Paint and apples, but not painted apples

Ah, it's that time of year again. Fall. Love it, love it, love it. Soon we'll be going to get our pumpkins but for now we'll just get apples. I love how the orchard is right next to the pumpkin patch. Since there was no school on Monday it was a good time to take a break from painting the bathroom and head to the orchard for some apple picking. I haven't quite decided what to do with them all yet. All 25 lbs of them. With the yard sale this weekend the idea of canning is a bit daunting. Thankfully apples will keep for a while so I can decide later. Maybe we'll eat them all before I need to choose...

A sea of buckets ready to fill with delicious hand picked apples!

The apples were huge!

The weighing of the bounty...

I put the little ones back to work after lunch. Their job was to paint the bench while I painted the mirror frames. Of course, they quit before it was actually done but they got to help out which is what they wanted. And, yes, that is black paint! There's probably a bit of dirt in the paint since the wind was blowing but hey, that just gives it texture and character, right?


Here is a glimpse of the finished bathroom. At least you can see the colors (Mom).

Colors, they are a changin'

After living in our house for over 3 years we are finally painting our bathroom! I think we're on a one room a year plan. The bathroom was so awful! Peaches and green. Bleck! The shower and sinks are still going to be forest green but I think this will look 100% better. I'm going to add tile to the counter top too.

Seeing as I don't have anything better to do ( Like, finish the newsletter for the moms club, finish my paper due Monday, get my office ready for a friend to stay the week, or prepare for the yard sale next weekend!) we picked this weekend to paint.


Seth was a big helper. Hannah and Simon got in on the action too but I had paint all over my hands and I didn't want to get it on my camera. I'll get a shot of them tomorrow. See, I'm painting too. In ugly I-don't-care-what-happens-to-'em clothes.

Poetry?

Back-to-school-night is done! Both of them, I guess. It's so weird to be going into the same classroom that Hannah was in but it's for a different kid. If we're here forever, thank you economy, then in a few years we'll be in the same room, again, this time for Seth. I really love the teacher Simon has this year. She's just fabulous. You know she really cares. It should be a good year. Not that he's had any bad ones but I wasn't a fan of his Kindergarten teacher. She was really phoning it in.

Over the last week-ish I finished up the last border on my crazy quilt. I really don't know how to finish it. Traditional crazy quilting with different stitches on each seam and elaborate embroidery just don't sound fun to me. It sounds waaaay too time consuming. It'd be lovely when in was done but I'd like to deliver the quilt to the recipient before the next century begins! Ideas?

I had to kill the mosquito on my hand first. They're everywhere right now.

Simon couldn't hold the quilt up right. At least, that was his excuse. I think he just wanted to use my camera.

I also brought home a charity quilt from my last quilt guild meeting that needed to be finished off. The blocks were already pieced. I put it all together and sewed it up like a pillow case.


We'll have a meeting in November where we tie all the charity quilts that we donate. I think it's awesome that they do this and I love being part of it. I should do more... the motto of every guilty and over booked mommy!

I have a explication to write on a poem for my English class. God help me or I'm gonna fail this class! I really don't get it. What does midwifery have to do with understanding how to deconstruct a poem? Nothing! I'll do my best to learn enough about tone, meter, foot, couplets, enjambment, etc. Just enough to write the papers and then I can move on to the stuff I'll actually retain! Science! (My mom is probably shaking her head right now, "Yuck science, next she'll mention she likes math too!")

Well, I better get to work on my paper. It's due Tuesday. If anyone has a burning desire to write it for me... ? No? I have to do it myself. I know, I know.

I'll leave you with an amusing picture.


Yes, that's my adorable son in his sisters pink cowboy hat. If he turns out to be a gay rodeo clown... well, we won't be all that shocked.

Dancing and dinner

I took Hannah to the first Middle School Dance tonight. She was so cute about it. She changed out of her jeans because everyone else was going to dress up a bit too. When we went to leave I wanted to take her picture. She didn't want me to but I informed her that the car doors wouldn't open if mommy didn't get a picture. I got one.

For dinner the other night I tried making my own spaghetti sauce. I made Roasted Herb Tomato Sauce. I think it was rather yummy and easy.

Take all the veggies and roast them for 40 minutes.


Take the roasted veggies and puree them. Voila, spaghetti sauce.


Make it even yummier by serving it over spaghetti squash with artichoke hearts.

Where did my time go?

Boy, this school thing has really put a cramp in my style. All that free time I had in the evenings once the kids were in bed is gone! Now, I have to do my school work instead of quilting and watching movies/shows! Sniff. I haven't even finished the baby quilt for the baby shower tomorrow. It will get done but I didn't do two of them, that's for sure. It turns out I won't even be able to go to the shower because it's Back to School Night for Hannah. Next week we will be at Simon's school for his Back to School Night. I still don't get why they do the "back to school thing" after schools been going for a few weeks. Shouldn't it be before school starts? I've never understood that.

Since I haven't blogged in a week I'll recap. Highlight some of the fun stuff. Like splashing in the water with cool rain boots. After all, isn't that what rain boots are for? He managed to run in the water and completely soak all of his clothes. Underwear too.


We also took the monkey to the zoo with his friend Chloe.


What zoo trip wouldn't be complete without a train ride? Tiff and talked about how much cooler the train at the Denver Zoo is. At the Denver Zoo it's a small train, on a track not wheels, and it goes around a bigger area so you can see a lot more stuff. This one goes in a small circle 3 times. Seth loved it though. It is still a train to him! I see a trip to Allaire State Park in our future where he can ride a real train again.


Well, I'll show you the baby quilt almost done. Literally all it needs is one more side sewn down on the biding and a label.

Quilt measures 30.5 x 36.5

Close up of my lovely stipple... ok, it's not all that lovely but I am getting better at it.

I love the backing. The purple daisies are so cute!

I'll have to deliver the second baby quilt I wanted to make to the other mama at a later date. Oops. Haven't even started on it. My free time is all gone. I also get to throw in lots of other fun stuff too to keep me busy. My quilt guild meeting, two PTO meetings, and Back to School Night are all this week. I also can't neglect little Seth all day so he has activities too. Craft, story time, etc.

I might start to develop a slight twitch.

Normal?

It's back to just Seth and I all day long. It's much more quiet but I already miss being able to tell one of the big kids to go play with him. It's all on me now.

We had a laid back holiday weekend. Dan was off in Chicago with some of his guy friends so it was just me and the munchkins all weekend. We had a couple friends over on Sunday for a BBQ. That was very nice. Otherwise it was a mellow, no frills, weekend. We did have a "make your own pizza" night. My creative and adventurous children made peperoni and cheese...


My online classes started yesterday. It's official, I have started school! Woo hoo! Only 9675432 days to go! I really have to make sure I do my school work before I play with fabric. It'll be hard some days I'm sure.


I finished up the quilt top I was working on. I need to start naming the quilts. I'm always saying bland things like "the quilt top I'm working on." Lame. Anyway, I love the colors of this quilt. I recently found out that Dan's cousin is getting married so this might be their wedding quilt... if I can part with it. Getting a picture of this wasn't easy. One of these days one of the kids is going to get hurt helping me. It'll be all my fault but I'll still have to tell them to be more careful next time! The poor kids were standing on the patio table (it's sturdy, right?) and had to hold it way up high. There should be disclaimers on my quilt photos, no children were harmed, I swear. Cross my heart.

I also need to make two baby quilts. I was invited to a baby shower in 2 weeks. 2 weeks! I have to make something! The down side is one of the ladies who was invited is also pregnant and due around the same time. For fear they aren't throwing a shower for her I want to bring her a gift too. So, I dug through my stash, pulled out some brilliant batiks, and started working out what pattern to use. Something simple and quick. Can I do it? Two baby quilts in two weeks? I think I can, I think I can.


One baby girl, one baby boy.

Why do I do this to myself? I guess it wouldn't be normal if things weren't a little rushed and crazy!

Helping

"Hey, Seth, will you come help Mommy take a picture of this quilt block?"


"No, not on your head please."

"Don't drop it honey."


"That's right. Thank you. Can I take a picture of you with the block so I can see you?"


"That was a pretty silly face can we try again?"


"Thanks."

Off to school we go

Oh, my little Hannah. You aren't so little anymore. I can't get over it.


You waited patiently while I took your picture and then you walked off alone.


I didn't walk you to school today. You didn't need me too. You're in 6th grade now, you can walk with your friends. How did you get so big?

Simon, well, I can still walk him for a few more years though. I think I'll let Hannah walk him home though. With friends of course. Then little Seth will be ready for school and I can walk him too. See my walking to school days aren't over yet!

Simon posed for his first day of school picture too. Say, "Cheese!"


He has the same 3rd grade teacher that Hannah had. It won't take but 5 seconds for the teacher to realize that Simon is nothing like his big sister! I wonder if from here on out he'll hear, "Oh, you're Hannah's brother." Hopefully that won't be followed with, "Why can't you be more like your sister?"

Seth wanted nothing to do with the camera this morning. I did however get a picture of him this weekend showing off a new thing he can do. He can write his name! Who knew? I didn't.

Yeah, I know it says, "Happy Valentine's Day!" on the card. He was playing a Dora the Explorer game and he wanted to print out the card. Who cares if it is just now September...

So, now my days are back to quiet or quieter I should say. Seth is still here with me demanding my attention. "Mommy, play with me!" Which I'd better go do. Maybe we'll bake some muffins today while the big kids are away. Reading a recipe, measuring and counting scoops teaches something aside from Mommy likes to bake, right?