well, let's just see...

...how this post goes...when you are all comfy in your chair, and you want to write, but have nothing exciting to say...but life is good, and each day is a gift, so we'll just go with it.

Yesterday after the pool, I was quite productive.  I planted marigolds and impatiens, seeds, in little containers.  I usually just buy the plants and pot them, since years ago when we tried seedlings it always ended up messy...between toddlers and kitty cats, mmm hmmm.  I washed bedding, and puttered around.  Then Kathryn needed a few things from the store, and yes, I would like to go with her.  

Aldi is the place to go these days.  I got raspberries, baby back ribs, salad dressings, shredded cheese, cake mix (89 cents!), and some cute Easter candy.  I have plans, see, to make an Easter cake...I am torn, because a sheet cake with lots of candy on it sounds fun, but once years ago I made a basket cake using the basket weave frosting tip, and it was so cute.  Maybe a sheet cake with a basket on it!  Or, a simple white coconut cake with some pastel eggs on it...boring for kids though.  We're having Easter dinner/lunch at church, and a dessert contest...I don't care to win it, but want to make something fun.  

Anya is coming over this morning for a visit while her mama takes their pup to the vet.  I'm looking forward to spending some time with her.  Maybe we'll bake something.  

Tomorrow night we're having a little gathering for Kathryn for her birthday, just some of the girls, and I get to go too.  I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I need to get her a gift...what?!  I can get it tomorrow!  

Saturday is her real birthday, and Wulf's too, they're 20 years apart, Aunt Kathryn and Wulf.  We are going bowling, then having a little celebration at his house.  I do have presents for him already.  :)

We had some winter weather here last yesterday and last night, whipping wind and cold, snow too.  Brrr.  It's so cozy in here today it's not funny.  The lighting is all Christmas-y, with the snow.  I don't mind, but I hope it doesn't wreak havoc on the budded trees and plants.

We went to Target the other day, Grace and I with Grant, Ruth, and baby Maeve.  We met Kathryn there with her three little ones, and Sonja and Camille drove there too, as Sonja is working on furnishing her new apartment.   

Grant, Achilles, Ruth, Jamie in the cart...with Kathryn.  For the record, I don't like kids climbing on the cart...I feel like a strict old Grandma, but life does teach things along the way, and I learned the hard way on this:  Years ago, when I had four or five young ones, not in school yet, I went to Walmart after an O.B. appointment.  I was approaching the checkout line, with a baby and a toddler in the cart, and some small children climbing up on the side...when suddenly, that cart tipped totally and completely OVER.  There was crying and screeching and confusion, it was awful.  No one was bleeding or hurt badly, but it was scary.  It was embarrassing too, as people rushed over to help, saying "you have your hands FULL!", and not in an awesome way, as they seemed to be saying:  too full.  

So, I don't like when kids climb on carts.  Kathryn had Ruth get down after this pic was taken, just for the record.  

Oh, being a grandma is grand.  I have to remind myself that there's more than one way to skin a cat, as my mother-in-law so horribly used to say.  

The slow to speak part is something I've been working on.  Sometimes you do have to speak though, because we were young once too, and we did learn some things....:)

I am fully aware that I didn't do everything perfectly, in fact raising these kids was extremely challenging, and I prayed for wisdom, begged for patience, and by the grace of God, here we are.  It's good to have a healthy and sober idea of our own weaknesses, to avoid judging and criticizing others.  I was thinking about this last night, by the measure that we judge others, we will be judged.  So we're wise to avoid judging other, like the plague, no matter how much we may be tempted.  

Anyway.  We had a few different things for dinner last night...the girls sometimes skip lunch until later afternoon, and as I'm puttering around figuring out what's for dinner, they're loading up the air fryer or making fantastic salads...so I just made bacon and eggs for Camille and I, Paul was still working so he made some when he was finished...the other girls had their salads with honey battered chicken strips.  

I have chicken in the refrigerator, so am thinking either pot pies, or stir fry for tonight.

One thing I'm working on is not sitting here for too long.  I got up and washed the rest of the dishes and bleached the sink and put in a load of towels and washcloths...and I'll tell you something, if you have young children or lots of children, and are drowning in laundry:  I remember those days, but guess what?  Now I mosey in to the laundry room to see if I can rustle up enough for a load.  Seriously.  The four kids who still live here do their own laundry, and of course sometimes I have to switch it over or take it out for them, but oh dear, things have changed.  

Anyway, I'm trying to be more active.  Anya is coming soon, so I'm going to get up and vacuum quick, maybe take some butter out so we can bake...   so have a really good day, and stay warm, fellow northerners!