Day 1-Spring Break

Well, we started spring break with the "Springiest" of weather. In response to all the Pacific NW sloppy weather, we decided to have a slight bit of snow. It didn't even stick, but it was cold enough to impede our outdoor activities.

Getting Emma's hair cut topped to "to-do" list for the day. The goal was short and fuss free, I think we achieved it. Emma is slightly disappointed with the cut, but I'm sooo ecstatically happy to have it manageable I keep giving Emma the thumb's up on her haircut.

(She is kinda looking like Laura/Dora the Explorer)

Spring Break

"Begin as you mean to go on." This is my mantra this week. I'd like to think that the kids and I will have a fabulously relaxing week filled with gumdrops and licorice. In reality, I will try and keep the sugar at bay and not let Lily con me into fruit snacks for breakfast. (Yes, I have caved and let Lily have fruit snacks for breakfast, they have fruit in them, right?!)

My plans for the week include many hours spent at the rec center and hopefully going to the park if it warms up. I'm not opposed to going if it's cold, but I need it to be worth my while if I actually drag bikes and scooters.

We might have a board game marathon. The kids keep asking to play games to which I keep making excuses not to play. I'm not sure it was such a good idea to teach Jack how to play Monopoly. Too many competitive games of that played in my childhood to ever make that a "fun" game. I should replace the Uno cards, I washed the last set. There's a game that I can handle for a couple rounds.

Like I said; "Begin as I mean to go on."

I suppose I should start the week.

Yellow Dresses

I'm all my haste to zip through the Easter festivities I forgot to post a picture of the "Easter Dresses".

I have a picture from my childhood where I am wearing a VERY yellow dress. As soon as I saw the dresses for Emma and Lily I was reliving my childhood.

So, Deb, this picture is for you. If you have a picture from your wedding reception scanned you must post it.

Creative Cooking

I'm kinda in a cooking rut. I make the same meals over and over because it's easier to go on autopilot and just get food on the table. I don't mind trying new things, but it's a safe bet that the kids will not like something until I've made it 200 hundred times..at least. By then, I'm tired of making it.

To mix things up a bit this week we had "Chili Dog Thursday" and "Flank Steak Friday". Quite the culinary expedition at our house. It is fairly comical to get to an end of a meal and see what the kids have deemed edible. Emma decided that she liked the chili. Lily, I'm fairly sure is a Tyrannosaurus Rex, she ate three pieces of the steak.

Both meals were ready in under 20 minutes, which makes them a big hit in my book. Perhaps the one thing that would make them even better would be a grill. We opted to not move our grill as it was getting too small for our family and it did not make the "keep" list when we were editing our stuff to move.

I'm looking forward to summer and the season of the grill. Nothing makes a meal better than grilling and having fewer dishes to wash.

Book Fines

The last time I returned books to the library I was a couple days late. I knew I had a fine, but I wasn't sure how much. I don't have any cash in my wallet, but the need for some new books outweighed the fine issue. I was ready to plead my case or use one of the kid's library card if the fine was over $.42, the exact change in my wallet.

I browsed the books and found a couple for me, one for Michael, and a couple movies for the kids. I chanced it and handed my library card to the librarian. "Oh, you have a fine", she says, "That'll be $.30." Nice. I paid my fine, got my books, and all was right with the Longmont Library system.

Just Keep Swimming

In another attempt to keep the kids entertained we did it all today. We left the house at 6:35 AM and had a few minutes to spare before our scheduled time at the Denver Mint.

Shh, don't tell anyone, but Sherri and I were looking forward to getting a bag of shredded money. Well, they don't have that at the Denver Mint. We did find out that a Federal Reserve bank is located not far from the Mint. Next visit, we'll have to go there for some shredded money. We did watch one cents being made. I can't call them pennies, apparently, they only have pennies in England. Also, they didn't have a flattened penny machine for souvenirs.

Next we went to the Butterfly Pavilion. I think everyone held a Rose Haired Tarantula named Rosie, except Sherri and I. We did not get the "I held Rosie" sticker. We did splurge and buy the $1 guide and saw a lot of butterflies that we were able to identify. The kids loved this, but it was hot and humid and we moved on to the next room. I think that we only forgot that Emma was in the Butterfly room for about 10 minutes. She was happy to see Aunt Sherri when we realized she was missing. At least we hadn't left the building yet.
We grabbed some lunch before we hit the Rec Center. The kids were prunes by the time we left the pool this afternoon. Right now we're watching Enchanted and the kids are mellow as can be. Let's see if this holds up until bedtime.

The Rec Center

Admittedly, when Sherri said she was coming to visit, I was a little concerned about what to do. Sure, she and I could do nothing and be fine with that, but the kids would protest loudly.

Today I introduced her to the wonders of our small town; the Longmont Recreation Center.

For two hours and $11 dollars, the kids had a blast playing in the childcare area and swimming. We stayed just long enough to go down the waterslide multiple times. Nothing wears kids out faster than climbing up stairs to go down a waterslide.

Sherri went out this afternoon for a bit while I watched her 3 kids. I have NEVER had four kids at home and had it be so quiet. I think we might go swimming tomorrow.

Easter

Twas' the day of Easter and six kids ran a muck. The baskets were laid on the counter with care, full of green grass and treats galore. "Which one is mine?" said the littlest one, with wonder.

The eggs were hidden outside with great care. Not a parent was involved in the great egg hunt. The Young Women were the culprits in this "egging."

With snow on the ground and sunshine abound, weather was not a factor in the Egg Hunt of '08.

With a crack and a crunch the candy was eaten, not a single egg left, not a bunny ear to be found.

Boondocks

I have been to Boondocks and I never need to return. The name is a dead give away, but it promised entertainment for the kids. Think Chuck E. Cheese, but worse.

We left the house with six kids and we managed to return with the exact same kids. I could have traded a few of my own, but you never know what to expect with other children.

So, back to Boondocks. Think arcade on steroids, only louder. My kids get their tokens and scatter like leaves in the wind. Sherri manages to stop Emma from leaving out the front door. Lily is attached to my leg or arm depending on her choice of transportation.

When the tokens run out the fun begins. So many tokens spent, so few tickets to show for it. It's such a racket, but the kids love it. Once you get the tickets, you put them in a nifty machine that counts them for you. In other words, puts you to work so the the teenagers that work the prize counter aren't overburdened with taking the actual tickets.

I'd like to relate a story about Sherri and the 52 missing tickets. Sherri had tickets that were counted and had the slip of paper to verify the accuracy of the counting machine. We go to the prize counter and the scanner says the tickets have already been scanned. Well, the first teen can't fathom there might be a machine error. Sherri requests a manager and another teen walks over and "offers" Sherri a replacement of 40 tickets. Hmm, this might be a case for Encyclopedia Brown.

Once again Sherri requests a manager. This teenager looks like he might be able to grow a mustache. He says that the scanner are "very" reliable and "Never" make mistakes. He finally consents to replace the 52 lost tickets. It was a matter of principle at this point.

There's another story involving Emma, Michael and a go-cart, but it's late and I think I've related too much regarding Boondocks.

Happy Face

I know better than to ask a six year old why.

"Why?" says I, "Why would you draw a happy face on the couch?"

The reply; "You weren't getting off the phone."

My child has taken me hostage and I am no longer allowed to use the phone without permission. Please call between the hours of 12:15 and 3:15 MST, as the parentnapper is at kindergarten.

*The leather conditioner works really well, it mostly rubbed right out. The remaining scratches I'm calling patina.

Lists

I love making lists, they are so satisfyingly logical. Write down what you need at the grocery store. Go to store. Check list. Get things on list. Done. The best part is the check, check, and check part.

I'm not really a checker, I'm a "cross it off" kind of girl. It's not as neat as checking, but I don't want to get confused by missing a check and possibly re-do something I've done.

I am very tempted to list everything I need to do today, but the list might run into tomorrow. So, on my short list today;

Clean house
Go to Parent Teacher conferences

Delivery

Much like childbirth, the day of furniture delivery you forget all the pain it took to get them home. The furniture has arrived.

Discovery Days Part Deux

More glue, paint, and bunnies than you can shake an Easter egg at.

Blarney Stone

I am so going to be eating Lucky Charms and wearing my green t-shirt this morning. I suppose if I thought about it I could have made traditional green pancakes, but I think that I got rid of green dye #49 when we moved and I haven't replaced it yet.

Strike that, I just checked and I do have green dye. I think that green pancakes or waffles might be for dinner. I've never made corned beef and cabbage and I can't say that I even like it very much, but it seems a fitting on this holiday. I know that Sherri has made it and I'm betting that Debbie has, anyone else?

Not For the Feint of Heart

Furniture shopping. It gets me every time. I swear that my blood pressure spikes and I nearly have a heart attack when the experience is over.

Michael and I had out first "argument" over a couch. We sat in Ikea for way too long discussing the merits of a green and white striped couch and why, in my opinion, it looked like jailhouse garb. That couch is long gone, but the memories are occasionally a little too fresh.

Yesterday we took the kids (never a good idea) and went furniture shopping. We'd already been to a store earlier in the week to find a writing desk. This was a successful trip in that we were in and out of the store in under 75 minutes and that was returning a cracked chair they tried to pass off on us. But I digress.

Yesterday. The plan was to go to Costco and see if they had any furniture then hit two other stores possibly. Well, Costco had outdoor furniture, not exactly what we were looking for. We got slightly distracted when we saw a Pier 1 near Costco, but we played it smart. Michael dropped me off while he stayed in the car with the kids. Pier 1 had exactly 3 couches and none of which were what we wanted. Back to the freeway to head to store #3.

The next store was farther up the freeway and since it had the word sofa in the name, it was our best bet at finding what we were looking for. Well, I missed the off ramp and had to double back on a frontage road. It always seems like you're going much farther away from your destination when you're not sure where the next exit is. Luckily it was only a few miles... but it still was a detour that wasted precious time while shopping with the kids.

Once again, I hopped out of the car to check out the store before dragging Michael and the kids into the big black hole of a furniture store. Sofa Mart. Doesn't that sound promising? Well, it was the jackpot of sofa shopping. It had it all; fabric, leather, durahide, naugahyde, microsuede, cheap, expensive, sectionals, poofy, classic, traditional, and modern. I went back to get Michael and the kids.

Sofa Mart is smart, they set up a "kids" area with toys, vrc/movies, and a big bean bag. Just the thing to let parents shop while their kids run amuck. Michael and I started narrowing down the field. Actually this was a fairly easy process of elimination. We tend to like traditional which took out half the choices in the store. Our biggest decision was perhaps what and how many pieces to get. This is the part of the shopping trip that starts to get hairy for me. We're starting to make decisions and Lily is starting to act like the 2 year old that she is.

Lily. Sweet Lily. By now it is past naptime and she has missed that window of opportunity. She has also done a euphemism in her diaper. No fear, I have a backup diaper in the car. I get her changed and we go back in the store. Michael is wrapping things up with the saleslady and Lily starts pulling at my purse and yelling for gum. She loses it. I lose it. We head to the car.Michael heads back to the car after having closed the deal on two couches and two loveseats.

Whew, another furniture purchase for the books.

Discovery Days

I found out about the kids having today off at the begining of the week because of a Teacher Inservice Day. That is NOT enough time to prepare myself mentally for the rigors of a three day weekend. I guess what really gets me is the fact that Emma has two days off next week. Pfft. How is she supposed to learn geophysics at this rate?!

All in all, today has been successful, thanks in part to "Discovery Days". It is a kid's program at the Longmont Museum. The kids got to play with playdough, paint, glue, stamp, and string beads. These are all the messy activities that I don't want to do at home. The best part was not having to clean up after all that. Can you guess what the theme is this month?

Wet Paint

The vent was put up today. Doesn't look
too bad considering it's a big ugly metal grate.












I think that it could take days to paint the vent cover. Meanwhile, the rest of the room is done.

Not Enough Paint

Once again I painted a room and got within feet of finishing before running out of paint. We went with a red for the dining room and luckily it only took two coats, with a light dusting for a third coat. I was literally scraping the bottom of the paint can to eek out every last drop. Then I realized that I had a vent cover that needs to be painted as well. Oh well. It'll get done.

The payoff for having done so much stinking prep work, I have REALLY clean tape lines. I was getting excited and wanted to see, but I think that I need to wait until the paint completely dries before I take it all off.

I'll take a picture of the end product when I get the paint for the vent and have it back on the wall.

Crazy Busy Day

I think that my day is going to end up like Debbie's Monday. I have a ton of things to do, although I don't have the missionaries coming over for dinner.

7am- Get up, Wake up, Push kids out of bed.
8am- Take Jack to School, go to gym.
9:30 am- Hop in shower
10:30 am- 2:30 pm -Babysit for a friend
12 pm- Take Emma to school. Don't forget popcorn or nonpoisonous apples (they get to watch Snow White for some reason)
3pm- Pick up Kids from school, start the dreaded homework.
4:20- Take Jack to Scouts.
5:20-Pick up Jack from Scouts.
6pm- Take dinner to a sick family.
6:15- Feed my family

* Need to get more paint for dining room. Red will take A LOT of coverage!

Whew. Fall into bed.

I'll let everyone know if I survived the day by posting tomorrow. Wish me luck..or patience.

New Neighbors

A moving truck was in front of the house across the street about a month ago. The house has been a rental for a while, so I wasn't very motivated to go meet the new neighbors. The last renter was there for about two months and then up and left nearly as soon as he got moved in.


Well, tonight I was taking out the trash and I noticed that the person across the street was doing the same. This was my chance to be a good neighbor and introduce myself. I bravely crossed the street (in the dark) and met my new neighbor over the trash can. Who knew that trash day was "meet you new neighbor day" as well?!

It turns out that the world is pretty small. The family moved from the bay area and the wife grew up in Thousand Oaks. Which is just over the hill from our old place.

It's a funny thing living in a neighborhood. I suddenly want to know all the people living around me...especially the ones with kids.

Spring Forward

It's 7:30 am and my children have yet to wake up. Should I pull a "Dad" and threaten them with a glass of cold water?

I love quiet mornings, but it's a school day and I know that we're going to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

What a crazy way to start the week. What is your favorite "dadism"?

Spring has Sprung

In an attempt to decorate for "Spring", I went to Michael's and bought some "perpetual" flowers. (Let's face it, I love real flowers but I murder them. Someday I might be able to handle a cactus...maybe when the kids have grown up and moved out. ) I also bought some craft paint for a few plaques that I thought might look cute in spring colors.



I love spring colors. Pastels and the brights both work for me. I tried to look for a nice tangerine orange and a lime green paint. I ended up with florescent safety vest orange and some color of green that I didn't think was possible. The green I worked with and tried to tone it down with matching paper. The orange... I had to paint over it. I'm not sure that Pepto Bismol pink is my first choice for Spring, but I was not going to have day-glow orange as part of the Easter festivities.


As a side note; I'm an idiot. (no comments may be made regarding this statement) I had the leftover pink paint on a paper plate on the kitchen counter. I figured it would dry and then I'd throw it away. Well, I got distracted with kids running in and out of the house and when one of Emma's friends was walking out the door with paint on her finger I thought; "Hmm, that's strange. Where did she get paint from?" Well, she was forthright and told me that Emma told her to touch the paint plate. No worries, we washed the paint off her hand and that was that. Or so I thought.

When Lily got in bed, I was about to turn the light off when I noticed the graffiti on the wall. Pepto pink on light pink paint. I yelled for Emma to come upstairs and explain herself. She knew what was coming. I had just had a discussion earlier in the day about wiping blood from a cut on her walls and how that's not the place to wipe ANYTHING. I must have had a moment of clarity because I didn't yell at her. I knew the paint would come off, but she had that look of "I better not say a word or I'm going to get in bigger trouble."

Someday she will be a famously talented artist/cake decorator and I will wish that I had taken a picture.

Holiday Decorations....

I'm feeling kinda lame for my "Spring/Easter" attempt to decorate my house. I have exactly one wreath up and that's it. I could put a little more effort into doing something, but that would require, oh, effort.

Maybe this a blog for help. Tell me it's ok to have nothing. Or tell me to get off my rear end and do something. I do have a few unpainted plaques that I could use. Oh...ok. Now, I'm getting something...all right already, I'm off to find some paint.

Lost: Sock

I am losing socks left and right. Just yesterday I had to toss two athletic sock because they had holes in them. I think that four more socks are borderline but I have an affinity for these comfy toe warmers.

I went to Target to look for replacement socks (shh, don't tell the ones in my closet) and I couldn't find them.

Sniff. I'm not sure that I'm ready to move on.

Why, oh, why, don't sock manufacturers realize the impact they have on the the world?!

15 Minute MakeOver

I've had this chair since September and the fabric was falling apart on the seat. I finally bought some fabric and put it on today. The corners aren't great, but I like the fabric and the stripes aren't askew on the chair.

One more project done, 987 more to go.

Febraury Wrap-up

February wrapped up nicely, but I need to self evaluate how I'm doing on goals. I'm not sure how we landed so firmly in March, but I think that it will slide by with so many things going on this month.

1. I am in the Book of Alma and should be done by next month.
2. The scale says...well let's not go there. I have continued to exercise.
3. My "Picture of the Week" goal has been doable. I can't say that they're fabulous works of art, but the blog does motivate me to take more pictures.
4. The number of posts on this blog is "close" to the number of days in this month. Amazingly, I had more for the month of February then January. At this rate, we'll have a novel by the end of the year.

Emma's Art

On Sunday, Emma went up and bore her testimony.
Since I was already up there, I did too. Then Jack went up as well. Emma was so proud that she drew pictures.

I give you:

"Jack @ Pulpit"





"Emma @ Pulpit"

Lions and Lambs

Isn't there a saying about the weather for March? Something along the lines of "March comes in like a lamb and leaves like a lion."

Yesterday it was sunny and 75 degrees. Today it is snowing and 25 degrees. The weather person was actually spot on in their predictions. Amazing.

I guess I won't be wearing sandals and a sundress to church today. Bummer.