Just "hanging" around with Mom

It only takes one or two new pieces of artwork to upset the entire apple cart of home decor. If you replace one, something else has got to be moved, and so on. I have a slight aversion to wantonly pounding nails into freshly painted walls. I always have, but my left-brainedness makes that condition slightly more acute. Henry is way worse than me, so I hang pictures during his absence. I also suffer from "interior designer's daughter syndrome." It shall be referred to in the future as "IDDS." One of the side effects of this syndrome is that I cannot hang a picture without my mother being present. It's not that I can't do it, per se, but that I know that my execution will be just seven or so degrees off of "just right." Why not just wait for the big guns to come in and do the job right? Especially if the guns live eleven minutes away. So when Mom arrived yesterday with her bag of tricks; levels, measuring devices, hammers, hooks, and nails of all types, I just stepped aside and let the artiste work. Just kidding, it's not that dramatic, yes it is. But this one above the fireplace was a real doozie. Heavy like rocks and came with two hooks, so the measuring had to be spot on.

Now these birdie nests, I did myself. But look at top rightie-pants, not so great.

Kevin's a girl? So, these two chairs remind us of Carl and Ellie's chairs in "UP." This painting given to us by Mom and Dad for Christmas this year. I love it! We hung it down in the family room.


Hanging a grouping is like a black diamond ski trail. You better just watch yourself. This trio of frames came with the dreaded double hook of death. Big payday, however to hang such lovely images of my two girls. Thank you, sweet Jeni for taking those pictures!

Egg and nest relocated to above the piano. Mom handed me the wheel, and just like Russell throwing the GPS out the window, I dropped the little hanger right behind the piano... oops.
Thank goodness for extras.

Ah, a first anniversary splurge of mine and Henry's. Very fond memories. I like its new location.

A little 45 record cover given to Henry from John and Ashley. Pearl Jam, of course.

It's so enjoyable to see things hanging in a different place for a change. Even more enjoyable are the memories of the picture hanging giggles Mom and I got while medicating my case of IDDS.

Thanks Mom, from the bottom of my heart.

Riots-Disturbances & Hostage Situations

Will I post about New Year's resolutions? Not one bit, however I do have really great intentions and today I began a quest of organization. Mom and Dad handed down a groovy little filing cabinet and I decided to discontinue our habit of placing all of the bills and important stuff in a cute little aluminum bucket with star cut-outs that my good friend Jeni gave us eons ago at Christmastime. It should really hold cookies, plants, or muffins, but never the DMV registration or dental bills. Not to sell it short, Henry and I have treasured it and will always, respectfully refer to it as, "The Bucket."

Along with the file cabinet, Mom passed down some nifty little hanging folders with the accompanying little plastic label do-dads. Turns out I have the 3rd generation version. Mom said I could just remove the little label cards and flip them over to write my own stuff. It also turns out that it's difficult to fold over other peoples' stuff and write your stuff over the backs. Difficult, but meaningful.

Most of the files were labeled by my mother, and a few by my dear Grandpa Wright. Ernie Wright was the head of Corrections for the state of Utah during the Matheson era. His file names tell me that he had a little more on his plate than just keeping Oreos stocked in the jar for my visits. His files read:

"Sentencing Guidelines"

"Annual Report Bear River Mutual" (he was president)

"Riots-Disturbances & Hostage Situations" - oh my!

Mom's represent her business side as well. Some of them read:

"Mouldings and Crowns"

"Lighting"

"Window Treatments" This file is still full, and it's all great stuff!

"Kitchens"

"Floors, Rugs, Wood, Tile"

"Looks"

"Bookcases and Built-ins"

"Upholstery Details"

"Fireplaces"

Not to leave out:

"Teaching"

"LDS"

"Family Relations"

What a lovely little time capsule for me to unfold and contemplate. I will try my best to keep and create order in the way that my mother and her father so beautifully demonstrated. Thanks for sharing, Mom.

It's Christmastime, how can I resist?

My babies lose their baby teeth while they're still babies. By now you've heard me carry on about how my babies are growing up too quickly. Factor in that the tooth fairy actually pays the child for such a crime against babyhood and you have yourself some serious irony.

This is little henry about three weeks ago. He "losed" his tooth while sprinting mach-7 on the treadmill. He very well may have experienced his first official "note to self" moment regarding speed to length of legs ratios and what not.

That's five teeth gone by 5. Dang, he's cute!


By 6 o'clock last night, we have the whole top row missing. Grampa Darrell kindly yanked the other to make a lovely pair of gummy sockets. I didn't even know it was that lose!
My only true non-lisper is now a full-on lisper. It's pretty cute and hopefully temporary.

Babies losing their teeth remind me about babies getting their first haircut and not looking like this anymore:
I will post about first haircuts when I am emotionally prepared to do so.

Suffice it to say, that "All he wants for Christmas" costs a lot more than his two front teeth.