Goodbye, Sweet Jazzy

I said goodbye to my sweet Jazzy on October 2nd and there's been a gaping hole in my heart ever since then.  There will always be a spot for Jazzy reserved in my heart.  

She was a rescue dog.  Yes, Adam and I adopted her from a little shelter in the middle of Kansas, but Jazzy is the one who truly rescued me.  I was still drowning in the sorrow of losing my first baby and the infertility that came afterwards when Jazzy entered our lives.  Adam and I both desperately wanted a baby, but a human baby wasn't yet in the cards for us.  So Jazzy became our baby.  

While I don't quite understand why things work out the way they do, I do believe there's something bigger than us.  The universe somehow brought Jazzy into our lives.  I knew she was meant to be ours when I saw her picture online.  Adam wasn't convinced until we visited her in person.  As soon as we arrived at the shelter "just to look" at her, she trotted right up to Adam and gave him a big ol' kiss.  Needless to say, we brought her home with us.  

And she was perfect for us.  She was just what I needed.  Looking back, I was severely depressed and really should have gotten some professional therapy.  But my therapy came in the form of Jazzy.  I started taking her for daily walks, which meant exercise for me.  She kept me company during a very lonely time.  She helped me to focus on the joys in my life instead of just the pain.  She helped me to welcome hope back into my life.  I just cannot fully express what she did for me.  She somehow knew when I needed extra snuggles or when I needed some comic relief.  Staring into her soulful little eyes helped me heal.  

Jazzy was such a good girl.  She was eager to learn new tricks and to please us.  She took it upon herself to be our guard dog and protector.  She rarely barked, but did alert us if someone she wasn't familiar with came to our door or if another dog dared to come too close to us.  She adored walks and her excitement for them was contagious.  She was happy to walk around our neighborhood and loved the new smells trails offered her.  

While Jazzy wasn't particularly close with Archer and Lyla, she knew her job was to protect them and she took it very seriously.  She always greeted us when we came home from somewhere and wouldn't head back to her perch on the back of the couch until both kids were in the house.  She put up with their incessant noise and activity in exchange for treats and bits of dropped food.  She never showed any jealousy towards the kids, despite them taking over most of our attention.  She was just as content to get a quick head scratch in passing.    

She was such a good girl.  The best girl.  

Less than a year ago, Jazzy was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  She had always had a pretty prominent heart murmur, so we knew that congestive heart failure might be in her future.  We started her on medications and she responded really well to them for quite awhile.  Eventually, she maxed out on her medications and we knew it was time to start making plans so that her final days could be as comfortable as possible.  I read a lot about how to determine when the time was right to help your pet end their life.  Of course it's a gray area and ultimately you know your own pet best, but I read many accounts of people wishing they had made the decision earlier to eliminate suffering.  Armed with that knowledge, we were able to make the difficult decision before Jazzy had to suffer for very long.

Adam came across an organization called Lap of Love.  Lap of Love is a network of veterinarians all across the United States who offer in-home end-of-life care for pets.  Once we knew it was time to end Jazzy's suffering, we contacted our local Lap of Love branch.  Every person we spoke with was so thoughtful and helped us feel like we were making the right decision.  The veterinarian who came to our home was so incredibly kind.  I hope no one needs this service any time soon, but keep this organization in the back of your mind.  Allowing Jazzy to pass peacefully in her own home where she felt most comfortable felt like such a gift for her and for us. 

We made sure to give her the best day before her appointment.  We took her to a trail, brought her dog bed outside in the driveway so she could enjoy the fresh air and got her a puppy scoop from our local ice cream shop.  After a bittersweet final walk around our neighborhood, it was time for the veterinarian to arrive.  Dr. Emily was so sweet to Jazzy and brought her lots of treats to enjoy.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the whole experience was very calm and peaceful.  Adam wrote and read Jazzy a letter which had all of us (Dr. Emily included) in tears.  As sad as it was, there sure was a lot of love in the room. 

Here's Adam's sweet letter: 

Dear Jazzy,  

When Sara and I left our house on December 13, 2014, with the intention of “just looking” I had no  idea I’d be finding my very best friend. The moment we saw one another, you trotted across that dog  haired matted couch we sat on at the shelter and gave me a nice kiss right on the face. I knew Sara was  hooked from that moment (I was too), my only reservations were how much hair you left all over me  after sitting in my lap for such a short time (you were just nervous).  

We’re so glad you took a chance on us; we are so lucky to have spent the last nearly 7 years of our lives  with you. You helped us both out of the darkness of unexpectedly losing our first unborn daughter. And  later the unexpected death of our friend Tim. You were there to graciously greet your newborn brother and sister four years ago, even if it meant stepping out of the primary spotlight. Please know that you’ll  always be our first baby.  

We will miss your unconditional love and affection. Your excitement of when one of us has come home  from the office or even a short errand. We will miss your excitement every time we pull your leash  down for your next adventure. I will miss our late-night outings and runs. I will miss walking and  running you while pushing your siblings in every kind of buggy imaginable the last 4 years, no matter  how tricky that might be. I will miss your unwavering interest in the outdoor hikes we’ve taken around  here. Thank you for exploring with us. I will miss you snuggling with Sara and I and despite your size  somehow taking over the queen size bed.  

There’s so much more we wish we had time to do and so much I regret not finding time to do so. But I  realize that no one can divide their time enough, you just do the best you can. The regret / guilt we might feel just means we care for you so much.  

You’ve done so much to help heal, serve and protect this family. You’ve given so much to everyone  you’ve known (even cleaning up a dead mouse in my Dad’s basement yesterday). As gut-wrenching as it  may be, it’s time for us to return the favor and help you along as peacefully as we can.  

We love you so much and if there is a heaven, I know you’ll be there waiting for us. So, till we meet again my friend.  

Love you always and forever,  

Adam and Sara

I miss Jazzy so much.  Our house feels so empty without her presence.  She wove herself so tightly into our lives and there are so many times I find myself still thinking about her.  I miss her little snores that would wake me up in the middle of the night and the way she would scoot her little body right next to mine in bed.  (The bed Adam and I said she would never sleep in.)  I miss the way she always seemed to know when I took out a pair of socks from my drawer and thought it was time for a walk.  I miss her laying in the sunshine in our yard.  I miss her toenails prancing along our floors.  I miss her crunching her dog food.  I miss her excitement when I opened up the bag of her favorite treat.  I miss her warm greetings whenever I came home.  I miss her rolling around on her back when she thought she needed some attention.  I miss her help in cleaning up all the crumbs under our kitchen table.  

I know eventually thinking about Jazzy will bring smiles instead of tears.  I am so lucky to have had her in my life.  Goodbye, Sweet Jazzy.  

Old Porch Posts + Old Deck Spindles

We've been on a bit of a table kick around here.  Not too long ago, Adam refinished a table for our kitchen.  Most recently, he used up our old porch posts and old deck spindles to create a gorgeous new table for our deck.  With the exception of a few cedar boards for the center of the table top and the bench slats, Adam created a whole dining set using repurposed lumber!  All of the old lumber would have just been hauled off to the landfill, but with Adam's hard work and skill, we now have the perfect addition to our deck.  

Allow me to go back to the beginning of the project and give an extremely simplified description of all the work Adam did.  There were too many steps for me to keep track of and I definitely didn't do the best job of photographing all the steps.  (In all fairness, I was wrangling Archer and Lyla so Adam could work on it.)  

In the midst of the pandemic, Adam was searching for projects to do that would keep him busy, but the high cost of lumber limited what he was willing to tackle.  Luckily, he had a pretty good stockpile of random lumber.  Adam had thought to save the old front porch posts from when we replaced them with new cedar columns.  He also saved all the spindles from the deck when we replaced them with cable rails.  This lumber had been sitting in our shed, awaiting the perfect project.  

After tackling the deck, we decided we needed a bigger table with more character and more seating.  So Adam got to work designing a new table and some benches using the lumber we already had on hand.  After he had his design, the next step was to plane all the spindles.  He took these worn out spindles for a trip through his planer... 

...and brought them back to life!  

He then laminated the spindles together to form planks for the table top.  This step took lots of patience.  After spindles were laminated into planks, he sent the planks through the planer again to get everything smooth.  He did have to supplement one cedar plank down the center of the table top since there weren't enough spindles to make the entire tabletop.

The base of the table came next!  He used leftover lumber and our old front porch posts to build the base.  Since the porch posts were already painted white, Adam decided to keep the base white.  Stripping and sanding off the paint would have been quite the job with all those nooks and crannies!  

The white base adds a bit of contrast and also ties in with the white railing posts.  

Adam had plenty of leftover planed lumber to build the bench bases.  Since those were nicely planed, he decided to stain those the same color as the table top.  He did have to grab a few more cedar boards to create the bench seats.  

Finding the perfect color to stain the table top and benches was quite the feat!  We wanted something to contrast the dark color of our deck, but still complement it.  After looking at several samples, we settled on a stain that turned out to be way too orange in person.  Ultimately, Adam decided to use Osmo Decking Oil in the color Thermowood.  It's the same product we used on our deck and have been very impressed with how well it's held up!  

Since we wanted to optimize seating, we decided to add two additional chairs to each end of the table.  Adam's mom was able to use our old patio table and chairs, so we opted to buy some chairs with a smaller footprint.  We also wanted to ditch the chairs with cushions since they would get wet when it rained, despite our covered deck.  The benches can seat 3 adults comfortably and 4 in a pinch.  So we can now seat up to 12 people!  We have already eaten many meals at the new table and enjoy spending time sitting around it.  

(At least Adam will look at me when I trying to take a picture these days...)

Our new dining set is the perfect addition to our outdoor living area!  It fits the space nicely, without taking up too much room.  There's still plenty of room to play and grill up dinner.  

I love that Adam built it.  I love that he saved materials from the landfill.  I love that it brings our family even closer together.    

Not Bad For A Pair Of Old Jeans

It's always a sad day when your favorite pair of jeans decide to give up on you.  I'm someone who finds a pair of jeans that I like and then I wear them every day until they start to fall apart.  When my latest pair of jeans decided to rip, I was about ready to find somewhere to recycle them.  But then I stopped and asked myself if I could use them for something else.  

I briefly looked at Pinterest for some inspiration and saw lots of clever ideas out there.  One idea that caught my eye was a tool belt.  Archer would love a tool belt!  I just cut around the waistband and back pockets.  The original waistband was obviously too big, so I trimmed off the excess and just cut a new button hole.  I didn't worry about finishing off the edges or anything.  

It was a hit with Archer!  He was so excited and couldn't get his tools in there fast enough.  He's worn it all morning and wouldn't take it off for rest time.  Not bad for a pair of old jeans!  

Of course I couldn't leave Lyla out.  I decided she would adore a purse, so I got to work piecing together the rest of my old jeans.  I didn't follow a tutorial or pattern; I just kept sewing random things together.  I used the denim from the legs to make the bulk of the purse and sewed on the little coin pocket to the front.  I braided some long strips together to make the handles.  Then I used some scraps of denim to make some cute flowers using this technique.      

While it's far from perfect and a little wonky, Lyla was delighted by it!  She told me it would be the perfect way to carry her night night (the blanket she sleeps with) so it wouldn't drag on the ground.  

Finally, I wanted to find something to do with all the leftover seams.  This idea caught my eye and I thought it would be perfect to use as a hot pad for hot pots and pans on the counter.  I only ended up with enough seams to make a coaster, but it still turned out pretty cute!  

Creating some new items for my kids was the perfect use of this rainy day!  And it was the perfect use of a pair of old jeans!  I really do enjoy doing crafts and putting my creativity to the test.  Doing these projects reminded me I need to make more time to do stuff like this.  It's important for Archer and Lyla to not only see me doing things I love, but to also model how to use our old items in new ways.   

I was also able to find another pair of my beloved jeans on Poshmark!  Poshmark is an online marketplace for secondhand items.  I found another pair of my exact jeans that had only been worn once and cost a fraction of what they would if I were to have bought them new!  Not too shabby. 

These Are My Confessions: Threenager Edition

I'm back with more confessions!  As the mom to two feisty three-year-olds, my parenting skills are tested daily.  I adore so many things about this age!  I can have some pretty in depth conversations with Archer and Lyla now.  They aren't shy about telling me how much they love me.  And I love watching their unique personalities develop.  But good grief do they know how to test my patience!  The speed at which they can switch from being happy-go-lucky to supremely pissed off makes my head spin.  So allow me to share some of my most recent confessions: 

I don't understand how they manage to always have their shoes on the wrong feet given the 50/50 shot they have of getting them on the correct feet.  I try to tell them to switch them around, but sometimes I just don't care.  If they wish to walk around with their feet feeling all funny, then who am I to judge?  This is not unique to shoes.  For instance, Archer and Lyla just checked the mail with me.  While they ran ahead of me, I noticed that Archer's pants and shirt were inside out and I'm pretty sure his underwear were on backwards.  And Lyla's shirt was on backwards too.  

Speaking of clothing, I've been known to ruin Lyla's whole day by picking out the wrong shirt for her to wear.  Sometimes if I just lay out an outfit, she'll put in on without complaint.  But heaven help me if I verbally ask if she'd like to wear a particular shirt.  Geez!  

I tell the kids how important it is to be honest and tell mommy when something happens.  But also, sometimes the grocery store inexplicably runs out of ingredients for cookies.  

 

I often wonder how my children can find a tiny green marble in an I Spy book, yet be completely oblivious to the socks directly in front of them when I'm asking them to put on their socks and shoes. 

I'm impressed with Archer and Lyla's willingness to own up to their behavior at this stage.  "Archer, why did you flip your mattress over?"  "I did."  "Lyla, why did you get water all over the living room carpet?"  "I did."  "Archer, why did you push your sister over?"  "I did."  I'm looking forward to hearing what reasons they come up with for their behavior in the future.    

I don't understand how they can make a mess out of anything.   A tiny nubbin of chalk can end up all over their outfit and face and hands.  One tiny insignificant puddle can result in an outfit change.

I've considered writing a parenting book.  I plan to have people ask me questions about their kids for me to answer.  Except my answer for every question will be, "It depends on the kid."  

When we were working on potty training, I bribed/positively-reinforced Lyla and Archer with candy when they went poop in the potty.  They still get candy every time they go poop.  I'm afraid of what will happen when I stop giving them candy. 

Apparently I say the following things on a regular basis, "Ope!"  "Whoopsy!"  "It's good to share."  "Maybe tomorrow."  

My neighbors probably think my children are insane with the amount of screaming that goes on while we're playing outside.  Luckily it's generally not me screaming.  Not usually.  

It takes so much freaking patience to let them do things by themselves!  I try really hard to let them be as independent as possible, but sometimes it makes me want to pull out all my hair.

I usually turn into a crazy person when I'm trying to take a picture these days.  My ornery children will not look at me when I'm trying to take their picture!  So I usually end up yelling, "Look at Mommy!  Please just for one second?"  And then I'll try to make a funny face or dance some sort of jig without making the camera wobble.  Yep, I'm sure I look ridiculous.  But I do have 1,347 pictures like the one below if anyone wants to see them.  

Archer and Lyla have these kitten Beanie Babies that they love.  They like to pretend they are the kittens and talk in the the most obnoxiously annoying high-pitched voices, because apparently that's how kittens would sound if they could speak.  They were driving me bonkers!  So I might have told Adam to hide the kittens while I distracted Lyla and Archer.  Then when they asked me where their kittens were, I might have said, "I don't know where you put your kittens."  *See previous confession about honesty.  

I have a new appreciation for pockets.  I don't think I ever used pockets before I had kids.  I didn't really even like to put my cell phone in my pocket.  But we recently went on a walk while I was wearing jeans and a jacket.  I had my keys, dog bones and two snack cups crammed in my jacket pockets.  And my jeans pockets featured my phone and wadded up toilet paper.  But my hands were free!  

My kids know me too well.  They know I'll always pick them up or snuggle if they ask.  Sometimes they will ask me to pick them up or they'll snuggle up in my lap only because they need a tissue and will proceed to wipe their nose the length of my arm.  

Sometimes my kids drive me so crazy that I don't speak to them as kindly as I should.  Then one of them will say, "Maybe you will feel better if I give you a kiss?"  And then my heart melts and I feel horribly guilty.  And they are completely right.  I do feel better after they give me a kiss.   

Choosing Secondhand First

In an effort to live more sustainably, I have been trying to choose secondhand items before buying new items.  Giving used items a second life prevents them from ending up in landfills and it saves me money too!  There are an overwhelming number of secondhand options out there.  It's been surprisingly easy to find specific, quality items. 

I also find myself enjoying secondhand items more than new items because they come with a history.  For example, the table Adam recently refinished for our kitchen was from his childhood.  We found out from his dad that it was actually bought in Guam, where his parents were stationed when Adam was born!  How fun is that?!  We also recently bought a Pottery Barn bed for Archer on Facebook Marketplace.  After talking with the sellers, we learned it had been their 15 year old son's childhood bed.  It made me happy to know it would continue on in another little boy's life and I think it made the sellers feel better knowing it would live on as well.

My goal in sharing about my love of buying pre-loved items is to help normalize secondhand shopping.  Secondhand items often get a bad rap.  People tend to assume they somehow have lesser quality and there's a social stigma for using secondhand items.  I grew up going to garage sales with my mom and getting hand-me-downs from my cousin Becky.  I've appreciated those items just as much (often even more!) than new items I've received.  

Here are some of my favorite ways to get excellent-quality secondhand items: 

My Buy Nothing Group 

I recently came across something called The Buy Nothing Project.  The mission of the project states: "We offer people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors."  Basically, you can join a group (the groups are on Facebook at this time, though they are working on a separate app) based on where you live.  Once you've joined a group, you can gift items you no longer need or want or ask for things you do need or want.  It's such a special way to connect with your neighbors.  

I have been able to pass along a lot stuff I wasn't using and give it to people who could actually use it.  I have also greatly benefited from my neighbors' generosity!  I have asked for and received tomato cages for my garden, a mini muffin pan, a shepherd's hook for my hummingbird feeder, dresses, doll clothes, board games and more!  The gratitude piece of the project really makes the group special.  I shared some of Archer's pajamas that he outgrew with someone in our group.  She sent me a picture of her son wearing Archer's outgrown pajamas and it warmed my heart so much!

My enthusiastic participation in the group led me to become one of the group admin.  I highly encourage you to see if there's a group in your area.  And if there's not, consider starting one yourself or with a fellow neighbor!  

Facebook Marketplace

I've also had a lot of luck buying items on Facebook Marketplace.  Almost all of the people I've bought from have been good at communicating, priced things fairly and were honest about the items' conditions.  I typically pay attention to the seller's ratings and am not afraid to ask questions about the items.  I always ask if the items come from a smoke-free home.  I ask specific questions about the item's condition (for example, are there any rips, stains, scratches, etc.)  Facebook Marketplace is a great way to find toys and other kids' items since kids tend to outgrow items well before they outwear them.  I bought snow pants for the kids this winter.  I've also gotten tons of toys, usually in like-new condition.  I even gave the kids some "like new" Melissa & Doug floor puzzles for Christmas that I found on Facebook Marketplace.  I will usually check Facebook Marketplace first before I consider buying something at a store and usually I can find it!  Archer wanted a bike basket for his bike and I found one for a couple bucks.  I also found twin sheet sets for the kids' new big kid beds.  I'm not afraid to buy anything that can be washed in the washing machine or thoroughly cleaned by hand.  So far I've only bought items that I can pick up locally, though many sellers offer shipping.  

Thred-Up

I tried to limit the number of public places I went this past year due to the pandemic.  That meant shopping for clothes in stores was off the table for awhile.  I tried out Thred-Up and was happily surprised with the results.  Thred-Up is an online consignment store that has secondhand clothes and accessories for women and kids.  It's easy to find what you're looking for using their filters.  Lyla liked a particular brand of jeans, so I was able to find some in the next size up for her.  I also bought a few tops from there for myself.  Buying clothes online is always gamble and you're never quite sure how they'll fit.  Most of the items have a restocking fee of $1.99 if you want to return something.  So I tried to buy only brands that I knew typically fit me well.  Some of the items seem a little high-priced for me, but you can usually find some promo codes to help bring the cost down.  It's certainly not as cheap as some options, but it made for a fun way to get some new clothing items during a pandemic!     

Thrift Stores and Consignment Stores

I am so excited to hit up thrift stores again once I reach full immunity from my COVID vaccine!  I adore thrift stores and it feels like going on a treasure hunt every time I go.  I have gotten quite a few items for my kitchen from thrift stores.  Some of my favorite Pyrex mixing bowls came from thrift stores, along with some very cute cloth napkins.  I also found a gem of a clothing thrift store that I love to get items from.  It's the Savers in Overland Park, KS, if you are in the Kansas City area.  It's kept clean and well-organized.  I've gotten quite a few clothing items for myself and the kids from there.  

Speaking of kids' clothing, my favorite place to get kids' clothing from is Once Upon A Child.  It's a kids' consignment store and they have locations all over the place.  The prices are very reasonable and the clothing is always in very good shape.  We've been super fortunate to have hand-me-downs for Lyla.  (My cousin Becky has two girls and have generously clothed Lyla for her entire life!  This is the same cousin who shared her hand-me-downs with me!)  The majority of Archer's wardrobe has come from this store.  

I've never gotten into selling our used items, but a lot of people do so.  You can sell your kiddo's outgrown clothes and use the money you earn to buy them the next size up!  

The Library

While libraries aren't technically "secondhand," they do offer many resources that you can take advantage of, along with your community members.  

Libraries hold such a special place in my heart.  I remember my mom taking me to the Topeka Public Library and bookmobile as a child to check out books.  I worked at the Columbia Public Library while I was in high school and college.  I helped out at a middle school library for a couple years.  Reading and books are just plain magic and I love that libraries offer up all sorts of these precious resources to their communities for free!  I'm not someone who typically reads books more that once, so checking out books from the library is the perfect option for me.  I read every night before I go to bed, so I always have a stack of library books on my nightstand.  I also still have a DVD player and check out all sorts of DVDs from the library.

Since Archer and Lyla have stopped being so rough on their books (for the most part) we've taken full advantage of checking out all sorts of books from the library.  Public libraries tend to have extensive, diverse, inclusive collections.  It's so important to me that Lyla and Archer are exposed to all sorts of different people, cultures and lifestyles, so we check out a vast array of library books all the time!  

Most public libraries have all sorts of kids' programs (though many are virtual now), like story time and concerts.  They offer up adult programming, like computer literacy and classes led by local business leaders.  They offer assistance for English-language learners.  They have licenses for many online newspapers that you can access with your library card.  The resources they offer their communities just goes on and on!  I definitely encourage you to utilize your public library to access all sorts of resources!  

Choosing secondhand items has had a positive effect on Archer and Lyla.  They are just as happy to receive a secondhand item as they are a new item.  I find that they are happy to share their own items with others easily.  When I told Lyla that my friend was going to have a new baby, she excitedly ran up to her room to get some of her baby doll clothes to share with the new baby.  They see Adam and I setting out items for others to pick up and they are internalizing the importance of sharing our abundance with others.  

While I certainly don't buy everything secondhand, I definitely try to look for secondhand options first.  It's good for the environment and it's good for my wallet!  Happy (Secondhand) Shopping! 

Three and a Half Years!

I start every single one of these posts the same, but I can't believe Archer and Lyla are already three and a half years old!  They are both growing like weeds and reading stories to them while they're both on my lap is tricky since I can't see over their heads anymore!  But I still manage.  I will let them sit on my lap as long as they like.  

They are both happy and thriving, despite spending the majority of the past year without seeing any other kids.  I have worried so much about their social development and how much they are missing out by us trying to do our part to end the pandemic.  I am so incredibly thankful they have each other.  They continue to practice (though not always successfully) sharing, being kind to each other, taking turns and creatively playing together.  Their relationship continues to blossom and they truly do love each other and enjoy spending time together.  Their favorite things to do lately are run around the house with their Paw Patrol toys, singing at the top of their lungs, riding their big kid bikes, doing any sort of craft and making tents out of blankets.  

They continue to have hardy appetites and I can tell exactly when it's time for a snack or meal based solely on their level of crabiness.  In an effort to think of things that are fun and can be done while still "staying away from germs," I took them to the donut store drive thru for donuts and the Starbucks drive thru for cake pops.  So now each and every time we get in the car, they request we go get a donut or cake pop.  I have to break their hearts quite often.  

We've kept our local library branch busy by placing lots of holds on books.  Picking them up at the drive thru window is a very exciting activity.  It's really important to me that Lyla and Archer be exposed to all kinds of cultures, lifestyles, people and experiences through reading.  So we get a wide variety of books and devour them all!  Both Archer and Lyla are starting to tell me what kinds of books they are interested in and I make sure to honor their choices.  I feel pretty clueless about being a parent when it comes to many topics, but I feel confident that I'm doing everything I can to help them grow into lifelong readers.   

We drive around looking for empty playgrounds several times a week.  Archer and Lyla love playgrounds!  And they are at the point where I don't have to constantly follow them around to make sure they don't get hurt on any of the equipment.  They also enjoy walking on trails and I can still convince them to hop in the stroller for a ride around the neighborhood.  I know my walks with the stroller are limited, so I'm trying to savor each and every one.  More often than not, they want to ride their bikes while we take Jazzy for her daily walk.  Now it's more like a daily run to keep up with Lyla and Archer, but they do a really good job of stopping before they cross any streets and waiting for me and Jazzy to catch up.  Grandma and Grandpa got them a new swing, rings and a trapeze bar to replace their baby swings on their swing set Adam built them.  It won't be long before they are jumping off the swing!  

Archer continues to be very active and agile.  He's constantly climbing and jumping off of things.  He loves to run around outside.  He also enjoys digging up the grass in the yard with his construction vehicles and digging in the mulch in the flower beds, despite how many times we tell him not to.  Archer is a big fan of his fire truck and ambulance, along with all of his other cars and trucks.  And he loves building complex train tracks with Adam.  Lately, Archer has been very interested in helping me cook and will tell me "I saved you a spot" when he wants me to sit next to him on the couch.  

Archer has started virtually visiting with a speech and language pathologist weekly.  He is working on a few sounds and loves getting to see his speech teacher each week on the computer.  He's also excited to complete his speech homework each week and we've definitely seen some progress in the short time he's had his visits.  We are very grateful our Parents As Teachers educator caught these speech concerns early and has helped get Archer the resources he needs to be as successful as he can be with speech.  We're hoping these early interventions will get him back on track before he starts kindergarten.  

Archer is such a sweet, silly, generally easy-going kid.  I love hearing him belt out his version of Paper Route's Tiger Teeth.  He still willingly gives me hugs and kisses.  I adore watching him continue to grow up!  

Lyla continues to know exactly what she wants and generally knows how to get it.  She's not afraid to show her sassy side!  She's also incredibly empathetic and loves to talk about how important it is to be kind and share.  Lyla is incredibly independent.  She loves to pick out her outfit each morning and enjoys vetoing any options I present to her.  She can get her coat zipped by herself and fasten buttons.  Lyla also loves to dress her baby dolls in all sorts of ensembles.  I've taken advantage of her independence and have her help me out with a variety of tasks like getting ingredients from the fridge while I'm cooking, feeding Jazzy her dinner and helping me vacuum.  

Adam and I have to be very careful what we say around Lyla these days.  She likes to pay very close attention to what we're talking about and asks all sorts of clarifying questions.  Lyla enjoys building tall towers and playing with her many stuffed animals these days.  Just the other morning she tucked her stuffed giraffe in bed with Adam while he was sleeping in and it melted my heart.  

Lyla is strong-willed, but kind.  I like to imagine she'll be the kind of person who gets what she wants out of life and will stand up for others.  When I ask her for a kiss these days, she'll give me her cheek.  But she's more than happy to snuggle up with me when I ask.  

These beautiful little people bring me so much joy and excitement (and exhaustion and frustration, if I'm being honest.)  Archer and Lyla continue to teach me as much as I (hopefully) teach them.  It's a privilege to watch them continue to grow up and I truly love my role as their mom.  

Our New Old Kitchen Table

Allow me to introduce you to the biggest annoyance in my house, my dining room table.  While it's in good shape and does it's job, it has a very annoying feature.  Cracks.  Lots of cracks for crumbs and peanut butter and play dough and milk to settle into.  After every meal and craft and activity, I have to not only wipe down the table, but painstakingly clean out the many cracks of all the leftover debris.  I realize this is a very minimal problem, especially given the current global pandemic.  

But it was annoying enough for me to repeatedly complain about it to Adam.  So we started brainstorming some solutions.  Eventually we would love to exchange our pub-height dining room table with a standard-height round table.  The pub height just isn't ideal for our older family members or kids, so we think a standard-height table is the way to go.  It'd also be nice for the future round table to have multiple leaves so we could seat bigger groups of people for things like Thanksgiving and birthday parties.  (Fingers crossed we can safely gather by next Thanksgiving!)  Recently, Adam and I have tried to shop secondhand before buying something new.  We looked at a few tables on Facebook Marketplace that were either in need of refinishing or completely refinished.  Although we liked a few, we decided now just wasn't the right time to be going into strangers' houses to look at furniture.    

So then we turned our attention to the small pub table we have in our eat-in kitchen area.  It's really tiny and just doesn't comfortably fit four people.  But we have the space in the area for a larger table.  As luck would have it, there was a table in our basement that was from Adam's childhood home.  It was still sturdy, but looked a bit dated, despite caning being back in style.  But it was standard-height, the perfect size for the space and even had rounded corners as an added safety feature!  

After taping out the table size in our eat-in kitchen area, we were convinced it would be the perfect fit.  Now we just had to update it.  

Adam first tried sanding down the top to see if it could be re-stained.  He figured out it was just a wood laminate top over particle board, so staining wasn't an option.  Then we moved onto the idea of painting it.  Adam had some milk paint (General Finishes Milk Paint in Driftwood) in the basement that would cover up the laminate/particle board top.  The color was very close to the color of our kitchen cabinets so we felt it would tie in nicely with the overall aesthetic of our kitchen.

So Adam put on four coats of the milk paint, followed by four coats of a water-based topcoat in a satin finish.  This process resulted in a very even, smooth finish.  He also added some bracing to the bottom of the table to make sure it was nice and sturdy in case Archer or Lyla have any table dancing in their futures.  Adam decided to paint the bottom of the table (he only did one coat of milk paint) since the bottom of the table is visible from below in the family room.        

Once the table was painted, then we had to figure out what to do about the base of the table.  The original base was a bit bulky and would be difficult to paint given the caning.  We've always liked the look of hairpin legs and thought they would be the perfect way to update this old table.  After doing some research, Adam settled on an Ohio-based company so we could support a small business here in the United States.  We picked out some black powder-coated legs with the perfect little brass detail on the foot.  

The final piece of the puzzle was figuring out what to do for seating around the table.  We couldn't reuse the stools because they were pub-height, so we needed some standard-height chairs.  If it weren't for the pandemic, we'd definitely taken the secondhand route and picked something from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.  But we ended up going with these.

All the painting and curing and assembling was wrapped up just in time to enjoy our dinner on New Year's Eve around our new old table.  I'm in love with how it all came together!  I'm glad we were able to reuse an old table, but still update it to make it fit our style.  The gray works so well with the kitchen cabinets.  Our previous table was very similar in color to our wood floors, so it just sort of blended in.  But now our new table stands out in the best way!  

The legs are minimal and modern and tie into the other hits of black we have going on in our kitchen, like the appliances and cabinet hardware.  The black chairs also tie in nicely, while also being comfortable and somehow fit Adam, myself and the kids remarkably well despite our varying heights.  I might see if I can find some chair cushions secondhand in the future.  While the chairs are perfectly comfortable for a meal, a game of Liverpool (anyone else's family play this card game?) would be much more comfortable with a little extra padding.  

And I further broke my attempts at shopping secondhand to buy some silicone place mats for Archer and Lyla (alphabet & rainbows) hoping they will help protect the tabletop longer.  Both Adam and I realize scratches and dings are bound to happen, but thought the place mats would help.     

Adam produced another win!  Our nightly family dinners (& lunches thanks to Adam working from home) will be just a little bit more special gathered around this new old table.  

Want to guess the part I love most of all?  There are no cracks! :)