Kid stuff

Check out this picture of 4-year-old Justin. He looks just like James.

We went to our stake's Harvest Fair. It's kind of a big deal. We didn't go last year because it was on my birthday but we went this year. The kids had a blast.

They had so many fun activities for kids. Train ride, pioneer ring, balloon animals, cotton candy. All the fun.

Plus dinner. Chili, cornbread and cookies.

Then there were tons of booths from people in our stake. This taffee one was a hit with me. I remember the taffy kiosk in Univerisity Mall when I was a good. Good times. I may have gone back this booth more than once twice three times.

Sarah had ditched us for her friends at this point so she missed out on the cotton candy. Did I mention this was all free?

This gun collection was really cool.

But the hit of the night was this candy launcher. Candy shot up 20 feet in the air and sprinkled the kids waiting below. It was so great to see neighbors and stake members share their talents and fun stuff just to have a good time.

On Sunday I visited primary to help James with his talk. I sat in the back when I got in there. He noticed that the sunbeams didn't have any of their little chairs set up in their row so without being asked he set up 8 little chairs all by himself. He's such a stud.

The next morning we had the craziest weather. Rain, sunshine, wind. We had it all. Such a spectacle.

And a double rainbow (it didn't quite show up in this photo but trust me).

My girls did the weeklong drill clinic and performed Thursday at the JV football game.

They had a lot of fun and it's about all I can commit to dance so win-win. Except for the Eagles. They lost.

I don't know about my kids but I am loving growing pumpkins. The vines kind of grew into the lawn and got in the way of the swingset but it's worth it. I'll plant them somewhere else next year.

They are the cutest pumpkins. It helps they are cradled in our lush lawn.

I love these little goofballs.

Sometimes James falls asleep afterschool, especially if he's watching 5-minute crafts on TV.

And yes, that is a black widow spider in the back of my coat closet. Yikes.

I am looking forward to October. Henry still has a few more football games and we've got Sarah's birthday, fall break, and all the fun Halloween/fall things to do. Here's a snapshot of our schedule because I think it will be interesting to me in the future.

7am I wake up

7:20 I make sure Sarah and Henry are up and at 'em.

7:35 Sarah leaves for school on her bike

7:50 Henry leaves for school on his bike if it doesn't have a flat tire, on his scooter if it does.

7:50 I go for a walk. If I'm quick I can get 2 miles in.

8:30 I call James and Erica up from watching TV and get them ready for school. 

9:00 Drop the littles off at school. I drop Erica off with her bike so she can ride it hom.

9:00-11:50 If I have errands to do, I do them while James is in school. He hates going anywhere. Or I'll clean the house, work on calling stuff. Whatever needs to be done most I try to do it in the morning.

11:50 Pick up James from school. 

12:00 James eats lunch. Usual favorites include quesadilla, ham sandwich, crackers with ham and cheese, egg sandwich.

12:15 James does his homework and his chores. I help or eat my lunch while he works.

12:45 James pops a bag of popcorn and takes it downstairs to watch TV. I resume doing whatever needs to be done around the house.

1:30 James wanders up and asks to play a game so I stop doing what I'm doing and we play Cassino (not a typo) or Sneaky Snacky Squirrel.

2:50 Sarah gets home from school. She practices piano, does her chores, eats a snack (not necessarily in that order)

3:20 Henry gets home from school. He eats a snack, does his chores, asks to play with a friend (in that order).

3:45 Erica gets home. She finishes off James's popcorn, watches whatever TV show Sarah is watching, whines about practicing the piano, asks to play with a friend, does her job.

Mondays and Wednesdays Henry has a football game at 5 or 6 (for a few more weeks). The girls have piano Wednesdays too. 

6:00 Justin arrives home and we eat dinner. 

Some Tuesdays Justin has church meetings, Sarah has YW on Wednesdays, Henry has activities on some Thursdays and Erica's fall on Fridays. Plus I have meetings a few times a month too. Whew! Some weeks are more busy than others.

A couple of hobbies or at least things that are holding my attention, for now.

I finished my flower bed project. Justin and Henry helped me grade the soil around the house to provide proper drainage then it was time to buy plants. To the nursery I went!

My happy place. It took 3 trips to 2 different nurseries but I finally got everything I wanted. I have been reading up all summer on different shrubs and trees that would work well in my shrub bed. I have scoured my city looking up any plant that looked good. (I've worried a couple of homeowners that noticed me taking pictures of their shrubbery. I know it's odd but it's really a compliment.) I had a list of several options because really it comes down to what's available.

Will it fit?

Yes it will!

Saturday Justin took me to get mulch and all the kids helped unload and spread it out, not in just this new bed but all the beds and new trees in the yard. It was messy work but so satisfying.

Two months, 13 plants, 2 nurseries and 3 yards of mulch. I think it all came together nicely.

And now I'm completely burned out on yardwork. Too bad I've got someone coming to aerate tomorrow so then I've got to fertilize and overseed the lawn. Then I'm done. Well besides mowing and raking leaves.

Onto what may become a year-round hobby. Armed with some birthday money, I headed to our local antique store. I went in there once several years ago and was kind of overwhelmed and hadn't been back. But after having such a blast at the antique store in Whitebird Idaho I wanted to find some old cool stuff for my  house so I went into Confetti Antiques in Spanish Fork. I wandered around for more than an hour.

I spotted this green mug that looked familiar. $30?!

I got mine at DI several years ago for $1. I knew it was antique Anchor Hocking but had no idea they could go for $30. I just liked it for the color.

I found some fun stuff in the "tracts" drawer.

I wanted to find one of these travel brochures for a place I'd been but no luck. I love the illustration style.

Interesting....

This place is super overwhelming. I went back 2 days later and felt like I noticed things I didn't see before even though I thought I looked at everything.

I may go back for this table. I don't know where I'd put it but that's beside the point.

My sister collects Pez. I wonder how she feels about vintage ones.

I ended up buying this bottle made from bubble glass. I have a special spot for bubble glass. I also bought a small turquoise pitcher but it got knocked off the window sill by Not Me before I took a picture of it. The handle busted off into a hundred microscopic pieces. I was going to use it as a little vase for my shrub roses but it wasn't meant to be. I could have used it without the handle but every time I looked at it I would be reminded that one of my children is a liar no one fessed up and so I threw it all away.

The other little gem I found was this magazine from 1935. Notice how dinner is burning on the stove while she knits? We are kindred spirits, she and I. Dinner be d%&#@*; I'd rather be doing anything else too.

It hangs in my laundry room to remind me what I do is important but isn't all of who I am.

Some other fun finds came from the DI. This is the nicest frame in my whole house. It is heavy, nicely constructed, has fancy shmancy spring contraptions that hold the backing on. I took out the picture of the SLC skyline during the 2002 Olympics and replaced it with this painting I made on a paper bag in like 30 minutes. Total cost: $1.50

This was $1. I bought because I liked it but when I got home I looked up the stamp on the bottom to see how old it was. I like old stuff.

Hmm, interesting. 84-88 years old. Nice. Is it worth more than $1, me wonders. (More googling)

Mind. Blown. Now what do I do with it? It was to replace the one Not Me broke but I can't put it there. Suddenly my house is a very dangerous place.

I am one of those people who is afraid of decorating with color because I think I'll dislike it after like a day but I heard a tip to buy colored glass. It's less bold and in your face. So I bought this vase for $1. After a google image search I found out it is from the mid-century and is worth maybe like $12.

(The amazing wood bison came from my aunt Ilona's house. I'm obsessed with it.)

This vase was $1 but no marking. It holds pipe cleaner flowers.

I am so bored of my set of juice glasses I've had for 10+ years but I can't decide what to replace them with. I had a bright idea to just buy unique glasses at DI. My criteria: What would my kids fight over? I am up to 6 which is all I need but I also think it will be a revolving collection; I'll swap out more interesting ones as I find them.

So thus concludes all the things occupying my free time besides finding the perfect pair of jeans and boots.