Princess in Black

Petra is the mild mannered (ahem) alter ego of the monster fighting heroine...

The Princess in Black

New Grape Arbor

After many delays, Dad & I finally finished the grape arbor last weekend! And it turned out mighty fine, if I do say so myself.

Now I need to get a couple more grape vines to populate the last couple spots....

Springtime Sights Around the Farm

Two perspectives on Nathan

Petra says, "Nathan loves unicorns.  Nathan loves to climb on the big shiny step stool.  I love Nathan.  He is the best little kid I've ever seen. " 

Mommy says, "Sometimes being the youngest, means borrowing your sister's unicorn bike helmet."

Petra learns about publishing

I am Petra. I am six years old. I love butterflies. I got these clothes for Christmas.

Decluttering goals

Steve and I are working up to a big home tidying marathon.  One of the suggestions in the guidebook was to envision the space and lifestyle you want.  Here is why I want to tidy:

• I want to waste less time looking for things I know I own somewhere. (food, clothes, tools, school supplies, cleaning supplies)
• I want to spend that time on things that are more important to me, like playing with my children
• I want to waste less money buying things that I already have plenty of. (What do you mean we already had three bottles of Elmer's glue?)
• I want to waste less money on food that goes bad because it got forgotten or we had no plan for it.
• I would rather use that money on other things, like vacations, or helping people.
• I want to use less mental energy keeping track of stuff. So tired.
• I want to take pictures of my family in my house, and not be embarrassed by what is in the background. (There's baby Nathan.  And the dirty dishes on the counter behind him.)
• I want drawers that are easy to open and close.
• I want my children to appreciate fewer things more deeply.
• I want my children to take better care of their things because there is not just an endless parade of other things to play with if one item is lost or broken.
• I want to appreciate what I own.
• I also want us to understand that material stuff is just material stuff, and it is okay to let go.
• I want space I can relax in, instead of looking around and sighing at how much clutter there is.
• I want artwork that calms me and ornaments that make me smile. (Even if that smile is from the tacky pie woman kitchen timer)
• I want to reduce the visual clutter in order to make it just a little easier for my children to focus on one thing at a time.
• I want clear open lines in the house that promote calm.
• If and when we move, I want to move less stuff.
• I want to see the woodgrain on our furniture.
• I want less clutter so that dusting and washing is easier and quicker.
• I want more freedom to have company over without feeling like I need to stuff everything in my extra room first.
• I want guests to feel welcome and comfortable in our home.
• I would like to share our home more often.
• I want less guilt over projects, arts, crafts, and cleaning I haven't done yet.
• I dream of a house that looks, feels, and is lighter.
• I would like the old nursery to be an exercise room, rather than an extra attic.

Recent lessons in bathroom etiquette

It is not okay to stand at the toilet and face the wrong direction while going tinkle.

It is okay to go with your big brother into the boys’ restroom at church.

It is okay to stand at the urinal and go tinkle.

You do not have to smash yourself up against the urinal to go tinkle. In fact, things work better if you back up just a tiny bit.

It is not okay to be at home, inside the house, and decide that you want to go outside to go tinkle.  If you are inside the house, you have to go tinkle in the toilet.  If you are near the house, you have to do your best to run to the bathroom so you can go tinkle in the toilet.  Going tinkle “in the wild” is only for emergencies.

It is not okay to push open the screen door, pull your pants down a little bit and go tinkle on the welcome mat.

It is not okay to keep pushing on the lever to flush if the toilet has clogged.  

It is okay to use the step stool as an island of safety if the toilet overflows.  It is okay to call for help.

You know what, just don’t push on the lever to flush more than once at a time.  No good can come of that.

It is okay to place a kitchen timer on the back of the toilet, and claim that it is now a clock-toilet, and that the timer is there to measure where the tinkle goes.