Totoro Livin'

Our MAIN New Years resolution Jess and I made together is to live a Totoro life. That won't make sense to you if you haven't seen the movie, and actually it might not make sense to you even if you have. Jess and I are both weird people, and usually get something different out of things than other people do. That's my favorite thing about him, I can literally only think of about 3 people that I feel like know me very well at all, and only ONE who REALLY understands me-and it's Jess. It's the same way for him. Sometimes it's cool in really serious ways, other times it's cool when it comes to little things-like movies. There will be some tiny little thing that makes me laugh or smile, and I know it's something most people wouldn't think twice about, but I always know Jess will have noticed the same thing I did.

Anyway, back to our Totoro life-basically the movie is just really sweet and calm and peaceful, nothing too exciting in it. So our goal is to try and live a simpler life, and let the simple everyday things make us happy. I think we do a pretty decent job of that at times, but I want to try and focus less on material things, spend less money, and just be more content with my everyday tasks, and focus on how blessed we are. Because MAN are we blessed.

For now we can't buy ourselves a little farm, so we're starting small.

We have our chalk Totoro drawing up to remind us. :)
Jess has been doing a good job of it. He's worked a lot in the front yard, making it look nicer, but also made the kids a cute little play area. He created a little hiding place for them inside the bushes against the front of the house, where they can play and imagine. I would have LOVED it when I was little.

He trimmed away lots of branches, making a clearing inside, and making sure there were no sharp sticks to poke them. He even made a SECOND little hideout in the other bush, with a little passageway to get back and forth between them. SO cool.

They love it in there, and have a box Jess gave them to put little treasures in. He also hung a little jar in there from a piece of yarn for them to put other treasures in.
While he was working on it inside, kind of raking it out smooth, Paige was kneeling next to him and thanked him for making it for them, and told him she loved him. :)

Oh, and one of my little Christmas gifts came in the mail yesterday. I have nothing against those little stickers people put on their cars to represent each member of their family, but I never cared to buy any. UNTIL I found Totoro family stickers on Etsy! Awesome! Nobody will know what the heck it is, but it makes US happy.

So we went to wash the car before putting them on. The kids begged for the rainbow soap.
The bigger two loved it.
Neely was a little scared. But she got through it, and we came home to put up our little Totoro Jess, Totoro Brandi, Totoro Paige, Totoro Cason, and Totoro Neely.
They make me smile every time I go to the back of the car to buckle Paige in. Speaking of which, have I mentioned how Paige tells people she rides in "the trunk"? Haha, that's what she calls our 3rd row. I always wonder what people think.