31 May 2009

busy bee

I have been busy lately. So my blog has been sadly neglected.

We are still trying to finish painting the entire exterior of the house. So whenever it isn't too hot we are outside painting. And I am painting the ceiling in the family room. Which was a nasty stained brownish color. Blech. And I suddenly decided to paint a Finding Nemo mural in Lion's room so there is that project as well. I think all of my shirts are paint-spattered. And my jeans. And my hands. And my face. Sigh.

I could have blogged last night. Jonathan and I sat down to rest (he has been landscaping and working in the yard while I paint indoors) and put up our feet. But we had just gotten "North and South" from Netflix so we spent the evening watching that. I cannot believe I watched it more than once as a kid. The script is just so bad. We just kept looking at each other and giggling.

20 May 2009

end of an era

Today is Blue's last day of preschool. I cannot believe how quickly the years are slipping past. I know every parent says that but it is just so true.

I was cleaning out the Pilot before picking my mom and Jonathan up from the airport and I took the stroller out of the back and stuck it in the basement. And I realized I cannot even remember the last time we used it. It is funny how these lesser milestones pass by unnoticed.

This fall Blue starts kindergarten. And the Lion will start preschool if I can only get that kid to stop pooping in his pants and start using his freakin' potty...

Anyway, here are some photos of Blue at preschool this year:

15 May 2009

conversations on calves and cowgirls

I have been keeping busy since my mom left on Monday. Painting the siding and trim. Luckily the weather has been gorgeous so I have been able to get most of the front done. Well, so far the ground floor anyway. I am not looking forward to climbing out the windows upstairs and painting while perched on the roof...

It was wonderful having my mother here. And the kids really miss her. The first day Blue was very moody and weepy and the Lion kept saying, "I miss Grandma." I sat down on the kitchen floor with them and held them both on my lap. "I miss her, too."

"You do?" Blue asked.

"I do," I told her. "Grandma is my mommy."

Blue is very interested in how everyone in our family is related. And most of the time I think she gets it. But then every now and then it is back to square one when she asks me a question like: "Is Daddy your daddy?"

She asked me that in the car the other day on the way to preschool. We have some great conversations in the car on the way to preschool. It is a good half-hour drive out into the country and we see lots of horses and sometimes a train and always some gorgeous views of the foothills and the huge Colorado sky. A few weeks ago we saw several foals along with all of the usual horses.

"Look, guys, look!" I pointed. "Baby horses!"

They looked and we all admired the baby horses. "A baby horse is called a foal," I told them.

Which prompted the usual questions and answers: What is a baby cow called? A baby cow is a calf. What is a baby dog called? A baby dog is a puppy. And so on until the Lion asked"What is a baby elk called?"

I had no idea. I never saw an elk before moving to Colorado. Not a lot of elk in Virginia. We had to ask the director of the preschool. FYI a baby elk is called a calf.

Blue only has one more week of preschool before she graduates. I'm sad about that because she has loved her school, with all of the farm animals and pony rides. And because (after the Blue/Blew incident was finally resolved) I really like her teachers. They are great ladies. And their love for the children really shows.

At the end of class, as parents arrive to pick up their children, each child stands up to give the teacher a hug and they answer an Interview Question. Pretending to speak into a microphone, the teacher will ask Blue something along the lines of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" First she wanted to be a doctor and Jonathan and I were all like "Awesome!" but now she has decided she wants to be a cowgirl. Yeah. Not a lot of cowgirls in Virginia, either.

04 May 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of my mom being here, here is her list of six hot hot hotties:

1. Gale Harold

2. Ricky Martin

3. Chico from Divine Design

4. Jordan Knight

5. Barry Gibb

6. Adrian Grenier
Align Center

sex, I mean, six!

The list of six this week is six hot hot hotties. In honor of my swooning over Lee Pace last week. Who is not on this list because that would be redundant. So without further ado

Six Hot Hot Hotties!

1. Javier Bardem/Jeffrey Dean Morgan



I list them together because they could be twins. And I heart them both.

2. Desmond from Lost
He looks a bit like Barry Gibb. My mother would approve.

3. Robert Downey, Jr.
What can I say? He's got them bad eyes, like a gypsy.

4. Flight of the Conchords
I think they are both supercute. Although, I think I secretly prefer Jemaine. Maybe because he's taller and I am biased. But also maybe because of his big juicy lips and his big goofy head. Who cares?

I am noticing that all of these guys are a little dark and scruffy. Hmmm...

5. Jake Gyllenhaal
There. He is squeaky clean-cut.

6. Kal Penn
He's also all political now (Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison) so I like him even more.

02 May 2009

supersonic girly noises!

In less than three hours (I hope) I will see my boy's smiley face again! And my mom, too, because they are coming here on the same flight! I can't wait!