Garage Sale success!!!

The before..... What a mess.

The during... All set up.

My two little sale ladies... Lillian dressed herself, what a fashionista.

The result.. Now that is what I am talkin' about!

The Gross boys relaxing after a hard day's work.


Yesterday we had the dreaded yard sale... I hate having yard sales, they are so much work!!! But Mike was all gung-ho for it this year so I put him in charge of the thing.. He took Friday off and between the two of us we found the basement floor again, got things set-up AND priced, and managed to survive it all! I must tell you, I was certain that Mike and I would start throwing punches at each other while going through all our crap.. It even started the night before over some tennis rackets of mine (which, by the way, I won..) But come Friday morning we were able to work together and knock things out very quickly all the while maintaining the peace and our marital bliss. It was least stressful sale I've ever done! And it was all due to having Mike there helping me out through every step. Thanks babe, couldn't have done it without you! So on to the results!!!!!! Drum roll please....

$406... $150 of that was a bed we sold..

I would call that a success!!!! What we didn't sell is going to charity and we cleaned out our crap. That by itself was worth the effort. Way to go!

Only a face a mother could love...

That's all I gotta say about this one.....

Afternoon Project..

On Memorial Day Mike installed a flagpole. We have always wanted one and now we do!! Our neighbors are moving and had this pole in their yard.. Mike went over and asked them if we could buy it from them when they move and they said we could just have it!! So thanks to the generosity of our awesome neighbors we now have something that Mike and I's hearts have long desired. Of course, nothing can be too easy with Mike... What I thought would be about an hour-long job turned out to be an all day project! (we're talking concrete, electric, etc..) But I can proudly say that we now have a very secure, well-lit flag.. As Mike says, if we're gonna do it, we better do it right!

FINALLY!!!

Finally!!! I finally was able to get a pic of the chicks!! And boy are they ugly in the cutest sort of way! That is one protective momma.. Every time I would go by the front door (and let me tell ya, it is A LOT of times since the stairs are right there at the entryway..) I would look out with the hopes of catching momma gone... But alas, to no avail... And then I would go out several times a day to see if I could peek at them.. Again to no avail.. All momma would do is sit her fat derrier on top the kids and fluff out her feathers covering every inch of them... All the while giving me the evil eye... I did manage to catch a glimpse of two tails sticking out one day so I knew there were two of them... And then there is today!!! I caught her as she was puking her vomit into their beaks to feed them... So there they were! Out in front of her enjoying their regurgitated meal! Awww.... Gotta love the bird way.

Daddy/Son Haircuts...

pic #1

side view... yes, there is hair still there....

Pic #3... Tired of it already..... The torture I put the kid through...

Just a quick update as to what's been going on today.. Not too much exciting! We did go up to Mike's work and eat lunch with him and get the ever-so-important Daddy/Son haircut done. Mikey likes to get his hair cut with his Dad.. It is a special thing that just the two of them do together.. In truth, I could take him to where the girls get their hair done and pay half as much but the bonding is worth the moola... Plus the hairdressers where the boys go are experts at the military hairstyle! And Mikey got his winter coat on top of his head cut for the summer! He is now sporting the same exact hairstyle as his father.. Very short, but also very cute. You can see what he thought of posing for his picture above.. He got so tired of it he had to lay down.. Tough life, kid.

One dedicated Momma!

They hatched!!! The Mourning Dove eggs hatched!! Well, at least one did, I assume they both did but I can't tell you for certain.. Momma bird will not leave her nest so I can get a good look! And by the looks of the one chick I could see, it appears they hatched several days ago.. Momma (that's what I call her..) is one protective, devoted mommy! I have been in that basket literally inches from her, watering the plant around her, sticking cameras in to take pics, I think I could probably pet her and she wouldn't budge! That is one cool bird. What baffles me is when she is leaving to eat! I never see her off it! Perhaps "Pops" does a quick switcheroo with her and I just never see it... If that is the case then he is one cool bird as well! I had to do some research because I couldn't figure out how the chicks were eating since the bird was never leaving.. And it appears the 'rents regurgitate "crop milk" for the first 3-4 days after hatching and then start adding regurgitated seeds... Fascinating, isn't it?? (OK, maybe not for everyone, but I think it is... you now had your bird lesson for the day!) Anyway, if Momma will ever fly off to do her thing some time (better chance of "you know what" freezing over.. but you never know..), then I will try to get some great pics of the babies... Stay tuned!

It's The Greatest Show On Earth!!!!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Circus, that is!!! Yes, we went this weekend and had an absolute BLAST! I think Mike and I were more excited about seeing it than the kids! I mean, who can't get excited about the prospect of seeing man-eating tigers, dancing elephants, death-defying trapezists, a ball full of deranged (for that is what they have to be, absolutely insane...) motorcyclists, and lets not forget the clowns!! It truly was a day we will remember.. Now on to the best part, pictures and video! I could go on rambling about everything we saw but I think the best way to show the day is with tons of pics.. Enjoy!!






He has found his calling.....

A week of lasts......

It has been a very busy week full of lasts.. Sports and school are wrapping up for the summer! Maria had her last soccer game a few weeks ago.. I am going to sign her up for the Fall season (where they will actually learn the game, not just go and have a soccer playdate..) She's not sold on the idea of playing in the Fall but I told her she had so much fun and showed such improvement this Spring that I would like her to go for a "real" season and learn more about the actual rules of the game.. If she decides after that that soccer isn't her thing then so be it! I just want her to give it a chance.. She did have a blast playing this year and really showed she has what it takes!

Lillian's Pre-K class
Lillian and Mikey had their last days of school ending with a farewell picnic.. I think I an sadder than they are that school has come to an end for the summer... No more free time during the day!!! (excuse me while I wipe my tears away...) Anyway, it was a nice picnic at a nice park, but very hot!! They had a great last day.




And Mikey had his last day of soccer. This was his first time playing and all in all he did fairly well! Mike was coach for his team so every now and then Mikey would pull the Daddy card.. I think in the Fall he will do better with a coach he doesn't know.. The kids tend to listen to strangers better than they do us! Anyway, Mikey had a lot of fun and really got in there at times after that ball (so much so that a few times he cracked heads with other players.. not so fun then!)

So that has been our week! Full of last days... and nearing the end days... Lillian has 5 more tee-ball games and Maria is done with school June 2nd! Hard to believe that Summer is just about here!

Rainforest play...

Maria's class in conjunction with the other 1st grade classes put on a Rainforest play.. (that is what they have been learning about most recently in school..) Anyway, here is a tiny glimpse as to how it went.. Get a load of that backdrop! It was amazing! I could tell Maria (she's the blue butterfly..) was very nervous but she did a great job.. Oh, and get a look at the boy in green beside her... His name is Ryan (or RyRy as Maria likes to say) and Maria thinks he's cute!! He just moved into the neighborhood and seems to be a very nice, smart boy.. Drives Mike crazy!!

Tee-ball....

In her "ready" stance... She's worked hard at perfecting it!
She's #2...



Much of our Spring thus far has been spent at Lillian's tee-ball field.. Yes, she decided to give it a try this year! She seems to really enjoy it and is having a lot of fun.. But I gotta tell ya, if I knew how often she had to play I would have thought twice about signing her up! Every Tuesday and Thursday for 9 weeks!! I mean, come on, they are 5 years old! I personally think once a week for a couple months would have sufficed.. And usually I wouldn't complain but not only do we have t-ball, but Maria has soccer and girl scouts, Mikey is playing soccer as well (more on that later!), not to mention all the usual school related stuff, field trips, programs, etc, etc..... So you can see how the past couple months have been shaking out for Mike and I!! We definitely have been using the "divide and conquer" technique! But it is well worth it.. As long as the kids are having fun and want to do this stuff, and Mike and I can provide it for them, then by golly we are going to give them that opportunity.. It is good for them.. gives them exercise, teaches them teamwork and a love for sports. And boy, are they having fun!! Which is by far the most important thing.

Waiting for Daddy..

I thought this was too precious not to share.... The big rock in front of our house has officially become the waiting rock.. The kids sit on top of it, watching down the road, waiting to see Daddy's car come around the corner on his way home from work. There have been times they sat out there upwards to 45 minutes, anxiously waiting on their Daddy! Gotta love how they idolize him.... He is a pretty good Daddy though!

Before and Afters!

Just a quick look at the fruits of Mike and I's labor!! Some before pics of the house..... And now the after pics!!!


We still have a lot of work to do... but not a bad start for a weekend! We need to get some more stone delivered to finish the last side of the house and some mulch to do around the trees and such.. Oh, and I am going to attempt a rock garden in the front... We shall see how that turns out!!! The previous owners just threw around a bunch of big rocks in the landscaping around the house that we aren't using anymore.. Trying to think of a good way to put them to use! Great job Mike! It is definitely worth the sore shoulder!

Lillian's Mother's Day Tea

Friday was a very special day for Lillian at her school.. It was the day of the Mother's Day Tea. Lillian was VERY excited! I, myself, was really looking forward to this day as well! I purposely skipped breakfast that day, envisioning a morning of being pampered and served a delicious tea snack by my child, all while watching her sing songs to me and giving me her gifts with love... Let me just say it was not the morning I was expecting...

We arrived in the classrooom only to be divided into four groups... We were to go around to four different "stations" which we had to do with our child.. Station one, dress-up game.. The kids got to dress their mom up (YAY....).. Station two, snack making.. We got to help the kids make THEIR snack for the day (we do this EVERY day..).. Station three.. storytime.. We got to sit down and read our child a book (again, we do this at home..).. Station four.. Flower assembly.. we got to help our child assemble a teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy bouquet of flowers.. Then it was time to find our child a seat and watch them eat THEIR snack.. Moms didn't even get to eat or drink anything.. I was STARVING!!! OK, by this time I was thinking the day was pretty lame and was ready to leave.. But there was the present to look forward to!! My favorite part!!! FINALLY it was time for the kids to hand us our Mother's Day gift... A plate that they made just for us... A keepsake to let us know just how much they love us!!! I unwrap my plate with such excitement and anticipation! And this is what I see...




A beautiful picture of Lillian.. with her DAD, with her DAD's green "the money pit" project truck in the background... A beautiful picture indeed! Drawn with love, and her father LOVES it! (so much so that he has asked me about a zillion times if I blogged about it yet... he wants to share... He thinks it is HILARIOUS!)

So that was my Mother's Day Tea, sans the tea... Now don't get me wrong, there were some nice parts to the day.. Lillian wrote a letter to me letting me know how much she loves me.. And we got to spend some quality time together... And on the actual Mother's Day the kids all gave me handmade cards and breakfast in bed, all made with love (before I went outside to work on landscaping all day..). It truly was an accurate Mother's Day celebration.. Being a Mom is all about sacrificing yourself to make others happy.... and that is exactly what I did... Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Springtime is here!

I believe a few posts ago I promised pics of Mikey's new big-boy bike... So here it is!! He and the girls have really been enjoying the nice spring we have been having, going outside every chance they get to ride their bikes and other outside toys.. Spring has definitely arrived and I for one am LOVIN' it! It is so nice to be able to enjoy the sun and warmth.. OH! and the birds... The new pic posted at the top of the blog is our most recent addition to the Gross family! Those craaazzzy Mourning Doves!!!! We have history, those doves and I..... They were trying to build a nest in our garage... Whenever we left our garage door open they would get in there and camp out, just waiting for me to walk out into the garage so they could fly out in front of me, scare me to death, making lots of noise while bonking their tiny little heads repeatedly on the garage ceiling until they eventually made it out the door again..... It's like they were staking out the garage, as soon as we would leave the door open for longer than 30 minutes they would be in there again... Just waiting to get their jollies by surprising me again, going through the whole wing-flapping, head bonking routine over and over again.. Thankfully (after a few weeks of diligently keeping the door closed) they took their househunting elsewhere, they discovered my newly aquired hanging flower baskets on my front porch... It's a nice, covered area, has charm, and is awfully pretty to boot! So there they have settled... Not bothered when we go in and out of the house or when the kids are on the porch playing... They just sit up there, on their nest, watching the going-ons of the Gross family... I am becoming a crazy bird-lady and have to admit that on occasion I have gone out there and had conversations with them... SSSHHHH.... Don't tell anyone... But they are pretty good listeners!! We are now anxiously awaiting the birth of their babies in a few weeks... Pics to come!!!

The two sides of a seven year old girl....

I am not going to survive it... Puberty of a girl, that is... I can barely survive the yo-yo moods of a seven year old.. Heaven help me when she turns 13!!! About a week ago I definitely felt extremely qualified to become the recipient of the "worst Mom in the whole wide world" award... I made Maria get on the school bus, sobbing and mad and thinking that I hated her... Yes, those were her words.. "You just HATE ME!!! I just KNOW IT!!!!" All over a short-sleeve shirt.... Let me start from the beginning... One evening last week Maria asked me if she could wear a short-sleeved shirt on gym day that week because she got hot running around... No problem, perfectly understandable! Well gym day came, I forgot it was gym day and laid out a... (gasp!) long-sleeved shirt for Maria to wear.. (hey, it had been chilly the past few days!) Well she got dressed and forgot about gym day as well until about 15 minutes before we had to leave and catch the bus... All of a sudden she says in all urgency and in an accusatory tone "Mommy, its gym day, you said I could wear a SHORT sleeved shirt!!!!" Me, looking at the time, looking at her already dressed and ready to go, said sorry, I forgot, you're already dressed and next time she can remind me BEFORE we are getting ready to leave... Well that did it... It's like a switch flipped in her.. All of a sudden I had on my hands a screaming, crying, highly upset seven year old, running to her room, slamming her door, sobbing away all the injustices of the world... Well when any of my kids start fussing and throwing fits when they don't get what they want, then I am even more adamant that they won't get it! Try explaining this to a sobbing child who is convinced that you broke a promise and hate them... Anyway, for the rest of the day I was thinking about her.. wondering if she was still mad at me... (and as it turned out the day turned out to be kinda hot... she probably was sweltering!!) When I picked her up later that evening it was very apparent that the whole episode was most likely more upsetting for me than her... She was my sweet little Maria again, no inkling of the creature she had morphed into just that morning was to be found.... And as I was tucking her into bed that evening she called me back in on her own and apologized for fussing and throwing a fit that morning... Which was very nice to hear... So through all of the tears the lesson was learned...

What I am wondering is, if at seven years old, I already have Maria screaming at me, slamming doors, thinking I hate her, how am going to live through age 13??? I am already envisioning her running out the door, hopping on the back her 20 year old druggy, biker-boyfriend's motorcycle, and doing all sorts of terrible things... Diligence, Honesty, Communication, has to be the key... I am going to do the best I can do, try to remember what it is like to be a kid, pre-teen, teen, and hope and pray it is enough!!

And as for right now, I am going to enjoy my sweet, little girl that Maria is 99% of the time... And for that 1% of time when she is "some other child that I don't recognize", well, I am going to do the best I can to get through it and lay the groundwork down for when she hits puberty! Wish me luck!!!

Rockin' out some landscaping!

So for the past couple of years our landscaping has been looking pretty darn pitiful and neglected.... This year Mike and I decided to put part of out tax return to good use and "beautify" our house a little by replacing the mulch around the house with river rock.. A pricey alternative but once its down, it won't ever need to be redone.. It's there for the long haul and in a few years will pay itself off! So Mike took a day off of work a couple weeks ago and we put in one very, long, hard day..
Now I know it doesn't look like it took much work to do this.. But let me tell ya, there was a lot we had to do!! We had to dig and rake out all the old mulch, dirt and weeds.. prune and plant the new plants, lay down the fabric, and then wheelbarrow in piles of rock and spread them around evenly... It was a hard, filthy job but we rocked it out! And here are the results of one long day..


We got the whole front of the house done.. and it look so much better!
Tomorrow (Mother's Day) we plan on putting in another long full day and hope to get the side of the house done.. Then Mike is taking off Monday and hopefully we can get the back of the house knocked out.. In all we probably have a good 3-4 work days left.. A lot of time and effort expended but the results are well worth it! So all you Mom's out there who are going to get pampered tomorrow and have time to yourselves to go shopping, or just be alone.. Please think of me, sweating, breaking my back, all day for the greater good of home improvement and wish me a great day!