Day 141: DIY disaster

Ever since Dan left I've been looking for fun new DIY projects to keep me busy. The latest endeavor involved painting our rusty black outdoor furniture a bright and cheery shade of yellow. I was really excited about this one as I've been lusting over yellow furniture for some time - in particular this bench from Crate & Barrel.

I should have knows things were not going to go well when the drop cloth I was trying to tack down outside kept blowing all over the yard. Not to be deterred, I decided to move my spray painting project into the garage. Mistake #1. Painting in an enclosed area without a face mask is a recipe for absolute disaster as evidenced by the black paint I started sneezing out of my nose later that night. 

After properly ventilating, Googling "Will I die from excessive VOC fumes?" and calling my mother-in-law the nurse, I decided to continue with my project. Mistake #2. Last night I decided to move from primer to the actual yellow spray paint. One ENTIRE CAN of spray paint later, I have a streaked, drippy, mess of a yellow chair.

I have finally wised up and enlisted the help of my local garbage man to help me finish the project. At least this gives me an excuse to go shopping???

Day 140: Travelin' man

Today Dan heads off to Kabul for a "mini business trip" as I've taken to calling these adventures. Only 45 more days until he's on a plane back home!!!!

Day 136-139: Family bonding

First dinner out by the firepit with Auntie Laura

We truly had the absolute best Memorial Day weekend. My sister was in town until Sunday morning so we were able to spend a few more days hanging out with her. We dropped her off at the airport Sunday afternoon and then headed to Yuma, AZ to spend a few days visiting with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece and nephews. As luck would have it my mother-in-law was also in town visiting so we were able to see everyone at the same time. We didn't do any one thing that stands out but just getting to spend time with people we love was gift enough. Thank you to our amazing family for your continued love and support. We're in the home stretch now!!!!

 Movie night

 Practicing our driving skills

M hanging with his favorite big cousin

The littlest Summa

Day 135: Good fortune

Okay, I have incredible amazing miraculous astounding tremendous news...I am thrilled to announce that DAN IS COMING HOME EARLY!!! We've been keeping it quiet for a bit until we were absolutely sure but have now confirmed that he'll be home in mid-July vs. end of October!!! I cannot even begin to explain what this means for our family. We are overwhelmed with joy at the thought of all of us being together again.

In all my prayers, I never asked for Dan to come home early. I wanted to concentrate on asking for him to be safe, which in such a dangerous place is gift enough. I thought asking for an early return seemed like I may be pushing my luck with the big man upstairs. 

Whatever your beliefs, I'll hope you'll take a moment this weekend to remember to give thanks for all of the families and men and women who have given their lives for the sake of our great nation. Our sacrifices seem so small compared to others who have lost so much more than time. Today we are counting our blessings, renewing our belief in the power of prayer and counting down the days until Dan comes home!!!

Day 134: Travels

 Santa Monica pier

 The strand at Santa Monica beach

Traveling for work has pretty much been out of the question since Dan has been gone. Fortunately, I've had two things come up in the past month where I just happened to have family in town who were willing to watch M&P. I must confess, a night alone in a hotel room without the munchkins waking me up/kicking me while they're sleeping has been such a treat! And getting to tackle an early morning run on the beach? Heaven!

Day 133: LA bound

Off on a quick last-minute business trip to LA. More family updates soon!

Day 132: Backyard progress

Today was a momentous day at our house because for the first time ever we had our very own cement truck!!! The kids were mesmerized for a solid 5 minutes, which every parent knows is an eternity. The backyard is really coming together. I don't want to ruin the big unveil but here are a few pictures of the patio and some of our new plants!

 Butterfly bush

 Kangaroo paw

Pretty blue things that I like

Day 131: New 'do's

M&P are prepping for summer and both got haircuts this weekend. 

Can't wait for all the summer fun to begin!

Day 128-130: Busy bees

Phew! The last few days have been a little nuts at our house. Thursday night we had dinner with some good friends. The kids got into a box of costumes and everyone came out with an outfit. Also, dare I say my three-year-old was acting flirty with her little buddy? We're going to have trouble on our hands someday!

Lately I am always capturing pictures of P holding hands with boys. Oh my.

Friday I had a bunch of morning appointments and then spent all afternoon picking out plants for the backyard with our landscaper. It was fun to walk around and randomly choose all these beautiful flowers. The flora and fauna here are so different then back in Chicago. I never thought birds of paradise would grow naturally in my yard!

Saturday I had to work all day but it was worth it because Auntie Laura arrived Saturday night! I'm happy to have her around for company and the kids are happy she's here because no one builds forts better than Laura! This week is going to be busy as well but that's okay because every busy week that flies by is one week closer to Dan coming home!

Day 127: Yard updates

 Making sure the fire pit is the right height for Daddy 

to put up his feet with a beer!

Our yard is really coming together and I'm so excited! They finished the fire pit yesterday and are hoping to have the retaining wall done by tomorrow. Friday I get to go pick out plants! We're putting in lemon, lime, tangerine and olive trees. How fun is it going to be to reach up and pick a lime off the tree to put in my Corona?!? Little bit of heaven here in So Cal, I tell you! Come by any time!

Nerdy, but I am so excited about the boulders we're going to have throughout the yard. Aren't they cool?!?

Day 126: Sitting (un)pretty

 

Saturday during my race I got a little over zealous with one of the obstacles. I took a flying leap into an inflatable inner tube and landed squarely on my tailbone. Fast forward to today and I STILL cannot sit down. I called the doctor who advised me to go buy one of those "dounut rings" to sit on while I'm at work. Ummm...since that is never, ever going to happen I am relegated to wincing every time I get out of my chair like an 80-year-old woman. Think from now on I'm sticking to running races where the only obstacle is dodging all the paper cups thrown on the ground!

Day 125: Fun (out of) the sun

I know this is going to get a lot of groans but it was honestly a little too hot this weekend to be outside. The weather as of late has been in the low to mid 90's, which can be a bit grueling with the kids. We spent Sunday afternoon back at The New Children's Museum checking out all the fun arts & crafts activities. I think M&P liked getting to paint the old car the best. They were completely covered with paint by the time we left but it was definitely worth it to see their smiles.

Day 124: Yard work

After living in our house for 6 months, we've finally decided to do something about our backyard. Truthfully it's been low on the priority list with Dan being away but we really want to have it done in time for summer. The entire process has been a huge learning opportunity for me as I've never had a house before let along a yard to design and plan.

 Fire pit in progress

Patio pre-concrete

We were very fortunate to find an amazing landscaper who has been working very closely with us to help bring our vision to life. Our goal is to create the feel of an English garden but designed with native California plants to help minimize our water bills. The most exciting part for me is that we're officially dedicating space to finally have a garden! We had one at my house when I was little and I've always wanted one for the kids. I definitely don't have a green thumb but it will be fun to try and learn!

Day 123: Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there today and especially to my Mom, our dear Sue Sue and my sister-in-law, Caroline. All of you are so strong in so many ways and we couldn't have made it this far on our journey without you. Thank you for all your love and support. We love you!!!

Day 119-122: Sand, sun and mud

View from the ocean of my hotel

I'm back from my whirlwind trip to Miami Beach and am definitely happy to be home. I hadn't been to Miami in quite a while and I forgot what an amazing place it is to visit. Beautiful beaches, beautiful people, beautiful weather.

One of my favorite things about Miami is the color palette - everything is bright and vibrant. Even the colors that would typically border on gauche somehow work in that setting. It was nice to be able to relax for a few days but I definitely missed my munchkins!

Saturday I had my first "fun run" with a group of friends. We did the ROC (Ridiculous Obstacle Course) challenge - a 5k with waterslides, mudpits, hurdles and tire runs. It was really fun to get out and do something silly for a change.

Day 118: A litte jaunt and a lot of truth

Well, as luck would have it, my Mom comes to visit and I'm promptly called away on a business trip to Miami Beach. I wish I could say I'll be basking in the sun and hanging out with the beautiful people but in reality I'll be working all night in a mall to help my client host a store reopening event. I know, it's so glamorous you can hardly contain your jealously.

With that, I'd like to leave you with a little write-up my friend recently shared from the Huffington Post. It's not often parents come clean - especially in such a public forum - to talk about how it really feels sometimes to be a parent. This article is so poignant it made me laugh and cry at the same time. Oh, little dictators. You rule with such mighty swords but I love you all the same. Enjoy!

Day 117: Minding our P's and Q's

It was rainy this weekend, which means we had to come up with fun new indoor activities to keep everyone occupied. I decided to take our two favorite things - cookies for M, princess dress-up for P - and marry them into a fun new game - Tea Party! The kids absolutely love playing and it's a great way for them to practice their manners. I also like that we always set a place for "the king" so he doesn't feel left out and that I get to be called "your Majesty" for a solid 15-20 minutes. Everyone wins!

Day 114-116: Snakes on a plane

Okay, not really but we had two exciting things happen this weekend that can work with that title. First, Nana arrived from Chicago for a week long visit! We are so happy to have her in town as we haven't seen her since our ski trip back in February!

Second, we had another run-in this weekend with California wildlife. To recap, since moving here we've come scarily close to a coyote, tarantulas and now a snake. I was hiking this weekend with the kids and kept thinking about how someone recently told me it's rattlesnake season. Side note: I'm a Midwestern girl. The idea that there are "seasons" for all kinds of terrifying animals is completely foreign to me.

Anyway, we were just wrapping up our uneventful hike when M said, "Look, Mommy! There's a big snake!" I turned my head and sure enough there was a huge black and yellow snake crawling along right next to our feet. Luckily the snake didn't seem to be too interested in us and I was able to grab the kids and jump leap back a few inches feet. I looked up the snake as soon as we got home and turns out it's harmless. Then, just to be safe, I looked up "What to do if you're bitten by a rattlesnake." Cliff notes takeaway: do not suck out the venom (that's a wives tale), stay calm and get to a hospital ASAP. You probably won't die. Noted.