Gosh, is it Tuesday already?? What the heck?  Why am I losing large chunks of time all the time? And DON’T say it’s cuz I’m old.  Cuz then I’ll be forced to smack you over the head with my handbag, you young whippersnapper.

***

So the sixth Harry Potter movie comes out tonight at midnight.  I want to see this movie.  We’ve kinda slacked off in the drive-in department lately, mostly because nothing much good was playing in June so we got out of the habit of going.  The last we saw?  Transformers.  We didn’t even go see Ice Age 3.  I think the general attitude was: “Meh.”  Which, yeah… who really wants to see Ice Age 3?  I sure don’t.  But that’s never stopped us before.  We usually go to the drive-in just to GO.  What movie is playing is sort of beside the point.

But I really wanna see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  I’m not one of those quasi Harry Potter fans who don’t even bother to read the books.  I read them all!  More than once, even!  I’d like to see it tonight at midnight but… yeah no.  Unless I took Harry with me.  And he has school so that wouldn’t work so hot with a 2 hour and 33 minute movie on a school night that starts AFTER midnight.

The best option is going to the drive-in tomorrow night.  Also a school night, but with a movie starting roughly around 9, would be home slightly sooner.  So what if Harry has school the next day?  So what if Kile has work? This is HARRY POTTER.  This is bigger than school and work.

Damnit, I’m putting my foot down.  We’re going.  And that’s final.  Just suck it up, boys.

***

My children are monkeys.  That is all.

***

Our big Disney Extravaganza is next month.  Like in WEEKS.  It’s getting close.  I’m still scared, but mostly about the traveling to Florida component.  I think the rest is going to be a blast and a half.  But two toddlers and luggage and car seats and strollers and airport security?  BE STILL MY HEART.  Has anyone done an air trip like this before and if so, HOW.  We’re flying Southwest.  On the way out, we stop but don’t have to get off the plane which has GOT to be a plus, right?

I have a feeling this will be the death of me.

***

I think Evie just ate something quite possibly non-edible.  Uhm…

***

The overwatering of the grass continues!  Kile is starting to think maybe he should turn down the sprinklers a hair.  You think?  There’s almost seven hours between the noon and evening waterings and the ground doesn’t even get 100% dry.  And that’s through the hottest part of the day!

The water conservation police are SO gonna have our asses.

***

My left hand is misshapen and sore.  I’m turning into a crone.  I blame the knitting.

***

And yet, I insist that I am NOT OLD.

Oh and GET OFF MY LAWN, punks!

Phase 2 of Operation: Backyard is complete!

See, our backyard (such as it is) is something of an optical illusion.  It looks smaller than it actually is.  Even us, who KNOW this are often surprised by how big it actually is.  Or so says Kile who slaved away laying all this grass by himself.  To give a little perspective, this is how it looked when it was delivered to us Friday morning:

I asked Kile how much square footage of grass we have back there now?  He said 1300 square feet or so.

That’s like a HOUSE, people.  That is HUUUUUUGE.  And we now have that much grass in our backyard.  And so begins the frantic watering that one needs to do to establish it safely.  And after the grass is allowed to “settle” for a few days, then we’ll let the kids have at it.  Harry is already looking forward to running through the sprinklers on a hot afternoon after school.

Phases 3, 4 and 5 (with sub-shoots off each, I’m sure) will consist of: repairing the back fence, supplementary landscaping such as trees and bushes, and a concrete patio between the grass and the house.  Not necessarily in that order.  And not necessarily anytime terribly soon.  But it’s coming!  We have a plan!  The dirt and tumbleweeds will not win the day!  So help me god!

I think we’ve given up entirely on fencing the entire yard, though maybe we haven’t (I’m usually the last to know these things).  The yard actually extends up the hill in the back, but the builder only fenced to the bottom of the hill, for whatever reason.   I’m okay with not extending hte yard because that would be just yet MORE yard to have to do something with.  And I’m rather sick of it at this point, you know?

But yay!  Grass!  Woot!

As referenced in this post here, I was a guest vendor on a “congo” over on Hyena Cart yesterday.  I was very excited and nervous about it.  I have my own little Hyena Cart shop, I pretty much only sell slots on my customs list and maybe the occasional stitch marker.  It doesn’t get a lot of attention and I get most of my customs from my message board pals.  I was nervous about stocking something already made.  Would anyone actually WANT it?   Or would it be a spectacular fail?

It wasn’t a fail.  Far from it.  I’m stil in shock today.  I sold the shorts I made right away, sold both of the customs slots I stocked and the auction on the skirt I made is currently at $170.  This, quite literally, blows my mind.  Unbelievable.

***

Liam’s birthday was a RAGING success on Tuesday.  He had a great day, which I think is the best thing we could have done for him.  Liam really responds to the gift of “quality time”.   We picked up Kile from work to go to Evie’s 15 month pediatrician appointment and he took the rest of the day off.  We went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch (which was like crack for that kid, he LOVED IT).  After, we ventured next door to Toys R Us to spend some birthday money from his grandparents.  He walked out with a ride-in toy car (that we literally have to keep out of sight in the garage or we will never get him out of it), a “Cars” pillow for his bed (that he keeps trying to cart around with him) and a couple more “Cars” cars to add to the ever-growing collection.  This was on top of all the “Cars” stuff that we got him as presents.  We did a little shopping before heading home and after playing hard for a couple hours, we all went to McDonald’s for dinner: Liam’s favorite restaurant.  Then it was home to cake and ice cream and presents.

What a great day!  And what a lucky kid!

***

As I said, Evie had a pediatrician appointment on Tuesday.  She’s doing great and had a fabulous time ripping around the room in her diaper while we waited for the doctor.

She comes in at 50% for weight and 40% for height.  Yay for my average girl!  She did have to get a couple of shots, which she did NOT like.  And, quite frankly, they made her a Crankapotomus for the next day or two.  So far, she seems fairly genial today, so I hope that means we’re in the clear.  Whew!

***

I can’t blame any crankyness on Evie’s part on lack of sleep these days.  We got a room-darkening shade for her window this weekend.  Her room gets the bulk of the morning sun and since the sun is up at an ungodly hour these days, she was waking up rather early.  And I always got the impression that she was still tired but she would NOT go back to sleep.

With the shade up?  She is sleeping in until at least 9am EVERY DAY.  Now, this may even out after she gets used to it… but for now?  OMG, I love it.  It keeps her room a little cooler too.  The boys have a shade too, but theirs is “light-filtering” which means it doesn’t make it darker at all.  However, Liam is a fantastic sleeper and I never have to complain about him getting enough sleep or waking up too early.

I just LOVE having some time in the morning to get some things done and have peace and quiet.  I better enjoy it while I can, because who knows how long it will last!

***

I recently discovered “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” was playing on the “Gospel Music Channel”.  I didn’t even know we GOT that channel, but apparently we do.  I used to watch “Dr. Quinn” back in high school and it was something my friends and I would giggle and talk about.  We even passed notes about such subjects as “courtin’ and sparkin’”, Sully’s braid, and our dislike for Matthew’s girlfriend, Ingrid.  Good times, man.

Now, watching these episodes again, takes me RIGHT back to those days in high school and hanging out with my friends.  It’s been a wonderful walk down memory lane.  I’ve been DVRing the episodes and watching them while the kids are napping or at night after they’re in bed and Kile is playing his computer game.

Oh the memories!

***

We finally got some strollers for our trip to Florida next month (gulp!).  It’s feeling more real all the time that this trip is actually going to happen and I’m scared stiff.  I know it’s going to be loads of fun.  But the plane trip scares me.  Mostly, the fact that we’re doing a plane trip with two small children.  And that one of those children, Evie, doesn’t have her own seat booked.  So she’s on my lap.  CROSS COUNTRY.  This is not good, my friends.

The airport(s) and the plane trip are easily what I’m most nervous about.  I think once we get there, we’re all going to have a marvelous time.  I’ll have the almighty Jesus Phone (read: the iPhone) with me, so hopefully I’ll be able to post quick updates and snapshots here and there.

Oh and pray I don’t blind anyone at the pool when I wear a bathing suit with my pasty, white skin.

***

We’re getting SOD tomorrow!  SOD!!  This is HUGE!

We’ve lived in this house for over 5 years now, and just NOW are finally getting something of a landscaped backyard.  The sod will be delivered at the crack of dawn and Kile plans to get out there and lay it before it gets hot.  I sure hope he isn’t expecting me to join him.  I’ll cheer him on in spirit, as I’m sleeping soundley in my cozy, cool bed.

Seriously though, this is a great thing!  The kids will be able to run through the sprinklers at last (we’ve always been reluctant to do this before because the front yard is so exposed and the grass patch out there isn’t terribly large) (or flat).  And the dogs will have some place to crap!  SIGH.  Oh well.  The good with the bad, yes?

The next step will be to pour a cement patio (I have NO idea when this will happen, only that it’s the plan so far) and to buy some trees and plants and such to finish stuff out with.  But the grass?  That’s a huge chunk of it.

***

So that’s all I’ve got to say.  For now. Are you glad I shared?

Life has, for now, returned to semi-normal.  Harry went with my in-laws when they left on Sunday, and took his pup with him, so the house is a little emptier than usual.  Kile has gone back to work after working hard day in and day out on the sprinkler system for our backyard.   The schedule has righted itself.  Peace (sorta) reigns once more.

Want to see some pictures of the finished projects (to date, more are planned!)?  Too bad if you don’t because here they come anyhow….

Kile and my father in law putting the finishing touches on the swing set.

Beetoe watches the progress but is careful to not actually GO outside to do it.

The swingset, in all it’s glory.  So far Liam’s favorite thing to do is climb up into the tower and send cars down the slide.  We plan to get a toddler swing in a couple of weeks for Evie (and for Liam too since he’s sorta unsure about the “big boy” swing seats).

See how it has a little picnic bench on the back here?  Harry has plans of eating lunches out here, right now Liam likes to pile rocks on it.  And the small square in the middle of the base, we plan to build a little higher and put a liner in so we can pour sand in there.  Clever, huh?

However lovely the swing set is, a swing set does not make a backyard a habitable place all on it’s own.  We also need some trees, grass and a patio.  This weekend also saw significant progress towards a sprinkler system though!  Kile dug enormous trenches for the water lines, a feat which earns him a gold medal because we officially have the rockiest dirt on the face of the planet.

Yikes. Some of those are the size of a watermelon.

Trenchy goodness

More trenchy goodness

A few adjustments….

It works!  Woot!

Next we need to lay some sod (or seed if we choose that route).  Pick out some landscaping.  I’m thinking of using sand with a little rock here and there for the edges of the yard.  We’re thinking of putting rubber mulch under the swing set.  The big question right now is the patio.  What to do?  There’s pavers, concrete, deck…. what would be the easiest/cheapest to do ourselves?  Anyone have any experience with this and want to chime in with your two cents?  I’m open to any and all inspiration here!

The important thing is… we’re MUCH closer to an actual backayrd.  It only took FIVE YEARS.

It’s a weekend of much activity around these parts.  Kile’s parents came to town on Thursday.  Kile took yesterday off and much preparation for much work was done.  It involved trips to Lowes and Home Depot and even Walmart.   The Walmart trip was to pick out a swingset which I apparently needed to be there for even though the extent of my contribution was, “Yeah… that one.”

Kile’s parents have given us a great gift for Kile’s birthday this year: a backyard.  See, we’ve always had a backyard but it hasn’t amounted to much.  Case in point:

This is what it looked like when we were about to move in (and before all the fencing was done).  Large (it’s bigger than it looks… TRUST ME).  See tiny Harry?  He was so little!  Aww…

And taken several years later:

Pretty much exactly this except picture a lot more weeds and sagebrush and a lot less fence.  And, at the moment, a little less water.

Kile is digging trenches for a sprinkler system, the first step towards some GRASS.  WOOT!  It’ll be just like a REAL backyard!  He’s got the pipe and valves and sprinkler heads and all that jazz.

Please pardon the crappy cell-phone-ishness of it all.  But you get hte idea.  Lots of dirt.  And pipes.  And dirt.  (and a dead tree) Did I mention the weeds?

My in laws, on the other hand, are working on the swing set.  We got a real nice one.  And I’m forever grateful for them getting it for us and putting it together.  It looks like a major pain in the ass.

Thank goodness they had the foresight to bring along that shade-awning.  Not for the sun but for the RAIN.  Because it’s June in Nevada.  Apparently RAIN is the weather of choice.  I’ve lived here for longer than I care to admit and apparently this is news to me.  See more of the trenches?  That’s where the sprinkler pipes are going.  Wee!  See my oldest so enthusiastically helping his grandparents hold up the structure while they drill it?  We keep telling him he’ll enjoy the end result.  I don’t know if he believes us or not.

And where have I been during all this?  Inside.  I’ve been on “childcare duty”.  It’s been one of those days where one goes down for a nap and the other is up.  Since there’s not much to do out there with one or two small children (hence the idea for this whole project in the first place), we’ve stayed inside.  At least I’ve gotten some knitting done.

So that’s the hap in these parts.  Anyone else out there having a more interesting weekend? Lay it on me!