Artists have struggled with this for centuries

Cholita hung this up as a visual for her Family Home Evening lesson last night 

but was quick to point out:

"I'm not really sure if this is exactly what he looks like."

My guess is that "Hevinle Fothr" is as happy with her attempt as he is with any of the masters.

Operation Tweenybopper: Room Reveal

I'd call Rose's room about 80% done.  Most of the big stuff is done.  The walls are painted, the beds are made, pillows sewn.  We just need to recover lampshades (still puzzling over that one), make or buy curtains, make her a desk, and hang things on the wall.  O.K., so maybe 60% done.

Anyway, I loved her room in its previous state.  It was blue and pink and oh so little girly.

The quilt behind the bed was a "round robin" quilt.  I made the middle square and then it was passed on to 4 of Lyle's sisters who made additional borders.  I'll aways love it.

But sigh.

It was deemed way too little girlish and since this room was done 8 years ago, when our tween was a mere toddler, I agreed that it was time for an update.  

For convenience sake, I insisted on keeping both beds, even though it's now just a room for one.

  

 I also wanted to keep the sweet scalloped trim that Lyle had made. 

Little girlish though it may be, it would be a pain to replace, so it was staying.

Other than that, Rose was master of her domain.

She wanted a purple room.

I cringed.

I tried to talk up a very pale lavender.

Nope.  She wanted bright colors.

One day at the local plant nursery (of all places), we saw some very bright modern-looking floral prints that she loved and were our inspiration for the rest of the room.

Seeing how bright the pictures were, Rose agreed that maybe a lighter paint color would be better.

We held up her pictures in front of many different purple paint chips at the Benjamin Moore store.

I didn't even show her the paint names until she'd picked because I know she wouldn't have chosen something called "Winter Gray". 

But she did, and I love it.

And I pity the person who picks that color expecting gray,

because it's most assuredly purple,

but in a pleasing sort of way.

Lucy and I held up her pictures in a variety of configurations,

feeling like we were participating in a game of Twister,

and Rose mercifully decided quickly that she liked this grouping the best.

Obviously I still need to get the darn lamp shades for the wall sconces recovered,

but it's coming along.

I made the raspberry colored throw pillows and found the fleecy purple pillows at Costco.

The purple basket between the beds is from Ross and Rose stores all of her writing supplies there so she can scribble down middle-of-the-night story inspirations.

We love our tweenager and thankfully she adores her new room, incomplete though it may be.

The Times, They are A-Changin'

There's change with every new school year, generally good, getting-organized, moving into Fall type changes.

But in the change department, the 2012/2013 school year, puts all other years to shame.

The biggest change happened one week ago today.

When we dropped our oldest off at BYU Idaho for college.

We'd been in move-out mode for a few weeks, going through certificates, old jerseys, yearbooks, ancient stuffed animals, all things that could make a mother get a little misty-eyed.

The siblings?  Well, you'll notice some pink items hanging in his closet.  Cholita and XiXi had effectively moved into his room before he'd moved out.  With 5 kids, when a bedroom becomes available, it's big news.

Rose is now the sole occupant of her own room down the hall......more on that later.

I wish I'd gotten photos of moving Bruder into his apartment, but it was such a busy, blur of a day--moving boxes, organizing, grocery shopping, buying books--that the camera never left the car.

He did send me this photo of him and his roommate in the college broadcasting center.  

I texted him that I hoped that they weren't matching on purpose.

He responded, "No, it was an accident, but the girls think it's adorable."

In this week that he's been gone, we've noticed a few things:

*We have leftovers for the first time in years!

*I do far less laundry.

*The house is quieter.

*We laugh just a little bit less.

We miss him.

Moving on.

This one is also at a new school--the high school!  She turns 16 next month and has been in driver's ed. and now that Bruder is away from home, she has begun her "rule and reign" as the oldest.

She promises to be nice to her subjects.

Big changes for our writer girl too.  She is now at the middle school and thankfully loving it.

With our big room swap, Rose is thrilled with her new tweenager room, which we'll reveal as soon as I figure out a way to re-cover some lamp shades. (Any advice from experienced seamstresses would be appreciated!)

Cholita thinks the location of her new room is great, at the top of the stairs and right next door to a bathroom!  For the first time, she's at school all day and gets to bring a lunchbox!

And last but not least, XiXi.

He's a kindergartener now and loving the top bunk of the bunk bed.  Downstairs, we hear a loud thud every morning as he insists on bypassing the ladder.

He's not relishing being the only boy in the family (besides Dad, of course), and is hanging out more with Franklin.

Five kids, five different schools.

I have to keep my schedule with me at all times because I can't keep things like this in my head:

Cholita's bus arrives at 4:17, except on Wednesdays when it comes at 3:37,

Lucy's bus comes at 3:03, except on Thursdays when it comes at 1:33,

Rose's bus comes at 2:58, except when it comes at 2:08....

In a nutshell, everyone is growing up too fast.

But it's good.

Saying goodbye to Bruder, I didn't shed a tear.

Lyle complimented me on steeling myself, but I just didn't feel it.

 He's ready.  It's time.  He's in a great place.

And then before we'd even stopped for the night,

he sent a text that said, "Thanks.  I love you guys."

And then I cried!

Cholita is Seven!

Our sweet little birthday girl can beat a dead horse like nobody's business.   The days leading up to her big day were filled with questions:

Have you gotten my birthday list?  Has everyone in the family gotten my list?  Do you think that two people might get me the same thing?   If they do, how do I not hurt someone's feelings?  Have you all told each other what you're getting me so that doesn't happen?  What if I don't like my presents?  

You get the idea.  Much to her relief, she did not get two of the same present and she was gifted with several presents from her list.  XiXi bought her a Rapunzel wig, Rose bought her candy and a Rapunzel doll (yes, she's a big Tangled fan), and Mom and Dad got her a tiara and clip-on earrings....big dangly, gaudy clip-on earrings that she's already campaigning to wear to school.

I was especially impressed with the homemade presents from the big kids.  Lucy made her several items for her dolls: the throw pillows on the doll bed, the black dress (made from a sock), the adorable crocheted collar, several headbands, a doll bag, and inside the dollbag....

Just what every doll needs.....

a laptop.

I especially loved the bathtub, complete with a homemade loofah.

Bruder, who leaves for college day after tomorrow, spent many hours making Cholita an impressive bow and arrow set, just her size! 

She concentrates,

 let's it fly,

and has hit the bullseye more than once!

With her lost teeth and permanent ones coming in, she suddenly looks so much older.  

In so many ways, she's 7, going on about 14.

Happy birthday Cholita girl!

We love you to pieces!