Random Blatherings From the Lady Without a Kitchen

Grrrrrrr, we are somewhere around week 6 of the kitchen remodel and I have hit my limit. I am done. Or ready to have it done...NOW. Or as Natalie says now, now, now, now (in about the same tone as the seagulls saying "mine" in Nemo)...and keeps going until her request is granted. For some reason it does not work that way for adults though.

Now for the update:
Last week they installed all of the windows with new framework and we are thrilled about that. It's so nice to have operable, easy to clean windows!
The base cabinets were supposed to be installed by Saturday, but Jesus had a family emergency so they will be installed by Tuesday. Scary thing is, when Chris talked to him today (Sunday), he was on his way TO Amarillo, TX to drop off his son. Tuesday, the countertop people will be here to template and then hopefully we can get this show on the road.
The fence guys STILL aren't finished with the gates, we haven't seen them in...two weeks? Maybe more actually.

Now for the Rambling:
We went to Dallas last weekend for Jessica's wedding, it was a fast but nice trip. All went smoothly and it was a nice break from the craziness of the house. Jessica looked beautiful, and everything was so organized -I've honestly never seen a bride so organized. Her family is very big on games, so she put Sudoku and Trivial Pursuit cards at each table so that guests would have something to do while they waited for pictures to be finished. A very thoughtful touch, I thought. Natalie did really well on the trip and at the wedding, I was so relieved. There's nothing like having your child screaming during an important event. She decided at the hotel that she REALLY likes to go to the pool, so every day now we hear "swim, go swimming? swim now?"

I had planted some tomatoes, peppers, spinach, basil, marjoram, and lettuce in the one sunny spot in the backyard. The tomato plants really grew fast - I mean they just shot right up. I thought maybe I would have a bumper crop but...they were really just reaching for the sun - it's still too shady for them. They gave up on blooming and growing leaves and now are just focusing on getting enough light to survive. I don't have the heart to remove them, they are trying so hard. Plus I love the way their leaves smell...so garden-y. So no tomatoes this year, I guess. The lettuce and spinach were doing well, they didn't seem to mind the smaller amount of sun. Unfortunately, they were mistaken for mere weeds and the old windows were heaped upon them. As for the basil and peppers - the bugs have gone to town on them. Who knows what happened to the rest of the plants - no sign of them anywhere.

We have been putting our two cats outside at bedtime lately because the door no longer shuts in the office (where we used to put them to bed-yes I know we sound nuts -keep reading). The door gets a little tight in the summer for some reason. We have to put them somewhere at night or else there is just no sleeping in our house. Molly jumps in bed with Natalie, which wakes her and then Natalie yells "MOLLY OUT" repeatedly. I can't say I blame her. Lilly and Molly both bombard our bed repeatedly and when they land on you, you know it. Neither of them are lightweights. Anyways, so they've been going outside to sleep and Lilly has been getting under the house. Lilly is a bit nutty and a very big chicken so when she goes under the house, she cannot find her way back out. I would say no instincts, but she is a successful hunter (of socks that is). So we have to go to an access door and coax her out. This is getting really old. She is also very loud, Siamese cat loud (she is actually a mutt though), and relentless. You definitely know when she needs something. Did I mention she waits until I am at the bathroom sink washing my face while Natalie is asleep and then starts her caterwalling for water? Yeah, Natalie's room is right next to the bathroom - Lilly may be silly, but she knows what works.
The culprits - Lilly on the left, Molly on the right.

I am working on some toddler bibs to put on etsy.com. I'm tired of sewing on velcro - it ruins the needle (so sticky). I found the neatest little snap stomper thing. It looks kind of like a stapler and it punches the snap right into the fabric - can't wait to use it.

Well, guess that's it for now. Today was such a nice day - the weather was just perfect. I'm hoping that such a nice day is a precursor to a good (productive also) week. Optimism never hurts, right?