Smile And Wave

Valentine's Day Forever

I love when a fun holiday lands on a weekend so that it can be fully enjoyed by all members of the family at the same time. This Valentine's Day we celebrated at home with some special touches to make it feel more festive. Cake is always requested for holidays at home and I'm always happy to oblige. This year it meant a boxed red velvet cake (it'd been a long week) with homemade cream cheese frosting (because duh, not that long) and their favorite root beer from our local natural food grocer. 

I pulled out all of the pink and red decorations from holidays past and then added my new macrame yarn garland and finger knit one in pink. I have a feeling they'll be used for the next few November birthday parties unless Ruby stops loving pink as much as I do. She helped decorate with plenty of handmade hearts to make sure our walls weren't bare and made sure she was around to taste test the cake mix and frosting. 

The kids got Valentines from their great grandparents in the mail that afternoon with a little fun money inside so Brett volunteered to take all three of them to Target to pick something out and run a few errands while I finished the cake and enjoyed a quiet house for the first time in weeks. It was one of those gifts of time alone doing something I enjoyed that was worth more than any store bought gift I could've received and made all the more valuable after about six weeks of having all three kids mostly to myself. 

It was so fun having both arms free to add sprinkles to the cake in the shape of a heart, decorate the top of the piano, fashion a quick little photo holder for a cake topper, pick out my favorite InstaThis print of the three kids, fuss with party straws, and take pictures of everything to help remember Smith's first Valentine's Day celebration before reminding fingers to stay out of the frosting or helping clean up a spilled drink.

The kids' school doesn't allow sugary treats or food items to be passed out with Valentines but they did have a designated time in the school day on Thursday to trade them so we used some of what we had on hand to make Valentines for each of the kids in their classes. Sebastian has fewer kids so we used clay to make oven bake hearts that he painted and wrote his name on the back of. Ruby has a lot more kids so she colored on paper cards that she made a few of everyday leading up to the party. She then painted two clay hearts for her teachers because she didn't want to miss out on painting something. 

I decorated the top of the cake but then thought it needed something else so I added a photo that InstaThis sent over. It didn't get any frosting on it, thank goodness, so it can be used in another project later or framed. 

Brett picked up some cards for the kids and myself while he was at Target and wrote them a sweet message in each of them. Then we had pizza and cake and root beer (their favorite treats) and talked about silly things in between sharing one thing we loved about each member of the family. It's a tradition I hope we can keep going for as long as we get to share our Valentine's Day together at home. 

Later that evening Brett and I enjoyed catching up on some quality time after the kids were asleep. We will get our turn to have a fun night out on the town soon but this particular weekend called for a night in by the fire cuddling while we caught up on a favorite show and reminisced over this time last year when we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Smith and I was too full of child to do much of anything! Oh how things have changed in one year's time.

I hope your Valentine's Day held a little love in it from someone. I hope you got some cake, too!

-Rachel

Collaborative Art with Ruby

Ruby has always been a girl that loves a good art project. With new blank walls in her new room to fill, I decided to repurpose some canvases that I'd been holding on to since Sebastian was the only child on the scene.  

To prepare them, I gave the smaller canvas a few coats of white tempura paint since I had it on hand and then coated the larger canvas with that lovely minty green acrylic paint. I then told her we were going to be working on a fun art project together and that she could choose any of the pre-selected colors to use on her canvas. By pre-selecting enough complimentary colors that I knew would look good in her room, I was able to offer her some freedom to choose her favorites without ending up with an orange, purple, and red explosion. This was a win/win. 

I gave her free reign on the oval canvas but I added some geometric shapes to the smaller one before giving her a turn to see how she wanted to add to it. 

She was happy to fill in some white spaces for me and I was pretty pleased that she was so interested in sharing a project. Her oval piece features a girl holding a tray that carries a snowman made out of caramel to a table at a restaurant. It's complete with a neon pink ceiling, some clouds, and the sun up above. It's finally dry and waiting to find it's spot on the wall in her room. 

This last painting was from a time when I was really into abstract clouds. I think Ruby was just a new little thing when I first started it. Instead of painting over it, I just let it become part of her background. She's finished this one as well but you'll have to wait to see what she added when we find a spot for them in her room. I'll give you a hint, though. It has lop ears.

Have you ever painted over a previously painted canvas? Do you ever feel a little bit guilty about it? I think unfinished projects that sit and sit are hard to let go of but after awhile, if they've got the potential to become something better, I give myself permission to take them apart and start over. 

-Rachel

Introducing Rebel and Bingo

I'd like to make it official and introduce to you the two newest sweeties under our roof, Rebel and Bingo. They have been named and renamed but I think it's safe to put it in writing at this point. Brett's mom kindly checked in with us about getting the kids bunnies for Christmas and we decided it'd be a great idea. It was actually on my own (semi-kidding) Christmas list two years ago to get one! 

She surprised the kids and they were pretty excited about them but Ruby has almost claimed them both as hers. She's our animal lover. I told her she should think about maybe donating a few of the stuffed animals that she's had for awhile since she got a few at Christmas and she got big crocodile tears and told me she didn't think she could because she loved them all so much! 

We slowly introduced the bunnies to Sunday, our lab/weim mix, and she's decided they're welcome. She sniffs them and has licked their heads gently but mostly they just kind of sit near each other on the rug. The bunnies aren't scared of her at all and while we wouldn't leave them out while we're not at home, I'm pretty certain they're going to be friends. 

It's been a great lesson in responsibility for the kids as it's their job to feed, water, and pick up bunny poo. Ruby gets them out as soon as she's home from school at lunch time and they roam around downstairs for a bit. Smith shrieks with delight every time they hop near him but still needs a little assistance in being gentle with them. 

We're learning so much about caring for them and all that they need but we're so thankful for what they've added to our home life. 

Oh, and they're both boy bunnies. Yeah, that was triple checked.

-Rachel

Bits of Christmas 2014

Christmas in a new home is always both exciting and overwhelming. We've moved enough times now that I've learned how to use what I have to work with the home we're in that year and let the rest stay in boxes for another Christmas. I've also gathered so much over the years from flea markets and thrift stores that I have a few different color schemes I can choose from. What I don't have, I fill in with handmade or store bought. I always get out my favorites and I hope they are the things that the kids remember being special parts of these childhood memories.

This Christmas was the pause before Brett's new job started up. It meant filling in the gaps between paychecks by selling things we didn't have use or room for, resisting the urge to buy anything extra, making smart grocery lists, cutting ALL the fat, staying up late to finish contributor posts, mending the holes in thrifted jackets, counting our blessings when we found a second unexpected amount sitting in an old bank account (check your old accounts!), taking advantage of free holiday activities, splurging on hot chocolate and marshmallows, learning to not just be thankful for what we have but seeing how much we still have. 

We ditched the Advent Activity Calendar this year for a few different reasons but still managed to include a few inexpensive or free holiday activities. We made gingerbread houses from graham crackers and homemade frosting. I let the kids pick out two bags of candy each and I don't think I can ever go back to the kits. It was so fun doing something a little different and the frosting held up so well. 

Our new rental, sweet rental is only a few blocks from downtown Springfield so we were able to walk to the Christmas parade this year. I remember taking Sebastian as a little boy and freezing as I held him all wrapped up in Brett's jacket. This year I bundled Smith up and wore him in my Ergo and forced a jacket on Ruby before heading down the street. 

The kids got more candy than they did at Halloween and finally got to see Santa after countless promises to drive to Bass Pro and give him their wish lists. It was much more fun than standing in line for two hours. 

We had a Christmas countdown but Ruby decided it needed a holiday scene so she added Santa and his reindeer. And Olaf. Then we just stopped trying to keep up with the countdown so it stayed at 16 for about a week. 

I made mostly new stockings for the banister. I reused one from a DIY last year and then made coordinating ones from fabric and an old sweater. Lest you think this is some sort of sneaky announcement, we only have six stockings because Ruby was convinced Sunday needed one, too. The pom poms are handmade and the adornments are various ornaments and letters I've collected.

Smith has found the stairs, folks. We have purchased a baby gate but laundry baskets have been standing in as well.

We spent some time with Brett's family prior to Christmas and then came home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to repack, do laundry, drop off gifts, and enjoy a break from all of the driving. It was a little odd as it's only the second time we've been at our own house on Christmas Day but it was also really special waking up to our own tree and opening the presents Santa brought!

We then headed to Oklahoma to see my side of the family and had three more rounds of Christmas gatherings before coming home on New Year's Eve. Brett has been preparing to start his new job in life insurance this week so we got back in time for him to study up for the next round of training. I cleaned and organized our closet and bedroom and set up Smith's crib so that he can start napping and sleeping there at night (at least for the first few hours).

I'm ready to take everything down and hit the refresh button on some newly unpacked spaces. It's time to go buy a few plants, decide on a rug, switch my studio with Sebastian's room, replace some stand in curtains that aren't quite long enough to cover our tall windows, and keep working towards making this place our home, however long that may be.

Have I mentioned our home is gorgeous? Have I mentioned I love the huge kitchen? What about the light that it gets or the beautiful trees in the yard? That's a whole different post to share in the coming weeks. 

Whether your Christmas looked a little like ours or completely different, I hope it was special. 

-Rachel

 Christmas in Colorado 2013

Christmas in Colorado 2012

Christmas in Springfield 2011

Christmas in Springfield 2010

Christmas in Springfield 2009

Christmas in Springfield 2008

The Day Ruby Turned Five

We had another simple celebration for Ruby's birthday this year. We had only been in our new house for two weeks and were still swimming in packing paper and stacks of half opened cardboard boxes so I let go of my grand expectations and kept it doable. Sometimes it's all about managing those expectations, huh! 

Ruby requested chocolate cake with whipped cream on top so I made a naked cake with four layers (because I had four cake pans) and made our own whipped cream after seeing how easy it was to make from a friend of ours in Colorado. I added some Pokey sticks in the shape of a five and she was a happy girl. We had the extra cake in the fridge all afternoon and by the time everyone was ready for seconds, the kids said the whipped cream tasted like ice cream. It was delicious!

I stayed up the night before hand-painting packing paper with black acrylic paint. Now, before you wonder at my incredible effort to make custom wrapping paper, understand that it was the obvious choice for a lady that had it exploding from the tops of boxes in every room. I also had plenty of black paint and foam brushes and little desire to go back to Wal-Mart with a child or two in tow to purchase the one thing I forgot. Necessity (laziness) is the mother of invention. 

She decided she needed a Star Wars themed party the night before her birthday (before I ran off to Wal-Mart for balloons and candles) but she'd switched things up so much from her original idea, I was hoping she was flexible.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing, working, and enjoying our backyard fire pit. Smith decided to start pulling up on things so Brett stuck him in an empty box to help contain him. I had to chase Ruby around the yard to get her picture. With her new numerical standing has also come a little more willfullness. I can take it.

I owe Ruby a big party next year. It seems we make big life adjustments right before or after both big kids' birthdays and sometimes that means our energies are aimed at all of the other things. I'm so thankful that they could care less about having a Pinterest worthy party as long as they get cake and have a few balloons to kick around all afternoon. I'm still going big next year.

I'm so thankful our three kids' birthday's are spread out nicely throughout the calendar year! I'm not sure how anyone manages to do birthdays back-to-back!

Stopping to reflect on where we were this time last year is something my Grandmother always does when we all get together and is probably one of the reasons she has the best memory in the family. This time last year we were welcoming Brett home from deployment and preparing ourselves for our little mystery baby. It was such a special time. Like a familymoon instead of a honeymoon. Doing all I can to remember how much we've made it through in the last few years and how thankful I am for where we are now.

-Rachel 

A Boy/Girl Shared Room Tour

I think this may go down as the most promised room tour in blog history. I'm pretty sure I started working on transitioning Ruby and Sebastian's shared room in our two-bedroom craftsman in Colorado over a year ago but it's been such a year of change that some things just needed to take a back seat to others. Like changing all the diapers.

We are one month out from the last night they even slept in this room and are finally sleeping in their own rooms for the first time tonight in our new rental. As much as they pined for their own rooms while sharing this one, they had a hard time when it came to sleeping alone at night. I loved knowing they took comfort in each other's presence, even if it was only before bedtime!

The kids started out in this room with two twin beds but we switched them to bunkbeds soon after Brett got home from his deployment to give them more floor room to play without stepping all over each other. We also thought we might have to add Smith's crib to this space but managed to keep him in our room for the time we had left. We went with the natural wood bunkbed from ikea and while it fit our budget and the kids love it, one of the slats broke the week after we put it together and it just feels like it might not make it through another round of rough housing. 

Despite it's prefab limits, it did fulfill our kids' wildest dreams to sleep in a bunk bed and it really opened up the once crowded room. It was a great option for our temporary situation and now resides in Ruby's room where it is likely to be used for a bed/hideout combo. 

Smith wasn't crawling when we were here but he loved to lounge in the pouf from Target and roll around on the rug while one of us read a story to the big kids at bedtime. 

I covered the dark wood built-ins with blueprint copies that I hand drew. You can get the specifics in this tutorial. It brightened their small room instantly and made it feel more modern. We don't have any built-ins in their rooms at our current house but I may do something similar to Ruby's closets. 

I wanted their room to feel cohesive but not overly styled so I chose items to display that worked well with the black, white, and yellow color palette that repeated itself throughout the space. 

I also let them choose handmade quilts. I was going to make matching black and white triangle quilts but got hung up after finishing the first one. Thankfully I had another quilt in our stash made from all of my favorite vintage fabrics that Ruby was excited about. The afghan was a thrift store find and is so cozy as an extra layer when it gets cold. The yellow shams are from Target and the black and white pillow is from ikea.

I think it's important to fill a child's space with memories made and this perler bead bowl not only fit that bill but also helped contain some of Ruby's treasures. A good mama friend of ours helped Ruby make one during an afternoon play date at her house and we were both pretty thrilled to take it home! Thanks, Diane!

The white bookshelf and bins behind that sweet baby are from ikea. I can't rave about cute bins enough when it comes to kid's rooms. They give all the little pieces a home and hide the clutter that can feel so suffocating. Keeping them at their level means they are fully capable of putting their toys away without much help, although I feel like that might be a life long lesson.

It was important to me to add a little bit of plant life to their space so I kept a cactus up high where it couldn't poke a curious visitor and a Mother-in-Law's tongue plant that wasn't high maitenance. I also added some texture and repeated the geometric theme through a wall hanging I made back in May. The Let Them Be Little print was c/o Life, Love, Paper and is a great reminder for me when I'm expecting too much.

This side was an ever changing space with two different versions of this gallery style wall art and a place for trying out new storage solutions. The frames are all ikea, the prints are from Artifact Uprising, the metal tag is vintage, the crocheted bow is from Calikatrina, and the rest is handmade. The tutorial for how I saved the woven basket from the garbage bin can be found here. 

My take on kids' rooms is that you can help design one that is fun functional for the kids without grinding against the rest of your home's aesthetic. There are ways to compromise that everyone can live with. There are also times to let them have that incredibly loud, clashy, plush blanket and those other items that we were all probably drawn to as kids because letting them express their little personalities through color and print, even ones that make our skin crawl, is valid and important. It's about finding that happy place between introducing want we want for our kids and making room for what's really important to them. Thoughts?

You can find my post on more specific ways we helped our son and daughter share this space over on A Beautiful Mess. I hope it's helpful to anyone else trying to figure it out, too.

-Rachel

Other Sources// You're the Bestest print, RBTL. Bunkbed, rug, white bookshelf, yellow bins, IKEA. Dresser, wall map, afghan, wooden kitchen, vintage. Pouf, Target. Quilts and curtains, handmade by me. Yellow elephant plush, SleepyKing.

Pumpkin Carving and Pumpkin Wearing

We've only been in our new rental for two weeks and there are still boxes to unpack in every room except the kitchen but that wasn't going to stop us from enjoying this festive season. We picked up a few pumpkins and mums at deeply discounted prices the day before Halloween to get our front porch looking the part and then got to work on some pumpkin carving.

Ruby chose a white pumpkin and had me trace and help her cut out a black cat. She loved it so much she couldn't bear the thought of throwing the negative cut out cat shape away! Also, her pumpkin wasn't moldy, just a bit dirty from the lot. 

Sebastian is my kid that never wanted slimey stuff on his hands as a little kid and is sensitive to textures but he didn't mind cleaning his pumpkin out at all. 

Smith was taking it all in from his perch next to me. He's so much quieter now that he can sit up on his own and is usually content to stay in one spot for a bit as long as there's something near him to explore.

Soon after the photo above we had a major diaper issue that called for a complete outfit change. The kids kept working on cleaning out their pumpkins while I took care of things inside and then brought Smith back out to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Except remember that part about how he was so content to sit still? 

Yeah, never mind. 

-Rachel

Into the Woods

We had a mini adventure into the woods two weekends ago to see the Aspen turning for the first time since we've lived here. Last year I wasn't brave enough to go up the winding dirt road whilst pregnant and with Brett out of the country, and the year before that he was in the field for training. It was our second attempt that weekend after we bailed before we even got out of the city due to bad attitudes and an over tired baby. You win some, you lose some, but I wasn't about to forego this quickly closing window of opportunity due to a car full of hangry kids. 

The second time we got snacks and left early enough to not feel as rushed before the light faded and I brought our Ergo to make sure Smith had a better time. He's moved into that phase where if I give him to Brett and walk to the kitchen to start dinner he feels a little abandoned. That bottom lip quivers and it's suddenly alligator tears and the saddest sounds coming from his red little face! I still don't wear him all day but it's usually much more enjoyable when we're out and about for me to have him in a sling or wrap of some sort. 

The kids and Brett climbed around on some fun rock formations and then I hiked up a hill to look out over some large boulders and couldn't get over how many different colors made up our surroundings. It was just spectacular.

We only stayed for a bit as the sun was setting and we didn't want to get stuck on the scary, dirt road after dark but it felt like a major accomplishment getting to check something off of our Colorado bucket list.

Sebastian asked if we could do that kind of thing every weekend and I was reminded again that the energy it takes to get five people out of the house and into a car we've outgrown to go somewhere we've never been is usually always worth it-fussing and all. Memories are made and horizons are expanded. Living so close to the mountains has given us all a taste for the great outdoors that we didn't have the first time we lived in Missouri so I'm eager to discover all that the Ozarks has to offer all over again. 

Have you had a chance to get out into nature as the seasons are shifting?

-Rachel

 

Looking Ahead

Brett and I managed to sit down and have a planning meeting on the couch to help us map out what the next month of change will look like. We're moving back to Springfield, MO very soon as this chapter of life with the Army comes to a close and another chapter begins to unfold. It's been such a long way off until this week and suddenly it feels like the days are speeding past me and the lists of things to finish before we leave only grow. 

Despite feeling overwhelmed I'm hoping we can enjoy this transition as we venture back to familiar territory and to friends that are as excited for our return as we are. We'll be settling in right before the holidays start needing our extra special attention and will be celebrating a certain five-year-old (once in both towns).

Today we finally found a rental that we're really excited about, thanks in part to Elsie and Jeremy, who took a tour for us and sent us photos and notes on more than one occasion. It's a Victorian within walking distance to downtown and has almost everything I was hoping for to keep us cozy until we find a home to make our own. More about that soon but not before I call my mom and fill her in first.

In the meantime I'm going to take a cue from Ruby and have a little fun with things as we enjoy our friends and favorite places in Colorado Springs one last time. We are taking with us so many lessons and memories in the time we've spent 6,000 ft in the sky. 

-Rachel

We Have A Third Grader

Sebastian started third grade at the same Waldorf school he was able to get into last year. He has the same teacher and mostly the same kids in his class which has proven to be a great way to start the year without having to wade through a month of forming relationships and learning class rules/boundaries, etc. They were able to go on a field trip to pick berries and apples the second day of school thanks to invested parents and a brave teacher! 

Ruby is also starting preschool this year but not until we move back to Springfield in a few weeks. We didn't want to have to pull her from the only classroom setting she's known after only a month and make her do it all over again somewhere new. It didn't keep her from packing her backpack, though! 

After the opening ceremony in the courtyard to celebrate another year of learning and catching up with all of the mamas I hadn't seen all summer, Ruby and I headed to the back lot to reacquaint ourselves with the goats, chickens, and bunnies. 

I couldn't believe how much the garden had exploded over the summer thanks to a knowledgeable gardener that teaches the kids about agriculture and help from more invested parents. They've got beautiful flowers, vegetables growing from hay bales, a hoophouse full of tomato plants, a rainwater barrel, compost pile, a new adobe house for the kindergarteners to play in, stumps around a fire pit for full moon bonfires after hours, etc. The kids not only learn how to grow things, they're learning to respect the hard work everyone has put into tending such a space and help care for it themselves. 

They've actually been in school for two-and-a-half weeks now. Each Friday is outdoor education and since they had harvested berries and apples that first Friday, they made mini berry pies to take home the second Friday and Ruby, Smith and I helped them make apple butter this last Friday! Sebastian's teacher really is one of those special ones that I know he'll always remember. 

In other news, Ruby has decided she's willing to wear a pony tail, FOR REALS THIS TIME.

That girl. She'll be five in less than two months and I really can't wait to keep seeing her personality unfold. She's such a fiesty, creative, loving little person. I'm also pretty sure I'll be holding back the tears when she heads to half day school soon. An end of an era all over again but also such a beautiful thing to see how much they grow when they venture out. 

-Rachel