Summer Lovin---Havin a Blast!

Summer break left me with little time to blog...Sorry....All 3 readers!  LOL

Besides the fact that we left our home in mid-July for almost a month to spend at our summer house, we got a lot of pool time and fun in before that! 

 

C & J painted gifts for M and my dad for father's day in the gorgeous sun!  It was easy too!  Some cheap canvas boards, paint and brushes!  They were very excited about it....So much they took their shirts off!!

For Father's Day we went to an antique car show close to home.  The boys loved all of the cars, but this one was great since the owner let them sit in it!!!!!  A 1963 Austin Cooper! 

Once again my parents hosted a 4th of July parade party! (Perks of living on the parade route!) and some of our closest and best est friends came to celebrate the 4th with us.  Later, some of them joined us for our annual BBQ and then we headed off to fireworks!  Such a great day!

And the boys (4 of them, 2 obviously are NOT mine) had a blast at a park honoring all of the American wars.  Although the kids enjoyed the history, the tanks that they could climb on was a way bigger hit. I think I sat on a bench for 2 hours letting them climb!

Those were our fun highlights., besides hitting the pool every day that it was sunny!  Sure there were some not so fun moments too...like losing power for 56 hours in June, then again for 36 hours in July.  NOT FUN, but grateful for a friend who loaned us her generator saving our groceries and letting me try to cook "generator style"!!!

I have lots to catch up from our summer vacation at the cottage too.....Stay tuned....

Growing up

My J is growing up.  As part of his birthday he wanted us to "redo" his little kid room (of transportation) into something cooler...Like sports.  After being sad for a bit, I pulled out my primer and sadly primed over the hand painted race cars I had painted in that room 4 years ago.....I was letting it go.  He was growing up.

J and I went out and found "posters" (not my choice!) of teams he wanted in his room. I would have picked all vintage sports stuff, but this was his room, his choice, my money!  LOL

He stuck with Chicago teams but wants to add more pendants from places our friends and family live.  No sport was left out. Baseball, Football, Basketball and Hockey were the picks.  We even tossed in soccer too.

On his birthday, while he was at school I loaded up the room for him.  He wanted the load in to be a surprise and I added a few more things too. 

 Was able to flip his "car" quilt over for a plain blue!  Cheap!  Love it!

 Found that great subway art online and spray painted a frame from his room red to match!

I found the desk chair on the curb..I actually found 4 so I spray painted it red too!

He loves his new room! It is so "him".  I spent less than 75.00 on the entire thing, including posters.  We are not working on C's room, who WANTS transportation!  Stay tuned!

My baby is 7!

Today is a BIG day at our house....My first born, J is seven today.....As I was tucking him in last night, as a six year old, I remembered the day he was born and the sheer joy of his arrival!

Today, while the skies were cloudy, very rainy and not "birthday like" it was a BIG morning....Remember when I posted back in February about our raffle winnings and I shared that J won TWO firetruck rides to school?  Well today, was ride #1!!!!!!!!!

It was stormy, grey and simply terribly weather, but J, little brother C and neighbor and best buddy M got a private tour of the fire house, the trucks and then climbed into a pumper truck for school!  Lights were on, headphones were donned and J was able to talk to the chief (in the car in front of us) and to M in the back of the truck thinking he was a TRUE fire fighter.

C & J in the drivers seat of the bucket truck

I do not have the photo's of our BIG (and rainy) arrival at school yet, between M's parents, my parents and good friends who became victim of the DOWNPOUR as we arrived, I cannot ask them to "hurry up and send them to me".....but they will come.

J sitting shotgun in the pumper truck as we left for school!

The sheer sheets of rain as we got out of the truck will be comical I am sure...We were soaked as we walked into school, but no one cared.  J was a celebrity as the entire school watched as arrive from classroom windows and doors.  As J entered his classroom, his classmates, hid and yelled "HAPPY BIRTHDAY J" when they jumped out to surprise him!  Then the sweet hugs and wishes from every classmate! It was so sweet.  J is a popular boy today!

C and I came home, dried off, and then started on "project birthday room re-do" to surprise him when he gets home. My little boy wanted a big boy room with sports posters etc.  He picked out all of the posters and then gave me permission to "decorate it".  More photo's on that later.

Tonight, we, with my parents are off to dinner at J's favorite place, California Pizza Kitchen and will open more gifts......It has been an amazing day so far...I am sure as the day continues my 7 year old will think it will be better and better too....

Crafty Friday

This weekend I am making a craft for J's school.  I have had an overwhelming amount of teachers at J's school that want to participate in the Harlem Wizards event.  It is amazing! With that said we can only supply 5 teachers from his school for our team so I had to figure out how to get the kids involved and let them vote. 

After much thought I decided on a PENNIES FOR PLAYERS voting system.  I have been collecting milk jugs like a crazy woman (thanks neighbors!).  I have made up signs for each jug that will be glued onto one jug per staff member. The kids will get to bring money / change from home to vote for who they want to represent our school.  The teachers with the most amount of money will be on our team! 

Today I will be making the signs and laminating them.  I will *try* to remember to take photos' of the process. 

My idea could also work on kids!  J is saving his money right now for various "things" he wants before we leave on vacation!  He really wants a new DS game:

 

credit: Amazon.com

So with my left over milk jugs I will make him one too for his money.  Nightly we seem to count the money and he is up to $ 6.50.  Since we will go to Game Stop for this purchase, chances are he can get it used for less money.  M thinks we could help him, but I would like to see him earn as much as he can before stepping in to assist. I think this is a great learning experience for him!

My momentum of organizing has hit a stand still.  Sadly life is getting hectic before vacation time.  Since we are heading west to see my parents, we are trying to pack early and ship our clothes so we do not have to pay to check bags.  It is most difficult to pack for 3 weeks from now.  Even though I am not wearing shorts and t shirts these days, it seems to be a tough task.  It was easy to pack up the boys boxes, they have enough clothes for 10 children (opps!).  I on the other hand wear everything (ok, almost everything) in my closet.  To be without some tshirts and shirts for weeks at a time could make me feel like I really do have NOTHING TO WEAR!   

Oh I forgot!

Remember when I said I loved this.

Here is my beloved photo wall in the office....

 

And this is the mini version above M's computer in the office. 

I love these photo's above his computer.  The middle one is a family photo that we had taken at our summer house when C was just 9 months old (and had his curly locks and M said he looked like a girl!)  I love the mat too.  While at our summer house that summer we did a class on different ways of designing fabric with soap and paint (it was a kids class). I took the best 6 that J did and made it into the mat of the family photo from later that summer.  Granted the colors do not match the room, but they match the colors we are wearing in the photo, and they are made by J so it makes it more special! 

Holiday

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  It is a holiday and a time to reflect on the man.  We have done that, J has told us about him and why he was important to our society.  It is interesting to hear it from a 6 year old, but he gets it.  It is hard to imagine the world the way it was long ago.

We spent the weekend getting "stuff" done.  J needed new shoes.....After 3 stores and COUNTLESS PAIRS that were tried on, he finally found a pair.  See, he wanted shoes that did not tie.  That is fine, but I hate Velcro shoes.  They are not cute.  After searching the 3 stores we realized big kid shoes are TIE shoes. We found ONE pair and he was sold.  (It was way more dramatic than I am stating to all of you, but I do not have it in me to relive those 2 hours again!)

We came home to the BEARS game that we hunkered down to watch together.  Good thing, because they won and next week we have to wear the exact same clothes to beat the PACKERS.  J & C insist it was because we were donning our navy and orange.  Whatever, they were excited....We are excited and we are 1 step closer to the Superbowl!

Since J is recognizing that the next few days will be all about C, we gave him some extra TLC.  We re-arranged his room.  I have hated they way it was arranged for a year. The boys needs play space.  He often heads to his room to play, create or just get away from his annoying brother.  M was on board with his drill to remove headboards and help with the lifting.  J stated his ideas, but mommy pre-vailed! (See those interior design classes are helping even with a 6 year old!)  Now his room is functional for more playing, a better court for NERF basketball.  Plenty of space for LEGO creations and still cozy enough to read a book, play with his DS and get a way from annoying little brothers. I will post pictures later.  Why interrupt the playing going on up there.

I got the clear coat on the dresser and handles will happen today.  M organized the basement desk for me and I started getting it "prettied" up.  To keep with the colors in the basement, I have made everything navy and cream.  (Pics to come later too!).  I love it. My only little area for me to keep my glue gun, post my ideas and create.  I am inspired just having this little space.

So it is a snowy day, we are all still in our jammies and enjoying being home.  I am sure it will not last. I need to make a plan to entertain the boys. I am hoping that Tara's boys will come over to play and I can put them to work to color in large LEGO MEN cut outs for the party.  I am running out of time!

Pictures will come later of J's room, the basement and maybe the dresser.....