Anniversary eve

What do I want for my anniversary? The question has been asked many times over the past week in anticipation of our 12th anniversary tomorrow.

After much reflection, I have it figured out! No, not a massage. Not a pedicure (although I do need one). Not a shopping spree (the kids need clothes more than I do). Here's what I want (aside from a bark collar for the lab & blinds for the family room window):

To come home to a cleaner-than-I-left-it house! This means I want to come home, lay down, put my feet up, and not worry about what needs to be done (because it's all done). I'd like to just hang out. Watch a movie. Scrapbook (which I'm way behind on). Sit. Read a book. Just have time to do whatever I want and know that everything is done (and not just waiting for me to do it). See, if I was to take time to do "whatever I wanted", those other tasks would still be waiting for me. It's too hard for me to relax and unwind if I see the "to do" list just growing, instead of shrinking! And, when the tasks are actually completed (and I cannot remember the last time everything was done & I was able to truly relax), I'm just too stinking tired to do what I want!

So, tonight, I've done 2 loads of laundry; cleaned the bathroom (for the 3rd time this week - it's truly been filthy since the kids have been playing outside all day); changed Mason's sheets; cleaned his room; put clothes away. C'est la vie!

Martha

Martha Stewart I am NOT!

However, yesterday I made freezer jam fron scratch & felt like I was Martha.

Lauren & I picked raspberries at a local farm in the morning. We went with another friend and her girls and together, picked almost 30 pounds in under 1.5 hours. So, after we returned home and ran a few errands, it was time to get started. We washed and crushed the raspberries. Then added the sugar. Then added the boiled water and pectin. And, voila - freezer jam!

It was my first try at it and I think it worked. The jam actually 'set'!! We ended up making 4 batches!

Back to school

Two years ago we figured we could actually wait UNTIL August to purchase school supplies. We were wrong. All the necessities were running low & the choice of lunch bags was very limited. Last year we were smarter and went at the end of July, but we missed a few sales. This year, we were smarter yet. Back to school shopping started in July! A few weeks ago, when Staples had their "buy 12-pencils for 4 cents", we went. Last week, Target started coming out with their back to school supplies. So today was the day. After church we headed to Target. For $106, here's a sample of a few things we purchased:

Crayola crayons: 22 cents

Pink eraser: 20 cents

1-inch binder: $3.49

Purell: $2.99

Ziplock bags: $2.50

Spiral notebook: $3.99

Seeing the look of excitement on Mason's face when he got to choose his very first lunchbox (he chose 'Cars'): Priceless

Encore

Many mornings Mason opts for an Eggo waffle for breakfast. Truly, I'm fine with it. It's easy. It's quick. It has some sort of fortified something-or-other in it. This morning was a similar morning. Mason chose a blueberry eggo. Lauren chose an english muffin. While I was getting out the topping for Lauren's muffin, Maggie (the black lab) decided she would like to share in breakfast too. So, she jumped up and grabbed one half of the muffin from the counter and swallowed it down.

Mason (for whatever wierd reason) thinks it's quite hilarious when Maggie "steals" food. So, he hands her the rest of his waffle and yells (while clapping) "Encore Maggie. Encore".

Being thankful

Yesterday's day camp theme was 'Be Thankful'. Apparantly milk is not something for which we should be thankful for.

This morning after I gave Mason his cup of milk with breakfast, he proceeded to pick it up and pour it all over the table. Which resulted in milk flowing freely down the tablecloth (just a cheap plastic one), to the seat of the chair below, down the legs of said chair, and into a lovely puddle of milk.

When I inquired as to the reasoning behind the milk dumping, he said "I didn't want it". Uh-huh. Nice. Perhaps he could have opted to just hand it to me and say 'no thank you'. Or, perhaps he could have just been thankful for it and sipped it politely.

Midway through breakfast, he then asked for his milk again. Um, no!

Heater vent

For those of you who live on the West Coast, for the most part, our heater vents are on the floor. For you, this is to whom I write this blog.

Things that belong in a heater vent: hot air, cold air (if you also have a/c), some dust or dust bunnies, perhaps some hair or dirt.

Things that don't belong in a heater vent: Star Wars Galactic Heroes Figures.

Get the picture? All I can say, is it is a good thing that Mark was in town to rescue Darth Vader, C3PO, and Leia out of it (as my arms are too short to reach that far into the duct)!

Martini

I know it's been awhile. Seriously, with both kids home for summer break, there is not much time to spend goofing off on the computer. It's actually been a pretty good summer break (with the exception of Tex-Ass like thunderstorms last week). Anyway, the kids have been in swimming lessons, played, had a play date or two, etc.

So, we did the unthinkable! Or, to some, we did something stupid. And, yes, I might agree. Well, for quite some time, I've been talking about getting a small dog. Mark has adamantly said 'no'. Acutally, he said he'd move out! So we'd joke about it (since he travels so much). We've been talking about getting a puppy even more frequently since my friend Melissa added a small dog to her home of 2 labs. I've looked on-line, in the papers, etc. I even called on a few.

Last week we were at Melissa's. I took a picture on my cell of Lauren with Lucy (Melissa's dog - who Mark hasn't seen). I titled it "Lauren's puppy" and sent it to Mark. Lauren & I had him going for about 2-3 hours, that we really bought a dog without him (which I wouldn't do). Anyway, once we told him we were kidding he was quite upset.

Well, as we drove home from Camano Island on 4th of July, Lauren & I kept joking about getting a dog. When we started playing music on the radio, Mark would turn it into a song about a puppy. Ha Ha. Long story short, we now have a puppy.

Yesterday Mark told me to go with Lauren & look at a litter of puppies (from a home - not a breeder). I said we wouldn't go without him. So, we all went to look at the 5 puppies and their parents. Before leaving we made it clear to the kids we were JUST LOOKING - and we would not come home with one. We found the "one" we loved most. A little fluffy one. As we were leaving, Mark kept asking me to put down a deposit! But, I said 'no', if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. If he was gone, then it wasn't the dog for us.

This morning, on the way to church, Mark again asked me if I called the owners. At 8:40 in the morning, I figured it was a bit too early. So, after church, we headed to Petco and purchased our puppy supplies. Then, we picked up the puppy.