New projects

Found this spice rack for $1.50. I instantly saw chalkboard paint and little matchbox cars.

Finished product. I hung it right by his train table and he can grab trains and cars as he needs them.

The finished product...for now. I do hope to eventually recover it in something fun and fabulous. But for now....

It had a wood finish but it didn't look too great. So I got out the can of spray paint and sprayed away. I attempted to tape off the fabric, but it didn't really work. So there are a couple of tiny spots with paint on them. But since the fabric will be coming off soon I am not worried about it at all.

Swimming Lessons

The last two weeks we spent each morning at swimming lessons. The kids had a blast! And since Ellie is still so young I got to participate too.

 Here is Avery on the day they talked about water safety.

 Our sweet babysitter Elizabeth who took all these pictures for me.

 Reece had a rough first day, but after I threatened putting him in the baby class with Ellie he turned around. That apparently was worse than putting his head underwater!

 All set to go down the slide, but was never quite ready to do it! She practiced getting rings from the bottom of the pool instead.

 Strong legs learning to kick.

 Blowing bubbles.

 Ellie is a fish. She excelled in swimming and was the craziest one in the class. She was jumping off the side and going under water on the first day. At the end of the week there were still some who wouldn't do that! She gave me a great workout in the pool since I chased her in the water as much as I chase her at home!

 She loved laying on my shoulder and kicking. The teacher called her Miss Chill in the water because she would close her eyes and be really relaxed.

 Ellie blowing bubbles.

 Avery jumping off the side.

 Avery swimming!!!!!!

Rug into runner

So I bought 4 little rugs at Target off of a clearance aisle and planned to sew them into a square as a rug for the schoolroom. But then I found a bigger rug on overstock (through pinterest) and am using that instead.
So then I literally walked around the house deciding how I could use them. And then it dawned on me!!!! A RUNNER for the hallway upstairs. Genius.
So I slaved away for a couple of HOURS- not quite the quick project I envisioned- and it is adorable!
It is by no means perfect and I can see breaks in the pattern even where I tried to match it, but I am overall very pleased.

The New Rug from Overstock.com

Very Messy Schoolroom in progress and yes that is still oops paint and the chandelier isn't switched. But August is the month of redoing the schoolroom from the dining room. Also, this is actually an indoor/outdoor rug so it will be easy to clean if needed.

My poor fingers slaving away. I did use a tapestry needle and upholstery thread that I found at Joanns.

Super Cheap Laundry Detergent and Trains

Here are my two little cuties setting up the train set on my bedroom floor. Ever since we rode a train in Ohio Ellie and Reece have been all about trains!

Why do my photos not load on the page in the order I choose them? so irritating. So talk about random and switching topics.

I have started making my own laundry detergent. Reece has pretty sensitive skin so I had been using All free and clear or Mrs Meyers. But quite frankly it is pricey! So I came across this recipe on pinterest and LOVE IT! Unlike other detergent recipes I have found, I don't have to buy hard to find ingredients or cook anything! Just dump some boxes and shave the soap and VOILA done!

This is me attempting the by hand food grater.

Here is me becoming a genius albeit a delayed genius- and shredding it in the food processor! Done in seconds!

The recipe. I did not add in the "options" this time because I am waiting to see if there are any skin reactions before I add in any extras.

Random train picture. Seriously how cute is that little hiney and those little toes.

A year's worth of detergent for $20! (Starbucks frap not included!)

All the ingredients. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load. I am working on finding the blog that first posted this and will update. I don't want to take credit for the recipe.

Reece and the Dentist: part one

Thankfully I was able to switch dentists! Our previous dentist called me a liar (in front of my children) and told me my kids teeth are bad because I let them sleep with juice cups as babies. Ummm, no actually they are only allowed juice at breakfast then water the rest of the day and as a treat at a restaurant they can get a chocolate milk or lemonade. Anyway, it took me almost a year to get into another pediatric dentist in town who IS GREAT! No judgements, just solutions! Hallelujah! And by the way, I blame the organic toothpaste we used up until six months ago for my kids bad teeth. Back to Crest for us! She also said that all kids should have a parent brush their teeth until they are at LEAST 8! 

Blogger loaded these in a random fashion. Speaking of fashion. Here is Avery wearing her outfit NINI made her for our Little House in the Big Woods unit. I am not sure that Laura Ingalls had painted toe nails and ballet moves, but you get the idea!

So......

here is Reece. And his clean white teeth. But lurking in the very back.... are two cavities so bad that he has to have two crowns! I don't even have a crown! I have always had really good teeth (minus the 4 years of braces because of crowding ---when i was 30!) but have never dealt with the kind of decay my two oldest kids do. So in a month little man will be getting some laughing gas and two bright silver crowns in his mouth. He was very bummed to find out that none of his baby teeth are quite ready to come out. But he did get to see them on the x-ray and could see they are moving down!

And the kids have been switched to good old kids CREST toothpaste with fluoride. I am hoping that will help. 

Swim Lessons and Library Cards

Just found this picture of Avery and I on her birthday as we headed out to the pottery studio and to SweetFrog. Such a fun 7th  birthday with her two best friends. This picture has nothing to do with swim lessons tho, ha!

So back to the point of the post. All three kids started swim lessons this week and so far are doing great. I have no pictures because I have to be in the pool with Ellie so I am a little bummed about that. I will have to figure out a way to get some before the two weeks is up! Getting all three kiddos ready in the morning and at the pool by 9 a.m. hasn't been as bad as I thought. And I am loving it because Ellie and I get to be in the therapy pool which is more like a big hot tub than the freezing cold pool the big kids swim in.

 Reece has been asking for a library card which is so incredibly cute. But my rule has always been that they have to write their name first and then they can get on. So right around his birthday in April we took him to the library and he rocked it! Wrote his name in sharpie right in the little box.

I was so proud of him. And couldn't keep taking more pics to get one of him smiling because I was also chasing Ellie. But he put the card in his wallet and totally thinks he is big time stuff!