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I've Seen This Coming...

Have you?



























It was just a matter of time. We're not sure if there's a hairline fracture. Waiting to hear back from the radiologist. The on-call doctor at urgent care didn't see a fracture, but it's hard to tell because there are so many growth joints in the feet at Katy's age. She's in a splint for the next 10 days and can not put any weight on her foot. Keep her in your prayers!

Less is S'More

Kevin got a few gift cards for his birthday and decided to get a fire pit for the patio. He has always been quite the firebug! We had our first of what I'm sure will be many fires tonight and roasted marshmallows in honor of its maiden voyage.

The Huntleys came to join us, and we all agreed that eating s'mores is the best way to end a Monday.

I Love Landscaping

There are times that I dread yardwork. Like when it's in the upper 90s and the humidity is high. Or when it's going to involve removing trees and/or tree limbs. Or mowing (not usually my job, but I help out sometimes).

Honestly, it's a bit of a love/hate relationship. Generally, I hate getting started, but once I get started, I get into a zone of just completing physical labor, and I begin to enjoy it. And I love the way things look once I've completed a task.

The exception is when we're planting new stuff. I just plain love doing landscaping! And we planted a lot of new stuff this weekend. Take a look:

These gloves

I am so proud of these gloves. That sounds a little silly, perhaps, but they are symbols of my hard labor. Before we moved, I had to go out and buy my little ladies gardening gloves every couple of years. They were more than sufficient for protecting my hands while pulling weeds from mulch beds, or planting perennials & annuals, or the simple gardening tasks that I needed to do. And they were really cute!

I had to buy a new pair of gardening gloves after we moved because the old ones were a little ratty, so I figured "new house, new gloves." Let me tell you, those pretty ladies gardening gloves did not make the grade. The prickers that seemed to grow all over our wooded areas poked through the fabric, I would get blisters from pulling out the stubborn undergrowth that had taken hold over the years that our lot was a pine forest, and within several weeks they had holes in them. I tried a few other ladies gloves, but none of them fit the bill for the type of labor I was now doing.

So I bought these small men's leather work gloves. And after a year and a half of clearing undergrowth, hauling branches, cutting down small trees, pulling up kudzu and poison oak (and all the other vines that grow around here), removing all the stickers, planting shrubs and trees, raking leaves, and myriad other types of yardwork these gloves are still hanging in there.

They are dirty. Filthy, really. And the leather has molded to the contours of my hands. They are stiff each time when I first put them on, but are soon relaxed by my sweat and the moisture of the earth. And they symbolize my hard work.

Last weekend while doing some more clearing of undergrowth on the north side of the house, I noticed that one of the prickers poked through a part of the glove that has gotten thin with use, so I may be retiring these gloves in favor of a new pair next season. But I will always be proud of what I accomplished while wearing these gloves, because the amount of labor required these first few years will never compare.

I want to know

who the monstrous children are whose measurements are used by Rubie's Costume Company when they make children's Halloween costumes. Seriously. The sleeves on the girls' costumes are nearly 6 INCHES too long. 6 INCHES! If their arms were that long, their fingers would be below their knees. Yes, the costumes are size 4-6, and my girls are petite in the weight category, but sleeves on size 6 shirts and dresses generally fit them.

Oh, and the belt for Ryan's Clone Trooper costume is 32 inches. 32INCHES! My full grown husband who is nearly 6 feet tall has a 34 inch waist. The costume is for BOYS, size 8-10. And the smallest that the belt can be made without covering up some of the "gadgets" is 28 inches. The costume fits him quite nicely through the body, but the belt won't stay up even if I attach it around his shoulders. And this has been a problem EVERY SINGLE YEAR with these types of belts. Even on the smaller sizes.

So I would like to see these 42"-46" tall children whose arms dangle below their knees with waists the diameter of a grown man. Seriously. What were they thinking when they sized these?!

Time to get Spooky

I got a pretty good coupon from the company that we've bought the kids' Halloween costumes from the past few years, and it expires soon. So even though Halloween is a long ways a way (relatively speaking), we've ordered the costumes.

The kids are already starting to hound me about "when will they be here?!" Even though I have a STRICT policy that other than trying the costumes on for size (and to see what needs to be altered by me), they don't get to wear them for play until AFTER Halloween. I guess it's just exciting to have them here. I actually can remember that kind of excitement about my costumes as a child.

And I have discovered a down side to having a son before having daughters. Especially a son who is as revered by his sisters as Ryan is. I was excited by all the new fairy and princess and fairy princess costumes in the catalog this year, couldn't wait to see which ones they'd choose. But Ryan is going as a Clone Trooper from Star Wars:

















So the girls want to be Princess Leia. Both of them. Think they'll get it if I call them "Princess LeiA" and "Princess LeiB"? I think it's kind of funny...

Let's Go.... Hokies!

As someone who grew up in a home where football was not a big deal, who went to a high school where the football team was mediocre at best, who went to a college with NO football team at all, I never developed an appreciation for the support. Until I met Kevin. His enthusiasm about Virginia Tech football is contagious.

It started out small. I'd watch an occasional game or at least sit in the same room as Kevin while the game was on (that counts, right?). And then I would buy him his Hokie gear as gifts. But over the past 15 years, I have gradually become more interested in the game. I actually enjoy watching VT games with Kevin, which surprises me as much as it may surprise those who "knew me when."

And while it can be exciting to watch a game on TV, it does not even come close to being there. I LOVE going to the games. Really! We're even making plans to start getting season tickets for all 5 of us when the girls are just a bit older. The tailgating is right up my alley, and the cheering and excitement of the fans is infectious. It is such a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

We got to go see VT play Eastern Carolina this past Saturday with some friends and neighbors (and former neighbors--long story, but Julie who used to live next door is from a VT family and they had tickets but weren't going to use them since the game was in Charlotte, so she and Stephanie came down to the game (sans kids!!!)).

We left the house at 7:15 AM (ugh), and had our tailgate set up by 8:15. Lots of yummy food, mimosas, Baggo, a little beer, and great friends all made for a fabulous time (even though the Hokies lost in the last few minutes). I can't wait to go to my next game, although I'm hoping the kickoff will be a little later...

Freedom....

Olivia and Katy had their very first day of Kindergarten today! We were all just a little bit nervous because not only was it their first time to go to a "real" school (as they called it), but it would be their first time to ride the school bus (something Katy has been looking forward to since Ryan's 1st day of Kindergarten!), and most importantly their first day to have different teachers.

Kevin and I went back and forth about the merits of keeping them together another year versus putting them in different classes, and we both feel very comfortable with our decision to split them up this year. Katy has such a strong, nurturing personality that she has a hard time letting Livy do things for herself (including answering questions). And Livy is perfectly happy letting Katy be her little servant and do her tasks for her, and has a tendency to mimic Katy's answers whenever Katy responds first. It's time for them both to learn to be a bit more independent of one another.

I had thought about contacting the principal of the school and asking that they be put with a teaching team (two teachers and two classrooms, but they have lunch, recess and enhancements together). But then I decided that I didn't want to be one of "those" parents--the pushy ones who is constantly intervening on behalf of their children. I prayed about it and put the whole thing in God's hands, and it worked out exactly as I had hoped.

Olivia has Mrs. Rogers who has been teaching Kindergarten for over 25 years. She was the school's Teacher of the Year last year, and she is just so warm, and fun, and nurturing. Exactly who Livy needs, really. Katelyn has Mrs. Wagner who has been teaching Kindergarten for 12 years. She is super friendly, and vivacious and affectionate. Exactly who Katy needs too. And they are one of the four Kindergarten teams--so their classrooms are right across the hall, and the girls will have lunch, recess, PE and field trips together. Thank you, God! And thank you, Mr. Todd!

They were both pretty excited this morning:





















Any pre-bus jitters they may have had were alleviated by their friends Mia (on the right) and Rory (on the left) who are in 1st grade this year. Each of the girls held one of my girls' hands and helped them onto the bus. Ryan helped out with carrying their big bags of school supplies.














They were both looking happy and proud as they got off the bus this afternoon. And one of the perks of Kevin working from home was that he got to be there for their homecoming.















They both had notes from their teachers in their Take Home folders to let us know how they did on their first day at the Rocking K Corral (the whole Kindergarten for the school uses a western theme for the year):




















And they both are looking forward to going back to school tomorrow, although Katy did comment that it was a really long day.

I'm Too Old to be This Smart...

Ryan came home from school with a "getting to know you" worksheet that he had completed for his teacher today. Here are his responses:

1. My favorite school subject is math because I love multiplication.

2. The subject I have the most trouble with is blank because blank. (When asked, he replied that he doesn't have any trouble with any subjects...)

3. The easiest subject for me is spelling because I am always doing well.

4. My favorite activities at school are math, spelling and writing.

5. I need to work on blank because blank. (His response when I asked him why this one was blank was that there wasn't anything he needed to work on, because he was good at all of it. Hmmm. Sounds like perhaps humility might be something to work on?)

6. If I could change one thing about school I'd change that you never had to go to school because I don't like school.

7. I would like to learn more about multiplication this year because it's fun to learn.

8. A goal I have for this school year is I don't have a goal. (Again with the humility).

9. My behavior in school is good because I never got in trouble in second grade.

10. I hope someday to be a baseball player because I love playing baseball and I'm good at it.

So. I'm hoping that his teacher has a good sense of humor and will take all of these responses as a challenge to keep him engaged this year. Or perhaps Ryan should be having a bit of Humble Pie for dessert.

Back to School, Back to Reality

It's hard to believe that summer vacation has passed us by for another year. Our family had a wonderful few months filled with trips to the beach and trips to spend time with our loved ones who live too far away.

But today, it is time to refocus our attention. The first day of a new school year is always kind of exciting. Ryan is starting 3rd grade, and it will be the start of a different kind of scholastic experience for him. The days of school with parties nearly every month are gone, and this is the first year where he will have End of Grade (EOG) tests. His school supply list no longer includes crayons, or scissors, or glue. This year we sent in folders, and looseleaf paper, and spiral notebooks. And in place of the crayons and markers we sent pencils, red pens (for editing), and highlighters. I know he'll do great--he is a bright, engaging, inquisitive kid.

I try to make the first day of school a special day. We start the morning with a "treat" breakfast. This year, Ryan requested Monkey Bread, so I dragged myself out of bed at 5:45 a.m. to make his special treat. I have to say this was the best monkey bread recipe I've ever tried! And I followed the recommendations of one of the reviewers and baked it in 2 round cake pans instead of the bundt pan, and it cooked much more evenly and in just 20 minutes. The "rest" time in the pan wasn't necessary either. I made a few other adjustments, let me know if you want them and I'll e-mail them to you.

And as further testament to the passing of time, he actually cooperated (for the most part) with my picture taking! Although when I asked him to stand by the tree for an outdoor shot, a bit of his silliness shined through--I love the way the picture turned out, though.





















Thursday is the girls' first day of Kindergarten. Our school does a 'staggered start' for Kindergarteners where the first four days only 4-5 children go to school. It gives the kids and the teachers a chance to ease into the year and get a bit more comfortable before all the kids show up on Friday. So I'll be up bright and early again on Thursday to make their first day special too. Be looking for the photos...

Home Improvement

We've been working on a fairly sizeable project around the house over the summer. We've extended our driveway to give our guests a place to park while allowing us to still be able to use our garage. It also gives us a nice level pad for playing basketball. The hoop should be installed in the next month or so.

And then we put in a patio. We knew that we wanted to do a patio at some point, but hadn't planned to do it this summer. But the savings of pouring the patio at the same time that the driveway extension was done was fairly significant, so we now have a patio. And a brick wall. And a hot tub. And Kevin has put in a bunch of landscaping beds which await a variety of plant material that we'll be installing once the weather cools down a bit in September.

It's been a fairly large endeavor, but the results are really nice so far. Unfortunately we didn't do our outdoor furniture shopping in time--everything that we liked (that was in our budget) was already gone thanks to the clearance sales. So for now we're making due with some chairs that were on the deck, and we'll be sure to hit the sales bright and early next year! And let's face it, when there's a hot tub, do you really need anywhere else to sit?!

Old Friends can be the Best Friends

Ryan and Samantha were born one day apart, and thanks to Stephanie and my friendship their lives have been entertwined from the beginning. Watching their friendship develop, and grow, and evolve has been such a special thing for us.

When we moved to NC 2 years ago, it was very hard on Sam--she was a little lost for a while without her best bud around. She has since made a new circle of friends, as has Ryan, which is a healthy thing for both of them. That said, they are both always happy to slip back into their special friendship--the easy kind that you hardly have to work at because both parties know each other so well--whenever we get to visit.

This weekend was no different. They spent their time working on building a fort using bricks left over from our patio project and a variety of boxes and scraps of wood scavenged (with permission) from the garage. They worked at it, in the heat, for h--o--u--r--s. It was so interesting to watch their creative process. They are able to communicate almost wordlessly--almost instinctively knowing what needed to be done to help each other complete an idea.

They were so excited to show off their finished project (complete with a set of 'whacking sticks' to keep intruders at bay...) Notice the white perimeter border designed to show the little kids and other neighborhood kids where they needed to stop or beware the whacking sticks...

I can't wait to see how their friendship will continue throughout the years. I hope that their special bond will last the rest of their lives!

We've been left breathless....

I had every intention of buying a certain book on Saturday morning as soon as I got up and out the door. But then Stephanie surprised me with a visit this weekend, and since she is equally hooked on said book, we decided to be silly little school girls and go to the midnight release party at Barnes & Noble...

We left feeling every single one of our years as we were completely surrounded by pre-pubescents and teens who were prone to screaming shrilly as the countdown was announced. We fit in with their moms. Who had to bring them to the party because they were too young to drive themselves there. Ah well, we also left with our books!

Now, if only we hadn't made a pact that we would spend this weekend together scrapbooking. And not reading. So, don't accidentally slip and mention anything, K? And I'll be sure to keep my lips sealed if I talk to Steph while she's driving since I will be tearing through it on Monday (or Tuesday) as she's heading back up the road... Maybe with 6 hours head start I'll actually be able to finish it around the same time as her since she is a super-human reader!

Overheard...

Katy and Livvy are having a sleepover tonight with their friend Sydney. They are currently watching 'The Wizard of Oz' in the next room. Judy Garland began singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and I heard them each sort of singing along. Olivia commented that Katy didn't sound quite right, to which Katy replied in the sweetest little voice:

"I actually sound exactly like her when I'm singing in my head."

In Memory of a Friend

On Wednesday, July 16, 2008 our sweet little Oreo passed away. He's been a part of Kevin's and my life since May of 2003, and in those 15 years he has made an imprint on our hearts. He was a mild-tempered, affectionate, obedient, quiet and milk-loving little kitty. Kevin's nightly bowl of cereal will never be the same. He will be sorely and surely missed.