week at a glance - updated

Sunday - B built retaining wall for pond in corner of backyard. Went to the gym where B played in his racquetball league, I worked out, boys hung out in the child center. Everyone spent a few hours in the pool. Had an early dinner at Pei Wei's. Trip to Lowe's to look at plants, wheelbarrows, statuary. Attended evening mass.

Monday - Spent entire day working in the backyard. It was awesome that the 4 of us were all able to help prepare the corner garden. B moved 2 truckloads of dirt into the gardening areas. We're closer to being finished than ever before! See picture blog for progress pictures.

Tuesday - early morning run to W*l-M*rt for grocery items and a pot for C's venus flytrap. Home for early lunch and a phone call from a friend to take her daughter to preschool since her newborn was feeling poorly. Picked up A, had to go to 2 gas stations to buy gas and ended up late to preschool at the D*sert B*tanical Gardens. Enjoyed a very busy class (15 students this session - twice as many as last!). Took A home, stopped at Spr*uts for produce, T*rget for incidentals, pick up B's shirts from cleaners. Called my brother about buying him a camera for his Ir*q deployment, found out he is getting married next week (!?!?!?!?!) Re-potted venus flytrap. Vented to B about brother's plans to marry. Called sis to let her know. Talked to Mom and vented more. Fed kids dinner. Talked to brother AGAIN and it didn't go well. Talked to Mom again. Made B call him and congratulate him, since apparently nobody else in my family felt up to it (including me). Spent tearful evening, ending with long bubble bath.

Wednesday - Early morning doctor appointment for C. Got renewal prescription for Fl*vent, got a new prescription for Fl*nase in the hopes we can dry up his runny nose. Visited a local nursery and bought more plants. McD for early lunch. back home to IM convo with brother and finally coming to terms with his decision. (it's his life and his decision -- just because it seems sudden doesn't mean it isn't right). Clean kitchen, finally put away items purchased yesterday, update blog. Kmart to fill prescriptions and picked up new towels for rental condo. Bought wedding card for brother & intended. Bought brother a digital camera to take to Ir*q.

Thursday - Make beds and clean floors in rental condo in prep for Saturday arrival. (anybody looking for a condo to rent during vacation in AZ? Let me know!) Post office to mail brother's camera & wedding card and cord rosary. Much drama with family over brother's wedding next weekend, finally find solution that allows me to attend.

Friday - Call Mom to find out how exploratory surgery went. Plant plants purchased a couple days ago -- realize I bought way too much groundcover. I'm still not sure what to do -- I could carve out another garden area, I suppose, or relocate some of the ground cover I already planted. Still thinking on this one. Go to post office for money order for B's sister and mail. Drop off bulletin notice at church for mom's group and drop off paper recycling. Stop at nursery and look for plants for 2 remaining clay pots. Laundry. Change sheets.

Saturday Plans - Vaccuum, clean floors, general cleaning. SMALL grocery run.

End of March Friday Feast

Appetizer
Name 3 things that you think are strange.
Adults with stuffed animal fetishes, cartoon vegetables and sponges that speak, many of my neighbors

Soup
What was the last ceremony you attended?
T's mother blessing

Salad
What is one lesson you have learned in the past year?
That people are more than willing to help - even when you don't ask outright for it.

Main Course
Tell us about one of your childhood memories.
I remember lining up bread crumbs on the windowsill of my great-aunt's upper flat and watching the birds come and eat. That was the first one that came to mind when I read the question.

Dessert
If you could extend any of the four seasons to be twice as long as normal, which season would you want to lengthen?
Without a doubt -- Spring. I love the anticipation of it, the cool breezes, the blooming plants.

i'm going

Drama . . . . drama . . . more drama . . I won't bore you any more tonight.

But the result is that I'm attending my brother's wedding next weekend. My amazing friend D will watch the boys on Saturday for as long as we need and B will turn down any late calls on Friday.

My sister is also going, so we'll fly together.

The boys are sad that they can't go, but we have another trip already planned and paid for in mid-May.

Should be interesting.

March's Reading List

I really enjoyed only one book I read this month - "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents". The rest were so-so, or downright awful. I tried to complete every book I started this month (sometimes I just skim when I start to lose interest) and I think I'll go back to skimming. "Cuba" was an exception in that the plot took a while to develop, and the characters seemed very unrealistic in many places -- but I'm glad I finished the book as it was oddly satisfying at the end.

(**) Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander / I read another of his novels last month that I really enjoyed. This one was predictable and slow in many parts.

(*) Altar Music by Christin Lore Weber / A sad, depressing look into a woman's choice to enter a convent - written by a former nun. I guess that should have tipped me off. The book made me uncomfortable and seemed to focus only on the negative.

(***) Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment / This was another book that took a bit to get into it, but it was ultimately interesting. The main character was stranded on an island for many years with native peoples and returned to NYC after 20+ years.

(***) 42 Up by Bennett Singer / One of the original "reality" type shows. This is a book that is a companion to the English movies that followed a group of individuals from the age of 7. They were interviewed every 7 years to see the changes in their lives. I find peoples' lives interesting, so I liked this read. I have only seen one of the movies (7 Up) but the others are in my Netflix queue.

(*) Queen of the Underworld by Gail Godwin / Very unsatisfying read. Not much of a plot, loose ending, poor character development. Won't bother with any more of author's novels.

(**) Master Tanner Heads West by WC Baumberger / Kinda weird. Again, poor character development. I would have liked to understand the character's a bit better.

(**) Fever by Sean Rowe / B movie material. Low on character development, but quick read.

(****) How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez / Most enjoyable book read this month. Great look at family life. My only complaint is that the time frames jumped around too much -- one chapter it was 1952, next chapter it was 1980, then back to the 60's.

(*) Passion: A Novel of the Romantic Poets by Jude Morgan / Ehhhhh. Too many characters not easily linked to each other.

(***) Cuba: A Novel by Emily Barr / Glad I stuck through to the end. Very weird in parts, but interesting in others.

(***) A Gathering of Angels by Katherine Valentine / Easy, fun, simple read. Mitford becomes Catholic. Annoying that the author has ripped off so many plot developments and characters from the Mitford series -- this book even had a large dog and a children's author.

friday's feast

Appetizer
How would you describe your personal comfort zone?
With people I know & love, and no anticipation of dealing with people I don't know or love in the near future.

Soup
What is your favorite tree?
Can't decide between willows or cherry trees. I used to like to think I was as flexible as a willow - but I also loved the cherry tree in my aunt's backyard when I was a kid.

Salad
List 3 foods you'd like to include in your dinner plans for tonight.
something sweet and yummy, something without meat, salad

Main Course
What is the best advice you've ever been given, but didn't heed?
I can't think of any -- I'm pretty happy with the choices I've made, and even when they've had dodgy results, I learned quite a bit in the process. Maybe advice to save more money?

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest), how much attention do you feel comfortable receiving from others? Maybe a 3. I get uncomfortable fairly easily.

From http://fridaysfeast.blogspot.com/

noisy things

Why doesn't everything that makes a noise come with an "off" switch?

I'm bothered by sudden household noises. Our doorbell is disconnected. The ringers on our phones are turned off, except for one, and it's on low. I am still trying to figure out how to disconnect the buzzer on the dryer. I just don't like those noises. We got a new fax machine (B needs one for work, and our old one was 10+ years old and gave up). It is connected to the phone line, and there is no way to turn off (or even down) the ringer! It doesn't even have a handset - it's just a fax machine.

So - that's my pet peeve for the day. I won't even get into how I tape and/or prop things up over all the lit things in our bedroom so the lights don't bug me. LOL

another meme

YOU
Relationship Status: Married for 8 years – will be 9 in August
Shoe size : 9 – 9 ½ US
Parents still together? Yes – my father never dated anyone other than my mother; how sweet is that?
Siblings: One sister 11 years younger, one brother 12 years younger
Pets: 1 dog – a white female boxer; purchased because my parents bought her brother and convinced me to go “look” and we couldn’t leave without her

FAVORITES
Color: yellow, red
Number: don’t have one
Animal: dog
Book: Just about anything
Flower: daffodil

DO YOU...
Twirl your hair? No
Have tattoos? No
Cheat on tests? No
Like roller coasters? Yes!

OPINIONS...
Wish you could live somewhere else? Nope, I love Arizona
Own a cell phone? Yes.
Current clothing: flowered sweat shirt, grey pants, white socks
Current hair: brown, with way too many blonde highlights. Not thrilled with the hairdresser I saw this week . . . my usual one is out for surgery and I should have just waited I think.
Current thing I ought to be doing: putting the boys to bed
Current CD in stereo: Bon Jovi, “Have a Nice Day”
Last movie you saw: Curious George
Last thing you ate: Microwave popcorn
Life on other planets? Doubt it
Do you hate yourself? No.
Collect anything? Used to collect black & white cows and Madame Alexander dolls – don’t really collect anything anymore

ARE YOU...
A daydreamer: Sometimes.
Sarcastic: No
Shy: Often
Talkative: Sometimes.

WOULD YOU RATHER...
Get your nose or lip pierced? Neither – but if I was forced, I’d go for nose

ARE YOU...
Simple or complicated? Complicated – but I bet I put on a good show that I’m simple

ABOUT YOU...
What time is it? 8:58PM Arizona Time
Nickname(s): Melly, Mel, Lanie (but only by one aunt who heard it on a soap opera)

WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Where do you want to live: Right where I am
How many kids do you want: however many I’m blessed with
What kind of job do you want: Other than taking care of my kids, I’d love to write and get paid to do so
Do you want to get married: I am.

UNIQUE...
Nervous Habits: pull on my eyebrows, twiddle my thumbs
Are you double jointed? No
Can you roll your tongue? Yes
Can you raise one eyebrow? No
Can you cross your eyes? No
Do you make your bed daily? If I don’t, B does

CLOTHES, ETC
Which shoe goes on first: whichever one I grab
Ever thrown one at someone: Yes.
How much money do you carry in your wallet: depends – anywhere from $1 to $100

IN THE LAST MONTH HAVE YOU...
Bought something: Yes. Actually lots – it’s been a big consumer month around here
Gotten sick: No
Sang: with my boys
Felt stupid: Yes
Missed someone: Yes
Gotten your hair cut: Yes
Watched cartoons: Nope
Lied: No.

LAST PERSON THAT...
Slept in your bed: B
Saw you cry: N
Made you cry: The Army (when hearing that my brother was being deployed to Iraq)
Saw a movie with you: all my boys : )

HAVE YOU EVER...
Been to California: Yes
Been to Canada: Yes
Wished you were the opposite sex: Nope
Snuck out of the house: No

errands

Today we ran our weekly errands! Since the boys are able to be out & about for hours at a time now, I try to do them all in one day. When they were younger, I would spread them out over a few days to avoid meltdowns and missed naps.

• Bank


• Post Office


• Paper recycling to church (the local church with the most paper wins cash which is used for scholarships at our parish.)


• Recycle cans (wooo hooo! We earned 45 cents! It's more about recycling/reusing and the environment than the money, though)


• Library


• Drop B's shirts at the cleaners (yes, I realize I could do them myself. But I am horrible at ironing. It makes me very crabby. And they do such a nice job for $1.45.)


• Grocery Shopping

Those errands, plus lunch, took about 4 1/2 hours. As we were driving home, I was thinking about how much easier this is now -- neither boy naps, both are old enough to walk along side the cart, can mostly buckle their booster seats, and are reasonably well behaved. It's been years since running errands was this easy!

I was talking to B after we got home, and he laughingly said "Well, I'll knock you up again and you'll be stuck at home!" I replied that we'd just teach the next one to nap on the fly!

Princess

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)

The Traditional Princess
You are generous, graceful, and practical with both feet planted firmly on the ground. You tend to be a little on the old-fashioned side. You value home, hearth, and family life and love to be of service to others.
Role Models: Snow White, Maid Marian
You are most likely to: Discover a hidden talent for spinning straw into gold.
Take this quiz!








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our week

We had a typical, busy week.

Monday . . . we did something, but I just can't quite remember what? It must have just been typical errands - groceries, library, bill paying? B was prepping for a new class (and he has yet another new class next week!) so I know we didn't do anything as a family.

Tuesday . . . we had a pallet of bricks and two tons of flagstone delivered in the morning. We have a very large backyard, which is mostly un-landscaped. Slowly, but surely, we're getting it done and this delivery is a starting point. B will build a patio with the bricks to hold our outside dining table & gazebo. The flagstone will be used in various areas - the center of a garden I've been planning for a while (either herbs or flowers), stepping stones, and other features yet to be determined. We had to purchase an entire pallet to get it delivered - so we ended up with about a ton and 1/2 more than we wanted . . . but I know we'll find a place for it.

In the afternoon, we had lunch with my friend D, and then took the boys to the Arizona Museum for Youth. We had a nice afternoon, and poor D was completely worn out by the time she headed home. She's expecting her first child in June, so the pregnancy tires her out.

Wednesday . . . We stayed home and did home stuff. The boys played in the backyard most of the day, and I should have cleaned house and did laundry . . . but didn't ;(

Thursday . . . We shopped for my friend T, who had her baby last weekend. Josiah is an absolute doll and it was fun to bring her meals for a few days and hang out with her baby. Her 3 year old is adjusting fine so far, and she had a wonderful birth experience.

Friday . . . B only had one call, and that was late, so we all went to the Desert Botanical Garden's plant sale. They had lots of plants available, so we spent a couple hours looking and thinking and finally decided on about $150 worth of desert friendly plants. We still need dirt for the backyard / planting areas, but the plants will last in their containers another couple weeks and we'll get some dirt soon. I would say we'd do it on Monday, but B is teaching a new class this week and will need Monday to prep.

B put together one of the new beds for the boys, and took down the bunk beds. Here was another situation where those extra beds in the master bedroom have been useful! In fact, they've slept in them all week, and I hadn't even bothered to go back to their bedroom. Bedtime had become such a ridiculous battle, but when I gave up trying to put them to sleep/bed in their bunkbeds, the entire routine fell back into place.

Today . . . I'm finally getting to the laundry. (ugh, didn't I just post recently I was back in the laundry groove? I fell out of it again!) B will put up the other bed and we'll put the boys back in there tonight for bedtime. I'm hoping for an easy time of it!