Summer Vacation is Over!

WAAAA!  Keep up with me in class!  Check out my classroom website to find out all the fun things my class is doing!  http://petuniapolkadotspot.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html

Back breaking work

I think the Shakers had something when they insisted on Sunday as being a day of rest.  I wish I had opted for that instead of the work I did today.  LOL!
Yesterday I decided to make my perennial garden bigger.  I didn't have anything blooming so I decided I needed more plants.  And when I bought more plants, I needed more room in the garden....you know the story, except there's no mouse involved.
First, I pulled out all of the day lilies. I dug a new garden bed and planted them.  Then I (well actually Jamie did) hauled out purple irises. They are still on the front lawn.  I'm not sure where I am going to tuck them.  I've moved various little plants around, etc.  Aunt Bonnie gave me pink Astilbe and coral bells and I'll plant those tomorrow.  The digging and yanking having me aching all over.
When I haven't been gardening I have been applying coats of paint to the bathroom walls.  Today we installed the toilet, painted the window trim, caulked the shower and cleaned up.
I am also working on another project.  When I was a kid, my dad made me a small, wooden toy box.  Today I trucked it home from Mom and Dad's and I am in the process of re-painting it to use for towels in the upstairs bathroom (at least while we figure out the linen closet).  I might even have to venture into making a cushion...
Yesterday we also went to the Producer's Fair.  What a great time we had!  Yummy food and a few visits with knitting friends.  I love my knitting friends!  Donna, if you are reading this, call me!  I'll help you with your quilting question! My favorites at the fair: VegetaBalls pesto, Walpole Creamery mocha chip ice cream , and the iced coffee (with maple syrup) (I can't remember the vendor)!
That's enough for tonight.  I'm tired.  It's time to rest.

Petunia puts her feet up!

Yeah right!  For those of you who know me all to well, you know I don't sit very easily.  Unless....I have tuckered myself out.  That happened today.  I took a run at mid-day (thanks to two wonderful babysitters) in the heat for 45 minutes.  When I got back I didn't even want to eat lunch!  I was so tired. The sitters took the kids for a walk and I grabbed a glass of iced tea, a magazine and SAT for 10 solid minutes.  I even said, "Ahhhh" aloud.  Then, I realized I was wasting time and scooted upstairs to practice piano and sew!
The bathroom is coming along.  Jamie is working on drywall.  The word on the street is that the vanity will be in at the hardware store on Monday.  YAY!  We're still trying to figure out our countertop and have held off in ordering something until we have the cabinet in place.
School is around the corner.  Hopefully I'll be able to go in to school to set up soon.  I've been scouting out sales and purchasing art supplies.  Staples is doing a funky little thing this year.  You can buy up to 25 things, but you pay full price after the limited quantity and you get that money back in rewards.  Well, let me tell you, that does not FLY with me! I'll be hiring shoppers this year!  LOL!  What is this world coming to?
I got news today that a carving we ordered in PEI is done! Exciting news!  It will be a nice reminder of the island until we get back there.
I'll be posting photos soon. If you are a FB friend, you can see some of the shots that I have uploaded.
Tomorrow we see Joel and Alli!  Super excited to take photographs for their new Dobra Tea business!  Cheers!

It's August!

I can't believe it's August already!  Unreal!  Where did the time go?  School starts on the 26th.  Back to school sales have started and the cooler weather seems to have come.  We even have a tree that has completely changed color.  What is up with that?
Sitting in front of the computer hasn't really been fun for me lately.  Well, I guess sitting and typing hasn't.  I certainly have been logging hours online.  I've been looking up various directions on how to make things.  This morning, for instance, I was checking out how to make a canvas floor mat.  Tomorrow, my sister Chelsi and I are supposed to get started on floor mats (with three kids in tow).  I'll be making something to go on the NEW bathroom floor.
The last time I wrote, I mentioned the bathroom overhaul.  It's going well,  but taking WAYYYYY longer than expected.  In fact, while I write this, Jamie is slaving away installing a piece of new drywall.  We have most of the room painted (we'll continue this work again tomorrow) and the floor is in.  We're still waiting for the vanity.  Once that arrives, I'll arrange for a countertop, sink, and faucet.  We ordered a non-standard vanity. It's 46" long and it will be up against a wall.  I'm hesitant to order a new top until we have the base installed.  If anyone has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it.  Feel free to email me about it!
I got the nicest text from a student I had last year.  He went to PEI and visited Hope River Studio.  He even got to see the angora bunnies that I loved so much!  I love when my students keep in touch (even all the way in PEI).
Yesterday, we went to the Lake Sunapee Crafts Fair.  We joined Jamie's Aunt and Uncle there to take a peek at local art.  SOOOO inspiring!  Speaking of crafts...I've been working on a felted puffer fish.  It might be a pin cushion, it might not.  Either way, I'm having fun with it.  
Larkin and Silas went with me today to see my friend Wendy (Mrs. Johnson to the students reading).  We had a yummy lunch and DELICIOUS  blueberry cake!  She even took us to Dr. Shell's house to see the animals and made Larkin a stained glass dragon fly.  I think she should go into business!
Wouldn't it be fun to have a business?  What kind of business would you have if you could have a business (I'm feeling a little like Dr. Seuss)....

You know you're busy when...

You know you're busy when you can't write on your blog.  Even now, I have a million things to do, but I made it a goal to write every day and I haven't fulfilled my goal.
We've been working on the bathroom.  The UPSTAIRS bathroom. Yes, the one that is the MAIN bathroom.  The one with the SHOWER AND TUB and all the OTHER stuff you need to bathe and freshen up with every day.  That's the one!  It was my crazy idea and it's gone a little haywire.  Mr. Fix It has been working so hard his body is aching and he woke up moaning and groaning from muscle pain.  Nothing a little ibuprofen can't help with!  When it's all said and done, it will be nice, though.
Lark's on her last week of camp.  Then, it will be August and then.  NO, I'm not allowed to say it.  So, I won't...but it's that other S word that no one likes to hear when it means the end of summer is near.
Jamie's aunt and uncle are here from Pennsylvania.  It's been nice visiting with them and discussing the Amish. I find the Amish ways intriguing and can't wait to make a visit.
My niece Addi and future brother-in-law came for a visit tonight.  That was fun, but not without drama!  Lark, while attempting to play outside with the kids, got stung twice.  Again, Mr. Fix It went to the rescue!  This time wielding a spray can of wasp killer instead of a crow bar and sledge hammer.
Ahh.  The dog days of summer!
I'll write more (not necessarily tomorrow) when i get a chance.  Fair warning, though.  It may be days.

Sit and Spin

It's been a while since I last wrote.  This is for several reasons as I have been just too busy.  Silas started swim lessons this week and with being at PEI last week, we had several appointments and catching up to do.
While we were away, the weeds in the garden completely took over.  It's taken me several hours to try to reclaim the turf! Thank goodness for audiobooks. I have been listening to Mennonite in a Little Black Dress while I rip the weeds, dump the weeds, and ditch the edges of beds.
The visit to PEI has influenced me to do more art.  I created a needle felted snail pincushion.  It came out really cute. Larkin, Silas, and Addi (my niece) also got into needle felting.  They all made needle felted doll heads.  Each one of them pricked their fingers, but kept going.  Addi was more upset that she wouldn't be allowed to continue because she pricked herself and less upset about the prick itself.
I've also taken out the spinning wheel that I bought two years ago.  I put a new drive band on the wheel and got going.  What a difference!  I'm spinning something that ACTUALLY looks like YARN!  This is very exciting!
Off to breakfast!

Mud Spuds

Today was a fun day! I had an opportunity to visit some great artists! My favorite stop was  Hope River Studio The shop owners specialize in pottery, weaving, and painting.  I purchased a container I will use for pens in my attic sewing room ( my studio) and a skein of hand-spun yarn that is absolutely gorgeous! I even got to meet the producers (two angora bunnies). I might even get myself  an angora bunny of my own so someday.
Life on the island is wonderful.  The views are so beautiful it almost feels like you have eaten the most delectable dessert ever.  We head home tomorrow.  I cannot say that I am happy about this. I have really loved being on the island and seeing the beautiful sites, eating food that was grown here, but my most favorite experience was meeting the kind and generous people of the island.  I will be back and I won't wait 11 years to visit again.
A few thing to note about PEI:
1. Homemade bread is cheap! At Mary's Bake Shop in Kensington, you can get a loaf of bread for $1.80!
2. Mud Spuds on Graham's Road are divine! $4.50 for a large carton.
G'Night!

Foxy Loxy

Today we went to the town of Victoria.  We got to see glass bead making.  Lark and Si were both given a bead. Larking got a fish bead and Silas got a tractor bead.  We ordered drawer pulls for our bathroom too! We are excited to have a little piece of PEI to use every day! 

Silas, Jamie, and I went to Brackley Beach with Nonna and Bwa Bwa for a bike ride. Fun! 

Our day finished with seeing a resident fox!  One of the neighbors up here called us down to check out Buddy. The kids even got to feed him! Well, I am a tired " Mombie." I'll be seein' yous!

Threes Company

The day started off great! Jamie and I went out for an early bike while Lark, Si, and Grannykins slept in.  We went to New Glasgow and picked up a couple of pottery mugs for Lark and Si.  We walked on the boardwalk and bought fudge too.  Yum!
The day went a little downhill by the afternoon, however, when I got stung by a jelly fish! youch!  Jamie helped me clean it out with vinegar and I spent the time making dinner with ice stuffed down my pants.  My mother has always said, " Things happen in threes..." Well, thing number two was hitting my ankle on the rocker when I was trying to get to the phone.  Thing three? Slicing my thumb on the rotary cutter.  Now, maybe things really happen in threes or maybe we just forget to count after three. Whichever it is these three things hurt and I don't care to have a fourth nor do I care to count a fourth.  Before I experience any other calamities, I am going to bed!

Sheep to Shore

We delivered the wool to Macauslands today.  Hard to think about wool on a day like today...it was about 95 degrees and the mill was like a sauna.  One of the workers said, "It's hard to believe people PAY to use saunas!" We ended up having 42 pounds of wool. We'll get blankets back in about 3 months.
On our way to the mill we checked out a quilt shop.  The workers were very friendly and helpful!
We had a picnic at a soccer field looking at a beautiful blue and white house.  A few minutes into eating a guy came along on his lawnmower.  His name is Cletis.  Turns out the ball field is really his.   He didn't mind us having lunch there in fact,  he invited us in to see his house and his wife gave us a tour.  The house is known as a fox house.  The home will be 100 years old in 2016 and was built from the riches made by selling fox furs.  You can check out the house here. The people of PEI are so friendly!
We also visited the wind farm and light house at the North Point shore.  If we had water shoes, we would have stayed all day to play on the reef.  On our way, we checked out the Co-op at Tignish. Pretty neat...kind of like a Co-op at home with Dan and Whits!
Tomorrow we'll head to Pottery by the Sea, Mary's Bake Shop, and The PEI Preserve Company.  Nonna and Bwa Bwa are joining us tomorrow! YIPEE!

Where in the world is Petunia?

Prince Edward Island!  Remember Sherrie Sheerer? That was me with wool on my head!  Well, we're up on PEI  to bring that very wool to the mill.
We're staying in beautiful French River at a friend's house.  The rolling hills and ocean breezes are relaxing.  Just what Petunia needed!
The PEI bike trail is amazing.  It stretches from one side of the island to the other.  We biked part of it today for about an hour.  The kids really enjoyed the ride - Silas fell asleep in the trailer!
We went to the beach today too...the tide was out and swimming was shallow.  A fun time for the kids (and me).  We also collected driftwood and rocks to bring home.  Grampy will be carving something to adorn the driftwood...probably a sea bird...
Tomorrow we'll head for MacAusland's to drop off wool and maybe check out the potato museum.
I'll post pictures soon!

Sherrie Sheerer ...

It's 10:30 and I am not in bed.  That's unusual for me.  Jamie and I were picking the last two fleeces to be sent to MacAusland's mill.  We'll be having approximately forty pounds of grease wool processed into blankets.
No, I don't have my OWN sheep.  I SHARE sheep with my brother Aaron.  He deals with the animal (unless they are up here on Graham Hill or if he's away) and I deal with the wool.  A joint venture; so to speak.
You need 12 pounds of grease wool to make one queen-sized blanket.  Therefore, we can make 3 queen-sized blankets and a lap blanket.
Thanks to our good friends Tom and Heidi for showing me the ropes on wool packing.
Off to count sheep!  ZZzzzzzz!

Get 'Er Done

Today was a get 'er done kind of day.  We started out the day with a dentist appointment for Silas.  It was totally cute!  He wanted to know what each tool was for and how it worked.  In the end, we left with all of the throwaway pieces of the tools and cavity.

We're going to finally finish the upstairs bathroom.  It's summer, why not!?  Silas and I went over to Barre tile to take a look at some of the options for tile.  Did you know if you have a small room you should use large tile to make the room feel larger?  I didn't know that.  We'll also be removing the existing cabinet and replacing it with a new one.

Our day ended with some clean-up chores. I folded THREE loads of laundry, cleaned out a bookshelf and brought two bags of books to the library.

I'm signed up for the beach read bingo at the Canaan Town Library.  I think I might actually have a shot at getting a BINGO.  How can I do that with all the cleaning I'm doing?  Well, my friends, it's called AUDIO BOOKS.  I am reading a fun book called the Gatecrasher. A light read, but super fun!

In other news, I am working on a quilt for our bed.  It's going to be beautiful!  I figured out how to size it up for a queen-sized bed.  When I've got more done than just cut fabric, I'll post some pictures.

'Night!

Cool Wool

We've been picking wool!  Take a peek at our pictures!  We're getting ready to have the wool processed into blankets.

 This fleece is particularly nice.  It came off one of the lambs...

Good times...

Today, Jamie and I woke up early and attempted to reclaim our vegetable garden.  With all the rain and thunderstorms we had in the last two weeks, the weeds grew and grew! Things are looking pretty good out there though.  Regardless of the weeds, the basil, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini are doing great!  The tomatoes on the other hand could use some help.  And then, there's the mystery tomatoes.  Jamie and I were weeding the peas and kept coming across tomato plants.  Hmmmm.  It's not like you can confuse tomato seeds with pea seeds.  I could see it if it was zucchini seeds versus pumpkin seeds.  At any rate, we ripped some up and left a few just to see what they'd do.

Yesterday, we celebrated my Mom's 53rd birthday.  She got lots of nice new kitchen things from everyone.

We spent the earlier part of yesterday shopping.  We had a giant list of things to do and even with two kids in tow, we got it all done.

Have you eaten at the 4 Aces Diner lately?  If not, you should!  It's delicious fare.  Lark and Silas had pancakes - with REAL maple syrup and REAL butter!  The butter was super yummy.  It was flavored with vanilla and whipped up with heavy cream. I'm going to try that for one of our fancier breakfasts here at home.  If you're in West Lebanon anytime soon and need a good place for lunch (or breakfast (all day, by the way)), go to 4 Aces!

We burned off some of our calories by taking a family run with Chelsi, Addi, and Leon.  A good time!

Fourth of July

I missed out on last night's posting.  We had a wonderful day of fun-filled events that took us right up until 10:30 pm!
Canaan's Masons held a benefit four mile road race and kids' fun run.  It was at the back of my mind all week last week and then yesterday I decided we'd go and that I'd run the 4 miler.  Let me just say this - WOAH! It was super hot and super sunny.  I did it, but had to stop to walk a bit to catch my breath.  At water station 2, I missed my turn and added on another 4/10's of a mile before someone came to get me.  At that point all I wanted was a ride on the bumper of his car.  Even though I added a bit to my run, I still wasn't last - although I had prepared myself for it!
Lark and Si participated in the fun run around the elementary school.  Lark almost gave out right at the start line, but Jamie pulled her along and she made it through.  Silas did well too.  He runs around at home a lot, but hasn't done anything organized.  You should have seen the smile on his face when he crossed the finish line.  Priceless!
I finished the quilt for the Canaan Historical Museum raffle and delivered it to Donna Dunkerton.  By the time she left yesterday, she had sold 20 tickets...$100.00 toward building improvements!  The raffle date has yet to be set as the historical society needs to decide on a date.  When I get more information on that, I'll let y'all know.  Thanks to those of you who bought tickets - even if you don't really need a quilt.
Cardigan Mountain School put on a BBQ for the town at the Meeting house.  It was WONDERFUL!  Larkin and Silas enjoyed seeing all the dogs that came for the dog show.  There were dogs of all shapes, sizes, and fluffs!  Lark especially enjoyed the chocolate colored miniature poodle puppy - I think the pup liked her too!
We finished up our day with a cookout at the beach with friends and family.  The water was refreshing!    
Canaan's fireworks were held at the Speedway again this year as Cardigan Mountain School has some construction going on.  We got a little (ok,VERY) bug-bitten and damp, but all in all the fireworks were nice!
It was a great day of freedom! I appreciate all the efforts that have been made to establish and keep our freedom as it is today.

Canaan Historical Museum Quilt Raffle

Today I worked on getting a quilt finished.  This quilt, I have decided, will be used to raise money for the Canaan History Museum.  The quilt will be raffled.  Ticket sales start tomorrow at the museum. Take a look at the poster below:

Tea Dying!

While Larkin was at camp today Silas and I tea-dyed his bed skirt.  Silas opened the tea packets and removed the tags as I put them into the stock pot.  I've always wanted to try to tea-dye something before and this was the perfect item!  It will match Silas's primitive quilt much better!
While we were waiting for the bed skirt to soak, Silas and i went down to Canaan Street so he could ride his bike.  What a fun time!  It was perhaps the only part of the day that it DIDN'T rain.
Roads are washing out all over the place around here.  Parts of Lebanon have been hit hard from the rain.  Hopefully the precipitation will stop soon!
Aside from other boring chores, Silas and I just hung out.  Miss Larkin had camp and then piano so we didn't see her much.  :(

Another rainy day....

Lark started camp today!  She came home very excited about making friendship bracelets and even took orders to make each of us a bracelet!
Silas and I played and visited with Addi and Aunt Chelsi and then Leon and Grannykins.

Swinging Silas - WEEEEEE HAWWWWWW!

Hi Everyone!  We had a wonderful day today!  We re-set Silas's new swing from Nonna and Bwa Bwa and away he went.  What a great swing they got us!
The kids rode their bikes on Canaan Street, we had lunch at the beach, and went swimming.
Taking a nap always makes me happy!  Guess what I got to do today?  SNOOZE!  So did Silas.  Which is why I am writing this at 9:18 and Silas is sitting next to me...he's not tired because he slept for two hours!  He says, "Mama, don't type that in!"  I said, "Why?" He said, "Because it's weird, creepy."
G'night!

A Splash!

Silas's birthday was a splash!  He had a big pool with big bouncy balls, squirters, and a slip 'n slide.  We also did tie-dye.  What fun we had!  The weather was good too!  It started storming around 2:00 which gave us plenty of time to play and plenty of time to clean up.  We only had a few things left behind: a dress, a pair of Crocs, and a swimsuit.  Silas has been enjoying his gifts from his friends and says, "Thank you!"

Party Prep!

We've been preparing for Silas's party for tomorrow.   Will write more tomorrow after the big day!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Today was not one of my most productive days, nor was it one of the kids' most fun days.  I went for a walk at 5:30 am with my good friend Kathleen.  Took a shower and then started to not feel so swell.  By 10:00, I had drool coming from my mouth and was about to tip over with exhaustion.  Instead of finishing up the attaching of the binding of the quilt I was working on, I stopped mid-way.  I interested the kids in watching a Netflix show while I took a nap.  I woke two hours (holy smokes, the kids have been watching the tube for 2 hrs!) later realizing I had slept through the alarm I had set.  I still didn't feel any better.  Lark ended up making lunch for both she and Silas while I rested on the couch.  After their lunch, I started to come around.  So, in my pajamas, (I seem to do all sorts of activities in my pjs) I rode around on the lawn mower with the kids to finish up what we started days before.
My parents came by in late evening to help us hook up Silas's new birthday swing from Jamie's parents.        He turned 5 today!  It figures I'd be sick - I was sick when I had him too!  Sympathy pains?
What a blast!!!  It's rated for 110 pounds, but I tried it anyway.
We ended the evening with an ice cream cake for Silas and construction of this small wind-up car puzzle that Si got in the mail from his Great Aunt Barbara and Great Uncle Tony.  
Tomorrow, I'm hoping to feel tip-top and have energy to get ready for Sir Silas's party.  The guest list is the size of a large classroom roster!  Let the fun begin!

Thirty-five spanks and a pinch to grow an inch...

We celebrated Jamie's thirty-fifth birthday today.  We had yummy kabobs, rice, pie, and cupcakes.  Yum!  

The rest of our day was interesting.  My brother's girlfriend, Hilary, brought us to get the car inspected and then we all went to pick strawberries.  We both picked eleven pounds!  We were only off by a few tenths of an ounce.  Hilary also helped (and taught me how) frost cupcakes (the fancy way).  WHAT FUN!  

The not so fun parts of our day were going to get gas and going to the DUMP.  P-U!

I wonder when the weather will change?  It's been awfully stormy here!  Lark and I got rained out for mowing again.  Here's hoping for bursts of sunshine tomorrow...

Photo ops

Here are a few pictures from our summer fun...

 Balloons on Shea's birthday

Making M&M cookies

 Silas's cleaned up room

 A visit at the park

 Peek-a-boo

 Making burritos for dinner

Out of gas...

I'm running on fumes at this point.  We've had a very busy day.  We ran some errands, had piano lessons and did some yard work.  Lark and I attempted to mow the lawn. We got about a third of the way through and ran out of gas.  Oh well.  I guess we'll save it for tomorrow.
Sputter....chugggggg...putttttttt.................yawn...

Three's Company

Today we spent the day with Addibear. I had a four-year-old, five-year-old, and eight-year old - three's company!
We went to Riverside Park and collected rocks and played in the river, we had a snack, played on the sea-saw and then decided it was much too hot to be outside.  We drove home and had a yummy lunch. The kids played and then we went to visit Aunt Barbie and Grammy Allen.  The kids enjoyed visiting, seeing the animals, and collecting eggs.
The Canaan Town Library is holding their annual reading program. We got our materials for summer reading.  Check out the Canaan Town Library's site here:http://www.canaanlibrary.org
Storms have been coming and going for a few days now.  We had intended to go to the beach for dinner, but a storm prevented us from having pizza on the grill with Nonna, Bwa Bwa, and Uncle Chris.  The kids and I took a quick dip though and then headed to Grafton for pizza.  A good time was had by all!
Lastly, Jamie and I cleaned out our bureaus.  Two contractor bags later and we can now easily shut the drawers in our dressers.  Look for our much-loved clothing at Listen!
 

Weather permitting...

We had oodles of rain showers, thunderstorms, sunny skies, and gloomy skies today.  It got to the point when I said to Jamie, "There's a storm coming over the hill and it will be here in five minutes" and five minutes later WHAM! Lark even did a little weather predicting herself...she's pretty good at it too!

Even though the weather was turbulent, we still managed to get outside.  We planted the last of the tomato plants and harvested our first mesclin lettuce of the season.  The peas and beans are coming up quickly and climbing!  This year we have a green bean house for the kids.  We used blue well piping to make a hoop house and draped pea fencing over the top.  It looks like fun!  I only wish we had built it tall enough for adults.  Alas, little Silas tuckered out from the rain and we took cover in the house.

We took a trip to Center Harbor today.  I needed more black fabric, white fabric, and some more colors for the Swoon quilt.  If you haven't been to Keepsake Quilting, you should go!  It's pretty neat!  I especially like the sale room. You can check them out online at Keepsake Quilting

My favorite moment from the day?  We are in the checkout line at the grocery store and Silas belts out, "Hey sexy lady!" to the store clerk.  Oi!

As for in-house projects, we are still sifting through a sea of toys. Tonight the kids and I went through five baskets.  An half-hour later we had a large contractor bag full and THERE'S STILL MORE TO GO!  I had this brainstorm today about managing toys.  What if we put a Shaker peg rack up and a few large LLBEAN tote bags for HANGING toy storage?  I'm going to figure this out.  I'll let you know what I come up with.

Here's a recipe you might like too! This was our breakfast this morning.
Dr. Jukosky's Zucchini Muffins
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1/3 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 t. ground cinnamon
3 egg whites
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 c. applesauce
2 c. grated zucchini
2 t. vanilla extract
1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple (drained)
1 c. shredded coconut
Preheat ove to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin tins.
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, add oil, applesauce, zucchini, vanilla, pineapple
Combine flour, salt, baking soda in a separate bowl.
Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Stir until combined.
Pour into muffin tins.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

It's contagious!

I WAS looking forward to a relaxing Saturday with Jamie home, but Lark had other plans for us!  Apparently she liked the outcome of Silas's room and wanted the same for hers.  We overhauled her bedroom today and it looks fantastic!  She's a crafting nut!  Her desk was covered in scraps of papers donned with dried glue, glitter, and stickers.  She reminds me of my sister Kate (shhh). Kate's room was always a mess.  She was always drawing or playing...always too busy to pick up.  Do you know, she even raised chickens in her bedroom? How the heck did they get past the threshold let alone my mother!  Upon Lark's descent into slumber she said, "My bedroom is like a hotel room now!" Better than a chicken coop, I guess.
You may think all I do is clean, but I don't.  We went to the dump and the library today too. I took a nap and then we went to the beach for dinner and a canoe ride.  We took my brother's dog Echo with us.  I think we should have named her Fish instead of Echo.  All she wanted to do was swim.  In fact, she went off for laps and we completely forgot about her until we saw her sitting on the dock at the next beach over.
On my list of things to do this summer is to work on a new quilt for our queen-sized bed.  The pattern is called Swoon. You can take a look at it here .  I made the first quilt on our bed eight years ago when Lark was a newborn and we were living in El Nathan.  It's time for a change or at least an addition to the repertoire.  It's up the the attic I go.  Until tomorrow...

Pajamas until 2 pm!

You heard correctly! I was in my pajamas until 2:00 pm today.  Not because I was sleeping in, though. I was getting covered in dust bunnies....
Today we hoed out Silas's room.  We culled books, sifted through linens, prepared hand-me-downs for my nephew Zach, and gathered toys from down under the bed.  Once the room was emptied we moved the furniture.  Silas has been asking for a bed by the window for months.  We didn't think we could do it with the closet door, but we tried, and it fit! We now have one happy boy!
Lark was delighted with the progress we made in Silas's room so she gathered gently worn clothes for my niece Ania and pulled books from her bookshelf to give the younger cousins.
We went to the Solstice Festival in Norwich, VT with Jamie's parents and brought along Addibear.  We ate a picnic dinner, made homemade bread and streamers.  Welcome summer!

It's bumper to bumper traffic here....

Well, we did it! We collected all the Matchbox cars, lined them up bumper to bumper, measured them and counted them.  Want to hear how many cars?  Lark's estimate was 100.  Think again! 185!  HOLY SMOKES!  Thank goodness they are small!  When lined up, the cars measured 46 feet long!  Now that's a line-up!  The point was to purge, right? Right! We were able to send 13 to the junkyard.  Some needed paint jobs, others needed rubber, some needed wheels...I'm sure some of them would have even been worthy of antique license plates!

The seedlings and I spent the rest of the morning running around to piano lessons, the post office, and the gas station before we finally landed at cousin Theresa's for lunch!  Here's a snippet from the visit: "Ailia, what are you growing in that garden?" I said.
"Chicken poop, " Ailia said.
LOL!

We ended our day at a friend's house.  We gathered to say goodbye to the Feeley family as they are moving to Maine.  We are happy for them, but sad for us!  Thank goodness they are only two hours away.

Today was the first of 66 glorious days of summer vacation.  I've enjoyed the beginning.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Ahh. Summer Vacation Begins!

It's 10:00 pm and the seedlings are nestled under their cozy blankets dreaming of what's to come on their first day of vacation.  Meanwhile, Petunia's up half the night trying to figure out what to do first! There are so many options!

Every summer, during the first few days, we spend hours upon hours reclaiming our house.  During the school year things get thrown in baskets, cubbies, filing cabinets (or not), etc. until they can be sorted at a later date.  Our basement becomes the big, black hole where misplaced items are placed in limbo. In addition, toys from the playroom, much like the rest of the items in the house, migrate.  I kind of imagine it like Toy Story, though I know that what happens in the movie is not real.  The toys do not come to life and move about the house.  Instead, little people, much like the Advance Transit, move them from place to place.

Silas's room currently houses a basket that is heaped so high that the toys above the basket are actually taller than the basket is deep.  Do you know what I mean?

It's time to purge!
TASK 1:
Silas has an enormous amount of Matchbox cars many of which are inherited from his dad and two uncles. In trade for peeing in the potty, Silas got a Matchbox car.  It worked! He trained very quickly and as you might guess, the cars piled up.  I can't tell you how many, because we haven't actually counted them!  So, guess what we're doing tomorrow?  Yep, that's right! Counting cars!  This came up at the dinner table tonight.  Both Silas and Larkin thought it would be grand to find all the cars, line them up, count them, and see how long they are when you set them bumper to bumper.  Lark's estimation is that the total length of cars will be as long as our quarter-mile driveway.  Then, we'll have to decide on a reasonable number of cars to keep.

After we thin the used car lot, we'll go to piano lessons, bake M&M cookies and head to a goodbye cookout for friends who are moving to Maine.  It sounds like a great plan.  It's time for Petunia to nestle into her bed and call it a night.  G'night!