I’m not sure if my decision to come home and put on pajama bottoms is pathetic or just practical.

Almost back to normal

Thankfully, break is almost over and Julia will be heading back to school tomorrow.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back into the gym after a couple of weeks off. I can’t wait to get back to our routine.  Although, on Wednesday, Jude starts preschool…3 afternoons/week.  It will take a little getting used to the new schedule, but I’m sure we’ll manage.  I’m not sure how Ruby’s naps are going to work into it, but hopefully it won’t take too long for her to adapt. 

Oh, here are the answers to the Pop Quiz

1.C, 2. C, 3. E, 4. A, 5. D, 6. E

Welcome, 2011!

Well, I just got used to writing 2010 on my checks, and now it’s 2011 already.
I still have a few Christmas Cards to send out because I had to re-order.  Apparently we have more friends than I thought.
In the mean time…..
 
2010 Spann Family Pop Quiz
1. This summer, Julia was on swim team at the Lincoln Racquet Club. Her favorite event was:
a. The Freestyle
b. The Butterfly
c. The Backstroke
d. The Concession Stand
2. In February, Jude broke his ________ for the second time in less than a year.
a. nose
b. tooth
c. arm
d. all of the above
3. In June, we adopted a new dog. He is:
a. named Reggie Ndamukong Spann
b. 81 pounds
c. a St. Bernard/Boxer mix
d. 100% lovable
e. all of the above
4. Ruby learned to ____________ in November.
a. walk
b. talk
c. do long division
d. spell Ndamukong
5. Ruby has several commonly used nicknames. The top three are:
a. Lovey, Pooky, and Schmoopy
b. Sweet pea, Muffin, and Cutie Pie
c. Pokey, Turkey, and Boo Boo
d. Destructo, Roo, and Monkey
6. This Christmas, the Spann family wants to wish you _______________.
a. Love
b. Peace
c. Merry Christmas
d. Happy New Year
e. all of the above
We’ve had a wonderful, busy year. We are so grateful for our many blessings. Have a very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year!
Merry Christmas, with all our love,
Bryce, Nicole, Julia,
Jude, and Ruby Spann(and Reggie too)

December 17, 2010

Fa la la la la la la la la

11/30/2010

I think it snowed last night.  This is the only thing of interest I have to report this morning.

Long time..

Wow - I guess I've been more neglectful than I realized.  

School is nearly out here and Julia is anxious for her summer to begin.  Jude talks a mile a minute now and repeats EVERYTHING I say, so I have to be really careful these days.  I haven't undertaken any major projects lately, unless you count installing a clothes line in the back yard and a little bit of gardening.

I don't suppose I'll be doing too many major projects for a while, since I'm pregnant with our 3rd baby, due around Thanksgiving.  I spent most of the first trimester feeling crummy but I feel like I've turned the corner and seem to be feeling pretty decent most of the time now.  My energy seems to be returning as well, though my stamina while running pathetic and I'm not really looking for that to return until after the baby is born.  I'm not even sure how much longer I'll be able to keep running, but I'm going to keep up with it as long as I can.

I'd planned on writing a bit more, but I hear Jude on the monitor - apparently a nap doesn't fit in with his afternoon plans today.   Should make for a fun evening!

Interesting weekend

Friday morning, while climbing on a little plastic climbing toy at the gym, Jude fell about 18 inches and wound up breaking his arm. I knew it wasn't good when I got there and he had been crying hysterically for 10 minutes while the staff was searching all over the gym for me. I got him wrapped up and buckled him into the carseat as best as I could without moving his arm and took him to the E.R. Poor kid couldn't stop crying and kept saying "go home".

He actually did very well in the E.R. considering the fact that he's deathly afraid of anyone wearing scrubs, and anything that remotely resembles a doctor's office. X-rays weren't fun, nor was the shot of morphine, or getting his arm in the splint. He's still in some pain, but has some good medicine for that and wants get down and play when the medicine kicks in. I think in Jude's case, a little pain might be necessary to keep him slowed down a little. If he has no pain - he goes full throttle...which is scary since he doesn't have a cast yet. We go to the doctor tomorrow and we'll see what happens from there. Right now he just has a splint and a sling, both of which he is tolerating amazingly well.

Will post photos soon.

Yes, I'm still alive

I've had a few comments about the fact that I haven't posted recently. Honestly, I just haven't had all that much to say lately.

I still don't have that much to say, but I thought I would share my new favorite running songs for the treadmill. 1. Viva la Vida - Coldplay 2. Paper Planes - M.I.A and 3. Jai Ho - A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack). Good stuff.

I found the floor

While Jude was napping this afternoon, I started in on cleaning up our storage room. It had gotten so horrible since October or so. It reminded me of Monica's secret closet on Friends - the secret room that no one could see because it was so filled with crap. I literally could not walk through it without dodging one thing or another. I had limited time, so there is much left to do, but it felt good to get started.

We're all fighting colds again. I swear, it's just impossible to stay healthy this time of year.

The thermometer dropped again, and is supposed to stay really cold for the next couple of days. Bitterly cold doesn't begin to describe it. Sounds like it's that way over much of the country, and even our friends in the deep South are going to see some pretty chilly temps. How long until Spring? I can hardly wait.

Happy New Year

Albeit a little late, Happy New Year! I've been finding plenty to keep me busy this first part of 2009, much of which has to do with the fact that I'm procrastinating. I have yet to take down the blasted Christmas tree. I absolutely loath that job. I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to make myself start. Perhaps admitting it is the first step.

I've decided that my project over the next 6 weeks or so (you know how I love projects) is going to be ME. In October I finally started getting back to the gym and I'm finally back to the point where I can say it is now in the routine again. And while I've been hitting the gym every weekday, I admit, I've been half-assing it a little bit - at least I was. This week (maybe it's 2009 - the year for Change, right?) I've been more focused and pushing myself a little harder. I've also decided (I can't believe I'm writing this) that I'm going to lose 9 pounds. I've been wanting to lose 5 lbs. for about 5 years, and over the holidays, I put on 4 lbs. so I had to add that to the equation. I can't do a crash diet, because I have no power over hunger. I have to eat, so I'm trying to be sensible about this. If you read nothing more on this topic from me, you can assume that I've failed miserably. The odds are against me since I've never once in my life met one of my "weight-loss goals".

Oh baby, it's cold outside

The first day of winter. There is snow and ice on the ground. We woke up to -2 degree temperatures, and are expecting a high of 3 degrees today...and winter has just begun.

Yesterday I spent much of the day baking and will do the same today. I made 6 dozen dinner rolls - some for Christmas dinner, and some to take with us to Ainsworth for the next Christmas dinner. I made Kringla dough yesterday and will bake them today, and may end up making another batch. I have candy to finish up and am considering making my cinnamon rolls for Christmas Eve ahead of time. It's a good day to have the oven going, and as long as I'm making the mess, I might as well just make the mess.

There is still laundry to be done and cleaning to do before company gets here, but considering that most of our company will be family, I figure they've seen it in worse condition, so what doesn't get done, just won't get done. I just hope that everyone is able to get here safely...actually, I just hope they are able to GET HERE. Bret is flying in Tuesday night, and Lyuba will follow on Christmas Day. I don't envy them having to fly this time of year.

Julia is already complaining about being bored. It's a little after 8 a.m. It could be a long day. I convinced her to clean up the playroom with the understanding that we can decorate in there with Christmas lights once it's all cleaned up. She might be cleaning for a while - it's a disaster down there. Maybe I'll post pictures when we get the lights hung.

Not Martha

Saturday's "goodie" making was a bit of a bust. While the pecans turned out beautifully - Oh my gosh, they're so good - I had a chex mix incident. I've always made my chex mix in the oven, and it's always turned out well. But this time, I decided to use the directions on the box and make it in the microwave. Long story short, I burned it badly, and ended up throwing the whole batch out and smelling up the entire house. I felt like a complete failure, partly because of the chex mix, and partly because of the boxed brownie mix I made the night before that didn't set up and I still can't figure out why.

On an up-note, the weather on Saturday was fabulous...53 and sunny. Bryce hung the Christmas lights on the house.

Sunday, we spent the day at church. Jude finally was sent to the nursery. He was happier, and we were definitely happier. In the afternoon, Julia had her Sunday School Christmas Program. She sang all 5 songs (or lip-synched) beautifully, and afterwards there were crafts and waffles. It was a very full day.

Today again was painfully cold. I think it reached almost 10 degrees, but the windchill this morning was well below zero. Jude and I considered skipping the gym, fearing the long walk through the parking lot, but we braved the cold. Remind me again why we live in Nebraska...

Oh, in case you were wondering what happend with the peanut butter crackers...Julia is finally finishing them right now. Better late than never.

Worth posting...

Tonight, one of my favorite holiday specials was on. The Special Christmas episode of COPS! The title...."Ho! Ho! Ho!" Awesome.

Fa la la la la

I'm spending the better portion of my day making Christmas goodies to share. In lieu of Christmas music, we are listening to Kanye West. After Christmas program practice, I just wasn't in the mood for more carols. Bryce and Julia decided to dip peanut butter crackers. Of course, they got half way through and both of them left, so I have a bowl of hardening chocolate almond bark and a plate stacked high with peanut butter crackers on the kitchen table. I'm not touching it.

My new favorite Christmas (or anytime) treats are Sugar and Spice pecans. I got the recipe from my friend Tina (trainer and health nut), so we know they are healthy. I made them for the first time a little bit ago and besides tasting wonderful, the house smells heavenly after roasting them. Personally, next time I make them, I will double the sugar, but they are very tasty just like this:

Sugar and Spice Pecans

4 tbsp sugar (divided)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne
2 egg whites
5 cups pecan halves

Heat oven to 375. In small bowl combine 2 tbsp sugar, salt and all spices. In medium bowl beat egg whites until frothy; add spice mixture. Stir in pecans and toss until coated add remaining sugar. Lightly coat 2 baking pans with nonstick cooking spray; spread nuts in single layer. Bake 10 min., stir and bake 10 min. more, or until golden.

I think this would work well with almonds also. I haven't tried it, so if you try it, let me know how it turns out.

Well, the red-head is up from his nap, so I should get going. I don't think I'll get Christmas cards out this year, so Merry Christmas!

I'm back

Happy post-Thanksgiving. Our house was full for Thanksgiving, which was wonderful. It was lots of work, and a very busy place, but it's always great to have family. For the most part, the guys stayed in the man-cave watching football, which I fully expected. Bryce had perma-grin all day.

Friday after Turkey Day, we went downtown with friends to watch the game at the N-Zone. Actually, Bryce went to the game with his dad and left me all alone with a bunch of crazy people :). Great day, but I just can't hang like I used to.

Saturday was lefse making day! I can't believe we didn't take a single picture!!!!! Mom & I had just gotten started when our friends Lisa and Lewie stopped in with some wine...and stayed for about 8 hours! It was a great day. We made loads of lefse - and I think they turned out really well. Of course I drank too much wine and I can't be sure. I guess we'll find out when we thaw them at Christmas!!!! Lisa even took a turn at rolling and turning a few. Julia is a very good lefse turner, but she makes me nervous around the griddle. She has no concept of just how hot it is. Her rolling needs some work. Her first lefse looked more like pita bread. She has plenty of time to learn.

In bigger and more exciting news - a switch flipped in Jude's head last night. As if magically, he started speaking in full sentences. It was the most bizarre thing...and sort of bittersweet. Keep in mind that it's not easy to understand everything he's saying, but it's obvious that he's now really TRYING to talk like us. He explained what was happening on each page of "5 little monkeys", pointed out what lots of things were in "Goodnight Moon" and when I put him to bed, he said "Will you lay down with me?" He had to say it three times before I understood what he was saying, but "I-oo-yay-don-et-mee?" definitely means "will you lay down with me?". Awesome.

Our snot cup runneth over

Well, with the exception of Bryce, we all have the crud. Jude's nose is like an endless stream of boogers. I don't have to wipe it that often, as he's taken to eating them. I'm feeling somewhat better after a couple of rough days, but Julia woke up with it this morning. She thought she was going to get out of going to school, but unless she has a fever or is really showing signs of not feeling well, she's going to school.

I finally got the TV and all of the components hooked up with the new HD box. Thankfully, the line at the cable co. was short and we got in and out of there fairly quickly. I was pleasantly surprised also that the 50" TV doesn't look entirely out of place in the basement. I was worried that it would look like a glossy mammoth down there, but it looks pretty decent. Bryce didn't know when he bought it that the only thing we'd ever get to see on it is "Wow Wow Wubzy", otherwise known as "baby crack" at our our house. Jude can't get enough. He doesn't know that all of the Wubzy shows I had recorded on DVR are gone now that I switched out the box, and doesn't understand why I can't play it for him whenever he wants. Of course that's the one show Noggin doesn't have On Demand. I got to watch The Young and The Restless today in HD...some of those people aren't nearly as goodlooking as I thought they were.

I've done rather well, but typing this with a 2 year old climbing on me is challenging, so I'll wrap up for now.

Yup, it's that time of year.

I woke up this morning with a cold...actually I felt it coming on yesterday, but after a fairly sleepless night with a dry scratchy throat, I know what's coming. The sneezing started this morning, and I can feel the symptoms gradually accumulating. Warm tea, and a fairly lazy day at home (I skipped the gym this morning) is my treatment plan for today. I suppose I should make a run later for some NyQuil...or wine.

I finally got Jude's new old dresser painted last week and moved into his room over the weekend. I spent a good portion of yesterday cleaning the drawers and lining them with the most adorable contact paper. It's got chickens and roosters all over it. I loved it so much I bought an extra roll and have started lining my kitchen shelves with it. I have to finish that up today. Jude's dresser is adorable but I'm still trying to figure out the arrangement in his room. It's a small room, and really a single bed would work better in there, but for now, he's going to have to settle for the double bed and a little less room.

Bryce is more than likely chomping at the bit to get home today...his new TV is being delivered this afternoon. Of course the stand I ordered for it isn't coming for a couple more days. It is what I consider ridiculously huge. 50" Plasma screen...I suppose that's the last I'll see of him until springtime.

I'm starting to get Turkey Day figured out and planning what to make, aside from the standards. Looking forward to a full house that day. Maybe I'll post a pic of my turkey to add some holiday ambience to the blog. I guess you'll have to wait and see.

Check!

One more thing checked off of my never-ending list of things to do. Bryce's favorite uncle gave this ugly old chair to Bryce for the kids shortly before he passed away. Because it's special to Bryce, I couldn't really toss it out because it was "sorry" looking. I finally got around to spiffing it up a little. Total cost...$5 for fabric and about 3 hours of work. Not too shabby - and I think the kids will like it.

Love this...

Maybe it's the leaves

I'm not sure what it is, it might be the leaves turning colors, but I have that shutter bug again. It's been a really long time since I've really had the urge to go out and do some shooting, but lately, I see beautiful photos everywhere I turn. Unfortunately, I never have a camera in hand to capture them. It's been a few years since I've taken anything other than snapshots, but I miss it. I really want to get a high quality digital camera so that I don't have to "guess" with my 30 year old camera. It still takes lovely photos, don't get me wrong, but if I screw up (which I do) and shoot a whole roll with the wrong f stop or film speed...or god forbid the film doesn't catch when I load it...then I kick myself.

Anyway - to remind myself of why I love photography, I gathered a handful of my favorite shots and put them on Picasa. I'd forgotten all about some of them. I love going back and looking at them. I think this link will work http://picasaweb.google.com/colespann1/MyFavoritePhotos#

It's just about dark...on Halloween

The sun is setting and it's just about time to go. Julia has been asking all day, "How long is it until we go trick-or-treating?" At least the weather is wonderful so we have a non-frigid night to go begging. Jude is with Meema and Bop for a few days, so Mom is dressing him as a cowboy tonight. Hopefully she'll put some pants on him.

Ode to a hedge apple

My hedge apples are starting to rot. The beautiful shade of green is changing to a sad yellowish color. I thought I'd have them longer, but it's time to say goodbye to them. Farewell my lovely hedge apples. I'll see you again next September.

I'm done...almost...I think.

I started out my day by doing a bit of light sanding on the countertops and then the final coat of Poly-enamel. I think they turned out pretty well for a first attempt. I didn't mention in yesterday's post that when I stopped at the paint counter yesterday to ask for advice (I'd been told never to go on Sunday, and I should have listened), I told them that I was painting my countertops. The kid, and yes I mean kid, interrupted me mid-sentence saying..."You can't paint countertops. Did someone tell you that you could do that?" I knew right there that they'd be of no help. Anyway, I DID paint my countertops. I'll let you know how they hold up. My hope is that I have nothing further to post regarding this project. Finally some actual before and after shots of the kitchen...drumroll please....

Ok...so this is a little crooked. I swear, I haven't been drinking, just hurried possibly.
If you're in the mood for a chuckle (completely unrelated), check out my sort-of-brother-in-law's blog. I find it's usually good for a laugh. www.gern-blanston.blogspot.com

I'm at it again

Well, a little over a week since we finished the cabinets and I'm at it again. Ever since the fresh cream colored paint went up, I couldn't stand to look at those ugly, 20-something year old countertops. They stuck out like a sore thumb for some reason. We plan to get new countertops in the near future, but not sure what we want, or when we'll do it, I decided to paint the countertops in the mean time. Nothing to lose really, but a few days and more of my already dwindling supply of "marbles".

Step 1 - sand...easy breezy. 80 grit sand paper roughed them up and took off the gloss well

Step 2 - Clean - vacuumed, then washed with TSP and rinsed. No problem.

Step 3 - Prime - I had tinted primer left over from the cabinets that basically matches the color of the cabinets. Cool.

Step 4 - now what? I had considered painting them the same color as the cabinets - in fact, that was my plan initially. However, when I got cross-eyed looks from Bryce when I mentioned it, I thought maybe I'd experiment a little before I got too far. I had some chocolate brown paint from the "accent" wall in the living room, so I thought I'd try a rag-rolling technique. It looked pretty cool, so I decided to go with it. The paint was drying way too fast though, so I decided to thin it out with a little water. BIG mistake. Here's why.

I spent a good part of the day trying to achieve the look I wanted, but it was getting globby and not looking great, so I abandoned the project and went to bed. This morning I made a pot of coffee and decided that I should sand any rough spots, which I did. Then I took a damp rag to it to wipe off the dust, so I could get back to it after church. Well, more than dust came off. The paint just wiped off, and globs rolled into tiny little mouse-turd like balls all over the countertops. I could have chanced it and hoped that the coat of poly-enamel at the end would seal it enough, but I decided I'd better just keep wiping and start over. Gigantic mess. ANYWAY - what I really needed (I think, I hope) was a glaze, which I knew from the get-go, but since I didn't have any on hand, and felt too lazy to go to the store and get some (I really knew better), I winged it. Not my best decision. However, not the end of the world. I'm part way through and it's looking pretty good. I found some more spots that needed re-priming, so I'm letting that dry before I get back to it. I hope the rest of the day goes as planned.

Time to breathe

It's been a little while since I last posted. It's been crazy around here, but I finally have a little quiet time since Jude is napping and Julia is at lunch with her uncle Bret and his girlfriend, Lyuba.

Clare arrived last Sunday afternoon to begin painting on the kitchen cabinets. For 2 1/2 days, we were like 2 tornadoes wielding paintbrushes. We hung the doors at around 9:30 Tuesday night and the results are amazing. I LOVE the way it turned out. Clean, fresh, and warm. We will hopefully replace the countertops this fall/winter.

Tuesday morning, Bryce's Grandma Gayle passed away, so amidst the mess of a dismantled kitchen, we had quite a bit to deal with. She was a wonderful woman, who always handled everything with dignity and class. She suffered so much toward the end, so we are happy that she is now at peace.

Friday evening my brother, Bret, and his girlfriend flew in from New York and are staying until tomorrow when they will head up to Mom and Dads for the rest of the week. They went to the Husker game (sad as it was) yesterday, and Bryce went downtown to watch it with friends. I worked on my latest garage sale acquisition - a new kitchen table, and enjoyed just being here at home with the kids. I watched part of the game, but frankly it was just too sad to watch, so I went to sleep shortly after half time.

The house is quiet and I should lay down and take a nap or something, but I'm looking at the light fixture over the kitchen table and thinking that I'm going to take it down and paint it black.

I know you've been chomping at the bit for pictures of the kitchen (HA!), so here you go...

Always wear eye-protection and a turtleneck when using power tools

A bit ago, while making a minor repair to a split in one of our cupboards, I had to drill a hole. I got out the handy Dremmel with a drill bit and started to drill a hole to add a supporting screw. Seconds into drilling, I felt a burning sensation...on my right nipple! A piece of really hot wood had flown out and down my shirt settling in at just the WRONG spot. YIKES!

I dare anyone to try and top that one!

Another great weekend

Could be the weather, but it's probably because the Huskers were off, but it was just a nice weekend. Friday was my birthday and Bryce did well making a nice steak on the grill and baking a chocolate cake with Julia. I had finished sanding my cabinet doors in the afternoon, so it was early to bed in my new jammies...a perfect end to the day.

Saturday, I did my weekly grocery shopping and actually got there early enough to miss the crowds, which also allowed me to get home and put everything away and head out to hit some garage sales. Some great finds, and it was a perfect fall morning. Saturday afternoon Anna, Denise and I met for early drinks and apps...Denise was unaware of the surprise birthday party waiting for her at home. Today was busy, but also really nice. Target had some cute dresses 75% off, and I snagged two that will work well into fall. Anyone who loves a deal can understand the joy of a $6 dress. I finally got that hydrangea planted today with Bryce's help, now I just have to try to keep the thing alive. I did more sanding on the cupboards - now is the messy part - inside the house. I got most of the upper bases done, and I plan to do some priming on it this week. The lower ones will have to wait since the doors and drawers will have to be removed again to do it. I'll do that just before Clare comes to paint. Feels good to make progress anyway. I just tucked Jude into bed after a little snuggy time...is there a better way to end the day?

28 down, 10 to go

In preparation for painting the kitchen cabinets, I have begun sanding. I have 17 doors and all 11 drawers done, and have 10 doors to go. I'm glad I started early since I would have hated to spend a day or two working on them when Clare is here. At least this way, we can concentrating on painting instead of prep work.

Aside from that, life is pretty easy breezy. I've been working on some "artwork" for the house. I'm too cheap to buy something, so I'm making my own. It won't make it to the Smithsonian, but I like it and I guess that's what counts. Not to mention the fact that since it's cheap to make, when I get tired of it, it's not a big deal if I feel like tossing it out.

I read a great article in Real Simple last night about finding real happiness. I tried to find it online, but no luck so far. If I do find it, I'll post a link. If not, it's worth checking out hard copy.

Who invented wallpaper anyway???

Did someone wake up one day and think it was a great idea to glue paper to their walls? Did they think they'd never tire of it or that the edges would never begin to peel? Someday the paper would need to be removed. I pondered that question for 12 hours while removing wallpaper from my kitchen. There was really only one wall papered - how big of a job could that be? I continued to ponder my initial question for 5 hours the next day while I was scrubbing the glue off of the walls, and then rinsing them off. I pondered some more while I spent the next 2 hours painting the walls with awful-smelling, eye-burning primer (ok, I'm exaggerating a little) just in case I didn't get ALL of the glue off. I finally got around to painting, and I'm still wondering - who in the hell thought it was a good idea to glue paper to walls?

You've gotta be kidding me

So Wednesday of this week, a repairman came back out and replaced the board in our refrigerator for the second time. The first board was apparently either the wrong part, or is a bad part that shouldn't have been installed in the first place. Well, this morning the fridge started making that annoying sound again...sort of like a kid who has pinned a baseball card to the spokes of his bicyicle. I'm starting to lose my patience and I'm ready to throw this damn thing to the curb.

Another sleepless night - I was up once with Jude for about an hour, then he was up at 5:00. I got him back to sleep around 5:45 and he slept until 7:30 or so. I however was up for the day. Oh, and yesterday my hopes for a good nap were dashed. Only about 45 minutes. I hope today is a better one.

Gettin' my poop in a group

It seems that sleeplessness is some sort of inspiration for me today. I'm working on my closet and getting all of my clothes put back in order - sorting, tossing, donating, and repurposing (cutting up for rags). The bedroom is still sort of a disaster from the process, but at least it's out in the open now where I have to do something about it. I also worked a bit on the storage room and I can successfully walk from the door to the back wall without tripping on anything...major accomplishment.

I'm surprised at my ambition today since as I mentioned briefly that it was a rather sleepless night. Jude was up for 2 hours with a slight temp for some reason and was up early this morning. He seems fine today and hopefully his nap will be a good one. Despite the ambition I've been feeling to get things squared around here today, my mind isn't working properly and it took me a good five minutes to come up with the word "ambition"...I'm blaming this on my lack of sleep.

I should also mention that I'm newly addicted to crack...not the chemical, but the gadget. Bryce (no longer needing it) gave me his Blackberry (CRACKberry) a few days ago and I haven't been able to put the damn thing down. I'm a gadget freak anyway, but I love figuring out what it can do, and getting all out if it that I can. Might as well, right? I spent a few days playing with it and getting nothing else accomplished, so maybe that's why today I've been so gung-ho on getting things done. Whatever the case, it feels good to make some headway.

On Monday, being a holiday, we started in on our kitchen project. Phase one is complete. With the help of Bryce's cousin Zach (OK, he did most of the work - ok ALL of the work) we have the wainscot up around the bar and on the endcaps. Despite being unpainted, it looks fantastic and now have a clear vision of what my new kitchen will look like. Next in line is to rip off the wallpaper and then paint. Then will come the labor intensive, time consuming, and most exciting part. Painting the cupboards. I can hardly contain my excitement.

Another lesson learned

Lesson 1:
Paintbrushes hanging in the garage, even the pricey ones, are fair game for 7 year olds painting bricks and rocks.

Lesson 2:
Bright pink acrylic paint, once dried, will not wash out of paint brushes, even the pricey ones.