Getting Through That "To Do" List

 Hey, look, the chairs are having a party!

It's a lovely day out--okay, maybe not "lovely", but it's warm, with an extremely brisk breeze, making it a perfect day for cleaning the chairs. 

When we purchased our furniture, it was with the idea it would be "throw away", meaning that after the girlies were bigger (or, out of the house), we would replace it with something "nicer".  Additionally, we got microfiber whenever available because it's fairly easy to clean and take care of. 

Except, well, we rarely clean it.  When you have a young eater in your house, chances are, no matter how many times you gently suggest (urge, remind, NAG) they use their napkin to wipe their hands, they will instead use the seat--until you catch them at it ONCE AGAIN.  ACK!!

Which in turn meant the seats were pretty um, disgusting.  Yeah, I guess that would be the appropriate word.  Gross also comes to mind.  Splotchy. Spotty. Ugh. Those work as well. 

AND, the legs themselves were pretty gross as well, having been splattered once and again and again with any item that happened to be spilled on the floor.  I don't care how thoroughly I cleaned the floor and the table and chair legs, they were still a spotty, nasty mess. 

Who wants to spend time cleaning seats and legs--even though they really need to be done?  Not I.  But, I did.  Or, more to the point, Bitty and I did.  Okay, more accurately still, I did and REdid after Bitty helped. ;o)

She had fun and it kept her busy, and that's the most important part.  Right?

So, after lugging ALL the chairs outside, I tackled the seats with a vinegar cleaning solution (1:4 vinegar to water with essential oils thrown in for smell-good) and a stiff scrub brush. 

I'm thinking they are looking pretty good. :o)

The legs?  That's where Lil came in.  She used a Scotch Brite sponge, I used a Magic Eraser, and we tackled the legs--all four sides of them, as well as the crossbars.  I then dried the legs with an old birdseye weave diaper.

Although still a bit spotty, they too are looking much better.  Yay!  One item crossed of that dratted "To Do" list.  I swear, for every item I cross off, I add three more.  I'm now working page three, lol! :oP

That binder has been the BIGGEST help to me.  I honestly don't know how I lived without it.  Really.  Everything I need is all in one place, neat and organized.  I check to make sure I'm doing the "right" daily chores, and then tackle a couple of items off the "to do" list.  We're making headway, slowly but surely. :o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  I was waiting for it to happen.  I knew it eventually would.  It has.  It feels REALLY good to exercise, and I find myself wanting to push harder and harder everyday.  :o)  My quads still do fatigue quickly (hefting my bulk around and all), but I am able to go longer and longer on the elliptical every day.  Today when I looked at the time (I was reading a book and not paying attention), I was shocked to see 25 minutes had passed.  Wow!
2.  To go with that, I'm no longer winded bending over.  I don't grunt now when I do household tasks.  I'm feeling stronger.
3.  AND, I'm feeling better about ME.  :o)  I'm taking time with my appearance again.  It feels nice.
4.  Another pound gone.  Woo hoo! That's 18 and counting.  Six since I started Shredding on the 16th.  I don't think that's anything to sneeze at.
5.  The neighbor kiddos came to play with Lil today.  They had such fun racing around the backyard. :o)
6.  I'm working on my posture.  Any other "slouchers" out there?  I'm REALLY bad about it, and trying to make an improvement.
7.  Getting that "to do" list shortened.  Whew!
8.  The windows have all been thrown open and a fresh breeze has been blowing through the house. 
9.  Ellie has been such a doll today.  She is nothing but smiles and happiness.  I can't complain at all. :o)
10.  There are buds on all the trees. Spring is coming. :o)

no milestones. 

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Don't forget to check out Lissie's travels in Oahu this past week.  I've learned some incredible things I didn't know.  Oh, and the scenery is just gorgeous. :o)

Busy Weekend

 While Brien and I were busy making home improvement plans, and doing some research, Lil was busy playing with his Tinker Toys.  She had wanted him to play with him, but he was busy with me.  He told her to look at the picture and try to copy what she saw. 

She did.

We think she was pretty successful.

In fact, she made two--one for her and one for her Daddy.

She then removed the mic from the stand.

Boy can she belt them out. :o)

Lily the Lounge Lizard. ;o)

So, as I said, we had a busy weekend.  We began the day in search of a bed since we have had only a mattress and box spring since June.  We've been socking money away waiting for the day we find the bed we like. 

We began at a local big furniture store and found nothing.  We like clean, simple furniture--mission style, really--and most of the beds there were quite ornate.  On the way home, we found a small, locally owned business that has been around since 1955 or so.  The owner (well into his 70s) was so sweet and helpful, and we found a bed.  YAY! 

We are making other plans as well.  There are rooms and closets in this house that are OUT OF CONTROL! and somebody (read: me) needs to do something about it.  So, we made plans to donate some furniture, consign other pieces, and clean out and get rid of.  It's spring cleaning time, folks.

Today was spent working on getting started on that endeavor.  Brien made a HUGE dent in the office.  We have a full-sized mattress and box springs and will soon have a frame to go with it, and I'm planning on turning the office into a small guest room of sorts.  There is an ugly white screen the former owners put up that will need to come down, and I need to paint since the lovely maroon it is isn't quite conducive to sleep and rest.  That is, of course, once the room is cleaned out.  ;o)  Mom, Jess, any ideas on paint colors?  I'm leaning towards...Monroe Bisque (yes, yes, big shock, I know), but am open to other nice, subtle, neutral colors.

I have decided to take the weekends off from Shredding.  I like to sleep in (you know, until 7:00) on the weekends and working out after eating is just not much fun.  I missed yesterday, but today, I ran on the elliptical for 32 minutes, did 100 crunches, and 80 push-ups.  I'm also pleased to report my knee brace has arrived and was quite supportive.  Yay! I'll be ready for Miss Smirk tomorrow morning. ;oP

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Weekend Sparklies:

1.  The beautiful weather the past two days.  Lil spent the majority of both days outside--which is as it should be. :o)
2.  Planning with my sweetie, and getting a start on some un-fun, arduous tasks. 
3.  Sticking to my exercise regime and feeling good about it. 
4.  I swear the Bean told me "bless you" twice today when I sneezed.
5.  The Hokies beat Duke last night.  DUKE!  The number one team in the country!!  Go Hokies!!!! Here's hoping they get an invite to the dance this year...:fingers crossed:

no milestones

Sweet Beanie

What a sweet face--both of 'em. :o)

It's an RCIA night, so I'll overload you with photos of Beanie and Keira.  I swear, Keira is as long as the Bean is, and she's only 2 months old.  :shakes head:

See, I told you she likes to pat babies.  The trick was keeping her pats to little pets, not big ole slaps.  I have some action shots of that little paw ready to pound the baby. ;o)

Oh, see, here's one.

And, why not nom her a bit as well?

Poor long-suffering Keira.  Look at that face.  "Why are you letting her do this to me?!?"

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It's been a busy busy day and yet I feel as if I've accomplished nothing.  Beanie was up three times last night (I suspect a tooth) so I really wasn't interested in getting up at 5:50 to face Jillian.  Instead, she and I met after Miss Bean went down for her morning nap.  Then, I hit the elliptical for 20 minutes.  I'm taking it VERY easy on the knee, so limited lunges and cardio with Jillian, and instead LOTS of cardio on the low-impact machine.  I'm getting a knee brace for support.  Bah.

I called the eye doctor, and the dentist and made appointments.  I wrestled with Beanies crib and mattress, I made breakfast and lunch and cleaned the kitchen three times.  I vacuumed.  Why do I feel as if nothing got done?  I hate that!

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  20 minutes on the elliptical--woo hoo!  I did a brisk ten minutes and a more moderate 8 with a nice 2 minute cool down.  Not too shabby. :o)

2.  I'm in a pair of jeans that were too tight a couple of weeks ago.  Do you know how GOOD that feels?

3.  It warmed up a bit again--but the sun has disappeared.  Wah. 

4.  Big ol' Mediterranean salad for dinner.  YUM!

5.  RCIA.  I do so enjoy these classses. :o)

No milestones. 

Nothing Much Going On

Another quiet day here, without much going on.  Lil put on every bit of leopard print clothing she could find

and asked me to paint her face.  So I did. :o) Ah, my sweet little kitty...;o)

Ellie, meanwhile, continues to be a huge help in the kitchen:

unloading the dishwasher,

and cleaning the silverware.

When she's not busy doing her chores, she's taking a break and making sure I have plenty of floor to clean up.

(No worries, I scrubbed the floor on my hands and knees yesterday, I promise you, you can in fact, eat off it.)

She also had a busy day patting Keira and eating Keira's hands. 

Yes, Kat brought the kiddos up for a visit, and the Bean is utterly fascinated with other babies.  She loooooooves babies.  A lot.  Think Lenny from Of Mice and Men.  You have to watch Miss Beanie like a hawk around them because in no way could she be considered "gentle", and she will love on them all day long. 

Greyson and the Bit played outside for nigh on an hour today.  It's starting to warm back up a smidge and I had already planned on booting Bitty out the door to get some fresh air and sunlight.  Greyson was a willing partner in crime and out they went, leaving Kat and me some time to visit while the babies slept.

Meanwhile, I think I've done a little something to my left knee.  I'm being ginger with it, and it isn't swollen, but with all the activity I've had lately, much of it on my hands and knees while weeding or gathering debris or scrubbing the kitchen floor, it's feeling a bit funky.  The problem with being overweight is it hurts your joints (knees and hips in particular) when you work out.  :sigh:  But, you can't lose the weight if you don't work out.  Rather a catch 22, no? 

But, I'm persevering.  I'm getting up, doing my Shred, using the elliptical for some additional cardio (with minimal knee strain) and continuing to feel so much better about me.  I only hope the enthusiasm doesn't wane as I move further down this road and the weight doesn't roll off quite as easily...

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  Visiting with Kat and crew.
2.  Feeling stronger and better about ME!
3.  The kids all playing so nicely--even Keira and Ellie.  ;o)
4. The sun was back today.  I don't mind it if it's cold and grey as long as there is rain to go with it, for goodness knows we NEED rain.  But, I don't like days that are just blah.  Yesterday was one of those.
5.  Lissie made A flight to Hawaii--after her one out of Roanoke was canceled and she drove to Charlotte, NC.  Sheesh. 

No milestones.

So Long Spring

Isn't it funny how much colder 40 degrees feels after you've had temps in the mid-70s?  Today was cold and grey and just yuck.  I'm SO glad we spent so much time outside last week. 

Lil and I were back in the schoolroom proper today.  Last week was spent learning about the earth and planting and growing and making plans.  This week, in honor of Lissie's trip to Hawaii (she leaves tomorrow, the 23rd--don't forget to check out her travel blog!) we will be studying geography and geology. 

I so dearly wanted to be a vulcanologist when I was in college.  I thought studying volcanoes would be the coolest job in the world--also the most dangerous.  Even as a college student, I knew I wasn't invincible, so I knew that wasn't the job for me.  It was a fun dream though.  Volcanoes are so amazing--the are continually spewing out spewing out new earth for a start.  The newest land on the planet comes forth from volcanoes. 

And, there's that whole awe-factor.  They are incredible to watch.  Anyhow, given Hawaii's geology, I thought it would be fun for us to study volcanoes, and maybe even make one (Lil's been chomping at the bit to play with paper-mâché).  And, how fun to travel along with Lissie as she explores Hawaii and all its history. :o)

Me?  I was up at 6:00 with Jillian, then hit the elliptical for another 10 minutes while B showered.  What is getting into me??  I will tell you this, I would not have predicted this outcome this time last week. :shakes head:

Meanwhile, Miss Bean is getting into all sorts of mischief as she discovers the world around her.  I was cleaning out her closet the other night, and Brien sat watching the two of us.  She dogged my heels the entire time, and explored every single thing I touched.  If I pulled it out of the closet, she nosed through it.  If I touched it, she touched it. 

But, best of all, she has discovered clothing.  More accurately, she's discovered the clothing in her drawers, and has figured out how to OPEN the drawers.  Meaning...I am continually cleaning up clothing, refolding it, and putting it away.  JOY.  At least she's learning, right?

Speaking of Beans, we discovered one other thing the other day--Miss Beanie LOVES to be outside.  Adores it.  She will now push on the storm door, in the hopes it is unlatched so she can catch a break and sneak on out the door. 

Her most favorite part of being outside, though, is the swing.





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
And:




Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
What could be better for a little girlie than to swing right next to her sister?

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  Getting moving.
2.  Back in the schoolroom.  It's so nice to spend that one-on-one time with Bitty.
3.  Volcano lesson plans.
4.  Comfort food for dinner--tuna casserole.  Surprisingly, there aren't that many calories in a serving.  Thank you, Calorie Count for that info.
5.  My house is clean and coming together once more.  I do so love it when all areas of my life mesh.  The new daily chore list has been a huge help.

No milestones.

Last "Nice" Day for a While

The high today was 74, and although it was overcast, it meant one more day spent outside working.  Brien, Lily and I headed out to get to work while Ellie napped.  My plans for the day were to get up more leaves, and to get a flowerbed of sorts together for Lily.  I raked up another three bags of leaves, cleared out all the garden beds again, thanks to this spooty tree:

If it would just drop all its leaves already.  Sheesh.  Gr.  I'm hoping with tomorrow's rain and wind, the last of the leaves will drop, meaning only ONE more raking and cleaning instead of MANY more. 

While Lil and I worked on the leaves, Brien disassembled the crumbling, leaking pond.  We still want a water feature (and will have one as B is planning it), but this one was the pits.  The fountain stopped fountain-ing, the rocks around it were crumbling to bits, and the pond itself sprang a leak. 

We are planning on replacing it with a waterfall/fountain type feature without a pond of any sort for a while--at least until Miss Bean is old enough not to go for a swim...

I got the flowerbed put in place.  Yes, it is undulating.  No, I didn't dig and really lay those castle rocks correctly.  My main purpose was to get a bed together that could hold some soil and be protected from Lil and Holly as the plants grow.  We're going to put in sunflowers, morning glories (they'll climb the fence and the sunflowers) and marigolds.

I still need to find a location for Lil's pumpkins and watermelon...Hm.  We want to leave the right side of the yard alone since it is a large, wide, flat space, good for horseshoes, croquet, etc..  

Brien did a number on this, didn't he?  This bed will be turned into Lil's garden.  She wants to put in red flowers (I know, I know, a big shock).  We are going to put some of the rocks from the front in here to fill it in, and then top it off with soil from the hole B digs for the water fountain.  The fence will be moved as well. 

This is Hannah's waterlily.  Brien managed to save it, and now we're trying to figure out what to do with it.  If we put a pond on the water feature, we'll have Beanie issues.  On the other hand, I want to save Han's lily.  :oS

B filled in some of the pit with the crumbling rocks.  The rest he put along the side of the workshop.  He worked out there until almost 3:30 today! 

Me?  I still need to finish getting up the leaves on the playground and have the area ready for when the mulchers arrive.  They come and they spray the mulch and it is wonderful.  I LOATHE mulching.  It is hot, dirty, backbreaking work, and if I can pay a bit more for the guys to come and spray it, it is worth it.  We have a TON of mulching to do around here. 

I'm also firming up plans for the backyard.  I'm planning on putting in some daylilies along the pergola/porch swing holder, since they will grown anywhere.  I'll put in a peony at the front where the shepherd's crook is, and a butterfly bush between the pergola and the oak tree.  I'm not worried about the butterfly bush growing too tall, as it will then provide shade on the porch swing in the late afternoon in the summer. 

I'm going to put in a hydrangea in the nook formed by the laundry room and kitchen, and mulch over the rest of that area.  It's always such a pain to mow there anyway, as it kicks up tons of dust and debris. 

All I need now is for Spring to truly arrive. :o)  The back is planned out, Jessie's working on the front, I'm getting excited!

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  Getting out to work one more day before winter returns. 
2.  The stunning blue bird we saw today.  He was brilliantly blue and his breast was so ruddy.  His mate was much duller, brown even, and could have been mistaken for another bird, until she flew and I saw a flash of the same blue. 
3.  Lil had a playdate with the neighbor kiddos today. :o)
4.  All the hard work bringing the backyard together.
5.  Lil was a HUGE help outside today, doing odds and ends to get the yard cleaned up.
6.  Ellie was too funny, emptying my dishwasher silverware.  She was SO proud of herself. :sigh:
7.  Energy energy energy!
8.  All kinds of creepy crawlies under the castle rocks I moved to build the flowerbed. 

No milestones.

What a Weekend!

Friday was just as gorgeous as (although far windier than) Thursday.  Lil got up and got herself dressed (like the Baby Legs with the knee socks?) and she and I did another round of yard work.  We started in the front beds, removing dead leaves and debris and moved around the corner of the house.  There I found boxwood shrubs out of CONTROL!  Holy cow!  They needed pruning in a bad sort of way and I began cutting them back.  As I cut, I realized I was leaving behind nothing but bare branches and made the executive decision to lop 'em off.  Too the ground.  Bye bye boxwoods! 

B and I have discussed this on more than one occasion and I just did it.  As I was lopping away, Lil was tossing the debris over the back fence so we could haul it to the "to be shredded" pile.  Before I knew it, three neighbor kiddos were chomping at the bit to help out, so I had a crew consisting of 4, 5, 6, and 7 year olds. :o)  They were a hard working group. 

Here are the fruits of our labor:

Yes, I blocked access to the slide.  I knew it was to be temporary.

And, the sad remains.  I need to find some way to remove these stumps.  Brien isn't allowed, due to his aneurysm, and I don't know if I have the stamina or wherewithal...:oS 

They MUST come out--Jess is now working up a plan for this side bed as well.  I just adore my sissy. :o) I'm also grateful for the Shred, but more on that in a few minutes.

Brien worked hard yesterday--check this out:

So long shrubbery remains.

So long yard debris.  Hell-o access to the compost bin once more.  B is working on the lid for the bin.  I can't wait to see it.

Saturday we were off the Greyson and Keira's baptism.  B and I were to be godparents to Keira, and the service was beautiful.  12 children were baptized, and Greyson was so funny when it was his turn.  He seemed very surprised when the deacon began pouring water over his head.  The rest of the babies took it in stride. 

After the service, Ellie was free to move and made a beeline for a little (okay, not so little at 19 pounds at 4 months) guy in his carrier.  She crawled right in there with him and laid a smackeroo right on him!  I wouldn't have allowed it except his family thought it was cute.  The joke was he had quite the eventful day--baptism, and his first kiss, and from an older woman, no less. ;o)

We made it home in time to visit Lowe's to pick up some gardening supplies.  Today was the day to start some seeds.  We are eight weeks out from our last frost date and it was time to start the broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and strawberries.

I picked up two windowbox planters for the strawberries.  I have NO idea if they will grow any berries, but strawberry plants are quite lovely and I thought they would be nice decoration if nothing else.  We'll see what happens.

Lil helped sprinkle the teeny seeds on the soil.

Check out that little hand. :o)

She also helped water,

and get her fingers dirty as we planted the tomatoes.  We planted eight sungold seeds and eight raspberry lyanna seeds.

We planted broccoli and peppers in the smaller peat pods.  They are now all in the dining room in the front windows that get all that hot afternoon sun.  Lily is already eagerly anticipating the first shoots and sprouts.

Speaking of sprouts, how about this one?

Can you believe how OLD she is looking all of a sudden?  She's still peanutty, but look at her. 

Where has my baby gone?  She's trying to turn into a toddler on me. She was ten months old Saturday. 

She has the fuzziest head of hair you have ever seen (I've taken to calling her "Fluff" every once in a while--she looks like a dandelion ladened with seeds ready to fly off in the wind), and she is cruising EVERYWHERE. 

She uses "One Two One Two" as a means of transversing the kitchen.  I will hear it scootching around the floor and there she is, right behind it. 

She is big stuff, I tell ya! ;o)

Tomorrow is President's Day, so Lil and I will have the day off from school, and B will be home from work.  I look forward to having my family home all together for one extra day. :o)

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Weekend Sparklies:

1.  First off, that Shred thing.  Thank you, Jessie.  I needed the kick in the tush to get moving, and I'm SO glad I did.  My energy levels are off the chart and I feel good!  I'm actually looking forward to working out.  YES!
2.  This silly Beanie:

My little fuzz-head.  She loves her some pretzels.
3. I got to see Woli, Robert and Jack for a little while this afternoon.  The caught me at the 'jay on their way out of town and finished shopping with me. :o)
4.  The Hunter children's baptism.  :o)  I got all verklempt--who's surprised by that?
5.  All the yard work we are getting done.  One more sunny day tomorrow and then back to winter.  It's been nice, this faux spring.
6.  The soreness has gone, and I swear my tummy is tighter. 
7.  Getting out in the sun.  I've missed the sunshine on my skin.  It makes me happy. :o)

No milestones:

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