Obsessed

What a nice few days I've had at home with Harbor!

But I have to admit that I've been a bit obsessed with finding (hunting them down like a bloodhound!) odds and ends and giving them new purpose and meaning.

See! I call these my "painting pedastals." David fondly refers to them as property damage.

Speaking of which, I only have one more frame to paint and touch up and the hallway may be finished... maybe.

This week, Harbor and I have made snack decisions together...

 built train tracks, bridges, and tunnels... I think I'm making great improvements in my civil engineering skills (and gaining brownie points with my two boys!)

created European inspired roadways...

And constructed a race track and parking garage worthy of the name "Trump."

I have really spent the most of our time focusing on the potty. Harbor was previously doing really well, but with the big move here to Detroit, a new house, and a new routine, we lost a bit of ground. The good news is that today is day four with no accidents and mommy not having to change a single daily diaper. He has been working so hard and has really decided he is ready. We still, of course, sleep with a diaper at night, but for day times, he is letting me know on his own and making it every time. Way to go, Harbor William! Mommy is so proud of you. : )

This picture makes me laugh! He was sitting on his potty "waiting", but was distracted by his blocks. I came around the corner and discovered his little pajamas still down.  Silly, Harbor!

And since we are always learning new things, Harbor has learned a new "card" trick that he would like to show you!

Impressed, hu? I'm sure you've never seen piggies do that.  : )

David has some really fun plans for our "home-school-preschool-workbook" table. We really only use it for 30 minutes or so during each day, but I need organization and a way to get "everything" up off the table to clear room for us to have plenty of workspace.

Harbor is such a happy worker, and as a "retired" early teacher of six years, it makes me so happy.

We spent this day working on preposition concepts.

My aunt, Cathy, recently celebrated her 50th birthday and my parents threw a big dinner party for her at their house. They had a Rick's cake, fresh flowers, and lots of guests. We really missed being there, but we had a plan- a skype dinner! My parents cleared a place for us at the dinner table and set up the laptop. We coordinated it so that we were sitting down to eat at the same time they were. We all ate dinner "together", visited about current events, sang the birthday song together, and had dessert. While we didn't have cake, I made sure to have a yummy dessert ready- strawberry shortcake. It felt (almost) like we were there! They, in Arkansas, took a picture of us (my mom has it on her Facebook page- sorry), but I posed us and took a picture "with" them. Ha! It is the worst picture in the history of failed tri-pod attempts, but I want to preserve this memory and share it with you anyway. Poor David is completey cut out, but Harbor is laughing from the "blinking" light of the timer, which is pretty cute. What a great memory of a fun celebration!

Harbor is all about making faces these days. He has several, but today I wil showcase his happy and serious ones. He is so into making the "serious" face.. it is seriously funny!  : )

Harbor and I have been spending a fair amount of time outside everyday. If I can just be honest, I'm not into summer as a season very much. I really don't heart the pool and I hate to stay out very long. I know it is shocking to most of you and I wish I were different, but alas, I just don't love being out in the sun. I like the tan and I like the "idea" of it. All that to say, I'm really, really trying this year to spend as much time outside as Harbor wants. And, it really hasn't been that bad. I'm just so much more of a "knee boot, blazer, scarf, Let it Snow, Let it Snow kind of girl." Maybe Michigan and I will be best friends? We shall see! When our loan officer here said they had SEVENTY inches of snow last year, I almost spit my Coke Zero out.

Harbor asked to wash my car, and well, it did really need it.

As part of the "potty promise," I have vowed to Harbor that he may receive one ice-pop for every potty success story. Today, folks, he ate eight of them. And I was more than happy to serve them up!

And drumroll please.... I had some friends in Arkansas (you know who you are! Ahem!) that were threatening me if I didn't start showing a few more room pictures, so here is where we are at this point with Harbor's room. Sadly, it is only one side of the room. I'll keep you advised when we turn the corner and do more work (I have two canvases to paint and a drape to make for the other side of the room first.. mom, want to come visit soon?) Ha!


I really do feel lucky- like so many of you other ladies, I have a husband who is Handy Manny and will do about anything I ask of him. Hmmm.. he must love me or something.  : ) Thanks, honey! You work hard all day and I sure appreciate it when you come home and get things done around here, too.

 My mom made these "handsome" double drapes when she was here visiting. They look really great, mom, and I love how nicely they fit in those sturdy cornice boxes.

And here are my festive (easy!) scrapbook paper canvases. They are hanging on the other side of the room, which is under construction. Harbor and I like to talk about them, where those states are, and what they mean (while we sit on the potty and wait, and wait, and wait...)

Ahh! Don't you love it when a room starts to come together! Again, this house has such great bones. Large upper and lower trim really sets the tone against the paint and those brillant, 82 year old hardwood floors. I chose a few color "splash" rugs, which are really in right now and so fun as an alternate to a full area rug. Harbor likes to choose a color and sit and read on it.

 And that $20.00 Fred's mirror from our first year of marriage (over 10 years ago!) has come in handy! It makes me wonder what else in this house needs painting... ha!

I've added a new, fun anonymous poll in the upper right hand corner!

Have a blessed weekend and Father's Day!  

Mommy and Harbor Work as a Team

I'm so happy to be a "boy" mama! I really get just as excited as he does when we learn new "tricks! Enjoy!

Projects

Hello, friends and family! If you follow my blog but don't have your own, know me in real life, taught school with me, or are just a friendly lurker who has found me perhaps through mutual acquaintances we may have, feel free to leave a comment. I've modified my commenting section and will approve all comments before they hit the airways. No promises, but I'll give it a whirl and see how it goes. Only nice comments, please.  : )

Harbor and I were swimming in the backyard in the little pool when the UPS truck arrived and delivered a very heavy box. He said,"Oh! This is all the way from Arizona!" I felt bad correcting him that "AR" was an Arkansas abbreviation, but I felt the need to inform him that Arizona was in fact, "AZ." Since I've lived in both states growing up and all, it was necessary.

We raced inside to see what had arrived!

And here is the "cheesy" smile once again making an appearance.

My mom was so sweet to write several notes to each of us and attach them to specific items that she thought needed further explanation. This bag was full of goodies for Harbor William.

Thanks, Gigi and Poppy!

This in particular made me laugh out loud. Anyone who knows Harbor knows that black olives from the can are his favorite snack. It was just so unexpected to see them in that box that I really got a good giggle. And he promptly asked me to open them. And he ate them all.

This sweet note was in a baggie full of spices. Her note explained that she looked for these spices in our local Michigan grocery store and couldn't find them. She wanted to make sure we had them. Thanks, mom! You are so loving to think of the little things. 

And this bag had a note to David. While David was painting the house the weeks my mom visited, he stained his favorite Razorback shorts with brown interior paint. My mom, the generous one to think of everything, had been on the scout since returning home and had found two replacements. And a Razorback flag for our cap cod. There definitely won't be another one flying anywhere close to here, I'm sure!

After we opened the box, I called my mom to thank her, and bless her soul, she was leaving the post office from mailing another package here! I told her to pace herself, but we are so excited to see what she sends! Thanks so much, mom and dad. It makes us feel so much closer to you! Everything will be put to good use!

In other news, Harbor and I have enjoyed spending our days together. Many people have asked if it feels different, staying home full time now time as opposed to teaching. Honestly, it is too soon to say. As a teacher, I was off every summer for two months. And with it being summer now, and since I pretty much finished my school year out, I really just feel like a teacher on summer break. I'm sure when August rolls around, it will really hit home that I no longer have my own classroom to manage. But, I love being able to share in Harbor's day. I feel fulfilled and challenged and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where I need to be, where God has called me, and where my heart is happiest. I miss teaching, but seasons of life come and go and change. This is just a new season.

Harbor was unintentionally "growing" his hair out as we have been too busy to find a hairdresser (or dog groomer, for that matter.) My roots are going to start growing weeds if I don't get a foil soon, but moving out of state makes it hard to tend to those needs as there are so many other pressing matters. I took these before his hair cut with daddy a few days ago.

Harbor and I have spent the hottest part of the day inside building car washes complete with "white suds"...

Stop signs...

and sail boats..

I had a sweet comment asking about my time management through the day, and eventually, I'd love to share our schedule with you. I know everyone has a different lifestyle and what works for us would not work for everyone, but I certainly believe in structure. Coming from a classroom environment, it is key in creating a predictable and peaceful environment. That is not to say that we always have a "plan" for our day, because we don't, but we generally are creatures of habit around here.

During the cooler part of the day, I have been crouched in our backyard, spray painting an odd assortment of mismatched frames, using Rustoleum Satin Green Apple. It is a perfect "fun" green somewhere in between Key Lime and Moss. This project was cheap and free, other than spray paint. We all have framed art and photographs that we outgrow or become outdated. By popping the glass out, old frames can be used as art for large expanses of wall.

I'm nowhere near finished on our hallway going upstairs, but this gives you a good idea where I'm headed. I still have several frames hanging that need to be painted, but David placed them first for me to develop the pattern. Frames within frames requires a bit of planning, but it has been a fun project!

Harbor's room was painted tonight and we have made some strong progress there, so I hope to have some pictures for you in the next few days. Other than that, were doing well. David is enjoying his new job and has made a few good friends and even played a golf game last weekend with a few guys from work. Harbor and I are hard at work with the potty chair and I have a million projects running at all times. After we get Harbor's room put together, I'm whitewashing our fireplace and then moving to my craft room. Anyone have experience with whitewash (not white paint, but the actual lime mixture?)

I hate this picture is blurry (I used my tripod and so the focus was out of whack, and a picture of me is rare these days,) but Harbor and I had reason to celebrate. My Michigan driver's license arrived and we headed out to the library to get a library card and check out books! We were both so excited and Harbor almost breathed an audible sigh of relief to have new books at home.

The library is quite a sight. It is old, like our home, almost 100 years old and was at one time a Victorian mansion on the water, owned by a wealthy family in the city. It has since been given back to the city and placed on the historic record, renovated to its former beauty, and is a wonderful place to visit and, of course, watch boats on the Detroit River. I love that greater Detroit is trying hard to preserve its historic buildings. Despite what you hear, Detroit is a city of amazing culture and art.

As a fun side note, Michigan residents receive an "Enhanced License" if they so choose - those of you that follow my blog from Michigan, just ignore this since you already know it (ha!), which means it is a passport of sorts, as well as your regular license. My license will give me access to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands without needing a passport. Isn't that fun! So, we may be visiting Windsor very soon! Exciting!

Until next time, take care! Love and miss you, friends and family!

Rainy Day Fun

I'm sure I will post more videos of daily life since I am so far from family and friends now. They will more than likely be nothing "special", but just sweet moments at home to remember Harbor William by. He is not much of a camera hog and very rarely enjoys being the center of attention, so we never expect much when we video him. Ha! He is a pretty easy going, almost bashful child.  But, I know someday, I'll be glad to have these simple clips to remind me of what life was like "way back when."

Today was a "stay at home" day with no errands to run or major tasks to complete, so we lounged and played games while listening to rain hit the drive way. Enjoy, family! We sure do miss you!