Our House: Living Dining Computer Room

 Our house enters into a huge room. It's beautiful, with hardwood floors and a deep turquoise paint color that extends into the kitchen. The room is challenging, however. It's too big to be just a dining room but not quite big enough to be a dining room and living room in one. I don't know if we'll keep it how it is, but this is how we've dealt with this room thus far: 

View from the kitchen. The white door on the right is the front door which exits to the driveway.

Dining area. The window to the left is a bay window. Or, as my girls refer to it: the stage.

My reading "Nook" has taken on a life of it's own. It's getting cozy, and it'll be nice to lots of seating for the kids' birthday parties! This window overlooks the street.

Ignore the messy desk, it's become a catch-all for things we don't have a spot for yet. This is straight in from the front door. The hall to the left leads to a bath and two bedrooms.

All of the artwork in this room is either created by the kids or photos of the kids. Perhaps that is why I seem to be happiest when I am relaxing in here. It's my quiet place once the kids go to bed.

Awana

 Gracie started Awana! If you aren't familiar with it, Awana is a church youth group curriculum. She is in the preschool program, which is called Cubbies. She will earn badges by memorizing scripture, sing songs, and meet lots of new friends. She is very excited about it!

My little Cubbie!

Putting on her attendance sticker.

Saying hi to some friends.

While Gracie was at Awana, Bee was painting her pictures.

Jerry's First Haircut

 Jerry's been looking a bit...bushy lately. I decided to give him a haircut and actually found time on Monday to do it. Here are our before and after pictures. He wasn't terrible, but also not the most cooperative.

Before

 After!

See ya!

Madison

 We took a trip to Madison for a friend's wedding reception last weekend. Remarkably, I managed to forget my camera in the hotel room for the actual reception. I remembered it when we went to the East Towne Mall though. The kids had fun in the little playland. 

"Look at me! I climbed all the way!"

Bee

Fun fun fun.

G is for Gracie

Play Date!

 The day after Daddy surprised the girls with a new water table, we got to have a playdate with Shirley and Richard! We had loads of fun.

Checkin' out the water table

Shirley came up with the awesome idea of using straws in the water table. I could only find two, but that didn't stop them.

Shirley loves our keyboard.

We got a little artistic.

And then a little more wet...

Richard was really diggin' the easel.

Jerry got a little bored...

The swingset got a good workout.

 We found a HUGE grasshopper on the top pole of the swingset. The kids took turns being lifted up to see him close up. Eventually, they all wanted to touch him. I was certain as soon as the first ooey, gooey kid finger touch him he'd hop over the fence into our neighbor's yard. To try to be fair, I lifted Gracie and Shirley up at the same time and we counted to three before they touched him. He took a little step to the side and looked annoyed. I let Bee touch him. Still, he stayed. I asked Richard if he'd like to try and he said yes. He touched him on one side and told me he wanted to see the other side. After touching him on both sides, Richard seemed satisfied. The grasshopper was still there after all that poking!

And so did the kitchen set.

Fall Fun

 My camera cord suddenly stopped fitting into the camera properly, so I have a bunch of photos from the last month or so to upload and blog about. These are just a fall day when we decided to go to the park near our old apartment. 

Love Daddy son photos!

I love this progression of Bee swinging photos

When we got home from the park Daddy had a surprise for the girls. A water table!