From the Hollow: Oh what a week!!!!

So perhaps I jumped into the DIY and blogging wagon a little too fast. Obviously from my lack of posts I have been a bit behind - or perhaps overwhelmed. Who knows. But today was the first day since before the luau that I have had a chance to work on my stairs. And you know what...

I have really, really missed working on them. I have discovered that DIY is a great creative outlet. And I have always known that I need a creative outlet. So the past two weeks with all their flurries of activities have left me lacking. Today felt great!! I did not have an incredible amount of time, but I was able to

-stain and start varathaning the upper level hand rail
-caulk and touch up the paint and stain on the lower stairs
-caulk the trim and baserail on teh upper level

woo hoo!!!!!

Falling back to my crafty roots this is how I touch up paint and paint the caulk

My honey thinks it is insane, but using my little brushes makes me feel like I have better control. Especially in the tight little spaces like under the treads. But it takes a while... ok - a long while.

Now I have a dilema----

The trim above the frog tape is my dilema

This one shows the distance from the lower stairs to the trim I want to paint rather well

These pictures show the upper level handrail at the top of the pictures. I want to paint the trim underneath the handrail in the off white that I have used on the beadboard and spindles. Uhmm... It is really, really hard to get to. I have put some of the adhesion primer on by leaning over the handrail, sitting on the second floor landing and leaning through the spindles, and stretching up from the lower stairs. I have not come close to "cutting" in to the handrail. I am terrified of destroying the stairs by putting a ladder on them.

Soooooo... any suggestions?

But on to other things...

Both girls start their new schools tomorrow. I hate to be the bearer of bad news to all of you with young children who think that you will have more time when your kids are older, but this was the busiest back to school week I have ever had!! Oh my goodness!! Both girls had mandatory orientations that they were supposed to bring a "support person" to. Long...very long...orientations. Then both girls needed books.. lots of books

oldest daughter's books

Youngest daughter's books

Yep - that is alot of books. And we actually have 2 each of youngest daughter's books. We bought all that she needed at the college book store - $585 worth. Then someone told us about Textbook Brokers. So we went there and the prices were so much better that we bought them all again. $403. Nice savings!!! Now we just have to return all the ones to the college book store.

And since they have so many books, plus their laptops, etc. We had to go shopping for new backpacks - the industrial type. Oldest daughter had to get a rolling back pack AND a regular back pack. Poor kid!! Youngest daughter found one made for actual back packing that has lumbar support and crosses over her chest. Once she gets it on - she seems to be ok. Heaven help us if she falls over backwards, it will take a football team to get her back up right. She chose to have all of her classes back to back with no real break to make her day shorter, so she has to carry everything with her all day.

Then there was school supply shopping. And back to school clothes shopping for youngest daughter. Oldest daughter will go in 2 weeks "clothes" shopping once she gets her assigned scrubs.

Uhm.... maybe one day they will outgrow back to school shopping, but I am not holding my breath!!!

We had a big cook out for the kids on Thursday. And to add to the chaos
son-in-law had to have surgery on Friday. He did not do well with the anesthesia at all. Poor guy was at the hospital ALOT longer than they had said he would be. He had to have more work done than the doc had anticipated, too. So he has been in alot of pain. We tried to help out as much as we could Friday and Saturday. (Other than the pain - he is fine now~his body is functioning normally now)

I also spent an evening with youngest daughter finding all the back roads/traffic avoiders for her college commute.

So - those of you with young children - do not get your hopes up about all the extra time you will have. But do enjoy it ~ they are very, very enjoyable - ok, most of the time - at this age.

Ohhh - I finally relented and went birthday shopping with my buddy. One of the things she bought was