confession

mainly because i would like your opinions. and i'll take them as only that. opinions. we know what they are like, right? anyway, here is the deal. i don't allow my boys to keep toys or books in their room. they own them, but i don't let them keep them inside. and here is why. BOYS ARE BORN WITH THE NATURAL INSTINCT FOR SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST AND ARE COMPLETELY TERRITORIAL AND ANYONE WHO TRIES TO ENCROACH ON SAID TERRITORY, WILL HAVE A HIT PUT ON THEM, OR THE OBJECT IN QUESTION. it is on their DNA code to destroy anything not nailed down.

there. i said it. i'm not a boy. i don't get boys. i think men should stay home and have to raise little boys. you know...it takes one to know one. that kind of thing. i know things are just things and toys are just toys, but it infuriates me beyond belief to buy something, only for it to be torn up that same day. no amount of discipline or teaching on how to take care of things seems to get through. (i'm sure some of your girls do it too, and you think i am terrible by talking about and blaming so much on the boys, but i can't compare them yet. and this is my blog, so i get to make my generalization.) i am so super mad at the cavewoman who thought it would be so much more civilized if her caveman could pee inside (or was it the woman who started going inside as to not get bitten on an exposed tush and the man came in and peed all over the floor in attempts to mark his territory??) anyway, tangent...here is the deal. a long time ago, i put a chain lock on the closet door in the bedroom because when they boys would strow toys every-stinkin'-where and then refuse for a whole day to clean them up (after repeated attempts at discipline), it was easier to put the offenders--the toys--in timeout than to repeatedly put him/them in. (and timeout isn't my sole choice of discipline...i'm just saying). and so when i had had enough, and people were old enough to reach said lock, i started loading them up in bins and taking them out to the garage. you know kids, they use toys as weapons, as stools...for most anything that it wasn't it's original intended use. DRIVES ME A LITTLE NUTTY. we are not rich. we don't have money to rebuy and i do my best to teach my kids how to treat/respect their/others' stuff. we don't have a play room (YET, BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON THAT HAS YET TO BE REVEALED TO ME, GOD HAS DECIDED TO KEEP US IN THIS HOUSE FOR ANOTHER YEAR...I DON'T RECALL PRAYING FOR PATIENCE) so what we have either has to be in their room--which they have proven needs to be a no-no, or outside. and outside is the current situation. but outside isn't ideal. so what's a mom to do? be content with going crazy? get rid of it all and become minimalists? stop doing laundry and turn that into a play area? just give up and let them have the living room? oh, and they love to play dress up. and while they have plenty of costumes, they started to get into all of their regular clothes. so those are now designated to other closets. am i expecting too much? (it's okay if you say yes.) i'm not expecting robots. just for them to take care of what they have and put it up when they are done. (i guess that is too much.)

ok. enough on that. can i ask for your help on something completely different? i have akward windows in the 2 front rooms of our house. (i have no really current full pics, but i think you get it.) how do i decorate these windows?

this was luke's room before he got a roommate. the sun comes in pretty strongly in the mornings, hence the need for the half moon cut outs (unless you tell me something to do to block it other than custom blinds, which ain't happening.) they are 6 feet in length and atrociously wide...like 84 inches i'm thinking. there is trim all around the windows and between the top of the window and the moon window, but no trim/moulding vertically between the windows.anyway, help me. it obviously doesn't have to be anything pre-made and i prefer to make something on my own...i'm just not sure what. another problem...i'd kind of like them to open and close. but if it's pretty enough, i can get over function. i mean, i already said i wasn't a boy.