Cousin Water Play

What do you do with an empty wadding pool on a warm evening? Fill it up and call the cousins! Mabel and Stephen came over for some splashing & sunshine! Love those guys.

Less Tree = More Sun

Remember a few short monthes ago when I posted this? Well my garden is even happier today. My dad came over again armed with a 50 foot lift and a chainsaw on a pole.

Hello sun.

Thank you Dad.

Anyone need free firewood?

Leaving the Livingroom; Bye Bye Carpet :: Part 4

Well, our scheduled day to remove the remaining carpet in our living room was quickly shoved forward a few days due to an unforeseen...shall we say ingestive/digestive problem with Molly and my son's diaper?

Yup.

The kids hiding under the displaced coffee table

If I never see another strip of carpet tack...

Anyhow, the offensive bits had to be removed as soon a possible so armed with my trusty pry bar off to work I set at 1pm, a quick break at 3 to pick E up from Summer Camp, then back at it until supper. After D arrived home from work we successfully removed everything (living room and kid's room) by midnight. The bare floors look and feel great. We are tired, but happy.

inch by inch

Due to the terribly disgusting nature of what I witnessed you, dear reader will not be subject to any beforehand photo's, you just get to see the shiny after shots!

only hardwoods

Girl Scout's Camp 2011

Camp Sign

In between 2 very long drives to and from Longview, WA we had 'Just the 2 of Us' Mother & Daughter Girl Scout's Camp this weekend. E and I slept 2 nights on bunk beds in a rustic A-frame cabin, we did art's and crafts like crazy, our chores, we made new friends, participated in games and skits, sang around the campfire, painted our faces and just plain had so much fun 'Just the 2 of Us.'

The Cool 3-Way-Bridge Over the Creek

Flashlight

Hand Painted Mural in Lodge

We Made Ice Cream

Our Hands

Scavenger Hunt Climb

Outdoor Bathhouse

Costuming For Our Skit (look at those knees!)

E's Duck for the River Race

Hollow Tree

Face Painting

Bridge

Closing Ceremonies

A Cleaner Kitchen; Bye-Bye Carpet :: Part 3

Next was our dinning room which adjoins our tiny kitchen and, as of late it has also doubled as a preschool style play room. We really cannot believe that we waited as long as we did for this part. The stains were so numerous from 6 years of daily spills that in the end I just threw up my hands and stopped my monthly steam cleanings.  Yes, the linoleum waiting for us underneath was way dated, but in fair shape. From beginning (pulling up the carpet) to end (prying up the ominous carpet tack) it took just 2 hours.

See previous editions:
Part 1
Part 2

My Bright Shining Star

It's just a sticker, Mom

There's no doubt that this girl is special. She's got something that is magnetic and smart and creative and happy. She's that way even when she's not covered from head to toe in stickers. Love you, my bright and shining star.

Ready, Set, Raspberry!

You would be hard pressed to find a fruit that I love more than a fresh raspberry.  And now I'm growing my own!

Starting in on the Main Floor; Bye-Bye Carpet :: Part 2

I get the 'pull-the-carpet-up' bug just about every Tuesday evening after supper. The trash is collected on Wednesday morning, and I just cannot stand to see a half empty trash barrel (like my Massachusetts lingo Tan?) go to the curb. So on go my work gloves (that also double as my garden gloves) and out come the pry bars and pliers.  Last week it was the majority of our second staircase, and we started on the main floor this week.  I have to be strategic tho because I don't want to pull up more than will reasonably fit in the container at the street, and I don't want our house to look any more crazy than it already does.

Last night I yanked the 4.5 x 7 foot section at the top of the stairs. I carefully cut along the areas that butt up to the hall, the entrance to the family room, and also kitchen.  Then I pulled the padding, and then the painstaking job of getting each staple and nail.  As you will see, my assistant was not so thorough...see that bit of tacking with the 2 nails sticking out...D knelt on it and they completely sunk into his left knee...and then he was sent for a Tetanus shot today.

Tho she still prefers to lay down on the quickly disappearing carpet, Molly hasn't seemed too phased by this new slick surface and I just love hearing her clickity-clicking on the wood as she follows me around.

The wood underneath is not perfect, there are a few dents and scars that I will worry about when we refinish, but I say; "Imperfect wood looks better than dirty carpet, any day."