My Life Lately

Spring is here, barely.  We've had a lot of snow and cold weather this winter, and I am definitely looking forward to warmer weather...soon.

Yesterday, Eva took her first violin lesson.  She was beyond thrilled with it all.  If I keep it up with the children, I should have a trio one day soon.  When my older children were young, I failed to get them involved in music.  I believe it is good for the mind, and it keeps them focused.

Joy is next.  We are considering piano lessons for her in the fall.  I know that she has a small left hand, but that will be something she will have to learn to work around.  Did you ever see this clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbhW_K3NvmQ

It amazes me how people can adjust to their situations.  Joy doesn't know any different.  It is the hand she has always had.

So, it is time for another bathroom remodeling.  We live in a 1990's house and every feature proudly declares it.  Our small master bath with its almond counter tops and movie star lights is no exception.  I have happily lived with it for the last 12 years.  It is functioning, and I am just glad that our house has three bathrooms.  Growing up as one of four kids in the house with only one bathroom, makes me appreciate what I do have.

(I've already pulled some things off the wall and am in the process of scraping off the wallpaper boarder around the top.)

I have spent the last 3 weeks trying to decide what I want for this tiny space in our home.  I'm not a bold or bright gal.  I like something a little peaceful and calming.  After visiting 3 granite shops, cabinet shops, and tile stores, I think I've narrowed it down.

 (Granite, 2 back splash options, shower and floor tile)

This tile has a little shiny bling to it, but not enough gray or white.  The grayish looking glass tiles are really more of a tan color, which I didn't want too much of.

But, I like this one because of the white and gray.  I'm still undecided just on the accent tile.  Hopefully, in a couple of months, it will be all done.

Eva has recently developed a gaming habit.  If there is a game to be played, she plays it.  It's funny listening to the girls try to figure out Clue, Payday, Yahtzee, and Sorry.  Strangely enough, Eva gets a Yahtzee on every single game she plays.  Mike and I were considering asking her to pick 5 numbers for us to play lotto.  But, we decided against it at that time.  (I am reconsidering that decision since she did a scratch off card for me at Kohl's yesterday and got me 30% off....)  Her new conquering game is Backgammon.  Yes, Backgammon.  She beats me.  A lot.  Tonight, she wanted to "crush" (her words, not mine) big brother, Jack.

No mercy from Eva. 

Challenger Jack contemplates his next move.  It looks like he is getting "crushed" by the crusher.

Yep, she beat him.  Jack sets the board for revenge.  After all, Eva is only 8 years old.  (She beat big brother Seth, too)

But, Jack made up for his loss during the second game.  Eva lost graciously.  I had to take these pictures, because I never get pictures of Jack smiling.  He is usually giving me an exasperated look.  I love him anyway because he is so....different.  He makes me smile.

My Life Lately (and "No, We Don't Eat Cats")

Since adopting the girls from China, we've heard the usual, "Do they eat cats in China?" question numerous times.  To my knowledge, they did not.  And, hopefully, we did not either.  But, yesterday, Eva told me she loved eating cats.  I was kind of confused since I know that I haven't fed her a single cat since she came home in 2006.  So, here is her train of thought and how she came to love eating cats.  I love seeing how their little minds process things.

Last night, I was making a dinner of tuna cakes.  They are kind of like crab cakes; it's the same concept.  As I'm mixing the tuna, Eva said, "I love to eat cats."  Of course, I asked her when she ate a cat.  She then pointed to the bowl and said, "Isn't that cat?"  No, it was tuna fish. "Well, isn't tuna fish the same as cat fish?  That means I'm eating cat."  So, in her eyes, tuna fish, cat fish, cat...it's all the same.

On to other things...I finally got my living room, hallway, and steps painted.  I'm very pleased with the end result.  I bought a few things and made some changes around the place.

Mike says I am just adding to Joy's OCD issues with putting numbers on the steps, but I couldn't resist.

We also had another, small snowstorm.  The kids braved the cold and enjoyed a little bit of sledding.

Thankfully, they learned to jump off the sled right before it went underneath a wire fence...they never really went fast enough to do any damage to themselves.

And, true to Virginia's weather, it was warm just a few days later.  About a decade ago, Seth and Jack received this zip line from their grandma.  After they got too big for it, it went unused for years.  Now, it is back in action.  The girls managed to climb the ladder before taking off full speed.

 Pure delight on that face.

 And because Eva doesn't like getting stopped by the big tree, Ivy grabs her before the end of the zip line.

 Not sure why her pants are undone.  She does strange things a lot.

 When did this girl get so long?

It bugs me when they do this.

We celebrated another anniversary this month.  We managed a nice dinner downtown that evening.  Just the two of us.  It was so nice not looking for a kids menu (they didn't have one) or cutting someone's food (Mike is very capable), or making bathroom trips before the drive home.