Fish and other updates

- The identity of my mystery high school employer named "Molly" remains unknown. I was counting on either my mother or sister to remember this person from my past but they are both at a loss - in fact Kelly even accused me of making her up on my calendar to cover for some clandestine activity. 

Oh ho ho, wouldn't that have been clever! But seriously, that would have been waaaay too sophisticated for 15-year-old Jodi... I was all about the winking smiley face surrounded by hearts back then. 

- Wednesday afternoon I decided to step up my workout routine and try level 2 of the 30-Day Shred. The first half went well and I began to feel kind of impressed with myself. And then the second half came and I died.

Immediately after, I sent Russ the following email:

GOOD... GRAVY... just... finished... level.. 2... 30-day Shred... can't... breathe... help me... Jesus...

*faints*

(but I knew you'd be proud.)

Sweaty & stinky,
Jodi

 

Because even when suffering from workout death I try to impress my husband.

And guess what? I've lost 9 lbs now.

- After promising Cooper OVER A YEAR AGO that I would buy him a couple of goldfish, and putting it off over and over again for reasons that mostly had to do with not wanting to interrupt my grocery shopping to wait around in front of the fish counter for someone to help me, I finally bit the bullet and spent .56 cents on a pair of them at Walmart yesterday. So don't let anyone try to tell you that I don't keep my word... eventually!

I'm crossing my fingers they'll make it in their new fish bowl because I think Cooper was 100% emotionally attached within 2 seconds of meeting and naming them.

And after finishing our book "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" last night, which we've been reading aloud together, I fear we may be in for some drama if they don't survive. The ending was all about how the main character's tiny pet turtle got swallowed by his 3 year old brother (which was actually a really funny scene in the book and not sad at all), and the end result was that he got the puppy he'd always wished for, hurrah! But instead of liking it like Kendall and I did, Cooper declared it the saddest story he'd ever heard and about burst into tears over the death of the poor turtle. 

It was at that moment that I questioned the wisdom of my fish purchase. 

Please live little fishies!

My only hope is that they'll be as hardy as Kendall's fish, Rocky, who is going on 3 years old now. Surely that's not too much to ask, is it?

Stuff we done did Memorial Weekend

(Anyone been watching Swamp People lately? Sorry, but the way the people on that show talk really rubs off on you after a while! I have not been watching by choice, mind you, I just have nowhere else to go when the rest of my family watches back to back episodes on netflix ALL AFTERNOON LONG.)

Anyway, on to the recap. I don't want to drag this out into a long post, and honestly, there is nothing that exciting to tell (or even a picture to document any of the events because I'm a total slacker), so I'll be brief:

- we hung out at Erik and Tricia's Friday night and played cards

- slept in Saturday

- said good-bye to Kendall and Cooper who went off for a day of fun with my Mom and a friend

- went back to bed

- went garage-saleing

- visited our friends Tom and Nicole in their brand new home

- took naps

- went to my parents for the evening and taught Kendall and Cooper how to play Pictionary

- ate pizza

- ate popcorn

- watched the A-Team, again (and still loved it!)

- were exposed to Swamp People on my parents cable

- and just like that Russell was addicted. Seriously addicted.

- On Sunday we went to church

- had Filipino cuisine at a benefit lunch afterwards

- loved it and ate too much

- took more naps

- went to our nephew Elijah's first birthday party

- ate Subway for dinner

- rented 4 movies

- picked up Big Burger shakes (local burger joint - best shakes in town)

- had ourselves a movie marathon!

- On Monday we slept in again

- lazed around some more

- and then decided to clean up a bit

- which led to me tackling our bedroom

- which led to me spending 5 hours going through old stuff in my hope chest and reminiscing about the old days (I get derailed easily).

So to recap the recap: we had a pretty low-key, laid back weekend. And we ate way too much.

And that was our super-awesome-exciting weekend! Okay, minus the exciting, it was still actually super-awesome because it was so relaxing just to hang out with Russ and not have any agenda. For those of you who know Russell, you know how much of a Go-Go-Go person he is. So for him to just relax and not be working on any projects is quite out of the norm, and was really good for him. He got all caught up on sleep and I got all caught up on time with him - it was a win-win :) 

Monday confessional - the missing memory

Today I took a fun and nostalgic trip down memory lane while cleaning out and organizing my hope chest - the one my beloved Papa made me for my 18th birthday - and that has been stuffed with every single item of sentimental value to me ever since. 

That's a lot of stuff, people.

(And yes, we do exciting things around here on national holidays.)

I got completely caught up going through love notes from Russell, my wedding planning binder, old cards, LOTS of photos, the diary I wrote in from 1991-93 (age 12 to 13 1/2 - which seems to have been a very boy-crazy time for me...), my "friendship book" from Junior High, and my yearly calendars from 1995-98 that detailed every.single.thing.I.ever.did.and.with.whom. Complete with smiley faces, hearts, and multiple exclamation points.

Good golly, I was thorough!

December 1995

August 1996

April 1997

August 1998

Reading through them brought back so many memories; it was amazing how many little details I could recall once my mind was triggered. 

Like this night in October, 1996. I remember the entire evening, including the moment when one of the guys accidentally kicked over their empty drink bottle at the back of the theater and it went rolling loudly alllllll the way down to the front of the theater. We about died laughing. (Until we did die, from fright, because sheesh, those lions made us jump!)

Or this night in November, 1997, where I tried Persian food for the first, and hopefully last time in my life.

Some moments were very easy to recall...

October 1995 - licensed to drive!

September 1997

December 1998

But one thing I noticed was a bit alarming. 

Over a period of two years, it appears that I cleaned for a lady named Molly on an almost weekly basis. This surprised me, mostly because no memory was triggered. None whatsoever. In fact, not only do I have zero recollection of this job, I have no idea who Molly is. 

WHAT THE HECK?!! What kind of memory issues do I have going on here? I can remember almost all of the movies I saw each year (and there were a ton, like 3-5 a month!), but not a two-year steady job and employer? I am concerned, people!

So concerned in fact, that I've eaten 1/4 of a bag of white chocolate chips while pondering this mystery.

Send help.

A guide to rainy day activities

By Kendall, Cooper and Blake.

If you've had a rainy spring like we have, and have had to find things to do indoors besides watching TV, playing the Wii, your DS, or computer games because your mother doesn't want you to turn into couch potatoes... we have some ideas for you!

Option #1: Ask repeatedly to watch TV, play the Wii, your DS or on the computer because you "forgot" you'd already reached your time limit. You just never know if you'll get an absent-minded "yes" in response  - especially if Mom is busy!

Option #2: Take as many blankets as you can find, and every single bag clip from the kitchen (including the ones holding the chips and cereal bags closed because surely your mother won't mind), and build a fort out of your bunk beds.

Option #3: Dress up your youngest sibling in as many layers as possible, turning him into some sort of gypsy momma (you can be as vague as you want about that part), and lead him around the house in a parade.

Option #4: Draw some fine art to impress your parents and family members.

Copied from my favorite stuffed animal (Cooper)

Copied from daddy's head mount on the wall (Cooper)

Option #5: Create new Barbie fashions out of play-doh.

Option #6: Drive your Mom batty by incessantly asking her to take pictures of you with random toys.

And last but certainly not least...

Option #7: ask if you can have a snack EVERY FIVE MINUTES. When you're told no, ask if you can have a cheese stick, or baby carrots, or an apple, because moms love it when you want something healthy! If all else fails ask if you can have gum. Or candy. Or what about just a sucker?

And that's all we have for you today!

Next time we'll cover activities that require massive amounts of space and set up and only hold your interest for approximately 3 minutes once you start playing them. Moms love those ones!

Love K, C & B

Any green thumbs out there?

Question: What do I do with a poinsettia that has hung on for dear life since Christmas and refuses to die? 

In fact, not only has it refused to die, it is still in full red bloom. At the end of May. In it's pot with the gold wrapper that does NOT look like it belongs anywhere in the house two days before Memorial Day weekend. 

Are poinsettias supposed to last year round? If so I've missed them somehow because I don't see them anywhere. And I'd be tempted to just throw the darned thing away except that it's pretty amazing that I've kept ANY indoor plant alive this long, let alone one that seems to be beating the odds.

Such a quandary.

Now fresh cut lilacs from the garden? That is much more like it! My house smells like spring. 

You just wouldn't know it from the potted plant screaming "WINTER HOLIDAYS" sitting on my table.

(And okay, so the lilacs look a little wilty. Time to go cut some more!)