So we had an ambitious weekend for sure. In addition to our regular stuff, we also decided to tackle some major projects in our back yard. The weather had cooled off and we couldn’t put it off any longer!

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We have an old concrete patio in the back that we’ve never liked and the time to take it out had arrived. You can see Mr. Plain getting ready to work on it. The perspective in this photo is weird, so it looks smaller than it really is. It looks tiny, but it is really about 20′ x 20′ x 3 inches thick!

There’s also an large mound of dirt under two huge trees that I needed to move. It was unfortunately put there by some well-meaning contractors, but I’m worried it will kill the trees by smothering their roots. (That can happen, right?) So I set to work on this project. The neighbors were having a kid’s birthday party with all the trimmings (including farm animals!) and they must have loved the sound of the pounding sledgehammer! But we persevered.

By the end of the weekend, Mr. P had taken out 1/3 of the patio, and I had moved maybe a quarter of the dirt mound. That’s hard work! So I took a break to move some plants too. Sheesh, I’m still tired!

But the weekend wouldn’t be the same without my favorite (ha!) chore: laundry. With 5 of us in the house I can still get away with doing it once a week, but I have to start in time if I want it all to be done for Monday. I know I’ve done it right if this is the last thing I see Sunday night:

Yes, that’s correct. A load of laundry that runs for 2 hours and 47 minutes. That’s after I’ve pushed every single option button on my beloved washing machine. ‘Sanitary’ cycle, extra hot, extra spin, heavy soil, pre-wash, extra rinse (for Robbie’s sensitive skin!), and stain cycle. Add oxyclean to the wash and pre-wash, and this last load of whites/lights actually gets clean without falling apart into rags!

And my washing machine has a name, apparently. His name is “Tromm” — I know this because it says so right on the front. It makes me think of that great sci-fi movie from the 80s I think. I refuse to wear an all-white lycra suit and ride a motorcycle, though.

I’ll end this rambling post with a shot of Chip “helping” Daddy make Gin & Tonics. Aww, isn’t that sweet? Warms the heart…

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Hope your weekend was productive too, or at least fun!