Monday, May 31, 2010

6 in 1

We just fit six weeks of family togetherness into one long weekend and we sort of loved it! A quick run down: Friday S and I played 9 holes at the golf course behind the house. We've been here since August and that was the first time! Might be the last, it was really expensive (ha, ha). On Saturday morning we went hiking at Great Falls National Park. The views were amazing and all the rapids were really cool. The three of us were in awe most of the time as we hiked about three miles up the cliffs and down to the beaches. It was really cool. Then that night we went to see the Salem Red Sox play a minor league Nationals team. The sox won in the 11th. After the game there were fireworks, which were really cool. Then on Sunday we went to church and over our friend's house. Our friend's sure have a lot of toys! They had enough ATV's for all of us adults to ride one. C rode with me and there were two other little kids there that rode with their aunt. We went all through the trails near their house. After that we went to the beach, had a BBQ, and a bonfire. In fact, we've done so much stuff that when I posted my expansive activity list on FB, because everyone is waiting on pins and needles to see what I am up too this weekend, I forgot the beach.

Today we have taken it easy but are expecting my dad to be here for dinner. He is on his way back to Massachusetts after visiting some family in Tennessee for the holiday weekend. So he is staying here tonight and going back home tomorrow. We're planning a big dinner and then heading out to see the casino. I hope the horses are racing tonight - that is my favorite part. But regardless, I won't be spending cash because we are going to Disney next week. YIPPPEEEE.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

It's a Gene Thing

Saturday Morning News sucks. I have seen the same stories all week. It is like nothing happens on a Friday. When did I become such a news junkie? I don't know, it is in my blood I suppose. My Pop-pop is known to watch CNN for twenty hours at a stretch, lets blame genes.

Other things to blame genes on:
  • Excessive cream in my coffee
  • I can smell a casino from fifty miles away
  • Thinking McDonald's is a food group
  • Hair that turns orange at any given dye
  • The uni-brow
  • The development of the white woman's fro
  • One crooked toe on my right foot
  • An ability to watch hours of TMZ and call it news
  • An ability to watch TV for hours in the first place, just an over all love for the boob tube
  • The ability to justify any money needed or wanted for a vacation
  • The overall ability to justify the use of any money for recreational purposes
  • The overall ability to loose a bill at the bottom of my pocket book, even though I pay everything online
  • A true 'natural' ability to exaggerated at the drop of a hat, a big hot pink hat with spikes
  • The ability to believe that hitting a 22 on hole 17 yesterday was good, not as great as my 18 on hole 11, on the back nine I managed over a hundred strokes ... genes certainly
  • The ability to believe that tomorrow is going to be the best day ever
  • The ability to believe that the nasty service worker really does have their panties in a bunch
  • The Un-ability to say panties without laughing
  • The natural sixth sense to notice any dog taking a crap out of the corner of my eye, then of course I always have to look
  • The ability to sleep through a fire drill but wake up at the slightest drop of a pin if C is sick
  • My overall awesomeness

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Oh Crap

Do you think all this oil spill crap and the 6 month halt will raise gas prices? My theory, optimistically, we get 70% of our oil from overseas which means our 30% is going to be hurt so that means my 3.00 a gallon is going to be 3.30 once Obama stops talking. Then there is the seafood and all the gulf coast "crops". We are so screwed.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Twilight

I am watching Twilight. La, la, la, I love it. I had seen it once before when it first came to DVD. But with the soon to be released I figured I'd watch the first two again. I put them in my Netflix queue and then promptly forgot about my plans to have a Twilight Weekend. The movies kept getting put off by new choices. LOL - S was gone for six weeks and I never got around to the two movies I wanted to see, what was I doing with my time?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Dear TLC

My Dearest Cult Classic Faves; Stacy & Clinton,

I know you and your camera crews will be following me some day. The crack sweat and boob sweat line of this mornings gym class proves that much. I just want to request in advance that you film me when I have an excuse. So, I will negate the urge to flee as you show the ass crack sweat marks down my Spandex Capri's if you promise not to film me on an ordinary day when I look like ass for no reason.

Sincerely, You prophetic follower,
Jamie

Monday, May 24, 2010

Writers Block

Is it possible to have blog related writers block? Or do you have to have actual aspirations to be a writer for that to be possible?

I don't have much, S is home after six weeks. This week is sort of strange because he is back to work already - but we are looking forward to a long weekend and then Disney the following week.

In other news, C is totally cured from Bronchitis and last week went really well in school for him. His IEP is in place and things are running smoothly so far. We are hopeful that this will continue.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Go Celtics!

It is a milestone of a day for me, I got rid of my favorite Celtics Sweatshirt, that I have had since High School. Yes it is more than 15 years old! It also looked it, the last time I wore it in public was shortly before we got C. I knew I wouldn't get rid of it if it sat in a bag, so I cut it to pieces to use as cleaning rags. Pathetic, I know.

So the big spring cleaning list ... I un-scrapped it. I did veg out for a while but knowing that I didn't finish everything just wasn't working, so I cleaned out the fridge and freezer, mowed the front yard, cleaned out my closet, cleaned the upper inside ridges of the washing machine (SO SO SO SO SO GROSS!) and organized the yard sale junk. I did save a few things that really were too ambitious though, I need an extra set of grown-up hands.

S will be home around six tonight, he thinks. Gosh forbid he actaully knows when his flights are. I love him. Anyway, It is Friday and I know C and all the neighborhood kids are chomping at the bit to play outside when they get home from school, it rained the majority of the week and is absolutely wonderful out today. Maybe while they are playing & we are waiting for S to be home I will work on the hedges... maybe :P)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Scrapping It

I am scrapping the three page To Do List. I am not going to organize C's closet, clean the front shed, or reorganize the kitchen cabinets. Enough spring cleaning already, what am I trying to prove? Ha, well that one is easy, that I am Superwomen or Wonder-Women, take you pick, they both have capes.

Although, I will probably replace a few light bulbs that have blown out and dust the TV's. But once I can see and veg in front of the tube I am all done.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

To Do:

Sometimes I add stuff to the list just so I can cross it off. Point in case:
  • mop floors
  • Windex patio door
  • Take dog to vet

The list seems more motivating that way.



Tuesday, May 18, 2010

And Now She's Happy

So, yesterday so didn't go as planned, it was actaully better. I wanted to go window shopping for new furniture, after all I am my mother's daughter, but then I figured I'd go with C later in the afternoon. But when I went to the bus stop I noticed the little boy across the street was alone. (his older sister is normally there too) So I ask him where his sister is and he says that she went to a friends but he doesn't know if she was suppose to or not. So I have him call his mom, and I end up talking to her for a few. This boy is 8. He cannot stay home alone! It was 1:00. Half day Monday's are such a joke. Anyway, apparently his sister went to a birthday party and the mom was thinking that school was a full day and he'd only be home alone for a little more than an hour. She was mildly freaking out. So I take the boy home with us and the kids play all afternoon. It was great. They played Lego's for two hours and then ran around playing good guys vs bad guys. A, the boy, was here until 6:00. 5 hours, and I didn't have to do anything but help pick up a few toys when he left and get them snacks. It was great.

I had five hours to clean the computer room. This is the best part. I love love love a spotless room. I rearranged the furniture, got rid of some shelves, and cleaned the woodwork behind everything that doesn't get much attention. I pulled almost everything out of the room and then cleaned it and organized it back in. I ended up taking five boxes of stuff up to the yard sale staging area (AKA the guest room). I am so glad I did it all. I even cleaned the computer cords. And oh man, it is a good thing I moved the computer because I had to unplug everything. When I unplugged the surge protector I found that the prongs were literally melted into the wall! It took a little pulling to get it out and when I did I saw the metal plug ins were rusty looking and corroded, or better yet, FRIED. I guess those things really work, because the computer is just fine and no other cords plugged into that were damaged.

So, on a cleaning high from yesterday, I tackled another closet this morning. It amazes me how much room is actaully in a closet when it is organized. All the hats, gloves, and scarves are now back in their storage containers. All the shoes made their way back to the right bedrooms, and the coats are all on hangers. It is an hour of my life I will never get back. LOL.

Also Potentially, is pronounced PO-tentially, not PA-tentially. I'm just saying ... correctly. News personalities are so crazy, I have the afternoon NBC news on and they've spent 5 minutes on Lindsey Lohan, Jersey Shore Looks, and Christina vs. Gaga - time on oil spill - 30 seconds. Oh wait, all is equal now they are covering Keith Richards. Should the news really make me feel dumbed down? No dumbed is not a word.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Accomplishments Runneth Over

Ahhh, the deep root of satisfaction. Yes, I got the majority of outdoor work completed, the house is spotless, even the rugs, and C is at school for the first time in a week, but, my biggest accomplishment, I now know my neighbor's name! All this time, getting together for tea, meeting out front when we get our mail, and chatting on a sunny afternoon in the circle, and it dawns on me, ask her for her phone number... and she writes her name and number on the paper.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

The To Do List

Holy Hard Work Batman!

My list is endless. Already the lawn is mowed, the kitchen is cleaned, the laundry is started, the front yard is picked up from yesterday's planting extravaganza, and the front light post is fixed (I used black duct tape - such a sad case). But still not done, this week is going to be long as I await S's return, so I might as well make my self busy with tasks normal people wouldn't deem necessary or important.

Currently I am taking a break. My head is pounding and the Tylenol just isn't cutting it. This one feels like it is in for the long haul. Too much sun and not enough caffeine make one cranky Jamie. But no worries, next on the list is organizing the front closet, the easiest thing on the list :P) Plus I told C he had to help with that one, so it should be a little fun.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Flowers

I planted flowers today and they look so pretty. Also, many, many yard sales were hit. Lots of toys, even golf clubs for C but no clothes, which is what we were in need of. Still, a very fun day.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Weekend Plans

Tomorrow is suppose to be pretty nice out. I cannot wait to plant all my flowers and get the gardens going. Also, I cannot wait to go to yard sales again. We've had a lot of crummy weekend weather lately so I think this week should be good.

We have a list. C is homesick for the 4th day running and finding calm activities to do is making me more creative than normal, LOL, so this morning I had him make me a list of things he could look for at yard sales. His number one item on his list "blueberry muffins" ... spelled bloobere mufuns. LOL I love kids. Lego's, toys, cool stuff, and a machine gun were also on his list. Whatever, the kid always makes out, who can say no when the newest bestest toy the child ever saw is only a quarter?

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Afternoon Confession

I told a pretty big lie today. Like morally big. Now, I am drowning my sorrows in microwavable burritos. It isn't working. Starbucks is next.

So, I spoke with K this morning and I miss her so much. Normally we'd talk 1-2 times a week and catch up with all the new stuff in our week. But since she moved from California to Montana she dropped down to a cell plan that doesn't allow her to talk all that often. So in the last three months I have only talked to her a few times. Today she told me that she had a new boyfriend and I said "I am so happy for you." Big Fat Huge LIE.

I am not happy for her. I mean she is welcome to live her own life, so my judgment means squat I am sure, but still I feel so bad. Really, I am not happy for her, I think she is really making some mistakes. She just left her significant other after 10 (ish) years and she just arrived in Montana in February with her kids. It seems so soon. Maybe not for her, since I am sure the relationship was over way before the split, but not for her children. My only saving grace in the conversation was "just be careful you fall so hard so fast and I don't want to see you get hurt." But really what I wanted to say is "you are going to screw up your kids, stop and be a grown up, they are more important, are you sure this is okay for your family?"

There is more ... Then she says her daughter is going to see her father in Maine for a month once school gets out and "at this point I (she) doesn't care if she decides to live with him." and me, the two faced liar says "Do you think you've done all you can with her?" But I don't press the issue, I just let it hang their and sound like I agree.

So am I just being supportive and agreeable or am I being a two faced lying hypocrite? Well, if it warrants a confession than I suppose I am going to have to make the phone call back to her. But can I really warn her to slow down and do everything in her power to keep her daughter living with her until she finishes high-school? You can't exactly tell people how to parent. And it isn't like I have ever been in her situation, maybe I don't know all the facts. (that would be justification for taking the easy way out)

BE-ATCH!

An Open Letter to the Pharmacist,

Good evening, and thank you for being a complete meanie. Oh, you may not remember me from yesterday, 10 minutes before closing, because you were probably that rude to the majority of exhausted mothers with their sick kids in tow. Please let me enlighten you:

Me " Hi, pick up for W*****."
You "Do you have any questions?"
Me "No they went over everything in the ER."
You "Sign here."
Me "I'd really like to thank you, I have been here a few times over the last few days and you and a few others answered a lot of my questions, I really appreciate it."
You "Our recommendations didn't work?"
Me "They helped but as it turned out this little guy has bronchitis and needed the antibiotic."
You "Maybe you should have gone to the doctor earlier ... Next"

In case you weren't aware my son was projectile vomiting and was coughing up blood for the first time yesterday at 5:45, at 6:00 we were already at the ER. In case you weren't aware I felt so bad for my child and was doing everything in my power to help him get better. But thank you for making it seem as though I was neglectful. I appreciate that so much, that (as my normal pattern dictates) I will not be back!

Sincerely,
You are a meanie and I am not

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

That Makes 2 of Us

And now... we are both sick.

I was headed to bed last night a little past 11:00 when C came into the hall and said "Mom, I just can't lay down anymore the pressure in my head is killing me." The poor kid was coughing so hard and was so tired. I was contemplating taking him to the ER if he couldn't catch his breath but in the end I ended up staying up until about 3:00 with him watching movies in the den. I propped him up in the easy chair and gave him some more medicine but nothing seemed to help. Eventually around three we were both so tired and achy that we dragged ourselves upstairs and into bed. But C woke up at 5:00 and has been a zombie ever since.

We had to go out to CVS, which is .4 miles from the house, to buy more medicine. We had nothing left for coughs and only berry flavored cold medicine. C hates that kind to the point of hysterics if he has to take it. Grape is a must. We decided around 9 to head out. It took us until 12 to leave. Three hours for one shower, one person getting dressed, one person looking for shoes, and two people to actaully move. At one point C and I were in a pile on my bed with the dog and I just looked at him and said "we're pathetic" and he replies "tell me about it, I think this is what they call 'feeling like shit'." He used air quotes when saying the latter.

Not sure where this fascination with the word shit has come from. He knows it is a swear but yet saying it in a funny way and then just looks at me and waits for the cracked smile. I cannot help it, it was too funny this time.

Also, just as a side note. C wore a GI Joe / Snake Eyes costume to CVS. He also managed a bath last night and we never did brush his hair, so that was pretty wild. Alright, I am signing off for the day, I have a date to eat cough drops, use up two boxes of tissues and watch Transformers, Scooby-Doo, and Spy Kids 2 with the cutest little guy ever.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Rain, Rain Come and STAY

Well, I have got one sick kid home from school today. His cough just won't quit, he was up half the night, and no medicine seemed to help. As much as I wanted him to go to school today, I knew at 4:30am that it wasn't happening. I feel so bad for him. Currently he is watching a movie in my room all curled up in my blankets, he actaully looks pretty sweet. I heard him coughing so much he couldn't catch his breath and he started to tell the dog that his throat hurt to much to play with her. It was so sweet that I almost started to cry! LOL - so I brought him up a Popsicle instead and let him eat it up there, so he says to me "Mom am I dying?" and I say "No" and he says "then why am I allowed to eat this in your room, am I really really sick?" Such a sweetie.

So, aside from the sickness, yesterday C had a cough but it was easily controlled by cough syrup. So around three I let him go outside and play. As soon as he goes out all the other kids do to and for hours I could hear four boisterous voices running all around playing games and fighting of bikes and scooters. It was wonderful. I didn't even have to be out there, I just checked on them every once in a while. It was so nice, such a great break. Then around 6 all the kids start to come in our house telling me they are going to watch a movie. Well, I let them know that C has to eat dinner but they can come back in a half hour if they want. So they all ran home. Promptly at 6:30 I had three kids knocking on my door with wet hair and in their pajamas, they even came with snacks! They all raced home, showered, changed, talked their moms into letting them come over, and then brought snacks! I was floored. All the kids were so good. At 8 the movie ended, they all cleaned up and left and C shortly after went to bed.

Moving on: C had so much fun yesterday that he was pretty upset when I told him he had to stay inside today. He keeps telling me he feels better and thinks he'll be okay when everyone gets home from school. Luckily it is suppose to rain, which would make the weather the bad guy and not me.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Download This?

I am looking for a good Cyber-Nanny. One that doesn't take setting up new users on my computer, one download, must work with IE and Mozilla and any new downloaded browsers, inexpensive, password controlled, must provide web content reports, and it would help if she could cook and clean too.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

What Did I Start This Time?

I posted this morning about my interests in extreme religious sects and with in hours my in box was flooded with comments and invitations to explore polygamist covenants. Seriously, real people with real blog links. There were also less desirable letters questioning my motives of Christianity and chastising me for language and IVF. Seriously, those posts were a year ago now. What did they do, read the whole blog in four hours? I didn't publish the comments. Also, I can swear if I want to, I am grown up! LOL.

Life is Good.

FLDS - The Book

I am fascinated with cults & extremest groups. In the late 90's I learned about these people in Utah and Arizona that practiced plural marriage and although the material was brief and really didn't say much other than they were "break away Mormon groups" My interest was peeked. Then in recent history when Warren Jeffs was arrested and an FLDS compound raided I was glued to the news stories. Dr Phil did a few shows on girls that had run away from there and The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FLDS, life.

So, last weekend I was in the book store with C and saw a discount hard cover that caught my eye, Stolen Innocence, about a young girl born into FLDS and forced to marry at 14. I purchased it and started in two days ago. It is so much more real than the news stories. For example, the author, Elissa explains in detail why her mother would choose FLDS over her children when faced with adversity, and how she could not be angry with her mom for doing what she had been trained to believe and know as the truth her entire life. The root of their religion was the promise of the Celestial Kingdom, your salvation is everything and time is short were drilled into them so much that it is all they knew. But moreover the book details the steps from believing that the prophet Warren's father had direct revelations from God and following him wholeheartedly and the baby steps that ended up with complete isolation and FLDS regulations or religious restrictions changing all the time so that there was nothing anyone could do that was righteous. Right now I am learning how she survived her marriage and the general oppression of her life, I cannot wait to see how she gets out.

I am only half way through the book, I spent the first part of the week finishing the book club book. The book club I am leaving - LOL, but I wanted to finish the book anyway. It was okay. The Wettest County in the World. I think the movies is going to be good when and if it comes out. It was about family of brothers who brewed alcohol during prohibition and there is a murder and a trial. The book gets pretty good reviews and has some interesting parts but it just wasn't my cup of tea. For one thing there are no quotation marks in the book. So at times I wasn't sure there was a conversation going on and had to reread the passage. That sort of stuff just makes me feel retarded. I suppose, I am just not literary enough to appreciate that style.

And back to FLDS:

So I love the show Big Love. What I didn't realize was how "ripped from the headlines" that show has been. Some episodes closely follow some of the accounts that Elissa portrays, like how they sneak over the border to a seedy motel to marry and how the prophet's son just sort of takes over. It is uncanny how closely the show resembles this sect. It isn't like FLDS is the only plural marriage sect out there, I wonder if other groups have had publications like Stolen Innocence. I bet I could find parallel stories there too.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Kids! Kids! Kids!

It is official, I am the neighborhood mom.

I am always waiting for someone else to step up and be the outgoing one. I want to go to the party, not throw it. But that just wasn't happening. So little by little the kids across the street started coming over. Over the winter it was sort of on again of off again. But now, it is pretty much a daily routine.

At one point I had five kids playing in the circle and four of them were piled on top of the power wheels mustang. It was a hoot. We were out there from 3:30-6:00, when one of the kids mother got home and that is where I cut it off. Time for us to head in and make dinner. With the two of us, dinner takes all of three minutes. So now it is only quarter to seven and C has already eaten, showered, and is hunkered down in front of a video game for the next hour. Which is great, because I am exhausted! LOL.

Also, in slight pain. The kids also had all the bikes and scooters out. So when we were wheeling all the toys back to the right houses I, in order to make an ass of myself, rode C's scooter back to our house. (Those things are so fun) I was fine until I hit a bump and sort of jumped off. Completely survived the mini jump, that is until I twisted my ankle and fell over the darn scooter. So now my leg is all scrapped up and my knee is bleeding. I think I will have to be a little more compassionate to my little guy when his skin gets all red from a scrape. I forgot that actaully stings. ... Mean Mommy. :P) Part Two: I might have a slight sunburn. Nothing like the first signs of summer.

Sorry Kim. I know you are longing for Spring to start!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Summer Time

I just finished signing up C for summer camps. I sure hope he gets in. He picked a Gymnastics camp and a skate boarding camp. One is two weeks sand the other one. I figure that will make the summer fun. A week here and there, and then plenty of time to lounge at the base pool the other days. Plus I do not know when Bible camp is, so we certainly want to be in that in DC *on Bolling AFB it is free*. He is also taking Tae Kwon Do once a week starting at the end of school, so he is pretty excited for summer to get here.

In conjunction with signing him up for camps & a class I signed up to rejoin my exercise class called Strength & Sculpt plus a Zumba class. I don't know what has gotten into me lately, but I just love the gym. :P) I had to make a trade off with Zumba though, it is on Monday nights - same as my book club. So I am going to look for another book club. Quite honestly I haven't loved any of the books we've read anyway.

In other news, I am contemplating signing up for guitar lessons. I cannot read a note, keep any sort of rhythm, or even hold the darn thing right - but it seems like fun. The cost & time is holding me back. Camps and Gym classes cost a bundle plus I have commitments with my class three days a week. Guitar lessons might have to be a fall activity.

Moving on, I have been making a conscious effort to turn the computer off. What a flipping pain in the butt. I turn the thing off and then two seconds later I want to check something. But, that is the problem. I swear I see FB updates 10 times or more a day. I felt I needed to be more productive, so weening myself from the instant updates on blogs, Facebook, Ebay, and email seemed to be the way to go.