Week(s) in Review

Hello everyone! The weather is just gorgeous today, high of 72, and the girls and I are heading out soon to enjoy a day of shopping with my friend Lisa. But I thought I would tell you a bit about what we have been doing recently.

Elliott and I have been productive the past couple of weekends, doing alot of odds and ends around the house that had piled up, like changing lightbulbs, tightening Lily's door, and organizing the garage. I also started to cultivate the bit of dirt along the sidewalk to the front door. There is just a narrow little strip that has been home to some very pathetic looking plants for the past couple of years and I have put my mind to making it a bit more useful. The drip irrigation system is already in place, so all I have to do is


dig out the rocks and sandy soil, add a few more dripheads to the irrigation line, refill it with a nice compost/soil mix and I am ready to go! I have decided to put some veggie plants (beans, cucumbers) in there and let them climb the wall. It is a good spot as it is sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon, a great combo for the harsh Las Vegas sun. Planting season starts here mid-March, so I have a bit of time, but not enough to really drag my feet on it. So stay tuned!

Elliott did our taxes this past weekend and we are getting a hefty return, much to Elliott's chagrin. All of the taxes we paid on our new van past year plus the extra credits for Lily really added up. Oh well, it was a rather depressing thought in terms of how much more we would have had each paycheck, but now we can just take this chunk and put it towards debt so all in all it works out.

Recently I joined the Disney Movie Club. It's one of those where you have a commitment over the next two years to buy three more movies, but I did the math and it is a really good deal. I seem to have more of an issue collecting some classic movies for her to watch than Elliott does, but she is loving the selection I have amassed so far: Tinker Bell, Monsters Inc., Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (which is the same one I watched as a kid! Love it!), Finding Nemo, The Incredibles (ok, that one was more for me...) and Cars. I also picked up Madagascar 2 for free at CVS the other day and we have Night at the Museum on the DVR (which she LOVES!!) so we have a pretty good collection going right now. I do love watching her interact with the characters (oh, what's Pooh doing?) and seeing her enjoy shows that I too enjoy. She does tend to get a bit obsessed and we have to cut her off, but I figure it's worth it. There are just some days where I need her to focus on something for a couple of hours and I know (unfortunately) those days will still be with us when the new baby comes.

Can you believe that lily will be ONE next week?? I certainly can't! Just last night I thought "oh my, her birthday is NEXT WEEK!" I suppose I should start planning on buying her a present and getting a cake. Wow, time flies! She really is such a little person these days. Her hair is growing, which makes for the cutest little curls around her ears and a mop-top over the rest of her head. Our quiet, peaceful child is still peaceful but not as quiet - she squeals in delight over most everything, shrieking at the top of her lungs with utter joy. As much as I enjoy her happiness, some mornings I wish she would keep it down as Ava isn't up yet.

I will leave you with a few of Ava's thoughts over the past week:

Are you tearing it mommy?
Yes (I was tearing a coupon out of the newspaper.)
That's a no-no mommy!

Lily is so sleepy.
Lily no sleepy. She just fine!

Come play in the dining room with me?
No honey, I need to go sit down. Mommy's tummy hurts.
OK, you lay down. I tickle you!

(After being given some lunch): It's not yummy. It's delicious!