30 May 2013

Do what you can...


Let's just start this one off with a recap of the ol' baby belly at weeks 16, 18, 20, & 22. That bottom right one was taken this morning on a self-timer. Gosh. This blog couldn't be more current!

You may notice that the bottom left corner- aka "20 Weeks"- is the most flattering of all them. Not only am I wearing make-up, but that one was taken with the fancy schmancy camera. I'm thinking all a woman needs to see is her skin looking like some strange tomato next to a clear, make-upped face, focused version and she could be convinced that a fancy schmancy camera was what she needed.

And now we've done enough talking about these. The bump is bigger!

Do your summer plans include any pinterest projects? Crafts? Travel? "Fun" to-do lists?

It's usually busy and yet not all at once. I'm usually excited at the start of summer regardless of what's to come...

Will you accomplish your plans? Probably some of you will.
Will they be the source of fond memories for your kids? I bet! Grab that camera, fancy schmancy or otherwise.
Will you instagram the success? Please do! (or get your hubs to do it like I do...)
Should you laugh at the fails? Absolutely (then instagram those too)

Now, what happens if it starts out a success, but then, ever so gradually, turns into a fail over several weeks? What do you do?

I'll tell you.

Remember the photos imma bout to show you.
Then, do what you can to revive that bad boy and revel in being able to teach your kids how to make the most of things. (or if it's bad enough, just toss it. Kids can learn from that too.)

My go-to flower choice in my garden is bougainvillea. It's a tough little bugger and grows well in the full-sun of the equator. Hard to kill. Looks great. Can do.  I also found a variety that's like a double bloom, so the "flowers" look like those tissue paper pom-poms on pinterest party boards. They're fat and it makes me wanna squish them when they bloom. Which I do.

You did NOT need to know that about bougainvillea to follow these pictures. I tend to over-detail. (you noticed?)

We set out to start a bougainvillea arch/canopy. With some leftover pallet wood (cut by the hubs prior to these photos), a drill, chicken wire, staple gun, and some 5 foot pieces of pressed wood recycled from the bedroom ikea mirror that fell off the wall, we were good to go!

We built simple wood boxes using zero proper woodshop skills. They were not square nor level. So? Each of us took a turn documenting the progress on camera. Here's Zay catching Isaac and I building one box...(they have no bottoms and are just for show really) 


 And here Isaac captured Isaiah helping me finish up the 2nd box... then we took a break for a day or so...
 Then Isaiah focused in remarkably well for the "screw the wood plank to the inside of the box" step... (repeat with other wood plank on 2nd box)
 Then I went for the close-up on the "roll out the 15ft of chicken wire over the wood plank and staple gun it to the box and the wood plank" step...
 I think Isaiah went inside because he was "setty" (sweaty) or else we'd have documentation of Isaac and I standing the boxes up. But here they are just before that.

But stand the boxes up we did! Just in time for Isaiah to return from his break. I had no clue no clue Superman could get setty too.

 After placing our potted plants inside the boxes, and securing the bougainvillea to the chicken wire, ensuring it's proper growth trajectory over the archway and WAH-LAH!
 See? Pom-pommy flowers that are hard to kill. They almost look like roses! This was April 29th. Hopes for swoon-y, shady, flowery arches and pinterest pride were riding high.

I think maybe I've mentioned on here a time or two about how "dry season" really just means that the daily rain comes in the form of thunderstorms. I haven't?

 After giving it all of the DIY-strength it could muster, here's where things stood this morning May 30th.
wah-wah-waaaaaaaah
Apparently pressed particle board made for framing indoor mirrors, doesn't really hold up well outside its natural environment.  Noted.

See the bamboo? (be sure not to miss the hangers either) Those bamboo poles held political flags for the national election mid-May. There are gazillions of them on every corner nationwide. Afterwards the political parties have to take down their flags quickly or they get fined.  I have no political connections here. I will pick up free bamboo poles laying on the side of the road no matter which flag they supported.

So I did what I could. De-stapled (un-stapled?), unscrewed, and stuck the bamboo poles into their new home where I hope they'll do much better than their predecessors against afternoon thunderstorms...


 Ta da! Hopes are high again y'all.

Everyone helped and as it was a cool morning and we weren't so setty, Isaiah made the declaration as we finished,
"Mama. Dis is a nice day for a picnic."

And it was...
I knew I made chocolate chip cookies last night for a bigger reason than just stuffing my pregnant face. I knew it.

So y'all get to it. Make your summer rock in whichever way you've set out to do.  Leave me a comment and tell me what you're most excited about this coming June, July, and August. And just do what you can to get it done whether its fantastic or fails or fizzles!

(and yes y'all, that's a Dr. Pepper!)

6 comments:

  1. Love it when you blog...and you make pregnancy look good, lady! I'm not sure what our summer will hold (a trip to Croatia, certainly), but I know there will be water involved somehow! And I have to say...I have quilt envy ;) you are so skilled, I must say.

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  2. Am agreeing with Charity here... I have quilt envy. On another note, I wish we were going to Croatia this summer too, but have high hopes for next summer.

    Your setty Superman is adorable. And I'm amazed at how much energy you have to accomplish projects like these. I'm telling myself that one day life will balance out and it won't be a blur of feedings and sleep with a rush to eat and shower in between, because there are some projects I'd love to be working on too. :-)

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  3. p.s. I forgot to say...

    Your curly haired girl is adorable.
    Your belly is so cute.
    I feel you on the pregnancy pictures... make-up and a good camera makes all the difference in the world. Sometimes we'd take photos and I'd be so frustrated with how I looked (vain, I know) that we'd have to retake them the next day. :-)

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    1. I do NOT have time or energy. It took a couple weeks to get the boards picked out of the pile of scraps. Then another week or so from when I marked them to when Anthony got out and cut them, then another week or so til I got to putting them together, then a couple more days til I got out and put the chicken wire on. And the Christmas quilt has been 6 MONTHS in the making. MONTHS! I feel like if I have 1 hour to myself everyday then I've accomplished MUCH! On my "mom's day out" about half the time I will just lock myself in the guest room, put on head phones, and do crafting (or napping). You WILL come out of the newborn fog...a bit of it lifts around 6 weeks, then at all the 3 month marks (3,6,9,12) it keeps getting easier...or rather, you get your act together more gradually. :) 0 to 1 was the hardest transition for me. You're doing great!

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  4. When you post outside pictures on here I'm entirely too preoccupied by all the amazing green grass you've got ALL.TO.YOURSELF to even notice what the story was about. :)
    Ok maybe not quite that bad. I did read all about your BOO-GAN-VEEEYAH and am loving your creativity!
    Also, I'm so ready to squeeze #3 again. She's growing WAY too fast. WAYYYY too fast!!

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  5. That Watermelon blanket has gotten around. I miss that thing and all the memories associated with it. If only you could bring it in a couple weeks...

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