best mother's day

All week, Ella has been ducking into her room to work on her "project." We'd finish school in the early afternoon, and then she would disappear each day for at least two to three hours at a time. She kept things top secret, though I could tell she was very, very excited about what she was working on and that it was hard not to unveil it prematurely.

Then, on Saturday, the day before Mother's Day, I literally did not see her ALL DAY LONG except during snack times and meal times. She worked in her room on "the project" tirelessly. At dinner time, the kids went to their grandparents while Bryan and I headed out for a birthday dinner for a close friend. When we returned to get the kids, the first thing Ella voiced was her plans to finalize her work when we got home.

With Bryan's blessing, she stayed up late to put the finishing touches on things and then she banished me to my room so that she could prepare for the following morning. She was giddy when she finally came up to brush her teeth around 10 pm and she could hardly settle down for bed. Honestly, I've never seen her get this excited even for Christmas morning. She could not wait for me to wake up so she could show me all her surprises!

This morning, I opened my eyes to see her next to me, wide eyed, waiting for me to get out of bed. She's crazy! She roused Simon once I began to stir so that he didn't miss out on all the fun. To start, there was a Happy Mother's Day sign over the bathroom door. Then downstairs we ventured to see more of the same signage in every room. Balloons were hung in the doorways and a large banner hung in the kitchen:

She had everyone in the family sign it, including Josie.

Once she had me settle into the couch, she piled up the wrapped gifts. She had worked so hard I couldn't wait to see what she was up to!!

This is a sampling of a few of the gifts. At the top left, you'll see a short story she wrote and illustrated about a young prince and princess who grow up sitting next to each other in school who end up falling in love and getting married when they are 20. Next to that is a pop up card which lists all the years of her life that I have been loving her along with the rest of the years that I will be watching over her. Then we have a duck tape frame with the inscription "Mom's are Great!" and a duck tape hair bow. The fancy project is a pair of blue sandals she made for me out of cardboard and painter's tape. They actually fit! (I wondered why two of my pairs of shoes were missing this week :)

My top three favorite handmade gifts from Ella were these:

Bouquet of painter's tape roses in a duck tape roll vase

Duck tape sculpture of downtown St. Louis!

Duck tape ring with gorgeous jewels

I don't know exactly what I did to deserve such adoration, but I can't tell you how full my heart was all day today. There are so many days that I wish I could express my love in a more complete and full way to our kids, to always be a source of acceptance, security and unconditional love but somehow I feel I fall short in expressing the depth of these feelings in the day to day living of life. But seeing how much Ella wanted to serve me, make me laugh and treat me special...it made me feel secure that it's really getting through. All three kids are so incredible, so special in their own way. I am blown away that I get to be their mom.

Today I truly felt like Mother of the Year. Thank you God for entrusting me with these amazing people! Bryan, Ella, Simon and Josie...I love you, I love you, I love you!

Photobooth fun today!

gone gluten free

A bit ago I gave you the back story on some of Josie's health issues which included symptoms of arthritis. I mentioned in that post that I had plans to meet with a homeopathic practice to investigate if diet could be part of her problem, a possibility that the rheumatologists didn't seem interested in checking out and pretty much told me that diet has nothing to do with arthritis. Just so you know...I'm not bitter about this but I felt very strongly that I needed to at least investigate a possible dietary issue before committing to medicating Josie for an unforeseen amount of time or to label her with a very heavy diagnosis.

I saw a homeopathic nurse practitioner at Webster Family Physicians just after Josie had received a steroid shot for the continued swelling in her ankle. (The shot was the next step recommended by the rheumatologists since medication alone wasn't totally fixing the problem.) The homeopathic nurse and I discussed doing some blood tests to see if diet was a player in the arthritis. After drawing blood that day, it took nearly a month to get the test results back. Her bloodwork indicated that she had no "allergies" but several low grade offenders which cause inflammation in her immune system. One of the offenders was apple which I had been giving her pretty much non stop through juice and applesauce which were the only foods she consistently had interest in. I had no idea that it was causing inflammation to build up in her little body! :(

The nurse explained that it was good news that Josie's tests showed no severe reactions to food but that we needed to get the inflammation under control so that her fragile immune system could recover, mature and strengthen. She assured me that if we got things under control now, she would almost certainly outgrow these sensitivities!

The plan of action was to completely remove wheat and gluten for a year or two and also cycle through the other inflammatory foods every four days, giving her system a complete digestive cycle before reintroducing them into her digestion.

I have to say, since being on this diet since March, (about two months) Josie is like a different child! She is sleeping through the night (HALLELUJAH!) which happened almost immediately. She is no longer emotionally reactive. Before, she would scream in frustration constantly, needed holding all the time and just didn't act like the carefree, easy-tempered girl I once knew. Now she's back to her old self! She sings and runs around, and laughs and plays with her siblings. And she's finally eating food! She's become a GREAT little eater! In fact, this morning I noticed that the onesie she wore to bed was way too snug. I thought to myself, "I need to take these old onesies out of her drawer because they are pulling on her neck." Then I stumbled across this photo of her from only four weeks ago wearing the exact same onesie:

Here it is baggy and loose. She has gained 4-1/2 pounds in about six weeks. It's incredible!

I so appreciate medicine and love our doctors. But I can't tell you what a relief it is to speak to a medical professional who sees the validity of diet and who is not in a rush to over medicate. I thank God for this amazing turn of events!

As of now, the swelling in her ankle has not completely disappeared. But it is well under control and is not causing her any stiffness or changing her gait. The difference between her two ankles is very subtle. But the idea is that once the inflammation has worked it's way out of her system over time, she should return completely to normal. I'll keep you updated as things progress! I'm one relieved Mama, I have to say! xx

For your viewing pleasure, here are some recent photos we had taken last week. The happy changes are visible!

Check out that healthy little toddler body!

To close, here is an image of her sleeping, sweet sleep, on the couch. She just laid down after lunch and fell right to sleep:

So happy to have my girl back.

treehouse progress

Bryan (and various helpers!) are making loads of progress on the treehouse! The floor is finished, the ladder is built and walls are going up! We picked paint swatches to try to make it look purposeful up next to the rest of the structures in our yard and hopefully, to not annoy our neighbors with a gawdy box in our big tree.

I'm so impressed with the way it's shaping up and also at how earnestly Bryan is working to complete it. He'll probably finish the walls next week and continue painting. Following that will be the roof and then all the extras like the swing and the deck railing on the front.

This photo shows where the front door will be. The extra flooring off the front is a deck which will be enclosed by a nice railing that a friend helped Bryan build. The long board that sticks out on the right side is where a swing will hang (yay!!)

This angle shows the back side of the house which is still unfinished. I'm so excited that almost every wall has a window which we plan on fitting with hinged shutters so the kids can open and close them as they wish. We've decided to paint the siding a stone/khaki color (I know...a very safe choice for me) in order to blend in with the siding of the additions on the house and also the colors in our fence and garage. The trim will be a darker shade of said khaki but I'm hoping to use a deep, statement color like peacock teal or kelly green for the shutters just for fun (and because I can't help it.)

The kids are dreaming of the amenities they want on the interior. So far we have plans for a table and chairs which are already being stored in our basement, a hanging chalkboard (also in my "inventory" in the basement), and possibly the play kitchen. I'm thinking the kitchen won't make the cut as I have plans to create a seating area out of a pallet I found in our alley. Something along these lines:

Image credit: http://ashleyannphotography.com

It won't be nearly this large, and most likely not this pretty, but it will be comfortable and fun! Other exciting details will be strings of lights or paper lanterns, a radio (per Ella's request) and a mailbox. We might throw in some house numbers and a mailbox just to make the residence bonafide.

And that's where we're at! I'll post more photos as things plow forward!

treehouse!

Last weekend we were out in our back yard hanging out when I scanned the scene, taking inventory of projects that needed to be tackled to spruce up the place. I concluded that the overall picture was sad and neglected. As I mentally perused the landscape, my eyes rested on the huge sycamore right next to the back of the house and I commented nonchalantly, "Ya know...it would be kind of cool to have a tree house in that tree..." It was one of my "dreamings" which Bryan is very used to hearing me verbalize, and most often filters out due to time or finances (or possibly annoyance :P). But he perked up at this particular idea. He's become a bit of a handy man since our humble DIY beginnings as newly marrieds. Over the years he's installed a bathroom, remodeled a kitchen, installed siding, laid tile, and accomplished lots of other feats involving carpentry, plumbing and electricity. He's often itching to tackle a project, especially a building one, but time is at a minimum these days.

The mere mention of a tree house seemed to push an "on" button. As soon as the kids got wind that there was even TALK of the subject, they latched on and there was no turning back. Simon especially has asked about it every other second. Even at a wedding last weekend, (the day after the idea was mentioned) he asked in the middle of the ceremony if we could go home and start building. And he has decided that it belongs to him, but that he will share with his sisters.

Bryan has been online doing research, looking at architectural drawings and budgeting out materials. He even went old school and checked out a book from the library. Today was building day.

We all pitched in, though Daddy and Papa (Bryan's dad) did all the carpentry work. The kids and I, along with Grandma, did a lot of yard work, weed pulling, raking, trimming, cleaning, mulching, arranging bricks, etc. Much of our efforts focused on removing English ivy which was used as ground cover on a lot of our property before we moved in. I have decided it's the Devil's weed. It is such a nuisance and is so invasive. It covers most of the trunk of the hefty sycamore that the tree house is being built into, and as we removed the vines, most of the bark came tearing off at the same time. Grrrr....

Working together, we had one of the most productive days around the house we've had in a long while. I tidied the whole back yard and am so pleased with it! And Bryan completed the  first phase of building (framework of the floor plan and supports). The next phase will involve building the ladder and laying the flooring. We hope to have it complete by the end of April! And, Oh. My. Goodness...The kids better play with it every day until they leave for college.

Anyone out there have tree house experience? I always wanted one, especially after watching the movie Swiss Family Robinson.

Floor plan view. Also note my nice black mulch around the tree in the back? Pay no attention to all the bald spots where grass should be growing...that's the sad and neglected part. Grass will not survive back here!

sippy cups and silk

Remember the scripture in the Bible where Jesus tells us we can't serve both God and money? Well the same goes for loving children and loving fancy vintage furniture. I know that's what Jesus really meant, right?

I've been on a whirlwind vintage kick lately and in the midst of finding some amazing deals on gorgeous unique things, I've sold much of our old furniture which always seemed too big for this city dwelling. Finally, after living here for five years, it's starting to feel like the furnishings suit the house and fit within the nooks and crannies.

In the midst of my thrifting, I stumbled upon this GORGEOUS mid century olive green tufted sofa with wood detailing. My heart was all aflutter. I go nuts over nearly anything tufted! So I swiped it up even though the realist in the back of my mind said, "Don't get too attached. Silk and sippy cups cannot coexist." Or something like that. But the price was right, the style was insane, and so I promised myself I would hold it lightly.

Within the first couple of days, there was an oily residue left on one of the cushions by somebody's little grubby fingers and I contemplated selling the sofa before it got ruined. But then, I reminded myself that I paid next to nothing for it and if it got ruined, it wouldn't be a huge loss, as long as my heart was not attached.

Shortly after, I bought two cans of scotch guard and doused the thing from head to toe. I tested the stain resistance with some water and it beaded up and rolled off and my mind was at ease that maybe sippy cups and silk CAN coexist. Folly? You may be right.

This morning I should have known better than to be productive first thing out of bed because, as I was downstairs putting in a load of laundry, I heard cries from upstairs that Josie had thrown up...On. The. Couch. And it wasn't just regular old throw up, it was a belly full of grape juice. It might as well have been sulfuric acid, or blood, or a flaming kebob of oily cheese. By the time I was able to get to it, it was still beading up, but had soaked in enough to leave a very noticeable stain. I cleaned and blotted and wiped for a half hour or so, fighting off frustration and irritation. But all in all, I'm not that upset. Surprisingly. I love my kids more than I love fancy vintage furniture, and I don't even mind if God wants to keep checking me on this one. I say, if I ever get close to loving stuff more than people, I'll be looking for a boatload of grape juice vomit to come my way.

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

scattered

Today was a bit of a scattered day...I was meant to take Josie to her quarterly eye appointment (it is recommended she be examined every three months as a preventative measure for a rare complication called iritis that sometimes occurs in JIA patients) but the doctor was out due to a death in the family. So, while I was in the neighborhood, I made a quick thrifting stop at Salvation Army (one of my favorite spots.) No awesome furniture to be found but I got a lovely little round, tufted pillow in the perfect shade of pink. It pops just right against the olive backdrop of the sofa! And you can't beat $1.99!

I also picked up some tshirts for Simon to make it through the spring and summer. Since I've been frequenting the thrift store circuit over the last couple of months, I just don't think I'll ever be able to pay full price for kids' clothes again. This is a good thing!

I also got Ella an illustrated Children's Bible from the mid 70s. It's one that I remember having at our house as a kid and I always loved looking at it. She's very interested in the Bible and has outgrown some of the more basic versions and is really more drawn to the actual text which we read together every morning after breakfast. I thought this one would be a great middle ground for her and the illustrations have a certain retro charm!

Ella and I then crammed in about a half day's worth of school (we hit the books pretty hard at the beginning of the week in order to have a light day today) and Simon went to school while Josie napped. Then all the kids headed over to our sweet friend Shannon's house while I ducked out to the annual St. Louis Homeschool Expo. Since this is my first year as a homeschooler, I have never been to an event like this and I have heard it can be overwhelming. I actually had nightmares last night in anticipation...Mommy guilt doubles when you homeschool, I think, as one can question whether or not she's doing enough for her little ones. I was afraid I would enter this homeschool world surrounded by a hundred vendors selling various appealing curriculum, and begin to get shaky in my current plan.

However, I did my best to prepare. I brought a suitcase on wheels so I didn't get a sore back lugging heavy books that I might buy. I fixed myself a large coffee in my most favorite insulated thermos, and I had a very specific list with online prices marked in the margins to make sure I found the best deals. And you know what, it really wasn't very overwhelming at all! I left feeling confident in what I'm doing and really pleased at how much Ella is learning. (Gosh, she's an amazing student.) I even got to meet up with a dear friend while there and talk strategy for next year as well as just be comforted by the familiarity of a friend I love :) I bought all of my curriculum for next  year except for the big Sonlight order which involves the bulk of our reading materials and is a huge box of books! But I got a coupon code for that order which is reason enough to attend the Expo on it's own! A bonus was that I came home with an art curriculum that I plan on doing over the summer with both big kids and a cursive curriculum for free.

When I walked through the door with my suitcase, Ella met me, bubbling over with anticipation. She peeked through the materials and ran around giddy and silly. She was very excited for next year's science workbook (Botany) and exclaimed, "OH! I could just start RIGHT NOW!!" She's a nerd in the most beautiful way!

We capped the evening off by relaxing and hanging out in the living room watching old Spiderman cartoons which were ridiculously entertaining. And then, surprisingly, the most amazing thing appeared in the sky outside our window:

We scrambled out on the front porch to capture this photo. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. Ella suggested we find the end of it and dig up the gold. And I remembered what it felt like to really believe there was gold at the end of a rainbow, if I could only get there before it disappeared!

It was a scattered day, but I'm still smiling at day's end!

on maturity

Overnight I am stunned by how the kids are growing, maturing and becoming more independent. I can't even count how many times I think to myself, especially about Ella, "Are you really only 7 and a 1/2? Really??" It's not only the way she talks, but it's her natural interest in contributing and being a part of things.

As I mentioned in my previous post, bedtime with Josie can be a long process and last night, I had some phone calls to tend to and wasn't able to be as involved as usual. So Ella stepped in willingly to save the day. She said to her daddy as he tried to console Josie, "I can lie down with her. I WANT to!" So he gave it a whirl and we didn't hear a peep from her the rest of the night! Yesssss!

And this morning when we woke up, Ella got up with Josie and changed her diaper before I even got out of bed. Whaaat? I wasn't that self sacrificing and responsible in my early twenties. For reals.

On Sunday, Ella wrote on her communication card that she wanted to serve in the toddler room. She ended her request with an all caps "PLEASE?" I think it's a really grand idea and she'd be so helpful as an extra playmate for the littles.

All this growing up spurred me to ask the question of the kids today, "What do you want to be when you grow up." Ella said, "There are a bunch of things I want to be. Can I be more than one thing?" To which I replied, "Of course!" Then she listed off all of the possibilities, "A salon girl, an artist" and that got her onto a tangent daydreaming about where that could take her. She said, "I want my art to hang in Hollywood or something!" I think she's under the impression that anything famous must come out of Hollywood. I asked, "You mean, you want it to hang in a gallery somewhere so people can buy it from you?" "Yes! I would sell each painting for five dollars!" Well, I thought I needed to let her know she could aim higher. "You know, Ella, lots of artists sell their paintings for much more than that, maybe hundreds or thousands of dollars because they put a lot of time into each one." That got her dreaming..."Ok. Well, maybe I'll sell one of mine for 6 billion dollars and then every person in the world could put one dollar in." But that idea presented a quandary. She paused and reasoned, "No. That wouldn't really work because who would actually get to take the painting home?"

At bedtime, I asked Simon what he wanted to be when he grew up. He didn't hesitate and answered, "A pastor." "Really?" I asked. "Why do you want to be a pastor?" to which he replied, "It sounds fun." "What would be the most fun about being a pastor, Simon?" His answer was simple. "Telling people about Jesus." Yes. So I prayed for him that God would give him the passion to tell others about how much Jesus loves them. And he snuggled down to sleep. That's my boy.

Seriously. These kids blow my mind. They bug each other and fight and do all the things kids do, but then they show their hearts and I marvel. God, make their lives great for you!