Tese's Place: Spring!

My mother-in-law, Marilyn reminded me it's been a while since I've updated the family on what's going on in our lives. It was Marilyn's birthday April 4th! Happy 80th Birthday, Marilyn! I feel pretty darn lucky to have you in my life. You make the world a better place with your kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness.

This Easter Sunday the boys, Kitty and I went on a two hour hike. Above, you can see a shot of my three guys on our Easter hike. Coleman did the entire two hours shoeless and is none the worse for wear. It was a mellow Easter for this little family. The guys had a friend sleepover the night before and they all stayed in bed until past nine and woke for a pile of pancakes and Easter baskets filled with the usual sugary treats. Chris had a very chilly but decent mountain bike ride in the morning. After the boy's friend left we all hopped into the car and drove west, to the upper campus of UCSC where we hiked in a redwood forest.

This year has been filled with school, hikes, bike rides, friends and a couple of visits to the beach. We're a little more than three months into 2015 and I can say, honestly not much has happened yet. Wait! There was an historic moment a couple weeks ago when every room in my house was clean - at the same time. I don't have that many rooms, I know, but I was so excited about it I had to snap some pictures.

The boy's room needed an overhaul so I patched walls and repainted their once white walls white again. While I was working away at this I was listening to a fitness and health podcast called The Shawn Stevenson Model about creating a sleep sanctuary (though I'm sure I listened to about a dozen over the course of the three days it took me to complete this room, the sleep sanctuary podcast had a great deal of impact). That podcast was just what I needed to really get into what I was doing - I hung room darkening curtains; bought, refinished and placed a new dresser between the beds; purchased new bedding (Ikea, $70 to outfit both beds). I removed untold things from underneath Max's bed. Including, but not limited to already chewed gum and wrappers for candy I can't remember buying. Oh, and I found the black hole where the single socks go to party.

Their room is quite pleasant to be in now. And they were both quite appreciative of all the hard work I did on it. Max was away at science camp all week and returned to a new and improved bedroom. I really wanted to get that room finished before Max got home. Had I not had the Friday deadline they may still have no curtains, as I was looking for a different color. I just love deadlines.

Our Master bedroom was neat as a pin. Nary a stitch of laundry to be seen. The kitchen counter and kitchen table were both clear of clutter for a day, too! And we had a relatively tidy front yard - it had no weeds, but it also had very few plants so it was a bit brown. But also a pleasant relief, somehow.

I'm thinking of painting the hutch white or just stripping it down to the wood. It's got too much of a presence when it's blue.

Check out the new pot rack. I installed that baby myself. It's level. Methinks we need some color in there.

Prayer flags courtesy of Carmenza, my brother in law's very dear and lovable girlfriend.

Just before all this cleaning took place I helped out with ANOTHER auction project. Yes, I know, I'm such a sucker. My new friend, Desiree, a parent in Max's class at Main Street Elementary was in charge and asked if I wanted to help. Well, I didn't mean to, but I took over. Completely.

The Original plan was to make chess pieces with clay. I didn't really want to do this. It seemed boring to me - and a whole lot of work. We were limited with time, we only had the kids for an hour and a half. So I switched it. I did a print project with them of a field of flowers and a school of fish. The kids made the print plates and I made the prints. It took me a whole lot longer than an hour and a half. It took me longer than a weekend. In then end it was all fine. But that creative process can be really painful. I was, as I usually am, so happy to send it on to it's new owners. I only have one picture of one print. Each child made one flower and one fish. The flowers took them an hour and the fish took them fifteen minutes.

This is the piece before it was framed. Not a great shot, but you get the idea. This print, framed got $250 at the auction.

When all the work was complete, Kitty and I did a hike by the beach. We actually hike most days, but her walks were shorter and fewer whilst I was in the midst of the auction project and the cleaning project. She's such a patient little lady! We love her so.

Coleman, 13 yrs., 6 mos.

The boys are huge! Coleman, at 5' 8.5", has two inches to go to catch up to Chris - and the last time he was weighed he was up to 127 pounds. Max is over 4' 9" and over 70 pounds. They're both doing well in school. Though my greatest wish for them is that they could learn to enjoy themselves while doing their schoolwork, it seems an unrealistic wish. Still, while they resist and complain and it clearly pains them, I think it's also important to them. Such contrarians.

Max wrote a great short story today. This is how it began:

"Hi, my name is Max, I'm ten years old and I'm gonna tell you the amazing story of how I discovered a world that is not our own inside a secret cave, inside a swimming hole, inside a redwood forest." I just love this - not sure why he doesn't embrace it more. Except I think he'd rather be catching birds: