Good Morning!

Happy Labor Day!

My past week was crazy-busy, and yesterday was my first day at home (w/o nannying) in many.


I had a meet-n-greet with a new nannying family last Monday evening at their vacation home up here (and a YUMMY dinner with insalata caprese - my favorite!).  Then, I spent all day Tuesday and Thursday with their two little kiddos.  The one-year-old is newly walking and constantly on the move, so there was no rest for the proverbial wicked save nap times (when they BOTH went down - whoo-hoo!).  At 2 1/2 years old, baby boy's big sister is absolutely adorable . . . although her speech is not always understood by Bopee!  ;)  

Talk about a small world, though:

• the house that the family owns up here was once a cabin (now added on to) built by Explorer Guy (the ex's BFF),
• they live in the SAME little neighborhood in Minneapolis that the ex and I did,
• and the wife/mama works at the same corporation that the ex did!  Ha!

They've got a great trail (complete with wooden walkways in the wet spots) built through the woods that leads to a rough bench down at the edge of a creek.  We three (the kids and me and their dog, of course!) took a nice walk down there on Tuesday.  Here's one of our discoveries along the way:

If you enlarge this picture, you'll see that the little one is examining a woolly bear caterpillar (which turns into a Spotted Tussock moth - I think).

I'm so glad that I remain in their memories after just two days with them:  the mama sent me an e-mail yesterday saying that this little girl told her, "Bopee calls me 'Pumpkin'!"  Apparently, this is BIG because she can be a little "aloof" even with people she knows.  That makes a Bopee's heart happy.  :)

The previous Thursday, at work, I got to hang out with Bunny while his mommy and big sister went out on their first "girls only" lunch date.  I had both a front carrier and stroller in case he was unhappy (I'd take him out for a walk instead of having a crying baby in a business building!), but he didn't utter a peep the whole time!  At 4 1/2 months, he's a super happy, easy baby.

Lookit those thunder thighs!  Tickle, tickle, tickle!

Hey!  There's a baby sleeping in the gallery!

I took the new header image on my way into town a week ago today.  Beautiful early-fall on the North Shore.  (I didn't "tweak" the colors at all!)

After the two full days of nannying on Tuesday and Thursday, I traded those 2 1/2 & 1 year olds for these two, aged 3 and 1:

 

 

Mr. Grinny is super, super, SUPER sensitive to bug bites (so our outside time was very limited, unfortunately), and, yes, the bugs are STILL bad here!  INSANE!  Even though it dropped down to 34.9 degrees and I had fires built in two of the wood stoves last night, my work outside yesterday still included my bug jacket!  Gad - WHEN will they be done this year??

I love this time-lapse, both images taken at Una's house (that's me) May 30th & September 2nd, respectively.  The difference that three months makes!  I really see her personality now, and while I don't see her mom in the big brother, I DO see Mama in this one's belly laughs!  :)

Yesterday was a clean-up, catch-up day.  First off, all the toy cars went into the dishwater in preparation for use by the next visiting little ones:

Wanna know how to find out how dirty your floor REALLY is?  Sit down & play cars on it with a 3-year old.  Aaaghhh!

When I tried to get into the battery room of the garage yesterday, I got the door opened just by pure luck.  Note how the mount of the latch sticks out?  Note to self:  no closing that door again until I fix the latch!

I think mice are fairly adorable . . . providing they're not alive in the house!  So, these two cuddlers that I found in a grain barrel when I went out to do chores deserved to have their photo taken.

They have a deluxe apartment built on the top shelf in the grain room.

If the critters have gotten themselves into a grain barrel whose contents are too low for them to jump back out, they're always glad when I stick the broom into the barrel!

I love this picture!  "See ya later!"

The pullets, now 4 (5?) months old.  I love the beards on the Salmon Faverolles.

Above and below:  beautiful plumage, no?

I can't WAIT until these guys start producing!  For the first time in MANY years, I am eggless.

Front and center Barnevelder.

When I was on the deck of the pub watering the container tomatoes yesterday, I thought I'd treat you to a view of the house you don't normally see.  (GOTTA take down that dead pine!)

Speaking of taking trees down . . . need to cut this one up that fell on the woodshed (no damage) during the summer's biggest windstorm.

And, lastly . . . yesterday, I started cleaning up the pile of scrap wood in the woodshed that nearly killed me that week or so ago.  (Yes, my hand still hurts when I move it certain ways.  Wonder if I'll always have problems w/it now?)  Today is a beautiful day, so I'll split my time between office work here on the computer and outside work.  Maybe the cool temps last night will have slowed the skeeters down a little?!  We can only hope!