Before I had kids, I had always envisioned myself as the mother of a rangy pack of boys. Instead, I got girls. I love my girls, but I think it should be said that for all they cleave unto all things princess, they like the traditional "boy" stuff as well. There is not much in this household in the way of restraint, or shy and retiring. Nothing quiet about our home.
Turns out, this works for me.
I am glad to have my girls... I am glad that they are sisters, and such good sisters to each other. I know how important having sisters is, especially as I get older. There is much to admire in my own sisters. I have three sisters and two brothers, and much as I love my brothers... it's my sisters who sustain me. These women are on my mind today.
It's really kind of classic. The things they do, and their lives kind of baffle me. I don't see how they pull everything off with such aplomb, and I guess my own Chaos has them pretty much in awe as well. I feel this way about the women I call friends as well.
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Girls. Think little girls and lots of clothes. Lots of pink, purple, green and lots of sparkles. I am in over my head with the laundry, and I am thinking that at age five and three, the two older can start to be responsible for the putting away of their own clothes. Only, the chests of drawers they have are falling to pieces from the inside out. The center bar, and rails that the drawers slide on? Sawdust and unhinged metal. The slightest tug would pull the entire drawer out and THEN... picture a particularly untidy squirrels nest. Since we have put our plans to finish the basement on hold till next year (too many medical bills), it has freed up a little bit of cash for other projects. Goodbye old chests of drawers... hello Hemnes 8 drawer dresser in white! It's big, so they will be sharing.
I would insert a little Ikea rant here... but having read the blogs of Ikea customers in the past, I suspected that my own freaky experience would ensue with the purchase of Ikea stuff. I was not disappointed. Currently I estimate that I spent about 40 hours in the driving to and from, shopping at, returning, and returning, and putting together/ installing crap from Ikea. I figure that the experience is a kind of sweat equity for the furniture world.
This time estimate does not include the time spent absorbing and slavering over their catalog and website. I suspect that Dadguy cringes to think of me and the finishing/furnishing of the basement. I am a perpetual agony of "trying to get it right the first time," when facing a house project, and not an easy woman to live with in when I am in project mode. I don't handle interruptions well, while in that mode... and my life as a mother of young kids IS interruption after distraction on top of frustration. Hoping for the best!
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Oldest sister, R, and I have made a deal to help each other paint our houses (the interior). I hope to have some pictures for y'all by next Sunday Pic time. Can't promise much though, I thought for sure I would have a lovely photo of the master bathroom and it's changes (vanity light and mirror).... but I have not yet hung the new mirror. It will end up being a Tuesday Pic this week, I guess.
The color I decided to go with is Kwal Paints "Tequila." I have seen it in two separate houses, and I lurve it! Cool and relaxing... and hopefully it'll clean up better than the builders grade, whitish paint we have now. Possibly I will have an accent wall in the front room. Looking at a slightly darker color for that. Undecided. One more example of the agony and indecision of teh mama doing home improvement.
I will be back to the bloggity soon... promise!
10 comments:
Is there any irony in a LDS woman painting her interior with "Tequila?" I'd like to see the looks you'd get if you mention that in church. ;)
Oh, and I love IKEA but do NOT love putting together their furniture. :)
HA! The two houses I have seen it in were LDS houses, but I do think there is a little extra irony, in that I am one of the few LDS folks I know who have actually TASTED tequila.
Not that it LOOKS like any tequila I have ever had. Instead, think "filing cabinet taupe."
looking forward to the pics!
Oooh, I love seeing people's home decorating pics, and am eagerly anticipating yours. I agree with you on the tequila, but I think perhaps your alternate title might've been a hard sell...
Also, I totally approve of using the Amazon GC I sent you for Twilight. I know you were being tonue-in-cheek, but I bought a hardcover copy of my favorite book ever (Hero and the Crown) before I even met my husband, knowing that one day I would share it with my kid. Which is to say, I TOTALLY buy your excuse!
I used to work at Ikea, believe me, I know your frustration. We had to put together all of the furniture in our departments. I was just thankful I wasn't in bedrooms. Bookcases and tv stands weren't too tough, but there's always that one that's screwy.
The painting is exciting as well, we painted the inside of our house a really great color and I have to say, EVERY DAY I look at the walls and they just make me happy.
And I'm also happy I ended up with all boys. I have four sisters and I knew nothing of boys, but they really are the light of my life. I think I'd go bonkers if I had all Princess stuff around, the retail world has really pushed that hard in the last ten years or so, it's really amazing to me the stuff they have. It's so....frilly! And pink! I'm a girlie girl, but I like my jeans and comfy shoes, I'm not a frilly girlie girl (which I guess is good, huh?)
Sorry this is so long!
:-)
Summer blogging is difficult at best. With three young ones and the things you have (the ordeal with Pearl) and the things you are (the projects on your plate) facing must make it impossible.
I've survived this long without buying anything from IKEA! :)
I was in their Minneapolis store ONCE on a Sunday, and it was hell. Coffeehusband and I said, "Well, we were here... we never have to come back." And we haven't.
I would, however, order online or from a catalog... I just never seem to have the 'extra' funds. So I turn down the pages and bookmark the sites but I'm 37 and have never bought anything from IKEA. :)
You wanna be handy, do ya? Come on over the Chez Absent Minded where you (yes, you!) can help in removing an entire toilet to undo a clog!
Bring a wax ring, would ya?
i hear you on the laundry thing.
I avoid it whenever I can. I'd rather just buy more clothes, myself.
We'd never have to do laundry if I could just buy more panties. It's the panties that keep me washing clothes all the time.
were it not for them, they'd be up to their noses in dirties.
And my girls like to change clothes 3x a day - have they learned nothing from their mama?
Despite the agony I'm glad you get to have fun doing 'normal' stuff and finding joy in paint and a new dresser for the girls. I wish we had purchased a larger dresser. I had no idea how much space a baby would need!
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