I had a pretty productive day today - I got the mulch unloaded from the truck (okay - about 2/3's of it - that's all I needed for the front flower area. The rest will go out in the garden area, and that has to wait until AJ and I move the pile of rocks in front of the gate.) and I got some new plants for the garden and the flower area as well, and actually got them all in the ground! I got the laundry done, the house cleaned up, and put in a couple of hours at the bank today as well - a busy day! AJ helped me unload the mulch, which helped a lot, and babysat Alli so I could go in to the bank (Ralph was mowing the lawn).

Poor Alli "mis-overheard" a conversation today - Koori took a dip in her drinking water, and I stepped in the puddles of water she left in the house. When I asked Koori "Who has been swimming today?", Alli jumped up and went running out to the pool. I think she heard "Who wants to go swimming today?" I had AJ get the camera for me and film Alli - since I knew she really wouldn't want in the water after she found out how cold it was.

Just call me "spot". I very carefully (though not carefully enough, it seems) put on sunscreen before I went to AJ's game yesterday. I have a spot on my upper arm I missed, an streak by my watch that I missed, and a spot on my knee, and inside leg that are very pink where I didn't get sunscreen on. The sunscreen I used in the morning on my face (before Alli's game) didn't last through the day, so my face is nice and pink too. It was beautiful weather - low 80's with a slight breeze - and I thought I was ready for the sun!

Alli was up at 5:30 this morning. It figures - I have to wake her up on weekdays at 6:15 to get ready for school, and she wakes me up early on the weekends. I stayed up too late last night watching the end of a Harry Potter movie (like I haven't seen it before, and don't have it on DVD!) so it was a bit tough to drag myself out of bed when she got up. Only the thought of what she would get into if I ignored her got me up! No time for a nap today either! Ralph's cold is really knocking him out, so unless I get AJ to watch Alli for me, no nap for me!

I think I will have AJ help me unload mulch for me instead of babysitting for me - so I can get the truck unloaded. I was seriously thinking of going to church today, but....I may skip out. I picked up some more tomato plants and cucumbers yesterday, and need to get them in the ground, as well as get a start on the weeds that are growing in the garden and get the mulch unloaded. I also have a few things I need to work on at the bank that I have not had time to touch during the week, so I have a couple of hours scheduled at the bank today too. There is just not enough time anymore!

Alli should be fueled up for a while. I took a break from writing, and fixed breakfast. She had two waffles and a couple of eggs! I haven't made waffles in quite a while, and she was quite excited when I pulled out the waffle iron. She didn't even complain that it took so long - she watched every step I took very carefully! I don't think I am allowed to miss a step - she is watching so close. I don't know if she thinks it will hurry me up if she watches, or so that I do a good job, but she is on constant vigilance when I am cooking. She hates it when I cook something that I don't have to watch - like soup. I should be in the kitchen every day from 6:00 to 7:00, cooking! I have taken to staying in the kitchen even if I don't need to be so she is a bit more relaxed. I just took a peak at Alli, and the early morning and waffles may be getting to her - she looks like she is ready for a nap!

I forgot - we got Alli's pictures today for baseball.

The cold bug is hitting the house here - AJ missed two days of school - Thursday and Friday - and Ralph is out for the weekend, I think. Poor AJ - he bruised his sternum at soccer practice a couple of weeks ago (he was wearing a zip up jacket to practice, and the zipper was sticking straight out when he caught a ball on his chest), and re-injured it last week at the game (he took a hard shot to the chest). He was complaining after the game that his chest hurt when he coughed. I took him in to the doctor on Monday, as his chest was bothering him more by then, not less (he said it hurt when he took a deep breath.). Dr. Short diagnosed a bruised sternum and told him to lay off the hard shots in soccer for a couple of days, and it should be fine. Then AJ came down with a cold. Poor guy - every sneeze and cough hurt. His chest did not get a lot of healing time I am afraid. He went to his soccer game today, but didn't play very much. The coach let him play for a while, and then subbed him out, so he didn't aggravate his chest or his cold.

Alli did well at her game today. Both AJ and Ralph stayed home to nurse their colds, so it was just Alli and I. She did really well until the last 15 minutes or so, and she was ready to go home (so was I.) She was also much more active in hitting - instead of me standing behind her to make her swing, I stood beside her and guided the bat as she swung it. Getting better! She even threw it in the right direction a couple of times. Carlos (the coach's helper) was calling her name at the time, so she turned toward him to throw. It still only goes a couple of feet when she throws, but she is playing more. By the time the season is over, she will really be getting into the swing of things.

I hate to say it, but...what a week - again! Every day this week, I had something going after work, except Friday. I have a list of things I want to get done this weekend, but I think I have more list than time. I did go to Alli's baseball game this week, and AJ's soccer game. Alli seemed to have fun today - not as much as last week, from what I hear though. AJ's game was better this week. They still lost, but they played together as a team this week, and were just out-played. AJ played the entire game - which he was pretty proud to point out to me after the game. When I mentioned that their team did not have any "extra" players for subs today, and he had to play, he decided that he didn't really want to think of it that way!

As I type this, AJ is at his first prom! As a favor, he took Alli's daycare provider's daughter Marie to the Enterprise High School Junior Prom. He looked so handsome and grown up! So did Marie! Since AJ was taking Marie as a favor for Sandy, they paid all of his expenses - a rented tux, the tickets, the pictures, everything. All I had to do was pick them up, do some pictures at home and drive them (since I had the newest car) to the prom. I talked Sandy into driving out to the prom with me to drop them off. AJ is such a sweetie! On the way in to pick up Marie, I told him he looked very handsome and I was proud of him, and he really didn't know why. To him, it was no big deal to escort Marie to the prom, even though he really didn't want to dance or anything. Marie is autistic, and attends "special ed" classes at the high school. She had no date for the prom, but AJ was very agreeable to escort her - what a guy! Of course, I ran through all the do's and don't's for the last two weeks with him. Maturity wise, Marie is around 8 or 9 - not old enough to leave alone for very long. He is supposed to be watching her like a hawk to keep her out of trouble!

I actually got (almost) everything crossed off my to-do list today! The only things I have left are laundry and bookkeeping, and I have one more load of clothes in the dryer, and I did most of the scout bookkeeping (I kind of ran out of enthusiasm.) I even did something not on my to-do list. Ralph picked up a cubic yard of mulch today, and with the help of AJ and Dallas, I unloaded it and put it on the new flower garden and on the flower bed in front of the house. One CY wasn't enough for the entire flower bed, but Ralph had calculated we needed three CY, and purchased them, he just couldn't haul them all home at one time. One CY was enough for us today! With the three of us working, it didn't take long to get it unloaded, and as you can see by the pictures, I am already watering it in. Eventually this area will look very nice!

I even have one rose in bloom! This bush is on the front walk-way, and is supposed to be a blue rose, but it is pretty pink to me! It does have a purple cast to it, but it is definitely not blue!

What a week! (and I don't mean that in a good way!) We started out last Sunday with Alli getting a nasty case of diarrhea that had her missing two days of school, and I washed my cell phone in the laundry. (The cell phone was not a catastrophe, just a major annoyance. It now only works when plugged in directly to power - the battery connection is shot.) I took Monday off to stay home with Alli, and she had developed a severe case of diaper rash due to the diarrhea, so I spend most of my day giving her a shower/bath rather than trying to wipe her. She was a miserable child! I also paid for my day away from work! I was absolutely buried when I went in on Tuesday.....and...I had a migraine from Monday night through Friday night - I could not get it to go away! This was also a pretty busy week just keeping up with the kids! AJ had soccer practise on Monday and Thursday, Scouts on Tuesday, I had a "call me" note in Alli's backpack on Thursday from her teacher (it is never good when you have to talk to the teacher!) By Friday afternoon at work I was ready to jump over the railing! (We had another conversion - this time for the on-line banking program, and the new one doesn't like loans at all!) Luckily for me, Saturday was the first day I woke up without the migraine! Yay!


I had a hair appointment at 8:00 on Saturday (I now have blond highlights! Cool!) and Alli had a game at 8:30, so Ralph and AJ took her in to her game, and I had my hair highlighted and then did the shopping. I got home in time to do a few "projects" and make up some potato salad for dinner, and then I took AJ to his game at 3:30. We got home at 6:00, and Larry and Pat were already here for dinner. Saturday was way too busy! AJ lost his game, too. It was our first "warm" day, and it was pretty warm sitting out there in the sun for two hours watching him. (and it wasn't even that hot - just in the mid-80's!)

AJ is going to his first Prom this next weekend. Alli's daycare provider's daughter Marie is taking him to her Jr. Prom. Marie is Autistic, but fairly high functioning, but still not quite up to speed in the social realm. She wants to go, but doesn't have anyone to take her, so....last fall her parents asked AJ if he would go with her if she didn't have a date. They took AJ out last Friday after school and took him to rent a tux (Marie said he looked "hot" in a tux.) They are paying for everything, since he is only going because they asked him. Luckily, he doesn't look 15! He was measured in PE the other day - he is now officially 6'2", and 135 pounds. He has grown 3 inches and put on 15 pounds since October, when they measured him last in PE. Good Grief! Now we just have to get him used to his extra inches.

Alli actually seemed to enjoy her game this weekend. Check out that grin! Ralph said the only time they had issues was when AJ got between her and the Skittles, and she got mean!

I finished up a small little doily last weekend, and did not even get a picture of it posted. (The migraine just really messed with my time!) This one is just over 10 inches across - very cute! The next to last row was a new technique for me - lapping over the prior row - it gave it a very nice look!

Well, I got a few things done on my list yesterday! I put in the border in front (with AJ's help) and I got the weeds cut down in the front area. I did not get the gravel spread out, though - I didn't even try! I did make it to AJ's game, which they won by 3 goals, I believe! I did get the Rav washed, and laundry is almost done. I did get the dogs and one cat in to the vet's today, but I didn't make it to church. I did get the shopping done, but I didn't get anything done in the garden. I didn't get any bark put down either. Ralph was going to get some bark, but that hasn't happened yet. He did get the lawn mowed, though! So far, I even took Koori on a walk yesterday. We haven't made it today, but I hope to do that after the baseball game - though why I am watching it, I don't know. They Giants are down 6-0.


Here is the front area, with a border.

Ralph and Alli coming in to the game.

I even had time for a little crochet! Here is a little (about 8 inches tall) mermaid doll for Rachelle! and I finished up a doily done in size 20 thread, and it is about 13 inches across. It is aptly named "Whirligig".

It's the weekend! And I have a ton of things I need to get done! Alli doesn't have a baseball game today (which I thought she did) so that frees up my morning a little bit. AJ has his first soccer game today at noon, so that is a fun little bit in the day. I need to start a list of things I want to do, so I can feel some accomplishment by crossing items off. I know I won't get everything done, but I really need to get a lot of them done. Let's see.....put in the border for the flower area in the front, dig out all the weeds in the gravel area in front, spread out the gravel that we have in the gravel are in the front, put down bark in the flower areas in the front, put down some clear or black plastic in the garden area to keep the weeds down (I'm not too sure about that one - can you tell?), wash the Rav, take the dogs and one cat to the vet (tomorrow is 1/2 off day) go to church, put in a couple of hours at work this weekend, do the grocery shopping, go for a couple of walks with Koori (and probably Jasper, too - talk about fun - two dogs on one walk!) go to AJ's game and maybe take Alli, since it is at the Anderson Park, and she likes playing there (see the pictures below from the week I was on vacation)...I am sure there is more - oh yes, the laundry, cooking and cleaning and various other errands and small jobs. No wonder I am updating my blog instead of getting busy! I am behind before I start. Somewhere in there, I would like to watch a couple of baseball games too (the Giants are playing), but that isn't looking good! Oh well, I guess if I don't get everything done, I will always have something to look forward to!

It was a cold and windy day at the park. We were the only ones there for the first 20 minutes or so. Even with the wind, Alli had fun!