Home Improvements

There are times when I get sad as I look & see all the improvements needing to be done to make our abode beautiful & more inviting.

The big improvements like new bathrooms & our water softener issues, cost money & time.

Those 2 things never seem to be on our plate @ the same time.

So those needed improvements will have to wait a bit longer.

However, today, for a mere $100ish, I felt like we made $10,000 worth of improvements!

I changed the ugly, dark wooden faceplates on the light switches & electric sockets in the kitchen, the hallway & the family room.

Awesome difference! They match better. They are very sharp looking. I like them very much!

It really looks like we did a huge project when in reality, we didn't.

And the best improvement of the day?

I found, for $4.00 in the Clearance Aisle, what I thought was a glass replacement globe.

(B broke the old globe while stretching in the bathroom. He's too tall)

Turns out it was an entire light fixture!

It was too small for the bathroom, so I'll keep looking.

However, it was perfect to replace the old fixture in the hallway!

Thanks to B and his limited knowledge of wiring, our hallway is bright again!

I think I'll change the hardware on the cabinets & drawers in the kitchen next week or two.

I need to be careful with these small changes.

If they are too drastic, I may end up needing to paint.

I don't have the desire to do that, right now.

Todays Fashion

She is so FUN! Later in the day, the black tutu skirt was changed to a white one with a tighter waistband. The black one kept showing her "booty" by slipping off her whenever she would run.

Success!

Today, after this video was shot, the balance bar (or sissy handle) was removed, making it official...

COLIN CAN NOW RIDE A TWO WHEELER!

He's been practicing with his steering & brakes, but as you can see in the second short video, he's not always successful!

Happy Easter!

As I wait for the ham & funeral potatoes to finish cooking, I would like to wish all those who read my blog,

Happy Easter!

This year's Easter is very late, making it a fairly hectic time for me.

It was T's birthday last week, Easter is today, my birthday arrives next week, Mothers Day is only a few days after my birthday.

Then, I need to do a gift project with the kids for their mothers birthday.

Both of my cats turn a year older (Gracie will be 3, Zee will be 2) and C's birthday is at the end of May,

as is M's birthday!

OH...AND... on C's birthday,

Carlotta & T are coming up for a 10 day visit!

YAHOO!

I know there are other family & friends also celebrating important days,

so I'll say Happy Birthday to you now.

Carol Ann, Beth, Heather, Matt,

and anyone else I may have forgotten

(due to my declining memory while growing older, not to any lack of love for you!)

that has a special day coming up!

RUDER!

This morning, I stopped by a large department store to pick up some Easter Egg color tablets for our project. As I entered the Easter area, a woman, loudly talking on her cell phone with one hand while pushing a shopping cart with the other, was trying to negotiate the corner to turn into the aisle I was also entering. She managed to knock down a tray of chocolate bunnies.

"Oh, no!" I said.

I was about to stop & help her clean them up when I noticed she continued talking on the phone! She couldn't even stop her conversation to clean up her mess!

So instead, I continued on my errand, w/o helping her.

A moment or 2 later, she had cleaned up her mess & began complaining to the person on the other end of her phone call, that she had made a mess and 5 people had come by & no one offered to help her.

She even mimicked my "Oh, no!" to her phone buddy.

I had to walk away. My blood felt like it was boiling!

First, SHE made the mess & as far as messes go, it was minimal.

Second, SHE couldn't even hang up her phone, which would have given her MY aid.

Thirdly, I was in the same aisle she was in & NO ONE had come by in the few moments it took her to clean her mess up! What other people was she talking about?

I walked to the back of the store to cool down.

Such a dumb thing for me to get worked up over!

Ten minutes later, I knew she was nearby.

How?

She was still on the freaking phone, talking as though she were the only person in the place! And still several aisles away from me too!

Who was ruder?

Me for not stopping my errand & helping a capable woman clean up a small mess she had created on her own?

OR

The woman, who felt it necessary to carry on a loud, long, non important, personal phone call in a public place & have the nerve to complain no one was inclined to help her?

You better say HER!

Cleaning Out

This is why I kept the SD chip in the first place & never deleted the pictures on it!

December 2007!

T marries M.

I was happy that day. I never look good in a picture, but this one had me in a smile!

Doesn't happen very often!

I snapped this picture @ the reception. I was appreciative of the person or persons who took the time, effort and patience to make these kabobs.

Our first Christmas w/o T!

We hung her stocking up anyway!

B looks thrilled to have one less kid to support!

What was he thinking?! LOL!

Here I am, with my tiny stocking. I have no idea how I ended up with such a tiny stocking.

COLIN!

January 2008.

KAYA!

January 2008.

CONNOR!

January 2008.

SNACK TIME!

With all 3 kids.

January 2008.

Today is a windy, brisk day.

No one except me & my cats are home.

It's a perfect day for cleaning out many junk/clutter spots in the house that have been ignored in past clean outs!

It's also fun to find things I had forgotten about, like SD chips from 2008!

These were pre-new computer so I never downloaded them into my files.

Enjoy a few pics I rediscovered!

I Huffed and I Puffed and I...

...nearly killed myself running behind 3, yes! I said, THREE, kids who are doing their best to learn how to ride a two-wheeled bike!

The youngest is happy on her Rapunzel bike with training wheels. I need to give her a push once in a while, but she is doing great! She is the only one who wears a helmet.

The middle child can't believe how fun it is when you ride a bike! In the straightaway, he is unstoppable! Turning and braking are his downfall, literally! He''l get it soon though!

The eldest child, (I've been trying to teach for 3 years)... saw his sister & brothers accomplishments when he returned from school.

Wouldn't you know... that kid hopped on his bike & took off like the wind! When did he learn that? Oh yeah! I've been teaching him for 3 years but he needed some motivation I guess. Thanks Colin & Kaya!

Of course, I hurt. All over!

But my congested lungs got a work out & I spit out tons of mucus, so there's my silver lining?

The video is of the chalk drawings that Kaya suggested to me & I tried my best. Enjoy!

Another Video for Her Mom!

The rain kept us indoors today.

While playing with Play-Doh, the little girl began singing a song by Katy Perry.

She must hear it a lot when with her mom, because at my age,

I don't listen to acts like Katy Perry!

She re-enacted her version of the song after I turned on my camera.

Enjoy!

For Her Mom, mostly.

So, today was in the 60s, very cloudy and both boys were in school.

What was a 4 1/2 girl to do to occupy herself?

Watch the video!

She got over her fears, hopped on her 2 wheel bike (with training wheels) and taught herself how to use the thing!

Go Kaya!

Fresh Air!

Well, sort of.

I opened many of our windows today!

Gracie & Zee LOVED it!

They want to be outside but I don't want outdoor cats, so I'll put up with their crying.

They stop, eventually.

But all that mold & pollen that is blowing in the wind is really affecting me this year,

more so than any other year, I think.

I sound like a smoker when I cough, my eyes are itchy, my nose is stuffy & runny. Ugh.

The wind does feel good though.

It's dark now, so I better shut them.

I have to bring in my Evergreen gardenia plant. She got her first breath of fresh air today too!

So, wondering, are my daughters out there in cyberspace? It's been a while since I've heard from either of you. Hmmm? Where are they?

Leftovers!

Well, that didn't last very long!

I rolled several very large snowballs on Friday. Today is Wednesday.

This is all that remains of my efforts.

The grass is greening up too. At least it is @ the kids house.

Robins are... the First Sign of Spring?

April 1, 2011.

Six more inches of fresh snow greeted everyone in New England, including the robins!

They found it pretty tough looking for breakfast.

By the time I snapped a decent photo, most of the robins that had landed in the front lawn had flown away. I was able to get some of them.

This was perfect snowball making snow! I rolled about 6 HUGE snowballs leaving the grass on the lawn exposed.

The robins were grateful.

Happy April Fools Day!

Can I Come Home With You?

I just completed a five day/four night adventure with the little ones while their mom & dad went to the Red Sox vs. Rangers series in Arlington, TX. Not only did I care for the kids, but I guess the cats thought I did good job caring for them too. Lightning wants me to pack her up to come home with me! Long work week, but kids were well behaved. Thank goodness for Xbox & DS when I ran out of ideas to keep them occupied!