Here and Now

Yesterday this is what my counter looked like around 3 in the afternoon.  Miles woke me up from my nap early and with not alot else going on, we made sugar cookies.  He chose the colors for the frosting, and added the drops to the white frosting: green, blue, orange and red.

I thought about how my Dad used to let his Buffalo Chip cookies cool on brown grocery bags, only I think he cut his to make one bag stretch farther.

 

And here's my little Henry who turned 2 this week.  He doesn't take a binky anymore, just found this one and has been popping it in his mouth, quite contentedly, whenever he finds it around the house.

Ahhh, the day is almost done, six forty-four P.M.  I've been having Groundhog Days lately, where I feel like each day is the same, nothing exciting happening.  I decided tonight that that is okay and I just need to roll with it.  I think it goes, "Life is what happens while you're making plans."  As a planner, I have to intentionally pull back on my forward-looking visions and force myself to live in the moment.  The moments are usually things like crackers smashed all over the kitchen floor, endless child requests to jump on the trampoline together, squirmy and irreverent prayer-times, and people needing help.  It is just part of my life as it should be.  I just need to really enjoy those good moments where children are getting along, the house is clean, dinner is made, the dishes are done, and I am doing something I enjoy (which usually means I'm alone!)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

 

This yard is finally getting whipped into shape, thanks to my master gardener Mom, the end-of-season plant sale at Home Depot, and alot of sweat and hard work!  I didn't take very many before pictures, and the morning lighting doesn't do the real deal justice, but I am so pleased with how it's turning out!

Deer have been a huge threat, as they eat anything and most everything, so we've had to find some plants that the deer don't like.  Apparently they like serviceberry bushes because all the leaves were gone on the branchy bush in the foreground of the picture when I went out to snap it this morning.

It's taken alot of trial and error too, and some of the plants I've had to move three times because of the deer and poor lighting situations.

My Mom came over on Tuesday, we planted and planted and worked, and then she left yesterday.  It was a fast and furious yard overhaul.

This area of the yard got some rounded edges, black mulch, and some new prickly Blue stars that the deer shouldn't eat.

Three little boxwoods, so cute.

This area got a major overhaul too.  The grass used to go right up to the house, but wasn't growing very well in the shade.  On my Mom's recommendation, we made most of the area a planting bed with stepping stones.

 

 One of my favorite details of the yard re-do is this wooden timber we put between the planting area and the walkway.  It just feels and looks stable and solid to me and will keep the gravel and mulch separate when we add the gravel soon.

New School Year 2012-2013

 

 

 

 

And, just like that, our Summer officially ended and the kids trickled back to school (Finn on Tuesday, Lucy on Wednesday).  Lucy started kindergarten and Finn second grade.  The bus came after lunch for Lucy, then brought both of them home after school.  I have been really looking forward to school starting and it has been nice having quiet in the afternoons.  Lucy gave me the run-down last night of her first day of kindergarten and I was cracking up to myself when she would interject, "...and then we did some more learning..." every so often (luh-ning is how she says it in her Brooklyn accent).  Finn is just enjoying wearing running shoes (one pair for school, one pair for P.E.) that he ties himself.  He told me yesterday he almost got into the "A" box in four-square.  It's going to be a great year for the both of them.  (Maybe now I can secretly de-clutter Lucy's room now that she'll be in school part of the day).