Happy Birthday to me!!

So, the ladies and I FINALLY found a weekend that the hubbies were home to watch the little ones so we could go out and have fun!! Pedicures and PF Chang's for Paula's birthday. Are we having a "p"theme?! So for Molly's "M" birthday...hmmm:) Here are some photos I stole from other blogs, because I forgot my camera next to the computer! I am waiting for Jenna's pictures and photos of our cute toes:)

Abra and Rich are working on the backyard. They work hard...

Then they play hard...

Then they are SUPER DIRTY

Psychedelic orange

It is official...We have a completely ORANGE ROOM!!! My goal this week is to take this psychedelic orange and change it to a classic Gobi Desert color

Andrew's birthday present

So I was wondering what to do for Rich's nephew's birthday. I thought about freezer stenciling t-shirts, but I don't have ANY materials for that. I thought about buying some clothes, but that is boring, then I thought about making something-a game!! Abra got an ABC game for her 3rd birthday that practices matching begining letter sounds with the corresponding letter. I didn't like it because it threw in blended sounds and that is too complicated for starting out. I decided to make a simple zoo one for Andrew. I have paper and wanted a project for my mod podge (basically fancy glue) and so I headed to Salvation Army and got a board game with pieces for $1 and mod podged over it what I wanted!!
The game board is two sided and the coins have actual pictures that I printed out! There is something funky going on with Blogger and my computer, so the pictures aren't arranged the best, but here is the final product!!

Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

It is spring break and a friend's daughter Gets to spend it recovering from having her tonsils and adnoids removed, and tubes put in her ears. So it is a restfull week for her and her sister, so her mom asked if she could hang out one day this week and RUN AROUND!!! So headed to the zoo with some friends! All the animals were out and enjoying the sunshine and LOTS OF PEOPLE!! You would have thought that it was discount Tuesday!

Let's learn to play ball

Okay, I am going to use the excuse "we haven't really had a yard" for not teaching Abra general ball skills. Since we have moved here, we practice kicking the rubber soccer ball and now, we have started practicing soft ball skills. She still has to wait another year or two before she can play tee-ball, but have been practicing and it has been fun!! After she got bored, Rich and I just tossed the ball around, I think that my dad's glove is near retirement, but it has gone through him, my mom, me and my brother!! It still works for what i need it for, but it would be super cool to be on a non-competetive league. Let's face it, I suck!

Pond

Rich and Abra decided that "Goldie the fish" needed some friends, so we went down to the pet store and got 35 fish for $5.

For a week following, Shia went swimming in the pond to play with her new friends. But Rich and Abra didn't feel that 32 fish (3 didn't make it) was enough, so on a trip to get more dog food, 36 more fish came home, 35 goldfish and 1 algea eater

Out of the mounths of kids...

Abra and I were at the park the other day and there were two sisters , 4 1/2 and 3, and they were all playing. All of a sudden, Abra blurts out " My mommy and daddy are working on a baby brother for me"! WHAT!?!?!?! I don't recall having this conversation per say with her, but she has much better ears then I am giving her credit for!

Firethorn bush

I have a "to do" list of things that need to be done before the Easter egg hunt in the backyard with friends, so I tried to tackle the dreaded vine-like grass that Shia uses as a potty spot, however, it is so overgrown, it is nearly impossible to clean-up. Right next to this grass is a dreaded firethorn bush. This bush has little thorns that are very difficult to get out of your skin. While I was wacking away at the grass with the weedwacker (just to break-up the grass and vines) this stupid bush kept grabbing me!!! So I put the weed wacker down and got out the hedger and lopers and a few hours later-ALL GONE!!! Sadly, I was so mad that I accidentally sliced through the extension cord (luckily there are LOTS of safety features curtisy of other idots who have gotten the shock of their lives!!) and I wasn't hurt, just embaressed! So, there is still more grass to be wacked, but the bush is gone!!! One step closer to being ready for easter!!!

The before as a reminder

The after!!!! I think that I am done ripping out until after easter. I just need things cleaned up a bit

something skunky

You know how there are neighborhood birds, or neighborhood cats, well, we have a neighborhood skunk!! Rich was up getting ready for work yesterday, he was letting Shia out to do her morning potty and general sniff around, when a big, fat skunk appeared from behind the tree!! Needless to say, Rich got Shia in before she became an outdoor dog-and yes, she would NOT be allowed into my house until the stench was gone!! By the time Rich got back with the bow-to not bring attention to himself-it was gone. This morning he got up at 6 to sit in the fort/hunting blind and waited to see if it would be around, but this morning, our neighbor smelt it in front of his house. The game is on!!!