Summer Is: Lounging in Pajamas

We love to move slowly on some summer mornings. Snuggling and lounging in pajamas is decadent.

Summer Is: Craftapalooza

We realized summer was nearly over and we hadn't accomplished quite a few of the crafts we wanted to do. So, we crammed them all into one day and invited over a friend.

We made salt dough, baked it, and painted the creations.

Also, some hairbows were made.

There are still some other things on the list, but we had a full and fun day.

Rodeo Parade

This last weekend was our Neighborhood/Ward Rodeo. My allergies prevent me from participating in pretty much everything. But, the primary parade is always a priority. The kids sang this year.

Sara sang, "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" and rode. Her teacher made the awesome hats!

Laura sang "The Wise Man" and carried her parasol. Her teacher made them all nametags and an adorable sign.

Jason and Eliza found spots in the shade and I overused the camera. It was great!

First Day of School

It is the time of year for the first day of school to be rolling around. Here are the obligatory pics.

For Sara, we were in a rush...the backpack ran away downstairs as did her shoes and socks. She is very glad to be going with a girlfriend after all the boys in her class last year!

Laura, looking way too old for my comfort. I can't believe one of my children is in 3rd GRADE!!

12 Feet of Curtains

I decided that I wanted floor to ceiling drapes in the living room. It was a HUGE project, as the ceilings in that room are 11 ft high. I used the fabric we had purchased for the sofa reupholstery project that we abandoned.

I did make the project a bit easier on myself by using pre-made draperies from IKEA as lining, though they did have to be extended to reach all the way to the floor. By lining thusly, I didn't have to measure and construct the hidden tabs I wanted, but I still got my perfectly coordinated fabric and custom length.

Jason was a wonderful help through all of this. He helped me deal with the massive amounts of fabric as I sewed, measure and cut the fabric, and he hung hardware.

I adore the result! It draws my eye to the high ceilings and balances out the interest that is on the other walls of the room! YAY, only pillows and cabinet painting left.

Summer Is: Zipline with Friends

We went to the cabin with Steph, Larry, & Co. The kids had a great time outside in the water, but I believe the highlight was the zipline. Check out all the kids flying down the line!

Oh yes, we do start them young!!

Jason's Birthday

We all still had the flu (except Jason) and I was still not quite 100% from my surgery on Jason's birthday. But, we celebrated him nonetheless.

He got a new shirt in the morning to wear to work. Lots of presents (fortunately I had been stockpiling for a while), hugs, and cupcakes with the girls. Then he and I went out to dinner together after the girls went down - thanks, Mom and Dad!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life and the best daddy and hubby!

Decorating the Living/Piano Room

My living room has never really been decorated. I loved the blue wall, the painting of George Washington, my grandmas lace, and the piano. The rest, well, it did. The beige chairs offered more seating but were boring and uncomfortable, the couch was slipcovered and acceptable, the window was bare, it was kinda dark, and there were no patterns in sight. Time to redecorate!

My parents were getting rid of some awesome chairs from the cabin - in June. We took them to our house instead of DI, intending to get them reupholstered. I kept the awesome avocado green and harvest gold chairs for 2 months, but they just didn't work with the blue. Finally we found the perfect fabric ($6/yd and 7 yards), called Hector and got them done this past week. I love them!! Check out the before and afters!

I also repurposed a lamp from my mom. Gotta love white spraypaint and new bulbs! It is a great piano light. Laura loves it when practicing in the evening.

I also received a painting by my great aunt that I re-framed on a great sale at Hobby Lobby. It looks wonderful in the room that I am calling my "female heritage room."

When Hector brought back the chairs, we asked him for a price estimate on reupholstering the couch. It was a lot more than we expected. So, we bought a new white one from IKEA for a lot less. While there, we also found a cabinet that would work as a curio cabinet and storage for music books. Though, now that it's in, I realize that I need to paint the back panel my blue in order to make my pretties pop. Oh, and I need to secure it to the wall before I put my nice pretties in there!

I have quite a few things left - sewing curtains and pillows is the biggest. Painting the aforementioned cabinet. Maybe beefing up the crown molding. Finding a small table for between the chairs. But, the room is definitely coming together and finally has some style!

Summer Is: Painting

Sometimes you just gotta jump in and make a mess! There may be nothing more fun as a kid than a huge mess. So, I figured if I was committing to clean up a mess, the more the merrier. We invited the whole street. It was last minute, but we still found a decent crowd.

I cut up my big roll of paper, taped it to the fence and they all went to town. My fence is beautifully decorated now. Masterpieces we created. Messes were made. Fun was had. Oh, and thank heavens for washable paints!

Eliza's 2nd Birthday

I was only 10 days out of surgery when Eliza's birthday rolled around, but we still put on a celebration that she enjoyed. (Thank heavens she is easy to please.) I did a quick iron-on to an old shirt for her to wear and she loved being "tchoo".

I made (with lots of help from Sara and Eliza) some super easy cupcakes with "poopoh" frosting. Blowing out the candles was a big hit this year. I think she did it at least 5 times. And then she did it twice later at her party with all of my family. (Then she requested cookie cupcakes)

Eliza also adored opening presents. Her two favorites seemed to be ducks from my parents and the slide (we are using it indoors) from us. Her sisters got her an ice cream parlor (Sara) and a dress-up skirt (Laura).

Eliza had a great time!

And, she loved the pinwheels that we put on the lawn to celebrate her.

Laura Rides a Bike

Yep! Laura conquered a two-wheeler this week. Check her out!

She is riding all the time now; we just can't get her off her bike. Go, Laura!

Eliza @ 2 Years

Holy moly, my baby is 2 years old. Eliza has grown up so quickly. In some ways it was just yesterday she was a baby, but it also feels like she has always been a part of our family. Check out her progress!

One Week

6 Months

One Year

2 Years

Her vital stats are as follows:
Length/Height: 34.25 inches (90th percentile)

Weight: 26.8 lbs (50th percentile)

Noggin: 47 cm (30th percentile)

Brain: She has just barely exploded on talking and uses words for everything. She's got her colors, can count to 10, recognizes some letters, plays complex games with her sisters.

Motoring: She jumps high and dances around everywhere - music makers and imagination movers are still constants. Eliza can also do a perfect somersault. The slide is a favorite and so is coloring - just as long as it's not on the kitchen cabinets. Her fine motor skills blow me away as she can get in and out of any buckle.

Favorites: Food: noodles, grapes, chicken bites. Treat: oreo cookies, popcicles. Person: sisters, Mamaw and Papaw, Ollie (Lollie). Activity: swinging outside, singing and acting it out, kitchen, pretend school/kitty/mommy with sisters. Book: Knuffle Bunny, Goodnight Moon (finding the mouse), Grandma Book. Movie: Annie, Monsters, Inc. TV Show: Imagination Movers, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dora.

Parade!

Laura was in the local parade to promote her play. So, we all came out to watch her. Yes, my Dad even came on his birthday.

We found a shady spot, but it still was HOT HOT. Laura seemed to have a blast and the little girls enjoyed the floats, loved the bands, and adored the performing groups.