Veronica and the New Bed

So, I suspect that most of the couple of people who tune in here know that Freeman and I moved into a one-bedroom condo back in 2003 when we got married...and that we're still here (and I should actually do a separate post on that sometime because I am sure we'll want to remember how it all worked out--someday). So, when we started sharing that we were expecting another little baby in early October this year--it wasn't a surprise when the #1 question was, "So, you are moving now...right?" Long story short, after some (ok, a lot of) praying, thinking, discussing, and researching, Freeman and I came back to each other with two realizations. #1-A move was not a good move right now and #2 -We both felt that God was using our situation to teach us more about contentment.

That left us with the challenge of finding sleeping space for all of us in the bedroom. Unfortunately, they don't make toddler-bed sized bunk beds (and Freeman doesn't have experience welding). After playing around with several twin-sized stacking options (trundle, bunk, trundle/bunk), we realized there was no ideal option. But, we knew something would work out--and it didn't have to be ideal to work.

In the end, we found a toddler bed that looked remarkably like Hamilton's and after some excellent planning/moving by Freeman--we now officially have sleeping arrangements for 5!

We also have a toddler who is no longer a little baby sleeping in her own bed. I wish I could capture her little satisfied smile when she wakes up from her nap and walks into the room and announces, "Hi!" But, I did capture a snap of our sleeping sweetie during nap #1 (with her bunny blanket and water bottle--sleeping necessities).

What to Do When Momma's Cleaning the Floor

I had to get the floor cleaned today. I'd like to blame it on the nesting urge, but the reality is that it's been too embarrassingly long since I had last tackled it. The floor was getting sticky enough that it was getting hard to use the dust mop (how's that for keeping it real?). I decided to go full-force and move all the furniture and do as thorough a job as I possibly could--which meant Hamilton and Veronica had some new furniture arrangements to play with.

First, they ate their morning snack under the dining table (the chairs were inaccessible and I asked them to sit there to contain the crumbs to a place that wasn't already clean). It became their hide-out and they played some sort of peek-a-boo game after they were done eating.

Soon, their hide-out was stormed by a floor cleaning momma and they had to find somewhere else to play. No worries, our couches can easily be converted into a ship!

Hamilton wanted his red blanket as a roof and decided that the couch cushion made a perfect seat belt (something he's very interested in since we rarely have the opportunity to use them). Veronica looks a little tired (she's having a mix of caffeine-free, sugar-free iced tea and water).


We turned on some sailing music and they watched me getting the rest of the house done!


They did such a great job that we headed up to our building's roof deck after the floors were all done to enjoy a little "picnic" lunch. (Ok, who am I fooling...I was also motivated by the thought of not having to sweep the floor of breadcrumbs so soon after having just finished).

And now on to naps and rest time!

Impromptu Beach Day

According to Google Maps, the 12th Street Beach is 1.7 miles from our house. Actually, that's the walking distance; as the bird flies, it would be just under a mile. So you'd think that we'd have actually visited the beach at some point. Nope. Part of it is I have a hard time just relaxing for long periods of time (ask Freeman). I like doing things with a purpose. But really, the main reason is I don't know how I would manage two little ones--who almost always want to go in different directions--with Lake Michigan right there.

So, last Saturday Freeman takes Hamilton out for a bike ride while Veronica and I spend some quality time at home (unloading dishes, sweeping--yeah, I am the fun one!). I get a call that they made an impromptu stop at Oak Street Beach and that Hamilton was loving it. So, Veronica and I pack it up and head up to meet them for some fun beach action.

Hamilton playing in the sand as we arrived. He had found a clear plastic cup and turned it into his own mini-lake with sand, water, and things I wouldn't feel completely comfortable touching.

The kids were really excited about going into Lake Michigan. They were fascinated by the waves and sea weed. There weren't too many photos of all of this, though, given that I was always holding onto one of them (and yes, that is a t-shirt and skirt--what can I say).

Hamilton practicing his swimming while Veronica's waiting for the next wave.

We would have probably stayed all afternoon, but off in the distance, we saw this:
Though the beach volleyball crew seemed unfazed, we decided to call it a day and avoid the downpour. Even though our impromptu beach day was cut a bit short, I would call it a success and suspect we'll aim for another one before the season is out. Yay for fun family time!