Thanks, Busy Mom!

Last week the Motherhood did a campaign recognizing great moms on the internet. If you missed it, you can meet all of the great moms here on the roundup page. (I can't wait to head on over, myself, since I was up to my eyeballs in paint last week.)

I am honored to be one of the moms chosen by Busy Mom. She said the nicest things about me on a day that I was really feeling blue. You know the days when your kids are out of town and you realize that you have no local friends to go out to lunch or shopping with? Yeah, it was one of those days. I'm so glad that I am able to call Busy Mom my friend, regardless of how far apart we live. She actually made me cry, in a good way, yo. If you've never read her you have to head on over. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to see her in NYC!


Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 29, the Motherhood is hosting a live chat on their website at 1pm Eastern.  They'll be talking about mom bloggers and how much they-WE- mean to each other. Head on over and join in the chat-since I'm on vacation I'm not sure if I'll be there or not, but all it takes is an email address to join and be able to comment on the thread. Their chats are lots of fun...I participated a couple of weeks ago on one that had me excited for Headless Dad to come home from work, if you know what I mean. ;-)

Thanks again, E. You're the best.

Sunday To Do List

• Finish Laundry
• Put away laundry
• Iron
• Sort clothes for vacation
• Pack boy's suitcases (#2 DONE)(#1 DONE)
• Pack my suitcase
• Target (ds games, toothpaste, shaving cream, *add items here* )
• Organize/pay bills  (I feel positively 21st century...I paid them all online!)
• Send emails re:vacation
• Write a couple of posts for other places

Keep me on track, would ya?

11 Questions

I'm sitting here on my last morning of the boys being at camp in a purple haze enjoying the quiet. There have been NO cartoons on my tv in 4 days and it may just blow up without them. The quiet is nice, but if my dreams last night are any indication, I'm missing mah babees a lot more than my conscious mind is letting on.

Today is going to be a day of laundry, and Costco and cleaning, Oh My!, but first Issa asked some questions that I needed to answer. You can to, if you're so inclined.

1. How do you take your coffee? Sugar and cream. That's why I limit myself to 2!

2. Are you pro or against Blue Cheese? Pro, if it's on a salad. Even better with walnuts and chopped pear or apples.

3. What is your absolute favorite blog to read? Also what is your guilty blog? The one you don’t want to tell me that you adore and read without telling anyone? I have so many that if my husband knew he'd probably fall over. One (of the many,) that I usually read before anything else, including before writing, is Woulda Coulda Shoulda. Mir is lovely, and funny, and it's no wonder she is one of the most popular blogs out there. Guilty? Don't really have one of those but I do seek out Her Bad Mother's Basement on occasion. I love the anonymity of it and trying to figure out who has written some of the pieces.

4. What would be your perfect meal? Have you seen my waist lately? All of them, it seems.

5. If you could vacation anywhere, money was no option, where would you go? I have always wanted to go to Paris and Rome. I would love to return to Singapore and Seoul. Hawaii is always nice.

6. Last movie you saw in a theater? Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

7. What’s a baby name that you have never used and may never use but always wished you could? Boy: Elliot because I love the way it sounds, and Samantha Trellice for a girl, for family reasons.

8. Favorite flavor of Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream? Blech. I'm not an ice cream girl.

9. Last book you read that doesn’t have pictures? Return to Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank. Devoured in 2 days.

10. How many siblings do you have? Do you get along with them? I have one brother and we typically get along great, minus the usual sibling bickering. We still do that just to remind our parents that we're still, you know, siblings.

11. What is one random thing about you, that I may not know? I was a cheerleader and sorority girl.

OK. Off to get some things done. If you do this too, let me know!

Painted

OMG. I love the color. It is way darker than I thought it would be but I love it anyway. It does look weird in this light...these were taken just after sundown and the light coming in the window was still pretty bright. I love how sharp the purple is against the white tile. (Yet another reason to try to do the doors and trim?!) I also think that since it's so dark that the big mirror will work but I'll get it framed in bright white. Thoughts?

Headless Dad isn't convinced yet. I think that once I get things back on the walls and other things back in the room he'll come around. Of course, there is no changing the BLUE carpet, but one of these days that, too, will change. (OK, maybe only with a lottery win, but still.)

I checked out light fixtures for the toilet room (What else do you call it? The only thing in there is a toilet.) and found one that looks 'old' for $50. I think I'll go get it when I get home from vacation. I don't have time to paint the ceiling and change the fixture before next week.

Anyway, I have to get back to my mojito now. (You can see it in the second picture.) Go me!

Primed

In the top photo you can tell just how pink all of the trim is, and yes, it's all over the house. I'm not so confident in my painting skillz to attempt to do the doors and trim yet. (However, seeing it in a picture like this, I may just have to bite the bullet and attempt it because that is gross.) When I was painting today I was worried that I would need to put up a third coat of primer, but now that it's dry it looks ok. So tomorrow I'll go to the blue big box home store and get my color and check out accessories while I'm there. A medicine cabinet and a light fixture are the number one concerns, I think, after the paint. It would be nice to be done tomorrow since I have a meeting here on Friday night and would like to get a few things done in the rest of the house by then. (Looking at these pictures again maybe I should save my pennies for a new countertop. That thing in ugly, isn't it? *sigh* I guess I'll have to wait on that. Paint I can afford. Counter top? Not so much.)

Mojitos, here I come!

Prepped

Two views of my bathroom. Yes, it is insanely huge. The first picture is taken standing on the tub from the second picture. The second picture is mostly to show you the PINK on my walls. When we moved into this house the entire house, minus one room, was all painted this color of pink. (The one remaining? Was baby blue. Really.) And? All of the trim, doors, etc. is this color, too. I KNOW!

So after I took these pictures I taped over the window and patched the few holes. This afternoon I did all of the corners, baseboards, small spaces, etc. with primer, and tomorrow I'll finish.

A few other notes:

• The white line next to the ceiling is from overspray when we had the ceiling done in February.
• I'm planning on replacing the medicine cabinet and light fixture at some point, along with the massive mirror. That will take some convincing on my part as HD probably won't want to do it. I'm over the massive mirror, circa 1985. I'll get there. Soon, I hope.
• I'll also refinish the cabinet myself with a dark stain.
• I want antique-y light fixtures. Maybe a chandelier with candles over the tub? 
• I have to figure out some kind of window covering to put up as soon as I'm done painting. Any suggestions? I love the natural light but that window faces a street so we need something, at least half way, (cafe curtains,) so we don't 'bare all' to the neighbors. 
• The chair is 'left over' from when the boys were born, in their room for late night feedings. I love it and may end up leaving it, but I won't get rid of it

I'll let you be surprised on the color...hopefully I'll be all done by the end of the week when the boys come home from camp!

By The Numbers-Weekend Edition

1- Bathroom prepped for painting. (Now you know what I'll be posting about this week.)
2- Dead critters. (One in the garage and one in my dryer vent-Again!)(That is the worst smell ever.)
2- Homemade dinners, ftw!
9- Sprouting seedlings.
3- Different kinds of seeds: cucumbers, pumpkins, and sunflowers.
1- Airplane ticket purchased.
5- Loads of laundry.

= One tired mama.

*****
On another note, I lost one of my crowns this weekend. One of the ones in the front of my mouth attached with an implant. So, needless to say, I didn't leave my house today. Hopefully the dentist's office will call me early and we can get this thing back in place and I can go about my day. Also needless to say, I WON'T be posting a picture of that. Heh.

Stolen

Because Adam Avitable did it. So did Auds at Barking Mad. That means I will, too.

30 Questions:

1. It's 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:
If I'm not in my own bed at 2AM, I'm on vacation.

2. What's the last thing you spent more than $100 on?
A Father's Day gift. (Sssshhh! Don't tell him!)

3. What do your bank checks look like?
Beachy, with palm trees.

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?
I'm not wearing a shirt, but my nightgown came from Kohl's. (Boy, that makes me sound like I'm about 70, now doesn't it?)


5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:
Do mom's get to make those? I didn't realize...

6. What color is your toothbrush?
White and turquoise.


7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.
Children's books, mostly written by famous people. Did you know that Prince Charles wrote a children's book?

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?
Chik-fil-A doesn't count, nor does the pizza place that #1 had his baseball party at, but if I don't count those kinds of places we have to go back a few months. Looking at it like that makes it seem really, really sad.

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?
 I suck at birthdays. My niece, I guess.

10. What is your worst bad habit?
If you know me, you know the answer to this.

11. Name a magazine you subscribe to?
I used to subscribe to a bunch but since I found blogs I rarely read them anymore so I let them all lapse. I am getting Real Simple due to a free subscription from somewhere and I'm really enjoying it, even if it takes me up to about 4 months to get to one.


12. Your favorite pizza toppings?
If I could get anything I wanted it would be shrimp, and black olives. (Mom and Dad, what else was on that one? I can't remember.) I also like sausage, onions and black olives. There's more...should I stop now? I looooooooove pizza.

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?
Some repair-type person.

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?
My long-time pal Kelly, for sure. I've known her for over 30 years. Yikes!

15. What is the last thing you cooked?
 We had mahi mahi, wild rice, and salad for dinner tonight. (What's up with the bold? I can't turn it off. I feel like I'm shouting! Ack!) (Oh, now it get's fixed and I look like a dumb ass. It's still funny, though, so it stays.)



16. Name something you wouldn't want to buy used?
Furniture. Namely, cushy couches. Gives me the heebie jeebies to think of what other people do on their couches.

17. Which shoe do you put on first?
Right. Always. OCD always.

18. What is the last thing you remember losing?
It's been a very long time; I don't remember.

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?
The side tables that are in my son's room. They were hand-me-downs from a family member and are 'southwestern/native american' style and not me/us at all.

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?
Last month I grabbed a bunch of tops at Kohl's to try on at home. I think I returned about 3 of them.

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?
Anything by Lancome. My favorites are Tresor and Poeme, but I also have Hypnose and Miracle. (It just so happens that I'm out of Poeme and have a birthday coming up. Hint, hint!)

22. Your favorite board game?
I'm more of a tile or card game person, myself. Bananagrams, Rummy-O, that sort of thing.

23. What was the last board game you played?
We played Uno a couple of nights ago. (See? Told ya.)

24. Where did your vehicle come from?
I think it was built in Kentucky.

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?
Probably "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" or "Margaritaville". Anything beachy and carefree, which actually wouldn't define my life but more of the life that I would want if I could write it as a novel. Hey! It also makes me sound like a lush!

26. You're sad, who can cheer you up easily?
My kids, husband, and George Clooney would do in a pinch I suppose.

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?
I have no idea...green, maybe?

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?
Dusting, because you can do it and 10 minutes later it doesn't look like you've touched it in weeks.

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
Shouldn't this ask "your favorite way to have chicken cooked?" The semantics are all wrong here... Oh! Whatever. It's just chicken, but if I could have a dream chicken meal? I would have my grandmother's chicken and dumplins just one more time. I'm quite certain that I didn't appreciate it at the time.

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is? 
Angel food with strawberries. The one kind that you can have 2 servings of and not feel guilty!

For a favorite teacher...

Remember when I asked for y'all's help with a gift for one of the boys teacher's? There were lots of great ideas but this is what I came up with:

I went to Crate and Barrel and chose the Jazz pitcher and 2 highball glasses to make a lemonade set. I added some cheery flowers, a card (that I gushed about how much I love her in) and two gift cards. I think it turned out great and she genuinely liked it. I will add, though, that this gift was for a very special teacher that was retiring. I don't usually go this overboard for a simple end of the year gift. (If you really want to know, we usually just contribute for a class gift!)

Come to think of it she really liked it...she offered to let my kids run away to her house! (I'm now trying to figure out how to make that happen...)


*I bought this gift myself. I love Crate and Barrel and wanted you to have the link. Gah.

Today

• #2 has to be at the ball field at 9. (That would be 45 minutes from now.)
• Game at 10.
• Birthday party for both boys at 12.
• Team party at 3.

Two of those require me to go shopping.

Headless again!

Late to the Party

Our family has recently discovered Nutella.

WTH, people? You were holding out on me!

We eat it on toasted English muffins, Ritz crackers, and I discovered the pretzel-rod dip. Mmmmmm.

So tell me, What's your preferred Nutella-delivery method?

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday: Whoops!

I have started to color my own hair periodically. You know, between visits when I really only need a root touch up? I started doing it last fall, (last summer?) and So far so good. That is, until last week.

I ran to Target and grabbed a color that I thought would only give me a little red boost while covering my roots. Heh. What do you think of my new carrot top? Well, it's not exactly carrot, but you get the idea. Yep, a little lot more red than I had planned on, and I didn't even let it process as long as the directions said. Whoops!

Mexican Rice

This is a yummy twist on Mexican rice that I think you'll love. We had it on Sunday and Headless Dad loved it so much that he wanted it on Monday too. It wasn't perfect the first time, but the flavor is so good that even a little sticky it's great.

Maria's Mexican Rice

1 small white onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Saute' in a little olive oil for a few minutes until onions are translucent

Add 1 cup rice, heat until rice begins to look clear. Stir so the onion and garlic don't scorch.

Add 2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
and additional onion, if desired. (Or you can saute' half of what you dice and add the rest here.)

Cover and boil, 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and let rice finish cooking by the created steam. (Another 5-10 minutes? I think this is where I went wrong because mine was sticky.)

Add: 4-5 green onions, diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Gently fold in with a small spoonful of butter.

I know that it seems like a lot of work but it really is easy. It's also easy to double if you have a larger family or are cooking for a potluck or crowd. I think that it would be great with thai food, too, but I served it with teriyaki-marinated steak and mixed steamed veggies. So yummy! Enjoy!

The Elephant in the Room

You remember that my husband has been sick, right? In a nutshell, right after his surgery (March 30) he got bronchitis really bad. It may even have been pneumonia but that was not the diagnosis. He had: 4 prescriptions, 4 antibiotic shots, 1 cortizone shot, 1 vaccination, 1 inhaler, and 1 nebulizer medication over that time span. He's also had 1 chest x-ray and 1 chest CT.

I think that catches you up a little.

Each weekend he's beat. He's always been an early to bed, early to rise kinda guy but since the illness he's been sleeping later. Even during the week he's not getting up at his usual 5 am; more like 6 or later. Then on weekends he has even slept until 10 once or twice. Ten AM, people. Then moves to the couch to watch tv and doze all day. With a few exceptions, this is how we have spent our last 3 months.

As you can imagine, I'm going out of my mind. For one, I'm worried. I spend nights exhausted but yet waking every few hours to his coughing or glancing over to see if he's still breathing. I know that being sick and coughing all the time is exhausting, but being the spouse is, too. For two, he often has to drive long distances for his work and I'm constantly worrying about him driving so tired. I've also been doing the 'worst-case-scenario' dance, and without telling you exactly where my mind has gone, it has involved wondering who the hell would hire me after being out of the job market for over 10 years. Not pretty.

This is wreaking havoc on our home life. He's not much of a conversationalist in the evenings when he's so exhausted. I can't make many plans because I never know when he's going to feel up to certain things-like grilling what I've planned for dinner, or going out to dinner, or making plans with friends for the weekends. Just yesterday I had to take the boys alone to a party and he stayed home on the couch.

Finally, right before I left for the party we had a talk. I told him that we have to figure out something: he had to get the blood work done (that the dr. ordered 3 weeks ago!) and go in to see the doctor, OR I would drag him to the hospital and make them do every test known to man until they figured out what was wrong. If there IS something, then we can move ahead and deal with it, medicate it, or something.  Waiting for something to change (not counting the weather,) without any action is the definition of insanity, right?

So anyway, that's where we are. That's what I've NOT been writing about lately. What have you not been writing about?

Las Vegas

Many of you know that I was supposed to be going to Las Vegas this weekend. My bowling league has our annual tournament there  and I always look forward to it. Two days of no kids and just being an adult is always great for my psyche.

Supposed to because I'm not going.

I was going to go. I always plan to go. I didn't make a reservation in my 'preferred' hotel and there is nothing close that I would actually stay in (dumps), and I can't really afford to stay elsewhere. I don't want to drive my car because I don't trust it across the desert in 100 degree heat. (Why yes, summer is arriving this weekend with a vengeance.) (I did look into a rental car, and it would have been reasonable.)

Headless Dad was going to try to go with me. Our first thought was to see if his Vegas office had any business that he needed to take care of on Friday so he wouldn't technically have to take a day off. That didn't work out so we were just going to go up on Saturday morning early to make it for the tournament at noon. That was until my son won their first playoff game (Yay Cubs!) and went into the path to play on Saturday. Yes, Saturday. HD is one of the coaches for the team so he had to stay for the game.

Ultimately, I suppose I could have gone, driven a rented car alone, spent one or two nights in Vegas alone, driven home early on Sunday to be home for commitments at 1pm and at 4pm.

Ultimately, it just doesn't seem worth it, does it?

I'm not blogging about blogging. Really.

May has been a flash of activity and craziness and I have become the blogger that we, supposedly, all hate. The one that throws up lists and pictures and apologizes for the lack of blogging. Yeah, I'm her.

I have so many things that I want to say, yet none at all.

It's been floating around that so many of us (yes, myself included,) are wishing for anonymous spaces to write. There's a lot that we could say without names and faces attached, no? Way back when I started this thing I wanted to stay anonymous so I could hash out some things with my 'virtual tribe' as a sounding board.

Funny thing, anonymity. It usually goes away. And it has.

I'm finding that I can't write about family since they all read here. (Hello, All!) Whether good or bad, no doubt I would be misinterpreted, regardless. And most of my friends know about this space, so it's here if/when they want to find it. I can't even really write about my immediate family since it usually gets back to them: telephone-style. And that's never flattering.

So I don't.

I don't even think that what I might say would be unflattering to anyone in particular, just more of the get-it-off-my-chest-and-move-on variety. Yet I'm still paralyzed.

So I've been dancing around what I really want to hash out with my friends. You, internets, are my sounding board friends. The ones that I'd love to have living next-door so we could have a glass of wine together and watch the kids ride their bikes in the street until the darkness came and we had to start swatting mosquitoes.

So, all of that being said, I'm opening up my pages for you to write what you really want to write. You write it, I'll publish it. (Within reason, of course.) With or without a name or a link, your choice. Pass the word because I'll be happy to do it for anyone not just you and you, but you in the corner lurking around, too. You don't even have to have a blog!

My email address is headlessfamily5(at)gmail(dot)com. Shoot me a note and we can discuss the particulars. I may even write something for one of you to post for me!

That is, if I get up the nerve.

Sunday Shots-Memorial Day Weekend

Huntington Beach, California, May 30, 2010.