Once

The Broadway Musical, Once, came to the Walton Arts Center, so of course my mom and I had to go! 

Getting out the door was a little difficult. All of my children were melting down and I'd never left Sloane for longer than 90 minutes, so I was nervous about how everyone at home would do. Then, around 4pm, Sloane got a tummy ache and screamed relentlessly for an hour. She could not be consoled. I had decided to just not go, when Aaron came home and she stopped crying and went to sleep. I put her to bed and Aaron assured me she would take a pumped bottle for him no problemo if she woke up. My mom and I left, skipped the dinner in Fayetteville that we'd planned and went straight to the show. We made it just in time for the show. 

We caught part of the preshow and it was so amazing, I wished we could've been there earlier! Once was incredible. The music was so so good.  The cast was captivating and incredibly talented. We were disappointed by the use of the f-word in the dialogue and cringed every time. So unnecessary. Without the language, the show would be a phenomenal one for even a younger audience. So that's my critique. Even the song lyrics were clean. 100 Yays for a spectacular musical 100 Boos for a half dozen swear words. 

Thanks to the WAC for bringing big shoes to our little corner of Arkansas. I almost saw Once in NYC but opted for phantom instead. So happy I had a chance to see it here. After the show, the cast went to an after party to jam and perform even more. 

A few of the interesting things that makes this show unique were the absense of a pit orchestra, because all of the music is on the stage, and the close interaction between the company and the audience. Before the show, they played a ton of songs and danced and sang and there were stairs open to the stage and a concession stand on the set so the audience could wander right up there. After the show, cast members wereout in the foyer taking selfies and selling their solo albums. You just don't get that kind of up close interaction in NYC!  I jumped in for a selfie with Guy and posted it to facebook. Then realized I should probably clarify that it was Stuart award, who plays "Guy", not just some guy. Hahaha. 

Fun night. Thanks mom, for being a great date, and daring me to catch a selfie. And thanks Aaron for buying us tickets and staying home with our kids and baby. Yay for Sloane taking her first bottle! B

Outdoor Projects

We've lived here long enough that it's time to accelerate the progress on a few home projects that we've wanted to do since moving in. The list is so long, it's overwhelming and I'm impatient and just want it all to be done now. I may hire some older teens a few times to help us get more done before the heat of summer slams us. 

Front Yard: 

-Weed, cut dead tulips down, and add mulch to the cute little island in our front lawn area. 

-remove leaves from the front rock and flower bed. 

-We started scraping the peeling patio over spring break. There was an awful coating of textured paint on it that started peeling right when we moved in. It looks pretty horrible now, so we're scraping it (a painstakingly tedius process), and plan to sand and stain. Enjoy peeling sunburns? Come visit with me and we'll scrape the porch. 

-There is a large portion of the lawn that is too shaded to grow grass. After attempting and failing, we are tired of the mudslide that gets tracked into the house by the kids every time it rains. There is a beautiful chocolate river rock around the side yard and we are just going to fill in the shady part. On Saturday, I dug out a little trench along the line of dead grass and we staked in metal landscape edging. It's a start! I'm calling to order chocolate rock today. Moving rocks is not my favorite task, but it will look really nice when it's done. 

Backyard: 

-We also staked in the edging around the garden beds where we plan to fill in with rocks. I need to build some terraced beds or create a raspberry trellis or something along that fence. There is plenty of space to grow something and since I'm losing all of my original garden space up behind the garage, I need to add more beds in there, somehow. 

-After I build some more raised beds, I need to lay the landscaping mesh and then put the rocks in. If I had my way, the entire back lawn would be rows of garden beds. But I don't have my way ;) 

-I need to relocate these garden beds to another part of the yard before it gets  covered with a deck in a couple weeks.

It is very dark in my kitchen, because there are no windows in there and not enough lighting. We also feel a little claustrophobic not being able to get out to the yard from the kitchen, so we are having a 5 ft sliding door added where the black cabinet is. It is not a sun facing wall, but we hope that a large window will  let some much needed light into our kitchen and dining area, even if it is indirect light. 

I'm also really looking forward to quick access to the backyard and garden area. If you look in the outside view photo (above), the door will be right next to that window, and the deck will be 8ft wide and run 18ft along the entire back of the garage (blue). Basically where the rock is. The deck will be floor level with the kitchen, so outside it will be just above the height where the blue wood siding stops. (That window is in a stairwell to the basement.) this is a huge project and I was happy to hire a contractor to do it. Big if I'm going to save any of my garden, I need to find a place to relocate it! 

-pictured above is on the other side of the house. It seems to get ok morning sun, so I'm going to try to move one or two little square beds here and maybe put our strawberries and asparagus over here, since it is wasted space anyway. 

-just below that is another little space I'm going to try to squeeze something in here, too. 

-I'm a little disappointed to lose all of the garden space, but an outdoor dining space just outside our kitchen. I was pleased when the contractor's bid came in below half of what we had estimated, and that's why we decided to expand the deck from 8ft to 18ft. I hope it is finished in time for a BBQ on Memorial Day. I'm going to plant grapes below the deck to grow on a trellis between the support posts.

Post edit: as soon as I posted this, the contractor called and can start Monday on the slider and deck! I brought the little travel swing outside and Soren and Sloane enjoyed the sunshine and dug out two spots for garden beds in only about 30 minutes! 

They aren't perfectly level, but it's a good start. Yay for fast progress. I hope to get one more over there this afternoon before swimming lessons. 

Other little outdoor projects in mind

-do something with the disaster/weedspace below the retaining wall. I suggested fruit trees or a raspberry trellis. Right now, It is full of leaves, dead weeds, and firewood that must be cleared and moved 

-reroof the chicken coop and extend the chicken run to give our new ladies more space to play. 

-add gutters to the side of our home. 

-replace the swings on the playset

-build a shed by the playset for the mower, bikes, shovels, etc. 

-picket fence around the garden and along the retaining wall to keep the kiddies safe up above (and the hens out).

I should get started. 

Instead, I am sitting here, feeding a cute baby, wathing Soren play with cars at my feet, listening to the hum of the washing machine. It's 11:45 and I am still in pajamas. I suppose I cab be a little more patient. I've got a good thing going here, this morning. 

Reese's Talk

Reese gave a talk in primary on Sunday about the Apostacy and the Restoration. She used her talk for our family night lesson tonight. Nicely written, Reese. 

A Visit from Aunt Val and Cousin Mia

On Friday afternoon, Aaron's Aunt Valle called to say she was passing through with her 10 year old granddaughter, Mia (daughter of Aaron's cousin, Roy). We don't have guests often and were thrilled to host! 

We picked up the kids from school and headed out for an afternoon and evening of fun. First stop: Blowing Springs 

Stop 2: Pea Ridge Civil War Battlefield. We took the scenic driving tour and Valle told the kids Civil War Stories along the way.  Here they are at the trailhead while she explained the Trail of Tears.  

The kids learned about Confederates and Union soldiers, and infantry, war horses, battle and war hospitals. The scenery was spectacular through every window. 

From Pea Rdge we went to Crystal Bridges. Val loves art, and studied art history in college. How do you pass up an opportunity to get up close and personal with Van Gogh? 

"I paint very large pictures because I want to create a state of intimacy. A large picture is an immediate transaction. It takes you into it." -Mark Rothko

He wasn't joking. These paintings were massive. 

Other favorites were Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali, and Georgia O'Keefe, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This collection is particularly impressive because every artist was recognizable.  

Hello Frida! Maybe it was the texture of the surface, but something about this painting made it look like it was done in color pencil. Art really is different when experienced in real life.  

There's an interactive play area set up outside the exhibit. 

Reese made an electronic Pollock inspired piece. 

Outside, the grounds were blooming and so very beautiful it was breathtaking. I can't believe I live here. This museum, where you can walk in and see world famous art is mine, the trails are mine, the civil war history is mine, the limestone bluffs and caves and natural springs are mine, the dogwoods are mine, all of it is right here in my backyard and I loved having another opportunity to share it. 

We had fish tacos and grilled salmon at Flying Fish for dinner and Reese and Quincy enjoyed the luxury of a slumber party (we don't do sleepovers). Everything was so fun and much too short. Reese sobbed when Mia left and is already scheming a trip to San Diego and Carlsbad to visit. Thank you, Valle for coming to see us!  We loved having more Willardsons around! 

Corbin on the Piano

After Corbin's first piano lesson, he was more excited about playing outside with the new neighbors after school than practicing. In fact, I couldn't get him to practice at all between his first lesson and his second. I had decided maybe he wasn't ready for lessons and would give it one more week.  Surprisingly, he was VERY excited to practice this week. 

His fun teacher, Miss Carly, gave him an exciting incentive. Every time he played one of his songs, he could color a stripe on the alligator. This kid loves any challenge that he can check off a list (just his mama). 

Corbin said, "now that I can play a real song, I will practice. Listen to this!" 

And he  played it perfectly. 

I got a concert this morning. A plinky plunky, one handed, head nodding, awkward timing Merrily We Roll Along is music to my ears. 

Keep up the good work, Corbin! 

Sloane Rolls

Sloane started rolling and she's quite pleased with herself. Every time she pops over she jabbers away and cracks herself up. Oh Sloane, that smile slays me. 

Peacemaker

This morning was a doozy in the Willardson home.  I should stop taking so much credit for mornings that run smoothly and wonderfully, because in turn I blame myself for the mornings that do not.  Corbin is on day three of a rough streak and is really struggling to be around other people without touching or hurting them. It is testing all of us and I admit that by 6:30 this morning my patience as a mother had already worn raw, and I took every little criticism or complaint as a bludgeon to my battered esteem. Corbin, on the other hand continued to spiral out of control in a tantrum on the stairs, losing privileges as fast as I was a losing hope for a happy morning. 

Quincy disappeared upstairs and returned to hand a note to Corbin, which he stopped his tantrum to read. 

Corbin, 

I still love you no matter what and I feel sad for you and I'm sorry you are having a hard time. 

Love, Quincy

And then she just hugged him. 

Unconditional love. Compassion.

Of all the people in my family, Corbin and Quincy butt heads 5 times the amout of any other contention in our home. I wondered what sparked this unprecedented desire for resolution. As if she had read my thoughts, Quincy said to me, "I think it was the Holy Ghost who promoted me to help Corbin." 

Quincy set a needed example for me, this morning. I wish I had remembered and chosen to listen for the Holy Spirit's guidance, show compassion, and love unconditionally. 

Great job being a peacemaker, Quincy! 

Sloane's Nursery

I never blogged about Sloane's nursery. Soren has a fever today and I have awful allergies, so it's a good time to finish a million blog posts.  

I still have several things I'd like to do in Sloane's nursery, but here are some pics of how it looks, so far. She still sleeps in her pack n play in my room right now because: 

a) I'm anxious and paranoid and still can't sleep if she's too far away. 

b) we still have occasional nights like last night, when she was awake from 1-4am trying to poop. I don't want her to keep the girls awake when we have a rough night. 

When we're ready she'll probably start with just naps in her room first. Here it is, waiting for her.  Looking around at the pieces in the room reminds me of many women I care about. Let's take a little tour. 

The white wicker dresser in the right corner is used for storage with drawers designated for barbies, dollhouse, cars, dressup, etc. Julie, Delaney, made the adorable vintage button S monogram. It matches perfectly. I love it. 

I bought 10 throw pillows secondhand from a friend and recovered them to match the nursery. The daybed was given to Reese by Jenny Hatch when Reese was 3 and is still one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I might end up sleeping on it the first few nights Sloane spends in her own room. Kasey made the beautiful mint and coral blanket draped over the headboard. It's super soft! 

This fabulous swan rocker was from Eunice's home. The arms are actually shaped like swans. Its a mother goose chair. She said she pictured little Soren sitting next to me with a book while I nursed and rocked Sloane. She pictured exactly what happens. Soren keeps a little stack of books on the side table.  

The side table is also a previously owned piece and came from the lovely Kim Neal. It stores the boppy pillow, breast pump, and burp cloths. I ipcycled the thrifted lamp and made the canvas artwork on the wall (one is still incomplete but will say "She believed she could, so she did" on it. The others say, "beYOUtiful" and the lyrics to "baby mine" painted into a heart silhouette. The frame is a print I ordered from my friend Teresa with the Young Women's theme on it. Words to live by.

Sloane's crib. I may never get around to it, but have good intentions for a super ruffly crib skirt and a flowery mobile/wall treatment thing. I made the quilt, bumper, and crib sheets. 

I love this happy little space and I love spending time in here.  It's a precious baby room for a very precious baby girl. 

Quincy in the Pool

Quincy is so close to swimming independently!  You've got this, CeeCee! 

Spring Soccer

Corbin had his 2nd soccer game on Tuesday. I'm impressed by the improvement in just one year. Last spring, every play ended in a dogpile of little boys on the green. This year, they work together, aggressively go after the ball, and run ahead to defend the goal. Corbin had a couple great assists Tuesday night. Go Team Burn!