Zombies Ate My Brain

1. So if there is any one theme for our Spring Break, it would be Plants vs. Zombies. I finally beat the game, thanks to advice from my niece, last Monday which has only increased the interest of my children in watching me play and trying their hand at some of the easier levels. Every time I think I can put it down, Alex hands it back to me and asks if he can sit with me and watch me play. So, really, I can count all those house I played this week as quality time, right?

2. We gave the kids cash for Easter and let them choose what to spend it on. Unsurprisingly, they requested we order The Big Green Guy (Alex) and Princess Leia Bird (Miranda). They arrived Wednesday. I think. Sometime during the week. And they continue to be played with and scattered all over the house, per usual.

3. I finished reading the last published World of the Lupi books by Eileen Wilks, Mortal Ties, on Wednesday. I now have to wait until August for the next book, Ritual Magic, like everyone else. But, helpfully, I found someone selling the first seven books on ebay for a decent price. They should be here in a few days, and I can read the whole series again. Yes, they really are that good.

4. On Good Friday we were invited to a lovely lunch with friends who are fostering the cutest puppy I've ever met. Seriously:

I keep telling myself we can't consider having a dog until next year. And I don't want to raise one from a puppy. But he is still sooooooooo cute.

5. Even though I'm still sleeping in my wool socks every night and all of our beds still have flannel sheets, spring seems to have arrived. So, yesterday I ordered 3 yards of mulch for my front flower bed and it was delivered this morning. I managed to spread half of it this afternoon, with some actual help from Miranda, and will work on the rest of it later in the week.

Here's the starting point.

Daddy helpfully showed Miranda how to handle the pitchfork and fill the wheelbarrow. She really did do it on her own.

The pile as it stands now.

So pleased to get the mulch down before the hostas start to come up, for the first time ever. Saves me a lot of hassle.

My weeding in the last few years has been rather lacking so I spent some time lying under the larger Japanese Maple, trying to dig up the grass that had grown up around the trunk. I made some progress, but lots left to do.

I refresh a few of my hyacinths every year but I think I'm giving up on tulips. The bulbs age so quickly and look pathetic as they age.

6. Since there was no real tennis to watch this week. I watched 9 episodes of Person of Interest to get caught up. Sarah Shahi was fantastic in "Relevance," but I've loved her since Life. She left me breathless in an episode entitled "Powerless." She deserves a regular gig.

I was trying to finish up Flashpoint (I've had the last 5 episodes waiting for me on the DVR for months) and I did fine until I got to "Fit for Duty." And I wept. And I wept. And I marveled again at the stupidity of cancelling such an excellent series. Ah, well. Hugh Dillion won't be wanting for work. But I still have the last 2 episodes to watch.

Justified has been the best thing on television this year and I'm trying to get my nerve up to watch the last 2 episodes.

7. I'm going to try to see G.I. Joe: Retaliation tomorrow night after Youth Group. Here's hoping.

And here's Jen. She's supposed to have her baby on Monday, so be praying for her.