We've been in the mountains..

We've lived very near to the mountains FOREVER but we haven't spent any time there really. We took a trip with the Mr.'s Family for almost a week at a house on Sugar Mountain. 

AWESOME!!  It was so incredible.. even the day it poured rain as we rafted down the Watagua River. 

 The Mr. Got some new Sunglasses for father's day.

 Have you met the newest addition yet?

 In the mountains.. on a walk.

 looking for bears

 "Cheers" with Papa...

 it's grape juice... in case you were worried. The kids and Mimi were quite concerned I was letting Lil Bit drink all my WINE.

 free paddle boats (Which I would call Canoes) This was a nervewracking experience to be in the canoe with a bunch of wiggly kids and an expensive camera.

 cousins

 walking on the dock.

 Hiking Linville Falls

 up up up to the top...

 reading on the deck...

 smore's... (all the really good smore's pictures are on Mimi's camera, because I was handed the wrong one.. in all the smore's flurry I could hardly put it down and switch!)

 Gem mining (Have you done this ever?) you pretty much wash and sort rocks and it was very interesting for people of all ages.

 see who is more interested here.. it's hard to telll..

 Little Daddy's Haul... now we need a rock tumbler.

exploring a feldspar mine (not as interesting as a gold mine.. but you know.. still neat)

There's even more.. this is just a teaser.. not to mention all the fun we didn't catch with the camera. Like Karaoke..Baby Jack tunneling through the coffee table... Mellow Mushroom..
on the way out we hit the tanger outlets... and MAN oh MAn did we score at the gymboree!! I also made out like a bandit at LOFT. I love that place.

Swim Meet Tomorrow! Miss H is still not asleep so I'm thinking it will be a disaster for her.

Hi Ho Cherry O

I had a few firsts today. First.. we went Cherry picking. Awesome.. and then to Pilot Mountain for a picnic..

We had a cherry tree in our yard when I lived in Northern California.. but it was nothing like these. Miss H said, when she shimmied up the first ladder... Hey this is just like Chutes and Ladders! and the first time her bucket slipped, Carrie callled out. Hey "It is Hi Ho Cherry-O!"

I have never been so in awe. Cherries are always a highlight of the summer, but to see them dangling like little juicy rubies from a tree overhead is quite a sight, they must have been quite tantalizing we ended up picking 12 pounds worth!

Little Daddy was quite the picker, and loved climbing the ladders! At one point as he was depositing black cherries by the handful he sang an original cherry song.. which I wish I could recall the words to. He is not generally a singer and he must have been inspired by the absolute beauty that surrounded us. Even Lil Bit shimmied pretty high, although her shorter arms left her picking a little slim.

We also discoved a yellow wax cherry, that is the most divine thing I've tasted (although on the way home I bought some hickory smoked sharp cheddar from a farm stand on the state line that was pretty tasty too). They are a little bit tart with a sweet finish. A feast for the eyes and a delight on the tongue.

also at the farmstand I let the kids all pick some food for a picnic, The boys choses apples and the girls tomatoes.

Rachel chose a pint of heirloom cherry size tomatoes, a wonderful array of pinks and reds and yellows.  I can't tell you how they tasted because she gobbled them all up before we reached Pilot Mountain.

What a blessing to have great friends with great ideas!
and I think we might head back to Pilot Mountain for a little hiking.

big and little

See this face.. 

Yes.. I know you're thinking.. she's so adorable. She drove me BANANANANANNANAS today. 

We are having a little struggle around here, because she thinks she is big, but she is little. She wants to do all the things the big kids do.. ALLL OF THEM!! And when things don't turn out the way she wants 

SHE WHINES!

The problem is, that sometimes I forget she is little because she does do alot of things that big kids do. SO when she screamed at me the whole way down to the pool (yes, it is less than 400 m.. but with a kid screaming at you it can seem much longer) because she saw I brought the swim jacket which she thinks she doesn't like. I kept thinking in my head..

WHY IS SHE ACTING LIKE SUCH A TWO YEAR OLD???? 

Oh Yeah... 

because she's two. 

And then of course she loved the swim jacket and was saying, "look at me I can swim, Look Mommy I can float on my back. Look Mommy I can twirl." 

and then she said... 

Can a do a backflip off the diving board?

and I said sure... 

but when she climbed the ladder and saw how high it was.. she turned right back into a two year old. 

Kid needs more of this.. 

She did sneak up to me after dessert and say "I say thank you to you for my oreo salad, mommy. Can you forgive me?" 

not quite you're average two year old.. but definitely a keeper. 

FAshion Show

An exciting thing happened today... Miss H upcycled her first pair of jeans!! 

I have made many shorts this way. There was something magical about her choosing to make them bermuda length, and stitching them up while in her underwear. You'll see she is using the "HELL-NA" Hello Kitty needs a tune-up. I'll have to get right on that, because the kids have projects lined up on the ironing board already.

Take one of the Mr.'s Faded non SMOD compliant collared shirts.

Add one industrious, creative, completely wonderful six year old.

Get one, really cute, almost looks store-bought I can't believe she made it herself, swim coverup!! 

Do you see how cleverly she used the ribbing from the original sleeves. I had tried to get her to make bias tape in red with white polka dots and add some red polkadot pockets, but she wanted this simple/classic look. 

She's amazing. 

Here as promised are some things that I have sewn for myself inthe last few months. 

Channelling Donna Reed and Easter

Cutesy Circle skirt and Jackie Oish Boucle Shift

I love them all, especially the skirt which didn't even take an hour. The Jackie Oish sheath is a boucle, and a testament to why you should always have a friend help you set your hem length. It's about 1 inch too short.  Mimi has the same floral fabric to make some skirts for the girls, so I'm hoping she gets those finished soon, because we all know I love the coordinated family look. Maybe I can talk the boys into bow ties. 

sunday Sunday SUNDAY!

This is how the boys came up to breakfast this morning.





I think they thought they were cool like Papa Mike...

And look how cute they looked heading into church!! 

Thank you Mimi Viv for always sending such adorable things for my little gang. And seriously when you dress them all coordinated.. they are a little bit like a gang.

Today is my birthday

and if you saw how cute I looked in my new workout clothes this morning you would be so jealous! But you won't because i didn't get a picture before I worked out.. and so I will not be reenacting that one!
and then if you saw how cute I looked in my new circle skirt and tanktop, with new birthday sunglasses you would be so jealous!
and if you saw the humongous oreo salad giant cupcake brithday cake the mr. was whipping up for my birthday you would be even more jealous.

Now if I can find a birthday babysitter, the Mr. said he would take me out and show me off.. well that's not exactly what he said.. but you know the Mr. he rarely talks like that.

Any whoo.. hopefully I will actually get a picture taken but.. in the meantime. Here is our newest family portrait. 

So before you say anthing, we did get the boys haircuts, I think the day after this photo was taken.. if I post a pic of little daddy now you will be blown away, because he is practically shorn and it makes him look considerably older.   Also, the photographer insisted on taking a picture of The Mr. and Mrs. even though we explained there was no way we would be purchasing it, I don't love it, but hey that's how it goes some times.

Consequently, this is my "Channelling Donna Reed" dress that I made myself for church. I LOVE IT!!  The bottom is a circle skirt with a few pleats. I have been sewing a few things for myself, (even though what I would really love is to buy everything at the Anne Taylor LOFT).  Perhaps I will show you some pictures sometime.

Anywoo I am having a fabulous day! I know you are so jealous.

laughter!

Here are some funny things you might be interested in:

Three nights ago when the kids were wrestling.. Miss H said,"stop your crushing me and hurting my back" to which Cubby replied as he was getting up "Sorry it's because of my sexy abs."

I stifled a pretty big laugh, and brought the subject up at dinner.
"So when you said it was because of your sexy abs, what did that mean? what are sexy abs?"
"You know like hot abs"
"No, I don't know. What are hot abs? Are they on fire? Do they need an ice pack?"
"You know like when girls at the pool are trying to act all hot, and so they lean on the garbage can and their belly buttons are sticking out..."
(here I tried for a stoney I have no idea what you mean"
So Cubby Added..
"It's when these teenager girls wear black dresses and high heels and they put blue stuff on their eyes.. and then they take their purses like this.. (and here is where his arts based education is really paying off because he got up out of his chair and stood with tilted hip and and shoulder and put on his pretend purse) ... and they walk like this.. (now you've all seen teenage girls trying to act hot with their sexy abs.. now picture cubby doing it)."
"Oh" I said.. (inside I was a raucous giggle volcano) Why do they do that?
"I don't know".. whew! at least he's not completely corrupted yet.



-----
as we were driving down the road.. just lil bit and I she says out of no where..
"mom, when those alligators come in my room you are going to have to get them and you can throw them out the window because I don't think alligators can climb on leaves of the tree out my windows. So that's what you hafta do. Okay? Got it?"
here is where I made my big decision.. to just go with it,
Okay.. I'll throw them out the window.

---
The Mr. was trying to convince the kids to go shopping to buy me a present. They were not that interested.
Cubby: "WHat SHOPPING??!?!? I can't go shopping I'm too tired!!!!?! (notice the exclamation points, in this case those mean exceptionally whiny and perturbed) I was downstairs and I was yawning down there!!! AND I already got mom a present (here my dear husband innocently asks what and my ears prick up) TODAY at school I was singing for her and other things and she REALLy liked it. (it's true I did like it)
Little Daddy: Well I'm going to give mom a hug, that's a great present and that is what she really wants.