Time to Whip Them into Shape (not literally of course)

So I've decided that my kids are little slackers who don't do a blessed thing in this house. I'm constantly on them to do the things that...well...they should be doing. Make your bed? Put your clothes (shock) in the hamper? C'mon, guys!

So I've instituted the next level in my county jail house...

Chores!

These are hanging up in my kitchen (to my Keshet staff readers-didn't I do a nice job? I feel like we live in Keshet-laminated, velcroed, and hung up in the kitchen!)


Can you guys read it all?

Really, there is no rocket science here. Just put your freaking laundry in the hamper, PLEASE for Pete's sake! (Who is Pete and why is he in my blog post?)

This is week one. So far the little slaves kids are being surprisingly cooperative. But then again, kids like responsibility. And guidelines. And rules. And allowance. Which will most probably be awarded for completion of chores. Speaking of which-who here gives allowance? How much do you give?

I'll keep you all posted...

7th Times the Charm!

This summer was Dovi's SEVENTH year at Camp Simcha Special. It floors me that he's been going there for so long.

This year was a change from the past two years in that Dovi's beloved Raphi was not his counselor. Raphi had some school that he needed to take care of, so we had a new counselor!

Wednesday, July 28th, Dovi and I hopped a plane to New York.

bright and early...think he looks a little sleepy?

And no....we do NOT travel light!

We met my sister at LaGuardia, and the three of us headed off for the drive up to camp. Luckily it all went smoothly, unlike the time I got a $250 speeding ticket!

When we got to camp, this really nice guy came and met us at the car. He was helping us get Dovi's luggage out. I then told him that I needed to go find Dovi's new counselor Yakov. At which point he told us HE was Dovi's new counselor Yakov! I still think it was kinda funny.

Yakov and I spent a good three hours going over Dovi's stuff-and we when we were done he had that scared "deer in a headlights" look. I'm pleased to say that Yakov came through with shining colors.

Dovi has shared a cabin with the same few boys for the past few years...we always take pictures of the kids, but this year, the parents decided to take our own picture!

(yes, the sign behind us DOES say "FD Drools")

Dovi reunited with his buddies


showed off his cabin

smiled winningly for pictures

And got to know Yakov.


My sister and I then decided to stroll around camp-she'd never been there before and wanted to see everything. We went to one of the buildings and found this on the wall:

Look how little Dovi was!

If I get any pictures emailed to me (ahem!), I'll be happy to post about Dovi's 12 days at camp, which were filled with helicopter rides, concerts, workshops, and lots of pushing counselors in the pool

Good to know that Dovi is consistent.

Only the best picture of Dovi. Ever.

Ever.

I'm coming, Dovi!

I really must go to bed but I'm trying to get in the habit of blogging again...

I'm going to set this to publish in the morning, while I am on the plane

TO GO GET MY BOY!

I've missed him so much! Dovi has basically been gone for 3 weeks.

Too long, I say, too long

I'll post lots of pics of his Kids of Courage trip as soon as a certain person emails them to me.

Let me tell you, he's fabulous in his new hat and shades.

So Let's Begin!

As the summer began, I dubbed it "The Summer of Sara". I'm not in school right now and the kids were in camp. Hence, it was MY summer. Mine to do whatever I wanted. I'm sad to report that I really did very little. I managed to waste enjoy my days by frankly doing not a lot of anything.

I spent the first week or so putting my house back together after the fiasco that was Dovi's 3 week hospital stay. Then, it was time to deal with my stress from that time.

And what do I do when I'm stressed? Why I decorate, m'dears!

So. I surveyed my house, and honed in on a few places that I was irritated.

1) Nowhere for the kids' shoes to go (well, I had some baskets in the front hall, but they were always visible. And Visible = Mess)

2) Ugly Kitchen Chairs. Well not so much ugly as not my style anymore. Light wood. Eew.

3) Ugly Living Room Side Table. Now I can't really complain about said table because I picked it up in an alley eew don't tell my germy mom it didn't owe me anything. But it was nondescript. Uninteresting middle toned wood. A place to put accessories instead of something beautiful to look at.

So.

I got moving. Nothing a whole lot of spray paint can't fix, right?

Problem 1: Front hall shoe storage.

Solution: Old Shelving unit that was in the basement that had a broken shelf and was destined for the garbage.

How did I do it? Remove broken shelf, spray paint black (only about 400 coats of paint!), and hang a little curtain rod to cover up the mess.

Voila!



Isn't it pretty? Oh and those who know my house well will also notice that my front hall is no longer red. More about that later.

Problem 2: Ugly Kitchen Chairs

Solution: Why paint, of course!

How did I do it? Hmmm maybe a bit more black spray paint? And some fabric...
They are faint-worthy. And are making me want to paint my kitchen table...

And on to the last.

Problem 3: Ugly accent table.

Solution: Beautiful in Blue. I don't even like blue, and I swoon when I look at this. Yes. I swoon. It is divine.

How did I do it? Blue spray paint, then sanded the edges, then a bit of dark wood stain.

I figure that all of these transformations cost me total about $50. Spray paint is divine. And the good news is that the blue paint on my front lawn is just about gone.

And now I need to go make dinner. Because it's 4:41 and I have not made a blessed thing.

It's good to be back.

Knock Knock? Hello? Anyone there??

I think I might be back.

Maybe.

I'm sorta kinda getting the itch again.

So I have much to catch you all up on...

Let's take a vote.

I can talk about

(a) Dovi's time at Camp Simcha Special

(b) Dovi's time at Kids of Courage

(c) Dovi's ongoing pulmonary issues

(d) my freshly painted house (I swear, this blog is wacko)

(e) our trip to New York and Philadelphia

(f) Elisha, Shana, and Jakie's birthday

(g) all the decorating I did this summer (I was a mad spray paint fiend, I tell you)


So, my pretties, tell me what you'd like to hear about!