The Wall Bloggers

When we bought the paint for the peach room a few days ago, Adrianna was so excited, she came running inside, saying, "When are we going to paint?!" I wish I shared her enthusiasm for the process! But I am happy to report that the peach room is mostly not peach anymore! On Wednesday, I painted the ceiling and primed the walls (with some help from a cute little painter). I'm still paying the price of ceiling painting with my neck and shoulders, but it is a price I'm more willing to pay than a painter! I realized I've been frustrated about our house projects because I know they are all only for our temporary enjoyment. We moved into this house with the intention to stay only a few years (to move to the school zone where Adrianna can attend the school Scott attended). And so, with each project we complete, we have to consider how to make our house desirable for the next people here. I finally admitted to myself that I don't like that! It isn't motivati...

I don't think I know anyone who likes the color peach enough to paint not only all four walls in a 10 x 10' room peach, but also the doors, trim, and ceiling. Apparently someone who lived in our house did have that kind of relationship with peach. Scott and I discovered painting rooms isn't really our joy when we painted three of our rooms in our Castle Rock house. And so repainting "ugly peach room" has been on our to-do list since we moved into this house three-and-a-half years ago. Now that this room getting ready to accept a precious new baby into its folds, it needs to be far more presentable than it is currently. We have finally come far enough to get paint samples and buy primer. We even got adventurous enough to ask my father-in-law if he would help Scott put up wains-coating on the walls in the painting process. Hmm... We'll see if that happens! I gave them a month time line, and if they don't get it done, I'm just going to paint. Ho...

Is it possible for an only child to have sibling rivalry with her dog? I think it might be... I think Adrianna might be more than ready for her new sibling to arrive. Over the last couple of weeks, she has started picking fights with Rusty. "Mom, he's bugging me," is her favorite recent complaint. She's also gone with the ones usually reserved for siblings: "Mom, he's too close to me. He's trying to take my food." She's even opted for the, "He's looking at me!"

On Friday night, I mentioned to Scott at dinner that maybe we could go to the "Z-O-O on Monday," for the holiday. Adrianna's head whipped up and she said, "We can go to the zoo??" I don't think it was just a coincidence, but I also didn't know she knew how to spell zoo! And so, for the holiday, we invited our friends to join us at the Albuquerque zoo. Weather in February in NM can either be very wintery or very springlike, and we were so blessed to get the latter. After being fairly cooped up for the last several months, it was such fun to enjoy the sun without being bundled up! Adrianna loves holding her best buddy, Will's, hand (always!) and had to learn a few lessons about there being a time to hold and a time to let little boys run. :) Adrianna also enjoyed bringing her new toy, Hailey Hippo, to the zoo, so that she could visit her friends. Here, Adrianna shows Hailey the other hippos.

To Scott, my one and only Valentine - I love you! Thank you for all you are and all you do. Forever, Marianne

Copper is so mellow, my father-in-law (her owner and her favorite human) calls her a marshmallow. She is so mellow she didn't even know how to play with balls or dog toys, when my in-laws got her more than a year ago. Rusty, on the other hand, is so playful, he has his own toy basket on our hearth. Nearly every time we sit on the couch, he pulls out a toy and tries to get our attention by playing (loudly!) in front of us. As the months have passed, these two have come to enjoy each other's attention increasingly. With their time together, we have come to believe that Copper has learned a few things from Rusty. Last summer, my father-in-law found an abandoned dog toy, and Copper even played with it... once. Ever so slowly, Rusty's continued to show Copper how life in the dog world is. Last weekend, Copper came to stay with us for four days. Rusty enjoyed Copper's company so much, he felt he could reclaim his long-lost puppyhood. Nearly once every hour, Rusty purs...

I go to Zumba on Monday nights at the YMCA. What could be more fun than burning calories with a couple girl friends, while looking silly doing Latin dance moves that truly were made for Latins, and not uncoordinated ladies like me? And what could be more frustrating than having a middle-aged man in the back row next to me correct my moves?? "It's LEFT foot, then RIGHT foot!" After his second comment tonight, I finally looked at him and said, "Okay. Okay!" He backed off. I know there are lessons in this... I've always had a hard time dealing with people correcting me. I know I do not like correction because my pride tells me that there is nothing wrong with me the way I am (which, deep down, I know is a lie!). But is this one of those times that I should accept admonishment? I'm just at Zumba to have some fun, not to win Dancing with the Stars. For now, I will try my best to stand on the side of the room farther away from "Back Row Instruct...

Yesterday, I got one of the best early birthday presents I know of. An email arrived entitled, "You are a waiting family!" To explain, that means all the work that we've put in since July has finally gotten us on the waiting list for our child! We are number 102... And basically that just says that there are some families waiting ahead of us, but when our child is ready, we get to go pick him or her up! Hang on, Baby. We're coming for you as soon as they will let us!

What is better than cuddling up with your daddy after getting up from a nap? I sure don't know of many things (except maybe chocolate, but even then I'm not so sure!). This sweet little girl stayed in Daddy's lap for over half an hour, simply to cuddle. With me, she is usually up after one brief hug! Maybe I should take Scott's example and actually sit still long enough to get a some kid-sized cuddles.

Well, we have just one more of Rusty's ring worm pills. We'll give it to him tomorrow, and then PRAY! He's gotten three "treatment" showers this week, and I guess we'll keep those up for a while. It is hard to discern if he has made any progress, as he still has little bald patches, and those take plenty of time to grow hair again. If you are reading this, you can pray for him with me. :) I'm so grateful that our God cares. Adrianna has continued her discussions with me about prayer. These talks make my heart feel like it is wrapped in warm and cozy pajamas. After that first conversation, she started saying, "But Mom, I still don't know how to pray by myself." I reminded her of how we can talk to God about everything. I told her, "You can even sing the ABC's to God, if you want," knowing how that is one of her favorite songs to sing as she drifts to sleep. Later that night, over the monitor, I heard her singing her AB...