It's Been THAT Long?

Geez! I had NO idea that I had been away from Blogland since March 16th? I have tried to post a few times, but if Blogger doesn't let me in...well, it just doesn't happen. So anyway,.... Quite a lot has happened since March 16th. Actually, I tried to get on to post a few pictures not long ago since pictures, of course, are worth a thousand words--which is about what it would take to catch up on all that's been happening since I was last here. But, as is often the case, Blogger wasn't cooperating and I lost patience with it.

Right now, we are in the midst off Science Fair and Animal Project Mania around here. My 4th grader has his heart and mind set on doing a project on magnets, compasses, the Bermuda Triangle and the Sargasso Sea which makes absolutely NO sense to me whatsoever (Magnetic Declination? Huh? What?). Last year, he won the Science Fair (it was supposed to be for 4th-6th graders, but he won as a third grader) with a project I didn't understand either, so my contribution was to make it "look nice" the night before the fair. However, this year the project MUST be completed and ready to go by next Tuesday (the science fair isn't until next Friday) or I don't get to go to Las Vegas to spend a few days with Orange Poppy. So, of course, I am quite busy studying up on all things magnetic and spooky so that I can be of maximum assistance in getting the project completed so that my travel plans will not be thwarted. Yes indeed, I have my priorities in order....

I have also been REALLY busy with mystery shopping--and LOVING it! I have gotten to do some of the most FUN shops! On Monday, I was sent to the airport to shop 12 stores there. I spent about four hours going from shop to shop buying things that I loved. I was paid handsomely for my time AND got to keep two of the items. This week I'm doing all phone shops. Next week, I have several bank shops AND a hotel shop on Friday night. So we will be throwing one of our infamous Harry Potter birthday parties for Son 1 on Friday after school. Then we'll leave all of the mess at home and go spend the night and next day in a nice hotel! Gotta like that....

The third floor renovation is just about complete. All we're missing now are a few little things, like the chair rail and the light fixture in the sunroom. At some point I'll have to take some pics of it. It has turned out pretty well. It's sort of a "cottage theme" with lots of wicker and withe wrought iron. It's a favorite hangout for the kids and their friends now. Since it is painted two shades of yellow (with white trim), we call it "The Lemony Snicket". And since the sunroom area has five windows that look out onto the back of our neighborhood and the adjoining greenspace, the kid's friends call the sunroom "The Treehouse". There is a queen-size bed in the bedroom and a daybed with trundle in the sunroom. So, of course, the boys LOVE sleeping up there. I got some painter's buckets from Wal-Mart and painted them the boy's favorite colors (green and yellow) and the boys are allowed to have as much of their "junk" as they can fit in their two buckets up there. So they keep a few toys, Lego's and books in their buckets and...(drumroll...) actually pick their stuff up and keep things neat, too! I'm thinkin' we need buckets in their rooms, now!

Well, I guess I will be brave and attempt yet again to post some pics. As usual, I won't be leaving them up for long. But those of you (bless your hearts...) who check in frequently will be able to catch up on a few of the goings-on here in the Poppy Patch. Now usually, I go through a very rigorous procedure of posting the pictures inside my post. No time for that today...So they won't look as neat as usual. But you'll get the general idea. Enjoy! And have a great weekend!