And Up It Goes!

My two loyal readers (okay, there might be more of you) have both commented that there hasn't been any blog posting lately. So I feel I owe you all an explanation.

In 2004, Doug and I started our first fixer-upper. We loved it, talked compulsively about it, and worked on it all the time. Even with a newborn and two small children, and with both of us working. Okay, I was only part-time, but still.

We've been working on this house or the other ever since. I even had a brief stint as a professional stager, which was self-affirming and a lot of work. We've been working on our current house for three years, and it still has some major work to be done. Namely, bathrooms and a big basement room that is (still) not finished. A fence that is (still) not finished. And landscaping that probably will never be finished.

Which is all well and good when writing a blog like this, right? Lots of fodder for the writing mill. However...the kids are needing more of my attention. And I find that I'm simply not interested in "doing something" on the house when I'm constantly taking someone somewhere.

I know, whine, whine, whine. With a preschooler, two teens on traditional school schedules and two grade schoolers on a year-round schedule, I don't know if I'm coming or going.

Which is why this blog might be going. Sigh.

I want you all to know how much I appreciate your comments and readership and support. This has been a fun chapter in my life - one that is actually documented (woot!). Big, wet sloppy kisses and huge hugs to you all!

PS - the title is actually a reference to my stress level with kids...

What's Blooming

Now that the air has turned a little colder (emphasis on little), a few more flowers are starting to bloom!

My white asters...

The chrysanthemums...

Orange

And red

And one that has probably been in bloom awhile now, but I didn't notice it tucked in amongst my other plants. This is a Malva Zebrina, and it is an annual that reseeded itself. I haven't seen it for two years, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it again.

The flowers are so small!

 Here's the real tragedy: they were all over the flower bed where I found this one. I had already yanked out all the others, though, thinking they were weeds. There is a certain weed that has very similar leaves, in my defense. So I was a little bummed that I had thinned future volunteers. Hm, maybe I just need to plant something else!

Hope you have a great week!

And We Have the Last First Day!

Sadly, next week my boys are "off-track", making this the first and only full week of having all my kids in school until October.

But still! Here is Sophie ready for her first day at preschool:

Playing with a rubber band is much more exciting than a photo op

She did really well. I dropped her off in the drop-off line. That means a teacher opened my car door and escorted her to the front door of preschool. Pick up is the same - a teacher escorts her back to my car. It's very efficient. Sophia looked a little confused that she was walking into an establishment without anyone in her family next to her, but took it in stride.

She is so, so happy to be at school like all her brothers and sisters! I am so proud of her. I do think that preschool is Not Long Enough - at least for me. However, it is just perfect for her. Here's to a great school year, my little Soph!

Don't Fence Me In

Just kidding - I do actually want a fence. You know that, if you've been reading this blog very long...I am always going on about a fence. We have almost never had one - but when we have, I have LOVED it. Even if the kids can come in and out, they have a tangible boundary that says: "This is my back yard."

These days, Doug is the one going and going on about a fence...but he is a little more productive about it than I am. In just a few short week, he has finished the fence, minus the gates, on one side of the house.

From the front

From just behind the blue spruce in the above picture

And looking back at the entire expanse.

He has also started on the other side of the house, and made significant progress. The neighbors are hilarious - he gets one stopping about every 15 minutes to comment on his progress.

The other side of the house...

Continuing along the driveway

And the back side of that.

And I just keep thinking...having a dog is becoming more and more a possibility with every board.

Doug working hard

Enough about the dog. This fence also means that I can put together an arch over one (or more) of the gates. Here's the first one I'm going to work on:

A lilac arch would be lovely, don't you think? It will certainly take many years, since you can see how small my lilac is, on the far right. That's okay, though. It might be up sooner than the gates, which Doug has dubbed "a winter project." Yup.

This fence will eventually get a trimming, too, with additional rails on the outside top and bottom, and a cap on the top. That will be at least next year, though, to spread out the costs. I keep reminding Doug that the costs wouldn't be quite so much if we had a smaller piece of property...

Sigh. I keep trying. But Doug will never give up living on a large piece of land. So, back to yard work I go!