oh spring!

 Spring is here when I go to the store and buy all my seeds. I don't know if its just in my blood or a strange fever that overcomes me, urging me to buy LARGE packs of seeds regardless of the space available. I have been going over garden plans and sketching out designs. This year I am trying something different. I'm figuring out when the harvest dates fall so we wont be on vacation like the years past. Shocking, I know. 
   The beans and sugar snap peas are up! I also frolicked through the garden sprinkling killer slug bait while allowing myself an evil chuckle. Good thing I did too, there are little sluggie bodies littering the soil. I planted my first 'toxic' plant ever. The years...YEARS its taken to wait until Mr. Steel asks before eating unidentified plants..well you get the picture. I bought a clematis plant at Costco and put it between the two cherry trees.    
  Its become more and more apparent that I am, heart and soul, an old lady. That's okay. It just means I will get to enjoy drinking tea, writing books, talking about flowers and veggies and knitting longer. Then when I'm stuffed into a nursing home...heh heh heh...that's when Ill pull out my macrame adorned scrap book of all my accomplishments and gloat. Just kidding. I wont put the macrame on. *wink* Happy planting season to you all!

Science center!

Yesterday we dashed up to the science center a mere 3 hours and 40 minutes away. I hauled the kids out of bed at 5 to make it there on time. Oh, was I tired last night. My dad was nice enough to accompany me. Inner city traffic is not a fave, nor navigating by myself. Thomas was at the top of his game and is so pleased to have received a science fair metal. (shhhh don't tell him everyone else did too) He is wearing it right now as he watches Saturday cartoons. Greg had finished the floor all the way to the kitchen. Woot!

 Looking cool by his project.

 His teacher, this is the first time we have met her. She is just as nice in person as she has been over the phone~

 Oh...shiny...

 One shot of Mr. Steel NOT moving

 Twins. This mirror was so fun.

 Shrunken kids. Thomas looks miniature.

Parting shot.

birthday pics!!

 Showing off his new shirt from Aunt Lori! So Cute, and just his style.

 Why yes that is a giant piece of poo covered in meringue mushrooms. Its my ode to cake wrecks. Truly it was supposed to be more of a hillside, but hey its edible.

We had a good day together playing with my folks and watching Mr. Steel open up his gifts. Do you notice the flooring creeping further in the background??

life as it seems

  Its intriguing to me how a house can look different depending on which side of the street you are on or what direction you are heading. Often when the kids and I are out stretching our legs we point out different characteristics of the interesting houses. One we came across had a giant eagle head tacked to the side of it. The house was also dark purple. You wouldn't even notice the color or the eagle if you drove past because of the overgrown pines closing in on it. Another one of our favorites is the salmon house. Yes, it does have a giant metal salmon tacked to the side of it. Do I even need to mention where the sun house has its sun?! Must be a beach theme of some sorts.
  Now that all my three are well beyond anything that resembles the baby stage (WELL beyond) I find it hard to see that facet of parenting. I am deeply entrenched in reading, writing, and social interaction. We carry on conversations about likes and dislikes, hike mountains, and spend hours reading long chapter books together.
  I am walking down a different side of the street, viewing the house in a new way. I see things about the eagle house that changes my opinion on its aesthetics. No longer am I spending hours on mundane tasks to busy to stop. I have the time to admire and appreciate where this motherhood road has taken me.

flooring!!!

As you might have noticed from the picture on yesterdays post, some of the flooring is in. Now I will say it for emphasis....SOME OF THE FLOORING IS IN!!!!! I dont act like my daughter when something exciting happens (ie jumping around and screaming) But thats what I feel like I'm doing on the inside. Isn't it a HUGE differance! Happy housewife!

Happy birthday Haiku

A bittersweet day

My baby boy who is 6

will soon outgrow me!

yes he is standing on his toes, nothing like rubbing it in that he is taller than his older brother and as tall as his sister. What am I in for when he's 15!

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yard pics

 Yesterday Greg helped me hang the swing, and by helping I mean he did it while I watched. Its been sitting against the wall for a few months, waiting for the windy season to quit. Yesterday was perfect. As you can see the kids are thrilled to have it up. The dog is a bit miffed that her porch couch is gone.

 Here is my very own invention. The bean/pea tunnel that Thomas has been asking for. Last year I just couldn't visualize it. I just didn't know how to get around the price of all the lumber it would take. Then I got this brilliant idea, use beach wood its free. TadA!

 On the other side near the far fence will be the strawberry garden. The barrel in the foreground will be for carrots or onions. See I am making this odd space work!

 Here is where we planted the mint. Mr. Steel loves to eat it so I'm not worried about it taking over.

 My spice garden. Its so sad looking every spring. I put some beach wood behind it in hopes that the kids and the dogs wouldn't step on them. Yeah, going back to the drawing board on that one.

So there it all is. I cant say its fantastic but its definitely getting better every year. Someday it will be as nice as the garden I made for my mom. Then all I will have to do is maintenance. Wont that be nice!

we got the books!

Here it is!!! And a backpack for mom to boot!

Gardening

  So after a full year of mentally whining (okay out loud too) about my odd yard space (aka hill) and how its impossible to think 3D, I have figured out what to do. Take small bites. When I think on the grand scale its overwhelming. Did I mention the entire yard is beach sand? So I have been focusing on little bits like the sugar snap pea garden. The kids and I had a blast finding wood along the beach that I made into a trellis/tunnel. I put my grand plans on the back burner for now. Its a dreary day here, so pics will just have to wait.

school

  So now that you are nearly through the year, how is school going? I can say our school year has been busy and full. My boys have been at home with me and my daughter has broken into the world of public school. I cant tell you how nice it is to be teaching one grade (basically) and not so stretched for time. Usually I drop my girl off at school a little before 8 am. and then start the boys with their schedule. I think the end of the year is my very favorite because all the months of labor and sticking to it start to shine through. A spring of homeschooling, so to speak. Thomas is turning from a reluctant reader into a reader by choice. (Yes Kristen I worried for nothing) Most of this is thanks to his teacher this year who sent extra reading papers that were all non-fiction and just at the right level. Having her support helped me overcome my 'this will never catch' attitude. Mr. Steel wants to go to school next year but after several conversations about gaining good self control and not seeing huge leaps of progress, I have chosen to wait another year. Homeschooling has definitely had its ups and downs, but so far its looking like another year of it for me here. I have enjoyed the WAVA program more than ever.
  On another note..a rather exciting one, we won the backpack full of books from our local library. It was a drawing and I must say it took me by surprise! We all love new books and are excited to see what comes.
  Hope your own homeschooling/schooling adventures have been thrilling too.

Not so Haiku Tuesday..

Fat, furry sausage loping down the beach
chasing after scary man whom she hopes to reach

Half mile away, that's not too far
chasing after Nukka, wishing for the car

follows him all the way to his creepy house
had to drag her off the porch...my poor spouse



Ah yes, how does a person untrain their very friendly dog to become the protector and guardian she should be.....and why does she have a special liking for men with scraggly beards and unfriendly faces???? If you figure that one out, please by all means let me know!



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sciece fair!

Did I mention that through Thomas' school we are attending a science fair at the Seattle science center? Or that Thomas is part of it??? Its all true. We are so excited. Here are some pictures that we are going to post to his board. His experiment was 'What produces more electrical current, lemons or potatoes?' Potatoes won. Crazy right?

Oh and yes, that is a giant stack of flooring in the background....still.

doggies

Meme has wobblers. Its more than obvious. Its a degenerating desiease where she eventually loses the use of her legs because of pinching nerves in her neck. At first I felt sad. But hey, if you were destined for a short life wouldnt sleeping on couches and getting attention from kids be the way to go? I think so. Nukka is a sausage of a dog who lives to eat. All in all fun stuff....and happy kids.

Spring is here

a gamer at heart

My Thomas is sandwiched between two very active siblings. The discovery I made after a weekend with just him is..he needs that. He loved spending time sitting for hours (yes hours) playing board games with other sweaty, unwashed men. His cousin came over and played a few games with him too. He was happy being just him. Yet toward the end of our trip I saw that what his siblings give him is far more valuable than anything I could buy. With them he has to bend. Its like a (not to sound too karate kid) tree that grows around strong winds. When the gales come, he sways but doesn't break because he is accustomed to movement. I'm afraid I would have a sturdy yet rigid tree of a boy if it weren't for his sister and brother to even him out. Cheers to those things in life that can be an inconveniance but help us in the long run.

Haiku Tuesday

Only three months left

summer on the horizon

Frogs, Ponds, Treasure hunts!

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