Signs of Spring

Here's my aloe vera plant. I got it last spring, and I have managed not to kill it.

Yet.

Last year it was only about four inches tall with only two stalks. Now it is about ten inches tall with another two shorter stalks coming through the soil.

Behind it I have a dragon tree of which you can barely see a few of the leaves. As it grows, I will twist the trunks around each other. As of now they are not tall enough to start twisting.

This is one of my hanging baskets with an ivy. I got this one earlier this year. It has thrived, along with my other different types of ivy.

I love hanging baskets. With adjustable chains, I have several baskets hanging at different lengths.

So there's a little preview of my porch. I have quite a few more plants. I'll have to get my camera out again. Maybe I'll have to get some more plants.

New Coffee Shop

A new coffee shop has made it to the Kroger here in our little town of Lake Jackson. Well, technically it's in Clute. By just one block.

Anyway, we got a Seattle's Best Coffee, and it's absolutely delicious!! Buc-ee's Beanery, watch out! Sure, it's a few cents more expensive than the Beanery, but it tastes a whole lot better. And they give out little chocolate candy sticks with their mochas.

You Cannot Make This Stuff Up!!

Let me tell you a little bit about what I've been doing today. And it's not even noon yet. Keep in mind that when I went to bed last night, my home was pretty clean and straightened up.

1. Just now, I removed a screw and a pink crayon from a pencil sharpener that was supposed to be designated for my son's homework pencils only. I tried it out once I cleared the sharpening slot only to find out that the batteries have somehow disappeared.

2. Earlier this morning I walked into the kitchen to find an entire loaf of bread scattered all over the floor, some of which had been crumbled and thrown around the kitchen.

3. Our carpet is brown. But in my daughters' bedroom it is now white with small patches of brown. Yet another baby powder explosion, I'm sure. I'll get the vacuum going as soon as I'm done posting this.

4. There are pennies everywhere, literally EVERYWHERE! And I can't seem to find my son's piggie bank. I'm constantly picking up pennies this morning. I also found about $3 worth of change in my washing machine, which I assume is from my husband's jeans I just washed. It's mine now.

5. In addition to the pennies all over the place, we also have a plethora of broken crayons and Crayola crayon wrappers everywhere I turn. And I thought I tossed all the crayons weeks ago when I found Sarah eating them and drawing all over everything in sight. There must be a stash somewhere.

6. I found popcorn kernels in the cushioning of my husband's recliner and on the floor underneath. NOT kid-related, I assure you.

7. Someone thought it would be a good idea to take the toilet paper, nearly an entire roll, off the dispenser and tear it up into a bazillion tiny pieces before scattering it across my bathroom floor. Gee, I wonder who that was?

8. I found both my pastry cutters in my daughter's toy box. And I haven't even made pie since last year around the holidays.

9. There was a sippy cup missing for a few weeks, and somehow it has magically reappeared in the kitchen sink with a disgusting layer of mold stuck inside on the bottom.

10. One thing did happen yesterday, but I'm still finding remnants in the carpet. As I was putting away folded clothes in my daughters' dresser, I noticed tiny red flakes in the window sill. A little more searching revealed an entire bottle of crushed red pepper emptied out onto their floor, in their beds, under furniture in their bedroom, and in the shelf. It's a wonder no one got any in their eyes or mouths!

I'm hoping I don't find any other messes to clean up. Although, I have been sitting here at the computer for a few minutes. They've had time to get into more trouble.

Mountain Summit Too Far to Climb

The mountain of laundry never seems to crumble. No matter how many loads you get done in a day. As soon as five loads are finished, ten more appear! Where do all these clothes and towels come from?

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

My little girl is now 2 years old! Remember when I was posting about that pregnancy?

Exercising is Okay, Diet is Better

So my daily gym workouts aren't so daily. More like whenever I get the notion, but that's okay. My diet is going better! I've been eating healthier, anyway. I'm trying to stay away from most red meat. The occasional fat burger I crave every once in a while. I've been grilling more chicken and fish. We even have veggie days. Jim doesn't like the veggie dinners very much. He's a meat and potatoes kind of man. There's nothing wrong with preparing 4-5 veggies and a salad for your meal.

Ivy Gone to Plant Heaven, aka the Bushes

One of my ivy plants was not thriving. It looked nothing like the day I bought it. So I dumped it behind the bushes outside my apartment building. Shh! Don't tell the leasing office! It might start growing up the brick wall, but I'll just act like I don't have any clue how it got there.