Losing Life's Simple Pleasures

We had a Spring Break stay-cation. Slept in every morning. No real chore structure. Ate fast food a few times. Generally lazed around.

We did try to do a few activities, though. Thursday afternoon I took the kids to see "The Lorax." It was fun, all of the kids watched the entire movie--oldest to youngest--and no one threw up. I counted that as a victory.

Last Sunday night, we asked the kids what one activity they would like to do during the week, and everyone overwhelmingly voted for bowling. So we schlepped the entire tribe to the bowling alley and then to pizza for lunch.

What got my dander up during these three activities was this: Why does every activity not satisfy kids on its own merits any more?

We go to the movie theater, and Hyrum and Micah beg to play the stupid arcade games, on top of movie tickets and snacks.

We go to the bowling alley, and before we'd finished the sixth frame all the kids were begging for junk food from the snack bar or vending machine and Evie couldn't be torn away from the video game with a steering wheel.

We left the bowling alley and headed to the pizza parlor, where Eve proceeded to melt down because she wasn't allowed to sit in the stupid token-operated Minnie Mouse car. Hyrum cried and cried when his balloon blew away.

What has happened to our society? No one is satisfied with simple pleasures any more--it's always MORE stuff and MORE excitement and MORE noise and MORE technology. more, More, MORE.  It can't just be brownies---where's the ice cream? It can't just be watching a movie--where's the special treat?

Not to sound like an old lady or anything, but I remember when going to McDonald's was a huge outing. I am the oldest of four kids, and my dad wouldn't give us many options on what we could order when we went--either a cheeseburger or hamburger (before the invention of McNuggets--I know. How did we survive?) and a small, non-refillable drink. Our family got two small orders of fries (really small), which we all SHARED as we sat around the table and ate, not raced through the meal so we could climb all over the play place and then cry when we lost a piece of our 25-cent Happy Meal toy in the ball pit.

I was annoyed. Here I thought I was providing some quality time for my family, doing things we don't do frequently, and they were left wanting more. I wish society would allow me to shelter my kids from all the bells an whistles of modern life and let me take them back to the days when I was young.  Where is this possible, anybody know?

Now I really sound old.

Saturday we spent much of the day working--cleaning out the garages, Saturday chores, cleaning Brad's office building, and picking dozens of oranges and juicing eleven gallons of juice to freeze (any idea how many oranges that is?  It's a lot, let me tell you.)  I love it when I can find real situations where my kids can do actual work and experience what it feels like to accomplish something worthwhile.  Not that they love it or anything, but I hope one day they will look back on these experiences with fondness and a desire to punish their own kids the way I punished them.

After all was said and done, Dad pulled out the kite--a simple pleasure of my windy Idaho childhood that my AZ kids rarely get to enjoy.

The video says it all.

Gone for good.

That's okay.  We won't have another perfectly windy kite day for at least eight months.

Foto Friday--Family Photos from Rexburg

Here's a flood of pictures from our trip last month (taken me that long to edit them!). We had a great time together as our family, in case you couldn't tell.

Don't you just want to eat her?  I know Lily was tempted, but she takes her job as favorite aunt very seriously.

First of many shots together.  I can't wait to watch them grow up as best buddies.

This is probably my favorite shot from the entire trip.  I love how good Ben is with his younger siblings.  And they know he loves them.

Grandpa had to play, too.

Not that the two little girls are the favorites or anything. They were just the most willing subjects.

Heidi LIVES in Idaho, and she was freezing the entire trip.  Time to move back home, my girl!

And me?  What was I doing?  Sitting by the beautiful window, watching the snow swirl and warming my feet by the fire.  It was delicious.

Got Questions? I've Got Answers

So, what do you think of the new blog?  I've been working with Shalon over at Pretty Lovely Designs on my remodel.  She's been extremely patient and easy to work with. We're still working out a few of the links and stuff, but I love the new look, updated pictures, and after blogging for 3 1/2 years, I have a button!  Yay!

What have we been doing for Spring Break?  Nothing.  Not one thing.  We haven't done any big cleaning projects.  We haven't been anywhere exciting.  I take that back.  I did take the kids to the dentist--Ben got one filling repaired, Micah got one sealant resealed, and Hyrum.  Poor Hyrum.  He not only has to have a tooth pulled, but he needs THREE root canals and THREE metal crowns.  I think all of my other kids together have only had 5 cavities (Heidi's still never had one).  What happened with his little mouth?  Not looking forward to all those appointments.

We are going to see "The Lorax" today, and tomorrow we're gonna bowl ourselves silly before watching Ben play rugby.  Saturday the garage is getting a needed gutting, so something productive is on the horizon.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish the last 20 pages of The Hunger Games.  I guess I have gotten something productive done, after all!

Linking up my questions to Jenny Matlock's Q at Alphabe-Thursday.

Change Is in the Air

Look for something new today!

And it's not Evie's potty training.  After two days of NEVER using the potty, I whipped her back into a diaper.  Both of us are much happier now.  Maybe I'll try again in a month.  I wouldn't have started yet if I hadn't retrieved her from her nap and she was stark naked (even missing hairbows), standing next to a puddle and a pile.

Elbow Grease and Paint Pants--Chair Update

I'm not much of a garage sale gal: I don't like to spend much time driving around, hoping to find a bargain.  I much prefer previewing a sale online, then I know not to waste my time if there's nothing I'm interested in.

One day, as I was leaving my neighbor's house, I glanced out the window and saw a garage sale.  I saw an interesting chair, so I hopped out to investigate. The chair was in great condition, perfect upholstery, and from a non-smoking house so no lingering odor.  I knew it would cost too much, but I asked anyway.  The residents were moving that weekend and needed to unload as much stuff as possible, so they were willing to sell the chair to me for $25.  I was prepared to hear $60 and walk away, but when the price was so low, how could I resist?

Here is what it looked like when I brought it home:

Like I said, perfect condition, but there really is no place in my home for a pink velvet chair.  It sat in the garage for a month while I determined its fate.  I had a hard time deciding on a fabric--I wanted some pattern, but not too much, not something trendy that I would be tired of soon.  And what pattern would work with the tufting in the back?  I turned to Pinterest for answers and found a few tufted chairs done in patterns or stripes, so I knew it would work.

I gave the chair and my fabric to Shirley and let them work their magic.  This is what I got in return:

Just enough stripe to be interesting but not enough to dictate the scheme of the room.

Look closely at the tufting, and you'll see the difference between the before and after: much deeper and updated on the new version.

 Since it is over forty years old, its scale is a bit smaller and shorter than a new chair would be, but it is in perfect scale with Grandma couch.  The room all fits together better now, and I know we'll have years of use out of it.

Lessons learned:

• Ask around for upholstery references.  If you just want something done cheap and fast, then ask for a cheap shop.  If you want something done well, with aligned stripes, crisp edges, and restuffing/tufting, you're going to pay more.  Determine what is more important to you. You will be able to tell the difference, trust me.
• Know your limitations.  I know how to sew and I've done a few minor upholstery jobs (cover window seat cushions, make parsons chair slipcovers), but I cannot do this.  I don't have the patience, especially to do a meticulous job like a pro does.
• Get to know your upholsterer.  Shirley has given me all kinds of advice on what to look for in an upholstered piece to determine its quality--tight joints, no sagging springs, hard wood, fabric-covered seat under the cushion.  They want your business back, so they are willing to share with you what to look for. Shirley gets almost as excited as I do when I find a new piece for them to work on.
• Reupholstery isn't cheap--it's cheapER than buying something similar that's new, but not cheap. $25 for the chair, four yards of fabric at $8 a yard, plus upholstery fees of $300.  Reupholstering older pieces has allowed me to have higher quality furniture than I normally would have purchased new.  New, a chair like that from Ballard Designs or Pottery Barn would start around $600 and from Ikea around $250.  You get what you pay for, friends.
• The best part--they don't make things the way they used to.  Recovering and repurposing an older piece will bring in furniture that will almost certainly last longer than a new piece bought at an equivalent price.

Until next week
Going once, going twice . . .
SOLD!

Lifelong Dream #2, Check

Our elementary school holds its annual 4th-6th grade spring track meet on the Friday before Spring Break.  To say that this is a big deal is an understatement.  It's such a big deal that by the time the kids are in sixth grade, the first thing they check is who is in whose class to guess the relay team and analyze who will win. Bragging rights and a trophy are involved. It's that big.

Lily has been talking about the track meet for weeks now, and every development was retold in detail to me--who ran well, who was sick and missed a trial, who tripped on purpose so their best friend could run, who made the relay team, etc.  This event is laced with drama, especially when retold by a sixth-grade girl.

As the day of the meet drew closer, the drama built.  Ever since fourth grade and the first time Lily ran the "cross-country," as it's called (about half a mile), Lily has wanted to win that race.  She trained a little, strategized a little, and talked and talked and talked about it.  This would be her last year to win.

I'll let the pictures tell the story.  Lily is in the white shirt with braids.

 Last photo courtesy of my friend Janette.

What a great moment!  I was so proud of her.  Emily, the girl in the black shirt who had won the previous two years, took second.

This wouldn't be the last blood match of the day.  Both girls competed in the dash--Emily took first, Lily took fourth.

The last battle of the morning--the sixth grade relay.  Lily was running anchor leg for her class, Emily for hers. Lily got the baton just ahead of Emily.

Then Lily kicked on the afterburners.

And the rest, they say, is history.

Oh how I love this girl.  I love her spirit.  I love her tenacity.  I love her willingness to push herself.

Just love her.

Foto Friday--A Video

Normally I'm not one to follow the crowd, but for this I will make an exception.
KONY 2012.

Take the time to watch it.
Worth your time.