Fun, Flowers and Family

I had every intention of getting this published last night, but I fell asleep before I could get it written. This past weekend, my mom and dad were here to see Davey play 2 soccer games. We also did a LARGE number of other things.

We started the weekend with making $83 at our neighborhood yard sale (I had to move into the garage due to the rainy drizzle). I am now without 2 small analog TVs, several games, toys, ride-on scooter type things, many board books and a few puzzles. I sold donuts, too, which were a hit. I still have 3 pipe clamps, some weights, an electric fireplace, a Roomba and a golf hand cart. If you know anyone interested in any of these things, let me know. It was funny the looks I received after answering this question (for at least the 10th time): "Don't you like the Roomba?!" "Well, I am strange this way, I LIKE vacuuming!"

After closing up the sale, with a few cars still driving around, the boys and I headed to meet my parents at Wallitch, a fantastic local nursery to find a few things for our flower beds and for the cemetery. I bought a moonvine, a cardinal climber (we always plant these at the mailbox, to twirl around the base), some portulaca (for the cemetery) and some tomatoes for the pot on the patio. Then to grab a quick lunch and off to soccer.

Davey loves to play goalie, so he was thrilled to have that opportunity for a quarter. Even though we "don't keep score, they are only beginners", St. Margaret Mary won, 3-0. At the game on Sunday, they won 3-1. They are a great group of kids who all get along and like each other. Hope this is the first of many years of this type of camaraderie!

After Saturday's soccer game, it was off to Costco, a DANGEROUS place for my AmEx card and I to go. I stuck to my list pretty well, venturing off of it to purchase strawberries, peanut butter and snacks (which will likely be for the trip to the beach, if I think Uncle Fuzzy, Aunt Sherri and, most importantly, JT will like them). I need to OK them with the TX crew.

Planting, grass mowing (my dad is NOT a big fan of my electric mower- David and I were attempting to be "green" and environmentally minded when we purchased it- I don't mind it, but I don't have much basis of comparison, it is really the only mower I have used much) and grilling steak were on the agenda for Sunday. After church, we went to the cemetery and planted the portulaca. The grass that the grounds people planted is coming in thick and hasn't been mowed, so the boys enjoyed running over it and laying on it. The end result of the weekend gardening is that I have plants in both pots near the front door, annuals to replace the bulbs that have run their course and herbs and foxglove in what used to be the sandbox. The sandbox was crushed in the Great Ice Storm 2009 (the one that caused us to me making up one of the extra weeks of school after Memorial Day)so it now has been given new life.

I went to see "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" with a friend Sunday afternoon. It was cute and my parents commented when I got home that I seemed rejuvenated. I think a little time without the boys that doesn't involve work, errands or procuring groceries is an essential element to being a loving, patient single parent, well ANY parent, actually!

Davey had his first t-ball game of the season this evening. He had fun and for one week, will be a dual sport athlete. Next Tuesday, there will be a conflict between soccer practice and a t-ball game. I guess a game outranks a practice, but I am not sure which place to be. I was proud of us because we walked to t-ball, then to dinner, then home again... perhaps that makes up for the pizza I ate at Tony Boom-Bozz (it was kids eat free night!).

Thursday is Max's end of the year program- a pj (Prayers for Jesus) party... after all, it IS a Baptist childcare center! All the kids (and presumably the teachers, too) are going to wear their jammies. Davey asked if he and I could wear ours, too. Hmmm..... whether to do that or not.... have to ponder that!

Please keep my friend Tena and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Her grandmother passed away early this morning.

Have a fantastic week and a spectacular long weekend!!