Operation 2 boys, 1 room.

So this was Mason's room before the transformation. Except not really, because this was like 2 years ago and it had since become much messier and rearranged.

But this is the boys' room now!

I brought in that color, wouldn't you say? It's still in the very early stages. I literally found the bedding, bought the paint and started like 48 hours ago. I still need stuff for the walls, blinds, and other little things. But I really like it! And the boys look so sweet sleeping in their beds. This morning when I woke up, I walked by their room and both boys were in Grant's bed talking. So, now we have all their toys in grant's old room (which will eventually become a guestroom) and now I need to start working on turning the sun room into the big play room/family room. Fun! :)

fine dining

There was a fine meal to be had by all tonight in the wilde household.

On the menu:

two mini pizzas
14 taquitos (of varying mystery flavors)
3 egg rolls (believed to be pork)
a handful of battered french fries
an individual serving of broccoli and cheese
an individual serving of buttered corn

It was lets-empty-out-the-freezer-and-also-i-haven't-grocery-shopped-in-like-three-weeks night.

Hey. No one went to bed hungry. And there were vegetables.
That's a job well done in my book, my friends.
: )

art boxes

yesterday, when i was cleaning out my office closets, I found this old art box that I bought several years ago at a garage sale. isn't it wonderful? It has calligraphy tips, charcoal, actual lead pencils, oil pastels...I just wish i could draw. My Grandmother, Nona, could draw. She was a amazing. She could also paint and sew and loved doing crafty things.

This is one of the few things I have from her.

her charcoals.

It's amazing how special this simple tin box is to me.

I wish she was still here so she could see my art. I think she would love to see some of my photographs. And I wish she was here so I could tell her thank you for showing me how fun it is to be creative. And I wish she was here because I just wish she was here...

the things you let your kids do when you're trying to get something done.

The closet cleaning bug hit me today, and, as I've learned in my very short, and I mean, very very short time on this earth, when the closet cleaning bug bites, you clean the closets. Those bites are few and far between in my world.
Anyway, I have two closets in my office and they have been in a shameful state for two years now. As I unloaded more art supplies than any non-artist should have from them, there tumbled out a small HEB sack with rice and balloons.
I'm assuming at one point the two were combined for some sort of project. Rice balloon balls? Musical balloon shaker thingamajigs? the world will never know.

I kept cleaning.
Grant found the rice.
Wait!
I must pause here to tell you this bit of important information. If you're following me on twitter, which you're not, because Kara is my solitary twitter follower (thanks kara!), because well, i just started tweeting like 3 seconds ago and i think we're all still wondering what twitter is, (except for seph who grasps internet fads at an accelerated rate) and so, no one is following me on twitter and therefore I must tell you this important piece of information that you would have read in my latest tweet, except that you're not following me...
was that a bit excessive?
Excessively long story short, Grant learned today how to climb out of his crib. Meaning that in the midst of my closet cleaning spree, Grant escaped from naptime. I never would have started the closet cleaning had I known today would be the day Grant would discover his inner houdini.

Back to the rice that I found and then grant found.
He first dumped out, accidentally, a small bit. I thought about stopping him.
But it entertained him so.
Then he dumped out more.
and more.
and the whole bag was on the carpet.
Now, most mothers would have, at the discovery of the opened bag of rice, put it in a proper place out of reach for little children but not me.
I needed to clean the closets! And my crib-escapee had found a source of creativity inducing entertainment.

He found his dump truck...

He made a pile....

He patted that pile down...

and then some more patting...




and then he drove that little dump truck all through that rice with the sweetest little joyful face.
again and again and again.

And then after the closet had been cleaned, and the excitement of the rice had faded, I just vacuumed it up.

I might dump rice on the ground more often. :)

I believe this is what heaven will taste like.

At home there are three plum trees. And every Memorial Day weekend through mid June they produce the most delicious plums you'll ever have in your whole entire life. They are juicy and sweet, deep purple on the outside, crimson on the inside. They are best straight off the branch. And because they're completely organic, and they were long before organic was a term the whole world knew, they can be eaten straight from the tree. warm from the sun. It would have made more sense for me to have gone home this week, rather than last week, but these plums would have been gone if I had waited. I didn't wait.


The trees aren't really that big. But in years when the rain has been plentiful, and the weather has been just right, the trees are loaded with them. While I was there I had to of eaten dozens upon dozens of the tiny purple plumps of heaven. I didn't make a dent.



Grant and Mason had their fair share too. Didn't matter. There were still more...and more...and more...



You could pick this many in a matter of minutes. Mom and I rescued twice this many while a storm was blowing in and ripping them from their branches. I was sure the trees would be bare the next morning. Nope. I was still able to pick about four boxes worth before I headed home.



So with what remains of the amount I brought home, I think I'm going to attempt to make jam today. I have no clue what that involves. But through the miracle of the internet (and mom being a cell phone call away), I think I'll find out. :)

self portraiture

Very often, I find myself in my car waiting for customers.
Just waiting.
Just me and my camera.
Bored.
For hours.
minutes. Fine. Just minutes.
And very often, I find myself taking pictures of myself because, like i said, bored.
and for practice, you see.
What is the best white balance for the car?
These are important things to know.
So.
Today, due to bridal bouquet issues, I was waiting for a longer than normal time.
with just my camera.
just me and my camera.
And ...things got a little out of hand...

I'm Jenny: A series of Self Portraits by Jenny

I'm jenny. I smile.

I'm Jenny. I am intense. My hair is often in my face.

I'm Jenny. I like to pretend I know how to make serious, but not angry faces.
With hair in my face.

I'm Jenny. I don't get much crazier than this face. That's all I got. Unless you give me lots and lots of lemonade. Then you'll have a maniac on your hands. You've been warned.



I'm jenny. This is my best you-come-here-to-me face. You can understand why I married the first boy to fall for this face.



I'm jenny. I laugh at myself. especially when I'm being stupid in my car with my camera.




I'm jenny. I get stressed easily.



I'm Jenny. I'm a teacher. This is my teacher face. I rule with an iron fist. They tremble at my feet. I need only to look at them with this face and they are putty in my hands.

I'm jenny. This is me.

boys.

yesterday i heard the words I've been expecting for years.

"Mom, what channel is the sports channel?"

And as I changed the tv channel to espn
so my son, the baseball player, could watch baseball, i thought two things:
1) I will never again watch tv in my own home if I have to share it with 2(going on 3) sports fans.
2) How stinkin' cute is that?!

***

Grant says my for I.

My do it.
My go outside.
My wan' gum!
The only time he doesnt say my for I is in his favorite sentence these days.
"idon'twanttoooo!" which he grumbles out in one adamant breath.