U2

TOMORROW! It's going to be a "Beautiful Day" as EJ and I rock the night away at the U2 360 tour in Charlottesville. One of EJ's most favorite bands. This will not be his first U2 concert. I on the other hand have only had the privilege of seeing them in 3D at the Science Museum in Philly. I can only hope this is WAY better:) Although much colder as it dips down to 50 tomorrow night and we'll be outside. Burrr!
Grandma is the lucky one to stay with the boys.

Walked Ourselves Silly

We had a great time at the state fair today. Owen is the perfect age. He still gets excited for the kid rides and he can ride them all by himself. I can't really take going in circles anymore. The Merry-Go Round is about all I am good for. Why does this happen? My mom always said it happens after having children. I always hoped it wouldn't happen to me. I don't even like to swing on a normal swing anymore. SAD!
Mason did okay on his first ride. Unfortunately they had some canon demonstrations off in the distance that totally freaked him out.

Ride #1 before the canon

Ride #2, Mason not on that one

Ride #3, We convinced him to get on one more with Owen. Too bad I didn't watch what the ride did. It whipped around the curves. The poor thing started crying. Fortunately they were the only two on the ride so the guy stopped it. Oops! That was the end for Mason.

The Pig Races (a family favorite)

Cheering for the pigs!

My Uncle Jack and his wife Pam met us in the Agriculture Section.
They are farmers/gardeners and had a blast showing the animals and farm equipment to the boys.

The tractors (for sale) were more Mason's speed.

We stayed much longer than I expected. No naps and they were a handful tonight. But it was totally worth it. Owen wishes we had a "circus" in our own backyard. All day he kept calling the fair a circus. Next year EJ is definitely coming. He missed out! Oh and we might need someone for the real rides b/c I think Owen will be ready.

The New Do

Gosh, sorry friends. I didn't know you'd be so eager. I am sorry to leave you hanging. Here it is. It's definitely different. EJ admitted to liking it the old way. Funny, b/c he is the one that's been bugging me the most.
Mason's hair is such that if its not this short or as long as it was previously then it tends to stick up even worse. Even now it doesn't really lay flat like Owen's would. I hope it doesn't look terrible as it grows.

It's Gone

Mason's hair that is. I buzzed it last night. I can't stop staring at him. He looks so different. Younger maybe, but older too. I can't decide. I couldn't really look while I was doing it. Which is not what you want to hear from your Barber. I am not sure what possessed me, but I just didn't want to deal with it. It's forever sticking up and we've been wondering how it will look short. Now we know. I don't have pictures yet, but I will have some tomorrow. I am taking the boys to the State Fair and we are meeting my parents there. Owen has a student holiday tomorrow. I also wanted to see my parents reaction instead of them seeing a pic first.

We've had a good weekend. Not as productive has we might have liked, but that comes with the territory. No real exciting pics of the bathroom yet. I know your at the edge of your seats:)

It Ain't a Tea Party

A "Picnic" is as close as I might get to a pretend Tea Party around here. This afternoon I was desperate for an activity, so we started playing "grocery store" that ended quickly, b/c Owen and Mason couldn't share the 1 cash register. ugh! So we played Picnic instead. An innocent game, right?
We each took turns collecting food for the picnic. I set out a blanket and Owen brought down some stuffed animals. The first picnic (1 minute) was lovely. Then it quickly went down hill as the boys became wild animals/cavemen/pigs???? Not sure which. Strange eating noises, plastic food flying and lots of laughter. I found myself laughing inside b/c they never cease to amaze me. How a normal, nice game can so quickly become a rough, loud and messy ordeal. Women are from Venus and Men are Definitely from Mars!

Finally Time to Play

EJ's dad has been hard at work since he arrived last Thursday. Somehow I always get a pic with him just standing around in the background. So here he is b/c he certainly has not just been standing around. I don't know what we would do without him. I keep teasing him that he really should put in his retirement notice. After all, we still have another bathroom with purple speckle tiles, silver foil wallpaper and a lovely black sink. I don't think either of them will want to do this again. Unless maybe EJ commits a whole week off from work. It's really hard to break up the projects. I am amazed at how he has been juggling work and the bathroom.
Today Ed finished the up the shower while EJ was at work. It looks amazing! The boys just might have a bath tonight. His trip is wrapping up. He may come back before it's totally done, but nothing scheduled yet.

Squeezing in a little play time.

Thanks Pop Pop!

Twinkle Twinkle

Both boys have had a favorite song as toddlers. Owen's was "Old MacDonald" (ironic b/c he is terrified of almost all animals) Mason's is "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star". Mason has been "singing" along with me for awhile, but his words are barely recognizable. I think today was the best I've heard. Oh, and just so I don't forget his procrastinating goodnight routine- after stories and several renditions of Twinkle Twinkle, he must have a kiss through his bed railing, then he does a somersault ending with a hug and 2 high 5s. I just keep telling myself one day I'll miss this!

Keep in mind I had to stay hidden or I knew he'd stop. There is a long pause with a door opening and closing b/c he had to make sure he was still alone. I think he lost his train of thought and started making up his own song. There might even be some sawing in the background. That is just normal these days :)

Digging Dirt

At least someone has come up with a good purpose for our newest dirt pile (where the tree was removed).
I think he thinks shoes just slow him down. He takes them off ALL the time. If he sees a rain puddle he promptly sits down and takes off his shoes. Evidently dirt has that effect too. This totally grosses me out. I wear something on my feet constantly. Even in my own house, I must have slippers or flip flops or at least socks.

New Friend

EJ was home today to work on the bathroom while his dad is still in town. Owen was really excited for him to pick him up at the bus stop. So EJ and Pop Pop take a break to go get him. About 15 minutes later they come home. Only instead of 3 of them there were 4. Evidently Owen and his new friend Jonathan (a neighbor) decided on the bus that they should have a play date today. EJ agreed. Funny, how he went back to work in the bathroom and left them to me. I was a tad annoyed as I am not much for spontaneity, but it actually ended up to be a good thing. Mason napped until 4:30 and Owen had a buddy.

His Smile...

is TOO much. It is definitely going to get him in trouble as well as out of trouble. Please may he keep these dimples forever! I love that he smiles with his whole face. People like that bring so much extra joy to the world. Watching the people he gets to smile in return is priceless.
I LOVE looking in my rear view mirror at that smile!

These are 2 we had taken 2 weeks ago.
They had to be scanned in so the color is a little off.

Messy

The bathroom isn't the only mess these days. It seems I am a mess. If I stop long enough to think about it, my (more importantly OUR) days are wasting away. I feel as though I am going half speed. Every since school started I have been milling about aimlessly, uncertain of what our new days should look like. I know that sounds very dramatic, but for some reason I can't get my groove back. Perhaps it's simply, and not so simply b/c I am forgetting to rely on God. I am trying to fall back on my own abilities and they just aren't cutting it. One disaster of a bathroom, should not mean that my whole house is a disaster, but it is. I can't seem to stay on top of things. The piles are getting bigger by the day. Perhaps I should take advantage of that trailer of trash in our driveway! But my energy is zapped.
I am thankful that Wellspring starts this week. I am in desperate need of weekly fellowship and accountability. And it will be good for Mason. I think he is still missing Owen quite a bit. I am excited b/c it also adds something that is familiar. I am needing that right now. We are getting the hang of our morning school routine, but the afternoon is difficult. They just feel so long and Owen is either super tired or just not fun to be around. I know his world has been turned upside down and I have tried to give him space to adjust, but somethings need to change. I have got to get a little more structure to our afternoon, even if its just to keep me motivated.
My mess includes, not having a single birthday picture or post for sweet EJ's birthday. It was Thursday. We did celebrate, a little. You can tell my mind is in a fog when I didn't take a single picture. I don't think we even sang Happy Birthday. Good grief! If it bothered him, he didn't let it show. I on the other hand would not have been so gracious.
Speaking of EJ. I am so proud of him. He has never tiled ANYTHING before. He and his dad are doing an AMAZING job with the shower. I am honored to have a husband who isn't afraid to add new skills to his repertoire. He just learns as he goes and does a great job. He and his dad have saved us lots of money over the years, although his dad's achy knees and body may soon bring the team down to 1. Here's a glimpse of this weekends progress. They hope to finish tiling tomorrow and grout on Tues. We maybe able to give the boys a bath this week! There still won't be a toliet or sinks :)

In Need of a Nap

As much as we are thankful and blessed to have Kenny's help with our bathroom reno, Mason is over it. He hasn't had a good nap in days. He is asleep now, but I don't know how long it will last. We've been putting him to bed early, but he is still exhausted. He asked to go to bed this morning at 9 a.m. Poor guy. Hopefully Kenny will be done early today and for just a short while tomorrow. He is laying the floor tiles today and will come back in the morning to put down the grout. It's starting to resemble a bathroom again.

Crazy changes

*******The yard is almost done. They have to come back Friday to finish the side of the house because they weren't able to get the plants they needed in time. I thought it would be best to include the finished photos here.********

Very manly tools were in competition this morning. While the mini jack hammer was tearing apart the concrete floor upstairs, a truck and crane were tearing out 3 trees and a giant bush from our yard. Thankfully the jack hammer was too loud and messy so Mason wasn't totally torn between watching both. He stayed outside with watch the action.

EJ and I had a slight panic attack last night as we realized just how crazy we were to have planned both these major projects so closely together. They have both be planned for a while and we never imagined them to go head to head on the same week, let alone same days.

Perhaps knocking the mess out in one day will be good in the long run, but it feels a little insane right now. Thankfully EJ decided to stay home, so I am not dealing with both at the same time.

I am too excited to wait until the landscape crew are done. I know at least mom is waiting for some pics so here they are. I will have more this afternoon when they finish the job. I can't believe how different it already looks. It's like I am seeing our house for the first time. We've been in our house 4 years already and haven't really done much at all. I really can't believe it's happening.

Before

During

Finished
BeforeDuring

Finished
Before

DuringFinished
I thought I should include this close up to reveal the trailer with sinks cabinet, tiles, etc.
Just so you don't think we are too classy ;) Plus I am sure the sports paraphernalia will be scattered soon.

Beloved

Mason's dearest possession in life is his "baby." It's a small blue blanket with a bunny head. He actually refers to the tag of the blanket as his "baby." Baby almost always stays upstairs in his room. The two biggest reasons; so we can easily find it and so it doesn't get as dirty. He only has one so we need it to last!
I was reminded today of just how special baby is to Mason. We hired a guy, Kenny, to help take out the tiles in the bathroom. When Mason realized Kenny was upstairs near his room it made him nervous. So baby was retrieved and stayed close to us today.

Ugh, the mess! I forget how the mess of a room being gutted quickly spreads through the house. We ran into our first set back today. The original tile was laid on top of 1.5 inches of cement. EJ had to rent a mini jack hammer. That starts tomorrow. Fun times. EJ and Kenny weren't surprised by this discovery, I guess they were secretly hoping it wouldn't be the case. Bummer!

Day 2

Mountain Top High

The boys and I went Massanutten this weekend with my parents. EJ stayed home and worked on the bathroom renovation. The leaves haven't really started changing, but it was still breathtaking from up on top. We took a little hike this morning before heading home. Mason landed in the dirt several times b/c he was trying to keep up with Owen and moving much too quickly for the rocky terrain. At one point, Owen claimed Mason looked like a chimney sweep (Mary Poppins is one of their favorites) and he did. I felt too badly taking his picture b/c he was a little injured too.

This was their highlight. I set the camera on the rapid shoot setting and they had a blast looking at themselves jumping off this rock.

The bathroom is officially closed for business. I am thankful I can also close the door and not look in there. What a mess. More demo to come tomorrow.

Ready. Set. Tile.

I picked up the floor and shower tiles today.

Demo starts on Saturday.

I started clearing out the bathroom cabinet.

Enjoy these before photos. Bye Bye mismatched 60s.

We won't miss you!

Lunch Plans

Mason and I had lunch with our Kindergartner to day. I think Mason was a little more excited than Owen. Owen played it cool (although he did ask us to come). It was funny to watch all the kids. They still aren't interacting with each other much. I kept asking Owen questions and the girl two seats away from me answered when he didn't.

Ready to Go

No, Owen didn't melt today, but I think this means he's in the groove for day 3 ;)
Not sure where he thinks he's wearing the sunglasses.

the Royal Treatment

Enough about Owen and me.

Mason got the royal treatment today.
My mom and I took him to get his 2 yr pics taken (only 3.5 months late).
He wiggled way too much but I still had plenty to choose from.

Then he got new pair of shoes. I figured since Crocs were his only pair, it is about time to get real shoes. He was thrilled to be given permission to run and jump around the store. He had a blast testing out each pair.

Last but not least, lunch at McDonalds. (if Owen only knew what he missed)

Those were fun distractions! Thanks mom.

The Questions

It happened. I was afraid after the first day Owen wouldn't want to go back and I was right. As the afternoon and evening wore on he got sadder and clingier. He wanted to know how many days he has to go school. I tried to get away with until Saturday, but he meant the Big number. I couldn't bring myself to answer.
And then it hit me. I know the real truth. The truth that he will be in school for at least 13 more years. That is a really long time. Am I sad for him or myself? I am not sure I like this whole school thing. Do I have what it takes to be a mom of a school kid? It hurts my heart to see him stressed and anxious and yet this is nothing compared to what he will face in the years to come.
You know how sometimes you wish you could know what the future holds? That somehow knowing will make it easier but it never really does. Well, today I am grateful that I can't see it all, because just the little bit that I already know from experience of being a student myself is enough to weigh me down. I am thankful that only God knows because I certainly can't handle it.
Oh, Owen I love you and I know it will get better! I sure did miss you today.

Survived

He did it! The first day is done. I wouldn't say he was grinning from ear to ear and talking as much as I expected, but he seems to have had a good day. I am sure more and more will leak out as the afternoon goes by. He seems pretty tired. Hopefully EJ will get some good details too.

The first thing he said when he got of the bus was "can I finish my snack?, I only had 20 minutes." His sense of time means nothing it's always so random. So he ate the rest of his snack as soon as he walked in the door. And a fresh baked cookie that was waiting for him at home.

1st Day of KG

Woke up to rain this morning. Our first taste of what life at the bus stop will be like after a 30 minute wait in the rain and a very late bus. All his classmates were in the room seated by the time Owen got there. It didn't allow much of a welcome, but he handled it well. A little like a deer caught in the headlights. No tears from me yet. It was too hectic. I can already see why parents complain about the morning routine. Poor Mason is utterly confused. The house is too quiet.