Well, I didn't finish the basement. It turns out the second half requires a lot more work than the first half did. There are definitely more half-unpacked boxes in the second half! I spent as many hours down there as I did last weekend, but it looks worse than it did when I started. (Although my dear husband assures me I am making progress and reminds me how easy the next move will be with everything so organized. He even took time out of his writing to run to Target to buy me about twenty large plastic bins to aid in the organization process, as things were starting to get damp and smell of mildew in the boxes, and we definitely don't have the room to unpack everything.)
The Boy was especially happy with the progress I made because I found a bunch of his toys that have hitherto been buried. He was happiest about his cars, but his hammer was a close second.
When he wasn't racing his cars around, he was happily "hamming" away -- what a great onomatopoeic verb!
(Which reminds me of some other words The Boy has invented along the way. Some of my favorites have been: the "comfterble": that thing on your bed that keeps you warm and comfortable at nap time and at night (aka as a comforter) -- the "giving room": the room of the house where one "gives" of his or her time to other members of the family and guests (aka a living room) -- and the "pahcuter": that thing mom is always sitting and typing on (aka a computer).)
After spending all day Saturday in the basement, I needed to leave the house on Sunday. We found a new place to visit -- Caponi Art Park. There are hiking trails and a sculpture garden and an outdoor theater. The sculptures in the garden weren't exactly "my cup of tea" (as Gramma would say), but some of the landscaping and architecture were fun.
The mosquitoes just about carried us away, so we didn't spend a lot of time in the woods.
But the outdoor theater was excellent! After escaping the woods, we were quite early for the evening's event, so we enjoyed a picnic dinner and a chapter of The Last Battle, the final of the Narnia series. The setting reminded me of the ruins of the amphitheater in Pompeii. The Art Park hosts various events, including a Shakespeare weekend and a Medieval Fair, that we are excited to attend in the future.
Last night the Park hosted a performance by Zeitgeist, a music ensemble comprised of two percussionists, a pianist, and a woodwind player (what do you call someone who plays a woodwind instrument!?!) Anyway, Zeitgeist is all about "new music." Personally, I prefer the old stuff. My husband and I joked that it had a high "twitch factor." After a long day, or a sleepless night, loud noises, including overenthusiastic children, cause me to twitch (in a joking way, as if I'm on the verge of a breakdown). We are not music experts, so we judge music according to "the twitch factor." We prefer music that calms to music that causes us to twitch. But it was a great opportunity for the kids to experience live music, in a beautiful setting (and it was free!).
This week, the plan is to stay on top of my work, spend a couple hours each day in the basement, and start getting things ready for the new school year. My hubby is planning on working three long days writing at the library, in the hopes of making his Friday deadline by Wednesday. If that happens, we will celebrate by getting the tent out for the first time this summer (!) and heading North. Wish us luck!
When he wasn't racing his cars around, he was happily "hamming" away -- what a great onomatopoeic verb!
(Which reminds me of some other words The Boy has invented along the way. Some of my favorites have been: the "comfterble": that thing on your bed that keeps you warm and comfortable at nap time and at night (aka as a comforter) -- the "giving room": the room of the house where one "gives" of his or her time to other members of the family and guests (aka a living room) -- and the "pahcuter": that thing mom is always sitting and typing on (aka a computer).)
After spending all day Saturday in the basement, I needed to leave the house on Sunday. We found a new place to visit -- Caponi Art Park. There are hiking trails and a sculpture garden and an outdoor theater. The sculptures in the garden weren't exactly "my cup of tea" (as Gramma would say), but some of the landscaping and architecture were fun.
The mosquitoes just about carried us away, so we didn't spend a lot of time in the woods.
But the outdoor theater was excellent! After escaping the woods, we were quite early for the evening's event, so we enjoyed a picnic dinner and a chapter of The Last Battle, the final of the Narnia series. The setting reminded me of the ruins of the amphitheater in Pompeii. The Art Park hosts various events, including a Shakespeare weekend and a Medieval Fair, that we are excited to attend in the future.
Last night the Park hosted a performance by Zeitgeist, a music ensemble comprised of two percussionists, a pianist, and a woodwind player (what do you call someone who plays a woodwind instrument!?!) Anyway, Zeitgeist is all about "new music." Personally, I prefer the old stuff. My husband and I joked that it had a high "twitch factor." After a long day, or a sleepless night, loud noises, including overenthusiastic children, cause me to twitch (in a joking way, as if I'm on the verge of a breakdown). We are not music experts, so we judge music according to "the twitch factor." We prefer music that calms to music that causes us to twitch. But it was a great opportunity for the kids to experience live music, in a beautiful setting (and it was free!).
This week, the plan is to stay on top of my work, spend a couple hours each day in the basement, and start getting things ready for the new school year. My hubby is planning on working three long days writing at the library, in the hopes of making his Friday deadline by Wednesday. If that happens, we will celebrate by getting the tent out for the first time this summer (!) and heading North. Wish us luck!
Here's hoping your plan works out and you can have a nice time away before school starts ...
ReplyDelete