Monday, April 30, 2012

Baby Clothes Quilt


Here is a little picture of Brayden's baby clothes quilt! I am really proud that I am making time to get it finished. It's about 1/3 of the way done and then I will back it and hand quilt it! A skill that I learned from my Grandma Brown. I was only 8 when she died. And yet she had already taught me so much! I still have a baby doll blanket that we made together. She had me cut out all of the pieces from some of her old clothes and I hand stitched each one sitting beside her as she quilted one of her own quilts. (and you can tell but come on.. it looks great for an 8 year old!) Then she binded it and tacked it and it became a baby doll blanket for my ragedy ann doll and occasionally my cat! Now Addison totes it around with her doll babies. I really wish she could see it. She would be so proud. Sewing really isn't something that gets handed down anymore.

An update on my little spring cleaning/ decluttering extravaganza.... In the last week I have done more laundry than ever thought possible (outside of a laundrymatt) and it is all folded and PUT AWAY. We shampooed and deep cleaned the carpets. I went through the kids toys, and drawers again. We didn't make it to the consignment sales, but that's ok... there is always next time. I have decided to get rid of my high chairs and switch to the kind of booster seats that go in the chairs. Any feedback if you already have these kind would be greatly appreciated. I haven't for so long because that table that I loved so much as a single person with no children, I now hate because it is so tall. I completely decluttered and deepcleaned the laundry room. (probably because I spent so much time in there this week!!)Now the only things in the cabinets above the washer and dryer are actually related to cleaning.... well... and our liqour! (maybe I should have put a dent in that too! For the sake of decluttering of course!!)  I found the biggest dustbunny I have ever seen! ( my kids like to take the lint out of the trashcan) I should have posted pics of that! They were both covered head to toe in lint! I had to take them outside and strip them down and dust off their clothes and hair BEFORE the bath, so I wouldn't clog up the drain!! Ooh.... and I got a new mop... beacuse lets face it... I HATE swiffers and don't feel like it really works unless it is an old fashoined rope mop! :) ---- OOhhhh and the linen closet... how could I forget the linen closet? I cleaned it all out and donated two trashbags full of  baby blankets, twin and full sheet sets and 4-5 duffel bags & backpacks!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.



This is what I hope my kids remember of their childhood-- Always and Forever. I have told Brayden since Addison came along that "sissy is your best friend", hoping that it would just stick. They are getting to a point now that they can actually play together and enjoy each other. (not that they do consistantly--- but hey.... I am not is some dream lollypop land and never expected for them to not fight. ) And boy do they fight! The scream back and forth at each other --- Brayden, "No Sissy, No" and Addison (who can barely speak anything) manages to scream out "No, No, No, Bray".  They are both very dramatic and love to get each other in trouble. But those few and far between moments when they really play nice together, and hug and kiss and tickle each other, giggleing back and forth is more than enough to make your heart melt for their love for one another.  Brayden has actually said on more than one occasion, "Mommy, I love Sissy... she is my best friend." And I love every moment of it. They are really into holding hands righ now. Brayden takes Addison by the hand and leads her around the house. (At least that's how it starts before he is dragging her down the hallway by the hand screaming "run faster sissy") The road they are walking down, I walked down myself in my childhood (not hand in hand with my sister.... we would never have done anything like that--- probably why I really do want them to be affectionate--- we love each other, we just weren't raised to show it in that way) I just long for them to be close. Here are a couple of quotes that I ran across about siblings that I have decided that I love. :) ( I couldn't help but to include Winnie the Pooh-- I love that bear!"

" Siblings by nature, friends because mommy said so." -- Unknown
" A sister is like having a best friend that you can't get rid of" -- Unknown

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
Even longer,' Pooh answered.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”
A.A. Milne

Saturday, April 28, 2012

I flirt with hoarding...

I FLIRT WITH HOARDING....... there... I said it... outloud... (well in an online sort of way)!
No, I promise I am not really a hoarder! My home is not pile after pile of crap with food everywhere and paths to navigate through.... I am only saying that I struggle with getting rid of THINGS. I am not sure really where it came from. And that is only compounded by the fact that I keep EVERYTHING... which was all fine and good until the children started coming! LOL. My husband and I joke about it quite frequently. He is trained well... he knows not to throw anything away that could in some fashion be thought of as a keepsake of any kind! ( he is a really good husband) I realize that I am creating a huge amount of "stuff" to store and keep, so I try to organize and minimize as much as I can stand it. I scrapbook--- which I love and that is actually neatly organized with all of the keepsakes and pictures and papers and stickers, all tucked into the ugliest cabinet/ 5 dresser drawer combo unit that you can imagine. Their baby clothes that the kids wore all of the time I am making into blankets--- which will be great--- once they are put together all of the way.... until then there are just totes of keepsake clothes and yet another "project" that I have. Where in the world did all of this come from? I mean.. I even do it with my clothes! I guarantee that I have some clothes from at least high school! I still have boxes in my garage from the first time I moved out of my parents house! I have just always HATED throwing anything away. I feel like I am wasteing it.

My Aunt Sassy could share her story with you about her helping me move once. She packed up my bathroom and I SWEAR she packed three boxes of just lotion, body spray and cosmetics! ( this was also in my defense about 8 years ago when Bath and Body Works had just became popular and the "It" gift of the year was bath sets) We had a good laugh and I promised to not buy any more until all of my other stuff was gone! (and then it took me another move before I actually threw it all away)
 We donate to Goodwill actually quite frequently. I always have. I am just by nature an Agonizer. I agonize about every decision that you can think possible. My husband hates it! This Agonizing is only compounded by the constant thoughts I get when going through things that maybe other people could use it.. or maybe I could repurpose it in some way... I am way too creative at times! I just rarely have the time anymore to follow through with anything! And going through the boxes in the garage of the things that I haven't seen in a long time (from high school etc) is aweful. I start out pretty good... but lets face it... I am also a reminisser... I look at pictures and notes and stuff that I had and remember the times--- what life was like then--- how I though and how this particular item made me feel... and then I agonize about what to do with it now! Torture!!  ( I am sure some of you are reading this and thinking that I am really messed up! It really isn't THAT bad-- I promise...)

I have never claimed to be the neatest person in the world (with the one exception of growing up in the same room with my neat-freak sister--- I may at one time or another--- have suggested that the problem with our messy room may have been her too--- which I seriously doubt now) (our good friends will get a kick out of that one) My house is an organized mess at times. Almost never completely clean... mainly just lived in. It is amazing to me how fast with little ones that things pile up on every open space possible... first bottles then sippy cups and then diaper and wipe stashes and I know I at least have four diaper bags that are all in different places in the house.

I blog about this now because I am really pushing myself to get rid of things. Maybe it's spring cleaning, maybe it's an eventual move to a smaller home, I just feel like I need to.  When did all of the stuff become so important to me? I definetly have sentimental attachment to TONS of things! I feel like everything reminds me of something! lol. My job has to play a part too. I am constantly reminded of how short and unpromised tomorrow really could be... so I try and capture every moment... just in case. I absolutely love looking at pictures too. Every bit of it. Memory is so funny to me. I look back at pictures of my babies (from not that long ago even) and I am dumbfounded about how much I actually don't recall by just closing my eyes and thinking about it. "Were Brayden's cheeks really that fat?" -- most of what I remember is how small he was. And I am not going to lie... IT SCARES ME! I don't ever want to forget....any of it. I am terrified that I or my husband may have alzheimers disease one day... or something may happen to one of us and we would gradually forget what the other person was like. ---- ugh... crying now... for no good reason. I can't help but think of things... something happens when you become a mother.

On a positive note... I am doing really good at going through and getting rid of a ton of stuff. It is crazy just how much stuff you accumulate over the years. I definetly don't need half of all of the stuff, but then again.... there isn't much in this life that you actually NEED. Just figured I would put it all out there... I CAN'T be the only one...