Spring

Spring came last week. Our tree put on its leaves, the shrubs bloomed and Alex asked to turn on the A/C!

Ryan and I have been planting this week. First we did an herb garden, a daisy that he had to have when we were at Lowe's and sunflower seeds. Then the next day I planted this veggie garden: 3 types of tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and green onions. I spent a good 2.5 hours getting the compost mixed in to the soil, making the mounds, and putting half of the newspaper/mulch down (for weed control and erosion). This was on Alex's half day. I pick him up from the bus stop and he asked his usual, 'So what did you do today?' 'I planted a garden.' He was quiet for a minute, 'What else did you do?' Seriously, what does the kid want from me!Last night our neighbor Walt stopped by with his usual grocery offerings (he goes to the senior center and they give out food 5 times a month and we usually get the extras) during dinner time. The boys took this as a chance to escape the table. They went out back and were playing bumper cars with these two vehicles. Some days they are the best of friends. Other days they scream at each other until they get sent to bed. I guess my boys really believe that you have to have the opposite in order to appreciate the better half. Oh, and at this meal I served Mac n Cheese out of a box (gross, this is not what I ate!) and Ryan had steamed broccoli. I wish you could watch him go bananas over broccoli. He was so excited when we were chopping it up. The only other vegetable I can get him to eat are carrots. What a nut!

Ryan was disappointed that Alex had a party at school and he couldn't go, so he and I went to Party City and got balloons and candy. When we got home with the balloons on Friday Ryan took his outside. I didn't even think about warning him that balloons fly away. I found him outside looking up at the sky. 'Mom, you get my balloon?' 'Uh, no.' 'Dad get my balloon when he gets home?' 'Uh, no. Your balloon is going to the mountains. It isn't coming back.' We had another 3 year old over later in the day and he talked about letting his racecar balloon go. They were both solemn while discussing the loss of their balloons. So, I had Dan pick up another balloon as a surprise for Ryan.

We still don't have any red on our monitor, so I hope the pictures are OK. Here is Alex with his treat, card, and balloon. Alex had a school party. He had a great day with all the sugary treats. I'm sad that schools can celebrate Valentine's and not Christmas, but I'm glad that they got to have a party anway.

Dan surprised me with a dinner that he shopped for, marinated, and cooked with the guidance of his mother over the phone. He made a Korean stirfry that goes in a lettuce wrap. It was delicious. We went to play tennis with our friends the Williams and when we got back I ran to Target (I love Target is so close!). By the time I got home Dan had sent the boys to the Williams' house and had decorated the table. He had just started cooking. Good work, hubby! It was nice to have a quiet meal with my sweetheart.

Dave's cool car

Thursday is our Offisode party night. A couple of Dan's friends stop by when a new 'Office' is going to be on. The 'Office' comes on at 8pm, so it is after Alex's bedtime, but if Ryan naps he gets to stay up. Last week Dave came with his way cool Volvo with hard top convertible. (Oh yeah, the Cullens would love this car!) I hadn't seen it yet so he took me to check it out.Dan was holding Ryan in the driveway and I was sitting shotgun. Dave pushed the convert button and voila it put the top down. I could hear Ryan say, 'That's great!' He then asked Dave, 'Does your car turn into a robot?' That's how cool it was!

Color Blind

We set up a new computer Thursday. It was time for an upgrade. Dan did all the hooking and what have you. I stopped in the hall to see how it was coming and the monitor had no red in it at all. It was like the red had been turned off. Oh, it looked awful. I said, 'Ugh, what is wrong with the picture?' Dan said,'There's something wrong?' Oh, my poor color blind husband. So, if you want to know what it is like to be red/green color blind, turn the red completely off on your monitor and have a look see. I lamented to him about how could he live without red. My alma matter, the sunset, apples, valentine's, the leaves changing, oh just everything beautiful has red in it! I can't wait to be with him when he is resurrected. I want him to see red and love it!
I spent an 1.5hr Friday with Dell support. It wasn't too unpleasant, but it was decided that the video card needs to be replaced. So here I sit on our old laptop instead of on our super cool new computer. It will be fixed Monday.

Mule Jump

I just remembered Rochelle asked about the Mule Jump. It is held in Pea Ridge, Arkansas. They walk the mules up to a bar similar to a high jump. From standing stock still, or a slow trot these mules jump over the bar. There are fair things set up like a petting zoo, tractor show and food vendors. Look at these pictures of us in the past...

The Suns

A guy in our ward told Dan, 'You have to take Alex to a Suns Game!' That same person gave them tickets and they went to a game Friday night. Ryan was bummed, but he and I went to the pet store and got ice cream. He was happy. They didn't leave the game until midnight. Dan wanted to go earlier but Alex said he had to know who won the game. The Suns did. I'm sure they will always treasure that trip. It is a shame what a pain in the rump he was the next day from lack of sleep.

Eating Abroad

England: The best hamburger I've ever had was in a pub down the street from Windsor Castle. We ate fish and chips a few times because we thought we should. It isn't something I ever crave.
Switzerland: Light and dainty. We ate mostly in cafes, but what we really wanted to do is eat the REAL chocolate, sin in a tin can, Oh Man! Like $20 for 4 pieces. So delicious...
Berlin: OK, after being in Italy for 2.5 months where there was mad cow disease on every headline (if you don't recall or remember, google it) which prevented even the Italians from eating beef, Berlin was an American Mecca. We had steak! It was from Argentina and it was wonderful. We had ribs, burgers, and shish kabobs. We ate at Scholotzky's. It was home! I found this karaoke bar that served brats, sauerkraut and hot German potato salad. I went back many times and took different friends. I gorged and it was great!
Greece: I found 2 things to love. Gyros and Greek salad. They served the gyros with steak fries, my guess is because of the tourists. I don't care why; they were perfect. The lamb was sliced off this huge cone of meat rotating on a spit.
Italy: Well, there was gelato, sometimes twice a day. Amarena (black cherry) was my favorite. There was also green apple and cinnamon or raspberry and lemon. Pizza. Yuck. Well, I found some I could eat. Only sit down restaurants have round pizza. Otherwise they are rectangles and you have to order it by hand gestures (yeah wide) and weight. Crazy. The pasta was good. The salad poor. The deli 10 steps from our apartment made the best sandwiches for our bus rides: bread resembling Boboli, provolone, and pepperoni. There was a market every weekday in a square just a block away. This is where I learned about blood oranges. Yummy! It is hard to cook with forgien ingredients and tiny appliances. Baking nearly impossible. Our favorite restaurants: the place next to the Pantheon (if you go to Rome you will have to eat there. I'll give you directions.), the Chinese restaurant in Piazza Giordi Fiori (the flower market on the weekends), and ashamedly, Hard Rock Cafe. I only went twice, but they had mustard, ranch dressing and ice!!! You can't blame a girl for wanting those things.
Oh yes, I was a big fat ho'se when I got home (of course, when I would meet my eternal companion I was 20 lbs over weight). All that pasta and bread really sticks to your bones, even if you walk at least 5 miles a day. A roommate actually took aerobics in Italy because of the weight. That is her story to tell and not mine, but it was funny hearing her tell about these tiny little woman dancing around. I myself lost that weight in 4 months of torture called my pass/fail design studio. I also couldn't sleep for more than 4 hours a night after that, but that isn't Europe, that's 'The Hill.'

Camping

On Friday we went camping at Lake Pleasant with the Barons. It was a good time. Ryan took a few years off of my life when I took him for a ride on the quad. He said, "I can do it myself" and before I was even seated he put the gas on full. We nearly ran over Dan's nephew, barely missed Dan's truck and could have landed in a cactus! It scared me half to death because I had only ridden it one time and I wasn't very familiar with the brakes. That was the last quad ride for me. Dan took him out later. They were bouncing around and Ryan kept saying something Dan couldn't understand. He stopped and asked what he was saying. Ryan said, 'Go faster!' Our speed demon is definitely going to break something before long.
The night was full of things that 'go bump in the night.' I woke up to this crazy sound. I realized it was a donkey he-hawing. It was hilarious! Well, the first time... There was also an owl camped outside whoo whooing.
I didn't bring enough wood along, so we scavenged from the trees and dried cactus around us. We were nice and toasty in the morning for a yummy breakfast. It was a short trip, but it was fun and a nice diversion.
Our camera is on the fritz, so we'll have to wait to post pictures for a while.