MUDDER'S DAY

"Happy Mudder's Day!" - Evie 

When I've asked Evie what day it is lately, she has been responding "Mudder's Day! It's your day!"  I have yet to explain to her that Mother's Day was only one day. But I won't correct her anytime soon.  

The Y&P house had a very happy Mother's Day earlier this week, with all four family members home to celebrate my ability to keep two kids alive, relatively happy, and usually healthy while not losing my (complete) sanity.  To be honest, absolutely anything could have been better than the stomach turning events that occurred last year on Mother's Day!

The bambinos with me on this Mother's Day.
Behaving.  Kind of.

Abbott decides to bail out on us when we started our girly giggle fest.

This year, I received exactly what I wanted requested for my Mother's Day presents... yes, I selfishly requested gifts. Don't judge.... these were really good suggestions!

My Mother's Day loot looked something like this:

(1) a kickplate for our front door - in the size, shape, and patina needed to spruce up our entryway and protect the door
(2) a new screen door for our back porch-  to replace the old wooden one that has gotten into a fight with our dogs one too many times
(3) a weekend breakfast with the family at my all-time breakfast fave: The Flying Biscuit
(4) a surprise delivery of roses to my work last week (that was not requested or expected!)
(5) and Chris was also nice enough to give much needed assistance in the makeover/finishing project that I wanted to do on our back porch...

THE BEFORE: The priming process begins! 
I forgot to take a picture of the real before shot - when the ceiling was still dark unfinished wood and we hadn't moved all the furniture out.  The original owner of our house built the porch himself and did a great job (actually running electricity, a telephone line, cable, and speaker lines out to it!).

THE AFTER: 
 We painted the ceiling Martha Stewart Heavenly Blue, touched up the white trim, added curtains (that I made!), and used hardwood 'revitalizer' on the floor.
This pic was taken at night - obviously (!) -  because nighttime is momma's "project" time, at least once the little monkeys are all in bed.  I actually think the porch is prettiest in the daytime when the colors of the lawn and yard are seen as a background through the screens.

Yes, those chains hanging from the ceiling do have a purpose.

  

The chains hold up the kiddo's little wooden swing.
Evie loves to swing in it, but I'm thinking Abbott's going to inherit it from her sooner rather than later at the rate he is growing.

Do you see those snazzy industrial-looking curtain rods? Instead of forking over $80-$150 for a set of long rods that fit, we paid $2 for each of these. That's because they are actually electrical conduit from Home Depot. Score!

If you have been to our house, you may recognize the Waverly Chippendale fabric print of the porch curtains as a familiar pattern. I've used this fabric print so often that I told Chris that we need to name our house The Waverly House in honor of it.

(He said we should call our house The Chippendale house instead. Obviously!)

Don't know why... the print just appeals to me!?!
(Maybe the fretwork pattern reminds me of a honeycomb pattern, which makes me think of yellow jackets,  thus subconsciously bringing out my inner allegiance to our alma mater, Georgia Tech, which is why I always like to use it around the house? Hmmmm.)

I seem to put the fabric everywhere I can...

I even recovered Evie's little rocking chair
in the Waverly Moss color a few years ago.

And check out our butts!
Actually, check out the fabric that is underneath our butts...
I gave a few yards of the fabric to my mom and she put it on her porch swing pillow too.

Raise your hand if you think Mom should quit  trying to be a decorator.
(Chris secretly wants to throw his hand in the air.)

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE(S)

Isn't bedtime great?

That feeling of the day slowing down, you have (most of) your daily chores completed (ha!), and some semblance of calm (sort of) settles over the house.

In my opinion, the only thing that can beat the bedtime feeling is that special golden hour right before bedtime.   In our house, that means it's play time/bath time/snuggle time!

Or play-the-drums-on-your-brother's-head time.
A play category unto itself.

They like to rehash their day with a conversation all their own.
"Dude, I hear your class has banana snacks tomorrow.
I'm gonna have to get in on that action."

Seriously, how cute is this?
I imagine these conversations will change as they get older.
I foresee these discussions evolving into a strategic planning session
where they plot to stage a revolution and overthrow
their repressive parental establishment.
Sleep with one eye open, momma and dadda!

The only revolution this guy is plotting involves a diaper explosion.
That smell can make a person surrender pretty quick.

Ahhhh-ha! I spy a yummy  foot!

Toes or thumb? Thumb or toes? I can't decide!

The big toe is by far the tastiest of all the toes.
There is a very particular and delicate balance of flavors
that must be considered in the proper toe-chewing selection process.

Nom nom nom nom nom.

Can I chew on your toes too?

Help, momma! She's trying to eat my toes!

In other non-baby-cannibals-eating-each-other's-toes news:
We recently learned that Evie will have a solo in her upcoming school program! (A solo! As in ALL BY HERSELF! Yikes!)

It took us a few conversations to determine what song exactly she will be singing, as she told us a different one every time we asked. Finally, she explained that she will be singing "You are My Sunshine."

We've practiced a lot since this video, but this was one of the first times she sang it for me:

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy, when skies are grey

You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away

Please keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer for our Little Miss Sunshine. She's not one to back down from a challenge- especially a challenge that involves her making noise(!) -  but I'm hoping a case of stage fright doesn't keep her from performing.  This school program has the makings of a learning experience for all of us!!

I think THIS Berenstain Bears book is a good bedtime book for tonight!