We recently brought a new pet into our lives! Please welcome Moby, the Bengal cat. We put a pause on getting any more house pets after Bjorne almost died of parvo. I was SO freaked out by that experience, I couldn’t imagine bringing another animal into this environment until I was positive that we could provide a clean, healthy space.
Having a little farm, it turns out, is a LOT of work. Nate and the boys are constantly shuffling around wood and dirt and hay – and I’m in a never-ending battle to keep all of that stuff from getting tracked all over my floors, couches and even counters.
Our house at the farm is a ranch-style setup. It’s one single level, all spread out with everything pretty much visible from the porch. You basically walk into our house and it’s like, “Oh hey, here’s everything we own!”
The kids have been begging for a TV in their playroom for awhile now. I’ve always reasoned that it’s unnecessary because we have one in the living room and it makes for good family bonding time. Plus, frankly, I want to be in control of everything they’re watching.
Back-to-school happenings are in full force around here, and it’ll be the holiday season before you know it. We’re preparing our home for one heck of a busy season, as several family members have moved recently and that means lots of houseguests are headed our way. Time to batten down the hatches and load up on ALL the supplies!
I had this friend in grade school whose mom was pretty much the best. We all thought so. When she volunteered for field trips, we collectively clamored to be assigned to her since those kids were guaranteed to have the most fun. Another one of my friend’s parents used to bring their pet Beagle to school at lunchtime, and he quickly became the unofficial mascot. Then there was the dad with all the cool arts and crafts stuff! I want to be THAT parent. Problem is, I’m a little short on time.
It started with one of Some Boy’s friends last winter. Poor dude had persistently-chapped lips from all the weird weather and allergens around here, so his buddy gave him a lip balm at school. I’d been using coconut oil on him before he went to bed every night, but he needed more persistent application.
We’ve been rolling right along with home renovations! One area I’ve been neglecting in a major way is the front door. We replaced the old oak door with a Craigslisted glass panel door awhile back, which really brightened the space up. The gal we bought it from, though, unfortunately let Pinterest woo her into chalk painting it. Chalk paint + front door = no go UNLESS you slap on a bunch of varnish to seal it afterwards.
Nate and the boys were invited by Warner Bros. Pictures to go to the Legoland press junket for The LEGO NINJAGO Movie last week. I was up in San Francisco helping my sister move to her new apartment (more on that later) but I had so much fun ogling all their pictures from afar. They got to play around with some Master Builders and meet actors like Dave Franco, Justin Theroux and Michael Peña.
We all know that it’s important to introduce baby to water early on so they get comfortable and learn to swim at an early age, but sometimes parents are stumped about how to do that if they don’t have a pool or tub. Never fear! There are tons of ways to make waves. Try a sink soak, play around with a faucet or seek out one of the water features available at local parks. We love taking our boys to creeks and streams here in California. The kids have a blast, and it’s a great way to teach them about water movement and safety.