therobynbirdsnest

the joy of coming home

Posted on November 22, 2021 by robynbird

How precious is this mid-century house?
Thing 2 closes on it tomorrow.

My baby bought a house!
She’s saved for so long, squirreling away nearly twenty thousand dollars. And her credit score is in the 790s! She’s making an excellent investment. She’ll have twenty five thousand in equity when she walks through the front door.
She’s worked hard to get to this place.

She was planning to purchase by herself. But part way through her process, she and Boyfriend M realized they wanted to own a home together.
I’m overjoyed! I truly believe this young man and my daughter could be each other’s forever person if that’s what they want.
His mother isn’t as enthusiastic as we are. My understanding is she thinks they’re going about the order of things incorrectly. However, my gut says the bigger truth is she’s dissatisfied that he son isn’t living the life she expects him to live. She’ll get over that. All parents have to at some point.
I see my daughter and her boyfriend actively asking and answering the hardest questions. They’re working together. They’re making smart choices. They’ve planned and made commitments to each other about how it will work.
I trust Thing 2’s decision.
I trust she has a solid foundation upon which she will continue to build her life.
She’s choosing to build her life in a home with this young man. Just as he’s choosing to build his life in a home with her.
Their trust in the other is considerable.

The inspection showed the house needed minor repairs.
They talked the sellers down in price, well below asking. They got approval to do the work before taking ownership and contractors quickly got in the house.
A friend of theirs has brand new appliances to give them. Everything but the fridge, if I remember correctly.
That’s one hell of a friend!

In our group chat she was asking what Thing 1 and I think about paint colors.
She sent this.

My understanding is she’s thinking Lazy Gray for the walls and Serious Gray for the cabinets.

Y’all, my daughter has worked hard and long to get to this place. She’s been working towards this with a single minded fury.
To say she is excited is an understatement.
I am immeasurably proud for her.
She DID it!

Thing 2 and her kitty Oliver, and Boyfriend M and his kitty Meryl move into their new home this very week!

We three girls will purchase and move into our new homes in the same calendar year.
Fresh starts for each of us in 2021.
Now that’s something to give thanks for.
My Momma heart is overflowing with love and joy and gratitude.

Categories: around the house | Tags: coming home, creating a home, dedication, fresh start, hard work, home, house, love, mid century, mid century modern, new beginnings, new home, pride, pride and joy, Thing 2 | 4 Comments

finding the right balance

Posted on November 18, 2021 by robynbird

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know Thanksgiving is absolutely not my thing. But, Thanksgiving is Thing 1’s most favorite holiday. When the our dining table arrived, Thing 1 said, “You know, Momma, our house is really small. And yours is big. And you have that big island and new table. So, if I cooked and cleaned, would you host Thanksgiving?”
Without hesitation I told her yes, I also told her I had to talk with YBW.
I only got as far as “and yours is big” in relaying her question before he said “Yes!”

YBW then reached out to each of our other three kids and invited them for Thanksgiving. And when I say invited, what I mean is he didn’t actually give them a choice as much as he was like, I want you here, please and thank you.
And if you actually knew my husband, you’d know that’s not his typical M.O.
The boys and Girlfriend L are confirmed.
Thing 1, Husband N, and Baby K are confirmed.
YBW’s brother, his wife, and our nephew are also confirmed.
Thing 2 and Boyfriend M cannot be here.

YBW and Thing 1 are planning to do all the work. I’m planning to watch the parade and drink apple cider mimosas and play with Baby K.
Though I’ll make the cranberries and probably the stuffing. And maybe the gravy, because it’s Thing G’s fave. Though Thing 1 could absolutely make him some gravy he’ll love.

I’m excited about three of our four kids being in the same place at the same time.
I’m excited about two of our kids’ partners being here with us.
I’m excited to welcome my brother in law’s fam to our home.
I’m disappointed Thing 2 won’t be here, but what she’s doing instead is actually much more important.

I have real, and deeply rooted anxious feels surrounding Thanksgiving and I’m working hard to reconcile those feelings with my excitement of us all being together.
These opposing feels create unbalance in me, and I want the joy to outweigh those feelings of discomfort.
I don’t like Thanksgiving, but I love being surrounded by my family.
I’m hopeful to find the right balance.
But even if I don’t, I’ll always have the parade.
And that’s fine by me.

Categories: me | Tags: balance, conflicted, family, giving thanks, joy, love, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving dinner | 3 Comments

Baby K weekend – November 2021

Posted on November 17, 2021 by robynbird

Last weekend was our Baby K weekend!
This kid, y’all!
At two and a half, she’s at that peculiar developmental place where she’s about seventy percent sweet like candy, and thirty percent rotten to the core. (she’s not really rotten…she’s appropriately moving between two and three)

She was already with her Papa when I got home from school Friday. She came running (the long way) around the island screeching, “BEEEEEE!”
All! The! Hugs!

It poured with rain so we didn’t make a trip to the playground.
Instead, we built with blocks.

Lately she’s all about playing veterinarian. Even though she left her doctor kit at home she still made sure Big Bird had a check up.

Mike and Josie came to visit Sunday morning.
Baby K was excited to have new grown-ups to play with.
Mike brought her one of his favorite books, Caps For Sale.
She loves this story, and does an enthusiastic “Tsz tsz tsz”!
Josie took this picture of us enjoying it together.

We took her home Sunday after her nap.
She was mad and sad about going home.
I told her that her mommy and daddy missed her and were ready for her to come home. She wanted to stay at “B-Papa house”.
She was content when Papa carried her down to the car and when I asked who she was going to hug first, she told me, “Cats!”
Thing 1 came out the front door when we arrived and Baby K went running across the yard shouting, “Momma!” But did not hug her mother.
I’m not sure she actually hugged the cats, but she was excited to see the dogs.

One weekend a month in which we get to play with, and be responsible for our granddaughter is absolutely one of our most favorite things!

Categories: me | Tags: B-Papa, B-Papa house, Baby K, Birdie and Baby K, family, granddaughter, grandfathers and granddaughters, grandmothers and granddaughters, grandparent, joy, love, Papa and Baby K, sleepover | 5 Comments

a tune for Tuesday vol 145

Posted on November 16, 2021 by robynbird

Willow Smith has come a long way from ‘I whip my hair back and forth’.
I freaking love her voice.
I especially like the chorus of this song.
I absolutely caught a vibe.
Check out Meet Me at Our Spot and let me know what you think.

Please listen responsibly.

Categories: music | Tags: caught a vibe, i dig music, Meet Me at Our Spot, music, tune for Tuesday, Willow Smith | Leave a comment

favorite things 11.11.21

Posted on November 11, 2021 by robynbird

Time for a game of favorites.
Y’all wanna play?

What’s your:

favorite ethnic food
Afghan food – specifically this little hole in the wall called Kabul Kabab House in Bristow

favorite hiding spot when you need time alone
When I was a little girl, it was high up in the branches of the maple tree in our front yard.
As a grown up girl, it’s in my car.

favorite type of bird

favorite boss
Dr Jeff – I ran his chiropractic practice and he paid me peanuts, but he made me laugh.

favorite childhood movie
The Scarecrow is still my favorite!

favorite magazine to read
depending on my mood it’s either the The Atlantic or Southern Living

favorite thing about summer
being at the ballpark

music venue
This is a no-win tie between two great DC venues: The Lincoln Theatre and The Anthem

casual wear
a sweater, jeans, and boots

pizzeria
Tony’s in Bristow – their lasagna pizza is my all time favorite
(lasagna ingredients: seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella, on pizza instead of with noodles)

What about y’all?
What are your favorites?

Categories: me | Tags: ballpark, baseball, fall fashion, favorite, favorite things, pizza, robin bird, robin birds, robins, Southern Living, The Anthem, The Atlantic, The Lincoln Theatre, The Wizard of Oz, Washington Nationals, what's your favorite | 2 Comments

a tune for Tuesday vol 144

Posted on November 9, 2021 by robynbird

The opening line of this song is ‘Don’t act so special, what I do is not for you.’ and that was it for me.
Check out Hush by The Marias, and let me know what you think!

Please listen responsibly.

Categories: music | Tags: Hush, i dig music, music, The Marias, tune for Tuesday | Leave a comment

would you rather – partie quatorze

Posted on November 8, 2021 by robynbird

travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury
this is a tricky one…
I’m not sure a year long enough to see the entire world, especially on a limited budget. But, spending an entire year in one country would provide quite the opportunity to explore every aspect…I’m looking at you, Italy.
I choose staying luxuriously in one country

every third thought you have be out loud or never be alone no matter what you are doing
every third thought
After a while I’d learn to manage the timing and not express too many inappropriate thoughts…

take an all expenses paid dream vacation every year for a month or have the job of your dreams
Another tricky one!
Why do I do this to myself?
While a free month long vacay sounds divine, real life is in those other eleven months.
I choose dream job!

be a successful artist or a successful business owner
successful artist
Unless…my successful business involved my art…?
I don’t think this is a have your cake and eat it too sort of situation…so I’ll stick with my initial answer.

be covered in fur or covered in scales
fur
even though I’d be hot covered in fur, the idea of being covered in scales freaks me out

What about y’all?
What would you rather?

Categories: me | Tags: fun, playful, thought provoking, would you rather | 6 Comments

in the loft

Posted on November 4, 2021 by robynbird

I finally am completely unpacked in the loft!
Because of the way it’s shaped, it easily divided into two specific areas in the larger space.

When you first come up the stairs you see my library space.

This is the nonfiction bookshelf.
Top, second, and third shelves down the right hand side is all journals. (is three shelves of journals not enough? too much? just right? the world may never know…)

Turning to the left you see my creative space.

I’ve got a couple creative projects I’m ready to tackle, and these tables are the perfect space to get started.

This view is sitting on that tiny stool in the previous photo looking toward the library space.

This the fiction bookshelf.
All four shelves across the bottom are picture books and I am here for it!

YBW helped me hang all the art.
I’m still finding places for small photos and tchotchkes on the shelves.

I spent the majority of the afternoon and evening last Friday in the chair in the foreground finishing a book called The People We Keep.
Now if I can just figure out how to write comfortably in this space…

Categories: around the house, me | Tags: creating a home, creative space, feather your nest, library, new home, work and play, work space | 11 Comments

Halloween kitty

Posted on November 3, 2021 by robynbird

Since we moved into our new home, YBW and I have seen only a handful of kids.
Maybe ten kids total? They all look to be middle school age and younger.
This created some debate regarding Halloween.

My favorite thing is to sit on the porch and wait for the kids to come. Even the big high school age kids, if they’ve put forth any effort to ‘dress up’ I’m all about them having candy. Let them hold on to their childhood a bit longer.

Halloween in this new neighborhood would leave me disappointed and trust me when I say, nobody wants that. Not to mention all the leftover candy…and trust me when I say, neither of us needs to eat all that candy.

So we decided we’d go out to celebrate Halloween with Baby K.
Her mommy wants to make group costumes work as long as humanly possible, and this year she went ‘old school’ with ‘traditional’ costumes. You know, witch, mummy, vampire, black cat, ghost…that kind of thing. Picture watching the Great Pumpkin…

YBW and I picked up pizza and went out to their house, excited about trick or treating.

Baby K was a kitty!

Thing 1, Husband N, and Baby K went out for a bit, and when they made it back around the block, the stopped off at the porch. But, Baby K wasn’t finished yet! She asked that “B-Papa” take her out for a bit.
Y’all! We had the best fun walking with that girl!
She said “Trick or treat!” and “Thank you!” and even met another (bigger) girl dressed as a cat.
At one house there were a ton of big kids. The family was hosting a party. After our little kitty trick or treated, thanked the lady and man, she started after the big kids to join the party! We were like, um, this is a party for big kids, and you’re not quite a big kid just yet. She wasn’t hearing it and wanted to hang out with those teenage girls!
When we came down the hill and she saw her house, she said, “MOMMA! DADDY!” and dragged me along to get home faster.

She danced on the porch and ate a third of her body weight in candy.
I had the honor of tucking her in at bed time.
YBW and I came home full of pizza and a whole lot of Baby K love!
It was a mighty fine Halloween!