LOST A SOCK

Days Gone By

Today marked the anniversary of the day Kevin and I met down at college, twelve years ago. 

Today was Jackson's very first day of preschool, and KJ's very first day of homeschool. 

Late last night the kids and I arrived home from a great road trip to our friends' lake house up in Wisconsin.  (I took a six year old, three year old and an eleven month old on a three day, seven hundred mile road trip by myself without even a dvd player in the car.  I'm going to tattoo that information to my bicep and wear it proudly.  It was really enjoyable, too!) 

The night before, Kevin flew home from a business trip to Texas. 

Just before that, he too was in Wisconsin.  In another part, just before the kids and I were there, visiting a different friend.

The week?  Busy!

The last month?  Has gotten away from me, in part. 

There are some recent pieces that I don't want to skip over, without at least a mention.  It has been a really, really wonderful summer.

There was Baby Day, v. 2.0

My beautiful godson Nathan. 

(I'm sorry Nathan.  You are my handsome godson.)

(But seriously, a beautiful baby, still.)

A summer afternoon spent at Chicago's Point (with Auntie Jenny) is always a summer afternoon well spent.

We were lucky enough to steal Kevin's Granny for a day and a night while she was up visiting from Florida recently (and would you believe this is the only picture I thought to snap?  Geh.)

And while we weren't the technical hosts, we did get to do lots of bonding with Leslie's mom when she came to stay for a week.  Sant & Leslie hosted their first party at their new home (and obviously we split the tables between boys and girls, ha!)

There have been many days spent on swings, and on the beach.  Some of them at the same time.

And I've made good on my promise (to myself) to spend many a day and many an evening at the water, with Kevin, with the kids, with whoever happened to be trapped in my car as I suddenly decided it the perfect random moment to head north.

We visited the Baha'i Temple in Evanston, IL,

and Sue the dinosaur at the Field Museum.

And also, sat on the moon while we were at it.

My three year old son fell in love with Weeping Willow trees this summer, setting us off on a journey to learn the name of every common tree in our area.

And my baby daughter has loved playing in every form of water.  Here, a splash pad.

We visited our beloved zoo once or twice (or twelve times)

and we rested in the soft, green grass at the park, after long summer afternoon walks.

We swam with Kevin's family on that one hot day,

and we played (loudly!) (happily!) (tirelessly!) with our friends near and far.

We jumped!

And watched the sun set some more.

My baby's beautiful blonde hair has grown and thickened.

And more teeth are joining the party!

Jackson, school today.  A little happy, a little sad.  A little thankful that it's only a few hours per week.

And a little going to hell for Homeschooler's Best T-Shirt.

What a time we've had.

Friday Photos: Very Best Kind of Day

I know, I'm late.  But in my defense, I was busy having quite the enjoyable day yesterday, with a visiting girlfriend, an afternoon in the snow, and an evening with a meatloaf and the most incredible buttery mashed potatoes I've ever made, if I do say so myself.

(I'm sorry, but it really is all about the food these days. Ha!)

Even my morning sickness held off for most of the day, and there was next to no fighting over toys.  The day all mothers love, I tell you.

There was a little make-shift indoor baseball (of COURSE they have to wear the hats,) played with a lightsaber and a mother-approved velcro dart board ball.

Jack even tried to get the dog involved, to no avail.

When it was his turn to bat, Action Jackson mostly wanted to swing the lightsaber wildly at the pitcher, despite stern instructions from said down-to-business pitcher to stand with feet apart and eye on the ball.

After the game was over and the non-compliant player ejected, we all headed outside to create the newest member of the family, Fwosty.  Truth-be-told, this was my first snowman in years, and both my snow-happy girlfriend and I agreed that we had forgotten how difficult it is to build one.

Jack having a face-off with Frosty.

Whadda you lookin at, you oversized snowflake?

I'll eat the buttons right off'a your...coat?

And of course there has to be one in every family...  The snow-nosed jealous one who just can't handle the New Kid On The Block...

Defiled, first thing this morning.  Poor Frosty.  It's a good thing Daniel isn't any taller, I suppose.

Friday Photos: Second Blogiversary

Two years ago today, with a three week old baby in my arms and a three year old boy yanking at my sleeve, I began blogging.  I wanted to find an outlet for myself where I could plug some adult brain power into, having been a stay at home mom for three years.  Of course, I can't guarantee that you've seen that happen with every entry (ha!) but just the same I've learned so much and come so far in the last two years.  I did not know back then that what I'd really be doing is documenting the young lives of my children as well as the personal transformation I've gone through over the last couple years.  Also, who knew we'd have so much damn fun along the way?

Enjoy a sampling of pictures I've posted over the last two years. 

This was the first picture I ever posted, from my very first entry.

Aah, the infamous Baptism Picture Before The Diet.  Love. It.

Thankfully, there are During the Diet pictures,

And Somewhere Near the End of the Diet pictures.  I imagine you'll be waiting a good year for the end of this thing to roll around, ha!  (Chicken and sour cream, Chicken and sour cream!)

There have been fun pics

of the kids,

as well as fun entries with the kids.

There's been paint (oh my God has there been paint)

and may we never forget the time we built our cat into the wall.

Our poor old house has been Sold and Not Sold more than any other house in the neighborhood,

and thankfully we finally came to our senses and got the heck out of there with my last bits of sanity straggling behind.  (Still not sold thankyouverymuch.)

Which brings us to more paint,

and more home decor.

And finally, a little rest and relaxation with our toys in our jammies,

just as we gear up for our next adventure.

Friday Photos: The (Not) Free Aquarium

This week has been a most surreal mix of the good, the bad and the ugly, that I don't even know what to compare it to.  When I first received word that our house deal had fallen through, I took it like a trooper.  That entire first evening after hearing the news, I was somewhat disappointed but also quite surprised with my genuine, "Okay, we can handle it" attitude.

Then the next day, Wednesday, I woke up feeling like my emotional state had been run over by two speeding freight trains.  I took on the glorious job of re-working our family's budget, again, and had to look our recently accrued new house debt right in the eye - knowing it was built with unwavering faith in our buyers (Heh, yeah, those ones that just took a hike.)  I spent the entire day in a deep funk, wishing for something else, wondering why, and how long exactly we could continue on this way.  It was just one of those sad, awful days.

Thankfully, we had made plans with Kevin's mom and aunt for Thursday to visit the Shedd Aquarium, since it was running the annual "Free Admission" week.  There was no doubt that I needed a day of something to take my mind off the disaster we've got going.

(And just to put it out there, I cannot for the life of me figure out why there seems a trend in the blogosphere to discuss how incredibly lame and sooo uncool places like zoos, aquariums, and museums are.  But, um, I don't get it?  Educate your children? Hands on learning?  No?)

We's come for you free fish, yah?

Neeeee-mo!

Doooo-rie!

We also got to watch a feeding time for the main tank fish, sea turtles and sharks, and the minute the man with the bubbling mask got in, Jack was all, "Daddy! Help me!"  (Again, from Finding Nemo for all of you non-fanatics.)

And this takes us to the end of the free tour, no more than an hour into our visit.

Because of course, of course! those massively intelligent folks up there in the Aquarium Marketing Office aren't going to hand you cake and a fork and tell you to dig in.  They know you'll get your kids revved all week about the dolphins and beluga whales and their baaabies, because hell, you don't know what's free and what's not.  Then they position a very serious, very tall, very massive woman at the entryway to all of that fun, and she looks down at you from her six foot four towering frame of solid brick and demands, "Pink bands please."

House you failed to sell or not, Aquarium Marketing People know you're going to hand over fifty bucks, noooo problem.  Because there's just something very non-fulfilling about checking out an hour's worth of fish tanks and heading home.

I don't have to tell you it was worth it to see jumping dolphins,

spikey iguanas,

penguin feeding time,

and baby belugas swimming with their mamas.

I also love the architecture of the aquarium, where the tanks were built to look like they flow right into Lake Michigan.

A fun, exhausting day for sure. 

And the icing on the cake?  Was our return home to news of two showings on the house scheduled for this weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Friday Photos: Walk softly, eat from a big bowl

When all was calm and quiet on Monday morning, and we were coming down from the fun we'd had at Jackson's birthday party the day before, he had a request. 

He needed to eat some Quakes.  From the big blue Thomas chip bowl we'd used the day before.  I thought it was a pretty reasonable request, and I obliged him.

Then he happily plopped down right in the center of the kitchen floor, and went to town.

These are tasty, dammit, he thought. And they're practically no calories. 

That means you can eat them too, eh Ma?

(No thank you, baby.)

I SAID HAVE ONE!

(He's not big on being declined.  I beg you not to try it.)

Better.

Hey Ma?

Yes, Jack?

What were you thinking putting these white restraints on my feet?

They're socks, dear, and our culture enjoys them.

No socks, no jackets, got it?  I'll let you pass with the pants thing for today.

Aha! Toes!

You want another Quake?  I licked it just for you.

(Um...)

Just kidding!  It's the last one and I can't possibly share.

Now you want to discuss the upcoming election?

Or should we just continue on about this Quake in my face?

Bowl's empty! 

Now what to do with it...?

Naturally.

House I Can Handle, with a few Friday Photos in the mix

Today I know little more than I did two days ago about the Old House Inspection Disaster.  We agreed to fix everything within our capabilities, promised to pony up a heap of cash at closing for the roof, and declined the buyer's request for her uncle tear apart the attic walls over the Not Sure Whether It's Asbestos Insulation.  She asked us to allow him, instead of some pricey environmental company, to tear out that insulation a week before the scheduled closing.  However, if you've been with our real estate saga for long enough, you'll agree that it is not a far jump to foresee the helpful uncle's foot going through my living room ceiling while gutting the attic that we just finished and then declaring the work too arduous, the asbestos too poisonous, and the deal very dead, goodbye forever, good luck with your walls.

Our real estate agent, who was given to me as a gift from God himself, responded to the uncle offer with a very PC statement about our worries for possible liabilities should the uncle get injured on our property.  Brilliant, she is.  Let's see if it works.

We did offer to move up the closing date, also, if she was hoping to have that job done before she moved in.  She can have the place tomorrow, as well as my dishes, camcorder and iPod if she is just willing to autograph the little dotted line.

Going back to it for a moment, if there is one thing we've relied on through this New Messy Deal, it is the brilliance of our (new) agent.  Not only is the girl a believer in the power of positive thinking, which we have discussed at length, (note: except for in the last few days) (pokes self in eyeball with screwdriver) but she also has a way of talking heart to heart with other agents over the pros and cons of electrical outlets existing in present-day bathrooms, and can persuade these people like nothing we've ever seen.  She's a spectacular listener and incredibly intuitive, and in the midst of sending an eight page fax to Kevin detailing the insane amount of insane repairs to be made to the insane house, she writes on the cover sheet, "Everything will be great in 08!" 

This, of course, could go one of two ways.  If I were not a wounded puppy in this moment, requiring the most tender reassurance and affection a real estate agent can offer (??) I might want to jab her in the eyeball with a screwdriver.  But as it is, Everything will be great in 08! is saving the last drops of my sanity, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

Now.  I think I was going to do something with pictures.  Something with the new house. 

Oh yes, right.  Something positive.  Something that worked out.  Something I like in my life.  HaHA!

Remember the project I told you about a while back?  With the fabric and whatnot?  I pulled it all together earlier this week, and I am overjoyed with the finished product.

These are the curtains I made.  They are definitely my biggest sewing project to date.  I lined them so they would be protected from the sun.  I hand-stitched the black silky ropey part on (look out Martha, here I come...with all of my big words).  I found exactly the drapery clips I'd envisioned, and am quite happy with my new finials.

(Your mom's got new finials!)

For the nearby wall of black and whites, I found a centerpiece that conveys exactly what I feel when I look at this wall -- intense gratitude.  It reads, "Begin each day with a grateful heart."

For several years now, I've been holding the plans for this wall in my mind.  I've been wanting to frame black and whites of our family over my dining room table, where we gather as a family to share meals and stories and discussions and play-doh and coloring book pages.  The space was just never there at the old house.

But now I finally have it -- with the pictures I took, with the table I refinished, with the curtains I made, for the meals I serve, for the family I love.

I am beyond excited for this corner of my new house.  You just might find me snuggled beneath the table in my sleeping bag one morning, basking in my intense gratitude.

Friday Photos: The one that will increase my waistline, no doubt

Earlier this week KJ spent the night with Kevin's aunt and uncle, where he created his annual gingerbread house.  They began this tradition a few years ago, just before I started my Lifelong Love-Hate Affair with Weight Watchers.

Don't ask me how many points this baby is.  ...Not that I would attempt to consume most of it myself.  I'd nevvver do that.  Ever.  (Because somehow Kevin ALWAYS beats me to the punch.)

This is the part that I've been picking at eyeing.  The pattern on the roof is simply delightful to me, with the glorious cinnamon gumdrops and Christmas Tree candy corns.

Just before lunch (don't ask) I let the kids have at the place a bit.  KJ uprooted the entire red and white tree at first, to which I suggested possibly starting small, with a lego-candy window or gummy Christmas tree.

As you can see, Jack didn't play shy.  He is well aware, at not quite two years old, that he lives in a household of sugar-craving piranhas.

In fact, Jack really went to town, making even KJ a little nervous that he'd better hurry.

KJ worked on the rock candy with his front! teeth! which really made mine ache, but he was happy as a little clam, so who am I to judge?

Jack carefully removed each and every shred of coconut that had stuck to the bottom of the rock candy,

and then attempted to shove the giant chunk in its entirety into his mouth.

I have a feeling that if Kevin and I don't have a few bites soon?  We may be missing this year's Sugar Shack altogether.

Friday Photos: Snowfall Extravaganza

When we woke up to a quiet white scene earlier in the week, I knew there was only one thing to do.

And that thing was to load everyone into the car and find some country roads.  You know, to test my tires...where the snowplows had yet to test theirs.  For the purpose of photographically documenting the first snowfall that has happened every year on these fields, long before I or my mother or my mother's mother was even available to witness.

Even if the sun itself was hiding out from those slippery roads, I knew the views would be cold and wintry and peaceful.

And peaceful it was on the country roads, and in town, and at the newly frozen lakefront. 

Until, of course, it was time to leave the frozen lake and head back uphill into town.  On the only road that lead back up into town.  On the road that hadn't really been salted much.  Because those snowplows, they were busy in places other than right next to the lake, because what kind of knucklehead goes to the lake on a frozen snowy cloudy morning?

I do.

And my SUV tires spun wildly, and a little red flashing message popped up on my dashboard, reading, "MORON. MORON. MORON."

As we slid backwards, towards the icy lake, and I put 'em in reverse, and drive, reverse and drive, I suggested to Sant that she might get out and push. 

And she suggested to me that we find another way because the last thing she'd planned for her snowy day off was to be run over by a large backwards sliding vehicle and have her injured, comatose body slide down a little frozen road, across a little frozen lake.

So we did make it up the hill, finally, no thanks to Sant.

I happened upon a small patch of something not icy, we made it up the hill, and we continued on our wintry journey to medicate our nerve-racked selves with Boston Cream donuts and hot chocolate. 

Next time we'll wait until the sun shines before heading out to enjoy the winter.  Oh, and until the snow plows come by, also.

Friday Photos: Details

There's been a lot of house stuff talk going on around here, eh? 

While I definitely don't want to make this into a full time house stuff blog, I thought it would be fun to document, as long as I had to post every day for NaBloPoMo anyway, what I was doing with the new place.  I hope you haven't minded.

(I say that, of course, more than half way through the month, or as if I might change my subject matter.  Ha!)

I wrapped up the kitchen painting late last night, and took a handful of shots this morning.  There's much more to be done in this new place to make it feel like our own, but step by step we are getting there. 

While this new house does not have the fabulous oversized white wood moldings and arched door frames I had drooled over in previously seen homes, those from an era of thinking that was pre-Plan B, and we are missing things like recessed lighting and vaulted ceilings, I'm here to tell you that any house, large, small or in-between, can be comfortable and stylish and fabulous. 

It's happening here, and I'm loving it.

Just before we moved, I took on the job of refinishing an older, smaller dining set that would be a good fit for this house.  I sanded down the chairs and table base, and coated it in an ebony stain, and then polyurethane. 

I've enjoyed using it every day, minus the fact that black dining chairs and small children?  Not the best combo.  Crumbs, crumbs, crumbs, fingerprints, crumbs. 

Crumbs.

Fingerprints.

Playdoh, crumbs, fingerprints.

You get it, I think.

In fact, I fell so head over heels for the black furniture look, I'm having a hard time not painting or staining damn near everything we own in black.  Exhibit B: the surface of my buffet. 

Exhibit C: KJ's headboard.

Exhibits D, E, F, and G: I'm sure there's something else around here to stain.

I'm finding that my favorite things about this new kitchen are in the details (okay don't get me wrong, I have a machine that washes my dishes and enough cabinet space for the Corelle! to be stored! all by iteself! as opposed to being crammed into the back of the tupperware/cereal/brown sugar cabinet.  Ooooh glorious space...) 

Back to the details.

I love my table candles,

and pantry shelf lining (reason number 4,073,289 to love Target,)

and the bright of the flour and sugar canisters against the dark of the wall and countertop.

I love where my New Frontier brown wall meets the Heirloom blue one,

and that there is ample counter space for the wine rack we've been storing away for two years now.

One thing I'm not head over heels for is the existing set of vertical blinds over the patio doors, but those will go in time...just as soon as I stumble upon the perfect pattern of toile fabric that is bold, but not too bold, and bright, but not too bright.

In this new house I've also finally gained space to become a collector.  Last year I came across these Enamelware pieces while cleaning out my Gramma's garage, and I knew I would love them to no end if I could just find the room for them. 

New house?  Room!

They, too, look great against the New Frontier walls.

(You can tell that I'm loving the New Frontier, no?  It's like Aloof, but darker.)

Here's where Aloof and New Frontier meet.  The darker of the two almost looks like a shadow, and I love that.  (Bonus points and sloppy kisses to anyone who notices how perfectly I trimmed that corner.  OCD, people.)

So tell me, what are your favorite details in your home?  Do you collect anything?

Friday Photos: Hello, Fall

Fall is peaking here.  Is it doing the same where you are?

I'm suddenly noticing with the colder temperatures, and even the frosts each night, that the colors on the trees are brilliant, the blue of the sky is somehow different, and the sunshine and the shadows are very comforting. 

I really do love living in this new place, though the one thing I miss is tree-lined streets.  This is a newly built subdivision, and there are only baby trees scattered throughout.  So this morning I bundled the boys up for an adventure, in the thirty-six degrees that awaited us.  I made them each a sippy cup of hot chocolate, and we headed out to find tall, colorful, beautiful trees in the morning sunshine.

The morning sun from my back patio.  Fence posts are in!

Frosty grass on a frosty fall morning

Tall trees and shadows

I swear I live for these days, and these colors

Country road

Country church

Country truck

Country Bumpkins

I knew they had my darling Jackson in mind for this costume when I caught the "Lil Stinker" patch beside his little skunky tail

Begging candy after only the first house

And who am I to refuse?

Then, checking the loot again,

and again,

and again, just one more time.  They wouldn't want to short their mother father auntie selves on candy, now would they?

See you tomorrow!  (This every day stuff is fun, no?)

Friday Photos: The show must go on

I'm going to write one entry, and by write I mostly mean post pictures, where the good, the bad and the ugly of my real estate situation has no place.  We celebrated KJ's fifth birthday last weekend, and I also celebrated a parenting Rite of Passage where I chaperoned a field trip for the first time.  (Mind you, I coordinated many, many a field trip as a teacher in my pre-children life, but never went as the mom wearing the Chaperon name tag.)  Both were a great time, and below sits the evidence. 

We started out the day of KJ's birthday by taking a trip to the zoo.  Some of the animals were in rare form,

including this very angry, likely hungry lion who was roaring his beastly head off.  It could be heard through much of the zoo.

There was this upside-down-in-a-tree-stump raccoon, who reminded me very much of my crazy dog,

and this mother polar bear, who I'm sure all mothers can relate to.  Just before I took this shot, I overheard her telling her baby to just go play by himself for a while because she just needed five damn minutes to collect her sanity.

After the zoo, the kids and I met Kevin in a parking lot across the street from Midway Airport's runway, where we feasted on burgers and fries, and enjoyed Dunkin Donuts in lieu of a birthday cake, all in the back of our car while planes took off and landed over our heads.

It was KJ's best day ever, he said.

Of course, he could have meant that simply because he's been donut deprived for damn near two years now, with a weight-watching mother.  Never can tell.

On Sunday we celebrated KJ's birthday at home with our closest family and friends, complete with our favorite Wisconsin pals. 

There were lots (and lots and lots and lots!) of new airplane toys opened,

as well as a fantastic jet-themed birthday cake, complete with writing on the front edge that read, "I believe I can fly," after the family-friend who made it watched KJ's birthday video.  How great was she?!

Of course you already know how the rest of the party played out, so there's no need to rehash that disaster-in-the-making. 

As I'd mentioned, this week KJ and I attended his first school field trip, to our local apple orchard.

 

Someday my son will thank me for sharing this, or not, but I believe his life's lacking apple knowledge will be mostly caused by his snuggling up to his best girl through the whole trip.  These two have been inseparable for many moons running now (all things considered, of course.  They're four and five, people.  They've been in love for half their lifetime.)

With a twist and a pull, we picked two large bags of apples from the trees,

admired the rows of bright orange pumpkins, drank some cider and ate a few freshly baked donuts.

Here's my favorite colorful lone-apple shot. 

We'll talk about flickr, or its absence herein, next week.

Happy Friday!

Friday Photos: Casa Del Ray

What a week. 

I can't believe I celebrated my birthday this week, because it already seems a lifetime ago and has faded to half a memory.  I thought I might show you a few pictures related to birthdays, with mine earlier in the week and Sant's tomorrow, but I get the feeling you'd like to see the damn house already, eh? 

We received a call from our agent yesterday, that the buyer was interested in moving up the closing date...to two weeks from now.  One of the agents had spoken with our finance guy, who put a bug in their ear that the mortgage could be ready to go in as little as seven days.  I was excited, but nervous to say the least, thinking I could be moving in two weeks.  Then I learned that while both agents, the seller, and the finance company were gleefully on board with this Seriously Amazing Plan, it would happen only for a fee paid by Kevin and I.  A fee of thirty dollars per (early) day, bringing our part in The Plan to $420. 

So.  They wanted us to pack and move, and have closing costs ready, in a matter of two little weeks, and then we got an added bonus of ponying up an extra four hundred bucks.  For a house that we don't need to have in two weeks. 

Now isn't that a win-win?

We, um, sternly declined, very much to our agent's chagrin, and our closing date remains October 19th.

Here's the front of the house, adorned with brand new siding, gutters and a one-week-old roof, thanks to a recent hail storm.  Go us! 

I have plans to go blue with the door and shutters, replace the screen door, swap out the landscaping rock for mulch, add some nicer plants, and plant some grass seed. 

All in time.

You're going to have to picture everything with the seller's stuff (and colors) out of the place, mmkay?

This is the living room on the main level.  I'm so excited on having a comfortable room with no toys in it. 

There's a good sized coat closet on the other side of the living room (YIPEE!) and you can see the seller's cat the stairs heading up to the bedrooms.  On the other side of that wall are the stairs going down.

Jack is in serious love with the stairs. 

One of our first investments will include new baby gates.

Kitchen! 

I'd like to sand & stain the cabinets a bit darker and give them a bit of hardware, but I can't say there's much to do in this room.

Le Fridge!

Here's the other side of the kitchen, with the small dining area and stairs down to the family room.  I love that I can see my kids wrestling on the stairs playing in the family room while I'm in the kitchen.

I hate the purple paint.

Family room

I hate the shade of green paint.

This is the other side of the family room, which I plan to pack full of toys.  And also, I think I will just keep Sant on the stairs instead of buying a baby gate.  It's both the safest and most cost effective way to go. 

You can see the bedroom and bathroom off the family room, here, and the laundry room is through the doorway all the way on the left.

Here's the master bedroom.  Don't get me started on the purple half-body over by the window.  She's wondering why she didn't get to go with the family while the showing took place.  And, she's a bit chilly.

We! Have! Closets!

Seriously, there is more closet space in this (blurry) picture than there is in my entire current house.  Kevin and I currently share a space the size of one of those four doors.  No lie.

This will be KJ's room.  I wish they would just come out and say what team they like.  Geez.

Also, it's the wrong team. 

This almost blew the sale for for my child.

Jack, on the other hand, loves his bedroom.  We had to drag him out of there kicking and screaming.  He asked that we write the Pretty Princess Vanity into the offer, but it was that or the fridge.  You know what he'll be asking Santa for this year.

Last but not least, the back yard.  I can't wait to live in this yard.

I can't wait to live in this house.

Me, and several gallons of paint.  Wink Wink.

Friday Photos: Lost in Translation

TGIF, guys.

I actually had a completely different (long winded, soul searching) entry waiting in the wings, and I've decided to cop out and go with pictures.  My writing has been less than personal best lately, or fairly whiny, and for that I apologize.  I'm back in a rough patch, completely restless, mildly depressed and dangerously moody, just waiting for life's ball to begin rolling again.  I suppose that I'm the only one that can make it roll, and I should get on that.  That, as soon as I can convince myself to do something other than stare blankly at the computer screen wishing the air conditioning would kick back on.

Is it me, or is it hot in here?

As comes up from time to time when I fall into this Change of Seasons Funk (or Mid-Season Funk, Post-Season Funk, Off-Season Funk, Funkidy-Funk Badunkidy Funk), I've been thinking about taking a break from this website.  I've been wondering if it's time to end the blogging run altogether and move on to a new chapter for myself.  I really do enjoy this, when I can put my heart into it.  But when I know what I'm putting out is crap, I feel like crap. 

There are a handful of things I haven't been able to write about, in any amount of detail anyway.  Things Kevin and I have been discussing, new situations that are popping up and causing me to question the old plan and consider something new.  We've talked about having one more baby, looking into adoption, enjoying the two we've got, moving to the city, not moving at all, my beginning a new career on a manageable-with-kids level, painting the living room, shopping for a new real estate agent, shopping for child care, shopping for Zoloft, breaking even on the house, and selling our souls to the devil.  So far we've downloaded a few new songs from iTunes and eaten our fair share of ice cream.

I am a little more than a week away from the big 2-9, which is probably the precipice of nothing huge so I ought to just stop questioning ev-er-y-thing now, and just let my poor tortured mind rest.  Please tell me I'm not the only one that repeatedly drags myself through this unexplainable, largely confusing mental mess?

Black and whites today.

Friday Photos: An entry without any whining

Our house did not sell this week. 

And maybe it's a good thing it didn't.  Saturday afternoon is the first Notre Dame game of the season, and who wants to spend the day buying a new house when they can instead watch the Irish in Hi-Def while stuffing themselves silly with football snackies and cold beer?

Certainly not my husband, that's who.

Tomorrow we will don our blue and gold jerseys and proudly display the Leprechaun flag on the front of the house, and hope to still do some damage without the quarterbackship of Brady Quinn.  We'll see.

Here's game day numero uno from last year:

Memories...

While hunting down a picture of my jersey-clad children from last year, I came across these, from a fall festival we love to attend.

Obviously Jack was none too happy with the unknowing soul who had the audacity to schedule a festival on game day.

With gritted teeth gums, Saturday afternoon craft fair my last diaper!

We'll send the kind gentleman a note this year, son.

Speaking of Fall, for which I seriously! cannot! wait!, last weekend we jumped the gun a bit, and hit up another of our fall favorites: Saint Joe, Michigan.

We picked apples at the Curious Kids Museum,

Had ice cream at Cabana's,

Guess which flavor KJ had.  Go on, guess!

and made Angels in the sand on Silver Beach.

Jack hated the feeling of sand on his hands (he hates any texture from food to dirt to sand on his hands, really)

but he loved the slides at the playground.

While we were too early in the season for the beautiful changing leaves, we were privvy to one spectacular sunset later in the evening.

We sat just slightly off the beaten path,

and witnessed the fiery sun

slowly slip

beyond the horizon.

It somehow makes everything else seem so insignificant.

Friday Photos: Now with Video

With the summer coming to a close, and just when I thought the heat wave was the longest lasting span of ridiculous ever, we've now spent more than a week with heat and powerful thunderstorms.  As I drove through town yesterday, just after the latest storm, I noticed in our local bank parking lot had three large trees down.  They had fallen atop the employee parking area, and the poor tellers stood in a group, looking over their smashed cars and waiting for rides home. 

With each storm, we've lost our power for at least a little while, which is exciting and scary and frustrating all at once to KJ and Jack.  Personally, I enjoy life's little extras such as air conditioning, internet access and hot coffee, so bring on the colored leaves and cooler temps and let's just finish this miserable month already.  (I say this now, when there is not three feet of snow blocking my front door.  I'll have something new to complain about then.  Heh.)

That being said, it has been interesting, to say the least, to keep my children occupied from the time they wake at 7am until their father arrives home at 7pm.  The days have been terribly long and incredibly whiney, and we head outside in small bursts when we can.

Late yesterday morning, just before another round of Wizard Of Oz, we managed to get some sprinkler time in.  While the saturated grass begged for mercy, KJ and Jack had a splendid time running off some of that energy. 

Jack loves water.  Loves it. 

Nothing like a good mouthful of hose water.

Hose water for everyone!

And then of course, the stick play begins. 

Has any mother, in all the history of raising little boys, been able to take them outdoors for more than five minutes before they start hunting down the largest sticks in any given yard?

Here Jack, why don't you hold this stick rather than the muddy clump of grass you've torn from the lawn?

Thanks brother.  And in return I shall hose you down.  You don't look wet enough yet.

Cripes!  I'm heading for porch safety!  The kid I just sprayed carries The Biggest Stick of All The Yard, and he knows how to use it!

And just like that, the storm clouds roll in again.

Thank God for indoor entertainment with legos, toy airplanes,

and Play Doh.

Jack, concerned that the ta-doh is sticking to his ginger.

Notice this and one of the above pictures, taken on two separate days, with KJ wearing the same red shirt.  I grabbed two of them as part of my BlogHer swag, and the child insists upon wearing them constantly.  Nothing says good parenting like a four year old living in a shirt (two sizes too big, and usually backwards) that reads, "I love cherry flavoring for my medicine."

As part of my Best Parent Evah Program, I also provide my children with 100% proper nutrition.

But at least I've taught him what color he's ingesting?  Observe: