Last Saturday, we finally made the trip to the zoo, after missing the exit on the interstate and having to drive totally out-of-the-way and doubling back again. We did make it at long last. As to be expected, it was difficult to get Caleb to focus on the animals. He would look at people around us, or something else altogether, but I can say for certain that he saw the giraffe, the lions, the cougar, and perhaps the black panther.
Here are a few pictures from the day:
And the deck is coming along.... slooooowly. Good grief. Why do there have to be so many thunderstorms? Yes, I know all about the cold air and hot air meeting. Upon checking the forecast, it was supposed to be storm-free today. We were planning on finishing the floor of the deck. Then, a pop-up appeared from The Weather Channel, calling for thunderstorms in the early afternoon. I thought, maybe, just maybe, we could get a coat on and it would dry before the storms came. I checked the paint can, and it said it should be rain-free for twenty-four hours. And the forecast is calling for thunderstorms through Tuesday. Folks, I am running out of patience. We haven't even been able to sit on the deck with all the furniture piled haphazardly.
If you are thinking, "You're almost done!" you would be quite wrong. We still need to do underneath, the legs, the support beams, etc., etc., etc. At this point, painting the front steps seems like a distant dream for another year.
These are just the outside projects. There are a number of things that need doing inside.
Other than trying to get some paint done in between storms, we managed to make a trip to the mall on Tuesday. I used to live twenty minutes away from the mall back in NJ. It was a small mall, but it was my mall, and I loved it. I knew just where to find the bargains. We hadn't been to the mall since December, and we decided it was time to go. Of course, priorities, I hit the Orange Julius stand first, and then we made our way to Auntie Anne's Pretzels. Then we shopped. I didn't get as much as I needed because it is hard to shop with a little one who needs to get home to nap at some point, but I did manage to get a very smart-looking, oh-so-cozy jacket for the fall, a lovely purple t-shirt with a crochet design at the collar, and Brian got two pairs of shorts. The jacket was a total splurge that Brian convinced me to get. It was on clearance for $24.99, but in my world, that is not clearance (should be under $10, folks), but Brian thought it looked good on me and while I wrestled with the decision of spending so much, I caved in and allowed him to talk me into it. I still felt guilty after the purchase, but I do like it, and I know it will be worn a lot.
As far as traveling goes, we are still up in the air. We thought we would be doing so, but we're knee-deep in house projects, and I just know Caleb won't sleep when we travel. So... we are putting off that decision for now. My parents decided to make a day-trip next weekend to see us, so we're definitely excited about that. My wonderful mom is already getting ready by hitting the stores and buying me things that I need because it is such a pain for me to get to the stores. (Of course, she will be fully reimbursed.)
That's what's going on in our world!
Update at 9:40 p.m.: No rain ever came! We could have painted our two coats and then some! Now we will have to wait until Wednesday, until the next round of thunderstorms passes through. Lord willing, we will get that floor done then!
