Chair Issues

When we first moved to Iowa we bought a new chair. We were in a somewhat expensive furniture store and came upon a Thomasville chair and ottoman filled with down feather cushions. Sitting in it was like a party for your body. So comfortable. And it was on major clearance price! Why was it on clearance? Possibly because I have never seen a chair such a color before. Coral. Or maybe peach.

What do you do with that color? At the time we owned a handed-down white couch (pictured partly above) and a bunch of other hodge podge furniture. So why not throw in an amazingly comfortable, and coral colored, chair? It treated us right until we bought a large sectional couch and moved into a condo with even less room. Coral now sits upstairs in Drew's rooms, usually covered in stuffed animals.

So I have mentioned that we will be moving this summer, right? Of course I have. My first very own house and how it will look has been forefront on my mind these days. Yesterday Coral came up in conversation and Jason and I had a little disagreement as to her future.

Person A feels that Coral is fine just as she is. They feel that although a unique color, it is a color that can coordinate well into most color schemes. Person A loves the softness of the fabric and finds her unique color charming and lovable.

Person B also loves the chair but does not see her meshing well into the color scheme in mind. Person B feels like a custom slipcover would not compromise her integrity and comfort, but would only add to her over-all attractiveness. Person B would like to give Coral a basic patterned/ neutral colored slipcover.


What would you do with Coral's future? (would like honest opinions... we love Coral regardless)

Good morning, sun

We are experiencing a heat wave today. A whopping 40 degrees and Drew and I had to get out and hit the streets this morning. I also haven't taken pictures in probably a month. Here is the queen of the household, almost 18-month old, who acted like going outside was Christmas morning...

And since I haven't taken pictures in so long, I learned that before you snap a picture you should not ask Drew to smile. Because every time I did, inevitably I ended up with one of these shots...

Her "smile" is eyes closed and scrunched nose.

These Shoes

These are not any regular pair of shoes. These shoes symbolize time, change, and appreciation. They are only toddler size 6, but are much larger in significance.

The first time these shoes came into my life I was maybe 25 weeks pregnant. Only 25 weeks pregnant and completely ready to go into labor the next day (kinda). I look forward to things like nobody's business. I look forward to things coming up so much that I don't enjoy life enough in it's moment.

My friend, Amie, gave me these shoes at this point in my life and I loved them. I imagined a little girl walking around in them. It almost killed me that I would have to wait maybe two more years before I could be the mom of the little girl in the pink and white checkered Vans. So with broken heart, I tucked them away in the dresser.

And the next day I pulled them out and had a daughter that fit into them.

I'm not kidding. The fact that this morning Drew sat on my lap and helped me tighten the velcro straps of these shoes is ridiculous. There is no way I have a child that is big enough to fit into the pink and white checkers! I am not ready for this.

Did I appreciate the time in my life before Drew was born and it was just Jason and I? Definitely not. Did I treasure the time when Drew was tiny, innocent, and immobile? Probably not enough. Life has a way of subtly passing by and all the while I am too busy looking forward to it to even notice it.

I am so excited for this summer. To look for a new house. To be done with medical school. To move, wherever it may be. To be able to walk outside without seeing my breath.

So my point is that one day I know I will look back and really miss this tiny apartment and miss these years of Iowa-livin'. Maybe miss the snow? Who knows. All I know is that today I am going to cherish those little size 6 feet.

Oh, it's what you do to me

We must listen to this song every time we are in the car. On repeat. Drew gets strapped into her chair and I walk around to the front and get in waiting to hear the words. "Li lah, Li lah." Before the last note is strummed she is asking again, "Li lah, Li lah, Li lah." This has been going on for a while now.

Previous Drew favorites:

"Big Girls Don't Cry," Fergie
"No One," Alicia Keys

At least she has good taste. It could be worse.

Purple is In

I had to make something out of this fuschia-ish purple fabric I found. I think next time I will follow an actual store-bought pattern. My method usually goes like this: I draw a sketch of the dress, I draw out pattern pieces on file folders, I cut out the fabric, and I start sewing together like crazy praying that it will all come together in the end. It usually does come together, but not without being more difficult than necessary.

Drew really liked wearing this dress. It was loose and gave her belly plenty of breathing room. I told Jason I'm going to have to start making toddler maternity wear for her and her belly. (I usually prefer the word "tummy" to "belly," but in her case it is definitely a belly.) Now all the outfit needs are some leggings and cute shoes.

Although Jason told me what a good job I did on the dress, he could only hold out so long without saying, "Hey, the 80's called. They want their ruffle back." I knew he would hate the ruffle!

Domesticity

My arms are pleasantly aching after a good long kneading of my first ever homemade whole grain bread.

My fingers are sufficiently pricked after sewing up Drew's new dress.

I will share (brag) about both later.

foot-note

Drew's Valentine we made for daddy, complete with handwritten note.

Candice, you gave me the idea with the feet valentines you made at mutual. Except for some reason I thought painting her foot would be easier than trying to get her to stand still and trace it. It was a good idea until I stuck her in the dry bathtub to clean her off and she stamped all over the place!

Happy love day!

Bad Idea

My fortune cookie last night said, "YOU ARE NEVER SELFISH WITH YOUR ADVICE OR YOUR HELP".

So here is my unselfish advice. Don't ask your husband to go pick you up Panda Express as your first post-sick meal of the week. It may sound strangely delicious at the time, but I promise you orange chicken does not sit well on an already queesy stomach.

Our Little Nerd Alert

This picture illustrates what I'm talking about. For some reason Drew is obsessed with letters, numbers, and counting. A day at the rec center Tot Lot is not just a time to play and run around, but a chance to point out letters she finds. I think it was a Sesame Street Alphabet movie she got for her birthday from the Rixens. For a while there we were watching it every day (Big Bird's song still jumps into my head at most random times). Now she sees letters everywhere we go.

In the parking garage at the library we park on level B. So we get out of the car and Drew points at the sign and says, "B!"

In the bath Drew picks out the foam letter Y, makes the letter with her arms in the air, and says, "Y!" (it's what they do on Sesame Street).

Every time I change her diaper she must first show me, "4" on her new diaper, because that is the size she wears.

The really fun part (sarcastic) is when we read books, we rarely look at the pictures anymore. She points at every letter and I must tell her what letter it is. Our reading sounds like this, " B, A, B, Y..."

I don't know why she is more interested in letters and numbers than in more normal things for a one year old. But I must say that she is a dream child for a retired teacher. Can I call myself retired? I like the sound of it.

What day is it? October?

Three colds and three influenzas later, the Patterson's are still alive and tickin' after last week. Sort of. I'm still on a diet of blue Powerade and all Drew wants to do is watch Spongebob all day. We are a sad bunch.

By the way, does anyone know how to get the smell of vomit out of the carpet?

Black thumb, revisited

Remember this little beauty? And remember how I said it probably will not make it to see 2009? I may have left it right there on my windowsill neglected while I was out of town for five weeks. My other houseplant was a little parched when I returned home, but after a good watering, it was as perky and happy as ever.

This orchid though was unforgiving. It is supposed to go three weeks without watering. What is just two more weeks? Was it really necessary to go all black-leaved and mushy-rooted? A little dramatic, I think. I do not want plant drama in my life. And since no amount of my love and care could return it, it got dumped. I am very sad.

And my heart aches a little to see all the green that used to be outside my window.

a lot

Drew and I go to the library A LOT. I usually get very ambitious and check out a bunch of non-fiction books about things that I am interested in (which is A LOT). Then I get very busy and A LOT of the books don't ever get cracked open. These are my current picks:

I wish I only liked to do one thing. Then my life would be A LOT more simple.