This Vintage Chica

Our Own Kind of Fair

Each area of the country marks the beginning of harvest season one way or another.  Some people have fall festivals, harvest fairs or world's fairs.  But here at the beach, we mark (read that mourn) the end of summer and the beginning of autumn with the annual Neptune Festival.  And our favorite part of Neptune is the sand castle building contest.

We braved the 10th day of rain in a row to get out of the house.  Otherwise the mama was going to go bonkers.  With rain gear in hand, we headed down to the ocean front to see what the rain had left standing.  It always amazes me how these sculptors mold sand to make the artwork they do.  And more importantly, how they withstood some serious downpours.

 

The boys loved watching the sculptors in action...trying to guess which tools they would grab next.  It was just amazing to us to watch the people on the bottom working away without worry that the people on the top level would topple their contribution to the project on the way down.  So cool!

But the best part, of course, was having our own sand castle competition on the other end of the beach.

Here was Wyatt and Papa's entry...a traditional castle with extra fortification up front for protection from the pirates lurking off the coast.

Zane's submission.  An old-school ship with a million men inside rowing so that the boat could go really, really fast.

Somehow I didn't get a photo of Ian's sand sculpture, but he lost interest when our friends arrived, so he missed the time deadline I guess.

This simple heart was my contribution.  Zane asked me if I knew the rules of this contest, because he didn' t think I had a chance at winning with "just a heart".

All in all, rain and all, it was a great day.  Food, fun, friends and sand.  Lots and lots of sand.

Oh, and who won the contest?  Well we all ended the day with a snow cone, so let's just call it a three way tie.

mamas dont let your babies grow up to be cowboys

I can feel it.  Can you?  The cooler temperatures begging us in after a long hot summer.  Blair commented on the "explore room" post several weeks ago that she much more enjoys the idea of fall cleaning as opposed to spring cleaning.  Well I must be the same way.  Because cleaning and rearranging is about all I've done the past several weeks.  Or at least it feels like it.

You don't want to see photos of my paper piles or dust bunnies, so I thought I'd show you another room in the house that has been re-arranged and organized.

Since we moved in a year ago, Wyatt has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor.  He was still rolling off the mattress until very recently.  But the time had come to get a big boy bed of his very own.  (which coincided nicely with time to give all of our sippy cups to the babies that need them) 

Last summer while we were in Texas, my mom and I had spent one whole day junking in Mineral Wells.  And sweet Joanne had gifted me a headboard and foot boardthat was leaning against the outside her shop.  Yep, that's the very headboard on the far left of the photo.  I wasn't sure what I would end up doing with it.  It needed a bit of cleaning and a good linseed oil treatment.  But it was sturdy so I took it anyway. Now let me stop right there for a minute.  I do not want to overlook the lesson in that statement.  Let me put in bold for you...If you like it and its cheap (free), take it!  You'll eventually find a use for it.

So back to the bed.  We used the headboard and floorboard (see a bitter shot of them here) and S made some side rails for them and a few slats for across the two.  You know, to keep him from falling through in the middle of the night.  Add his jersey cowboy sheets we already had, a few cozy quilts and some pillows from the other boys room.  And presto!  Wyatt has a new bed.

Which leads to going through all of his board books - donating the ones that are not "big boy" worthy.  Which leads to going through the toys, only keeping the ones that big boys play with.  Which leads to hanging a few more things on the wall - favorite items his big brothers have made him. 

The shelves above his dresser: a robby hobbie doll (did you know there is a little boy version of holly?), his letters painted by Auntie Jamie, a cowboy atlas mug, a few vintage books including Calico the Wonder Horse: The Saga of Stewy Stinker by Virginia Lee Burton and a vintage cowboy lunch tin.

And a day later, Wyatt has his own big boy bed where he can curl up with this blankets and one of his picture books.  A space where he can turn inward once in awhile.  When big brothers get too rough.  When you don't like that mama makes you sit in time out.  When the days get a bit too long now that we are in pre-school.

Wyatt, you are such a big boy!  And I am so proud of the little person you are.  And even more proud that you choose me to be your mama.

evidence of autumn's approach

I know the first official day of Autumn is not for another 10 days.  But all week I have been given little reminders of Autumn's quick approach.  So to those of you in Texas and other states still facing upwards of 90 degree days...I promise, it is coming.

 

-- Coconut Custart Pie from this super easy recipe.  No, I did not make the pie crust, I bought it.

-- The leaves are just barely starting to fall on the maple in our front yard, but after having a much needed drink from tropical storm hannah I think it will hold off a little longer.  I continue to be so glad we decided to plant a maple and am looking forward to its leaf piles getting bigger and bigger every year.

-- From our front porch, you can hear the local high school band practicing and on Friday nights, you can listen to the entire football game.

-- I met Z and I at the bus stop on Thursday and Ian couldn't wait to show me these acorns.  He found them on the playground and despite the teachers telling him that he shouldn't play with them, he tucked five of them into his pocket.  Holding on to them all day.  "Look mom, five!  One for each of the people in our family.  There is even a little one for Wyatt".  Love this kid!!!

-- The muck boots I lived in all autumn and winter are back out.   And I am thinking in need a new pair...you know, just in case.

-- We've started noticing geese flying over head in their tell tale V's.

-- I find myself having photos to contribute to this flickr group.

Happy Weekend!

a heart from hannah

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.

-- Anne Frank

Find more hearts in unexpected places.  And more heart rocks from some other peeps.

Tropical storm Hannah left this heart shaped rock in the very place where she knew we would walk last night on the beach, the very place where she knew we would find it and bring it home.

Happy monday all!

NOW we're ready!

 

Our only TV in the entire house is in our playroom/classroom (the boys call it the "explore" room and I'm happy with that title).  The TV is in a large closet with doors, so we can close it up and we don't even really know it is there.   At least I don't know it is there...I think the boys always know it is there.  S and the boys play helicopter flying games on it, which means I make a run for it to the sewing machine.  Which is nice.  But this also means that if S and I want to watch any regular news or in this case the Democrat and Republican National Convention speeches live, we have to camp out in the explore room.

To make myself feel less guilty about frying my brain watching hour after hour of boring speaker waiting for the headliners each night, I decided I should pick up a bit.  That only lasted about 30 minutes.  So, I decided to go through and organize the boys book shelf.  That took about an hour.

Then on Tuesday I saw Molly's home school cabinet posted on her blog - everything so neat and tidy it makes me want to crawl in to one of those bottom cubbies and live there.  And then saw Home school Ready-ish by Colorfool on flickr.  Well and then before you know it, I had the whole room torn apart, moving big pieces of furniture from one wall to another.  Please tell me you all do this too?  You know how it goes ... you move one chair two inches to the left and by the end of the night (after a run to the hardware store just before closing) you've painted the entire room in a color called fennel and ordered a new coffee table.  OK, good.  I knew it wasn't just me. 

 

I even got the old wrapping paper fixture my mom gave me last summer all rigged for a roll of drawing paper.  Progress I'm telling you!

So, after three full nights of hanging in the explore room listening to politicians go on about tax cuts, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and the war, wondering if I can really believe what they are telling me, the "explore room" is de-cluttered, re-arranged and ready for the new school year.

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The first rains from Hannah arrived just as I met I and Z coming off of the school bus this afternoon.  Ugh!  So, it looks like it will be a Netflix marathon around here this weekend.

Maybe we'll make this caramel corn recipe..mmm...yummy!

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We do not home school our boys, but combine public school with unschooling practices and have found this a perfect combination for our family.  For more on how we educate our boys, you can check out this post from last year.  Happy weekend everyone!

get on the bus

 

Summer has officially ended around here.  School started today.  Z and I loaded the bus for first grade...all day!  Man, where did the summer go?  Last year I was SO ready for school to start.  Ready for some order and routine.  But I'm not feeling it this year like I did last year.  We have had a great summer.  A really great summer.  And to be quite honest, I am sad to see it go.

But routine and schedules are always good for me.  So, today I welcome the return to structure, the return to homework and making lunches.  I even welcome getting up at 5:30 a.m.  I welcome all the learning that will happen this year, more reading, fractions, addition and subtraction and the brownies that will be eaten immediately after getting off the afternoon bus.

I'm sending a nice stiff cup of coffee (or tea) to all you mamas who are getting back into routine with me.  Have a great day everyone!