Atop the Table

So, for the past ten months we’ve been crammed around our six foot table.  Okay, well, it hasn’t been ten months.  Bryant has only been eating upright for around five months or so…so it’s been five months.  Even so, we were a bit crammed before he joined us.

See?

Yep, Bryant’s off in the corner.  Mark’s squeezing in for space with Ceili Rain.  I squeeze in with Liam.  Zoe fights with Josiah for elbow room.  Dinner time was quite interesting.

We were blessed with our last trip to Ge and Granddaddy’s, however…with an auction find of a table!

Yes, it looks small, but it has two leaves and with the sides out, it’s seven feet long and a few inches wider than our previous one.  And, we also got the chairs that match it.  Six to be exact!  And, we found two more very sturdy chairs to replace our kitchen chairs that were falling apart. I was excited!  And the style was perfect.  All the larger tables I had looked at (both new and used) were way too formal.  We have an eat-in kitchen.  That’s it.  Formal just doesn’t go with an eat-in kitchen area.  At least in my opinion.

Now, please, don’t freak out.  The table and chairs had a beautiful stain on them, but it was peeling in places and something had to be done.  After researching the furniture (it’s Heyword Wakefield, c. 1989), I realized that, given the proper facilities and  if I chose for children not to be anywhere near it, I could sand it down, refinish it and sale it for a lot of money.  I know this. And after sanding it down in upper 90 degree weather, I still knew it.  But I also knew that I had not the time nor the place to do that.

So, I did the next best thing.  I painted it.

And I got help too:

Those are paint shirts…please don’t think I let my boys run around in shirts with extra head holes.

In my quest to find the perfect colors to paint it, I discovered a great idea.

Tinted chalkboard paint!  I know it’s cheesy but my kids love to draw, write, and talk!  What better way than to have a chalkboard table top.  Yes, it’s a little messy but it cleans up well.  I’m sure at some point we’ll have to recoat it.

To make the chairs match the table, I painted the slats with chalkboard paint. So, when company comes (and I remember), I can give assigned seats!

We also added a checkerboard (okay two, I misread the google post and made the board twice as long as it should have been).  That checkerboard has already been the scene for many a battle!  Do you see my jars?  Old glass food jars (cleaned, of course).  The jar on the right has buttons…aka our checker pieces…and they work well too.  The other is full of chalk.  Note to self:  When using a light colored chalkboard paint do not use dark black or brown on the chalkboard…it’s the dickens to get up.

Confession time:  I was really iffy about the tan on the top.  However, we’ve had a white table top before (see above) and it is not pretty when it comes to stains.  So, I went with the tan.  And, as it turns out, I really like it.

Ceili Rain is enjoying it too…she just has to learn that chalk, and only chalk, can go on the table!

Here’s some FYI:  There are a few types of colored chalkboard paint.  We used the tintable that Rustoleum makes because I could purchase it locally.  To do the tabletop and chairs, I used one can of paint with a little left over.  It can be tinted in thirteen different colors.  Not sure why you can’t pick from a color swatch, but that’s something for a seasoned veteran of chalkboard paint to ask, not me.  Oh rolling it with a small nap gives the best finish.

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Our Edventure 2011

First off, just gotta say that if you haven’t used Groupon to get daily deals you are missing out.  If you are like me and have totally given up on scrapbooking because of sheer time consumption, then groupon is a great deal.  I’ve got a few groupons out right now to use towards photo books and I bought them for more than half the price!  Totally worth it to just throw pictures in, choose backgrounds and get up to date on our memories being recorded.  I know you scrapbooking purists are choking on your hot tea (who drinks hot tea in one hundred degree weather), but desperate times call for desperate measures.  So, please don’t guilt me into scrapbooking again, I’ve got enough guilt of my own.  Besides that, I get swagbucks for my Groupon deal which is a double rock. 

Anyway, we had a groupon for Edventure in Columbia, SC set to expire at the end of June.  We looked at, scrutinized, and finally figured out that the best time to go would be at the first of the month.

So, without further ado, here’s our trip to Edventure in pictures.

 Weather and News Reporters…
 Shopping!
 Even Ceili Rain was taken back by Liam’s astounding skills at grabbing everything he could get his hands on.

 Such a conscientious shopper
 Practicing being a farmer.
 I seriously turned these pictures right and checked them but they came out like this.  You know the drill…turn your head.
Fireman practice
 What’s cuter than one little Bry?  Two of them!  And they both know it!
 Sometimes it’s more fun to ride on the outside of the fire truck.

 Hey ladies, check out my wheels!  Oh yeah!
 Fireman Sam, no, Josiah!
 Turn your head again…That’s Ceili Rain in fireman gear from head to toe!
 Construction work.  Please note:no toddlers were harmed in the operation of this “heavy” equipment.

 Bryant was thoroughly impressed with his siblings construction skills.

And, please note, we are standing on the other side of the room.  Didn’t realize there was sound proof glass in the music room.  But I do know why! 

Did you notice my kids attire?  I finally gave in and at 8 o’clock the night before, was scouring Target looking for matching shirts.  I decided safety was the best way to go so everyone is in yellow.  How can you not spot a Bunch of Characters in yellow shirts, especially if one has strayed?  If you’ll notice, Ace is in a striped yellow shirt because, at 8:30 that evening after searching and changing my mind one hundred times, I gave up and let him wear a close-to-matching shirt.  However, that weekend I found a matching yellow shirt and now, all is right with the world.  Look for our bright yellows everywhere.  It’s going to be big people!

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How Does Your Garden Grow???

These are a month later, but here nonetheless!  Mid May I realized our travels were done and I had not planted my summer garden!  Agghhh!  Last year, Papa was a big help in teaching us how to garden.  Now, with me not pregnant or with a newborn, I wanted to venture out and try my hand at it on my own. 

Anyway, at church we were discussing not having tomatoes, and our pastor’s wife mentioned she had seen tomato plants for fifty cents a piece.  I kid you not!  I was stoked and so were several other ladies.  That afternoon, I trekked to Lowe’s and bought thirty-six plants.  Not all for me though.  Those would never fit in my Little Garden Spot.  I kept six and handed out the rest to those who had asked for them but couldn’t make it there.  I also wanted to try my hand at other things.  So, I picked up an okra plant (I really wanted two but I only found one), and two banana pepper plants (I really wanted a squash but they were all gone).  Oh, and two blueberry plants.  Thus, completes our summer garden. 

Mainly, that’s it because that’s all we had room for.  Our Spring garden is still going.

We’d heard that the potatoes were ready to pick when the plants flowered.  We noticed they were flowering and when we went to plant the summer we decided to check on the potatoes. 

And this is where Zoe learned that potatoes grow under the ground.  When I dug my hand in and pulled up the plant she totally freaked out and thought I was just tearing up the plant and angry.

And we did get a few potatoes but, well, you can see in the pictures the size of them.

Zoe was proud of those baby potatoes.  Me, not so much.  So, in keeping with my hands on learning style, I put the plants back in the ground to see if some of them would get bigger.  Since we only had three and we’re all learning.  What can it hurt???

I’ll give them a few more weeks and see where we are.  I also need to run out with my camera and get a couple more pictures.  The tomatoes are looking great!

Want to see how other gardens are growing?  Check them out at Smockity Frocks!

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But wait…there’s more

We had an overabundance of injuries last week, and then this weekend brought on a completely new challenge.  Josiah started running a fever Saturday and then Sunday Zoe and I both went down with sore throats and fevers.  Josiah’s fever tapered off and did not require medicine on Sunday.  So, I thought, we were dealing with a normal virus.  When his rash continued, and I continued to feel horrible today, I decided to take Zoe and Josiah to get checked out.  Turns out, they have strep.  And so do I.  Antibiotics are started and I’m looking forward to a night full of sleep and a day away from the couch tomorrow.

Anyway, so here’s some more amazing pictures from Tracy while I recover.

Zoe girl is turning in to a beautiful young lady!

My Ace-Man is more handsome each day (and he looks just like his dad in case you were wondering)…he’s also a little sillier too!

The Liam Dude…full of spirit, passion, and those adorable blue eyes that will melt your heart!
 Mr. ‘Siah who no longer wants to be called ‘Siah but Josiah.
 Yeah, I’m not sure what this was about…but I think it’s absolutely adorable.  He’s got the cutest outie belly button out there (pun intended)

He’s so silly.  I had to just include multiple pictures of his goofiness.
And, our littlest princess who can bake a cake and kung fu fight…Ceili Rain.
“Enough of this.  My hiney hurts.”

 This is the result of too long getting pictures done and briding with cheerios on top of a mom and aunt making him look silly.  Yeah, I know it’s mean but it’ll be a great embarrassing picture for his fiance.

There’s Mr. Bryant.  All dolled up and adorable.  These last two were actually taken at the beginning of the shoot…hence, the happy faces.
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The result…

 So, after finishing my skirt, and the girls’ dresses, we talked Tracy into taking our pictures again.  This time Mark got to tag along.  We were so worried because it rained on and off all morning.  We almost canceled several times, but then, just decided to go for it and, while everyone got a little muddy, we survived and got what we came for.

 And now, you can see the end results of my skirt experiment, or sort of can.  It really turned out much better than I expected.  I added a white cording on the bottom that just really did it (and kept me from having to hem it!).

So, we get one picture where all but Josiah have a happy face.

 And one where all but Liam have a happy face.  Oh well…at least you can see everyone’s face.

 I believe this will be our new header.  Aren’t they just too precious!?  Props goes to Tracy who edited out the stains that were on Ceili Rain’s leggings after she went sliding in some mud.

 The boy crew!

My Three Musketeers (D’Artagnan was eating dirt at this point).
 My precious princesses!

Don’t worry…there’s more (I know you are all sitting on pins and needles waiting to see them huh?).

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To the Parthenon!

So, back to our convention/mission trip!  On the way home, Liam was acting like he had a little stomach bug but we needed to stop to lunch about the time I saw a sign for the Parthenon.  Now, please don’t think we made a wrong turn (and crossed a very big bridge!).

No, this is the replica that is in Nashville, Tennessee.  I’ve heard about it often and had never gotten a chance to see it (and I’ve only been to Nashville once so there ya go).  I convinced Mark that that would be a good place to eat.  And it was!  There was a huge park there and if Liam had felt better we might have gone to playground and inside the Parthenon.

However he didn’t and the park restroom stalls didn’t have doors and we were all a little creeped out by that.

So, we just walked around, picked up some cicada exoskeletons, and ate lunch.

 A statue we explored while Mark took Liam to potty…again.  I can’t remember who this was but look!

Josiah found a train…is anyone surprised???

Isn’t it beautiful?!  If you look closely at the first picture, you can see the Mark and the kids standing in the columns.  This replica was built for a World’s Fair Expo that was held in Nashville.

Thus ends our adventures the first of May…but wait…there’s more!

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The Bunch with Bells

This dates back to April, but it’s ring worthy!

My mom gave the kids some bells for Christmas a couple of years ago.  It’s taken me until now to get organized enough to teach them a song or two.

At our homeschool care group’s annual performance and project fair, our crew made their debut with very little whining, complaining and dancing.  Here’s the proof:


The Bunch with Bells from justabunchofcharacters on Vimeo.

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Give me Liberty…

Retreat Center in Gleason, TN.  Basically, in the middle of nowhere.  Well, actually, it’s near Paris…Tennessee.  Yeah, that’s about it.

Anyway, Mark and I have been discussing mission trips to take with the family.  There are several organizations that offer mission trips for families but at the cost of around $500 per person.  Yeah, you do the math.  Oh, I wouldn’t have to pay for nursing babes though…that’s $500 less.

So, we were brainstorming and remembered that we knew a family that ran a Christian retreat center.  Mark contacted them and he said there were a few things we could do around the place to help spruce it up before their summer season started. 

And off we went, (keep in mind that we had not been home since the homeschool conference).  It just so happens that we scheduled this trip after the big storms in April.  Thankfully, Liberty did not get hit with any tornadoes but they did have over twenty trees down just on the road to get to the driveway.  And on the driveway a big oak (I think) fell taking two more trees with it.  There was a ton of branches and such that needed to be picked up. 

There was also a trail and a challenge course all covered with large branches from all the storms.  All needing to be cleared so campers could use their facilities this summer.

So, we cleared.  And cleared.  And when the kids and I couldn’t take the heat and needed rest time, Mark cleared some more.

 The bunkhouse on the left and the conference center on the right.  These places were really nice.
 A view from the semi cleared trail.

 Josiah worked hard.  Ceili Rain did too.  At whining.  Ceili Rain didn’t seem to enjoy the sweat and branch picking up job so much.  She mostly just followed us around begging to be held.

 Ahhh, rest time.  And satellite tv.  No internet but we could watch PBS so all was right with the world.

 We didn’t just work, we also got to play.  Well, we got to watch others play.  The directors sons were playing baseball so we got to see the two oldests’ last game of the season.  This was the first baseball game we’ve taken the kids to.  They were more impressed with the clean up crew between games than the actual game.  I don’t think baseball is in their future.
 Liam tried to climb the 10 foot wall…
 And quickly found the ladder instead.
 Zoe really enjoyed this.
 I kept my balance briefly, ever so briefly.
 Liam decided he wanted down after climbing the ladder to the wall.  We just threw him over the side and let him drop.  Not really.  I helped him down the rope and Mark caught him at the bottom.
 The big oak that fell on the road (like that needed a description).  They already had some people come and clear out to drive around it.  But all the brush was left out and needed to be moved.
 Do you see the cross in the shadow.  Pretty!
 Yes, we all slept good at night.
 Clearing…
 More clearing…
 Ace likes a challenge.
 Zoe too.
 If you can’t pull it, might as well just climb on it.  The tree was struck by lightening right near the base of it, so we used that as a little science lesson and looked at the black left from it.

 This is where we moved all the brush.  Big ol’ bonfire is acomin’!

And as we worked, Ace’s keen eyes spotted this sitting on one of the logs…

 We took the kids in shortly after this.  Mark didn’t have a snake disarming tool at the time and when he did, it had slithered somewhere else.  We still haven’t looked it up, but we’re guessing it’s a baby copperhead.

 After all our hardwork and leaving…all the brush is cleared away.  Firewood is just waiting to be moved.
And Zoe and Ace enjoyed the three story tree house!
And we actually managed a great group shot all on our own.
Ya know, I worry every time we go somewhere that the kids might get bored if there’s nothing to do.  But, we had very little “entertainment” in a one bedroom cabin and they had a blast!  Lots of games inside and out that they made up and all.  Having beautiful weather so they could go out and climb and play was a big bonus too.
Oh, and our tick count was at four.  One on Josiah, one on Zoe, and two on Mark.  He won.  Not something to be proud of.  I’m still itching and checking!
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And, I’m back…sort of

Still trying to get through my list and get ready to start up next week but this here’s startin’ somethings we’ve been up to this past month…

After the convention we traveled to Alabama and picked up the other half of our kid crew.  We enjoyed a short visit and stories about what they did while we were gone.

One of which included Liam refusing to eat baby carrots because he thought they were bay food!

Bryant loves getting cuddles!  Grandmere was a little fond of them too.

 The biggest treat for the older kids was a zipline Papa bought and installed.  That was one of the highlights of the weekend.

 Mark also made it a point to let Papa know that Josiah likes the dirt (he will literally roll in it at home).  So, Papa made sure Josiah got some dirt playing time in.

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