Round here

 

 -around here I can't get my stuff together.  We seem unable to find our new school rhythm.  It feels very chaotic. 

-fights seem to be the norm as do overly tired children and mother
-I stayed up way too late last night/early morning trying to get something done in this house.  It involved wool and needles and felt great
-the smallest trouble maker's allergies have come back.  He was up in the middle of the night having breathing problems.  I'm so not ready to deal with this again.
-Reagan started soccer practice yesterday.  He was so excited.  In fact, at 12:30 this morning he got up to do it again.  I found him next to Logan's bed (who was woken up by it) trying to find shoes to go again.  Luckily, I was still up.
-The medium child has been angelic lately.  I'm not ready for that to end either.
-These pictures have nothing to do with anything.  It is one of the only happy smiles I've gotten today.  Not even a long walk and playing with the mops have gotten much response.  But, syrup makes me smile too.

How did that week pass me by?

I'm not quite sure where last week went.  It was busy.  I'm not sure why it was so busy, but it sure was. 

It was the last week of summer for Mason before he started school.  I tried to soak that up with him as much as I could - putting everything (ahem - house!) aside to do whatever his little mind wanted to do.  A wookie for you? Sure darling, we'll make it right now.  You need a tent today, right this very minute?  Absolutely.  Bake supper and you do it all and tell me what to do?  Sure, of course my sweet boy.

Then poof, it was Friday.  Their first camp out - in our yard.  Living in a subdivision dominated by huge, gorgeous trees makes for a very realistic camping experience (when you are 4 and 5).

Just a little note though- it is entirely possible to have a hang over from too many Smores. Just saying.  Also, a fire with a very active (read naughty) 18 month old is not fun. 

Then poof again - it is Monday.  First day of preschool for Mason (again).  He was pretty confident this time.  After all, he has done this before.  Reagan still needed to give him advice though.  He listened with rapt attention until he finished.  The he asked, in all seriousness, if his white uniform shirt and blue shorts were more of a Storm Trooper or a Clone Trooper look.  Clone Trooper of course.   Ever the diva in his own, Mason way.

The middle

He really likes to be in the middle of everything.

Inspired by Soulemama:  {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  This week Reagan thought we should share his dinner party he had.

First Day

Today is the first day of kindergarten. 

There were no real tears...maybe a little misty though.

There was one very excited little boy. One sad medium brother. One brother who wanted a cracker.

Yesterday we were talking about how his day was going to look and how long it will be before he comes home and how much I'll miss him during the day.  He reassured me that, "he'll come home and still be the same ol' Reagan.  So I don't worry about me mommy."

sniff. sniff.

Yarn Along

Lately I've been lucky to finish some big projects.  Freeing up my needles is always such a fun sense of accomplishment.  I wish empty laundry baskets would give that same feeling to me.  I'm on a home knits kick and have found the most perfect long project to work on -The Beekeeper Quilt.  It will be made up of hundreds of these little stuffed hexipuffs that once tied together, will be adorable.  I'm using a color palate from one of my favorite artist to keep it relatively organized.  So far it is the perfect project to tote around to our playground and tuck in my purse.  I'm still working on my little one's longies stash and have a knit-along shawl that I'm not feeling to much (I'm a linear person, not geometric) and a birthday present for a little friend of ours in the works.  I like to be busy as a bee at all times.

I feel like I've also been lucky to finally get a most anticipated fall read - The Rhythm of The Family by Amanda Blake Soule. I'm sure I won't be the only one in this yarn along to be currently reading it.  It is great. I love her blog and am very inspired by her.  This book gives me some great ideas to jump off of with the soon approaching season change.  I have a feeling that I'll be reaching for it again and again (like I do her other books) as the year ends and starts anew. 


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Following along with Ginny at Small Things -sharing our favorite things...knits and reads.

A little trip to the land of Lego

Before the busy school year starts, we (my mom and I) had to fit one more thing in.  If you had the 'pleasure' of being around either one of my older boys, you would have known that we were planning on going to Chicago and going to Legoland.   We didn't make it all the way to the city.  It was supposed to have some severe thunderstorms (and boy did it ever) so we opted to go the the burgs. 

It was fun though!  We only stayed there a little more than three hours but it was enough Lego time to keep them pretty entertained.  They walked through an Alien invaded Chicago, hiked in the jungle, rode a dragon ride, raced a build your own car, and took an Alien Defense Unit class (instructed by a guy who probably has the worse job in America).  It all ended in shopping-- which was what Reagan was all about. 

Only Mason would snuggle up with Darth.

I think Mason and I wanted the Ewok Legos the most though.  (Hint hint Uncle Bwandon!) 

A little something fun

I do love my iphone.  It is so handy.  I'm not sure how I lived without it before in this fast paced communication age.  It frees me from checking the computer which usually results in something happening in my house that shouldn't.

One of the best things about it is the pictures' apps and my favorite one is Hipstamatic.  The different lens, films, and flashes it uses makes some really fun pictures.  As much as I love my camera (and I LOVE my camera), it is freeing to snap little moments here and there with the phone.

I just spoiled myself with a new one today -  The Mission HipstaPak. It makes the pictures almost fairy feeling and just plain fun to play with.

What are your favorite photo apps?  I love trying new things out. 

just being

We took a week where we focused on just being.  No scheduled dates, no appointments, and nothing pressing to do.

We were so blessed with incredible (but still very dry) weather.  I got to wear socks again AND a hoodie.

Everyday we were outside.  Every lunch was eaten on the porch or picnic style at one of our favorite places.

Pure freedom.  Just being.  A last week of summer.

This Moment

Inspired by Amanda -- {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Ewok

Conversations with Mason about Star Wars

Mason:  What does Yoda eat?
Me: I'm not sure bud, what do you think he eats?
Mason: Worms and catepwillers.  And probablee fruits and veggies.
Me:  Why would he eat that?
Mason:  He is green and small.

Mason: I'm hungry.
Me:  Again?  You just ate.  What do you want to eat?
Mason:  Whatever Chewy eats.
Me:  I don't know what Chewy eats.
Mason:  Can we gwoogle it?

Mason:  I'm hungry again.
Me:  Mason!  You just ate an entire batch of strawberries and two cheese sticks.
Mason:  But I'm still hungry.  I must be growing or something.
Me:  Well, what do you feel like eating?
Mason:  Whatever Luke Skywalker eats.
Me:  I don't know what Luke Skywalker ate.
Mason: Just gwoogle it mama.

Mason:  Does Logan talk in Ewok?  He sounds like them but fusses more.
Me:  No, I think he just talks in his own little Logan language.  He'll talk soon. 
Mason:  I think I need an Ewok.  I willy need one. 
Me: No, I'm not going to buy you any new toys. 
Mason: Will they have them in Chicago?  Can I get some there?
Me: No, we are saving our money just for Lego sets.
Mason: But I do! I do!  I need some to play with.
Me:  I bet we can make one together.
Mason: (asking 1,000 times since morning) Can we make one now?  Can Logan go and sleep yet?

Yes. Now we can.

Yarn Along

Following Ginny's weekly yarn along...sharing our favorite things -knitting and reading!

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I forget that after lots, and lots, and lots of longies made over the past 5 years, I can whip a pair up pretty fast!  Last yarn along I had just started the first pair of this season's collection and poof, in a few days they were already done!  I love that about knitting.  Fingers just kinda know how to do things after a while.  No real thinking required and a glance is all I need to see if I'm doing it right.

Now I'm already on to my second pair and this time they are in buttery bulky gaia (or Stallion) wool and so fast to knit.  In contrast, so slow to knit is the lap blanket I've been working endlessly on.  I think it will be ironic this winter when I'm so cold and sick of the weather and reach for this warm, woolen throw, that I knit this when it was so hot and so dry!  I'm plugging along on it though.  The hap lace portion is pretty fast-well at least faster than I thought it would be.  With over 500+ sts per round, it seems to take a bit of time just to get to the finish line marker.

Also still plugging away is my current read of Organized Simplicity.  I've added it to our discussions at the dinner table which has proven to be quite insightful.  For example, when discussing what individual strengths we have as family members, my four year old said, in all seriousness, that "he is very good at eating all of the time".  And he is.