Labor Day Weekend- Just What We Needed!

After more than 15 years of marriage Paul has really come to understand me. He knew that I needed some down time to get ready for the new school year. So he gave me just what I needed, and took the boys out of town for three nights. I was able to get my house much cleaner and more organized, take long walks with Buster, watch chick flicks, complete sewing projects, and take some naps. I feel so much calmer and more energized!
The boys also got just what they needed too. Labor Day weekend is usually when their worries and anxiety about the school year reach their peak. But they were so busy having a good time at Paul's mom's house that they didn't have time to worry. Instead of sitting at home fretting, they were out running around in the woods, climbing trees,and building forts. What a wonderful way to end the Summer!





















I think the boys must have gotten too much fresh air or something. Apparently Grayson was acting like a hobo trying to hitch a ride, and as you can see Rowan was channeling his inner "gangster/rapper".

Quirky Me

I've been tagged to post 6 of my quirks, but it's such a dilemma. I don't want to share anything too weird. So here goes:
1. I'm a chronic, terrible tooth grinder. (Dentists have gotten very rich off of me because of this!)
2. I can't whistle. People have tried to help me, but I just can't.
3. The smell of hand sanitizer makes me gag, bad. So does mustard.
4. I have an irrational fear of driving over bridges.
5. I HATE gum! I don't like to see or hear people chewing it, and I have an aversion to the smell of bubble gum. (weird huh?)
6. If I'm flipping through the channels and happen upon a movie from the 80's with Molly Ringwald in it, I absolutely HAVE to watch it! Even though I've seen Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles a million times already.

Flashback Friday- Toys

I wish I could find a picture of my dad and his brothers, sometime in the 1940's, playing with this erector set. I don't think one probably exists, so I'll have to settle for these pictures of my boys and my dad playing with it, that I took yesterday.

How amazing that this 60 some year old box of fun has survived, and even the motor still works.

I loved watching my dad show the boys how everything works, and telling them about how he and his brothers would spend hours and hours building with it, especially in the Winter when they were snowed in.

I'm so glad that my grandparents held onto it all of those years, so that my children could get a little glimpse into what their grandpa's childhood was like.



It kind of makes me think I might need to hold onto a big box of Star Wars legos once my kids are grown. I might want to play with them with my grandchildren someday.

Grayson's special day

Yesterday was a very special day for our whole family, Grayson was baptized and confirmed. Grayson had been having some anxiety and nerves about his baptism, but ended up being just fine. His baptism was just like him, short, sweet, and with a few bumps along the way. He started his day off with some special father/son time. Paul took him out for hot chocolate and a cinnamon roll in the morning, and then they headed to the church book store so he could get his own set of scriptures.


When I think about Grayson's baptism I wonder what his memories of it will be. Will he remember that no children's baptism clothes could be located, and that he had to wear adult clothes rolled way up? Will he remember how much he giggled as he tried to exit the font with those long, wet baptism clothes weighing him down? I know he won't remember his sweet smile right before he was confirmed, but I will. I hope that he will always remember what a gift it is to be baptized, and what a wonderful event this is in his life.



I know he will remember Grandma and Grandpa being there, and the beautiful leather journal they gave him. He started writing about his baptism in it last night.

I'm so proud of him!

I like the way he thinks!

Have I ever mentioned that this is my favorite kid?

(Just kidding, I don't play favorites. But he does a really good job of making himself look good sometimes.)

Yesterday we went and registered Fuller for 6th grade, and payed for his year book and daily planner. While we were driving home the boys got into a conversation about the future. They realized that NEXT year they will all be in school full time. I said "Boy I guess I'll have to get a job then." Fuller said "Yeah Mom, you need to get working." Then Rowan put in his two cents, he said "No Mom, you should just stay home and clean the house all day, it's really messy." Then Grayson (Also known as my favorite child) said "Mom, I think you should just go to the craft store and get fun stuff you can do while we're at school." Goodness me, I love that kid!

Ick, Ick and MORE Ick

It would appear that our sunny, Summer fun days are over. I should have known that the weather would get cold and rainy once soccer practices started. I spent a very chilly Monday evening watching Fuller's team run around in the rain. Tuesday brought with it a whole different kind of ick, in the form of Rowan throwing up all over the house. I let Paul freeze through Grayson's cold/wet practice that night. After being up with Rowan most of Tuesday night, I spent Wednesday with the dreaded knowledge that he had given me what he had. Such a generous bug! We're all feeling slightly better today, but it's raining again. Both Fuller and Grayson have practice tonight, so I guess I'll have to sit through one or the other's. Is it too much to ask for a few more nice, sunny, carefree days? I need a few more afternoons of sitting in my backyard reading a good book, and watching the boys swim. I'm just not ready for all the schedules, rain and illnesses of Fall!

Sometimes I just crack myself up

This morning when I was telling the kids about our plans for the day, I gave them the dreaded news that we were cleaning our bedrooms today. Not good news for this bunch of slobs. Fuller asked if they had to clean their WHOLE room. To which I responded, "No, just the bottom half." He looked excited about only having to clean half of his room...and then he figured it out. He didn't think it was nearly as funny as I did!