Her backpacks already packed. She's ready.

Brynlee and I playing hand clapping games one afternoon.

On Saturday Brynlee and I went to the neighboring town and finished her back to school shopping.  Just the two of us.  A girl’s day, we called it.  We had so much fun!  So much so that I’ve decided to make it a back to school tradition.  A mom and me shopping trip to pick out the new school wardrobe and school supplies.  Someday Jace and I too will venture on a back to school shopping spree - a day with just me and him.  But for now it’s us girls.  Brynlee + Mom.

She picked out mainly dresses and skirts.  It didn’t surprise me in the least, since nine days out of ten that is what she wears.  Occasionally I can talk her into a pair of shorts or some Levis, but her first choice is always something out of the dress portion of her closet.  It’s been that way since she was able to voice a clothing wearing opinion.  We bought plenty of leggings to make her dresses cold weather appropriate and I even talked her into a sweater or two although she didn't really want to buy such warm clothes because it was so hot outside.

On Thursday Brynlee will start an entirely new chapter in her little life.  She’s counting days and can barely wait for the last link to be removed from her countdown chain.  I’m hoping {and praying} that her excitement remains and her nerves/timidness don’t get the best of her at the last minute.

That’s sort of what happened at her Kindergarten screening.  She was so excited to see her new school, to meet the teachers, to show them how well she knew her numbers and her ABC’s.  But, the unfamiliar is always overwhelming for her.  And when it was finally her turn she grabbed on to my arm, hid her face and begged me to take her home.  Jace was the brave superhero that she needed.  He held her hand, rubbed her back, and told her not to be sad.  He insisted on staying in the classroom right next to Brynlee while she did her screening and the teacher was so kind and allowed him to do so.  A minute or two later Brynlee forgot she was even nervous and her excitement resurfaced.

My mom asked me the other day if I was excited to see her go to Kindergarten or if I was going to be one of those moms that cry.  How do you answer that question?  I mean, I am so excited for her to start Kindergarten.  I’m not excited to “see her go” because I’m selfish and I want her here with me, always.  But I’m so excited for her to start this new chapter.  To learn, to socialize, to experience school.  To grow in ways that wouldn’t be possible if Spencer and I were always right by her side.  So I guess, yes.  I’m excited.  And ready or not, it’s time.

So here’s to the first day of school.  Here’s to Kindergarten.  Here’s to letting go, if only a little, and to embracing growing up.  Here’s to changes.  And to early morning alarm clocks.  Here’s to PTA meetings, class room volunteering and making cupcakes for holiday parties.  Here’s to homework and backpacks and lunch money.  But most of all, here’s to making it through the first day of kindergarten without being one of those moms that cry.  Fingers crossed.

Oh My Quotable Friday: My Friend

Happy Birthday to my forever friend - my mom.

Photo snapped by my cousin Stacy at our family reunion earlier this month.

 *****

And also, birthday wishes to Grandma from the kiddly-winks.

Sometimes, on this blog, I talk about my garage doors

So we got new interior doors, right.

Well, in the midst of all the measuring and trimming and painting and installing of our new doors we were also looking for something to replace the interior paneling of our garage doors.  Mainly because our current garage door situation was . . . um, gross.  The previous owners must have kept a small herd of wild animals in their garage at night.  Wild animals that had a thing for eating styrofoam garage door paneling.  I’m not sure how else to explain this:

Our original plan was to use metal to cover the destroyed, yellowing Styrofoam panels.  But then we looked at prices and holy geez.  So we started thinking of alternative solutions: particle board, paneling, bead board, new Styrofoam, cardboard, fabric, modge podging scrapbook paper, picture collages. . . you know, that sort of stuff. 

And then one night it came to me.  The old doors {cue flashing light bulb above my head}.  Perfect size, wood, FREE.  Plus, we needed to get rid of them anyway.

So we dismantled our old straight panel, hallow doors and we did this:

I also painted the entire garage + the garage floor + got rid of the cob webs. 

Spencer deemed it one of my best ideas to date.

He obviously forgot about the time we used a circular skilsaw to cut a nylon rug.  Because honestly, ttttthhhhaaat was my best idea to date.

Err. . . NOT!

Flip Flopped

Well, hi there.  I’ve started like a bazillion million blog posts lately and have posted a grand total of zero.  I hate when that happens.  But no worries {like you were worried, right}, I’ll be back at it before you know it.  Things have been busy at my house: a family reunion + a baptism + another camping trip + a rodeo + Chicago the play + a broken washing machine + cramming in the last of our house to do list {we are oh so close to finishing}.  Tomorrows plan is to do the final register/test for Brynlee to start kindergarten, finish painting the garage floor and possibly packing for another trip out of town.  I’m still undecided if I’m actually going or not.  Speaking of undecided, Spencer and I have had the hardest time deciding if he should take another class this semester.  Yes, no, absolutely, why not, heck no, it would be stupid not to, it would be stupid to, of course, no way. . . you know, that sort of thing.  Classes start tomorrow and I think our final decision is a yes.  But tomorrow is an entirely new day, so who knows what it will bring. 

Anyways, updates to come - but for now I’m off to bed.  But not before I post this goofy picture of my kids - transposed.  They swapped clothes one day.  For fun.  They are so weird. 

I filed the photo in my folder titled Photos to Keep to Blackmail my Teenage Children, because someday it's bound to come in handy.

12 on the 12th [The August Chapter]

01.    Bikes. Went on an early morning bike ride in our pajamas.  The air felt crisp and half way through we wished we’d brought our jackets.  I can’t get over how cute Jace looks peddling his very own bike {even if he’s slow as molasses at times}.

02.    Doors.  Our new doors drying in the garage.  We spent most of the week cramming in the last of our home repair projects.  Cut, painted & hung new doors and hardware, painted the garage, painted the coat closet. . . our house to-do list now fits on half a page.  Woot!  We are oh so close to finishing.

03.    Kiddos.  While Spence and I crossed off to-do list items Brynlee and Jace played in the shade of the maple tree.  From what I could gather Brynlee was the baby and Jace was the mommy.

04.    Chores.  Brynlee had to do six chores in the toy room in order to earn a sticker for her chore cart.  Six chores later the toy room was clean.  Hip hooray, I calculated that out perfectly.

05.    Letters.  Brynlee has been writing ‘books’ lately.  It’s so cute to watch her sound out words and then write a modge podge of random letters to represent those words.  She told me the first line says I love Jace Buddy.  Pretty close, she had written I Luv Jace br.

06.    Pink.  Organizing her hair bows in her bedroom.

07.    Scraps.  Spencer cut up our old doors for another project we are working on.  We’d spent most the prior evening searching Home Depot and Lowes to find something that would work for the project.  We came home empty handed.  At 2:00 in the morning it came to be that the old doors would work perfectly.  All my best ideas come to me in the middle of the night.

08.    Watermelon.  The perfect summer side dish to any entrée, even Fried Rice.

09.    Cleaning Supplies.  Once a week a group of four or five families gather to clean the church.  This week my family was on the schedule and the kids were so excited to help.  Brynlee and Jace emptied all the garbage cans, cleaned the chalk board trays, dusted the furniture and made sure all the chairs were folded and stacked in the proper location. 

10.    Hard at work.  Taking out the garbage at the church.

11.    Sour.  I ate a Tear Jerker sour candy.  Whoa. . . those babies are sssouuuuurrr!  It’s been years since I’ve had one.

12.    Sleeping.  My sweet, little, exhausted boy at the end of the day. 

12 on the 12th inspired by her.

Oh My Quotable Friday: Grandpa

I missed Oh my Quotable Friday while I was busy posting my celebrating summer pictures.  Something about finding a quote to match one of my pictures just makes me smile.  What you can’t see on this cute picture is the three amigos {Jace + Luke + Zayne} piled on the front of the 4 wheeler.  Grandpa is the coolest.  Oh, and someday we too will live in the country with nothing but empty land and stunning mountains surrounding us.  Pictures from dad’s farm makes we daydream of that day.  Anyway, happy weekending to you!  I can feel summer slowly wrapping up and it makes me anxious for fall.  I love a change of season, don’t you?  XOXO

My heck kid.

So my little guy is fabulous, right?  Nothing but adorable, hilarious, chocolate covered sweetness that I just can’t get enough of.  I mean, sure we experience the occasional hint of difficulty – but honestly, what parent doesn’t.  Plus, when he says ‘sorry’ – melt my heart - you can’t help forgive him of the occasional wrongdoing.

Except for lately.  Oh, lately.  Hellooooo, my little ornery one.  Seriously, that kid!

I mean, sure he is still adorable, and hilarious, and ever so slightly chocolate covered with sweetness.  But he is also the most rotten little thing.  Like, rotten to the core.

And strangely, it seems that he has developed some weird aversion to anything I suggest.  I make toast – he wants pancakes.  I pick blue – he wants red.  I pack superman – he wants ironman.  And it’s not just me either, we have all fallen victim to his wrath.  Brynlee has the teeth marks to prove it.  Bless her heart.

And about that occasional thing.  Ha!  His meltdowns have become an afternoon ritual and it’s quite apparent that he thrives on seeing how far he can push the limits.  Twice this week I have threatened to leave him in the shopping cart while I made a quick escape to my car.  Alone.  And I wasn’t kidding either.  If the entire store hadn’t stopped to find out which mother/child combo was making all the ruckus on isle number temper tantrum I would’ve left him behind and called it a day.  Honestly...I’ve thought of selling him.  But what horrible, dead-beat, no-good mother would dare do such an outlandish thing?  I would, that’s who!

Ebay//Boy for sale:  Fully potty-trained superhero in training.  Two-years old.  Blonde.  Likes the trampoline, suckers and cinnamon toast.  Can buckle the top car seat buckle all by me-self.  Blue eyes, kissable cheeks and an absolutely sweet sense of humor.  Sleeps through the night.  Jumps off everything and could happily live on hotdogs and ketchup alone. 

Disclosure:  It’s in your best interest to give him EVERYTHING he wants.  Anything else will result in kicking and screaming for the both of you.  Ask me, I know!

Other important information:

**Item up for sale comes from a smoke-free home.

**If buyer prefers seller is also willing to trade two-year-old boy for a camp trailer or a boat.

**Included in this sale: a pair of earplugs, a time-out chair and a bottle of whiskey {just in case}.

Also, seller is willing to take boy back for a full refund + 20% after he has officially graduated from the terrible twos {as deemed by the seller}.

That is all.

Is he not the cutest little stinker you’ve ever seen? 

On second thoughts. . . I’ll keep him.  At least until this afternoon.

Day 31, Way 31

I was going to update with a few things we did over the weekend, but honestly I think I may be suffering from a bit of blogging exhaustion.  It happens to me from time to time.  But the good news is that I’ve successfully finished my Celebrating Summer series.  And Spencer and I are done with Scrubs.  And I’ve finally started the laundry that has been sitting in the toy room since Friday.   Reason to celebrate if you ask me.

Anyway, we will talk later I’m sure.  You know – when I feel like blogging again.  Until then, happy August.

Day 30, Way 30

Confession: I actually took this picture back on the 25^th.  But I didn’t take any pictures on Saturday.  So, whatever.

Day 29, Way 29