technical difficulties

I'm still here...

we are experiencing major computer problems so until we get them resolved or get a new computer :( I'll have to take a blogging break...

Happy 4th of July

R.I.P. Michael Jackson (I am so sad about him)

the end of kindergarten

Umm, hello? Today is the last day of school for Zoe! Eeek! I cannot believe it. (Alright, so this picture is from the first day, I did take pictures this morning, they just haven't been loaded up yet...) Kindergarten is over. Wow, I know people say, "it seems like yesterday..." but I swear to you people, it seems like yesterday we were waiting for the school bus to come that first day, nervous tummies, giggles, and kisses goodbye. Zoe told me she was "glad and a little sad" that it was the last day. God love her, she is me after all. Now what am I going to do with three kids (four, if you count my hubby) all summer?! Help!

Another random fact: tomorrow is the anniversary of my first date with my husband. Is it weird that I still have the skirt I wore? Is it weird that I still wear it? (shoes and shirt are long gone) Surely something you wore nine years ago is not still in style...I think I need to go shopping for some new duds.

weighing in news

pounds lost last week: 3.4!
my total so far: 27
Holy cow! I was so excited at my meeting I actually "whooped and hollered." I didn't expect it to be that much, I was hoping for 1.5. I tried to think back to what might be the reason behind such a big number and besides walking the hills of my neighborhood, doing my Gilad hell-workouts that I DVR on Fit-tv, I have been watering all my flowers twice a day. I guess lugging all those gallons of water from the rain barrel all over our yard is helping me burn some extra calories. I don't care, I'll take it. Yeah me!

Just a side note: sure I am thrilled about my weight loss but my body is still not where I want it to be. Went to try on some clothes last week and it was not fun, kind of felt like those gals on "What not to wear" it was stressful. I had a limited amount of time and budget to shop and it was impossible to find anything that looked right. I guess it has been a long time since I bought clothes, none of the sizes made sense and the loose style that is "in" right now just makes me feel like I am still pregnant. Tried on bathing suits, I must have been feeling really brave, did not buy one, ugh! I'll try again later...

Angel

Yesterday my husband helped his seniors have a most special day, some the biggest day of their lives, graduation. He gave his awesome inspiring speech as always. This year it was a tear jerker for me because of this one little guy, Angel, pronounced "An-hel." Angel has been the kind of kid my husband (and and myself) won't ever forget. Standing only 4 feet tall or so and always with the biggest smile you've ever seen is perhaps the closest thing to a real angel I have ever encountered. Angel is from the Dominican Republic. He lives with an uncle in an apartment. He works at least 30 hours a week at Popeyes chicken to support himself, sending most of his money home to his family in Dominican Republic. He has excelled in honors classes and is like a celebrity at school. Everyone knows and adores him. He brings my husband fried chicken (his favorite food and I hate making it, reserving it for birthday treats only!) every week. He brings cakes, gifts, and treats to teachers and staff for their birthdays even doing this for my husband on his birthday, which fell on a snow day this year! Angel is quite but wise, he remarks on things that make him seem older than he is. He refers to my husband as "boss." You cannot help but love him. Paul brought him on stage (in front of 10,000 people) and presented him with a buckeye. He told him that his own father kept a buckeye on his desk as a symbol of where he had come from throughout his life. Paul hopes that Angel won't forget where he has come from or where he has been as he makes his way home to the D.R. He has not been granted a green card and he will have to go back home soon and we are so sad to see this sweet boy have to leave. All he wants is to go to school to learn how to be a chef. He wants to open his own restaurant. According to my hubby, Angel's empanadas are the most delicious things he has ever eaten. I will miss seeing this little guy and hearing about his latest good deed. I feel like one of my own children graduated yesterday. What a true angel. God bless you Angel.

ain't goin' down til the sun comes up

Being a mom of three takes "tired" to a whole new level. God was no dummy when he made babies all cute and squishy. It makes it easier to like them when they are waking you up all night long for months and months. (Coincidentally, toddlers/preschoolers/little kids in general are quite adorable... when they are sleeping, all angelic and peaceful...) I noticed I have a tiered tolerance level for waking up in the middle of the night that is reflected in my vocabulary, it progessively gets more and more vulgar, the more tired I am and the later in the evening (or earlier in the morning- depending on how you look at it) it gets...

first feeding: "shh, here I am sweetie" said in a nice tone
second feeding: "ugh, comin'" feelin' tired now
third feeding: "oh, Lordy" groaning as I speak
fourth feeding: "f---" mumbling and grumbling

Good thing my baby is such a cutie pie! I really can't get mad at him for waking me up so often. Now, should we talk about my hubby who "sleeps" through this whole process, oblivious to the whole thing?! Maybe some other time ;)

m&m's

They are freakin' tryin' to kill me... I just got a flyer from my grocery with one lonely coupon in it. It's a coupon to try a new m&ms flavor, strawberry peanut butter, I think. Ahhhhh!!! I mean, seriously, Mars candy, do you have to do that to me? It's not fair that everywhere I go, those yellow and brown bags of deliciousities (yeah, I did it again, makin' up words) are poised by the registers just waiting to be bought. Now you have to introduce a flavor that sounds awesome and send me a coupon to get them no less. I don't know if I can resist. "Urgh!" do you hear my frustration people?!

a dream come true

the first maple we got Paul (on the right) , probably worth well over $1000 now, the one on the middle pillar is the one we bought last year
those daylilies I got for free five years ago! I drove through a McDonalds that was redoing their landscaping and throwing them away, I said, throw them in my truck, I want them! The workers were glad to put them in my truck instead of the dumpster across the parking lot. They are gorgeous in bloom. I also got lots of hostas there.
a teeny maple, we tell the kids fairies live under there... I promise I carried all those pavers...

The history
Five years ago, when we moved into this house, we had no back yard. No grass, no landscaping, no nothing, just dirt and rocks. We moved here for the big yard. We had visions of badminton games, green grass under our toes and watching the sunset every night. We also had visions of a paver patio with a wall and pillars. Being the ever frugal people we are, we decided to DIY the patio. It took us about a month to do, each stone carried by yours truly, placed by my hubby. The digging and measuring alone took two weeks! Once it was complete, we decided we had to landscape it properly. We had another vision of a crimson lace leaf Japanese maple tree at each pillar (4 in all). These are specimen trees, slow growing, a collector's tree. They cost a ton. We couldn't get all four at once, did I mention at that time we were paying 2 mortgages, and we had no landscaping at all!!! Now five years later, our vision has come to life. Last year for Father's Day, I got Paul the last maple to complete the plan. Now they are in there full glory. It looks magnificent, if I do say so myself. It's hard to believe we did it and even harder to imagine that we'll be leaving our masterpiece if our house sells. We have been having a lot of dinners outside in our little bit of paradise, enjoying all that we'd hoped for five years ago.

a little niblet

Are you buying yummy fresh corn on the cobb right now? We love it at my house, eating it at least once a week all summer. I almost always buy too many ears and I just hate to throw away good food. I cut the corn off the cobb and freeze it in small baggies. These are perfect to throw in soups or casseroles during the winter(instead of buying the already frozen kind) and if you have several bags you can reheat them all with a little butter and voila, "fresh" corn all year. I feel so frugal doing this too, I just love saving a buck or two.