Dreams

Back on Day 1 of NaBloPoMo I asked for questions. Today is the last day that I have to answer Just Margaret's question.

Hmmm...a question? Tell us about what you thought your life would hold for you back in the day when you were 17. Dreams, aspirations, frustrations...

When I was 17 I really had few dreams. I was a cheerleader and highly social in high school, so even my plans for after graduation were nebulous at best.

I started my senior year planning on attending the University of New Mexico and getting a Deaf Education degree and teaching in an elementary school. Part of that dream was dropped when I visited the university later that year...I was used to college campuses looking like the University of Colorado: old brick buildings and big trees. UNM is NOT like that at all. Try 7 story industrial adobe for the library. It just didn't feel right.

I did know that I would go to college, though. Growing up it wasn't a question of if, it was where. That spring my mom visited friends in Knoxville and she came home raving about how beautiful it was, and that was that. I applied, got accepted, and committed to UT sight unseen. (Although I didn't stay there for even all of my freshman year, I don't regret the experience at all. Another post, another day.)

The biggest thing that I remember from that year is knowing how my love life would turn out. My parents had dated all through high school and I was convinced that the boy that I had loved (yet not actually dated,) all through school would magically fall in love with me and we would get married, move back to our hometown, and live happily ever after. Cute how innocent I was, eh?

That dream was shattered a couple of years later during my annual Christmas party. He was there on break from his big military academy. {Swoon!} We were able to catch up, which, of course, made my hopes soar. Also in attendance was a girl that I had been close friends with in junior high, who had gone to a private school for high school. My dreams were dashed when he asked me for her number, and if I thought that she would go out with him. Her? Really? (She was beautiful, by the way. Dammit.) He actually ended up marrying her a few years later. (And then getting divorced, which made me sad for them. I guess I had grown up by then.)

What I did know at 17 (or at least hope,) was that I wanted to be married to a fabulous man, (CHECK) and be able to be a stay-at-home mom, (CHECK).

So I guess my dreams weren't that far off after all.

Kiddie Cocktails

My kids always want special drinks around the holidays. I usually just open a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and call it a day but this year we tried something different that the kids loved.

We made these with:
Martinelli's sparkling cider
Raspberry ice cubes (You could use any berry/fruit cubes, I suppose)
splash of ginger ale

Easy Peasy, and the kids adored them. Especially in mommy's good glasses!

I've had all the fun I can have

I love having company for holidays. I love that my parents have been here for a week and helped with everything from cleaning to laundry to washing dishes. I love that we have painted and taken the kids to see Harry Potter.

I love all of this and am unbelievably grateful for all of it and have so much fun when they're here. Believe me, it's really great.

I am, however, done with having fun for this holiday. I'm ready for my kids to go back to school and get back into a routine.

We finished birthday season with a bang today. 

I'm ready for a nap because December is going to kick my @ss.

Could someone wake me on January 1st?

Last night

Headless Dad got tickets for this show from a friend. It was really good. Like reeeealy good. And before the show we ate at this restaurant. OMG. My mom and I decided that we could eat there at least once a week. So good. I'm going to write about it elsewhere. When I do, I'll link to it here.

Enjoy the last of your holiday weekend. Muah!

Pretty

Happy Thanksgiving, 2010!

May your turkey be fat, your pies even fatter, and may you be surrounded by exceptional people that you love. I know I am!

Thank you for helping make this year a great one. xoxo

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The Canadian Weblog Awards

Do you know Schmutzie? She's a hell of a writer, designer, photographer, and all-around spectacular human being. Have you heard about her latest project? The Canadian Weblog Awards are in the jury phase and guess what? You (and you and you and you,) get to be a juror! Voting opened on Tuesday, so go on over and cast your vote.

It's a privilege, baby.

NaBloWha?

Eden, creator and head honcho of this NaBloPoMo really hit it with this one. Read there since it's the week that no one reads anyway. (I really heart Eden's blog Fussy. She is funny and real and I really admire her. Seriously, go check her out.)

One sentence does TOO count.

Planning for an Empty Nest

Back on day 1 of NaBloPoMo I asked for questions that I could answer and promised that I would get to the answers before the end of the month. I'd better hurry!

Debby asked: What do you see yourself doing when the boys are away at college?

That's a hard one since I can hardly see past tomorrow. My youngest just turned 9 and is in 3rd grade so that's..... 9 more years until I have a completely empty nest. Oh holy cow. That's too fast. I've already sent one to college and I know how it feels. Not pretty.

But what will I do? Wow. I really don't know.  Let's see.... I'd like to finally finish my house since we all know that it won't be done by then. Painting, pictures on the wall, you know, all of the things that I don't have time to get to now. Oh, and I'd like the whole thing to be clean at one time, something that completely eludes me now while the kids are younger. I'd like to find a hobby with my husband that we both enjoy. I'd like to travel a little: local, national, and maybe international, too. Traveling to visit all of my friends and family across the country would be great!

I may decide to go back to work (if I haven't all ready,) but have literally no idea what I'd do. By then, it will have been 20 years since I had a real, outside the home job, and I don't think that I'll want to go back to waiting tables!

I would like to move back to Colorado, and unless we are able to do so within the next year or so, we'll be here until both boys get through high school. Again, I'm not sure how that would work with HD so close to retirement, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Mostly, I guess, I'd like to still be healthy and still have all of my family around me, so that we could all enjoy things together. By then I guess we'll be talking about college graduations, weddings, and  maybe even grandchildren, so being around to enjoy it all would be my biggest wish.

So what about you? What do you see yourself doing when you have an empty nest?

Grandparents

July 4, 2010

These awesome people are currently winging their way to spend the week with us. From restoring my sanity to spoiling my children, no one on the face of the earth could ask for a greater set of parents. Ever. On this Thanksgiving week, I'm more than thankful for the blessing of these two fantastic human beings as parents. Let the festivities begin!

Mud Bath

This is actually what we're expecting at football today. We'll let you know how it goes...

Is There a Recipe for That?

Lately we've been so busy that I've hardly had a chance to breathe. Running from one thing to another, to meeting with contractors, to the dentist, to to to. It's been a month this week and it's not really over yet. I realized that I had not gone to the grocery store since October 31.

Two full weeks of only hitting the store when we were out of bread or milk. (Or, realistically, coffee and cream. Priorities, people.) Yep. Mom of the year, with a side of Nutritionist of the year. Luckily, I had a back log in the freezer and some of those days we've been able to eat well anyway. The other days? Yeah, I totally have blown the "fast food once a month" rule that I had. What? There are not many other options when you're staying in a hotel and can't eat until after football practice is over at 8.

Anyway.

Today, I had e.x.a.c.t.l.y. one hour to run to the store. With my lists for several stores a mile long for each one, I had to decide which store to go to. I figured that the biggest bang for my buck would be Target since they have a decent food section. And I could get the blush that I ran out of 3 weeks ago. Ahem.

Headless Dad had stopped by the house for lunch and was on his way out when I was getting ready to leave for the store.

Me: Is there anything you want for dinner or just to have around?

HD: Food.

Me: Duh. Anything specific?

HD: Something good.

Me: ????

Me: OK, what would you like for dinner?

HD: I Don't Know

So I have a question for you. Do you have a recipe for I Don't Know? because every time I'm going to the store every one in this household asks for it and I can't seem to come up with a recipe for it and since it's in such high demand I thought I would ask you, my wonderful internet pals, if you can point me in the right direction.

Can you help a girl out?

Thursday

How did this week get so full and crazy?

Hardly time to breathe in between places to be.

Need to grocery shop. Desperately.

Have to prepare for company and Thanksgiving.

Also need to do a Target run. Desperately.

I honestly don't think I have an hour before Saturday afternoon for anything except busy, and none of it involves shopping.

Busy can be good, I just hope I can figure out how to feed everyone.

Taking One For The Team-Wordless Wednesday

My #1 boy. Ouch!

30 Days of Truth: Day 6

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.

I think that I agree with most others that have done this: I hope I never have to bury a child. My heart breaks when I hear about others that have had to do this. No matter the reason or how old those children are, it's just heartbreaking. Parents shouldn't have to bury their children.

OK, now I'm off to toss some salt over my shoulder, knock on some wood, cross my fingers, and say a bunch of prayers over my sleeping children, and the one that doesn't live here.

Those Crazy Kids

My daughter goes to a local Bible college. Do you know what kids that go to Bible college do for fun? Film themselves doing funny things. Very safe for work. Heh.



This is actually a friend of her boyfriend's. No humans were harmed in the filming of these shenanigans. I think. Well, maybe his ego.

For the Birthday Girl

I want to wish my great friend, Carmen, a very happy birthday! I'm amazed by her every day. She has 6 kids, works out like a maniac, and still has time to keep up with my crazy. I'm honored to be your friend, now if there was an easy way to make California and Virginia a little closer...

Here's to you, my cupcake-loving pal. I wish I was there to share a real cupcake with you!

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I Need Some Cheese...

...to go with my whine.

NaBloPoMo is way harder this year than it has been in the past for me. (Or maybe I just have selective memory?) I'm sure that you all are sick of hearing about the flood and the floors. Believe me, I'm sick of it too. I know that I'm "first-world whining" but I'm over the cracked cement floor, the exposed carpet tack strips, the dust. OMG the dust. I know that with putting down wood floors it will get worse before it gets better, but I really, really, really just want to see some progress. Today I had to sweep, vacuum, and mop just to get some of the dust off of the floors. My feet, (I'm a barefoot gal while I'm home,) are filthy unless I'm wearing tennis shoes. I can barely get into my living room to open the shades in the morning. I'm constantly stepping on the tack strips and occasionally pricking my toes when I'm not being careful. I want the holes in the walls to be gone. I should paint the walls that I want painted so I don't have to worry about drips on the new floors. (Can someone make the rest of my life go away for a day or two so I can make that happen?) Somehow we need to get to the carpet store to get carpet ordered for my daughter's room. Not yet sure when that's gonna happen. And do you remember what I wanted to do this fall? Yep. That would be finishing painting my bedroom since I did the bathroom last June. Now it's looking like I won't get back to that until next summer. Gah!

All of that to say, hey, have a great weekend, gang. I'm sure gonna try!

What now?

It's been a week and a half since we had the flood. A week since we've been back in the house. And who knows how long until we have floors back. We tried to go to a flooring store Thursday but...

Yep. You guessed it. Another road block.

My sweet boy #1 is sick. Fever since early morning, hardly breaking. All he wants is his mama.

Luckily we were able to stay home, he napped on the couch. I made chicken soup. My poor baby is sick and there is not much I can do. We'll be calling the doctor in the morning if the fever doesn't break.

Good news, though, my washing machine does not *have* to be replaced just yet. The repair guy said that I should get a new one within the year. I need a little while before I have to get out and decide what to get.

We've got a football playoff on Saturday, and a baseball game (if he's better.) Not to mention my parents are coming back for Thanksgiving next weekend. *sigh*

But seriously? What next?

To Honor Those That Fight for Freedom

Happy Veteran's Day!



I don't remember having the day off when I was a kid, but I'm enjoying having a day off now. We really need it around here. Thanks to all of the veterans that fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Of those veterans, 2 of them were my grandfathers who fought in WWII. One in Europe and one in the Pacific.

We will be attending a birthday party, then having our usual busy evening: football and baseball practice. WooHoo! Oh, and doing a few little things like GETTING NEW FLOORS. Or at least looking for carpet, tile, and hardwood. Hopefully we can talk to the contractor and get an idea of the time line that we're working with.

What are you doing for Veteran's Day? Whatever it is, I hope that you spend it with family and enjoy every minute!

Wordless Wednesday

Best name for a shoe store ever. (NYC, August 2010)

30 Days of Truth: Day 5

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

One of my life long dreams is to travel in Europe. I've been to London and other parts of Great Britain twice. (Oh, how I love it there!) I have traveled to Singapore and Korea and the Bahamas and Mexico. I've been to a great number of our 50 states.

The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Notre Dame. There all on my list. Add Venice, Rome, Athens, Tuscany, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Prague, and a dozen or so other spots and you would have my list.
 

I grew up traveling. Flying for vacations rather than driving, travel was our norm. I can sleep on any plane or in any airport. I can even eat any airplane food. (Hey, it's a meal!) Europe, though, Europe has always eluded me.

So, something I hope to do in my life? Travel by train through Europe and see all that I've ever dreamt of seeing, leisurely, with time to smell the roses and drink the wine.

30 Days of Truth: Day 4

Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.

Forgiveness. I don't think that I carry unforgiveness around. I try to let things go for the most part, although I have carried a few things around through my life. They haven't been the ugly stuff that makes you have a hardened heart, but maybe the more average things that you tend to remember. Remember without fondness.

There is one person though that I should forgive. The problem is that it is not my situation to forgive. I wasn't there when the events in question happened. I harbor these bad feelings without first-hand knowledge, and that isn't fair. It is hard, though, when that person hurt people that I love.

Essentially, it's not mine to forgive, yet I still should forgive.

Linky Love

• Since the weather is getting colder in most of the country, many of you have asked for recipes. Get thee on over to A Year of Slow Cooking. Steph has dozens upon dozens of recipes for your crock pot and she'll tell you whether they are any good or not. 
• Speaking of Steph, she also has a wildy popular site to help you stay on top of your house. (I've been reading her for years and just recently found this. I know.) Totally Together Journal is my kind of organization site: She tells you what to do today and usually it takes under 30 minutes. Way easier than that other Lady ever thought about being, if you ask me. She also recently started a forum section that is a great resource for asking other Totally Together moms what their favorite tips are. 
• Michelle of Scribbit recently wrote a thought provoking series on Preparing our kids for life (part 2, conclusion). If you have kids, especially kids that are in high school, then these posts are for you. I have thoughts on this and haven't gotten around to writing them down, but her posts are well worth the read.
• You need to be reading the Why I Love... series on Draft Day Suit. A variety of regular and guest bloggers are stating their case for their favorite sport or team and you will love every entry. I do.

You're welcome!

The Fox

Last spring my parents had this guy on their deck, and obviously, in a pot, taking a snooze. He became a regular visitor for a while, having a few spots that he would lie and nap during the day. We were hoping he would visit when we were there over the summer but apparently he didn't want to meet the California crew. Hmph.

How cool is that?

The Culprit

Did I tell you how it happened? Somehow, the mechanism that tells the washer that it is full of water didn't tell the washer that it was full. Yes, this is my washing machine over-full with water.

Now, to add insult to injury, I'll be buying a new one of these, too.

Yes, we got to come home on Thursday. I made dinner...we were ready for a home cooked meal-finally. The boys even ate their salads with little complaint, which, if you know my boys, is one of the things that they like to complain about. I just shoved more garlic bread their way and they got quiet real quick. We're still waiting on the insurance, so we're a long way from being done, but like I said, at least we're home!

Flooding: A Photo Essay

The water in my front hall, from the front door toward the back of the house.

Squishy carpet. (And the remnants of a pedicure...)

Same hallway, different view.

Waterline in entry way.

No more tile!

OK, so I know it could have been way worse. I know. But 3 nights in a hotel so far is enough. My entire family is so ready to go home for good. Even my fast-food junkie kid didn't want to eat out tonight. They took out 3 more fans today: only 2 fans and 2 dehumidifiers remain. Hopefully by the time many of you read this I will be in the process of checking out of the hotel, getting home, and making dinner for my family to get some sense of normalcy back in our lives. I know many people live without flooring, or even a floor, so I'm not complaining, but I'm really, really, really ready to be home without the hum of massive fans.

Commiserate with me in the comments!

Tuesday. Really?

After a Monday like that, Tuesday has to get better, right?

In general, it was fine. Bowling with Debby from Just Breathe is always great. (She had a great trip last week to Chicago. Watch for her posts to come...she had some great stories to share!) I bowled like crap, but, eh, whatever.

We met the water guy at the house so he could check the dryness level in the walls and remaining floor. Good news! 3 walls, a closet, and the downstairs bathroom were done so he removed 8 of the blowers from the front hall. There are still 2 dehumidifiers and about 6 blowers, so, Yes, we're still in a hotel. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to check out of the hotel and go home.

We did get to go out to lunch together. That was cool, although we may possibly have had the worst server in the history of servers. 

Of course that just means the fun is just beginning. Headless Dad and I started the search for new flooring. At least we are kind of agreeing so far. We'd love to get hardwood but are unsure if it will be too expensive. We'll be replacing part carpet and part tile, so we'll just have to see what the insurance numbers come in at. I'm not worrying about it. I can't. There's just too much else to do.

We hit the polls late in the day. For the first time EVER we had to wait at the polls. I arrived just after 5pm and there was easily 100 people in front of me and I waited for over 45 minutes. That is great news-at least people are getting out to vote! The other 2 voters in my house cheated and walked up and joined me in line just before I was entering the voting room. I think I should get a gold star for standing in line, don't you?

So on to you, Wednesday. What do you have in store for me?

So, How was your Monday?

I never do any thing easy.

If you are friends with me on f**ebook then you know the hell that happened on Monday. If you're not, let me take you back.....

Over the weekend the kids were sick. So sick, in fact, that they didn't even want to go out trick-or-treating on Sunday night. Overnight Sunday into Monday #2 crawled in bed with us around 2 am with a raging fever so I knew that he wouldn't make it to school on Monday. #1 wasn't feeling great but he decided to tough it out anyway. At around 9:30 I closed up my computer and decided to start a load of laundry, then went upstairs to get dressed.

Sometime after 10, maybe 10:15 or 10:30?, I came downstairs and at the bottom I splashed into about an inch of water. At first I thought that I had spilled a large glass of water. But, um, no. After a quick survey around I found that it was my washing machine that had over flowed and flooded my main floor. Somehow whatever tells the washer to stop the water flow didn't tell the water to stop.

Y'all would have been proud of me. I didn't freak out or anything!

Long story short, Headless Dad came home from work and we called in the brigade. They tore up carpet and tile and baseboards in most of the ground floor of our house. I have the monster blowers in my house drying out the walls. We could be out of the house for up to 7 days. (Worst case, but still.)

Anyway, so that's my tale of Monday. I have pictures that I'll share when I have a chance to download them. Our hotel has free wi-fi so I should have plenty of computer access but as far as time goes? Who knows. I still have to figure out our schedule for the week while being without my own home. We'll see. I'll keep you posted, k?

See? Headless. I keep telling you people....

Oh, NaBloPoMo, You lure me in every time.

I'm in. Are you?



Click on the image* to go to the official NaBloPoMo page and sign up.

*****

This is my official call for questions. I always need a few days of ideas so if there is anything you want to know about me or my blog, or whatever, now is the time to do it. I promise to get to yours sometime this month. Ask away!

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*image courtesy of San Thanks! And you should check out her blog... I clicked around and found some interesting stuff!