Always the overachiever

Here it is a rainy Tuesday and I have gone and made crazy plans.  I've invited some friends that we don't hang out with much (due to busy schedules) over to the house for dinner.  My house was TRASHED this morning, with no food in the fridge and half an office painted, thus stuff lying about ALL OVER the house.  I really thought I'd clean up a bit, get some groceries and finish painting the office before they come over tonight.  Oh, and do ALL the laundry so everyone has under ware and pants to wear tomorrow.

Yes, I'm crazy.  

No, I don't know why I do this to myself.  

• Groceries were bought by 9 a.m. 
• Steaks marinating.  It's good to grill steaks in the rain, right? 
• Set the Tables.  There will be 9 of us total.
• Shoved everything into just my bedroom or office, made dining room and kitchen and living room presentable.
• Swept, vaccumed, and cleaned kitchen and bathrooms.  All that's left is the kids rooms...AAAAHHH!!!
• 3 loads of laundry down, a million more to go. 
• And just have to finish painting the office. 

Piece of Cake...

No, really, Give me a piece of cake!

robot on the track

Robot competition

Big Kid and his good friend had a great time creating a robot for school. 

This robot could go forward and backwards and

had a lever that could go up and down and flip a light switch.

They took their robot to competition this weekend and 

had a great time.  They definitely had a better robot than the majority of the kids there. 

And are ready, having seen how it's done, for next year.  

Little Bit going to watch her brother compete.

Big Kid is in the striped jacket. His teammate is the white shirt.

hoy es Friday.

Today is Friday.  And I must make this short, because I live for Coffee Friday.

You can never be blessed so much as to have Coffee Friday, where you and your friends all meet up and discuss nothing important, yet leave feeling like you have your cup of life filled to the brim with good feelings from good friends.

So, i salute you, Coffee Friday, for being there when I needed you most and for being there when i didn't really need you, but you were a good time anyway.

funny conversation

This is more a grown up story, so if you are young, stop reading now.

Conversation last night:
M: "So, my friend said he and his wife are going to have quadruplets."
Me: "Wow. 4 babies. That's a lot."
Little Bit: "Get it over with at once with 4."  (She's heard me say this before, with twins and such.)

Little Bit turns to M at the table and asks innocently, "So, how do they get 4 babies in there? Do they just do it 4 times?"
M's eyes got wide and he just takes a big drink of his soda and shrugs his shoulders and looks away.

After turning my back and giggling not just at Little Bit, but also at M and his cringing about the subject matter.  I  stepped in and gave the whole "how eggs split" talk and other science type information about such matters.   Of course, I made it so factual, that the conversation turned quickly, as I'm sure M was happy about.  But, I cannot help but giggle about how big his eyes got when the question was asked.

off work

Just got off work. Thinking i need to run up to the gym and exercise.  my jeans are getting snug, instead of loose.

Also, I need someone to come and finish painting that office for me.

Again turned down the 2nd interview.

Still looking for what I should be doing in life.

But, feeling good about it.

One thing, I'm doing what I want.

Like painting the built in cabinets/shelving.

Look at my progress :)

I still have a second coat to go.  

But, I'm really liking the change. 

Oh, take a look around. It's looking good.

Oh, my dining room is a changing. 

Did I tell you we got new dining chairs?

Everyone got to pick their own chair.

Mine is the blue one in this pic.

We have red hanging for Valentine's Day. :)

Oh, and Nah, Nah!!!

I got a beautiful new piece of pottery from my favorite potter!!!

And it looks PERFECT in my dining room.

Who me stalking the hamster?  

I just missed photoing him with his face against the bars, 

sticking his tounge on the hamster.

And this is our new kitchen table that I got for $75.

I can only have kitchen tables that cost $75.

That's how I know it fits properly. 

 I'm keeping my old kitchen table, 

because I love it so.

Yet, very happy that everyone can pull up  underneath the table properly.

It's the little things that make me happy.

Fruity

How can you get more fruit in your diet? 

Make it fun!

Let me just say that grape-ciles are sooo yummy.  

Just skewer seedless red grapes and blueberries and pop them in the freezer.  

They are delicious.

Of course everything is better with something to stab and dip.

Set out skewers or toothpicks

And fruit dip (aka strawberry yogurt).  

I used Greek strawberry yogurt, just to take it one step further on the healthy train.

And I always keep my skewers and toothpicks in a bowl ready to set out. 

It's quite handy and when company comes, 

they are always impressed how quickly I pull out something fun to eat. 

And really I'm just dumping stuff on a plate and sticking out some toothpicks.

hmmmm

decisions, decisions.  I know that i need to make some decisions.  i just don't know what to decide. and i am feeling majorly stressed, but know that there is absolutely no reason to be stressed.  yet, i am.

oh my

Why would i think to paint the cabinets in the office this weekend.  i really underestimate projects sometimes.  it is taking a little longer than planned.  yet, it's looking good.

grilling some steaks on the grill and the rest of late lunch/ early dinner (aka linner).  ready for some yum.

Saturday morning again

Shhh...it's Saturday morning again.  We don't want to wake anyone. Well, except for M. I think he should be up by now if he's headed to school today.?.  Oh, well, I made enough noise earlier, he knows the time.

Well, it's been another week flown by.  Let's see what all has happened...

• got some stuff straightened out at school for Little Bit.  Seems I thought she was in this program all through elementary school, but she wasn't and so now she is "Officially" listed.  Changes nothing except paper, but will help in the long run as she goes to jr. high and high school, giving her more time and such.
• Went to work.  Just one day of work in the week, makes work seem like not much.  Going to decorate the windows for Valentine's day next week, so buying poster board this weekend.
• Hosted the Jr. Girl Scout troop.  We made Valentine's for the local nursing home.  They will deliver them on a later day.  I also, decorated my house for Valentine's.  And gave them LOTS of sugar to eat, a goody bag full of sugary candy, and sent them home. Your welcome.
• went to coffee with my friends.  that is always a good time.
• Turned down the 2nd interview on one new job, 20 hours a week only when my kids are home is not what I'm looking for, but the rest of the job sounded super fun. 
• Went on another job interview.  It went well, they've asked me back for a 2nd interview.  We shall see where this goes.  Much to consider. 
• Brought the "new" old table into my kitchen.  I had bought a wooden pedestal table back before Christmas for $75.  I think I really like it.  But, am still considering how much.  I'm not sure where the kitchen table is going, but I have lots of stuff around the house that needs arranging right now.  I think I might have to polyurethane the table, because it seems rather porous.  But, otherwise, quite happy.  And for $75, it doesn't matter what happens with it. :) 
• Also, I've cleaned everything off of the office shelving and plan to paint today.  Amazing how dusty it was behind some of that stuff. Yuck.  I'm painting them a chocolate brown.  And the back of the shelving will be the same color red as the walls in the office. Yea.
• Big Kid was a little under the weather yesterday, but he said he will be fine today to have all of his fun. 
• Oh, and will all the changing around, I think my son got the bug.  He and his daddy moved a desk from the office up into his room late last night. 
• 
  
• I'm sure other things have happened, but I can think of nothing else. Happy Saturday! later-cb
• 
  

Who was that complaining? I obviously had no idea what i was talking about.

Well, I had a marvelous time.  Once again proving, that if I will just get myself up off the couch great things will happen.

We went camping at Lake Somerville.  

The lake was a little dry.

But beautiful.

 Have you ever seen the ground break up like this?

It was amazing.

I had never seen something like this. 

The 2011 summer drought had taken its toll here.

We just had to roam around and see what flotsam and jetsam was around.

 Look how far out the lake had dried up.

Great pic by the way.

 Ahhh. Sunset on the beach.  Right after carving our names in the sand.

 Hot dogs and marshmallows on the campfire...a classic.

Round 1...Big Kid...Winner

on the 6 MILE rocky mountain bike ride.

Some of it was like a roller coaster.  

I only took pictures of the easier spots.

At the break pavilion.  

You know you're going somewhere, 

when they build break pavilions with "you are here" signs.

Can you spot the deer in the woods?  We did.

 Another break pavilion.  Time for a picnic lunch.

 Hold still and I will pelt you with these aluminum balls.

 Another picture of the lake dried up. 

 Winner...Mile 6...Big Kid

 More out in the middle of the lake shots.

 Quite the flotsam and jetsam collection:

HUGE muscle shells, cool drift wood pieces, 

an alligator gar jawbone, another jawbone of what we think was a coyote. 

Oh, yeah, we heard coyotes, lots of them at night. Oooowwww.

 The Leaf Cutter Ants were super fun to watch.  

I took videos of them and their trails 

and of them cutting the leaves.  

 On the way home we stopped at Washington on the Brazos.

 Here is the spot where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed.

Of course, they built a replica of the building.  

So, we had to make a replica of the signing.

It was a good trip.  

Shhhh...be very, very quiet

Shhh...Be very, very quiet.  Everyone is asleep, except for me.

It's 30-freaking-2 degrees out today and we are supposed to go camping. Yes, camping in freezing 32 degree weather. Brrr.

I love to camp.  And we have a pop-up camper, so it's not even like we're "camping."  Yet, 32, and possibly not being able to burn some wood because of drought induced campfire burn bans, makes me think that we will be spending a LOT of family time inside the pop-up, cozied under the blankets watching movies.  And we could do that here, comfortably in front of fire, in the fire place stretched out on the couch, with a lot less laundry and work to do come Tuesday.  I'm just sayin'.

So, shhhhh...maybe I can be quiet long enough.  And everyone will keep sleeping in and it will just be too late to go.  Or at least it will warm up a little outside.

oh, rats. I hear the sniffing of a man who has woken up. a camping man...

Whats a happenin, hot stuff?

So, this week...let's see...

• M is off traveling to El Do for work.  It's their fun week of end of the year celebrations and such. So, the kids and I are eating out every night to celebrate.  Last night was Outback Steakhouse, the night before Crust Pizza Co.  Not helping my diet any, but there is more to life than just diets. 
• Moving furniture...last night Big Kid and I moved the bed in the game room to Little Bit's room and moved Little Bit's bed into the game room.  Little Bit said she slept much better and her back does not hurt anymore. 
• Shampooed carpets.  Every carpet got shampooed this week.  My favorite comment, "Hey mom, it's smells good in here." Said in a shocked voice.
• Big Kid participated in some church mission.  They played football or something. He had fun.
• Little Bit has been practicing her piano.  She loves it and is doing well.
• I was working at the bookstore.  Medium work week, strangely mellow.  Thinking about making big hearts for the next window display.  
• Had a job interview for another part-time job.  We'll see how that goes.  Cross that bridge when we get there, kind of attitude I'm taking.
• Feeling need to fluff my house.  Nothing new. ;)  

This past Sunday

This past Sunday was Elvis' birthday.  In his honor, M cranked up his favorite Elvis Gospel album.  And we ate peanut butter & banana pancakes.  I lit a candle on each plate, so everyone got to blow out a birthday candle for fun. 

Also, on Sunday we took down Christmas.  We drug our formally live tree out by the fence and tied it up. And then we made a Christmas tree for the animals and birds.  We picked up the pine cones in the backyard.  The kids wanted to pick them up out front, but when I had all those little helpers, why not get the backyard picked up ;)  

The pine cones were slathered with peanut butter 

and then dipped in

birdseed

popcorn

and fruit loops.

One child preferred eating fruit loops versus making decorations, so I just gave him a ziplock bag full.  

He was really hungry.

Somehow I missed getting any pics of Big Kid participating or some of the other neighbor kids. 

But, Little Bit was a pro at modeling!