Geocaching

Geocaching is like treasure hunting, but with a really good map.  Caches are hidden boxes or objects, and the GPS coordinates are logged in an official database.  With a GPS unit, like a smart phone, you can go searching for them!  When you find it you can sign the log book found with the box, and if you have trinkets to swap you can take a little treasure home with you.  We left a few coins, and the girls picked out a clam shell.  This cache is at a trail/park just about a block away.

Chore Chart

I have made a chore chart!

This is probably only exciting to me, since I've deliberated on design for years, and today finally decided to google "Washi tape chore chart," took a cursory glance at what popped up, and then did whatever I wanted to do.  

1) Type a list of chores in Word.  Size the font up to 18, format into two columns, and print.  I made multiples of things like "put away laundry" and "get dressed."

2) Trim paper around words, and mod podge onto wooden clothes pins.

3) I used a template and Sharpies to trace CHORES onto my canvas, and then decorated with Washi tape.  We all chose a ribbon design, and I sandwiched 12 inch lengths between the Washi tape I'd laid down and a new design.  

4) Push upholstery tacks into the frame of the canvas to better secure the ribbon.

Easy peasy, and finished during Cocoa's nap.

I've been on a cleaning binge/purging streak lately- a least half the kids' toys have either been put away for later, donated, listed in Craigslist, thrown away, or simply confiscated.  I cleared three garbage sacks of stuff from their bedroom floor the other day!  The books, I returned and Ernie organized the shelves again.  Clothes were bundled into the washing machine, and toys are in a bin in my room; they can each earn two  toys back every morning if their room and playroom are clean when they go to bed.  If they're not clean, everything I find out goes into my bin.  I'm going crazy, there HAS to be some order in this house!  Less stuff, so we can find what we want, and less stuff so we value what we have.

Big Band Sound!

My family performed at a dinner tonight for our senior citizens- is there a more fun audience to perform broadway and big band pieces for?  I think not.  My brother Bear is vocals, my husband is electric bass, and I'm on keyboard.  My sister, LoLo joined in for a duet on Cuando, Cuando, Cuando.

We were on between dance numbers from a local ballroom school- for these last three in our set, they came up to the floor to dance with whomever they could get out of their chairs!  Too, too much fun.  So glad we were invited to perform!

These three were our closer pieces- I'll upload the others as well, we all chose a few classic broadway pieces to open.



"Cuando, Cuando, Cuando"


Foggy Day


Feeling Good

Changeling

At dinner tonight I found out that the girls have given each of the light bulbs in our new fixture a My Little Pony name- correspondingly, the chair you choose is tied to a certain light and grants you that title. I heard them chattering about it, and when they dropped to a whisper I perked up. Apparently I was in chair of the dark, burnt out bulb. The evil Changeling Queen chair. Muahahaha.

A Bit of Sunshine

We enjoyed some amazing weather last week- in parting with Seattle's "40's/50's/60's and drizzling October-June" rule, Easter week saw temperatures in the 70's. MAN. I could get used to that.

Don't worry, it's gray and drizzly again today. With the season's yellow daffodils against the gray skies, we're looking quite stylish around here!

We hit our neighborhood beach Saturday afternoon with our cousins. We live blocks from a gorgeous lake, and I seem to forget that a lot of the time! We saw bald eagles, herons, and cormorants. Think there are a lot of fish to be had for munching??

The girls and I watercolor painted after school today- the assignment was to paint a tropical island, with an ocean/sky horizon. I think it's hilarious that Ernie managed to work a rainbow into her painting. Ever since I taught her the rainbow order of colors, everything in her life has revolved around that order. She loves order. Have we learned this yet?

Tuesday

It's been a quiet Tuesday. Ernie is getting pretty self-sufficient in her school. Mimi is loving the warmer weather and disappears for hours to go walk the garden wall, play with chalk, swing, dig, and sing to herself. We call her our little pixie princess. When I found her with her blond curls full of moss the other day, she really looked it!

Cocoa has come down with a fever, again. (Last was was about two months ago, we were fever/flu buddies. And couch/movie buddies.). After letting him sleep in his crib about 4 hours I got nervous and woke him up- he sleeps hot like his dad, and his fever and gone over 102 again. Thermometer actually said 104, but I take its readings with a grain of salt. He eagerly gulped down his medicine (bless the makers of 8 hour Advil for children!!) and then drained two cups of water and started crying for pizza. (He hasn't eaten all day.) He ate a piece of bread and half a muffin, and his fever is down now and he's watching Mythbusters with his dad and I'm getting sleep while I can! Why does he keep getting fevers??

Oh, shining spot today: his favorite ball, the one he wouldn't leave the house without, went missing a few weeks ago. We found a replacement today, and he clutched it for five hours before he fell asleep. Welcome back, little green ball!

Kitchen Pantry

We've taken the doors off our kitchen pantry closet, so they can be painted.

I'm liking the open feeling of no doors, and how nothing is blocking the hallway when we need to get into the page try but need to do some tidying/basketing if I'm going to keep them off.

Or, I could replace them with curtains. They'd be easy to wash when they got dusty, but it would be one more thing to remember to take down and wash, and for Cocoa to pull on/ hide in.

Any thoughts?
A) Paint the doors, put them back.
B). No doors! Get it tidy in there.
C) Put up curtains.