Orchard

One of my most favorite things to do in the fall is go to the orchard and pick apples.  I love these apples they are so much fresher and seem to have more flavor.  

This last weekend was Macintosh weekend and so off we went to pick.  It was perfect time there were loads of apples on the tree many still in my kids reach although they did enjoy using the grabber tool.   They ate probably as many as we picked in the orchard but still they couldn’t wait for me to make apple crisp.  We also enjoyed their mini “petting zoo” although we prefer the other orchard with a larger one.

I got it made last night and I probably will make it three more times before we run out of apples.  Yum.

First day of school

Jones also started school.  Again it was delayed start like Thea but he was glad to go back.  I think two week quarantine did him in. He’s starting second grade. He was thrilled to have a laptop at school instead of a iPad.  His favorite color is red, favorite food is popcorn and he wants to be a lego master or video game designed when he grows up.  

Here’s to a great school year mister. 

Kindergarten woah

Thea Bird

Time has just flown by it seems like just the other day you were learning to walk and crawl.  I feel like I blinked and you are now five and so grown up using big words and having such sass.  You are growing up and I want you to know you are AMAZING.  

I won’t lie I did not cry dropping you off today, I jumped for joy.  We just finished up a quarantine where my patience and sanity was tested to the extreme, so I needed a break – thank you kindergarten!  But that’s not to say I that I won’t miss and wonder what’s going on at school and I am not grieving the loss of my bold toddler baby lady.  I do.  I do miss that lady, but I also celebrate your growth and learning. 

I hope that you will listen, watch, learn, experience and love school.  I want you to learn to read and add and subtract.  Discover a passion for history, science, math, art, dodge ball or writing.   Make friends, art, and mistakes.  I want you to show love and grace while doing it.  Be a friend.  Do to it all and be you doing it.  

I sent a postcard in your lunch box that says “Be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.” – and I mean it.  Be that flamingo.  Be okay being yourself, you are smart, fierce, genuine and sassy.  Here’s to a great year baby lady.  

Lots of love Mom

Monsters

We started another round of quarantine/isolation recently due to positive covid tests.  So far my vaccine is protecting me it’s just My sister and kids with it.  

During that time we started a second “family canvas”.  Thea and I started it by adding a layer of background paint with “debit cards”.  We then had planned to drew our family on the canvas but the kids started drawing monsters so I just rolled it with and we transitioned them into monsters. 

Then we started painting the monsters.  Thea and I did most of the painting, but the monster drawings were Jones’s.

The finished art work turned out waaaay different that I had anticipated but we hung it at the bottom of the stairs. There’s one monster for each person in the house.  I love how that little red one turned out the best.  He’s my favorite.  It’s such a fun addition to the house.  

Family Canvas Project

One of recent art projects was a family collaborative canvas.  We started by adding a layer of neon and bright colors to our large canvas.  Using assorted brushes we have.  I tried not to dictate how my kids applied their paint. Theas application was more wispy and Jones and I more solid shapes.  We then let it dry. 

I was not into that big circle I added. 

Our next step was adding tissue papers and painted deli paper with glue. This step really changed the look of our canvas and gave it some texture. Also goodbye green circle. 

After that we added another layer of paint this time with stencils and bubble wrap.  We applied the stencil paint with old credit cards and cardboard scraps my kids like this technique we’ve used it in our art journal before.  This layer added more depth.  

Before the next step I considered adding spray paint but that seemed like a bad idea since I only had gold and pink on hand.  So instead we did some just random drawing on it with paint markers.  I have some extra big Pocsa markers and these were the preferred marker of choice because they showed up the best.  But I also like the thinner tip look added in.

After we finished adding marker We decided it was done.  Originally I had intended on adding some splatter paint too but that seemed like much.  So I stead we signed our names.  I then added color to the sides of the canvas since I didn’t have the right size frame and hung it.  It’s truly one of my most favorite things now.  I love seeing it as I come up the stairs.  It’s so fun.

I love how it looks from the side especially.  I drew stripes on some of the edges.  

Note:  our project was adapted from the instructions from Family canvas Challenge by the art pantry https://www.theartpantry.com/

Pool People Summer

I think we are having “pool people summer” here in Ohio.  It is probably not different than normal summer (excluding 2020 when the pool had weird rules and no passes).  But as usual we are loving our pool days and nights.  The laundry room usually smells of chlorine and my kids usually have sunscreen half smeared on their necks and legs.  My kids now seem to have tanned glow and I am am slightly more pink

It’s been raining for like a week straight and this is driving me crazy because we haven’t been to the pool because of that.  Hopefully sunny days will return and we can resume our pool evenings and afternoons.  

Thea attempted her swim test but failed the floating part the girl does not float she sinks or flails around like a crazy child.  But jones passed his last year and delights in jumping off the diving boards with his friends.

It’s also very popular to play ping pong and four square at the pool this summer and when my kids aren’t begging for snack shoppe money they play these games with their friends. 

15 - Barn Door

My bathroom previously had two doors that bumped into each other and took up so much space in the bathroom.  I took one off immediately upon moving the other one was the door to the room, so i left it but it was nonstop annoyance.  I knew immediately i needed to replace it with a barn door.  So I bought a door and scheduled a contractor.  Well 4 months later the contractor hadn’t gotten around to this project.  So this past weekend m.  My best friend and I tackled it.  I thought it would take 90 minutes - ha!  

Upon opening the box I realized it wasn’t going to be fast.  The door had been scratched in transit and need to be painted and I needed a spade bit.   So off to Lowe’s we went.  

After two coats of gold spray paint I decided that it was the worst, so I switched to this random green we had in the garage.  And I rather like it now that it’s up, more than I would the gold. 

Well 5 hours, three coats of green paint, several missteps with hanging the rails, and only one anchor lost in the wall.  It’s up and I love it.  My bathroom seems so much bigger and better.  

It’s relatively an inexpensive project.  

Now to decide what art to hang on the wall next to.