Face of Paint

At the Funfest on Ava's last day of school there was FACEPAINTING!!!! Which I think truly might have been the highlight of her day. She wore it like a badge before tears rained down that evening and she was told that at bathtime, it would be gone. We tried to appease her with some photographic evidence of her art. Also, we had noozhe with sauce, so James also had face paint of sorts. (Sadly, Baby Hop and Steve were not able to enjoy any kind of face painting.)

The End of an Era

Thursday last was Ava's final day of preschool. This was celebrated with a Funfest for the kids during their schoolday, and a picnic following. PJ took the morning off work (time spent at the closing Home Depot :sob: shopping for bargains of which we found a few) and we packed up some lunch and the picnic blanket and the boy and off we went. It was fun, and Ava was so excited. She had been kind of "off" for a few days before, and I wasn't sure if that was because she realized school was over for the year and she would be without her friends for a few months. We treated her gently, and hopefully the suggestions of "We should get together this summer..." will be followed through. She loves the kids in her class (with the exception of a few boys who hit her and claim her as their girlfriend!) and I know will miss them. So perhaps we will see a couple of them over the summer. James enjoyed chasing the kids around too- they both ran so hard that they barely made it home before passing out from exhaustion. It was awesome to see so many families there, and I was so grateful that PJ could be there for her. I think it really was important to her that he was there to share it with her. And the weather could not have been more perfect. All in all, a really good last day of preschool.

Jail Version 3.0

The other day I was vacuuming and the dogs generally retreat to their respective sleeping places during this process, so I wasn't worried that they were not underfoot. The children, however, were another story. So when I went looking for them I found Ava straight away in her room, but James took a little longer. I was not expecting to find this. Seems the sleepy boy and the sleepy boy climbed into the coziness that is Fred's crate and had a little cuddlefest while they waited for me to finish. That boy looooves his puppy. And bully for us, the puppy loooooves his boy too.

Updates with photos soon

Lately: Last day of school, the near end of the playset buildout project, evening margaritas (Dang the mix is almost GONE!!!), backyard mania, coming weekend garden mania, boy and dog in jail, fighting over bad purchase on ebay, etc etc etc. Will not post re: margaritas (you do NOT want to see me after a couple of those bad boys especially if PJ mixes them) but will post photos of our home and delicious children. Stay tuned!
p.s. PJ mentioned that in the picture of Ava napping it looks like Elmo (in the petnet) is watching her sleep. Pretty funny.

Face Lift or DIRT!

At the end of last summer we took four of the six bushes in the front out. They were your standard round bushes, but had been (or maybe not been) trimmed strangely and were bare in spots. It was my desire to put something "pretty" in their place, at least before fall got too far along, especially because when we would be out front it looked terrible. We put up new house numbers and new lights but that only helps so much. Still a big bed of dirt with some gnarly weeds staring at you when you pass by our house. No bueno! So this year, as the tradition was started last year, PJ and Ava went to purchase flowers for the big pots that go out front. I knew we wanted to put hydrangea out front in the bare spots, but wasn't sure what else. PJ said we should have a plan, but secretly I had abandoned that notion as I was desperately wanting to fill that brown space. Turns out he abandoned that plan too, as when they came home from the home improvement super center they had in their possession two hydrangea- one for each side. I had already planted some hosta out there after dividing some of what was in the back (there's still so much more!) and we decided to divide some day lilies and put them on either side of the hydrangea. I have a few ideas of little things to fill in, PJ doesn't want too much and I agree, but I think maybe I will hit the Allen County Extension plant sale this weekend and see about what they have. Maybe not tho, because if it doesn't rain I want to walk the kids up to the dedication of the new East State Village Arch! Besides, I know I want to put in only a few things, like some fringed bleeding heart and some hardy mums. The fringed bleeding heart blooms in the spring and the mums will give fall color. Maybe one other evergreenish thing to keep some interest in the winter. Although there will be snow for that, so maybe not. Anyway, all the transplants seem to be doing well, and all that's left is a few more little fillers and some mulch for the south side.
The pots are filled with pansies, geraniums, and petunias. There was even enough to do the hanging basket for by the back door! I had gone with L and C to the Botanical Conservatory annual plant sale that morning (if only I had known what was to transpire in the front that morning!) and picked up a lavender plant and put that in a pot as well. I probably will put it in the ground later but not till I figure out a place that is right. It's all quite pretty now, and I occasionally drive down West to see the front of our house with it's new look. But that is mostly just because the alley is a disaster of potholes. Will post more pictures when it's (as James would say) ALL DONE!!!!!
p.s. sorry about the mess, PJ and Ava had gone golfing and James had helped me with the pots, (of course, it involved his new fave, DIRT!) so there was a bit of a mess. I got the toys and tools hauled into the back yard with the help of the wagon and wheelbarrow, but wanted to snap a shot or two before we lost all light.

Naps Not Required

But still stealthily taken. I am upstairs in the office/guest room paying bills, and although I expected her to be quiet, (we walked up to the library and she got a bunch of books) she was being very quiet, so I went to check and found her like this. I knew she needed it, so it's good she's getting a power nap. I went to bed last night about 10:30 after cuddling with her and helping her recover from a bad dream. She was sobbing but some cuddle time brought about a better mood and the possibility for sweet dreams. She was up early this morning, which surprised me, but I knew better than to push the nap as that will set such a big girl into a mood!
This coming week is her last in the school year. She rounded last week out with a field trip to Solomon Farm, and yesterday her class went bowling. She had a good time. I asked her if she wanted to go again with us, and she seemed pretty excited about it. Good rainy day activity.
Speaking of rainy days, we caught a break today but are expecting more this weekend and into the beginning of next week. This weekend we wanted to get the playset up, but there's not much one (and by one I mean PJ of course!) can do if it's raining. We'll see how bad it will be. If it does rain, maybe we can catch a break next weekend. Of course, the last weekend this month we'll be in South Bend with PJ doing the Sunburst race!
Off I go- there are more bills to pay and a young boy beginning to stir. But before I go I'll post some pictures of the new and improved front landscaping!

Peep!*

Nothing new around here. I threw my back out (old old old) hoisting Fred into the car. Don't ask. We did not make it to Dog School last night due to my extreme injury. I believe in the power of our chiropractor Dr. Nill who helped a lot more than if I would have just thrown on some Tiger Balm (hello, you cannot get this at Target?) and called it a night. Thank goodness I did phone PJ and he jumped into action. I was prepared to moan in agony for several hours straight. Instead I went to Dr. Nill, came home, got Balmed, took Advil, and laid on the heating pad for the remainder of the night. So nice. Am feeling much better.
The kids are doing great. The camera is in the kitchen and I don't know that I have any photos on it anyway to upload, but I cannot go down there now because I don't know how I will react to the dogs who are doing their best to protect our home by barking at EVERY FREAKING LIVING THING outside including squirrels, robins, and rabbits. And maybe even insects. And if they wake the kids, I do not know if I will be responsible for my actions. And just so you know, people loooove to walk down our street. We have even run into people who do not live in the area but drive in to walk the neighborhood. (Yeah, our 'hood is cool like that!)
Tomorrow night is PJs playoff game. It's at 6 p.m. so I think we will all go. The kids really like it. And I even got to see him score a goal a couple of games ago! It's hard while watching the kids, but I try.
Before I sign off for the night, I will 1) promise to be more diligent about posting, 2) lament that there is NO ice cream in our house right now and let me tell you about the chocolate syrup with cinnamon in it that one finds in the mexican section of the supermarket called Abuelita or something like that it is so great on plain old vanilla! and 3) go on and on (okay maybe just on) about braised leeks. Seriously so incredibly yum. Much better than anticipated.
* The "peep" of the title refers to James' latest word. It is actually Pink. But it might stay Peep always. Like Ava's more is still somehow "bun" and perhaps we will always call her "Abba" as James does.

Push the Button

James, Steve and I voted this morning. No, I didn't cry, but I did get a little verklempt when on the way to take Ava to school we saw 2 folks standing on the corner of State and Anthony with "Obama '08" and "Yes We Can!" signs. Let's hope we did. We'll start to find out this evening. In the meantime, I will be waiting with bells on and grasping the remote in preparation of a long night with MSNBC. Who can resist the trifecta of Keith Olbermann (for those of you with no knowledge of him other than his past as ESPN anchor, he is a very smart and well spoken individual who I had the pleasure of watching being interviewed by Bill Moyers), Chris Matthews, and Pat Buchanan? With an interruption for the Deadliest Catch, of course. Politics isn't my whole life, right?

Sufjan Stevens Surely is a Genius

Before we left South Bend, I was pregnant and laying on the couch watching tv too late on a Friday night, and I had been watching something on PBS before I fell asleep. When I awoke, Austin City Limits was on, and for the second time, the artist playing changed my life (the first time was a few weeks before when I saw the Killers and went to Meijer!!! the next day to purchase the cd which Ava requested NONSTOP for like 4 months, seriously I don't know that we listened to anything else, not even Raffi!). I hit the info button on the remote, and saw that the artist was Sufjan Stevens. He had like fifty two and a hundred people on stage ( one girl wearing butterfly wings) playing instruments both common and obscure, but the music seemed to be a dream. I think I fell back asleep. Sufjan has lived in the back of my mind since then, coming out only last week when I happened upon his "Come On, Feel the Illinoise!" cd at the local branch of the library. Sweet and sad, humorous and haunting, it is a work of genius. Apparently there's another cd about Michigan, and when I can get my head around the one I have now, I may have to check it out. Anyone who can turn John Wayne Gacy Jr. into a human being and write a heartbreaking song about such a sick individual is gifted. Will Indiana be next? He says he's doing all 50 states. Here's hoping he does Indiana and Arizona in my lifetime. Sure to be informative, interesting, and simply beautiful.

Excercise your Right (and DUTY) as an American

No matter who you are, no matter what you believe, you must cast a vote. Not merely for the next Leader of the Free World, but on a local and state level as well. At minimum know for yourself what is right for you and please cast your vote. Don't just listen to who your friends and neighbors are voting for, or who the local paper endorses, but look for yourself at what each person brings to the table.
Tomorrow I look forward to the privilege of casting my vote. In Indiana you vote the party, not the person (on so many levels that is wrong and contributes to the divisiveness that occurs in politics) and therefore my husband and I will be meeting this evening to decide which Republicans we want to vote for and which Democrats. I feel very strongly (PJ too except he now gives Hillary deserved props for going on Bill O'Reilly's show and doing well!) about Barack Obama so I will be voting Democrat. PJ feels (me too) strongly about Mr. Jim Howard for County Council so he will be voting Republican. In a perfect world we both could vote for both. Regardless of how the polls look, the only thing that matters is the actual votes. And if people get polled and don't vote, or people don't vote because of the polls we can call that irresponsible. So please, do the right thing. I am going (with both children!!!!!!!!!) to my local polling place tomorrow morning (before my sister in law, her husband and their sweet baby girl come down from Detroit for a lunch visit!) and afterwards I may even get a little verklempt. People reacted strongly when Michelle Obama made that statement about being proud to be an American- who would have the audacity to say such a thing? I am glad she said it. The people who reacted with anger I believe are people who don't give much thought to what is going on in our country, or government, or our place in world affairs. If you stopped to think, you might see how people are treating each other, how selfish some people are, and how there is much room for improvement. And when we work toward that it should give us some pride as Americans.

Evidence of God

The sweet scent of lilac blooms sneaking in my kitchen window as I wash dinner dishes and my beautiful boy runs up behind me to give me a hug I may not deserve.