Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Rainbows

St. Patrick's Day.

This was O's first year to show some understanding of leprechauns and green-wearing and rainbows and gold!

Mostly she liked the rainbows, so I ran with that.

We bought some fruity cereal just for the occasion. 

First we sorted it into colors.

Eating some along the way, of course.


Next we took sheets of white craft foam and some glue and stuck our cereal on in a rainbow shape. 

Here is hers.
 And, here is mine.
I like her's best.

We left our rainbows on the mantle so that the leprechauns would have a place to leave their gold.  I thought we were being pretty clever. 

They were on to us, though, and didn't leave the whole pot of gold.  Just 3 gold-covered peanut butter cups.  I can handle that.

The leprechauns were going to cause a little bit more mischief, but, unfortunately, our house got sick that day.  So, after turning our milk and pancakes green, they took off.   I can't blame them.

Next year, we'll make our trap rainbow more enticing.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Creating Sarah

As I was leaving church today, I encountered three young kids playing.  They were playing in the grass, but had found themselves in a situation where they either needed to cross the parking lot or go back the way they had come in order to reach the large grassy area they had started out in. 

Obviously, cutting across the parking lot was the quickest way, so the two oldest took off running.  The youngest, however, was mortified when this happened. 

He looked at me and screamed:  "They're running in the street!  They're going to DIE!!!!!" (kudos to his mom for teaching him the dangers of crossing the street)

"Meh," I said, "I'm watching them.  They're ok.  You can go ahead too." 

He grinned at me and took off running, no longer worried that he would meet his untimely end. 


When I was a kid, I used to wonder when the magic moment was that I would transform from kid to adult--girl to woman.  I never did figure it out, but it appears that the moment has come and gone without me noticing!  Here I am, sitting in my 30s with a husband, 2 kids, responsibilities, my own furniture, and even adult cereal. 

I even have kids looking to me for permission crossing the street/parking lot.  I am even qualified to hold a hand should the occasion call for it!  Apparently, I have successfully made the transition, and for that I am glad.

But, I had a lot of plans for adulthood.  I used to really look forward to the time when I could be a woman--a mom.  I had ideas about what my house would look like, what I would make for my kids, how I would teach them, how I would show my husband I love him, how I would finally stop being shy and reserved and afraid to reach out to people, all kinds of things!  You know, how I would be Sarah: A Really Great Person.

So, that's why I'm here.  I've decided that it is time to stop waiting for someone to tell me to go ahead and start being me.  It is time to do it.  Time to try the ideas that have been piling up in my head for years. 

I'm here to keep track of my adventures.  I'm here to discover myself and be comfortable with myself.  I'm here to make friends.  And, I'm here to have fun.  Let's go!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Welcome Home

I have this big black filing cabinet sitting right near the entry to my home.  Because of its location, it has a tendency to get very, very cluttered with all the things we drop as we walk in the door.

I hate that!

So, I cleaned it off.
I wish I had gotten a before picture, but that might have been embarrassing.  =)

Anyway...
Now, it looked a little too empty and I had a great excuse to start a new project!

Yay!

I pulled out this framed picture that I found at a dollar store some time long ago.

I pulled out the picture...ripped it off actually.  It was in there pretty tight and I lost the frame in the process of removing the picture. 

That's ok, though.  Because of the way it was put together, the frame wouldn't have worked anyway.  So, I salvaged the glass and the board from the back. 

The rest...well, it gave its life for the cause and I see that as heroic. 

Moving on. 

I pulled out my Cricut and cut out some happy words.

I wanted something that would be welcoming as the first thing we saw coming in the door and also reassuring and uplifting as it reminded us what being home means. 

I laid my words out on the glass in order to see how it worked.
This was my second or third arrangement.  It worked the best.

So I stuck them on permanently.

Next, I got a piece of blue scrapbook paper and Mod Podged it to the back of the glass. 


Doesn't that look better?