Some thoughts...

...On the royal baby.
Really?! Kensington Palace doesn't have air conditioning?  It is still 2013, right? I'm just a humble commoner, but I have been pregnant and given birth in the summer.  And I have some advice for the Queen.  If you want Baby Prince to hang out at your place, help a new momma out and COOL IT OFF IN THERE!  As in 68 American degrees of cold air.

And...I love the name George.

**Edited to add:  Mary Tutu just corrected me.  Kensington Palace has air conditioning.  The cottage on the Kensington property that Will and Kate have been staying in while the Palace is under renovation does not.  The above sentiment still applies.

...On chores.
Mary Tutu: If I clean all three bathrooms once a week, will you pay me $10 a month?
Me: Yes.
Mary Tutu: $15 ?
Me:  Yes.
Mary Tutu: $20?
Me: Yes.  Every week that you clean all three bathrooms, I will pay you $5.  How about that?
Mary Tutu: Yes! I'm making $20 a month now!

She worked for 2 hours yesterday morning and did a great job.  I feel a tiny bit guilty.  But mostly I feel like this agreement is a win/win.

Except, now Brooke is pouty because she wants a job where she makes $20 a month.  She will not consider cleaning bathrooms. (Ew...GROSS, Mom!) However, she volunteered to unload the dishwasher once a week and was mad when I wouldn't pay $5 for this service.  I finally settled on $1 each time she unloaded the dishwasher and $1 for vacuuming the stairs and landings.  She was appeased, but not as thrilled as her sister.  She worked yesterday, but has not checked in today.  It seems like having a job was just a phase for her.

There is a political parallel in there somewhere, but I'm not the one to make it.

...On outdoor living.
Yesterday the patio furniture that we ordered came in.  FINALLY.  One of the perks of living in Colorado is getting to eat outside...at least a few months out of the year.  I know there will be months of snow, but there are also months of no wind and non-100° temperatures.

The two huge boxes were delivered, and the delivery man suggested I check the contents since one was pretty damaged.  He ended up helping me unpack both of the boxes until pieces of patio furniture were strung all over the garage floor.  Then he shook my hand and left.  And I realized that I couldn't serve food on pieces of patio furniture.

With Honey's work schedule lately, my chances of having dinner that night on patio furniture didn't look great either.  I decided to put the four non-swivel chairs together.  If they were finished, it would make Honey's project after work a little faster.

Fortunately, part of Honey's old job was selling tools.  And I sure did pull a set of them out and use the whatchamacallit with two different thingies attached to it.  It was much easier than using the little Allen wrench that came with the instructions.  When the four non-swivel chairs were done, one thing led to another, and I finished putting the whole entire set together.

Oh yes I did!  Mary Tutu helped me sweep the porch, carry the chairs from the garage to the back patio, and put the table together.  We recruited Brooke to help us flip the table over and put the chairs and umbrella in place.  By the time Honey and Bubba got home from work, it was all done.

Since I'd spent the entire afternoon putting the furniture together, we had take out for supper.  BUT we got to eat it outside.

What about you?  Any thoughts?