Trading one kid for another

My baby started school today. She was super excited to go. She packed her bag the night before and woke right up this morning, eager to get ready to go. She has lovely teachers and lots of new friends. She is going to have a fun year.

Lest you think I am bored or lonely (like some of my friends whose children are all now enrolled in school and they are home alone), let me reassure you that is not the case. I have Toby to keep me company and busy. Since I must be a little more on the ball, I am busier in all parts of my life. Consequently, my favorite time wasting pasttimes have fallen to the bottom of the to-do list. I guess that is a good thing. But I still miss having more time to not worry about getting things done.

Bragging ...again...

I know, I know. But I really do have the best husband ever.

You know that blank wall in my recently painted room that I wanted to hang pictures on, but thought it might be awhile before it actually happened? Well, it happened! Nate painstakingly hung all 24 pictures in very straight lines. What can I say, except I have the best husband ever!

The lines in the first picture are pieces of thread taped to the wall to make sure everthing was level and plumb!

The best husband ever

WHAT.IS.GOING.ON?

WHO.IS.MAKING.THIS.MESS?


Oh. You're fixing my tv?

In the 2000 degree heat of the attic?

Oops. That wasn't supposed to come out by the ceiling.

Isaac was Nate's assistant in moving the cables for the TV (I moved the TV into a room that didn't have the appropriate wiring.)

Now, thanks to my most wonderful husband (and his handy assistant), I can watch TV while I use my treadmill or work on projects or ironing or paperwork!

Then, to further my love and appreciation, Nate brought me flowers a couple days later...just because he loves me!
I know ya'll are a little envious, but he is already taken!

Still a little girl

The other day I saw Aspen playing with the little toy animals and feeding them her snack of granola. Even though she is getting bigger and starting to grow up, I'm glad that she still likes little girl things.

Jewelry Board

I had a bunch of jewelry that I didn't wear very often. I figured out that the reason for not wearing it was that I couldn't see it all at once and most often it was tangled up in my box. So I made this board:

It was pretty easy. I bought a 4 foot length of 1"x 10" pine from Home Depot. Then I sprayed it with spray adhesive and covered it with fabric. I stapled the fabric on the back to keep it in place. Then I screwed on cup holders where I wanted them on the board. I am still debating hanging it on the wall in my closet. For now, it is leaning against the wall.
The great thing is that now I wear more of my stuff more often. (So do my girls:)

"It was THIS big!"

For Labor Day we all went fishing. So we called up our friends with the paradise pond and arranged to go first thing Monday morning. Isaac has been begging to go for ever.

Everyone caught at least one fish. Toby caught a fish 2 minutes after we got there, before the rest of us had a chance to get our poles ready! Toby caught the most: TEN! I think our total was 26 or 27.

Even Hazel reeled in a bass all by herself!


Most of the fish we caught (all bass) were decent sized. Aspen, today's fishing fashionista (with that hat), caught the smallest fish (about 10 inches). But we threw them all back.


It was a fun morning. We should do this more often.

Dance, Dance, Dance

Hazel loves to dance and sing. So I signed her up for a ballet/tap class. She was so excited for the first day. She has been talking about this all summer. After buying her a leotard, she came home and put it on and wouldn't take it off until after class.

Yesterday was the first day and Hazel loved it! When we got home she showed everyone all the things she learned. Hazel was happy for the rest of the night!