which I signed off on, and George decided he wanted pizza if it was a boy and Henry wanted McDonalds if it was a girl.

JJ was still undecided. Some of the wagers he was weighing were extra video game time -or- that he didn’t have to clean up for a week -or- that he could “order” Henry and I around for a full Saturday morning.

While he was still contemplating I announced my wager if it’s a girl— that JJ and George would have to wear “button” shirts to church the Sunday after we found out.  A little background, my boys HATE button shirts.  A button shirt in our house is an oxford or a polo.  They know I only ask them to wear them on Easter or if they are in a wedding and even those occasions I have to prep them weeks before that they are going to have to wear a button shirt soon. (and even then they find comfort in the fact that their superhero t-shirt is under the button shirt)

Right away JJ stammers, “I can’t bet.  I’m not wearing a button shirt.”  (I told you they hated them!!)

So then I go on to explain what if it’s a boy, then if you don’t bet then you can’t win and explain the big concept of risk.  He then decides he is going to bet that it’s a “half-boy half-girl”.  Oh, Katie and Brian – I am so sorry!  But I explained that he can’t do that- he’s either in fully boy or fully girl or he’s out.

He asked for clarification on the parameters of how long he had to wear the button shirt – just for church, could he take it off right after?  After much debate, I told him he could have a couple more days and we’ll close the bet on Sunday night.  I’ll keep you posted!

2/25/2011 UPDATE JJ did bet on a boy finally and he chose a favorite dinner option…don’t remember what it was now because he lost.  Aunt Katie is having a girl – so fun!  JJ and George both had to wear button shirts to church that Sunday…although JJ found a loophole and wore his Boy Scout shirt – still a button shirt he said.  I couldn’t argue I didn’t specify which button shirt.

…that whenever I offer JJ a suggestion, he replies with “You’re a genius.” That said coupled by George calling me “Awesome Nation” yesterday, which I think I have chalked up to encouragement from my sons.

…that the weather is fantastic.  I’ve seen people in shorts, car convertible tops down and people with a skip in their step.  For me, it’s like the part of a movie when you get a glimpse of hope that everything is going to be okay.  Winter is not eternal and the hope of Spring is in air. Whoo-hoo!

…the yummy recipes I’ve tried lately and have turned into favorites, like the Broiled Tilapia Parmesan and the Ham Tetrazzini.

…that my new car has yet to wear off it’s novelty and has made me actually want to go run errands – which I normally avoid at all costs.

…the pockets of time I’ve been finding to read and do stuff I’ve been procrastinating like patching the boy’s jeans.

…what I have been learning about community and encouragement through people, reading and just life right now.

I couldn’t figure out why Henry was saying “Come here beautiful” or “Over here baby” when he was playing Lego Batman on the Xbox with JJ.

Then I took a minute to actually pay attention to their game and saw that Henry was Penguin and JJ was Cat Woman. And that’s how they were communicating.

Finally.  Hopefully that was the longest month of Winter for us.  There was way too much stuff going on and big stuff all at once at certain points.  Here are some highlights…stick around until #10 it’s the best.

1. George’s 3rd Birthday. Man is he getting big.  He is still the comedian.  He loves recounting moments in our recent history by saying, “Hey mom remember that one time when…” this could have happened a week ago or an hour ago.  Justice is important to him. He never goes a day without out saying, “Hey mom, how come Henry/JJ/Daddy/Emma got this or that and I didn’t” always in a low whine with a martyr-like huff at the end.  He loves to jump over anything and from anything he can – his favorite is to jump on top of a pile of brothers.

He loved his birthday.  It was all about Cars and Superheros.

2. Lots of Snow. This has been fun.  But not anymore, I am over it.

3. The Pinewood Derby. 3 weeks to make the car of JJ’s dreams.  The same 3 weeks  that our van broke for good and John’s company was moving.  This made for little time for the Pinewood Derby and lots of stress. We were prepping him during this time on how to deal with not placing in the race.  This was our first PWD – we had no expectations BUT he got 5th Place – which means he gets to go to Districts!!!  I was blown away. This is the car during construction and then at the race.

4.  Battlestar Galactica.  I’m hopelessly addicted.  It is my crack and I stay up way too late watching it.  Friends have been worried about why I’m so tired and I have to have to fess up.  It’s ridiculous.

5. The Penguin Parade.  Our zoo, does a Penguin Parade during the winter months on Sundays at 2pm – as long as the weather is below 50 degrees.  I have to admit I was a skeptic – but it was so cute!  Tips: Go Early, Stand by the Exit of the Penguin House under the sun.  It doesn’t last long because they don’t force any penguins to parade – so it’s whoever wants too.  The zookeepers said it’s always the same two penguins ready to go out the door.

7.  My New Wheels. My van’s transmission went out on the way home from having dinner at Happy Joe’s for George’s birthday.  It sucked.  So I spent a week getting cross-eyed looking on the internet for what kind of car I wanted next and finding one to buy.  I ended up getting a 2006 Toyota Sienna.  I feel like a princess, my old van was a 1998 – so the perks are amazing to me.  My favorite is the 8 passenger seating – I can fit 2 non-family members legally now.  Wow. And true confession – as I headed out the door to run errands for the first time in my new ride – I actually wore make-up because the car is so fancy.

8.  My Gift.  John’s company moved offices which meant he worked over a weekend and he spent several long nights getting everything just right.  Last Friday, he came home with a wrapped gift for me from his employers.  It had a sweet note saying how they appreciate my patience and lending my husband to them.  It was an iPad.  Let me repeat.  It.was.an.iPad.  And it is fabulous.  And I love it.  They just moved up to one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in my book.

9. Emma is walking. So she’s up to about 10 steps and it is so cute.  This is not a picture of her walking, just an adorable one.

10. Passing Time. Like I said it’s been a long month with long days.  We’ve been doing all sorts of random things to pass the time.  But this is my favorite.  Emma on the Roomba (our robot vacuum).