Summer winds down

Here we are, one full week left of summer.  Countdown to kindergarten is ON.  By Friday we will know which class Parker is in.  Monday we get to tour her classroom and meet the teacher.  Things are getting REAL!!

Parker is beyond ready to move on from preschool.  Academically she's killing, she makes friends with ease, and her confidence is so strong.  I know she will thrive in this new environment and I can't wait to experience it all with her.  P is very excited to ride the bus, meet new friends, and play with her neighbor friends.  No fear at all.

Teagan on the other hand might miss big sis a little bit.  The reality of P not being in the same building with her has hit home.  They clung to each other on the ride to school this week.  Tears were involved.




No crying allowed at Target though! Oh wait, I take that back.  Once I broke the news to Teagan that the hideous garage-sale-esque  scarf she picked out belonged to Target and only Target she was not happy about it.

The fruits, erhm, veggies of their labor have paid off in the form of bright orange baby carrots.  P & T are loving pulling these out daily and munching away. Next year we are going to kick the garden up a notch.  By we I mean the girls.  I keep three things alive--P, T & E--and that's enough for me right now.  No need to add veggies into the mix!

Our pedi is the bom dot com. Not only is she knowledgeable & holistic but she throws client appreciation parties.

We had face painters ::

Heaven on Earth, aka, a shaved ice truck

Live music ::

And a full on petting zoo! Check out that face on Teagan. This girl was obsessed with the ducks and chickens.  She sat for the longest time with the chickens on her lap.  When one would hop off she would walk over, grab it all by herself, and sit back down for cuddles.  

This got me thinking--could we buy our own chicken?? If you saw how happy Teagan was in the presence of this feathery guy the same thought would be going through your mind.  So off to Google to find the city ordinance I went. You CAN have chickens thoughhhhhhh you can only own 12 or less (easy) and you need to have at least one acre. We live on .6 acres and that's considered a very large lot. It is near impossible to find a house in our city with 1 acre of land so basically you can't have chickens.  

Good thing we're having a petting zoo for the girls bday party this year!

Our zoo has music, food, and drinks every Wednesday night in July and August. So of course every Wednesday night in July and August we are in attendance.  This particular night was super cool due to a very active polar bear!

#polarbearbuttselfie

Nothing to see here except THE CUTEST BABY EVER. This girl has my heart. You know the saying about three kids? Certainly applies:

First kid : I make the rules
Second kid: I'm the reason we have rules
Third kid : The rules don't apply to me

True true & true!

Downward dog while enjoying pizza.  #gameon

A couple weeks ago I was able to volunteer on the girls field trip to the Aquarium.  It was so fun spending this extra time with them, all their friends, and the parents as well.  Looking forward to many more field trips in the future!

Girls helped make Kris' birthday brownies. Eating the batter is always the best part :)

When I ask the girls to pose for pictures I get a true representation of their personalities.  Sisters, yes.  Same personality, NO! 

xoxo

Stacie

Home Sweet Home

Our house.  How I love the deep wooded backyard.  The sledding hill.  The trails that begin in our backyard and wind through the trees, connect to more trails, and eventually lead right into downtown.  The court filled with friends for the girls to ride bikes with, color with chalk, and play chase, without concerns of cars whizzing by.   The award winning schools that will benefit them in ways I can only imagine.

The only problem with the school district? The homes built in our specific area that we wanted to be in based on the elementary -- middle -- high school flow are all from the 60s to 80s with no open areas for new construction. Thankfully our home was mildly updated but for the past two years my plans to kick this home up a notch have been in full force.  

Finally FINALLY we are almost complete with the living and dining room.  This room never felt right to me though I couldn't put my finger on it.  Right off the bat I knew the purple walls had to go.  I must have been intoxicated though when I decided to go with baby blue paint.  I wanted this to be our bright room (a choice I quickly regretted) so I decorated with reds, yellows, greens, anything bright was invited into this space.  But it still didn't seem right.  

So we made and installed a new mantle, changed the base trim from tan to white, and installed a new dining room light.  Still not right.  So I white washed the fireplace, removed the curtains, and took our the bright accents.  Still didn't help.  So we went all out and ripped out the wood floors and installed new wide planked rustic ones.  Framed out the doorwalls and added crown molding.  Turned the dining room wall into a gallery wall, repainted with Sherwin William's Lazy Gray, and tada.  Go big or go home, right?? 

Listing pic below :: too dark, too crowded, no details

Transition phase :: wainscoting added, new light, bright accents and wall color 

Today :: MUCH more my style (funny how my style changes so much in less than two years).  Yellowed small plank floors -- adios.  Baby blue nursery wall color is a thing of the past.  Gallery wall in process.  My babes are on the right -- all 9 months old, all in the same car, all in the same polka dot dress.  Crown molding is up.  Bright colors, buh bye.   

Listing pic :: should be titled, how to feel depressed in a room.

Transition phase :: all the colors.  I don't hate it and I like where we are headed. 

Today :: still need to figure out the decor aspect.  What to put next to the fireplace? Should I add a tan couch in front of the fireplace like the red one? The current feel of the room is a little cold so I need to make it a bit more inviting.  In the works. I also need a thin TV stand.  I planned to make it myself though K fears I will experience death via power tools.  Maybe an online purchase is the safest bet. 

Listing pic :: blah, just blah

Transition phase :: all the colors and a coffee table which is just trouble with a baby and two big kids running around. 

Today :: clean, crisp molding and fresh neutral paint.  The feel is much calmer now. 

The wood floors were just what we needed to turn this home from boring to rustic modern.  While it was a large scale project it really only took about a month or so from demo to done.  Very happy with the end result.  On to the next one (whatever that may be...) 

Columbus, baby J, movies & more!

Another poolisde weekend in the books.  Never ever will I get sick of our backyard vacation.  With the intense summer sun and our pool solar cover we had water temps up to a heavenly 96 degrees last week.  Borderline hot tub & fine by me.  Though come Sunday after a couple days of clouds the water dropped back to where we heat it, 88 degrees.  Still super warm, but poor little Teagan was unpleasantly surprised by the "cold" water as she took her first dip in the pool cannonball style.  Cried cried cried!

Straight chillin

Poolside cabana for rent

Little Emerson had the pleasure of meeting the Detroit Zoo penguin this past week during our weekly pizza and live music night. Look how thrilled she is to be held in 90+ degree heat while her sisters (not pictured) frolic in the zoo splash pad.

We lost Sydney almost a year ago and Parker still draws pictures of her every single day :(  The girls have been asking for a new puppy but I am SO not there yet.  But hey, it looks like Parker would like a bunny and fox too so I have some options!

Ahhhh, the memories being made all on our court.  Nothing like a late night outdoor viewing of Zootopia with popcorn and the neighbor crew.  Such an enjoyable night.  Made for some cranky pants the next day but it was definitely worth it.  

A couple weekends ago we made the trek to Ohio to see baby Jack.  Full steam ahead!

The girls loved being able to meet prince Jack.  It was so heartwarming to see all the cousins together :) 

E looks HUGE next to J!! 

Do you think Parker is a proud cousin or what?! :) 

The weekend weather was insanely hot so we stayed indoors at the amazing Cosi Science Center.  So much for the littles to touch and explore.  Later in the day we wandered out to the Jazz & Rib Festival and enjoyed the super cool riverside splash pad.  These girls have it made!

Ready to enjoy another week of amazing temps!