$3.00 chair - picked up for free when neighbor moved out and reupholstered with fabric purchased on sale:

Small round table, which the boys have already used for a coloring station today:

And loads and loads of bulletin board space:

I started on a project.  In a tiny little room that looked like this:

I made a bit of decluttering and closet rearranging progress, and then I got distracted.  Then I made a little more progress and started playing with paint, which looked like this:

Then, I reached the point where I just wanted it to be done. That's when I finished this:

Finally, I asked Bud to help me wrap things up.  He painted trim while I painted stripes, and then we moved the boys' computer desk into "the room."  Now we have this:

We decided to go with two striped walls and two plain walls, and we still have to get the bulletin boards that we want for the other side of the room.  But the boys were excited to wake up this morning and find their room almost finished.  Next domino?  Decluttering/reorganizing my office!

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

This week, due to technical difficulties, I'm having a Menu Plan Monday Tuesday.  Here's what I have in the works:

Monday

Pizza Night

Tuesday

Pesto Turkey and Pasta (to use up the leftover turkey from Sunday), Green Beans, Peaches

Wednesday

Meatball Subs, Steak Fries, Peas, Applesauce

Thursday (I have a party, so Bud's on dinner duty.)

Hot Dogs, Macaroni Salad, Carrots, and Pineapple

Friday

Creamy Artichoke Chicken (didn't get to it last week), Rice, Broccoli, and Pears

Saturday

Barbecue Cheddar Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, and Oranges

Sunday

Pork Chops with Onions and Apples, Buttered Noodles, and Salad

Yesterday was Monday.  Which means most of the boys go back to school (well, usually), the house gets blessed, and . . . we enjoy a Muffin Tin Monday lunch! 

This week's theme was "Foods Your Kids are Thankful For," which was a very easy meal to prepare.  R was home sick from school with a cough, so I had two diners to feed from our muffin tin meal.  First I pulled out our leaves and pumpkins silicone muffin pan (Anyone need gift ideas for me?  Or the boys?  Seasonal or otherwise fun-shaped silicone muffin pans are on my list now!  Hint.  Hint.).  Then I asked R and W to tell me about their favorite lunch foods.   Here's their tin:

Shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich bites (flowers for W, hearts for R), pretzel sticks, mini marshmallows, fruit snacks, and raisins.  Not the healthiest lunch ever, but one they were definitely thankful for!

. . . so much difficulty saying it.  I've been trying to update the blog for the past couple days, but for some reason onsugar seems to be having problems.  I can't insert pictures into posts, save them as drafts, or much else.  I have a Muffin Tin Monday, Menu Plan Monday, and Love Dare update to share, but until onsugar starts cooperating, they won't be posted.  Stay tuned.  I'll be back with regular posts as soon as I can! 

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com.

On Saturday, R asked me to help him write a list.  At first, I offered to spell the words so he could write them.  He quickly decided that wouldn't work because he "can't write small enough to fit it all on the page."  So I took over as scribe and he dictated his list of "Things to do with Mom today."

1. Play house with Mom.  Check!

This is the front of the store he created in the living room.

And some of the items in the store itself.

We visited the store together, gathered things on our list (a paper shaped like a cookie jar that he brought home from school), and then returned to our home at the love seats and put our purchases away on the bookshelves, end tables, etc. 

2. Snack.  Check!

3. Have a Webkinz party.

4. Lunch  Check!

5. Stuffed animal and family party.

6. Color.  Check!

7. Watch a movie.  Check!

8. Build Bionicle.  Check!

We didn't complete everything on the list, and - despite R's complaints early in the day - we didn't do things on the list in order.  But we did have a lot of fun, and spent some wonderful one-on-one time together, which Bud and I need to do more often with all of the boys.  My favorite parts of the day?  Watching R make his selections at the "store," cuddling with him on the couch during our movie, and later listening to his constant chatter while we colored together.  It was definitely one of those days where he made my heart smile, again and again.

Last week's menu plan went by the wayside on several days.  I got sick, had no energy or interest in cooking, and Bud filled in with dinners like "cereal night" (which the boys loved, of course!).  This week, a couple of the meals we didn't eat last week are back, along with some family favorites, and a brand new recipe.  My Menu Plan Monday plan:

Monday

Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Broccoli, and Oranges

Tuesday

Sliders (Whole family loves these!), Pasta Salad, Peas, and Pineapple

Wednesday (Kid Night!)

Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, and Applesauce

Thursday

Creamy Artichoke Chicken (New!), Rice, Sugar Snap Peas, and Peaches

Friday

Slow-cooked Turkey Breast, Noodles, Green Beans, and Fruit Salad

Saturday

Leftover Buffet

Sunday

Beef Roast, Biscuits, Potatoes and Carrots, Pears

This week's Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW) is a themed edition: "Share your best (or find a new favorite) holiday/entertaining/celebration tip!" 

I'm choosing to focus on how we celebrate the Christmas holiday.  It is an incredibly simple concept, but - at least among our friends and family - pretty rare.  What do we do?  Our Christmas morning starts with Mass.  That's it.  Plain and simple.  Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ.  So we start Christmas day celebrating the most incredible gift of all, God's gift to us of Jesus. 

We allow our children to open one group gift on Christmas Eve, usually a game.  On Christmas morning, we get up, have a simple breakfast, and if we need something to keep them occupied while we finish getting ready, they can play with their Christmas Eve gift.  Then, without opening any other gifts, we go to 8:00 a.m. Mass - and continue to remind the boys about the reason we have Christmas to celebrate. 

After Mass, when we return home, we're able to relax, open our gifts at a leisurely pace, and take our time enjoying the presents they receive.  We don't have to drag them away from new toys or games mid-way through the morning, or race through opening gifts to get done "in time" for anything.  We put first things first - the celebration of Christ's birth - and celebrate it our way.  We've been asked how we do this, with friends and family wondering how we get the boys past the gifts and out the door for church.  But there really is no how to it - it just is what we do.  If you don't already put first things first on Christmas morning, give it a try - you may be surprised with how it sets the tone for your entire day (and beyond)!

A nice side benefit: the boys look very handsome in their pictures opening gifts after Mass!