Someone Bought Our Dream

This could have been our view....the view from the windows of the house that was our dream.

Instead, this is all we see-



And the name at the bottom of the contract isn't ours.
It's sad.
But clearly, not meant to be.
At least not yet, and not this house.

At one time or another since we've had our river house either Jon or I have decided that we want to move there. But our decisions haven't aligned. If he wants to, I couldn't imagine it or if I've wanted to, he's not ready.

And then this past fall, we realized that our heads were in the same place.
And the sweetest little fixer upper was for sale and it was calling our name.



By no means perfect....but with potential, and a view and a promise of simple that we both were craving.

So we looked and talked and researched and tried to figure out how we could make it happen. And there were 3485 things that stood between us and it.

We both knew that if it was meant to be, it would happen.
And things were happening....

But then the sold sign appeared.
And our dream belongs to someone else.

It's ok- because when one door closes another opens and we'll just have to work on another dream.

I wonder what they're like....the new owners.



I hope they love it as much as we do.

Teeth (or lack there of)

When my parents came down in June, my dad pulled me aside and relayed a concern.

Seems that he was worried about the fact that Cooper's had a giant gap where his 2nd front tooth should be for quite some time.

Really, since Christmas (I think).

I assured him that all was fine and Cooper's gap was something that all 7/8 year olds go through. He wasn't completely convinced.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon....when Cooper lost another tooth. The tooth to the right of his only other top tooth. If the gap was big before, it's even bigger now. And it brings to light the fact that the kid is indeed missing a little something.

He looks adorable (in a gappy toothless sort of way)!!



I can't help but smile.

Hope your week starts off with a big gappy smile too!!

#176

This is my niece Katie- at our Easter celebration.



Technically, I suppose Katie is really Jon's niece- and I get to count her because I'm married to him. I LOVE counting her!

I fancy myself as Katie's favorite aunt (at least on her mother's side!). It's a running joke and it makes us laugh ALL the time. Actually, Katie has 2 awesome aunts on her mothers side...

Anywhooo- evidently Katie was in a triathlon this past weekend.
WHAT???

One would think that one would let ones favorite aunt on ones mother's side know that one is in a TRIATHLON.

Hmmmph!
Perhaps I'm not as great an aunt as I fancy myself!


Katie- I am so, so proud of you.



WE are ALL so, so proud of you
(we're proud of #100 too- although she's a mystery to us!)

This guy is proud too.


Goodness, ya'll are adorable.


Katie- You worked so hard & it paid off.
Bravo!!

With Love,
Your favorite aunt on your mothers side

Thankful Friday

I've fallen from my Thankful Thursday wagon and really need to get back on board! Thankful Friday will have to suffice.

Cooper took lacrosse lessons this week and adored it. Really truly couldn't get enough of it. I'm thankful that he's found something that excites him and that he is enjoying participating in a team activity.

I made it through this 4 day week that actually felt like 20. I am thankful that I got to the end relatively unscathed and am still employed. Really, it wasn't that terrible- but my biggest at work supporters were on vacation this week and there were some challenges that I've not before faced. I could have used a lunch buddy to make it all better.

I love that my hubby makes me laugh. His crazy antics and nutty stories are part of the reason that I fell in love with him and why I stay that way. I'm pretty thankful for him.

We had such a great 4th of July weekend- we spent time with friends we don't often see and everything turned out perfectly. The weather was amazing, the kids got along, the food was incredible and everyone had the best time. I'm thankful for our friends and the ability to make memories with them.

Although it now looks like the wreck of the hesperus, I am so thankful for our home. We don't spend as much time here in the summer as we do in the winter but I do love how it makes me feel to be here with my boys.

Did your mom ever tell you that your room looked like the wreck of the hesperus? Mine did- and she was right. Not a lot has changed over the years.....oh well.
Love you Ma, I'm SO thankful for you and Dad!

Have a wonderful weekend-

Who's There??

During the summer months, Jon paints houses.
He usually lines up about 3-4 so that he's got something to keep him busy when school is out. He is strictly an exterior painter- and loves the time that he gets to spend outside and being his own boss.

Sometimes, there are funny stories that accompany his daily routine.

Like the time that he was up on a 32 foot ladder and he dropped a hammer. And how that hook part of the hammer somehow got caught on his shorts and pulled both the shorts and his boxers straight down to his ankles.

And how he froze when he realized what had happened and was literally naked 2 stories up and had to slowly reach down and pull up his pants and then hope that nobody had seen him!

Yeah- stuff like that.
It's comical.

This year, he's painting a house that belongs to some friends of ours. And they very kindly gave him the security code to their house so that he could use the bathroom if he needed to while he was there.

And yesterday, he needed to take advantage of that code.

Evidently, he was in a position much like this one-


(and probably wearing the exact same outfit)

And he was minding his own business when he heard a rustle coming from the bathtub.
And then he realized that there was someone, or something hiding behind the shower curtain.

And of course, his shorts were again around his ankles.
(is this verging on too much information??)

So he begins to panic a bit because he's thinking- well, if someone's hiding in there, I'm pretty much a goner.

And he says, "who's there"
And there is more rustling and some sort of a struggle.

And then all of a sudden.....



Their dog emerges from the bathtub where evidently he sleeps during the day because it's cooler.

And Jon's heart started to beat again.

Goodness, I couldn't stop laughing when he was telling me- and I'm having a hard time not cracking myself up as I type.

All in a days work, I guess!

1st Pick (& a new love)

They're here!

Our 1st tomatoes are delish! They're called sweet cherry 100's and certainly live up to their name.

In other news, Cooper is newly obsessed with lacrosse.

Obsessed!!

He started lessons yesterday and could hardly wait to get there- hooray.
I just love summer.

Fork dropping

Last night at the dinner table Cooper asks whether he can talk to us about something.
Jon- nods
Me- Sure buddy, what's up?

Him- Well, I learned this new way to change my clothes in the locker room. All the big kids put their shirts on 1st and that way, nobody can see you when you take off your bathing suit.

Jon- nods.
Me- Huh, sounds like a pretty good idea, is it working for you?

Him- Yes, I do it every day. Except there is this one kid named Russell and he doesn't do it. He just takes off all his clothes at the same time and he's all naked.

Jon- nods.
Me- Well, that's ok. Some kids are just more modest than others. Maybe Russell just isn't that modest. You know, everyone is different.

Him- Well Momma...there is something else.

Jon- senses something interesting could be about to happen, so he looks up
Me- What else?

Him- When he's naked....(big pause) he dances.

Jon- drops his fork and spews the bite of dinner he just placed in his mouth
Me- (trying to maintain composure) Really...huh. Well, you can just look the other way and not pay attention to him.

Him- Yes, that's what I do. It's DISTURBING.

Jon- says nothing but concentrates on not choking
Me- I can understand why you might think that. Just try to concentrate on something else. Hey- how's your chicken tonight??

One never knows what may come up at the dinner table. The thing that I can be sure of though is that my husband continues to be ill-prepared for difficult conversations. The teenage years aren't looking good.

How Hot Was It?

Hot enough that we were all running for the water.....


Hot enough that the 12-pack of drinks in the back of my car exploded! I never gave them another thought and then, while we were driving back from friends tonight we heard a little pop...and then a big one, and another.



So, yup- that's hot.
(and a tad bit scary.....and then hilariously funny...and then a big pain to clean up)

Hope you had a great weekend!

44 Years

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!



This picture makes me smile. It was taken on Christmas Eve at my sweet friend Sallie's house. Her family tradition is to give everyone a Christmas cracker- and inside are tiny treats and a crown. Never ones to let an opportunity for fun pass by, my parents donned their crowns and wore them for the remainder of the evening.

I admire their spirit, their love and respect for each other, their values and how hard they worked to make sure that my brother and I had opportunities in our lives.

We all love them dearly.

Wishing you many more happy years!!

xoxoxo

Hmmm-

Thoughts on the change in blog template?
Let me know & be honest.

Thanks!

Hey, Annie-

get your gun!!



My mother is many, many things....all of them wonderful. One that doesn't come to mind however, is gun toting.

Until now!
Why in the world my dad decided that he needed this crazy pellet gun is beyond me- but he did....and my mom is very accepting.

When I'm having a bad day....I'm going to come to this post and get a good chuckle. If only Cooper had lent her his hat!



Can you imagine??

Love you Ma!!!!

Eight

365 days seems to just fly by.
It feels like yesterday that you turned 7.


And now you're 8.
You've had such a great year.

One of trying new things,


and being a part of a team.


A year with lots of hard work,


an amazing discovery,


and 10 minutes of fame.


Time spent traveling to far away places,


and spending the day with your best friend,


Having so many adventures- feeling the sun & wind on your face,


and the cold tingle of more snow than you've ever seen before!


A year of playing games (and loving when you win),


drinking milkshakes (too many to count),


being obsessed with your DS,


making a lifetime of memories with your dad,


and with me.


You are determined, smart, thoughtful, kind, inquisitive, hilarious and just generally a really good kid.


and we adore you.


Happy Birthday Cooper-

Love, Momma

the best parents in the world...

actually belong to cooper's friend luke (according to cooper).

he came home from a sleepover and made the declaration.
emphatically.

so, i asked about the things that were standing between jon and me & being the best parents in the world.

all I have to do to move into 'BEST' status is deliver on this list of things that luke has-

2 x-boxes
a PS3
tons of toys
bunk beds
and 3 cats

yeah- not gonna happen (although 1 cat could be manageable)
that kid makes me laugh!!

Hello, Poison Control?

To be clear, this post has a happy ending....equally as clear should be the disclaimer that I am certainly not winning the mother of the year award.

It started so innocently.
Cooper had a play date today. They played outside for a while, played inside a bit and were settling into a bit of friendly Wii competition. I asked a simple question- 'hey, how would you like to mix up some concoctions?'
And just like that, I had the full attention of two giddy boys.

We started with 3D sidewalk chalk. Very cool-
Mix 1/2 C cornstarch, 2 T flour, 1/4 C water and 6 drops of food coloring. Mix well and pour into a plastic bag. Snip off the corner and you're ready for some crazy chalk drawings.





They asked whether we could make some sort of clay. So, I checked my book and my pantry and decided that Cinnamon & Applesauce Dough would fit the bill.

Very simple- Mix 1/2 C applesauce and 1/2 C cinnamon in a plastic bag.
Check, check and check.

They loved it!
The fact that it resembled "poo" helped greatly, I'm sure.





And then things turned south.
H. said, "Oww, this hurts"
Huh??
And then he said, "it's burning me"

His hands were completely covered with our newly mixed up dough and so are his forearms.

Cooper was less zealous with his-


And H. is starting to get a bit worried, and so am I.
We go to the sink and I start rinsing him off and his arms are bright red.

I officially become panicked but am really trying to remain calm- my mind is racing and I submerge him in cold water and run to g**gle. Turns out that cinnam@n causes the blood to rise to the top of your skin and can actually burn you. I think that may have been an important tip that got left out of the pages of my book FOR KIDS.

Grrrrr.

I can't get in touch with H's mom or my across the street neighbor who I thought used to be a nurse (turns out she was a physical therapist...Ellen, if you're reading this- THANK YOU for calling me back!!) So, I decide to call Poison Control- surely they'll be able to tell me whether I need to shove him into the car and get to the emergency room or not. I've also decided to rub olive oil into H's arms. I felt like it would sooth him a little bit.

By this time H's arms have raised bumps (ok, actual welts) and I've got Ben on the line from Poison Control. And I have to explain that we were making dough with cinnamon....that poor man. I get through the story and he's silent (he was probably g**gling it too!). He asks me some questions about H's breathing and determines that it's topical, which is good. He said that the olive oil wouldn't hurt and once I got in touch with H's mom that perhaps B@nedryl would be helpful.

Ok, crisis averted.

H's mom calls- and she's SO KIND. She thought he ATE clay so evidently getting burned by it was the lesser of the two evils. She assured me that he had sensitive skin and that "these things happen all the time, don't worry a minute over it". She talked to him, discussed the option of taking some medicine and told us to call if it didn't get better.

We ended the day with some board games and when Poison Control called back to check on us 2 hours later, all was right with the world and there were no signs of the earlier events (ie, welts and redness gone).

So, for you mom's who are still in the running for mother of the year- I leave you with a few thoughts.
1) 3D sidewalk chalk is an awesome concoction for kids- simple & fun
2) I do not recommend making Cinnamon & Applesauce dough with children- ever.
3) Tape the number to Poison Control near your telephone so you'll have it in an emergency.

Lastly, a Thankful Thursday list-
I am thankful- that H's reaction wasn't more serious and that he and Cooper had such a wonderful day together
I am thankful- for a whole week of vacation which allowed me to participate fully in some stay at home mom activities
I am thankful for my sweet Domino friends
I am thankful for being able to call on some experts in a time of crisis and have help be just an 800# away.

Maybe Not-

Hmm- It has come to my attention that my sweet kid looks a bit sickly in my edited picture.....so, maybe I need a little more time at the Picnik!

To prove that he's healthy and happy....here's another one.
Minus the dog, but still with that pesky shadow that insists on following me around.



Better??

Happy Wednesday-

Editing....

Everyone says that Ph*toshop is fabulous. I think it's frustrating- and that's after the lesson in my class specifically dealing with it. And so I was faced with some options. I could either 1) figure it out 2) use it with limited success or 3) find an alternative to relieve the stress and perhaps give me some of the benefits of post processing.

I chose option 3. I'm all about instant gratification and discovered that using the premium Picnik allows some PS type tools on a much less technical level. I like it!

I wanted to love this picture, but the shadows were bad and the dog was in the way. So I fiddled around and came up with something that makes it better.


Before-



After-

I think there is some potential.

Last Day

Today was the last day of 2nd grade.
It seems like just yesterday we were sending him off to the 1st day.



We've come a long way since then....


Our puppy has grown
So has our kid...

We've got a lot to show for 2nd grade...new friends, less teeth, beautiful cursive handwriting, multiplication and division, the ability to count money, tell time and spell tons of new words, great memories and maybe a few that we'd rather forget (and probably will).

It was a good year. I'm sad to see it end, but only because it means 8 is right around the corner and with it comes 3rd grade.

I can't even deal. Let's hope summer lasts forever!!

Sun Flare-

One of the lessons in my class was on lighting. And there were these amazing examples of sun flare that I couldn't stop staring at. Evidently you can fake sun flare in ph*toshop....but it tends to look, well- fake. Therefore, it's nice to be able to actually make your own with some level of skill and the actual sun.

I'm a little short on the actual skill....but I'm great at trial and error!

And so, I give you my sun flare (which evidently is most easily achieved about 30-45 minutes before the sun sets).


Very exciting! (The flare, not the rest of the composition. I can only focus on one thing at a time.)

Oh, and speaking of our friend the sun.
This was the view as we left town early this morning to head back to reality.



Friday can't come soon enough!

Crabby-

It's that time again.....


CRABS!!

Jon and Cooper put in the 1st pots of the season.


After checking at every possible opportunity, it was finally time to pull them up. Cooper couldn't have been more proud of the bounty.


Goodness I do love summertime!!