Life in January

Not too long after we got home with Nanna, Luna had surgery (spay) and had to recover as well.  She had to be on a leash so she wouldn't run and jump, potentially splitting her stitches for ten days.  She had the cone on for fourteen days.

One evening when Nanna had to go to the hospital unexpectedly, Isaac had to babysit after school with all of his regular duties.  He made the best of it, practicing his guitar and making it a musical chair game for the kids.

 Brian is building us a headboard now to go with his king sized bed frame.  I helped design it and am going to be stenciling fleur-de-lis on the white slats.  Here's my sketch.

Skip ahead to the Coronavirus Apocalypse, and I was finally able to finish my stenciling.  Here it is before being sealed and put together with the rest of the bed he made.

in progress

final product

Brian was able to take two of the boys to the March for Life in Austin, TX.  I had to man the fort and cover four basketball games that day because it was the playoffs.

Drew used some of his Christmas money to buy Monopoly and we had a big family game with Nanna.

My Crafty Husband

Brian is happy to have his power tools back now that we are in the USA again.  He got right to work building.  He started with this incredible work bench.

Then he made this professional, in my opinion, looking shed.  He made it so that he could take it apart and take it with us when we move.  I have been so impressed that he taught himself this useful skill.  He is currently working on a new bed for us, complete with drawers underneath and all.  The headboard has yet to be decided on, so that will come later, but I can't wait to get the new bed at least in use-able condition.

He also threw together this little corner shelf to complete my vision for a prayer corner of our over-sized bedroom.  

Bed pictures to come soon! 

The new basement is virtually complete!

 Brian did a great job!

I love it!

A couple missing cabinet doors, but everything else is pretty much done.

Time to sew!  If I could just stop giving in to the afternoon nap.

Judah's Headboard

We have been working on this since this guy was born.  It's been a project of many steps for both Brian and I.  I did the lettering, and he did the hard part, all the woodwork.  We used the boards from the old play house that he tore down to make the new one.

Turned out great even if it ended up a little big for this room.  Judah's going to be kicked out of the nursery before long anyway.

Daddy's the best!

Not only has he built them a playhouse from nothing, 

It is still a work in progress for Brian.  He is currently working on the trim on Sunday afternoons.  He also plans to add a sandbox and cover underneath and stairs in the back.  I am telling him to hold off on the stairs because I don't want Drew to be able to get up there yet and he can't do the ladder.

but he also took them camping in our backyard for no reason last Saturday night.  Drew and I stayed in the comfort of our own beds and the rest camped out in the back.  Camping sounds like actual torture to me at this point since I am pretty much only comfortable in my memory foam bed on my right side, with my leg on a pillow, and two pillows under my head and a pillow to hug.  Hey, all pregnant women are particular about their pillows, right?  

Happy Campers!

Anyway they were SO excited that they were bouncing in their seats at dinner (on the deck,) and I would go so far as to call it a camping high.  They were colder than they thought and didn't bother to put on the long sleeves and socks that I required them to have out there.  Sunday morning Hannah was the crankiest and the most tired.  I required naps from everybody that day nonetheless.

This weekend he took them stargazing.  I was supposed to do this as part of our Science curriculum, but my loving husband took my place.  I got to sew and rest while they went in search for the Big Dipper, Littler Dipper, North Star, and some other constellations that can be seen this time of year.  They were armed with our Glow-in-the-Dark Constellation book, Find the Constellations, and Field Guide to the Night Sky.

When they got back at almost 11pm last night Isaac came in to tell me that the two cool things were the fireflies and the raccoon they saw.  Hannah's favorite part was the stars.  She had found the Big Dipper before they were out of the car.  Genna's favorite part was finding the Big Dipper.  I hope we can go one more time later in the summer to see if we can find any different constellations.  Maybe I will be up for it that time.  :)

Our Sunday Family Activity

This is what we've been building on our Sundays in April.  Well, I should actually say that Brian has been building it (from scratch, by the way) and we have been playing outside in the backyard enjoying the weather and watching daddy work.  He has really taken to woodworking lately and decided to use his restful Sundays to do one big project for the children since he has no other free time until after his board exams.  He is still working on the house frame (that will sit atop the deck,) and is even using his evenings this week to catch up on what he didn't finish on Sunday.  He is also going to add a sandbox underneath the deck. 

The kids have really never liked to play in the backyard and for the first time they ask me to go out back.  In the past, it has always been them wanting to go play in the front which involves me being out there to supervise the whole time.  If Drew goes out front, I am on serious duty and can barely even sit down.  They have had neighbors over to play in the backyard while I can still cook dinner and have it ready on time.  

There have already been a few injuries though.  Splinters galore since the sanding will be last!  Plus, Isaac tried to get off the swing while still swinging high.  I know.  Sometimes he acts a lot like Genna.  And Genna and her friend spun around on the swings and knocked heads.  What a mess!  Most of these are rookie mistakes that will be solved through experience.  I am so proud of my husband for taking on such a task for his precious children.