Taking it easy

Miss B had developed a cold...  Then her breathing seemed faster than usual so I thought I'd just take her into the our local walk-in clinic for a quick lung listen by a professional.  Fully expecting to be told it was fine, just a cold.  Not the case at all.  We ended up in the ER with Bronchiolitis.  Breathing stuff is scary!!  So thankful for such wonderful medical staff!  And the next day at the follow-up a double ear infection!

So last week we were laying low.  Miss B missing her friends and dance class too : (  We were itching to get outside, so we decided a short fall stroll through lovely Vaughan woods was in order.  Sunlight and fresh air are healing no?  Well, actually this did not work out well at all, Miss B got quite winded quite fast, and the woods were full of babies and their people!  We spent our time trying to slowly stroll back to the car, while taking the trails less traveled and going off trail to avoid the little ones and sharing our sickness.  Crazy!  We felt like spies sort of.  Miss B was very good about it all.

I remember as a child my own mother took me to the beach one time after a doctor appointment, for the sea air to work it's magic.  This seemed a lot like playing hooky to me and it was thrilling.

Miss B just loves fall - its powers of transformation.  Each day feels like a holiday...maybe the trees will look different.  The discovery of one beautiful leaf after another.

We're back to our regular things this week, but I/we still feel worn out.  But I have missed this space and will work on getting back in here.  I do appreciate your patience.

Wishing you a restful day.

This Moment - A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama. 

A simple and special moment that I want to hold onto and cherish.

If you feel inspired to do the same, please 

leave a link to your moment in the comments.

Things we are loving

One of our favorite librarians, Miss Kathleen, recently introduced us to Mo Willems and his pigeon books.  Pure genius!  I think it's really hard to be so flipping funny in so few words.  Just amazing.  One of the books we borrowed from our library had a disc with Mo reading Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late and it was out of this world.

Miss B is enjoying the games and printables on the pigeon's website.

The perfume I am wearing now...tee-hee...it's called tomato plant.  Only available for a limited time...and in your nearest garden.

Completing outside projects before winter.  I finally bit the bullet and resurfaced our paved driveway myself.  It actually came out remarkably well.  I like to think all my years of squeegying the floor of the creamery translated into my awesomeness with the driveway squeegee.  It also helped that all the neighborhood walkers cheered me on.  I felt like a superstar.  Love our neighborhood.

Dream catchers - we're on a kick of sorts...and they do seem to be helping Miss B sleep better.  Next up we want to make a giant one out of a broken hula hoop.  How fun would that be?  Also, it would make it so she doesn't have to spend so much effort positioning herself directly beneath the small one we made initially.  Here's a great tutorial from NativeTech and another from That Artist Woman.

The September light.  It is so golden and with the crisp air you just know it is important to enjoy it now while we have it.  Much like many things in this world/life.

These Days

Trying to get into the swing of fall routines.

Soccer.  Dance.  School.

Miss B came home Friday and informed us that it was her last day.  We said right, now you have the weekend off, and then you'll go back to school on Monday.  No, she insisted, they said it was the last day.  We're out.  Oh, bless her little heart.  I want this transition to school to go so smoothly, and it is turning out to be quite a transition indeed.  Particularly the saying goodbye in the morning.  When I pick her up, she does not want to leave...and she speaks fondly of school and her teachers...still we are struggling to adjust.  And tears are spilling.  I just want her to be happy.

Soaking up a few more barefoot days at the beach (I just realized I deleted the pictures from our last trip - agh!).  Making plans for winter beach days (with hats, and boots, and scarves and most likely snowpants!).  The ocean is just such a comfort.  We feel so lucky to be so close to the sea.

Lot's of tomatoes and canning - my local shop is actually out of canning jars!!  Hoping to try this recipe for tomato jam from Food In Jars tomorrow.  Our kitchen is a fruit fly free for all.  My usual apple cider vinegar and dish soap traps do not seem to be working.  Tomatoes must be so much tastier.  Anyone else have any ideas?  I'm all ears.

The sun has nearly dried the grass now, and the garden is calling.

I hope your day is a gentle one.

This Moment

This Moment - A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama. 

A simple and special moment that I want to hold onto and cherish.

If you feel inspired to do the same, please 

leave a link to your moment in the comments.

Bench Makeover and Flame Retardants

Before - in good shape, but tired and worn.

Sometimes it is rewarding to complete something doesn't it?  This little project was low on time, cost absolutely nothing, and makes me feel great every time I see it.  Yay!

In cleaning my Nana's house and trying to declutter a bit to accomodate a hospital bed in the living room, this little bench had to go.  It is old, old, old but is in nice shape and I had visions of tucking it under the vanity/desk in Miss B's room.  I put it in the garage for a couple weeks (that wasteland indeed ; )  And dug it out the other day about a half hour before supper.

All I needed was a screw driver, and this puppy came apart easily.

I unscrewed the 6 screws holding the seat on, and then folded my fabric in half and tightly folded it over the top of the bench (over the existing fabric).  The existing fabric was held on by little nails.  I was planning on securing the new fabric with staples (but my staple gun appears lost in the afore mention garage abyss).  For now I held it on with masking tape.  Yes, you read that right, masking tape!  When I put the screws back in I used my cordless drill to screw them in as I needed more power than just my elbow grease to punch holes in the new fabric.  The screws seem to be holding the fabric on nicely.  When I find my staple gun I will staple the edges, but for now it's good to go.  In less time than it took whatever I was making to finish in the oven.

Now isn't this better?

Sadly it doesn't fit underneath the vanity, but it brightens up Miss B's room anyway, and we both love it.

The bench was free, the fabric from my stash, screw drivers and cordless drill on hand.  Very, very satisfying!

Did you all catch this article in the NYTimes Magazine this weekend?  It made me feel ill.  Now we're considering getting rid of our old couch, and maybe getting a futon instead?  Flame retardants are scary indeed.

The article basically reinforces and lends legitimacy to my slightly impractical desire to acquire an antique fainting type sofa for our sun nook.  Wouldn't that be nice?  And safe to boot.  I can see more projects with old (pre-1979) furniture in my future.

This Moment

This Moment - A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama. 

A simple and special moment that I want to hold onto and cherish.

If you feel inspired to do the same, please 

leave a link to your moment in the comments.

First Day of Preschool

Yesterday was Miss B's first day of Pre-K.  She has been very, very excited about starting school.  After initially bounding out of bed and to the coat rack by the front door in her pj's declaring she'd just have breakfast at school, she seemed thoughtful, quiet and patient.  After oatmeal and cheese for breakfast, and vitamins and hairbrushing etc. it was absolutely pouring.  We ended up driving rather than walking, which made poor Miss B have to wait even longer.

She is adoring her new raincoat (thrifted and in awesome condition).  I worry it is a little too juvenile - but dude, she's only four once right?  And in the right mood I like to think I could pull a raincoat like that off as well : )

The drop off went well, though, not at all as I envisioned.  We were perfectly on time (according to all the clocks we saw in the school) and yet somehow, somehow, her class line had already left the gymnasium and gone to their classroom.  Note to self, be at least five minutes early from now on. A kindergarten teacher took Miss B under her wing, and said she would drop her off at the appropriate classroom as she went by it.  I think this teacher thought Mr and I would walk along with Miss B, but Miss B, all shy smiles took this teacher's hand and said "See you later alligator."  To which we dutifully replied "After a while crocodile." Then we watched her leave.  She seemed so excited and brave too.

On the drive home of course I cried a bit.  It's such a milestone.  Then I hustled around finally buying an umbrella...and then catching up on dishes and before I knew it, it was time to pick her up.  I connected with some of the other moms I knew from last year at various activities, as well as some other neighbors I had not yet had a chance to meet.  I think I will look forward to the pick up chitter chatter.

Miss B seemed happy, maybe even a bit older (really in just two and a half hours!) but kind of cryptic about her day, so I didn't push it and as the afternoon wore on I learned all kinds of things.

The girl's bathroom is MAGICAL!  I think this means automatic flush and automatic faucet.

Her teacher's favorite color is pink.

They read a story about how not to miss people when you are away from them...Miss B demonstrating a special hand kiss that will make it so I don't miss her while she is away at school.  Oh my teary word!

Here's the book, The Kissing Hand.  I may just have to borrow this one from the library.  It made quite an impression on Miss B.

On another note, Miss B is now using the phrase "Silly pants" all the time.  I think that one is from me actually - silly pants indeed.

Glitter Painted Horses

Last week Miss B noticed a few dings and scratches on a toy horse she has.  She asked if we could paint spots on it to fix it and I suggested we take this project to the next level with glitter nail polish.  She shrieked in the affirmative and we were off.  Such a simple project and we were both thrilled with the results.  I'm not a huge fan of these plastic horses, but painting them to make them your own is a whole different story.

Plastic horses (thrifted or gifted)
Plus
2 bottles nail polish (one glittery, one pearl)

Equals a very fun time.

If you wanted to get real fancy you could paint swirls or designs or whatnot, but Miss B was quite happy with brushstrokes here and there, and I was happy to see her rocking out with her own technique.

Maximus's newly glittered flank.