Built a sandbox...

I needed some busy work to help take my mind off the nesting and preparing for birth/baby, because it was threatening to make me a little crazy. Thankfully my husband is very supportive of my on-a-whim impulses and he totally enabled me with a trip to lowes, spending his hard earned cash, then helping haul various things and keeping the kids (mostly) out of my hair and supporting my moodiness throughout. Thank you Rene. *love*


So, we've had this homemade sandbox for a few years.







It did the job just fine, the kids spent many hours out there. But the lid was heavy and a pain in the butt to lift, so it got left off often, including during a number of storms. The kids also enjoyed climbing on the lid so it started to sag and eventually broke.



We ended up with a lot of leaves and sticks and undesirable items mixed in with the sand. Then to add insult to injury, our previously exclusively indoor cats decided under no uncertain terms they were determined to be outdoor cats, which has gone wonderfully for them, they seem much happier. But it wasn't so wonderful for our poor sandbox. It got "used" a couple of times and although we scooped it out asap, I still couldn't bring myself to allow my kids to play in there after that. And they had no desire to either. So the poor sandbox sat out there all lonesome and gross looking. And I decided a few days ago that I need to make a new one. Nowish.


Thanks to Lady Goats for submitting awesome plans on Ana White's website. They were perfect. I love how this sandbox has built in cute benches that fold up to become a lid! Exactly what we need!


So, I got me a pile of wood.



Don't mind the toddler with the chocolate face!

And I got to work. I didn't let Rene take any pics of me this time because I was in a vest and underpants and it's not a pretty sight! But here's a photo of my "helpers".



I'd love to claim some bragging rights about building while being great with child, but in all honesty this was such an easy build. The plans were nice and clear and this really wasn't too intensive. Filling the darn thing with sand in the eightysomething degree heat and humidity though, does qualify for some bragging I think! That was the hardest part by far.

Here's the box after build, before paint.











Here it is painted a nice, bright, fun orange.












And here it is being played in. They've had loads of fun in it today, even in the heat.













I don't like to post belly pics because I don't have a pretty belly! But I thought this was amusing - my view point as I supervised play.

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Some more girlish nesting

I sewed a few extra diapers for the stash.







They are super soft minky. I love them. Inners







And a couple covers. Just don't look too closely at the stitching! My machine decided it didn't want to sew zigzag anymore and I had a big fight with it.



Which look the same but are different on the inside






So I can still be that proverbs woman yet, right?

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This is the way we build a nest...

As I approach the final stretch of this pregnancy, the nesting urge is kicking in big time. You know, like when you get the feeling that you simply cannot have a baby while the closet is this disorganized.

So, thanks again to Ana White and her fabulous ideas and easy to follow plans, I did some nesting with power tools.





And built some laundry basket dressers






They're not lookers, but they're functional. I did stain them a nice dark red oak and it's quite purdy. I don't have a pic of that though.

Anyway, we cleared out our closets and put these in there to store our clothes, which is much less annoying than dealing with overfilled dresser drawers with broken handles and the bottoms keep falling out etc. I feel much better about the closet.

I've also done some more traditional nesting; scrubbing floors and couches, cleaning appliances, cleaning kitchen cabinets, scrubbing bath tub, sewing diapers and post partum pads, washing walls etc etc. I don't feel like it's quite good enough yet. Which is ok, since I have a few weeks to go yet, so I need to keep busy. I don't know how my house will ever get a deep clean like this when I'm done having babies...this seems to be the only time I ever get it done.

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Help me not fall in love...

....with this little beast we found on our kitchen floor this morning.



In case you're getting judgy - my house has been extremely clean lately. I'm in that nesting stage and my kitchen has never seen cleaner days. But we are out in the country and mice happen. I know there is a population in the garage and I guess the mom came in to make use of our air conditioning or something. Rene found what he thought was the beginnings of a nest in a previously empty drawer in the kitchen this morning. He checked it was empty and then cleared it all out. A few hours later I almost stepped on this wee vermin who was simply splattered out on the floor after a long journey across the kitchen. It looks to be about 4 days old.

We called the wildlife rehabilitators but they said they won't take in baby mice because they have such a low survival rate. She said we could try, but there's not much hope and they require a lot of time and care. I'm sorry but this 8 month pregnant, pro-life, vegetarian mother is not leaving any baby anything to die without giving it a fighting chance, no matter how ugly it's going to be when it's all grow'd up.

So Rene ran out to get kitten formula and I started boiling water (to sterilize equipment) while the kids made a make shift nest. And until it weans or dies it looks like I'll be feeding it every 1-2 hours. Just as well I don't have much of a social life anyway. I guess it's good practice for what we'll be doing soon enough.

And I'm telling myself not to fall in love. But the wee thing latches on to the dropper and puts its little paw up, then buries its head into my hands for warmth and comfort. I'm such a big ball of sentiment right now. I know this is going to end with a broken heart. But I can't help it. Darn it. *Sigh*

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