SPRUNG

Spring has sprung,

but we aren't having typical springlike weather around here.

Today it is going to be hot.

For the third day in a row it is going to be 90' or more. 

Everything is blooming and the leaves showed up over night. 

This is my view from my front porch. 

The cherry trees were blooming last week, but the flowers quickly faded and now there are

leaves replacing those beautiful pink and white flowers.

My Camellias are blooming, but aren't lasting long because of the heat.

They don't like it.

The bumble bees are busy....busy as bees.

They have work to do.....

a lot of pollinating going on!

Critters have woken up and moved on to bigger and better things.

I too have a lot of work to do to......

unpollinating things.

This is the worst year that I can remember.

The pollen is thick and everywhere.

The pool is open and heated, but noone wants to swim because there is a green film floating on top. 

Someone that I know can't stop sneezing.......... 

probably because she can't keep her nose off of the ground.

I mopped yesterday afternoon..........

guess I should have waited.

Anyone know a raindance? 

I would love a "big ol fat rain",

but would settle for a "little bitty stingin rain"

right about now.

Do you know what movie that is from?

*************

What gives?


I updated some of my settings on blogger.


.
I tried to email my post and the pictures wouldn't go through. All of the fonts ended up
 "CRAZY" and different sizes and 
I cannot fix them.
 I updated the the way I "insert images" and
it it took me forever to get the hang of it and get things in the right places. 
;0)

EASTER PICTURES

We woke up

early.....

too early for some......

Easter morning to find that the

Easter Bunny

had paid a visit to our house.

He left a basket for Charlie and Lola, all of the girls and one for Bubbles too!

That bunny was so clever this year!

He left these adorable black and white polka dotted galvanized buckets.

He must have left those for me!

I think he wanted me to use them on my front porch this summer.

I am sure of it!

There was

chocolate, make up, nail polish, bubble bath, earrings, perfume and even some

edible Easter grass.

#3 was delighted with her rainboots.....

just in time for the all of the spring showers!

Bubbles was taking inventory on his loot too.

After church we headed to my dad's house for

a family gathering and dinner and I took several steps backwards

as far as my diet goes!

SWEET 16 AGAIN

TRUE STORY:

#1's BF gave her a gift certificate to a spa for Christmas. During her springbreak she asked me if I would go with her because she had never been to a spa before and was a little unsure of the process. Reluctantly, I immediately said I would go and told her to make me an appointment for a facial when she made her appointment.

We drove two cars to the spa because that afternoon #3 had a school soccer game and I didn't know if I would need to go straight from there or if I would have time to drop #1 off at home. (By this time, our puppies would have been in their crates for a long time and #1 was going home to take them out and play with them instead of going to the soccer game.)

After we were escorted to the dressing room and put our robes on, we waited for our therapists in the lounge while we sipped ginger tea and sat around the fireplace. Once I was in the my room and under the warm blankets, my therapist examined my skin and we talked about what kind of facial she would suggest for me. Since my main concern was dull skin and sun damage she suggested a certain facial for that and asked me if I would like to try microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion exfoliates the top layers of the skin by shooting fine crystals through a small wand and causes your skin to go into the healing process and breaking down things like sunspots. The overall treatment leaves your skin looking younger. I decided to give it a try.

The facial was incredible, totally relaxing. It included a scalp and neck massage. After it was over, my therapist started the microdermabrasion treatment. She said it would feel like a cat licking me but I would describe it more as an electric sander. It wasn't painful, but it smarted at first until I got used to it. On the sunspots, she went back and forth over them, as if she was trying to erase them. She also went down my neck and chest area. Overall, it was a very relaxing experience.

Afterwards, I sat in the steam room, took a mint and lavender shower, got dressed and decided to go home to dry my hair before heading to the soccer game. This is where things went really bad. I was in my bathroom drying my hair. I usually start out hanging my head over before I face the mirror and use a round brush.

Picture this part in slow motion......... me leaning over, blow dryer going, standing up and facing the mirror and then there they were, staring right back at me...... two hickeys on my neck. I let out a loud "O...M....G!" By this time, #1 was home and she came running into my bathroom. Then she feel to the floor laughing! It seems the microdermabrasion wand a was little too much for my neck to handle.

I wasn't sure if the man of the house was going to be able to make it on time to the soccer game and the thought of one of my children looking down the sideline and not seeing one of their parents standing there breaks my heart, so I decided to suck it up (pun intended), wrap a scarf around my neck, put on my denim jacket, pop the collar and head off the game. (Have I ever mentioned that #3 goes to a private Christian school?!)

I was so paranoid standing there. It was the first warm day we had (over 70') and there I stood all bundled up while everyone was in short sleeves and v necks. It was one of those situations where I wasn't sure if I should show up, tell everyone my story and have a good laugh or not. I didn't. I wish you could have seen the look on my husband's face when I leaned over and whispered, "Are the marks on my neck noticeable?"

So to answer the question: Does microdermabrasion make you look younger?

That answer is YES, most definitely. You will look 16 again!

46

The older girls came home from school for my birthday on Saturday . We went to our family favorite sushi restaurant, Mura. We are getting pretty predictable when it comes to that being where everyone wants to go for their birthday. We just love it! Afterwards, we went home. #1 brought home cupcakes from Sugarland Bakery, a well know cupcake bakery in Chapel Hill.

They were delicious. There were six different flavors, so we all took a bite of a cupcake and passed them around because everyone wanted a taste of them all. I think my favorite was the cafe con leche. I think we have established another new family favorite and tradition.

I had a couple of gifts to open..... the girls went shopping again! I now have a new purse for the summer, a big round watch and a spa gift certificate that I can't wait to use. (I went and had a facial a couple of weeks ago and walked out looking like I was a teenager. I will explain one day soon.)

Afterwards we watched The Blind Side. None of us went to the theater to see it when it was there and we were really looking forward to it. I really enjoyed it and thought it was one of the better movies that I had seen in a long time.

Since it was my 46th (UGGG) birthday, I thought I would try to come up with 46 things about myself I have never mentioned..... or at least try to come up with 46 things I don't think I have mentioned that often.

1. I love to read but it takes me forever to read a book because I fall asleep whenever I do. I usually get three or four pages in before I my eyes get heavy.
2. I was Miss Trooper Bowl/Miss Pop Warner way back when.
3. I was a cheerleader for ten years
4. I am pretty sure I am addicted to chewing gum and I am trying to break the habit.
5. I am a posture snob - hate bad posture on anybody and am very irritated by it and do not understand why someone wouldn't work to improve it.
6. I went on a cruise on my honeymoon...... the man of the house went with me.
7. I will spend all day building a sandcastle.... it is therapy.
8. The first concert I ever went to see was Loverboy.
9. The best concert I ever went to was either Kenny Chesney or the Black Eyed Peas.
10. I do not have a favorite color, but I do not like yellow.
11. My favorite "flavor/taste" is vinegar.
12. My favorite flowers are zinnias. They are complex and simple at the same time.
13. Once while I was teaching, I had to take my turn at driving a school bus and I was so afraid, I cried the whole time.
14. Snakes give me the willies.
15. One of my good friends in middle school died when he fell off a cliff.
16. I have a torn rotator cuff.
17. My mom was my best friend and I am feeling a little friendless right now.
18. I loved Princess Diana. I still love reading about her.
19. My favorite song is Boston's More Than a Feeling. I have no idea why.
20. I like and listen to all kinds of music except twangy stuff.
21. I like football.
22. I was on the homecoming court every year in high school.....
23. I was the prom queen my senior year.
24. I try to not pay full price for things......
25. except at the grocery store, I do not look for sales or use coupons.....
26. and except for shoes..... gonna buy them if I like them.
27. I have a very hard time remembering names.
28. There is a beach house in my future.
29. I have a keen sense of smell and
30. I won't fry things in my house because I smell it for days. (Who fries things these days anyways? On Christmas morning the man of the house cooks sausage and biscuits and he uses a fry pan outside or in the garage.)
31. I love to play practical jokes on my family.
32. I once rode in the co pilot seat of my uncles tiny plane. I looked out of the window (while we were in the air) and saw that the wing was ducted taped. When I asked my uncle about it he just casually replied that he thought we'd be okay and it was on his "to do" list. I also rode in his plane that Howard Hughes once owned fully equipped and loaded. I preferred the one with the leather seats.
33. I can still do the splits.
34. I dated the same boy all through high school and for two years in college. I wish I could have some of those years back. I feel like I missed out on a lot.
35. My favorite time of day is dusk during the summer. I love to sit and just listen.
36. We are in church limbo right now.
37. I stop to rescue turtles in the road.
38. I wish I had a craft room. I'd have a project going on continuously if I didn't have to pull things out and put things away all of the time.
39. I do not leave the house without make up on. I even put a little powder, concealer and blush on when I work in the yard and go to the gym.
40. If I didn't have plantar fasciitis , heel spurs and arthritis in one of my toes, I would probably wear heals most days just because I could.
41. I love learning about other cultures.
42. I drive a SUV.
43. I love thunder storms.
44. Pickles were my favorite snack when I was little. I still love them and would eat them all of the time if I wasn't so paranoid about the garlic smell.
45. I do not like to wear dresses. I feel awkward in them.
46. I love yoga.

Okay, now that I have totally ruined my image, I will go. I have shoes to buy, gum to chew and names to remember!

SINCE MONDAY

Since Monday:

Charlie had surgery on his broken leg. They shaved above his hip and the entire back leg except for his foot and now he looks even more pitiful. I picked him up from the vet yesterday. He is under strict crate arrest and he does not like it. He is supposed to rest and remain still for the next FOUR weeks. He protests his crate sentence so hard the crate actually starts rocking. Last night, I thought he was going to turn it over. I don't believe this is what "strict crate rest" meant. On top of that, he has to wear one of those "cones of shame". It keeps getting caught on the sides of his crate and he gets stuck. He has given me some of the dirtiest and most pitiful looks since he has been home. He does get to walk and go outside on a short leash so that I can control him and keep him from running or jumping, but he isn't too happy about this either. Lola (aka Mightmouse) is so excited he is back and outside with her she runs figure eights around him nonstop. It is irritating both me and Charlie to no end. The man of the house left to go out of town yesterday morning but will be back tonight. It will be much easier with the two of us here.

Thank goodness for the light sedative I can give him every six hours!

It does wonders for us all!

I took #3 to the doctor because she was having trouble catching her breathe during soccer games. She has been playing soccer since she was five and plays in a position that runs the length of the entire field all during the game. She rarely comes out of the game and her games are over an hour long. So she is not out of shape. After all of these years, all of sudden, she has sports induced asthma. They prescribed an inhaler to use before games and practices. So now that is one more thing to remember everynight when she is packing up her "suitcases" for school.

My birthday was on Tuesday. The man of the house and I went to #3's soccer game and then from there the three of us went to eat at Bonefish Grill. I love their food. The older girls are coming home one day this weekend and then we will do something with the whole family. A big box was delivered by Fed X and it is sitting on the hearth in the den. I get to open that up then too. The man of the house also gave me a pair of Tory Burch flats that I have wanted for a while.

I love them, but the elastic on the back is a little intense and it pushes/smashes your toes against the front. I let #3 wear them to school to stretch them out for me! HA! She wears a half size larger shoe than I do and her foot is also wider. Worked great! She softened them up and stretched them perfectly! She didn't mind that they were too small for her either!

#1 found out that her BF (of three years) can't go to her sorority's formal Friday night. He plays rugby and his team is in the playoffs. They have a game in Tennessee on Saturday that he just told her about it. I am not sure how long he has known though, but what I do know is that she was so upset. Formals are big, it is like the prom. There are dresses, hair and nail appointments, shoes to buy and tuxes to rent. She had been talking about and looking forward to this for a long time. I felt so bad for her when she called and told me. She didn't think she would be able to find anyone else to go with her at such late notice, but after the word got around the sorority house, someone found her a date. It is a friend of another one of the guys that is going. I know that it is going to be a little weird for her to go with someone she doesn't even know, especially after dating someone for so many years, but I am just happy she is going. She loves dancing, so as long as he doesn't have to left feet she will have fun. She is in college and these are things that she will remember the most when she is older. I would hate for her to look back and remember watching everyone else getting ready and feeling so left out. As far as I know, the BF encouraged her to go.... so good for him.

Not too much going on today. I guess I will hang around the house and be Charlie's nurse. Sometimes it is nice to have something that keeps you home for a few days.