Befores and Afters

I will put the least gross before and after first and if you are squeamish at all don't look after the counters.  Lori is planning on adding on to the back of the house soon and is doing some projects first.  She started with the counters in the kitchen. We bought the house with these counters and she had a matching backsplash installed a few years ago. We know the kitchen was redone sometime since it was originally built in 2008 but we do not know how old the surface was starting to swell due to water damage.  Once Lori knows of a flaw in something it drives her crazy until she gets it fixed.  It was not in bad shape but the material under the sink She went with a solid Corian surface in a matching almond color.  I had to take everything off the counters three weeks ago so they could get measurements and did not put too much back while waiting for the install.  They did not stay this clean of course, this was the final clear off before the install.  

Norman and Anita arrived on Monday so Norman could help with the counter and sink removal (saves Lori money and Meme gets to come down for a visit-double bonus).  When I got home from work the sink was out but Norman needed coffee to finish the job.  

And then he pulled out the stove. Gross!  Both sides of the stove are clean, the floor, back splash is scrubbed and the spice shelf cleared and cleaned also.  

The corner of the bottom cupboard is hard to get into and it was nice having the top off so I could get to my pans back there.  It made me wish I had a flip top counter!  

Tuesday was the install and when I got home it was all nice and shiney.  Baylor said they looked lovely!  The sink is deeper and an undermount so less crevices I have to wish I cleaned more often.  

It is very pretty and she selected and nice style.  Stop here if you do not want an up close and personal selfie of my eye.  :o) 

So this is an after from last Wednesday.  It never occurred to me to take a before at that time.  The red got worse as the day went on and the next day too.  I have/had a cyst on the surface of my eye.  It has been there for years and was small. I had always thought it was a kind of scar from when Eddy scratched my eye many years ago.  The last year it has more than doubled in size to the point it would tear if I rubbed my eyes.  So I went to one eye place that sent me to another.  Last week he drained it which involved numbing drops and a very fine needle.  This was after that.  He said call me if it should come back.  

By Saturday it was back so here is the after but also what the before looked like.  Totally freaked out my dad. I did not show off the cyst before I had it done and my parents had never seen it before.  

Monday I called them and today I went in and he removed it.  This time I had super numbing drops and a lot of them.  He used some wire thing to keep my eye lid open, grabbed it with tweezers and cut it off.  I could hear the scissors cutting but could not feel a thing.  Now five hours later, it just feels like an irritation. I have steroid drops for it and I am hoping I don't get a big, hairy eyeball!  Or one with muscles and pimples! And I hope it does not come back!   

Whoopie Pie Anyone?

Saturday morning we slept in a bit and after getting up, I packed our bags for swimming class for a sleep over at Grandma and Buddy's.  On the way to class we 'raced' a train and when we pulled into the parking lot at the college the train was racing by us.  Which is of course is still enormous fun for both of us.  

He is in level One for the the third try.  I know it takes a few classes to learn the skills and he is excited to go.  He has a new teacher and I don't think she is as personal with them as he is used to.  There are two girls in the class with him so he will get lots of turns in the rotation.  At the end of class he was cold, freezing he said.  So much so that he was crying!  We dried off, changed and headed to Lancaster.

We had to go on Rt 30 on the east side of Lancaster.  There are signs that say the speed limit is 40 but I am not sure we ever got over 15 with all the usual traffic.  

But we did get to see Santa walking along the road.  Perhaps the reindeer and sleigh were broken down somewhere, I am not too sure.  

Our goal was the Whoppie Pie Festival, because who would not love a festival with hundreds of whoopie pies?  We did go a few years ago but he was too young to remember it.  We took a chance and were lucky to find a parking space on the hotel property although Baylor would have loved to had a ride on the shuttle bus.  I hope he still has that enthusiasm next year when he starts school.   We walked down the path and I tried to get him into the buggy for a photo.  He slept the whole way so he was not awake and was pretty shy about things.  But he did a great job taking a photo of me.  Not that I like my photo but he enjoyed taking it.  

Then he was ready to have his photo taken and then I took the photo for two couples in the wagon.  

We walked the craft tents to see if the metal garden stand guy was there and he was.  We checked out the goods, made notes of which one we wanted and headed off for lunch.  This year they had the pies in the tent and crowd control of entering at one end and checking out at the other.  This year he got to pick out his own flavors and I got to send him off to pick out a few while I kept our place in line.  The tent was packed and at 1:00 they were already sold out of many flavor options. 

We needed something to eat while we stood in line for something for lunch.  Baylor chose a banana pie with buttercream filling.  He enjoyed eating half of it but it was really hot in the sun and he wrapped up the rest for later.  We shared chicken tender, fries and a root beer.  Then he was ready to play!  

 First he wanted to play on the pirate ship.  It is the same model that they have at the pumpkin farm but they have cool swings on theirs.  

Checking for sharks.  

He still will not go down the pole by himself which is why I am inside with him.  Again, just like at the pumpkin farm. 

When he was done climbing, sliding, pirating and shark checking, he was ready for the slide.  It was $3 for two slides (and I know from looking last week they are not too bad to rent so they made good money). And he loved it of course.  In a few weeks he can go on the one at the construction rodeo for free!  

Notice how the girl kicked his butt climbing the ropes? 

But she did not want to race down so he went first.  

And then to bounce house (same price for three minutes).  He was in there with one other boy so they had lots of room .  

Then we went back for our garden art.  Someone bought the smiley face plate flower Baylor had his eye on (darn it) and he picked a seahorse that I approved of.  I would have loved the giant dragonfly but I did not have the cash to buy it also.  

On the way out Baylor was ready for a photo with the giant farmer (his description).  He went first this time and then he took my photo.  Then a nice lady stopped and offered to take a photo of us together.  Very sweet offer which we took her up on of course.   

(see the seahorse standing next to me) 

We headed to Grandma and Buddy's for  a sleep over.  Not much happened there, standard visit.  Baylor did lay out Grandma's photo blanket and watched some TV.  He enjoys picking out the photos though he does not remember any of them.  I made them the Christmas he was two for both Grandmas gifts.  

Just another catch up

All Summer I have been a week or so behind but we are busy and when I sit down I do not always feel like thinking about things. So I end up endlessly pinning and dreaming about things to make or eat.  Anyway, we have another busy weekend ahead of us and I do not want to get too behind.  Last Saturday we did some grocery shopping in the morning, played in the afternoon and went to Sarah and Tim's for a cookout.  Sarah is one of the teachers at preschool, the owner's daughter, and the mother of one of Baylor's buddies, Sean.  They are both sensitive boys and really get along together.  

They even had Baylor try a video game, racing of course.  We have a Wii but he is not very interested in it and I don't encourage it either.  I do not really want to be stuck playing endless games.  

Sunday morning we went to Heather and John's campground for the first time.  They bought the camper from her mom and this is their first summer.  We stopped at a nice fruit stand on the way there (and again on the way home) for peaches, pears, Honey Crisp apples and corn.  I froze the peaches and corn and we ate the pears and apples.  The campground was nice and I can see why people like them. 

They took Baylor tubing.  It was his first trip in a tube and I know when the boys are older we will be able to drop them off on our creek and they can walk home from our creek landing.  They water was really cold on their butts but Baylor enjoyed it.  Heather said he did really good until they were getting out.  He got a bit panicked when he did not see me there waiting for him.  I was at the camp playing with Brigid.  But he walked back with them without any break downs.  Him and Connor played with Connor's army set for the rest of the afternoon.  They had fishing lines in the creek and caught a tiny catfish but they let it go of course.  

Brigid was obsessed with looking at the photos on my phone especially the ones of her family going down the creek. We wore out the battery rather quickly! 

Brigid and I had walked down to the creek to play and over on a rock I saw what at first thought was a bent stick.  On closer inspection I discovered it was a huge spider. HUGE!  Like enormous compared to any in the wild spider I have ever seen. So I took a photo and we moved away from the spider.  

When they got back we had some lunch and then icebox cake I had made.  It was super easy and super wonderful. Just whipped cream and chocolate wafer cookies.  Yum!   We helped Heather pack up the camper and headed home at 3:30.  Baylor fell asleep after the stop at Peter's Mountain fruit stand for more peaches.  

One night I saw the hummingbird moth on some flowers in the garden.  I ran inside for the camera and luckily he was still there when I got back.  This is the first year I have seen one and he has been around all summer.  I feel really lucky to have him.  

I put the Flash mask on Eddy and although she did not really like it, she tolerated it for the most part.  Baylor tired to he help her and I just love seeing my two children loving each other.  

While I was trying to get a photo of Eddy, Baylor was playing dog with his slinky dog.  I had three puppies at one point.

We made a fort on the couch with the cushions for Baylor.  He wanted a computer in there to watch Netflix but we did not accommodate.  So he got his Leapfrog for something to do in there.  He was cute and loved his fort.

Monday when we were off work and Lori was home with us, we moved the other dresser into the garage to finally finish painting it.  I really rushed through it and did not do as much detail work like I did on the other dresser but it turned out just fine.  Now they match finally!  

Until next time.....