Sunday, March 20th

The boys and their new airplane kazoo's

Another busy day in the life of this mom! Decided to have homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Originally the hope was to carb load to help encourage me to run...both from all of the calories, and the hopeful boost of energy! The wind was seriously blowing about 3omph, with gusts up to 45mph...so that shot running outside down. And you know how I am about that darned treadmill. Thus, had delicious cinnamon rolls and tons of calories, but couldn't bring myself to run! Once again, it's a good thing I pushed that half marathon back a month! : ) I need to figure out a way to get this treadmill block out of my head!! Went over to Jeny's for scrapbook group! The pages turned out awesome! It felt so good to be sitting on the other side of the fence this time!!! Don't get me wrong, I loved having workshops, but it sure feels good to not spend so much time getting stuff ready for everybody else, and having time to do my own thing! Loved just getting to chat and not having to worry about teaching at the same time! It's like chicken soup for my soul! Can't wait to put our valentine's day celebration on those pages! Got home just in time to eat with the boys. Finished my dinner, and then I got some more schooling from Lucas in all things Star Wars legos. Oy vey! I cannot remember that stuff for the life of me...but I'm going to have to figure something out, because I'm constantly being quizzed about who this is, or which Star Wars thing they're from. Ask your dad just doesn't seem to work these days! Bad news for me! Much more spring cleaning awaits, so I'd best get off here and get something done, afterall, it is spring now!!!

Saturday, March 19th

The Melting Pot crew for Girls' Night Out

Started the day off quite productively! Got the walk in closet in the basement cleaned out and reorganized, you can easily walk into it now! More sheets & bedding stuff to be donated, more towels to donate. More crap up to the pile of stuff in the garage that was destined for the dump. Lynn came over with his truck, he and Casey loaded up all the crap for the dump including the old couches, and off they went to get rid of all that crap! Yeah, that means some of the garage got cleaned up too!!!! While they were at the dump, the boys and I loaded up the towels for the Humane Society and off we went. They had a ton of dogs and cats, even some kittens. It was great fun looking at the dogs and cats. They had one little weiner dog that broke my heart, and I soooo wanted to bring him home with me, but I knew that Casey would kill me! The boys fell in love with the kittens and the little ball contraption that they were playing with...Zach wanted to bring one home since they were so funny and playful...but once again, Casey would KILL me! So surprisingly enough, I came home empty handed! But free of old towels, and feeling good that someone would get use of something we weren't using anymore. Taught the boys a good lesson about giving to help others, and about recycling/reusing old stuff. 7pm brought the Melting Pot and girl's night out!!! I had a blast! It turned out to be all Walgreens peeps, but some were new to me, so it spiced things up. I had too much to drink however....back in the day that would mean like 10 or 12 drinks, but it was only 3 this evening. Had to do a repeat with the spinach and artichoke cheese fondue, and the banana's foster white chocolate fondue! I seriously could eat these day in and day out as well. However, you'd have to roll me around if that were the case! We laughed, and we talked, and we talked some more! It was a good time!! It's always nice to have a face to go with the voice on the other end of the phone, and always nice to be able to chat and hang out in a much better environment than that at work! We've vowed to do it again!!

Friday, March 18th

Melanie, the Master Zumba instructor...she totally rocked it!

A VERY fun day! Started off with preschool for Lucas. He was soooo excited because that darn little leprechaun had visited their preschool, left green footprints all over their table, and made a mess out of their room. He was so stinking cute, and so excited about the whole thing. It was fun to see how animated he can get when telling a story when he's so excited about something. I was freezing cold, and could not get warmed up all day. It was one of those incredibly low motivation kind of days, so not much got done around the house. I did get some more 3 star levels conquered on Angry Birds! Sad when that's the big achievement for your day...but sometimes you've just got to sit back and relax, and enjoy this big ride called life. It didn't help knowing that I was going to get my butt kicked by Melanie, a master zumba instructor, at the master class that night. I'm sooooo glad that I went! She is worth every last penny I paid! I didn't think it was possible to get much better than Crystal, unless we're talking about Beto himself...but whoa bear! Melanie rocked my world! I absolutely loved her class, and I could feel it! The class was an extra 15 minutes than what we normally do, but I'm glad I was able to push myself to do it! And then a bunch of us crazy zumba folks headed over to Chili's for a bite to eat! Mmmm, rewarded myself with a strawberry margarita and their awesome chips. And of course my usual, chicken enchilada soup and caesar salad. I could eat that same thing 7 days a week, for both lunch and dinner, and I'm quite sure it would take at least 6 months before I may tire of that! Their soup is my fave, so much so that I have a copy cat recipe for it, and a bag still in the freezer, that is on the top of next week's dinner menu. It's not as good as the real thing, but it's still super yummo!

Thursday, March 17th

Happy St Patrick's day! We started the day off with swim lessons...with me feeling like a slacker! I know several of my friends got up and made their kids green breakfasts, and did something with traps for leprechaun's, but alas, I didn't do anything. The thought never occurred to me. So I'm making a mental note, and going to try to remember for next year...another new tradition for the family. I think it sounds like fun!

The swim coach decided to try something new with all of her classes. They set up 'stations' and told the kids what to to on their way from one station to the next. Our class of 4 boys did awesome! I really liked the new method. I think that each kiddo got more one on one with the coach, and the boys LOVED it! It kept them busy the entire half hour!

I tackled the master bathroom for the spring cleaning, and more importantly, cleaned out the master walk in closet and the linen closet upstairs. Got rid of a bunch of old towels, to donate to the Humane Socitey. Bunch of old sheets, bedding sets were packed up too...those will go to the Youth Ranch, if they'll take them. And clothes...I got rid of everything that I hadn't worn in the last year. I have this thing about not wanting to let go of old clothes. Even when it's not my favorite, it's too big, or too small, I have this issue with letting go! But I conquered my issue, kicked it's butt, and filled up 4 huge garbage bags full of clothes to go to the Youth Ranch. The bathroom and closets looked soooooo purty at the end of it all!

Decided to skip zumba at Homecourt since I'd be at zumba Friday night, and girl's night out Saturday night, and scrapbooking Sunday afternoon. We got the movie Alpha and Omega from Netflix, so we made it family movie night. Thank goodness for Angry birds on my phone, and the ability to surf the web while watching the movie...it was TERRIBLE! Casey and I hated it, the boys LOVED it!! Oh well...can't win 'em all!! We will NOT be purchasing this one though!

Bought my airline ticket to Disneyland for the CTMH convention in July! I've been looking at flights, and checking prices. I decided it was time to buy since the prices were starting to go up, and the number of available flights was decreasing. Now to figure out the whole park hopper thing and I'm set!! I cannot wait...my first time ever to Disneyland!!!!!

I run for chocolate and champagne!

Decided that with it snowing here again today, and it still getting dark too early to run after the boys are in bed, that I'm going to postpone my half marathon until the See Jane Run Half Marathon on June 18th. I'm going to register for it tonight, so that I don't chicken out. But between surgery in January, crappy weather, and 2 colds in 2 weeks, I can't force myself to train on the treadmill, and I don't want to put that kind of pressure on myself to be ready for the half on May 14th. I know it can be done, by people that can push themselves well...that's totally not me though! I have to give myself time, and push, but not too hard or too fast. I was looking around on their website tonight, and they have chocolate and champagne at the finish line, and it's only women! There is also a 5k event and people are able to do strollers too, but the good news is, they start them 1/2 hour behind the half marathon ladies! That was a huge frustration at Race for the Cure last year...walkers, strollers and runners were all mixed in, and it was a gigantic pain in the ass to try to run around everyone! It was only a 5k, so it could've been worse.

Did I mention that it snowed today?!? HUGE fluffy flakes! I'm not sure I've ever seen such big ol' flakes!!! It was sticking to the grass quite well, but it was too warm, so as soon as it stopped snowing it melted...and it never did stick to the streets or sidewalks. The bad thing about snow in March, not enough to go out and play in it. Too cold and wet to want to go out and play when the sun finally peeks through the clouds. Lose-lose situation. Damn ground hog, I want spring!!

Watched Aladdin with the boys this afternoon to kill some time and quench the boredom! Thrilled that we have swim lessons tomorrow morning, that always keeps them from feeling like climbing the walls!

Getting excited for this weekend, and one day closer!!

Tuesday, March 15th

One of the single most annoying days as a pharmacist, EVER! I cannot tell you how many phone calls, and people came in asking if we had freaking potassium iodide. I was nice the first few times, but then my patience vanished and I became quite bitchy. NO we don't have it, NO I don't know where you can find it, look online, and oh by the way, we live in IDAHO, not Japan, and we don't freaking need it. I was oh so close to going postal on the idiots by the end of the day. I figured this was like Tamiflu and the flu shot shortage a couple of years ago when swine flu hit big time, and the media hyped it up, and it was all for nuttin'. So I vowed to watch the news and launch a huge complaint campaign if they were hyping the damn potassium pills. Oh no, the news is not to blame this time...it's just people's own freaking ignorance and anxiety, and the damn internet to blame. ARGHHHHH!!

I was exhausted in every way, shape and form, but managed to drag my sorry butt to zumba at Limelight. I'm sooooo thankful that I did! It was a great workout, some of my fave zumba songs, and a ton of people! Felt great after going! I wish I could bottle up that feeling and take it to work with me so that I could have a little attitude adjustment and pick me up whenever I need it in the midst of hell on earth!

Casey finished up our taxes last night. We're getting money back, thankfully we don't owe anymore than what we already paid! : ) We barely broke even with the state, but we're getting almost $3000 back from the feds. I asked what we're going to do with that little windfall, but my hubby is too freaking practical...he told me that I was sitting on that money, aka the new couches. BORING! I told him that the relief pharmacist that was there on Monday only does one day a month...that would be beyond AWESOME in my book...he wasn't anywhere near as excited with the news, and denied my request to further semi-retire from that place!! It's always worth a try! However, part of the reason he's still denying me, I still owe $32,000 in student loans. I'm ecstatic that it's down from the almost $90,000 I graduated with!!! Only 4 years and few more months and then it'll be paid in full. Guess I shouldn't have financed so much partying back then...but oh the fun I had! It'd probably kill me to party like that now, 10 years later!!

And, my greatest accomplishment of the day....only 1 cherry coke zero for the day!

Monday, March 14th

Dropped the boys off at daycare/preschool, registered Lucas for kindergarten, and had a fabulous massage with Maire. My chest muscles and just my chest in general are finally loosening up and getting back to normal. She also said my shoulders felt better this time than they ever have...I attribute it to the fact that I'm sleeping normal again...don't have to stay on my back, and can get fully up on to either side these days! Don't even have to sleep with a bra on, or an extra pillow! Hard to believe it's been almost 2 months!!

Picked the hubby up and headed over to Fiesta Chicken, a new fast food restaurant near our house. Meh, not really impressed. For the price and the quality of the food, I think that Taco del Mar and Costa Vida are far superior. We're not likely to go back...not even as much as I LOVE my mexican food! : )

Got to try out the hubby's new radio/stereo on my 5 minute commute to work...AWESOME!!!! I love that I can plug my phone into the stereo and listen to my music!! Much less hateful of driving that car now!

Work was, well, work. Pretty boring day on the work richter scale, but that ALWAYS means that Tuesday is going to be a doozie...and it didn't disappoint! Chet called and tried to prank me, but he couldn't think of a better last name than Frankenstein when I went to look up his info... nice try buddy! It was awesome to talk to him, and he thinks he'll be moving back this way in May. The boys are excited to see him race again, Casey, not so much! The rednecks at the racetrack drive Casey insane!!!

Lots o' rain in store for us this week...as much as I don't like the rain, I LOVE what it brings... green grass, pretty flowers, SPRING!!!