Cooling Off...ahhhhhh...and Other Things

The temperatures here have cooled off nicely the last couple of weeks. A HUGE relief to a heat-hater like me!
Everyone else has pulled out blankets and comforters, but I manage with just a sheet still...and sometimes kick that off.
The Darlin' Man has a bit of time off from work and is splitting it between here and a visit to his eldest daughter. Her college is having it's annual Parents Weekend and wanted him to come to that.
In his absence, I have a few *surprise* projects I want to get completed.

First and foremost, I want to *wnterize* the does goat shed.
It is so hot here in the summer (which, honestly, is most of the year!) that the goats shed we have is really just a covered area for them to seek shade under. Originally, that pen was the *bachelor quarters* for Wang.
As the does kidded, it became more logical to separate the does and new kids from the flock to give the new moms some privacy and to prevent accidental injury to the new kids, so Wang was moved  out and the new moms with kids were moved in.
Then we realized it was just way more convenient to keep the milking does in that pen.
We extended the fence area so the does have more room (last weekends project).
So, I plan on adding sides to the covered area. I think the sides should be permanent, to provide protection from wind (both cold and hot wind!) and so the kidding does have a comfy spot.
It should be fairly easy to do (famous last words, lol!) and I will get to play with power tools again (duck and cover everyone!). We still have plenty of lumber to do the project left over from the scrap lumber the fella brought home.

Smaller projects I have planned are creating a tool rack for our ever increasing tool collection, cleaning the screened-in porch (how DID so much stuff accumulate there?) and maybe re-stringing the clothes line. If I had the right kind of paint somewhere, I'd repaint the clothes line poles as well.

The kids have a day and a half off from school this week, so I will have their help, thankfully.
Is it just me, or do they seem to be giving kids more and more "days off" from school? They have so many teachers work days, etc that it seems that the kids are going less and less. School started a month ago and there have already been 4 days off...Labor Day and the rest teachers work days...although they now call it "Staff Enrichment". (I'll refrain to comment on that!)
Anyway, a full week before the Darlin' Man gets back and I have work to do!
Hope you all have a productive week, too!

Last Day of Quiet!

Tomorrow noon The Girl returns home from her summer vacation and tomorrow midnight, The Boy returns.
While I have enjoyed the peace and quiet here, I have missed them!
The Girl likes to help me fix meals and bake, she is turning into a terrific cook! The Boy is a help around the house, too, and also is great at helping with the yard work.
I hope they both enjoyed their vacations, but the start of school is looming ahead, so the vacations must end and preparations started for the new school year.
The Darlin' Man already registered them for the new school year and brought home their new school books.
Activity fees have been paid and class schedules will be mailed out within a couple of days.
Today I am trying to organize their school clothes and do necessary repairs, etc.
Tomorrow I do my grocery shopping, at the same time I will try to get a few items I know they will need for the new school year.
We haven't received the infamous *lists* that teachers send home, that will come the first week of school.
The lists seem to get longer each year and it also seems the teachers each want different things.
One teacher only wants blue ink pens, another black. College ruled paper for one class, regular rule for another. Last year one teacher wanted a specific type of composition book that we couldn't find anywhere! The Darlin' Man finally found it by pure chance wandering in the PX looking for something else completely.
I would like to go ahead and get some of the school supplies tomorrow, but it is useless until we get the lists.
So, tomorrow will be bulk buys of hygiene and personal  supplies---shampoo, deodorant,  hairbrushes, combs, hair gel, pony tail holders, etc.I like to buy such items on sale. One store has shampoo and conditioner on sale for a dollar a bottle, so I'll get 10 bottles of each.
I think I'll add a personal/hygiene shelf to our food storage stores. The Darlin' Man hasn't concentrated as much on food storage, leaving that up to me, so I guess I'll have to take charge on this, too!
So, soap, shampoo, deodorant, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, combs, hair accessories, hair gel, lip balm, sanitary pads, tissues, and anything else I can think of by tomorrow...

Hope everyone out there has an easy time with the teacher lists!