Record Table

The table is done. I love it. The green is the natural color of the poplar wood. It will probably turn brown with time.

Here's some old wood that I cut off, before planing. What a gorgeous transformation.

The sewing table base was left in our garage in our last house and our landlord said I could have it. 1 1/2 years later, my vision for it is finally realized.

I tried to leave some of the rough elements of the wood, like the saw mark on the front edge.

I love the nail holes and bark.

I glued it together with a spline. You can see that my planing was not that excellent. But I figure it's ok because it a rustic table.

Special thanks to my mom for helping me plane. Seriously, what kind of awesome mother agrees to plane when she visits instead of being treated to all the excitement of Nashville? You're the best.

The planer was my grandfathers. Thanks Grandpa. It still works!

And thanks to Paul who supported me through all the unmade dinners, and even did the sanding. I could say thank you for helping me cut the table top, but really we just fought about how to do it correctly and I was reminded once again why you and I and table saws don't mix. But you did look fantastic in those goggles.

adventures of a six year old who can read

I hear in the other room Maggie and Axel playing a board game where they read something and are supposed to give examples of that thing. If they get the same answer they get a point.

Axel: a type of fabric

Maggie: clothing fabric

Axel: good answer, Maggie. And orange fabric is another type.

Axel: an international beer

Maggie: I don't know

Axel: Coke

So glad he didn't know the answer to that one.

I feel like a whale. And not for the obvious reason. I love brushing my tongue. This is a new development, of the past few weeks. I usually brush my tongue for the breath benefits, but lately I just love the feel of it. Strange. And every time I think, "now I understand why whales would like it." I wonder if it will go away when the baby comes; if this is some strange pregnancy side-effect. Regardless, my breath has never been so fresh.

Birthday Bliss

I think I had as much fun at this party as Maggie did. As I made the decorations and cute little clothes, and curled her hair in the morning, I felt like a little girl that never grew up. I love kids parties. How crazy is that?

I watercolored the door sign.

I love tissue paper pompoms. I love tissue paper pompoms. I love tissue paper pompoms. These are going in the girls room until they fall apart.

Birthday banner from scraps.

Cupcakes with fruit roll-up roses on them.

Birthday Girl picked the most delicious ice cream - raspberry pomegranate. Little Sister liked it and the cupcakes.

She also picked out these beautiful little roses. I can't decide which Rose is more beautiful.

She loved all the presents. Look at that joyful surprise.

We played a lot of fun games too. I include this picture because it shows Axel winding up for a really good throw, and Maggie running for cover. Ha! This actually is a game, it's not just a free-for-all pelting session.

Couch update: See all those children on the pristine white couch. Did they get it dirty? Of course. One child actually stepped on it with his dirty shoe and left a shoe print on the cushion. A few dirt swipes, a few dried up wet spot of who knows what, and general dirtiness and lintiness. 45 seconds of light wiping with water and a microfiber cloth, and it is absolutely clean. Like wiping it off a counter. Like magic. I wonder if I'll ever get used to it. I wonder if I'll be able to have any other kind of upholstery again. I love that I can have this beautiful room, and can enjoy sharing it with little messy cupcake faces.

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"

pregnant self

Still 4 weeks until my due date. Next week I start my try-to-have-the-baby-two-weeks-early plan.

I'll let you know if it works.

Rose party

We're having a rose party to celebrate Maggie's middle name. It's a family name, and we love it. So of course, she needs something rosy to wear for the party, but I didn't want it to be a princessy type dress-up, I wanted it to be an outfit that she could wear again. And I wanted it to be easy to make. So yesterday while blog surfing this blog (wow, I'll be checking it often) I found this sweet dress. And I had enough for a shirt out of the funky rose fabric I ordered a month ago.

Also, the pants will stay covering that cute little bottom. She and Lucy often have plumber bottoms on. I think they don't have enough hips to keep their pants up.

It's a trick convincing her to take it off and save it for her birthday party. Makes me happy.

And how's my little table top coming along? Coming along.

6 years old

About a month ago as we were getting ready for church Axel said, "Mom, maybe when I'm an adult I won't believe in Jesus." Piercing fear in my chest. Surprise, because we've had many spiritually mature conversations. Panic that he might actually be serious. "Why would you say that?" "I just mean that when I'm an adult maybe I won't believe like you do." I get down on the floor. "Axel, look in my eyes. A lot of things we talk about, like the Easter Bunny, are not real. Parent's make them up just to make childhood more whimsical. But Jesus is real. We don't see him, but he is just as real as we are." Axel is looking in my eyes. I am hoping he sees that I believe. "God has promised that you can know for yourself, and you don't have to just believe me." And he didn't have anything else to say and neither did I. So I gave him a hug and he hugged me back. He hasn't said anything like that again and has returned to his excellently spiritually comments, which has soothed me greatly.

Axel turned 6 on Friday and I kept thinking, 'In two short years he'll be baptized.' And it makes me a little bit weepy and sad. I hold a belief, that I cannot support with doctrine, that before the age of 8 the devil and his angels are not allowed to actively tempt children. That they can be subjected to confusion and pain because of the effects of the Fall and agency of others, but the adversary cannot try to get them directly. So this is doctrinally unfounded, but sounds like it might be true, and so I accept it as probably true and have viewed this time in my parenthood as my cramming session. This is where I have the advantage. He learns from Paul and me without much opposition. This is the arming stage.

So as we approach his eighth year, I examine myself and ask, "Am I helping him have enough experiences where he can feel the Holy Ghost and learn how God communicates with him? Am I asking him enough questions about his life to create a habit of openness between us? Am I teaching him from the scriptures answers to his questions, so he learns the value of the word of God? Am I being an example of a true Christian? Are we laughing enough together, so that he likes me, as much as I like him?" And the answer is... no and yes both, of course.

So I've thought of a few things I can do to up my game. And my heart feels like it's growing too big for my body as I am filled with concern and pride and confidence and worry about this person who has been entrusted to me. And if you know him, you know he's a substantial person and will be an asset to man and to God. A big spirit in a still little body.

Tonight, unsolicited, in his prayers he said, "Please, comfort Gramma Tena with the Holy Ghost, and that He will whisper to her that she will see Marco again soon." Maggie said, "Please help Gramma Marco to be resurrected." And my whole body smiles.

Boone likes General Conference

I noticed Boone going crazy during General Conference this weekend, and so I shot this little clip. This represents like 1/100th of his movement. Seriously, this child is going to be wild.