To-do List

I am shocked at how much I accomplished this past week. I managed to get all the landscaping tasks done. This week I am concentrating purely on E's birthday party.

• reupholster all of the lawn furniture

• Sod West yard

No more mud pit! I'll tell you later how I laid sod.

• buy chaise and umbrella --> sold out of the chaise I wanted!
• sit in the spa and relax (couldn't get spa to work)
• make cupcake stand --> didn't meet my goal
• finish princess peach crowns

Originally I was going to sew these crowns with felt, but due to lack of time, I designed and printed them out instead. They don't look bad, but if at the end of the week, I manage to find the time, and if only a few girls RSVP, I may end up sewing them.

• gather goodies for birthday
• wrap gifts
• Set up new dining set

I put it together and we had a lovely dinner on the porch.

• Put together new grill

I couldn't believe how many pieces it takes to put this grill together. If I had known there were so many pieces, I would have definitely let them install it. At the same time, every time I look at it, I will feel some sort of accomplishment for putting it together. We have already put the grill to good use. Just minutes after the last screw was place, we fired it up.

• Set up seating area

• Clean side yard bricked area with pressure washer

We finally were able to move all the pots of dirt away. Doesn't it look clean now?

• Install solar lights

I love my solar lanterns. I bought them 7-8 months ago even before we started the pool process. We have them all around our landscaping and I love them. My only regret is not buying more than I did.

• Brick area around air conditioner units

Physically, this was a lot of work. I still have cramps in my hand from pounding the bricks with a mallet to get it level. It was worth it because we got rid of all the extra bricks we just had lying around.

• Hem hubby's pants
• Wrap sister's b-day gifts

No pic of my sister's wrapped presents, but I did buy her some necklaces that looked some what like this. Do you like the flower?

New this week

• Get goodie buckets together and labeled.
• Buy candy and fill eggs for egg hunt
• Make cupcake stand!
• Finish scratch cards
• Make ruffly pillows (this one is for me).
  
• Figure out how to get the spa ready
• Study for CISSP (exam I have to pass for work)

It doesn't seem to be as bad as last week.

Busy Busy Busy

The word busy is an under statement when it comes to describing my life at the moment. I barely have enough time to sleep. I wake up at 3:30 a.m. to be at work by 4:30 in order to be home early for my kids when they get home from school. After dinner, homework, piano lessons, bath time, play time, it is then time for me to start landscaping for the day, sometimes working another 2-3 hours on my back yard. This has been my life for the past couple of weeks. I am a little burned out to say the least. I leave for work in the dark and don't come inside until way after dark. After the light is gone and I can no longer see to do landscaping, I am inside reupholstering lawn furniture. I often contemplate how much more I can accomplish if I didn't have to sleep. My sister thinks I am crazy. My husband thinks I am crazy and maybe I am crazy, but I know all the hard work I am putting in will be worth it in the end. My goal is to be completely done with my backyard within two weeks. E.'s pool party is then so I want everything to be perfect. Hopefully, I won't end up killing myself by then.

Monday To-Do List

• Finish landscaping with rocks on the pool side.
• Plant the red-tip photinias on east fence
• Plant nectarine tree on east yard
• Lay down landscaping fabric on west yard.
• Buy and lay mulch on west yard.
• Sod West yard
• reupholster all of the lawn furniture
• buy chaise and umbrella
• sit in the spa and relax
• make cupcake stand
• finish princess peach crowns
• gather goodies for birthday
• wrap gifts

The hardest part about looking at this list is the fact that I cannot do any of them this week. I am out of town because of work and can't start my list until I get back. I don't know what is worse, having a super long list for the week or not being able to do the list until the week is nearly over. I can't wait to return home to see my babies. I miss them so much. I know I have wonderful kids when I hear that they do what I ask of them even when I am not around. I'm such a lucky mom.