Progress.

When we had the trucks deliver our rock for our backyard last January, they completely tore up our side yard. We weren't too upset because we had planned on putting a driveway there someday anyway. It looked so bad, though, that someday became someday soon.

S needed two things: a tractor and a decent weather. Luckily, both came last weekend so he went to work.

Here is a before picture (remember, all of that use to be grass! What a mess...)



Bean is SO into tractors right now. Ever since she got a toy tractor for S's birthday (long story) she has been saying tra-ta nonstop. So imagine her excitement when the real thing was delivered to our house. She watched her daddy work in amazement. Naturally I thought her getting to ride in the real thing would be the Best Thing Ever.



I was wrong. I took some video of her far away but when I came to do a close-up this was the face I saw.



After I took a picture, I rescued her. And once outside the tra-ta her horror turned back into amazement.

Between S and his friend helping, they got the driveway done in two days. Impressive! S laid the sod a few days ago and, other than a few touch ups, it is all done.



I think it looks terrific! S is going to retain the existing flower beds next to the house with some compressed boards and then we get to start planting. I am so very excited!

Tidbits.

On my quest to further my stay-at-home-mommy experience, I decided to check out Toddler Time at our local library this week. We always go to the library on one of my first few days off and there are always so many kids. So I thought, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

The day's subject was insects. Bean just happens to be an expert when it comes to butterflies and ladybugs and dragonflies and bumblebees. She absolutely lit up each time storytime lady would introduce a new friend. At the end of Toddler Time she was also an expert on caterpillars and fireflies.

I have to admit I have been a cynic in the past when it comes to playgroups and toddler activities but this mommyhood thing has turned me into quite the opposite person. It is the best feeling in the world to see your child happy and learning!

~

S started his chemistry portion of school this week. I was excited because I feel like chemistry was one of my stronger subjects in college. You know that old adage you never forget how to ride a bicycle? Yeah, doesn't apply to chemistry...

It is a little disheartening, considering how many hours I devoted to this stuff in school. I did, however, happen to remember most of the abbreviations for the elements. I also remembered several mnemonic devices I had used to learn them. So I bet if I dug hard enough the rest of it would come back to me.

~

I have mentioned before that I currently work in the same city I grew up in. I was leaving work the other night and, stopped at the red light, I noticed that they had named this particular intersection the gateway to the city. I looked at each of the four corners. Rubios. U-Haul. Costco. Some random emissions place. Really? You're calling this the gateway to the city?

It feels like a much different city than I grew up in. Blame it on politicians, changes in citizens, whatever. I loved how, growing up, it had that small-town feel.

I think that's what I love most about where we live now. A smallish, close-knit community with the perks of living within a big city.

Assuming no further natural disasters occur, I would be happy living here forever!

What the crap.

I said I liked rain. Not snow. This week has been downright miserable. I feel like we've woken up to more snow in our yard this week than in the entire month of February. It's enough to make the most optimistic person say now hold on a minute... I am desperately hoping for sunshine and warmer weather.

~

I call Bean our little tornado because she leaves a path of destruction wherever she goes. The following picture shows what I mean:

Her playtime is more like work for her. She is always very intent. And very curious. She doesn't just play with toys. She organizes them in piles. And if she finds a stray puppy in her play box, she will go throughout the house collecting every other puppy toy so that the stray puppy is no longer alone. It's fascinating to watch her think through things. And while her clean-up time is still a little slow compared to her pull everything out time, she is getting better.

~

I received copies of all of the pictures my mom took of Bean last year and had fun organizing them into the rest of my files. It was sort of like watching her grow up all over again.

I love this one. A classic move of my mom's is to pin a towel around her as a makeshift bib. I remember her doing this to me when I was a kid. I think it makes Bean look like a monk.

This is the most recent picture I have of her, taken at her great-aunt's 70th birthday party. I can't believe how much she's changed. Or that she finally grew hair.

~

S starts hazmat school on Monday. Everytime he thinks he is officially done with school he gets another opportunity to go. This course is only 6 weeks long and there is a promotion at the end of it in case he needs motivation. Have I ever mentioned how much he amazes me? He can just sit and study for hours and gets really good grades because of it. I get bored of studying after 10 minutes. If/when I go back to school I am hiring him as my tutor.

April showers.

As I write this I am listening to the rain pouring down outside. I don't know what it is about this house, but I am able to hear the rain more clearly than I could in our old one. I don't mind it at all.

My mom will tell you that one of my favorite memories of camping when I was a kid was laying in the top bunk of our camper while it was raining outside. I would let the sound of the rain pouring on the roof above my head lull me into the most peaceful sleep. I don't think I have ever gotten over it.

Another favorite memory of mine was backpacking in the high uintas in a downpour. It was a trip that we looked forward to every year and we weren't going to let a little rain stop us. I couldn't have been older than 8. I remember walking along the muddy trail amongst some of the lushest greenery I have ever seen. It was almost magical. And like I said, it was a downpour. My dad was amazing. He found the only dry spot under some trees and we settled down for the night. It rained the entire night but we stayed perfectly dry. We woke up the next morning and the storm was completely gone. In its place were majestic mountains.

So if I had my way, I would have it rain every night while I go to sleep.