Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Mega Scoop

A few more photos from our visit with Pa.  He'll be back soon....next week, I believe!

Beach day.......too chilly to get in the water......never stops Carter.


Pa taught Lainey how to "surf" and how to sing some California tunes.


We went back to Pa's cute little beach side hotel.  Such a great find. 


Swam and ordered pizza.  Only one near drowning!  Lainey had swam previously.....the "whole pool"....as she told us......but had her life jacket on.  Without it, she forgot and "sunk-ed".  Pa saved her.  Lost his glasses in the process, but kept the pizza in his mouth.  Impressive, no?


Don't invite us to your hot tub. 

This is what happens:

Jack inflates himself with the jets.

Lainey ignores the "don't eat in the water" rule.

Carter, too.

You've been warned.

Carter is going on his second and last spend-the-night field trip soon.  In preparation, his teacher asked the parents to write a letter to our child telling them about life "back home".  The letter should be set in the 1850s.......written from outside of California.......to our brave son traveling at sea. 

I wrote it from Kansas.......talking about the westward expansion and the Overland Trail growing in popularity.  Threw in some facts about that time and referred to his brother and sister, too. 

Then......I got crafty.  I tea-stained it.  Link here.

Watch out, Martha.



Turned out pretty cool.  I hope he loves it.


After our date last week, Blake and I hung out on the patio as we do on the weekends and often during the week, too.  Since he's obsessed interested in his Ipad, he perused Google Maps.  Found the softball field where he used to watch me play.  In the 6th grade.  His house backed up to the park. 

Kinda stalker-ish.  Kinda cute.

(Sagling Elementary for you Plano peeps.)

I'm currently obsessed with our backyard.  We got a new rug for the kitchen patio.  Love!  Makes such a difference - not only in how it looks, but for comfort, too.

Blake and kids painted the existing arbor.

And, the Adirondack chairs, too.

He hung some lanterns in the gazebo. 


And, through no efforts of our own......the bougainvillea (technically, a California weed), is thriving.  I love this flower.

More lanterns were hung in a tree adjacent to the kitchen patio.  Battery powered LED lights make them glow.  So pretty at night.

It's all starting to come together.  And, it's looking good. 

But, we're keeping it real.  I sent Blake, Doug and Carter out to buy fabric for the chicken cabinet after the existing piece started to mold.  This is what they returned with.

Uh........OK.

Can we load the top with some more crap, please?


I'm waiting for a good sale or end of the season clearance on the following:

*a couch, two chairs, coffee table and rug for the master bedroom patio

*replacement cushions for the table and chairs

All in good time.

In other news:

1.  I took my 3 kids + 2 of their friends to Costco tonight for shopping and dinner.

2. I lived to tell about it.

3.  Working Mamafest this Friday at the La Jolla Country Club.  I hope my Target (paid full price for - holla!) dress blends in well enough.

4.  Doug and Brody are visiting this weekend.  Then, we're babysitting him next week!  (The dog, not Doug.)

5.  I've lost 15 pounds total since January.  Wish it were more, but I'm happy to be moving in the right direction.  To remain focused, Blake and I have pledged to email/text/tell each other every night what we ate that day.  Blake eats like a cracked out frat boy high on "salvia" with only a Taco Bell and Carl's Jr in sight poorly while he travels.  We're trying to fix that.

6.  Today I ate the following:

cup of coffee with light creamer
15 dark chocolate covered cherries
a Costco hot dog
diet coke
roasted broccoli with Parmesan

Save it on the critique of the hot dog.  Read #1 again if you are going to judge.

7.  Bridesmaids was pretty darn good.  Highlights:  Wilson Phillips "Hold On".....referenced several times throughout the movie.  If you don't know every word of this song and can relate it to at least 12 different life experiences during high school, you are dead to me.  Also, the food poisoning scene is one I will remember for a VERY long time.  I laughed so hard, I cried.

Off to finish my book, peeps.  Hope yall are having a good week!

21 comments:

Pam Bowers said...

I love your backyard. Very homey. Loved the tea stained letter. Very well written. Costco hot dogs rule. Super cheap date too.

SASS said...

Mega post is an understatement.
I never will, and never planned, to invite any Starnes children to shy hot tub ever. Regardless of this post. Just saying.
Love your tea- stained letter. I have found so many from you to the H family while moving my parents. Sans the tea. Love them all. So telling of your time. I miss you.
Loving the new patio decor/ paint job. So cutesy and Casey! Want to visit.....now. It's chilly out here on my patio, but still balmy and full of Kansas scents. Wish you were here!
XOXO
Sass

SASS said...

*to ANY hot tub

donatelli98 said...

I don't think Doug and Blake shoule be buying fabric anymore ... you are a nerd with the tea stained letter - making the other moms look bad. I am sure your Target dress will look fab in La Jolla!!

Dee Stephens said...

Could our backyard be any more dreamy?
Seriously.
I want it.
The tea stained letter is cute and creative!
I want to know where they go on these overnight field trips? Camping?
YAY! on the 15 pounds! As I was getting dressed this morning I kept trying on pants that don't fit anymore.
Have to change that now!

Sara said...

Love the pic of you and the kids in the hot tub...cute!!! And the pic of Jack blown up is hilarious. My brothers and I used to do that all the time. And I'm not going to lie - Trey still does it when we get in a hot tub.

Backyard looks precious! Love the paint colors!! And the new rug. Darling.

Would you believe that I've been craving hot dogs this whole pregnancy??? It's crazy. And of course, they tell you not to eat hot dogs. Typical.

Sara said...

OH wait - Paul lost his glasses?? The ones that come apart in the middle? Now that's a tragedy.

And the tea stained letter is great! Very creative.

Monica said...

LOVE this post. I am glad Pa saved your precious daughter from being sunk-ed. Proud that you have lost 15 lbs. I have lost nothing, but also quit trying. I need to get on the ball with that. Crazy to learn you went to Sagling Elementary. You made me LOL on how Blake eats while traveling. And, I loved the food poisoning scene in Bridesmaids. My fave was in the street, "It's happening. It's happening." Great post!! Made me SMILE.

starnes family said...

Monica - I went to Christie Elementary.......Blake went to Sagling.....but I played softball there and he came to watch.

Allison said...

Your backyard looks like a little slice of heaven. I would be looking VERY forward to warm summer nights back there with your adorable family. Tea stain letter puts you in the totally rocking mom category.

The Lenzers said...

have I mentioned yet that I am loving your hair?Great job on the weight thing, sucking at it here! the yard is looking great.

Jodee Leader said...

Love, love, love the mega scoop!

Super impressed with your tea stained letter! Martha would be sooo proud of you!

Your yard looks fabulous! I would never want to leave the house!

Bridesmaids was soooo good! The food poisoning scene was a hoot!

Hope you have a great weekend!

caroline said...

Yard looks great! Can't wait to visit - flight is BOOKED, sista!

Brittny said...

I can't wait to see that movie!!!!!! (Just in case I haven't told you that enough already.)

Love what you are doing with the backyard. Looks great!!!

Allyson and Dave said...

The backyard looks great!!

Moni said...

Up, up with Christie;
A leader in business and school.
Up, up with Christie;
He lived by the golden rule.
If more people were like Christie,
More people everywhere,
There'd be a lot less people to worry about,
and a lot more people who cared.
(Repeat last two lines).

I can hear that song and Mrs. Eisen hitting her tuning fork on the chalkboard right now. Good times.

The Soladay Family said...

So sorry that your backyard offers no beauty of satisfaction of a good time. So sad. I might dislike you a little.

Sweet family though. :)

The Soladay Family said...

Clarification: Meant beauty OR satisfaction.

Coco said...

Love your colorful back yard, can't wait to see it in PERSON!!!!

I laughed so hard during the scene where she is trying to get the cops attention at the end.

The whole movie was good.

15 lbs is awesome!!!

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