ITALY: Part 1

Are you ready for this? This post has turned into a monster, so I am splitting it up into separate parts. Here is Part 1, covering the beginning of planning through our stay in Rome.

Let's start at the beginning...

Before I met Matt, I was not well-traveled. Until I was seventeen, I had never been east of Utah, north of Oregon, or south/west of California. That was my world. After getting engaged and married, Matt and I experienced more of America than I ever thought I'd be able to see (or live in) in just a few short years. It has been wonderful.

But, aside from the States, I had a wish list of international vacations, in prioritized order. The number one place I had wanted to visit, ever since the morning of my first Humanities class in college, was Italy. ITALY. Specifically Florence, Rome, and Venice. Matt has known that for more than seven years, and has worked hard to be able to take me there.

Last Christmas, my dear husband surprised me with my dream vacation. He had arranged everything -- the flights, hotels, trains, travel dates, childcare. He even got a travel package with the exact cities I would have chosen, for just the right amount of time. Not at the height of tourist season, but warm enough to enjoy being outside. Close to our anniversary. It was perfect.

I spent many many hours researching about Italy in the weeks leading up to our trip. I borrowed books from the library, got tips from friends who had made the trip before me, took basic Italian lessons on my computer, dug up my old Humanities text book from college to review, and bought the ultimate Italy guide book by Rick Steves, which I will recommend to everyone. He has books for different vacations in all kinds of places and he is extremely detailed, helpful, and well-organized. If you take a big trip like this, you will be happy you read one of his books first.

So basically, I did a lot of prep to make sure we wouldn't have to spend time figuring stuff out once we got there. I brushed up on my art history. I planned out each day of our trip, just in case we felt like following a schedule and maximizing each hour. It was so helpful to be prepared so we weren't backtracking around the city, so we knew what sites were close to each other, when they were open, how much they cost. Almost every restaurant was chosen after reviewing it in the guide book first. Before arriving in each city, I knew about train schedules and bus routes. I had studied maps of each city so we wouldn't get too lost.

In writing this, it sounds like a lot of work to prepare, but I would never call it WORK. This stuff was SO MUCH FUN for me. I loved learning more about my favorite things and my favorite places. And once we got there, I felt like I knew enough to be able to lead Matt around semi-confidently, making the most of our trip. Playing "tour guide" was my little way of thanking him for getting us there.

Okay, enough. Let's get to the good stuff!

Days 1-2

Travel lesson #1: Never let go of your passports.

We woke up really early to drive the 2.5 hours to the Detroit airport. Matt's mom flew in a few days before to stay with the boys during our trip. We caught our flight to Dulles (DC) for a long layover. We spent a few hours wandering through different terminals, killing time, looking for good food (found Five Guys Burgers and Fries...mmm). When it came time to board our direct flight to Rome, the unthinkable happened.

We could not find our passports. Anywhere. 

We had used them to check in in Detroit, so we knew they weren't at home. We took apart every bag in our search, retraced our steps throughout the huge airport, but had no luck. This happened to be the exact day that Continental and United Airlines merged, so every employee was running around like chickens with their heads cut off, unfamiliar with the new computer system, not wanting to work together (unionized vs. non-unionized workers), and sending us away to different desks every time we tried to get some urgent help. When the clock showed that we definitely missed our flight, Matt had to keep me from bursting into tears, while I had to keep him from throwing punches at ridiculously unhelpful airport personnel.

We went to six different desks before finally finding a couple of really nice airline employees who took time to actually help us. They located our last plane and had someone check our seat back pockets for the passports, called security at the Detroit airport, checked with lost and found, made a bunch of long phone calls on our behalf, and told us how to get the embassy in DC if we needed to get new emergency passports the next morning. They were SO helpful. Eventually, we learned that someone in Detroit had found our passports there. They must have fell out of my bag going through security and we had gone hours and hours without realizing they were missing. Ugggggh.

The next step was to put our passports on a plane heading to Dulles so they could get to us. Which they did, exactly three minutes before we supposed to board the last flight of the night that left for Europe. Matt picked up our passports from the flight attendant and raced through the huge airport to our gate so we could catch the plane to Germany, where we'd have another long layover before flying to Rome. It was such a long, stressful, agonizing day.

All in all, it worked out okay. We got to Rome Monday night, about ten hours later than we would have. This means we missed the whole day of sight-seeing, but honestly we were so ready to have a real night of sleep after 32 hours of travel that we were happy to just get to the hotel and finally relax.

Day 3

First Day in Rome

We woke up and grabbed free breakfast at the hotel. By "breakfast" I mean juice and rolls with an assortment of butter and jam. We had a charming little walk along back streets, down a big hill, through a park, and then suddenly out of nowhere, we saw it...

The Colosseum. What is amazing about Rome is all the ancient art, much much older than the Renaissance art in Florence. We're talking BC in many cases, and AD 80 for the Colosseum. It is breathtaking to see these enormous, calm, ancient, ornate buildings rise up in the middle of noisy streets and busy sidewalks filled with people from all over the globe. It's like worlds colliding across time.

I felt very still in the Colosseum, considering the things that happened and the lives that ended there. It's hard to imagine a world where people killed each other for sport. Matt felt like a gladiator in there, and requested this silhouette picture in one of the doorways.

Next we passed the Arch of Constantine, which marks the battle that led to the legalization of Christianity, a major turning point in history. We toured the Roman Forum (with the help of my guide book), which was the civic center of ancient Rome. It's like a neighborhood of ancient temples, basilicas, arches, and government meeting houses, all in ruins. The Temple of Saturn blew us away when we learned it was built in 497 BC. That is so old! And part of it is still standing!

We saw the spot where Julius Caesar's body was burned after his assassination, where people still come to leave fresh flowers in his honor. Before leaving the Forum, we hiked up Palatine Hill, where all the emperors used to build their palaces within view of the Circus Maximus. 

Here's a picture of me standing in the House of the Vestal Virgins, who tended the sacred flame in the Temple of Vesta. These virgins served 30-year terms, starting before age ten. If they abstained through the end, they were given huge dowries and allowed to marry. If not, they were strapped to a funeral car, paraded through the streets, taken to a crypt, given a loaf and a lamp, and buried alive. Maybe I shouldn't be smiling here...

Then it was time to head toward the Vatican to catch our museum reservations. We walked up to a metro stop and found the Church of Saint-Peter-in-Chains on our way. This church displays the chains that held St. Peter, and the famous Moses statue carved by Michelangelo.

We made it to the neighborhood of the Vatican a little early and stopped to eat lunch. It took too long to get our food, so we grabbed it and ran, trying to hoover our weird, not-so-great salads while speed-walking up the big hill and around the wall to the museum. (The Vatican is actually considered its own city/country, so there's a huge wall surrounding it.) Don't worry, we made it.

The Vatican Museum was amazing and endless. Highlights for me were the Egyptian mummies, the Laocoon, Raphael's School of Athens, and of course the Sistine Chapel. Most museums don't let you take pictures, so sorry for the lack thereof.

Next we walked back around the long city walls to St. Peter's Basilica. The square is massive. I should've taken more pictures while we were standing in line to enter the basilica, but it was a little rainy. Once inside...it was so enormous that it was hard to believe we were actually inside. Amazing. I only wish we would've stayed longer and come on a warm sunny day to see what it would look like in that lighting. 

We admired Bernini's seven story bronze canopy (made from bronze taken from the coffered ceiling of the Pantheon), which sat directly over St. Peter's tomb. We saw Michelangelo's Pieta, one of my favorite sculptures ever, behind its thick bullet proof glass. I wish I wish I wish they would let people get closer to Michelangelo's work. Well maybe not everyone, but definitely me. If you haven't seen this sculpture, look it up and stare at it for a while. It's a spiritual experience.

That spiral ramp/staircase was in the Vatican Museum. It was crazy long, and they had a bunch of funny signs cautioning people not to fall down the stairs. I took a picture for Josh.

On our way back toward the center of Rome, we tried withdrawing more cash and realized that both of Matt's debit cards were expired (great timing), and mine were back at the hotel. Good thing we had just enough left for dinner and gelato. I was the sugar mama money bags for the rest of the trip, and I quite liked that. :)

Anyway...on the way back, we walked by Castel Sant'Angelo and a handful of beautiful bridges along the river. We saw the Ara Pacis (Arch of Peace) through the museum windows, because we're classy like that and don't pay to enter unless we have to. We ate dinner at a nice yummy place called Gabriello's, and stumbled upon a film set in the back streets while waiting for the restaurant to open. 

After dinner, we walked up the Spanish Steps and met up with Erica, one of my oldest friends from kindergarten, who is finishing up grad school in Rome. With Erica, we found our way to the Trevi Fountain, making sure to throw a couple coins in for good luck. I learned that those coins are collected daily to feed Rome's poor. Too bad we threw in two American pennies, which doesn't even equal the amount of the smallest coin they have in Europe. That'll help.

Next we went searching for a good gelato place and tried one called San Crispino. It was probably the most expensive, most unsatisfying dessert I've ever bought. We really tried to like it. I think we picked the exact wrong flavors, because after that we were seriously worried that we were freaks of nature and that our whole trip would be ruined because we apparently didn't like gelato. Luckily we tried a different place a couple nights later and fell in deep, passionate, eternal love for the stuff from then on. Phew! Trip saved!

We also stumbled upon the Pantheon that night. It was just sitting in the middle of a square surrounded by a bunch of restaurants and apartments, hidden away until you turned the right corner and then BAM! What a sight. It was beautifully lit at night, but not open, so we went back the next day. 

After a very long day of being on our feet, we took the bus back with Erica, who surprisingly lives only two blocks from where we were staying. It was so fun to see her!

Day 4

Last Day in Rome

After "breakfast", we started off walking through Trajan's Market and Forum, another area of ruins, including the famous Trajan's Column. We took some pictures in front of the Victor Emmanuel Monument, sitting in the square where Mussolini used to give his speeches. The Romans call this monument "the wedding cake" or "the dentures". It's newer for Rome, built in 1870 to honor Italy's first king, and locals don't like it. It has the largest equestrian statue in the world, the king's moustache being over five feet wide. It offers some nice views of the Forum and the city. Here is Matt wishing he could have a five-foot-wide moustache too.

We walked up Michelangelo's grand staircase to Capitol Hill, where we went through the Capitoline Museums. Highlights were the 13th century She-Wolf with little Romulus and Remus, Marcus Aurelius on horseback, a bunch of amazingly old, well-preserved letters/documents from all kinds of historical figures, and the massive broken chunks of Constantine that used to stand in his Basilica in the Forum. You can imagine how huge the basilica is just by figuring how tall this statue used to be when it was in one piece.

I hear you, She-Wolf. Some days you feel like you're suckling all day long and are never free to run!

By the way, there are approximately this many scooters/motorcycles everywhere you look in Rome. I had to stop and take this picture for Josh.

For lunch we stopped at a pizzeria on our way to the Pantheon. Of all the massive, ornate, ancient, beautiful buildings we saw on our trip, this was probably my favorite. So old and solid. So symmetrical. Such an incredible feat of engineering. It was built for people to worship from all religions (hence the name), and because of this accepting nature it was left untouched when barbarians sacked Rome. Matt and I were both kind of bothered that the Christians filled it with a bunch of their own statues, when it was made for non-specific religious purposes. Does that make sense? Even though we're Christians ourselves? Anyway, I could talk about the Pantheon for a while, so I won't. If you can, go there. And learn its history first. We listened to a free audiotour that we downloaded from Rick Steves before the trip, and that's the way to go with a lot of these sites.

Can you tell we got tired of taking normal pictures really fast?

From there, we walked up a lot of hills all the way to the Borghese Gallery to catch our reservations. I could have stayed and stared at Bernini's sculptures for much longer. Especially his David and his Apollo and Daphne. Really beautiful and lifelike and emotional. (Again, no pictures allowed. Sorry.)

We walked/bussed back south to Piazza Navona, where we saw some beautiful fountains lit up at night, and had a good dinner at Ciccia Bomba. I was too tired after that to walk around looking for Giolitti's famous gelateria, so we decided to take the bus home and try the gelato Erica recommended by our hotel. We got there too late, and it was closed. But remember, we weren't too disappointed because we still thought we didn't really like gelato. We were willing to give it another chance, but it wasn't urgent. (Wow, that almost sounds blasphemous to me now!)

And with that thought, I will leave you. I think that's already way more than enough for one post, so I'll save the rest for later.

TSN: Week 12

This post is a little late, but I have a good excuse.

Matt made homemade maple bars last night, and I was too busy stuffing my face, resting and digesting to feel like blogging. I kept telling myself, "They're homemade donuts. That means they're better for me, so I can get away with eating twice as many as I would at the bakery, right?" I'm sticking to it. They are divine. I'm eating another one right now, in fact.

Here's my Try Something New Week 12:

March 18 -- This was our 6th wedding anniversary! Matt left me that morning for Aspen, his secret lover. (He also left me for Aspen on Valentine's Day this year, so I know it's serious.) He claims it was for work. I guess I should assume he's innocent until proven guilty. He did come back with a crazy bad sunburn on the lower half of his face, so I guess we showed him. Sorry, so distracted today.... What new thing did I try? I taught the primary kids a new song to sing for the congregation on Easter Sunday. It's one I had never sung before, called "Did Jesus Really Live Again?" The words tell a story and teach a lesson, so I like it.

March 19 -- Started reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I was waiting in the car and was bored, when I saw this book sitting in the console. I had ordered it for book group last month but didn't have time to read it with all my Italy prep. (That post is coming soon -- I promise!) It's about a POW in WWII, so it seems like it will be an interesting read.

March 20 -- I let Josh unload the dishwasher by himself. He surprised me with how carefully he stacked and sorted everything onto a dry towel on the counter, organizing all the bowls and cups and plates for me to put away easily. Then he did the silverware by himself, no questions asked, like a pro. No broken dishes yet. I LOVE that my child is old enough to start doing chores that are actually helpful!

March 21 -- Successfully switched Jude from formula to whole milk! Victory! It is so much nicer than scooping and cleaning up messes of formula powder all day. I had never done this before, since Josh was allergic and went straight from nursing to soy milk in a sippy cup. I still half expect Jude to vomit each time I give him a bottle of cow's milk, but far so good.

March 22 -- Started reading my new GMAT 800 book to see if I'll be interested in taking the test. Right now, testing is the next step toward grad school, so I figured I should at least explore my options and figure out what I might be good at. Don't get all excited...this is nothing serious right now. I'm just exploring.

March 23 -- Created a really cool track out of garbage. Josh and I found some treasures in our recycle bin and made this pathway for bouncy balls and gumballs to roll down. He got so excited every step of the way and high-fived me each time a test run worked. Jude constantly tries to destroy our little project, but here's the beautiful thing...it's already garbage!

March 24 -- Helped Matt with a new recipe called Beer Can Chicken. Not made with actual beer, but rubbed and flavored with aromatics placed in a can, then shoved up the rear of a whole raw chicken and grilled for a few hours. It was delicious. Also, I bought myself some new clothes at Target, AND wore a beautiful new scarf that I brought home from Florence, sooo...triple whammy.

Jude's First Birthday

Jude had his first birthday a couple of weeks ago. We had a tiny, last minute party the night before Matt and I left for Italy to try to assuage our guilt for missing the real day.

If I was a good, indulgent mom, I'd probably grant his every wish on this special day.

Imagine with me...a party that takes place inside the dishwasher. There's a tasting table of all Mommy's colorful hair products and perfumes. An anti-gravity machine makes sure you can roll off all the couches and beds you want without getting hurt. There are nice warm mud puddles everywhere to relax in, and nobody has to wear diapers all day long. You have free reign of all the electrical outlets, remote controls, and computers to tear apart at your leisure. Hundred of pens and markers wait in one big accessible pile, so you can pull off the lids, suck the ink, and draw on whatever/whomever you like. Additionally, there's a box of crayons solely for eating, and a bucket full of candy so you can practice chewing through the wrappers, which taste almost as good as the candy inside. And finally, what's a good party without a keg full of milk, equipped with a tube that lets you drink as much as you want from any position imaginable.

Alas, I am not that mom. So a small, last minute party is what Jude got.

The birthday boy wasn't too sure about anything. I couldn't get smiles out of him for the camera. I think he was too confused about why he was suddenly allowed to rip all that paper and eat his own cupcake. He looked wary like this for much of the night.

Here are the party guests. These kids are all so good to my boys. Thank you for coming and making this feel like a special occasion!

 Jude had plenty of help opening presents. Good thing Josh is an expert, and willing to share his skills.

 

Josh helped me make and frost funfetti cupcakes. He chose the frosting color, the sprinkles, and even had the idea of putting gummy worms on top from his own personal stash.

Jude was most excited by the fire.

Josh offered his services again when it came time to blow out the candle.

And because I'm a mom, here are too many pictures of my baby experiencing his first cupcake. Enjoy.

I'll try to explain what Jude is like as a big bad one-year-old. Some of his favorite activities lately:

Shapes. If there is a smaller object that will fit inside a larger object, he wants to make it happen. Every time he sees an opening (a water bottle, a hollow toy, an outlet) he wants to stick something in it. He tries to shove pretzels and veggie straws in my water bottles. He constantly dissembles pens and tries to fit the pieces back how they were. Same with lids and their containers. He wants to fit them together exactly. We're going to push him towards engineering.

He likes to try to feed himself. He dips his spoon in the baby food, stirs it around a little, then flings it up to his face to lick off whatever stuck. It doesn't work well.

He's obsessed with the dishwasher, toilets, and his dad. Ten points to whoever can tell me something those three have in common.

Every time he's in his high chair, he makes his own concoctions. Never to be eaten, they're just experiments. He thinks he's so sneaky when he slips a half-chewed piece of bread into his sweet potatoes, peeking up at me from the corner of his eye to make sure I catch his defiance, but not quick enough to stop him. He throws whatever he can into the container and mixes until he decides it needs a little something more, which he usually finds in the lip of his bib or just within his surprisingly long reach on the counter.

When we play outside, there is a constant ring of dirt around his mouth from tasting sticks and chewing on rocks. (It's good for your teeth.)

He says the words "mama", "dada", something like "more", and "nigh-nigh". He waves, gives high fives, plays peek-a-boo, claps, tries to do the Eensy Weensy Spider hands, jumps on the couch, and makes funny faces with Matt. He tickles and teases his big brother mercilessly.

He tastes everything he crawls across on the floor, every sizable crumb (there are always plenty to choose from around here).

He is trying to walk, getting braver every day. Sometimes he'll stand by himself if he's not paying attention. Once he notices what he's doing, he flops down.

Also he needs a haircut badly.

As far as I know, his only fears are the vacuum (on or off) and live dogs. We're talking near-heart-attack-causing fears here. I have never seen an infant physically shake like he does when a hyper dog surprises him. It's really sad. 

He's starting to recognize animals and tries to imitate when I label them. Right now his favorites seem to be ducks and tigers. In this video he gets really excited every time he finds the duck in his book.

By the way, here are the stats from his check up this week.
Height: 29.5" = 45th percentile
Weight: 21.6 pounds = 30th percentile
Head Circ: 19" = 93rd percentile

"That head...It's like an orange on a toothpick!"

TSN: Weeks 10 and 11 + ITALY preview

We're back! Back from Italy, that is. NOT back into a normal routine and sleep schedule. NOT back into the level of Mom Mode that doesn't seem constantly scatterbrained. (Does that mode even exist?) But physically, I am back in this chair in front of my computer in my home.

I can give a more detailed report of our amazing trip as soon as I get all the pictures together. For now, my "Try Something New" post might seem pretentious and annoying as I flaunt some of the favorite new things I experienced over the last two weeks. Try not to hate me. And I will try to stay focused on only the favorites of each day and not be too long-winded.

Try Something New: Week 10

March 4 -- Flew across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time! Also lost our passports in Detroit. No big deal. Found 'em. Started reading Crossed, the sequel to Matched. I am such a teenager.

March 5 -- Got my passport stamped in Germany during a layover. Withdrew Euros from a bancomat (ATM). I felt like I was using Monopoly money the whole trip. Why is foreign currency so funny to me? Seriously, the ten Euro bill is pink and small with a shiny metallic ribbon on the side, and the coins look like Chuck E. Cheese tokens. How is that real life??

March 6 -- Walked through the Colosseum. I know I use the word "awesome" a lot, but this was literally AWE-some. Sitting right there next to a busy intersection and metro stop, it looked like it was going to keep crumbling right into the crowds. I felt like I needed to be reverent there. We also saw the enormous Vatican Musuem and St. Peter's Basilica that day, and were disappointed with our first Italian gelato.

March 7 -- Missed my son's birthday. Jude turned one. I am the worst. Also saw the Pantheon in Rome. It's definitely in my top five.

March 8 -- Walked the same streets as Michelangelo in Florence. Climbed to the top of the Duomo through tiny little stone staircases and hallways that would probably give my mom a claustrophobic panic attack. Coolest thing ever. Also saw the David at the Academia, and I will call that the coolest thing ever too.

March 9 -- Uffizi Gallery. Admired some of my favorite paintings by Botticelli.

March 10 -- Saw a beautiful Michelangelo Crucifix in Santo Spirito church. Did the most expensive loads of laundry ever at an Italian laundromat. (Meaning the machines were expensive to run. The clothes in the washers not so much.)

TSN: Week 11


March 11 -- Train ride to Venice. It is as beautiful as it looks in all the pictures and movies. No cars allowed. Not overwhelmed with sites. Made for and supported by tourists. Matt calls it Disneyland for adults. (Even though, as an adult, I still think Disneyland itself is pretty awesome.)

March 12 -- Took my first vaporetti ride. It's a water bus through the Grand Canal of Venice. Found the world's best gelato.

March 13 -- Toured St. Mark's Basilica and St. Mark's Square. This is the one with a million pigeons, where everyone tries to get pictures touching them. It is disgusting. But the basilica was amazing. It's like walking into a treasure chest, there is so much gold. Also, I'm sure you'll want to know that I used a bidet for the first time. There was one in each of our hotel rooms, so on the last day, I couldn't resist.

March 14 -- Flew home. I watched Tower Heist on the airplane and tried to get into Mad Men, but failed. Sounds kind of boring after all the rest, but it was actually nice to be able to sit for a whole day instead on walking for hours and hours. We were tired.

March 15 -- Was not recognized or warmly welcomed home by my baby. This had never happened before. It took Jude a couple hours to decide to like me again after I abandoned him. (Even though he reached for Matt right away. Jerk husband.) Another new thing -- played with a tomato splat toy that Matt got for Josh in Venice. It's pretty funny. I will show you when you come over to visit.

March 16 -- Back to normal life. Designed a garden plot for our Dow Gardens class this summer. I am so excited to learn how to grow stuff! Also tried a new recipe for shish kabobs because it was warm outside and perfect for grilling.

March 17 -- Played basketball at the church gym with some girls (and a couple guys). Why can't we do this every week?? It was so much fun! That night I tried a new cobb salad and blue cheese dressing recipe. Matt said it was the best salad he had ever eaten. Thanks again, Our Best Bites Cookbook. You make me look good!

Try Something New : Week 9

February 26 - Played Bingo with the Primary kids in church to choose which songs we would sing. Success! They loved it. (At least the older ones did.)

February 27 - Went to a new place to get an oil change. Fulfilled the stereotype of "dumb blonde" many times over by knowing nothing about my own car when the guys asked me questions.

February 28 - Started reading my Rick Steves guide book to get ready for our Italy trip! Spent two whole days researching sites and planning out each day.

February 29 -- Reserved our tickets to the Vatican!! I've never bought anything that was priced in Euros before, so this combined a few different firsts for me. Have I mentioned how excited I am about this? Very. Very very very very very very.

March 1 - Met my friend's sweet new baby girl. I will eat you up Madison!

March 2 - Made green eggs and hash for Josh in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday. He loves colored food these days. I tried making hash browns out of fresh raw potatoes so I could use up the rest of the bag, and it was a sticky, mushy disaster.

March 3 - Tried a new auto place to get a headlight and taillight changed. Gave me a headache from so much cigarette smoke. Gross. BUT, they didn't charge me for the service, so...I guess I like them.

The Boys' Room

When we moved into this house, I was kind of overcome with all the possibilities that each room presented. I had the opportunity to start from scratch...everywhere! That's a pretty daunting task for someone who has learned to make do with whatever hand-me-downs and crappy old apartments have come my way.

When it came to the boys' room, I was inspired by the color scheme I saw on some of Jude's baby pajamas. I loved the fabric, but couldn't find it (or anything similar) anywhere. Nothing had the exact right colors I wanted in one piece to tie the whole room together.

So, I made my own. I looked at Jude's tiny little jammies and painted a similar design on a cheap square canvas from Michaels, and VOILA! Color scheme set!

I wanted to have a set of homemade artsy pieces together on the wall, so I took the same colors used in my painting and had each of the boys make their own.

Jude needed some help at his age, so I painted rainbows on his feet and made him stomp around on the canvas.

Josh had fun painting his square a little each day. He ended up mixing some of the colors so much that they did not match at all, but with a little guidance (force) he covered that up with the next coat and even signed his name.

I know these pictures aren't great, but it was hard to get good lighting on the day I took them. Especially with navy blue walls. You get the idea though.

Another fun idea for an easy and cheap way to fill up wall space:

Take photos that look like the letters of your names. My sister gave us a frame two Christmases ago with similar pictures that spelled our last name, and I loved it. Such a good gift.

These ones are special because the boys and I took a walk around the neighborhood one day to find each letter. 

Excavator + wheel + marble track + garbage can handle  = J O S H

(All things that he can't live without!)

Umbrella + shovel + rock + tree branches = J U D E

One more idea while I have your attention.

This idea was inspired by a friend's blog, who did something similar with letters. I took some cardboard boxes and cut out these shapes: a train, a truck, and an airplane. Then I took some leftover yarn (I always have a bunch of little ends that I hate to waste) and wrapped it around the cardboard until it was covered. That's it! Easy, and absolutely free. And it's nice to have texture like that on the wall.

 

And lastly, I took some of that same paint from before and painted the dresser knobs to match. Again -- easy, quick, and free. My kind of project!

I don't know why I have no pictures of the whole room. The boys are asleep right now or I'd get one for you. All you're missing is a red rug, an aqua bedspread, some accent pillows, and an old bed and crib painted white. I love it all. 

I think all of the above projects only cost me about $25 total to complete. And they were really fun to do with my kids. Hope some of these ideas help if you're looking for cheap ways to decorate.