Another Project Off the List...

The other thing we've been busy with is paint.

We have painted almost every surface of the first floor of this house. The kitchen, family room, dining room, and living room have all been freshly painted and brightened up. The biggest *phew* of all was getting all of the trim painted white. It was so chipped up and banged up and many different shades of dirty white. Yuck!

Now it's all crisp, clean, bright white.

Feels like a new house!

Here are before and after shots of the living room (Check out the fireplace, too! Delicious!):

Before:

After:

The fireplace before:

and After:

4th of July in Walker

Click here to view these pictures larger

4th of July in October

Well, I'm finally able to see the light at the end of my work tunnel, and am realizing how terribly lax I've been with this blog.

We've done a bit more in the last few months than finish our kitchen, play baseball, and head off to school.

Yes, we've been up to more fun and projects and now I have the time to share them with you. Aren't you excited?!

In looking back over the summer, one of the standout things we did was a slightly spontaneous trip to a friend's cabin in Walker, MN. We spent 4th of July weekend swimming, kayaking, tubing, fishing, boating, eating, sleeping, and just enjoying every minute. It was heavenly.

See photos in the next post.

Once Again, They're Off...

It seems like just yesterday that I was watching their backpacks march off into the future.

And here we are again. This year we are the proud parents of a Fourth Grader and a Sixth Grader, who happily marched away from us this morning. No tears. No hand-holding. No anxiety, uncertainty, or angst.

Nope, they really don't need us at all anymore. I expect them to come home at 3:00 demanding full rights and keys to their own apartments.

In our town, Sixth Grade = Middle School, which is a big, huge, enormous deal. So big that I only had .0000025 seconds to take the traditional before school photos because, "really mom....geez.....I don't want to just stand here....I have to go!"

Thus, the blurry picture. The pressure was too much for me.

He allowed me a small photo op, and I, in turn, didn't do my "smile at the camera" dance. That would have been way too embarrassing for someone heading off to Middle School. You will note, though, that he has perfected the I-am-completely-disinterested-in-what-is-happening-around-me-and-totally-bored-by-you stance that is the hallmark of secondary education students. That's my guy!

Actually, he's had that stance perfected since he was two.

Our Fourth Grader had all the time in the world for photos, because what is time to a nine year-old? It is an inconvenience, an interruption in flow, to be hedged in by the demands of time. It forces structure where there need not be structure. Besides, the more relaxed you are about time, the more it bugs your brother.

In this picture, I'd like you to note how far I've come. I no longer insist that they wear nice outfits for the first day of school, and instead let them choose the clothes will make them feel comfortable and happy. I've let go. Except when they come downstairs in an orange-and-green tie-dye shirt with blue-and-red shorts and black socks. I fought with my inner "creative expression of self" voices, but in the end I had to send him back upstairs.

Happy first day of school!