Gangsta!

Help me! I'm being held up by a 40 inch, 36 lb. gangsta!

Apparently, he's not a gangster, he's a spy. What do I know? I'm just a girl.

It Is Just So Exciting Around Here

Over Spring Break, I did some reorganizing of stuff. One of the things I did was move my fabric. I had all of it in three soft boxes. They lived next to my side of the bed. I couldn't get to the fabric very easily, unless I wanted to dig it out. I decided to clean out my laundry room closets, and store my fabric there. I think I mentioned in a previous post, that first I had to clean out all of the boys' play-doh and art supplies. I then had to get rid of that very distinctive play-doh smell. I sprayed some Betsey Johnson perfume inside, and left the doors open. Good news! The smell is gone! My fabric fits! Room to spare!

Here's the empty cabinet-can you smell the play-doh? Strong huh?

Ta da! Here's my material, neatly put away inside. I think I could open a fabric store. Why is it, with all of that fabric, that I don't have the color I am looking for? The space at the bottom is for my extra sewing machine. I haven't traded her out yet. The new one is still in the box. I really need to get it out and play with it.

Word of the Day: 3 + 2 = 7 (I realize that's not a word). I really can't talk about these tests I have to give to my students. I will say this though...that problem up there. It gives me a headache every time. The equal is not in the test. In its place is a box. The students have to choose a symbol to make the sentence true: =, +, >, < .  Many pick =. I watch in horror as they do, powerless to do anything about it. When they leave the classroom, I bang my head against the wall. 

Monday Night Baseball and Operation Gift Card Challenge!

Baseball is our life right now. It will be winding down pretty soon, but it's really been a great season! Great group of parents-tons of fun! Since Quinn has been sick, he's missed the last two games. It was back to business tonight though.

Quinn, on 3rd base. There's always time to pose, when you are a Lugnut! I mean that in the most loving way.

See these? Proof that a generic everyday gift card does exist! See "Word of the Day", below for the story behind these two lovelies! If you follow me on Facebook, or Twitter, sorry for the repetition. I said, sorry for the repetition.

Look at the Martha Stewart loveliness! I got this tonight, at Michael's. I had to go to get some-well, never mind what I had to get, you just can't know what I bought at Michael's tonight, not yet anyway. Mother's Day is coming! Anyway, I just liked this punch. I don't have any plans yet. It's just cute. Isn't it cute? 

Word of the Day: Gift Card (I know that's two). If you rammed it together, it could be one word...giftcard. I don't know. It doesn't look right. Anyway...There's a family at our school who lost everything, including their house, in a fire. It looks like it may have been arson. The staff at my school got together and contributed money, as well as other donations, to help the family. We raised a considerable amount of money. I went to Walmart today, to purchase a gift card for them, with the donation money. I had also planned on getting a Target gift card as well. I searched all over the Walmart store for a generic looking gift card. All I could find were "Congratulations!" "Happy Father's Day!" "Happy Birthday!" baby cards, wedding cards, graduation cards, reloadable cards. These choices seemed somewhat inappropriate-congratulations, your house burned down??? I don't think so. I searched several of their gift card areas near the registers. No generic cards. I finally picked up a reloadable one-for parents to reload for their kids (like in college etc.), and stood in line. It was a HUGE line (of course), and I was getting impatient (surprised?), and I had time to think. The more I thought about what the reloadable card might imply to this family, the more I thought it wasn't the message I wanted to send. I just wanted a basic gift card. It really made me mad that there wasn't a basic card to choose from. Not everything in life is all peachy-keen. Sometimes you just need a basic gift card, that speaks for itself. No celebration. I left, cursing Walmart as I went out the door. I went to Target-key the aha church music. I walked in the door, went straight to the register, and found two generic, everyday gift cards. Sold! Stupid Walmart. I then went home and sent them hate mail-they should respond in 24 hours. I will follow up tonight, by sending Target love mail. 

Here's Just one More

Look at how cute this is. Quinn sitting with Owen, curled up on his lap, sleeping. 

Sunday Stuff

It's been a super lazy day. We had plans to go out this afternoon, but none of us felt like leaving the house, so we didn't. Riley got back from his scout camping trip around 11 am. He had a really good time. Apparently, they shot rifles, and he earned a patch in pocket knifing (is that a verb?). I guess he just had to demonstrate that he could use a pocket knife safely, and since he did not cut himself, or anyone else, he passed. He also sawed through wood. Sounds like a manly weekend. They got rained on, a lot, but he had a good time. Did not change his underwear or shirt the entire weekend, and didn't brush his teeth. His reason behind the lack of teeth brushing was simple, "there wasn't a sink." "I didn't want to spit on the plants." How caring. What about the underwear and shirt? I didn't ask. Some things are better left unsaid.

I made all four passport covers. They didn't take very long. I changed some of the measurements from the tutorial, because the measurements given, would have made the holders too small. We are all set for our Alaska cruise this summer!

A work in progress. That's all I can say right now.

This is what Riley did a lot of today. I think he's pretty tired. He did play Wii, and rode his bike outside, but ultimately, he was all about the couch today. 

Here's Quinn, the candy master, at a Pump it Up birthday party, last night. He had a great time, but who doesn't enjoy a Pump it Up party? 

Word for the Day: Reunion. It was nice to get Riley back today, and have all four of us back in the house. Quinn does not like it when Riley is gone-he's another appendage to Riley. It's really very cute. I'm sure it's annoying as hell for Riley, but I love it. I love that Quinn would rather be with Riley, than without him. I love that he asks a jillion times when Riley's coming home. He loves his big brother. Riley is learning to be a lot more patient with him as well. Just like Martha says, "it's a good thing."

Just a Rainy Saturday, or So We Thought

Well, it rained a whole bunch last night. Riley and the scouts did not come back. They must have toughed it out. It was raining this morning, a lot. We decided not to send Quinn to his game, and then it didn't rain. Oh well. He had a headache anyway, and he still has no appetite-or rather less of one, than he usually has. 

See how ugly it is outside? It's MAY people! Where is the Spring weather?

The cats are tired of the rain too. Here's the old man, Salem. Look how brown he is. He used to be solid black. I guess the sun is doing that to his fur. He sure looks mangy. He doesn't groom himself anymore.

Matilda, being pathetically cute. She was in the front yard when I came home from Macy's, meowing pathetically. I let her in, but she only wanted to go through the house, to the backyard. Really, I think she wanted me to feed her. It's too early.

I am working on passport covers. Mine is the one with the cupcakes. Riley gets the red/skulls, Kevin's is green/black & white, and Quinn gets the fire/black & white dotted fabric. I am using THIS TUTORIAL. It's really easy.

Word for the Day: Out. I am going with my mom tonight to see A Chorus Line. It's playing at a community theater in Livermore. I like that musical. I like the music. "One, singular sensation, every little step she takes...." Oh and I am a lot less annoyed today. In fact, the lady at Macy's (they have redeemed themselves from yesterday, when they put a cute top in their mailer, that WASN'T in their store-grrrr), gave me the Friends and Family discount, even though I didn't have the flier. Nice huh? I thought so! I bought two cute tops-to make up for not being able to get the one I really want, which was the one in the mailer.

Sick Day, or Not So Much

Quinn stayed home from school again today. I stayed with him. He was going nuts. He felt much better today, more like himself. He kept asking where Riley was, and when he was coming home. Then he would ask what day it was, and was it May 1st? I finally decided we needed to leave the house. We went to Jo-Ann's for interfacing and more button cover kits, and after that, we went to Toys R Us. Oh how I hate Toys R Us. Their customer service sucks. I only go in extreme cases. I signed up for their free reward card program today, but had to manually put my email into their keypad. The keypad was all screwed up, so I would put in a letter and it would put the wrong one, or it made everything a capital. There was a lady behind me. I felt pressure-didn't want to keep her waiting (foreshadowing). I finally gave up on the damn thing. Complained loudly to the clerk and manager. Was met with blank stares. She says to me, "oh well if you don't give your email, you won't get the special coupons." I told her (again) that I was TRYING but their keypad was all...messed up (couldn't use the word I wanted to, as Quinn was there). Another blank stare. I took my stuff and we left. I hate that place. Anyway, it was kind of a busy today. Several things going on.

Here's Riley with his camping gear. He is camping with the Boy Scouts this weekend, yes in the rain. He was very excited to go. It was weird for me to drop him off, knowing I won't even talk to him until Sunday. It's great for his independence. Boy Scouts is excellent for building those skills, as well as leadership skills. It was still weird just leaving him there. He was happy, and didn't seem to care (or notice) that I had gone. The guys were there, so he was set. I am taking bets on whether or not he changes his socks or underwear all weekend. I don't think he will.

There was Lego building going on today. This is what we purchased at the dreaded Toys R Us. It's one of those sets that doesn't build just one specific thing. Quinn sat down, happily looking through the tub for the Legos he wanted. He used the book it came with and built something, all by himself. He only needed help putting the windows into the frames. Can you tell he's feeling better? He's back to posing for his pictures.

I made this today. It's a button bracelet. A cupcake button bracelet. Yummy!

I used fabric and a button cover kit to make my own buttons. Super easy to do, and the results are great! You can totally do what you want. I have some fabric with matryoshka's (those Russian nesting dolls) on it. I am going to try those next. I love those dolls! Wouldn't that be a cute bracelet?

Word for the Day: Annoyed. I am easily annoyed. I'm impatient. I woke up with an itchy throat and itchy eyes-trying to ignore the fact that I think I'm going to be the next participant in all of the sick fun-annoying as hell. I get really annoyed when I'm driving-really, really annoyed. I just don't appreciate people doing stupid stuff that could kill my family or me. Today, I was annoyed with the clerks at Toys R Us, annoyed at the guy in the ugly truck and the woman in the gold Honda for driving so incredibly slow-well below the 25 mph speed limit-and that's torture for me as 25 is super slow to begin with. I was annoyed at the dumb-ass who didn't use his blinker, and I waited for him when I didn't have to. I was annoyed that the rain messed up my hair. I was really annoyed with the stupid woman in the Disney Store who did her shopping at the counter while the rest of us waited in line. One cashier + one dumb person = unhappy me. Really it is not that hard to do your browsing first, and then you get in line to pay for it, not keep shopping and ask the clerk a billion questions, thus making the rest of us wait for you, all the while you smile pleasantly. Last of all, I was annoyed at the woman in the giant SUV who tried to run me off the freeway today. People need to merge onto the freeway, and when they are trying to do so, you don't speed up to beat them! Anyway, I'm grumpy and annoyed and my throat still hurts. Ignoring it isn't helping. I'll be really annoyed when I start throwing up. I am sorry if I am annoying you :-) I'm all negative, negative right now. It's cuz I'm siiiiiick!