Treasure Boxes

Yay! We finally finished the treasure boxes for the boys' desks! We have been working on this project off and on for maybe three weeks? When we weren't working on them they were clogging up some of my precious counter space. (The blue box in this picture will be a box for me. I am just paralyzed with deciding what to paint on it.)


We started with plain wooden boxes from Hobby Lobby. The boys used my acrylic paints to paint each side a solid color of their choice. Each side needed two coats of paint. It helped to used painter's tape to keep them from going hog wild with the paint (they are just five and almost three, after all!) They then got to paint the top however they wanted using rainbow colors.


When they were finished, I went back with a black paint pen and white paint with a small brush to add details. Both boxes got a quote about treasure and various shapes/symbols. Finally, I had them each sign the bottom of the box in Sharpie and I used a few coats of ModPodge to seal them up.




Now they can keep their treasures in something besides old frozen juice containers!

Piles

Am I the only one that ends up with piles of random stuff to do? In this pile from last week, for example, we have:
a. returns to take back to target (shirts that didn't fit correctly and mayo that was expired when i bought it.)
b. coupons to organize
c. directions to a star wars game to remind me to call and get them to replace a broken piece (they were super nice on the phone and are even sending extra pieces in case more break)
d. dublin's robot made of paper and t.p. tubes to glue back together
e. expired sunscreen to remind me to buy more (still haven't done this. good thing it's rainging today!)
I love (hate) that since I always work at the dinner table dirty napkins end up in my to do pile. Yay! On the plus side, my to do pile isn't ever as "urgent" as things were when I was working out of the home!

Week in the Life

Last spring I did a "Week in the Life" photo book and thought I would try it again this year. Bwa ha ha! One more boy in the mix means I forgot to take pictures all. week. long. I haven't put together the book yet (I usually just use an online photo book place), but here are a few of the shots. (Okay, the one of Hobson is from the week before, but he is so darn cute on that quilt! It was his 9 month photo shoot.)


My goal both last year and this year was to just record the mundane of our normal routine. It is my attempt to remember how things were in these years with my crazy boys at home. I want to remember things like waiting in the hall at preschool for big brother to be done.


I want to remember the mess of toys every day (especially the cutie Fisher Price toys!)


I want to remember the sweet, chubby toes running around in the front yard getting "blowing dandelions".


I want to remember how a one-minute trip to the garage with the umbrella is a BIG DEAL.


I want to remember how they ask all week long if it is a Cushion Day yet. On Saturdays and Sundays they are allowed to pull the cushions off of the couch and go crazy.


I also want to remember the special things that happen, like my big boy getting dressed up to go to his first musical with Mama.

Our days get so hectic with three littles. It is good to take the time to capture these fleeting moments, even if 70% of the photos are a giant blur of my boys who are always on the move!

Spring Wreath

here is the next installment of the clothespin wreath. actually, the next, NEXT installment. for about a month it had photos of Dublin for his fifth birthday and birthday cards. usually i put up vintage easter postcards, but i couldn't bear to take down his birthday stuff things year. i wanted to leave those cutie pictures up as long as possible!


this time around the wreath is sporting some paint chips. i am slightly embarrassed to say that i have had them for over five years. i picked them up when we were wanting to paint the bathroom at our rental duplex, but then i got pregnant with dublin and we decided to buy a house. these paint samples have been in with my crafting supplies that whole time!


i'm thinking this would be pretty cute with a rainbow of paint chips. guess it's time to head to the hardware store!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!
Today I hope to get Dublin to make more silly faces for me and tell me stories.
He is awesome at entertaining me.


I've already had Jonas play with my hair this morning (when he woke up at 5:45 AM).
Maybe he'll do it some more later.
The last time he wanted some barrettes in his hair, too.
I'm cool with that.


I'm also hoping for a lot of baby Hobson cuddle time, too!
He is so squishy and sweet!

My only other wishes for Mother's Day are to get the grocery shopping done and to potter in the yard.
Those weeds are going to rue the day they met me!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

Birthday Boy

How is my baby FIVE years old? When did that happen? And why is it that since he turned five he is suddenly doing things he couldn't do before? He is running faster, riding his "big boy" bike, drawing and writing more and more, and so many other things. When did that all happen?!


It is also still fun to me to see him eat his birthday cake. The first two years he wanted nothing to do with it.


Love this big boy of mine!
(Notice the sweet Rush shirt his Daddy made for him for Christmas?)

can it be true?

four years ago tomorrow this little guy refused to go near his very delicious first birthday cake. will dublin really be FIVE tomorrow?! he has requested all his favorite foods for tomorrow and a birthday cake that is strawberry flavored with red frosting and strawberries. this year i know he will eat all the cake i give him!

(and p.s. i can't get over how much this picture looks like his baby brother! we'll see if hobson has this much hair at his first birthday.)