You Need One of These

Remember a while back when I posted an ode to my carpet cleaner? Well, get ready, here comes more:

I got a new toy today. It's a prize for completing my giant sewing project that I shouldn't have taken on. But my prize is totally making it better. (Maybe I should explain and post pics of the sewing thing...that's for another time, this is much more important).

Here it is:

Let's have a moment of silence to contemplate the majesty of my new floor cleaner...

Seriously, I am in heaven. We have a really lovely laminate floor that we installed a few months ago. We have it in the dining room, kitchen and family room. It's really pretty and really shiny. They call it a "piano finish". That piano finish means that every speck of water leaves an ugly water spot if you don't dry it up. So, cleaning the floor until today consisted of me on my hands and knees with a wet cloth and a spray bottle of Lysol. Then after a section was clean I had to dry it with a towel.

But now, all I do is use my magic machine. It takes a little longer than vacuuming carpet. It scrubs with magical brushes then is sucks up all the water and yuck. I don't have to do anything else.

Now I can be like those ladies who always seem to have a perfectly clean floor. Maybe they had a secret. Now I'm in on it and I don't mind sharing.

PS it was on sale at Kohl's for $150, then we had a 30% off coupon.

Crossing a River, Kindergarten, and a Fence

Zach wasn't in the water, but it REALLY looks like he is standing right in it. Just a goofy picture.

Kindergarten started a few weeks ago. So far Zach loves it. So far I love it. We were lucky enough to be at the only school in the district (as far as I know) that gives everyone full day kindergarten every day. I'm not complaining.

Becky and Dad were also there to see him off.

And then there's the fence issue.

Well, the story from the beginning: When we moved into our house there a fence in a small part of our back yard that cut into our yard. There was an old, yucky, half dead tree at the corner of the lot that someone decided to start on fire. It burnt the fence at the corner of our yard. Someone put up a new fence, but not in the original place. It surrounded the dead tree so you couldn't see the base of it, or the burnt up fence behind.



We cut the tree down for Mother's Day. That was my present.

Then we stacked the wood from the tree. We won't run out of wood any time soon.



But, here is the problem. The wood pile was exposed to the kids that walk past every day. There is a drainage canal behind our house and it is a great short cut for school kids of all ages. I was worried that some other intelligent kid would start that big wood pile on fire.

I got some old fence sections for free. My father in law helped me haul them to where they needed to be.

Then they sat there for a month.

Then I fixed the fence.

Or at least I tried to. This is how it will be until some muscles come and fix it properly. I bet you weren't aware of my awesome fence building skillz.