Cast of Characters

Unlike Sactownkid, I haven't been posting too frequently but for the next 2 weeks I may not post at all. And here's why......(drumroll)....

We'll be in EUROPE.

More specifically SWITZERLAND

More specifically, right here in Adelboden.

But lest you think this trip will be all fun and games, let me introduce you to the cast of characters with whom the hills will be alive:

Me

Mr. H: the only one who isn't a blood relative

Biscuit: Who, conveniently, decided that THIS WEEK is the EXACT WEEK she would like to learn to crawl. Last week she'd sit in my lap for hours. This week she only wants to work on her new skill. This also mean she's stopped sleeping. Hmm, 12 hour plane ride is looking good.

Aunt Laura (my 22 year old sister): She just graduated from college and at one point was going to get a trip to Nepal with Grandpa D (our dad) for a gift. Through a little bait and switch she got a trip to Switzerland with the whole fam. This trip is a bit tame for the child that just spent 4 months in Southeast Asia. Not that a girl can complain about a trip to Switzerland but let me introduce the rest of the traveling party.....

Grandma D (my mom): She's really gotten into traveling over the last 10 years (I think this is her fourth trip to Europe) but she's usually been on a formal tour (with a tour bus and guide). The one trip she did without a guide was planned to the minute with excursions and sights. It is KILLING her that we have NO PLANS WHATSOVER. Just some hotel rooms and a rail pass. I should also mention (and she can't get offended because she has to agree this is true) she's a wee bit emotional lately. Not sure of the cause but in the past 3 months I can't recall a family outing that didn't involve spontaneous crying. Now if that doesn't make the son-in-law uncomfortable, I don't know what does. And remember Aunt Laura? Great girl, love her to death, she has identified EVERY BUTTON our mom has and exactly how to push them. As an added bonus, I seem to have inherited the spontaneous crying gene and Biscuit is a baby so spontaneous crying is what she does.

Get ready for the waterworks.

Grandpa D (my dad): The sugar daddy of the extravaganza. He basically hates to travel unless it involves a car ride across Nevada, a tent and a national park. As far as I can tell his last international trip was to Vietnam (for the war) and I'm pretty sure he stayed on the ship. Needless to say this is a big step for him. He's trying to ease into the big wide world by pretending he's in a national park (called the Alps). Day hikes and coffee drinking are the only things on his itinerary.

So there you go. You aren't so jealous anymore are you?

I'll try to find a computer in Adelboden and post updates on this trip for your amusement.

If this website happens to move over to Clubmom in my absence, hello! Pleasure to meet you! Stop by after July 6 for a recap and in the meantime, take a gander through the archives.

I needn't have rushed home

So when I called Mr. H at 5 pm as I was getting ready to leave work, he alerted me that Biscuit had missed her afternoon nap and was likely to melt down soon. I hurried home hoping to have a few minutes before she fell asleep. I needn't have rushed.
This was the scene when I arrived home at 6 p.m. The best part of this photo is what you can't see. The Speed Network showing the car race that lulled them both to sleep. Biscuit has inherited a love of cars from her father and car races are one of the few things that hold her attention on TV (although not tonight).

And now, for what I was actually planning to blog about, my before and after project.
Before (a pillow case): After (a dress) on a rather uncooperative model: And, finally, a belated Happy Father's Day!

Construction Zone

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, I've been taking it easy. Finals were over last Saturday and graduation was today and work was super busy in between so the blogging just had to give. Photos of graduation coming soon.

But now, a very exciting update about our home, our construction zone. Since Mr. H is on summer vacation, he's had time to rent a jackhammer and go to town on the back steps in preparation for our new deck.
Before:

After: Proof that Mr. H could totally be a contractor if he decided to give up the teaching gig:

Have you ever noticed on construction sites how the workers just leave food trash ALL over? At my sister-in-law's house the hole for the tub was filled with fast food wrappers. I heard someone say they had to remodel and found soda cans in their walls. Um, ever heard of a trash can folks? Me either, the soda bottles and cups are still lying in the yard.

Happy Father's Day Mr. H!

Put a fork in me

I'M DONE (with school that is). I finished my last final Saturday morning and we hopped in the car to attend my sister's college graduation. Photos coming soon but just a note to say how lovely it is on a Sunday evening to not even be considering how many pages I have to read or papers I have to write or presentations I have to practice or ANYTHING. A bit funny when just a baby and a full time job feels like a vacation.

And speaking of vacation, Mr. H is officially on summer break. Teachers put up with a lot of crap but the words: June, July and August might just make it worthwhile.

For the nerds

A first "sorority" shirt for Biscuit. Get it? This is the technique I used.

As for the surprise...it has nothing to do with a pet, it actually has to do with the blog itself (and it's probably only exciting to me)

The Whole Yard

This is the design our friend Mike whipped up recommending what we plant to replace our dying and overgrown shrub areas in the front yard. Over the last weeks we've been tearing out and moving all this: This morning while I was at class, Mr. H, Mike and my father-in-law rototilled the area and redid all the irrigation while my mom-in-law watched Biscuit. After class (my LAST ONE THAT ISN'T A FINAL!!) I finished up the plant shopping and then we all planted the plants and hooked up the irrigation. Here's the result, our all new front planters (we still need to add the bark mulch). For the moment they look a little bare since we bought itty bitty perrenials (who can afford those 5 gallon plants?). I'll show another shot at the end of summer and I hope it will have filled in. It really does look better than the photos.

As always, a few lessons learned:

• Never shop for plants on a sunny, spring Saturday afternoon
• If you do HAVE to shop for plants along with EVERY other homeowner in the county, be mentally prepared to visit at least 5 places to get what you need
• Don't overlook Wal-mart and Target for plants, not much selection but they're cheap
• Learn to accept the fact that after visiting 4 locations all over town you will discover that the hardware store a quarter mile away had everything you needed all along

Happy gardening!

And I'll finish with a teaser about some exciting upcoming changes to this blog...stay tuned for exciting changes...and a photo of my sister-in-law's new puppy.