A sign of what's to come

Sadie is officially registered for preschool in the fall, and she is beyond excited.  The place I will be sending her invited her to come and spend a day to check it out.  So, on Tuesday after I dropped Adam off at Kindergarten, I took Sadie to preschool (backpack and all).  Then, I headed home with Tyler.

The house was soooooo quiet without Sadie's constant chatter.  So, I turned on some music, and got to work.  I couldn't believe how much I was able to accomplish.  Maybe this is a sign of things to come.  I weeded the entire garden and raspberry patch, I washed all the dishes in the sink, I folded a batch of laundry, and I ironed three shirts.  I felt I was starting to come down with a cold, so then I turned on PBS and let Tyler watch Clifford the Big Red Dog while I closed my eyes.

When I picked up Sadie at 3:00, she was very excited to tell me all about her "first day of school".  She can hardly wait to go back.  Now every day she asks if it is "fall" yet.  I hope this won't be a long summer!

I'm not a master gardener...yet

Every year I dream of growing a beautiful garden.  Every year I fail.  It's not that I don't have skills, it just seems like every year I'm either pregnant and have no energy or I have a baby and no energy.  Since I am neither this year, I set high expectations for my garden.  One thing I forgot to factor into the equation:  I have one of the busiest 18-month-olds known to mankind.

I managed to get a modest garden planted with a few basics.  But every time I go out to work in it, I have helpers.  Sadie and Adam trample the onions and lettuce, and Tyler picks up dirt by the handfuls and throws it.  I decided it was time to get their swimming pool out...

I inflated their pool, rinsed it out, and put a few inches of water inside.  The kids were thrilled.  No sooner did I turn my back, though, and Tyler started making trips back and forth from the garden to the pool with a determination to throw as much dirt as he could in the water.  He had great fun, but Adam and Sadie were not pleased.

Time for Plan B.  I had been planning on making Tyler a sand/water table to play with outside.  This situation motivated me to finish it....fast.  Here's what I did:

Made a trip to Lowe's for a 2x4, a 2x6, some screws, and a large mixing tub
Cut the wood to make a frame for the mixing tub
Screw it together
Add some legs
Insert mixing tub
Fill with water and toys

I thought about putting sand in it, but I was afraid Tyler would throw it all over the yard.  So, for now I will stick to the water.  Tyler can throw as much dirt and rocks as he pleases in it.  Maybe later I will try sand.  In the mean time, kids are happy.  So, I can get back to gardening.  I'm not a master gardener yet...  First I need to master the art of keeping my kids busy.

Team Adam

Last weekend was Adam's first 5k.  We wanted to do the race as a family, so we registered everyone except Tyler.  The day before the race, we picked up our t-shirts.  Sadie was so excited to be part of the team that she took her shirt to bed with her.

On race morning, we ate breakfast, put on our matching shirts, and headed to the starting line.  Gotta love Adam and Sadie with their headbands on...

Adam had been "training" for weeks, but hadn't been running very far lately.  So, I figured we would be walking more than running.  When the race started, we began jogging.  Adam periodically needed a break, so we walked while he got a drink and an energizing jelly bean. 

To get him running again, I motivated him by encouraging him to pass people.  It worked, but it may have inflated his ego a little too much.  Every time we passed someone, he would turn to them and say, "Team Adam passed you!"  By giving a little encouragement and commenting on how many people he was passing, he was motivated enough to keep running and finish strong.  He was thrilled to get to the finish line and realize he won second place in his division.  After a popsicle and some water, it was time for the awards ceremony. It was cute watching him run up to the stage to receive his award.  As icing on the cake, he won the grand prize drawing at the end of the ceremony.  Once again, he ran to the stage and waved to the crowd and got his picture taken with the tether ball system he won.

Three days post race, Adam is still wearing his medal around the house.  He is very proud of it.  Go Team Adam!

Always use the right tool for the job

I have something rather embarrassing to admit.  I screwed up.  My few faithful readers know I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so I hope this shocking revelation doesn't shake their faith in me.  :)

For Mother's Day this year I wanted to give Mom something a little different than the traditional hanging flower basket.  Since she has a new deck to enjoy, I thought I would make her a nice deck chair.  So, I reviewed some plans I found online and made a trip to Lowe's for the wood.

The first step of the project requires you to cut two pieces from a board with unusual angles.  Since I didn't have an angle finder, I thought I could just "wing it" and be okay.  So I estimated where to make the cuts and continued with the project.  Everything was going great.  I cut, sanded, and painted the boards.  Then, I began to assemble.  The seat portion went together great.  Then, I attached the legs.  I sat down to test it.  Actually very comfortable and very sturdy.  Then, I stood up and looked at the legs.  My heart sank.  This is what is what I saw...

It doesn't take a genius to realize the angles I "estimated" were way off!  Lesson learned.  Always use the right tool for the job.  I just need to figure out when it is okay to "wing it" and when you absolutely must follow the instructions.

After much internal debate, I decided to finish the chair as is.  Here is a picture of the finished product... This picture was actually taken from a pretty flattering angle.  :)

Unfortunately, I am too embarrassed to give it to Mom for Mother's Day.  So, Mom, if you are reading this... I'm so sorry.  I have since purchased the tool I need and would be happy to give it another try.  I would even paint it any color you want.  I could even do a matching set with a chair for Dad.  Or if you would rather, I could make you something else or buy you a nice traditional hanging flower basket.  :)  I actually have been wanting to try making this bench...

Are my readers disappointed in me?