Color!

I have NOT been having very good experiences trying to find someone to replace Sarah (who is AWESOME). I've been to several different places, received horrible haircuts and really really bad color from flourescent yellow to a brassy orange.


I finally found a stylist that understands my hair! She specializes in color, too!


I usually get blonde put it to give my hair that sun-bleached look. I decided to try something different and go darker, closer to my natural color. I got a few blonde chunks put in, and I think this fall I'll replace the blonde chunks with dark red. If they accidentally turn pink, well, I think that'd be pretty cool!


The color in the pictures actually looks a little lighter/redder than in real-life.

I didn't take pictures of my whole head because I just got back from the stylist and you know how it is, they never quite exactly style your hair the way YOU do.

It was fun to have some "mom time" and going darker will be a nice breath of fresh hair.

Cute Summer Pics

The boys and a couple of their friends were playing in the pool today, so I thought I'd take a few pictures. They're really too old for a little pool like this now, but it's been hard to get to the public pool with Emily. I have taken her a few times now, and she does love it. Next summer for sure we'll be at the pool every day. In the picture above, Owen has a grumpy face because he was irritated with the other kids running around in the grass and getting grass in the water. I can relate, I remember having the same issues as a kid. While the other boys would play and splash, he'd frantically try to scoop all the grass out. He even got Ethan's butterfly net out and scooped grass out that way.

I love having our patio doors in the living room. I have a great view of the kids while they're playing, and Emily can watch them too. She loves watching the kids play.

The other day the kids were whining that they were bored, so I thought I'd build them a fort. They were all excited. Ethan's reply to my little "fort" was, "Yeah, that's a pretty boring fort, Mom, but we'll make it cool."

After playing in the fort for about 13 minutes they were bored again, so I took the fort down and set up the sprinkler.

This is Emily napping with her "Lovey," a baby gift from Aunt Annette and Uncle Darin.

Chutes and Ladders

As I was reading blogs, I started thinking about Owen and Ethan, they were watching t.v. and were complaining about being bored. I had told them that as soon as their dad got home from work tonite, we'd all play dominoes or something. I just wanted to read blogs and have a little "break." Well, I was feeling a little guilty, and when Owen told me again that he just wanted to play a game with me, I was delighted and happily turned off the computer. Ethan joined in, and the boys chose Chutes and Ladders. Normally I would groan because this game, like Candy Land, can go on FOREVER.



We let Ethan go first because he is the youngest.

After Ethan, Owen. Then me, then Ethan. Poor Ethan landed on square number 16 which meant he had to slide down to square 6. He took it okay, no fit. Then it was Owen's turn, me, Ethan, Owen, me, Ethan. Ethan was catching up. Then wouldn't you know it, he hit square 16 again. He whined just a bit but moved to 6. I praised him for following the rules, what a good boy, I was so proud of him.

The game continued until we all got to squares up in the 60's and 70's. No one really hit any ladders so it was kind of boring. Soon we were in the 80's, and to my unbelieving eyes, Ethan hit square 87. This meant he had to slide clear down to square 24. He started to cry and said, "NO! I'm NOT moving. I'm going HERE!" and moved his marker all over the board to land on 96. He cried and knocked our markers off the game board, pretty typical for a 5 year old. I just kind of sat there, then gave him two options. He could keep playing with us by following the rules, or he could watch me and Owen play. He cried and asked why we couldn't just let him go where he wanted. I told him how we all have to follow the rules, and that you never know, he might land on a ladder that would help him catch up. Finally he slid down to 24.

Owen's turn, my turn, Ethan's turn. He spun a 4. HE SPUN A 4!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!! My boy was being rewarded for hanging in there and following the rules! Spinning a 4 landed him on 28, which was a LADDER that took him allllllllll the way up to 84!!! Believe me, this spin was real. Spins have to go all the way around at least once, and I make the boys keep the spinner flat on the floor so we all can see it and no one can cheat. YAY ETHAN!!!! We clapped and cheered, he was elated!!

Owen's turn, my turn, Ethan's turn. Ethan rolled a 3.

84 plus 3 equals 87. Remember what happens when you land on 87??? You slide. Down to 24. I couldn't do anything but laugh in disbelief.

Well, Ethan had had enough. He grabbed his marker and that spinner and bolted for the kitchen, screaming and crying. He was livid. He said he was NOT going to slide, and that was that. I finally got him to give the spinner back to me and Owen, and he honestly sulked the rest of the game while Owen and I finished it out.

I felt so bad for the little guy. I don't know if I handled it right, I couldn't believe it myself.

I'm not sure if Ethan learned anything from that...all I could think of is I want him to be a good sport at school whether he's winning or losing. He's 5, he's my baby boy, and I WANTED to just let him have it, but I wanted him to understand that he HAS to follow the rules. I don't know if he learned that or not. Anyway, I bet he and Owen don't pick Chutes and Ladders next time!

All Done

I was going to post on how my cleaning efforts ended up, when I realized that progress in housework isn't exactly really high on the list of things people want to read about.../snort. I think I'm just having a blogging dry-spell, can't really think of anything to blog about. I do like the rhythym...rythym...rhythm...rithem? of typing, though. Feels like playing the piano. I could go on all day. I remember loving dictation in high school word-processing class. Haha, that dates me a little bit...word-processing class? Anyway, I really love having a clean house. I will tell you that the pile of laundry I was talking about earlier...well....

I don't think any of our underwear is showing...

Heth, please send the laundry fairies my way!!!

Cleaning Update

Okay, that last post was at...1:05. It's now 7:11. I've been pretty much cleaning the whole time, made supper somewhere in there (hotdogs, took me all of 45 seconds to heat them up so I guess that isn't really "making supper") but Eric came home early and said he'd take Owen to football! YAY!!! That gave me two more hours to clean that I wouldn't have had. I'm having a good time. Got my tunes playing on the Zune and in case you're wondering, i've been listening to Deas Vail over and over again~love them. Got Emmy in her wrap

she LOVES it. I need to see if she's old enough to be on my back now. She grabs EVERYTHING, makes it kind of hard to wash dishes, etc. She chews on the little Moby tag in front there, kicks her little legs, happy little camper.

I've pretty much got the main level done, even wood floors, except for vacuuming, was thinking of asking Eric to do it when he gets home from football. Next I gotta tackle the boys' bedroom/bathroom. Yuck. I'm saving laundry for last, which is even yuckier. The clothes have really piled up~they're clean and all, but i just haven't had time to fold and put away. Someone once suggested doing a load a day. My problem is my sweet little bed-wetters. i'm just not doing the pull-up thing anymore. those saturated pull-ups were stinking up the boys' cabinet where the garbage can is. by the time i throw the pee sheets/comforters in the wash, that's a load. i get their beds made and throw some more clothes in the washer. i forget to empty those and have to re-wash them because they get stinky, and so it goes. Maybe Eric will help me with folding/putting away clothes too. /bat lashes

But it's going well, Emily's happy and I have my music! We'll see you in 14 1/2 hours, Patty!!!!

*I have a Canon PowerShot A85 digital camera...anyone have a camera like that or at least know how to set the timer on it so I don't have to take pictures of myself in the mirror?

Procrastination

Weeeeeee!~I've just spent the last two hours reading blogs, I honestly can't say it was a waste of time. But I have a lot of work to do today. A LOT of work. Biff and Patty and the kids are coming this weekend!! I want the place to be in tip-top shape for their first visit! When Jim and Vicki came, I started pretty much 5 days before they got here. That's how long it takes me. But this time...it's been such a busy week and those blogs are so darn entertaining...We love you just as much as Jim and Vicki, dear Biff and Patty, and to PROVE it, I'm going to stay up really really late tonite! (I know, I know, you wouldn't mind at all if our house was drowned in toys, dirty clothes, and poopy diapers, but it's the idea of it.) We can't wait for you to get here!

Football Season Has Begun

Our small-town lives have gotten pretty busy lately! The boys are in t-ball AND football now. Owen's football league meets every night for two hours for conditioning. It's pretty intense, and he's starting to say he doesn't like it. I don't blame him. Two hours of ANYTHING is a lot for any kid going into second grade.


Soon the conditioning will be over and they'll start practicing with pads and helmets. I think that will get him excited again. I'm still not sure I like my 7 year old son playing tackle football, but Owen really wanted to try it. I remember at the end of the first day of conditioning practice, the coach gathered all the parents and kids together and gave a little pep talk. He concluded it with, "Remember, football is a violent sport. Some kids are going to get hurt. I'll have some first-aid supplies with me, but it would be great if you could bring some too, just so we're covered." I didn't like the sound of that.


Ethan starts flag football next week. I don't know how he'll like it. He liked soccer a lot, so we'll see. As long as he gets a treat after each game he'll be happy!


I'm just thinking about how insane it's going to be with football once school starts. The kids won't have practice every night for two hours anymore, but they will still meet two or three times a week, not including games. And I just found out last night that they "travel." So their games won't all be here, we'll have to drive to other towns for the games. And homework. Yikes! I hope we can juggle all of it! We'll see...