Getting in the Swing

Sometimes, we arrive early enough to snap a group picture. Sometimes that picture turns out like this. = )

Grace drew me into her self portrait. = )

Juliet put a lot of detail and color in hers.

Juliet wanted a 'heart' hairstyle.  It kind of looked like a heart...

Grace and Alice wanted to be "twins" in their gray and pink dresses.

My second day of subbing this year was quite the ordeal.  One of my poor little kindergartners suffered a bout of anger.  The were responsible for cleaning up (with the help of a few adults) after calming down.  I was worn out last night.  But nobody bit me!

Emily drew a paw for me, and I turned it into a vinyl logo for them to sell for their fun run fundraiser this year.  I figured the paw print was a fairly popular mascot/logo so I left off the words.  As of this posting we still have a couple available if you are interested!  (Suggested $5 donation.)

I added Bearcats below it on my car, because that's who we support! ; )

Today was an early release Wednesday, which are my favorite.  I really wish school ended this early everyday.  It gives us time to work on homework, have time to play, eat, and play some more, at less than a breakneck speed.

Only 2 days left this week!

later days

Renaissance Festival

Going to the Ren Faire is one of our favorite fall family activities.  Up here it starts in August and runs through September, and is approximately the same temperature as the one near Houston in October & November. 

This year was the first year that we had to pay admission for all 5 of our little ones, since the twins turned 5 in April!  My friend Cass scored some discount tickets for me and Billy at Costco, that included a turkey leg!

Emily wanted to bring Skippyjon, so I told her she had to wear the backpack all day.  She agreed, but since the backpack we found was Spiderman, William actually did most of the carrying.

Listening to the dragon egg story.

A tree in the background had been carved into a very tall wooden statue, and William was trying to put his arm around it.

The first time, Billy didn't quite hit the bell.  But, when he went back the second time, he hit it twice! I didn't get it very far up at all, but each of the kids wanted to try too.  Grace also participated, but the worker running the stand stepped in to help her, and it was not a flattering picture of her or Grace.  None of the rest of us hit the bell. = (

 
Posing with their festival goodies.

How William would run things:

The final thing we did at the faire was watch the pie eating contest.  Emily was chosen, and we cheered her on!

They were all declared winners (because they were all pretty messy) but Emily was wearing the most whipped cream at the end. = )

She received a coupon for an ice cream and a train museum.  We gave the train ticket away, because it is unlikely that we would make the drive for that before the coupon expired.  She did enjoy the ice cream though.  = )

This was Emily's favorite picture of Skippyjon from the day.

The lemonade had some flavored bubbles in it.  Emily fished one out.

Grace's face painting.

Alice found a dragon and unleashed her 'inner dragon.' = )

We had a nice time.  I'm sure next year will be even more fun, now that everyone knows what it is they want to do.

later days

Projects

With my children in school, I had time and opportunity to sand and repaint our handrails.  The brick I used to sand was some awful porous thing that was like holding a nail file, so I had to wear Billy's work gloves to get the job done.

 Before sanding:

After sanding:

The sanding was the worst of it.  But step two said to wash it down with soap and water and let it dry.  The soap and water wasn't bad, but the drying took so long, I went up and volunteered to help open lunch containers at my childrens' school.

When I came back it was still not quite dry, so it was late when I finally painted the primer on.  So late in fact, that I would have had to wait until after pick up the next day to paint on the black paint.  I gave it the weekend to dry, and finally finished painting it early the next week. = )

Much improved.

I had a chance to go visit my friend Cass who just moved, so I made her some oven mitts as a welcome gift.  It was my plan C actually.  The cutting boards I had planned were not clear enough for vinyl to show through properly.  Then I bought a bottle of wine, which was such a lame, unoriginal gift, but better than nothing.  Then, in the wee hours of the morning, the oven mitts came to me.  I was so excited.  And, it turns out, they even match her kitchen!

My third tail light went out.  When the replacement bulbs came in I went out to replace it.  Turns out you literally have to break the assembly to replace the bulbs.  And the assembly was old and was breaking apart in my hand.  And the bulbs were too big.

I used the too big bulbs and a twist tie to hold it together on the inside. This got me through until the new assembly arrived.

Billy helped me install it this weekend and it looks much better!

Alice's dress had metallic thread in the decroation on the front.  The protective layer had washed out, so I dug out some old iron on material that my friend Kelli gave me years and years ago.  It worked splendidly!

But Alice still doesn't care for it, so I think we'll be hanging it in Emily's "future clothes" closet space, if she ever cleans it out of her backpack ; )

later days

Yard Sales and Weekends

Since we are spending less time together with school in session, we make the most of our weekends.  = )

When Emily was in Ms. Jones class, she desperately wanted a Skippyjon Jones stuffie.  I'd seen dozens at sales over the years, but it took my mom and I two years to find one!  Emily was so excited.  She dug out the book, and made her own journal: "Skippyjon Jones: Third Grade Adventures."  Once she's done, we'll be giving the journal (and the stuffie) to our favorite first grade teacher. = )

We haven't gotten the list of roller-skate nights yet, but I found a pair of skates for Juliet.  She had some that my mom bought new, just for her, but since they had a triangle formation on bottom, they were not allowed at the final skate night last year. = (

My search for a syrup container is over!  I found this one at a yard sale in town.  The container in the back was what I would put my favorite Canadian maple syrup in, while I looked for a better container.  The Canadian brings down a 2L (?) container when she visits and I would literally cry if my children (or I) spilled it, so I take the time to transfer it.

Alice checked out a cookbook over the labor day weekend.  She and Emily made us some fresh mini apple strudel pastries.  They were quite tasty.

My babies still like to sit in my lap. = )

My mom found us a copy of the Oregon Trail board game.  We played two rounds.  In round one, we died early, and only Billy died of dysentery.  In round two we were literally one card from winning when the last player died of hunger. = (  Oh, what fun memories of elementary school.  Here's looking at you Cole & Jordan!

School has a way of wearing out my children, and the carpet in our living room has this mystic property of causing sleep. ; )

After months of looking, I found it! A sewing table that folds up in to a neat little cabinet.  You place your sewing machine on the tray, and it lowers down to store and raises up to use.  And it is so compact when not in use!  It had wheels, and the knob on the door acted as a lock to keep the door from swinging open.  There were trays that would swing out for scissors and tape measures and pin cushions.  There were even thread and bobbin spindles.

Sadly, my machine was too big for the drop down tray.  I was soooooo disappointed.  It sat in our living room for almost an entire day before I finally conceded that I couldn't make it work.

I set it out on the curb and it sold the next day.  I'm still torn up about it. = (

We had it on the tarp, so we could wrap it at night, to protect it from all the water in the air.

Grace won a puppy bank painting kit at Sunday School one week.  When she finished, she wanted to use the rest of the paint on paper. = ) 

And now, we are already halfway to our next weekend!

later days