Haircut

Gavin decided to have his hair cut! I did it myself and it looks good, even though it is REALLY short. We both decided that we will like it better in about three weeks when it gets a bit longer. He freaked out at first, but it didn't take him long to start to like it. I feel like "Gavin" has been gone for a really long time, and now he is back. I swear that he acts different, but it is more likely that I RE-act to him differently. He looks more like "my little boy".

A Quick Update

Our next project.. Ella's room!

Gavin's room is really done! REALLY!!!! The fan is up, the glow stars on the ceiling are up and the little party lites under his bed are up! I feel so much relief! I love his room and I love how we all worked on it together and I LOVE that it is DONE!

In addition, we re-arranged Ella's room, moved out the last of the jungle features and brought in her furniture (even though it has not been refinished yet). This really helped us get a better idea of how the room will work and what we need to do to get her bed put together properly. We bought an old 1920's dresser and bed set for her at a yard sale and the bed is not the same as the current standard size so it will need some modifications. Bringing it in and setting it up was the only way that Andy and I could figure out what we needed to do! Now, we feel energized and excited about tackling this next project. If only I could decide on paint colors! Andy is going to start painting next weekend, so I had better get with it!

We had our yard sale and what we didn't sell was carted off to the Goodwill. My patio is back (and boy does it look BIG) and we made $128! We hoped to make enough to buy bikes for both kids and if we go with the less expensive models... we did it! We sold Gavin's old bike, so he gets first pick and Ella has her heart set on a Barbie bike. Toys R Us, here we come! We also sold the dresser and night stand that the kids had in their bedroom - which is why we had to bring in the unfinished dresser. I was not willing to have Ella's clothes on the floor for the next couple of weeks (or months)!

The kids got to go to the Circus with Gramma Sharon and Grampa Jack while Andy and I continued to work around the house. We also got to run errands, shop for a couch, get some decorating ideas at some new model homes and have dinner together! Andy got the garden planted while I took the kids to church on Sunday and then we all went down to Bellflower to shop for some Dutch goods at the Holland American market. After that we stopped in Little India to have a snack! It was a fun and very productive weekend! I feel rejuvenated and energized!

I have a TON of work to do for my classes and I have to study for the CSET (which is completely freaking me out) but ... there is nothing I can do but WORK. Work hard and be persistent and focus. That is the hard part, the focus. I feel torn between my job, and the house and the family but I know that right now, I just have to work on the class work and then I will have time for all of the other stuff. So, my nose will be to the grindstone for the next couple of weeks and I will have to let some other stuff go. (oh, darn.. when I just started to feel on top of things!) Off I go!

Here are some pics of our little garden!

My herb garden- sage, cilantro, parsley, basil and thyme! The kids planted marigolds in between!

The rows of corn!

We also have, red bush beans, sugar snap peas, carrots, cucumbers, and white and orange pumpkins.

Some tomatoes from seed and some plants. There are sungold, San Diego heirloom, Giant Steak, and Cherokee Purple and some other funky kind that Andy got!

Gavin's room - The transformation is complete!

O.K., not really.. the ceiling fan is still not up, but it should be by the end of the weekend and since you can't see it in the pics, I decided to not keep you in suspense any longer. (I know that you were checking the blog daily, huh?) His room came out great and we all love it!

Here are the before shots, with it painted mint green and with some girly stuff still hanging out!

Walking into the bedroom. (Well, I guess you CAN see the fan...)The loft bed. The only drawback to this, is that I cannot kiss him goodnight, which I miss, but it gives him so much space!Underneath the loft is his library and reading chair, which he is in, every night!Below his window is this cubby unit with his "treasures' and cd's.

The bookshelves even have more space left in them!
The big map, corn snake and parrot have found a home!

Accidents Happen

This is my last week of school. Last weekend was really rough, I put in three solid days of work, sitting at the computer for about 14 hours each day. My projects are almost done...

But this post is not about me and school... it is about Gavin.

He broke his arm today, his elbow to be more specific. I could go and grab his paperwork and tell you the exact bone, but I'm not going to. I was in class and Andy got a phone call from the school. He took Gavin to the hospital and my mom took Ella to swimming and I knew NOTHING about it. My phone was on silent mode, because I was in class. I had a lunch meeting for a group project, so I didn't even check my messages. When my day was finished, I went to call Andy and found a text message that said that they were at the hospital. They were home by that time, so I raced there feeling horrible, that my poor baby boy had broken his arm and I wasn't there, and I hadn't even known it had happened.

He ran to get a big cuddle hug from me when I got home and he told me all about his "adventure". He was playing tag and fell off of the climbing structure at day camp, he landed on his arm and it was his elbow that hit the ground first. He said that it felt like someone had shot him in the arm (?? I don't think that he really knows what THAT would feel like.. but...) He said that it hurt pretty bad and that he couldn't move it. That is when the school called Andy who told me that there was a huge, ugly goose egg on his arm and he made the decision to go to urgent care.

His arm was very swollen and Gavin couldn't move his arm well enough for them to get a good x-ray, but they could see a break. They put a splint on it and hooked him up in a sling. He has to go back on Tuesday for another x-ray and they will most likely put a cast on it then. I am so bummed for him!! He doesn't realize it yet, but he is gonna hate this thing. He is supposed to go to a swim party on Saturday and we are getting ready to have our vacation! We were going to swim, have backyard water play, head to the beach and go to a local water park. We will definitely have to reconsider! Fortunately, he is in very little pain and seems very nonchalant about the whole thing. We are thankful that he wasn't hurt any worse. My baby has now been fully initiated into boyhood.

A Day With My Boy!

Gavin and I had our day, yesterday. Boy do I love that boy! I really see how important it is for the two of us to spend time together. We really know how to rub each other the wrong way and we get awfully upset with each other, much more often than I would like. But, on the other hand we adore each other like nobody else does ....

The one on one time was so good because there was no other stress or pressure, just us, hanging out.

I thought long and hard about what we could do together, because I really wanted us to be TOGETHER...not just him, running off and me watching. I finally came up with the PERFECT thing! We went to Griffith Observatory! It was engaging, and old enough for him, and it was something that Ella would NOT have enjoyed, I love space and stars and all of that, and so does he. We had to go to the market first, before we could head out, but even that was really enjoyable, together. We drove out to L.A. and I told him that he could not bring his Game Boy, so we had to talk. We talked about our "favorite things" and he told me of his "plans for the future". (He wants to be the President of the United States, someday, he says.)

When we got there, we had a picnic lunch and then we checked out exhibits and talked and he asked so many good questions! We got tickets for the Planetarium show and had a great time seeing that. We shared a soda at the cafe before heading home. It was really cool!

Later that night, we read a couple of chapters from our latest book and then he snuggled with me to watch American Idol. I let him stay up late..it is Spring Break, after all - besides, I was enjoying the cuddle time! Yeah for one on one with my kids... and yeah for the chance to celebrate them!