A Conversation on How the IRS Pigeonholes Mothers

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/opinion/lean-in-what-about-child-care.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

HOW THE IRS HURTS MOTHERS, is the actual title of this. While the author's motivation is for women to stay or get back into the workforce, I think this is an important issue because many women don't have the range of choices that they ideally could.
For most mothers, the idea of working beyond the home front is an "all or nothing" idea. Between the cost of childcare and the meager wages available in part time positions, college educated women either have to decide to get a "good" job which means high pay and an absurd work schedule or not work. And really, its incredibly discriminatory that childcare costs aren't a business expense. I found these things out the "hard" way when I became self-employed.
I have an amazing working husband and I am the childcare provider. But, my long term financial security entirely rests on him. That's fine for us because I trust him (and God :)) 100%. But that's an awfully precarious situation for society as a whole with a 50% divorce rate!
Ideally (in my perspective), a parent should have the largest burden of raising children but, if college educated, still have some outlet for staying "credible" in their field. There aren't many professions where this is possible. I have friends who are registered nurses and can be per diem at a hospital and only work occasionally. And I know a few pharmacists who can work very part-time, but there aren't too many lines of work in which that's possible. At least where the pay being brought in makes it worthwhile to juggle the duality of work and family.
I'd really love to hear from moms in every generation on this. Is your current lifestyle/work situation dictated by the economics of childcare costs and absurd (salaried) work schedules?

Struggle Out Loud

Have you been going through some type of struggle lately, or maybe for years? Is it a "secret" struggle, one you keep only to yourself or share with a select few people? is it a "little" struggle? One you convince yourself you don't need to trouble anyone else about? Is it a "pervasive" struggle? One that you're convinced will always trouble you and nothing anyone else does will help you overcome it?

Here's why I ask: we all have struggles. Every. single. one. of. us. Whether Christian or not, male or female, young or old, you get the idea, we all have struggles. The difference is, will we gain victory over our struggle or will it gain increasing control over us?

I have become increasingly convinced that when we sit in silence and fail to admit our struggles and reach out to others WE AFFORD THE ENEMY OF OUR SOULS A FOOTHOLD INTO OUR HEARTS THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED UNTIL WE SPEAK ALOUD WHAT TROUBLES US.

Yes, I yelled that. Because the God of Heaven and Earth has been yelling it to me lately. And I have seen the truth of it over and over again in my own life and the lives of those I love.

Quit struggling in silence. I say this especially to my brothers and sisters in Christ, speak up! Silence allows the enemy to use the treacherous tools of fear, guilt and shame against us in ways that would not be possible if we would turn to others in the Church, the body of Christ, and speak our struggles and allow them to speak the truth of the Word over our lives.

I'll "tell" on myself.

I've been struggling with some loneliness lately. At times the sense of being alone will wash over me in a wave. Sometimes it moves beyond that and my mind begins to think "Do I have any friends? I never see anyone, never go anywhere, no one ever calls..."

If I don't catch the lies that are spinning in my head, it turns into quite a pity party that can grow out of control. But, on my own, in my own little head, its easy to miss the truth.

The truth is: if I'm in the will of God and following Christ's call on my life than He needs to be enough and I need to seek HIM more and ask Him to fill the longings of my heart. But, if something has gotten off track- maybe I'm getting consumed with my job and not taking the time to rest and enjoy relationships like I should- then after seeking wisdom from the Lord I should reach out to friends and spend some time enjoy the relationships in my life.

Unfortunately, the story in my head got left a little too long and started down the pity party route. I could have prevented that in a number of ways. I could have said something to Hubs. "I've really been feeling lonely today. I don't know what's going on but would you ray for me and spend a few extra minutes before you leave for work?"  I could have said something to a number of people in my life, but I let it fester. And, in all honesty, in turned into an ugly little meltdown a week or so later. One innocent statement by a person I love set me into a tailspin. But, of course, they had no idea I was hurting because I'd never spoken the words!

STAYING SILENT WON'T MAKE IT GO AWAY OR LESSEN THE PAIN.

I got to thinking tonight about the poor in my community and wondered how many people in my church were suffering, really suffering from the economic downturn or other reasons. The truth is, I have no idea! We have a committee that handles providing help when people have needs. But, truth be told, isn't there a sort of shame associated with having financial needs, of being poor? is that Biblical? [Shame is never from God. He uses 'tactics' like remorse to cause us to see our shortfalls and act differently in the future. The enemy wants to use shame to keep us trapped in the past.]

What would happen in my church, in your church, if we refused to give into the shame and members stood and spoke of their financial needs? What would we look like to the rest of the community when church members compassionately gave to one another in need? How would the opportunities to be a witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ increase? I believe it would be revolutionary. After all, isn't that what it means to be a body? To come to the aid of each other?

So, after my mini-meltdown, I contacted a few friends to ask for their prayers. I told them I'd been struggling with some loneliness and would appreciate their prayers for wisdom as to the source of it; was it a spiritual attack or a genuine need to make some lifestyle changes. And you know what? Each one of them told me they'd experienced or were in the midst of experiencing the same struggle. Those who had overcome shared how and what they did. Those in the midst shared words of truth that others had spoken over them. But, each of us were built up and encouraged.

We got to see 1 Corinthians 10:13 in action.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. "

I could repeat this story over and over. When I shared with a Bible study group that I was being bombarded by guilt as a new mom each woman shared that they had the same experience and it WAS A COMMON TEMPTATION.

When I began to speak about my miscarriage openly, the fear that come with the loss began to melt away, and others were able to share their own stories of loss and find healing.

I urge you today, if you are weighed down under a "secret" struggle, speak. Not to groan and complain, but to speak truth and allow others to speak truth over you!!!

Two Under Two: Today's Reality

Note: This post was started on the 11th of February, but not finished until the 24th. We're all better now :)


Well, as usual, there's never a "dull" moment in our household. We've been dealing with what I call "the plague" for over a week. Mogi got sick first. He had what seemed like an innocent runny nose, I thought due to teething. But, the runny nose led to serious nasal congestion which led to chest congestion and a cough. So, we took him to the doctor and found out he had double ear infections and RSV. Oh boy! No wonder he was in such a world of hurt. If you're not familiar with RSV its a nasty respiratory virus that is harder to deal with in young children and older adults and can require breathing treatments.

We were concerned about baby girl getting sick and the doctor said it was too late to protect her. Between the incubation period and the fact that its airborne, he said that she'd most likely already come in contact with it. And how right he was. The next day she started showing symptoms. On Thursday she visited the doctor and tested positive for RSV. Thankfully she's had mostly nasal congestion and not so much of the chest-raking coughing that Mogi has. But, I did take her back to the doctor again yesterday and found out she now has an ear infection. Yikes! The local pharmacist and I are going to be on a first name basis very soon.

But along with sick kids, Hubs and I have also had our share of illness. Mine started Tuesday night with a fire-burning sore throat which came with some chills, aches, and an on again/ off again low grade fever. Friday I started feeling better and then that night got hit with cold symptoms full force. This morning I have horrible pressure behind on ear and can't hear very well. My self diagnoses is strep throat, a cold, and an ear infection. Hopefully I'll find a way to get to the doctor tomorrow and see what I can do to get well.

Hubs is a basket case of low grade fevers, sore throat and painful chest congestion...

Of course no one likes to be sick and we especially hate to see our children sick, but I've been a bit more bummed about all this for a rather selfish reason. I had just started to get back into a "groove" with my research when all this kicked off. And now I'm wondering how long it will take me to figure out where I was and get forward momentum again once we're all well...

But, I'm trying to keep in my mind a quote from a Bible study I'm doing these days. It's by James MacDonald entitled "Lord, Change My Attitude". So far, it is awesome. I am learning so much and being confronted by so many areas of my self that I need to work on and conform to the example of Jesus.

The first week of study talks about Complaining. Here's the quote:
"All the grace and strength you need to experience joy and victory are available to you; but by choosing to complain, by clinging to the idol of a perfect life, you are flushing away the grace of God."

Wow! Did that slap you upside the head like it did me the first time I read it? I wanted to jump out of my chair and say "What? Idol of a perfect life?? Wait, what??" Because until then I
1) hadn't realized I was trying to design a perfect life and
2) hadn't thought of it as idolatry.

But, all of a sudden the truth was glaring. Yes, life has ups and downs. We get sick. We are heart broken. But, they're not just things to get past and overcome. There is living to be done in them. God purposed them for His reasoning and my good.

And I admit I have so much left to learn. So much of my attitude needs to change. Just this morning when baby girl woke at 2am and needed fed, which is very unusual for her, I had a rotten attitude about it. I was frustrated that I haven't slept a good nights sleep in weeks and aggravated that Hubs was fast asleep while I fed her. It was not pretty.

So, here's my prayer:
"Lord, change my attitude. Make me more like You. Show me when my attitude is contrary to Your ways and allow me the grace to make it what it should be. Humbly yours."

Two Under Two: In Case of Emergency

If you're like most parents, you probably made sure you had smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher, and other safety features around your house before you brought home your first child. But, did you revisit any of that before bringing home your second child? I didn't. I guess I didn't think safety would be much more different with more kids in the house. But, I soon found out I was wrong.

On November 17th, when AJ was just nine days old we had an emergency situation that caused us to leave our house in the middle of the night. By the grace of God we were all safe, and although no one ever wants to think of worst case scenarios, our situation could have been horribly worse.

It was an uneventful Wednesday night. Ro was home and my best friend was staying with us for the night from out of town. AJ was having some stomach problems so I found myself sitting in the recliner from 9pm onward trying to help her through the pain and hoping she'd sleep. But at nearly 11:30pm I realized that the air coming out of the vent was no longer warm but actually cold. And since it was around 40 degrees outside, the cold air was uncomfortable. I woke Ro and asked him to turn the heat off until we could figure out the problem.

He left the room and a few minutes later still hadn't returned. All of a sudden the power in the whole house went out. Hoping Ro knew what was going on, I called out to him. He responded that something had happened to the computer and he turned off the power. I walked toward where he was in the center of the house as he switched the main breaker back on. I quickly saw that several lights and an outdoor fan were surging dramatically and called for him to turn the power back off.

Standing in the hall outside Mogi's room with AJ in my arms, I was overcome by the need to get out of the house and protect the safety of our kids. I said, "something isn't right, we need to get out of the house." The moment I said those words I immediately heard fire truck's sirens on our street. The Mama Bear in me yelled to my best friend to get Mogi out of bed and get out of the house. And as we stepped out of the house we saw that the next door neighbor's house was on fire.

After we sought safety on another neighbor's front porch, I realized that my purse and keys were still in the house, along with AJ's car seat. Ro went back into the house, which still had the power off, and retrieved those items and we headed across town to my parent's home to get out of the cold and get the kids to bed.

I don't know if it comes across the page as a dramatic event, but it was very dramatic and a bit scary. We eventually found out that we had experienced a power surge that did damage to some appliances in our home and that the neighbor's home sustained extensive damage when a fire started at the meter box. It's a pure miracle that Ro was in the right place at the right time and saw our computer begin to surge and throw sparks or we could have had a worse fate.

But, all this got me thinking about safety. What if I had been home alone with my two kids? How would I have gotten them out of the house? Newborn babies are "floppy" and often require both hands to carry. And thirty pound 18 month toddlers do not move quickly when you need them too and certainly not in the middle of the night. I knew that I couldn't carry them both in my arms at the same time. I needed a plan.

Do you have an evacuation plan? Have you thought about it recently and included any new family members?

Well, mine's not fancy, but I have a plan in my head for what I'll do if I have to get both kids out of the house in an emergency.

At the time of our "evacuation" I had AJ's car seat in the kitchen on a chair so she could sit up at table level. Nice idea, but a difficult place to extract it from in a hurry. So, I now keep it right by the front door at all times.

I also make sure that my purse is in a certain place, especially at night, so I can grab it without thinking, and I keep my keys attached to the purse so they don't get carried off by a curious toddler without me knowing!

Both kids sleep in blanket sleepers, like Halo SleepSacks, so I don't have to worry about them being warm enough if it was cold outside, but if I did I would keep jackets and shoes in a bag by the door. And if you or your kids need medicines that would be hard to replace immediately, do you keep it in a place where it would go with you?

Well, I know this isn't an exciting post or a very happy topic, but I just felt the need to share. And I hope you'll be better prepared for an unforeseen event that I was...

Two Under Two, the reality of it all

When we decided to have our children close together it was mostly based on the fact that Hubs and I both have siblings close in age. Although I'm big into doing my research, there wasn't much info on having a second child and how that works out at home. Some people asked me how I would continue working on my PhD and I told them I didn't know. And really, I didn't. (Side note: I still don't have any idea how to get back into it, but that's another post.) I read a few magazine articles here and there on the pros and cons of various sibling age differences, but that was about it.

So, in an attempt to add to the conversation on having Two Kids Under Two, here are some excerpts from our life the last few months.

The first few weeks went dreamily. The grandparents were a constant presence, Hubs took a week off work, and Mogi barely acknowledged his sister. I really think he thought she was a toy or accessory of some type. She clearly didn't "move fast enough" for him and his always on the move kind of ways, so he just ignored her. AJ ate and slept and nothing else. If she was awake she then easily slipped into sleep without a trouble or care. She didn't cry and occasionally made adorable kitten-like sounds.

But, of course, newborns do wake from their foggy state. And grandparents go home. And husbands go to work. And when that happens there is a grand potential for all kinds of things to "break loose" and "hit the fan".

Eventually, Mogi not only realized AJ was staying around, he also began to see her as a competitor for our affection. The little boy who wouldn't stop long enough to sit in your lap was now begging and crying to be picked up and held! And, of course, it would come to a boiling point when I was home alone with the two of them : ) [Hence, Molly's Laws of Motherhood] I was glad to have Mogi showing more affection but it was such a drastic change that I couldn't manage it well.

I was also functioning on sleep deprivation mode. You always hear new moms being told "Sleep when the baby sleeps." But that only work for first time moms because even though AJ might have been sleeping, Mogi was still wide awake and ready to tear the house apart at any moment- did I mention he's a climber and thrower if given the chance? So, my longest stretch of sleep was four hours for five or six weeks after having had horrible sleep through the last trimester of my pregnancy. I could not begin to think straight.

But, the light finally began to appear at the end of the tunnel. AJ's daily routine got more predictable and consistent. She started going down easier for naps and at night. She started sleeping a longer stretch at night, sometimes over 8 hours. And Mogi stopped seeing AJ as competition. He started to laugh and smile at her when she made funny noises or made eye contact with him.

So, what would I tell someone if they asked for some tips? Here's a few things...

1. Even if your life is completely laid back with child #1 and you do nothing predictably, create some routines before #2 arrives. It will help #1 have some things to feel very secure about and it will make life easier on you when you can't think straight.
Mornings and bedtime are written in stone around here. They always happen the exact same way in order to make sure all that needs to get done does get done. A lot of it has to do with my kids personalities and needs but I can have both kids fed, dressed and in the car, ready to go in less than an hour in the morning. And with the evenings being a fussy time for most newborns its great to work out plans for dinner and bath times. I also need this kind of order because there are times I have both kids on my own due to Hubs work rotations.

2. Get a piece of furniture big enough, and small enough, for the three of you. One of the first nights that I had both kids on my own I sat down in the rocking chair to feed AJ and moments later Mogi came up with a book in his hands begging to get into my lap. It was heart breaking. At 30 lbs I couldn't pull Mogi onto my lap one-handed if I needed to, but there wasn't room for him either. The next day I dragged a love seat into the nursery and took the legs off so Mogi can climb up and down without worrying about him falling. It's nothing fancy, just a $20 Cr@igslist find, but so worth it. Now Mogi can climb up next to me and bring the books with him!

3. Consider potty training. I'm not saying you need to potty train #1 before #2 arrives, but if you wait until #2 arrives it may not work. You can hear about toddlerhood and all the emotional changes that take place, but until it really happens, you have no idea. It was if someone flipped a switch one day and I woke up to a boy that no longer was thrilled to have my praise but instead was determined to do things his way. Now he wasn't perfect boy before this switch, but positive attention and praise often swayed his behavior. It doesn't work as well now and "I DO!" is now his favorite phrase. So, if you think you'll start potty training #1 after #2 is born, realize that between toddlerhood and the demands of a newborn it may take a lot more work than you expect.

4. Make good sleep habits a priority. Do you remember the first time your first child slept a rediculously long stretch at night? I do. It was as if life had begun again. I could put him to bed, get a few things done, go to bed and wake up the next day rested! Well, reaching that point is no less spectacular the second time around. I've relied heavily on the "Sleep Training" methods layed out in the Baby Whisperer's books. A swaddle, the "shush-pat", and a good lullaby are priceless!

5. Baby needs her space. I'd planned on AJ sleeping beside me at night in a bassinet and had a crib for her in the "Kid's Room" with Mogi's crib, but I quickly realized that it was unrealistic to think she could nap in the room while he was in there playing. And due to Hub's work rotations, she couldn't sleep in my room every day of the week. She needed her own place. So, I made some space for her in my office. It's not ideal, its a little too close to the commotion of the guest bathroom and I have to work very quietly if she's napping, but its working. So, even though kids can share a room once nap schedules coincide, until then they need a quiet space. But, let me be honest, the thought of sharing my office for the next year or so doesn't sound so appealing : /

Anyway, that's all the "wisdom" I have for now. I'd love to hear any stories from the "trenches" from those who also have two close in age, no matter what age they are now.

And as a reward for reaching the end of this very long post, here's a little happy moment from Potty Training Land : )

New Year, Bigger Family

I'll just briefly say how very aware I am that I haven't written in FOREVER, but I have a wonderful "excuse"- pregnancy and a newborn!

The last few months of my pregnancy were as exhausting as ever and any moment I had I spent with my family or sleeping. I should say, trying to sleep. From 9pm to almost 1am every night baby girl would get incredibly active. It was impossible to sleep.

Despite all that, we welcomed AJ to the world on November 8th at 4:22am.

I don't know if the circumstances of her birth are a foreshadowing of the future, but I'll just say it was a bit dramatic. Labor was very short and fast and if it took us 5 minutes longer to get to Labor and Delivery she'd have been born in the car. (I'll spare you additional details!)

A very "cool" thing is some of the similarity in Mogi's birth and AJ's.
1. Both were born on a Monday.
2. Both Monday's were on the 8th of the month.
3. Both of those Mondays I had doctor's appointments scheduled.
4. In both cases an induction was imminent, but in neither case was it my first choice.

Both kids look a lot alike, except AJ is this tiny wisp of a girl and Mogi has been a hulk of a boy from day one. When the nurse handed her to me I almost had to ask if she was "okay" because she seemed so itty-bitty compared to her Big, big brother. But by God's grace she was and is in perfect health.

We're settling into life as a family of four. Each day is easier, just as it is when you have #1. AJ is sleeping a wonderful stretch at night and has a more predictable routine during the day. Mogi, although seemingly unaware of his new sister at first, began to experience a whole new range of emotions and had a challenging time for a while. He still seems to be in full-on toddler hood and all that brings, but the emotional swings and jealousy are easing.

I won't lie, caring for two children who are both so young and needy can have impossible moments- like when they both awake from naps at the same time, crying, hungry and with dirty diapers- but I have a great sense of joy from both of them and am glad they are close in age and will grow up as friends and playmates. When AJ coos or smiles, Mogi wants so much to "play" with her and I look forward to them both being at a stage where they can.

But, I'm also enjoying the "right now". I love having AJ close by and am in no rush for her to exit the baby stage. She has a laid back, pleasant personality and takes most things in stride. And Mogi is learning so many things so rapidly these days. Its fun and exciting to hear him call things by name and use words that he's only just learned. His vocabulary is expanding quickly. He's all boy- too rough on his toys, wants to throw objects and climb on furniture and would stay outside all day (if only his mom and sister could bear the cold!)

Here's a family picture on Christmas Eve. (AJ is in desperate need of a nap and we've kept her awake to get pictures. Oops.)

As we develop our routines and schedules, I hope to make time for blogging more regularly!

Out of the Infirmary

Well, I'm not sure that anyone noticed but a few weeks back I said that I had a some things around the house to wrap up and then I'd write multiple posts.

Except... nothing ever came. Instead I ended up getting sick. It was quite a doosy for me. The hardest I'd been hit in a while. Nothing earth-shattering, just your usual cold. But, the exhaustion of a cold on top of the exhaustion of new life in one's body and... well, you get the idea.

I actually had one day where I did nothing other than sit on the couch or lay on the bed. I did not lift even a finger to care for my son! Obviously, my generous, kind, and energetic Hubs was here to be my hero and take over the running of the house. But, it also made me realize that it was probably the first day since we left the hospital with Mogi-man that I had zero responsibilities!!

In the end my cold morphed itself into a painful sinus infection and irritating conjunctivitis! Thank God for modern medicine and antibiotics! After a trip to the doctor I am feeling immensely better. I actually took a look at myself in the mirror today and my immediate reaction wasn't "Poor, poor pitiful me". It's awfully nice to be feeling well again : )

You May Be In Trouble When...

My anniversary is in October. We will celebrate seven years of marriage. Knowing that waiting until the last minute will do me no good, I brought up the topic recently...

Me: "Are we going to do anything for our anniversary?"

Him: "Like what?"

Me: "I don't know, I'm just wondering."

Him: "It's just a few weeks before the baby comes."

Me: "Exactly."

Him: "Like a vacation? We just went to Asheville?"

Me: "Asheville? What are you talking about?"

Him: "For our anniversary!"

Me: "That was two years ago!"

Him: "Oh! Really?"

Me: "Yes!"

So, I'm thinking I'm the one in trouble here. Poor man doesn't realize its been two years since we took an overnight out-of-town that wasn't related to work or school.

Now, I'm not looking for anything fancy here. When we went to Asheville, that was my surprise to him. We were gone Thursday through Sunday, including travel, and paid around $400 including travel and our cute little cabin.

I just think it would be nice to have a night or two out-of-town, even if we take along Mogi-boy. And actually that wasn't even my intention in bring up the topic, but... now that he's mentioned it : ) Well, I'm "working" on him. We'll see how it turns out!

Dreaming in Colors of Kitchen Renovation

Our kitchen is a nice sized 13x13' room, but miserably designed. Guess that's what happens when a house is built in the 1930s. As far as I can tell from some online research, the house probably had a wood burning stove of some type, a sink and a place to eat when it was built. Sparse is the optimal word.

The reason the design drives me bonkers is several-fold: 1) The fridge and stove are on one side of the room with only 12" of workspace! 2) The sink is on the opposite side with only 24" of workspace! 3) Cooking is further frustrated by a dining table that seats 6 smack in the middle of the room 4) I like having people in the kitchen but it only further congests the space.

Due to the economy, and the sheer workload of moving, we're investigating the possibility of improving on what we have. Of course its no guarantee that we'll get the work done, but it does have me daydreaming, and researching.

A few weeks ago I headed to our Home Depot and spoke to someone about where to begin the process. I knew to have an intelligent conversation with a builder I'd need to know what kind of cabinetry and countertops I wanted. So, I got some booklets and headed home to scour them.

I've always been into simpler furnishings with clean lines, casual styles with classic appeal. I'm no trend setter. So, when I came across the Shaker style I was hooked. We'll see how close we actually get to true Shaker cabinetry, depending on costs, but that's my inspiration. Here's a kitchen that I came across from a UK designer, John Lewis of Hungerford, that I really dig...

That blue is a close match to what is currently on our kitchen walls, but I probably wouldn't put it on cabinets. I do like the differing shades with a lighter on the top. Right now I'm thinking white upper cabinets, very appropo for the cottage style of our house, and a blue/green shade for the bottom and island.

Hosta by Martha Stewart Living at The Home Depot

I love how calming the Hosta is. And I'm guessing it will do a good job at hiding dirt, dust, and everything a well-lived-in house acquires.

Here's a few wall shades I like.

Cyprus Grass by Glidden at The Home Depot

Gobi Tan by Behr at The Home Depot

We had a nearly identical color to the Gobi Tan throughout a previous home and I loved it. It was great at both day and night, not too dark, not too light. But, our kitchen looks onto a park and lots of trees, so I'm wanting to keep it earthy and the Cyprus Grass might be a great choice too.

Some of it depends on what the surface of our walls end up being. Originally the entire house had horse-hair plaster. Most of it is in good shape, some of the walls have been "fauxed" with more recent updates to match the style. But, in the kitchen, some previous owner had the brilliant idea to cover the plaster with 1970's wood paneling. You know, the wide, dark brown kind that is often found alongside shag carpeting!

Painting the paneling was one of my first projects when we bought the house. It's amazing what a difference a little paint can make. But, in the process I found out that two things were done to the plaster when the paneling was installed: 1) glue was put on top of the plaster to attach the paneling and 2) nails were put into the plaster. So, the plaster is a disaster. I don't know if its worth the time and money to restore it or what kind of time and money would even be involved.

Well, I'm running long, so here's my goals as we consider the possibility of renovation:
1) A defined work/cooking area that does not cross paths with other activities.
2) A defined eating area that is out of the work space and can also be used for (down the road) homework and other projects.
3) A desk spot with a central family computer and "control hub" with a master calendar.
4) Flow from the kitchen into a main hang out/living space so that cooking doesn't involve being quarantined from all the other action in the house.
5) Enough storage for what we need to keep the basics well organized and accessible.

That's not too much for a girl to ask, is it?

Nursery Art- Crafty on the Cheap

I decorated a canvas this week for the nursery door that has a more co-ed theme. The previous canvas had Mogi's name on it. Not sure how AJ would feel about that : )

I saw a similar canvas online and basically copied the idea. It took me four days to get it done with a very curious 13 month-old "underfoot", but it was worth it! I had thought of adding a Bible verse to it, but my handwriting isn't the steadiest and I would have been really bummed if that "messed" it up!

Did I mention it was cheap? (A recurring theme in our life!) The canvas was one that I've had for 10 years, literally, and repurposed multiple times. If you have to buy one they run $7-8 at the art store. I splurged and bought some new brushes that were $4, but I had a 40% off coupon, so $2.40. And then I had the green and brown paint from other projects. The green was good quality acrylic for painting (~$4) and the brown was craft paint. The price tag on it actually says $0.57! And the white paint was also craft acrylic and was $1.27.

Buying something like this in the store or online is likely $25 or upward. And I'm no artist, so if I can do it, anyone can. I painted on the green on Day One. Day Two I drew the cross outline in pencil, erasable, and then painted the white keeping an edge within the cross where the brown outline would be. Day Three I did the brown stripes, the hardest part for me. I'd never attempted zebra before, but I happen to be an animal print fan, as you can see from the picture, and had a few samples to draw inspiration from. One Day Four I added the brown dot edge and touched up the stripes with a super small brush.

Oh, and may I recommend 3M's picture hangers? They're sold almost everywhere, and while pricey, well worth it. This will hang on a solid wood door that I don't want to mark, and I've also used them on the plaster we have on our walls. Basically its a tab with sticky on one side and velcro on the other. With two of them back to back, you peal the adhesive, stick it on your artwork and then press it against the wall. It bonds in 30 seconds and after it sets for an hour you can peel the two halves if its crooked and needs leveled. I'm probably no explaining it well, but if you don't want a hole in your wall or any damage, check it out!

And I've been feeling the need for some projects of the creative nature, so they'll probably be some posts about those later, if I get around to starting them!