Chipping Away

We've finally tackled a few projects this week that really needed to get done. First, this (really nice, but outdated) old fan has needed to be rewired for at least 6 months. We fried it when we attempted to fix the wiring ourselves, so we've been without lighting over our kitchen table for a while. Now that daylight is a scarce commodity, we decided it was time to do something about it. I called an electrician to look at it, but only one vendor even deals with this brand. And it would have cost a lot.
So we decided to replace it, and it's like a whole new room! I love the new fixture, and especially the fact that our house no longer resembles a cave. And project number two: the mysterious giant crack on our front picture window (we have no idea how it got there in the first place). The window has also been in this hazardous state for the last 6 months or so, and has been getting progressively worse as it's been getting colder. We're finally replacing it! I'm SO excited. All the windows in our house are really old...so old that you can't open them, plus they don't even have screens. So this will give us one spot in the house where we can let fresh air in! Woohoo!And can I just say I'm SO excited for Thanksgiving this year? Paul's entire family is coming out here, and we'll be staying in Nauvoo at the farm that once belonged to Paul's and my shared ancestor (I think we decided that we're 5th or 6th cousins once removed...or something like that).
Today I found this festive pair at Hobby Lobby for 80% off. We didn't have any Thanksgiving decorations to speak of, so I think they're happy to be our first.

Good Friends

This week has been heavenly- in more ways than one. Today was sunny and the temperature was in the low 80's. We took advantage of the nice weather, and winterized the yard. It was so satisfying.
We also got out of the house a lot this week; we went to the Zoo and the Butterfly House and got together with friends. I'm just soaking as much of this in before it turns cold again!
So we didn't have to rely so much on the "schedule" this week since we were out more than usual, but things have been a lot more mellow around our house. I think there's a much clearer understanding of what the limits are, so Benjamin just doesn't push anymore. It's funny how quickly family dynamics can change from stage to stage though. Peter is getting very active and opinionated himself, so I'm sure things won't stay calm for too long!

Benjamin has always done really well with sticker charts, so I made one this week to encourage "Good Friend" behaviors (especially towards Peter). He's of course thrilled when I point out that he made Peter laugh or smile, and he gets another smiley face on his chart. I feel no shame in bribing my children to be friends. Hey, whatever works!