Resolutions

This new year's, Chris and I sat down and made an extensive list of new year's resolutions and projects we wanted to accomplish. I'm usually not a resolution type of person, but there were some things I was thinking about anyway, and working together to accomplish goals is a lot more effective and also bonding. Letting each other know about our individual goals also helps the other accomplish them. One of Chris's projects was that he wanted to build the girls bunk beds. He is interested in wood working and is using this project (and others he hopes to do in the future) not only as a tool to learn more about woodworking, as it is a new skill he's developing (he's only built his work bench and a bird house up to this point), but also to make heir loom furniture for our children to maybe someday use for their children. There were many evenings I listened to the sound of the saw, nail gun, and hammers in his workshop in the basement. Sometimes on weekends, the girls would go down with him and pretend to work along side him. He built Claire's toy a little bed made out of scraps and she used her tool box tools along with him. I LOVE THIS. My mom was a daddy's girl growing up. Her dad liked to tinker in the basement and he also made beautiful furniture that she still uses and cherishes. I even have a plant stand he made that I love. She has fond memories of going down with him while he worked, and I love that my children will have a similar experience. Anyway, here is the bottom bunk that Claire now sleeps on. The top bunk is also almost done and will be ready for Maddie soon. (It's the kind that can be two separate beds or set up as a bunk. I don't think Maddie will sleep on the top bunk, though it's tempting to try to keep her in bed! Ha!) So the question is, will Maddie be ready for her bed? We shall see. She LOVES laying in Claire's bed, but so far all of our test runs at nap time and bed time have not actually led to sleep. Time will tell!

We have lots of goals which for the most part, we are doing very well at accomplishing, but I think our list of projects is more interesting. Chris hopes to build a toy box, shelves, and maybe a play set like thing for the back yard. He also wants to make kimchi and sauerkraut with his crock and new fermenting cookbook. He plans to grow a big garden from seed (since we are actually here early enough this year) and plans to do lots of canning. 

I worked on making Claire and Maddie's yearly photo books, am working on catching up on the blog, getting canvas pictures from each place we have lived to display on our wall going up the stairs (which is partly done), and plan to finish Amelia's birth announcement cross stitch for her room, sew matching skirts for the girls (and maybe me), make Maddie an apron and chef hat and probably Claire a new one too, and sew and put up room darkening blinds for the kids' bedrooms. Oh yeah, and I want to make a better chore chart that we can stick to better with Claire and fill in the picture spots to update the three girls' baby books. Phew! And with the little time I actually have to work on projects, this is taking me forever! But, I'm getting there. :) And I'll share when I finish!