The White House

The White House

Friday, March 11, 2011

Still Spring Cleaning

Emily came home Wednesday!! Yipee!! She got a couple puzzles for Christmas so while she was gone we got her a card table to do them on, and when she returned we got started.
I used to do puzzles with my mom all the time when I was her age.  We had a half sheet of panelling that we did the puzzles on.  We'd sit on the couch, "watching" TV with the puzzle in our laps.  It's probably why to this day I cannot just sit and watch television...I usually knit, too.  I remember doing 3000 piece puzzles with her.  This one is only 1000 pieces, but it seems difficult.  It's been years so maybe it will take a bit to train my eyes again.

Granma Claudia sent an alligator game the other day.  The players take turns pushing down the teeth until his mouth slams shut and he laughs at you.  All five of the kids have gotten a kick out of it.
It is about impossible to get a good photo of an eight-month-old puppy.  As soon as I step back she comes to me for lovin'.  She's really mellow for a puppy, but when she does run she runs right over everything. She isn't going to be able to be loose in the yard this summer. Can you imagine the damage she would do to my flower beds?

I finished knitting this pillow cover several years ago.  I finally stitched the sides together and now it is up on Emily's bed.
I also finished up Emily's arm warmers this week.  Isn't she a pretty model?  We found some on sale one time for cheaper than I could knit them, but she said that she would rather wear something I made her.  Such a sweetheart! (I think I have incorporated finishing up projects into my Spring Cleaning mode.  I am amazed at the energy I have not that we have some sunshine.  Could you imagine what I could get done if I lived in the South?)


I finally finished up this scarf in the high school colors that she is also modelling for me.
After dinner last night Emily and I went for a walk. It was still +16* out and refreshing.  It was back down to -17* this morning (in town) and zero at my house.  We have pretty big changes from day to night this time of year.
After our walk we watched Inception.  Kind of along the lines of Matrix and not my kind of movie.  Plus, it was way too long.  I may be over-weight, but I am not lazy and it killed me to sit for 2.5 hours!!  While we watched it I started another scarf with the leftover yarn.  Of course, I didn't have enough so now I'll have to buy two more skeins.
I did some transplanting yesterday and made my seed planting schedule.  I really need to get busy, but am more in a cleaning mode than anything.  We emptied out the last bedroom and boxed up those toys.  Next is our third bathroom that has been used for storage the last couple of years.  I'll get it emptied out so Homer can install the new toilet (that's been sitting her for a couple years) and then we can use that shower again, but we'll remove the tub (they are separate).  By doing that we can put in a door that will connect another bedroom and the two will be able to share the bathroom. Still a long way to go, but at least we've been making progress.

Nick did not make the soccer team.  In fact, the coach cut several seniors telling them that he was keeping the younger players to work with them.  Really?  So we just plan for the future, but disregard the here and now.  For these boys it was their last chance to participate in high school athletics, and I know they were all very disappointed.  I know Nick felt really good about it and was surprised he got cut.  You can prepare yourself to deal with cuts and scrapes, nutrition and education, but the emotional part of parenting is impossible to prepare for.  Those are the hurts you can't "fix" and it is heart-breaking.  I gave him a hug and told him I was sorry, and then after he left for school I cried my eyes out for his pain. Seems like my boys have needed more than their share of hugs lately, but I have plenty to give them.

7 comments:

sue in mexico mo said...

Neat arm warmers! I am not familiar with arm warmers. Is that a teenage thing? They are cute! And so is Emily!

B said...

That pillow ROCKS! Love it. And I really love Emily's arm warmers. They are all the rage here too.

Flower is super adorable as well. Since finding out Sam has allergies to cats and dogs and our old hound passed away this fall, we are on the search for a pet other than a fish. We went looking at Guniea pigs...is that what flower is?

Gail said...

If you can package that energy, please send me some.

RottenMom said...

Hey! Same school colors as ours! You could probably sell a lot of those scarfs around here!

I'm sorry about soccer. That just doesn't seem right at all. Don't seniors get to shine during their senior year?
Seems like they should.



PS. My Word Verification is: clikerho

so appropriate!

Tink *~*~* said...

Sounds like that coach needs his head examined. Doesn't he realize that the younger ones would learn more effectively from their peer heros than they will from an old curmudgeon like him?

*~*~*

Janie said...

Those arm warmers are very pretty. It's great that you can make them yourself.

anymommy said...

They both look SO adorable with their haircuts. Nice job on the arm warmers, mom, those are gorgeous!