Ahhh Fini! The schoolroom is done!

After 3 bags of trash, a trip to the thrift store, countless hours of sorting and cleaning, and the help of a precious friend.....it is done!  Yeaaaaa....happy dance...happy dance!!!

I don't DARE show you a "before" picture for fear that you would never show your precious face at my blog again, muchless my house!  Let's just say.....I couldn't REALLY open the door to get in! (Shameful!  Shameful, I say!) But here are a few "after"s

The projects left to hang are on the table, and it's a little dark. (So sorry, but I'm reading a book on how to take better pictures- honest!) I'm going to make a new curtain for the closet.

This is the door into the room, play area with cubbies, art shelf, and nature study desk.  Look at those bookshelves! (See #10 of my last blog entry!  And most of our books are in storage!!! eek!!)

Now for some of my favorite things in the schoolroom....

The Eeboo ABCs.  Eeboo has the most beautifully illustrated children's learning items.  They have 1-2-3 cards like these that are birds that I am pining for!

I found this lamp at a neighbor's yard sale last weekend.  It's absolutely perfect and I love it!  Best $4 buy ever!  It's in our reading corner.  An IKEA chair and ottoman will join it there today, I think. I totally found it on the side of the road!  It looks BRAND NEW! When I asked the owner about it, she said her hubby didn't like it when she got it home and they inherited some of her grandma's furniture so it got the boot! I donated it to the Crestwood Day School, but Steph said she didn't think she would use it, so it's comin to the Cain School of Genius! (LOL, that is a joke- definitely NOT the name of our school! More like the Cain Family School of "What's That Super Cool Bug??")

These Audubon Field Guides are extra special to me.  They were my father's- he inspired me to teach my children about nature.  If I had a penny for everytime we have cracked these guides open to find out about an animal or plant or moon phase, I'd be a quazillionaire!

This is our nature study table where we will keep our nature journals each day.  I found the tablecloth (and the hand-embroidered runner under the lamp) at the thriftstore and I H-E-A-R-T it (them)!!!

SO, all I have left is to find a rug for our open space, whip up these...

 cute cafe curtains (from Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan) and take down the drapes for the summer, and hang some stuff on the walls!  Kindergarten, here we come! (Again!)

10 Things You May Not Know About Me.....

1.  I am a lover of all things Jane Austen.  I would gladly dress in "Regency-Wear" every day if I could get away with it!  Check out this website.  Jennie was a speaker at a homeschooling event I attended and I H-E-A-R-T her patterns!!!
2. I am slowly but surely changing the Cain Family Food Culture.  I have not had a pop in almost 2 weeks, I've switched from pancake syrup to Agave Nectar, and am contemplating signing up under a farming co-op for veggies, fruits, meat, and dairy that is all locally produced.  Check it out- Grow Alabama
3. I am freakishly afraid of needles.  I've had 2 c-sections and I sew for a hobby- go figure!

4. I love taking tea...the act of enjoying a proper setting of tea. (See #1)
5. I absolutely ABHOR summer.  That's right, I said it!  I hate summer!  I wish we could go straight from Spring to Autumn because I detest mosquitos, heat, and humidity.......hence my dream to live in Maine.
6. I dream of living in Maine!
7. I was healed of the beginning stages of cervical cancer when I was 18.  Seriously.  If you don't believe in the miracles of God, come over for lunch- I need to talk to you!

8. As a mother, there is something about bird nests that resonates in my soul.  I attribute it to the care and keeping of young, making your home a safe place, and the gentleness with which birds care for their babies.
9. I am deathly afraid of tornados, my house burning, and driving off of a bridge over water.  I have also, in recent years, become deathly afraid of flying.  This is extreme considering I have always LOVED to travel, have been overseas twice, and have never had a really terrible flying incident.

10. I'm addicted to buying children's books.  I see a book and I think "Oh!  The kids would LOVE to read that one day!"  They're going to have to take them all with them when they leave my nest!  Our space will triple.  But I love finding them and remembering when I read them when I was little...it's so sentimental.

The BEST day!

Mother's Day is one of my most favorite days!  Our rule is I get to do whatever I want on Mother's Day and Andy gets to do what he wants on Father's Day.  Yep, it's a sweet set-up!  So after church we headed to Carraba's for lunch and then I decided I wanted a nap and then to go for a walk so we headed to the Cahaba.  Look at these precious babies!

HeeHee...we told the kids there were trolls under the foot-bridges so Abby decided to investigate....

After our stroll we went for sorbet at Doodles in Cahaba Heights.  You gotta see my gifts........look at all of these lovely flowers!

Peonies

Roses

And a miniature Orchid

But the sugar on my smacks was what Andy brought me back from New Mexico.......

a cookbook from my favorite restaurant and key lime truffles from my favorite chocolate shop!

Sigh....I heart that man!

On the craft side of life.... I've been honing some sewing skills by making a play outfit for Abby (that's the back of the top)and a pair of (obnoxious)shorts for Ben.  Got LOTS more to work on though!

Never a dull moment between crocheting and Mother Nature!

SO on Saturday I was completely TICKLED with myself!  Why, you may wonder?!  Becuase I have done it again!  I have taught myself something new off YouTube!!  First was embroidering, now crocheting, and even ornamental napkin folding! (No, sadly, I'm not kidding about that last one!)  My sista, Lolly, had a fabulous flower week not too long ago and had these beautiful little crocheted flowers that I instantly fell in love with!  SO I set my mind (and fingers, a crochet hook, and some yarn) to figuring out how to accomplish this!  And LOOK!  Yippee!

I was so entirely proud of myself! But....the ego fest lasted less than 24 hours because then THIS.......

happenned!!!  Before you get too worked up, no one was hurt and our only casualty was our grill......which truthfully is a HUGE loss to the Cain family!  Upon returning from soccer yesterday, we dawddled in the van for a moment or two before openning the doors.  When we did open the doors, we heard "POP!POP!POP!"  and I yelled "Annnnnnnnnndddddyyy????!!" We shut the doors VERY quickly and braced ourselves because we didn't know where, or how much. of the tree was falling!  I swear people, I litterally saw my life flash before my eyes.....and then I watched......as a huge piece of tree dropped to the ground RIGHT INFRONT of us!!!!  I jumped out yelling "Thank you Jesus!  Thank you Lord!  Praise you Jesus!" (Picture Fred Sanford holding his chest here!)  But all is well! (Minus the grill!)

Never a dull moment at the Cain house!  Never!