My photo project is done! Finally!

I found the layout and instructions while perusing Pinterest.com, you know, one of my favorite pastimes. Seriously? I find so many things not only to drool over but to do. I've been wanting to use my own portraits on our walls but it's not cheap to frame photos and I don't have the imagination necessary to just throw photos up on a wall. So when Pinterest took me to Tales from the Crib's blog post I knew I wanted to try it.

A couple things I'd suggest if you do this:

• Make sure your project manager (Cecil) actually project manages so you don't accidentally make a duplicate of one sized foam board and complete forget another. Seriously...so frustrating when you are done painting to only discover you have to cut and paint another piece and everything has been put away!
• I used oil free paint instead of using a cloth cover. Seriously, I would never have been able to wrap the boards tight enough to my liking, I just know myself and the painting worked out great.
• Have a couple sharp razor blades nearby or be ready to have to sand a lot of edges. (This is touched on in the post.)
• We measured out the boards and then ran into issues later where the photos didn't exactly match up with the boards. There is some overhang and some under-hang. It isn't obvious, but if I did it again I think I'd find a way to safely trace the images on the foam before cutting instead.
• We used the 3M Command Interlocking Fastners. (You know, their removable sticky things so the paint doesn't come off the wall.) I thought it'd be easier for getting the photos up on the wall since it is foam board. I'm now terrified it won't remain sticky to the foam and I really don't like that it makes the photos sit out about an eighth of an inch from the wall. I'd suggest finding a different way to hang them. 
• Lastly, and also mentioned in the first post, order from a good printing place. I usually order my prints from Snapfish.com but the larger prints are sent rolled up and it can make the photos wavy and they also didn't have the sizes I needed for this project. So I ordered from Mpix.com and I cannot compliment them enough! The photos were mailed completely flat and the amount of care that went into their shipping impressed me immensely. I'll still order from Snapfish for my smaller photos but I think the extra cost for the better shipping of larger photos makes Mpix my new favorite.

You guys, I am in love with my wall. The lighting is horrible for actually showing how cool it looks, since the two windows letting in natural light are on the same wall, so bear with me on that. Also? It's huge, and really fills the room nicely.

(That window is flush with the ground outside. While I don't allow my children to play in the windowsill usually, it worked well for showing the size and if they were to fall out, they'd literally roll onto the ground. No need to call Child Protective Services!)

This past weekend we were able to spend some time at the lakehouse with my cousins. Not everyone could make it but the reason for the big get together was that Brookey and Eva had flown in to visit, you know, before she has her baby boy in November. (Yay!) Rory was so excited when she saw all the girls, her and Eva immediately took to each other and ventured off on their own. I found them playing in this tube.

My mom took up a collection of all the funny hats they were handing out at the MN State Fair for my kids, naturally we had to take them out to play with.

We took a boat ride between rain clouds. My dad wasn't quite accurate on his rain predictions and we did end up hitting some hard rain about 50 feet from the dock on our return but still, it was fun!

And Eva got to drive the boat! (All the kids took turns but this was Eva's very first time, so worth noting!)

That evening Brookey read stories to the little girls.

Taylor practiced her heart making skills on Brookey's belly which was adorable.

That morning we all took a group shot before separating. I know, I've got some good genes! (Well, besides my own personal stance and shirt that seems to imply I too will be having a baby in November. That's what I get when I'm always the one running into the shot after starting the timer...)

We had a really fun time seeing everyone and getting to hang out. I cannot wait to hear about baby boy's arrival in November. As for Granny Judy? She'll be waiting on that name. It's driving her crazy not knowing!

You guys? I'm still catching up from a very fun weekend with my cousins. Photos to come hopefully tomorrow. (Could someone please freeze time except for me tomorrow? It'd be appreciated. Just 30 minutes is all I ask, to get back on schedule?)

So today I leave you with this gem:

Max to Rory, whispering at the breakfast table: "I like your face, it's so pretty."

I'll be hanging out over here in my grave, since I died from the cute!

For a fun Friday post, lets look at some funny lines and stories from my children lately.

Max: "Mom, I'm married to my dad. He lives in St. Paul."
-Explaining who his other dad was. Even more reason to support marriage equality I guess.


Max: "Mom, I don't want to play I Spy anymore. I'm not winning."
Me: "But you're not losing?"
Max: "Yes I am. I'm losing on patience!"


The first and only friend I've hear about since Max started school is Big Grace, not little Grace, Max's new bus friend. On the second day of school he drew her a picture, rolled it up and taped it closed. This was the second time I had heard about her, the first was when he got home that first day asking if he too could have a lunch box like Big Grace did. Did I mention that Big Grace is not in Max's Junior Kindergarten class? And since he rides the bus with Jr-K through 12th grade kiddos I have no idea how old this girl is. I think she's in the elementary school, and Max is insistent I know her, so my guess is that she either went to the same daycare that Max used to attend or she was at Vacation Bible School this summer. Either way? My son's first school friend is an older girl that he's drawing pictures for. I am so screwed for the teenage years! I knew it, he is a Cochran after all, but seriously does the universe need to remind me on the SECOND DAY OF JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN?!


Rory woke us up in the middle of the night.
Rory: "I want to sleep with you."
Me: "Rory baby, why did you wake up? Do you need to go potty?"
Rory: "Nooooooo."
Me: "Why are you crying than?"
Rory: "Because you guys were not coming to get me to sleep in your bed!"
-Cue Dusty snorting in bed, the very man that has never in his entire life of sleeping with me ever been woken up in the middle of the night and laughed. He's a bit of a crabber if he's woken up. Don't even get me started on the nights before both our children were born...


Rory: "Mommy, we have dinkles!"
Me: "We have what, Rory?"
Rory: "Umm...dinkles. You know, the corners!"
(Pause for a moment of thought.)
Me: "OH! Yes Rory, we do have DIMPLES!"


Hopefully they gave you a laugh for the end of the work week. We're looking forward to some major cousin loving as Brookey and Eva are visiting from California and we cannot wait to see them and the rest of our cousins!

This morning the kids and I took Maya for a walk to the waterfalls. (One of the perks to half day school, we can still squeeze in some morning activities!) While I enjoy taking fun artsy pictures, I'm not one to keep them or share them. Every once in a while though I get a really fun one I want to show off, especially if a new technique I was trying worked! Say hello to the sun rays on this spider web. So fun!

Rory and I enjoyed our afternoon shoe shopping yesterday while Max was in school. She decided she needed pink cowboy boots and the girl version of the kicks Max got for school. Of course I said yes to the purple ones!

We also checked out the waterfalls of course, the kids haven't been there in a while and they were quite happy looking at it all.

Max was even getting adventurous and sneaking out way further than he usually goes. Doesn't this face say, "Am I in trouble?" I do love that boy even if his before school energy levels are unmanageable right now.

I'm adjusting to having Max gone for the day, I'm not however, sure what to do with Rory during that time. It seems so simple but I've never been a mother to an only child that is 2, almost 3 years old, so this is new. If you have any fun suggestions, send them my way. We'll be doing the afternoons-to-ourselves thing for the whole school year now so I'm sure we'll be trying lots of things out!

P.S.
We've have a couple friends going through some terrible times with their children. If you're the praying/good wishing type, will you include them in your thoughts and prayers? Thanks much!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/avapesha
www.caringbridge.org/visit/eviekeister

Max's first day as a public school pupil. He was not exactly thrilled with going to school, but he wasn't scared, just argumentative about going and extremely wound up. He was constantly getting himself into trouble and testing out new boundaries the whole morning. It took a lot more control not to scream my head off than it did to not cry today.

We finally got the first day of school picture taken. I may have had to threaten him. But I got it, and he looks cute.

I also apparently had more nerves then I realized because my first 6 photos or so? Yeah, they looked like this.

A lot of touching up and I was able to get this. Not beautiful, but you can see he had an entourage of support.

Then we sat around and waited for the bus. The bus was 20 minutes late, and we went out 20 minutes early. So needless to say, the boy got bored real fast.

The bus did finally show up, and my boy loaded on without one single look back at his mom. I did get a wave from the window though along with a big proud smile. So I must be doing something right.

When the bus turned around and headed back out we had YoYi (Gayle), Grammy and Rory all doing the jump and wave to Max. Yes, it really does take a village.

After an exciting afternoon of grocery shopping, Rory and I returned home to wait for the bus. Rory was so excited she wouldn't leave the side of the road for the first 10 minutes. The bus? 30 minutes late on bringing him home. It got boring real fast. But he made it, he had his first day, he complained it was boring and than bragged about all the fun things he did at school. I think he's going to be just fine.

And an Acapulco's dinner with his cousins? Always a reason to continue to go to school!

We made it! Max rode the bus with ease, had a good first day at school, and Mom didn't cry. Well, at least not when anyone was watching. It's going to be a good year!

We're sticking around home this Labor Day weekend and working on some things. On Saturday Auntie and Taylor took Max and Rory to Taylor's mom's house for some horseback riding.

The kids have been talking about it a lot, so I think it's safe to say they had a great time.

I can also thank Auntie and Taylor for this parking lot picnic.

You see, they were extremely overtired when we picked them up Sunday morning and our first hardware store we stopped at resulted in multiple meltdowns. So when we had hardware store number two to stop at? I volunteered to stay back with the kids. (My project materials were taken care of at the first store...more on that later). So yes, I'm that classy mom that has them eating off the pavement. But I still say it's Auntie and Taylor's faults!

(Just kidding you two, we love you and thank you for taking the kiddos so we could enjoy our day celebrating Becca's 30th at the fair!)

Now, back to those projects!