Faux Fall.

It was 99 degrees today
and 102 degrees yesterday.


I am really longing for fall.
So yesterday I pretended it was a crisp 65 degrees outside.


I had the apple cinnamon candles burning
and the A/C humming.


And Avery and I baked pumpkin muffins.
My favorite, easiest-recipe-ever muffins.

{Avery would be fine to leave out the pumpkin and the spice cake mix
and just include the chocolate chips.}

This time we made mini muffins.
They're perfect for lunch boxes
and this recipe makes a ton.

I think we ended up with about 7 or 8 dozen muffins.

Last night after a sweltering soccer practice in the 102 degree heat
we enjoyed the pumpkin muffins
and the chicken with enchilada sauce in the crockpot.
And the A/C.


And now the 90 degree heat can go away.
And stay away until May, please. 

Sunday, 1-4pm

Gary had to go do some work on our old house this afternoon.


It was a h-o-t day,
so the kids and I were laying low in the A/C.


Riley had a project to do
that was assigned in the beginning of September
and due this week.
And of course we hadn't really started.


So he spent about 90 minutes today
researching,
writing about,
and drawing the Asian Fairy Blue-bird.
{Did you know the Asian Fairy Blue-bird is native to the forests Burma and India?  True.}

I supervised while doing some research of my own.

Lucy has perfected the art of the Sunday afternoon nap.
I am so jealous.

My photography assistant.

Yesterday a friend and I went to the Napa Style Warehouse sale.
Crazy good stuff there...
I got this rug (for $40!) and a candle holder.
Next year we're going earlier to get first dibs at the furniture.

We had intended to go to church,
but the morning got away from us
so we played hooky.


And at 1:33 I was still in my pajamas.
Until I finally got dressed at 4pm.
Just because.


Happy Sunday!

Some good stuff.

In the midst of unpacking
organizing
cleaning
laundry-ing
(that's not a word)
it's easy to get caught up in the daily minutia
and not appreciate the good stuff.


And there's always good stuff.

Like guacamole.

Avocados, a little salsa, a little Greek yogurt (crazy, right?), and some Lawry's.
Perfect.


I made guacamole and this dinner Wednesday.
Wednesdays are our only weeknight without soccer
dominating our evening.
And the only night without a dinner like ham sandwiches / waffles / cheese quesadillas.
Gary was so happy.

Avery looks through the book order catalog
the way I look through Boden or Pottery Barn.
{She circles everything.}
{And doesn't really get to buy anything.}


We bought that pumpkin at the store today.
She named it punky.

We also bought this.
This is evil,
and I blame Twitter
and Julie
and Heather.


If you see it run, don't walk, in the opposite direction.

I have so much left to unpack,
and tons left to do,
but I had to get out the sewing machine the other day.


I was having withdrawls.

Are you looking for something to do tomorrow?
Want to come help me organize the "sewing / craft / (I guess I have to share it) guitar room"?

{It's also the "throw all of the crap in there that we don't know what to do with right now" room.}

This was it last week.
It is approximately 15% better than this now.
Yikes.


Can I bribe you with guacamole and Ben & Jerry's...?

a few words

I want these chairs for my kitchen.
The metal ones.
Like, bad.


{{Thou shall not covet.}}
{{Thou shall not covet.}}
{{Thou shall not covet.}}


Aack! 
It's not working!
I still want them.


Pottery Barn is the devil.

Soccer: the highs and lows.

As much as I sometimes grumble about my life being dominated 
by soccer from August to November,
I really do love watching my guys play.


Especially when they're having a good game:
making nice plays,

having fun,

 defending the goal,

 even scoring a goal.

Those are fun games.

And then there are those games that raise my blood pressure.
Give me gray hair.
Make me pace the sideline.


Riley's games.


As the boys get older,
the games get more intense
and fast-paced.
The kids are more competitive.
{And we won't even talk about the competitive parents.}


Riley's games are super fun to watch.But when he plays goalie,
I die a little.


He handles the pressure well,
but there are those times when it all comes down to the goalie.


Sometimes you make the save
{and Riley made a lot of saves yesterday}
but sometimes you let one slip through.

And when that happens...

...this happens.


And my heart can barely take it.

An Ikea love affair.

I haven't always loved Ikea.
There were many years where it was just a little too modern and contemporary for my taste.
But lately Ikea has been pulling me back into its lair.


Especially now that we have a larger house to furnish,
and a smaller budget to furnish it with.

Hello, polka dot chair pads!
You had to come home with me.
{Guess who learned to roll her tongue....}

And check out this clock.  
Love, love, love.
I don't know where I'm putting it,
but I know I needed it.
{Oh, and Avery is not a huge fan of clothing, have you noticed?}

But she is a big fan of Ikea:
brightly colored toys
a thousand comfy chairs to try out
and meatballs.
Oh, the meatballs.

Totally better than the pb&j we would've had at home.

I also bought a wicker chest,
two big mirrors,
and we're going back for some comfy chairs.

I think it's safe to say Ikea and I are back together.

It has been a dark twelve days...

...since we've last talked.


We bought a house.
We moved 25 days later.
We sold our old house.
All of which has been {overall} great.


But...
we've been without internet for the last 9 days.


I KNOW.


But today Comcast came and saved the day
and all is right with the world again.


{Seriously.  No internet or tv for 9 days.  I felt like I was living under a rock.}


I am slowly beginning to emerge from the sea of boxes
and packing material I've been buried under.


I am considering joining a support group for hoarders.
{WHY, exactly, was I holding on to a paper I wrote in 7th grade about plant cells?}

The kids are beginning to love the new house
{after a few tears the first night}.
It's only a half mile away from our old house.
Same friends...same school...
but sleeping in different rooms, which was tough in the beginning.

Lucy was not impressed with the new house either at first.
Major attitude.

Oh, and Riley discovered centipedes in the backyard last week.
Yay!  
{not}

So how are you?!
What have I missed?
Is anyone even out there anymore?

Anybody?
Please don't tell me I've been talking to myself this whole time.

Rescued.

...from the giveaway pile.

She was appalled that I was going to give it away.


Lesson Learned: 
packing with your children in the room
often results in them taking 80% of what you put in the box,
out.