Reclaiming The Home: busy busy...

Well, the past couple of weeks have gone by in a flash for me, and I truly apologize for not blogging. Things have been crazy. Good but very busy. Here's a quick recap (with a promise to blog more often)!

On Monday a few weeks ago, we took Anna to see her first movie!

We went out to the big theater out at Quarry Market, and got popcorn and sodas and candy.

We were really living it up!

We got tickets to see Monsters versus Aliens.

It was the only cartoon in the theaters, but we were sure Anna was going to love it anyway, so we were very excited!

She absolutely ADORED the movie and the whole experience was fantastic.

She was so enamored with everything and just seemed in awe the whole time.

She gasped at all the right parts where she was supposed to worry about the characters.

She even yelled to the screen at one point, "Don't worry! We'll fix it together!"

Fortunately at the 11-am showing the only other people in the theater were families with toddlers so we weren't alone, and weren't disturbing anyone else by having a concerned 3-year-old in the audience.

Other than that, we have been busy welcoming spring to Texas (not that it got all that cold this last winter!)

These beauties popped up on the fence just outside our sliding glass door in the back yard.

I had no idea what this vine was when we first saw it growing there, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised when these beautiful flowers bloomed.

I couldn't seem to stop taking pictures... which wound up being a good thing because the rain we got this week knocked almost all of the petals off. SO very sad, but still somehow gorgeous.

Easter came and went, and we had a wonderful holiday here at home just the 4 of us. Abbi and Anna got their baskets from the Easter Bunny. Abbi seemed to recognize the tradition right away this year and started popping open her eggs first thing!

I think Anna saw this as a new experience, being in a new house, and probably having forgotten about Easter last year. She had a BLAST hunting eggs in the back yard, and found every last one!

We enjoyed just being together as a family and spent a lot of time outside in the fresh air and sunshine, celebrating the start of Spring.

I have been pretty busy the past couple of weeks as well, just trying to get things done around the house. Over at the RTH boards on Ravelry we have started a 45 day challenge to complete various tasks that need to be done but keep getting put on the back burner. So far I have crossed off quite a few items, but the one I am most proud of is redoing Anna's kitchen set.

The best part is that this is the set that my Papa (her great-grandfather) made for me when I was a little girl about her age.

Before the makeover, it was a grungy yellow color with black painted on all the doors. There was no fabric or sink bowl and the refrigerator door was falling off. I repainted it, added a sink, added the fabric "doors" and made a dish towel, a washcloth, and a hot pad all to match her cute kitchen.

Here is a closeup of some of the details!

She also got some "new" pots and pans from the thrift, and absolutely couldn't wait to play with everything! Over the next few weeks we'll be "stocking the pantry" with various empty food boxes and such after I empty them from cooking in our "big" kitchen. I am also going to give her an egg-tray with plastic eggs from easter inside.

Last, but not least, we moved Anna's bedroom out of her old room and into the game room to give her more space, and the feeling of being "closer" to us and not so closed off, since she had been getting scared and lonely. This is the first step toward her sleeping in her own room, rather than camping in our room every night.

Here she is sleeping in her big girl Dora bed!

What a cutie pie, eh?

I have much more to tell you but I have to get myself to bed as well since it is nearing on 3am! Another blog post will be forthcoming!

In the mean time, do tell me how your Easter week has been going!

11 Comments

beautiful pictures!
that kitchen? fantastic!
Our little one casmps in our room every night,too, but we are moving to a new house the day after tomorrow (!!!!!) so hopefully she will like her new big girl room a little better :)
i am so happy you had a pleasant experience at the movies, that is so great!
<3
Miri

Posted by: Miri | April 15, 2009 at 03:37 AM