Projects!

I was home with the kiddos today for the first Friday in a long time. I've been on a Tuesday/Friday off routine for some time, but this summer, most of our Friday's have been spent out of town. And, Tuesdays are spent at the library, grocery and doing laundry. So, the free day at home was an exciting prospect for me. And, Tom is working the sales center on Saturday's now, so the kids and I are swinging it solo at home during the day tomorrow too.

I really wanted to tackle some projects since I have a whopping three days at home with nothing planned. I've been making a list of house projects so that when I have free time, I can decide to tackle them. Some are large and require quite a bit of preparation and project time (refinish an armoir, create a craft/gift wrapping station, set up an art area for Tom) and some are small and can easily happen in a day (clean out desk in guest room, organize basement bins, organize bath closet).

So, did I choose any of those projects today? Nope. I was side tracked by a few things. One, some trades were here this morning finishing up some punch out items. So, I tried to keep the kids occupied and entertained with puzzles and coloring. Two, I've been working on a real estate deal for a while now  and was really trying to get it wrapped up today. Three, I started feeling guilty that the kids would be bored (AKA watch way too much TV) while I worked on a project, so I tried to think of something to do with them.

End result? I got a little done but also involved the girls too. (Jack's happy doing whatever the group is doing, plus, most of this was done during naptime.) First, they let me work on their hair. This NEVER happens any more. I kept them sidetracked with the iPad. I'll have to remember that. I did Josie's first and Tessa thought it looked just like Tangled. So, she let me do hers. It was out within minutes of this picture.

During Jack's nap, the girls colored some shirts that Aunt Trena gave them at the lake this year. I think they did a great job. Now, the trick is, they're supposed to wash out and then you can color them again. I think I'll be washing them with the swimming pool towels just in case...

Finally, I've been really trying to get organized for school so it doesn't ransack the house. The girls backpacks are ready to go, the kitchen is stocked for lunches and after-school snacks and I'm (relatively) caught up on laundry. One last thing I want to work on is getting hooks for their backpacks. I just know they'll be dumped where ever and that will drive me nuts. Plus, getting them in the right habit the first week of school will help immensely when the coats and hats are added to the mix. While I didn't get the hooks done today (maybe Sunday), I did do a quick little thing that I think is cute.

I crocheted a long chain (just for thickness) and then cut out two initials for each girl and let them decorate them. I glued those onto clothespins and then attached the chain to the bulletin board. Voila! A cute little way for them to display their favorite school work! (This really came about due to the stainless steel fridge - no magnets!)

All in all, fun day. Tomorrow, I hope to be able to take on some additional, perhaps more functional, projects. If not, oh well...

{Re-reading this before I post and this makes it sound like I did a lot today. It's funny because I really feel like I didn't. But, I did get up early to go to a bust-of-a-barn-sale. It was not worth the extra 30 minutes of sleep. Tom didn't get home until 7 and we just finished dinner at 10PM. So, I guess it was a full day. I also left out the 30 minute cat nap and double espresso shot for the iced latte that I made myself at 4PM.}