A couple of weeks in review

This initial picture is displaced but it does show what I have been doing the past few days. Yes, that is scaffolding in my house...and yes, I did go up on it. I did not however, set up and get to the next level which is at the two boards on the right. I don't know if I can do that. I've been doing the faux painting on some walls and ceilings. If you look zoom the image and look at the area above the "x" by the board, you can see the level I could get to before having to go higher. I don't like heights and although the platform is only 6 ft above the ground, when I'm standing on it, my pulse goes up, my toes tingle....

With all the weird angles on the ceiling I just have to figure out how I'm going to get to the tops of the walls by the door and do the ceiling. Another 4 feet up is more than I think I can handle. Dave knows that and has said "you may have to show me how to do". Now, if that isn't love...

Nicole was actually sitting at the table talking with Chay one day and then told him "I can't take you seriously when you're sitting there with Mickey Mouse ears". He's just the right height for that to occur...the rest of us can sit at the table and carry on a serious conversation (that is if we can hear everything that is being said...ie "tell me the story of cheeses").

AND I love a great sale! Old Navy was having a 50% off clearance items and despite going the afternoon of the second day of the sale, I still managed to get all the items below for $80! Chay got some much needed pants (he has officially graduated to the men's department for clothing...ouch). I even found a couple of pants for Dave (he's a very popular size). Nothing for Nicole and me though.

Nicole can have a very abstract mind at times and after eating a wonderful breakfast of Dave's "homefried potatoes" and scrambles eggs, Nicole found a new pet chicken on the table. After seeing the photo of the "chicken" I was surprised by how different it looks from the actual thing. It's too "embryotic" looking in the picture. Nicole left her chicken there but it didn't last the day...

The reason why I didn't make it to the initial day of the sale, waiting for the doors to open, is being a the husband of a friend from work was very kind and brought over and set up the scaffolding for me. There really are extremely KIND people out there...as Sharon and Darren know all too well. Al was climbing and walking around the scaffolding like he was walking on the ground. He had me get up on it while he was there and I was surprised that I did it and didn't lose all control.

...so, this is what it looks like in the front of our house...

...the good thing is, we have our own private jungle gym in the front of our house...

Blade has been having alot of fun swinging on it and climbing...he has no fear whatsoever. Dave has been giving him a "5" on his dismounts.

Nicole has been seen swinging and climbing on it also but I know that she would not be happy if I posted the picture I have of her swinging so, I'll just post this on.

Chay loves climbing up and sitting on the platform. It has been good for him because he "thought" he was afraid of heights but I don't see any evidence of that.

Last week, Dave took Chay to the Car show and Chay took a lot of pictures of some of the cars. I don't know which one was his favorite so I just picked on. Chay came home with a bag full of car books and even plastic and reusable bags for me to use (he likes free things, he truly is my son!).

"You didn't know I could do this before"

The "men" working on Chay's science project. Chay came up with the project on his own (really) and planted seeds and will use bottle water, tap water, dechlorinized water and microwaved water to see how it effects the growth.

We picked up Alana on Sunday to share some of her Birthday week end and Blade and I made some coconut cupcakes using the larger tapered cups I had. I also forgot I needed buttermilk and tried the substitute of mixing milk and vinegar. Let me tell you, the substitute does not produce the same results as the buttermilk, either that or it was just me...I did kind of over bake the cupcakes a little.

Chef Blade

I know that Blade really enjoyed the cupcakes! My opinion is that these cups give too much coconut cupcake for the amount of icing. The smaller cups have a more ideal proportion of icing to cupcake.

For Alana's birthday we had a Black Forest Cake from Sam's Club.

Each candle represented a lucky 7 years.

The Birthday girl

...and the best part, licking the icing off the candles...

Alana, Nicole and Chay drove up to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival and experienced all that comes with that...difficulty finding parking was one of the things. They even worked on a code word if anyone saw a celebrity. Alana did see someone...I don't know if they used the code word.

....then I got called into work...and had to leave.