All About Me Colby and Casey

Dear Readers, 

Today I want to share with you a story handwritten (approx 5 pages front and back) by my 7 year old.

I won't lie, but it took a lot of nudging and nagging (from me) in completing this story. But I do applaud his willingness to pen down his thoughts.

With some tips, suggestion, pointers and help (proof-read and edited by me) from mommy (me), this true story has now taken a shape for you to read.

I am so proud to host this guest post on behalf of my son. Hope you are touched by it as much as we are.

I have always wanted a pet especially a dog. My mom and dad said we can't have a dog as a pet. I met Colby and Casey when we moved to our new home in spring last year. Colby and Casey are my neighbor's dogs. Colby and Casey are sisters. I was so happy and I thought that our neighbors dogs were my pets.

My neighbors names are Lynn and Bruce. I have only asked Lynn what I should call her. She said I can call her anything I want. But I want to call her grandma. I was very happy when she said that.

 I go to their house mostly on Saturday's or Sunday's to play with Colby and Casey. Sometimes I take them out for a walk. I play chase with them. I enjoy playing with them.

Lynn and Bruce have 2 cats too. I don't know their names. The cats always stay upstairs. I don't even see them when I go to their house to play with Colby and Casey.

One time Lynn and Bruce went out for a weekend. They left the dogs and cats at home. Lynn asked me if I could take care of the dogs. I immediately said yes. While they were gone  I was incharge of the dogs.
I went with my dad to their house to give the dogs clean water. I gave the dogs their dinner. I gave them treats. I played with them. When Lynn and Bruce came back they were very happy that I took good care of Colby and Casey. They gave me 20$ for doing a good job.

Colby and Casey are my best friends. I have fun playing with them. When I went to their house on a weekend to play with them Lynn said she has bad news. She said Colby has cancer and she has to be put down and said that she is going to pick up Colby on June 24th. She asked if I want to come, but pappa said "No".

I thought that put down mean's someone will lift Colby up and put her down. And she can't be touched at all because she is sick. But my mom and dad later explained to me that Colby is dead. Because she was in a lot of pain, because of cancer the doctor put her to sleep for ever. So that she will not be in pain and in cancer for too long.

I was sad and I didn't want this to happen. I reacted crying - "I am never going to see her again, I am never going to see her again.". I lost one of my best friends. Colby is now in heaven and she is not in pain.Colby is taken care by God.

Casey will never see her sister again. Now I am the one that has to be her best friend forever and cheer her up. From now on it is going to be "All About Me and Casey". Colby will watch us from heaven.

Love For Turquoise - Guest Bedroom Makeover

After drawing my inspiration from the Turquoise And Red Bedroom design board that I had put together a few weeks ago, I finally transpired that vision into reality (after a lot more takes). I chose my color theme from the design board and wanted to introduce it in one of our guest bedrooms (existing wall color was Beige all over).

Inspiration pic:

Outcome:

Plan A:   My vision initially was to get one of the walls with the chevron pattern (beige + turquoise) and keep the rest of the wall as is (the beige color). I and my partner in crime laid out a plan on paper before we actually went on to create the chevron pattern on the wall using painters tape. Soon my unwilling husband realized this method had diminishing returns and that I was being penny wise and pound foolish.

Plan B:   So, we order the Chevron pattern stencil and use that instead of marking and masking the wall with painters tape. I was trying to save my money on the stencil (40$). It took a couple of weeks for the stencil to arrive. My enthusiasm fizzled out and I had to stop abruptly when I wasn't able to get the perfection despite using the stencil (probably due to improper techniques and lack of experience).

Plan C:   Just paint all 4 walls the beautiful turquoise by taking the simpler route. It took just 4 hrs start to finish getting all the walls done. Unfortunately, I wasn't happy with the color after they went up on all 4 walls. I couldn't do much about it at that point but to leave it like that for few days and see if the color would grow on me. My feelings didn't seem to change. It still wasn't sinking in.

Plan D: After continuous thoughts, I decided to paint it in insipid white (back to basic). So went and brought primer. While at the store I decided to get a quart can of tomato red color (the accent color as per the design board). Thought I would create some easy geometric pattern on the white wall and will use the leftover turquoise and  red paint sparsely on the patterns. Even though I bought all the supplies I was going back and forth with the idea. Afterall it is hard work to repaint and start from scratch.

Plan E: I had a couple of visitors in between and they did not have a negative response like I did to the turquoise walls. They suggested me to leave it that way (at least for few more years) and not to hurry in painting it over. Thanks to Usha aunty who suggested that instead of painting it all white I could use a little white color (may be some design or something) to tone down the turquoise a little bit and that should probably do the magic. That gave me this idea of creating just a single line of the chevron pattern using white paint over the turquoise wall. I already had white paint left from my other painting projects which would be just enough to do the chevron pattern. I eventually also made use of my stencil in giving the final touch to this rather pesky guest bedroom project.

After 2 rolls of painters tape,  multiple coverup plans and some scrub-a-dub with carpet cleaner, this project would not have seen the light of the day without my dear darling hubby's strong muscle, laser cut precision and unconditional patience. Even though it's quiet not what I imagined it to be, I still think it is a beauty (in the eyes of its beholder).

I intend to change my accent pieces down the lane for this room. But for now, the bedroom is more than ready to cosy up it's guest in its new adorned look. So, who is going to be the lucky one to enjoy this fresh new space?

Details:

Color - Brand:BEHR ULTRA Number: 500B-4 Color Name: Gem Turquoise Finish: Eggshell.
I gave only one coat and got that color. But it did take a couple of days to actually show up this true turquoise.

Roller - I used semi rough to smooth surface microfiber roller for the turquoise and used a smaller size "high density foam roller" for the chevron pattern.

Stencil - CuttingEdgeStencil.com

Quilt Set: Online Target Mudhut Brand.

Accessories: Garage Sale finds and used some spray paint for the pop of red.

Those Simple Conundrums

I have been preparing myself  mentally to answer those odd/curious/out of the blue questions that every parent will  have to face being asked by their child(ren). For some reason I was only thinking that those intriguing questions would mostly be of gender bender type or one of those naked truth type.

In the past he has asked us questions like -
What happens when someone dies?
Where is heaven?
My friend said good people go to heaven when they die, so where do bad people go?
My friend says that there is no god. Is that true?

And some funny ones like -
What is a sudden death (while watching a game show)? If they don't get it right do they all die?

But today he asked me a rather simple question and I wasn't sure how I could explain that without trying to open a can of worms or worse upset him or feed wrong ideas.
He asked me (while he was reading a book) - What does Stepsister means? Do I have one? :)

Since we (especially my son) don't know of any family whom I could put forward to explain this situation with, I had no choice but to explain it keeping us under scrutiny. I was struggling and stuttering to ensure I use the right words and at the same time not putting any unwanted thoughts in his head.
Anyway, I don't think I did a very good job explaining that to him. I know that because, before even I could finish with what I started he had more questions and I could see that he wasn't happy with what he was hearing. I do think he vaguely understands the term stepmother now though.

Anyway, I turned to the internet in order to find a suitable way to explain this, but found none convincing.
Any ideas and thought?

I am sure there are parents out there who have been in the same shoes. Care to share some.

From A Smoothie To Popsicle

Have you ever had to over indulge yourself in a smoothie whenever you make at home . In my house, most of the times "Yes". There is always a little extra which we struggle to finish by making a pig out of ourselves.

No one likes to throw away a perfectly blissful smoothie and storing it as is in the fridge doesn't always tastes good later. I guess, the  tartness from the berries whey's the milk?

This time instead of binging on it, I sanely poured the extra ones in my popsicle mould and froze it. This way I could enjoy my smoothie at the right quantity and also save on the leftovers for later.

What went in my smoothie/popsicle? I eyeballed my quantities and I am sure most of you do the same. Or if you already have a perfect smoothie recipe then by all means go for it.

Strawberries

Greek Yogurt 

Milk/whipping cream 

Honey/Sugar 

Any essence like Rose/Vanilla 

Chocolate pieces

Blend them and have a sip to beat the heat. The little chocolate pieces nudging in between are a treat :) 

I am going to try all variations possible. Tonight its going to be Blueberry Smoothie and I am purposely going to make some extra for a frozen treat later. 

PS: the popsicle did have ice crystals the way I made it. 

How many of you agree that kids tend to like snacks that are sweet, cold, has chocolate and is served on a stick? I guess, a little icecrystals wouldn't matter huh?

Happy Mothers Day

Growing up (in India) I don't remember us acknowledging this internationally accepted day for celebrating mothers. We were taught to respect and celebrate mothers everyday and not just pick a day in a year to realize how important she is or make her celebratory.

But, these days (mostly urban) its being assimilated into Indian Culture. Even though I haven't celebrated this day extending my thanks for her love and care (as a child), I do feel a little bit if my son forgets to wish me :(.

This morning my son did wished me (although it came a little late). But I was delighted when he handed over me his hand made card. Like every mother I too got my best gift and would like to share it with you :)

Incase its not legible here is what it says-
My Mom is 35 years old.
Her favourite color is: Pink
She Loves to: Run
If she had extra time she would: Run With Me.

My 2 favourite things listed in there are
       My Mom looks prettiest when she: Sleeps.
       My Mom always forgets: Nothing.

My favourite thing to do with my Mom is: Watch T.V
What I love about my Mom is: She sometimes cooks my favourite food.

Here is what I got for last year.

Things have changed drastically! Last year I was 26yrs old and this year I am 35yrs old. I like the fact that he never gives out my true age and always keeps me younger :)
By the way did you notice it says:
My mothers name is MOM.
My mother's favorite store is: Safeway.
My mother's favorite place is: Bellvu (Bellevue)! ha ha ha ha....

I love these cute writings that's going to go in my treasure. It's very intriguing to learn how they perceive of us. And boy oh boy! do I need to quote on their observation skills!?

I am compelling myself to share what my fellow mom's received from their little one's.

Don't you think her son nailed it :)

Here is what my friend Kristy got from her 6yr old boy. His mom is 92 feet tall! ha ha ha :)
The best is at the last where it says - "I wouldn't trade my mother even for a The now Lego Star Wars Game" - Awww, that so adorable of him.

I love this Chinese Proverb that quotes  - "There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it."

Indeed! We all are blessed. Happy Mothers Day to every single mom out there.

Fun And Flamboyant Orange Radiates Warmth And Energy - (Color Theme For My Boy's Room)

Atlast I got his room done. I had promised my son that I would paint his room before his birthday. There you go I am way ahead. The tough part was to convince him (and convince myself) to refresh his (my) mind from his (my) very own vision of how he (I) wanted his room to be.
When we moved into the house, the first thing he said was mommy "I already have chosen which room I want for myself". Little did I know he would take me to the "Master Bedroom" and said "This is going to be my new room". I asked him why would he want to take the biggest room? Isn't that too big for just one person? I had to talk him out of it and he agreed only if I would promise that I will be sharing "The Master Bedroom" with his dad and not have the whole room for just myself. For some reason he thought we each (3 of us) would get our very own room and that mommy would take the biggest of all (Not a bad idea!).

So he picked out next biggest room that was available. I casually told him to "start thinking" about how he would want to decorate his room and blurt came the answer I want "Space Theme" and "Dinosaurs". Typical of boys that age I may guess. So I kind of knew what he would want but I did not expect that he had already been planning it. His answer to my question did not end there. He said - "I want my room in Orange Color (Wall and Ceiling), I want a bunk bed and I want the bed to be right in the middle of the room like an island!". Then he showed me where he wants his toys. There was no mention of school books or any desk. When I asked him about that he said - hmmm lets keep them in one of the shelves in the kitchen. Reason for that - Since he is going to need help for his homework most of the time, it will be easy for me to help him if its in the kitchen. Well thought! but I wasn't ready to share my kitchen at that time, now its a different story - I finally gave a cabinet for him in my kitchen.

Boy oh Boy! none of his idea resonate with me. I did not want to say "No", so I said - Lets think more about it and plan. Whenever we spoke/discussed we never were  able to reconcile. Finally I had to say "No to Orange color" and "No for Bunk bed" and " A definite No for keeping the bed in the center of the room".

My reasons for saying
"No" to bunk bed" - because he doesn't want to sleep on the higher one, I did not see a point in a bunk bed then (maybe later when he is ready for that I would trade his current bed for a bunk bed for sure).
"No for keeping the bed in the center of the room" - Come on need I care to give a reason!
"No to Orange color" - Well this is where the debating actually started. I knew Orange is my son's favorite color so I thought I would try to bring in some orange in the form of bedding, accessories etc. But he kept saying he wanted Orange on the walls. I did not want to enter a room that looked like furnace for sure. But for Seattle's weather I bet Orange is actually not a bad one to see on the wall. So the debate was actually in my mind rather than with my 6 year old.

I started to ransack the internet to find one inspiring pic that would make me say an affirmative "Yes" or even "Ok" for the "Orange" color. I couldn't wrap my head around this. One funny thing that happened in the mean time though is - One day G came to me and said - "Fine if you don't want to paint the walls Orange, Can you at least paint the closet Orange?!"...Poor guy, It appeared like he finally just want to get this over with and was haggling with me to at least get it done :)

After the scavenge hunt I eventually found one to which we were 100% onboard. Here is the inspiration pic.

Here is the final outcome of our attempt -

Even though the brain behind this is me the effort is a collaborative one that includes my husband and my little one (with clean up) - Thanks Sweetypie.

Few things that are noteworthy here are -
I bought some furniture legs from IKEA and used those to make this vertical self lay horizontal. The shelf is a typical IKEA one that I had in my apartment as a showcase near my TV cabinet. I asked my husband to remove the doors (Dear door please don't feel separated, I will upcycle you later).

Those black geometric pattern thing is from one of my favorite online shopping store Overstock.com. They are actually sofa chair's seat cushions for outdoor furniture. I bought those as seating for my bay window. They did not fit so I had been using it as floor cushions in my prayer room. After I put my son's room together it just occured to me why don't I just stuck it in as headboard since his platform bed did not have headboard anyway.

I bought some shelf brackets (Amazon.com) and used them to hold his skating board. The skating board was gifted by one of our friends on his 4th birthday and I really don't think he will be ready for it until he is 8. So while we still hold on to it in the garage, I just thought I would use it as display shelf until then.

The unique car shaped lamp is from my another favorite online shopping store Wayfair.com. There were very few options for kids (Boy's) room . But the ones that I loved were a little expensive ranging from 210$ to 270$. I had a price watch on those for a long time and I found that one of the lamps had a huge price slash (just in time while I was planning to paint his room). I bought those using one of the gift cards that a friend of ours gave us as house warming gift (Thanks Swati and Saurabh).

The space theme stickers I bought from Sherwin William's paint store while I was shopping for paints. They were on sale for 10$. I had those on his walls when we moved in and since they are peel and stick it was easy for me to reuse those after I finished painting. Between, Venus is my son's favorite planet!. Thanks to Chitra Aunty who suggested that I should do some art on that black patch through out. I am not artist so I decided to go with these stickers.

The white shelf where the casio is resting is a spice rack that I bought from IKEA.

The panel curtains are from IKEA. Shamefully it took 2 hours for me and my husband to hang this.

The monogram is my self creation of my son's initial 'G'. I used nail/thumb tacks to create this.

I bought those orange metal baskets from dollar store for storage purpose.

My reward - After the paint was all coming through while I was doing some clean up, my son came running to me and gave me a loving hug and said - I Love it so much mommy, thanks for listening to me! LOL.