| The Towne House |
Independence DayYesterday was a fabulous day! -- Steve came home from Wal-Mart at 7:30am. He climbed into bed, and I climbed out. Did I mention that we got a brandy-spanking new mattress and box spring? First time EVAH in our marriage. It's a full-size, Sealy "Sarina" king coil with a pillow top. HEAVEN. And new pillows. I'm in love. -- I went for a walk/jog. You have to understand, I don't run. But I've always wanted to be a runner, but it's just, oh, I don't know, I'm not consistent enough, I guess. So it's always like this monumental thing when I try to run (as in exercise--I can run if I have to...). But after 2 weeks of biking, I thought I'd give it a shot. I did okay. I can run for maybe 30-45 seconds before I have to walk again for a bit. Better than 10 seconds. -- So I did that, then came home and rode the exercise bike (which has been moved into the living room) while I watched the Women's Wimbledon final. I was surprised that Serena Williams won in straight sets, but she's been playing incredibly. -- Then it was time to get ready for Val & Dan's 4th of July party. I made a big pan of brownies. Maddie helped me make a huge tossed salad. Being on Weight Watchers, I was really concerned about having food at the cookout that I could eat. I packed two fat-free hot dogs and 2 lite buns, and brought a nectarine for myself. -- We left our house around 1:30 to be at Val's by 2pm. She and Dan have a beautiful home with a great backyard. The weather (after so many days of thunderstorms) was beyond gorgeous--big, puffy clouds, blue skies, a great breeze, and SUNSHINE. -- The kids went swimming, even though the water in the pool was freezing. Crazy kids. -- It was a really nice time of visiting. I played volleyball--I am SO sore today. Just dying. -- We ended up staying until 8:30pm. We had a bonfire and smores. My camera batteries died, but Dan had more, and I took over 200 pictures. Here's just a few (who am I kidding, more than a few...LOL). -- My beautiful friend, Beth
Her son, Jake, doing a cartwheel on the balance beam
Me and my man-cub
Sisters, sisters, there were never more devoted sisters...
Patience and Grace
Kind of getting a smile out of Ashley--she's almost 15
A great picture of the Birkenfeld family, if I do say so myself
Getting a kiss from my girl, after the volleyball game
Paula & Nicola, and the girls
Me & my Maddie-girl
Our pastor & his wife (Rich & Paula) and our hosts (Val & Dan)
Me & Patience
Smores!!!!
Happy 4th of July! Happy Birthday, America!
10:49 AM - Jul. 5, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentHappy Fourth of July!I hope you're all planning for lots of fun and relaxation this weekend! We're going to a friend's home for a cookout tomorrow. I don't think Steve is coming with us--he'll be getting some sleep. I'm making brownies, maybe cookies (it's awfully muggy to be baking), and a salad--I need to make sure that there is something that I can eat! I'm also bringing my own fat free hot dogs. Going out can be such a pitfall when you're on a diet! -- Remember me saying that I found my picture disks? Here's a pic of the kids from only 3 years ago. They change so quickly!
Isn't Maddie so cute here? I could just eat her up.
Hopefully we're done with thunderstorms for a bit. We've thunder, lightning, torrential rain and even hail this week. For 3 days straight. Well, okay, there have been patches of sunshine. Like right now. Happy Independence Day! 6:19 PM - Jul. 3, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentGood news and thunderstormsIt is a stormy day here in RI. A line of heavy thunderstorms is moving through the state. I'm hoping it breaks in a bit, I'm supposed to go to the chiropractor. -- Good news #1: I lost 3.8 lbs. at Weight Watchers this week. :) Only a gazillion to go. Good news #2: I finally found the disks containing photos that I had downloaded from our desktop!!! I thought they were gone forever! It's about 3 years worth of family pictures. Thank you God! 12:52 PM - Jul. 1, 2009 - comments {2} - post commentJune recapWell, the month wasn't as calm as I had expected, but it's been a good month. As you know, Steve and I celebrated our 15th anniversary. I had a birthday. The kids have had some vacation from school work. Oh, I got the results of Eli's standardized test, and I'm happy to report that he did well! (Whew!) The RIGHT used curriculum sale is over and done with for another year. It was a LOT of work being on the committee, but I had a great time getting to know Laura, Beth and Christine better. As of now, I'm planning on helping out again next year. The weather has finally turned warm--we haven't been to the beach yet, but hopefully we'll be doing that soon. We've been to a couple of church softball games. Not every week, but we're trying to get there! I have to share a picture I took at one of the games. Recently, our friends, Bob & June, became grandparents for the first time. If this picture doesn't say love, I don't know what does!
I just love it. Here's Eli--I can't believe he'll be a teenager this fall!
Patience is almost 9 and a half. She's doing great with her piano lessons. She doesn't like to be TOO challenged, but her teacher doesn't want her getting bored.
Maddie is such a funny bunny. She's so helpful. My heart is breaking over how sad she is about her cat going missing. I'm *almost* tempted to let her get a kitten. *Almost*
Oh hey--look what Eli is learning to do! I love having big kids!
In other news--I joined Weight Watchers *again*. They had a really good deal going on, so I'm back. I have 2 and a half weeks until I go to Chicago for Pampered Chef's National Conference. Wonder if I can lose 30 pounds before then? No? Sigh, you're probably right. Okay, the blog is all updated. Whew! Have a great 4th of July, everyone! 10:54 PM - Jun. 27, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentI'm half-way to 70 now!Last Thursday, I celebrated my 35th birthday! I still love birthdays--I don't think I'll ever feel too old to be the birthday girl. -- One of my friends from the FIAR message board, Jen, was going to be in Boston with her husband that day (he was in a class), so we decided to get together. What fun! I took the commuter train up to South Station, jumped on the subway (if I can handle the Tube in London, I can handle Boston!), and met her at her hotel. -- First stop, of course, had to be the Public Gardens and the Make Way for Ducklings statues. Can anyone explain to me what this statue is supposed to be?
-- Swan boats! Jen and her hubby did get to go for a ride in one.
-- Freaky tame squirrel, being fed by a boy
-- Ahhh, the statues.....we loved "rowing" this story!
Then we hightailed it over to Faneuil Hall to have lunch and shop. Here is Boston's City Hall. We passed it on the way.
Sam Adams
We had lunch at Cheers! They did not, unfortunately, know my name, but that was okay!
At the King's Chapel Burial Grounds
Jen, happy to be among the living. :)
I bought a new pair of Crocs sandals, with birthday money that my parents gave me (Thanks Mom & Dad!). They're super comfy, but not so great for walking over uneven cobblestone roads. Almost twisted my ankle a few times! I also bought a new baseball cap (Red Sox, natch!), and a book that I wanted. We stopped for a beverage, and then visited the Granary Burial Grounds--Sam Adams is buried there, along with the victims of the Boston Massacre and Ben Franklin's parents!
It was SO much fun to meet Jen face-to-face. I had a wonderful time with her, and it made my birthday so special! I hopped back on the train, and was home by 4:30. Steve and the kids met me at the station, and we went home for dinner. Wonder of wonders, Steve baked me a CAKE!
He has never done this before! I was so impressed. The man scored big brownie points with this! He wasn't too impressed with his efforts, as you can tell by this face:
The kids and Steve got me some new stainless steel measuring cups, some wrenches to keep with us when we go bike riding, a camel hydration pack for bike riding and A MAGIC BULLET. C'mon, I know you've seen the infomercials. I love it. I've been making smoothies every morning. :) It was a wonderful birthday!! 10:38 PM - Jun. 27, 2009 - comments {3} - post commentNothin' like a visit with friendsA long, long time ago, in a land faraway, there lived a tired mommy who delivered newspapers in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Because there was nothing else to do, she would chat with the other -- Lenny helped the tired mommy's husband get a job with Roto Rooter. And then Lenny and his family hightailed it to Pennsylvania. Even though the kids all got along great. The end. -- Not such a great story, but there you have it. Our friends, the Gagnons, moved about 4 years ago, and unfortunately, the visits have been few and far between (this is mostly due to the fact that my car wouldn't make the trip to PA--but as soon as I have a vehicle, this will change!). -- Jess and their four beautiful daughters were up in RI this month, and we were blessed to be able to spend some time with them. I can't believe how the kids have grown--here are some before and after shots: Christmas Eve 2004
May 2005
A field trip, April 2004
Eli and Emmalee, on a different field trip
And here they all are today--The Gagnons added another daughter! The 7 kids had a blast playing together, while Jess and I got to catch up a bit.
10:12 PM - Jun. 27, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentWe'll miss you, Cassie
-- On June 11, 2002, I brought home two little kittens, a brother and a sister. June 10, 2009, was the last time we saw Cassie. She's been gone for 18 days. Maddie is just devastated. We're assuming a wild animal got her--she'd have found her way home if it was at all possible. Cassie was a great mouser--even being declawed, she left "gifts" for us all of the time.
We soon learned not to leave the car window open--Cassie would immediately stake out the front seat.
You haven't lived until you've shaved a cat! She would get so matted--we had to get rid of that extra fur! She was always so good about laying across my lap and letting us get the job done. She would lick an apple or pear core (or the kids' hands) to keep herself calm.
This is where you could find her most of the time--hanging out on the bike path. She had tons of walkers, bikers, and families that would stop and say hello to her--she was so friendly!--
Here's the other place that you would find her--asleep under the bushes outside of the kitchen window. She loved to soak up the sun! --
This is a picture from when Cassie was much younger--and an indoor cat.
Here she is with her brother, Selden--they did get along,once upon a time!
Any open seat was fair game to Cassie!
9:04 PM - Jun. 27, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentOur biking adventureA couple of weeks ago, I asked the kids if they wanted to go for a bike ride. We do, after all, live right on the bike path, and we don't take advantage of that nearly often enough! -- The kids said they wanted to go to the library. Okay. We got our backpacks, packed up the books that were due, and I also got the couple of items that I needed to mail, just in case we felt like going to the post office as well. -- Off we went. As I was riding, I kept feeling like something was wrong with my bike pedal, but ignored it and kept going. We arrived at the library (this involved riding for a bit on an actual road, not the bike path, which the kids are just getting used to doing). The librarians warned us that it isn't smart to leave your bikes outside unless you have a chain and a lock, so Eli stood guard while we picked out a few books. -- Now we wanted to go to the post office, and we had two choices. P.O. #1 was only about 1/2 mile away, but up a very busy road. P.O. #2 was about 2 miles away, but down a much wider, less busy road. We picked #2, and off we went. About 1.5 miles into the ride (the kids were doing great riding on the road), my pedals really started acting up. We finally stopped, and it turned out that the pedals were broken! I don't know if you can see in this picture, but the plastic is actually cracked.
Two minutes after I discovered this, the pedal fell completely off!
No worries! I could ride the bike like that, right? Sure I could! Unfortunately, about 5 minutes after that happened, MADDIE's bike pedal came off of HER bike, and there was no peg for her to keep riding! -- Well, I called Steve, but he was on a job, and couldn't come help us. I called my dad, but he was still at work, and not answering his phone. I called my friend, Sue, because she has a bike rack, but she wasn't home either. Sigh. So we sat down for a minute, on a bench outside of a factory. Maddie was pretty upset. We were almost 5 miles from home, and the most direct route home involved a very big hill. I didn't relish the thought of walking the bikes home. -- God was watching out for us, though! An employee came over to see what was up, and was able to fix Maddie's bike! It was so great!!! We finished riding over to the post office, only to find that our delay meant that we got to the p.o. while it was closed for lunch! We hung around and read our library books, I finally mailed my items, and then I took the kids to lunch at a local bakery. I figured they deserved it! -- I thought we'd be out for about an hour. Three hours later, we pulled back into the driveway! It was quite the outing! 8:41 PM - Jun. 27, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentAlmost 2 years....after doing part of a science program about flying creatures, Steve finally helped the kids build birdhouses and put them up. We are so on the ball here....
No inhabitants yet, but we're still hoping!
8:37 PM - Jun. 27, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentHappy Anniversary!Today is my & Steve's 15th wedding anniversary! I am so blessed to be married to him. My goodness, we look young!
10:28 AM - Jun. 11, 2009 - comments {4} - post commentRosetta Stone contest!My fabulous on-line friend, JenIg, is having a fantastic Rosetta Stone contest over on her blog! Rosetta Stone is the fastest way to learn a language and has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — and you can WIN the *all new* version 3 Rosetta Stone Homeschool LATIN program… FOR FREE! This is the first year you can get Latin in the brand new Version III update. This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!) To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original page http://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post. And good luck!
Go on! What are you waiting for? :) 7:39 PM - May. 15, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentPotato cannonLast Friday, we had a play group at my friend Amy's house. The kids ran around, played capture the flag, had a picnic lunch, and got to see Amy's husband demonstrate the potato cannon he made. VERY cool! Setting it up:
Putting the ammo in:
Making sure it's loaded properly:
Watching and waiting:
A Captive Audience
Eli gets his chance to help
It was impossible to get a picture of the potato coming out--by the time you heard the boom, it was too late! It was amazing how far the cannon hurled the potato--I'm horrible at guessing distances, but it was pretty far!
The girls enjoying their lunch. :)
I'm always so grateful to Amy for opening up her home. She has an awesome backyard, and the kids always have so much fun! 7:55 PM - May. 10, 2009 - comments {3} - post commentFishing!Sue set up a great field trip, letting the kids go fishing at the Carolina Trout Hatchery. We went last year and had a great time. It rained last year, and sprinkled off and on this year. Maybe next year we'll get sunshine. My friend, Kim, and I only stayed for about an hour and a half, then we headed to my parents' house to eat lunch. Here's the photographic proof that fish were caught! Eli, finding his casting groove
Marin, prepared for the rain in her poncho
Patience getting ready to fish
Jaycee was a pro!
First catch of the day went to Maddie!
Shawn makes a catch, and even took the fish off the hook himself (okay, so I double dog dared him!)
I think Eli ended up catching at least 3 fish
Jaycee, Patience & Marin
Patience & Marin pass the time while waiting for the rest of the group to finish!
I actually had to touch a fish--gross. I'm happy just being the photographer! 7:47 PM - May. 10, 2009 - comments {3} - post commentSoftball season is here again!The church softball season has begun! Steve isn't playing this year, but that doesn't stop the kids and I from Our home field is at Maple Root Baptist church in Coventry--it's a little bit buggy, but it's home. :) Usually the beginning of the season is cold enough that we're all bundled up in coats and blankets, but we had a gorgeous, warm day! Here's Justin M. making a play at shortstop:
Justin D. guarding third base:
Eli having fun at the game
Kyle & Tommy warming the bench
Batter up! Andy gets ready to swing:
Maddie & her friend, Callie
Unfortunately, we didn't win this game, but the team did win the next one! Game 3 is tomorrow night! 7:39 PM - May. 10, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentMystic, Easter & some food picsMy fantastic friend, Sue, has a membership to Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT, and we took a trip there with her on April 30th. Our kids have known each other their whole lives, and always have a great time together. Look! A Beluga whale!
Act like you like each other!
The Five Amigos
Looking for frogs
A giant penguin!
David & Eli
Maddie, trying to get Patience in close for a picture
Patience! Look at Mom!
Eli deigns to look at me for a photo
Petting a sting ray
Eli snapped this picture of me
Eli gets up close and personal with a sting ray
A few weeks before the aquarium trip was Easter. We taught Sunday School, boy, were those kids antsy! Maybe some of them had chocolate before church. :) We went to a potluck dinner at Kyle & Beth's house. My friend, Julie, came with us (her family lives in NJ). My mom and dad also stopped by for a bit. One of the desserts I brought:
Top View
(This Celebrate Plate is currently available on the Pampered Chef outlet on my website. Let me know if you need the link!) Friends Tanya & Warren
Friends Jon & Heidi
Jon's brother, Justin (who just last week became a first-time daddy!)
We had a fantastic time, as always. The kids played hard & were exhausted the next day! -- Working with The Pampered Chef, I am always trying new recipes at my shows. Why I waited so long to try this one with my family, I'll never know. It's a Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad, and my family went nuts for it. :) A bed of lettuce, topped with ground beef mixed with ketchup, mustard, diced onion and diced pickles, topped with shredded cheddar cheese and tomatoes. YUM. I just had to post a pic.
There! Two posts in one day. I still have some more pics to share...they'll be coming soon! 7:11 PM - May. 10, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentHappy Mother's Day!Another Mother's Day is here! Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends--I hope you have a wonderful day. Steve worked last night, so he is asleep right now. He bought me a very sweet card. We'll be heading to church in a bit, then we're going down to my mom's for lunch. We were going to order in food, but I was like, I can make a really good meal for so much less! So I'm bringing down ingredients for Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry--I'll have to bring my own stir-fry pan, but I have all of the ingredients prepped--veggies washed and cut, chicken diced & cooked. We'll just have to cook the pasta. We've had such a busy couple of weeks. I know I had said that I was going to blog--sorry about that. I also said I was on a diet--that's not working out so well, either. :( So we got a new window in the kitchen! I guess there was something wrong with the wooden casing, and the landlord had to replace the whole window? No idea, but the window looks great!
Ignore all of the allergy meds on the window sill--I promise, I'm not running a CVS drive thru window! A couple of weeks ago, we had a lovely dinner with our friends, Kyle & Beth. We're so blessed to be friends with them! Here's Steve, pulling Patience on their rope swing:
Love her face!
Kyle & Beth
A rare picture of their daughter, Ashley, laughing. I had just used my best European photographer to the stars voice to tell them to "make love to the camera" (Ashley is the blonde--she's with her friend, Margo).
Earlier that same day, my mom and I attended a bridal shower for (follow me here) my mom's cousin Leo's daughter Michelle. :) It was a lot of fun, although my mom complained that no one gave her any lingerie--my mom said she liked to scope out "fresh ideas" at bridal showers. I'm still washing my mind of that image. ROFLOL Here's the beautiful bride-to-be:
The wedding is on 6/27--Steve can't come, but I'll be going with my mom. The reception is at the Biltmore in Providence--swanky!! -- On to the bane of my existence: ANTS Here's a shot from when they were working on the new window.
Unfortunately, it hasn't gotten much better with the construction finished. Steve's caulked, sprayed ant stuff around the foundation (and yes "ant stuff" is a technical term), they just keep coming. At least it's the tiny ants, and not the huge carpenter ants. Small blessings, eh? -- Okay, I have to go get ready for church. Happy Mother's Day again! I'll be back soon with pics from Mystic Aquarium, softball, fishing and more. :) 9:00 AM - May. 10, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentHaven't posted in ages. My apologies. I do have some pictures to put up, and I've started a diet again--I may be posting my diet journal. Just so you all can feel good about yourselves. :) Today is day 5 of no Diet Coke. Sigh. Okay, just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking. 11:47 AM - Apr. 24, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentOn the road again...Well, not so much a road as a bike path. :) Today was the first day I took my bike out this season. -- We had a good morning--all of the kids were done with their school work by noon time. Patience is officially down to one subject. I need to order more work for her to do. She thinks she's getting a 6 month summer vacation. Ha. -- We used Book-It certificates, and went to Pizza Hut for lunch. What a fun treat! I, embarrassing as it is to admit, hadn't done anything with the Book-it program (that's been sitting on my desk since September) until last month. The kids have been reading tons of books, and this was a great way to reward them. -- Steve had a slow day at work today, so he was home by lunch time. He trimmed some hedges and made sure our bikes were all set to go. What a guy. This picture is actually from the other day--Maddie with her new 26" bike.
I thought she'd be able to ride a bit faster with a new bike, but that doesn't seem to be the case. She still took up the rear for the whole bike ride we went on. It was a beautiful day today. I'm not sure what the high was, but it was sunny, and actually felt warm in the sunshine.
Here are the three kiddles--they're getting so big.
Now Patience--she has a little one speed bike, and she's always in the front of the pack! This is what we see:
What a day--look at this sky!
I invited my parents over for dinner--spiral cut ham, cheesy rice w/broccoli, edamame, niblets corn and carrots. DELISH. It was fun getting to visit with them. And my mom brought a Boston Creme Cake for dessert. Well, the kids are in bed, and hubby and I are going to go relax and enjoy a movie. We've got a busy weekend coming up, as I'm sure most of you do. Happy Easter! 8:18 PM - Apr. 9, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentI'm legal againYesterday we got our car inspected. :) Only a week late--that's not bad, right? The day started of beautifully, all blue skies and sunshine. I dropped off the car, and my friend, Kelly, was kind enough to pick me up at the dealership and bring me home. And so I was stuck at home. :) I cleaned out two bookshelves in my room. The used curriculum sale is coming up in June, and I plan on being prepared! The car wasn't ready until almost 5pm, so when Steve came home, we ran out to pick it up. Of course, by then, it was pouring buckets. It actually rained almost all day. The kids and I are definitely ready for some sunny, warm spring weather. -- Today was busy. I was out for a total of 5 hours..This morning, I went to the post office, brought Eli to the orthodontist, stopped at Sue's house to borrow her hedge trimmer, went to the grocery store, and then went home! After lunch, Maddie rode her new bike for a bit. I made the kids come in--it was so cold and windy! Plus, Eli's brakes are acting funny, so I didn't want him riding his bike. We'll get all of the bikes squared away soon and be able to start taking family rides again. Patience and I left the house around 1:30. We went to the library--I had a few late books, and a couple of books on hold. Then we went to Target, where I bought Brad Paisley's CD "Play", and got Maddie a new sweatshirt. Then it was off to piano lessons. After that, we ran to my friend Rose's house--she had some Mary Kay cleanser and moisturizer for me. And then finally home for good! -- It being Tuesday, Julie came over for dinner and Idol. I made Pineapple Chicken Lo Mein for dinner, and a Taffy Apple Pizza for dessert. Steve had school, but got home around 9pm. After Julie went home, we watched some tv, and I paid some bills. Oh yeah, we're hot. LOL -- Tomorrow is looking busy. Eli is getting his allergy shot, I need to make a bank deposit, and drop off a bill. And the list of things I have to do at home is getting longer by the minute. At least I have a list--keeping a running to do list is really helping me stay on track. Okay, one more check of the email, and I'm off to bed! G'night! 10:51 PM - Apr. 7, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentWeekendEli woke up Saturday with no fever! Woo Hoo! By the end of the day, when he was tired, it had spiked a bit, but he's getting better! -- I spent the entire day Saturday at the RIGHT (Rhode Island Guild of Teachers) 2nd annual conference. Marilyn Rockett was our featured speaker. She is the author of "Homeschooling at the Speed of Life".
She spoke on 4 topics: Homeschooling at the Speed of Life Clutter, Clutter Everywhere and not a Spot to Think Teaching Children Life Skills Paper by the Pile -- Tons of great information to help the busy homeschool mom. I took lots of notes, bought the book, and will be implementing much of what I learned. This weekend I spent quite a bit of time trying to get control of the paper piles I have everywhere. -- After the conference, I ran to the grocery store, then came home and made the family Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad. Fabulous recipe. From The Pampered Chef, of course. They went nuts for it (I've made it at shows, but never at home). It was a huge hit. We watched a few episodes of 'Psych', and then it was bedtime. Steve, of course, was working overnight at Wally World. -- Today we stayed home from church. Eli again woke up with no fever, but again, by tonight he was feeling pretty warm. (Can I interrupt here to say that I bought some new Gold Bond Restoring Lotion, and my hands smell and feel fabulous!!) I took a walk to CVS to pick up a newspaper, then did some exercises on the Total Gym (endorsed by none other than CHUCH NORRIS. Need I say more?). I organized my coupon box, looked through the adds, sent out my monthly Pampered Chef newsletter, fielded some emails from customers, and made the kids get dressed. Steve, after taking a little nap, put new brakes on my car, and fixed the rear brake light that was out. Tomorrow I'll take the car in to be aligned, have the fan fixed, and be inspected (only a week late!). After the car was done, we ran a bunch of errands. Went to Subway, got my mom a sandwich, delivered said sandwich to Toys R Us, where Mom was working, visited with her for a few minutes, and looked at bikes for Maddie. Then we headed to Benny's (a store here in RI) and bought a bike for Maddie there.:) It's a Huffy 18 speed, and she loves it. The chick is tall enough that we had to buy her a 26" bike! Then if was off to Wal-Mart for groceries. I remembered to buy the kids vitamins. :) We bought rolls, chips and cold cuts for dinner (I had already made a cake for dessert). I brought everyone home, and headed to Michael's craft store to use my "today only" 50% off coupon. I've started scrapbooking finally, and I'm doing our trip to London first. I needed more paper. Then I went to Shaw's--they had a bunch of items on sale that I had coupons for, but of course, they were out of the chicken breasts that were on sale for $1.69/lb. Bummer. I'll have to get chicken somewhere else. I swung by Staples on my way home, but they were closed. I have some copies to pick up--I'll have to do that tomorrow. Then it was finally time to have dinner and put my feet up! Steve went up to bed around 8pm--he was beat. I let the kids stay up until 8:30, and I did all of the dishes, took out the trash and recycleables (Is that a word? It doesn't look right.), cleared and wiped the table and counters, and got stuff ready to mail tomorrow. I'm done for the night. Hope you had a great weekend! 10:36 PM - Apr. 5, 2009 - comments {0} - post comment
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Description Hi! I'm Amanda, mom to 3 gorgeous kids & wife to Steve. When I'm not homeschooling the kids or cleaning the house, I keep busy with my Pampered Chef business. I'm also learning to sew. I love reading and cross-stitching. We have a great life, here in the littlest state in the Union! Home User Profile Archives Recent Entries - Independence Day - Happy Fourth of July! - Good news and thunderstorms - June recap - I'm half-way to 70 now! |
