Gah!

The last month has been a daze.

We've been house hunting for homes with gigantic price tags while trying on neighborhoods and reading school reviews. (A lot of first dates but we haven't fallen in love with anything yet.)

We've looked our house up and down, making lists of little fixes and polishings to get it ready to put on the market. Lots of finding/hiring of powerwashers and painters and general fixers and such. And the yard work and the housework and the garden to tend to.

This is the busy season with the Swap Shop too so I've been giving tours and helping with open houses and street fairs.

Oh yeah, and then our regular jobs.

And also taking care of those 2 little kids.

And finding all the stuff that I keep losing: phone, iPad, keys, sunglasses. After losing none of those for years, I seem to be losing at least one every day!

So, I'd say it's been pretty busy.

And now...

We are going to Florida. Tomorrow. Which means packing and arranging and canceling and returning and running to the store before some more packing.

And the painters are coming while we are gone so I'm supposed to have everything ready to go for them too.

Gah!!

There's a lot of this going on...

And not quite enough of this...

Thank goodness we will be seeing a little of this very soon...

Overheard at our house

Lucy

Our budding feminist

Mama: "Maybe Mr. Fixit can come fix that."
Lucy: "Or maybe Mrs. Fixit."

One-word responses the exact intonation of a teenager (where did you hear these?)

"Fine!"
"Whatever!" 

In better moments.

"Thanks mom so so so so so much. I LOVE it."

Apparently comfortable with death

Jeremy: "When Harry is 20, Lucy will be 22."
Lucy: "Yeah, and you'll be dead!" 

Henry 

After listening to Halloween music

Daddy singing: "Who ya gonna call?"
Henry: "Ghost mustard! "

A new kind of familiarization to everything we see

"I'm the baby dragon and you're the mama dragon."

Not always so flattering...

"I'm the baby swamp. And you're the mama swamp."

Rolling roll-play

Henry: "Can you come pway wid me?"
Mama: "Sure."
Henry: "You brum that and I'll talk to you. (to the cars) What's your name? Want to drive to Mexico?"

At mealtime and when we come home

"How was your day, Daddy?"

Typical Henry dream

"Cars and trucks. And tractors and trains. And a helicopter!"

Not so fond of shoes or clothes

"I don't like some shoes. I want bare feet."

Heard less and less frequently

"Can I have some miwky miwks?"

And since there isn't milky milk to be had...

"How about we put some more miwk in dere."

Too cute for words

"That's the biggest tree I eeeeeeeever seen."

I ♥ fairy houses

What started with this book by Tracy Kane,

Has become an ongoing theme for our summer.

Something we do at home and everywhere we go.

Something to teach friends about at the park.

Something to leave behind for little explorers to find.

Something to save your clam shells from dinner for.

Something to make Mama smile every time she's in the yard.

xo,

Margaret

Out and about

On the count of three, "Hi Grandma!"

 

Why oh why can't summer just last forever.

A haircut for Henry

Henry's pre-haircut mop - tada!

The moment where I almost got a photo of kids post haircuts.

Nope, life is moving too fast. 

Getting a photo of you holding still will have to wait.

Daybreak

This morning, my curly haired girl climbed into my bed with her grinchy and her binkies.  Suck suck,  snuggle, roll and hug. "I love you mom," very sweet but too quickly followed with "Is that money mine?" pulling out a twenty from under the covers.  Making me laugh.

When I went to get little Henry, you breathily whispered "Is today Rose Festival? Can we go to the fair? I want to ride the bumper cars." After I took off your sleep sack and set you on your sleep-wobbily feet, you took two steps and then turned around to put lipless kisses on my cheeks, chin, and eyes. "I love you Mama."

I love you too, sweet kids. I don't know if you have any idea how much.

Suggestions on life from Lucy

Suggested recipe: sprinkle sandwich

Suggested activity: making fairy houses, with or without feet coated in pitch

Suggested attire: wedding shoes and tennis shoes means ready for anything