Snow, Home, and Ping Pong



My sweet ones headed outside to play in the feet of snow that fell on Chardon during our visit there a couple weeks ago. It was so peaceful watching that snow cover and quiet everything in its path. 

 

 

The hills and big old trees covered by that thick blanket of white made every window of Rich's parents' house look like a framed postcard (though I didn't get a worthy picture).  We just don't get snow like that here in Columbus...it was so beautiful.  So even though that beauty created some pretty slick roads for our journey home, I was so happy that, along with another awesome visit with Rich's parents, the kids got to experience that kind of snowfall.

My fault. My fault. Sam wanted me to open this family-sized bag of M&M's and I, in my astonishing grace, knocked over and emptied the entire contents of the onto the floor. Most went under the cabinet, which was a pain in the @%(*&, but whatcha gonna do?  At least the kids held the dustpan for me as I swept. :)

 

 

My parents posted on Facebook this picture of their house, which made me nostalgic and melancholy (imagine that, lol).

 

 

This is home to me.  It's been home since elementary school and it always will be home. My parents and their friends and even Lori and I (on a much smaller scale) poured so much energy and time into renovating this old Victorian house into a home for us.  It is beautiful and warm and loving. It's a big place, though it doesn't feel that way when you're in it (especially when we show up with husbands and kids and cats and dogs in tow).  It is always cozy and homey and cheery and welcoming.  I know it is getting too darn big for Mom and Dad to stay in much longer, as there's just so much cleaning and upkeep on a house this size and this age. But instead of accepting that fact and processing my emotions about it (like I had to when my grandparents finally sold their home, which I loved almost as much as my own childhood home), I'm wallowing around in denial and hoping to win the lottery so I can keep this one in the family. :)  

 

I visited World Market (again) last week...several times. Ugh. I could spend an entire paycheck in that place every month. It's a beautiful dangerous place for me, fraught with perils around every corner...the perfect pillow, globe, canvas, quilt, wall decoration jump out from the shadows and dazzle me with their colors, concealing their price tags among their patterns so I have to hunt and put effort into finding them.  Well played, World Market...well played. These are some things I was so drawn to, but passed up because of the hefty price tags I finally tracked down. :(

 

 

 

But I did buy this from a 90% off rack of Christmas stuff. Guess how much I paid for this gingerbread house kit...guess...17 cents! We also snagged a chocolate advent calendar (put away for next year) for 13 cents! What? Score for us!

 

 

We assembled our gingerbread house yesterday and the kids loved it. It's not quite as...pretty...as the picture on the box. Ha! But seriously, they must have had pounds of icing to make theirs look like that, because we used every last bit of it and this is what we got.

  

The kids were happy and entertained, so that's all that counts.   

 

We all ate part of the roof yesterday, which wasn't too bad. Too sweet for me, but the kids seemed to like it...just look at their eyes. Hahaha!

 

Nailed it. :)

I also found this (sigh...smile...love). The ever elusive perfect color and print, 48" x 84" curtain panel, ready-made and budget conscious! The photo is hard to see, but the background is a heathered gray with my favorite accents of turquoise and red and tan and green making up the rest. They look so fresh and casual and warm, instantly updating our family room. I had to order the rest (because of course the store only had this one), but I got the same great deal online with my 15% off coupon and free shipping! One more for the other family room window and then a set on the dining room windows too. Hey, what can I say? When I find something I love for a great price, I stock up. :)

 

And one last little thing from World Market's clearance toy shelf - a ping pong set: "transforms any table into a ping pong game for hours of fun". :)  The kids had a laugh fest with this over the weekend, as did Rich and I. The set is as mini as the price, but still big enough for a fairly good game between Rich and I. After all, a family who ping-pongs together, stays together.