Almost Done

Thru the years I have learned never to expect things to get done completely around here. There is always things left undone after the big push to get ready for events. Rick worked thru the night a couple of times (which he wouldn't have had to do if he took a few hours off of work) and now he is in complete shutdown mode for a while. EVERY day I ask him if he will please rehook the DVD and the Tivo and I get an OK as he sits in front tof the computer playing free cell and watching Holmes on Homes for hours. I wish I was able to do it because he really did work very hard, but please just spend another couple of hours and things completely done. I hope by next weekend he will be totally rested and he can tack the baseboards on for good, they are leaning against the wall in spots, and he wants to get the spots he missed when they painted. Everything looks so good and I am so happy to have a decent looking house and furniture that didn't look like it came out of a dumpster. I have to find a real good duster type thing for the floors, I can't seem to get the right one. Well, the next big event is a shower for Christianne and Oliver. What projects can we get done for that??????? In the meantime, I can get back to my sewing. I have stacks of material and a list of blankets I want to make. I even get to make the bedspread for Aidens new big boy bed, I am so excited!!!!

The Day After

Yesterday was a great day. Although it started out a little rough, it ended nicely. We had the usual griping as the last minute cleaning was going on, but I ignore it. The only thing that didn't go as I planned was the egg hunt. The guy across the street just couldn't get the concept of an organized egg hunt. I know it is all me, but I always want to know who is "hunting" because I have this thing about fairness with kids. I don't have the eggs just tossed out on the lawn and then let it be a free-for-all. No matter how many kids there are there is 12 for each of them. I mainly have prizes and put pieces of paper in the eggs with the prize written on it. My friends have helped by picking up small things for the hunt for me all year long, so I am able to do this. Well, Richard, his American name he his Chinese, told me that they may not make it. OK, the invite says egg hunt at 4, but we waited for kids that I knew were coming but still weren't there. At the time of the hunt, I had told the kids that they could "find" 19 each because the kids from across the street weren't coming. The 4 and older go in the front yard and the under 4 have their egg hunt in the back. Well, when the hunt started in the front, Richards kids plus a cousin came racing across the street and not only preceded to grab eggs in the front, but then came into the back and were grabbing them there. All the while Richard is filming the whole thing with a huge smile on his face. I kept trying to explain to him how it was supposed to be, but he just didn't get it. Next year I know to call him ahead of the hunt. He is a very nice guy and he would be totally embaressed if he ever got it. Aiden was adorable, he made me a heart with a N in the middle of it for "Nana". I will treasure it forever. The annual knock-out game came to a screeching halt when he wanted to play with Uncle E on the court and nobody cared, it was too much fun just watching him. Those big guys sure do cheat at knock-out. It is fun to watch. Now, I have to clean again and I am looking forward to friends coming back over tonight for leftovers. I hope there is some left so that I can make my version of flautas for my boys. By Wednesday, I will have all of the new furniture that Rick bought, I am so happy!! It finally is starting look like a house that someone lives in.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

CRAP Just as I thought it was going sooooo smooth, BAM it happens again. OK, the floor went in yesterday and it is beautiful, I love it. Javier and his crew didn't get here until 11:30 and it was an ordeal that lasted until 8:30 last night. SO, then Rick tells me that nothing can go back into the house because he wants to put in new baseboards, but he isn't going to take the day off to do this. Now, it is going to be crunch and rush on Saturday so that it will be put back together for Easter. I was really hoping to have the time to do things at a steady pace and not have to kill myself getting it done. So, I am sitting here waiting for the sun to come up and then I am going to go in and ask Rick to get up and got get the dang baseboards so that MAYBE we can get them painted and ready to go in. The floor guy told Rick when he left that he could put the baseboards in for him, we just need to go get them!!! I HATE waiting until the last minute to get things done. I even missed Lost last night, a pure crime!! NO, I didn't TIVO it because the TIVO and TV are sitting on my island, they can't go back in until the baseboards are done. There is a long list of things that have to get done, any volunteers????? Kidding I have the meat ordered and a hair appointment for Saturday, so at least what hair I haven't torn out will be done for Sunday. We, whoever we may be. will be cooking the meat while getting everything else done, at least that is the plan for now. By next week this will all be a happy memory. HA HA

Almost Done

Well, it is early Thursday morning and Rick and Erik just went to bed after a marathon night of painting. I LOVE the color, and now my work is beginning. Jamie, Erik's girlfriend, bless her heart, was here painting right along side them. I was the lazy bitch, I don't paint. As Angela once put it, someone has to be hospitality and clean-up!! Myself and the kids are in the back room waiting for the floor guys to get here. Now that there is going to be new floors and the walls are all painted, I really don't want to put the old furniture back in. On another note, Ricks company "last hurrah" dinner was this last weekend. They sold out and this was a dinner to thank all the employees for sticking with them. They were profitable and the good thing is that all of the employess are still working there. No one lost out on this deal. Long story as to why. The one funny thing that happened there was that when we were gathering with just the partners and wives, I had to laugh. 12 years ago we were all non-stop energy, throwing down drinks and talking about all the fun things, ie water skiing, etc. we do. Well, there wasn't one of us that wasn't recovering from one sort of surgery or another, mostly part replacements or reconstruction. I was telling them that when I was in my 30's my motto was "LIVE HARD, DIE YOUNG AND HAVE A GOOD LOOKING CORPSE" that isn't funny anymore!!!! Well, I hear someone at my new front door, gotta go. Please come by and see all the work, all 8 of you that read this.

We Got The Gig!!!

Myself, Jamie B and Jamie C (who will be a Jamie B someday) got the OK to have the wedding shower for Christiannne and Oliver for the Bengard tribe. SO EXCITED!! The Jamies and I are already going over ideas for a theme and what we are going to do, etc. This is going to be a one of a kind shower for a one of a kind couple. I do not want to leak (hint) any ideas yet, but it won't be your grandma's shower. Of course, it will be catered by Chronic Taco and will be in September. I just have to wait until the Azusa Pacific football schedule comes out as Travis is not only a Bengard, but also a bridesman for Christianne. We are SOOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to this. I just hope that Jamie is out of time out, Aiden put her in time out yesterday and you can read about it in his site babysites.com/sites/aidenbengard. More news later!!!!

Dog Tag

Just a quick note, this is so funny, well at least to me it is. Tyler's dog, Payton, LOVES the kids. The favorite sport right now is Dog Tag. They tell Payton, "come get us" and they run all over the yard with her barking and running after them. They think they are outrunning her, but she lets them. If she wanted to she could overpower them in a heartbeat, but she doesn't. This is so great. She stays a foot away from them and they do this for a long time. Great excercize for both Payton and the kids. It makes me tired just to watch.

My New Toy

I recently bought a hair straightener from Avon and I love it. For most of my life, I have wanted to be thin and have straight blonde hair. Basically mission impossible. Well, I buy my blonde and with the straightener, I can now make it straight or at least straighter. Thin, will never happen. I have had Orphan Annie hair all my life and I hate it. I did screw up though last week and trimmed the top of my hair while it was in straight mode. If it gets humid anytime soon, I will look like Julius Ceaser, not a pretty picture. I got to see Aiden Sunday, man that little guy is too cute. I bought him a tee shirt that says, "2 Cute for time out". He was so funny, he tipped over Jamie's glass of water and when the waitress came by he told her that "My mommy needs water" like he had nothing to do with it. He makes me laugh so much at the things he does. I hope to see him again soon. Alex and Jamie's Chronic Taco will be done soon, I am looking forward to them getting the meat for Easter, most likely not until next year, the building won't be done until after Easter this year. The chicken and the beef from Chronic is really good and after everybody has a taste, they will want them to cater parties. It will also save us TONS of time. We usually buy 75 pounds of meat to cook. Well, Alex will be 29 next week. Pretty soon we will be the same age.