Oh, it was a beautiful day today. I'm not even sure how hot it was, though I know it was somewhere in the low to mid 70s. What a blessing. The last time we had weather so nice, the next day we had snow. Michigan is weird. Anyway, we got a lot done today!

This morning, we slept in late, just because we could. It is nice when we are all snuggled in and then run to the livingroom at 11am to watch Yu-Gi-Oh. Oh, yes, so we are one of those terrible families that watch television. *laughs* This particular cartoon is a guilty pleasure of mine and DH's. We watch faithfully every week, and tape the episode when we have to do something else. Have I mentioned that DH and I have dueling decks, and that we like to take turns whooping each other? *laughs* Yes, we are geeks. It's ok.

After cartoons were over, we all got dressed and went off to our various activities. DD spent most of her time outside, playing in the yard, and running around with the neighborhood kiddos that live two doors down. I did a lot of cleaning today, again, and some yard work. I did take a break in the middle of the day to stand at the curb for the ice cream truck though. That is one good thing about only having one child, that we can afford $1.75 for an ice cream with bubble gum eyeballs.

Oh, I did make an awful mistake today though. You see, I thought that I would do something so COMPLETELY out of character, and I wore a sleeveless shirt today, under my jumper. I thought that I would keep cool better while working. Now I have bright red shoulders, and the skin on my arms feels about 2 sizes too small. DH is teasing me. It was really dumb to go from PALE to LOBSTER. Ouch. So, I'm slathering on lotion and pouting at myself. But, at least I have my flower beds!

I spent some time in the front yard today, working my hoe until my hands started feeling blistery. I did so much work that DH felt motivated, and he carried loads of bricks up front, and bricked in my flower bed. Oh, that man loves me. He has to, to carry bricks by the bucket load, from the garage. We need a wheelbarrow. But, it looks lovely, at least compared to the dirt pits that were there before. Now all I need to do is to come up with some flowers. lol

DH was successful in cutting down the rest of the crab-apple tree trunk today. That thing was a real trial to cut. But, it is finally gone, and DD likes to jump on it as though she can pound it down into the ground. Weird. lol Industrious guy that he is, DH even worked on the little red car today, and got it running better. He was able to take it around the block without it stalling on him. That's an improvement, anyway.

I'll admit that I had a little fit of temper this evening. DH was empathetic though, so it didn't cause any problems. I had called my dad to invite him over for dinner, when I found out that he was out at the marina. So, I was going to hang up with him when he suddenly decided that he could finish soon enough, and that he would be over for dinner at 6:30pm. So, I hurried and put DD in the tub. I also made my ranch chicken, homemade biscuits, peas, and corn. The table was all set, and I was done right on time. I waited for a half hour, trying valiantly to keep dinner warm. I finally called just after 7pm, and dad was just washing his hands after working. He said that his girlfriend was already cooking, so he wasn't going to be coming over. *sigh* Why couldn't he have called BEFORE dinner was done, to tell me that? Why couldn't he have called BEFORE I tried so hard to keep dinner warm, making my family wait for him? Sometimes my dad really upsets me. I invite him over every so often, just because it is important to me, and if he isn't blowing me off for silly reasons, well.... apparently he is standing me up. At least DH was happy because he could eat portion sizes as big as he wanted, because of the extra food that I had prepared.

The rest of the evening has gone well though. DD is asleep, and DH has just gotten home from the video store. I had better go and watch the evening news with him. It's one of our "things".....

*laughs* I said that I wasn't going to visit the internet today, but I am here. DH is outside, working on our little red car. DD tired herself out so much that after I gave her a bath, she wanted to watch her ABC video, and ended up falling asleep. I tried to wake her up, but she's having none of that. lol Oh well, it's Friday. It's no big deal.

So, since I have some time to myself, I figured that I would write about my day before everyone comes in or wakes up. It has definitely been interesting. I started out with a list of things that I wanted to do, and I'm not sure if I actually accomplished any of them. However, I did have a very good day. It HAD to have been a very good day, because I feel like smiling, and I'm so exhausted that I need to type to keep from falling asleep. *chuckles*

My day started late today, just because. *nods* That is one good thing about having an independent only-child, that mornings are usually pretty easy. This morning, I just laid there in bed, enjoying the way that the sunshined bathed the bedroom. I was awake, and content to just lay there and soak it all up. If there is ever a time when I am most apt to be the most content, it is during those first few minutes when I am thinking about coming out of my cocoon of blankets. This morning, DD and the dog both wiggled under the blankets, and we all laid there with the coverlet over our heads. I know, we're weird. Then DD ran off to watch cartoons, and the dog and I gave each other lazy looks and just snuggled deeper into the pillows. *chuckles*

For a short time this morning, I grabbed a book and read in the comfort of my PJs. I decided on "Making Your Home a Haven-Strategies for the Domestically Challenged" by Cyndy Salzmann. (FYI- This book can be purchased through our Choosing Home store) I was really impressed with what I read this morning. I love how the initial focus isn't on decluttering and efficient ways to shovel the garbage out of the house. It really impressed me that the beginning of the book is dedicated to getting ladies back to the Lord, and places such an emphasis on making time for prayer. So, in prime fashion, I set the book down and decided to talk with God for a while. It might make it difficult to finish the book if I keep doing that, but I say that it is an awesomely good trade. *laughs* While I was praying, DD came in and asked me what I was doing. When I told her that I was praying, she said that she wanted to pray too. So, she climbed up in bed with me, and we took turns praying. She's still getting the hang of things, thinking that she is going far out on a limb when she says "Thank you God, for this sandwich" instead of "Thank you God, for this food". *chuckles* She's a good girl. :o )

After prayers, I began putzing around in the kitchen. I took out the garbage, and when I took the bag out, I just decided to sweep the driveway. I know. It sounds weird. That's how work happens with me though. I made my way back into the house and helped DD get dressed in clothes that actually went alright together, and then I noticed that the neighbor boys were out. So, I sent DD out to play with them, and I went to fetch Skippy. I tied the dog on a long leash (actually a lunge line) in the front yard, and the kids just had a ball playing with him. They whipped frisbees at him and played tug-o-war. It was a good time. When the boys went home for a while, I put a padlock on our back gate, and let DD play in the yard for a bit. I worked in the kitchen, washing dishes, scrubbing counters, etc. She thought she had some freedom, but she didn't realize that I was watching her out the kitchen window all of the time. *laughs* But, she had fun playing in her plastic play house.

After I had the kitchen clean, I went to the door to wave out the neighbor boys and their mom, all on their bikes. The mom told me that there was a yard sale the next street over, so I grabbed my shoes, and DD and I walked over to the yard sale. I didn't have much money, but I did get some things. I bought DD an 'Dora the Explorer' set with a "dream pillow, journal, and pen" that was brand new in the packaging, for $2. I was able to find pretty burner covers for my stove for $0.75/package of 2. I also bought DD a children's craft book and a package of stickers, and a dry erase board for myself, all for $2.10. So, we had a nice time "shopping" for less than $6. On our way back home, we saw the nice older lady that we had stopped to talk to on the way out. She was pulling up to the garage sale in her vehicle. It was cute. :o )

After we got home, DD sat at her little picnic table and used her new pen to draw on an activity page while I putzed around with more housework. I was really going to town, and I managed to clean places of my house that haven't been cleaned since we moved in. Hey now, it's only been since December. *laughs* The neighbor boys came back home and invited DD over to play,so after checking with their mom, I let her go over there for an hour. Oh blessedness. It was quiet. wow. So, I hurried and scrubbed the bathroom until I realized that I was cleaning the caulk right off of the toilet base/floor. Ooops. *laughs* I'll have to have DH fix that some time. I am really funny about scrubbing the bathroom. I can't help it if dumb dirt and icky things want to get into the edge of the caulk. It still needs to be clean. He'll just have to run new caulk in a couple months or so. lol

I was sitting on the porch, enjoying some iced water when DD came walking home. Apparently she had pushed the little neighbor girl down, and the mom had told her that she needed to be good and not push people. DD is so shy and funny that she thought that meant that she had to go home. So, she had just told me that the mom told her to go home for pushing. I made her put her shoes back on though, and I marched her over there to apologize. She said that she was sorry, and that she was worried that her friends didn't like her any more. The mom said that things were fine, and that she didn't understand why DD went home. So, we talked for a minute about some of the learning that DD has to do, when it comes to relating to other children and such. I feel like the crazy mom, begging people to like my kid and be her friend. *laughs* Really though, she was just being a child, and she wasn't in trouble. She just doesn't know how to take a mild reprimand from someone other than me. She thought that they wouldn't like her anymore. Poor kid.

After that little episode, it was time to come in and figure out dinner. I ran a bath and scrubbed DD until she was pink again. *laughs* She knows how to get dirty. I put her in some comfy clothes, and then she basically put herself to bed. She's funny. DH and I had dinner together, and we talked about our finances because we had a miscommunication yesterday. He went over into my bill paying territory, and we both paid the car insurance. Oops. That can be a problem when they don't want to refund one of the payments. Car insurance isn't cheap where we live. So, we have that talk every once in a while, "This is YOUR job, and this is MINE." *laughs* We can't afford both of us being the money manager. Heeheehee.... 

So, it is quiet, all except for Wheel of Fortune on in the other room. I guess the rats get to watch tv. lol Oh, speaking of the ratties, they are so much easier to hold now! *laughs* They have such ravenous appetites that they have porked out big time. It is so much easier to fish them out of the cage when they are round. I think that it helps that they have calmed down a whole lot and that they like being rubbed behind their ears. You should have seen me trying to stick both of them in one of DD's little shoe boxes yesterday though. *chuckles* Every time that I tried to put the lid on, one would try to escape. When I was busy with one, the other was sneaking out the other side of the box. It was comical. But, at least their cage is fresh, and I put their hammock back in there for them. They outgrew the house I had gotten them, those round rodents. lol

I think that I am going to go and see about plugging in the sewing machine, so I can work on DD's dress a little today. It is a really simple pattern though, so I might have it done in a short amount of time. I'm still wondering how I get the flower trim on though. *scratches head* They are multi-colored daisies, connected together by one petal on each side. Do I just sew right through the middle of them?? I'm not sure. I don't want to mess it up, but I don't want them to fall off or anything either. I need my grandma. She would know what to do. Maybe I will borrow DH's cell phone and call down to Florida to ask her. lol

.....wanders off...........

Yup, I'm calling in sick tomorrow. I won't be here. I know, you are just so sad. *laughs* However, I do plan on enjoying a whole slew of things as I get myself out of the house and spend some uninterrupted time with my daughter, and spare a little for the housework.

Here are some of the things that we are going to do tomorrow.....

• wake up early
• enjoy hot bowls of mama's oatmeal
• pack "hiking" bags
• go for a long walk
• play at the park
• have a picnic
• read a good book
• walk to the market and buy fruit (ok, and a fake juice bottle aka-sugar water)
• take a fun bubble bath so DD and I can splash each other with suds
• begin sewing DD's new dress
• practice storytelling, using a bible story
• make dinner together

See? I have a full day. I don't have time for the internet. :o ) 

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Oh, before I go, I wanted to share the letter that I got from my sponsored child in Africa! The translation goes:

Your child [---------] is glad to write to you. He thanks you for having accepted to become his sponsor. He is being taken care of by his grandmother because his parents passed away. He prefers eating irish potatoes and beans. It's now time for exams on 16th March 2005. It's end of 1st term exams. He is in P-2. He requests you to pray for him such that he may perform well in school. He prays for you that you may have nice Easter. He wishes you God's blessings. Read Psalm 20:4-5

Then, on the back of the paper, there is the most adorable drawing. I have to tell you, every time that I look at it, I start to tear up and my eyes try to leak. My friend drew me pictures of flowers, a bean, an irish potato, and a car.

I can't even begin to express how happy I am to hear from this little boy. I have been waiting for his letter for quite some time now, worrying that maybe he didn't get my letter. I was worried that he might think I had forgotten him, or that I didn't care enough to write. So, it is good to hear from him, and to know what a beautiful heart he has. When I send my letter, I will draw him pictures also, and hopefully they will make him just as happy as his pictures have made me. :o )

Oooo... I slept in a bit, but not as much as DD, the poor thing. She is still sleeing, and it is almost 10:30am. We had a rough night though.

Yesterday was nice, especially since I was in a funk and really grumpy. DH has been pulling some long hours at work, but has been less than stellar with keeping me informed. It really stinks to be waiting on someone and trying to put together dinner, only to have them come in the door at 11pm. Yeah, I was grumpy. I don't think that I would have been quite so grumpy if I were well rested, but I was exhausted, with big black circles under my eyes. I can't sleep without him though, especially when I know that he is going to be driving (and especially in the van). So, I try to keep busy, and I pray. Things weren't resolved very well, and I spent the night hugging on my pillow between tossing and turning bouts. When I woke up, I didn't really feel any more chipper.

Ah, but my sister has weird Jenna-senses, and she can tell when ever I'm in a slump and need a change of scene. So, she came and picked me and DD up, and we went to the store. I bought a can of hotdog chili and a small box of bendy-straws. *big grin* I think that we are going to have a coney dog picnic outside this afternoon. Then, Sis took us all over to Joann Fabrics, and I picked out some pretty blue fabric to make myself a skirt. I also picked out a bright yellow fabric and some multi-colored flower trim to make DD a dress. She is just so incredibly tall that she is outgrowing all of her favorite clothes. She went completely ape when I showed her the two lovely dresses that a good friend sent for her. DD just loves dresses. Now, all I have to do is make sure that she has dresses that are an acceptable length, because of those long legs. I measured her yesterday, and she is about 44" tall. The girl is a rail though, even at the widest part of her (finally) rounding belly, she is 22" around. At least she is filling in a little bit. Sis made some comments to me about how she worried sometimes, that maybe someone would think something incorrect if they saw DD with her shirt up. I can see the poor kiddos ribs, though not real bad. She eats real good, but all of it seems to be going toward growing UP, and not out.

So, anyway, last night I sat up and used some really ugly fabric to make a 'hard template' out of the pattern for DD's dress. I really dislike that flimsy paper that they make the patterns out of. I fear that I'll rip it, just taking it out of the envelope. After that was done, I cut out the pieces that I will need for DD's dress, in the yellow fabric, plus another bodice piece so I can make it extra thick. All I have left to do today is press parts of the dress, and run it on the sewing machine. I was thinking about hand-stitching it, but I'll wait for another time. I want to have this first one done before I try to doing something so silly as try to sew by hand. My stitches aren't exactly perfect, so I'll wait until I have more practice under my belt. In the meantime, DH has plenty of work clothes in need of hand-mending.

I was up really late last night, with DD. I believe that she had gas on her tummy, and she was in a lot of pain. I gave her some stomach medicine and some tylenol, and then spent the next hour rubbing her belly and snuggling with her. The poor kiddo was really hurting. I felt pretty bad. After she seemed to have fallen asleep, I sat on the computer for a while, so I could hear her if she woke up crying again. While I was here, I busted my bum to get some more work done on my project. If I keep up the pace, I'll have everything completed by the weekend- by the end of the weekend if anything comes up. I'm happy with that. It isn't too bad, especially since I spent yesterday morning completely changing my site template. *laughs* Yeah, like I don't make enough work for myself, that I need to go back and redo every single page that I've done. I'm silly. But, it looks better, is more streamlined, and it has cleaned up some issues that I had.

Today is going to be a slower paced day, thankfully. I'm going to work, do housework, and sew. DD and I can have fun with her ABC computer game, and I'll even try to get her InteracTV working, now that we have a different DVD player (on loan from Sis). I also look forward to relaxing with a book and just chilling out. *happy grin*