And the winner is...

I had Mike pick a random number between 1 and 11 (the number of comments on my giveaway post), and he picked 7, and the seventh commenter was Laura Ingalls Gunn from Decor to Adore. So she's the lucky winner of a free drawing. I hope to do more of these in the future!

Walking: in her (near) future

Of all the weeks to have forgotten my video camera! Abigail is whizzing (walking) around the house behind this little truck that used to be my brother's, squealing. I just have to assist her when she gets stuck in a corner. The whole thing is making me a bit nervous. She's going to be walking on her own before long. But I've told her it can't be this week. I need my camera back first.

I was running

Mike got me a fun toy for my birthday- a Garmin Forerunner. It allows me to track exactly where I run on a map, how far I run, see what my average mile paces are, etc. I used it on my 10.3 miler today, and I'm still getting used to it, but here's part of the map and elevation charts from today (It took a little while to get a good signal, so almost the first mile was cut off, and I accidentally stopped it at one point, so there's another 2.75 miles charted on another map, but you get the idea of its usefulness).



It's hard to believe that all of this training is coming to an end in less than a week. I'll be trying to get a lot of rest this week and eating a lot of carbohydrates. I'm excited about the run but will be glad to not have to run so much.
I've received $435 in donations for the Maleski family so far. Thanks to everyone who has generously contributed! If you'd still like to contribute, click here for more info.

It's hot

The kids and I got back from a fun but hurried trip to Maryland this afternoon. One of the main reasons we made the impromptu trip was to visit with my 103-year-old great-grandmother, Gigi, who's been in the hospital. She fell a couple of weeks ago and shattered her pelvis, so if you pray, please keep her in your prayers. And we snuck the kids in (not really, but my brother convinced one of the nurses), so she was able to see them.
Good thing we're going back next week because I forgot my camera bag- with camera and video camera. Not cool. So, while I photo-documented our gallivanting in the Old Line while reuniting with old friends, kitties and cute babies, and meeting future "Uncle Robs," none of that will be posted here, for the time being. Next week, friends. For now, we're whipping these tired babies into sleep shape. Good night.

Hooked on Giveaways- and keepsake drawings

I love blog giveaways, and I was trying to think of something I could feature as a giveaway on here. One of my drawings was the obvious answer to me.

I do commissioned drawings from photographs and have been trying to get back into my art now that the kids are getting more predictable. I work mostly in pencil and colored pencil, but you can see examples of my other work at my art site: www.sketchbooksnapshots.com. They make great gifts- for weddings, grandparents, anniversaries, etc., and if you don't one want for yourself (or as a gift for someone) you can give the free drawing away. Just comment below to be entered- by Wednesday, April 29th, and I'll draw the winner on April 30th.

They make great gifts- for weddings, grandparents, anniversaries, new additions to the family, etc., and if you don't one want for yourself (or as a gift for someone) you can give the free drawing away. Just comment below to be entered- by Wednesday, April 29th, and I'll draw the winner on April 30th. The winner will receive one 8x10" drawing from a photograph of their choice (I'll work with you to find one that lends itself to a drawing) or a coupon for a free drawing, if you prefer.

Check out Julia's Hooked on Fridays blog party!

A flashback from 1989

Mike has been digitizing some old home videos.

Dancing at the Renaissance Tower, Myrtle beach, SC (my older sister and cousin, Kenzie, and me)...

Two became one

Today is our three year wedding anniversary. I couldn't be happier that God has called me to this vocation in life-- to be Mike's wife and the full-time mother of our children. And as I look in awe at the children we have been blessed with thus far, I can see what a marriage is supposed to be, what makes it good. Of course, there are so many things that depend on a good marriage, and we're always working on those things too, but I see the new life that comes out of marriage as one of the most important, as that was God's intent when he created man and woman.


In these three years, our marriage has really blossomed into something beautiful, and I look forward to seeing how it will evolve in our forthcoming time together here on earth.

Porch swing love

Uplifting Susan Boyle

I don't usually watch any of those singing or talent shows on TV, but a friend sent this to me a few nights ago, and our priest referenced it in his homily this morning. It brought a tear to my eye- very uplifting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Warning: this post is dirty

I just wrote a big long post, but then somehow highlighted the entire thing and typed. I don't curse, but curses to auto-save. Here's a shortened version.

We hosted out Teams meeting here tonight, so we spent most of the day cleaning and prepping and whatnot, though I was able to get in a hilly mid-day 7-miler while Mike took the kids to the park in this gorgeous weather. When I returned around 1, we continued mop and dust and vacuum and scrub until 3, when the sitter called, deathly sick, to cancel for the evening. I ran across the street to see if either of the 16 or 14-year old girls were available to watch Jack for a couple of hours. They were not, so we just planned on finding ways to entertain the kids or taking turns ducking out during the meeting.
I was about ready to take a shower at this point but was just waiting for Mike to finish cleaning out the drain in the tub. I went down to start a load of laundry, and right as I was passing it, I saw some dark sludge oozing up from a drain. I called up to Mike, who worked his magic and made it sparkle, but the whole house eventually reeked of sewage (may I remind you we are about to have six lovely couples over for the evening?). This happened again last week, but this time, every time we ran any water down the drain, the sludge level rose, so since then, we have tried not to put water down any of the drains. Not something you need to happen right before you have a large dinner party. I had to email the guests to use the restroom before coming. Fortunately, the stench had subsided by the time six rolled around.
Our kitchen is now piled high with dishes, and our tub filled with used shower water (after my run, I was desperate to take a shower before the meeting). Needless to say, this is beyond the realm of the Do-It-Yourselfer, so a plumber is coming over this afternoon to put a plumber's snake (an auger) down the pipe to work its magic.
By the way, the kids were great during the meeting. Jack was transfixed by Nemo for the duration for the the discussion part of the meeting, and Abigail played on the floor with adorable six-month-old Jonas.

Carnival

I'm so annoyed at myself. We headed out here this afternoon to meet Mike after work to walk around Carnegie Mellon's Carnival and have a picnic dinner, and I forgot my camera battery, which I had plugged in earlier in the day just to make sure it would be charged. What kind of a blogger am I?
Today was the loveliest day of the year- sunny and breezy with a high of 71. Before walking around Carnival, we enjoyed a bagged dinner of pb&j's, apples, cheese and pretzels from the back of our van and splurged on a funnel cake for dessert. Some group was singing, and Jack was swaying his little hips, bouncing up and down with the music. I wish I'd brought to bring the video camera too.
Jack was a little apprehensive of the carousel at first. He clung tightly to Mike for the first minute or so, but after he saw the car ride that was beside the carousel, he braved up and said he wanted to go on that. We stuck to the carousel. We tried to walk through some of the booths, which had themes we thought he would be interested in-- like "Where the Wild Things Are," "Finding Nemo," "James and the Giant Peach," "Peter Pan" (ter-ri-fied), and "Jack and the Beanstalk," but he was mostly too scared to go into any of them (or too shy). I wore Abigail in te front carrier, and she waved her hands happily the whole time.

In other news, we took the kids to the doctor's this morning, Jack for a follow-up to his hospital visit, and Abigail for shots. Jack was cleared of all of his ailments, and Abigail didn't react at all to having shots. She just made an uncomfortable look when the PA put a bandaid on her thigh (a few seconds after the actual shot) and then continued to make happy noises.

[EDIT] This is Mike writing. I knew this day would come. When we went to the pediatrician today, we had a different doctor, so she wasn't familiar with the family. One of the first things she did was measure the size of Jack's head, even though they measured him very recently. After taking the measurement, that inevitable question came, "Did either of you have a really large head as a baby?" For those of you familiar with my family, you'll know that at my brother's birth, the doctor said he would have been concerned about the size of my brother's head if he hadn't seen the father.

Hooked on kidspaces

I wrote this post a few days ago but decided I would save it to be a part of Julia's Hooked on Fridays blog party.

I would love to turn the small finished area of our basement into a neat kids' play area. Right now, it's a drab and unexciting play area. I have a few ideas in mind- like color for starters, perhaps some murals, some built in or updated shelves, maybe a chalkboard or white board or two, and perhaps a playhouse? Here are some neat playrooms that have inspired me, though we're really not looking for something too ambitious...

Our basement doesn't lend itself to something like this, but I think the loft is wondrous and would have loved a space like this as a child. See the playhouse underneath? Maybe in a future home.

I guess this is a nursery, but the colors are fun.

This is new for me-- a graded-color wall. Not sure how I would feel about that in our house, but in this space, which is more like an artist's studio, it seems to work.

Tiny picture, but the lights create a nice whimsical atmosphere.

Kudos on the organization. Don't think I have that much stuff to store though.

I have always loved window seats. The finished room of our basement only has one tiny raised window, but I still like the idea of a comfy padded seat with lots o' pillows piled high-- a place just to sit and read-- with hidden storage underneath.

I like how this room incorporates photography. Though it's a bit drab, for for me. I gravitate toward more color for a child's playroom.

I liked these Shel Silverstein murals that were in Julia's Indianapolis House Tours. Right now, we have murals courtesy of the previous preschoolers, a box of Crayola crayons and a ballpoint pen or two.

So anyway, here is our basement now.



There's a big pole inconveniently breaking up the space, which the previous owners used as a height marker for their five kids, but I think I'll be able to do one better and come up with some other creative use for it (other than the dolphin that's jury-rigged up there now)- maybe a wall between that and the existing wall, to be used for some kind of playhouse?


Aren't you a fan of the gaping holes in the suspension ceiling (complete with glow-in-the-dark stars)? Hey, my kids love this dolphin ("Dolphace") that once swung in our backyard.


My wonderful handy husband is going to put up double folding doors for the game closet, which is now just an open space eye sore with some exposed pipes and water meter and a La-Z Boy reclined there.


We have some hanging shelves, existing to the house and two shelves for toys that we got for free from a past apartment tenant, but I'd like to make better use of organization, maybe add a storage bench, like I mentioned before, or at least spruce up the shelves with some paint and wrapping paper for the backing. It'd be nice to store some things a little higher too. Gail gets into everything she's too little for, and we need a place to stow those types of things-- built in shelves?


The decor is currently limited to paintings from my youth and some bunny my parents were getting rid of. Something I do like: The African cloth print that our friend, Diana, who was doing missionary work there, gave to us.


You're pretty cute, fisher on the pier, but your days in our basement are numbered.


The "house" area is quaint, but it could use some sprucing. Jack loves the Fisher Price kitchen and wooden table and chairs that were mine and my siblings' when we were youngsters (and the Hoover that is an exact miniature of mine that we purchased for $2 at our church's rumage sale).


I'd love your input, suggestions-- color ideas? I'm thinking dual toned- maybe a pretty shade of orange, maybe guacamole. Like I mentioned above, this is much more low-key than most of the above examples. I'm willing to spend money on paint, doors for the closet and a few little accessories- like a chalkboard and maybe some cheap fabric for making pillows, cushions and a valance for the one window. I can always find wood, scraps of useful materials and sometimes even shelving on Craig's List.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

What are those children looking at?

This "bullsoder." Jack stayed in the window for over an hour this morning watching the water company dig up the road. He gave us a minute-by-minute update of what was happening.


Later on in the backyard, Jack heard some beeping that caught his attention.


And he was terrified. Of this patriotic cement truck.


Until Pepper came out to play. "Hey Pepper. How ya doin' buddy?" That's how he greets the neighbor's dog in a chipper little voice.


I usually don't let Gail go free when we're outside becasue she's one of those babies who put everything in their mouths within reach-- rocks, mulch, dirt, grass...dead birds.

Fortunately, I looked down, right as she was reaching for a small cluster of dirty feathers, teeming with ants, and frantically scooped her up. Some cat that likes to-- eat?-- in our backyard had brought us a gift, scattered over the sidewalk. So we found a new side of the yard to play.


Breaking in his sidewalk chalk that he got for Easter.


Mr. Roger's Neighborhood comes on around the time when Abigail goes down for a morning nap, so I sometimes let him watch the beginning of that so I can nurse her without distractions. Lately, he's been singing parts of the intro, but mostly just the line "Away wanna liveinna neighaood wiv youuuu!" over and over again. It's the sweetest thing. He sings a lot. This morning, I started singing with him, and he said. "No. Momma close mouf." Funny, when my mother used to try to sing to me, I would say, "Momma don't sing."

Thrifty Thursday

As a keeper at home, I consider it part of my "job description" to find ways to be good stewards of what we are given- to live as frugally as we can. I'm always trying to think of more ways to save here and there, but in the past few days, Mike and I have decided to create a budget, so I'm especially thinking of ways to cut back now.

Here are some things we've already been doing--

• Use cloth diapers as much as possible (we usually just use disposables when we go out and at night because the cloths can't handle all-night)
  
• Make homemade baby food (I go through phases with this)
• Sell things on EBay, Craig's List and Amazon (and buy things here too, at much cheaper prices)
• We like to go out to eat on an occasional Sunday afternoon or special occasion, but eating homemade meals the rest of the time saves a lot of money. And it's healthier.
  
• Grow a vegetable garden. This is our first year, so we'll see how much it actually yields. We'll be more ambitious next year.
• Take showers instead of baths. We usually give the kids a bath every 3 nights or so, unless they've gotten especially dirty during the day.ake showers instead of baths. We usually give the kids a bath every 3 nights or so, unless they've gotten especially dirty during the day.
• We recently traded in our big company cell phone plan for Tracfones. Instead of paying almost $75 a month on minutes we don't come close to using, we'll now pay a minimum of $7 per month. And we'll come as close as we can to that, as we've only been using the Tracfones for emergencies or quick conversations while running errands/etc.
• Drive conservatively. I'm amazed by the drivers around me who accelerate to stop. In general, it seems people use the gas and break way to much. I was lucky that my dad, who may be the most conservative driver I know, taught me to drive, and it's just something I've gotten used to.
  
• Turn the lights (or music, tv, computer, whatever) off when we're not in the room- heck, sometimes, we just use candlelight. We're not living in a model home.
• If we have to make a purchase other than groceries (checks, glasses, contacts, etc.), we do some research online. We can usually find some great deals.

Some things we would like to improve on--

• Coupon clipping-- Other than one-time coupons to places like Michael's and Joanne Fabrics, we don't get general coupons in the mail, so it's difficult. I've tried "clipping" online, but every time I try to, I have to install some "coupon clipper" software and am sent on a whirlwind survey escapade. I don't want to take online surveys to get coupons. I know they're out there- for free. Any suggestions?
  
• Making meal plans in advance-- I've been doing some of this, but I haven't been making grocery lists that far in advance, which I know would cut down even more on costs. Ideally, I'd like to go to the store only two times per month. I'm sure I'll work toward that goal more once we have more kids, too.
• Making our own homemade gifts. I'm getting better about this one, especially now that I have started to knit. In the past, I have done drawings, clay ornaments, journals or scrapbooks as gifts. I'm trying to ease back into sewing, bookbinding and card-making.
• Making our own cleaning supplies. These are better for the environment and safer with little ones milling around.
• Weather-proofing. Mike weather-proofed all the areas that we seemed to be losing the most energy (areas we could feel cold drafts of air blowing), but this house is so poorly insulated to begin with- it's like an icebox in the winter and a sauna in all of the rooms we don't have window units in during the warm months. We're trying to come up with more efficient ways to cut heating and cooling costs.
• Shopping at thrift stores. I know there are great deals to be had.
  
• Everything.

minor blog makeover

Nothing special-- I've been wanting to go to 3 columns for a while now-- so excuse the changes while I'm updating this new look- and thanks to Mike, who's helping me.

Easter surprises

Easter baskets with some art supplies and goodies from Mom and Dad to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.




We hope everyone had a blessed, Christ-filled Easter!

Alleluia!

Eggs

He reeeeally wanted to hold one.