Enumerated Update

Happy Monday, friends!  Quickly (because this is already late), here's where we are:

1) Magic Bus: Production of the VW Bus will cease as of December 2013.  The bus is often credited with starting the road trip movement and has a cult following like no other automobile.  The bus is currently only available in Brazil, and when Brazilian regulators finally insisted on safety measures, VW opted to cease production rather than comply.  Let's have a moment of silence for the VW Bus.

2) Collab: The Target hiatus is still on, but Catherine Malandrino currently has a collection at Kohl's.  See the collection here.

3) Buzz: This week's word is very apropos for some of my recent activities.  "Hard stop" is an expression used to define inflexibility in scheduling.  For example, if you have a meeting from 9-10am and fellow attendees want to extend the meeting past 10am, you would manage that expectation by saying you have a "hard stop," meaning you have to leave the meeting at 10:00, sharp.

Example:

"We have a lot to cover so this meeting/call may run a little long."
"Sorry... No can do. I've got a hard stop."

4)  New Wheels: I forgot to mentioned the recent purchase of a bicycle (see here).  This purchase ended up being timely because my vehicle is basically dying.  I simply need to attach the bike carrier and George's child seat, and I'll be set.  That scenario isn't really viable because we are not in a bicycle-friendly city, but, man, I wish it were. 

5) Related: Have I mentioned how much I loathe vehicle purchases and interacting with car salespeople? One aspect of city life that I know I would excel at is using cabs as a primary form of transportation.

6)  Birthdays: This is birthday week, and the duo are very, very excited.  For the first time in several years we are having an outdoor party and, of course, rain is in the forecast. My new hobby is staying in constant touch with the three weather apps on my phone.  An inclement weather plan is in the works, but since our parties tend to focus on singing, playing and enjoying cake we should be fine either way. 

That's it for us.  What is happening with you? 

MIA

Technology angered me earlier in the week.  I worked on a slideshow/movie of William George, but when the time came to add music, all sorts of snafus occurred.  I quickly became frustrated, and walked away from the iMac.  Trying to convert a file in order to circumvent copyright protection measures (please don't judge) makes me miss my childhood ability to press record+play on my tape recorder and record a song off of the radio.

Posting will resume as usual next week, with or without my little movie.  In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend, and I'll meet you back here next week.

Friday's Quote

There is never enough time, unless you're serving it.

-Malcolm Forbes

Enumerated Update

Happy Tuesday, friends!  This week is shaping up to be problematic, complete with car issues, illness and various missteps.  For example, this morning when my alarm sounded at 6:00, I pressed "snooze" on my phone -- except that the "buttons" on the new iOS7 are in a different spot so instead of snooze, the alarm was silenced.  When I woke up again at 7:09, we had a good old fashioned race-against-the-clock to get ready, eat and be at school by 8:00am.  We pulled it off with five minutes to spare.

Anyrate, here's what is happening with us so far:


1) Treats: Although William George has limitations in what he can eat due to pesky (although serious) allergies, he has still managed to elevate consumption of treats to an art.  He previously enjoyed plain M&M's, but he recently discovered the small Milky Way chocolate bars -- or as he calls them "Mickey Milks".  We try limiting sweets, but you try telling him "no" when he politely requests one.

"I have MickeyMilk, please?"

2) Collab: Just one more Target mention, and then there will be a Target hiatus for a while.  Two words: Peter Pilotto.  The next collaboration featuring the Pilotto goodness is scheduled for spring of 2014.

3)  Confession: I nabbed the scarf, but passed on the rest of the line (except for the sweater previously mentioned), although it's fantastic for anyone who needs to make any additions.  

4)  iOS7:  Dear Apple, the duo are not happy that the software update is not available for their iTouch 4's.  It took a couple of days, but they definitely noticed.

"You got new apps!"
"Can I have them?"
"You got a new calendar?"
"Why don't my photos look like that?"
"I want my weather to look like that."
"Can I have that kind of camera?"
"Did you get new notes?"

And so on.  This may be a prod from Apple to upgrade, but since Santa delivered their devices an upgrade is tricky.


5)  Six Words:  Instead of the lengthy and verbose pep talks usually given around here, I'm going to be more disciplined with my feedback with the trio's activities.  Instead of providing praise that could potentially set an expectation, create self-consciousness or (completely inadvertently) imply criticism, my long winded input is going to be reduced to these six words:

I love to watch you play.

Or, alternatively:

I love to watch you play the piano.
I love to watch you dance.
I love to watch you read.
I love to watch you ride your bike.

I have spoken those words to the trio a few times in the last twenty-four hours and have been rewarded with smiles.  This concept is discussed here, and the original article is here.

And that's it for us.  What is happening with you?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Sarah Lindsey Gupta Second Annual Goft Tournament

Today, friends and family, as well as all of their invited guests, are gathering for the Second Annual Golf Tournament in honor of Sarah Lindsey Gupta.  This tournament sponsors the Sarah Lindsey Gupta Memorial Scholarship Fund at William & Mary.  Once the Fund is endowed, a scholarship will be given each year to an aspiring teacher or a student pursuing a degree in the arts.  Last year's tournament exceeded expectations, and we are praying for similar results this year. 

We so wish we could be on that golf course today, supporting the passions (teaching, singing and dancing) of our beloved Sarah.  We send our prayers, love and support. 

If you are so inclined, please honor Sarah today by complimenting a good teacher on his/her hard work, supporting a struggling artist or reading an extra book to your children. 

This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

Friday's Quote

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

-William Butler Yeats

Olfactory Branding

Olfactory branding is gaining momentum.  Last week in New York, many shows used scent to set the mood and pull their show together.  The fashion world's first olfactory branding company, 12.29, was founded by twin sisters Dawn and Samantha Goldworm (read their interesting profiles here), who debuted their branding in 2010 at the Rodarte show by scenting with wood and spice to evoke an "apocalyptic landscape".  Since then, they have worked with Jason Wu, Thakoon and many others to produce seasonal fragrance experiences.  In addition to designers, they develop unique branding scents for retail spaces, hotels, and nightclubs, as well as for weddings and individuals.

The 12.29 website describes olfactive science with the below bullet points:

OLFACTIVE SCIENCE

FACT: “Seventy-five percent of the emotions we generate on a daily basis are affected by smell. Next to sight, it is the most important sense we have.” (Martin Lindstroem, Brand Sense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Sound, Free Press, 2005).

FACT: “A human is able to recognize approximately 10,000 different odors and more impressively, recall smells with 65% accuracy after a year, in contrast to only 50% of visuals after three months.” That means that a brand with an olfactive logo has a 65% chance of being remembered by a consumer while an unscented brand has a 50% chance of being forgotten within the first three months.

STUDY: Dr Alan R Hirsh, the founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, did a study of Americans where they found that people’s favorite childhood smells varied on when they were born. Those people born after 1930 were more likely to remember Play-Doh, Crayola Crayons, Keds and Sweet Tarts, suggesting that nostalgic childhood memories are based on artificial and brand related smells. Thus, if a brand can associate a smell with a positive emotion, they can transfer that feeling or olfactive memory to their product and thus their overall brand experience.

Here is the Goldworms' video explaining the art of olfactory branding.  

The video may come off as a little hippy-dippy-do, but the concept continues to be an interesting premise.  What would influence your unique branding scent?  

The September Menu

As mentioned previously, planning dinner has been a challenge for as long as I can remember.  We are a family of five, and we usually have three (hot) meals per day, what with Skip working from home and the girls preferring a hot meal for lunch each day at school.

There are tons of detail about how the meals were chosen, but those methodologies basically stem from these facts:

1) Variety is important, meaning there are few repeats.
2) Left-over options are needed for lunch the next day, as everyone prefers a hot lunch (either packed at school or eaten at a desk, as the girls and Skip, respectively, do each day).
3) Two exceptions to the variety rule (there's an exception to every rule, right?) is that the trio prefer Italian.  Therefore, "Italian night" is a weekly fixture so the duo can have left-overs for a couple of days. Also, George's favorite is meatloaf, and that option is repeated as well.
4) Having numerous meals that could be prepared in the slow cooker was an imperative for those nights when extracurricular activities are scheduled.

What was not particularly important:

1) The meals did not necessarily have to be elaborate or expensive.
2)  Other than William George's allergies, there are few limitations, and no "picky" eaters (with the exception of me).

So here was our plan:

Week One*:

Monday:  Barbecue Chicken (slow cooker), fries, green beans
Tuesday:  Pork Roast with Plum Sauce (slow cooker) with fresh vegetables
Wednesday:  Meatloaf (slow cooker) with fresh vegetables
Thursday: Carnitas (tacos) (slow cooker)
Friday: Sweet and smoky chicken (slow cooker) with fresh vegetables
Saturday: Lemony Pork and Vegetables
Sunday: Spaghetti with Meatballs

*The slow cooker saw a lot of action our second week back to school.

Week Two:

Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Orange-apple pork roast (slow cooker) with vegetables
Wednesday: Spicy citrus chicken with vegetables
Thursday: Flank steak with lime marinade with baked potato and vegetables
Friday: Meatloaf with vegetables
Saturday: Grilled Tuscan chicken with rosemary and lemon with vegetables
Sunday: Ravioli

Week Three:

Monday: Glazed pork tenderloin with pineapple plus vegetables
Tuesday: Chicken Potpie
Wednesday: Pork chops with a kick (slow cooker) with vegetables
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Chicken mushrooms in wine sauce (slow cooker) with vegetables
Saturday: Grilled hamburgers with fries and sweet peas
Sunday: Glazed pork tenderloin with pineapple plus corn on the cob and sugar snap peas

Week Four:

Monday: Asian pork wraps (slow cooker)
Tuesday: Beef ragu with penne pasta
Wednesday: Sauteed chicken in mustard-cream sauce with vegetables
Thursday: Meatloaf with vegetables
Friday: Turkey breast and herb cornbread stuffing (slow cooker) with green beans and corn
Saturday: Chili
Sunday: Spaghetti

As stated when this planning miracle was first mentioned, a master grocery list was created. Unfortunately, the list has been discarded, but I will try to share next month's list.  In addition to the entree ingredient list, a variety of vegetable and side dish items were picked up as well, based on our family's preferences (e.g., many, many fresh, frozen and canned vegetables, potatoes, macaroni and cheese for the duo, etc.). Typically, the entree was listed on our menu board, and we, as a family, decided on side dishes each morning.  Everyone having the opportunity to vote on dinner kept the menu plan from being staid.

Creating the menu and grocery list took approximately 1 1/2 hours, but that time has more than been recouped in not making special trips to the store and/or ruminating over what to have for dinner each night.  My time was carved out of a Sunday afternoon.  That would be an easy way to invest the time, or you could opt to devote 30 minutes each night (or on your lunch hour) for the planning piece.  The shopping took longer than usual and cost more initially, but again, time and money was actually saved since our usual weekly return trips were not necessary.

How does dinner work at your house? Does a menu plan epitomize sanity for you, or do you work better putting something together spontaneously?

Exhaustive Coverage of J.D. Salinger

For fans of J.D. Salinger, September is an auspicious month.  First, Salinger (the book) was released on September 3rd.  This indepth account of Salinger's life, based on extensive research and confidential documents, has received good reviews.

“Revealing . . . [A] sharp-edged portrait.” — Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“Engrossing . . . There are fascinating and unique accounts that get to the heart of Salinger. . . . The freshest material comes from Salinger’s letters, which bring his own voice, often adolescent-sounding, into the commentary. Previous biographers didn’t have access to much of this material.” — Carl Rollyson, The Wall Street Journal

“The reminiscences are layered with a stunning array of primary material. Taken as a whole—the memories, the documents, the pictures—the book feels as close as we’ll ever get to being inside Salinger’s head.” — Tina Jordan, Entertainment Weekly

“Salinger gets the goods on an author’s reclusive life . . . it strips away the sheen of his exceptionalism, trading in his genius for something much more real.” — David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times

“In Salinger, David Shields and Shane Salerno crack open the mythos of the reclusive author. . . . Salinger is the thorny, complicated portrait that its thorny, complicated subject deserves. . . . The book offers the most complete rendering yet of Salinger’s World War II service, the transformative trauma that began with the D-Day invasion and carried through the horrific Battle of Hürtgen Forest and the liberation of a Dachau subcamp.” — Louis Bayard, The Washington Post

Next, if a 700 page tome leaves you lacking, Harvey Weinstein released a documentary, also entitled Salinger, on September 6th.  The reviews to the film have been less than enthusiastic, but that should be taken with a grain of salt.  Here's the official trailer:





Finally, in the event that you feel Salinger's life has not been adequately covered by the above efforts, Thomas Beller has an upcoming biography scheduled for release next spring.  These should be happy days for Salinger devotees.  

Fans of David Foster Wallace are holding out for similar coverage.  

Limsanity

Like all parents, we have introduced the concept of fiscal responsibility to our children.  One of Gracie's earliest epiphanies happened when she was about four and making one of her first purchases.  She selected her toy and gave the cashier her money.  While walking out of the store with the bag in her hand, she asked, "Why does she get to keep my money?" 

While explaining the exchange of money for merchandise, she warily looked at the bag and back into my eyes.  She totally got the concept of opportunity cost, and realized right then and there that she would rather have the money. 

Over the summer, she was going shopping with some money that PawPaw had sent in the mail.  As she opened the door to Claire's, she said, "I need to find a charm bracelet that's in my budget." 

.............................................................................................

Last week I wrote about the 3.1 Phillip Lim collaboration at Target, available in select stores 8/15 and on the website.   Upon waking, the one piece from the line I wanted (the sparkle sweater in navy) was quickly obtained from the Target website:

After church, we made the quick trip to our local Target.  As I walked through the women's department and the entire width of the store, no Limsanity could be found.  When I reached the dressing room and questioned the attendant, she (after asking me to repeat "Phillip Lim" several times) checked with a superior and confirmed that this particular collaboration is only available at SuperTarget locations.  She proceeded to name them off, but I assured her I knew about every Target location within a 200 mile radius.

Needless to say, I was a little ticked about this and may or may not have tweeted something about being in a fashion desert -- disenfranchised even.  Our schedule did not permit a Target tour that particular Sunday afternoon, and the collection was basically sold out online by noon. 

Lots of words have been written here about shopping, and I hope you won't think I've been disingenuous if I confess that I am a lot like Gracie with her first realization about money -- that spending it isn't really fun.  I love technology, invention, creativity and anything related to fashion.  These things excite me and are far less polarizing to write about than, say politics, and also have the added benefit of not alienating 95% of the people I know.  I write about shopping far more than I actually shop.  Or, as I said to Skip when we returned home from our failed Limsanity run and I was contemplating complaining to Target: I mean, I wasn't going to buy any of it; I just wanted to see it.

Well, ok, I might have gotten this scarf: 

But that's it. 

For whatever reason, clarifying my feelings about the new iPhone and the Phillip Lim for Target line felt important this week.  I love the new iPhone and will make it a point to go to the Apple store once it arrives to check it out and marvel at the latest upgrades.  However, like Gracie, sometimes (ok, most times) I like having my spending money in my pocket more than I like giving it to a cashier. 

   

Enumerated Update

Happy Monday, friends.  I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing weekend.  In contrast, we watched the Alabama v Texas A&M game that took 10 years off our lives. 

Here's where we are:

1)  The Game:  We all watched it or heard about it, yes? There's nothing to add except my fervent wish that Johnny Manziel turns pro early so we only have to face him one more time. 

2)  School Photo Day:  William George had his first ever class photo last Thursday.  George loves going to K2, but he still insists on taking his cloth with him each day.  The teacher and I have compared notes several times on how to handle clothie.  With the girls, we would have spent a little time thinking about the cloth attachment.... what does it mean?... should we discourage?... should we apply limitations?... we should definitely research and read everything ever written about attachment objects. Read... research... repeat.

With the third child?  Notsomuch on analyzing clothie and its implications.  Basically, we told George's teacher that we don't allow clothie to come into contact with food (George stuffs clothie down in his booster seat), we don't allow clothie on playgrounds, and we don't take it out much in public -- simply because we don't want to loose them. (He has multiples, but not an infinite supply.)  The rule at school is that he has to put clothie in his cubby during center time.  She also tried restricting it on the playground, but when she noticed how George didn't play much without it she let him have it.  Since George gets a fresh clothie each morning and since they are bleached when laundered, we keep an open mind.

When the time came for George's school portrait, he wouldn't go see the photographer without clothie.  In a few weeks, we will receive George's photo package, and I'm sure he and clothie will look handsome. 

3)  Readers:  Speaking of school, the trio have each turned corners with their respective reading.  The duo are taking off with their reading abilities, whereas George is demonstrating preferences and picking out his favorites.  At the end of a long day, sometimes devoting 20 minutes of reading to George and another 20 to the duo is a challenge, especially on top of homework and the individual reading the girls complete daily.  This article is a compelling argument for making sure all three have the full 20 minutes. 

4)  HVAC:  Last week our downstairs unit stopped working - the unit we installed in February.  After a mere seven months of use, the vents produced only warm air.  Our upstairs unit (installed December of 2011) is awesome; I would recommend it to anyone.  Although they are both Trane units, the downstairs unit is questionable. We have called the guys out 2-3 times for the downstairs unit since we kept detecting an odor -- an electrical fire-type odor.  So when the unit stopped cooling, they came out, diagnosed "dirty sock syndrome," which is HVAC-speak for the evaporator coil leaking, causing a smell.  So we asked, "Like an electrical fire smell?" Since we had had them evaluate that exact complaint, we were somewhat baffled by their inability to diagnose the problem sooner.  Replacement of said coil apparently costs $2600, and that prompted the guy to tell us how lucky we were to have the warranty.  Lucky us for having a warranty to protect against a defective and poorly made unit.

On the contrary, it is our installer who is lucky because a conversation involving our being told the evaporator coil was faulty after a few months use would not have gone well -- not even a little bit. 

5)  Deterrence:  This sign, caught by a friend on Instagram, made me laugh. 

6) Coppola: After mentioning Sofia Coppola last week, I ran across this image on www.heynataliejean.com.  This tidy medicine cabinet belongs to Sofia Coppola:

Although I wouldn't normally condone medicine cabinet snooping, this shot is awesome. 

Next, Skip pointed me to this interview wherein Marlow Stern interviews Coppola on the 10th anniversary of the release of Lost in Translation.  Basically, last week was great for Coppola fans (or stalkers). 

And that's what's happening with us.  What is going on with you? 

Designer Collaboration

The next designer collaboration will be 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target, hitting stores and the website Sunday, September 15th.  See the campaign video and explore the lookbook here. From the images, this might be one of my favorite collaborations in a while. 

Read more about the collab here and here. 

Friday's Quote

Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven.

-Walter Savage Landor

Golden Anniversary

On August 31st, Skip's family gathered to celebrate 50 years of wedded bliss.  Sally and Ralph, bride and groom, had their two children and six grandchildren under one roof for a very special weekend.

  We looked through their wedding album and read their announcements.

Oh, and there was LOTS of cousin love... many hugs, smiles, etc. 

The bride and groom, forever frugal, declined a lavish party or gathering, but they did consent to a nice luncheon. 

Below are the granddaughters -- with the exception of Lindsey, who is very adept at camera dodging. 

And.... the boys:

Soon enough we made our way to the restaurant and were taken into the "Sun Room" at the restaurant.  Once there, the duo settled in with their cousins at the kiddie table. 

Skip did some nice photobombing. 

And... he's in!

And I even got one of Lindsey.  Granted, her mom coerced her into this photo, but I got it, too.  Such lovely sisters!

William George was on his best behavior. 

 

HA!  Trick dog!  He so wasn't, but he tried hard to keep it together. 

He really liked smelling the flameless candles. 

The fancy foursome:

The duo giving Gran a hug. 

William Geo taking some calls after lunch was served. 

Our Grace-bug was in full celebratory mode, and she burst into tears when the weekend was over. 

After a decadent lunch, we went to Ralph & Sally's for an afternoon of fun.  The cousins played, and there may or may not have been football to watch.  We are giving Lindsey full credit for being brave enough to have football viewing coordinated during the anniversary weekend.

 

After a super casual dinner, we feasted on cake. 

We celebrated the happy couple who have given their family the gift of a lifetime of love. 

 

Happy anniversary!  Here's to many, many, many more!

September 11

Photo credit: National Geographic

This week we told the girls a little about September 11, 2001. 

We shared the atrocities... that terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon... that everyone aboard those planes died... that people in the floors above the point of impact died... that many others were wounded and injured.... we looked images of the towers and talked about what it was like to watch them fall. We shared that the mastermind behind the attacks was located and killed by the Central Intelligence Agency a couple of years ago. 

They asked if Osama Bin Laden is in hell. 

We didn't share other details... like the brave passengers who overtook the terrorists whose plane crashed (While that is such an important aspect of the 9-11 recollection, we felt it would be too hard to comprehend at this time, especially when considering that the plane would have otherwise been shot down before striking its intended target.)...  That police and firemen were killed after bravely charging into the towers... That some (estimated at 200) of the occupants of the Twin Towers plunged to their deaths -- an awful and unthinkable choice made only when facing flames.

My niece (the famous Lexie) was in first grade in 2001.  She and her fellow students were asked to draw a picture to express their feelings during that fateful week.  She drew a picture of two towers and someone jumping from the top. 

We told them where we were when we learned of the attacks.  We told them that our country was at war for a very long time and works constantly to prevent future attacks.  We talked in general terms about bad people and hatred. 

Today, we remember. 

Apple Keynote

Skip has been taunting me about my outdated, iPhone 5 technology.  Clearly, I don't have a gold phone, an A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, or an M7 motion coprocessor.

Enumerated Update

Happy Monday, friends!  How was your weekend?

Here's where we are on this late summer Monday: 

1) Birthdays: Shockingly, the duo's birthdays are right around the corner.  Although some ideas were loosely bandied about when we were planning George's party, we have made no plans whatsoever.  Make note: Commence birthday planning ASAP. 

2) Bling: Something I haven't mentioned previously is my unbridled adoration of Sofia Coppola. I like all of her projects, and Lost in Translation would make my list of top five movies - ever.  I have read all about The Bling Ring and am aware of its lukewarm reviews.  This is the week I will carve out time to watch Bling...

also... The Great Gatsby (finally)...

and possibly Before Midnight.

Watching three movies in the span of a week is ambitious, but I am least crossing one off my list.

3)  Buzz: This is actually an oldie, but since it seems to have staying power, it bears repeating:  "big ask" which is defined as: something you ask someone to do that will be difficult for them to deliver.  In other words, when asking something of someone that stretches the bounds of likelihood.  I especially like when the expression is used preemptively, to brace the party for the question to come. 

Example:  Now this is a big ask.... but is there any way you can watch all three of my children this weekend? 

4) Menu: Lately we have redoubled our efforts to menu plan and have a balanced, mostly nutritional meal for dinner. Before you think I'm tooting my own horn here, you should know that I set this goal last fall, and we are just now implementing our plan, you know, a year later... but whatever.  The point is we are really trying, and I sat down at the end of August and planned our menu for the entire month of September.  Since my strategy is usually to wait until everyone drifts into the kitchen at dinner time before pondering the what's-for-dinner question, this is a HUGE accomplishment.

After writing out the menu, I made a comprehensive grocery list and procured the ingredients for a month of dinners.  What I have learned is that if one plans dinner, has ingredients on hand and takes that final step of preparing the meal, dinner is effectively handled.  Voila!  Who knew?

Taking this to another level, I (surprisingly) had the forethought to incorporate meals prepared in the slow cooker on nights with extracurricular activities or obligations.  It's MAGICAL, I tell you! 

5) Fashion Week: I know absolutely nothing about fashion week except for what I have gleaned from The Rachel Zoe Project and all of the blogs devoted to tracking Anna Dello Russo's every move.  From reading a blog or two over the weekend, I am astounded by the stamina and willpower to produce 2-4 posts each day devoted to various fashion shows.  I would need a few weeks in my pajamas to recover.

6) A&M: The opportunity for vindication is this Saturday.  Our mental status leading up to the Tide's rematch against Johnny Football will likely be detailed in a later post.  Or I may go completely quiet so as not to anger the football gods and jeopardize Saturday's rematch.

And that's it for us.  What is happening with you?

Friday's Quote

Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten

-B.F. Skinner

By Way of Update

So this week has obviously involved an impromptu break. We have gotten busy with routines, and I became sidetracked with a couple of PTA meetings and some other volunteer tasks.  Since that hasn't left a lot of time in front of the computer, this page has been...neglected. 

Also, the duo have their first spelling tests tomorrow, and the time we have spent taking practice tests has been eventful (read: rife with argument).  Instead of their homework taking approximately 15 minutes, we have been having hour-long sessions. 

Otherwise, here is what has been happening:
 

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Cheese

William George rarely poses these days.  More often than not, he says, "Mommy, don't take my picture!"  When he is feeling playful, he will occasionally flash his trademark "cheese" smile (bottom right).

These are the redemptive smiles that get us through last night's epic tantrum from church when it was time for George to leave the playground. 

Enumerated Update

Happy Tuesday after Labor Day, friends!  Did you have a good weekend?  I hope you tacked on extra days and had a farewell-to-summer extravaganza!

Here's we are:

1)  September: Since Fall is my favorite time of year, I couldn't be happier about ringing in the month of September.  Fall? Bring it.

2)  Anniversary: We celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of Skip's parents over the weekend. That's golden, baby!  Updates to come soon.

3)  Anniversary: Much less importantly, I realized last week that the status/enumerated update is celebrating its one year anniversary on this site (see the first one here). This may be the most consistent thread of this entire blog.  It's a blogging miracle!  Well, maybe it would have been miraculous if I had stayed consistent with the title.  

4)  Changes:  We have been slowly going through our home and making some updates. First, we tackled the keeping room by removing coffee tables and an outdated chair and brought in two formal chairs to balance the room.  Next, we focused on the dining room and eliminated three pieces by bringing in a china cabinet.  The best part? The "new" pieces were found at a consignment sale and on Craigslist, respectively.  Y'all know I love a bargain.

This post from Design Sponge is probably one of my favorite before/after stories in their entire series.  Love that the room was changed dramatically for $400.00.  Love!

5)  Birkenstocks:  As we begin to say goodbye to summer, I have to mention a big trend this summer: the return of the Birkenstock.  For those who love them, you're probably thinking they didn't return at all... that they've been a staple in your closet for years.  I understand the allure; really, I do.  I tend to be more of a stacky heel kind-of-girl and just couldn't get on board.  When this earthy shoe hit my inbox last week as a flash sale, I skimmed the options.

Maybe I could embrace them if they had a wedge option?

6)  Selfies:  Last week the Oxford Dictionaries added selfie to the dictionary (along with several other words, including "twerking" that will not be discussed here).  A discussion on the unnecessary-ness of selfies can be found here.

What's going on with you? Are you thinking of throwing your beloved Birkenstock at me?  I hope not. I probably would wear them if I could pull them off.

Have a fantastic, short week!