LAME! It's my new word of the week. Really, it applies to so many things......

ME -- I'm lame b/c half-way through CA Adventure yesterday morning I realized my skirt was on inside out. Patterned and cute, just looked a little more hippiness with the seams showing.
ME -- b/c I couldn't get my act together to get a cake in advance for my son's 1st Communion dinner with friends. So we had cake on Sunday.
ME -- b/c I forgot my credit card on the kitchen counter and had to beg Costco to keep my cart while I ran to get the card & Amanda from school; which made me LATE to get Ian.
ME -- b/c it took me forever and a day to get the dryer vent cleared out and now it works like a charm. GO FIGURE, queen of lameness, laundry goes much faster when you aren't doing a double dry cycle.

Enough about me, many other things are lame too.........
Bad drivers = LAME -- thou shalt not honk at me when I am trying to turn left and there is traffic. I don't care if you are trying to turn right and squuuueeeeeze by my monster Burb. Get off your cell phone and wait your turn! And DO NOT honk at me. I was quite happy with myself when I turned and hollered "Dude, chill!" instead of showing him how beautiful my middle finger is.
Bad baseball parents = LAME -- if you are going to beam your kid in the batting cages during batting practice (on purpose) know that I WILL tell the people in charge. You are a psycho parent and are deserving of the King of Lame Crown.
Gas companies = LAME -- I get that they want to make a profit and all that other stuff but WHY is there such a varied price with the actual cost of a gallon of gasoline; even within the same company? Why is it that a gallon of gas costs $3.95 right off the interstate in the middle of nowhere/$3.50 in the middle of AZ/ $3.80 at the store on the corner/ $3.70 10 miles down the road. Answer: b/c they are LAME. Profit is one thing but selfish is another.
Stupid rules = LAME -- ex: the rule that the kids cannot be on ANY of the school equipment after school. Period. Not even to have a shady place to sit while waiting for your older sibling to get out (with your parent standing right there). They have to wait in the grass or sit at the picnic tables in the hot sun. Lame.

I promise -- I really try not to be grumpy. I'm just pointing out assorted lameness b/c if I didn't I would really go crazy. You really have to laugh at the insanity around you.

So the other day I was saying how scrapbooking is good for your soul. It still is. But so is shopping.

I like to shop but I wouldn't say I'm a shop-a-holic or an over-spender. I don't pay full price and I'm pretty practical overall. I mostly shop for the kids (of course) and like most Moms out there I hardly ever buy for myself (unless you are talking about a random apparel grab at Costco). With Sean's 1st Communion coming up this weekend, I decided to get myself something. Well, truth be told, I had to return a sundress that I had gotten when I took him to get his outfit on Sat. So I was really going to use the return credit to get something else. (details, details)

I started with this skirt and then I saw another one; so I got two. Then I came across this top to match the 2nd skirt. Then I saw these fun pants; not for this weekend, but I need some new bottoms. And these bermudas dress down the yellow top so of course I had to get them (the outfit looked great on the mannequin). And then I saw this dress; it's a bit of a stretch for me b/c I'm not that fashionable, but it's fun and different. Oh look, a cami tank for $4.99; I'll take one of those. And wow, basic shirts for $6.99....ah, junior section; so what, I'll just get a large.

I grabbed a couple of pieces of random chunky jewelry (yeah, 80% off) and headed to the register.............total time 40 minutes! But I didn't have time for cute shoes, bummer!

I headed off with my new duds and one of those "here sucker, come back next week for $30 off" coupons. B/c THEY NOW I'll spend more than $30. Just like the sundress that started it all.

Let's play a game -- WHAT'S THAT SMELL????????? It's not the dog, it's not coming from the bathroom, it's not something I have burned in the oven. It's coming from my kitchen cabinets! Yes - my new, beautiful kitchen.

I first noticed a weird smell in the tupperware cupboard. I searched and searched to see if one of the kids had put a dirty bowl in there or if by some weird chance (I have a 4yo, remember) someone put a damp rag in there. The smell is a musty one that I can't put my finger on. Now, the smell is under the sink too. The problem is that I can't really smell it there b/c Zicam has ruined my sense of smell. I can't smell much of anything so the fact that I'm detecting anything must mean it is really gross. So, I'm thinking it a water/drainage issue b/c the lines for the dishwasher run along the back of the tupperware cupboard. If not, is there some critter back in there dead between the outer wall and the cupboard? Is there a leak that I can't see (I hope not!)?

Who do I call? Do I shoot for a leak detection company? Do I call the handyman who installed the pipes & drain lines? Do I call a company that seeks out dead vermin? HELP!

There is something about spending some time scrapbooking that is so therapeutic. It is good for your soul. It just is.

I spent some time at my workshop on Friday evening assembling a small paper album for Maggie's 10th bday and I did lay-outs for nine pages in Sean's album. Then on Saturday after baseball, I proceeded to organize more photos for the next round of pages for all the kids; ordered some photos for Maggie's bday album; ordered some photos to update the school albums; and looked at many, many albums with the kids. While dh watched I Am Legend on Sat. night (great movie to scrapbook with b/c I could look away during the scary parts & not feel like a complete dork), I completed the nine pages I had jumpstarted for Sean. When I told him that I worked on his album, he responded with "cool, thanks - can I see?" Treasuring their stories is why I do this and they truly love their albums. I couldn't pick something better to be passionate about.

The main question I get about scrapbooking is 'when do you have time?' Well, I don't have time. I make time. On Saturday, I had five baskets of laundry to fold. I always have laundry to fold or some random chore to do. Knowing that I could (& would) do the laundry on Sunday, I focused on my photos.

I have to focus on the positive, right? B/c if I focus on the fact that I'm up to summer 2005 in my scrapbooking I might die.

Let's talk Survivor why don't we. HOLY COW what a great season it is. The weather is pretty nasty; the beaches were incredibly different (poor pathetic fans); the personalities crack me up and the challenges have been pretty cool.

I will admit that our whole family watches. It's not your typical family show but we just love it and overall it's pretty harmless. Everyone has their own favorite(s) and it's all drama all the time. Maggie mostly goes for the girls (and the occasional cute boy); Sean immediately gloms onto the strong boys. Who would have guessed?

Now, last night we laughed out loud numerous times. First of all, Cerie being sent to Exile was perfect. What was she going to do --- go there and talk about people to herself? Ha! Go sit in the rain and sulk you non-swimming non-competitor. Then, Eric gets the 'deer-in-the-headlights' look around all the topless natives. I, mean seriously, grandma boobs, DUDE......eeeewwww! Poor sweet naive little boy couldn't handle the native beer & betal nuts. Come on, THAT was funny. Moving on to James waking the LAZY campers with his branch whacking and ax sharpening..........I would have thrown a coconut shell at Parverti for even looking at me sideways much less telling me to be quiet. Get up you lazy bums and tend your own flippin' fire. Now, the immunity challenge -- yikes! I would have lasted two minutes before I was whining about my arm being numb; b/c I'm wimpy like that. James spilling his water required a rewind it was so funny. And Jason is STUPID enough to cave after six hrs.; what on earth? And are they in 4th grade with all the crossed finger promises. Hilarious, just hilarious. Dude; I'll tell you whatever you want if you just hand over the chocolate & peanut butter. And finally, Ozzy. ::::shaking my head::::: I'm so disappointed b/c I really, really like him but I thought he was smarter than that. Cockiness did get in his way afterall. Eliza's bug-eyed surprise was the final laugh of the night. Parv is a dead woman walking.

Enough trash talk for this week.

I love my kitchen! I can't believe I lived for so long with 1/2 functioning electric burners/a stove hood that didn't fit and was FUGLY/drawers that were falling off the runners.

Here's a little before and after: we had already pulled out the cabinets over the peninsula and the circa 1970 light panels.........

to this.......
Voila!

Time for gardening again. Imagine my surprise when I went back to look up my post from last year about my annual gardening fest and it was exactly one year ago.

So I am officially done with planting now. The weather has been perfect spring weather and I've been trying to get outside whenever I can. (my deepest sympathy to all you snow bunnies out there) It's my little escape from the daily routine of insanity.

This years total: 1 pack of cilantro seeds; one beefsteak tomato plant (salsa anyone?); a 12pk. of marigolds; a 12pk. of Ajuga; a 6pk. of Voila; 1 gal. Scilla Peruviana (a pretty petite lavendar flower); and 3 1-gal. Cyclamen. I have mostly shaded areas with a few full sun spots. I'm hoping the marigolds will ward off the snails that like to eat my gerber daisies. I heard snail pellets are poisonous for dogs; and my silly dog likes to eat snails too.

Now, could someone please tell me what that orange plant is that is pictured above. It blooms like little cherry balls and then blossoms into these beautiful orange bursts.