What have I been up to these days?

• Window painting. Something I have been wanting to do for years. A friend of my family has done it during the holidays for years. She takes her earnings and splurges on Christmas. So I decided to try it too. So far I have painted my window, a neighbor's, two McDonald's, a Fry's and I have a couple more lined up. For a couple pictures see the link at the top called Window Painting.
• I have been working on a painting for a Christmas present for my Grandmother. I have her name this year. She has wanted an oil painting from me for a while now. Her style is something southwestern with pastel colors. Both really different from me. So it has been a challenge to figure out a picture that I would like to do and that she would like to have.
• Talmage and I have been wanting to write a children book for Heber and Hannah for a while. So we decided to make it for Christmas for them. It is called "A Day in the Life of Mighty and Magnificent". I have one page illustrated and Talmage has a couple of the pages written out. I took a lot of searching to find a toddler proof book that we could have our story printed in but I found a website that sends you blank books. Then you print out your story on clear film and stick them in the book.
• I have been getting stuff ready for Olive, two more months to go, although I keep getting the "any day now?" comment. All our spare dressers are being used by Angel and Seth so I have been on the prowl for a new dresser for Olive. My Aunt Lois came across a dresser at a yard sale. She's a beauty. It is my favorite dresser in the whole house. I would show you pictures but my camera is MIA and my placenta head can't remember where it went.
• I made this car seat for Olive. I had a hard time deciding on the material but once I found some material that I liked and it just came together with some material that I had laying around.
• I already put up the Christmas tree before Halloween. Crazy I know. I figured the sooner the better because I am only going to get bigger. So I'll just do a little at a time and it will be fun, pressure free holiday decorating.

That is all I got for now.

My mom came to visit last week. A pleasant, unexpected surprise. So blogging was pushed to the back burner. And I am going to push it to the back burner some more. Just a few notes of what is going on in my life though.
Heber's arm was hurt yesterday, we went to urgent care this morning. I was trying to lead him to the backyard. He was having a tantrum and through himself on the floor. I heard and felt something pop. They found nothing on the x ray but think it might be a fracture. He looks so cute with his hospital gown, which they gave him, and caste.
I had an ultrasound of Olive and she is doing wonderfully. But I lost 3 lbs because I have been feeling nauseous and food sounds unappetizing generally. Generally, not always, sometimes I have something that really hits the spot. My stomach has been hurting, which is why I am up now, the Dr. said that I have a hernia. It hurts when I bend over and when I pick up Heber and Hannah. I remember similar pain with Heber and Hannah, but just thought it was part of being pregnant.
Talmage has the Fundamentals of Engineering test tomorrow, all day. He has been a little stressed in anticipation of it. He has been studying hard for months now and I really think he will do well.

Dishes

One trick we have around here to keep the dishes down is assigned cups. Mine are any of the clear, beveled glasses. Seth's is the bigger ASU. The kids have ASU and sippy cups. Angel has the smooth glass. Talmage has the UofA cup. We all have 3 to 7 of our kind of cups, except for Seth. He only has one and seems content with it.

Sorry, I wasn't able to get on the computer yesterday at all. Between Talmage studying for school and my sister writing a paper. I was only on it to edit her paper. I was full of big promises and high hopes. A post a day, what was I thinking! Idiot!

Laundry

I know you are thrilled to know how laundry is done around here.
Firstly, Talmage brings the dirty laundry down from our bedroom (because he is wonderful). I try to wash one or two batches a day and put it away before I get started on another batch. I used to wash a whole bunch of loads at once. The problem with that is that they get piled up in my bedroom and left until who knows when.I hang the tots clothes and I throw the clothes in their dressers. Shirts, pants and others all in different drawers. Yes, you heard me right, I do not fold their clothes.
For Talmage and me I hang all of our nice shirts, pants and for me, skirts. I color code all our hanging up clothes. I think that it makes it easier to find clothes and it just looks cleaner.
Call me crazy but I hang my clothes on white hangers and Talmage has all the blue and dark hangers. Hannah's hanger's are pink, clear and white and Hebs has all the blue and dark hangers.

About every couple weeks I reorganize our non hanging clothes. What are some of your tricks that make laundry run smoother or that make it worth you while?

I love processes, charts or anything to organize how something is done. So naturally I like figuring out what make things run easier and more efficient around the house. Like how are chores done, laundry, meals, etc. I just eat up other peoples blog post on these topics. Next week, Monday through Friday you'll get a post a day finding how it is all done here at the Hansen's. My treat to you.

Question: Who's smarter, Talmage or Rachel?

I thought that this blog post would be a quick and easy. I'd just say that I personally think that Talmage takes the cake on this one because he is so methodical, scholarly, and continue to list all the other reasons why. When I showed him the post though he said that I didn't give myself enough credit.So I found this table online talking about six different areas of smarts and categories within those areas. Then Talmage and I rated ourselves on scale of zero to five in each area. Zero being "dumber then a box off rocks" and five being "pretty good or excellent".

The grand total came out to be the same. So we perceive ourselves as equally smart. The fun thing was to see where we each held our smartness strength.

What category of smartness do you think you do best in? Visual-Spatial, Verbal- Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical-Rhythmic, Interpersonal or Intrapersonal?