Une Artiste

As the sun set this evening, the sky was glorious.  Blythe was enchanted and wanted to paint the sunset, racing around trying to gather her painting supplies and frantically trying to get herself set up.  I suggested she take a picture and just paint from that.  She calmed down and took a picture, then calmly began to paint.  I love the result.

Pictures From Today

Brick and Cora came to hang out with me today while Mikayla slept.  She still feels crummy.  What a bummer to be broken.  Brick and Cora are both such good children, pleasant, easy, fun to have around.  There was playing and running around the house and napping, and I'll leave you to figure out who did what.  

Brick was kicking this box back and forth to me.

Later in the afternoon, after school and after Brick and Cora went home, Brandt came outside to help me plant.  I got some low-growing plants to fill in the dirt spaces around the things we planted earlier in the year.  He worked hard and did good planting, and he talked to me while we worked.  Bonus! 

 

Later, as I was pulling dead veg out of the garden and harvesting jalapenos, Blythe came over and pointed out lots of tomatoes that were ready to be picked.  She then helped me harvest, and declared that today, September 29th, was officially "Harvest Day."  Please take note for next year.  

Blood Moon

We stayed up late to watch the complete lunar eclipse, a blood moon that was beautiful.  We encountered John and Nancy Crawley as we were getting ready to set up, and John gave me excellent pointers on camera work (none of which I understood) while Kent and Nancy visited.  Blythe was also very engaging, providing snacks (a bowl full of cashews, raisins, cereal, graham crackers, and some random candies) and witty dialog that made Nancy laugh.  At some point in the evening, Blythe asked Nancy how old she was.  When Nancy replied, "51," Blythe said, "Wow! You look like you're in your 30s."  Where does she get this stuff?  The kids were up a bit late--we came in about 9:15--but they were very cooperative about getting ready for bed, and we all had a great time watching the moon's progression across the sky in the middle of Rock Canyon.  I didn't really get any great pictures, but considering that I wanted photographic evidence we saw it, I did get something adequate.  And sometimes adequate just has to suffice.

The best of the not so great.

Moon watchers, including John and Nancy Crawley, 

our neighbors three doors down.

Brandt said, "I think I had my eyes shut."

Yup.

We Play at Home

No Field Trip Friday today.  Last night I told Kent I wasn't sure what we were going to do for FTF today, and he suggested we not do anything.  "Can't you have a bye?" he asked.  No!  The whole point of having Field Trip Friday is that we go do something.  By 10:30am, however, fate had made the decision for me.  Mikayla broke her leg playing soccer, and I ended up with her children all afternoon and into the evening.  This was perfectly acceptable; I was happy to have them, and quite frankly, the children were happy to stay home and play with Brick and friends.  I took care of Cora, Brandt took care of Brick as they played and played and played with Sam Oyler, and Blythe had Ellen come over.  Everyone was happy, and all I had to do was keep everyone well supplied with snacks.  Mikayla has surgery and will be in the hospital until at least tomorrow, and then won't be able to put any weight on her leg for two months.  We may have many more afternoons like today's in the coming weeks.

Brick is light sabering Brandt and Sam and shrieking with delight every time they fall over.

Blythe and Ellen have removed seven or eight games from the closet

and are playing some imaginative game with no rhyme or reason with all the little pieces.

And just for fun, I'll throw in the picture of the nine screws Mikayla got during her surgery.

I'm not including the horrific picture of the compound fracture that led to all this hardware. 

Not So Fun Run

This morning was the annual Fun Run at school.  It's not the children's favorite school activity.  It's known at our house as the "Not So Fun Run."  The kids, especially Brandt, always want me to run with them, and I'm always happy to do that, in spite of the fact that I don't like to run.  At all.  But the route was shorter this year because of the new school construction, so I figured it would be a good year for Brandt and Blythe, especially as there is a long downhill about 2/3 into the race.  I had agreed to watch Brick and Cora this morning while Mikayla went to play soccer, so I had the double stroller and two kids to push up the beginning hill and throughout the race.

It was a beautiful day, not too hot at 9:30 when we started, and I figured it would go well.  Blythe wanted to run with her classmate Maggie and her teacher Mrs. Fueger, so while I saw her and she came and went from me, most of the time I was just with Brandt.  He struggled to keep up with me, even pushing the stroller, and I've decided he likes running just about as much as me.  He loves to bike and ride his scooter, so I'm not super worried about his physical well-being, he just thinks running stinks.  They did both finish, not last, and enjoyed a Popsicle with the rest of the school.  And I congratulated them both for participating.

Not great pictures as I was running, pushing the kids.  Starting pictures and at the end pictures.

The crazy crowd, and this isn't even all of them.  

Imagine 640+ students, their teachers, and lots of parents and strollers all outside 

in a compact area waiting to and then running.

Can you say, "Pandemonium?"

Blythe and Maggie taking a short break in front of Maggie's house.

Maggie, Blythe, and Mrs. Fueger (and another classmate I don't know)

Yeah!

It's over!

Before and After--The Doors

Fourteen years ago, after doctoral degree and before children, I took several community education classes.  I did a Thai cooking class, a woodworking class, and two different stained glass classes.  As I was not working and home, after taking the second class, I decided to make some large windows.  I copied a Frank Lloyd Wright design, the Coonley Playhouse Windows, that are meant to represent a parade, with balloons, flags, and confetti, and I said to Kent, "We can use these in our house someday."   We propped them in the window of the rental we were living in at the time, but then we moved and put them in the basement.  That was in 2003.  They have been languishing in storage since, waiting for that "someday."  

In the meantime, our back sliding glass door has been in desperate need of replacement.  It was heavy, difficult to open (the children could hardly do it), and not very good at keeping out the cold air.  We looked into getting a new one a couple of years ago, but the bid I got back from the guy I found then was over $3000.  I was fairly confident he'd want our firstborn as well, so we didn't go with him.  But in the meantime, we still needed a new door.

This year Kent and I agreed that we absolutely HAD to get a new door, and we HAD to use the windows I had made.  I contacted the glass shop and asked what company they would recommend, then asked that company who they would recommend to install my glass in the door and then install the door in the house.  We met a great carpenter who was able to do our doors for less than half the bid I got two years ago, and we were able to do the front door too, using all three panes of glass I had made.  For the front door, we put an opaque piece of glass on the inside of the door so you can't see into the house, but you can still see the pattern very clearly.  Our "someday" finally arrived.

I can't tell you how delighted I am with them.  It is so fantastic seeing my glass in the doors.  Ed, our carpenter, made a special effort to make the doors fit the style of the glass, and I think they really look good.  I have needed to paint them, and I finally finished that this week.  It is just one more small detail or change that makes the house ours, and we absolutely love them.  The children can open the door without any effort at all, even Brick, and we've found ourselves sitting out on the patio more often because we can get in and out of the house more easily now.  The French doors out the back can both open all the way, folding against the small side windows, leaving a large opening perfect for parties and guests coming in and out.  I know, because I hosted a bridal shower and it worked like a charm.  It's the best before/after that's ever happened to me.  And it inspires me to get back to doing stained glass.

 

Cute kids standing in front of the before door.

Ed had started taking out the slider before I got the "before" picture.

This after isn't brilliant, 

but it's hard to see the actual door when the sun is shining in the window.

A Show!

Brandt and Blythe are very creative and imaginative.  Most of the time they play together very nicely, and if I listen, I find they are far away doing all sorts of exciting things.  They incorporate music from the electric piano, lots of props, and other kids if they are around.  Yesterday, they determined they wanted to have a show and were practicing outside in the driveway and on the street.  Blythe wanted to make sure they had an audience for their show, so she made up announcements and went around to the neighbors to invite them to come.  The gave one to Mary Atkinson, the Oylers, the Lindbergs, the Taylers, Saneh Echols, and the Bradfords.  The kids wanted Lilly and Emma to participate, so their invitation was especially important.

The show was scheduled for today at 4:00pm, and Blythe insisted that they needed to perform in Barbara McConochie's driveway.  It's nice and big and flat and round, and she said it would be perfect, never mind that they hadn't asked Sister McConochie if it was okay.  The kids got home from school, turned on the TV, and zoned out.  At 4:00, Mary appeared at the door and said she was here for the show.  The children looked surprised when I asked if there was still going to be a show, and that started a flurry of frenzied activity to get ready and get everything they needed over to Sister McConochie's driveway.

I was surprised at the size of the audience.  Mary was there, as well as Jayne and Mary Tayler, Sister McConochie who heard voices and came out to see what was going on, and Brian, David, and Olivia Bradford (Lilly and Emma performed).  The big show was scootering around the driveway in large circles to fun music about fish and seahorses.  Three whole numbers, the last big finale being the part where Lilly and Emma joined Brandt and Blythe in the scootering.  There was only one small crash, but no one was hurt.  The audience sat on the front steps, just like stadium seating, and gave one and all a rousing round of applause.  It was all a great after school activity and got everyone outside and away from the TV.

 

Brandt and Dog

Found this very silly picture of Brandt on my phone.

He's buried under blankets and a stuffed dog.

I don't know why.

Probably because it's Sunday afternoon and the children think they have nothing to do.

I love it when they play nicely together.

I love that face too.

Familial 'Nuggle

Saturday mornings frequently look like this at our house.

Only in focus.

*&!# camera

Fourth Grade Store

Look who got to work the Fourth Grade Store today.  Brandt was so excited on Monday when he told us he was chosen for this week.  He had to stay after school for a bit, but I went over to come home with him (and to take a picture).  I love that Brandt is growing up, while at the same time, I hate it.  He is such a great kid, so kind and happy, and I would love to bottle him up right now.  He is really liking fourth grade and his teacher, Mrs. Harrington, and I'm glad.

Working sales, then cleaning up.

Brandt was responsible for sweeping up all the popcorn.

There was ALOT of popcorn on the floor.

Field Trip Friday #40--State Fair

For Field Trip Friday today, we went to the State Fair.  I like the fair.  The kids like the fair.  Kent likes the fair, and he came with us.  Yeah!  We love it when Kent takes time off work to play with us.   The kids did the pony ride, we went down the Big Yellow Slide, we saw all the animals including all the babies in the petting tent, and Brandt and Blythe went through Little Hands on the Farm.  They might be getting too big for that, but Blythe loves it and made sure we weren't going to miss it.  We went to see the photography exhibit and for the first time ever, the kids fished.  The joke for the day was "What do you get when you play tug of war with a pig?  Pulled Pork."  We read Worse Things Happen at Sea on the way too and from, and we stopped at Mekong Cafe for Thai food on the way home.  Delicious!!!  They had absolutely the best som tum we've ever had.  It was a great FTF activity.

 

Brandt is making really excellent pigeon sounds at the pigeons.

I'm not sure what he was telling them.

Pigeon on a cup.

I made them pose for a second time because Brandt is being silly.

 

Pictures of Little Hands on the Farm from years past.

2011 on the left (Br 5, Bl 3) and 2014 on the right (Br 8, Bl 6).

We've been to the fair other years, but apparently I didn't get a picture of them here together. 

The Big Yellow Slide.

We had to climb 106 stairs to the top.

That's 3 1/2 stories.

 

 

The children found computers in the same tent as the baby animals.

We had to physically pull them away so we could move on.

This was the first year we did fishing.  There is a large pond near the pony rides that is stocked with hungry catfish.  Volunteers help kids bait a hook on an old-fashioned pole and then pull in a fish.  Everybody will catch something, however long it takes.  Sometimes it takes a while.  We know this because it took quite a while for Blythe to catch one that was actually pulled from the water.  She kept getting bites but would loose them as she began to pull them out.  But in the end, both children got a fish (with lots and lots of help).  I don't think either of them have the patience for real fishing.  

 

Blythe wasn't looking because the fish flipped water on her leg just as I was going to take the picture,

and she squealed and had to immediately wipe it off.