Yep. Another castle.

I thought I'd write again before another whole month got away from me.  Last time I posted Soledad was wearing her new "skirt."  I glued it on and then next morning decided I hated it and pulled it off.  This skirt is so much better.  Take my word for it.  :-)

The Tramp took the Labor Day holdiay week off of work and we seemed to spend most of our time running to appointments.  No rest for the weary!  Not to be ignored, Ngaire started to look decidedly unhappy with life and a trip to the vet confirmed an abscessed tooth.  Between the anesthesia and pain killers we came home with one wobbly and miserable dog.  Nothing much I could do but sit on the floor with her and let her drool all over my jeans.  True love, that.  Happily, a week later, she is back to her normal crochety old self.

One errand took The Viking and I over to the town hall campus.  This was the view as we got out of the car.  "Radio Castle!" he shouted with glee.  Really??  Now where in the world did he learn that one?

He knows his castles, that's for sure, but try explaining the concept of "town hall" to a two-year-old.    Nope, not happening.  :-)  We concluded our business inside then walked around the grounds looking at some of the art.  "A giraffe, Nini!"

"What is it Nini?"  I suggested it looked like a cracked open egg.  You can imagine his mother's confusion when he told her he had put his face in an egg.  :-D

The boy, who has been camera shy as of late, then ran to pose in front of other structures of interest.  It was a fun interlude in a crazy week.

I received a first day of pre-school photo of Stardust.  So amazing how they grow so fast.

This week the weather is finally cooler and the mosquitoes a little less intense, so it's park time!  No, he was not allowing me to take his picture.

It also means I can sit on the screened porch in comfort.  I dug out my beach crochet project which hasn't moved along very far and it kept me busy

....while The Viking rediscovered the sandbox.

Today was another fabulous park day.

Soledad got quite a bit of attention over the last week and is now standing on her own.

I messed around with dying some gauze for her waist and lower end, and have made at least a dozen beaded flowers.   More beads to come, but I have to think about it first.

She has hair too.  I had no clue what I was doing, but after reading up a bit online and watching a video I ended up with something I'm pleased with....or at least not unhappy with.  :-)

She has been entered in the state fair so I need to hurry up and make decisions so she can be finished!

More castles

Much chatter and comment comes from the back seat of the van.  It took us weeks to figure out what The Viking meant by "castles!"  They turned out to be Water Castles (water towers).  We have new castle talk these days.  The Bird Castle was pretty easy to figure out.  The very tall and straight steeple of a church we often drive past indeed looks a bit like a lofty palace for some royal birds.  And lest you think I'm snapping photos as I drive, this is the best photo I could get while sitting at a long red light.  :-)

That one was pretty easy.  But each time he pointed out the Bird Castle he also included "the bird house."  

"I see the Bird Castle Nini!  And the bird house too!"  

"What bird house Viking?"

"Back there!!"

"Oh."

I had not a clue.  For weeks this went on.  Then on Tuesday, we stopped at different red light and as I idly looked around guess what I spotted!  Yep.  The Bird House.   On the empty church building on the corner.  Well good golly.  I pass this building every day and never saw a bird house.  Probably never would have.  :-)

In The Sandbox, doll stuff has come out onto the tables.  Poor Soledad has been neglected and it's time to finish her and maybe enter her in the State Fair.  I added more Paperclay to her shoulders and wrists and got paint on her yesterday.

Today she got her "tattoos" and the beginnings of her skirt.

Flowers are waiting to adorn her and I have lots more coral and starfish to bead.

Today I got a wonderful picture of Five and Batman on their first day of school.  I wish I'd been there to send them off with a hug.  :-)

August

OMG!  It's September already.  Not that I'm complaining.  It's nice to finally see some cooler weather.    What's really shocking is having to think about Christmas already.  I've signed up for Chooky Blue's SSCS swap again.  I scrolled back through the blog to see what I'd done in years past and HORRORS, I discovered I never posted about last year's swap.  APOLOGIES to Chooky and to my lovely swap partners.  December and January were not without incident around here, but that's no excuse.  (hangs head in shame)

I sent swap gifts to Janice in Australia.  I wanted to make my partner a Sew Together Bag.  They were popping up all over the sewing world and I ended up making at least six last year!  Browsing Janice's weblog I discovered her involvement with vintage motorcycles.  After much searching, it was fabulous to find appropriate fabric locally at Thimble Pleasures and the bag was sent off with a few sewing goodies inside and a Christmas ornament.

A pretty package was sent to me from Sharon.  The owl is perfect for my "bird tree" and the delightfully squishy package had to wait until Christmas day.

Because the house was torn apart with the re-plumbing horror we decorated only a corner of the living room and used the smallest little table tree I could find in the attic.  My squishy package held a sweet little stitched wall hanging and I can't wait until this holiday season to hang it up.....and to put up the bird tree!  Thank you Sharon!!

So....   Looking back to August, it seems to be a blur of heat, mosquitoes, and sore shoulder, but photos tell me otherwise.  The Viking is full of energy and we struggle to find ways to burn it off constructively indoors.  He still loves the play area at the mall.  Yay.  :-)

The Tramp and I enjoyed the Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton concert at Booth Amphitheater.

The physical therapist is still trying to make me more comfortable.  When neck, back, and shoulders are aching you just gotta make a new rice bag.

It looks good and the heat feels good, but for me, selfies are never a good idea!  Good grief!  :-)

On one of his particularly fashion forward days, The Viking was sporting the Batman, Beatles and Mickey Mouse look along with bug tattoos.  :-)  We were waiting for his uncle (LZF's brother) to arrive by train on this afternoon.  The train was late which led to an exhausting couple of hours, but it meant a fun weekend for The Viking.

Not one, but two uncles!

We've had plenty of rain, though the pond hasn't overflowed this summer.  Always a relief.

The gardens aren't much to look at, but indoors I'm having some success.  :-)

The Viking continues to charm and amuse us with his two-year-old observations.  On this laundry day he was running between the laundry piles and suddenly exclaimed, "Nini!  You have pyramids!"  Did you know laundry came in pyramids?

I finished up the final two car caddies.  This glittery one was sent to Stardust for use in her mommy's car and I found a pony with butterflies on it to go in one of the pockets.  

She's a pink and glittery girl so it seems appropriate.  

Her daddy has very swish black car so I thought he might prefer to have glow in the dark Darth Vader fabric in his car.   I even managed to find a little bitty Darth Vader doll at the Hallmark store.  :-)

I still have to favor my shoulder so I'm still not sewing as much as I'd like.  In particular, not rotary cutting.  Sigh.  But The Sandbox needs a good sort anyway.  Furniture is moving around a bit and some needs maintenance and repair.  Hopefully something nicer will rise out of the mess soon!