Week 36 in pictures (Jane)

I think I missed last week & I have no idea what week we're really on so I will just carry on....

so, Grace was in an old-fashioned spelling bee & tea at an old 1800's one room school house on the A line yesterday.  She looked a little like Anne of Green Gables.   The boy Aiden on the left won the whole thing but the process was a little suspect...  

Grace and Heidi at the tea house

they are a little crazy!

Isaac trying for a genuine smile.

I've been a little obsessed with apple pie this week.  Abbie and David made mini-ones too.

Jody was away this whole week so I tried single parenthood out for a while.  It's hard!  I was up at 6 am the past two mornings to pick up Emma from a trip to TO & to take David to hockey practice two mornings in a row.  I haven't been very snap happy this week, so my week in pictures is pretty short.  

I wish I had a picture of :  Abbie helping Isaac push the lawnmower at the Wills' house today.  And one of Isaac running and jumping to hug Jody when he came home today.

Also I'm getting a rotten cold and feel really worn out!  grrr.

Chalkboard Project #1

I'm calling it project #1 because I think this may be addictive.  This week I was determined to get a chalkboard for our house.  I looked them up online and discovered that buying a 3' x 4' chalkboard was about $200.00 and they weren't quite what I had invisioned (horizonal and very plain).  So I began looking up instructions for making one instead.  It is so easy!!!  So I went to Value Village and found this huge frame for $29.99:

  It is huge and so hideously ugly that I felt compelled to explain my plans to the checkout clerk and anyone else who looked at me with a sidelong glance.  When I got it out to the van I discovered that it is too big to fit in the back of the van!  It was a bit of an adventure getting it home - thankfully a friend and her husband managed to get it to the island for me...

 

Then I took it all apart and spray-painted the frame white.  It may have been wiser for me to use paint and a brush because I always over-do it with spray paint and had a few drippy spots which I frantically wiped and sanded and made a bit of a mess over.  I just don't have the patience to let it dry between coats!!  For the actual chalkboard I went to Kentvale and bought a piece of mahogany underlay for $6.00 and painted it with a few coats of chalkboard paint.  I had a little can of chalkboard paint that I bought at least 8 years ago and also bought some in a spray can in case it was too old.  I ended up using them both all up!   I didn't prime the wood first, but would really recommend primer for those who have the patience to let the paint dry before wanting to see immediate results.  The underlay has a bit of texture and I think the primer would make it smoother.  Next time....

Then I just tacked the mahogany board in the frame and put the original print and backing (without the glass of course) behind it to hold it snuggly in place!  I used some little finishing nails that I scrounged in dad's stash in the garage to tack it all to the frame. 

The kids love it!  They have been drawing pictures, creating messages and posting menus from the moment I hung it on the wall.  I feel so happy with it - creative expression made so easy! 

Week 35 in Pictures...

On my 40th birthday.

 

 

 



 

Abbie lost her first tooth.  She's rather excited!

 

That's all for this week - I have been busy canning apple sauce, salsa and grape juice/jelly the past few days.  I've gotten back into walking with Patti.  I had an MRI.  I turned 40.  Weird week. 



End of Summer (Week 34 in Pictures?)

 



Abbie had a big birthday this week - SIX years old!!  

 

 



 

A highland dancer's clothesline!

 

 

 

Emma & I went to a highland dance competition in Petosky this weekend.

 

 



 

 

We spend Labour Day weekend at the cottage/camp.  I wonder if that will be our last swim of the year???

That Blessed Arrangement

I married this crazy 10 years ago.

To celebrate, we were hoping for an exotic trip somewhere, but Annalise wouldn't go for it.... so we rented a couple kayaks and boated the Grand River. It was hours of awesome.

 * Alright, so not 10 years ago exactly.... August 30th in case you want to write it on your calendar and send us flowers and cards next year.