Last weekend of summer

This was the last weekend of summer break for the kids.  I wish I could say we went on a trip someplace or did something amazing, but that is just not the case.  Instead, we had a "last chance to finish some stuff before it gets really crazy"  type weekend.  The above photo was from last week's fair.  I am not sure where my sister got it from, but it made me laugh!  No wonder I can never get a brush through her hair!  :)  

Madison got a new job (again) and will now be working in the kitchen at the Overbrook School.  It means less driving, no weekends or holidays, a little more money, and bad weather days off for her.  For me, it means I get Evie all week long!  Of course, I love having this little love bug!  My office was too lonely with the other kids all being in school anyway!  

On Friday, the girls and I ran a ton of errands.  One was picking up Harper's new glasses.  She picked them out, but between then and now, decided she doesn't like them much.  I think they make her look very grown up!  She will get used to them I am sure!  Change is hard for some of us!

More changes happened over the weekend as well.  I painted Quincy's old room up for Harper.  We were able to use a bunch of the old paint we had in the basement, and she loves how it turned out.  We just have to get a new mini blind because - well Quincy.  She got her stuff all moved in and we have sort of cleaned out the other room for Saige.  This will be their first times being apart.  I hope it means they will go to bed without talking half the night now!  

Quincy is actually making progress with the grumpy cactus.  Last night she even let me see her face!  Quincy wants to have her bred - thinks raising hedgehogs would be super fun.  I am not about to encourage this craziness.  :)  

We did take a short trip this weekend.  Madison, Mallory and I went to Wichita to see Grace.  Madison's Godmother saved us!  Grace got the wedding dress all altered and ready to go.  We are getting close!  It was a fun day with my big girls.  Jim had a fun evening also, as he went to watch semi-professional wrestling with Uncle Jay - whose nephew was making his wrestling debut.  Jim told me he had forgotten how much fun semi-pro wrestling is.  He used to take Colin and Cameron all the time.  They went to some strange places to watch it too.  I remember once they went to a nursing home!  The residents loved it!  

Sunday was the final day for the city pool to be open.  The girls wanted to go in, but I was frantically trying to finish getting their rooms done.  Preston agreed to take them.  They love to swim.  I am so glad our town has a nice pool for them to hang out with their friends and do something they enjoy. 

Sunday, we also leased a billy goat, and are excited to start a new year of raising baby goats.  We are selling a few, traded a couple for the billy services, and have secured our hay supply for the winter.  The kids are excited!  We also had an opportunity to take Frankie to our friend's house to have his beak, toes, and wings trimmed.  It saved us a lot of money, and we learned a bunch of stuff!  Frankie did not especially like having a spa day!  He did not bite anyone while they were working on him though!  I never thought about trimming a bird's beak with a dremel before!  He was very calm afterward, and Quincy carried him all over the house.  He is getting sweeter by they day, and we can tell he loves the attention.  He loves Quincy!  Colin was home for a little while Saturday evening.  Frankie seems to hate Colin - going crazy every time he is in the house.  Colin got the towel to try to pick him up.  As he did, he told Frankie "we are going to be friends" and Frankie yelled out "NOOOOOO!"  truly one of the funniest things I have ever seen!  I honestly never thought about owning a parrot until I was in the process of picking this one up.  I know nothing at all about them, and although I am trying to learn, I don't think any article or book can do them justice.  This bird is smart.  He knows how to get attention, knows how to speak, asks for things (cracker?) and has an honest to goodness personality.  We are trying our hardest to learn what to do with him, as well as what not to do, and I hope we can keep him alive for the long haul.  Even Jim, who usually just eye rolls at my insanity is having a blast talking to him! 

Cameron sent me these pictures.  The first one is because he was celebrating his one year anniversary as a bouncer at Tubby's.  I have no idea what the heck is going on in the second one.  With Cameron it is sometimes best if we don't know.  Cameron also got a second job waiting tables at Texas Roadhouse.  I hope he will like working there!  He has another week before classes start.  I think he is ready!