My Space

Because I am on a roll updating my blog. Here I go again.

Last November, just about a week before Thanksgiving, we finished up the remodel: office addition, new kitchen, new flooring and a few other things.

Fast forward to a year later and everything is put in it's place. The expanded office is once again stuffed full. But it's a good thing. All 4 of us use it everyday.

I needed/wanted my own space that I could call my space. I got an old desk of ours from my neighbor who wasn't using the desk any more. Put it in the last open space in the office, Tom hung up a shelf, I did the rest. I filled the drawers with my scrap stuff and other creative stuff. And then Wha-Lah! I now have my own space. I hope to be able to use it a lot.



The shelf that Tom hung. I made the frame, I made the "N", Greg made the little scrap book.
I got this wall decal from Etsy. I hope to sell on there some day. Photo is from our track team last year. I was one of the coaches.

My space. Still a bit cluttered when I took the picture but you get the idea. That's a magnetic board from Ikea and hanging organizers from the Container Store. I already had them, and the shelf. The football guy is one that Greg tore out of a Kids Sports Illustrated. I hung it up for him to see. Greg says he likes it there.

It's like Space Mountain

You may know that I had surgery in October. I had the left side of my thyroid removed. I had a cyst, it had to come out. I have to say I had a great experience while at the hospital. I was there for almost 24 hours. Everyone was so nice and helpful from the moment I arrived and the nice volunteer walked me and Tom the pre -0p from the moment the nice volunteer wheeled me out of the hospital and helped me into the car the next day.

I do think I may have left some of the staff wondering though, or maybe laughing and thinking what was that crazy lady saying?

You see, I was feeling quite nice and happy and relaxed and one step away from la-la land. I could feel the happy drugs chilling through my veins and began to see everything in a haze. I already had a general area of where the operating room was, because I asked. So, when I was wheeled out of my curtained area in pre-op, was turned to the right, I knew I was headed to the operating room.

So, what do I say as I am being wheeled away? Do you really want to know? Promise me you won't laugh, too hard...... Ok, I said

"Wow, it's like going to Space Mountain."

I have no idea why I said that or even what I was thinking about. I still think about it and have no idea. No idea at all.

When I woke up in recovery I felt very sick to my stomach, but the anti-barf drugs shot into my IV quickly took care of that. I was in a daze for several hours, so maybe I did go to Space Mountain. No idea.

And I will quickly share this with you. Feb 2008, I had carpal tunnel surgery. The last thing I remember saying was "That sure is a big light" as I was staring at the enormous light above the operating table.

In high school I had my wisdom teeth removed. I had to be put under. I woke up, tried to sit up and focus, but realized I was strapped down to a table. I saw a blurry sign that read "painless dentist". Yeah, no. I started screaming for my dad. Someone quickly came in and told me to be quiet so I didn't scare any patients. The last thing I remember before going out was asking what that noise was. It was the pulse monitor or something I was hooked up to.

So, my friends, do you care to share with me what were your last words before going into la-la land or when you were recovering? I would like to know, if you care to share. Thanks :)

These Boots........

Are they really made for walking? Well, I would say yes. I have been wearing them all day and I love them. I think I may wear them every day.

There is this great re-sale/thrift store called Portabello Rd. (no it's not a mushroom store) It's in Lake Forest on El Toro Rd, next to Bev Mo. The proceeds go to Laura's House. A friend of mine, who I have crowned the bargain queen, works there. She gives me the scoop on the hot items. But this time I found a hot item all by myself. I had delivered a few boxes of donations and decided to shop. I found a few cute sweaters and then wowza! Hanging on the boot rack was this pair of vibrant blue boots. I flipped them over, my size and only $5! Tried them on and the didn't squish my toes and I liked the way they looked on my feet. So, now they are mine.

I had to tell everyone about them and today I had to wear them. Here they are.....don't you love them?

And then I also have to share some more of my favorite shoes...........

Of course there are my red Vans and the blue Vans (which Evelyn wears all the time) and my Nike's and slippers......

and these....... which everyone laughs at when I wear them. But I like them, they are comfy and warm and no I do not look like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story"

What are your favorite shoes? I would love to know.

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. What are you doing to conserve energy and save our Earth?

Here is what we are doing.

The kids are always leaving lights on. Always. I am constantly saying "turn off the light" . This morning as the kids were getting ready for school, I decided to remind them of Earth Day, oh, and by the way "turn off the lights behind you. No matter what room you are in. Unless of course someone else is in that room, using that room" Well, Greg, the boy of many responses and many questions says "Well, that light is in front of me so I can not turn it off" Oh vey! Ok, "If the light is in front of you, behind you, anywhere near you or far from you, when you leave a room turn off the light. Unless of course someone is in that room using that room. Understand?" Blank stare was the response I got. Evelyn gets it though. Let's see how long it lasts.

Now for some other Earth Day tips.

Seems like I am always saying "brush your teeth", "did you wash your hands?" "did you flush the toilet? Go flush the toilet" "You have been in that shower long enough, turn it off NOW"

So, the next time I say "did you flush the toilet" and I get a blank stare, I'll just respond by saying "well, no problem. You saved gallons of water. Great job!"

How about "Did you wash your hands?" Blank stare. "Great job. You just saved a ton of water. And not to mentions hand soap and laundry soap. That's one less towel I have to wash. Hey, why don't' you just wipe your hands real good on your shirt. Yes, the one you used to wipe off your face. And great job saving trees but using your shirt instead of a napkin."

Or, "Did you brush your teeth?" Blank stare. "You are doing such a good job here. You know you really saved a bunch of water by brushing your teeth 2 days ago or by quickly running the tooth brush across your teeth without using any water. You know, you also saved me a bunch of money as I really don't' need to by tooth paste and a lot of tooth brushes. Hey, while you're at it, go ahead and use that shirt and rub it over your teeth to get them nice and shiny white. You already used it to wipe your face and your hands."

Possibly, "Did you shower, today? I think you need a shower, you smell." Blank stare. "I am so proud of you. Way to go for NOT taking a shower today. Not only did you save water, but you also saved me having to by shampoo, conditioner, body wash and whatever other product you drag into the shower to use. And, hey, great idea here. Just wipe down your body with that shirt, you know the one. Keeps me from having to wash yet another towel and saves me money on laundry detergent and the water that has to run through the washing machine. Not to mention the electricity used to run the washer and the dryer and the gas used to dry the clothes. I'm so proud of you my Earth conscience kid"

And another good one, "You know what, when the sprinklers go on across the street. You know the ones that water the hill you are not supposed to play on. The ones that the association maintains and our association fees pay for. Well, go out and run through them. Yes, I know it is reclaimed water. But hey, you won't smell any worse that you already do (sometimes). We are already paying for the water anyways."

So I guess my kids really are Earth conscience and doing their share here. Well, I should say one of them is totally, the other not so much so, but sometimes. One likes to smell, the other doesn't. One, well no other comments, the other one, yes she does really care about keeping herself clean and listening to my pleads.

What are you doing for Earth Day?

13 days

Yikes, it's been 13 days since I last visited my poor lonely neglected piece of cyberland. And so much has been going on in those last 13 days. Just to name a few, Evely sick, me sick, Greg sick and still coughing, baseball, horseback riding, school homework, work, sanity checks, Easter and I'm sure I am forgetting many things.

What do we have going on this weekend? Really want to know? Ok. Horse show practice, soccer registration, bank, errands, track practice, baseball game, Horse show, baseball practice.....

Here is a highlight from Greg's game last Tuesday. Sit back, relax and enjoy. But don't' get any popcorn, it's not very long. Be sure the sound is on, it's not the same without it.

I'll be back later. Hopefully before May. I have tons of pictures.

TTFN and have a great weekend.

Hello

Well Hi there. How is everyone? Hope you are all well.

As for us here, well....... It's been one thing after another. Evelyn was home sick for 3 days last week. Cough/cold. She is such a giving and sharing person that she shared her cold/cough with me. Then Greg wants to tag along with us too and get sick. He seems to have the minor case. He did miss school for 2 days and is back today. Thankfully Tom has managed to not get sick.

Needless to say, it's been fun. Hard to sleep listening to the kids cough all night long. Then hard to sleep when I am coughing and have a raspy sore throat on top of that.

But life must go on and so it does. I've been trying to take it as easy as possible. I didn't run with the kids at track practice yesterday. In fact I have not run for a week. I would like to but my body just won't let me. We are gearing up for our first track meet at the end of April. The kids are practicing their events and seem to be having a good time too ;)

Baseball, going strong. Had another good win Tuesday and lost last Saturday. No break for Easter break. I hope Greg is feeling great on Saturday and can play a good game.

OK, that's about it for now. Work is so super busy. Things have backed up at home as I just don't have the energy to get things done. Kids have a short day today at school and will be home early. I'll get them to finish up the laundry and do a little cleaning. Hey, it's good for them.

Have a super weekend and hope everyone stays well.

Isle 14 is in plumbing

This morning I met my friend Krystal for breakfast after dropping the kids at school. We had a nice breakfast and a good catch up chat. After breakfast I had some errands to take care of.

One was to a major home improvement center to get some sprinklers and some plants to spruce up the yards. I went straight to the garden section to look for sprinklers. But first I thought to ask where they were rather than wandering aimlessly through the store looking for sprinklers. I walked up to an employee and asked "Excuse me, where can I find lawn sprinklers?" Answer: "Isle 14" head goes back down to indicate his allotted time to assist me is over. Well, that was not the answer I was looking for. How come he did not walk me to the isle where I was supposed to be and help me look for the right sprinkler for my lawn??? So, I ask nicely "Which is where?" answer "Isle 14, plumbing" Me: "Which is where?" Answer: "Go to the front of the store and it is that way." (Pointing in the opposite direction where I am) Me:"Great. Thank you very much." As I am thinking why in the world do the sprinklers have to be in plumbing on the opposite side of the store. Why can they not be in the garden section where I am?

It was not a far walk. And it's not like I do not enjoy walking through these large home improvement centers. I actually like going. I like looking and thinking of and planning projects I would like to do some day and really need to do now. I knew that if I started wandering on my own I would end up spending way too much time looking at rain gutters, doors, window coverings, etc.... Things for projects we need to do now. And then maybe dream up some more projects which I would like to do, someday.

Back to isle 14. I found the sprinklers. Boxes of them. Thankfully there was a very helpful employee in that same isle. Together we found the sprinkler that I thought I would need. And I bought 2 of them, just in case one gets broken again. Headed back to the garden center and picked out some flowers to plant through out the front and back yards to add some color and spruce things up. All in all it was not a bad trip to the large home improvement center.

I also like spending time in my local hardware store. It maybe only has 14 isles and I can usually find everything I need there. I can also get superior service by the very friendly employees. I can go in asking for a thingy that needs to go in the sink, or a spout thingy for my tub but I don't know what type of plumbing I have , or for the perfect type of hook or attachment that looks like this and I always go home with exactly what I need. I also was lucky to have a nice college student employee sit in the paint isle with me to help me find the correct type of primer I needed to paint over the oil based paint on my kitchen ceiling so I could apply the new water based paint to the ceiling would look nice with the new cabinets.

We have another busy weekend, but I have a block of time on Sunday where I can spend some much needed quality time in the yards and plant the colorful plants. I love color in the yards.

So, what is my point here? Well, I really don't know. I haven't blogged in awhile. But just know, the next time you go to a large home improvement center to find something, it may not be where you expect it to be. Ask before you wander through out the store and emerge 2 hours later with a truck full of drywall mud and tape, lumber to build that new fort you always wanted to build, bricks to fill in the front lawn rather than grass, chicken wire to hang on your walls because it just might look good there and some sprinklers and pretty flowers. Oh, and maybe that do it yourself home improvement book. You just never know.

Have a great weekend :) Think of me when you plant some flowers....

Oh, the weekend is here :)

What a long long week. I took Monday off and the kids and I hung out and had a great day. But the week just seemed even longer.

Friday afternoon Evelyn and Tom took off for another camping trip. Greg and I took off for baseball practice. Then I headed over to Circuit City to see what deals I could find. And, I had found a $10 gift card that I wanted to use before it was too late. I got 2 movies, a flash drive, memory card for my camera and a cool hot pink cover for my i pod. Not to bad and didn't spend very much either. :)

Greg's team had a pizza party after practice. It was nice to meet a few more parents and have some time to talk with the coaches. I really like the way things are turning out with this new team. All the guys are getting along and getting to know each other better. The coaches are impressed with our boys abilities too. I do believe it is going to be a great season. We are already talking of some more tournaments to play in.

I didn't get up till after 8 am this morning. It was soooo gooooood to sleep in. Dog has been walked and Greg and I are just hanging out. It's a nice lazy morning which we don't get too often around here.

This evening we are going to a huge birthday celebration. A party for Tom's mom, sister and our niece. All milestone birthdays, with Sam's being her sweet 16. Tom and Evelyn have to come home early from their camp out but will have had a great time for the time there are there.

Evelyn's show was postponed due to the rain and lack of practices and the fact that her trainer had to have surgery last week. It is now March 7. Mark it on your calendar.

This means we have Sunday free, except for Greg's practice Sunday afternoon.

For the rest of today, I have to finish making the birthday presents and think of something to get Sam. I have no idea what to get her. I think I may also spend some time in the yards. They have been neglected, especially out back. My daffodils are starting to push through and some are blooming. They are so pretty.

Oh, and one more thing before the train leaves the station, I AM going to be an assistant track coach for 5th/6th grade track at school. Evelyn is running. She has such long legs and I think will be an awesome runner. She went running with me the other day and pushed through for the entire 3 miles. That's my girl!!

Well, until the next stop on the crazy train, have a great weekend. :)

Leapin Lizards!

What you would you do if you opened your washing machine, took out a load of jeans and saw this sitting in the bottom of your washing machine.

A-Scream like a girl?

B- Close the lid and hope that someone else besides you would put laundry in the washing machine?

C- Triple bag your hand with newspaper bags (saved to pick up after the Dog) and while gritting your teeth and hopeing the darn thing is not alive enough to move, carefully scoop up the darn thing and toss it into an open grave, aka, the trash can.

Ok, I did C. I was cool calm and collected, kinda. I didn't scream like I did when the Dog brought a dead gopher into the house or when I found a dead possum in the back yard. This had nothing to do with the Dog. At least I hope not.

I have no idea where this poor lizard came from or how it got in the machine. This morning I collected all the jeans from various rooms of the house and had them in a pile in my room waiting their turn to get warshed.

And the entire time I was figuring out how to remove a dead lizard from the washing machine and not to get too grossed out about it, the Dog was standing at the by the gate, chewy, at her feet, looking at me like who knows what. I wonder what she thinks at times. She probably was hoping I was getting something for her. Silly Dog.

Oh, and these pix here,

they are pix of the rain on Tuesday. Yes, we so need rain gutters.

I am....

waiting for the kids to get home so we can catch up on American Idol and the kids can get back to their marathon monopoly game. I was out a few days ago. My poor shoe had too many holes in it.

watching the rain, again.

wondering why the dog is so antsy today. maybe because she didn't get a walk this morning

tired

not feeling super good.

going to take a nap again

make breakfast for dinner. Hey why not have it for 3 meals today. I also had breakfast for lunch

not sure what is going on this weekend as I have not looked at the calendar yet

going to rest this weekend

trying to clean but don't feel like it. I'll "suggest" that the kids can clean the house or at least put away the laundry.

going to put Greg's baseball game schedule on the calendar

going to help coach track for 5th and 6th grade at school.

going to find more cd's to download to i tunes to put on my new ipod.

going to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday

going to run more this weekend

thinking of participating in the mud run at Camp Pendleton in October ( I have a goal now!)

looking forward to reading my book

going to make brownies because they smell so good when they are baking

rambling again.

hoping you all have a great weekend!!

Weekend

Well, a typical weekend. Going here and there and trying to do laundry and still unpack a few boxes.


Evelyn had practice for their drill team competition (on horses) Her group got their pattern figured out for their drill team competition. She is in charge of flames for their helmets. Now we just have to figure out where to get them. I am thinking a skateboard store. any suggestions?


I found some time to finally clean out my car and give it a good wash. Looks so nice now :) I also went though a few more boxes in the garage to consolidate things. Making progress.


Greg had a great practice with his new team. He was playing 1st, ,2nd, and outfield. He was even hitting! The boys all seemed to get along great at their first practice.

From practice Greg and I dashed over to the BBQ and got a litte lost but found our way to where we were supposed to go.

We enjoyed the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, a great dinner, wine and s'mores by the fire pit and a great time with good friends.

When we got home I was so tired. I layed down next to Greg for a minute, and well, that minute turned into a few hours as I zonked right out. I had thought of heading over to Michele's 40th b-day party celebration. But, ugh, that didn't happen. I'll catch up with her one day.

Sunday, off to church early. Then Evelyn and I headed to Pomona (via Bagels n Brew) for the Equine Affair. We spent about 3 hours there, walking through exhibits of horse stuff for sale, trailers, barns, clothes...... I did get Evy a new pair of riding jeans. We also sat through parts of some seminars on horsemanship and looked at a lot of horses.

They guys were off at friends to watch the Super Bowl. They were depressed their team didn't win. But overall I say it was a good game.

Been a long time

Wow. It's been an awfully long time. Busy. Busy.

Last week, the usual.

Soccer tournament in Hacienda Heights over the weekend even tough it was raining. Won 1 game lost 2 and finished 3rd in the tournament. Greg played goalie for 1/2 of each game. There was a direct penalty kick and Greg BLOCKED it! Whew! My heart had completely stopped.

Mission is complete and was turned in earlier this week. Glad that project is done. Evelyn has to finish her book report project this weekend.

Tom and Greg went snowboarding on Tuesday. They went to Snow Summit with one of Greg's friend and his dad. The boys took and all day snowboard lesson and were the only 2 in the lesson. Their instructor was Nacho. The dads had a great day of skiing while the boys were in their lessons. Greg already has future days planned and marked on the calendar. He is hooked!


We now have confirmation on Greg's baseball team. Things were up in the air for a few days. The Sox did not get a team. But our guys got put on another team and are part of the OC Boltz. Greg missed the first practice on Tuesday (snowboarding) but did get to meat the coaches and some of the team at batting practice last night. We got his uniform (#7) and the practice schedule. So now our calendar is full of baseball practice. Games start in March although there is one practice game next weekend. We will also have to squeeze in soccer practice when we can for the AYSO Plus team.


Evelyn is gearing up for the drill team competition. On horses. They have been working on this during lessons. They have their 4-some already. The first practice is this Saturday where they make up their routine, pick their song and plan their matching or coordinating outfits. This all has to be approved by the trainer too. Then in a few more weeks they have another morning for practice with the competition on a Sunday morning.


Work has been so busy for me. Lot's of conference calls as we are doing some different type of work and it sure takes a long time to figure things out. By the end of the day, meaning like 3:00, I am pooped.


I worked Tuesday and Wednesday at CHA for Zutter. It was so much fun. I got to demo some products as part of a make and take. I saw some people I haven't seen for awhile and met new people. It was fun to be out of the house for a few days.


This weekend. Where do I start? It's busy. Drill team practice, baseball practice, BBQ, tons of house work and need to do NOW things. Sunday I hope to take Evelyn to the Equine Affair at the Pomona Fairplex. IF she gets her school project done. Oh, and can't forget the Super Bowl. Go Cardinals!! Tom and Greg are headed out to a friends to watch the game.


I am now reading The Shack. If you have not read it yet, go out NOW and get the book and read it. It's very good. I finished Breaking Dawn in less than a week (700+ pages) and had to get right into another excellent book.


I didn't get to posting my 52 Blessings this week. But I have not forgotten. Maybe will try this weekend or just do 2 next week. No set rules here.


Back to work. Blah!


Enjoy your weekend :)

Happy Friday

I really don't have much to say today. But I do really like my new blog look :) It's been a busy week and now it's winding down.

Tom and Greg have an Indian Guides event on Saturday. It's their pine wood derby. Should be a fun morning with hundreds of boys racing cars. Maybe I'll convince Evy to go out to breakfast with me. Should not be hard to do. Then I have to get to the grocery store to re stock our fridge, freezer and pantry. It's looking pretty barren. But first I'm going through cook books as I am in the mood to make something new, something different. I guess I'll do a lot of cooking too.

Sunday while the guys watch football I'll find something to do around here. I am determined to get those pix back up on the walls. Want to add some new pix and I also found this really cool frame I want to hang. I think I had better start my list in my to do book. It has a lot of different lists and ideas. I also have to sit down with the calendar and juggle things around and try to fit things in. Fun. not really.

The gardeners are trimming the trees across the street. They were out the most of the day yesterday. Today the have the tree chipper. It's loud. Been listening to that thing all morning. Please go away. At least Greg's football finally dropped out of the tree it has been stuck in for weeks and weeks. He and Harry keep staring up at the tree willing that ball to drop. Now it has :)

Ok, nuff ramblin. Have a super weekend. Chai tea latte :)

Weekend has come and gone

Saturday started off early. I was up for a RUN and then to WALK the dog. Yes, I ran. I didn't do as bad as I thought I would after not running since I got a very very bad cold in October. Tom and Evelyn got out the door early for Palm Springs. I got everything ready for the soccer tournament, did some laundry and downloaded Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007. OK, I really have had it for like 3 weeks.

Off to Santa Ana for the tournament where we experienced some very strong Santa Ana Winds. Wowza! Again we played club teams. We lost both games but the boys played excellent. We were also down 2 players and 1 played after having the stomach flu the night before. Greg scored in the first game. On the way to the game he told me that maybe he would score today. Good thing for a defender to score a goal!

After the last game, which was at 4 pm, Greg and I stopped at In n' Out (we were starving!) and then headed to watch a baseball game some of his friends were playing in. The game started at 6. We got home just before 8 and Greg watched some highlights of the football game and went to bed still wearing his stinky soccer uniform from the day. Yuck. He said it would save him time in the morning. Ok. Sure thing.

Evelyn and Tom had a great time playing in the snow. Tom hurt his hand trying to stop someone from running their sled into a tree. It's still a little sore but not like it was the day before.
I took a nice hot shower (it was freezing at the baseball game) and fell into bed to read. I started reading ECLIPSE and was totally into the book. I stayed up way too late reading and read 180 pages on Saturday.

Sunday morning, up at 6:15 am. YES!! 6:15 am. Greg had to be back in Santa Ana at 8:15, which to him means 7:45 as he has to be early. Evy came along with us to the game. She didn't even complain about getting up early. Greg and I were kicking around the ball when this man came up to talk to us. He was with the club team we played in our last game on Saturday. He invited Greg to play with their club team (!!!) but it was just way too far away to even consider and Greg is already committed to a team. I thanked him and explained that Greg was already committed to a baseball team and anothe soccer team. WOW! To be invited to play on a club team is pretty cool :)

Game time and our team played great. The reff'ing was a little off, or I should say, WAY OFF. But our guys play polite AYSO rules and are getting used to being pushed around more. They have started doing their share but no to the extent that we have seen the guys get by with during these tournament games. Oy vey! This kid was pulling on one of our players jerseys and didn't even get called for it. Oy vey! But play on is what I say. We ended up winning 2 - 1. Awesome job GUYS!

Home in time to get ready for the Charger game. A few of Tom's co workers came by to watch the game and we all had a great time. Too bad Chargers didn't do better. Oh well.

Even though I had a pretty busy weekend I still managed to get a lot done. But for now, I'm not planning on making dinner. I'm tired. Way tired. Thinking a shower sounds good and then some more reading. Maybe I'll finish up the book tonight? 300 pages? I don't know. It's another busy week so I'd better get rested before it all begins again.

Sorry no soccer pix to post. It was too windy and I didn't feel like dragging out the camera. I'm sure our team photo taker got some great shots with his awesome camera.

I did it!

Whew! I made it through the week. I never thought I would. It was so hard getting up in the morning. I was used to sleeping in. And used to letting the kids lounge around in the morning. Now it's back onto the crazy train and this train is running fast!

We had our final inspection yesterday! It took less than 5 minutes. Passed and signed off and this means our addition is DONE! Are we unpacked yet? NO. Are we getting there? YES. We just need some time at home to get things done. WHEN? Who knows. Just taking baby steps.

Although the office is larger, it still looks the same. Stuff all over. But, there are boxes that need to be put away and boxes of things that need to go back on the walls. There is also Greg's Mission project sitting a table and is a work in progress. We now have room to have a table in here for work in project. So, it really is better than it was before.

Oh, and I also got my car in the garage. It has not seen the inside of the garage since AUGUST! I was able to get rid of some more things in the garage thanks to Craigs List and Goodwill, and moved the rest of the stuff to one side. It's nice to have the car back in the garage :)

Greg has a soccer tournament this weekend. Greg and our other goalie had some goalie training at practice last night and Greg loved it. He has never had any goalie training. Evelyn and Tom are going to Palm Springs on Saturday with their AP group. It's gonna be another busy weekend, and let's not forget about the football games. Turns out we are having a group over on Sunday for whatever game is on. I will be at soccer so will miss the group.

Ok, back to work now. Kids are out of school early so I have to keep my EYE on the clock. I really wish I could crawl back into bed and watch a movie or read a new book..... BUT...... I'm enjoying a nice hot mug of tea that I got for Christmas :) Yummm. I'm doing my best to stay away from Starbucks. I used all the gift cards I got :(

Chai tea latte and have a GREAT weekend.

P.S. If you want to check out Bossy, you can see who her featured blogger is for this week. It's Julie. Way to go Julie :) Bossy is applying for a job at Starbucks. Or is she??? Bossy lives far away so I would not be able to visit her Starbucks.

SNOW!! And cold.

There is snow on the hills above us. Looks so beautiful. And not just on Saddleback mountain but the other mountains that are in the same range as Saddleback. I don't know their names. I guess I should find out one day.

While my new camera was still in the box I thought how neat to get pictures. Well, someone else did and I borrowed them to show to all of you. The snow is still there today. It's cold again today. I had to bundle up again to walk K. The bushes where she likes to leave her p mail were frosty, so were the roofs of the houses and some of the lawns. And the mountains still have snow. It's a beautiful day, crisp cold air and a beautiful blue sky.

After reading a comment from my cousin Robin, I decided that it was time to break out the new camera last night. I was really just dreading installing it on the computer, etc.... But it was easy. Since I bought another Kodak, it just had to upgrade the program already installed on the computer. Easy. This camera does not have the charging dock like the last one did. This one does not fit in either charging dock that I have. But it did come with a plug to charge up the battery. I set it up to charge and it should be ready to go today. I'll have to give it a try. So, thanks for the push I needed Robin :)

Last day of school before Christmas break. Oh heaven! Sleeping in, no homework, no making lunches..... Evelyn is going ice skating with her friends this afternoon. Greg said he didn't want to do anything but just come home. That's fine. I'm sure he will get on the Wii not too long after he is home.

No soccer practice this week due to the rain. But there is a tournament this weekend. Two games on Saturday, one Sunday morning and one in the afternoon depending on how we did in the prior games. This is our first soccer tournament! Greg says he hopes he gets to play goalie. I'll make sure Greg gets out to ride his bike and run around this afternoon.

No food in the house so I have to sneak out before the kids are out of school and get some food for the weekend. It's easier to pack a cooler with sandwiches and snacks and oranges and waters rather than getting food elsewhere during tournaments. Learned this from baseball tournaments.

Oh, almost forgot. We had teacher conferences the other day. I was happily surprised with the kids grades. Both have an average of 86%. Evelyn just missed honor roll but isn't really upset about it. The kids both have a goal to bring up every grade which should put them over 90% next trimester.

Ok, now I can say, have a wonderful weekend. :) Chai tea latte.

Mountains Beyond Mountains and a melting pot

I just added this to my shelf over here on the side ------------------------>

This was the month's selection for my book club. It took me awhile to read as I just don't have a lot of time to devote to reading lately. But a very brief synopsis: Paul Farmer is a medical doctor whose life's calling is to cure infectious diseases and to bring lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need it the most. The author trails along with him on his journeys to Haiti, Cuba, Russia, Peru and back to the states. Farmers dedication shows how one person can make a difference in solving global health problems.

Last night was the book club Christmas dinner. We met at the Melting Pot in Irvine. I have never been there and have been wanting to go. Have to say it was quite fun and the food was good. Pricey, but good for a fun night out. There were 6 of us and we split 2 of the big meals which was just perfect. Started out with 2 types of cheese fondues where we dipped bread, apples, carrots. Dinner was lobster, shrimp, salmon, chicken, fillet mignon, pork and cheese ravioli with veggies and 2 pots of tasty broth to cook up our food in. Then dessert, 2 pots of chocolate were set out and we could dunk strawberries, bananas, pound cake, brownies, cheesecake and marshmallows in the luscious chocolate. We were there for about 3 1/2 hours but it went by fast and was well worth it. :)

Now that I have finished Mountains Beyond Mountains (I had about 10 pages to go so finished it up after I got home last night) I've got to check out my book club list to see if I have the next selection. Then decide if I want to read the next book in the Twilight series, or the book club book. Hmmm, decisions. But first finishing wrapping presents, getting presents in the mail, and making sure things are ready for Christmas.

Now, onto another subject that I am sure I have mentioned and there is also a link on my blog. This is a cause that we help support , the kids help support it through their school, and also through our church. I have met this remarkable man and have gotten to know him over the years. If you are looking to send a donation in someones name this Christmas, or just out of the goodness of your heart want to make a donation to a worthy cause, click here to meet Father Marc and the kids of Project Hope in Haiti. Follow the blog for incredible pictures and stories. This once small orphanage is turning into it's own Village where the boys and a handful of girls are learning to be self sufficient, go to school, have a dry place to sleep, food in their tummies and a church to attend.

Now a P.S. I broke my camera last week. I dropped it on the nice new tile floor in the kitchen. Doh! The camera was on the counter, I picked it up not realizing the strap got caught on a knob and bam. Camera on the floor. The lens was stuck, not opening or closing. :( I called around to places seeking an ER camera doc.

was told over and over that my best choice was to buy a new camera due to the age of my camera. What?? I love this camera, I don't want a new one. I want this one fixed. Please.

Well, I continued my search and this lead me to Best Buy where I purchased my camera, maybe 4 years ago. The nice Geek at the Geek Squad told me the same thing I had been told over the phone. So, I plod my way to the camera department, ask the nice sales guy if he as a twin for my poor outdated broken camera. No, but, there is this one which is comparable and has more zoom, more pixels, more..., and it's on sale for only....... . Ok, doing quick math, it's really not much more than what I would pay to fix the old one. So, I broke down and bought the new one. That was Monday. During he pouring rain. It's still in the box, in the bag, in the other room. I need to open it, set it up, put in the scan disc, and download the ton of photos that I didn't down load before the incident. Need to get used to this camera before next week and I take 300 pictures of Christmas. I didn't get photos of our cookie baking or decorating. :(

So, wish me luck with my new camera. Then I'll get some pictures on here again. I didn't get a picture of the snow on Saddleback Mountain (can see it from the kitchen) or the rain pelting down the street.

Have a fun day, stay warm, stay dry, stay safe (It's raining again today!!)

Rainy days and Mondays never get me down.

I'm not really sure if that is how the words to the song go or not. But, oh well. It's Monday and it's raining and I mean really raining. The wind is blowing the rain . And I love it! I love the rain. Sitting inside in my sweats and slippers, listening and watching the rain. Dog curled up snoring on her bed being very depressed because I didn't walk her in the pouring rain this morning.

I would love to show you a picture of the rain and what it looks like out the front door (no rain gutters!!) but.... my camera is broken. I dropped it last week. I still have to take it to get it fixed. Waaahhhh! I've got to find a place today so I can make sure it's back before Christmas. I love my camera. It's not the latest newest model, but I have had it for years and I really love it. So, I'm not putting a new one on my Christmas list. (but I would love a digital video camera)

Friday actually calmed down some. I took Greg bowling too as there was another boy his age there. The girls did more chatting than bowling but that's what it's all about anyways isn't it. I was able to get in some adult chat time (and I also cleaned out the bottom of my purse).

We watched "Home Alone" and decorated the Christmas tree Friday night. Saturday we put up Frosty the blow up plastic man and our reindeer and sleigh. Greg is such a light freak and the more the better for him. Evelyn is now a wiz at getting the reindeer put together and working. We have the "yes dear" and the "no deer" as we call them. One head moves as if saying "yes" the other "no".

Greg was starting to feel better Saturday morning and wanted to go to his soccer game. Greg played goalie the first 3 quarters of the game and did an outstanding game. One parent asked how long Greg had played goalie and I had to admit that he maybe played goalie for 2 quarters during the season. He sat out the last quarter of the game. He still had his cough.

We had a semi relaxing day on Saturday which we really needed. Watched "Christmas Story" and "Christmas Vacation".

Sunday wouldn't you know it, I got sick. Evy and I were busy preparing cookie dough for some new recipes we wanted to try. We had our first batch in the oven, other chillin in the fridge and another batch mixin up. Then it started. Sneezing. Ugh. Guess it was allergies, but I have no idea what triggered it. I was downing Sudafed like crazy. Washing my hands every 2 minutes. We did almost all of the cookies. Evy was such a great help. One more batch is still in the fridge and we can get to those another night.

I sat down to finish up the Christmas cards and was going to wrap, but ended up falling asleep watching I love Lucy. Needed that nap! I did get the cards done, but no wrapping.

We watched our traditional AFV (America's Funniest Videos). that's our Sunday night chill out time winding down the weekend before the school week starts.

Then my turn to sit down to watch Survivor. Yay Bob! I'm glad he won. Finally someone who deserves to win. Finally!

Greg got me up few times last night . He had a few coughing spats. But much better today and was off to school. Guess it's a good thing it's raining so he can't go out and run around. Evy is bummed because this means no riding lessons tonight. This also means, probably no soccer practice Tuesday night. Oh well. Will be nice to have some time at home.

I'm feeling better today. Just tired for being waken up, plus the rain woke me up a few times. But I sit here cozy in my sweats and slippers watching the rain pour down outside. I've got to dig out the phone book and find a camera repair shop, I've also got to order Greg's presents before the free shipping time has expired. I just can not decide what to get for that kid. His 3' high list (seriously) is full of stuff, but most of it not practical - motorcycle, toy that no one else in the world has, super huge stuffed dogs with shelves...... Evelyn on the other hand was easy. Her list was on a scrap sheet of paper and only listed a few items. Easy.

Enough blah blah for today. I've got lots of work to get done. And try to keep my head about me. I fell a bit floaty from the Sudafed I had to take yesterday. But at least I'm not sneezy any more.

Have a super kind of week.

Grand. Central. Station.

Yikes. Please help me! I'm on a run away train and it's not stopping! This week has been crazy. To top it off, Greg got sick. He's been home from school Thursday and Friday. Sore throat, cough, runny nose.......

Friday was to be a fairly relaxed day. Oh, no way hose a.

Got up a little late, got myself ready, got up Evy for school, put in some laundry, woke up Greg, took Evy to school (Tom usually does but had an early meeting), made a quick trip for a Chai Latte and gas, back home to make work calls and review some stuff for a 10 am conference call. 9:55 am, kitchen guy shows up to check out some stuff in the kitchen that needs fixed (just minor stuff), I call in to say I'll be late calling into the conference call. 10:10 patch into conference call. Finish conference call and call back co-worker to discuss details of confernce call. Get a call that my neighbor is ready to be picked up. (out patient surgery). Advise Greg he really needs to change out the clothes he has worn for the last few days and brush his teeth as we have to go out. Get neighbor and get her situated at home, get call that the furniture we ordered weeeeks ago can be delivered now if we are home. Yes, please come before 2. Make lunch for me and Greg. More phone calls, furniture delivered and set up (yay, Evy's room can now be cleaned up - again), make more calls, do some letters and emails. Take a breather to sit at this computer and type this. almost time to go get Evy from school.

Evy tells me last night she had her friends are going bowling this afternoon. I guess I'll get more details when I pick her up from school. So, take Evy to bowling alley, plead with other moms to see if someone can bring her home. Come back home to wrap up work. Then.......

Drag in Chrstmas decorations from the garage. Finish up tree and other decorating. Finish Christmas cards. Sit and drink hot cocoa and watch Christmas movies. oh, and fold laundry and put sheets back on the bed.

Whew!!! And I haven't even had a melt down, yet.. Day is not over, yet..

I can't wait to sleep in, just a little, tomorrow. Greg has to be at the soccer field at 9 am. I hope his cough has gone away.

Happy weekend and make it fun ;)

Twilight ~ Garage Sale ~ Soccer Game ~ Boat Parade ~ Birthday Partys ~ Plays ~ Dancing

That's about what we got goin' on this weekend. The kids are out of school early today. Greg is going home with his twin friend and then going to his birthday party. I'll get him this evening. I am taking Evelyn and 4 friends to see Twilight! I have been so wanting to see this movie. Evelyn said she HAD to see it this weekend. So, this is when it fits. I asked her if she wanted to bring a friend. OF COURSE! And that turned into 4 friends. Hey, that's just fine w' me.

After the movie I'll take them all home as one friend has a performance tonight. Evelyn will be going to that too. My mom is coming over and the plan is to dig through all the boxes and piles and stuff in the garage and sort like maniacs for our garage sale on Saturday. GARAGE SALE! You don't want to miss it! We have sooooooo much. And my mom has been bringing over car loads too! I have advertised in Craigs List.

Saturday is the GARAGE SALE. And Greg has a soccer game. His first with the tournament team. He is sad that he has to miss part of the garage sale but I promised him I will not jip him if something of his sells. Tom will take Greg to the game. I will miss it. It will be the first one I have missed but he has many more games scheduled. See, we don't have any free weekends any more. It's all sports or something.

Saturday afternoon sometime we are heading to Hunting Harbor to see the boat parade. I have always wanted to go to this too. How fun! I'm excited. It's at the house of a customer of a customer or something like that. But I know it will be fun.

Sunday. Tom and Evelyn head to the Disneyland Hotel for the Adventure Princess Father/Daughter Dance. It's an annual event and always tons of fun. After the dance many of the dads and daughters roam through Downtown Disney. We had the entire circle of gals and dads at our house the other night to assemble the goodie bags. The Eagle circle is the host of this years dance. And since Tom is the circle leader, he (we) have had a lot to do to prepare for this.

Sunday is a Greg/me day too. He wants me to take him Christmas shopping for a gift for his sis. Ahhh! I have some more shopping to do as well. Then we'll head out to Chrissy's birthday party in the afternoon. Oy vey! What a day/weekend. Well, it's just like every other.

My head has been pounding all week long. It's driving me nuts. My eyes are really sore. I have an appointment with an eye doc next week. I think I have to relent to the fact that I need glasses. Hey, I've gone my entire life without having to wear glasses. That's not bad. Maybe this is the cause, or one of the causes, of my headaches. But I think this one is also sinus related as my nose is drippy. Yeck! TMI.

Ok, enough complaining. Back to my stuff. I've gotta remember to get out and get birthday presents too. Oops.....

Have a fun and safe weekend :) Chai tea latte! (I need one ---- NOW!)