Too much fun for photos

We had an excellent time this Memorial Day weekend, so much fun that I didn't even take photos. The best photo op' would have been of the kids running through the sprinkler with their neighborhood friends yesterday afternoon. The green grass, the bright blue sky, the kids' smiling faces, their colorful swimsuits, all would have combined for a humdinger of a photograph. Sadly, I was across the street from my camera and chose to enjoy the moment and take a mental picture. That doesn't do much to snazz up the blog, I understand, but I hope I'll make up for it another time.

Oh wait, here are two from last year...

Remember this?

Last year on the Friday before Memorial Day, we took this picture outside our Minnesota house before leaving for New Jersey. I remember thinking it might be years before we'd be back, if ever, and look at us now, bonafide Minnesotans again. Just this week I renewed my MN driver's license, picked up my MN license plates and library card, and went to a Twins game at Target Field. We do miss some of our Jersey friends, and Zada's totally awesome preschool, but it's good to be home.

We treated the kids to ice cream and a movie in the car last weekend. They liked both so much they opted to stay put even after the car was stopped and in the driveway. And yes, there were sprinkles!

Post-it post

Every once in a while I am reminded to thank my lucky stars (and God) for the blessings in my life, including this little bugger, who will one day likely fill up this table and bench and eat us out of house and home. Like many little boys, Darby has given us plenty of thrills and chills during his relatively short life, but I still love his guts.

What Zada spent $2.27 on at the store, surprisingly no glitter or nail polish involved. Dare I say it, I'm starting to think these neighborhood boys might be a good influence. They also have taken to calling her "Princess Leia" while playing Star Wars and encouraging her to find a "gun" to carry like Leia does in the movies.

Something Borrowed bites

While Liz came over to watch the kids tonight, I opted to forego my 80th trip to Target this month and sneak out to the movies. I saw Something Borrowed, which was kind of a dud. All very good-looking people in it, but the storyline, or maybe it was the characters, or maybe their overly straightened hair, or maybe just the whole darn movie was lame-o. I'd give it a four out of ten, or more practically, a rating of "good enough to watch while you are folding the laundry." Man, I hope the rest of the summer movies are good!

It's starting to look like a real yard!

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the sod!

Goofy spring sunburn

So excited to enjoy a rare sunny day, the kids and I spent about two hours outside after lunch yesterday, flying kites and playing at the park. I remembered to use sunscreen on the kids but was unaware of my own vulnerability, especially since the wind was blowing enough to make the air feel rather cool. Luckily my daily face lotion has spf in it, unluckily my long-sleeve shirt had a wide neckline and now I have a super cool sunburn ring around my neck. Just this once, I'll spare you the picture.

There's nothing like French toast and syrup to get us all going in the morning! Good thing I am also having coffee to keep up with them.

No grass yet, due to rain this week. Keep your fingers crossed for next week.

This back area is looking better already, and I just saw a robin trying out our new birch tree. The sod should be here Friday, weather permitting. Could we actually have a bonafide yard by the weekend?! I am daring to dream...

The sky on the way home tonight, very odd.

Ants in my plants

I hate to say it, but I think the plants the landscapers dropped off yesterday brought with them tiny invaders on six legs. Not more than four hours after the plants for our project were dropped off and tucked into an outside corner of our house, did I find small ants in my front hallway. Many of this first wave suffered death by Dyson, in celebration of my new handheld vacuum. Others were instead squished like, well, bugs. The numbers are fewer today, easily explained by the concentration of plants being spread out across the front and back yards, (pictures will follow after the guys leave today), but nonetheless the breach being discovered, Terminix will make its first visit to our house this evening.

Troy assures me, this is all just part of home-owning, and I have to say my emotional stance on these sorts of things is evolving. I used to feel shame when something uninvited showed up in my home, ants, bugs, mice, flying squirrels, now I just feel vengeance and that famous maternal ferocity toward anything endangering my children. The only slight exception to this emotional evolution is the groundhog formerly known in these parts as Mr. Pricklepants. He seems to have moved on during the commotion in the backyard, evading my attempts to relocate him to someplace more suitable. I didn't know I felt bad about it until last night when I couldn't stand to see the looks on the Bar-Ba-Loots' faces in Dr. Seuss' book, The Lorax, while Troy read it to the kids. I hope at least Mr. Pricklepants does not have crummies in his tummies, and is, much like us, finding ways to adapt to a new environment.

Go Mavs!

Lucky for us, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ran last night at Darlington so we had our full Sunday sports enthusiasm to devote to the Dallas Mavericks' 122-86 trouncing of the L.A. Lakers. Take that champs! The kids were sporting their gear over their church clothes and keeping the whole scene clean, which is more than one could say for the Lakers. We segued from the game to dinner by Troy to playing at the park during the short time the sun was shining, not a bad way to close out Mothers Day.

Operation Clean Slate

We have enacted phase one of Operation Clean Slate in our backyard and are now moving onto phase two, "So now what do we plant?" Grass will be a good start and then some trees and bushes, ones that aren't as dead, mangled or invasive as the old ones were. Wish us luck!

Decision 2011

The drape decision has been made! Last weekend we ran to IKEA, with everyone else in the Twin Cities, and purchased three packs of LENDA unbleached curtains. If these look familiar it's because they are the same curtains we bought for the main floor of our Jersey place, just flipped 180 degrees so we can use clips instead of their predesigned tab tops. Thanks to everyone for your input on the other two options, I felt in the end these were the best blend of light allowance and pattern (very subtle vertical stripes) for the space. The only bummer is I now have to hem off the tab tops, but I'll get to it when I can. At least I can feel at home in our living room after dark.

Busy, busy groundhog

Silly me to think that if we bought a house already built we wouldn't have to make many more decisions! This week the landscapers started on the yard, just some basics, retaining walls, plants, trees and eventually sod. It stresses me out to spend money and make decisions, and make decisions about spending money, so it's been kind of a long week. The good news is, I signed up for a cooking class with my girlfriends tonight so I will be able to take a little mental break from it all and learn new things about tacos and tequila. Ahhhh...

Since Troy took the camera with him to Los Angeles this week I don't have any new photos to post, but here's one from last September with some of the fabulous gals I will see tonight. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

p.s. The groundhog title is a nod to Mr. Pricklepants, which has been living in our backyard for some time but is currently being served his eviction notice, in the form of a live trap set up and to be emptied by a local wildlife management service.

Worth the wait

Zada, Darby and I celebrated the royal wedding Friday morning in fashion. We may have cheated by recording it instead of waking up to watch it live, but measuring our enthusiasm in crinoline alone, we were some of the event's biggest fans.

Yes to the dress! Thanks to the A-line design it still fits - 10 years later!

Zada's wearing a dress even older than mine, probably by about 90 years. My Grandma Leona wore this!

We did our best with Darby, sneaking in a button-down, collared shirt under his favorite Toy Story T.