Down to the wire

So the movers are coming to pack things tomorrow. Are we ready? Uhh..... kinda sorta maybe???

Brian and Noah are off to the races today. Brian's boss at his moonlighting gig volunteered to reimburse him if he bought good seats for them (Brian and Noah) to go to the Nextel Cup race at Infineon Raceway today. They'll be sitting in the front row at Turn 7, so look for them. Poor Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson had some bad luck earlier this weekend with failed inspections, so they'll be starting at the back of the pack today. Terri, where's your Tony going to be??

The other kids and I will go out for lunch after church and then do a little shopping. Yesterday, we were able to get the washer, dryer, and microwave picked out. So the big stuff is taken care of. Brian also took quite a few things over to the house already.

We will probably be unhooking the computers tonight or tomorrow morning, so I'll be without email access unless I go to the library (which I may do...).

Birthday recap and weekend plans

Thank you to all who sent birthday wishes. I think I received more greetings this year than ever before. I had several e-cards in addition to the comments, plus a few of those old-fashioned cards that come in the mail. *G* One of those even came with a Starbucks card... Thanks, Grace!

We had a very nice time last night... It was great catching up with Rick and Virginia and hearing about things over in Antioch. We were a little late to the Won By One concert, as Friday night traffic on the interstate was backed up a bit. Thankfully it was only by about 5 minutes or so. The Won By One kids did a great job, especially considering they were short one person. They had less than a month to rework their songs written for 6 voices and modify them for 5. Not an easy task! It was good to see the familiar faces and meet some new ones. That's the thing with the college groups: the faces keep changing. Afterwards we were able to chat a bit and then the group surprised me with a beautiful chorus of "Happy Birthday." Matt chatted with me and Emily about Harry Potter and the upcoming book and movie. Noah really enjoyed hanging out with Darnell afterwards; they found out they share a common interest in playing NCAA Baseball on PlayStation and have decided they are going to use the "Create-a-player" feature to make each other on their games and see how many homeruns they can hit with each other.... using the Pepperdine team, of course!

We were able to get the keys to the base house yesterday afternoon, so this weekend we'll be seeing what we want to take over ourselves before the packers come on Monday. We'll probably do some shopping as well. We need a washer/dryer, as the base house doesn't come with one. And we also need a new microwave. Brian took our old one to work to use in his office when the one there died, and this house has a built-in.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

One day closer

We've been doing a little bit each day to get ready for this move. Dusting the bookcases, taking unwanted items to Goodwill, getting rid of the bleach spot... Yes, you heard me right. That bleach spot I mentioned this past weekend, the one that used to be a yellowish color, is now gone, thanks to this. I wish I had taken pictures so you could see the difference. I am one happy camper now.

We've had time to visit the base swimming pool a couple of times this week as well. Just $75 got us a family pass for the summer. Sure beats what they are asking for the community pools! ($280!!) I am sure the pass will come in handy once we are actually living on base and the weather begins heating up a bit more.

Tomorrow night, we are going to dinner at Olive Garden with friends from Antioch, then taking in a Won By One concert. Sounds like a nice way to celebrate being another year older, doesn't it?

Once we get settled into the new place, I plan on having a book giveaway like some of my other blogfriends have done. I have a group of books I put aside just for this purpose, most of them fairly new. So if you're a reader, be prepared to put your name in the hat for one!

And while I'm talking about future things... keep your eyes out for an announcement of something new here. (Mom and Pam, you already know... and Larry, if Mom hasn't told you already, just ask her.)

Spring Reading ReCap

It being the first day of summer, Katrina at Calapidder Days has asked for our recaps on the Spring Reading Thing. My original list found here.

• What was the best book you read this spring? I cannot choose... loved all of the Karen Kingsbury I read and picking a favorite is near impossible.
• What book could you have done without? Definitely Lisey's Story. Stephen King just does nothing for me any more. I don't know if it's because I've changed, or he has. But I thought that book was utter crap.
  
• Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again? I tried a few... Judy Baer and Lisa Samson. Actually, I had read one of Lisa's books before and didn't like it, but kept hearing too many good things about her books not to try her again. I will probably read both of these authors again, although with Lisa's books, I will probably be able to tell by reading the jacket whether or not the book is a "fit" with me.
  
• If there were books you didn't finish, tell us why. Did you run out of time? Realize those books weren't worth it? I didn't finish 2 of my non-fiction items, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, and Not a Tame Lion. Honestly, it was a lack of discipline on my part; I just kept grabbing the fiction. Call me an escapist.
  
• Did you come across a book or two on other participants' lists that you're planning to add to your own to-be-read pile? Which ones? Uh... heck yes! I added them during the challenge, in fact. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander is one. And Gardenias for Breakfast by Robin Jones Gunn.
  
• What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge? Maybe you learned something about yourself or your reading style, maybe you learned not to pick so many nonfiction books for a challenge, maybe you learned something from a book you read. Whatever it is, share! I learned that reading nonfiction is easiest for me when I have someone to talk about it with. Otherwise, I am all about the story, baby! I will definitely not put so many non-fiction on my list next time. Therefore, I underestimated the # of books I could have on my list. I read a couple dozen more than I had planned on.
  
• What was the best part of the Spring Reading Thing? I liked seeing who else was into the same authors or subjects. And getting to read reviews... just fed my book addiction.
• Would you be interested in participating in another reading challenge this fall? You bet your sweet bippy!
  
• Any other thoughts, impressions, or comments. I had a blast participating and hope that next time I write more actual reviews of the books I read. I tend to read so fast that I don't have time to write a review before I'm on to the next one.
  

Catching my breath

Laws-a-mercy, we've been meeting ourselves coming and going around here, but I think we can stop for a while and just breathe. We spent hours and hours cleaning house yesterday: bleaching the tile counters in the kitchen (I will NEVER willingly install tile counters in any home of mine!), spot cleaning the carpet, cleaning bathrooms and bedrooms.... oh, and having another garage sale (yes, Garage Sale, Part Trois). Not nearly as successful as the first two, but we did get rid of Joel's loft bed. Only one incident to mar the day, involving a smattering of bleach and the carpet outside Emily's bathroom. Oops. Anyone know of a way to disguise/repair a bleach spot on carpet?

Backing up to Friday... Halle and I had fun on our mommy/daughter date. We wound up shopping at the BX and bought matching Crocs. Had I known how comfortable these things were, I swear I would have bought some a lot sooner! Then we went to see Nancy Drew. We both liked it and now Halle would like to try some of the books. I did tell her that the books were set in a different time than now, so it wouldn't be like the movie, but she was still game. Hopefully we'll get a chance to work on this goal this summer.

After Brian got home from work, he wanted to take the kids to see the new Fantastic 4 movie, so we did that. It was a lot of fun. The boys love Michael Chiklis as "The Thing." (I prefer to call him by his name: Ben Grimm.) Of course, the ending left plenty of room for another sequel.

Today we got up and gave Brian his cards and gifts before heading to church. Then we drove down to Walnut Creek to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. It had been several months since we'd eaten there. When we got back, there was just enough time for Brian and the kids to spend about an hour at the base pool.

Nothing else on the agenda for tonight other than just chillin'.

Fantastic Friday

(Post title in honor of today's release of Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer).

It's been a while since I've posted any Friday fun links; let me see what I have saved up:

• There's a trailer out for National Treasure 2. I hope this one is as good as the first. Looks like something fun to do during the Christmas break.
• Have fun playing around with all your friends' and family's names at Anagram Genius. For instance, my husband's name works out to "Narcotic Karen boy."
• Word game fun with Babble. As if I need something else to distract me right now.
• While I was at the orthodontist with Halle on Wednesday, I thumbed through a copy of a PC magazine and came across and article about the top freebies for your PC. Here are a few I thought looked interesting:

1. Meebo: Sign onto several instant messaging services in one place. Not an application, but a website.
2. BackPack: a way to keep your "to-dos, notes, ideas, and schedules online."
3. Pageflakes: customizable homepage... similar to ones you can make with Google and Netscape, but more control over layout.
4. Home-Dock Deluxe: Not for your PC, but for your TV/IPod. If you have a newer video IPod, this cool gadget will help you "Access and enjoy your entire iPod music and movie library right from your sofa". View your videos, listen to your music, and enjoy the album art all on your TV.
5. Jam Jacket: I actually saw this one when I went to look at the Home-Dock. Looks like something Emily could use; she has spent half the car ride to school just untangling her ear bud wires for her IPod. Fits 30GB IPod videos and the 2nd generation IPod Nanos.

That's about it for today. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Color me done

OK, this is what you get until I have time to really work on this. I didn't care much for the colors this template started out with. Maybe these aren't much better, but I wanted something a little brighter. I'm sure Emily will come up with some kind of snazzy design for me once we are settled in the new place. She's a Photoshop pro and has taught herself CSS, so I know she can come up with something nice.

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Halle got her first braces on yesterday. She has 4 brackets on top and 3 on bottom for now. She did very well with the whole thing and hasn't complained at all. Tomorrow, she and I are having a mom/daughter date and going to watch the new Nancy Drew movie.

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I'll try to find time tomorrow to post some links I've been saving up. We're a bit under the gun to finish up some cleaning/organizing before the landlord does his walkthrough on Sunday. It doesn't help that avoidance is the middle name of almost everyone in the house this week.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I know things look a little bare around here... the site hosting my graphics crashed, so everything is missing right now. I have no time to fix it, since we are busy getting ready for our landlord's walkthrough this weekend, but I will try to get around to it before the move. If I don't, I'll get to it as soon as I can afterwards. In the meantime, you can still expect the same stellar content.

There may be other changes for this place on the horizon, though....

Updates

For those waiting to see what was up with Emily's feet/ankles.... I'm not really sure. The swelling on her ankle had reduced considerably by the time we got to her appointment. I wound up staying in the waiting room with the other kids while her dad went into the appointment with her. The doctor apparently wasn't concerned with the foot that she didn't want to walk normally on, but did want an x-ray of the ankle on the other foot. After looking at the x-rays, he sent Emily home with an Ace bandage. We headed out and made a stop at the BX for some shopping when my phone rang (a miracle in our BX, which is notorious for the inability to obtain or hold cell phone service). It was Brian, telling me that we needed to come back to the hospital. Apparently, after the radiologist looked at the xrays, he felt Emily should have a splint. He felt like he could see a "spot" on or near her growth plate. Don't ask me what a spot is; I have no clue. So we finished up our shopping and headed to the brace shop, where it took all of 3 minutes to get Emily fitted. 2 weeks with the splint, and she goes back on the 22nd.

Garage Sale: Part Deux went very well. There may not have to be another sequel. That would make me a very happy person. After I closed up shop, the 3 youngest and I went bowling. They had a great time, although I think Halle and Joel enjoyed spending their garage sale money in the vending machines almost as much as (if not more than) bowling.

Later, I took in the last "matinee" show of the day at the theater to watch Ocean's Thirteen. I think this might have been better than the first two. The folks in my theater certainly enjoyed it. If you were a fan of the first two, I'm pretty sure you won't want to miss this one.

Let the fun begin

Emily is officially done with school until August. What better way to celebrate than by tripping over her siblings' toys? I'm not sure exactly what the damage is yet, but we'll find out later today when I take her to the doctor. She has one ankle that is swollen nearly softball sized and a bruise on the side/bottom of the other foot. I guess some folks will do anything to get out of cleaning their room and bathroom (I am totally kidding.... she'd never injure herself on purpose. I think...).

Brian and I spent a couple of hours last night directing traffic at the school's graduation ceremonies. Amazing the feeling of power one gets wearing an orange and yellow "Security" vest. I was charged with guarding the access to the handicapped and elderly parking. I was really hoping I'd see someone I knew so I could tell them I had to pat them down.

We might be heading out to see Ocean's Thirteen tonight, although I may just send Brian and the 2 oldest; I really don't think the little ones will be too interested in it. Then tomorrow I'll be hosting Garage Sale: Part Deux while Brian spends the weekend moonlighting in Sac.

The only other thing on tap for the next few weeks is cleaning and organizing to get ready for the move, at least one more sequel to Garage Sale, and the usual gymnastics classes and orthodontic appointments. Oh, and there's a birthday in there somewhere, too. 2 weeks from today, in fact.

Off to eat my breakfast and then do something productive.

Stayin' alive

We're still here; it's just been an incredibly activity-filled few days. Lots of errand running, plus an impromptu garage sale on Saturday... without advertising, we had a fairly good stream of customers and parted with a lot of items that had just been taking up space (bikes no longer needed, Noah's loft bed (his and Joel's bedroom on base will be too small for 2 beds), etc. We'll probably do it again the next couple of weeks to see if we can get a few more things taken care of. We have pack-out dates of the 25th and 26th, and a move date of the 27th, so we need to get rid of as much as possible before then.

Today we left the house a little before 9, going to 1st service at church and then Emily, Brian, and I tried out a new adult Sunday School class on the Sermon on the Mount during the 2nd service (the other kids went to their usual classes (called "Growin' Up Groups"). Headed out to lunch after that, then made a few more stops (Kohl's, Target, furniture store, convenience store for sodas) before finally getting back home between 4:30 and 5. I finished up a load of our laundry and am working on 2 loads of laundry for the lost-and-found area of the elementary branch of Emily's school. It's one way to earn service hours (every family is supposed to earn at least 20 hours a year, or pay $10 an hour for the deficit).

The stop we made at the furniture store today yielded a bunk bed set for Noah and Joel. It's a twin-over-full, so they will each get to keep their current mattress. We'll have the bed delivered to the base house when we are getting ready to move in (on one of the packing days). We'll already have the keys to the house, so we can at least get that much of the boys' room ready before the movers start bringing in everything else.

This week will be a little crazy; Emily is on half-days because of finals week, so it will seem like we have barely been home before it will be time to turn around and go get her (in reality, it will have been about 3 hours, but still...). One nice thing about this is that having her home by noon frees up my afternoons to get stuff done (like grocery-shopping sans munchkins). She is done with her finals on Wednesday, so once that is over, she will be more available to work on de-nastifying her bedroom and bathroom before our landlord does a pre-moveout walkthrough of the house in a couple of weeks.

Yep, there will be plenty of stuff to keep us "entertained" (I'm trying really hard not to use that 4-letter "B" word that rhymes with tizzy) over the next few weeks.