Chick Readers Extraordinaire

When the day comes to a close, hectic stuff and all, reading time always gets the utmost of respect in the Catholic Homestead. Tonight was no exception, as Catholic Girlie settled into her posh-green-fuzzy-chair to finish off another great novel while I stretched out on the carpet with the cat reading Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella:

Ketchup Day

From the very minute of awakening from my deep slumber this morning, today was all about catching up. What better than to blog a simple list for wrapping this whole day up nicely? Alrighty! So here’s my Caught-Up-With-Life list:

• Sleep. Yes, I actually slept in until almost 8 am – a record!
• Dishes. All those dirty dishes in/on/around the sink & dishwasher – spotless!
• Laundry. Soiled clothes dumped out of our suitcases – clean, ironed and put away!
• Checkbook. Bills paid with books balanced!
• Email. Completely caught up with clients, family, friends and instrument teachers!
• Reading. Updated online book lists and sorted current & future reads for sanity purposes!

The icing on the cake? Kicking back and listening to the fabulous CD given to us by Catholic Girlie’s private cello teacher, the same one in which he recorded with the London Cello Orchestra: Latin Cello.

Dynamite Day

So the Catholic Family’s Friday July 3rd party got started early with my 8:00 am salon appointment and Hubs having the day off from work, meaning a breakfast of homemade waffles and steamy espresso to tide me over while sitting in that blessed salon chair for 2+ hours. Then, for wasting time purposes, I paid Kohls a visit and picked up 3 new outfits of skimmers (pants somewhere in between walking shorts and capris) and summer tops, because quite frankly, I needed a lil’ wardrobe update that didn’t bear the name of Nike or Adidas. (Father Chi frowns on that kind of thing during mass, you know.)

Meanwhile, Hubs & the Catholic Kids were home watching Roger Federer kick some tennis bootay at Wimbledon, out-and-about taking taking the car for a much needed oil change, and subsequently working up a good appetite for sub sandwiches. So guess what? I met those peeps at Barnes & Noble, because it just happens to be right next door to Kohls and a birthday gift card was burning a hole in my wallet. But we only left with a few books for the CK’s and my card intact. (BTW: Spent that baby online later in the afternoon, per Becca’s sweet book recommendation – thanks!) And finally, lunch at Subway where we replenished our starving bodies. *whew*

Then what? In search of a fireworks stand! More specifically, one bearing the Knights of Columbus logo, as we prefer buying fireworks in support of those nice Catholic gentlemen in our Archdiocese. Although, despite the fact that Catholic Son had his sights set on bringing home a 3-foot tall monstrosity of pseudo-dynamite, we settled with a nice grocery bag of fireworks fun to keep us safely entertained yet another year:

Mysterious Tennis Society

Amazing how we’ve been loading up these summer days with a multitude of projects and activities, filling the time so well that we’re finding ourselves completely spent each and every night – exactly my plan! Today was no different with the day starting out finishing those chores hand-picked by each of my precious peeps. Next, we were on with watching Wimbledon on TV while a certain incognito mom multi-tasked (laundry/ironing/kitchen cleaning), and then trekking over to the tennis courts for an hour of hitting the ball around, all before Catholic Girlie’s cello lesson at the conservatory.

Side Note: Watch out Williams sisters and Andy Roddick – we’re steppin’ up in the tennis circuit!

Which is really no lie, because CG & CS actually talked Hubs into taking them back to the courts later in the evening for more tennis action. Apparently they hadn’t had enough play time earlier in the day? Nah. I’m thinking the kids wanted to show off those new-found tennis skills acquired by playing tennis with a certain former tennis pro mom… *cough* who is starting to experience a little chlorine-on-the-brain after so many days at the pool, but I digress.

And now a picture of the new nighttime reads we’re loving right now, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. Move aside, Harry Potter.:

Rude Awakening

Here’s how not to wake up on a Saturday morning: with a certain child bursting into your bedroom as you sleep announcing that he/she found a present cat poo outside his/her bedroom door upon opening it. Dude. As if hubs and I need heart attacks bright and early in the morning? Ok, so clean-up time and then we’re over it. Breakfast wasn’t quite as appealing after that disgusting event, but you just move on with things. Ew.

Anyway, so Books-A-Million was having a huge ‘Summer Sale’ today forcing the Catholic Peeps and I to seek out a few book bargains. And that we did: 3 ‘Crime of Fashion Mysteries’ by Ellen Byerrum (me), ‘Darkest Fear’ and ‘Subterranean’ by James Rollins (hubs), 3 manga books (son), 3 chapter series novels (daughter) – all for $59 + tax. Crazy, I know! We were completely pumped after walking out of that place, and ready to read every single one of those sweeties. BAM rocks the planet with us right about now.

The afternoon barreled right on with Catholic Girlie trying out my new EA Sports Active and me cheering her on as I completed a few bicep curls & stretches, because my entire body was screaming after completing 2 days of my own personal EA Sports Active workouts. Lord have mercy on me. Then in no time flat, mass beckoned us over to the local parish where we put in a few extra prayers, thanking God for our blessings – with chlorine being very close to the top of that particular prayer list.

Speaking of which, we made a quick pit stop over to Kohls on our way back home, because apparently CS sent up his own personal ‘wish list’ to God: funky-rad new swim shorts.

Father’s Day: Part 1

For Father’s Day this year, we actually have a PLAN for Catholic Hubs/Dad thanks to the swanky survey we created especially for him to fill out. The Father’s Day Survey consists of selections for all kinds of meal choices and events, complete with little check boxes next to each item. Not only that, but we even put that convenient “other” option with a blank line next to it for many of the selections just in case our options weren’t up to snuff. Then with CH’s completed survey, we set out to achieve all of his requests over the weekend. Aren’t we amazing? I know!

So here’s what happened today, the first half of Father’s Day weekend:

• Shopping, Dad-Dude Style: With a Sports Authority gift card burning a hole in Hub’s wallet, we took him to the shopping center where he bought a few workout duds. But shopping didn’t end there, oh no. Best Buy and Books-a-Million beckoned from the curb for us to bring Hubs inside for a little more perusing, for Dad of course. Ok, so I walked out with a BAM membership for future savings, but I had good intentions.
• Lunch at Subway: This seems to be a recurring Saturday event , so who were we to keep Hubs away from a usual favorite? We’d never do such a thing. The menu: toasted Italian Herb/Cheese turkey footlong (split between Hubs & me), pepperoni & cheese 6-inch on white (CG), ham/turkey/white American cheese on wheat (CS) all complete with Lay’s BBQ chips on the side with carbonated beverages.
• Pool Time & Mowing: Hubs wanted to mow the lawn this weekend, so I took the CK’s to the pool for a couple of hours as a way to keep people busy. The weather was perfect for both: a little overcast and free of rain showers. I even snuck in some reading time while checking out the over-abundance of tattooed people swimming at the pool. How fun is that?
• Mass, Frozen Yogurt, Barnes & Noble: Next, we took CH to mass where Father Chi bestowed a Father’s Day blessing on Hubs and all of the other dads in attendance. So nice to have our weekly obligation out of the way on Saturday so we can sleep in on Sunday. Then we headed over to TCBY and treated CH to a cup of chocolate frozen yogurt topped with Heath bar crumbs, while the CK’s slurped down strawberry smoothies and I savored a cup of white chocolate mousse with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and Lactaid on the side. Then finally, because it was nearby and why the heck not, we visited Barnes & Noble where I left without buying a single book for myself. Miracles do happen.

Next: Day #2, Sunday (6/21), the OFFICIAL Father’s Day

“It Sucked and then I Cried”

"It Sucked and then I Cried"
Originally uploaded by itchick

This book purchase happened upon me today in the most unexpected way. While taking the CK’s to see Monsters vs Aliens at the theater this morning; well, I got the show times mixed up. I had mistakenly viewed the weekend schedule online and thought the movie started at 10:00 a.m. rather than the actual 1:30 p.m. So what’s a family to do? Visit the nearby Barnes & Noble, where this fine little book awaited me front and center after walking in the door. Sweetness.

Playing Hooky

Upon returning home from teaching CCD a couple of days ago, I pretty much knew something wasn’t right in the nasal passages department of my head.  And guess what?  That trashcan full of snot-soaked Kleenexes over there tells me I was right in that thinking.  But really, being sick on a Friday really hasn’t been all that bad.  I mean, check out my list of accomplishments thus far:

• Successfully dropped off both kids at school on time after a healthy breakfast of Toaster Strudel and chocolate milk. (Espresso and cereal for me, thanks very much.)
• Sneezed my way over to Barnes & Noble to pick up an anxiously awaited book order.
• Started up 4 loads of laundry. Um, yeah.
• Camped out in the basement with the cat, laptop, cell phone, camera, iPod, Kleenex box, diet Pepsi, bottled water and cozy afghan – handmade with love for occasions such as these by my own sweet mom.
• Decided I want this new hairdo (on right, not left) and made a mental note to print a picture for my hairstylist.

Yet somehow I think Smokie is taking this whole camp-out-business a little overboard: