Dinner (Now!): No Stove Summer Supper

I will not be giving a recipe because what you see is what you get. Humus and cheese for protein and what whatever veggies look good in the grocery. The real trick is to put it all in a tray or in a picnic basket. and ...
GO OUTSIDE!

My kids usually balk at a 'salad' but when the can pick out what bits they like & eat them with their fingers, al fresco all is well.

With the first day of summer bringing scorching temps, I was happy not to have to even turn on a burner, oven or grill. When I'm feeling more ambitious, I'll may even include some homemade humus.

Enjoy the summer everyone! Nutritious, vegetarian, easy & less than 15 mins!

Springing thru Spring

spring

There just hasn't been any time to post in the last month. Not to mention that laptop with a few of my planned post is currently --DEAD--.  It is so so so sad. We've also been so busy in the last couple of weeks of spring. Of course we had Princes A's 3rd Birthday Party, and it was about the most fun fishy party anyone could have. I also had the opportunity to show paintings in the local Sp@ce 224 Gallery. I signed up to take a section of the Architecture Record Exam, so if you see me out at of coffee shop with my nose in a text book, you know why. There was also poetry workshops, an Architecture for Humanity Chapter here in Buffalo, the continued process of moving into our house, getting the yard ready for warm weather. Did I mention knitting, painting, and a genuine job hunt on my part? How is it that I am typing this right now? 

Did I mention that the our dear 3 year old as almost entirely given up naps?  When people ask, "how have you been?"  I nearly always answer, "busy, very busy."  I've only recently come to realize that I'm not complaining. I actually like being busy.  I've learned that I do need breaks from time to time, but active and engaged with my family, friends and community is my bliss. You'd also have a hard time getting me to ever stop painting again. It's only possible because there are things that I know I may never get around to, and I've nearly accepted this in my life, nearly.

I like to take on projects and challenges for myself, I'm happiest that way. Things won't really quiet down over the summer, and K-Dog is starting "real" school in the fall. I'm kind of looking forward to the excitement. More post on all of our goings on are to come. Are you anything like me, do you find that you like being busy?

Sandbox Season Starts!

Its' official, its Sandbox season!
Now how do I get them inside for a nap?

Find out how NOT to build a sandbox here.

or what to put in one if you actually manage to buy or build a working one.  Melissa and Doug Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cookie Set*

ENJOY!



*affiliate link

Spring

HOPEFUL

I know I've said that Fall is my favorite season, but this year, spring may be a very close second. Call it global warming, but we really didn't have a very harsh winter, and for the first time in the 16 years here in Buffalo the first day of spring actually felt like spring!

I think that many people thing of spring as just preparation for summer. Of course, I started my spring cleaning and project list in anticipation of warmer days. However, I am making a personal effort be in this moment: hopeful, new, clean, and bright or unsure, rainy, waiting, and unripe.

I've completed my Pantry Purge, and I'm mostly done with an art  intensive ARTFix 2012 so of course I'm looking for some new projects.

The 6 Best Things About Being A Mom

That "OMG" moment
(when I realized I was a Mom of two!)

1) I finally have something in common with my Mom. I don't know about your relationship with your Mom but for me and mine... Let's put it this way, we've had our differences. Since I've had kids there has always been something we connect on. She loves to give me advice and I love to ignore it. But I know her heart is in the right place, and I love her for it.


2) I can blame most stains and my lax housekeeping on the progeny.  Martha does not live here. So when people come to visit the toys, laundry and mysterious wetness can easily be explained by the little cherubs being underfoot. As far at the coffee stains on my jacket, well I will take partial blame for that.

3) There are at least 2 people in the world who think it's 1/2 normal to dance and sing whenever one is stuck at a red light. I know I have my eccentricities and car dancing is one of them. However as far as K-dog, and Princess-A know, I am perfectly normal. I'm sure I'll embarrass them one day but until then, "Pump up the Jams".

Mom's (I mean the kids') sandbox

4) I almost always have crayons & Clif bars in my purse. I'm not known for being the most organized person in the world, but I've had to get it together a bit for my little ones. The thing is, I love art supplies, and who doesn't need a snack form time to time. Being a Mom means having the magic purse that seems to always produce a wipey, granola, or distraction when needed. Even if I'm the one who needs it.

5)  I get to design  sandboxes. I love learning to use my creativity in new ways. I mean, I never knew how many pop song could be turned into potty training ditties. My children stretch my imagination every day.  The sandbox was just the first, I'm wishing for a fairy fort and hopefully they'll let me sit in with the garage band from time to time.

6) My kids! Pardon me for saying so, but I have the best little ones that anyone could hope for. Mysterious wetness, the mommy wars and sleep deprivation aside they bring enormous joy to my life. I wouldn't be who I am without them.

Season of Photography: Shoes

This weeks assignments for the Season of Photography Challenge was Shoes  I really did take some pictures that were not of my kids, but again a quick snapshot is my favorite. Enjoy fall!

 

Boy Shoes

See the other entries or join in  here at Crunchy VT Mommy's blog.  Happy shooting!
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Wordless Wednesday: Me

{Photo Credit: Dear Husband Gregory}

Wordless Wednesday: Kindergarten!

"Kindergarten"

 age 4 3/4

 

age 3 3/4

age 2 3/4

Wordless Wednesday: summer back yard

Why Not to Hire an Architect to Build a Sandbox:Part 3

However, my poor children have no choice. The design bug bit both of their parents as young adults. My DH and I don’t always have the same taste or opinion on design (read: 3 years to paint one bathroom). However, what we agree on is a love the problem solving, imagining, making, and a hate of painting the bathroom. When we found out we were having my son, the first think I could think about was how to redecorate his room, and the kick-*ss tree house we were going to build. He was one before his room was done, but that is another post for another time.

This post is supposed to be about architects and sand boxes. This is going to tell you how we did it, but please do not take this as a How TO post if you need instructions for a simple, functional, and rational designs go here: ==>>Great Sandbox Plans <<== . As doctors make poor patients, architects make poor clients, so we both took these plans and proceeded to ignore them completely.  See the start of this project check out Part 1, and Part 2.

Here's the back story: Probably 3 years ago my husband drove by one of those traditional sandbox turtles, and garbage-picked it. It appealed to the both of us, re-used, retro, already to fill with sand and it covered the not grassy spot in the back yard perfectly. My son loved it for at least two summers!

.

(You can see the outline of the new one behind there)
Then DD turned one. The turtle was not big enough for the two of them. Something had to be done immediately!

So in and effort to fit a bit more sandbox in an already cramped back yard we came up with this design. I really wish I could find the old plans for this one, yes there were plans, just be glad I didn’t draft it in 3D. It didn’t take too many weekends, used a bit of log from a tree damaged in the “2006 October Storm”. We constructed it just like our raised garden and it would have been integrated as planting space when the kiddos lost interest. I say, “would have been” because about a month after its completion we decided to put our house on the market and move. Kind of like when the city decides to pave your street the year before they decide to dig up and replace the sewer, (and those are engineers…sheesh). Fortunately, family that bought our house also has a young son, and I’d like to think that he’s enjoying it right now.

So, with moving last fall, and winter, and the rainiest spring ever it was the first week of July before we started the new and fabulous designer sandbox.
The outline on the ground was my DH idea, and since we couldn’t have just make a simple rectilinear box, in fact, we couldn’t even make it an octagon, that would have been too easy, and as I said before we needed a challenge. So, it is mostly an octagon, except when it's not, (heptagon I think). We used 2x12’s for the walls and the seat, and 4x4 for the corner and bench supports.

******

Here are a few more images

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BOO-BOO!

Of course, Sunday evening just before we would have called it quits for the first weekend, we have a minor job site injury. So there was a 6-hour detour to the ER, but DD is doing much better now, and as soon as the glue’s gone, we can get back into swim lessons and back yard sprinkles. Good thing we have the sandbox to entertain everyone.

It will probably take 2400lbs of sand

.

We stained it “Gettysburg Blue” I’m not sure DH really likes the color (it’s almost the same as that epic bathroom re-do that I mentioned earlier), but I bought the paint without a formal change order so there you have it.

Its blue!

The cover and sunshade (Ikea, but discontinued I believe) were in fact off the rack, but I’m sure I’ll end up hacking them up in the end. But that’s for next week’s project.

our shady spot

So in short the reason you don’t hire and architect to design your sandbox is that is they will likely go way over on time, materials and of course budget, pay no mind to site safety and in the end you’ll have a seven sided blue sandbox. 

Sun Sail over "over designed sandbox"

Sandbox: Part 2

(look here for Saturday's start)
It was coming together very nicely on Sunday ...

... Until  Stalled by 6 hrs ER visit: 2" of durabond, a late night for everyone, a quick clean up, a very sorry DS & an extension of our construction schedule. But It looks like DD cut will heal ok, and shes not holding a grudge.





Check out the finished sandbox at Why Not to Hire an Architect to Build your Sandbox: Part 3

Why Not to Hire an Architect to Build a Sandbox: Part 1

Laid out on our driveway

Crud

I just found yet another distracton

Trees

Trees make the best mobiles! Or maybe this a good reason call her
Skye. I think she'd stay here all day, weather, brother, and diaper
permitting of course.

Sweet and tart

Sweet and tart and juicy, Kiran loving the summer weather and a
nectarine.