Descriptive Wednesday - Playset

               

 

My brother, Doug, is the organizer behind this build.  My dad is organized, too, so it was built in a day.

 

They even brought their own work table!!  We provided chairs.

 

Little climbers – my Goddaughter & Graham – two peas in a pod and never far apart (except for when they needed a break!)

 

 

Dash, reading the instructions.  This kid loves … LOVES … to read manuals.

 

My brother’s son & Louis in the yellow onesie.  They’re only four months apart … we can hardly wait for Christmas.

 

Do you think Grandpa Golden Acres has a bit too much help?

 

Grandma Golden Acres with Louis

 

My SIL, Laura with their son.

 

Louis likes the swing…

 

COMPLETION! 

Time for a cold one … for the adults. By the way, Angelina took the majority of the photos, save for the beginning & end & just a few in between.  She snapped over 100 … definitely has photography (well, at least as a 4-H project!) in her future.

Swimming Lesson Recap

Dash passed Level 5!!  He was excited.  He looked stronger than last time.  Angelina, Zeke & Graham need to repeat, but none were disappointed.  I think that if we hadn’t missed a year of lessons, Zeke & Angelina could have passed, too.  Dash, Angelina and Zeke VERY much enjoyed lessons this year; Zeke especially had a great time.  Graham wasn’t so enthralled.  There are only two pictures to remind us of the whole two weeks.  They were taken by Eric on his cell phone, so are fuzzy and not worth sharing.  Let me give you a mental picture though…

Picture #1:  Graham standing in front of a cement wall, goggles in place with a wide, happy grin – he looks ready to have a good time

Picture #2: Graham clinging to his instructor, his arms very tightly wound around his instructor’s neck.  Definitely NOT smiling, but tense.

Most of my time during lessons was spent entertaining a busy, ‘get me out of this hot house’ baby Louis!  I couldn’t imagine carrying another thing into that pool area – like a camera.  Graham only went to his lessons about half the time, the rest of the time he was with me or trying to make himself small so his instructor wouldn’t notice that he wasn’t in the water or anywhere near the edge of the pool.  No amount of my trying to convince him would change his mind about relaxing and giving it a real shot.  However, in hindsight, I realized that he hasn’t been in a pool often.  We moved when he was just two & we sure didn’t set up a pool that summer!  Something about showing a house and having a pool set up on the deck doesn’t really jive.  And well, out here on the farm, there is no grass… that would amount to a large mud pie.  So, no pool around here, either.  Poor child has been deprived!

The best part about this set-up was that all the kids had their lesson at the same time.  Yep, four kids in four different levels … 30 minutes a day for two weeks.  The instructors were great, too.  They let us know the first day that our child could be moved up a level if they had mastered the skills for the level in which they were enrolled … definite plus.  I’ll be back for more next year.

Tuesday DayLook – June 22, 2010

For Today: June 22, 2010

Looking out from my back porch... setting sun behind the trees

I am thinking about…what I’d like to get done tomorrow

I am thankful for... warm, sunny days where the kids can play outside and cool treats are a must

I am reading…a couple gardening magazines & the recent Cooking Light magazine

I am hoping... that Dash & Angelina have a wonderful time with friends tomorrow

I am hearing... the littles are in bed, the biggers are in their rooms, so it’s quiet

I am wearing… my only pair of denim shorts & a turquoise top … I’m at home and it’s hot

 From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)…progress!!  Angelina finished her tiered skirt today and made progress on her childcare project for 4-H

 From the school room... Zeke finished up memorizing, reciting & illustrating ‘The Swing’ earlier this week and was able to start on ‘Psalm 23’; Dash should be able to finish up his lines from the ‘Tempest’ by the end of the week – then, he’ll only have one selection left, too

 From the kitchen... bread by me, pumpkin bread by Dash

 State of the house… laundry heaps are being conquered, dishes are cleared, dust remains at the edges

 A bummer … the crock in my not-so-old crock-pot (it’s less than two years old) broke … AGAIN… now I don’t trust the heating element & will have to replace the whole appliance

A successful moment… the play-set has been built!

 A few plans for the rest of the week…

 Wednesday: Dash & Angelina to friends’ homes for a play-date/sleepover/party/dance lesson, the littles and I will do an art project and baking

 Thursday:   Dentist appts for all and an ortho appt for Dash

 Friday/Saturday/Sunday:   Last days to finish up those 4-H projects

 A picture memory...

Here we go Bison, here we go!!

On the loose…

One week it’s sitting,

the next it’s on all fours rocking back and forth,

the next it’s being able to sit from all fours

and this week … it’s crawling.

I need to get baby gates!  Or figure out a way to block all these stairs…

Small Successes on a Wednesday

Eric took the kids to swimming lessons today, so I’ve been busy while Louis naps.

The orange pop is now GONE!  Well, I’m drinking the last glass during this little blog break.  I was CERTAIN that the last would fit in this glass, but it didn’t.  I didn’t care … I kept pouring!!  I bought it as a treat for the 4-H meeting this past weekend, hoping there would be no leftovers.

The last garden starts (tomatillo, tomato plant, yellow & green zucchini) are planted and the whole garden is watered.

Laundry has been folded & put away.

Bedding is being washed.

The last of the winter clothing is put away.

Brownies (baked yesterday by Angelina) are frosted … and tested.  They are wonderful!

Tuesday DayLook: June 15, 2010

For Today:  Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Looking out from my back porch... Mostly cloudy, calm, freshly tilled garden (ie. no weeds!) … and freshly mowed weeds, which makes our yard look like it has lawn!!!

I am thinking about… actually I’m not trying to think about much right now – this blog time is play time.

I am thankful for... great swim instructors for the four oldest.

I am reading… magazines.  I’m slowly working through the foot high stack of magazines on my coffee table. 

I am praying… that the benefit for a child in our homeschool group goes well and that the turn-out is awesome!

I am hoping... For continued beautiful 70 degree weather and the demise of all mosquitoes in our backyard (well, okay, there can be enough spared to feed the birds).

I am hearing... the whirring sounds of the hand-mixer, held by Angelina, mixing up brownies.

I am wearing… a teal & navy tank-top with jeans.

 From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… did I mention the kids have been taking swimming lessons??

 From the school room... an extended break from studies has been earned, but the trips to swimming lessons have been filled with stores of Greeks and Romans recited by Jim Weiss. 

 From the kitchen... brownies, courtesy of Angelina.

 State of the house… dusty at the edges, laundry being done as week speak, kitchen is clean enough to make brownies.

 A successful moment… the majority of our school supplies have been acquired.

 A few plans for the rest of the week…

 Wednesday: Eric is taking the kids to swimming lessons, Remaining garden plants WILL be planted today

 Thursday:   Swimming lessons

 Friday: Last day of swimming lessons

Saturday/Sunday:   Possibly building our swingset this weekend, Tag Sale sponsored by the local flower shop (really cool refurbished/repurposed items), Work on 4-H projects, Clean the house if we don’t have company.

A picture memory...

There’s been a lot of sheep-walking going on at the farm.  Thankfully our wild ewe is taming and the kids are getting better at doing the walking on their own.  The sheep should be tame enough to handle without halters at Achievement Days at the end of the month.