Four More Weeks Until School Starts...

 ....boo, hiss....

This summer is going at warp speed--the season usual goes fast but this is ridiculous!  I think the reason that it's flying by is that we are spending  time doing things we all enjoy.  No more toddler or preschool venues for us.  The boys and I enjoy (mostly) the same things.  Oh, they still have meltdowns and seem to enjoy food courts and gift shops more than the actual attraction but that's not unexpected at five and seven years old.

This weekend we took the commuter train to the city.  It was the boys' first real train ride.  I loved the fact that including parking, it cost $10.25 for the three of us.  Of course, lunch and souvenirs in the city added a bit more to the tab but it certainly made for a fun way to spend a few hours.

Waiting for the 10:08

Snacks for the trip back home

Last week the weather was perfect for Henry's soccer game.  He's having fun for the first time in four years.  Clearly, a developmental league was the way to go--just wish it hadn't take me this long to find one.

All the time we spend away from home means my food budget is completely off target.  We typically leave the house mid morning and stay out for quite a while.  It is really, really difficult not to eat out at least once every day but that's unhealthy in addition to being expensive.  I've tried packing lunches a couple of times but that only works when there is packable food in our refrigerator.  You can't exactly take pizzas to the park...

Maybe I should just relax about the food thing and let it be for the next month.  There's plenty of other stuff to stress out about including the fact that summer is more than half over and we've used our pool pass only once.  You know, the one that breaks even on the 8th visit...  Yeah, I'm not doing that again next year.  (To be fair, we've had an unseasonably cool and wet summer so far--it won't even reach 80 degrees this week.)

Speaking of first world problems, I've wasted so much time searching for, then meeting with, different contractors for home repairs.  Most frustratingly, nothing has been completed.  Nothing.  Well, except for the things I took on myself...one can only play phone tag so long before heading the DIY shelf  at the library and then Lowe's.  Okay, who am I kidding, I don't use how-to books, I use YouTube.

After three weeks of calling, emailing, pleading my case and begging for estimates, the deck/patio project came to a dead end.  The concrete guy said he'd have to charge me $6000 extra because it was such a small job (12x12).  The deck guy (the one who called back, three others didn't bother) gave me an estimate that was almost 60% more than what Angie's List said it should cost.  I don't know how this project could be simpler and that's what is most frustrating.  I just have to let it go and buy some more sod.

The Pinterest picture I fell in love with...alas, it was not to be

This week's projects include waiting around for the insurance adjuster and the exterior repair guy as well as scheduling the carpet measure.  I really resent the time all this takes away from my children; however, I admit that I schedule almost no maintenance/repair work during the school year.  Not surprisingly, it really piles up in the summer.  You could almost say it snowballs but then that would make us think of summer's end and who wants to do that?