baby proofing the brown house

summer is coming to a close and i am so excited this week to have the wardlings back in school. a few weeks ago i was really enjoying having them all home, but as of this week, school cannot start early enough. they have just seen way to much of each other. we are bickering @ home, @ the pool, @ the supermarket etc. our latest dilema was last night when libby couldn't go to her activity day girl pool party, due to an H1N1 (swine flu) incident. she is still mad @ me today. when we broke the news to her, tears instantly flowed. we were consoling, apologetic, and tender with her for the rest of the night. we couldn't put our family @ risk nor the 80+ students that clyde would come in contact with. this morning, libby goes on and on about not being able to go and i couldn't take it anymore. i totally flipped. the girls have been @ each others throats in an attempt to be their own person. they all have to share one room and so it gets cramped over the summer. we painted and organized their room and are going to begin work in the boys' room soon. it needs some tlc for sure. school + wardlings = a happy ashley!

jacob is nervous about starting kindergarten. some days he is way psyched and others he would probably attempt climbing back into the womb, so that he wouldn't be able to go. we meet teachers this week. erin is excited to show libby around her new school. josh will be able to keep an eye on his little brother @ school too. we have our new school year supplies, new backpacks, paper all readyh to go. jacob actually spent close to an hour this morning sharpening our pencils for the pencil jar. we have had problems in the past with finding pencils, or sharpened pencils, or crap just the sharpener. so this year we bought an electric pencil sharpener and are swiping a tip from josh's kindergartner teacher. she had 2 cups, one full of sharpened pencils and one to put the dull pencils in. once you have used the pencil lead until it is dull, then you put it, the dull pencil, in the other cup...then once a week or two, they all get sharpened. the cycle starts over again. i think it will be a big success here.

Penny will be the only wardling at home. it felt like an eternity away, just a few years ago thinking of the future when this day would come and here it is. she will not be totally alone though. we will be watching a wee one from church everyday. i think that penny will love her role as a 'big sister' since she isn't one. the little fella is only 7 months old, so it'll be fun to have a baby in the house. and hokey crap do i need to baby proof the brown house...outlet covers, baby gates, saftey locks for the cabinets etc. whew-

i have loads upon loads of photos to post as well...that will most likely get done next week. i have been busy making all sorts of alterations for folks this week and last as well. in the last week, i have altered 2 suit jackets, 2 dresses, 2 skirts, 5 suit pants, and finished up the crib dust ruffle i promised to make, since february. i'd love to have this as a total side job on a regular basis. i am so proud for being able to do such things.

alright...off to the pool on one of our last days of summer vacation. hopefully today will not end up with all the wardlings in some kind of time out for one thing or another, as it was yesterday. go figure.