a lot of activity

We've been getting some stuff done around the house lately, with some extra helping hands. My brother, enlarging the existing front gardens here, was also responsible for making a broader front walkway and patio.

When the old saggy porch was taken off, there was some rot by our front door. Our friend Chris was helping us with that part, and he was also happy to share (in addition to his expertise) some really nice mahogany decking, his tools, and other lumber. Jake helped him move last week, and I love it when things work out that way.

So our new, smaller and cuter front porch (which will eventually get a little bench where the blue chair is) and expanded gardens came to a grand total of under $50. There is still work to be done in the gardens, some plants to split and move, some new plants to put in, and some mulching to be done.

the new, more welcoming walkway

Sylvan's stone-crushing operation,

formerly his fireplace

I was busy finishing Sylvan's PJ pants. I had to rip out the waistband twice, and finally added a bit more fabric to add length to the crotch. They have been the PJs from Hell, but they sure look cute.

The cozy flannel feels good in our strange summer coolness.

And the Ultimate Playmobil Battle was played out this morning. Something you may not know is that my two boys inherited their uncle's extensive Playmobil collection, and in addition to their own, this means that they have really an outrageous amount of Playmobil (lest you think we exist in some kind of idyllic, plastic-free home, where the children are always making tiny paper houses and playing in the dirt). This collection is sometimes to the chagrin of their parents. There is no way to have the whole collection out at once, so we rotate things in and out, like museums do. I am not sure how many fighters there were today, but I heard that there were 148 war animals (I am not sure if the owl and squirrels and wild boars were counted in that number) involved. Two boys and two men attacked the set-up using the age-old method of wooden spoons and rubber bands.

the cavalry leads

the Romans bringing up the side flank

the Queen, who is also a Mermaid,

atop the highest battlement