Back Yard Club

This summer I did something brave.

I have often feared beginning any type of business.  Be it something to sew or craft or sell or teach.

Having kids has also slowed down any ambition to do something work related.  But this summer I took an idea I had been toying with and said to heck with roadblocks.  And to heck with whatever I am afraid of.  I am going to do this.

I know how to teach kids.  And I know how to teach at an arts camp.  I did it many years ago under someone else's direction.  All I had to do was start it up myself.  I took my husband's advice and kept it short and simple.  And it worked.  It's called Back Yard Club.

In order to have BYC I had to have help.  And this was the best part.  This was one key reason I decided to do it in the first place.  Having my kids and a few neighbors help out would give them a summer experience they would never forget.  My experiences at Willowbrook, the arts camp I worked at many years ago, contributed a lot to who I am.  I had a wonderful mentor and worked with quality high schoolers, and several of my sisters no less.  I wanted to give that same experience to my children and others around us.

So it began.  I recruited a few neighbor girls and let my kids in on the whole BYC idea.  They were in.  Oh, they were in.  I sent out some feeler emails to friends just to check on general interest level and gauge the cost.  Eventually I decided to do it dirt cheap so that I would be sure to have a good showing.  I also made flyers that friends emailed to their friends.  Last, I handed out flyers at a children's summer library event.  So, it was officially official!  I began signing people up, getting registration forms and even checks.

The weeks before Back Yard Club were busy.  Lots to plan, purchase, and prepare.  But it felt like even more because I was also mothering a baby girl!

Soon the big week was upon us.

Every morning we got up early.  My kids and I ran around the yard putting out easels, taping up paper, getting out paints and glitter and glue.  We laid out blankets and retrieved piles of books.  They fetched my clip board and my water.  They welcomed families and adorned little ones with name tags.  They sang and read to the children.  We danced, told stories, created art, went on walks, discovered bugs, ate snacks, acted out stories, and played instruments.  Each night I double checked my lesson plans. I cut and stapled and tied so the next day's projects would be prepared.  I found forgotten song lyrics on the internet.  I slept. A little.

On we went for one fun, energetic, hot, exhausting week.

I taught some of my friend's children.  When we see each other now they look at me with new wide eyes.  I am not just their Mom's friend anymore!  I'm a little famous in their lives.  I taught some twins down the road. We hadn't previously met.  This year they attend my children's elementary school and I see them when I go pick up my girls.  Oh, they are the best as they beam and jump and shout "Hi Miss Katie!!  Hi Miss Katie!!"

I expressed to many that BYC was an experiment this year and we would see if we decide to do it again.  A friend asked if we were going to go for it next summer. Abby popped in and replied, "If she doesn't, I will!"



see pictures and the week's details at www.katiesbackyardclub.blogspot.com

Feeling Older.

I noticed this birthday I've felt older.  Have you had one of those?  So if you ask the classic, "How does it feel to be 34?" I can answer you .

I've started liking long necklaces.  I know, they're popular for a variety of age groups, but they are not something I would have worn 10 years ago because it was too "adult" of a look for me.

In fact, jewelry in general.  I don't think I've shopped for jewelry ONCE since high school.  Ok, I bought earrings for my wedding.  But I bought a little jewelry for myself to go with some cute shirts D got for my bday.  For me, that says I'm older.  Whatever, you might disagree.

I see wrinkles on my face.  It's that dang area between the brows.

I think I should wear foundation but I don't.

My skin is getting those tiny "dark spots" that I think are really called "age spots."  If you live close to me, please don't inspect next time I run into you.

My hair.  I like it.  But I tried a similar style 10 years ago and promptly grew it out because it made me look/feel too much like a "Mom."

I have a middle schooler.  The issues I am and will begin to face are reminding me of when I was a teenager, which doesn't feel like that long ago, but it is that long ago!

I have not joined twitter or purchased an i-anything.  Sometimes I feel like technology is getting away from me.  (But darn it, I won't let it!  Not with these kids to raise!)

On the bright side, my number of gray hairs has remained at 4 and I can still wear my skinny jeans.


Now let's all have a good laugh and move on with our lives.

September...I think.

 Here are some September moments...at least I think these are all September.  And maybe someday I will catch up on the best parts of summer that I don't blog about because it overwhelms me!!

For now...

My 34th birthday

Birthday flowers in my giant canister.  I wanted to find something that wasn't a vase for a vase.

Just makes you want to be a baby, no?

This is what we call our "Yellow Brick Road."  It is the last and final step of the septic system.  They seeded and covered the soil with hay.  Currently, after much watering, we have baby grass growing!

Apparently some large exotic birds like our hay!  

(These guys are over 2 feet tall!)

Charlotte cut her first tooth this month!!  Tough to see, but it's there. :)

Eliza took a couple pictures of Mom and Babe.  Like that hat?  Dorothy made it!

Ahhhh, first day of school.
1st, 6th, and 4th graders.  

This one is a little bit older.  For a couple weeks now Charlotte has been pulling to standing.  

She just stands up wherever she can!  Sometimes on objects only a couple inches tall...which makes for a little laughter watching her.

Charlotte at 6 months

Charlotte Smiles

We have been blessed with a baby with a wonderful temperament and personality!

Charlotte is a happy baby who smiles and chats all the day long.  

Charlotte Crawls

At five months the little lady was on her hands and knees rocking back and forth.  All month she learned to scoot and roll and shimmy around.  Not really where she wanted to go necessarily, but she could move!

A few days after she turned 6 months it became official.  She was crawling!  

Phew!

This month she has been on the move.  Just yesterday I noted to myself that she was getting faster.  She also showed us that she could climb up the step from the family room to the kitchen!  In a dress, no less.

It is quite a job to wash her in the tub with all her activity--rolling and crawling in the water. 

 It can get quite physical!

Charlotte Sleeps

Here she snuggles with Aunti Kate at the ranch earlier this month.

I've been avoiding the cry-it-out thing...waiting until I was desperate.

Well, I'd had too many unpredictable naps (because they were always that way), and waaaaaaay too many late nights and nights getting up every 2-3 hours (occasionally much worse).  I'd tried all kinds of no-cry ideas and I wasn't making much, if any, progress.

I got desperate.

After a bit of bedtime protesting (the miserable part for everyone), Charlotte got the hang of it.
I'm amazed how quickly she figured out how to put herself to sleep!  Now she rarely cries--maybe just a shout as I walk out the door.  Equally exciting, after just a few nights she began sleeping all night long!  Now she is sleeping from 6:45pm until 7:30am without waking up!  (Ok, so we just had our second consecutive night of this, but I feel it will stick!)

Naps are another thing entirely.  They are 30 minutes on average.
Boo.

But we've made great strides in falling asleep and sleeping all night!
I couldn't be happier and feel better about that!

Way to go, girl!

Mound Septic System

Prework:  Make a driveway for those big trucks.

They had to add a culvert and rocks to make this driveway so as not to crush our regular one.  

We now have a lovely road through our grass.

Step one:  Make room.

68 - 3 = 65 trees left in my yard

Yes, it was hard to see them go.  They were birch trees, which I love.

Step two:  Shred up the lawn with the claw.

Step three:  Dump 30 inches of sand in "mound" shape

(Usually mounds are 12 inches of sand, but we got the mother of all mounds because we are in a 

4 bedroom home and have terrible soil.)

Step four:  Put tanks into sand mound.

Here you can see the white pipes coming from the tanks.  They put a fabric-type covering over the tanks (barely visible).  Dirt/grass will cover the sand until the pipes are flush with the earth.

Step five:  Dig by the house to replace pipes that go into the home.

Dude, that's my clematis!!

Out with the old.

Our old pipes were cracked and deteriorating--
which helps explain seepage and stink in the basement over the last two years.

Two trenches, as we have two pipes that come out of the house.

Step six:  Cover the sand mound with dirt.

Every time I thought they were done spreading dirt, they came with a new truck load.  

The mound is truly enormous now.

Step seven:  Install new pipes and cover with rocks and sand.

This was also done in the basement.  It looks so nice and new!

View of the dirt/sand/mess from my bedroom window above.
Oh, see the pile of sand on the upper left?  An old septic tank was under there--they crunched it up by smashing it with a digger thing.  (The technical term.)  It was crazy.  Loud.  Destructive.

Step eight:  Dig 15 x 8 foot hole for tanks by house.  

Yep, more tanks.

These ones aparently have an "odor" that is worse the first year.  Should get better in time.

One tank holds the solids (yay) and is pumped every 3 years.  Another holds liquids and pumps contents out to the mound every time it reaches 250 gallons.

Wish I had a picture before they filled in with gravel.  The cement block the tanks are in is actually about 6-8 feet high.  So the hole was very deep!  The cement block is divided into 3 sections, coordinating/connected with each tank above.

 

More digging, more mess.

Step nine:  Connect tanks by house to tanks in mound.

Cover pipes.

(Step nine and a half:  Act silly with your neighbor friend.)

See the trench (or really the dirt piles from the trench digging).

It goes around our beautiful ash tree.

Sigh.

Step ten:  Fill in the holes.  Pretend it never happened.

Step eleven:  Landscape--even out the ground, add top soil and grass seed.  This will all happen after the holiday weekend.  

You are all welcome to come use our toilets (showers, washer, sinks) anytime!

P.S.  Free sledding in the winter!

P.P.S.  Free slip 'n' sliding in the summer!

Speaking of cakes...

...were we speaking of cakes?

I auctioned off a personalized cake at our last scout/girl's camp auction.  The family used it for their daughter, who apparently has a pet rat and wanted a rat on her cake.  First time I've ever done that!

With the help of pictures online, here's what we came up with.  

A day at the beach, July 4

We spend the 4th of July at one of our favorite beaches, Kohler Andrae state park.  It was super hot that day and we couldn't bear to play on the dunes!  So we kept cool in the water and had a blast!

Getting some shade for baby...and mosquitoes too.

The girls built themselves into mermaids.

Refreshing!

Sandwich time.  A few seconds before I took this picture, they all had their sandwiches up in their right hands.  It was so cute. 

Charlotte and Harrison trying to beat the heat.

June

Charlotte, 4 months old.

Andrew and his buddies at their 5th grade celebration!

Charlotte came along to the party with the big kids.

Andrew and Abby getting some giggles from baby sister.

Charlotte tries out (and loves) the Johnny jump up.

(and her hands...watch out for that finger!)

A Father's Day moment.

Two cards with hands...by the same girl.  Eliza couldn't find the card she made at school for Daniel.  After searching and searching she decided to make a new one.  I was proud of her for holding herself together despite the loss.  She figured out how to assemble the fancy design and had her new card all ready. Father's Day morning we found the original card as her teacher had wrapped it up with the homemade gift they made in class!  Ohhhhhh!

We got Daniel a simple grill for Father's Day this year...been wanting one for a while! 

 (One that works anyway.)  We have cooked out a lot since and we love it!

I take full responsibility for the nonsense below.

After a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, Daniel brought the kids some key chain keepsakes.

(This has become a tradition.)

Can you see Charlotte's very first key chain?

Change is in the air for Abby!  Or, change is in the hair!

One morning Abby decided she wanted to donate 10 inches of hair and that was the end of it.  By afternoon it was gone!

Darling, no?

She is so happy about the big cut (11 inches total) 

and has had fun surprising friends and family with the change.