Do What You Love

I bought myself a journal a few weeks ago that says on the cover, "Do what you love."  I use it to take notes each day at work.  And that message --"Do what you love"--has been a good reminder to me-- to appreciate the meaningful work I get to do each day, and also to stop and do something for myself now and then.

I've even written a few poems (writing gives me such a happiness boost!) in my little journal, in the wee hours of the night when I'm finishing up with work.  It's funny--this one tiny "splurge" on a $6 journal for myself has really brought me happiness--both by helping me feel grateful in the moment and by encouraging me to write more.  Here's a poem I wrote this week called, "On Family."

----

On Family

My mother saves pictures of us
off of Facebook
and onto her phone.
She likes to look at our recent faces
as she waits on a prescription.
Love across the miles is hard.

I, too, collect tiny bits of family connection.
I listen, alone on my commute,
to songs my family once sang on car trips.
I frame bits of lace
made by a great grandmother
and hang them on the wall.
I point out to my husband,
at a school play,
how my daughter's jaw, eyes,
are so like my sister,
and smile.
I stand at the kitchen counter
and rub a well-worn cookie recipe
in my mother's handwriting,
lovingly,
as if it were her own dear cheek.

We are a tribe fractured.
Hunting and gathering remnants,
glimpses,
of a life we meant to have together.


----

Do you regularly get to "Do what you love?"  And if not, how can you work toward that bit by bit? 

A Letter to My 8 Year Old Daughter

My dear girl,

Yesterday, you turned eight years old.  Eight! 

On your eighth birthday, there are so many things I want you to remember forever.  I want you to remember your daddy being the "mail slot monster" and cracking us up as we left for school the other day.  I want you to remember how our sweet and cuddly dog, Valentino, loves nothing more than snuggling under your blankets in your bed with you as we read together at night.  I want you to remember the mountain of cards that arrived in our mail today--from grandparents and aunts and cousins who all love you so much.  I want you to remember your excitement at reading Harry Potter for the first time this week. I want you to remember how kind you are to your friends, and how gentle you are with the kindergarteners in after-school with  you.  You take time to help them, hug them, play with them, and really listen to them.  We were leaving from school a few days ago, and at least 4 kinder students ran to hug you as you left.  You took time to hug each one and say something special to them.  I want you to remember how you supported a friend recently when someone called her a name at school.  And how you cheered on the Spartans football team and tried not to give up hope that they would win, even when it was looking grim.  I want you to remember the cheerful, fiery, silly, brilliant, hard-working little girl you are right now.

Because I hold all these things in my heart.  As you grow, I see you not only as you are now, but as a patchwork of all the beautiful moments when your nature has been revealed, noticing how some things remain constant as you grow.  I, as the memory keeper for our family, hold you in my heart as the amazing eight year old you are today, and also as the strong baby who cried with such gusto at birth.  And as the conservative new walker who was careful and thought out your actions before you tried them.  And as the nurturing protector of animals and children you were as a toddler carrying your "kitty" and "baby" around and rocking and cooing to them.  And as the artist intent on her work at the light box in your montessori. And as the athlete scaling the school monkey bars at age 3!  And as the talented creator of amazingly accurate and realistic 3D models in preK.  And as the careful and insightful mathematician creating and discovering patterns in your blocks in kindergarten.  And as the writer of interesting and creative tales in first grade.  And as the calm and collected performer with the sharpest memory around, standing on a chair as the angel in our church Christmas play.  And as the nurturer of the ignored, ridiculed, different, and forgotten children that you are this year as you navigate the sometimes difficult social world of school.  You are, and have always been, a treasure to me and your dad.  And when I look at you, I see you as you have been, as you are, and as you will be one day.  And I am proud to call you my daughter. 

Happy eighth birthday, my sweet!  Your daddy and I love you with all our hearts.

Love,
Mom

Be Unhurried: A Lazy Sunday

Flanna's bed head and our cute pup

Today we had a long breakfast with our sweet friends from back home and then saw them off.   And then we had a lazy day at home.  We had all intentions of going to the park, but now it's dinner time and that just didn't happen!  But we had fun!  I read a little poetry.  Flanna put on a Barbie wedding, complete with song performances, and taught herself how to play Minecraft.  And Robi worked a while and now is grilling our dinner.  It was definitely an unhurried day, which is a welcome change and really boosted my happiness!



What about you?  Did you get a chance to "be unhurried" this weekend? 

Celebrate Traditions: Decorating for Fall

Flannery and I decorated for Halloween this weekend.  We put gravestones out in the front yard, and spider webs and some skulls, because Flannery really wants our place to be "spooky" this year!  We added a touch of fall color indoors, too.  And then the very next day, our little dog decided to chew the corners of our orange pillows--bummer!  At least they are from Ikea, so we're not out lots of money.  :)

It was really hot this weekend, so we decorated quickly outside, but it brought back so many memories of celebrating this tradition when Flanna was small.  I remember when she was tiny (maybe one?) and we decorated with pumpkins on the front porch of our green house in Athens, and every time we came in and out of the house, she had to kiss her pumpkins.  Sweet thing!  She has been a little spunky bit of sunshine her whole life.

from her pumpkin patch field trip this week at camp

What fall traditions are you enjoying? 

Be Unhurried

The view from my bedroom window this morning--Hydrangeas are blooming!

One of my happiness commandments for myself is, "Be Unhurried."  It sounds so simple, but it's one thing I have a hard time doing consistently. 

Take, for instance, this morning.  A friend of mine was taking Flannery to camp, since her kids were going to the same one and it was on her way to work (and not on the way to mine).  My family got up with plenty of time to get ready, and then 15 minutes before it was time to leave, Flannery decided to switch outfits and wanted my help getting ready.  I was cream-cheesing her bagel and bobby-pinning her hair (it was dress up day for the last day of camp, and she went as a hippie) and entwining lavender flowers into her headband and looking for my shoes and not finding my phone and putting dinner in the crock pot all at the same time. 

Sometimes, "Be Unhurried" is about as do-able as "Be a giant frog." 

But, even after I had dropped her off, when I had a little more margin to get ready for my day, I noticed myself thinking, "Maybe I could go for a walk.  I could squeeze it in."  Which was true.  I could.  And it really does make my day much better all day long if I get in some good hard exercise in the mornings.  But then, I remembered that I'm a much less anxious person if I try to "be unhurried."  So I decided to take a nice calming bath rather than taking a walk and then having a rushed shower.   And I actually shaved my legs carefully for once instead of shaving in 15 seconds like normal.  And it was so rejuvenating.  (I'm not quite sure it was as rejuvenating as a good walk, but sometimes we have to pick our battles, as well as our happiness-inducers!) 

Sometimes, too, "Be Unhurried" isn't really about changing my schedule.  It's more about changing my attitude as I go about my day.  I can breathe and say to myself, "I have enough time to get the important things done."  I can smile and wink at my daughter as I get her into the car.  I can play good music on my commute so I don't feel so rushed and crazy in traffic.  I can try to notice beautiful things in nature as I drive to a meeting.  And even if those things don't buy me time, they do make me feel less hurried.  And that makes me happier.  

So, today, how can you help yourself be unhurried?   Can you leave 10 minutes early for your meeting and then take the time before your meeting starts to reward yourself with a little reading or just a brain break?  Can you drop something off of your to-do list that was really too much to get done in one day?  Can you cut yourself some slack here and there and realize that if the floor isn't swept before your friends come over, they're still your friends and who cares? Or can you just try to have an unhurried attitude throughout your normal busy day?


I'd love to hear what helps you "Be Unhurried!"  Leave a comment below for me if you have ideas!

Be in the Moment: Indulge Your Senses

Chloe Rose - from Sephora  (It's lovely!)

A few months ago, I got myself some new perfume.  It is heavenly.

Every time I put it on, I feel beautiful and fresh and soft.  Sometimes I even put it on right before I'm going to work out.  It's energizing!  (And crazy, too, I know, but energizing, nonetheless!)

Also, sometimes, I light a candle at the end of a long hard day.  The vanilla or cinnamon scent (my two favorites) cheers me up and makes me feel pampered for just a moment. And sometimes when I'm stressed or tense or tired, the feel of a warm mug of coffee or chai tea in my hands is calming. I also love to take a really hot bath sometimes when I'm reading.  I hate to be cold, and a warm bath on a cold evening is so nice!  (Here in Cali, sometimes even in July, the nights are cold!)

I think the thing about catering to my senses is that paying attention to our senses puts us instantly in the moment.  We don't have to do anything bust listen, or feel, or look, or smell, and suddenly we are not thinking of all the things we should've done that day or all the things we need to do or are anxious about in the future--we are grounded by our senses to that specific time and place where we are feeling or smelling or seeing something that brings us a bit of happiness. 

And this, my friends, is why I just put on perfume, even though I'm about to go kayaking with my hubby on a sweltering July day.  :)


What do you do to to indulge your senses now and then? Does it help you to stay in the moment, too?

Forget Not the Beauty of the In-between: Body Edition

I just cleaned out my closet.  It looks so beautiful and organized now!

When I'm cleaning out my closet, I'm brutal about what I keep and what I don't.  I try on "iffy" clothes to see if I still like them.  If the clothes don't fit perfectly and if I don't feel great in them, I try to get rid of them.  Because who wants to feel blecky in your own clothes?

This time around, it was hard to get rid of clothes that once were my favorites.  But my body has changed.  I've had a baby.  I've had surgeries.  I've been working out regularly this year, and I'm getting arm muscles--crazy!  Anyway, trying on my clothes, I tried to remember my happiness commandment--to "Forget not the beauty of the in-between."  And to try to dress my current body--not the body I used to have, not the body I want to have one day, but the wonderful healthy body I have right now.  Because this in-between body--not the body of my youth, or the body I picture having when I'm super-diligent about workouts--is strong.  I can race my students across the playground, and sometimes win!  I can stand all day washing dishes and folding laundry without my back hurting.  I can do pilates and be much less shaky than I was a few months ago.  These are all gifts.

I read a poem this week that really inspired me.  It's by Anne Sexton, who lived a tough, troubled life, but who had moments of amazing insight and clarity, and wrote this during one such moment.  She sometimes called herself Ms. Dog (she loved palindromes and liked that dog was God backwards, both lowly and lofty at once!).  Anyway, here's the poem:

"Ms. Dog prefers to sunbathe nude.  

Let the indifferent sky look on.  

So what!

Let Mrs. Sewal pull the curtain back from her second story.

So what!

Let United Parcel Service see my parcel. 

La de dah.

Sun, you hammer of yellow,

you hat on fire,

you honeysuckle mama,

pour your blonde on me!

Let me laugh for an entire hour

at your supreme being, your Cadillac stuff,

because I've come a long way

from Brussels sprouts.

I've come a long way to peel off my clothes

and lay me down in the grass.

Once only my palms showed.

Once I hung around in my woolly tank suit,

drying my hair in those little meatball curls.

Now I am clothed in gold air with 

one dozen halos glistening on my skin.

I am a fortunate lady.

I've gotten out of my pouch

and my teeth are glad

and my heart, that witness,

beats well at the thought.

Oh body, be glad.

You are good goods."

--Anne Sexton

Body, you are good goods, indeed.   I am thankful, grateful, glad for the muscles that move me each day to my teaching, my laughing, my dog-petting, my husband-hugging, my dish-washing, my thinking, my living of life.  And I think it's high time we looked at our bodies with such gladness.  Be they new or withered, strong or weak, broken or mending, or somewhere in-between.


What about you?  What about your body do you most appreciate? 

Learn Something New: Comic Strip Conversations with "Show Me"

One of my "happiness commandments" for myself is to "Learn Something New."  Learning new things really makes me happier!  And one thing that is always out there to learn is new technology.

Yesterday, I was working on a project for my job trying to make a quick mini-lesson about conversations, and I realized that there was an app I had used last fall just for fun with Flannery that would work perfectly for my needs.  So I experimented with it a bit, and after a while, I figured it out!


 I've used comic strip conversations (developed by autism guru Carol Gray) for years now, but I used an interactive whiteboard app called "Show Me" to bring them into the techie arena.  "Show Me" allowed me to make my comic strip conversations into little video lessons that I can easily share with teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, and anyone else who would like to help me teach my students how to carry on social conversations.



I use comic strip conversations to help students track the flow of the conversation visually, and show them that conversations have many turns, and don't just end after you answer a question.  To teach students these conversations, I generally start by having them practice the conversations in our speech room, then in their larger classroom, then in the hallway, then at lunch, etc.  Once my students are pretty good at the conversation, I have them practice it with the office manager, with a teacher, with peers, etc.  It's also important to share these strategies with families, but until now, I had just shared a photo of the comic strip conversation, which I'm not sure was really that helpful.  But with the "Show Me" app, I can insert a little teaching moment via voice recording, and families and students can watch the videos and learn more together.

So, check it out.  Do you think that if I sent you this, you could help teach your child with autism how to have these conversations?




Many of my students would typically stop talking after the first two conversational turns, but given this visual structure, they can see that they really need to keep the conversation going further!  It can also help take the "mystery" out of social conversations.  Many social conversations (ex:  how are you, how was your weekend, etc.) happen over and over in a similar way every day or every week, so teaching how they work in this really structured way can be a simple way to increase students' positive engagement with their peers.  And that makes all of us happier, not just me!  :)


What new thing have you learned lately that made you a bit happier?

What The Speechie Wore Wednesday

I'm pretty sure everything in this whole outfit is from Target! (except the dog)

It's been a whirlwind here the past few months!  So much work to be done, so much fun to be had!  We had a wonderful visit from my mom around Easter time, and we loved getting to show her around.

Annnyway…I took a few pics of myself in the last week.  I'm still trying to add some color to my outfits, and it's been fun!  Check it out!

Just got this necklace from Target -- it's normally long, but I doubled it here. 

new espadrilles for summer!

extreme close up of my pale skin.  :)  

wearing my ginkgo earrings my hubby gave me from Aurum in Athens, GA

long bronze finish necklace from Target

bright sun washed this pic out, but the dress is from Old Navy

The belt is Old Navy, too. 

lime green accents on this oldie but goodie dress from Target

The dress is from Old Navy, and the pearl/silver necklace is Lia Sophia--fun!

I have to admit this dress was only 97 cents!  Old Navy had a sale,
and everything that ended in a .97 price was only 97 cents!
I would've happily paid the regular $14.97 for this, but what a nice deal!

I promise I don't start the day with my hair up--but I pretty much end
every day with my hair up!  Guess I should take pics earlier in the day, hah!

  

floral button-down  top from a thrift store, and grey capris from my mom

Flanna took these of me--trying out her skip rope  :)  It's hard!

So there you have it-- a few extra dabs of color and a little more attention to accessories has made it fun to get ready for work in the mornings!  

What about you?  What outfit makes you feel good?  

Give Empathy Hugs every Morning and Night

spring is almost here!

I love reading about relationships, and I hate that I can't remember which book I read this in, but there is a fantastic practice I've been working into my routine lately, and I just had to share it. 

It's called an "Empathy Hug."  And here's how it works. 

In the morning, right away when you wake up and greet your spouse, hug them for a few moments and really try to think of how they are feeling--what they might be worried about, excited about, focused on, working on, etc.  Really try to cultivate empathy for them in that shared moment.  Then, when you wake your kiddo (if you have kids!), do the same.  Hug your kiddo for a few moments, and really try to get into their mind and think about what they might be thinking about, feeling, worried about, hopeful about, planning for, etc.  For that moment, try to take their perspective.  Then, at the end of the day (before bed, for example), do the same thing. 

It might seem a little strange at first, but I really find that trying to take the perspective of my loved ones as a part of my regular routine really makes me think of them all day with more love and care.  It builds loving connection whether we are together all day or not.  

Also, I find that if I'm trying to think about things from their perspective but I'm not sure what their concerns for that day might be, that spurs me to ask them specifics like, "What's on your plate for today?" or "What are you looking forward to today?"  And then, once I know something specific about their day (for example, my daughter was excited that it was her teacher's birthday today, and she had made her a card.), I find myself wondering during the day how that went, and just generally feeling  more connected to them all throughout the day, just because I know a few little specific things that they were thinking about that morning. 

Also, sometimes if my hubby or daughter have mentioned a concern that morning, and then that evening they seem upset or irritated, I find that I more often have an empathetic response (rather than an angry why-are-you-in-a-bad-mood response!) because I have already tried to think about things from their perspective that day. 

So often, I think that our thoughts shape our responses to our loved ones.  So when I make a habit of cultivating empathy, I think it's easier to feel connection and caring and to respond with patience and understanding.  But when I'm busy and only thinking of the thousands of tasks to check off my to do list in my head, and don't take time to cultivate empathy, I'm much more likely to respond with annoyance or irritation. 

So, what do you think?  Is it worth a try?  Give it a month, and see if you don't feel closer and more connected to your family members just by giving two little "Empathy Hugs" per day.  (And then let me know how it goes by leaving a comment!)




What helps you have greater empathy toward your loved ones?  When do you feel the most "connected" to your family members?

What I Wore Wednesday

speech therapy and meetings

I've been trying to hold myself accountable for putting a little effort into my outfits lately, and since I was too busy to post last week, I have quite a few outfits to post today.  Some are rather blah, but I tried to use more accessories this week, and it was fun!  I do feel better when I'm wearing at least one piece that I really love.  I also took time to do my nails this week, and felt much more put together when I'd see my shiny teal nails in passing.  :)



What makes you feel good when you wear it? 

my new favorite grey suede shoes with little silver studs

church and out to a movie

I've been experimenting with larger earrings, fun!

speech therapy, new long necklace from Ross

meetings and speech therapy

speech therapy and evaluations

office day - paperwork and meetings

tunic and leggings with boots, running errands with Flanna on Saturday

sporting some new earrings from Target and a long necklace from Lia Sophia

Paperwork and meetings - neat India inspired silk shirt from my mom

working from home - report writing/paperwork (I added the scarf to go out to pick up Flanna)

Saturday brunch with the family - hand-me down animal print cardigan from my MIL

speech therapy and testing day; this is my wonder woman pose.  :)

Marriage Monday: Learn How to Start Over

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to hear our Archbishop Joseph give a sermon about forgiveness, while he was visiting our church for Forgiveness Sunday.  And he said something that really stayed with me.

He said, "Most of our problems in life stem from our inability to start over."

He said that when we sin or make a mistake, we need to change not only our behavior but our attitude, and start over again.  He said this in the context of us asking forgiveness, and granting forgiveness, but I think this is beautiful advice when applied to marriage, as well.

When we are selfish, or rude, or impatient with one another, we need to learn how to continually start over with a loving attitude.  When we have been snappish, or interpreted something our spouse said as being snappish, we need to allow ourselves (and our spouses) the chance to start over and repair things.  When we have worked long hours and come home exhausted for days at a time and had barely enough energy to ask how our partner's day was, much less to actually listen when they respond--we need to start over without blame or guilt and work hard to build connection and attention to one another again.  Learning to "start over" might be one of the most important lessons we learn to keep our marriages strong and happy. 

I know that there are times when relationships cannot be saved, and when no amount of "starting over" can fix things, and I'm not talking about those times here.  I'm just talking about the typical squabbles and irritations and misunderstandings and struggles that are bound to come about when we live our lives with someone.  But I think that some people might interpret these typical squabbles and irritations and misunderstandings and struggles as grounds for ending things.  Maybe this is why the average marriage relationship only lasts 8 years?   Maybe we need to learn how to start over with our partners, rather than moving on to someone new.  As the Indigo Girls say, "These are ghosts and mirages, all these thoughts of fairer weather."

I think, too, that being able to "start over" afresh is important in our relationships with other friends and family members.  When my daughter has driven me to the edge of my patience, we both need the chance to start over again with a loving attitude--without either of us holding a grudge!  And offering forgiveness, and begging forgiveness of one another, is often a good place to start in the "starting over" process!

So, there it is, folks, a bit of wisdom from a sage old Archbishop.  Who, by the way, also offered this wonderful quote yesterday:  "If I fell asleep during church, it was because my body was tired, but my mind...my mind was still worshiping!"   Hah!  I love that!


What about you?  Do you think learning to "start over"has been important to keeping your relationship strong and happy? 

Speechy Sunday: Follow Your Students' Interests

So many of my elementary aged students love more than anything to tell me about their pets.  One little girl tells me about her rabbits before she even says hello to me on days I see her for speech!  So it seemed only natural to follow my students' interests and create a "Pet" unit for our literature-based speech-language therapy sessions.  For this unit, we read these 3 story books over and over: 




Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion,
Stray Dog by Marc Simont, &
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

Each time we read the books, I teach specific vocabulary and concepts.  Here, I'm going to highlight the vocabulary and concepts I teach for the "Harry the Dirty Dog" book.

Key vocabulary:
except - but not
bury - to put in a hole and cover over with dirt
filthy - very dirty
changed - became different
recognize - to know who someone is
exhausted - very tired
expect - to think something will happen a certain way
disappointed - upset or sad that things didn't go how you expected
confused - not understanding
relieved - no longer upset, glad something stressful is over
comfortable - cozy
scrub - to wash by rubbing hard with a rag, sponge, or scrub brush

The first time I read this book with students, I often discuss the idea of changing from clean to filthy and back again, and create a craft illustrating the similarities and differences between clean Harry and filthy Harry.  For concepts, I like to point out the endings of these words:  dirty, dirtier, dirtiest-- and how "er" means more, and "est" means most.

The next time we read the book, I often encourage my students to create complex sentences using the sentence frame shown in the picture (ex:  He feels disappointed because he expected to go inside and eat dinner, but he can't.). 

The last time we read the book, I encourage my students to tell the story to me, using all of the vocabulary and concepts we've discussed throughout the times we've read the book already.  I take data on which vocabulary words, concepts, and complex sentence forms they can now use on their own.  I used to think that these types of story book activities worked only for "language" students, but I have to say that after using them this year with all of my clients, I will never do articulation sessions without a book to serve as a context for the words we are practicing again.  It takes some planning ahead, but is really useful for getting to spontaneous use of target words really quickly. 

This is also a great book for students on the autism spectrum, because it sets the stage to talk about different people's expectations, thoughts, and perspectives, and how they might be different depending on the situation.  In the book, Harry the dog gets so dirty while he is out playing that he changes from a white dog to a black dog.  Then, sadly, his family doesn't recognize him when he gets home.  Some good high-level questions to ask students include: 

 -Why is Harry disappointed when he gets home?  Because he expects to come home and eat dinner after playing all day. But instead, his family doesn't recognize him and won't invite him inside.
-Why don't they recognize him?  Because they expect him to be white.  But he is black.
-Why did Harry change colors?  Because he got so filthy.
-How did he get so filthy?  He played in filthy places. 
-Why did Harry want a bath at the end (when he hated baths so much at first)? Because he wanted his family to recognize him.
-Do you think Harry will ever get that filthy again?  (prediction-- maybe not, because he doesn't want to come home and not be recognized again!)

This book can be challenging for some students, especially students who are on the autism spectrum and might have difficulty considering other people's perspectives and thoughts.  But I have found that if I repeat the book enough times (3-4 times), my students understand the concepts by the end of the unit, and really enjoy being experts on the book by the last time we read it together.  I have also been blown away by the multisyllabic words that some of my articulation students begin pronouncing correctly after we practice them within the context of the story over and over.

our new little dog!

And funny story--the first week of this unit, as I was reading "Stray Dog" to my students, guess what I found?  My very own stray dog!   Who is now a wonderful member of the family!  So hooray for children's literature for planting a seed in my heart to have compassion on a little dog alone out in the world! 

What's your favorite book about pets?  (I also love "Hondo and Fabian" by Peter McCarty--a great book about a day in the life of a dog and a cat that my friend Dana gave Flanna one year.)

Experience Nature: Almost Snow

On my walk this morning, I came upon this beautiful tree, with its white blooms scattered all around.  Beautiful! 

I think this is the closest we're going to get to "snow" here.




What did you notice today that brought you happiness?

My Life in Pictures: Virtual Home Tour

front of our house (slightly decorated for Valentine's Day)

Last weekend, we had our house blessed for the New Year by our priest.  It's one of my favorite Orthodox traditions.  It was also a good reason for me to clean the house! 

So I thought while the house was (briefly!) spic and span, I'd take some photos so those of you on the other side of the country can get a sneak peek into our home!  (Those of you on this side of the country are welcome to see it in person any time at all!) 

corner view of our house, with the garage in the back left

living room, complete with cute kiddo

our neat wood-burning fireplace that we have yet to need to use here in sunny CA

ikea media storage solution behind the couch, with storage for Flanna's racetrack underneath.  :)

arched entryway into the dining room is to the left of the front door

dining room

tile, tile, everywhere, in our kitchen--at least it's spacious!

laundry room off the kitchen

access to the side & back yard off the laundry room

back yard, with detached garage

back yard

more back yard, with a few fruit trees

garage, with Flanna's art displayed on our "gallery" wall

hallway from the laundry room

Flannery's room

Bedroom set courtesy Aunt Kathy & Uncle Mark!  Giant pink horse courtesy Aunt Kelley!

storage solution from Ikea, shag rug from Target, Doll house from Santa :)

dog painting by Flannery, jewelry hanger from Target

master bedroom (I haven't finished hanging pictures or art in here yet, but oh, well).

I love that I can see Flanna playing in the back yard through the window--that's her in the hammock.

hallway with storage and Flanna's chore/behavior chart

our one bathroom, just one!  But we make it work. :)

painting by moi, and yes, we are still using clearance Halloween Kleenex :)

Low mirror for Flannery to use; antique fork jewelry hanger by my aunt Debi

my office/our guest room/sunroom

the "guest room" section of the office, with a twin trundle that converts into a king.  Quilt made by Robi's grandmother for our wedding gift almost 15 years ago!   (I need to get cute pillows for this bed!)  

And that's all, folks.  It's not much, but it's home, and just right for us right now.


What do you love about your home?