Day 27 - Hump Day

Wednesdays after a holiday are always nice...they come so quickly! lol! We are all counting down the days to the end of school! Still 3 1/2 weeks left :( 

Keeping it casual! gray hat and gray shirt...this isn't actually an artsy shot...there was a ginormous crow cawing away on the power line! lol

Buddy was so cute...he fixed himself a snack, set up a chair...don't need no help! haha 

He didn't know I was watching him...but Freckles did!

Don't have much to say today...stayed home all day...laundry, dishes, etc...nothing exciting ;) Typical day in the life of a mom. 

Day 26 - MOPS Graduation

Today was my last day as a MOPS mom. :( Certainly a bittersweet moment...MOPS, as I might have mentioned a time or two, has been such a huge, important part of my life for 9 years! ever since we moved to CT! It's gonna be very strange not going. My best friends were met at MOPS. I can't imagine trying to go through David's cancer journey without all the love, support, prayers, meals, etc that my MOPS mamas showered on me! This group has truly been a lifesaver to me, and I know to many others. If any of you still fall in the 0-5 child age group, I cannot recommend seeking out a MOPS group enough! You will not regret it!

Typically on the last meeting of the year, they celebrate the moms who are "graduating," in other words, whose kids are too old for them to qualify anymore. But instead of just kicking them out ;) they try to soften the blow by graduating them...lol! Today there were just three of us...Tiffany, our coordinator the past couple years, has been a MOPS mom for 10 years! She almost graduated 6 years ago, but got saved by a pregnancy test ;) hahaha! Then there's me, 9 years...Buddy saved me from graduating...and Carey, who's been going for 8 years. lol...are we old-timers or what???

Once again, a bunch of the moms in my group were awesome and dressed in gray to show their support! I so appreciate it!!! lol...and apparently it was maxi day! hahaha, a bunch of us were wearing maxi skirts...so comfy and cute!

Thank you ladies!!!

This beautiful lady has been a mentor mom at my group since the beginning...she has been such an inspiration and fount of wisdom! Love you Laurie! 

Dacia, as always, rocks!

Carey and I...glasses soulmates :P hahaha

I didn't realize till I got home that I hadn't taken more individual pics :( It was my group's turn to bring food and clean up...so I got busy and forgot! I wish I had!!! To everyone who I didn't get a selfie with, I'm sorry! :'(

When we got home, Buddy asked me to take a pic of him...gotta love his camera smile!

After dinner, David and I went and fixed the outside faucet that's been leaking for a while...even with the water cut off! I don't really know how that's still possible, but we were hoping that replacing the spigot would fix it...and it did! yay!

I even managed to gain a battle wound :P

My dogwood tree is finally starting to bloom! and my irises! I love when all the flowers blossom...especially when I don't have to actually do anything to make them come back...because I definitely don't have a good track record with plants!

Iris

not sure what this is, but it's pretty

Dogwood

Instead of washing me out, the flash actually makes me look like I have a tan...lol

Day 25 - Memorial Day

It always feels weird saying Happy Memorial Day, as in it's original non-commercialized big sale form, it was a solemn day to remember those who had died in service of our country, and to decorate their graves. I read a very interesting article written by a veteran, and it was very eye-opening. I thought it was so good, here's the link! It's definitely worth the read!

I’m a veteran, and I hate ‘Happy Memorial Day.’ Here’s why.

A sobering reminder of what Memorial Day is really all about.

I was sad to have missed our town's Memorial Day parade today. I didn't even wake up till about 10:30...the Nyquil must have worked! I'm actually feeling slightly better...but still not good. It was crazy, when I woke up my eyes were crazy swollen, super puffy lids...even now they're still big. Thankfully I was able to get in to see the doctor. I'm the proud owner of a sinus infection. Yay. But, I'm started on antibiotics...she said it was borderline whether it was viral or bacterial, but because of my extreme fatigue she came down on the side of bacterial. Hopefully that's true and the antibiotics do the trick! She was saying that she's seen a bunch of bronchitis that last few days...they even made me wear a mask! but my lungs got the all clear! 

Of course, my house is paying the price for me being out of commission lately...it's such a wreck! Ugh...guess I know what I'll be doing when the kids are back to school tomorrow if I can muster the energy.

Am I looking great or what??? lol #noeffort #where'smybed?

Day 24 - Sickly Sunday

I woke up feeling like crap! I've been a little under the weather, but not that big a deal...just a head cold or allergies or something. Today was much worse...basically from my shoulders up felt awful. Terrible hacking cough + stuffed nose + swollen eyes (you how you feel after you've cried for hours? Yeah, that, minus the crying) + headache + sore neck = misery! I'm thinking it might be a sinus infection...might actually have to go to the doctor. :/ I didn't make it to first church, and the only reason I went to second church was because it was Shift's turn to work in the nursery. If I was going to drive her there, I might as well stay, right? Good thing I did, I would have missed out on a couple compliments...lol...apparently this dress is a good look ;)

Afterwards we stopped by Savers (50% sale!) to get some shorts for the kids. Then, as soon as I got home, I went right back to bed! Wound up sleeping a couple hours...still didn't feel good when I woke up...but some food helped. I couldn't decide what kind of ramen I wanted, so I made myself two bowls...one drained with butter and hot sauce (my favorite!!!) and one soupy...I figured if I was sick soup made sense...but didn't want to go through the trouble of actually making any...lol

Hopefully tomorrow will be better...fixing to down some Nyquil and get a good night's sleep! And I don't have to wake up early tomorrow...got nothing on the calendar...thank goodness!

Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot!!! Got a guest post again!!!

Looking good in gray Sarah!!! thanks for the post! OK, OK, Dave you look good too :P

Day 23 - Saturday Slumbers

Sparkle had a great time with her friends for her "camping" sleepover last night. I made a fire for them to roast marshmallows and they all slept in the tent. I actually woke up around 9, and since it was pancake morning...that's what I made! lol...but then I went back to bed aroun 11 and took a two hour nap. I couldn't believe it! I wasn't feeling great and my eyes hurt, but I didn't think I'd actually sleep. Must have needed it!

Then I took Sparkle and her friends to the Apple Store to try to reset her Ipad Mini...she'd forgotten her password. But then it turns out, it was actually the id that was in wrong, once we got that figured out she was able to get right in. Thank goodness! And we made sure to write it down this time! lol

I told my kids that they could all have a turn to sleep in the tent tonight...we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire too. Sparkle was off at the Ed Sheeran concert with her friends and a sleepover at their house. Then our neighbor gave Buddy a toy bow and arrow set...he was SO excited!!! That was so nice!

yes, that's his Doctor Who shirt!

look at that face!

Meanwhile, David and I headed to Dave and Sarah's for some adult time! It was so nice to relax and chill...we watched John Wick, which is an outstanding B movie...I love it! plus some of Underworld and John Carter. I couldn't make it through John Carter the first time I tried...I loved all the Mars books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but just couldn't get into the movie...think I'm gonna have to give it a second chance though. They even gave David an early birthday present...some Scotch...which actually tastes like his favorite, Lagavulin...which btw, is nasty, nasty stuff! blech! He loves it though!

Thanks for having us over...we had a great time!!! Love ya!

I've got gray on! 

Day 22 - Playing Hooky

Yes, I let the kids stay home from school after David told them they could...lol...they were so happy! When they finally woke up! hahaha! It wound up being a nice balance of relaxing and hanging out...and actually getting a little bit of work done. Buddy even got to play with his friends for a little bit! Dacia's kiddos came over to play for a bit...oh my goodness, they are so cute! Bear, the 2 year old, told Glitter "I like Miss CaryCate (I love his pronunciation!) but I like her tractors better!" Could he be any cuter??? And Buddy and Lion played together so well!

Oh my goodness, the craziest thing happened!!! Sparkle and I cleaned up the patio and backyard a bit. Then I put the tent up for the sleepover tonight. But I couldn't find the tent pegs.,..but I had some little ones from my beach hut, so I was hoping those would work. Unfortunately it was super windy today. So a little while later, the girls look outside and yell, where's the tent? It was gone!!! like, vanished, no mas! I was shocked...where could it be??? I was starting to wonder, could somebody have stolen it, no way, that would be crazy. But it was nowhere in the yard...then as I'm looking around, I look over in my neighbor's yard, like, almost two houses down, and I see some neighbors looking at something strangely...turns out the huge tent (it sleeps 8 I think) had blown over the fence and tumbled all the way down there! I couldn't believe it! So we rolled it back over the fence and then put some paving stones on the inside to hold it down. So far so good! haha, that was so crazy!

Sparkle's friend brought her a giant cookie cake! and she didn't even know that we watched Mean Girls last night, but that's what it said...she knew Sparkle loves it! How great is that?

And here's my gray for the day...

#nomakeup! #feelinglazy

 

Day 21 - Happy Birthday Sparkle, cont.

So I managed to get all the decorations up the night before. I usually try to decorate once the kids are in bed, so when they wake up on their birthday, they can be surprised. I had plenty of pink, since Glitter is almost as big a fan of pink as Sparkle. I also got the ribs prepped with the rub, so they could season overnight.

I got the presents all wrapped while she was at school

Plus she got packages and letters from her family...perfect timing!

Also picked up some flowers for her dad, he always gets her roses on her birthday...and I found the perfect peachy pink color! 

Sparkle doesn't care for cake too much, so I made a couple of pans of brownies instead. I love Pioneer Woman's Mocha Brownies (so good!) plus I had another recipe that was pretty yummy as well.

She wanted lots of candles ;)

She and the girls decorated this one...to celebrate her wedding anniversary to Harry Styles :P haha

David had to work a little late, and since he was down on the shoreline almost 2 hours away, that translates to really late. We went ahead and ate without him...but waited on all the official birthday stuff.

Smoked ribs, grilled corn, potato salad and jalapeno cornbread! 

They came out good, but I just don't have the knack with them like Papa does. I even managed to keep the heat really low, like you're supposed to...which is a feat in our smoker...it usually runs a bit hot, which is no big deal if you're making pork shoulder, it has so much fat. But for ribs, the temp really matters! They were really tasty, just not fall apart tender...oh well.

Buddy loves corn on the cob! 

Showing me how full he is

 Then Daddy got home! Yay, time for presents!

This box from her mom was packed to the brim with goodies! She had so much fun opening it all!

Food was so good she decided to wear it!

David enjoying his food

Buddy picked out some cute exotic stuffed animals (which were on her list ;)

Hot Cheetohs! her favorite

dance party...David showed his love by allowing One Direction to sully his speakers...hahahaha

I'd say she made out pretty good! Her dad sent her an Ipad Mini...she got to talk to him in the morning before school and open her present while he was on the phone. It's always hard to get the timing right for phone calls, since he's 8 hours ahead of us. She was thrilled with that present, as you might imagine...especially since she totally smashed her phone! She's been cut off from the outside world...poor baby! lol...I found a cute pink case for the tablet, so that was one of my presents. I think she managed to get a lot off her list...she seemed really happy, so hopefully it was a good birthday! It definitely hasn't been the easiest year for her...lots of adjustments and stressful times...so I was hoping that it would be a great birthday for her!

Can you spot the balloon? rofl

Just breathe Mike! just breathe...hahaha...

silly pic

I feel like this picture shows our relationship in a nutshell :)

You lookin at me?

the kids were jumping off the chair trying to get the perfect midair pic 

Uh oh, where's Shift's head?

Fluffernutter had the best one!

Buddy looks like he's walking on air

Then it was time to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake and ice cream...well, brownies and ice cream, just doesn't roll off the tongue quite so well.

Happy Birthday to you...cha cha cha!

mmmmmm

Then we all watched Mean Girls, her favorite. Even David thought it was pretty good...he was surprised he made it through the whole thing! It really is such a well done, funny movie...and so quoteable!

Then David had to go and tell the girls they didn't have to go to school today! lol...seriously???? I mean, cool, yeah, now it's a four day weekend...but, I have such a hard time breaking the rules like that. Of course, they were all excited! I guess that's why there are two of us...balance each other out. :)  But now they get to clean! Aren't they gonna be thrilled when they wake up!!! muahahahahaha! JK...well kinda...we do have to do some tidying...especially the backyard! Sparkle is having a couple friends over for a birthday sleepover campout with the tent! Think we'll either order Chinese or pizza, she hasn't decided yet...then tomorrow she's going to an Ed Sheeran concert with her friend...then another sleepover then off to the amusement park. Sounds like a pretty good birthday weekend to me!