The End of Summer

I, admittedly, have not been a faithful blogger this past summer.  These last few months were rather long and difficult for our family.  I'm thankful that the summer is winding down, fall is starting up and I pray for a time of peace for our family.

Most of our time was spent cooped up in the house avoiding the high temperatures and blazing sun.  Ryan was away for most of the summer on business trips.  When he was around I put him to work on projects around the house.  Sometime soon I hope to share those projects. 

I would get up and dance a little jig because it's almost fall, but I'm currently looking at this mess:

No, I am not jaundiced.  I haven't been able to wash my leg yet

I had my third knee surgery this past Monday.  Hopefully the third time is the charm.  I am pursuing a more aggressive course of treatment this time, in hopes that it will last longer. It would be nice to be able to keep up with Aric and Kellyn, because there seems to be no slowing those two down!!

Things Hear Around Here

If you tear that sticker my life will be ruined!

There's nothing like a touch of melodrama to make life interesting.

This Girl...

This girl...

 ...drags that cow blanket everywhere.

...values the importance of ear protection.

...earned Mickey Mouse for going two weeks straight without having an accident overnight.  She's now working towards earning a large giraffe.  Mommy and Daddy are looking for one to use as a reward.

...hates to wear clothes and frequently wears only underwear around the house.

...likes to be in the middle of everything.

...likes to do everything her brother does.

...terrorizes the cat.

... marches to the beat of her own drum.

... and loves to sing songs.

I hope she eventually chooses to wear more clothes, but I hope she doesn't ever lose the confidence and individuality that she expresses now.

I'm Not Ready

I am frequently asked if we're sending Aric to preschool this year.  The answer is, I can't do it!  It's not about the cost of school, or that we haven't found a good school, it's that I am not ready to give up my little boy yet.  Yes, little boy.  My heart already aches at the thought of sending him off to kindergarten next year.  Where did the time go?  When did my sweet baby grow up into a boy?

When did he turn into a little boy who likes Star Wars, Superheroes, video games, tormenting his sister, ninjas, making Lego creations, and playing in the sprinkler in the front yard in his underwear?

I need another year to get used to the idea of him growing up and starting school.

What We've Been Doing

I find it hard to believe that it's already mid-August.  Sometimes it seems like the summer has flown by, and other times it seems like it has dragged on and on.  Thinking back on it we have been pretty busy with projects.  Some are completed and others are on-going.

I was busy sewing, sewing and sewing.  I had an order for 4 dozen wristlets.  I completed the order and shipped it out earlier this week.  It is nice to have a break from them for awhile.

Since I haven't yet geared up to begin any new projects, mainly Christmas gifts and stocking up for an upcoming Fall Open House, I spent some energy making things for me.  After being cooped up in the house all summer long because it has been 100+ degrees outside I decided that the interiors needed some sprucing up.  They have started to look boring and very brown.  With an interior design trained brain and too much time on Pinterest, my mind has been working overtime planning all of the changes that can be done to improve our home.  I started with these two oversized pillows for the couch.

I love the splash of color they add to the room.  I have another pillow I want to make, maybe some matching place mats and some curtains to add to the kitchen.

A week ago I refinished our ladder bookshelf in the kitchen.  Ryan thinks I made our old shelf look "old", but it was just the look I was going for.

I have plans for some more furniture refinishing in our living room.  I'm hoping to tackle that in the next week or two.

Ryan is working on our French drain and pathway.  It's nearing completion after we made a few wrong turns along the way.  That is a whole other story, though.

We have plans this weekend to re-stain our fence, finish the pathway, enjoy some family time and the cooler weather. 

We hope you have a good weekend, too!

Things Heard Around Here

Aric: Look Mommy, The TV shows me when I was at my swimming lessons.

 

I see the similarities.  Don't you? 

The Growth Chart Ruler

Awhile ago I saw a growth chart ruler mentioned on a blog.  I thought it was a really neat idea.  As an Army brat I never grew up with a wall in a house that had our heights marked inside.  I always thought it was really neat when I saw a wall or closet in someone's home marked with the kid's heights.

When we moved into this house we marked the kid's heights in the coat closet.  As an Army wife, I realize that we probably aren't going to live in this house forever.  When we move that closet wall won't be coming with us.  That is why the growth ruler appealed to me, because it's portable.

The price was a bit exorbitant, though, ranging from $50 to $75.  That was more than I wanted to pay for a board that looked like a ruler.  I asked Ryan if he could make that for me.  Being the loving husband that he is, he bought me a nice board the next time he was at Home Depot.  The board sat in our garage for months.

This past week I was in the garage refinishing some furniture and kept looking at that board.  I decided since I was out there, I might as well work on it.  After some sanding, pulling out the miter saw to cut it to size, calling Ryan because I couldn't figure out how to unlock the safety on the miter saw, cutting the board, sanding it some more, staining it, putting the marks and numbers on it, realizing that I moved my tape measure and started the board at 9 inches instead of 6 inches, going with the flow since that mistake gives the kids an opportunity to grow to 6'9" instead of 6'6", and giving it a quick clear coat my ruler was finally finished.

Yesterday I hung it up in our kitchen and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out:

Now all I have to do is go back and mark the kid's heights from the last few years and we'll be able to take this with us when we move on someday.