Sweet little apple pickers

new haircut

They always look 5 years older when they get their hair done.

Grade 2.

He looks so much older lately.
This kid has always actually talked, acted, and looked much older than he is.
And this year, he's especially handsome.

Productive!

Things are good. Life is busy and we are enjoying fall.
Greg has been busy with contracts and now it is looking like it will turn into full time work. We are so thankful and happy that things are working out (even though it was right down to the wire!).
All the boys are doing well in school and enjoying their teachers. Liam's teacher taught for a few years in Africa, and her husband will come in on occasion to tell interesting stories from the wild!
Shea is enjoying helping me cook and clean while the boys are out, or will beg me to draw with chalk on the driveway with him. He seems to prefer that so much more than coloring on paper! His teachers are creative and have him paint with marbles, fingers and today...chocolate pudding!
I had to buy myself a watch today because I can easily lose track of time while Shea is in preschool and I'm off wandering downtown! Last week I got to go out for coffee with a girlfriend sans the preschoolers and it was so relaxed!! Today I managed to grocery shop, put the groceries away, clean outside windows, and drive back downtown to find a new watch all in the time that Shea was in school. Productive!!!

Pictures of projects...

Here's the pears I finished up today...I had done 14 jars on Saturday and did 21 more today. So I have 35 of pears and peaches!



I put G to work, stripping the old finish off our door and sanding it down. BIG job!! It was covered in a few old layers of varnish that was yellow, cracked and peeling. It will look SO great!!



This is my kitchen now that I painted the window wall taupe. (Yes, now it's a lot of taupe/cream/white going on.) Definitely brighter and will have to do til we get tile.

The kids helped me pick apples from a friends yard on Wednesday. We took all we could carry at the time (3 bags full). The next day Shea had a great time helping me core and peel apples to freeze for pies or crisps. I made applesauce while he was doing that, and we made a royal mess.
We're like little squirrels around here, filling all our nooks and crannies with food for winter!

More light please.

I have a dark kitchen. It is on the darkest corner of the house. Who designed this house anyway?? The brightest area of our house are the areas we are never in...the bootroom/laundry area. So sad. I need sunshine and much prefer natural light than turning lights on.
When we redid our kitchen we painted it brown. Not the best plan as it is DARK (like I just said). I was ok with it as it was a good contrast to the cream cabinets and my gorgeous almond appliances. Painting our cabinets already helped a bunch in brightening up the place. I also was planning to do a tile backsplash in a very light color so the brown would really only be showing above the cabinets and the contrast does look very nice.
However. Here we are two years later and we haven't put in our backsplash yet. Our painted brown drywall backsplash has actually faired quite well and has only lately been starting to look like it needs painting again due to dings.
Knowing the winter is well on its way, which means my kitchen is even more dark and cold...I just could not paint it brown. I dug out an old bucket of taupe paint that our entire house was painted when we moved in. It isn't especially exciting, but it is light. So I have just spent the last while painting under the cabinets (where the tile eventually will be) a nice plain ol' taupe. I'm starting with the window side to see how I like it. So far it looks boring, but much brighter.
And BRIGHT is good. So I think it'll do.
Have you seen those sites where they show you their painted-to-look-like-tile backsplashes!? So cool!
Lately I've noticed how cool wainscoting backsplashes are. Or what about painted tin!

The options are endless. Who would have thought there were so many alternatives to tile? What other ones have you seen?

Little bud

I have a lot of pretty flowers to photograph...

...but I prefer catching this little bud on the camera!

Indian summer

Yay!! We got into preschool! And not a moment too soon! Shea got into a class with his buddy on Tues/Thurs. mornings. He starts officially on Thursday, but we got to go check out the classroom and meet the teachers today.

Here are all three of my cuties...dressed and ready for school. Riley is in grade 5!! Liam in grade 2!! We biked together and they seemed so comfortable and calm for the first day. It made me grateful that we didn't have to move! They won't find out their new teacher or classes til tomorrow.
Due to the fact that the teachers are involved in a job action with the provincial gov't, they are no longer covering recess time. What?? So they miss recess and let the kids out early. My kids are done school at 1:55pm! Isn't that nuts?? They start at 8:10am. I so wish that they started later and ended later. Oh well, I guess it is better than them being on strike.
So with Shea being in preschool, I will have 5 whole hours on my own a week. Ya, still not much, but more than ever before, so I will savor those 5 hours.

Back to School!

There went summer!
We did so much again this summer, and though it was still slightly chaotic and hard...it is getting a little easier. They can all put on their own shoes, ride their bikes, nearly all swim and don't really need naps. So we have progress.
There is such a mix of freedom being that I'm a SAHM and we are able to go out and do numerous activities but then also boredom as we almost get sick of being with each other every day and trying to find enough to do.
For some reason our street shuts down in the summer and hardly any child is in the area. I knew summer as going out after breakfast and coming in at sundown...but my kids don't have anyone on the street to play with so they want to play with me or some other technological device! Sad really. Weekends were busier with family and friends and the odd day trips. But now it'll be good to get back to a schedule and for my kids to see other kids other than their siblings!
Riley starts grade 5 tomorrow! and Liam grade 2! I didn't get Shea registered in preschool soon enough (as we thought we might be moving) so I'm on a wait list for him. :( I'm hoping the boys adjust well and especially that Riley will have an easier year. I'll report back with pictures tomorrow!

BFF's

I am lucky. I have these two friends. They have been my friends pretty much forever. I met Heidi in grade 7 and Michelle at the end of grade 10. We all live miles apart now, and rarely see each other. But it doesn't take long to catch up when we make it back together.
Their two families booked a cottage in Scotch Creek which isn't too far from us, so we were able to hang out and catch up.
Love these girls. What I wouldn't do to have them live closer!

JoJo!