Monsoon Season

Oh my what rain! Today is certainly soggy, but boy did I luck out.

A few days ago I got an email from Mix 107.3, my favorite radio station in DC, saying that I won tickets to a Horse Show this weekend, and if I'd like the tickets I need to pick them up in person. So, today I headed to NW DC and found the offices for the radio station. It was in an awesome area, so once I picked up the tickets I bought a Diet Coke and did a little window shopping. I felt so under dressed! LOL - the area was really ritzy and everyone seemed dressed to the nines. Anyway - all the while it was threatening to downpour. After walking a while up and down Wisconsin Ave I ran over to Bolling Air Force Base to their commissary. Boy has it been a long time.

DC traffic is crazy. It really does take an hour to go from NW to SW, and today was no different. But I expected it and just enjoyed the city views. The monuments looks so pretty this time of year, surrounded by the changing leaves. And eventually I arrived at the commissary. The rain seemed to be heading away from the area and I was pleased. I filled my cart with all the stuff that is way TOO expensive off base, like frozen pizza, canned goods, and produce. I had tons of coupons and in the end the bill went from 258 to 203 plus tax. Yup 55.00 in coupons. These were all the ones a friend of S's had sent me in the mail awhile back. I couldn't believe how good they were. Such a blessing.

As the cashier was tallying all those coupons we heard a loud bang, and all of the sudden boy did it start to rain ... HARD, so much so that I had to tip the bag guy $5.00. I even pulled up, but it didn't help - we were both completely drenched. Once we had everything loaded I jump in the front seat and just started laughing and thinking "Thank goodness this didn't hit while I was wondering the city!".

So, I am still a little wet around the gills, but no worse for the wear.

One random thought: C brought home Chocolate Chip Mint gum. Yup, sounds nasty - but I actually like it, and I rarely like gum. Not that I can chew it long - bad jaw - but still it is good.

Repressed to the Closet

I am loving this great mood I've been in lately. Funny, but I've slept like crap-O-la the last two nights. In fact, last night I ended up on the couch with a sore throat and Maggie at my feet. Still, I am feeling pretty cheery.

Maybe that is because I moved my scale to the closet last week after cleaning the bathroom. No disappointments, no "days off" for good behavior. I promised myself to be healthier for the family pictures this Christmas and that is enough. I don't care how much I weigh or don't weigh. Well, seriously - I so do, at times I am obsessed with it. That stupid number makes me have a good day or kills a day before it starts. I don't want to start my morning off that way. I just want to keep my promise to myself and have a better chance of enjoying my days.

Or maybe all the cheer and good mood is because S is home all week, C is doing great in school, I have been able to keep track of our money since payday and haven't made one mistake, or because I have gotten a lot of extra exercise in the last few weeks, or that the weather has been so nice and the leaves are turning (I love the colors of Fall), or maybe that we've been blessed to have an amazing priest at church lately, or maybe that Maggie is finally being a good dog most of the time, or maybe simply, life is good.

This morning after I walked Maggie I headed over to the Goodwill to donate an old chair. (So glad to get that out of the house!) After that I ran over to the Ashburn Library to return all the goodies we borrowed. I told myself four of five times this morning that I wasn't going to check anything else out from this library, it is a little bit of a ride and I never seem to want to go back to return things. All my pep talking didn't help. I was sucked in. I got yet another book, a few movies, and a couple of CD's. I've never been to a library that had so much new stuff, I just can't resist. I listened to one of the CD's on the way home and was so excited to have it. Enjoying the small stuff is fun again.

All the crappy stuff can just be shoved in the hall closet behind the suitcases. The suitcases that are there because my hunny is home all week!

In a Nut Shell

In a nut shell; life is good. Today was productive, and absolutely wonderful outside. I think I've been so high on life these past few days because of the nice weather. It reminds me of when we lived in California. It is just impossible to be wrapped up in anything difficult or trying when the sun is shining and your husband is not traveling for the WHOLE WEEK! Yup, that is right - no trips this week. Love It, Love It.

Happy Days

What a glorious weekend, yet again we've been blessed with the most awesome weather. Yesterday we finished power washing the lower deck and side of the house but other than that it has been all fun stuff. Granted power washing is sort of fun for a while :D.

Friday night we took C over to the community center for a Halloween party. It ended up being so fun. They had kid games set up in three different gyms and in the forth gym they a great magic show. There was a pumpkin carving contest and C won! He picked out a template of a skeleton head online and we printed it and and taped it to the pumpkin. C took a pen and poked holes around the outside of the lines. When we took the paper off the pumpkin we used a sharpie to connect the dots and then I made the first cuts with the larger knife. C used a pumpkin carving safety knife for kids to cut out the rest. In our decorations box we found a battery operated blinking light that we put in the center and then C had the idea to put his pirate eye patch over one eye. It came out so good. I was pretty proud of him.

On Saturday we went to the Herndon Homecoming parade. The town was really decked out in team spirit! LOL - I love small town life. We cheered for the homecoming princesses and queen, we yelled lowed for all the graduating 6th, 8th, and 12th grade floats, we whistled for the trash guys and the snow plow trucks, we even waved at all the Girl Scout troops - all in an effort to get candy thrown at us of course. The whole things was a blast. Later that day C had a few friends over for a few hours and that too went swimmingly.

This morning I woke up and made C some breakfast. While we were eating he asked me if we could work on his book. He had this idea last week to make a real book for his library at school. To my surprise he was serious and has been working very hard on it. This morning he finished his sentences and illustrated the pages. Then he dug out some stickers to spruce up the pages. We are going to take it over to Staples to have it laminated later today. (I think)

As of right now, Maggie and I are just hanging out in the den watching TV while S and C play Wiffle Ball in the back yard. It is just so wonderful out, none of us seem to be able to get enough. In fact, I think I will join them.

Joy to the World

It's happening, earlier and earlier! I heard Christmas music playing in Joanne's Fabric store today! Just so odd. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, it is one of my favorite times of year, but it isn't that time of year yet... I haven't even worn a heavy jacket yet, haven't gone trick-or-treating with C yet, haven't thought about a Thanksgiving day menu or even remotely thought about what tunes I will be listening too.

There were a few unfortunate fashion years when I was kid. (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR!) During these time my father painted and wired sweatshirts with Christmas trees and blinking lights. My friends thought that my family was so bizarre because we started talking about Christmas on Thanksgiving and donned our blinking sweatshirts. Times have really changed. Christmas gets earlier and earlier, black Friday has become a holiday of sorts, Halloween marks the beginning of a mad rush towards the buying season. I don't necessarily think it is all bad, after all I do love Christmas; but it just seems like a desperate attempt to make me, personally, spend way too much money.

Case in point: I've begun shopping...

Open Mouth Insert Foot

I was duped at the bus stop this morning and .... get this, it is my own fault. Another mother was telling me that she had tickets to Disney on ice for her and her family. I said that C would love that. Then she told me that one of her family members can't go so she has one ticket available. She mentioned that she asked one of her friends if their kid can go but the father is really hesitate because he is over protective. Here's where my foot reaches up to my pearly whites; "Gee that is too bad, but maybe C can be your back up, he'd love to go if you don't mind babysitting." Then the mom says well, I'll be home at six and that is when we are leaving and when I'll know - so it would be last minute. Then I say "oh that's fine, how much does it cost?" and she says "sixty bucks."

Oh crap! I don't have sixty bucks for that. If we are going to spend our money on that I want to see the enjoyment on C's face. Now - the mom is at work - I don't have her phone number and she might just show up here??? I am thinking of going to leave a note on her door - and then maybe just not be here? - I am such a chicken!

Now what if that other kid was invited for free - now it sounds like I would pay for the ticket, and she might pick C to go anyway. That's it, I am going to go leave a note. Maybe her aunt (who she lives with) will get it early enough and call her at work.

I am such a pain in my own ass.



17 minutes later:

I wrote a note to the other mother and walked over to her house. All the cars were there and I was tempted to just leave but I just sucked it up. I reminded myself to keep my big girl panties on and just go knock on the door. L (the mom) was still home, I thought she had to work, and she was so gracious. I just told her that I felt bad but that he cannot go because we cannot afford it. I apologized and she was so kind about it and thanked me for letting her know early in the day. I still feel slightly bad but I am also pretty proud of myself for not acting out of guilt. And I didn't even need the note.

Bad Mommy

Half day Monday's kick me in the butt again. This time ... I was at the post office when C got off the bus only to find the door locked and no car in the drive! He went to V our neighbor and she called another friends mom for my cell phone number. The phone rang just as I got in the house. Poor kid. Now he just keeps saying "I can't believe I was home alone". My only defense; last week he got home thirty minutes after the end of school, today his bus was second in line so he got home fifteen minutes earlier. Regardless, I should have been watching the clock a little better. I was just thinking that he got home at 1:20, which is the exact time I got home. Cutting it too close. Bad Mommy.

Although I could blame it on the fact that I think I am high on bleach. Is that possible? I do feel a little light headed and queasy. I scrubbed the upstairs bathroom today from ceiling to floor and all that cleaning solution really hangs in the air. Who's idea is it to build house with no windows in the bathrooms and then put in these fans that aren't even strong enough to hold a tissue to them? Anyway, I even mopped the ceiling - isn't that funny sounding? I think so, but it is true, along with scrubbing all the grout, resealing the caulk on the counter, and organizing under the sink. Go me ... that is until I left me kid to fend for himself off the school bus! Errrr. Bad Mommy.

Randomly

I am bored. Seriously bored. It isn't often, I would assume, when a woman, who is a wife and mother, is bored. What the heck is wrong with me? There are dishes in the sink, there are blankets all over the den, there are toys to clean up, there is a family to play with and yet here I sit, uninspired and bored. Odd, nothing seems to be holding my interest. No book, no TV program, no cleaning act, no family togetherness idea, not even - dare I say - shopping. The hubs is watching football, C is watching a movie and playing toys, and I was playing scrabble ... but after a while when you can beat the computer every time , even my favorite games gets dull. I feel a little pathetic. hmmm.

The Check Book

As previously allude to, I Jamie Wagner, suck at keeping track of money. Just so we are clear, this means the following statements are true:

• I never remember to pay Khol's if I have a balance
• I always forget to include auto with drawls into my available cash
• I have to check the computer every time I want to go to the store ... Do I have money today?
• I hoard sums of cash in different accounts and forget they are there, all the while accruing service charges for overdraft on another account (not all the time, but every couple of months or so)
  
• I consistently double pay bills and then wonder why we have no cash (ALL THE TIME)
  
• I seriously have no idea how much money we spend, however I know to the penny how much we owe
  

How is all of this possible? For one, I am my mother's daughter. For two, I am so lazy. (truth be told) So mom and I recently were kibitzing about these truths and she said she should just go back to her old system of keeping a ledger because she does the same crap I do. Taking this to heart, I figured I better follow suit. So I broke out the check book. Seriously, I haven't used a check book since I lived in Minot! I only ever write two or three actual checks a year - everything else is auto pay from the bank. Anyway, out came the ledger. And here is how I learned that my lazy ways seriously need to stop.

USAA Balance: $2,486.27 Actual unaccounted for cash between now and next payday: $172.00

If I had guessed I would have said, well the rent isn't due until next month and the car payment comes out in a few days so we probably have 1500 bucks or so until next payday after all the little bills are paid, so half that we should save for rent and the rest is fun money. HA. Not so fun when I end up charging things like the car registration and oil.

So, with all of this, I also re-did our budget. I was surprised to find it is actaully in good shape. Even though I screw up all the little details all the time we do have great credit and low interest on our outstanding debt. So that is good. I had to switch a few balances around to get a lower rate, but it was really easy. Also, since the first of the year we have been able to not accrue any more debt and actaully paid some off. Plus our savings accounts have recovered from the great vacationing summer of 2010, including my Christmas Club account which I totally forgot about is right on target. I set up this random account at a local bank and set a small auto deposit from S's pay each month. Totally forgot about it, until the other day when I got a quarterly statement. I definitely am going to keep that going for next year too, so easy.

In other yeah me news: I gave C a great haircut last night, he looks awesome. I helped a lady round up her loose dog today while walking mine. I saved two cars from crashing in a parking lot by laying into my horn while they were both trying to kill each other. I got my emissions done on my car and passed. I got a refund from our old cable company for six bucks and took myself out to lunch with it. And, I am having a great hair day.

Also, as a side note I ate rotten mushrooms yesterday and didn't know it. I woke up at 1 in the morning puking my guts out and .... yeah it was coming out both ends. Consequently, I made all these accomplishments with out being more than a few minutes from a bathroom today. I do however pity the man who got in my car at the service station to run the emissions test as I had just dropped a horrid fart. Horrid my friends, I might have to sell the car. Mushrooms = errrrr.

Morning Walk

Despite my contempt for a certain retailer I certainly have had a nice morning. Maggie and I went for our normal jaunt around the neighborhood but today we brought a camera. The idea came to me this morning when I was playing outside with her and saw all the morning glories looking so brilliant in the sun. So I took a bunch of garden pix and then continued looking for pretty things on our walk. The first signs of fall are just starting to peak out and it is all so pretty.

Dear Walmart

Dear Walmart,

I quit. You are no longer a thorn in my side, a necessary evil, a go to money saving salvation. You are nothing to me. You are no longer part of anything I will admit to other than distaste. I will not be returning.

My contempt should really be no surprise to your establishment as I have complained in depth. Just to highlight a few key points:

• Your website said our store had seven bikes in stock, but none were on the sales floor. When we asked an employee for help we were told "there is nothing available." So we ordered the item online.
• It took over two weeks for a bike to travel from Crawford, VA to Sterling, VA. We could have walked faster!
  
• When we went to pick up the bike the 'site to store' employee wouldn't help me put the box in a cart. When I asked for help he ignored me and went to take care of his other duties (printing pictures). Also he sort of smelled - just saying.
  
• After we loaded a huge box onto a cart we went to browse around the store ... only to find the bike - ASSEMBLED and on the sales floor.
• Once we were ready to check out we stood behind the worst customers on the planet! A mother and her two wild children. The kids were opening lip gloss containers, throwing candy on the floor, blocking the aisle, and of course yelling and screaming.
  
• Eventually it is our turn to check out. The cashier did not say one word to us. I said "Hi, how are you?" She stared at me. After I paid I said "Thanks, have a nice day." She stared at me.
  
• Upon leaving the store the door clerk was the only saving grace. At least someone had a smile!
  

Your place just put us in the worst mood. How is that possible when we were picking up my sons first new bike? A bike he paid for with his birthday money - that you took three weeks to make available?!?!?!? When we were leaving the parking lot my 7 year old son said "Mommy, next time can we just go to Toys R Us?" I certainly said "YES!".

Sincerely,
Disgruntled Customer

P.S. Also if you could please keep the big padded bras off the end caps; I am sure most mother's would appreciate it. If anything the trip did make us laugh when a little one said to their mother. "Mommy, do you wear that on your butt?" and the mother replied "No." and the kid said "But that is where you have those big camel humps." To which my son quipped "Dumb baby, doesn't she know that is a bra for boobs? Wait, mom, Do they make butt bras?"

In 1492

S leaves for TX today. Not sure how I feel about that since I just picked him up from the airport of Friday. Then next week he is off to CA. It is a lot. Actually, it is the norm. But if anything, to be honest, it is pretty easy when he is gone. C and I have a routine, and it works out just fine. We just miss him.

This weekend proved to be as glorious as it began. The weather is stunning. Heat without the humidity of summer. Today it is suppose to reach 85, but this morning it was breezy and cool. The three of us walked downtown and had breakfast at one of our favorite diners. It is about a mile and a half away, so we got a lot of exercise in early.

Speaking of exercise ... my family is aiming to take a group photo this Christmas, so looks like I will be dieting once again. Errr. I gain and loose the same ten pounds all the time. It is so annoying. My dad lost over 85 pounds and looks amazing. My mother lost about 25 and looks soooo skinny. My sister is loosing consistently, plus when she is thinner she's got an actual body. I am sort of curve-less and lets face it, M, well ... baby's got back. Needless to say she looks fantastic. Soooo, I suppose it is my turn... again. Last week I cut out a lot of junk and lost 1.7 pounds. And that includes chicken nuggets and Red Robin. So I suppose it isn't as hard as I make it out to be.

Glorious

This weather is spectacular! I am seriously considering bottling it for resale. We've had a busy day and loved every minute so far. We went to a re-enactment of the War of 1812. It was so cool so see cannons get fired, tour a period house, and talk to all of the volunteers. What a blast. After wards we hiked a little on some trails we'd been too before - but it all looked so pretty.

I actaully had no intention to hop on the 'ol blog, just wanted to post pictures to FB for my parents to see but saw a comment I wanted to share. A cousin of mine posted it and I thought it was silly:

Dracula: I suck people's blood and terrorize the villagers! What do you do ? Edward: I....sparkle. D...

and

I'm in love with my bed. But my alarm clock won't let us be together

Ahhh now that is silly. Oh well back out side I go.

Life is Good

I just read the most touching things on a friends blog and now am inspired to study Psalms once again.

In other news, I received great news about C today. His teacher from last year emailed me and said she was just checking up on him today to see how he was doing and got a chance to watch him for a few minutes in his new class. She said that he was working so diligently and that when she approached him she was so surprised at the quality of his work. She raved about his manners, his focus, and his hard work. I read the note to C and he was just beaming. His work really has been great. He's actually writing on lines, making letters the correct way, making them all the same size, and counting in the correct order again (this is HUGE). I am just so excited for him.

From the Mouth of Babes

C: "Mom, what is a cock?"

Me after practically chocking on my Diet Coke: "A male chicken... a rooster"

C: "Oh ... why would somebody say suck my chicken?"

Sitting Duck

Yesterday I babysat our neighbors 8 year old. He is C's friend so I suppose it isn't really babysitting... most of the time. But yesterday the boy's older sister had an after school activity A, the boy hates to be alone in his house. So they asked me in the morning if A could come over after school. I said yes but as soon as the bus pulled away I remembered that C had gymnastics. Needless to say I just had an extra kid in tow for the afternoon. No big deal. A is so eager to talk to adults, or so it seems. It was amazing the things he told me in a mere 45 minutes while C was in his class.

• Miss Jamie do you text? Me: Not really A: My mom does so much that she doesn't even notice if I stay up late at night.
  
• Miss Jamie do you know that ducks can poop on you while they fly overhead. One pooped on my sandwich once? Me: That is gross A: Oh not really it was only on part of the bread so I just ripped it off
• Miss Jamie does C get grounded a lot? Me: No, only a few times ever A: Oh because we get grounded a lot. Once I got grounded from my DSlite and my mom hid it so good she lost it!
• Miss Jamie why do you stay home during the day? Me: That is my job, to take care of my family. A: My mom says it is because you probably have a lot of credit cards.
• Miss Jamie do you know that I am a fast runner. Me: Oh yes, I have seen you run. A: Yeah but I am not all that fast because I have a stomach bug. It lives in my stomach and eats all my food.
  
• Miss Jamie where do you put your stuff when I come over? Me: Umm, well, most of it is already put away where it belongs. A: Oh because I hide stuff under my bed or under the couch.
• Miss Jamie do you think that Zues controls all the lightning? Me: Nope, he is a mythical creature, he isn't real. A: No really he does, my friend who is my brother at my dad's house has met him and they made all of California be under lightning and it was really bad because they live where it is already 3000 degrees. Me: Uhhh-huh

Too funny. He went on and on, I wish I could remember more. Sometimes he was so sweet and other times he was just lying his little round head off. At one point he was talking about little boys peeing when they get their diaper changed so I told him about my trip to Target the other day.

I was in the parking lot and a mommy was having her toddler pee in a potty chair in the back of their van. My car was right next to hers so I was headed right to them. When I got closer I saw the mom empty the ducky potty chair right under her van. But it was a lot of pee and it made a rolling puddle that I actaully had to step over to get to my car. So nasty, but boy did that story have A laughing.

So in the end we left the gym came home and the boys played video games until six-ish when A's sister came over for him. Fast forward to this morning and A asks at the bus stop "Miss Jamie can I come over and play again today?" I said sure but then he added "good because I don't want to be home alone and my sister is going to be at Girls on the Run (an after school track program) three days a week!" Me: "Well, if you need to come over all those days your mom needs to call me, but you can come over to play for a little while today."

Kids.

Up Hill Both Ways in the Snow

My to do list expounds each time my husband attempts to organize or clean. This weekend he cleaned out his side of the closet. (Surprisingly hell has not froze over and I still do not see flying pigs outside my windows) He also organized a bunch of his sports stuff and assorted crap. I laughed right out loud when he and C came out of our room wearing our old track uniforms from high school. We all snickered each time he came out asking what some piece of plastic was or where it came from, but in the end ... So not funny. Now there are piles upon piles of clothes and junk for me to sort and find a place for. No longer are they stored in his precious bins and paper boxes, now there are piles for me to sell, piles for me to donate, and piles for me to figure out where to put them. LOL - I love my hubby.

Totally Raunchy

I have just read the raunchiest book ever. So raunchy, that I dare not repeat the name in fear that another breathing human might know the trash I read. The plot: A man and woman in a long term relationship go to Cabo for a weekend with the man's business partner. The ending: All three live together happily ever after. Graphic, dirty, and at times I laughed right out loud. This author had some imagination! And just a little FYI; I think most of those positions were impossible. No one bends that way!