Day off

Yesterday I took a day off from chores, and homework and dusted off my sewing machine--hurray!  So many days I walk by and look at it and sigh--there's just not enough time to really use it right now.  If I was more experienced, or didn't have to sew things together the wrong way first, maybe I could squeeze it in a little more often--but, when I sit down to sew it's usually a time commitment.  Don't get me wrong--I love it and even forget to eat (or sleep) not realizing how long I've been there (sewing and resewing =)).  My goal yesterday was to make a dress for eldest daughter (from a failed attempt at a dress for me--you win some, you lose some).  However, I will say that I am pleased it turned out OK, since I did it completely without a pattern or instructions (I guess that sewing and resewing stuff is starting to sink in!).  Now, it's a little tight going over her head and coming off, and the hem's a little wonky, but she likes it--and in my book that's success.



Disregard the disgruntled look on her face--she assured me later that she really does like her dress, she just didn't want me to take her picture (can the teenage years start this early?).  She did brighten up when we went to visit a friend's house later and looked a little bit more like her five-year-old self.

Stuck on you

Thought you might like a glimpse of what unsupervised play looks like at our house--fun, right?!  Notice only Imp got the decorations for the big "party" eldest daughter had planned--those girls! =)

On a sad note, that little trampoline bit the dust not long after (well, the cord holding the jumpy part bit the dust).  However, when I told my kids to go jump on it, they went, stepped inside the empty frame, held on to the bar, and jumped anyway. I guess we don't have to be fancy to have fun!

My Birthday Dinner

We celebrated my birthday this past week--although youngest Imp insists it would be better if it was time for her birthday. =)  I let her help open some presents as a warm-up for her day in June (and the eldest two also helped because, well, it was easier that way!). The biggest gift by far was Husband Dear's contribution to make the day special--one of my favorite Cuban dishes for dinner and dessert (and I got to watch a movie with the kids while he prepared it--fabulous!).

It starts with the details--husband dear wins big here, he made homemade Cuban bread.  I know, I know, I have an awesome husband!

 And it just gets better, because then he used that delicious bread as the base for Huevos Rancheros--which I rapidly consumed it was so good!  He also made a molten chocolate cake, which I unfortunately didn't get a good picture of, but it was delicious!  All in all it was a great day--and husband dear promised he'd do it again...in one year. =)

It's here, it's here!

We've been waiting for this place, this magical place called Lulus--the closest thing to Target or Walmart or Kroger this side of things--a huge air-conditioned mega-store that has black beans, and turkey bacon, and macaroni and cheese, cream cheese, chocolate chips, and ICE CREAM...and today, after months and months of rumors of its opening in our little town, it finally did.  And I have the pictures to prove it!

 Fresh baguettes!

 And next to them, wheat sandwich bread!

Canned diced tomatoes are hard to come by around here, or at least they were until today!

 Oh yes my friends, those ARE black beans!

Hard to know which is really the cheesiest. =)  I couldn't wipe the grin from my face--it really is such a great day!

Climb on!

Here are some pictures from one of our family hikes we took way back in February.  So sad to think we won't be out for anymore of those for a while now that we're solidly to 100s and over every day.  Behind eldest daughter you can catch a glimpse of the watering system for the date farms here--they've been in use for hundreds of years.

On our way into where the water is rumored to be...

 Found some. There were three beautiful blue/green pools with curious fish for our kiddos to scare.

Husband dear hits the rocks and climbs way up...

 And then just sits for a spell--taking it all in.

Doth my eye deceive me?

So, I was walking into our “majilis” (think of a more formal living room—they are a very common feature of all homes and apartments here) when I saw something grayish-brown scurry quickly across the floor.  I gasped and screamed (didn’t know you could do both at the same time, but it is indeed possible) slammed the door to the room and yelled for husband dear to come quickly as we had, “a MOUSE in the majilis!!!!!!!” (emphasis mine).  Husband dear walks in with a fly swatter (wha????) and a dust pan as I stand back (far back, as in behind the other side of the door) waiting to see what will happen.  When he calls for me and says quite calmly, “Now, I want you to go Google mouse because I don’t want you to be alarmed when you discover that your ‘mouse’ looks exactly like a lizard.”  To which I replied, “It most certainly was too a mouse!” To which he moved the chair and chased our uninvited guest outside.

I told him that it was certainly the fattest looking mouse-lizard I had ever seen. 

The funniest part of it all is that I had just been telling someone the day before how I would probably not scream if I saw a mouse in the house, just point it out clearly and calmly.  Ha!  Guess we all know better now!