Wed. - Mon., Feb. 6-11

As per request, here are two "Guitar Hero" pictures. Oooh, the CONCENTRATION!!

Here is the hail that fell last week.

Here are pictures taken on Friday when we decorated Valentine's Day cookies.

This is one of two cookies Jeremy frosted. N decided it was an owl.

Here is Justus with one mess-of-a-cookie he frosted. lol "Would you like some cookie with your frosting?"

Hm, when did I take this picture of Chewie sleeping on the couch? Thursday of last week, maybe? He's gained two inches in length and five pounds in weight since then.

Last Wednesday, 2/6

• J and I dropped off N at the building while we ran a couple of errands. I find great enjoyment when taking along one child on errand days. Two children is much more complicated....
• When we got home Justus made lunch (PB & J and bananas) while N made supper (chili in the crock pot), both with the necessary amounts of assistance. :)
• A box arrived which was a purchase I made from Lands' End, two wintery items from their clearance catalog. Before moving here we cleared out almost all cold-weather items of clothing, and it has been fine. However, there have been occasions when I would like a little more length to my sleeves, or some sort of stylish jacket to throw over top. I got an eggplant color 3/4-sleeve V-neck shirt that has a 1" strip of lavendar along the neck and the ends of the sleeves. I like it VERY much!! The other item is a dark brown courderoy "Big Shirt". I think I wish it were a ROBE, it is so cozy!! I'm not always quite as pleased with my clothing purchases as I was that evening. :) :) :)

Thursday.

• Jeremy took the day off. He and the children trimmed the three huge Lantana bushes in the front yard while I made a dessert to take to the Balderramas that night. J asked to make lunch this day as well, which he did while N crushed a bag of collected aluminum cans. The weather has been indescribably lovely this past week.
• I still can't explain what happened to this day, but somehow I/we messed up our schedule to the point that we didn't have time to do the prep for the supper I'd planned, so we ended up picking up KFC. It was remarkably yummy, actually, since we haven't had it in a long time. I rrrrrrreally like KFCs potato wedges and their potatoes and gravy. Jeremy rrrrreally likes their coleslaw and mac & cheese. Anyway, we left the children at home with Elaine since there has been a surprising amount of sickness in the Balderrama home of late. Shavon said, "We oughtta quarrantine this place!" lol Sarah, Shavon's work friend was there, as well as David, another friend of theirs who is living on their couch for a couple months. When we mentioned that Jeremy was going to be out of town next Thursday so we wanted to re-schedule, but couldn't, there were so many sorrowful faces around the table that Jeremy changed his plans so he can come back to town to be here for Bible study on Thursday. He said to me, "There's no reason you couldn't lead the Bible study next week," but I reminded him that they really 'hear' it better coming from him, because of their background. [Details upon request.]
• I did church secretary work late into the night.

Friday.

• The children played outside for h-o-u-r-s today. J was needing a nap this afternoon, so while he slept, N & I spread out my card making supplies on the table in my bedroom and we 'crafted' together. It was really nice. She made a valentine for all five of the other girls close to her age who regularly attend the Sunday morning worship assembly.
• While I was setting up the table for crafting, N vacuumed the downstairs, "middles only". No sense moving furniture every time!! Maybe every 2nd or 3rd. ;)
• After everyone went to bed a movie came on TV that I have been wanting to see for, oh, 20 years or so. lol Finally I can officially be considered "cultured"; I have seen Sixteen Candles. I tended to the laundry during the commercials ... my favorite way to watch a movie. [It just occurred to me that the last part of that sentence might sound sarcastic. It's not.]

Saturday

• I think the number of hours N & J spent outside is four. I potted two spider plant babies whose roots have been developing for a number of weeks in a glass of water by the kitchen sink. They were gifts to the children from Leota, so hopefully I can help them keep the new plants alive. I also re-potted all but two of our other house plants. I think the plants had sucked every last ounce of life out of the dirt I dropped them into this time last year....
• We walked the dogs, just a short walk beginning to acclimate Chewie to the leash. At first he was very hesitant to go, and needed much encouragement. However, by the time we were on our way back, he was having a blast! Yay!
• We crafted some more cards. Justus has been asking numerous times per day since then if we can make more cards....
• We were scheduled to have Chicken Taco Salad for lunch on Sunday, so I did all that prep on Saturday evening. Then we played Uno as a family. After the children and I went to bed Jeremy played Guitar Hero, and I even took a turn for three songs, each of which I made it through without getting booed, I'll have you know!

Sunday.

• We had a Ladies' Day meeting after evening services, so since everyone is hungry at that time, we all take some kind of 'snacky' food to share. I made some stuffed mushrooms. I made them one time when we lived in Oceanside, and I liked that recipe better; too bad I don't have it anymore. I will tweak this recipe and see if I can make it yummier, although ... there were none left over.
• Elaine had the day off, so she went to lunch with Wayne England, and then to the Gem Show with Gail.
• I had the children help me with some church secretary work. I now have pages and pages of labels for the mailing I do every week, so the children can finally help me! Hooray! This is an improvement that benefits everyone involved, for sure.
• My back was out for the latter part of the day; it seems like it goes out a little bit at a time, without me noticing it much until the 2nd or 3rd day after Jeremy pops it for me, but then I'll have those same problems about lifting my right arm, and the stiffness through my back and shoulder, and the nerve zings down my arm. Then, I'll ask him to pop it again and the cycle resumes. I wish it would just stay well.... He tried to pop it last night but it didn't work, for the first time. We tried it again early this morning before he left for work, and it didn't work then, either, but about ten minutes later (I had gone back to bed.) I stretched while trying to get comfortable, and there it went. I have felt great again today!! awesome.

This is Monday. This post is getting lllllong. However, I will keep typing because there are those reading who like to hear this stuff, evidently, so ... here's what happened today.

• The children slammed out their morning routines and then went outside to complete their household service for the day (trash bin back to the back yard, and pick up poop); then they played out there for a while.
• I had them come in later to work in their rooms a bit, with me helping, back-and-forth. Once their rooms were picked up pretty well, the children wanted to stay in them! (A Flylady truth: children don't play in their rooms when there is too much STUFF in there!!!!! They want room to 'dance'!! -- from the mouth of a 3yog whose mom finally cleared out her space!) Natasha stood at her dresser, of all places, happily cutting apart cereal boxes she has been saving, and pasting them on papers which she is building into "a magazine". Justus sat at his desk and cut up a couple Lego boxes he has been saving ('for crafting'), gluing his carefully-cut pictures onto papers that he then addressed to Jeremy. Then they went back outside with the dogs ... who are also enjoying the nice weather!
• Jeremy worked a long day today; he has a unique week I'll share more about later.
• I clipped coupons, organized coupons, printed the grocery game list, made the menu, made the list, and then we went grocery shopping. I also got my hair trimmed; I haven't fixed it yet, so I don't even know if I like it. heehee
• I didn't have to put away a single item of the groceries we purchased; Jeremy and the children did all that work while I was making our grilled cheese & tomato soup supper. I love my family. :) :) :)
• My epidural site is aching tonight. It's not bad, just enough to remind me that it's still not completely healed, 5 1/2 years later. "All that for that." ... what a story ... I'm still irritated! LOL