Reupholstery and The Force

I bought a children's rocking chair at the Thrifty Shoppe in Colorado for $6.50, thinking I could recover it. If I failed, it wouldn't be that much of a waste, but worth it to learn something new. I couldn't decide on a fabric that I'd like and the boys would like, so I just went with something the boys liked, but wouldn't go out of fashion...sorry buzz lightyear. Thus the bright lizards...Before and after:

Somehow I ended up with one extra screw. It still rocks just fine!

Can you read what's on Micah's chest here? FUTURE JEDI MASTER. I know I shouldn't poke fun at my children...but his ears and height and shirt...well they just make me think of Yoda. A much better looking (and much chubbier) version. I can say that if I admit he gets his ears from me right?

Valentines

Happy Valentines! Late...of course. We've been sick. I've been doing things step by step. First off, I finished my brother's birthday gift. Embroidery was like making granola for me. Once I found out I could do it, I had to try. And the perfect opportunity came up. My brother has been baking: bread, cakes, meats to grill, fun things like that. So for his birthday, I thought about getting a frilly, flowery apron, but decided to do this instead. You can't really tell in the photo, but the embroidery thread is neon green.

I was hoping for it to look a little more professional, and a little less handmade, but he'll like it just the same.

Before Valentines, I had written James about how I would probably buy some flowers and pretend they were from him, because he's unable to get me any himself. He sent me some. Thank you 1 800 Flowers. The sweet part, though, is not that he got me flowers, but what he had to do just to be able to send them to me. He planned ahead, and early in the month wrote a full page memo to those above him, requesting permission for the entire group he's in to use the internet for Valentines Day gifts for spouses. He emailed it to me, and it was so cute, all business persuasion about how morale and work ethic would be bolstered, not only now, but throughout the careers of the people if their spouses were happy. Because Valentines Day isn't a formally recognized holiday, but is of the upmost importance to the spouses. ( : Some of those spouses owe me for getting flowers, but I'll let them think it was their significant other's idea. I love you honey!

I'd also like to thank my brother for the solitary rose, which he probably pilfered from someone else's bouquet, but brightened my day significantly, nonetheless.

The flowers from James also had a monkey with them, which I used to motivate Micah to roll over! And the second first (got that?) for him on Valentines Day was a tooth. His first tooth. Poor guy, sick and teething simultaneously. As you can tell, he's still in good spirits!