Unexpected

Donovan and I weren’t expecting to buy a car* tonight

but when hubby finds a treasure 

you pack up the kid and the playdoh** 

and head off for a test drive. 

It only took about 2.5 hours, start to finish - so much better than some dealerships -  and Donovan was incredibly patient and well-behaved. 

Wish I had a pic of his face when the convertible top folded itself into the trunk. Magic!!

* it’s a 2016 BMW 228i convertible with under 18k miles.

** I also brought an iPad, McDonald’s happy meal and his favorite lollipops. Not our first time buying a car with kids in tow! 😂

Kids

Pop took 9 or 10 pics, trying to get one decent shot.

Donovan looks the same in each.

Guess ya gotta take what you can get.  😂😂

Crowned

Crowned him - I’m much happier with the wings now.

Still hoping to finish this up tomorrow.

Progress

Making progress on the sleepy dragon (from here.)

Hoping to make his crown tomorrow and put all the pieces together this weekend. I’m having second thoughts about that yellow but it looks better in person. I think. 

First Days

As of today, all the grand-darlings are in school!

Donovan, 4, 

started T-K (transitional kindergarten) today

after doing orientation yesterday. 

He **loved** his first day at big kid school. 

Jac insisted on having Peanut Butter in the pic too

Jaclyn, 6,

 I’m proud of that braid! 

is a first grade fashionista 

from the top of her new pink hat to the tip of those little pink boots.

(I tried talking her out of the boots - it was 85° today - but she wasn’t interested.)

Leanne, 11, started middle school today. She loved it, for the most part, but said going from class to class is “weird.”

Also? The band director said she couldn’t start out on drums, so she wants to play trumpet. Can’t wait to see her mom’s reaction! (Trumpets are LOUD.)

 Love that hair color!

Addison, 15, started school August 16 as a high school sophomore (!!). How did that happen so fast?

Even scarier - she qualified for her driver’s permit. And promised to take me for a ride in November. Whoo!

Still waiting for first day pics of Leia, 14, who’s a freshman taking high school and college classes this year. And playing club volleyball. She’s going to be my most exhausted grand-darling. 

Snail Lady

Jac found a treasure today*

when we went out to water and try out her new hat.

Local water rules have us restricted to one 8-minute sprinkler watering a week, 

so we’re supplementing with grey water from sinks and bathtubs, trying to keep alive the important things - orchid tree, shrubs in the lizard habitat and the lavender the bees love. 

Jac’s a bit annoyed she’s not able to water the dragon as much as she would like, 

but she still thinks this is a pretty cool way to spend an afternoon. 

And no, she was not allowed to bring the shell indoors, like she really, really wanted. 

New Plan

Back in May, when Reyna and I decided to do a paper-pieced block-of-the-month, I figured I’d wing it each month, making whatever interested me at the time. 

Turns out that’s (a lot) more stressful, and much less productive, then I thought. I’m spending more time trying to decide what to make than I am making it. 

Sew, the plan now is to make a flower garden,

using this fat quarter as inspiration for the colors.

My August block - Coneflower with Butterfly by Amy Friend at During Quiet Time - 

fits well with July’s sunflower.

 Jac’s color pile 

And every garden needs some critters, 

so Jac helped me pick colors (“rainbow! not yellow! more pink! not That pink!” 😳) 

for a cute little snail, one of her current favorite creatures,

to replace the meh! block from June. 

Jac says I have to add a sun (every garden needs one) and I’m planning to include an inchworm and tools and . . . who knows what else.  Sure is nice to have a (partial) plan. 

Sewing Bug

Leanne: “I feel like sewing. Maybe a pillow?”

I cut the fabric (because, rotary cutter) but she did everything else, including pinning, sewing, pressing, stuffing and hand-stitching the final seam. 

Somebody is very pleased with her new bed pillow. And I might have mentioned that there’s plenty more fabric . . .

Botanical Beauties #8

This is Lily of the Valley, Botanical Beauties #8.

I know a brown background and lightly textured solids aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I seriously love this. Good thing, since it’s for me! 

Just four blocks to go . . .

Zoo Doo

Leia has a class tomorrow 

and Leanne has another school orientation on Friday, 

so today looked like our best bet

for a last summer trip to the zoo. 

Despite a rocky start -

Jac decided she did. not. want. to. go. to. the. ZOO. AT ALL.

and tantrumed until we were almost to Carpinteria -

 Close up to a napping gorilla

it turned into a very nice day. 

 Ralph and Felicia, aka Mom and Dad 

The gorillas and all 3 lions 

 Baby Pauline grew up!

were sleeping right next to the viewing windows.

Jac and Donovan were fascinated (and maybe a little nervous).

 Practicing their wallaby imitation (looks a lot like their t-rex act 😜)

We also got our first look at the new Australian exhibit, 

where the animals (mainly emu and wallabies) roam free.

We usually spend a long time at the ant (sliding) hill 

but Jac and Donovan each took one ride down and were done,

 My view most of the day - “wait for meeeeeeeeee”

preferring the climbing ropes and the play dinosaur nest instead. 

It’s funny;

I don’t think Leia and Leanne ever even looked at the rope climb - the hill slide was everything to them.  

A little shopping, 

and finally, my favorite part of the day -

Zzzzzzzzzzz