Equipped

A few years ago we made the decision to keep Bree home from the lake to help work our booth at the county fair.  Yes, she has her whole life ahead of her to work and be responsible and maybe she should be allowed to be a carefree kid while she can.  Maybe.  On the other hand, we feel that these few days of working long hours at the fair are laying the foundation for a greater work ethic that will come into play in just a few short years.  Instead of being thrown into and blindsided by the demands of a real job, Bree, and eventually the other two, will more easily be able to make the transition into paying jobs with success because they will be equipped to handle it.  And they will get there one Fair at a time.

Point of View

The grand Fulton County Fair is here and this is my view for the weekend:

While my view is quite yummy, the smells surrounding me are equally as exquisite.  Auntie Anne's pretzels blowing in from the South.  Steak tip dinners with onions and mushrooms blowing in from the North.  Ma & Pa's Kettle Corn swirling in from all directions.  People walking by with deep fried goodness that I can't identify....

I am in sensory overload and I love it!   

Benefits

The benefit of having an older sibling is getting to play 'Lemonade Stand' on their Chromebook.  

I have never played nor watched someone play 'Lemonade Stand' but judging by the smiles and laughter happening here, it must be one fun game.

Meal Planning

Soccer practice.  Soccer games.  Band concerts.  Volleyball.  Wrestling.  Math - Reading - Family fun nights.  Homework.  Holidays.  

Meal planning season is upon us.   One easy meal a week that started out of poor timing/planning is Wednesday Night Breakfast for Dinner.  Any combination of eggs, sausage, potatoes, and cinnamon rolls is a win for a quick meal and satisfied bellies.

Back to Work

Back to school mean back to work for me.  But I'm not complaining!  I was given $1,000 to spend on new books for the school library and I spent every last cent.  Now the fun of processing begins!

Practicing

After a grueling and devastatingly brutal soccer tournament, some of our weaknesses have been brought to light.  

Time to start practicing.  

And practicing.

And practicing. 

And practicing.

Tournament 2

Soccer tournament Day 2.

To say we were under-prepared yesterday is an understatement.  We needed a cooler on wheels, more comfortable chairs, definitely more sunscreen, and a wagon to haul it all.  Thank goodness for all those items still being in stores and clearanced out at that!

   And now we are headed back out, barely before the sun rise, to sit through another day of games.  Yesterday was a real eye-opener for our team.  Bigger boys, teams that have played together longer, and a lot of crazy talent.  This is the beginning of an intense soccer season.

Tournament

We are packed, but not so ready, for our first all day - all weekend soccer tournament.  

 

Simpleton

Ahh Kindergarten.  The simple days of coloring, matching, and being rewarded with scratch and sniff stickers!

Big Day, Big Girl

 Today was a big day!  And I'm not referring to how big this earthworm Holly found either.

This big girl rode the zip line all by herself for the first time!

Smiling

This summer was rainy.  

Then it was hot.  Really hot.  

Seeing these few leaves on the ground brings a smile to my face and an extra skip in my step.

All-in-All

To recap our summer in a nutshell:

Homestead Ice Cream, Lake Erie visit, 4-H camp, bedroom makeovers, Xbox, rip stick mastering, rained out baseball games, Drive-In, camping in our new camper, Robotics club visit,  3rd Annual Block Party,  neighborhood friends all day, Eric's Ice Cream, 4-H Judging, Ohio State Fair, Mohican Adventures Family Vacation - observatory, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, Family Feud, birthday kayaking. 

As they say, all good things must come to an end.  And an ending also means a new beginning.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

6th Grade - 

Officially Middle School/ Junior High

3rd Grade

Kindergarten - at last!!

Big boy walking in alone.

Holding Holly back an extra year was the right move.  She was beyond ready and had no hesitations about school, what to do, or me leaving her.  It made the morning go smoothly and this mama's heart was at peace.

 

Happy School Year!

Bday Celebration

Its a good thing I'm flexible.  Today the plan was to spend the day on the river celebrating my birthday.  Mother Nature had a different plan.

The sky looks beautifully blue, doesn't it?

But if we turn around, you'll see the dark clouds a comin'.

The kayaking place had a two hour rain delay due to coming storms.  So instead of spending the day outside taking in some fresh air, we spent it inside a casino.  As much free coffee and pop as I want?  Definitely not a bad way to spend the day.

However, to our great surprise, when we went back outside, the clouds had cleared up and river runs were a go!  For almost three glorious hours we coasted down the river, bottoming out a few times, went through mini (but still terrifying) rapids, munched along the way, and enjoyed each other's company and conversation.   After a great but busy summer, a slow day was just what I needed to ring in year 38.

Rolling Stones

 We were fortunate to be offered a ton (or 2 or 3) of landscaping stone that matched ours for a deeply discounted price.  And it was delivered right to our driveway!!  It was a deal we couldn't pass up as our tree has grown considerably in the 14 years since we did our landscaping and the circle around it needed widening.  Desperately.

Plus we made the executive decision that this year we are going to finally replace the tree that died in our front yard.  

We are ready to rock and roll!

Surprise and Shopping

Bree has always wanted to take horse back riding lessons.  So when I found a local horse farm that was offering a day camp to learn about horses, I didn't hesitate in signing Bree up.  It wasn't exactly what we were expecting, but the cost was a donation to a charity and she got to ride a horse so it was all good.

After the program was done we did a little mall shopping and scored some awesome deals and smells!

Bday

Yes, today is my birthday.

I might be older than '2' though.

The number of candles doesn't matter.  I think I'm just supposed to blow them out so we can dive into these yummy warm cinnamon rolls ASAP!

I don't have much luck with indoor plants, but I'm always willing to give it a try.  This one seems easy enough.  Three ice cubes one time a week, no direct sunlight, and done!  Let's see how long I can keep this beautiful plant thriving.

Resourceful

The first day of the fair season is upon us.  

The sights.  The sounds.  The food!

Its all so wonderful, but can get a little costly when you have to spend the day there from sunup to well past sundown.  

Good thing my kids don't mind a little homecooking picnic while working.

So It Begins

Vacation is over.  Back to real life.  

And now its time for soccer to begin.