Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awkward
- Waiting in line at the taco stand and overhearing one middle-aged man loudly remark to another: "that dress is confusing". Being as that I was the only one in a dress, and not 3 feet away, I couldn't help but answer with a smile: "Confusing?" The man's eyes met mine for a second and he responded: "yeah, sorry I can't even look at ya!"

And then there was nothing but awkward silence because I didn't really know what to do with that. Apologize? Assure him I was happy not to be looked at anyway?

^^The offending article^^

Stripes. They may cause you problems in life. Who knew?

- When your son gets a gruesome black eye a week before his kindergarten graduation.

^^accidental kick to the face by a sibling on the trampoline^^

Yes, it looks a lot better than this now, but it sure ain't gone yet! Drat it all.

- Realizing that every time you cook asparagus you post a picture on instagram to share your love of the vegetable with the world.

- Also... asparagus pee. It is a real thing, guys. A real pungent thing. (And it's worth it.)

Awesome
- Dinner outside.

- Children outside. FOR HOURS.

- The return of So You Think You Can Dance just when every other show has ended until fall.

- End of school excitement and the promise of schedule-free summer days!

- Blooming peonies and the new studio+ app for making pictures even cooler.

- when your graduating kindergartner learns how to tie a ponytail and sets up a video shoot with your camera and tripod all on his own to record a tutorial. HILARIOUS.

- Listening on the outside of your daughter's bedroom door to see if she and her cousin staying the night are going to sleep like you instructed, and hearing them pray together. SO SWEET.

Memorial day lowdown

My sister informs me it's practically been a week since I blogged and that is NOT okay with her.  Oopsie daisy, holiday weekends have that effect! Sorry, single most devoted reader/blood relation!

(As if we didn't talk and/or see each other every single one of those days.)

But here are pictures! And they include our finished half-court that my husband is oh-so-happy with and wouldn't mind me showing off one teeny bit. :)

I give you: Memorial Weekend 2014.

We didn't have the best weather for pouring concrete, which happened on Thursday and Friday. Day 1 they did the first half and it was super hot, which meant the concrete set up really fast. Then on day 2 it drizzled rain the whole time! It could have gone horribly but thankfully my father-in-law used to own his own concrete business and Russ worked for him as a teen and together, along with a couple of friends, they were able to pull it off and still make it look awesome.

While we waited for it to cure we spent the rest of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday doing various activities such as: attending a friend's sleepover (Cooper), hiking into the Columbia Gorge for an overnight backpack trip with Grandma Wilson and a cousin (Kendall), working around the property and participating in a skeet shoot (Russ), napping, movie watching, reading, and playing (myself and Blake), attending my nephew's fourth birthday party (all of us), and having friends over for a barbecue.   

By Monday morning the concrete was ready to play on, and thus began one jillion games of horse (with the hoop lowered for Blake.) 

While Miley and I just enjoyed the sunshine and watched. 

After lunch we took the kids off to swim at a fun swim center in a neighboring town, stopping at Dairy Queen for treats afterwards. 

(Hello crazy tattoo eyebrows! Without a stitch of makeup on they are still a little "bold" ;) And yes, Blake has a black eye. The result of an accidental kamikaze kick from his brother on the trampoline!)

By 5:30 pm we were back home for more basketball, this time with Papa Wilson. 

And finally, what's Memorial Day without a BBQ? My parents joined us for barbecue chicken, grilled zucchini and baked beans. 

Easy and good. Just like our weekend. 

When bad dreams collide

^^21 years old and pregnant with my first child... I pretty much fell asleep everywhere I went and embarrassed myself by drooling on people's furniture. And in payback I got my picture taken (thank you, Cara ;)^^

Yesterday morning I woke up in a foggy state with my dreams fresh in my mind. And my first coherent thought was basically, "what fresh hell was THAT?!"

It's pretty funny really. We'll call my dream "Jodi's everyday fears, combined"

Part 1: I'm leaving on vacation with my sister-in-law's family and realize we leave in 3 hours and I haven't even started to pack yet. Panic!

Part 2: I try to run home from the store to start packing, and I have no pants on! I'm just in a sweatshirt and underwear. The funny thing is, in my dream I decide to humiliate myself and run down the street anyway, the packing must go on!

Part 3: Suddenly I'm not packing for a trip, I'm showing up to a wedding. With Blake as my date. Instead of rows of chairs there are tables to sit around and I can't find a seat anywhere... I ask and ask and ask and every table is full or is being saved for someone else. I have no one to sit with and it's very awkward.

Part 4: I take myself off to the bathroom to decide what to do, and upon looking in the mirror, realize I have no makeup on! Not a stitch! Accckkkk!

And I think that's where I woke up. Strange. On a bright note, not a single bear or cougar showed up in my dream at all! Yes! PROGRESS! ;)

Monday confessional

Well this happened last week and it may top my worst confessions of all time.

I'm throwing together dinner for the family and I decide to make it special by bringing out the last two bottles of my homemade grape juice from the batch I canned two years ago. I mix them together with water and sugar and then pour the kids' cups for them and laugh as I watch them guzzle it down like it's the best thing they've ever had in their life.

And then for some reason I can't explain, I decide to sniff the empty bottles.

Huh. Sniff again. Sniff a third time.

Yep, pretty sure I just gave my children wine.

FERMENTED TO THE HILT, GUYS.

So I'm all, "Russell! Is fermented grape juice actually wine?"
And he looks at me like I'm crazy and says, "Uhhh, yeah!"
And then I'm all, "Aggghhhhh! Stop drinking everyone! Wait, you drank it all ALREADY?!"
And Russell says, "well it's mixed with water, right? It's probably fine."
And I say, "PROBABLY??"

And then I force everyone to drink water because I have no idea why, but it seems like the right thing to do.

Really, one of my proudest moments.

The end.

ps. no one was affected. I'm pretty sure.

Good morning, Friday! The photo dump

New bird house/giant telephone-pole post in my garden, because my husband loves me :)

Oregon is green, green, green right now! And warm! Perfect combo for just sitting outside in the evening and enjoying country life.

You're never too old to do your nails over coffee with your Nanna. Never.

I love her hands and the years and years of love they have given out to so many people. Especially me. 

Blake decided to write his name and age on his ruler, and then to make things clear, added "mioynoo".

(when I asked what that word was he answered: "it's says mine!")

CUTE ALERT.

Late night porch visitin' with the birthday girl, because what's a best friend if she doesn't show up unannounced at the front door, at 9 pm at night, to bring a card and gifts and stay for a lovely chat?

(Or maybe I just really wanted a mom break and for Russ to get the kids in bed after they were all wound up from ice cream at Wednesday night church... who knows.) 

Excited for blooming peonies in my garden. Peonies may be my very favorite. 

Did I mention the awesome warm weather we've been having? This picture was taken at 7:30 pm last night - enjoying a late dinner while looking at our newly formed basketball half-court that's going to be poured next weekend. 

Also: MY BOYS. Good grief.

And now it's time for weekend fun! On the agenda: date night, a wedding, and The Wizard of OZ musical theater. 

(May, you've been pretty awesome so far, carry on.)