Junk Mail

It's Friday! And David has the whole weekend off- a miracle!

For our anniversary, we kept it really low key. Last year, for our 10th, we were living in separate states. He had moved to Michigan to house hunt and Harbor and I remained in Arkansas, as I finished teaching. He had flowers sent to my classroom and a new pretty rock for my ring finger hand delivered to me at home.

This year, we agreed to keep it easy. We went out to dinner and I awoke the next morning to find a sweet card with a small handwritten paragraph and a new box of Sharpies.

I'd say after eleven years, he knows what my makes my heart beat fast.

Handwritten Sharpie cards for everyone!  You can thank David. : )

This past week, I've made David and Harbor blueberry muffins for breakfast and packed a bag so David can grab them on his way to work. Since he has to be in his office at 6:00 a.m., I am honestly not getting up before him and presenting him breakfast at the table. Mind blowing, I know. {Grin!}

 I do feel better when I can add these yummy blueberries to the mix though. 

Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference.

For one of our lessons this week, I have been working on the word "favorite." I gave Harbor the junk mail from the mailbox and told him to only cut out his favorites. After he cut them out, we went over each piece and he told me why he liked it, etc. A few food items were ones he doesn't like {avacados}, so I had a great chance to teach him again about the word "favorite" and what it means to him.

It was a fun lesson and Harbor especially enjoyed using the glue

{a favorite of his, no doubt!}

A few days later, we covered a cracker box with paper, used cardboard to make handles and a whistle and made a train. We stuffed plastic animals inside and took them on a ride to a few important places. They visited the laundry room and helped me start a few loads of clothes, mainly. : )

Do you see a theme here.. using trash and junk mail as toys?

Making our own creations is just way too much fun.

David's raised garden bed is soon to produce curly little tendrils of sweet plants.

We can't wait!

We spend a lot on fruit and vegetables every week. I put out the groceries from this weeks shopping trip and couldn't help but think that soon we will be picking our own cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, kohlrabi, green beans, and peppers.

David built an irrigation system to keep it watered and all the seeds have been planted.

Now, if we can only keep the frost away. Oh, Michigan, warm up for me, will ya? : )

Have a great weekend! 

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!