Landscaping Day 4

Some Favorite You Tubes to Share....

This is one of our favorite songs this summer.  It isn't new, but I love this artist.  I often play it (actually the whole album) when I'm working in the kitchen by myself.  There is a quote from the song on our chalkboard that hangs in our kitchen area.  I pulled the video for the song up for the girls this week and they loved it.

And, this second video, we literally just found today.  It is a state capital song, but super cool.  Pull your kids in and have them watch it.  They'll love it.  (just "x" out of the add that pops up- it's annoying)

Offices

We have had a busy week, so this morning we spent at home- with the TV off.

The girls had a while that they either had to help me clean or stay in their rooms.  I'm mean, I know.

So, they chose to stay in their rooms.  You're shocked at their choice, I know.

They decided to create "offices" in their rooms.  Abby has a desk that she has had since she was about 2 or 3 that she used.  They had to get a little more creative for Lily.  They used a corner of her closet.  It's so cute. 

Lily's Office:

Abby's Office:

Jessie, Kit, and Molly's Office:

I would say the enforced time in their rooms was time well spent.

Landscaping Day 2 Sneak Peek

Today's work was more foundational in nature, in that there isn't as much of a transformation, but a lot of prep work for the big stuff.

Here are some "little" sneak peeks...

Blank Canvas

It is very exciting outside my house right now.

Today was "Demo" day for the new landscaping.  The guys arrived about 8:00 this morning and have worked all day, pulling out everything.  They saved the day lilies for anyone who wants them.  Email me or message me on Facebook if you'd like some.   I don't think they'll last long out of the ground.  I have someone who will take anything left after everyone gets what they want, so hurry if you want any.  I'm thinking they should be planted in the next 24 hours or so?  What do you think?

Look!  Truly a blank canvas!  What you can't see is in the middle of the yard are some plants that will be planted tomorrow.  They'll be bringing more.  I can't wait.  More pictures to come!

our favorite picture books, RIGHT NOW.

This list changes so frequently, that I have to say this is only accurate for RIGHT NOW.  : )

Neither of these is brand new.  Just new to us.  If you're like me, you can just put them on hold at the library and they'll be delivered to your local branch just for you.  Do it.  Your kids will love 'em.

Our current faves.... must reads.

You have to read the whole book to get to the funny:

This one is interactive.  It literally asks you to "Press Here:"

Molly is back from the Doll Hospital!

Less than 2 weeks ago, we sent Molly, the American Girl doll, to the American Girl Doll Hospital.  She needed to have her legs replaced due to some accidental damage from some handmade pants, whose color transferred to the plastic of her legs.  Because the dolls are so expensive and she was still so new, it was worth it for us to have her repaired.  

We sent her off last Tuesday to the Doll Hospital in Wisconsin.  Abby wrote a special note to the "doctor" who would be fixing her.  We had lots of tears at the UPS store, even though we knew she would be back soon and okay.  

Much to our surprise she arrived back today!!!  She is perfect!  She came home with a hospital gown, ID bracelet, socks, and a note.  Her hair was beautifully rebraided.  I have one happy Abby.

It's like learning to ride a bike

Today we took the training wheels off of Abby's bicycle.  It's been coming for a while.  Our new neighborhood is perfect for learning because we are now on a very quiet cul-de-sac.  

We started with Abby in shorts and Matt barefoot.  Probably not the best planning.  Lily also chased them with her play cell phone, "taking videos."  I ended up having to pick her up and hold her just to get her out of the way.

We eventually had a small wipeout-no blood-and went in for about 10 minutes, and then came back out at Abby's request (after her tears were dried). Now she is in pants and sneakers and Matt in shoes, you'll notice.

Lily and I set up camp in the garage to give them space to learn, but I stepped inside for a second to get my phone to take a video and she's back outside running along "taking video" again.  I give up.

She's not riding independently yet, but we've made some improvements already.  I don't think it will take long!

Happy Sunday

We had a good day yesterday.  It's amazing how being a little settled and not being constantly worried that we're going to have a showing can calm you down a little.  We're just a little more relaxed the last week or so.  It's nice.

We went shopping at the Outlet Mall yesterday, and scored some good buys.  Lily picked out a hat which she has been wearing a lot since.  It's super cute.  She wore it to church today.  Abby picked out a new shirt, which isn't pictured, but she is wearing today.  She says it is super comfy.  They both got a new pair of Croc flip-flops.  We picked those because Lily really, really wants to wear flip flops, but trips or walks out of them so I won't let her wear them out very often.  The Crocs version, however, has a sturdy back strap, and she loves them.  Abby's size is big enough that they don't come with a back strap and I actually think she was a little bummed. (their new sandals are under the swings in the second picture)

We had one of our new neighbors over for dinner last night.  They have a babysitter-age daughter, so we were introducing her to the girls.  The girls loved her, so we are very optimistic.

On the flip side, the girls played outside a bit and because our lot is wooded, Lily got quite bitten up by mosquitoes, so she has those awful bites and a couple welts again this morning (No one else looks bad).  I feel awful.  They are pretty bad out there.  Sooo, on the way home from church, we picked up oral Benedryl (I threw out all of ours before we moved because it was expired),  Cutter lawn spray, and an OFF PowerPad Lamp.  It's supposed to cover a 15x15 area.  I'm hoping it helps.  We have to do something.  She has to be able to play in her own backyard.

Milo is making himself at home.  He seems to have a renewed "spunk" about him in the new house.  He loves to lay or sit in front of these doors and just look outside.

There's a lot of swimming and cackling going on around here.

We decide to enroll the girls in swim classes at our local YMCA this summer again.  This year, their session is a little later in the season so they get to have their lessons in the outdoor pool, which is a bonus (kind of).  The kind of only comes because we are currently having unseasonably cool temperatures, but they are still having the lessons and so it is FREEZING for the kids if they get into the air at all.  The first lesson was particularly brutal.  We're lucky because our lessons are in the evening so the temps are warmer than in the morning.  They have actually cancelled some lessons this past week because it was too cold.  It's insane, it's June!

Other than that, we're loving the outdoor pool.  Matt and I didn't realize how big their outdoor pool area was.  It is really nice, and since we lost our neighborhood pool it's giving the girls some good pool time.  We are planning on signing them up for the July session too.

Lily:

Abby:

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This morning, I had two little witches invade my house.  There was a whole lot of cackling going on.

My favorite moment was when Lily was over it and asked me to tell Abby to "stop being so witchy."

Catching the Sun

The girls and I have big craft goals this summer.  As in, we want to do some.

Today we did our first craft.... suncatchers.  I bought kits that include those little crystals that you put in the metal frames and then bake so that the crystals melt.  It was a painstaking process putting all the colors where we wanted them, and NOT where we didn't want them.  

The oven didn't melt them quite as it was supposed to.  We baked them for double the time and they are still ripple-y.  But, the girls are happy with them.  The look lovely in our new kitchen.  :)

School's Out! Scream and Shout!

That title is from High School Musical 2, for those of you not in the "know."  It was on Disney Channel over Memorial Day weekend and Abby requested that I record it and she wanted to watch it on her last day of school.  So we did.

Go Troy and Gabriella!

So, it's Summer Vacation!  Cuh-razy.  I look forward to it every year.  I love the time with  my girls.  We don't have any major plans this year.  Moving was our big thing.

The girls are starting swim lessons this week and we are still keeping at gymnastics.

Abby's big thing right now is that she gets to start reading Harry Potter.  We started it last night.  My thing has been that she has to read the book before she can see the movie.  She's such a strong reader that I think she can handle it, even though it's probably a 4th-5th grade level book.  She's loving it so far.  I've read her chapter's 1 and 3.  She's read 2 by herself and is reading 4 as I type.  I love it.

Lily is just doing her thing.  Today she opened up a Candy Shop in her bedroom.  Abby was her security person.  It was very cute.  She's gone a few days without a nap, and it's catching up with her, so she is a tired little girl today.  

As a family, we continue to get more and more settled in the  new house, which is good.  Matt's parents just visited and brought us a piano!  It's an old family piece.  It needs some work, but has already cleaned up better than all of us thought it would.  We have made an appointment to have it tuned in a month (it needs to sit that long before being tuned to get settled), and the girls are loving it already!  Yesterday we went to JoAnn's and bought some new fabric to cover the bench.  That will brighten it up too.

How is your summer shaping up?