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

image

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!

image

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!