Week's Ending

The professor called it "The Stratford-upon-Avon Fiasco" but it wasn't really a fiasco. I will concede, however, that it was baptism by fire...

This week I conducted my first {semi}official photo shoot at a nearby English park. The photo session was official in that it was scheduled, and the little boys blue were dressed for the occasion. It was {semi}official because this was a family gig. I photographed my sweet nephews for my sister. Fortunately for me, sisters are good at keeping expectations in check.

I do not recommend the following scenario for an aspiring photographer's first portraiture session... ninety-five degree heat... intense, mid-afternoon sunlight... two adults {one with the camera}... three little boys and a fearless, free running toddler... mud and, ahem, natural goose fertilizer. Yes, my friends, there is no doubt, I have been initiated.

When I finished chasing little boys with the camera my sister treated us to ice cream. Considering the heat the cool treat was like being paid in gold. All in all it was fun. Really, it was. I'll do it again if anyone will have me. This is how memories are made and, more importantly, preserved!

See this house? It was our first house, our South Carolina house. For three years we poured every spare penny and every spare moment into renovating it {ourselves}. We sold it four years ago this month. This week I've been feeling nostalgic about a chapter of our life that has ended.

And, speaking of houses... after an intense nine months on campus for the professor we are finally able to turn our attention {and our money and our energy} back to renovations on our current mod'ish home. It feels great! I love seeing paint chips and countertop samples laying around, signs of progress. The professor plans to tear out half of the kitchen cabinets and a stretch of {orange} counter this weekend so that he can work on a new wall.

I've been deep cleaning and de-cluttering this week, just in time for dusty renovations. Great timing, huh? Oh well.

Now, for the highlights:

~ A trip to the dairy bar, a local ice cream dive. Soft serve cones for the whole family cost less than $4.50. Tukes wanted to know, "Why dem have a Co-cola sign?" Co-cola?! If I'm not raising a deep south boy I don't know who is!

~ Spending time with cousins.

~ Playdates.

~ A two-hour visit to Home Depot that yielded a new storm door.

~ Early morning bike rides.

And, the lowlights:

~ Colds. In June? First Tukes and now me.

~ An entire jar of applesauce dropped, shattered, and spilled.

~ A blown grocery budget.

~ Clutter. I can't get on top of it!

~ Melted popsicle on my clean kitchen floor. {Is my kitchen floor ever truly clean?}

my sister's living roomTukes has been carrying imaginary puppies around in his pockets, and this week he requested that we go to the baby store to buy a baby. If only real puppies and babies were that easy.

Boo found an old can of shaving gel and managed to accidentally dispense its entire contents all over his face and hair. It was a traumatic ordeal for him... the professor and I laughed and laughed, quite mercilessly.

Have a great weekend, ya'll. We have overnight guests due to arrive in four hours. At this moment my house is far from being ready.