Kindergarden

Today was kindergarden registration for Austin. It's hard to believe my baby will be starting school with his brother come August.  He is ready though and was upset he couldnt stay and start today. 

Austin has such a different personality than anyone else I've ever known. As Mark likes to say, he is a 70-year old man trapped in a 5-year old's body.  He is creative and musical and a bit quirky.  Austin tends to attract the attention and hearts of everyone he passes, without even wanting to. 

My concern, however, is with the more traditional setting of a school classroom.  He passed the assessment with a 96% before learning all of the criteria and he loves to learn but it has all happened in a less structured environment instead of the typical preschool.  To me, Austin has "montessori" written all over him. The price tag for it doesnt quite fit into our budget though and the school he will attend is the top elementary school for our county.  Jacob's teachers thus far have really worked with him so I am assuming Austin's will be just as willing to bend a bit here and there. I mean, you can't teach kids if you don't know how to waiver a little bit, right?

Russian rejection

There is a little boy in Russia who's adoption is being denied because he has Down Syndrome. Apparently this type of "defect" is socially unacceptable and he was the first one to go through the adoption process just to have his future parents' rejected in court on the sole basis of his condition. The judge believes he is better off in an institution and told the parents they could chose any other "typical" child and that their home met all of Russia's qualifications, however, the little boy they loved did not.

As I read this post, tears came to my eyes. My heart ached for this poor child and the parents who want so badly to care for him.  Please pray for Krilill to come home!

http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-you-join-us.html

Spring

Spring means fresh flowers.  My garden is starting to bloom and I've already snipped buds and branches to bring inside and fill my home with life.

(These are flowers my hubby brought to me, not from my garden. But I thought they were pretty nonetheless.)

Top Sail Beach

We had the opportunity to spend the weekend in a beachhouse at Top Sail, NC.  It is on the coastline in North Carolina. The place we stayed was a little neighborhood on a penninsula surrounded by Alligator Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  It was so peaceful here. No big crowds and a much slower town than what we are used to (Myrtle Beach).  I loved it! 

My in-laws stayed Friday night while Mark, the boys and I headed up Saturday morning. My brother-in-law and his wife joined us that evening.  We had a great time as a family.  The boys had several trips to watch sand crabs in the golf cart. We hunted for shells and water-worn rocks at the oceanfront.  And, of course, enjoyed a couple of wonderful meals from my father-in-law. 

It was a nice escape from reality. What made it even better was the lack of internet access there. It really made for a family-focused weekend.

One of my favorite things

I love my kitchen table. It serves so many purposes for me. We eat dinner as a family almost every night sitting at it. I use it as a desk when I bring home work or edit pictures.  If the boys are watching a movie, I'll sit and read a magazine or book at it.  Sometimes I fold clothes on it so I can be close to everyone else. Austin plays with playdoh or the boys will paint and color there.  Its the gathering place when we have company.  It certainly isnt because money was invested (it is a garage sale find that was then handed down to us and the chairs do not match the table).  But this table seems to be where I can be surrounded by sunlight while still able to hear and experience what is going on through out the rest of our house. I am comfortable here.  Where is your favorite spot in your house?

Making a house a home

We have never been in the financial position for me to experiment with crafts and creativity in our home. For the most part, our furniture has been (and pretty much still is) hand-me-downs or craigslist finds. But this is starting to excite me because I know I can pick at them, one at a time, to make them our own.  Our big project for the last few months has been our master bedroom.  We replaced the floors, removed the almost-purple molding, purchased a new mattress set along with bedding and accent pillows. I am in the process of finding the right blue paint for our walls and Mark has a deal with a family friend to build us custome furniture in exchange for car work.  In the meantime though, I think I have decided on a color scheme for the kitchen and living room.  We painted the kitchen almost immediately to get rid of the fire engine red and went with a muted olive green.  We have since brough in new chairs for the kitchen table and I picked out the mosaic tiles that will eventually be the backsplash. 

However, I now have an itch to get crafty.  I am thinking of recovering our kitchen chairs, which will be the first time I've done a project like this.  I know its not hard, but I am still very excited to perform this modification.  I may even go fabric hunting this weekend. :)  Eventually I want to make my own accent pillows for the living room and curtains for the kids' room and living room.  How I wish my Aunt Debbie was closer so I could learn from her!  I do have a question though. I do not own a sewing machine and in the last year have had a strong desire to finally purchase one for these projects and more.  What should I start with? I am totally clueless when it comes to sewing/knitting/etc. 

The Magic of Disney

Since Mark and I took a trip to Disney World after our first anniversary, I have been aching to take Jacob, and now Austin.  My intentions were when the boys reached 8 and 5 years old we would take them.  I assumed by that age they could truly experience, and remember, Disney World. 

However, we got a little too comfortable once we purchased our house and the tax return money is going to pay off bills instead of sending us on a family vacation to remember.  After talking to my sister-in-law, Sarah, we decided that it would be a special treat to celebrate Christmas all together (grandparents included) in Disney.  I have been there the week between Christmas and stayed through the New Year celebrations, stayed during the month of August right before school started again (which I do not recommend, too hot!), and Mark and I went in October (when it was still hot).

 I know there are many of my friends who have taken a family vacation here, so my question is: When do you believe is the best time, considering cost and weather, to take a family vacation to Disney World?

Renewal of Spring

I love springtime. The freshness in the air. The newness of budding leaves and greener grass popping up from the dead brown of winter.  Open windows and decluttering the house during spring cleaning.  Its like a fresh start to life, every year.