Suzanne McGrath Photography

Six on Sunday...the Mother's Day Edition

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!  I hope you all had a fantastic day - for reals.

1.  I had a nice Mother's Day.  We didn't have anything scheduled - no soccer games, no swim meets, nothing!  It was almost strange not to be running from activity to activity.  We enjoyed a slower day, that's for sure.

I slept in - 'till 8am.  Seriously awesome.  The hubby made a fantastic breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls, sausage, and scrambled eggs.  The coffee was ready right when I rolled out of bed.  That is perfection.  This afternoon the whole family rode our bikes to the playground.  Now that #3 can ride a bike without training wheels it's getting really exciting!  And after a steak dinner we headed to Orange Leaf for a little dessert.  So nice.  Not to mention the weather was beautiful.  All in all, it was a lovely day.

2.  My friend, Carmen, and I paced the Scout Strong half marathon yesterday.  I have to say - it was my least favorite half marathon.  Ever.  It was out by the Legends where there is not a tree or a building to block the wind.  It felt like gale force winds plus it's really hilly.  I didn't mind the hills but the wind was out-of-this-world awful!  And to make it worse, the first aid station wasn't until mile 3.8!  That's a little far.  Lastly, the mile markers were WAY OFF.  And for someone like me who doesn't wear a Garmin, I count on the mile markers.  I doubt I'd do that one again.

3.  #4's class had a birthday party for a dog on Friday.  It was so funny.  The kids were SUPER excited!  #4 informed me that I was expected to attend as were all her sisters.  Of course we didn't want to disappoint her, so we hit up the party.  Too funny.

4.  Carmen and I just couldn't get enough of each other this weekend and she came over last night to catch up on a little scrapbooking!  I've been doing great keeping up with my Project Life but I want to have a School Years book for all the girls.  Well, I had only gotten through first grade for #1.  (Remember, she's now almost done with 6th grade.)  I had purchased a kit years and years ago for #2 (who is almost done with 4th grade) but hadn't even started it.  

Well, I have now ordered all the pictures that need to go in those books.  The next time we get together I can assemble the books.  They're really very simple - just a few pages for each grade.  And this way each daughter will have a book of her own.       

5.  The hubby and I are going to South Beach it (the diet) for the next two weeks.  We'd like to get back to a baseline weight and start the summer off on the right foot.  That means one important thing - we are giving up beer for almost two weeks!  Yikes.  It will be hard but it's time.  Wish us luck.

6.  My friend, Christi, and I went thrifting again this weekend.  We had so much fun!  We each came away with some sweet items.  Here's my loot:

I found two cute milk glass vases - $2.50 each.  I can afford that!  I also found that sweet milk glass serving bowl - or whatever it is.  It was just too pretty to pass up.  I think it was around $17?  Those two brass ducks?  $3.  Yeah, baby!  And finally, Pyrex.  I've been wanting to buy new stacking bowls for awhile and these were so cute.  $45 for the set.  And the Pyrex rectangle container with the lid?  Already used it today.  Sweet!  $20.  

And there you have my recap.  I hope you have a great week! 

 

Six on Sunday - it's Cinco de Mayo!

I'm in a much better mood tonight.  We had a nice weekend and The Blind Side is on TV right now.  Sunday night anxiety is very low:)

1.  We celebrated Cinco de Mayo tonight by eating Greek food.  Oops!  I wasn't thinking when I planned the menu for the week.  We tried out a new recipe from my BFF Iowa Girl Eats.  (OK, she doesn't know who I am, but I love her recipes!)  We had chicken gyro mini burgers.  Her site is down right now or I'd link up.  Anyway, they were good but they were small.  Next time I'll make the burgers regular size.  But they were so easy to put together and so delicious.  We'll definitely have them again.

2.  We had an exciting development this afternoon - #3 learned how to ride her bike, sans training wheels!

It didn't take much.  The hubby took her to an empty parking lot and she was off.  A few more hours back home practicing her starts and she's got it DOWN.  I'm so excited for our bike rides this summer.  I'll still have the tandem with #4, but we're making progress!

3.  The hubby took #2 - #4 down to Bella Vista Friday night.  He went down to help my mom and dad unload their storage unit since their new house was complete.  And the girls were dying to go down and spend the night in the new house.  

I stayed back since #1 had swim practice on Friday night and then a soccer game Saturday afternoon.  She ended up sleeping over at her friend's house after swim Friday night.  And I'm not going to lie.  IT WAS NICE!  I had the whole house to myself.  No kids.  None.  Zip.  Zilch.

I worked on a few projects and then bought myself some beer and rented Zero Dark Thirty.  It was fabulous.  And then?  I slept in.  Until 8am!  Can you believe that?!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  It was beautiful.  I got up, made coffee, and drank the entire pot myself.  Ahhhhhh.

What projects did I work on?  I painted and poly'd my bed, finished up last week's Project Life, fancied up my umbrella holder, and put the last coat of poly on the last remaining stair.  Phew.     

4.  #1 and I went out to lunch and shopped a little Saturday afternoon before her soccer game.  We had a fun trip!  We each found a pair of summer shoes at Target, she spent her gift card money at the Gap and I found a maxi dress and an army green khaki skirt there, too.  As we were heading home I decided to make a detour at DSW where I found an adorable pair of rain boots.  Given the amount of rain we've had lately and the amount of soccer games I attend each weekend, I thought it was a natural fit!  (See, I can justify just about any purchase?!)  But seriously, aren't they SO CUTE?

5.  Speaking of rain...we went from this on Wednesday:

to this on Thursday evening...

Yes, that's snow.  In May.  Crazy, huh?!  And that was only the beginning.  I think we got something like 4" before it was done.  Thank goodness it didn't really hurt the roads.

6.  #2 had an orchestra concert this week.  Here she is with one of her great friends.  Aren't they sweet?

And there you have it.  I am hoping we get some May weather this week.  I would like to wear flip-flops for more than just two days in a row.  Cross your fingers and have a great week!

Six on Sunday

I don't know why - but I think I am more tired tonight than I was last Sunday night.  But yet I don't think I was as busy?  Hmmm...that said, I only have six for you this Sunday:

1.  We had a birthday this week.  #4 turned four years old on Monday!  It's bittersweet.  It's the first time since 2001 that we haven't had a kid under the age of three in our house.  We are growing up as a family.  Yet at the same time it was so nice to ditch the carseat in favor of a booster.  Which did promptly on Monday morning.

Here is the birthday girl opening one of her presents:

We gave her a ginormous cardboard rocket ship.  It's so big both of the litle girls can fit inside.  And it has been so awesome to watch their imaginations this week.  We also gave her a bowling set.  I think it will be fun to use outside this summer!

Here is our baby blowing out her candles:

To officially celebrate her birthday with her friends, we headed to Chuck E Cheese today.  She only wanted three friends and lucky for her, all three were able to make it!  (#3 ran into an old friend from school last year and they were best buds for the day.  Such a lucky coincident for her!)

2.  We had six soccer games this weekend!  One Friday, two Saturday, and three today.  That's a lot of soccer.  And I have to say, I am SO READY FOR SPRING!  Seriously.  I am tired of sitting at those games and absolutely freezing my a$$ off.  For real.  Do you hear that Mother Nature?!?!

3.  #1 and I attended her swim banquet tonight.  So if you'll allow me to indulge a little more...she won an award!  It was so cool and totally unexpected.  She was given the "Blazer award".  (She swims for the Blazers, hence the name.)  Anyway, it was really cool that her coaches recognized her hard work because she is one busy kid.  During soccer season she swims three nights a week and has soccer practice the other two nights.  She literally doesn't get one night off a week.  I think the award will help keep the motivation coming!  

4.  Sneak peek for the night:

5.  I am reading Gone Girl.  Have you read it?  I think I only have like 20 pages left so you can guess what I'm going to do when I sign off the computer.  It's really twisted.  

I just bought The Great Gatsby.  Can you believe I haven't read it?  Well, since I've been seeing all the movie previews I thought I should read the book first.  I can't believe how short it is!  I'm excited to sink my teeth into it.  I should be finished by next Sunday.

Do you have any suggestions?  Books I should read?  I pretty much like anything except Sci Fi.

6.  I took #1 shopping yesterday.  We hit Target, Victoria's Secret (I hate that place), The Limited, the Gap, and Barnes 'n' Noble.  After that I needed a drink.  Preferably one with alcohol.  That was a lot of shopping for me.  The cool thing is we can shop at the same stores now.  Of course she is XS and I'm M, but whatever.  It's more fun for me than going to Gap Kids or Children's Place, you know?!

OK.  And that's all I've got for tonight.  I'm ready to crash in bed with my book.  Have a great week! 

Six on Sunday

This weekend just flew by and now I have Sunday night anxiety.  I really just need to win the lottery.  That would take care of Sunday night anxiety.  Or ANY anxiety, for that matter.  Wishful thinking...

1.  This was a major soccer weekend for the hubby and the big girls.  #1's team played in a tournament this weekend.  They lost, won, and tied.  But I hear the scores don't really reflect the effort.  They lost due to a penalty kick.  Ouch.  And they truly should have won the tie game.  I guess the games were really fun to watch, though.  I'm sad I missed all three.

#2 played her first soccer game of this season and with her new coach.  The hubby said they showed improvement but still have a ways to go.  But they did hold their positions better and they passed to each other - which is more than I can say for the last season!  The lost but only by one goal.  The most important part is how excited #2 was to tell me about the game.  And that was awesome!

2.  Why did I miss the games?  Because I took the little girls with me to visit my parents in Arkansas this weekend.  And while I was down there I ran a half marathon.  

It was really fun to run a race on all the roads and trails I trained on last summer.  Since I am also running Rock the Parkway next Saturday I just took it easy.  I don't own a Garmin and I can't figure out how to use my new watch.  (Even after my friend showed me how it works.  I forgot and my brain just doesn't work that way!)  So I just ran what felt like a nice pace.  I didn't try too hard - just took it easy.  I ended up running it in 2:07 which is good for me - especially when the last three miles are all straight UPHILL!  So I was really pleased.  The best part of the race was seeing my parents and my kids cheer me on at Mile 10 and down the chute at the finish!  This was my sixth half marathon but the first one where I've had anyone standing on the side of the course to cheer me on.  It was so fun and really meant a lot to me.  Plus, it really gave me a little boost!   

3.  The rest of the weekend was laid back and really casual.  We checked out the progress on my parents' house - nearly complete and beautiful.  We went out for pizza, shopping a little, out for coffee, tooled around the lake in the boat, and went for a hike.  I'm fairly certain the hike was a favorite for the little girls.  They love to go hiking - minus the bugs.  When you are three years old, bug = VERY SCARY.  Ugh.

We went hiking on the trails at Tanyard Creek and they were perfect for the little girls.  The trails are nice and easy to walk on and the creek is a perfect place to throw "woks" (rocks).

(I'm sad I didn't think faster and get a picture with Gamma before she had to ditch out on the hike in favor of a golf clinic.  Darnit.  Next time.)

All in all, the weekend was a nice getaway.  I enjoyed not having to cook every meal and in general just taking it easy.  

4.  I cleaned out my kitchen cabinets this week.  Look what I found:

Count 'em.  There's NINE thermometers in there.  Two old-school mercury thermometers and 7 digital thermometers.  And what's so funny about all this is that my kids rarely get sick.  (I just knocked on wood.  For reals.) I have no idea why I had all these.  

Anyway, I was able to clear out an entire cabinet by moving my china to a real china hutch.  And I moved some things around, put a bunch of stuff in the Goodwill pile, and just generally organized everything much better.  All in all, it felt great!   

5.  I haven't done our taxes yet.  Did you know I passed the CPA exam back in 1997?  I did.  And I DETEST accounting.  But for some reason I always seem to get stuck doing them?  They are so gross.  Every year I put them off as long as possible just because I hate them so bad.  Seriously, I need a deadline or I would never do them.  

6.  A couple sneak peeks before I do the full room reveals:

All right, kids.  I'm done.  Have a fabulous week!

My Top 10 List for Breckenridge, CO

Sorry I missed last week.  I meant to post from Breckenridge but we ended up skiing Sunday afternoon so I was pretty exhausted.  But a good exhausted!  In light of our trip for spring break this past week I thought rather than do my regular Six on Sunday I'd give you my Top 10 list for why we love Breckenridge, CO.

10.  Road trip!  OK, seriously.  I totally don't love spending 10 hours in the car - BOTH WAYS.  But I do love that it's close enough to allow us to drive.  Flying anywhere as a family of six is rather cost prohibitive, so it's nice that we can drive. 

And I have to admit, the girls are pretty darn good travelers.  I think it helps that they have all grown up going on trips to visit grandparents, etc. so they are rather used to it now.  And I know that it will continue to get easier and easier as #3 and #4 learn to read and grow even more self sufficient.  

9.  St. Patrick's Day!  It seems as though we get to celebrate St. Pat's Day in the mountains quite often.  This year the hubby was bound and determined to go out for a drink that night.  I was ready.  I had psyched myself up for it.  I put the the little girls to bed and was ready to walk to a bar.  But the hubby lost his mojo.  We stayed in.  We are losers.  

But...my mom bought us all shirts.  And considering our last name is McGrath, we wore these with pride!

P.S.  Don't you love #4's stripes?!  Yes, she picked that outfit out all by herself!

8.  Beau Jo's pizza.  Every year we stop in Idaho Springs for pizza on our way up the mountain.  It's such an adorable town and the pizza is seriously delish.  It was fun to be able to introduce my parents to it this year!

7.  Eating out!  Yes, I said it.  I love being able to take a break from cooking every now and then.  When we are in town we rarely eat out.  As in, not even once a week.  So, when we travel it's a real treat for me to be able to eat out!  Of course I mentioned Beau Jo's in #8 above.  This year we went to the Salt Creek Restaurant and Saloon for brunch again.  It did not disappoint!

We also hit a great little breakfast place on Main Street, Xtreme Pizza, and a few others.  So good.

6.  Apres Ski.  Oh yeah.  The beer (or Bloody Mary or Colorado Bulldog) at the end of the day is divine.  The girls know they get hot chocolate so they even enjoy it!

5.  The mountains.  Growing up in Eastern SD and now living in Eastern KS, we have NOTHING resembling mountains.  I love them.  I wish they were like, 10 hours closer, though.   

4.  The hot tub.  I'm not kidding, we used the hot tub at least twice a day!  It was the perfect temperature - not too hot, not too cold - which meant we could sit in there for a LONG time.  And our view was the picture from #3 above.  Beautiful.

3.  The Town.  For reals.  We love everything about it.  First, it's a real town and not just a resort.  The views - mountains all around.  The shopping - lot of cool art galleries, great T-shirt shops, and tons more!  Ice Cream - enough said.  The horse ride through town - an absolute highlight for #4!  Skiing less than 10 minutes from your front door.  I don't know if it could get any better?!

2.  Skiing.  Breck.  Vail.  A Basin.  Everything is so close!  Summit county rocks.

Sunday we took the big girls to A Basin for the afternoon.  It was a great day, albeit fairly cold and windy.  

Then Monday and Tuesday the three older girls went to ski school at Breckenridge while the hubby and I enjoyed the whole mountain - Peak 7 to Peak 10 and everything in between, including the T-bar and the Imperial Lift.  So cool.  We had originally signed #4 up for ski school but Sunday morning when I went to check her in I was told she would only get a one hour lesson and 30 minutes with the group.  The rest of the day would be spent in daycare.  Uh, come again?!  So we decided to save over $300 and leave her with Gamma and Papa for the morning.  (She was not happy to be left out of ski school.)  But my dad brought her to the mountain for an hour lesson from yours truly both Monday and Tuesday.  She still can't wedge but she loves to ski.  And afterall, that is the most important part.  She just needs to enjoy skiing enough to want to try again next year.  Mission Accomplished.

Thursday we took #1 and headed over to Vail for a little back bowl action.  I have to say, the powder was phenomenal but the blizzard conditions put a little damper on the skiing.  Regardless, we were toughies and skied Blue Sky Basin and the front side, too.  Unfortunately, what should have taken us 30 minutes to get back to Breckenridge actually took FOUR HOURS since I-70 ended up closed for several hours.  Oh well.  We had a great time.  I doubt I'll see powder like that for another 10 years.

A-Basin:

Top of the T-Bar at Breckie:

Back bowl blizzard at Vail:

Powder at Vail - seriously a lot - this is a green run:

1.  At the risk of sounding sappy (and those who know me know I am NOT the sentimental type), Family is the best part of Breckenridge.  Duh.  Getting to spend a week with each other just having fun and enjoying each other's company is the best part of vacation.  Are we perfect?  No way!  I lose my patience and #4 whines too much.  The other girls squabble but it's still fun.  And this year my parents were able to make the trip out with us.  All in all, it was a fantastic week and I can't wait to go back again next year!

And there you have it.  My Top 10 list for Breckenridge, CO.  I hope you enjoyed my little recap.

Have a great week!

 

Six on Sunday

T-6 days and counting.  'Till Breckenridge, CO.  Not that I'm excited or anything.  It's just...best snow in YEARS, people!  It cannot get here fast enough!  OK.  Enough of that.

1.  Guess who turned 12 last Monday?!  #1.  Can you believe it?  12 years old!  (Please forgive the iPhone phonography this week.  Horrible white balance throughout!)

She is such an awesome kid.  I love the way she helps out with her little sisters and hardly ever seems annoyed by them, even #4.  She's a great athlete and really loves swimming.  I'm not sure how much longer she'll play soccer (**sigh**) but that's her decision.  I love that she excels in school without much help from us.  She's growing up but she's still not annoyed by us.  I think this age is truly awesome!  She is branching out and doing more with her friends, but she still enjoys hanging out with her family every now and then.  Of course, she's not perfect and I wish she'd PUT DOWN THAT DAMN PHONE ALREADY!  But I guess I can't win them all.  And she hardly ever rolls her eyes when I ask her to put it down:)  Overall, I am just so lucky to be her home!

2.  This is a common scene after bath night:

They are total goofballs.  They get out of the bath and shiver into little tiny balls until forced to put on their PJs.  

3.  Here is a sneak peek of the campaign dresser in my foyer:

She deserves her own post because this is before I hacked her and added some sexy legs.  Oh yeah.

4.  #1 needed a few things yesterday so we ran our errands together:

    1.  Costco for gas (hubby's car.  on empty.  ugh.)

    2.  DSW - new shoes for work.  I came out of there with only one pair.  Truly a first for me!

    3.  Michael's - craft supplies for #1

    4.  Target - this and that.  typical.

    5.  Elite Feet - dropped off used shoes

    6.  Victoria's Secret - exchange #1's birthday yoga pants

    7.  Bath and Body - apparently #1 needed a specific kind of soap.  

    8.  Barnes n Noble - book for #1 for school

    9.  Goodwill drop off

Here's our Goodwill donation.  How does this happen EVERY 3 MONTHS???

After errands I also managed to paint a few things, make cookies with #4 (see #5 below), do a couples loads of laundry, and get ready to go scrapbooking with my girlfriends.  (Yes, I actually finished #4's baby album!)

5.  So I told #4 she could help me make cookies.  (Or "tookies" as she pronounces it.)  Seriously, we make them every single weekend so I've got it down pat.  Well, she decided to take matters into her own hands while I was helping #1 with her homework.  Apparently I was not fast enough for her.  She dumped half a box of baking soda into the bowl.  Half a box.  Of baking soda.  Gross.  I tried to scoop it all out.  However, it was a non-recoverable foul.  The cookies were disgusting.  In fact, they were so bad even the hubby wouldn't eat them.  And he eats ANYTHING!  (Except mushrooms and black olives.  Whatevs.)  Isn't that just a travesty?  A wasted bag of chocolate chips.  So sad...

6.  Darby.  We still love her even though she can be a snot:

And with that it's time to take #3 and #4 up to bed.  Have a fantastic week!

 

Six on Sunday

Howdy!  I hope you had a good week.  We did.  So here's the recap in Instragram pics:

1.  Snow.  More snow.  Monday was a normal day.  But by bedtime Monday night we knew it was going to be a snow day on Tuesday.  No school.  We did get more snow - but not quite as much as the Thursday prior.  Here's our driveway after it was cleared:

The insane part of all this?  School was also cancelled on Wednesday.  WTH?!  They had ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT to clear the streets which were fine on Wednesday.  Still, no school.  I'm not sure the logic behind that decision but I have to say I vehemently disagreed with it.  Regardless, the kids had a great day on Wednesday.  There was a lot of this:

At the same time, I was a little stressed.  It's difficult to work a full day while the kids are home - completely unplanned.  I would have loved to have just taken a surprise vacation day, but that is a little difficult with calls and deadlines...

2.  We still love Darby.  

3.  I read a book my friend, Christi, lent to me.  I have to say, it was really good!  I think I'm even going to read the next one:  The Girl Who Played With Fire.  

Prior to this book I read Destiny of the Republic.  It was about President Garfield and I have to say, for a history book it was really good!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  

4.  If you have or have had a kindergarten or first grade girl, you surely know of Junie B. Jones.  We have about 20 of the books about Junie B.  #3 requests we read a chapter every night.  Last week she picked out Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under her Bed.  We read three chapters.  Then we stopped.  She got scared and we had to pick out a different book!  I think that is so funny.  The book clearly states Pauly Allen Puffer's brother made up a story about a monster to scare little kids.  But it still scared Junie B. and it still scared #3!  

5.  I was in Topeka this weekend for a swim meet.  And likewise, my running buddies had plans for the weekend, too.  So did we skip our long run?  No way.  We improvised.  We met at 5am Friday morning and ran 8 miles on the trails.  It was definitely adventurous.  We had unplowed trails and therefore unexpected diversions, black ice, and a frosting of snow.  All in all, it was a successful 8 miles if not a little slow.  Good times!

6.  As I mentioned last week, #1 earned four spots at the D1 meet in Topeka this weekend.  She swam the 50 breast stroke on Friday, the 50 back stroke on Saturday, and the 50 fly and 100 breast stroke today.  Each event had anywhere from 32 to 48 kids.  The top 16 made finals.  She didn't make any finals but she still had fun.  

The hubby took her on Friday.  (She had to miss school.)  I took her yesterday and we stayed overnight.  Her grandparents came down from Omaha yesterday to watch her swim.  Cool, huh?  

After she swam yesterday we had a lot of time to kill.  (Truthfully, we didn't need to stay overnight but she really had her heart set on it.)  The four of us spent some time at the mall.  Her grandma and I helped her spend her birthday money on a pair of Miss Me shorts from the Buckle.  (Name brands already.  Ugh.) After shopping we hit the local Applebee's.  All in all, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.  She got a chance to be the center of attention which doesn't happen often in a family with four kids.  

And the best part?  She and I laughed.  And laughed.  And laughed.  She is such a quiet, serious kid much of the time so it was nice to see her laugh.  And it was really nice to get to spend the day with her before she becomes a snotty teenager all too soon.  I will treasure that time with her.

Here she is being a goof with her buddy at the meet yesterday:

And there you have it.  Our week summarized into six sections.  Have a good one!

Six on Sunday

Before I begin my usual stream-of-consciousness rambling, I'd just like to say my heart goes out to my aunt and uncle as well as some friends of ours this weekend.  They each lost a loved one and I'd like them to know I'm thinking of them.  (Even if they don't read this blog - and I don't think they do.)  I'm sending comforting thoughts their way...

So it's Sunday.  I'm tired.  From sitting.  And sitting.  And sitting.  And sitting some more - 10 hours in total with only a short break for Subway.  

1.  Why am I tired of sitting?  #1 had a swim meet this weekend.  It was a pretty big meet.  She had a solid performance which means she earned herself an extra three spots in next weekend's meet an hour away.  (Going into this weekend she had only qualified in one event.)  The bad news?  She swims not just Friday.  Not just Saturday.  But Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday next weekend!  Sheesh.

We need to figure out what we're going to do.  My vote is to just drive back and forth.  The hubby's vote is to make it a fun weekend and get a hotel room(s) for the six of us.  We shall see.

The best part of this weekend?  #1's friends and their families.  Without them none of us would have nearly as much fun as we did.  Evidence:

Aren't they just too cute?!  Love those girls.

2.  As most of you know - if you haven't been living under a rock - we were hit with a major snowstorm last week.  The kids didn't have school Thursday OR Friday.  And now it looks like we're going to have episode #2 hit tomorrow!  Ugh.  I love my kids AND I love snow - but snow days are HARD.  Cabin fever is difficult to keep at bay.  We do our best and there is a lot of this:

This is what our deck looked like after the snow was finally about done:

That's about 12 inches.  Crazy, huh?

3.  What does four days of no downtime and no naps equal?  Two tired little girls...

I took both of these pictures after a 20 minute drive to #1's meet yesterday afternoon.  They were exhausted!  So I totally put them to bed at 7pm tonight.  Yep - 7!  They were asleep in less then 5 minutes.  

4.  I talked my friends into an early morning run yesterday.  It was 9*.  And cold.  And snowy.  And you know what?  I LOVED IT!  I'm not even kidding.  My absolute favorite runs involve these views:

These next two are facebooks repeats so sorry if you've already seen them:

I mean, what is not to love?  Isn't that just gorgeous?!

Yes, we were dressed like ninjas.  And no, we couldn't stop for pictures for longer than a few seconds or else we'd freeze, but I still had a blast!  It was the perfect start to my day!

5.  I thought I'd provide an update to last week's Ceiling Debacle.  ServPro came out out last Monday to take moisture readings.  Tuesday they brought out the big guns:  2 de-humidifiers, 6 fans, and a hot air blower.  This is again a facebook repeat but definitely worth a second look:

They removed a four or five foot area of our hardwoods where the water gushed the hardest.  The subfloor was so wet that they actually sealed it up and blew hot hair on it to help dry it up.  The worst part of all this?  The noise.  Oh, the noise!  It was like being at an airport.  Without the protective ear gear.  Standing on the runway.  While a jet takes off over your head.  I'm not even kidding.  (OK, maybe just slightly?)  But seriously, it was not fun.  I am not a fan of loud noises.  We avoided the main floor like the plague that day.  Thankfully, the next day they removed most of the noise-making devices.  I'm not sure what will happen next?  They will come out and say I need to raze the house and start over?  OK.  I'm game!   

6.  Although I spent a great deal of my weekend at the swim meet, I did manage to paint a few things this weekend.  Here is just one sneak peek:

It only has the first coat of (I'm guessing) three.  But I'm going to like it!

And with that, I'm signing off.  Have a great week, everyone!   


 

 

Six on Sunday...the Ceiling Debacle

It is a stretch for me to be here tonight.  Blogging.  I'm tired.  My hands are dry and cracked.  And my ceiling has holes in it.  Lots of holes...

1.  I ran 8 miles this morning.  We ran at a decent clip and stopped at Starbucks on the way home.  I really needed that run!  And that coffee!  

2.  I painted #2's room today.  Twice.  After my mom and I wallpapered an accent wall in there yesterday.  The worst part?  It needs a THIRD coat!!!  And I even used paint with primer built in.  I seriously want to gag myself with a spoon at the thought of that third coat.  Yuck!

Here's a sneak peek:

The paint is seriously bright and it changes color.  Sometimes it's green.  Sometimes it's yellow.  But it's seriously 100% #2!  And she loves it.

3.  I wasn't all work and no fun today.  #4 went on a playdate this morning.  #3 had a playdate this afternoon.  I picked up #1 from a sleepover this morning.  And #2 helped me (for reals - helped a lot) paint.  And loved it!  And we all went for a walk to enjoy the weather in between coats one and two.  It was a gorgeous day!

4.  Our staircase is nearly done.  I have one rogue step left to stain and poly.  But the rest is complete.  Now I have to remove all that awful painters tape.  Oh my!  For the love of God, it sucks.

Sneak Peek #2 of the night:

5.  My in-laws stopped at our house for a night on their way home to Omaha from Dallas.  It's always fun to have them and the girls love it.  Plus, my parents and sister's family came over for dinner Friday night so we had a really full house of fun.  It was a great night!

And...the best part of the in-laws stop?  They dropped off my two Ikea Rast dressers.  I have assembled the dressers and they are awaiting a couple coats of paint.  They are going to look AWESOME in my foyer!  But alas, I had no time to paint them this weekend.  But that's OK.  It makes the wait for my foyer completion that much better! 

6.  I made you wait for the big story of the weekend.  Well, if you read through 1 - 5, here goes...We had a pipe break in our ceiling yesterday.  I'm not sure if I'm thankful we were home or not?  Sometimes I think I'd like to take a match to our house and start over.  Regardless, we were home. 

Let me back up a little and try to give you a little perspective.  My parents were in town this weekend.  They helped my sister paint her kids' rooms on Friday and they were over at our house yesterday.  My mom and I wallpapered #2's room while the hubby and my dad installed a new outlet in my foyer and attempted to install a new doorbell.  (We've been without one for YEARS.  I sort of felt like, What's the hurry?)  Anyway, as I was attempting to vacuum our freshly cleaned floors that were already filthy, my dad came RUNNING up the basement steps frantically waving his hands back and forth and yelling something unintelligible.  I seriously thought he was excited because he had figured out that damn doorbell.  I wish.

I looked up and there was water GUSHING out of a pot light right at the door to the basement.  My dad, the hubby, and I all raced upstairs and into each of the three bathrooms.  Nothing.  Dry.  Nada.  We checked each bathroom a couple times before we even thought to run downstairs and turn off the main water supply.  Meanwhile, the smoke detector shorted and started going off.  That thing was LOUD!  By this time the kids were all freaking out crying (the littles ones) and the hubby and I were screaming at each other and the kids to turn it off and/or stop crying.  (I never said I was flawless under pressure!)  The circuit breaker didn't make it turn off so the hubby finally had to remove the battery.  

We started out putting towels down but the water was coming out so hard I could have stood under that light and taken a shower!  Finally, my dad grabbed a couple buckets and we started collecting water from the various leaks.  Then, we noticed the water spreading ALL OVER the ceiling.  All over.  In the end, we poked two holes in the ceiling to prevent the whole thing from falling down.  My new hardwood floors are probably damaged (water damage takes a day or two to show up), the carpet to the basement is soaked, and my ceiling is a lost cause.  

We finally found the cause of the leak, called our insurance company, called a plumber, and got it fixed.  I'm not exaggerating in the least when I say it took the plumber longer to write up the invoice than it did to fix the leak.  Meanwhile, my parents took the kids over to my sister's house and fed them dinner while the hubby and I stayed behind to clean up the mess.  It was awful.  

And so, that was our Saturday night.  Can you beat that?

So on that note, have a great week!  I don't think ours can get any worse.  In fact, I think I'm going to play the lottery.  Maybe the Universe owes me one?!

Six on Sunday...Poppin' Some Tags

Well, hello!  How was your weekend?  Ours was busy.  Typical.  Let's just dive right in, shall we?  Although I'm going to save the best for last!

1.  #1 spent her weekend at a swim meet.  This was a good meet for her, though.  She dropped time in all 8 events she swam which was awesome!  She also ended up 4th overall for 100 meter breaststroke.  Crazy.  I was able to take her yesterday and the hubby took her today.

I only took my iPhone so here is a shot of the board after her first solo event.  200 Meter IM.  3rd in her heat. 

2.  I went scrapbooking Friday night.  I haven't done that in a YEAR!  It felt good to get to work on #4's baby album.  Here she is almost 4 years old and I only had the first month in her book.  She and #3 LOVE to look at photo albums so I decided it was time to get her baby book completed.  #3 has a baby album and that's it.  #1 and #2 each have a couple years in albums but unfortunately, that just won't happen for #3 and #4.  They'll have a baby book, though.

3.  I spent my Saturday night doing this:

Priming.  I totally thought I'd be able to whip out the bannister in an hour and then sit with the girls to finish watching the movie.  Uh, WRONG!  It took me almost two and a half HOURS to finish up that bad boy.  I can't wait 'till the blasted staircase is done!

In other news, I was able to paint half of it black this afternoon.  And I'm happy to report it looks good!  #4 is disappointed in me, though.  She was sure I was going to paint it pink and purple.  Her "favorite colors"  (said without the "s")  I tried explaining that black and white colors are timeless.  She wasn't buying it.

4.  My sister bought a kitty this weekend.  She found an adorable funny-looking kitty at Wayside Waifs.  Lucy is only 4 months old but she has an infection in her incision so she has to wear a cone around her head to keep from licking.  The poor baby.  But truly, she is so darn cute.

Of course I had to take my girls over there today to meet Lucy.  That cat is going to be so spoiled!  She's a keeper.

5.  I ran 10 miles this morning.  It was the warmest long run I've had in a long time.  I lost my hat and gloves right after mile 2.  Loved that!  The course was really, really, really, really hilly!  Thank goodness we were mostly sheltered from the wind or it would have been miserable.  But as it turned out it was nice!

6.  OK.  I said I was saving the best for last, didn't I?  My thrift shopping recap, of course!

I picked Christi up at about 9:30am Friday morning.  After a run through the Starbucks drive-thru, we headed to our first shop, Lone Elm Antiques.  It was fabulous.  We both found a bunch of stuff here.  Truly, there was something for everyone.  Here are my finds:

The two milk glass bowls, the green items, and the owl bookends all came from Lone Elm Antique mall.  I'm not entirely sure where it will all go until after we finish in the foyer.  The two vases actually came from the River Market Antique Mall.  Here are the book ends.  My girls all want them for their room.  I had to pull the mom card on them.  They are MINE:

Hello?  Don't you just love the "knowledge" on the bottom.  I think I'm going to spray paint them.  But they are for sure going in the book shelves I built into my window seat.  So excited!

Our next good stop was Mission Road Antique Mall.  I felt like some of it was too rich for our blood - like we should have been socialites to shop there.  But we once we found our section, life was all good!  My purchases:

Those paintings spoke to me.  I just loved them.  They are watercolor paintings of Scotland.  I'm going to keep them in their frames and just hang them as is.  And the key is going to get a coat of spray paint.  I'm going to hang it up on my gallery wall (scroll to the bottom).  There is trapped white space that needs a little something.  The key is IT.  Awesome.  

I also found this keeper.  It's the exact same mirror as in my inspiration photo for my foyer.  I heart this mirror.  Seriously.  And to think I almost passed her up?  What was I thinking?!  

Our last stop of the day was down at the River Market Antique Mall.  Here is Christi enjoying our escapade:

As you can see, sometimes you have to weed through some strange crap before you find the treasures.  In the end, though, I think that's half the fun.  

It was a great day!  We didn't leave downtown until about 5pm.  And I am not a shopper.  Ask anyone.  I go in, get what I need, and leave.  I don't think I've ever shopped that long.  Ever.  But it was really such a fun day.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

OK.  I left out a treasure...  I found Jeanette.  Love her:

My family just doesn't get it.  But you watch...I'm totally wearing Jeanette to a soccer game this spring.  She will be awesome.  She may also make an appearance at Halloween next year.  Oh yeah...

And with that, have a fantastic week!