Easter planning

Mr. PaperCourt and I just decided that we are going to host Easter dinner this year. I'm sending out this electronic invitation...

We're planning to feed the kids first then hire a sitter to entertain the kids (6 boys) in our playroom. Last year, I made an amazing cake (pictured below) with a nest made of chocolate on top and I'm hoping to recreate that masterpiece.

What are your Easter plans?

Happenings....

My mom is in town and today we went to Ikea. That place rocks! We're redoing our guestroom today for under $150. I can't wait to share the pictures!

In other news, my stomach is feeling better and I froze my arse off at my son's first t-ball practice. I wore ballet flats - it was 40 degrees and muddy. I'm not so smart sometimes. And the most exciting news of all, we decided to take a leap and commit to the independent private school for my son.

Two hours and six minutes of fun!

I did it! I finished the Mercer Island Half Marathon on Sunday with my fastest time ever! YIPPEE! My time was 2:06....11 minutes faster than the Seattle half marathon last November and 19 minutes faster than the Seattle half when I was 25. Am I getting faster with age?

Unfortunately, my body took a major beating. Two hours after the race, I was doubled over with stomach pain. After two doctors visits yesterday, I found out I have some inflammation in my intestines. It hurts and involves 3 weeks of medication. And, sadly, I don't think I'll be signing up for the inaugural Seattle Rock 'n Roll half marathon in June. The thought makes me want to cry...I seriously LOVE, LOVE running 13.1 miles.

You've got mail!

All of the local independent private schools sent out their "acceptance" letters yesterday which means they are due to arrive in my mailbox any minute. This is for kindergarten, my friends. You would not believe what it takes to get into kindergarten. One school takes a maximum of 300 applications......for 32 spots. We're talking tours, five page applications, intelligence tests, parent interviews, student visits....it was practically a full time job.

A couple of weeks ago we were accepted to the local Catholic school. We're not Catholic but it's a good school and the price is right. We'd pretty much decided that was the route we were going to take......until today.

This morning we got an email from one of the schools and my son was accepted. Damn, damn. Now we have to make a decision. It would've been a lot easier if we'd been rejected.

Sick day

The crud has invaded the PaperCourt household. I have one feverish boy and one coughing boy. Not fun! We're on day two so hopefully they will be better for their St. Patrick's Day celebrations at school tomorrow.

To pass the time on this icky day, we made Irish Brown Bread from Family Fun magazine. It uses everyday ingredients (and no yeast...I suck at using yeast). I didn't have buttermilk on hand so I used this trick to make my own. It worked like a charm. I may never buy buttermilk again.

The boys watched Madagascar 2 and I cleaned out their drawers. What a great feeling! I plan to list a few shirts (mini boden and crew cuts) on ebay in the next few days.

And about that "jeans" post. I'm having a hard time writing about something so superficial during these hard times. After reading Ashley's post about losing her house, I've decided to focus on other things right now.

Energy....or lack there of

I have all kinds of things I want to blog about but I can't seem to muster up the energy to write anything. I've been off of caffeine for over a week and today is the first day I'm feelin' it.

Coming soon....a post about jeans for girls with junk in the trunk. Seriously, I found the best jeans in the whole wide world!

How walkable is your neighborhood?

Have you ever calculated your Walk Score? Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. I am a city dweller and I feel very lucky to have access to my daily needs by foot. Someone today was telling me how they are moving to 40 acres a few counties north of Seattle. I honestly can't imagine. I really can't even imagine living in the suburbs. Within a half mile of my house, I have access to a grocery store, a library, ten restaurants, four coffee shops, a gas station, a drug store, the post office, four preschools, 2 schools (one public and one private) and numerous other shops (books store, wine bar, boutiques, etc). My 'hood scored an 89 out of 100.

How does your neighborhood score?

Fun in the desert sun

This is where we're going for Spring Break. Don't hate me. I really need the sunshine and heat! I do live in Seattle after all. And the fact that they have a kid's camp and I now have a potty-trained 3-year-old is icing on the cake.

Best rug idea....

I've been on the hunt for a new kitchen rug for months. We had a cute black and white rug from Target that literally bit the dust a year ago and I really needed a replacement. Our kitchen is very high traffic. We track all of the day's mud and dirt into that room so I needed something that could easily be cleaned. Lo and behold, the FLOR catalog arrived with new designs and I found the perfect fit. And to top it off, two tiles were only $35 with shipping. What do you think?

Supper Club

Last Saturday, we gathered with our newly formed Supper Club for a Southern dinner. The hostess is from Mississippi and she made her mom's gumbo. It was spicy and delicious. I made a pitcher of Hurricanes and banana pudding. Any ideas for a theme when it's my turn to host?

We were out until 11 and I was still able to get up at 6 to run 13 miles with a friend. I suppose that means I'm ready for the half marathon I'm running in 2 weeks. It was pouring and cold (and I had a little hangover) but we did it!