I found the "That Guy" I blogged about forever ago . . .

Old Post Here. More "That Guys" Here.

Great deal!

Target has these "Sterilite 09 College" 66 qt latching or 41 qt under-bed storage boxes for only $4.44 right now! That is about 1/2 price and the best I have ever seen for this size. My Target only has them in purple and blue. These latching ones are the good ones, too. I have a couple other types of "latching" ones that just don't stay latched. These latch over the lid so that it doesn't pop off if you have it really full or when you are moving it. Not quite as good as the some other Sterilite top latching ones, but very good still. I wish I could go get a bunch of them, but I gotta stay within my budget :) So tempting though. If I had known, I would have put off buying some other things already.

Fun Hair Day

Today I decided to something fun with my hair. It started as just a doubled ponytail with the end sticking out on top. But I turned it into this cute bun with the ends sticking out all around. This picture isn't the best. Hyrum was the photographer.

The other day Ben said I should try to do Josi's hair in all-over braids. Most days she just runs around with a tangly mess on her head, because she just won't keep hairbands in. I'll put them in when we go to the store or church or whatever, but as soon as we get home, she pulls them out.

I finally sat down with her today and braided it all. Her hair is so fine, it only took a couple of hours. She looks kind of bald.

I decided to put it all in a ponytail to keep the unruly ones in place. I think it turned out pretty cute. I'm not sure how to secure all of the ends though. I just used hair-snot (gel) for now, but I don't know how long it will last.

Of course, Hyrum had to get in on the fun too. So I used my hair-snot to give him a fauxhawk.

What should we do to Papi's hair when he gets home :)? Just Kidding, babe!

What to do when you can't sleep?

This morning I woke up at about 2:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. I thought about reading a little in the BoM (that usually makes me drowsy:), but decided the light would wake Ben up. So finally at 3:30 I decided I would exercise. And I did, right there on the floor by the bed for almost 30 minutes. Push ups, crunches, side planks, etc. Let me tell you I fell asleep with in 5 minutes after that! And when I woke up with Ben, I was so sore and I could barely wake up. I went right back to sleep before he was even out of the shower. I woke back up when he opened and closed the garage door (it's right below our room) so I read the BoM. I have to do it then while the kids are asleep or it won't get done. Then I went to sleep again til the kids woke me up.

Monday, Monday

5:30AM - I get up with Ben. While he took a shower I made him breakfast, a toasted bagel with cream chesse this time. Then put together a lunch for him, a turkey and provolone sandwich with lettuce, a pear and a granola bar. Then I went back upstairs and read a couple of chapters in the BoM while Ben finished getting ready and goes to work.
6:00AM - I go back to sleep for a little while.
8:00AM- My mom calls and I talk to her for a few minutes. Generally until the kids get up and come in my room. Sometimes those two events are an hour apart, like they were this morning. I don't know what they do during that time, just play with each other or watch tv or something, I guess. So, I got to sleep a little longer to catch up from the weekend. I reluctantly woke up. I got on the computer and checked email and blogs and a few other things.
9:00AM -Breakfast time. The kids wanted waffles so while I did the dished from Sunday I made waffles. Good choice kids! I need a new kitchen faucet. This one leaks bad, will have to wait til next month!
9:30AM - I put the remaining waffles from the batch in the freezer for the next time they want waffles.
9:35AM - Gave my stove top a good cleaning while the kids finished eating, which it gets about once a week, sometimes less if it wipes off easily enough with a plain ol' wet cloth.
10:00AM - I started on the oven next, which really needed it. It is way too hot to use the self cleaning function, so it was really needing it. I turned on some good music to clean to, my collections of Disney music this time and finished the oven. Didn't get something that was really cooked on in a few spots, but it will do until I can self clean it in a few months.
10:30AM - Put the curtains back up that Josi pulled down mid twirl.
10:35AM - Wipe down the table and chairs, legs and all.
10:45AM - Vacuumed the downstairs rooms while Josi and Hyrum run around screaming and jumping on the furniture. They have to do this everytime I vacuum. Crazy children!
11:00AM - Vacuumed the stairs and the hallway at the top of the stairs.
11:30AM - "You two, pick up this stuff so I can vacuum up here." Put Josi's dress in the washer on handwash cycle. Pick up random stuff around the house. Superglue Boots tail back on. Changed a light bulb in bathroom.
12:00AM - "Finish picking this stuff up!"(repeated several times) Reorganize the master bedroom closet and get rid of a box that is just taking up space now. Much better!
12:30PM - go to put the dress in the dryer, "Oh crap, it's pink!" the fushia from the underskirt turned the white overskirt pink. Wash it again with just oxy-clean in cold (AZ summer cold= luke warm) water, hope it comes out.
1:00PM - start this blog, hmm maybe I should feed the kids.
1:05PM - turkey and cheese rolls, clementines, grape tomatoes and chocolate milk for lunch in a smiley face. Big hit!
1:15PM- Check the dress again. Still pink. Hmm, at least it matches.
1:30PM - Put a load of colors in
1:40PM - Fold a load of the kids clothes.
1:50PM - put clothes away, "Clean up your toys, please."
1:51PM - "Put your toys away." Iron little tiny shorts. "Clean your rooms! You can play after you've cleaned"
1:57PM - fold load of towels. "Your room isn't clean, why aren't you in your room?"
2:05PM - Put towels away.
2:07PM put grumpy little boy down for a nap, twice.
2:12PM- folded load of whites.
2:21PM - put whites away. patience is wearing thin, little girl's room looks that same as it did an hour ago.
2:23PM - put colors in dryer
2:27PM - need to vacuum more, but Hyrum is sleeping. Time for my nap? Finally a change in her room! "Looks better, keep it up."
2:30PM - put more random things away that have found their way out of place. I wonder if pen comes off the underside of a cd.
2:34PM - I wonder if pen will hurt the under side of a cd. We'll find out later.
2:35PM - water plants. How did this get here?
2:36PM - Mmm, love Perfectly Pomegranate! clean up lunch plates and cups. yeah, dishwasher is full! start the dishwasher.
2:40PM - empty and break down box from fan we've had for more than a year. Put in garbage and recycling as applicable. Watered poor little kumquat tree on patio, needs transplanted (Has six leaves now Amy and Andy!)
2:45PM - pick up garbage Josi didn't put in garbage can and neighborhood cats have strewn all over the back yard. Ick, too hot, where is the rain!!!
2:50PM - "No, your room isn't clean. That half has to be clean, too; you can't just put a blanket over it!"
2:57PM - Hmm, I kinda smell. Guess I should shower.
3:09PM - Much better, feeling moist again already!
3:12PM - Start another load of towels. Seriously? Again?
3:15PM - put a few stray clothes in Hyrum's dresser. 2-1/2 year old snores are so cute, I feel bad for his future wife.
3:17PM - "hello cute boy, how did you sleep?" Guess I can vacuum now, darn :)
3:20PM - still too much stuff on the floor, "get it done, guys" Pick up more random stuff, how did I miss that on the last sweep?
3:29PM - start vacuuming, have to clean hair out of brush. Where does it all come from?!?
3:35PM - vacuum doesn't sound right, dump out canister. Still not right, but it's working.
3:53PM - almost done. "Get those last few things up" Finally!
4:00PM - what should I make for dinner?

All Aboard

Yesterday, for an hour or so before Ben got home from work, Josi developed a random fascination for train stations. She kept asking Hyrum and I if we wanted to go to the train station. Then she got her little step stool out of the bathroom and sat on it next to a dining room chair with a paper and pen and started asking again if we wanted to go to the train station, with no takers. Finally, Papi got home so she started asking him.
Papi is more fun than mommy, apparently, because he had the great idea to find a train station around us. There was one in downtown Phoenix, but it was no longer functioning and we couldn't go inside. We just drove past it, then found a park and ride for the metro train. Josi got to carry $7 in change in her little purse so we could purchase the tickets and then we waited on the platform for the next westbound train. The first one to come along was so packed, we couldn't even fit inside. We decided to wait for the next one and hope for better luck. It came 15 minutes later and there was at least standing room. We were able to get a seat after a few stops. We rode it to the last stop in North Phoenix, which was about 45 minutes. At the end was the Christown Spectrum Mall, which isn't a typical mall. I don't know why they call it a mall. It has a WalMart in it for heaven's sake! Anyway, we found a Carl's Jr and had some really yummy Oreo and Orange Cream Shakes. Then we got back on the train and rode back to our car. The kids had a blast and it was a first for me too. It was kind of fun to just sit and watch all of the different people that got on and off. On the ride home, Josi said she would rather ride the train everywhere than drive our car. Everyone else prefered the car.

Monkey See Monkey Do

A few weeks ago I (Ben) was making the ball disappear for Hyrum by putting it behind my back and pretending to throw it. Josi caught on, grabbed the ball, went behind the couch and then came back and asked him, where'd it go?

I Can't Get No...

...Satisfaction.

Thanks to Raving Rabbids 2 for Wii, I get to hear this song in the store and at home, all day long. Love my little rock star.

Favorite Inventions

Today they are rubber gloves, Clorox wipes and Febreze Air Effects (although Limited Edition vanilla & baking is not my favorite scent).

Josi, tummy ache, too slow, "Oh great, I pooped on the floor!", cried from the bathroom. Enough said.

Coming Along

So far the grass in our back yard has been filling in pretty good, for my planting method. I have just been transplanting runners that have taken root where they shouldn't be,and moved them into the back yard. All of this grass started as a tiny little clump or even just one little runner at most 8 inches long. This back corner really took off while I was gone. Back in that corner is where the drip line ends. I left the end exposed with a cap on it so that when I finally get to build my retaining wall, I don't have to dig to extend the drip line. I just have to put on a coupler, run the line down through the planter and then back fill with my free fill dirt I will get off of craigslist. Well, the end cap shot off while I was gone. So every time the dripline ran, that corner got flooded. The grass and weeds loved it and this time, most of the plants on that line survived.
This is the view from our dining room window. If you squint and focus just on that corner it looks really good. It gives me hope for the lawn.

These shots are both taken from our balcony, so it all looks really small. The largest spots are actually between 4 and 5 feet at their widest spot. So far the grass is just in the corners and right next to the patio. Despite the heat (112 today in Phoenix), it is all doing really well. I have planted some more little runners in the middle. Hopefully they will start to take off as well and fill in more. I am also hoping the rainy season will come soon and help out.

This is the best photo. (remember to squint and only focus on the green :) The green is quite accurate in this one. The other pictures look too yellow because it is so bright outside.

Dust Storm

This was the southern view one evening at our house. Normally, South Mountain fills that view. It looked like it was coming straight for us and it gradually crept around our house, but never really hit us, just surrounded us.
This shot is so you can see what the rest of the sky looked like. It was a really nice mostly clear day.

Starting Over

During my 3 weeks away, my garden died and the grass in the front looked pretty sad. Ben actually got bored enough once to mow it, which is amazing to me because one of our "deals" when we decided to get a house, was that if I wanted a yard, I had to take care of it. Not a big sacrifice on my part, because that is my favorite chore. Any way, come to find out, a sprinkler in the front yard had broken so one corner got flooded while the rest got underwatered; Problem 1.
Problem two was one of the sprinkler heads in the garden popped off at some point so half of the garden (as well as the patio and balcony) were getting flooded while the other half of the garden got underwatered. Long story a little longer, I only have one little watermelon plant, 3 bell peppers and a jalapeno that survived, as well as chives and thyme. Of course, the weeds thrived! The saddest part is that the tomato plants were loaded with tomatoes.
So, on Saturday I basically started from scratch. I had some bags of manure that I got for free off of Craigslist that I added. The soil was practically white it was so nutrient-less.
After I got out all of the weeds and dead corn, tomato and brussel sprout plants I found I had two little volunteer corn plants and I was able to save one of them. I also had a few ears that were all dried out, one had some of the kernels that had germinated, so I decided to try planting a row of corn from my own plants. We will see how that goes.
A few months back I had found a list of planting times from the county extention website for Maricopa County (that's here :) and between July 15th and August 1st is time to plant peas, beans and corn. So that's what I did. No pictures this time. Right now the garden is mostly just boring, slightly darker brown heaps of dirt. Once I get a few sprouts I will post pictures.