First Day of School

It is that time of year again. My lack of posting lately should tell people I am up to my eyeballs in back to school preparations. Nothing says raising ones stress level like a teacher in the weeks before school starts. Today was the day and the girls headed off to their first days too.

Here they were before I left ready for fourth and first grades.

We thank Aunt Andrea for their pictures of the way to school.

As you can see they were really cooperating!

To the Farm We Go...

I am back at work next week for teacher inservice meetings. Alexa mentioned that we hadn't been out to the farm so far this year, and she would really like to go. I made sure to go into my classroom yesterday to get things set up and give myself today off.

There were tractor rides...

Sheep petting...

Cow milking (at least for Alexa)...

chicken holding...

and more chicken holding...

tractor driving...

lamb petting and brushing...

and bottle feeding baby goats.

Just a Quick Swim

It was such a lovely afternoon...

and we had made Aunt Andrea do all that painting...

so we went to the beach for a bit.

A Renovation

Chloe has been wanting to redo her room. Apparently the Winnie the Pooh wallpaper is getting old for someone entering fourth grade.

So while we were away on vacation I hired a friend to rip out the old wood paneling that was under the wallpaper and Sheetrock the walls. He did, and since we returned home, we have been primering and painting the walls.

I am pretty sure my sister is wondering how she ended up painting a room while on vacation.

I let Chloe choose her own color and curtain fabric. She is thrilled with the way it turned out even though the rest of it find it a bit much.

At this point the room is 95% done. We still need to rehang somethings on the walls.  There are moments that I stand in wonder that this is the color of a room in my house, but it makes her happy to have made the choice and gotten to create her own space. Plus I know it can be painted over with a can of paint. Well, maybe two cans that stuff is really dark.

Summer Travels

In an attempt to catch up with a blog gap, I will give you some pictures to sum up our most recent trip to Maine.

There was beach combing.

Green crab capturing... always catch, observe, and release!

A new addition of riding the wagon down the hill. The first time I saw them attempt this I held my breath and had to fight the urge to look away, but Chloe actually steers it quite well.

Ocean swimming.

They captured a snake... again catch, observe, and release.

Ah the fair...

More ocean swimming, with Aunt Andrea this time.