Catching My Breath

I am the kind of person that can usually keep up with it all...especially the last 2 years while I've had 3 kids at 3 different schools with 3 completely different schedules.

But the last few weeks have been crazy busy and I am barely holding it together. So, this morning I am playing hooky. Actually, I am playing hooky all day long.

There are a bunch of people who aren't going to be happy with me today, but in all honesty, I don't think they are the kind of people who are happy with anyone anyway.

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I am supposed to be at a PTA meeting and breakfast potluck in 11 minutes. I'm skipping it. After that, I am supposed to be at a bible study planning lunch. Not a bible study, but a planning meeting for next year. Skipping it. This afternoon? A volunteer thank you tea at Brian's school. Skipping. The big choir banquet is tonight for Matthew's choir with all of the really, really, REALLY intense parents. Skipping.

My plans for today are pretty simple. I am meeting a girlfriend at Corner Bakery for coffee. Her son graduated this past weekend, so she will be relaxed and will listen while I moan and groan...and then she'll tell me to buck up. I will, as usual, leave feeling calmer and ready to handle everything.

After, I am going to buy a few more tomato plants...19 cannot possibly be enough, and spend the afternoon in the quiet of my garden. Alone. Building a tepee for the string beans. Alone. My plan is to then make something really great for dinner...M is working in Riverside the next 2 days, so he'll be on the road alot and he needs to come home to a great smelling, even better tasting something. As of right now, I am leaning towards some sort of beef stew...but I'll keep you posted.

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Weekend

We have been so absolutely crazy busy lately, but there's been lots of fun, too.

Saturday, Alex spent 2 hours in a training session so Brian got to go to Peet's and have a chocolate croissant...which made the 1 1/2 hours of furniture shopping a little more bearable.

For all of us.

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While waiting for Brian to finish, we all played a little Around the World. I'm thinking the baskets are higher than I remember.

Sunday was a hymnfest at our church...probably one of the best I've ever been to, and I've been to a few. The music was incredible. Matthew was away at a drum corps camp...we missed him. Time to get used to him never being home...summer #4. Oh, and he is marching mellophone again this summer, not trumpet. AND, he is already so dark...that kid has some serious pigmentation.

Our Tivo is working overtime...NBA finals AND the European cup. Basically it means that there is always a crowd of males staring at the TV for hours on end. I will say, listening to them try and sing the Italian national anthem pretty much made my day. Heck, it made my whole week. As for the only girl? Well...I've got a garden, and this morning picked blackberries. Lots and lots of blackberries.

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Family Night

M walked in from an afternoon of meetings and said one word.

Just one.

'Nick's'

So that's where we went, with all 3 boys in tow. I am so thankful for these times and while they were all incredibly grouchy when we got there, by the time Hector brought us food they were all laughing and smiling.

Makes for a happy momma.

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Matthew brought along some light reading. Please direct all comments to him, thankyouverymuch.

And Me? I had my very favorite thing on the menu...tapenade.

Once home, we all sat and watched No Reservations and ate an amazing dessert...one that's not easy to find way down here.

And now I am off to curl up with a bunch of magazines in my bed..Alex has practice on the other side of town at 10am, so we can sleep in a little bit!

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Shopping

After gently shoo-ing the boys out the door for school...next week is the last full week, M and packed up and went on a field trip.

So much to accomplish....so little time.

The biggest task was figuring out and researching graduation gifts...we have 2 graduates this time around and I am pretty sure we have it all worked out. Looks like I am getting a new graduation gift, too, but I can't tell you about it until next week because the real graduates in this house sometimes read this blog.

But I think they'll be happy.

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That errand took more than an hour, so we had to stop for lunch in order to keep the grump-ies away. Lo and behold, there is a rather new Pacific Whey Bakery near where we were, and let me tell you, no one leaves Pacific Whey grumpy. The food there is amazing, but the red velvet cupcake? OH MY. Yum, yum, yummy.

I guess that was the extent of our field trip. Hmmmm. M dropped me at home and whisked himself off to a meeting, so I watered my garden and was happy to see that it has perked up a bit. Just a bit, but a bit is better than nothing. After, I went to a neighbors for a nice visit and now Brian and I are home and he is eating a popsicle.

Bored yet?

We had an invite to the symphony and dinner tonight and declined. Another invite for dinner tomorrow night and we declined that one, too. And the invite for Sunday? Declined.

I cannot keep up with everything, so while we really, really want to hang with the friends who invited us, we need a few nights to regroup. Summer is a mere 13 days away for us. 13 more days until lazy nights lead to lazy mornings which will lead to lazy afternoons with lemonade.

With our new air conditioning. The kind that works.

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Thursday

I've been trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to upload the video of Matthew's performance last night.

He was a featured senior and stood front and center performing a solo on that trumpet that he likes so much.

And it was awesome.

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(I must be his mom, right?)

Tonight is another set of concerts for Matthew and for all you basketball fans, the 1st game of the NBA finals. The Lakers are playing, though my basketball son is wearing green, so we are a divided house. There will be no training session tonight, thankyouverymuch, because this is an important event. It works out well for us...Alex can stay home and watch the game and Brian can stay home and watch Alex watch the game.

Quantity, not necessarily quality, childcare.

This morning we made a huge purchase...a beautiful new furnace and air conditioner. I should be thrilled...I mean, it's been awhile since ours have truly been working...but it cost more than our first car cost. Maybe even our 2nd car. Ugh.

OH, and the fact that I paid $4.38 for gas today. Good thing that new furnace is going to save me bucket loads of money, cuz I've got my buckets all ready and waiting.

Lunch today was with Josephine after my Meals on Wheels run. She went to the heart DR today, who told her that she's still 'ticking'. At almost 95...I think that's pretty good news.

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Cherub

This morning was the school musical with the boy who would not smile.

Not because he's grumpy, either.

The child has lost 5 teeth in the last WEEK, causing undo strain on the tooth fairy's wallet and a lack of chomping on Brian's part. Five teeth. In 1 week. I actually called the dentist today...all told, he's lost 8 teeth in the last few weeks and I wanted to make sure that is normal, because I don't remember the other boys shedding mouthfuls all at once.

But, he's normal. And the orthodontist cannot wait to get his hands on him.

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After the musical, I spent some time in the cloudy sprinkly-ness watering my garden and talking it into perking up. The radishes are happy. So are the peppers. The tomatoes? Not so much and the eggplant is in serious need of therapy.

I mentioned the word therapy to M and he immediately whisked me off in his chariot to Maggiano's, where I grumbled until a plate of gnocchi was set down before me. Ahhhh...the joys of Italian food. Pasta always makes everything right in the world.

After, we strolled around Pier 1...which makes everything even more right in the world, and brought home a new member of our family.

Cute, huh?

Tonight the furnace people come and will hopefully tell us what we want to hear...that they will replace our whole system for the grand total of $19.95. If tonight's people can't do that, then maybe the guy coming tomorrow morning can.

OK, so I can dream.

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Tuesday

Last weekend was a tournament weekend, which meant we spent lots of time sitting in gyms watching Alex play.

Way, way, way too fun.

He played amazingly well and is so fun to watch. We've got another tournament in Las Vegas at the end of the month and after that, well...it's a new chapter. More on that later!

Last night was Matthew's 'age out' from choir...the next 3 evenings are band concerts. Brian is performing in his school's musical all week and Alex has training sessions/practice almost every night, so we are just taking it hour by hour.

We've entered the 'June gloom' phase in our weather...it can take until noon for the marine layer to burn off, making for some chilly, damp mornings. By afternoon, it is sunny and warm..I love this time of year. My garden? Not so much...it wants heat!

My supper table will be full tonight, which is exactly how I like it. M and I are heading out to run errands this morning, including a look at the way over priced, yet gorgeous, 100 year old french farmhouse table. Way over priced. Way gorgeous. But way over priced. Yet way gorgeous.

I need a daisy so I can do the 'he loves me, he loves me not' thingy!

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