Life is Sweet

Monday, April 4, 2011

End Results

The week{end} flew by.

I spent Saturday at Lexee's track meet. All day. It was in Colorado Springs, so I left around 9:45 (she left at 6:30), and we returned together around 5. Did I mention that it was 80+ degrees on Saturday? As I was heading out for my hour-long drive to the meet, I chided myself on not bringing a coat, gloves, and a blanket. Hadn't I learned my lesson last year, freezing through meet after meet, one at the very track I was heading to? I knew the forecast was for warmth, but I still thought, perhaps, I should have been better prepared.

Once at the meet, I started to roast. The gradual, slow kind of roasting, that you realize only when you start smelling the perfume human hotness, and sweat starts to drip. I removed my hoodie. Then the burn began. On my right side, the side facing the glaring sun. Unprepared and without sunscreen, I eventually wrapped my hoodie around my arm, hoping to protect it from that blistering, peeling kind of burn. I was too late.

Lexee performed well, and we deemed the meet a success.

Bill stayed home to watch/record General Conference, and supervise the final day of house painting.

(Have I mentioned that I couldn't sleep Friday night due to 1) being awakened at 2 am by Mauri, needing a lengthy re-tuck into bed, 2) blustering winds causing the large sheets of plastic taped around the windows to loudly flap incessantly, and 3) anxiety over my paint-color selection?)

The house looks nice. I am getting used to it. It's not quite what I envisioned, but it's growing on me. I'm coming to accept the fact that my house is green (a very dark green), and it will be for the next 10 years, barring relocation. And, in the {end}, house color doesn't really matter. It's certainly not worth losing sleep over, for pity's sake.

On Sunday we held our traditional biannual Syddall General Conference luncheon. We had a larger group than normal, but it all went smoothly, with plenty of food left over.

Outside it looked like this:

Good thing, I needed a long-sleeved shirt to cover my farmer-burned arm. (I'm still feeling the burn.)

Once those awesome conference sessions were over, we measured the kids. Tradition.

The {end} results: Mauri has grown an inch in the past year, Lex has not grown at all, and Shilo is now as tall as her mamacita. We marveled at the kids' overall growth since our first measurement, back in April 03.

Spring break has come to an {end}, so sad to see it go. As for my wish list, I'm thinking about a 75% success rate. Could be worse.

Friday, April 1, 2011

No Foolin' Around Here

I'm a little stressed about my paint color.

Wow. It is really dark. {Deep breath}

Mauri loves it. I am anxiously awaiting the final result. Trim makes a big difference, you know. At least that's what I'm telling my hyper-ventilating self right now.

April Fools, family. Our house looks like horse poo (which is only slightly better than looking like dog poo).
The color is called Grass Clipping, after all.

It's going to look great...
It's going to look great...
It's going to look great...

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Mii, Mauri, and an American Dream

Yesterday was a "Mom and Me" day. Mauri had it all planned out. What we would do. Where we would go. Together. She had been talking about it for weeks.

I was all for it. I could totally use a day to justify shopping, eating, and lounging around, all for the sake of close family bonds and quality relationship development time. Not to mention, I could use a break from my daily mom busy-ness.

We started the day with a hour or two of Wii Play. I rather enjoyed myself.

Then we headed out to shop: for a purse (Mar needed a bigger one for all her stuff) and an Easter dress.

We perused PetsMart, checking out critters of all sorts before making a treat purchase for Buddy and Tweety.

We ate at Mt. Fuji. Japanese soda. California maki. Cream cheese wontons. Teriyaki and tempura. (We had enough leftovers for an after-school snack for Shi, late-afternoon snack for mii, and dinner for Bill. Nice.)

After a satisfying lunch, we moseyed over to Target to leisurely browse, leaving with a new pony for Mar's AmGirl doll, and Tangled.

We nabbed Shi after school, watched our new show, then I accompanied Mar to her piano lesson.

To top the day off, after sending the older girls on their way to various activities, Mar and I watched Hairspray, cuddled up together on the sofa in the dark. Just like the old days. The pre-school days that Mar longs to get back, if only for a moment.

The day was a dream. (If you minus the rigamarole that went on in the minutia in between.) I could use more of those.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Progress Report

A quick update.

Remember the coloring contest?
Success. Mar won 3rd place in her age category, and $50.

My shelves? I'm still thinking:

Since I received ZERO suggestions, I suppose I am on my own, which means it may be a long, drawn-out process of trying something, living with it for a while, then tweaking. Endless tweaking. Until I'm just plain tired of thinking about it anymore, after which I will succumb to the realization that what is, is, and it is fine. Then I will cling to any suggestion that my home should be what I like, and not what HGTV, design bloggers, and model-home enthusiasts determine is beautiful and esthetically pleasing. If you ARE said person(s), I would assume that all judgement would be withheld, since you declined the initial invitation to offer input. (Now's your last chance.)

Bill says he doesn't care for the pictures of strange people. He's such a card.

(Not to be confused with a cad. Which he isn't. In fact, Bill has been most helpful at assisting with my Spring Break wish list, which, we have determined, can be deemed somewhat "romantic" on his part. He has requested that my statement concerning his level of romanticism in the ABOUT ME sidebar of my blog be changed.)

And after a week of lovely Spring weather, I woke up today to this:

which I usually wouldn't mind, since I like a good mix.

But since my house is scheduled to be painted this week, and since I have spent a lot of time and energy getting the whole thing expedited through a lengthy HOA approval process, I can only hope that the snow will dissipate and
the sun will come out tomorrow.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lacking Focus and Inspiration

The past few days I have tirelessly worked on my Spring Break wish list. But I've run across a few problems.

I've had a hard time staying focused. I have flitted from one thing to another -- here, there and everywhere. I have obsessively and tediously scanned pictures in an effort to digitize them, while ironing in between each slow, lengthy scan. I have put away the dishes in the middle of dusting the family room, pausing briefly to catch a glimpse of DVR-delayed episodes of Chopped and The Amazing Race (my weakness -- that darn TV). I have organized the DVDs while clipping coupons and making calls to expedite the home-painting process.

(I've come the conclusion that we do NOT need any more Barbie DVDs. We have plenty.)

I have gone to bed late each evening, feeling frustrated that I did not get more done. And last night I went to bed with a purple toe, thanks to a frozen beef roast slipping from the second-to-top shelf of the freezer onto my bare foot as I was trying to retrieve something (anything) for dinner. I was going to take a picture in a quest for sympathy, but my feet are TUTP. Too Ugly To Post. Any thought of a pedicure is now on hold, until the purple toe can handle movement and massage.

Yesterday I started in on this little project:

I love this wall in my family room. My father-in-law made the shelves for us years ago, and it has been admired by friends, family, and neighbors for a long, long time. But it was in some serious need of dusting -- a fairly tedious process which requires furniture moving and a ladder. I was up for the challenge (and an episode of Chopped). As I took everything down, I started feeling like a change would be nice. It's pretty much been the same for 8 years or so, give or take a picture add/change.

But thus far I have been uninspired.

So this is what it looks like right now. I know, pathetic. At the very least, I will change out the family pictures, but I would really like an updated, new look. With minimal expense, of course. I'm thinking maybe all black frames... or something symmetrical (that would make Bill happy)... possibly losing the Willow Tree figurines (which I plan to keep, just not in the family room)...

ANY IDEAS?

Today I hope to be focused. Complete one task before moving on.
Someone shared this with me years ago...

Work while you work.
Play while you play.
One thing at a time, that is the way.

In all that you do,
Do with your might.
A job done in halves, is never done right.

I have recruited the help of two lovely girls to assist me with the housework. I'd better go wake them up.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Party in a Box

When we talked to Britta on her birthday, we made her promise to send us some pictures. It's been nearly 2 years since she has lived at home, and being the memory hoarder that I am, I told her that SOMEDAY she would want to look back and remember her college years. She simply must take some pictures. And send them to me.
I will ~~hoard~~ keep them for her.

We had packed up a birthday box, with all the makings of a party, but had shipped it a day late. It would be there on Monday (we hoped).

A couple days later, that wonderfully kind and obedient daughter sent us these:

Party box supplies fully utilized.

This birthday will be remembered, I will make sure of it.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Working Spring Break

Spring Break has finally arrived.

I'm calling it a "working Spring Break," since it will not include a vacation, overnight getaway, or sleeping in (unless you call 7 am sleeping in -- which I suppose is better than my regular 5:40 wake-up call). On the upside, I get two weeks off of work. On the downside, I don't get paid for my two weeks off, the older girls are off the first week, and Mar is off the second, which pretty much means I'm still on-call.

But I'm hoping to get some good things accomplished with my extra time.

Here's my back-on-the-horse wish list:

Ironing - DONE

Kitchen floor - MOPPED

Bathrooms - CLEAN

Basement - DECLUTTERED

House - PAINTED

Shilo's driver's ed class - COMPLETE

Lexee's job hunt - SUCCESSFUL
Finances - IN ORDER
Bills - PAID

Home filing system - REORGANIZED

Picture scanning - IN PROGRESS

Temple attendance - IMPROVED

Family calendar - UPDATED and ACCURATE

Monthly menu - CREATED

I'm overwhelmed already.

Let's just say I'm making the attempt to get back in the saddle. Mid-air, hoping for a soft landing.