I did it!

Today the temperature in MN reached 90 degrees! It was awful hot! I say awful hot because in a way it was awful. I hate how the temperatures here go from cold to hot and we have very few really perfect days. Today it was HOT! My hair flopped in the heat. It stuck to my neck and felt yucky. So tonight...I did it!

People that have known me for years won't be shocked....but those that didn't know me when my hair was pixie short might have to do a double take next time they see me. Off to Wisconsin tomorrow! See ya next week!

No pictures....and no words can describe her....

I have a great friend and it is her birthday today. Happy Birthday, Lynelle!

I feel like a failure because I didn't even talk to her today...besides through our computers (both of which are Macs).

I became friends with her almost two years ago. We met in a playgroup through Mom's club. There are times when we see each other everyday of the week and then there are times when we don't see each other very often (like the last two weeks). We have thrown a garage sale together, we go for walks, we eat each other's cupcakes, and can just sit in each other's kitchens and chat. When I don't see her I miss her. I am comfortable around her, laid back, and at ease. She accepts my often times spazzy ways and goes with the flow. The thing I most appreciate about my friend Lynelle is the fact that she puts up with my erratic planning. I come up with things to do and places to go but then have to change the timing because of my boys and their naps or their eating or whatever. She is always willing to go with the flow. Charley loves her girls and has so much fun at their house or playing at our house.

Lynelle, thank you for being such a great friend. I love being a mom with you and look forward to many years ahead watching our children grow up together. Let's keep throwing in nights out with the girls...without the kids. I would love to treat you to a martini soon! Happy Birthday my friend! It is my goal this year to capture a picture of the two of us with one of our cameras!

I know where we will be all morning tomorrow....

The sandbox is full of gorgeous sand! I have to toot my own horn because I found the best sand! It is just like a beach! Washed, screened, not too fine, packing but not too packy and just great! I think my feet got a little pedicure tonight as we worked on putting all the sand in and leveling it out. I am so excited for my boys! Charley worked hard and got to play for a few minutes tonight. He is excited to show it to Henry!

Mr. Sandman....bring me some sand!

The sandbox sits - taunting us - mama can envision the busy boys. Charley can imagine fun with friends. Henry...well he has no clue but will love it. Last night I planted a few flowers and Henry dug right in. I think he is going to love the sandbox too. And he made no attempts to eat the dirt! yippee!

Sand is due to arrive any minute so we will be filling the box tonight.

Good buddies

Across the street lives a grandma and grandpa and they have some grandsons. One grandson is a good friend of Charley's. They always have a great time together. Last night Charley helped clean up their pontoon boat and then he got to have a picnic dinner on it. Later they got out their fishing poles and pretended to fish. It is going to be a great summer!

One of those really great weekends...

It was one of those perfect weekends...time with family, friends, getting things done, and relaxing.

Friday morning my brother came to visit. He helped us hit a huge number of garage sales. We all walked away with a little something. The most recent item that Charley got was a "Star Wars Light Saber". He carries it around and loves it. He tells me often how much he loves it and me. Henry has one too and already knows when he carries it to strut his stuff. Uncle Greg stayed for pb&j sandwiches and a little bike riding in the afternoon.




Then Charley and I worked hard to ready the house for our friends to visit. They arrived around 8 and we all enjoyed a few cocktails and catching up. Saturday Kelly and I hit garage sales with the little kiddos. The big boys stayed with the dads and hit up Home Depot for the sandbox needs. By the time we arrived home at 11 the sandbox was pretty much finished - minus the sand! The sand will be delivered this week...hopefully! Our friend Mike is a "Do-it-yourself God!" As Ed stated, "He knows how to get things done and done right." I know Ed appreciated having the help and I am so psyched for the sandbox to become the place to be this summer. Mike and Kelly also brought us a bunch of raspberry bushes. We got those in but aren't sure if they are going to do well in our soil, with our amount of sun etc. But so exciting! I hope we can visit them this summer and help them in some way. We enjoy spending time with them.


Saturday night we headed to Wisconsin to visit more good friends. Dinner, drinks, crazy kids running around, and good times. There were 6 kids there and one who will enter our world very soon. Molly and Gary have a beautiful home that they built, much of it was done with their own two hands and help from family and friends. We love going and watching the progress as they continue to make it their home. We come home motivated to do some small home improvement project which I am sure Gary would laugh at after all the major jobs he has conquered this year. So happy for them.

Kelly and Mike and family headed home on Saturday night and we woke up this morning and headed out to get a few flowers, tomato plants, and other things. Charley and I will work on planting them this afternoon or this week. Our yard is a happening place this year (swingset, sandbox, garden, raspberry bushes, green grass, flowers, hammock). Charley did wake up today not sounding really healthy. So he is taking a nap...second day in a row. While he napped I sat on our deck and read my book...something I haven't done too much. It was peaceful and nice.

It was a great weekend.

Pictures will spark memories later on...

I have decided to post some pictures periodically of our home and yard so that someday the boys can look back and remember life by seeing their home. We have lived here only a few years and we are slowly making changes, reorganizing, making it our own. Here are a few things we worked on last weekend.


Worked on spiffing up this chunk of landscaping. Not knowing much about flowers and plants...we'll see how this goes. Still need to work on the adjoining bush areas.


Learned to mow this weekend. Here is our side yard with our hammock that we all enjoy!


Happy Mother's day! Ed tilled the garden and we will plant soon.

Move this here..and move that there.

So I have been feeling like reorganizing and have also decided with some help from others that exercising needs to be a priority in my life. So we are moving the elliptical out to the front toy room temporarily until I am in a groove and routine. I hate that it is central to our living space but now that Henry has pretty much dropped his morning nap it is impossible for me to fit a workout in the am without waking up really early. By moving it out here I am able to patrol the two boys while getting my groove on. Ed has been very supportive and put shelving in the guest room closets....the guest room will not work as a toy play area too. Lately when Charley has friends over they spend most of their time hiding out in there. So hopefully this will work. I am worried about cleaning up with everything in there and I know it will be dragged throughout the house. I used to just open bins and drawers and wander the house and toss...I could probably play for the NBA..so now it will take a greater effort but I told Charley that we are going to take clean up breaks from time to time. So we'll see. I have been working on slowing down with the kids and so it should be just fine.

I was actually surprised that the elliptical doesn't look as massive and ugly as I thought it would. I figure I can get a workout in during the first hours of the morning and then hope to get a nice walk with the boys outside too. I need to get my butt in gear. It is time. The nursing has stopped, the metabolism is getting slower, and it will help my mood also! I know it! So here are the before and after shots of our reorganization.
Before


The move...


After

Boys at the Home Depot!

Worth a try...

So I found this idea on a blog or two that I follow yesterday and thought I would share with some friends. I got numerous moms who emailed me last night and said they tried it and it worked. So that meant...I HAD to try it today too. I put my assistant to work. He took uncooked spaghetti and stuck it threw cut up hotdogs.




This kept him busy for 20 minutes!



We put it in a pot and boiled it.




And....YES UNCLE GREG! It does work! This totally made my day.


It is silly stuff like this that make my day! Try it...it will make you smile!