more summer moments

Well, I think I succeeded in shaking off the funk we were in last week, with a combination of getting tough on behavior issues, doing a major clean up of the house, and planning lots of fun, creative stuff to do. Just getting consistent with discipline and chores brings such a breath of fresh air through the house, and then we can all get busy being happy rather than all being snippy with each other all the time.

Here's the boy keeping busy getting started building a chair for his stuffed animals.



We went letterboxing again, and to the beach again, and enjoyed the super warm weather we've been having. Like in the 90's! Most people hate it when it gets hot around here, but that's because no one has air conditioning, which will sound crazy to anyone living outside the Northwest. But WE do! So, I say, bring on the 90 degree weather! It will only last a few days anyway. We even had a surprise midwest-like post-hot day thunderstorm last night! Poor babygirl was totally terrified, having never heard thunder like that before. She can't stop talking about it today. "Fun-der, scared, me, last, night, ma-maaa!" Poor baby. Big bro' tried to help her last night, by telling her "Don't worry, its just Jesus", and then he corrected himself, saying, "Actually, I sent it down! I'm Electric Boy!" :) Don't forget, this is at 4:00 am. The imagination never sleeps!

Big girl has some cool stuff going on. She got into sewing this week, and designed a cloth doll, and several items of doll clothes, and they are really cute! They are the first doll clothes she's ever sewed, and she's kind of making them up as she goes along. Its pretty amazing to see this whole process taking shape. This girl has always had a bit of a thing for biting off more than she can chew, taking on huge, big projects that in the past have turned in to tears and tantrums as she makes her way through them. I've learned not to tell her she can't, and do my best to help her through the frustrations, and by and by, she usually gets around to a finished project she's happy with. THIS time though, there are no tears, no tantrums, just a totally determined girl, who has it in her mind that she is going to teach herself how to make dolls and doll clothes, making adjustments on her own and finishing projects with little or no help. She took the doll to the library the other day, and all the ladies there just went crazy over it, and encouraged her to take it over to Miller's to see about selling them there. Well, you should have seen this kid beam! She's been trying to come up with an idea for a business to start for about a year, and you could say this was a defining moment for her. She is totally determined now to see this idea through. She's planning on working on improving her prototypes and sewing skills, and getting them ready for sale by Christmas. You can be sure that if she decides to do this, she will! I'll keep you posted on her progress!




We went raspberry picking yesterday, and I made another 8 or so jars of jam. I'm totally hooked on homemade jam! It is sooo yummy! We're having such a late harvest season, its pretty amazing that we're still picking berries at this late date. I'm only just now seeing my first few zucchini's appearing on the vine, and just today saw the first tinge of red on one tomato in my hugely tall, promising tomato garden in my greenhouse. They are growing so tall, they are over my head, but I wasn't sure if they'd ever get ripe at this point! Still keeping my fingers crossed!





Did I mention it was REALLY hot? Some of us lost our gusto for picking, and found a shady spot to rest.





OH, and babygirl started going potty this week! Hip, hip, hooray!


(This pic doesn't do justice to the humidity induced curls here. Oh my goodness..the curls!)


And here's the purse I made last week! I'm proud, I admit it. Next, I'm starting on a quilt for middle girl's b-day coming up in a couple of weeks.



Hope everyone has a great week!