Liner Notes 7/16

Several hours after I posted Friday's post, I witnessed Bo and Revi's first ever, snuggle session. Where they purposefully landed in the same spot and put their arms around each other without trying to scratch the other's eyeballs out.

It was perfect. Especially after posting about the twin guilt factor. And it's funny because I didn't at all feel that way with my other kids. They were always so different, never needed me at once, and always in ways that were unique to them. I never felt like I couldn't give them everything they needed. Even now, with so much attention divided, they don't seem to mind. They're incredibly independent, play (mostly) well together, can pour their own glasses of water, get themselves dressed, put themselves to bed...

Which gives me hope that when Bo and Revi are a little bit older, a little less dependent, I'll feel a little less Sophie's Choice. 

In the meantime, I could not adore them more and I know they know that. So there, guilty voice that will not shut up. How do you like me now?

ALSO in the meantime, how cute is Hal getting ready for Princessland via Fable's "magic paintbrush"?

That's the kind of man I'm gonna marry.

A couple years back I wrote about my inability to cut Fable's hair so I thought it only fair to redeem myself. After spending the last year trimming Fable's hair myself (Archers, too, but his is easy), I have finally mastered the art of the junior bob. WHAT'S UP, OVERPRICED HAIRCUT SHOPS THAT GIVE MEDIOCRE KIDS CUTS AND ALWAYS LEAVE ME DISAPPOINTED.

What is up.

Esteban (the man, not the myth) came to the house on Saturday to tend to our tree and our hedges (which were overgrown to the point of insanity). 

"Just trim the bottom leaves? The dead, brown ones?" said I, when asked what I needed to have done.

I then went back inside to hang with babies in the back, where the sounds of trimming machines were less audible, oblivious to the tree massacre until Hal and the big kids came home from swimming lessons and... "DID YOU SEE THE TREE IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE!???"
"Uh... no?"

"GO SEE THE TREE IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE!"

So. I went to see the tree in front of the house. And, there was no longer a tree in the front of the house. Instead, a naked stump with three fronds at the tippy top.

foilage(y) window: before

non foilage(y) window: after (in need of a wash, yes.)
 

And then I got angry at Hal, because he was angry at the situation and then I was mad at myself and the tree and Esteban for not being a mindreader and then I started yelling and Hal started yelling and everyone was yelling. About a tree. A TREE!!!?

Moral of the story? Signs may be everywhere but there's a difference in "trusting" them and being an asshole.

The silver lining? We realized, once the tree was cut back that it was pushing up the foundation of the house aka it would need to be REMOVED in its entirety.

Womp.

We then decided that our course of fixer-upper-action would be to start from the front of the house (outside) and work our way in and to the back. And in the case of dead plants and foundation-ruining trees, that would mean tear everything out and start from scratch.

Luckily for family trees, I have a Nana who knows how to make plants her bitch because I went to the nursery this morning, walked around for two hours pretending I knew what I was doing, bought a cactus, a hose and came home.

My Nana's coming up this weekend to help me create a "garden plan" because that is how she rolls. Get ready for some serious manscaping, Este.

Esteban's about to get serious hoe(s). And hose. Because I just bought a hose. 


Over the weekend I went to the swap meet to hunt for some funky lanterns to hang in the arches in front of the house and found zero. Instead? I stumbled upon a trio of Peruvian mirrors which I would have purchased all of if they weren't so expensive. Because we need an antique Peruvian mirror zero. And yet. When will I ever have the chance to buy an antique Peruvian mirror? (I did find one here, btw. And here.) So? After an hour of "I'm going to think about this and come back", I thought about it and came back.

TOTALLY broke my "you can only purchase for outside" rule but sometimes things just speak to you and you have no choice but to buy them and nail them to the wall.

GGC