Going Green!

 

The landscaping is underway at the new homestead! Joe and I worked within the guidelines (mostly!) of the package to select the plants we wanted and we drew a schematic of the yard for placemat. This would be the first time a homeowner has had any input into this process here. No one besides us has ever cared! Joe was a little brutal during plant placement and I kept hoping for an accounting emergency that would take him away....

Anyway -- the backbones of our eventual gardens are in and I'll have gardenias all around the front door for sweet Southern fragrance next summer. Ahhhh.

Here is the only meandering walk in the 'hood -- with double the liriope allotment!



We have the only Weeping Willow and the only Yochino Cherry to date in any of the three "phases". See why they are anxious to finish with us?



Next up: sod. Can't wait!

The Winner's Circle

 

Here we are in the "Winner's Circle" at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. We took a toru that gives you two laps around the big track and you can't believe how steep the bank really is! We also got to "drag" on the Drag Racing Track there.

FAST!

Fabulous at Five!

 


Here is the Birthday girl blowing out the candles and making wishes for the year to come! She had a full day of Kindergarten, Ballet, and the Birthday Feast she ordered:





It's a menu only a 5 year old could love! Homemade Mac and Cheese, Italian Wedding Soup, Carrots and Dip, and the ultimate treat -- Sprite!

All She Wants for Christmas.....

Sophia is lovin' her lack of front teeth right now -- but by Christmas -- maybe she'll want those permanent ones around.

She lost both teeth in the span of a week. She has logged two visits from the Tooth Fairy while refusing to surrender the goods, and has acquired a bit of a lisp!

Birthday Bonanza!

We are exhausted from singing the birthday song in these parts this weekend! We began Saturday morning with a special tea party for our special Gabriella and Livi (Givi as they are known around here!). Thanks to the Oogles and Googles Party Ladies the guests of honor and their friends were occupied by everything from dress up to tea party manners!

 

Sandra at "Sandra's Cake Creations" outdid herself with the matching teapot cakes and the tea cup cupcakes.



We raced the kids from that party to two others yesterday, and brought it all to a finish by hosting Craig's birthday at our neighborhood pool this morning. He had a little help from Adam, blowing out the candle on one of those mighty tasty Bo-Berry Biscuits!



And here's one I like to call "Kickin' Cousins" -- the Chapman 8 splashing it up poolside!

The Latest from These Parts....

 

We've got walls, we've got wood floors, and we've got cabinets arriving next week. This week I'll select lighting and carpet. And this afternoon we're getting down to the nitty gritty of buying furnishings and wall treatments for the family room. Yippee skippee!

Kindergarten is Fun!

So after that teaser of a day last week that is known in these parts as "Staggered Entry" -- little G headed off today for her first real-deal day of Kindergarten. She didn't spend much time there today without me. What with the PTA minutes I was transcribing, and the SOS last night from Francesca's teacher to come in and handle a few Centers while she did her one on one reading assessments. And of course the Moms help with Kindergarten lunch all this week (we didn't lose a single milk carton to the floor -- hooray!). All that "free time" everyone kids me about turned into 30 minutes at home putting away laundry followed by a quick meeting at the "homesite" with the builder before the bus brought them all home. And so it goes....

Her take on Kindergarten. She made HUNDREDS of friends and learned BILLIONS of rules!



And in other news -- the double teams of bricklayers are making it happen over at the ranch....