A Longing

Do you ever just want to get on a plane? Just pack a bag and jump on a plane to wherever you long to go? I've been feeling that a lot lately. I've been seeing pictures of my friend who is getting ready to make London her permanent home and another friend who is plane-hopping from London to Paris to Amsterdam and they all make me want to fly away. I miss London so much. I miss the parks, the laughs us LonDolls had as we began to knit our strong bonds of friendship and I especially miss wandering through the London streets, wondering what I will discover around the next corner or when I emerge from the next tube stop. I want to stand by the Thames at dusk again, across from Parliament, with its lights beginning to softly illuminate the emerging dark. I want to sit in a pub with my girls, drinking in the laughter and submerging myself in the realization that I am half a world away from my everyday life.

And sometimes, I just want to see old, familiar faces. I want to surprise Jen in Maine and squeeze the cheeks of the two little boys that are filling her with such love everyday. I want to walk on the beaches in her pictures, hard stones under my feet and the cool ocean air spraying against my body. I imagine the streets to be filled with rows of small shops with lighthouses painted on their windows and antiques hiding on their shelves. I would stay up until dawn, curled up on a sofa and talking with her over every detail of our full lives, of her happiness and maybe how I can soak up enough of it to take home to see me through the sad days that sometimes come. Her smile and kind voice would be a refresher to my soul and I would leave with, I hope, a portion of her contentment to bless my mind.

When my mind and heart start to wander to far away places and then begin to urge my body to do the same, it is hard to suppress the longing in my soul. It wants to see, to do, to feel. It wants to fill my eyes with wonderous sights, my ears with laughter and my heart with wonderful memories that I can take out every once in a while, dust off, and relive in my mind. I want to see my son sneak his fingers over the side of the gondola in Venice and shiver at its cold. I want to see my daughter stand in front of the statue of Lincoln at his memorial, read his words and to know that she has taken them to heart. I want to hold the hand of my husband while we wander the cities, observing every architectural detail and never being able to fully convince our minds that we are exactly where our hearts wanted to lead us.

A little update

I don't know who invented the adjustable waistline in pants, or who decided to put them in childrens' clothing....but they have my gratitude. I took the kids shopping today for school clothes. They attend a public school, but the school practices a uniform policy. I am all for the uniforms and wish that they had had them when I was in school. Anyway, the main requirements of the uniform are a specific group of colors. So, we went to two different stores and found just what we needed. However, if it was not for the wonderful expandable waistlines that are now in a lot of kids' clothes, I would have had to buy the size of pants and shorts that fit them precisely, and then had to return for new clothes in less than two months because they would have outgrown the length, the waist, or both. Thanks to the new waists, I can buy them a little long and a little big in the waist, cinch them smaller and not worry about it for a few months (they do still tend to wear them out). And that brings me to my next find...double-thick knees on the boys pants. Mister would wear out a pair of pant knees in less than 6 weeks. I am very interested in seeing how these new pants hold up against him. After only a couple of hours, I managed to stock them both with school clothes and backpacks. If they need shoes, that will be on another day.

What else has occupied my time lately? Well, tonight I babysat for a friend while they had a quiet evening at home for their anniversary. I was shocked to see this friend drop off the kids herself, considering she just gave birth four days ago. I remember not wanting to get off our couch for at least two weeks after Tiny was born. She's pretty amazing. Last week, I was busy cleaning house because I am trying to get rid of unwanted items and I was also having company over for dinner on Friday. The dinner went wonderfully. There was great conversation, a lot of laughter, and good food. Saturday morning, I helped a friend from church put a new roof on his temporary tool shed. He is preparing to build a new house and has been looking for some help. I figured that this would be my best opportunity to learn about home building and repairs, so I volunteered. It was a lot of very hard work, but I really enjoyed it and got to know him a lot better than I would have just seeing him at church. I'm hoping to learn a lot from him that I can use around our house.

So, we are pretty much just hanging out, cleaning house, and waiting for school to start. I am looking into grad programs more and am leaning toward going straight for my Masters of English. There is a competitive assistantship at my university. If you are accepted, you get to teach up to 3 or 4 classes in two semesters, you receive a nice stipend and a full tuition waiver. How sweet is that!? GPA-wise, I am at the lower end of the requirement, but that is no reason to not try. Also, the program requires 10 courses and a 6-hour comprehensive exam for the degree. When I am done, I can teach at community and branch colleges (most universities have large pools of Ph.Ds to choose from, so, usually, you need one to teach at that level). I get pretty excited when I look at the classes, so that's a pretty good sign of my interest.

Blessings and Perspectives

http://www.especiallyheather.com/2007/07/30/victimization-despair-and-heaven/

I just wanted to share this beautiful post by Heather, who is fighting cancer, and is an inspiration to anyone that reads her blog. I have been pondering my mortality quite often lately. No worries...it's not for any specific reasons such as illness. I think it's just from being another year older and having two small children. I sometimes worry that if I were to leave this life soon, that they will all be okay and that they know how much I love them and that I have taught them the things I want them to know. I try to not dwell on these things long, but I am very realistic with myself that nobody knows when their time will come. It could be days or decades. But Heather's posting pointed out something that touched my heart.

"The worst that can happen is the best that can happen. Christians know the truth of that statement. For surely the worst that can happen is that we die- and that’s actually the best that can happen because we know that we don’t go from life to death. As singer Kathy Troccoli says so emphatically, when we die we go from life to LIFE! We sigh out that last earthly breath and breathe in the glorious atmosphere of heaven!"
-Plant a Geranium in your Cranium, Barbara Johnson

And, like Heather, I am certainly looking forward to many more years, to seeing my children grow and continue being the wonderful spirits they are. I want to see them marry well, hold their children, and see H's eyes light up when they visit. I hope that God will grant me these blessings. I am amazed when someone with so much on her mind and heart, like Heather, can find the hope and beauty in everything. I feel very blessed to have found her blog.

"You've Got Mail" came in the mail...

I ordered this, my absolute favorite movie, from Amazon.com two days ago, and it's here already. It seems to be one of Tiny's fav movies too, since she was quite excited upon its arrival. So, we are sitting here watching it and I love so many lines in this movie that I thought I would share a few of them with you. And if you haven't seen this movie, you must.

Joe Fox: I like Patricia. I *love* Patricia. Patricia makes COFFEE nervous.

Kathleen Kelly: Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when, shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

Joe Fox: The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.

Joe Fox: Kevin, this is possibly the most adorable creature I've ever been in contact with and if she turns out to be as good looking as a mailbox, I would be crazy not to turn my life upside down and marry her.

Joe Fox: It wasn't... personal.
Kathleen Kelly: What is that supposed to mean? I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn't personal to you. But it was personal to me. It's *personal* to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?
Joe Fox: Uh, nothing.
Kathleen Kelly: Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.

Kathleen Kelly: What will NY152 say today I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you.

Kathleen Kelly: Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one. It got on at 42nd, and off at 59th, where, I assume it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake - as almost all hats are.

Joe Fox: [talking via email, to who he doesn’t know is Kathleen Kelly] Have you ever become the worst version of yourself. That a pandora's box of all the hateful things, your spite, your arrogance, your condecension has sprung open? Someone upsets you and instead of smiling and walking away... you zing them. "Hello it's Mr Nasty". I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about...

Kathleen Kelly: ...but no one will remember you. And maybe no one will remember me either, but there are plenty of people who remember my mother, and they thought she was fine, and they thought her store was something special. You (pause) are nothing but a suit.
Joe Fox: [looking creastfallen] That's my cue.

Person in Theatre: Do you mind?
Frank Navasky: A HOTDOG is singing. You need quiet while a hotdog is singing?

Joe Fox: You know, sometimes I wonder...
Kathleen Kelly: What?
Joe Fox: Well... if i hadn't been "Fox Books" and you hadn't been "The Shop Around the Corner," and you and I had just met...
Kathleen Kelly: I know.
Joe Fox: Yeah, yeah. I would've asked for your number. And I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you up and saying, Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee, or drinks, or dinner, or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?

Kathleen Kelly: [in an email to Joe Fox] The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.

Like I Said...

I love my drill. I finished the cabinets yesterday. To begin, I actually had a hair appointment at noon to get my hair washed, trimmed and styled. So, instead of just letting her flat iron it, I asked her to do a cute, curly partly-up do. I'm paying the same price, might as well have a little fun. It came out really nice and H liked it too. So, after the hair, we came home and I remembered that my drill should have a full charge by then. I was filled with joy at the thought of getting to finish the cabinets. However, I heard this high-pitched, girly voice in my ear, pointing out that I would get all sweaty and just might mess up my pretty hairdo. I listened to this feminine argument for a moment, pondered it a bit, and decided that admiring the finished cabinets after all my hard work would be worth a few hairs out of place. So, I went to it and after only about 20 minutes of a little muscle and a few beads of sweat, I was done. I stood back and admired them.

And then I, once again, gave thanks for my wonderful drill.

I remember getting a few funny looks when I asked for a Leatherman pocket knife for Christmas and an electric drill later on, instead of jewelry, clothes, or even books. But I LOVE the sense of accomplishment I get when I can stand back with sweat on my brow, a few aching muscles and a job well done. With the growing number of DIY jobs I am taking on and have finished, I can feel a growing sense of pride and enjoyment in my abilities...unlike any I've known before. When I work on a project, I am utilizing all my capabilities and talents. I can visualize what I want to do, plan it out, accomplish it through physical exertion, and feel great when I can see the fruits of my labor and feel like I did my best. It's an awesome feeling. Give it a try, if you haven't before. And by the way, I didn't harm the 'do one bit.

I love my drill!!!

I was having a lot of fun today. I was working away, breaking a sweat and didn't want to stop. Here what had me so happy...See those handles? You know who installed those? Yep, ME...all by myself! And I was having a pretty good time of it too, until the battery on my drill died. I recharged it for over almost two hours and it was still only charged enough to do one handle. Oh, well...I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to finish my fun. I also kept busy hanging the pictures in the 20 new frames I bought at IKEA. I could live in that store. I hung the last one over H's desk to admire while he works. Hee hee.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't posted in a million years. Well, I have two reasons...
Reason #1:

We've been in hot, hot, hot Las Vegas all last week for vacation. It was a lot of fun and I will be posting on it very soon with all the details.

Reason #2:

When we arrived home from Vegas, I found this sweet little, pre-ordered surprise waiting for me. I dove right into it and finally emerged last night, satisfied, happy, and tearful. It is, by far, the best of all the books and really does end the story appropriately and well. I loved it and will be rereading it soon. I already reread the last two chapters.

So, those are my reasons. You gotta admit that they're pretty good ones. I will post more about the trip later. For now, I have to restore our home to some order from the post vacation malais. Love you all.

Still Working

I've been a bit busy around the house lately, and here are some pics to prove it. The first is the cabinets in the kitchen I painted with the chalk paint. Now I have a handy place to write down my shopping list and notes to the family.

The next two pics are "before"s of Mister's room. I took out most of his furniture and piled a bunch of blankets and curtains on his bed. Of course, I had to leave the computer intact for him during the renovations. The last two are of my progress. I still need to primer and paint the trim. It will be white, but the current white is pretty scuffed up and aged. I also removed all the old caulking on the windows and scraped off the loose paint. I will be redoing that caulking around the panes and painting it all white too. Next, I will paint the sliding closet doors with the chalk paint. After all that, I will put up his "Pirates of the Caribbean" border. I still have a lot to do. Wish me luck.

3 a.m. and I need a nap

When I graduated, I knew that I would carry on many things that I learned and experienced through my college years. However, I never thought that all-nighters would be one of them. Lately, each night, I am up until 3 am and then end up sleeping in until about 10:30 am. I remember having a difficult time during school staying up past 11 pm to just read 2 chapters of theory. And now that I no longer have deadlines pressing on me, I am up all hours. Maybe I should pretend that I have a paper and a midterm due tomorrow plus 5 chapters of reading. Or I should just pull out my theory text book and I'd surely pass out after the first few lines.

Well, despite my weird hours, I am still managing to accomplish a few things. The kids actually made it to gymnastics today. They've missed the last three classes (my fault). I also took them to a children's concert at the library. (I'm angling for Mother of the Year.) ;) It's a weird feeling when you realize that your kids are focusing more on the beat and the instruments because the lyrics are a little childish for them. Wow. When did they get permission to grow up? They seemed to enjoy it though. They are also letting me know loud and clear that they are incredibly B-O-R-E-D being at home for the summer and miss school. (Yeah, I know, how many more years will I be hearing that? Not many.) So, I'm going to see about getting them into some lessons they've been asking about. For both of them, I could arrange swimming lessons and they are both interested in piano. Another possibility was getting them involved in childrens' theater. I'll have to look into these and sign them up.

Around the house, I've been mostly lazy. But I did kick a little butt on it yesterday. I cleaned out the washroom and had H rearrange the washer to make a little more room in there. Cleaning that out was no picnic because we had had a mouse visitor not long ago and he left a LOT of disgusting little pellets behind the washer. We managed to evict him a long time ago and these were all that remained. It was still an unpleasant task. I also got H to unclog the shower drain after I found the drano. After he did that, I re-caulked a seam in the shower stall. Project-wise, I painted two cabinet doors in the kitchen with the chalk paint. I figured that that would be easier than trying to find something to paint and hang on the wall. I would love to post a pic of it for you, but we seem to have misplaced the camera. So, keep an eye out for future pics, and rejoice for our finding the camera.

Griswold's Vegas Vacation, Family Reunion, and a Visit to the Great State of Self-Awareness

I'm still hanging in there. I might only be babysitting one more day. I really like the girls, but they are a lot more energy and attention-necessary than I'm used to. My house is also not used to it. So, cross your fingers that their mom will be able to get them into the daycare she wants. If that goes through, I will begin painting Mister's room soon. Fun news: We'll be going to Las Vegas soon. H is going to attend a real estate seminar there and we're tagging along for vacation. I've booked our hotel and have been checking out activities for us and the kids. I've only been to Vegas once, and that was pretty much just passing through. We only walked around for about an hour on the strip in the middle of the night on a weekday. Not terribly eventful. So, we're all looking forward to the trip. Sometime afterwards, we will also be traveling one state over for a family reunion (H's side). I'm looking forward to being able to float the local river for a couple hours with the family. Nothing better in the summer than that, followed by pizza at our fav place there.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to do, work-wise. I don't want to go into the program early this fall if I'm not sure that I want to teach yet. I want to teach, in theory. But I haven't had enough classroom experience to decide definitively on my future yet. I am considering going into real estate. Real estate is something I enjoy, and it definitely has earning potential. One other career that I heard of was that of a book reviewer. I came across a blog once and the author was a book reviewer for Barnes and Noble. When I read this, my first thought was that that had to be the best job in the world. You read a ton of books and write about them. I love both ends of that. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that blog again. However, I have come across a few websites that give great advice on how to jumpstart this kind of career and get you where you want to be with it (eg. working for a publishing house full-time). So, those are some options. I really like working alone most of the time, and both of those could fit that bill in many ways.

I figure, it's my future, it's my life, and I want to do something I'm going to enjoy...and right now, I don't think I enjoy a classroom full of attitude-ridden, mouthy teenagers. There are a few things in my life that I have been able to figure out about myself. One, is that I know that I would not make a great mother to a large number of children. I have decided that 2-3 will be what I can handle best, and I already have 2 perfectly wonderful kids. Two, I have MANY interests (result of the ADD???) and I will likely have more than one career in life. Three, I am what I like to call sweet and sour. The majority of me is the sweet; caring, concerned, willing to help, compassionate, loving, outgoing, funny, and happy. However, I, like many others, also am haunted by a sour side. I have days of gloom and lack of energy. On these days, I'd rather not cook, clean, or even leave the house if at all possible. I am also stubborn, a bit cranky, and negative-thinking on these days. Thankfully, this is the minority side and has become fewer and far between over the years.

These are all things that took me at least 25 years of life to figure out about myself and I still have to remind myself of this knowledge sometimes. It's like I'm actually slowly getting to know myself. Does everyone do this??? Sometimes, I would feel bad because I thought I should try to make myself more like the person that can have 8 kids and do well with it, could pick one career and stick with it for life, or that can't just suck it up on a bad day and move on with a smile and an abundance of energy cause it would all just be in my head. But after a lot of arguing with myself over how I should feel and how I actually felt about each of these, I realized that it was my life, my choices, and I should do what works best for me, not what I think everyone expects of me. Afterwards, I also realized that the more I understand myself, accept my limitations, and reach forward in my abilities,...the more I like myself. I'm, of course, still a work in progress...but I like that, and I'm looking forward to getting better acquainted with myself.

The Men in My Life

What can I say about the men in my life? First, my husband...

He is the best. When I met him, I knew I would never find another man as good as him...and I still haven't. He stepped up to the plate when our marriage included not just adding me into his life, but also becoming an instant father. And that's what he is, Mister's father. I have to remind myself sometimes that they are not biologically connected, but, in my mind, they are. Mister loves him like no other. H is the perfect person for Mister. H is kind, patient, and very loving. Mister took to him quickly and is still by his side. And then Tiny came along. I knew that she would be her daddy's little girl, and she is. I remember her face lighting up with a smile when H would come home after work. He was the only one she wanted to see and jabber with after he got home. Both of them still smile big with a hello when he comes in. As a father, H has not only stepped up to the plate, he's knocking them out of the field. He is a man of God, a good man, and a loving husband and father. I love you, H.

And now, my dad...

I've been told that I was his little sidekick when I was toddling around. He was the first person I would see in the morning after he got off the night shift, and I would follow him around the house while he made breakfast. He told me that he's the one I walked to when I took my first steps. And he's still the one I go to with many things. He taught me to drive, to tell a joke, and to keep working hard. I saw him work through two jobs and go to school full-time to better our lives. This inspired me to keep going in school too. He knows everything about cars. He can fix anything around the house. He is always smiling. He loves God and his family. He is perfect in my eyes. I love you, Dad.

Still Alive

I've not posted much lately because I am helping out a friend and babysitting her two girls most of the day. One is 3 1/2 and the other is 1 1/2. I'm definitely a bit out of practice with little ones. They are good girls though, and full of energy. Will try to post more. Hope you are all well in the blogging world.

CTRL+ALT+DEL...hit with hammer.

I have had some complaints that my page was being a pain when it was loading. So, I redid my template to see if that would help. Let me know if it is loading better. Thanks.

If the cans or the oreos fall off the car, can you get fined for littering???

This weekend was a busy one. On Friday night, me and the LonDolls went to the Groom's dinner for Nobby and her fiancee. It was a lovely dinner with about 100 people including family and a few friends. They had a video with pictures and video of the bride and groom from birth to present day. They are an incredibly cute couple. She is a gorgeous woman that radiates beauty inside and out. When she is talking to you, she makes you feel like there is not another soul in the world she would rather be with. Her smile and words make you feel loved and important. Her fiancee is the perfect compliment to her. He is also kind and just adores her. There were some great toasts made to the couple. Of course, us girls couldn't go without saying a few words about our wonderful Nobby. Our toast was basically what I just said above. We ate too much, took some pics, and said our farewells for the night.

On the way home, we dropped by our new IKEA. I have heard so much about this store and have not been in it. Unfortunately, we got there about 20 minutes before closing time and did not get to browse as much as we wanted. But we did see most of the store since they have it setup in a way that you have no choice but to walk through the whole store before exiting. I loved it though and will definitely head back there with more time to browse. After dropping off Mody, I headed for the dollar theater where H and the kids were watching "Are We Done Yet?". It was a cute movie, but definitely geared toward the younger audience. We then headed home and fell fast asleep.

Saturday morning, H and I, the kids, and Mody headed downtown. Nobby and her fiancee were getting married at the temple and H and I were lucky enough to be one of the few invited in for the ceremony (space is limited). Mody watched the kids for us while we attended. It was a beautiful and God-filled ceremony. It was heartwarming to see the two of them holding hands and promising forever. My eyes were leaking for the whole last half of the ceremony. Afterwards, we congratulated them and Nobby and I embraced with tears in our eyes and saying our 'I love you''s. She is a good person, and he is too. He makes her happy and I know they will do well. The reception wasn't until that night, so we took Hobby out for a birthday lunch at the pub. Mody, of course, joined us. Hobby turned 21 and joked that she was now legal to buy alcohol...not to drink, to cook with. She is a chef, after all. She's funny. The reception was in a town south of us, so we left early and were able to find it after some confusion. The reception was short, but sweet. They did all the traditional stuff: greeting line, cutting the cake, first dance (during which her grandpa stole away the bride at the end), father/daughter and mother/son dance, the tossing of the bouquet, and the send off in a car with cans trailing behind and oreos plastered to the windows (I don't know). She was happy, tearful, and, I'm sure, eager to start their married life. They are off on a cruise now and I'm sure they are enjoying every minute. I wish them the best.

Sunday, today, we were lucky enough to make a new friend at church. She just moved into town and we invited her over for dinner and also for Tiny's bday party tomorrow. She has two little girls that are really cute. We had a nice visit and I look forward to seeing more of her and her girls.

Well, it's 2:36 am and I have to get up early to buy the cake-making stuff, clean off the back porch, straighten up the house, decorate, and order pizzas for all the kids that will be tearing up my home in celebration of Tiny's 7th year tomorrow. 7 years already and she's still my baby in my eyes. Goodnight and God bless.

Tiny's room 2.0

I'll let the pics speak for themselves. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it all.

Paint is a Wonderful Thing

The last couple of days have been pretty busy. Yesterday, I worked on Tiny's room some more and had gotten the chalkboard paint done. They have to wait a couple of days to draw on it. Last night, Hobby invited us to go up to the ski lodge to swim and hot tub. Well, we went even though it was snowing in the mountains...yes, it is June here too. The pools are kept warm for year round swimming up at the lodges. When we arrived, we tried to just stay in the indoor hot tub but were told that the kids weren't allowed in there. They had a family pool. However, it was outside. Picture us looking outside, there is about 5 inches of snow on the ground, it's still coming down, and the wind is blowing. I was not thrilled with the idea of going outside, in the cold, already wet with nothing but a bathing suit and a towel on. I was especially concerned with the kids. But we decided that it was worth a try, so we ran down the path as fast as we could, barefoot and screaming from the cold snow under our feet. As soon as we got through the gate, we jumped into the warm pool. It felt really good. And the wind wasn't blowing as hard where the pool was. It was awesome. How often does anyone get to go swimming in the snow in June?! I just wish we could have taken a picture of us with snow in our hair and swimming in the warm water. The kids had a blast swimming and having snowball fights at the same time. After our dip, we changed and headed back down the mountain for dinner. We went to a great bbq roadhouse (I told you I love bbq) and they had the most awesome sweet rolls and tender ribs. Yum!!! After dinner, we said our goodbyes and thanks to Hobby for a great time.

Today, I finished, yes, finished the painting in Tiny's room. I even put up most of her stickers and some border. I need to buy two more borders to go around the room, but it's looking really good. Here are some pics of the progress...

I'll post more pics of the room when I get the rest of the border up and put the furniture back in order. All of this has been a lot of work, but I have really enjoyed it. This weekend, I wil be focusing on prepping the house and everything for Tiny's bday party on Monday. After that is all settled down, I will start Mister's room. Here is the color that I will be painting his room with white trim. He also picked out this border and stickers for his room. I will, of course, be posting the before and afters of his room as well.

$8 For a Clean Room...What a Deal!

I think most of my posts will be after 2 am from now on. Anyways, I made a lot of progress on Tiny's room today. I finished the green (top half), around the trim, and did a first coat of the chalkboard paint. I need to put another coat or two of the chalkboard paint, touch up the trim with primer where the other paint overlapped, then put a coat of white on the door and trim. After that, it's just the border and stickers that need to be put up. My back was also acting up today and made it a bit uncomfortable to work. But it bothered me more to sit still, so I pressed on. Pics to come soon.

Tonight, we attended the graduation of H's boss' daughter from high school. Afterwards, we all congregated at Applebee's and enjoyed some chat, laughs, and food. It was fun and she is a good kid. She is going to look into Set Design (interior design for tv and movies) at an art school next. I think she'll do well.

I will be painting Mister's room after Tiny's and it will be blue with white trim. He also picked a border and stickers of Pirates of the Caribbean to put up. It should be considerably easier than Tiny's room. The other day, Mister started dropping hints in a very un-subtle manner that he wanted to get the Lego Racers comp game. I told him that I would look it up online if his room got cleaned...no small task. He has never managed to clean the whole room on his own. So, he disappeared into his room for almost three hours. I figured he gave up and was playing his other Lego game. Nope, he came out and proclaimed it clean. I inspected and couldn't believe the great job he did. Of course, the toys had been haphazardly placed in their bins and in the closet. But I have to say that, even with that, it was a great deal cleaner than I expected. I was impressed and, true to my word, I looked up the game, found it on sale on Amazon, and ordered it for him. If a $4 game + $4 shipping and handling will get him to clean his room that well, it is worth it. Hey, I'm not above the occasional bribe. I also don't mind being the recipient of one sometimes.

Pics to entertain the brain

Some habits are hard to shake, like staying up late even when I am no longer in school and cramming for a test or writing a last minute paper. I rarely get to bed before midnight. Tonight was Family Night at our local natural history museum. We browsed through the usual exhibits and watched a demonstration of physics. The kids really enjoyed the demonstrations, and I have to say that I did too. We then ate way too much pizza and headed home.

I mentioned previously my plans to paint the kids' rooms. Well, I thought I would let you see some of my progress. I am working on Tiny's room and the theme is Tinkerbell. Below is some before and in-progress pics.

This is the before pics with white walls, black window trim, and gray floor trim. Her bedding was the inspiration for the Tinkerbell room decor.

Yes, that is bright green and purple. Now picture a Tink border between the two colors, and assorted decor stickers around the room. I was pretty pleased with how the white trim came out. It shows off the detail of the trim really well, which I love in old houses. I should be finishing up her room in the next couple of days and will post the finished pics.

In other news, I was sent pics of my trip by my betrothed buddy. I really loved visiting her and really wish I could make it back east to attend her wedding. Never know, it just might happen.

Left, it's me and her. Someone actually thought we were sisters while we were hanging out. Don't we look like sisters?...besides the hair, eyes, and coloring...other than that... On the right, the view from her future in-law's house. Gorgeous. And you should have seen the red cliffs to the right of this.

On the road again...

I am here, I am well. I just came back from a little two day trip to the southern part of the state. I was there to visit a good friend that lives in a more eastern state of the US. She was down here to meet her future in-laws. I haven't seen her in about 3 years and I loved visiting with her. We stayed up late chatting and laughing and catching up. We have known each other for about 8 years. We met when our husbands (her now ex) both worked in the same shop in the military. The first time we met was when H and I went to their house for dinner when we were still dating. It took a little while before we actually started hanging out regularly, but after that, we were inseparable. H is very fond of her as well. She is a strong, smart, beautiful woman. After her first marriage ended, she continued going to school and taking care of her two kids. She then moved back east and started teaching, on top of school and taking care of the kids. She will finish her masters in education this spring, she bought a house, is teaching 7th and 8th grade resource kids (big handful), and her kids are doing well. And she has now met a really nice guy that just seems to adore her...as well he should. I'm so happy for her.

So, I went down there Tuesday and came back yesterday. The fiancee's family was really nice and I had a lot of fun just hanging out and doing not much. I love that girl and hope she find her happiness with him. It was also nice to just get away for a bit too. Believe it or not, that was the first long distance drive I have ever taken alone. I mentioned this to H and he asked if I would prefer to have someone with me. I told him no, and that I just thought it was weird that I was 27 and had never really driven alone anywhere. I know, London counts as traveling alone, but I was on a plane, not driving. I love road trips, H hates driving. Hopefully, we'll have more opportunity to travel around. I suggested a summer trip through Idaho to see some of his fam, and then on to Portland, where he has been and loves and I have never been but want to see. He suggested we then go down to Cali to visit even more of his fam. Don't think I would mind. Just have to find the time and the means. Other trips on our minds are KY to IN to NY to ME. Who knows when that will happen though.

Fun with Alliteration

A jolly jumping juniper
jumped joyously through the jacket
of jiggly jello gently laid
at our Jesuit feet, while
jilted lovers joke about the
genius of our judicious Lord.

Silence

Silence sighed hastily in the corner.
Patience was not a virtue for her.
The room’s dark colored the space between us.
What do you say to silence?
Would she disappear?

I have the instincts of a lemur, so I should’ve seen this coming.
Last night, I sat in the station when Tom introduced me to Silence.
We waited for the train that was late due to traffic.
Who knew traffic occurred on train tracks?
Perhaps it wasn’t late; it just seemed to last forever.

Silence wore too much bling, in my opinion.
The shimmering stars of the oblivion winked down at us.
Silence sat heavily between me and Tom.
That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia.
Or maybe they were only out at the 9th Street station.
Tom seemed pretty comfortable in the dark with Silence.

She had a “je ne sais quois” that eluded me.
So, now we sit in my room, pictures of Tom cover every wall.
How could he give me this treatment?
Silent, I sit while Silence sighs hastily in the corner.

Good Morning to You (a poem)

I come from a modest household.
Green grass, white house, painted smiles.
Milk is brought to the door and laid by the news.
The used bottle set out the night before lays shattered on the porch.

I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat.
I hear bacon sizzling in the hot fat, splattering her apron.
Dishes clink on the table harder than usual.
Another day in hell has begun.

So I followed her tall, full body down the hall.
The heat of the stove glues the sweaty, oily apron to her.
The table is pregnant with eggs, toast, pancakes, and juice.
More food than usual…It’s going to be a really bad day.

I am honored...

I was flattered that Barb aka Skittles declared me the winner in her caption contest. She awarded me with a virtual accordion. I will surely be putting in hours of virtual practice on it. Hopefully, after a while, I will sound virtually capable on it. This was my first blog award and I gotta say, I like it. Thanks again, Barb. Here is the photo with the caption that won me this prestigious honor.

"Grandpa began to wonder why his dentures weren't as minty fresh in the morning as they used to be. "

Retail Therapy...A Woman's Best Pick-Me-Up

Ok, I'm feeling a bit better. Nothing like a little retail therapy to make a girl feel better. I headed to B&N with my gift card and perused the bargain aisles. In case you haven't noticed, I hate paying full price for anything. I ended up walking away with Woman's Day Specials: Budget Makeovers and Chore Whore: Adventures of a Celebrity Personal Assistant. I chose the first because it has some great ideas on color and detail for different rooms in the house. Usually when I look at a decorating book, I notice that most of the "wow" factors and ideas are actually just the products that the company is trying to push onto the reader. I like books that have ideas I can actually pull off without having to open up a charge account at my nearest furniture retail outlet. The second book I bought because I was reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for about the third time and was finding it a bit dark and depressing for a summer read. This story seemed more of a light and funny read and more fitting to my current need for such entertainment. I will let you know how I like it soon.

I am also in the midst of a long list of projects around the house. I am currently finishing up the painting in the upstairs hall. My project to-do list is as follows:

1. paint Tiny's room with the Disney colors of purple and green to match her bedding. The result should look something like this, except the green will be on top and the purple on the bottom and a Tink border in between the two. It will also include a section of wall painted with chalk paint.

2. paint Mister's room with another Disney color that is light blue and with white trim. I will also use the chalk paint on his closet doors.

3. a craft table for Tiny's room. I already have the table and need to cut it down in height, paint it, and use a circular router to cut out spots for craft containers to sit right into the table.

4. paint the living room in a warm, neutral color.

5. re-texturize the downstairs bathroom and repaint.

That's the list for now. I'm sure there will be add-ons and at least one deletion...probably the last one...but just until later. I might even take a few tips from that new book. It sounds like a lot of work, but I'm really glad for this time to do it and, if anything, it will be a good workout and should look nice when I'm done. I'll also try to take before and after pics to post as well, so you can enjoy the transformation too. Well, I'm going to thumb through my new treasures before I hit the hay. I'm helping out with the kids' activity day tomorrow at school and have to be there at 8:30. I'm looking forward to it. Good night.

Tired and Frustrated

Man, I am so tired. I just finished subbing at a junior high for a resource class. They were a real handful. I was closely watching the clock and wishing that the time would go faster. Afterwards, I ate lunch with my sister-in-law that teaches at the same school. I told her how the classes went and she was really understanding about it. She told me that the classes I had were probably the toughest I could have. These are students that are below level in reading and struggle a lot with school. But she let me know that until I have more experience and start leading the class easier, I will probably have tough days like today. She thinks it's a good idea that I sub and get the real classroom experience before I officially decide that this is the path I will take. As tired as I am and as tough as it was today, I don't think I should make any decisions right now. This is all I can blog for now, I'm tired.

HI HO HI HO, It's Off To Work I Go.....and a special request

Tomorrow is my first day of substituting. I applied to the school district over the last week; application, fingerprints, the whole nine. Then I received the packet in the mail today with all the info on the sub system they use. So, I followed the instructions to register over the phone and I was officially put into the substitute pool. I made the call for that around noon. At 3:30 p.m., I received a call from their automated system offering me a sub job for tomorrow. I hadn't even been in the system for much more than 3 hours, and I already received a job offer for tomorrow! Amazing. I, of course, accepted it (after making sure H could pick up the kiddos from school). It told me where to go, for what teacher, for the subject of English, and the period of time I will be there. I will be there for the full day and it starts at 7:30...yeah, that's A.M.! But they do get out a bit earlier than some schools too.

I have to say that I'm a bit nervous. I've only subbed twice before, and that was for my cousin who taught kindergarten at a Catholic school. I did well with the kids, but then again, I did have a height and age advantage over them. Tomorrow, I'll definitely still have the age advantage, but not by a whole lot. The students are also way past ABC's and 123's. I told Hobby that I hope it's not an AP class because the students would then probably have an advantage over me in knowledge on a lot of things. I also have to say that I'm pretty excited. This will definitely help me gain more classroom experience, without the buffer of a regular teacher around. It will all be on me. Yikes. Hobby and Mody have both expressed confidence in me and my abilities. I hope their confidence is well-placed. I told Hobby that if, by the end of the day, the students haven't tied me to a spit and roasted me...it will have been a good day. Well, I just wanted to share this new development with you before I hop into bed. No staying up late tonight, not with a 7:30 a.m. report time.

One final thing, my little brother is dealing with something right now that is pretty frustrating for him and our family and it can also determine the course of his life and that of his wife and daughter. I don't want to elaborate further, but I am desperately asking for your prayers and thoughts for him. He really needs them right now, especially with the number of incompetent, unhelpful people around him right now that are supposed to be helping him. Please, just say a quick prayer or send a good thought or vibe out for him. I would greatly appreciate it.

Happy Mother's Day

Just a quick post to wish you all a Happy Mother's Day. H decided last night that we would all head up to a nearby ski lodge for the night. So, we packed our bag and headed out. We reserved a nice room with a view of the pool and the mountains. After taking a dip in the hot tub and pool, we headed back down the mountain to eat at a great bbq restaurant. (In case you haven't noticed, I really like bbq.) We went back to the lodge for the night and enjoyed a Mother's Day brunch at the hotel the next morning. It was a really great way to celebrate the day. I told H, after he paid the brunch bill, "You know I would be just as happy with a rental movie and a chocolate bar, right?" To which he answered, "Yeah, I know. So would they." (referring to the kids) I like it when he is impetuous like that, and we end up doing something cool at the last minute. Well, that was my day. I hope your's was as great...we deserve it.

Life Since the BFA

I have been quite neglectful of my postings lately. I can blame it on the fact that since I finished school, it seems that my brain has been on a sort of forced hiatus. It knows that it doesn't have to work hard at any particular thing right now and has chosen to take full advantage of it. Seriously, I have been keeping house, which is nice when it is already pretty clean (thanks, Mom), and also looking into my grad school options. It turns out that the grad program I planned to apply for next year at my current university is in its last semester. They have decided to terminate the program from their curriculum after the current cohort ends. Unfortunately, they did not broadcast this very well and I had to find out by calling my advisor when I could no longer find the program on their website. I also had to then call Hobby to let her know about it, since she planned to apply as well next summer. There is a light at the end of this unexpected tunnel though. Another local university just started up the same program this summer. It is too late to apply for this year, but there are no indications that it will shut down next year. I have heard that it is a great school, and it is slightly closer to my home. The hitch, however, is that it is considerably more expensive. So, I will definitely have to start looking into scholarships or be prepared to be indebted to student loans for quite some time to come.

I have really been enjoying my time off. A couple of nights this week, I have found myself on my back porch, sitting at my new patio table, with a good book and a feeling of complete contentment and happiness. Last night, we decided to bbq chicken kabobs and salmon. I also made real mashed potatoes (not the flake stuff) and a cake (don't be too impressed...it was from a box). We invited over a couple from church that we really enjoy hanging out with and their kids. It was nice. They are in the midst of moving and were thankful for the dinner break from unpacking and cleaning. It was just great to hang out with them and let the kids run wild. I love when my house is clean and I don't worry when someone pops in at the last minute (again, thanks, Mom).

Mother's Day....Sunday. Can't say we have anything planned, but I'm pretty low-maintenance and easily pleased. I have cards for our moms, but of course, I haven't mailed them yet. I really need to start my workout back up. I've been incredibly lax with that and my clothes aren't going to stretch out to accomodate me.

Jobs...I turned in my application to the school district for substitute teaching. Before I can start though, I need to get fingerprinted so they can run a background check. I'll be doing that on Monday. They have you indicate what grades, schools and subjects you want to teach. I marked all secondary schools (jr. high and high school) in the district and about half the subjects listed. I told Mody that at least there was a benefit to taking all those general ed classes over the years for my degree...I feel pretty comfortable subbing in many different subjects. I also told her that there are subjects that I should definitely steer clear of, like driver's ed (wouldn't be able to resist scaring the driver) , physics (they actually teach this in high school?), and music (I think they'll want someone that actually knows what they are doing). I'm excited to start though. It will give me a lot more classroom experience and I'll be able to make some contacts in the schools.

In the meantime, I have been enjoying the gift cards I received for graduation. As mentioned before, I preordered the new Harry Potter. I also went to JCPenney's yesterday and purchased two new pairs of slacks to wear when I work and a pantyhose-like girdle (like I said, I haven't been exercising) to smooth out my frame. The brand is called My Shapz, like a Spanx copy. I was excited to see how it held up. Well, it definitely smoothed me out and the torso section was long, which I like. However, the legs were kind of short and it showed when I walked where it was squeezing my thighs a bit. The torso also had a very thick seam running right down the middles of the front and back. So, it would show right through the shirt as if I had had a horrible operation and had a long, wide scar running up my front...not attractive. And, when I undressed later, after about 6 hours of wear, I found that they had a hole on the side, like a stocking run. How that got there, I have no idea. I'm debating whether to return them to the store or call the company. Either way, I want a refund. I will then take that refund and try to order a pair of Spanx instead. Hopefully, I will have a better experience with those...at least until I get my butt (and thighs and tummy) in gear and work out more to shed these few lbs. that I would prefer to ditch.

Well, folks, it's almost 1:30 am and I should head to bed soon, despite the long nap I had earlier and the caffeine-riddled Excedrin I downed a little while ago. Good night and good dreams.

Minor Adjustment

A friend informed me that she was having trouble with my page loading on her comp. I hope I have fixed the problem. Please let me know if it still gives anyone any trouble.

Now What?

Today was odd for me. Now that my family has left and things are quiet, I'm a little unsure about what to do with myself. I have never really been home while the kids were at school, with no homework to worry about or an endless list of housework to do. We got the house pretty spic and span last week and I just had to straighten up a bit today. I also ordered a couple things online, did some laundry, vacuumed, ran an errand and I had nothing really important to do after all that at about 1:30. I didn't know what to do with myself. I ended up reading a bit. I am rereading Harry Potter #6. I also pre-ordered #7 today with one of my grad gifts, a B&N gift card...do my friends know me or what?! Other grad gifts included a couple of books, jewelry, cards, and some odds and ends. I had a blast that day. We had a nice shindig here at the house afterwards. It was so much fun.

My parents left yesterday and I'm always a little sad when they leave. My dad was able to fix a problem with our car too about a couple of hours before we left for the airport. I love it when my daddy fixes things for me. I think it makes him feel good too that I still need him...which I do cause I don't know a carburetor from an engine valve. Yeah, I don't know why they make you work on a lawnmower engine in junior high mechanic shop. It's not like we're going to constantly have problems with lawnmowers later in life. Anyway, I found out that my university will not be offering the grad program I want next year. They didn't really let anyone know about it either. So, it looks like I'll be attending another college in the area, one that costs almost twice as much. At least they have the program. I will be setting up a meeting with that program's advisor soon. I will also be painting my father-in-law's house, and maybe helping a friend with her new house. H is hinting at me becoming a real estate agent. Not sure if that will happen. Will keep you updated though.

I DID IT!!!

I knew that graduation was going to be great, but man, it was awesome. I had a lot of fun and just couldn't stop smiling. I was able to sit next to a classmate and chat a bit. The outstanding undergrad chosen to speak gave a great speech about why we study humanities. We lined up and when they said my name, I felt so proud and happy enough to burst. I kept looking up at my family in the seats and my son was smiling at me and my daughter kept blowing me kisses. When accepting the diploma cover, I got to hug a couple of my professors. After the graduation, we headed back to the house and there were a ton of friends there already. We were chatting, laughing, hugging, and the kids were running wild. It was great. As a gift, my parents bought us a new dining set and a new patio set. I'll post pics soon. Most of the LonDolls were there and I finally got to meet Mody's boyfriend. He's from Ecuador and seems really nice. The girls got me a gift card to Barnes and Noble and I was really excited. They know the way to a Word Nerd's heart.

I was having so much fun chatting that I didn't eat until everyone had left. This was seriously one of the very best days ever. I am exhausted, but so happy. We also got good news that my bro-in-law and sis-in-law are expecting a little girl. They have three boys and a little girl, and they are all incredibly cute. Can't wait to see what this one will look like. I better get to bed since I am having a really hard time keeping my eyes open. Hope you're having a great day too.

A Preview of Friday

Thought I would share with you my grad announcement pic (the second one).

3 Days Until...

Graduation is on Friday. I'm so excited. My parents will be coming in tomorrow and my brother and his family will come in on Thursday. I've had to give myself a reality check more than once that I am actually done with my undergrad work. I keep thinking that I have homework to do and classes to sign up for. I have to remind myself that my 9 year journey is finally going to pay off, I am actually going to put on the cap and gown and walk.

My house is still in shambles, but I'll be busting butt on it today. Whatever I don't finish up, I'm sure my mom will whip out in the first hour she is here. That's how she is, a go-getter. I am so grateful for my parents. They always just expected us to go to school. My mom, having been married twice before meeting my dad, always stressed the importance of being able to take care of yourself and your family. My dad showed me it was possible when I watched him working two jobs, going to class after work, and staying up late to do homework. He wanted to make life better for his family, and worked hard to do it. They have always been really loving and accepting of our decisions in life.

After the graduation, we're going to party back at our house. We'll be BBQing, eating cake, and maybe a little dancing. We party hard around here. As for after graduation, my parents will be staying until Monday and then I start a little side job for my father-in-law. He has a place south of here that he is remodeling and wants me to finish up some painting for him. It will go quick, but he offered to pay me to do it. I also received an interesting email from the university about a job opportunity in the local schools, helping high school students prep for college and informing them about financial aid. It looks like something worth checking out. Other than that, I'll be signing up to substitute teach in the nearby districts. We'll have to see how that works out.

Well, I better get to work on the house. I still need to buy new locks for the windows, storage baskets, and start planning the menu for the rest of the week and the party. Hope you all have as great a week as I will.