First Day of School Photos...

School started...

I can tell because everything else is put on the side burner while we get back into rhythms. This year we have two kids in school. I am surprised by the deafening silence of our home when the two older ones are away and the baby is napping. 

Here are the photos of them before school with the exception of the last, that is after school. I did make S's first day of school dress. She chose the fabric and and did the sewing. T wore his crochet necklace with a little guy inside for "good luck". There is also a photos of S with her best bud B who stays with us during the middle part of the week while her mama is at school. Little BB badly wanted to go to school. Alas, all too soon, Dear One. 

S LOVES school. I cannot emphasize that enough. All reports I get are that she is simply perfect and a model example in class. I think she uses all her energy doing that because she gets home and the house is no longer quiet or still. T is starting to feel shy and is having a bit more difficulty adjusting to his new class and teacher. He loved first grade and his teacher so much I just think for this little guy it's going to take some time anytime there is a big change. S has the same teacher T had for kindergarten. We all adore her and every day of school is the "best day EVER!!!" 

I have started volunteering in S's class. I'm there once a week and will be tag-teaming art with another parent. I am also apprenticing to take over the art program for the entire school. That will begin next year. I was in first grade every week last year. I don't think I'll be able to be in second grade all that much. The need is so restricted that I don't think I can fit into those parameters. However, I think between art and kindergarten there is plenty to keep me going. Plus, we're back to having our morning breakfast crew two days a week and B three days a week.

B and S start dance this upcoming week. They will go in the morning before kindergarten. T is still doing taekwondo two night a week. S is also doing gymnastics 5 hours a week. She's quite talented and that's not just me being biased. We're busy but it's going smoothly. We are all quite happy and content.

Wood Floors...

So I got a bee in my bonnet a few months back that I was tired of the carpet in our living area and we should replace it. Then I decided I didn't want carpet but instead wanted it all to be wood. Little did I know what an under taking it would be.

However, a cabin trip, a hotel stay, lots of moving furniture, and lots of "just a few more days" later we had our floors. The flooring people told us a 4 day job. We left for four days. Three days into it my friend who is watching our house says, "your floors do not look like they will be ready for your return". She was right. The flooring people booked "a day job" in the middle of our job bumping us into the 5 day range. We return to town just to have to stay at a hotel. (Hubby and I both had to return to work hence we could not stay at the cabin another day.) Add another $150 to our growing expensive floors. I wasn't happy. S drew a photo of me when I got the news.

Then they failed to tell us that we could not put furniture on the newly completed floors for another 3 days AFTER we were able to occupy the house. So, we ate on a table cloth where our table would have been.

Then they refused to reconnect our refrigerator (which they disconnected) because a plumber needed to do it so they would not be held liable for any leaking and damage as a result. Again, they never mentioned this nor was it in the paper work.

They did tell us they would be pulling up our baseboards so those would need to be repainted. We finally had that done this past week. A month later and we are about ready to move the final pieces of furniture back into the house. It's beautiful but an undertaking I was not mentally prepared for.

The finished product...