Ok.. I haven't finished organizing so this is going to be a photo highlight of our week. I am in the process, but organizing always entails a walk down memory lane for me and I wind up getting side tracked a million times over. My son says that's what mommies do best, get side tracked. I have a tendency to start one project only to discover another and things shift gears. I guess that's a good thing because it does mean I can go with the flow better than I thought I could. But it also means that things take longer than they probably should.
For example, my organizing art supply project turned into a rearrange the bedroom project. I don't even know why. I just started moving things and I'm not quite satisfied yet. Anyway, it's kind of nice to try different things though. We've now lived in our house for almost ten years. I get antsy every once in awhile and want to shake things up and change colors or move things around. I'm definitely having a ten year itch with some rooms. Sadly our house is having all kinds of ten years aches and pains like the garage door breaking, the wood fence rotting, the bathtub not draining properly once again. I definitely am noticing things need a little pick me up here and there.
I know what I really wanted to document our highlights from our week. On Tuesday afternoon I took the kids to the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino. We're members and LOVE it there. To my grateful surprise they had an exhibit on the History of Science including sections on light, natural history, the human body and astronomy.
On our way there we listened to an audio cd of Nesbit's "Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare" for children. We had to stop and start a few times due to our incessantly chattering Audrey who was keeping everyone from hearing. But all in all Jackson really seemed to get the story. My goal was then to revisit the Shakespeare Garden and see if we could find the statue that matched "A Midsummer Night's Dream" which was the story we listened to on the way there. It was a completely impromptu idea, but it worked and it was fun. The next day in the car Ava asked, "Can we listen to the statue stories again?" So while she didn't necessarily understand all the language she soaked it in and could appreciate that it was something interesting. They both also loved to pretend to be conductors at the beginning of each story when the music played.
After finding the statue (or at least what we think is the statue of Puck) we sat down to do our nature / journal drawings. I just told the kids to draw something they saw. Ava drew the palm tree. Jackson drew a story of the battling squirrels. There were many flitting about through the trees along the Shakespearean statues. He made up a whole story about them which I wish I would have recorded right away because it has already escaped me. But it was cute and creative.
OH and Audrey, well she mostly drew on herself. I've already purchased a set of toddler size colored pencils for her as a birthday gift at the end of the month. Pens are just not a good idea right now. She was pretty much covered in a kaleidoscope of color from her nose to her toes. Some of it was an accident, but some she did with sheer glee, just because.
Our bible verse this week was, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1. The first day I said it and Jackson started repeating after me, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not _________ (pause), but I WANT mom!" He had a little epiphany in that moment. Wow, I shall not want. How hard is that? I think we all could have these epiphanies couldn't we? As our week went along I was reminded as I was thinking, "hmm my side tables don't look so good anymore, I'd like to get new red ones to spice up the room." Or, I really would like to get new... blah blah blah. Or I wish I had it more together to be able to actually sell things on etsy already. Oh yea, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." I think this scripture is definitely not just about material things, but about yearning only for Him.
Let's see, what else? Oh I got some cool magnetic geometric shape manipulatives for the kids. All three loved playing with them. I was most impressed with a structure Ava built and then Jackson added to and of course Audrey tried to crash down.
Our Friday was already looking like a lighter day. I planned to try to take them to Little Tokyo, just to see a little bit of a different culture in 'real life.' Jackson studied Japan a lot last year so he already has an affinity for it. But then the gardeners came. We had to chop down a tree in our yard and this diverted the whole day's plans. But in a good way. The kids stared out the window and I made a plan.
First, you must know that this pains me to cut down a tree like this. We planted it about eight years ago and I love trees. As a child there was a tree outside my bedroom window that I named Henry. I truly believed I was helping Henry grow by talking to him and being his friend. (I was under five..so don't judge.) I really have always loved trees. This one was a River Birch and the bark is beautiful. We have others in the front yard too. But this one had grown so big the roots were coming up out of the grass and jeopardizing the foundation under the patio and house as well as causing everything in the back yard to not thrive because it was blocking out the sun. I fought doing this, but finally conceded for all of those reasons.
I recently got the book "All Year Round" which has celebrations for the seasons. I already knew I wanted to find a good branch to hang Valentines and then later Easter decorations. Wa-la... I had an abundance of branches to choose from. I also decided the trunk and branches would make adorable little tables and chairs for dolls and figures.
So quickly draw up and then run out to my gardener with a little diagram of what I'm thinking. One larger trunk cut for the table with four smaller branch cuts to make high back chairs. He already thinks I'm a little crazy ever since I nearly lost it after he massively hacked my camelia tree one year. He now checks with me before making any major 'trimming' because he knows I like things to look natural and not like they've been shaped by a weed whacker.
So he obliged my request. I thought it would be too much to ask for three sets since he really had a lot of work to do, but he actually gave me more than three. I think we'll have one for each child (to prevent fighting) and then give whatever is left as gifts. Now I just need my husband to help me with his saw make the cuts for the back of the chairs. I'm looking forward to when they're complete, and so are the kids. And the best thing is, I don't feel as bad cutting down the tree because we're making something we can save out of it. Eventually, when they're done I'll post pictures.
So here's to a new week and many more exciting tomorrows! Be back soon.
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