This Spot

This little area of my life has been on my mind like a CD on repeat. So when that happens my mind must act, and today is the day.
As we all know, this season we are in has been more than testing our abilities to adapt. I do my best to not complain. Whining will get me nowhere but into the gutters of my own self pity.
Find the positive. Do your best to always try to find the positive. Good can be found in everything. Yes, everything.
Getting along. With all of the cooped-up-ness, we have been getting along. Like whole heartedly wanting no more than each others company. What a blessing. By this time of year, I am usually not in my prime.  A bit edgy. A bit ouchy. Well let's be honest, not your favorite person to be around.
There were steps taken with the little women to insure our weeks of rarely leaving the house were smooth.

Footnote: As your little children grow don't think for a second that "nap time" is not needed. My 11 and 8 year olds don't nap (like fall asleep), but they do have to take 20 to 30 minutes a day in their own rooms. This is for summer, snow days, and days when we are all here all day long.

 Doors shut. 

No electronics. 

You can gently play, by gently, I mean no flipping. 

Ainzli would do cartwheels all day long. 

You can read. 

You can rest your eyes. 

This has been a life safer.

A true recharge for the rest of our day.

And I'm not going to lie and say that they are always on board.

There have been tears shed in the discussion of how tired one is not.

As mom, I persevere.

This year is different and I am grateful for it.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Autumn

As the World Turns

No. My life is not a soap opera. Nowhere close. It is pretty much a daily repeat. One day to the next. Right now, I am super happy with that repeat button being pressed. But with me, you never know when and if that is going to start to make me twitch.

Our Stella Macaroni. 

This day, Duchess, her nemesis was out on a walk. 

Stella can't see out of this window, but somehow she senses her.

So, I taunted her a little to get this shot.

Ms. Blue's white board.

She is T totally on a Daddy kick right now.

It's as if I don't exist.

It's completely heart melting

Ainzli did some research online on how to build a good tent.

She did awesome. 

It had rooms.

No kidding.

It was up the entire weekend.

These next 3 were found on my camera after a download.

They had cleaned the entire shoot up.

I didn't even know about them.

What a pleasant surprise!

 This particular yard was absolutely beautiful when we moved in.

7 years ago.

Since then, the woman of the house has gone into a nursing home.

The man of the house still lives here but spends all his time with her.

There is much neglected here.

Thistles galore. Her peonies have been swallowed by lesser beauties. The yard is pretty gnarly.

But what matters, what truly matters, is not here.

Now when I look at this yard, it is still beautiful.

In its neglect is beauty.

This girl has that ball with her at all times.

The marks on my walls are the proof.

She is passionate about it.

She wants to truly pursue it.

Her and I pass almost everyday.

We have a broken outside light.

A broken house number.

Making memories. 

That is what I tell myself.

Scuffed walls.

Broken stuff.

Constant banging.

We are just making memories.

Garage Sale.

For some reason I stopped.

Too much fun.

Here we go.

Gingham apron.

Milkglass lamps.

Mirror.

Drumroll please.........

$5

A Sunday afternoon in the rain.

Gosh.

Sometimes our hillbilly roots cannot be concealed.

I love this shot.

No reason why, just do.

Oh happy day. Have a great one.

Autumn

Line Up

How is it that you can be enjoying a good game of four square then, within 10 minutes, be having to discipline? Well, come on over to the Grismore abode and I will tell you! Unfortunate? Yes. Tiring? Very. Genius discipline action? I think so.
We clean everything up outside and head in. We are in for about 5 minutes. The dad of the abode is wanting to take a shower, so he graciously offers the little women to go first. One says the other has to go first................ uh oh.
Within 30 seconds voices are raised and Ms. Blue is screeching. I step in. I tell the Mr. to go take a shower. However long you want. Enjoy yourself, because the little women are going to line up and wait for their showers.

What? Why? one asks. Still screeching.
The other little woman just walks and gets her towel and washcloth.
There may have been some things said beyond my earshot, but it's not long and Ms. Blue is spewing unpleasantrys. 
So, I tell her she will be last in line.

OH. MY. GOODNESS!

It all worked out. I really think they will remember this one.
Some of these shots of Ms. Blue were do to my photo taking. Ms. Blue gets really out of sorts with it at times.
She got mad at Ainzli because, how long does it take to shower? Why did she get to go first when it takes her ssssoooooo long?
The Mr. told her that he will sit here in his towel, in her great grandma Lillie's rocker and watch her show. Catapulted her even more. She is a passionate girl. I have said it before, the force is strong with this one. Seriously, strong.
At this point the show was a comedy for him and me.
It may well be offspring torture.
But hey, it's the small things, right?

Have a wonderful weekend:)

Family Lovin'

I don't have anything to say. Things are good here. Just been enjoying life and documenting when I can. Have a wonderful weekend.:)

 She ran for Student Council, again.

Good for her. 

We have the poster making down to a science.

She had an idea. 

She told me about it.

We built on it together.

The day of her speech her outfit matched her poster.

She didn't plan it, but it looks like she did.

She got voted in.

 We spent most of a day together.

Just my niece and me.

 They are 10 months apart.

They are either loving or fighting.

No in-between.

He was fascinated by our peanut butter making skills.

Everyday Living

I love my coffee in the a.m. 

A nice big cup after my morning jog.

But that iPhone.

Am I on it too much? Am I wasting a ton of time on useless stuff?

I asked myself that a couple of weeks ago.

My answer was yes without even hesitating.

Sad.

So, I talked to Shannon about it and he said that my usage had really gone up.

So I have become aware. 

I have set it aside and rarely mess with it.

The majority of the day it is playing Pandora.

I have to keep myself in check.

 Our dilapidated sandbox.

I am sad.

Lillie is even sadder.

I don't know why I have let it go this summer.

Sorry, Ms. Blue, it will be better next summer.

Promise.

 Barbies.

I had them but never played with them.

Ainzli had them and deconstructed their bodies.

Lillie has them and plays with them.

The Grismore Girls are all so different.

 Ms. Blue loves to be in the kitchen with me.

She does such a great job.

She is now the official "Onion Cutter".

She stated that, "I don't cry when I cut them like you do."

Awesome!

I don't like cutting those things anyway!!

 We got an American flag to fly this summer.

I love it.

I love American history.

There is something to be said for the people who sacrificed so much so that we 

could have a better life.

Gives me chills.

(We are a patriotic neighborhood. We have 3 veterans that live on our street.

The red, white and blue is flying high here!)

 Ms. Blue makes these frequently.

I don't want to ever forget these little things.

I love that her sisters is a heart this time.

She has learned to do her own name in cursive.

It is the only word she writes in it.

Ms. Blue: "Mom. Mom. Come here!"

Me: "Ok. Be there in a sec."

Ms. Blue: "Look."

Me: "Nice." 

Ms. Blue: "Take a picture of it."

Me: "Okey Dokey?"

.............................................

It was her first art piece drawn with a ruler.

She is funny. 

 Lessons have not even started back up for fall.

She is back at it regularly.

She asked me the other day when they start.

She informed me that she does not want to ever stop playing the piano.

I hope and pray that is true.

And that she sticks with it.

There is nothing better than listening to your child belt something out on an instrument.

Amazing.

There is some program on this Mac, that she found, to take little pictures and videos of herself.

All. The. Time.

Love it. 

Remembering Summer Vacation: Part 3

A visual overload for this wonderful August weekend. Enjoy and have a great one!:)  

 My little morning spot.

I love our four seasons room.

I loved the short time the lilies were blooming.

 Before our mini vacation.

A bicycle carwash.

 She loves a website that allows her to dress

up dolls.  She doesn't care what she wears, but she

sure does like these cyber dolls to be all prettied up. 

 Neighborhood friends.

It's a special bond.

 Skyzone.

Indoor trampoline park.

Hour and a half is WAY too long!

Fun!!!!!

 Just an afternoon.

Water balloons from the dollar bin at Target.

It took awhile to fill them up.

The girls had a filling system.

We bombed Daddy when he pulled in.

The fight was on............:)

 Sunflowers in my little front yard garden.

I loved to cut them and have fresh bouquets daily.

I walk around that little garden everyday.

Happy.

 She found yoga on the Wii.

This girl is so not flexible.

She has been working on it. 

Good luck, Sis!

 Ms. Blue is a picker.

Plus she gets bug bites like crazy.

Horrible combination.

So we have to cover them up.

Poor little lamb.

 Ms. Ainzli loves sports.

She loves to play them.

She likes to watch basketball and American Ninja Warrior.

She told me the other day she wanted to do it (ANW) someday.

This girl can do anything she puts her mind too.

 Clyde's tree.

It is the neighborhood climbing tree.

It is right out our front door.

The kids are fun to watch.

 GG, Shannon's grandma, is 91 this year.

She is loved.

A couple of neighbor boys found this turtle in the creek.

I thought they drew on the bottom with a permanent marker.

They didn't.

God doesn't forget the tiniest of details.

Beautiful.

Happy Friday to you!