Home improvement nightmare #219

The Kitchen Painting Project
Living in a new construction means boring, neutral, flat builders paint covers every wall in the house. I have been wanting to add the excitement of color- its the cheapest way to make improvements to any room, (besides eliminting clutter of course).
So I chose an exciting shade of green called Pond Reed. I wanted to be ENERGIZED in my kitchen, after all, its the hub of activity in our house. So we began painting. I loved the color at first, but after the project was complete I began to realize this was TOO MUCH energy. All that bright green combined with my morning cup of coffee made me feel increasingly anxious throughout the day. Alas, it must be repainted.

Encouragement!

Some people are extremely clean. Some people are extremely organized. SOME people manage to be BOTH! I am constantly struggling in all areas of home management. It seems that as I get one aspect of the home under control, another spirals downward. I am a big fan of flylady and try to embrace her methods and principles as much as possible. Its all a continual process I realize. The following exerpt from a recent post on homeliving helper was very encouraging to me:

All homes go through stages of life. There will be times of organization and times when your house will look like someone came in and ransacked it. When you realize that life is not supposed to go smoothly, it is easy to adjust to these challenges. If you are overwhelmed and do not know where to turn, just think, you may have been created for such a time as this. You also may be leaving a message for your family by the way you handle such seemingly insurmountable tasks. There is more to cleaning up a mess than making it look nice. There is an attitude and a ministry in it.

Ben is crawling

I have been enjoying the bliss of ignorance when it comes to how dirty the floor really is. A quick vaccum of the kitchen floor a couple times a week was sufficient. Now my little nugget has begun travelling around. Not only is he a cute little pumpkin, he also doubles as a swiffer. His increasingly refined pincer grasp further complicates things. Its amazing the artifacts a baby will find, no matter how hard you might try to keep things clean. I remember looking over just in time to notice that my oldest had put a tiny, semi-alive beetle in his mouth that he had discovered on the kitchen window sill.

The basidiomycetes are moving in!

In an effort to prevent my children from experimenting with hallucinogens at a young age, I spent considerable time yesterday picking mushrooms from my back yard. This morning I awoke to discover that a fresh crop had sprung up overnight. Interestingly, the varieties of fungus present seem to be increasing in diversity. The yard is not discriminating! In dismay I did some quick internet research to see what my next plan of attack might be. The results yielded some conflicting information, but it looks like they are difficult to get rid of. The best thing to do is remove as much dead material from the lawn as I can. One site suggested frequent application of a sodium bicarb solution as an organic remedy. Its worth a try. Looks like I will have to get out the rake and get to work!

10 things I need to teach my sons

Ten Things I Need to Teach My Sons

To fear God - If I don't, the devil will teach him to hate God.

To guard his mind - If I don't, the devil will gladly teach him to have an open mind.

To obey his parents - If I don't, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ heart.

To select his companions - If I don't, the devil will gladly choose them for him.

To control his body - If I don't, the devil will teach him to give it over completely to lust.

To enjoy the marriage partner that God has given him - If I don't, the devil will teach him to destroy the marriage.

To watch his words - If I don't, the devil will fill his mouth with filth.

To pursue his work - If I don't, the devil will make his laziness a tool of hell.

To manage his money - If I don't, the devil will teach him to waste it on riotous living.

To love his neighbor - If I don't, the devil will gladly teach him to love only himself.

From John McArthur's message, Crucial Lessons for a Wise Father.

Summer

Pool action.

Our neighbor Luke and Ben in the pool.

Stylin' and profilin' with Daddy.