Adventures With the Boom Truck

As many of you know, we have been in the midst of a major painting project for over a year. When we signed off on repainting the exterior trim of our very old, two-story, 27-window house we did not realize what we were biting off. Now we do. I promise you...NEVER AGAIN will we repaint the trim on this house. We will find a way to hire a painter or we will simply move! This weekend my dad was a saint and loaned us the company boom truck. The poor man had to sit outside our house for 10 hours, operating the boom from the ground for us. He was very patient. The boom truck required extra patience as it continually overheated and stalled, leaving the painter (Grant or me) suspended high in the air in the basket for 20-30 minutes at a time. This happened several times. I had the camera in my pocket during one of the stalls...here is a lovely view from the top.

And another view from the top. I might mention that there were wasps nests and wasps on each side of the house. I was not pleased to be stalled up there with them, and we went through a considerable amount of wasp spray while perched along the roofline.

Here is Grant, scraping and painting the areas unreachable by long ladder. The boom truck was SO helpful! We are almost finished with this blasted project, and it is wonderful to drive past the house and no longer see half green/half white trim!

The Great Outdorks

Last night we went for a family bike ride. It was after dinner and there was a chill in the air, so Dad suggested fleece vests be worn. I was hesitant. All four family members wearing fleece vests while riding bikes at 71 degrees Fahrenheit? We put our vests on, and I looked around. I said to Dad, "Do we look really dorky?" His response was without hesitation..."Yes." Well, we went with the vests anyway, and I must say it was a wise choice. Once we began riding with the slight breeze, we all realized that we needed them for warmth. Comfort and practicality reigns over fashion in this family. Dad decided that when out in public looking like fools for the sake of what is best we shall be known as "The Great Outdorks." It's a title we'll wear with pride.

Morning Drive

This morning on our way to Bennett's school, I noticed some great things going on in the ditch. Cattails and milkweed! Sweet! Time for a little country road nature drive, girls! We found some cattails that were just about to fuzz out. Here is one of them, and for some reason Ainsley thought this thing was hilarious!

The girls also loved the milkweed pods full of soft, fluffy seed. They spend quite some time pulling it out, blowing it and throwing it around in the driveway. This was a great way to start our morning!

Raise Your Hand, Raise Your Hand....If You're Sure!!!

I am a very nostalgic person, especially when we're talking the 80's. I want my children to know the glory that was the 80's. Therefore, I periodically show them old toys I had via ebay and 80's websites, and I sometimes show them old video clips on YouTube. Most recently they watched some sweet commercials from my childhood. Both Dad and I remembered them well and enjoyed seeing them again. One commercial, however, seemed to leave a lasting impression on Bennett and Ainsley. Here is a link to that commercial.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdNf9pvPfjI


Bennett and Ainsley now sing the song from this commercial day and night. They love, love, love it. I am beginning to lose my love for it due to the overkill, but I am so glad to see them embracing a bit of the 80's for themselves. And let's sing it one more time everybody..."Raise your hand, raise your hand....if you're sure!"

'Tis the Season

It's October 1st, folks. Do you know what this means? This means that Bennett and Ainsley are ready for Christmas. So, when Ainsley handed me a Christmas CD this morning and asked that we listen to it, I was not surprised in the least. And we all know what goes well with Christmas music...the making of paper chains, of course! Now, while I love Christmas and I'm fine with Christmas music in October, I simply could not bring myself to let the girls make a red and green paper chain. That's a bit too Christmas-like for a fall day. We went with random scrapbook paper instead. Ainsley and Cousin M. are all chained up!

That's a LLOONNGG paper chain, kids! Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-laaah-la-la-la-lahhhh! Merry Christmas!

R.I.P. Cardboard Grant

To everything there is a season, and Cardboard Grant's season has come to an end. Now, don't panic! We are not talking about Cardboard Brian, Ainsley's "husband," but rather his kid brother. Cardboard Grant was Ainsley's original spouse, but he was shorter than her and she didn't like that. We then created Cardboard Brian, who is a couple inches taller than Ainsley, and Grant became her brother-in-law. Cardboard Grant was a busy guy. He was often roped into dancing, playing school, babysitting the nieces, doing back bends and I could go on. We made several attempts to reinforce his body after all the wear and tear. No amount of duct tape and back braces could help after yesterday's loss of a limb and 75% decapitation. It was time to say goodbye. Ainsley has taken the loss very well. Big brother Brian still doesn't know and we don't plan to tell him. It's just better this way. R.I.P. Cardboard Grant. You were a good man. You will be missed.

Octomom

Over the weekend, Dad came up with a new nickname for Ainsley....Octomom. The name, I fear, is quite fitting. Oh, and if you are wondering why these little girls are wearing swimsuits, the answer is why not?! Every day is a good day to wear a swimsuit when your a little kid!

Disaster Averted, Thank You Very Much!

We experienced our second fashion emergency in the span of one week this morning. It is Crazy Sock Day at school, and we simply do not own suitable crazy socks for this diva. Dang, that school and it's themed days! They don't realize the difficulty they are causing for young girls in this community! Anyway, Bennett and I put our heads together, grabbed some curling ribbon and safety pins and turned her blah, black knee socks into very fashionable crazy socks! She completed her look with a candy corn shirt from last Halloween. No entries into the "sad thoughts journal" today! The Candy Corn Queen was all smiles this morning! Praise the Lord for creating humans with brains that can create and improvise. A disaster averted is always a good thing!

Lenny, the Arch-Enemy

When I look at this photo I can barely contain myself, it's so funny to me! See that little, brown dachsund in the background? That would be Lenny. See the terror on Bennett's face? That would be real. Lenny is our neighbor's dog, and for whatever reason, Lenny does not like Bennett. Bennett has never hounded him or caused him any grief. Lenny never bothers Grant, Ainsley, me...any of the other neighbors. But when Lenny sees Bennett, he often comes tearing to the edge of our yard, yipping and yapping and growling fiercely. He looks pretty chill in this photo, but don't be mistaken. The poor girl wields a big stick for good reason. Arch-enemy Lenny. The horror!

Oh, the Drama!

It's Red, White and Blue Day at school today. This is a big problem because Bennett woke up feeling that her selection of clothing in these colors is subpar. Thus began some Friday morning drama. Those of you with school-age daughters know that it doesn't take much to set off the drama, but it can take a whole lot to bring it to a halt. The drama this morning was so severe, that it prompted the creation of the "My Sad Thoughts Journal" and it's first entry... "I don't feel proud to be an American, I feel sick to be alive." Really?!?!?!?

Yes, really. And here we have the face to prove it, as well as the outfit that brought it on. Fortunately we've been through enough of these spells to know that by the time I pick her up at 3:15 she'll be all smiles. The attitude will have changed even though the outfit hasn't. Oh, the drama!