something that i've learned about myself is that i've gotta keep busy to keep from going crazy crazier.  i knew i'd probably be flying solo last week while daddy was on a business trip, so what else could i do besides make a list?  i'd already called pretty much everyone i know to invite them for a visit.

the latter didn't work out, so i have a pretty completed list.  wahoooo!!!
the kids and i spent a lot of time out doing things - little errands, meals out, garage sales, shopping, playing with our buddies.  and, we spent a lot of time at home - reading books, playing, getting dirty, and helping cross things off the list.  our week was different than usual, but keeping busy helped us all stay friendly.  :)

here's how the list ended up:
oil change
swimsuit for mama
shorts for thing 1
sandals for thing 2
t-shirts for thing 1
summer shirts for thing 2
finish continuing education
renew RN license
order thing 2's 2 yr pictures for the family
birthday thank-you's
add a few more plants to the front beds
mulch front beds
ironing
make 7 greeting cards for card club

send cards for card club
place stampin up order
make baby shower invites

trim the broken tree in the front yard

turn in form for pre-k enrollment

get the bank to fix the duplicate charge
figure out a good place to do 12x12 prints
start on pages for albums for the kids to have
finish unpacking boxes (there were 20!)
clean the garage

for those of you who have not been to our house, you have NO idea what a job the garage was.  i didn't take before pictures because it was just too embarrassing.  this pic is from the house looking out, and it was completely obstructed by boxes.  still a ways to go, but progress has been made!

fireplace picture gallery

as i hinted in a previous post, i hung some more pictures!  hooray for a few fewer (ha ha) things piled on the floor, and a few fewer (yep, did it again) frames in the bin. 

here's how it worked:
i didn't want to buy anything new to put over the fireplace because we have a LOT of pictures, and most of them are in frames i already like and want to use.  did a little bit of browsing for ideas, and this is what i decided to try:

pick your favorite thickness of painter's tape, and put it in a straight line.  i eyeballed this, but if you wanted to be awesome you could measure it.  problem is, houses never seem to be straight.  you can place the tape exactly the same distance from the ceiling, the mantle, the floor, or whatever you choose, but chances are it won't look straight when you're finished.  you could always use a level, too - but, i went with good ol' eyeballs.  i did measure when i got it where i liked it to make sure it wasn't a crazy ways off from the ceiling trim (just in case the husband was looking).

pick a spot off center and start hanging pictures that touch the tape.  leave the same amount of space between them.

hang a few, pick out a few more frames from the bin, and hang a few more.

decide you're happy with the arrangement. 

(i like things that are not exactly centered, and this works for me!)  

find some updated pictures so the 2 babies on the far left don't have to be sideways. 

open the mail, and find new pictures of the cousins!  thanks, amy!! 

realize that there are no pictures of your son, but 3 of your sister's wedding. 

consider that a project for another day.

mutter under your breath because project progress just makes new lists. 

frames hung.  check.

and, this pic is just to keep it real.  the pile on the right is a bunch of unpacked-but-nowhere-to-live stuff.  at least it's smaller than the other 3 piles we've had around, and now there's only one pile.

new list:

find a few other things from the already unpacked pile to live on the mantle.

change up the pictures in the frames.

move the right deer in just a tad.

sort junk pile.

why do i enjoy blogging?

1. it makes me more aware of what's going on.  should i post about this, or this, or that?  or it is too mundane?  or should i keep that to myself?  yep, i'll keep that to myself but maybe i'll share this.  need to remember to take a picture or 2 of that.
2. i take pictures of things that i normally wouldn't.  let me just take a picture of a picture sitting on my nightstand.  oh, and i need a picture of that receipt.  seriously, though, i take random pictures of the kiddos that i probably otherwise might not take.  looking back in my digital albums, the more recent months are definitely beefier.  and i like that.
3. i have a little more adult conversation, even if it is monologue.  does that technically count as conversation?  i suppose the comments make it so it does? 
4. it prompts me to try new things - like recipes, projects, and ideas.  dunno why, but maybe it's just more fun to share new experiences with someone else?  it's also inspiration to see new things posted on other blogs.
5. it connects me with other people that i might not otherwise keep in touch with. 
6. it's a journal of day-to-day things that i can refer to if i ever when i get caught up on photo albums again. 
7. relatives who are not-so-near seem to enjoy the kidlet updates, and i like to share them. 
8. i love your comments
9. there's no schedule.  i can spout off when the urge strikes, and keep quiet when it doesn't.  of course, then i just have excess pressure in my head.  so, usually, i write up a quick post.
10. surely there's a 10th reason?  hmmm.  since i'm no longer working employed for pay, blogging helps me keep up with some technology.  i can still type, and can still navigate the internet.  i'm getting a little toooo efficient at dishwasher-and-laundry-turn-around-time, so it's good to spread myself in other directions.

company = motivation

it's not that i always lack motivation, it's just that sometimes there isn't enough time!  excuses, i know.  anyway, i did hang another picture in the living room, so now there are only 8,925 more to find places for.  finished while anxiously awaiting my family's arrival for the weekend! 

double bonus:  not only is the picture up on the wall, it's ALSO off the floor  :)

always more to do...

1.  update the topiaries since they look a little sad (and teetery) from the move.  

2.  update the 2 "people" pictures.  i haven't quite found the box containing the most recent ones...  and cris, i don't have a newer one of you 2 (hint, hint)

3.  move all the toys before the picture next time.  orange ball, shoo to you!

hope you had a really fun weekend.  i did.

i've heard...

...that you learn something new every day.  well, yesterday, i completely exceeded that pace, and made a little list in honor of the event.  you want to learn more, you say?  it's your lucky day  :)

1.  impossible to go to sam's club to "just look" around.  thing 2 and i had some extra time, so we decided to go have a coke (just for mama) and a pretzel (for us both!).  the general intention was just to browse, and i know you want to know why we chose this location for browsing.  well, thing 1 goes to school at 8:15, and it's 30 min. from home.  thing 2 will fall asleep on the way back into town at 1145ish if we go back home for the morning, which usually means she wakes up when i try to put her into bed at 1245ish.  NOT GOOD!  so, we often frequent target (and the snack bar) until something more interesting opens.  (notice any unhealthy patterns??)  this day, we chose sam's because we've got a bunch of family coming this weekend.  YAY!!!!!!  i thought maybe we'd come across something interesting to put on a menu.  wouldn't you know that they had meat marked down for quick sale, and our trip went downhill cart filled up from there! 

we found all kinds of pretty things.  flowers, kid chairs, clearance shorts.  the flowers were a sorta-planned purchase, i do hafta admit.  hubby and i started 'officially' dating 15 (yes, 15!) years ago, so i wanted to get him flowers.  they're kinda boyish, do ya think?

and then, we busted right through our routine of hanging around town all morning, and took our groceries home.  we also got to sneak in an extra load of laundry and some playtime, which brings us to the next lesson.

2.  lil miss can stay awake on the trip into town if i keep her giggling  :)  they usually both fall asleep on the way back, and that's great.

3.  some things are in us by nature.  lil miss does not like water.  i always put water in her cup.  always.  she never, ever drinks it.  ever.  not at home, not at a restaurant, not anywhere.  not at any temperature.  her brother is great about drinking water, so he usually has one cup of (very) diluted juice during a day.  i know she's thirsty, because if her cup is 99% water and 1% anything else, she'll suck it down.  all of it.  in 2 seconds flat.  she's her mama's. 

4.  the moose is dirty dancing.  on the way home from school, thing 1 was 'reading' if you give a moose a muffin to me.  he got to this page,

and told me "mom, the moose is dancing with his peepee [out]."  i told him that was his tail - like dogs, cats, and horses have tails.  "no, mommy, that's his peepee."  i let it go, because i learned the next lesson.

5.  sometimes it is best not to argue with a 3 yr old. 

yogurt waffles

ever get the feeling i got tired of unpacking?  it was fun to try new recipes, but i suppose i better get back to the boxes.  these bad boys are waiting...  problem:  i know they are full of sweaters and it's been SUPER hot here.  blech.

anyway, i have digressed.  i made these yogurt waffles, and they were a hit!  the recipe is from everyday food (martha stewart) magazine, but i don't know which issue.  i'm a ripper you see - no magazine is safe!

heated up some frozen blackberries and cherries to put on top.

and now, my favorite part - thing 1 and thing 2 gobbling them up!!

wouldn't you know, trying new recipes is on my 101 list.  unpacking should be on there, but it of course is not!

checking the living room off the "urgent" list!

the wall has only 1 picture, you say?  i say, what a thing to notice.  what about the floor being toy-free for a few minutes?!?  well, it is naptime at our house right now.  our toy zamboni went through just moments ago, so quick!  look before anyone wakes up.

about the lonely picture...  well, there are lots more boxes to unpack and piles to sort through.  i say give it time.  but, i kinda like it just the way it is so don't get toooo antsy for more.

there are plenty of other things to work on, tho. (ha!  you didn't see all of them in the 1st picture, did you?)  :)  some of these will probably get put the "to do someday when we're bored" list:

1. the poor lamp is naked

2.  there is a pile of junk table stacked w/ pictures to hang

3.  the table needs moved to a new spot somewhere

4.  need some COLOR in this room

5.  the piano needs pictures above it

6.  the couch needs something hanging above it, too

7.  the windows either need the curtain rods removed or new curtains

8.  since i'm making another list here... hmm... that fan should be updated too

9.  anything else?  this is your chance to comment, so let me have it!

sorry if you want a zamboni too.  mostly they just work on ice, but our special one picks up toys.

a list is a little thing

that helps me stay on task.  i don't know when i started being a list maker, but - groceries, projects, weekend plans - i make them of everything.  so when i saw a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days on my cousin's blog, it was only natural that i should add it to my book of lists.  and yes, you should be jealous that you don't have a book of lists.

most of my lists are useful only for a short time, but i have been sharing the progress on my 101 list w/my sis each month.  it's helped me to stay grounded during this whole shake-up moving process.  even though i haven't known where we would be living long-term, where all my belongings were, where they still are - i have been able to knock a few personal goals off my list!  waaaahooooooooooooo!  it feels really good, and i recommend that you make a list too.  :)  it'll be fun, i promise.