Thursday, September 4, 2014

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!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

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!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Another First Day

Getting tired of these yet? I'm not...every time another kid goes to school, my house gets just a little bit cleaner. And I get a little more organized again.

Crazy how the summer just throws me out of whack. So it's Bonnie's turn - eighth grade. How did that happen?!?

This is still how I see her:


I guess she's a little bigger now. And she takes all my texting minutes...sigh, she's a teenager. Well, here's to a great year!

And there's only one more to start school: Sophie. That'll be next week, and you know I'll keep you posted!