Allergies Suck

I've been trying to enjoy my weekend.
This moving is playing havoc with everything. D has been absolutely horrible lately. He's confused as to who to listen to, and what rules have stayed the same.
I'm not a big schedule kinda gal. I can be, but when it's just a regular day with nothing on the calendar in the way of obligations, I don't have a set schedule as to what we are doing. I don't do out of bed at the same time every morning, and know minute by minute what we're to have accomplished by bedtime. This is really starting to rear it's ugly head, and school's not even out yet.
Hunter has turned into a bully, beating on his brother, who teases him horrendously. He bites him, throws things at him, punches hime, and plays really rough with him. When I tell them to stop, they ignore me until I need to step in and hand out time outs, or separate them altogether. That makes me sad.
It really shows my lack of parenting skills, and frustrates me to no end. It's not as if this wasn't already going on, not to this extent though. The worst part for me, is that someone else is witnessing this, and that person is someone I look up to.
Mr and I have hit some turbulence of late, whether it be by my own actions, or his assumptions, or possibly a mixture of both...but anything that's between us isn't nice at the moment. Let's hope that calms down before our cross-country trip.
I'm finished moving us out, was out of the place by 9pm Friday eve, and on my way home I realized I had forgotten two things in my rush to get out, and had to phone the landlord. *sigh* Classic example of rushing.
Saturday we went to a campground to spend the day with our fellow Cub Scouts out in the great outdoors. It was a camp-out over-nighter, but I had made up my mind that we wouldn't stay cause it was too much work, after a really hectic week. We arrived and played, and it didn't take long for D to get into trouble. He wound up with a black eye and a big bruise on is cheekbone because he was jumping on someone's air mattress like it was a trampoline and conked heads with someone else. That was just the beginning of a truly embaressing display of tantrums. He cried, he screamed, he yelled, he backtalked, he disobeyed, didn't listen, and even hurt other people's property. In the end, the only reason why we stayed was because Mr was the Den Leader and his presence was needed.
I broke down on the way home. A combo of too much moving stress, a lack of ability to control my children, ToM, horrible allergies that left me afraid to drive us home (my eyes get swollen when there's too much pollen in the air and breezy days with leafy trees will do that), and just general lack of energy had left me in a dark mood. I blew up at Mr.
I woke up this morning and couldn't open my eyes because they were caked shut with dried goop. My body's reaction to the tree pollen. I made breakfast, showered myself & the kids, and hit the road (kid free) to go visit a friend I hadn't seen in a while. I needed it. Bought myself some shoes, and headed back home.
I started trying to go through boxes of junk today. I still need to find the stuff to set aside for FIL, and get rid of more stuff cause it just doesn't look to me like it will fit into the U-Haul we'll be renting. I wasn't brutal enough the first round, let's hope I can pull it off in the second round. I also need to set up our bedrooms, get our laundry & clothing put away cause we're working out of boxes/dresser drawers stacked against the wall/laundry baskets. The house is a disaster zone, and I'm happy MIL & S/O are out of town for the time being cause I would put myself under more pressure to get it put away as quickly as possible. I'm getting it done, just at a slower pace.
I hope there's an end in sight, cause I truly am just not seeing it. Say a prayer for me, will ya?

Frinday Fill-Ins #126

And...here we go!

1. It's cold and allergen-free.

2. I like eating raw tomatoes with salt & pepper.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is Acne.org stuff & chapstick.

4. I could do with a nap a nice long ride with nothing but silence for my soundtrack.

5. Well, first of all I'm married, so don't get any ideas.

6. My Children, my Mr, and and a big scary monster; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was one of those horrid ones where they get hurt while I can't do anything about it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on some blogging cause I'm finally finished moving out!, tomorrow my plans include trying to enjoy the Cub Scout Crossover Ceremony/Camp-Out and Sunday, I want to relax and visit with a friend!

Thursday Thunks

21. How many states have you been in? 12

22. If a sexist Man is called a pig, what is a sexist Woman called? a sow maybe?

23. You see the one person who you absolutely despise. If you were guarentee'd that he/she couldn't say or do anything back to you.... What would you do?? Turn around and walk away because whatever I think I'd like todo to them isn't worth the efffort.

24. How many states are to the right of you? And don’t give us a map to look at. No idea. I'm noot horribly familiar with USA geography

25. You can go anywhere in the world for free. Where are you? Italy

26. HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP? Just one, and it's the one that isn't very nice.

27. Are you a boxing fan? Do you think there will be a rematch of the Hatton-Pacquiao fight? Not interested.

28. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten? Beluga Whale Jerky

29. Is it cloudy right now? Yes, and disgustingly humid.

30. What is your dream job? I'd love to be a tree-planter back in BC, but I'd be real afraid of getting attacked by wild animals.

31. Someone gives you a $500 gift card to WalMart or Target. What are you going to buy? A nice little wardrobe, and maybe a few DVD's. That's if I need not consider what anyone in my family wants. Wait, maybe I'd blow it all in the Sewing Notions department. Too Bad Wal mart doesn't sell Dress Forms...

32. When you were little, what did you want to be "when you grow up"? And, how much different is your occupation now from where you thought it would be when you were younger? I wanted to be lots of things, an Astronomer, an Entrepreneur, and a Level 3 Bio-Hazard Scientist for the CDC in Atlanta Georgia (specifically, I wanted to work with Ebola). I'm no where near any of those right now, but if all goes to plan when I get back home I'll be heading back to school to do the Entrepreneur thing.

33. what was your favorite toy as a child? Cabbage Patch Dolls & Barbie's. I actually played with them until I was 12, which is lame by today's standards.

34. How do you think these things up?? I'm brilliant like that

35. Why do you think so many "fake" veterans get away with pretending? Why don't people question them more (especially the media who eats up their stories?) Had no idea there were enough to be called so many" or that they were causing issues.

36. What is the last place you had a good cry and why? The day before Mother's Day, while washing the dishes.

37. What do you mean? I mean a lot of thing, once you become a regular reader, you'll get it.

38. Which Sesame Street Character do you relate with the most and why? I don't know about relate, but I'm a big fan of Big Bird cause Big & Yellow rocks my socks.

39. What song one would you listen to over and over if you absolutely had to? I've been digging the Canadian Railroad trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot of late, and it's been playing in my truck non-stop for the last week.

40. Did you ever make what you believed at the time to be a horrible mistake - that in hindsight turned out to lead you on the best path in your life? Story of my life. I've learned that nothing happens without a reason, and to just trust that everything that's going on is for the best.

41. If you could change one thing on your person, what would it be? Say good-bye to the thing hanging around my midsection.

42. What’s your favorite show to watch on television nowadays? I love Ghost Hunters, but I haven't been able tow atch it lately cause I've been busy on Wednesday nights.

43. Do you believe there is life after death? No, not really.

U-Haul & Mc-Issues

***Edit, I wrote this post yesterday, but as a storm took out our internet for the night I couldn't post it until this morning***
I'm proud of myself today.
I'm also really sad that I'm turning out to be a (slightly) typical woman *gasp*
I drove a U-Haul Trailer today (in town, I've driven on a freeway for 20 miles once, big deal, straight line) from old house to new, and even managed to back up in the driveway to the garage door (with guidance of course) all for the first time.
I helped get the heaviest items in our house out today, and into said trailer with the help of only one other companion (who wasn't my Mr for once). I wonder if all women thinkt heir Mr's can do anything if they put their minds to it?
I also unloaded said objects into storage area.
I'm tired, but I have some sewing I was aiming to do today.
Few things running round my head I've been meaning to blog about...
Today Mr tried phoning moving companies in the phone book to get price quotes on trailers to aid us in our move, as we'd have too many trips to do with heavy stuff. I guess his frustration with the situation was coming through in his voice and he got some yucky quotes he didn't care for.
When I was finished what I was doing, I phoned the companies and asked for price quotes, and was a bit more specific about our needs. Mr said I was giving them my "1-900" voice over the phone, and therefore I got nice price quotes that were more to my liking. That made me giggle. I was just being friendly, because there's no reason why the folks on the other end of the line should suffer for my yucky day.
I had McDonald's for breakfast this morning. Afternoon came and it hit my stomache, giving me Mc-issues. As it hit me I was reminded of a conversation Mr and I had a few weeks ago that I had meant to blog about but forgot.
Mr has a proccess, he eats McDonald's and 20 minutes later he claims that he needs to take a McDump.
I'm going to add in here that I have a proccess too, but it's not quite that graphic. I eat, get the McRock (that solid, I'm-not-going-to-proccess-that-shit, mass in your stomache), which leads to the McGurgles, which eventually leads to McIssues.
Everytime I think about all of those Mc's just from one meal, I wonder why I keep eating it, and giggle a whole lot cause it just sounds silly.
Hope it made you chuckle, cause it sure loosened up a tight feeling day for me ;o)

You Do The Math

catching up on readin blogs tonight.
The Cavaliers are playing and Mr has a friend over and they're watching it together, am actually considering napping until it's finished so that I may get a quick snooze in before heading back over to the house (Mr's friend don't drive and lives back in town away from our ocuntryside home) to do some more packing. I'm aiming to load up that truck with as many boxes as I can (I'm talented at packing) and bringing them over tonight. Trying to get all the crap from the upstairs that isn't needed out...leaving behind only heavy furniture that I can't lift down the stairs myself.
Help will be there tomorrow...two friends will be over to give a hand moving said heavy objects, plus MIL will be there to teach me how to spackle. I've never spackled before. In fact, up until we moved into this place I hadn't painted, or "cut-in" the edges either. I rather enjoy it. Anyhow, MIL will be there to help spackle and do some painting touch ups.
Am hoping I can get away with 3 only three trips back and forth between houses. S'gonna make for a long day, I know. I know at least two more trips will need to be made to the BSA Scout Hut where we're leaving all of our Garage Sale donations for their annual Rummage Sale coming up.
We are packing up stuff we want to keep, sorting out stuff for FIL, packing up crap for BSA, and today I packed up stuff to take to a Children's consignment store. Seriously could not fit another thing into that truck, and I was real happy when they had an employee help me carry everything in. It was a lot...toddler bed, potty, boost seat, various large toys, boxes of clothes, you name it.
Did I mention each trip between this house and the one we're moving out of is 20 minutes one way? You do the math on how much time I'll have to do all of this. I'll need a minimum of 3 trips to get the heavy stuff out, the rest I can do myself. 20x2=40x3=120+x(however many more need to be made for various child/food obligations)=one busy day.
I'm so glad someone invented Pepsi.
It's storming tonight. It was so YUCKY humid all day todat, I'm glad it finally let loose.
Found out MIL has a number of photo editing programs on her comp, will need to jack it to go through my pix from the Zoo trip and other various functions I've not uploaded yet.
Fellin better today, not quite as worn out...but am definitely ready for it to be over.
I'm gonna go nap now.

Venting

I'm tired.
I'm tired of fighting with my kids.
Moving, talking about moving, planning our move, have all taken their effects on the kids. They act out, they don't listen, screech & scream, whine & carry on, they fight & hit, they do everything in their power to drive me insane.
I'm tired of adjusting. I've adjusted to Ohio, EST, that stupid fucking smell of cow shit from the fertalizer that they spray on the fields, people who assume that Canada is only as big as Ohio, and only exists right above them, to people who attempt to speak Spanish to me, thinking I'm Mexican, to folks proudly proclaiming that they are 1 fourteenth Indian and think that puts us on an equal playing field.
I'm tired of having allerigies during the best part of the season. I'm tired of not being able to set foot outside without sneezing or having eyes that immediately tear up because I'm trying so hard not to rub them. I'm tired of allergy medicine that doesn't work. I'm tired of not being able to wear full make-up because I'm too itchy.
I'm tired of not being able to do the things that I want to do. No blogging (notice I haven't been around to comment much of late?), no photo uploading or editing, no sewing.
I'm tired of packing and sorting, cause it really seems like it's taking forever. I still haven't sorted what's going to FIL or the BSA, and I feel really discouraged because I should have it done by now.
I'm tired of yelling, or feeling like a nap and knowing sleep will be very little for at least another week, tired of serving my husband, of my kids freaking out if no one is giving them direct attention for more than 5 minutes, and of feeling like an awful parent for trying to ignore the kids while trying to get things done, and giving up on said project a quarter of the way into it, and knowing it may not get done before we move out of our home completely.
I'm tired of feeling like my attention is needed in fifty different places besides the 20 I'm already directing it to.

D colored a picture today, and he requested that we send it to Barack Obama because he thought it would be nice. Can you believe I had to look up the address to the White House?

H looked adorable running around at the school playground we visited today, and he insisted that I not help him climb anything.

Mr has been feeling rather run down today, spending it in the recliner with a big fuzzy blanket covering him.

I pushed 220lbs (MR & H) in a wheelchair on a 1.3 mile walk today to help showcase our Tiger Cub Den in the Memorial Day Parade. I'm thanking my lucky stars it was still early and not near it's full blazing heat.

I had an opportunity to clean my new room lastnight, as there was only a path from the door to my bed between the blankets & laundry that I had unceremoniously dumped on my floor in a hurry.

I'm finished with Garage sales, and now need to pack up what's left for BSA & FIL. Thankfully Mr arranged for help with the BSA stuff, and FIL will be here next week for a visit (Mr won't be able to make the drive up to FIL's place). Mr also aranged for extra muscle moving the last of our big furniture out of our old house, so I won't be required to break anything else in the attempt.

I've got some sewing to do, I think since I struggled for an hour and a half to get the kids to sleep that I may just be ready to do some now that I've gotten this off my chest. Thanks for listening.

Wandering & Toe Jam

Thank goodness for caffeine. I've been drinking my fair share of it lately, and I'm grateful I have so many things to count as blessings during those times of complete discouragement. I'm nearly ashamed to say that, because it's so juvenile. I'm an adult, I really ought to just suck it up and move one without giving it a second thought. But, what runs through my mind, runs through without me checking it at the door.
To elaborate on the post the other day, about how my brain rambles. It occurred to me that while I was driving (I'm doing a lot of that recently) my brain has a tendency to wander to everything under the sun, and anyone not privy to how my brain operates, would know just how it got there, in a round-about way.
I've noticed that I associate certain objects with certain people, including my blog friends. When I think of:
Dunkin Donuts - Sue
Pink Roses - Berleen
Captain Jack & Harry potter - Janet
Fisher Price - Lois
Russian/Mob references in movies - John Finn
Cowboy hats - Sage
Chicago & motorcycles - Ric
Ribbon pins that raise awareness for a (any) cause - Jodi
Something that is pink - Diamond

In the course of a normal day, all of these things run through my mind, and these people, or things they've said in their blogs that I've read over the past while, will pop into my head and come seeping out my mouth...only to confound those who don't know me so well, and I spend more time trying to explain how I got there, than I do on the original story. I'm lucky if they even acknowledge what I've said at all by the time I'm done.

Something that makes me chuckle:
I've got a big stock of socks for H. Why? Because I've always had a hard time keeping things on his feet. He's always had a tendency to rip whatever is on them, off, and go running, leaving them where they may fall. Now that he's older, he takes his socks off in random places, and each time he does, he checks between his toes for toe-jams. I think it's become an addiction for him, and since I can never tell between the freshly tossed socks from the older ones, I end up just getting a new pair to put on. With this addiction he sheds at least three pairs in one day. Look out if you spend more time out with him cause they'll come off with more frequency out of sheer boredom.
Great, I've got a kid who's addicted to toe-jams. I wonder if they have an Anonymous group he can join. I'm gonna go Google that now...

Friday Fill-Ins #125

click the logo to play

And...here we go!

1. Moving really freakin sux when you can't use one index finger..

2. Will you give me a babysitter & a hotel room with really good curtains to block out the light, with a jacuzzi for free?? I didn't think so.

3. My best quality is my honesty.

4. You do the ideas, and I'll get the details.

5. In nearly 10 years, both of my children will be in high school, and I'll be in my late 30's.

6. Chocolate, nookie, and a 24 hour stretch of un-interrupted sleep is what I need right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to making an extra trip to get some more of our junk, tomorrow my plans include the final weekend of our garage sale and Sunday, I want to celebrate the end of my weekend obligations!

Thursday Thunks 2

Mr's version

1. Have you seen the new Star Trek movie, and if so what did you think? No I haven't, but it looks good

2. Which popular sitcom character (past or present) are you most like? amber says Raymond (Everybody Loves Raymond), I say Zach (Saved By The Bell)

3. What kind of dreams do you have? Tornado, Earthquake dreams

4. Bugger it. Go get a tattoo and come back. Right, now answer me this, what ees eet? something to do with Chinese Lettering

5. Do you think you could be on American Idol with the singing voice you have now without any voice training? Nooooooo

6. How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck? If a woodchuck could chuck wood? 8 inches

7. If you were a tree in a Dr. Seuss book, what would you look like? I would be green with orange balls

8. Twilight? I'm addicted/Who cares/What the hell is Twilight? What the hell is Twilight

9. Do you think Kimber and Berleen do a dube while writing these questions? don't know em

10. What *was/is* the worst injury you've ever had? my ankle is currently useless due to surgery, it is the worst

11. What is your favorite dessert? Fudge

12. What do you prefer...beach or mountains? Mountains, it's not even close

13. What movie have you seen that still make you cry? Titanic (this was a surprise to me)

14. Why are you making me submit a question? Are you too lazy to think of one yourself? skipping this one

15. how often do you do laundry? only when my wife refuses to wash mine because she's fed up with something

16. What is your favorite movie of all time, and why? Breafkast Club, because it has good life lessons, it's funny, it's the 80's

17. If you won a million dollars in the lottery, would you keep working? I would quit until I spent it all...maybe about a month

18. If there was a war of the gummies, would you be on the gummi bear side or the gummi worm side? Gummi Worms, they taste better. (Who wouldn't to taste good?)

19. What's your favorite comic strip? Garfield

20. Close your eyes… imagine you are in the perfect room/place… describe it
It would have a big screen TV, Fall Out 3 and an XBOX 360.

.....to be continued next week.... (you didn't want all 40-some questions this week, did you?)

Thursday Thunks 1

This is my version

1. Have you seen the new Star Trek movie, and if so what did you think? Nope, read about it in a few magazine's though. I was really surprised at some of their cast choices.

2. Which popular sitcom character (past or present) are you most like? Mr says I'm most like : Karen (Will & Grace), Patty/Selma (The Simpsons), or House

3. What kind of dreams do you have? Horror something's going to get me & my kids, except it doesn't in the end, the kind with sex in them, and Apocalypse dreams

4. Bugger it. Go get a tattoo and come back. Right, now answer me this, what ees eet? a Black Panther

5. Do you think you could be on American Idol with the singing voice you have now without any voice training? Of course, I think I'd even make it to the third round.

6. How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck? If a woodchuck could chuck wood? Just enough

7. If you were a tree in a Dr. Seuss book, what would you look like? I'd be blue, and big and fluffy with yummy berries that grow in it

8. Twilight? I'm addicted/Who cares/What the hell is Twilight? What the hell is Twilight??

9. Do you think Kimber and Berleen do a dube while writing these questions? Yup, that's how Kimber manages with allthose kids during the stay-at-home/home-schooling bit, a Berleen puts up with TWO teens

10. What the worst injury you've ever had? I just recently broke the tip of my right index finger, it's the first bone that I've ever broken

11. What is your favorite dessert? Tiramisu

12. What do you prefer...beach or mountains? Mountains, hands down

13. What movie have you seen that still make you cry? P.S.I Love You...seriously, I need an entire box of Kleenex to watch it. I recently watched an HBO documentary about Katrina that made me cry, I cry when I watch Terms of Endearment

14. Why are you making me submit a question? Are you too lazy to think of one yourself? Naw, more variety the better

15. how often do you do laundry? I try to do it once a week, but it depends on how much H has gone in his drawers, or done the dishes.

16. What is your favorite movie of all time, and why? Conan the Barbarian. It's got Arnie, romance, fantasy and action, can't get any better than that.

17. If you won a million dollars in the lottery, would you keep working? Yup. But it would only be part time, the rest would be devoted to volunteering.

18. If there was a war of the gummies, would you be on the gummi bear side or the gummi worm side? Gummie Worm, definitely.

19. What's your favorite comic strip? Calvin & Hobbes or Fox Trot

20. Close your eyes… imagine you are in the perfect room/place… describe it It's big, with one wall covered in a giant shelf stocked full with fabrics from all over the world, plenty of natural light & lamps, a princess dress form, a cutting table at the perfect height for me, an embroidery machine, up-to-date serger, new sewing machine, and a quilting machine. *excuse me while I get a napkin to wip up my drool*
.....to be continued next week.... (you didn't want all 40-some questions this week, did you?)

I often wonder if ppl think the same way that I do.
When I encounter certain things, themes, ideas, or items during the day I reference it to certain people, and my train of thought goes from there.

If It's Not One Thing...

You know, as I was typing my last entry, I was wondering what could happen that could make me thankful for what we have going on right now...turns out I didn't need to wonder for long.
I mentioned that we had put washer & dryer in the garage for pick up, when in actuality the washer didn't make it out of the truck bed until that night. We traded our newer washer with the one at MIL's which was aging, and placed their old one at our place to match the models up better.
Anyhow, it required me to go find a friend of ours to help me lift the washer out. As we were lifting, friend slipped, jumped, and dropped. It consequently rose up 2 inches in the air (he was on the heavy end) and came down and crushed my index finger between it and my truck tailgate. An hour later I headed to the hospital. I waited a while cause it really didn't register that it got hurt until a while later. Turns out I fracture the tip, and it's chipped. I'm right handed and I just busted the tip of my right index finger. Honestly...who fractures just a tip?! Anyhow, I've been splinted up, and told not to move it for the month that it'll take to heal.
Yup, I miss those good ole days where I had the use of both my complete hands. Now I need to toss on a rubber glove if I'm planning on getting wet, to prevent the splint from getting wet, and need to make sure it doesn't get bumped too hard. It's stupid, really. My finger tip is all shades of purple & blue, and I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't loose the nail.
On a brighter note, somthing that I've been chuckling over the last few days...H watched a tv station called Sprout, which occasionally airs those silly Geico commercials (that's the money you could be saving with Geico). Anyhow, as I was making my last entry, he was playing on the floor next to the comp when he sprouts off "That's money Geico!" I was wondering why he'd say Geico, and when I looked over at him ans asked him to repeat himself he showed me a piece of junk mail he had found on the floor. Yup, it was a picture of the Geico money, and my little H was prattling their slogan off...am thinkinI may cut back on tv time now...LOL
Have to go volunteer at the schoolt oday, and Thursday we'll be taking a class trip tot he zoo, which I'm chaperoning. Controlling two 1st grade classes when I can't even get my own to listen to me...oh boy, looking forward to it :o)

God Help Me

I'm tired.
I worked my first weekend of Garage Sale by myself yesterday, and decided against it today. It was crazy, each time I got the kids settled and made it downstairs to deal with ppl, they would start screaming at each other, forcing H to be outside with me most of the day. We had a decent day overall I suppose, but I was ready for bed by 8pm. I'm disappointed today, could be just the lack of energy, but the boys' have done their best to drive me nuts today. They've succeeded, and right now I could care less if they ignore me for the rest of the eve cause I'm just fed up with them.
I'm bummed. There's still so much more to pack at home, it's nearly over whelming. I seriously don't know how it'll all fit into the UHaul. I had pared down, and pared down again, and sorted through recyclables, and garbage, It looks like I need to do a third round to help make it all fit.
We could be looking into buying a vehicle here in Ohio, as opposed to doing it in the west as originally planned. No idea if that'll work in our favor or not though.
Washer & Dryer got moved out yesterday, in the garage ready to go to the ppl who bought it.
We've been asked to seperate things out that may prove useful to FIL (who's not with MIL, they're divorced) because he's getting his own place. I'm happy for him, but I can't keep thinking about how much more work it's creating for me.
I've got to start cleaning this week, waching walls, light fixtures, windows, sills, and doing the painting touch ups. Am considering just buying paper plates & the like to use for this last frame of time, so I can just pack the stuff and get rid of it.
After this last weekend coming up, if we haven't sold stuff, we'll be donating it to the BSA Garage Sale on June 6th. Joy...more stuff I get to ship to a different place.
I've spent a majority of my life being responsible, and trustworthy, and hardworking. I truly just don't want to do it now. Too much, too much. I'm tired.
Let's top it off with needing to take care of Mr. I feel bad for him, because in spite of everything, he's still showing a strong resistance to pain meds. He's always shown a slight resistance, but it's much more evident now, since the surgery. He's still pale looking, tires easily, and really quiet. It's a huge contrast to his behaviour leading up tot he surgery. Sure, he was in pain then, but he was happy to joke & jest, fool around, or even play with the kids on the floor. He just doesn't have it in him to do so now, and I feel badly that he's missing out on such things.
I attempted to take the kids to church today on my own, and ended up leaving early. Remember how they're trying to drive me nuts?? I ended up needing to take both of them into the nursery (where they have a speaker playing the service). They started getting rowdy (normally D can go to his own class, but they were performing) and nearly hurt the other toddlers/babies in the room by throwing things around. I was so embaressed I just left. We got home, and I soothed myself a bit by doing dishes and cooking lunch, then I made them take a nap.
I'm at my wits end with them. I seriously feel like there would be nothing more satisfying than whipping them both real good, and letting them know that they need to listen or so help me god I'll give them something to fear so that they will.
Thank god tomorrow is a school day, or they'd be splashing my name in the news as a child abuser or some such nonsense.
I'm tired, maybe we'll find something quiet to do tonight to keep them from killing each other & driving me nuts. I wonder if they sell children's sedatives over the counter?
God help me, I'm in need of a strong drink and a reason to just relax. heck, I could even do with a little nookie...for relaxation purposes of course.

Ack

Holy Blog Withdrawl.
My internet got cut off at home on Wednesday. Fun...
So, unfortunately I'll only be blogging when I get my butt out to MIL's when I can. More so than I think I will, I'm sure.
Mr went in for surgery today and it went well.
This week was pretty grueling. D had his dentist appointment, and came through just fine. Afterward we went home and napped before the long drive down to Columbus. Normally it only takes about an hour and a half, but because we hit rush hour traffic on the way it ended up taking nearly twice as long and we were ll pretty road weary by then. It was a very nice service, and afterward we had to hit a restaurant up for dinner as all of us had gone without food for multiple hours by then. We ate, then went to the after-gathering at the friend's house, and visited. Made for a long evening, and we didn't get back home until about 11pm.
Yesterday was not so bad, stayed round the house trying to get stuff done, and this morning was the beginning of my total take over of the house so Mr could rest.
Hoping that we can get things moved over quickly, so I can be with my internet again *cuddles computer* I really missed it.
In any event, I'm hoping we'll be over here by this time next week so I won't have to worry about Net withdrawls.
Some lovely news for you now...As I was getting ready for the funeral, I put on my chosen outfit and discovered it was too big. I changed it for a more flattering one, and when I got to MIL's to pick them up I weighed in and discovered I've lost about 8lbs! I was very happy, and proud of myself. Would be nice to keep this trend, but I'm sure it will slow down soon enough. I'm just happy I'm making some sort of headway.
*sigh* I see I've won an award in my absense, and will be picking that up whenI can. Unfortunately, along with moving I won't have my own comp to run on, so I won't be able to do HNT or my Saturday Snapshots, as I just don't feel comfortable saving pictures to a computer that isn't mine. That sucks...really, it does.
Anyhow, I'll be keeping my reading up as much as possible, but if y'all have anything important to tell me, email me.
That's all for now, have a great weekend!

This Is: My Collection

I was really stumped on this week's This Is. Partially due to the fact that nearly everything I own, and may collect is packed away and shipped over MIL's, and partially due to a really full month so far. I really don't have pictures of the things I collect, and that's due to the fact that I really don't consider myself a collector, I consider myself a saver.
In my youth I was infatuated with Smiley Faces and Black Panther's (hence Pantherpaw and Panther's Pad). Strange combination, but true. When I met my Mr he was rather put-off by my collection of both items, and as I tried to accommodate his personality, I got rid of most of these items. I still like them, but I admire them and try not to offend by dredging something home with those things on it. I still have a Black Panther mink blanket that I recieved as a gift on D's first Christmas, and a few Happy Face items like a pencil holder & cell phone charm, but I try not to gather too much cause the style of our belongings don't accomodate for the outlandish and silly.
I also love Arnold Scwarzenegger and have a few DVD's, VHS, and various items. A Biography, a small Mounted Photo of his that's titled inspiration, and a mounted Movie Poster from Terminator 2 Judgement Day. It is my lifelong dream to meet him in person, and though I wish for it, I'm quite certain I would at worst, faint, or at best, be rendered speechless and become a bumbling ninny. I would positively die if I could get the honor of shaking his hand.
I have a collection of Weird Al CD's. A T-Shirt, a Photo or two. He was the first concert I ever saw. I've tried to see as many of his concerts as I could, because he does an excellent show.
I have blankets, quilts, and afghans. I have a blanket that my mom made me when I was a child that has the ABC's on it, a Castle quilt she made for me, a knitted afghan that belonged to Mr when he was a baby, one that was made for H by my Gramma, and one that my mom made me in my teens years. Those have all been toted around the country in my traipsings.
I like pretty hair accessories. Hair bands, hair ties, ribbons, kerchiefs, and beaded hair clips. Let's not forget bobby pins, the decorative kind that have pretty flowers and jewels on them, and so on.
I like nail polishes. Pinks, purples, black, red, beige, nail chrome. I don't often wear them, but I buy whatever color seems to catch my eye.
I have pictures. I have pictures from my high school (before I dropped out) that I have in photo albums, photos from my 16th year on. Pictures that remind me of the life I've lived, the people I've met and stories I hope I can hold on to to remind me who I am, and who I wanted to be. Those also, have come accross the country many times.
While I don't see myself as a collector, I sure do have a lot of life saved up, and they mean a lot to me to keep and pass on because there wasn't a whole of that done on my mother or Grandmother's part. They moved too many times, and were purged or lost, stolen...you name it. They just didn't have a whole lot of meaningful items to pass my way that could be considered heirlooms or sacred family items. Thus, my "saving" was inspired. I truly want my children to have some memento of me, to know who I was through the things I keep, have a glimpse of me and maybe understand why I am the way I am, why I do the things I do, and know that they were the best things that ever happened to me. It's a bit disappointing to not be able to share photos this week, but, the verbal description will just have to do for now I suppose, after all, it does come with the territory of moving.

I'm Listening To...

Apprehension

Hmmm. Been pondering all weekend, things running through my head, being angry, being quiet, pensive.
It's tough being in such close quarters with Mr and family for so much time, and not really getting any time to myself both in and out of the house. Arguments have ensued over things that normally wouldn't be broached. I don't care to discuss said subjects, as I'm just not ready to. I'm finding it more difficult to focus on what I want in myself and how I want our lives to travel together.
Mr's surgery for his ankle it scheduled for this Friday, and I've seriously been considering renting a wheelchair (and fighting him to use it) for the month that he's supposed to be in recovery and keep most weight off that foot. I blame us both for not keeping him off of it when it first happened. We did, but not as much as we could have. Consequently, this surgery bit has it in my head that it needs to happen, one way or the other. Yes, he has crutches, but I'm afraid that may tempt him into weight bearing sooner than he should. So, a wheelchair is really my only option. Hell, I've hauled a stroller around many times, a wheelchair can't be that much harder.
Mother's Day came by and went. The boys got me some nice cards, and a pretty porcelain ornament along with a lovely picture that was really cute. Had a relatively nice day I suppose...I'm always left wanting more though, it seems, when it comes to days where I'm the one who's the star. Weird...but it frequently feels as if the galaxies are against me in letting me have a fabulous day because there's always a small shadow hanging over them. Could be I'm just being selfish too, ya never know.
It's a bit of a busy week. Need to clean the house between today and tomorrow as the landlord scheduled a showing for after 6pm tomorrow. It's a disaster zone, really. The Mr has been steadily moving out big, heavy furniture & all of the boxes we've packed and putting them at MIL's in preparation of his new-found gimpness at the end of the week. It was a good idea, and so our house in a constant state of disarray because of it. So, all I'm doing now is following along behind and trying to keep it relatively tidy & safe for the kids to be around. It's really starting to feel like it's never-ending.
There's no pictures on the walls, no big furniture items to swallow sound...so whenever I sneeze now (which is often because of the seasonal allergies I have) I echo throughout the house. Embaressing and funny all at the same time. Thank goodness I have a sense of humor.
Tomorrow there's a luncheon at the school with D's class, hope it'll be fun.

Wednesday H goes in to the dentist as his big day has arrived.
I'm apprehensive about it now, and it isn't even me they're doing the work on.
They'll be giving him a liquid to drink with a sedative in it, and they'll be waiting 30-45 minutes for it to take effect before they begin. I'm not allowed in the room while they do the work, and he'll be awake. They had me sign a release that states that if he starts to squirm too much they'll be strapping him down to a backboard-style thing (in the form of swaddling) to finish the work that needs to be done. Did I mention he'll be needing a cap and a baby-root canal? I'm not comfortable at all with not being allowed to be in there with him. I don't like the idea of the backboard, and would love to slap the idiot who thought that up. Why the fuck can't they just knock him out to do the work?? It needs to be done though, and after all the trouble I went through to find a decent place (which this place is) to even do the work for me, I justdon't feel like I'm left with any other alternative. It sounds wrong to me, to say that though, after our last experience. I still haven't blogged about it thoroughly, which I should...might explain my feelings.
All I'm going to say in the end now, is I'm so disappointed with the medical system here, as I've come accross numerous bumps, and roadblocks that shouldn't even exist for this kind of care. I've really just lost my faith in it, because as my children are citizens, they have a right to options. Those options are not being presented. We get an A or B, and neither of those choices are the kind that I'd want to go through, nevermind my kids who wouldn't understand. I want to be home right now...where I know I can trust the ppl with the care of my children.

After the dentist, we'll be driving down to Columbus for a funeral. Mr's uncle passed this past Thursday (my HNT inspiration) and we'll be heading there for the end of life celebration, dressed in our Hawaiian best ready for a luau. This is the closest death has come to Mr & I, and it's really rather scary...he was only 45. It made me more aware of my own family, and the things that need to be done. Lit a fire in me to not take the things for granted that I have been of late. My heart really does go to their family, because of the time I spent with them, they were really fun people.

Anyhow, maybe as a break from cleaning, I'll be coming back later to blog about that last dentist visit, as I've really put it off long enough. If I don't do it now, I'll forget about it in leu of this new visit.

Saturday Snapshots

Today was the beginning of week two of our garage sales. Not bad, but I kept myself mostly out of the garage itself, as I was busy in the house.
I started this morning off by getting the boys ready, and then making some breakfast. I don't know why the kids don't love this kinda food as much as I do...bewildering.
Feeling rather fragile, hopefully it'll pass.
Did not too bad on sales, as most of our big stuff left along with our Piano, Console TV, the coffee table, and punching bag. Someone even put a down payment on the washer/dryer. Surprising how many folks we had, but welcome.
When I did sneak down I managed to get a few shots in with the camera, without being too intrusive or annoying to the customers.
It's been a long day for me so far, would really love myself a nap...maybe I'll squeeze one in along the way here.
I need to get some sewing done. Planning on making a bunch of stuff, just need the time to get around to it.
I don't think I'm really made to be a saleslady. The person who bought the punching bag asked me if i would take 20 under the price it was stamped with, and I refused. Mr heckled me for at least a month to get that thing, and ended up not using it. So, I was firm on the price as it was in new condition. He did eventually pay that price, but was disappointed I wouldn't take a cheaper price for it. Oh well. I don't know how people can barter...I'm just not cut out for it. I wonder if I can rent a wheelchair fo rMr while he's in recovery from his surgery so I don't need to do all that work with the customers, LOL.

The D Update

This made me giggle.
Ya learn something new everyday.

Last weekend was very trying with D, he was just not co-operating with us. I had given him a bath, and found a bunch of bruises on him.
Now, before you say boys will be boys, let me say they weren't usual bruises. The few people I talked to about this, this week, were really annoying and interjected their opinions here, without letting me finish. How the fuck had listening become a lost art? All you need to do is listen...and not say anything, unless your asked.
Anyhow, they were the dark, purple kind. The kind that take a while to fade, as opposed to the usual light blue kind that go away within 48 hours. Being a mom of boys, I know my bruises. I thought it strange that he have so many, so I asked him about it. He brushed me off. I wasn't convinced so I sent in Mr, then MIL to make sure the stories matched up, because the story horrified me.
I'm not a big kinda gal, I'm 5'2". Mr isn't big either, he's 5'6"...we're not at the top of the genetic height scale. That means our kids won't be either.
We've had issues with him in the past during the school year where he's been teased about how small he is, and I really had hoped we were done with it.
His story, it turns out, was that he was playing "the kicking" game at school. He and another boy would go on a part of the playground that wasn't very well monitored, and he would have the other boy kick him. His claim was that it would make him stronger. He also said that the bruises were his fault because he wasn't strong enough. He figured that because he wasn't as big as the other boys, he could at least be as strong.
I really just want to cry. How is it possible that my 7 year old has such a bad self-image?? His self-esteem is such that he's taken to abusing himself to better it. What am I doing wrong as a parent? Am I missing something here??
He's a brilliant kid, full of big words that he understands the definitions to, in the top reading group in his class, amazingly creative, and funny. We shower him with affection, constant "I love yous", spend time with him each day to do homework, and get a run down of his day each day after he gets home from school. I just don't understand it.
So, I'm now pondering, and researching, and hoping I can find some sort of way to help him.
I swear, I'm too young to be dealing with this stuff.

Friday Fill-Ins #123

Thanks to Janet for hosting us each week.
And...here we go!

1. Apples are to oranges as oil is to water.

2. Hope is the best thing you can have and that's all I have to say about that.

3. I think I hear my bed calling my name.

4. I would love to make a Canadian flag quilt sometime, cause it would be cool to have that on my bed.

5. Do what you want to do, but I'm always going to stay true to myself.

6. Darius was following her slowly, and behind him was a Radio Flyer wagon; in the wagon was a bucket filled with fancy shells he had enjoyed collecting from the beautiful beach they were visiting that day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to OWLs with D, tomorrow my plans include garage sale weekend #2 and Sunday, I want to enjoy Mother's Day somehow!

Half Nekkid Thursday

Shadows. All that will be left behind once we leave Ohio.
Thinking hard about life, and what we do, or don't, take for granted.
Today I'm thankful I'm alive.
Today all that's left is the shadow of what was once cherished by those we love.

Thursday Thunks

(click the logo to play)

1. Why the heck did you come back this week to do this meme? Uhhhhm. I don't actually know. Habit? Maybe I should stop?

2. Ever whiten your teeth? I've used the whitening strips twice...

3. Do you drive the speed limit? Yes, I follow the law, and have no tickets, thankyouverymuch.

4. Did the dog eat your homework? no, if I didn't do it I said so.

5. How many bites does it take to get to the center of a watermelon? Depends, are you just trying to reach the middle, or actually consume the whole thing? Are you starting from the end, or from around the middle?? I'm methodical and eat the whole thing, so it may take a while cause I eat from end to end, and not just in the middle.

6. Did you eat paint chips as a child? I don't think that was a concern in Canada, it's a fairly new country and not many of the houses on the western coast were old enough to have to worry about that sort of thing.

7. If someone rang your doorbell/knocked on your door at 1am, would you answer it? Yes, after looking out the window or peephole first.

8. "Amazingly Smooth" makes you think of what? My legs...after I shave them.

9. What was the last stupid thing someone said to you? (not counting this meme's questions) Shutup. I glared at them and refused to speak nicely to them for an hour or two afterwards. I'm childish that way...I don't tolerate being shit-talked to. It irks me.

10. Would you eat a stick of butter for $100? How about you pay me first and I'll eat it over the course of a week. Especially if I'm eating it with popcorn.

11. Find the nearest fabric tab, not counting your clothing you are wearing. What does it say the object is made of and where was it made? All new materials consisting of Urethane Foam Made in China. Damn...those Chinese ppl sure know how to make a good chair.

12. What is the strangest name you've ever heard someone name their child (or a person you met... however you want to answer it)? Chance. Who names their kid Chance??! LOL. Honestly. You have no idea how many times I'm forced to correct someone, and actually spell it out, or phrase it like "TAKE A CHANCE". Yes, it's Chance...not Chase, Chad, or Casey. C-H-A-N-C-E.

13. Why is some toilet paper really soft and others are really hard? Cause some people decided they needed really sofft stuff for their sensitive bums, and others preferred to know the job was being done right.

The Mr Update

It almost seems fitting, now that I've thought about it some.
Mr had an MRI done on his ankle and foot, and got his results on Monday. They recommended surgery, for which he signed up on a date next week. He'll not be allowed to be on his feet at all for two weeks after wards, and more to let it heal properly. He gave his official resignation at work, and will now be home with me until we leave Ohio in the end of June. It will take that minimum amount of time to heal his foot, and possibly longer.
I've come to enjoy having his company at home, not feeling rushed to do things, packing, and talking about what pops through our minds at that moment. I've laughed a lot more with him this past two months (or whenever the injury occurred) than I have in a long time. It's funny to admit it myself, because it's not something I paid a whole lot of attention to, but we really rather lost our connection in the general hub-bub of normal, everyday life. While we seem to always be doing something around here, we're always communicating, and always have the other in mind when we're busy.
That being said, he's also started to read my blog a lot more, which fills me with a satisfaction I didn't know I needed. My ventures into photo therapy, confessions, and meme's are little pieces of me that I'm sharing with a world of strangers, and I'm surprised how much I bring it up during the course of a normal conversation. I make references in passing, or bring up something that popped into my head reminded by a comment someone left me, or even dwell on a comment while busying myself with something. I put a differnet piece of myself on the blog-o-sphere than I normally present in R/L. It's almost like I have two whol beings in there, cause I honestly can't connect them in my head...though I'm sure those who know me have no issues with that arena themselves. It honestly feels kind of surreal. ANYhow, I've found that it feels wonderfully satisfying to know that my Mr knows what I'm writing, and can banter back and forth with me when I bring it up.
It seems kind of strange that while I've become so open with my photo therapy, I nearly blush each time I go to take a photo of him. I'm embarrassed that I want to share my art with him, or use him as my art, whichever or both. In honesty, my photography is a vulnerable part of me, that I hold in reserve. I consider it a work-in-progress and can only see my potential in a few photographs, as opposed to a whole collection. Really, I'm just a perfectionist. The most frustrating thing I've found with the new venture of exploring photography with Mr, is that he likes different shots than I do. Seriously...drives me insane, and it takes all I have not to shoot some nasty comment off at the mouth about his choice of picture, rather than mine. Silly. In any event, please keep him in your thoughts, for a speedy recovery, and that he heals properly as well. I'm hoping it will all go smoothly, and that we can get back to a normal life with both of us mobile when we need to most.

H Chuckles

Today was good. I started the morning off (asides from walking D to the crosswalk) by taking H to the library. What a lovely walk that was, I always seem to forget what a nice time I have when I do that route. H watched all of the morning squirrels, and pointed out each bird. He had lots of fun watching the cars, and drinking his chocolate milk in the fresh air. The 1.2 miles walk took me about 25 minutes, not bad considering Google says it should've taken me 22. Talk about refreshing. I'm thinking of calling a friend to see if we can arrange nightly or evening walks. Ice skating is over, we don't do violin, Owls will be over soon, and all that's left is Cub Scouts. Our schedule is open, we can do with it what we will. That feels good.
Had some shopping to do, H needed some sandals cause he out-grew the ones from lastyear (his feet grow much faster than D's ever did!). We hit Payless (he really needed a second pair of running shoes too), and little twirp refused to let me try those shoes on him. Up one aisle, down the next, race away the minute I turned my head to look at a size or style for him. We looked like a family of chickens with our heads cut off. I had to splay him out flat on the floor, and try to keep him still from twisting, to try the darned things on, and then there was something wrong with each pair. One was too tight, one was itchy, one just didn't feel good, and each one went flying as he kicked them off and made a run for it. Eventually we just grabbed two off the shelf and marched to the register. I was putting a box back on the shelf, Mr was paying, and H made a break for the door...and got outside. I chased him, and when he realized I was closing in, he sped up.
WTF is with kids who can do that?! Is that like a natural instinct that all kids are born with??
He had to have already been doing maximum speed, how the hell does he have any way to speed up?? I caught up with him after he crossed the parking lot to the truck and started over the grass to the main road about 15 feet away. Now, it sounds dramatic, but really we were in a dead part about 20 feet straight ahead of the door. The parking lot had one way in/out that I could clearly see, and the store was dead with us being the only customers in it. I was more afraid of him making a break for the main road than anything. It amazes me how well my perriferral vision is when it's needed.
We bought some products to do a detail on the truck (we're selling it if ne1's interested, LOL) today. I had a bucket of water to use with Q-tips to clean the vents, and a few of those expandable towels. H was puttering around the yard being bored, when I offered him one to use to clean his car. Of course he rushed right over to join in. I kept wondering why he was coming back so quickly for more water from my pail, so I decided to watch what he was doing. He'd walk back over to his car from where I was, rub a bit of the wheel, then squeeze all of the water out on the grass.
He noticed me watching him and said "The grass is hungry" then "The grass is thirsty, it needs a drink" Made me chuckle. I always seem to forget what a great thought proccess he has.
I brought him inside because he was wet & kinda chilly, and he had to potty (did I ever mention he says that word like pawty? SO cute). He warmed up a bit, and started digging through my purse and discovered a Tootsie Roll. When I held my mouth open for a piece, he said "You don't like Tootsie Roll Mom" "You won't like it, it spicy".
Seems, I'm rubbing off on him a whole lot more than I planned on. No, I don't writh on the shoe store floor. I meant the phrases he was saying. Schmo.

Before & After

Well, it's been four days now since the beginning of the month.
I'm doing good on the portions control, the not eating after a specific time, and drinking more water. I am, however, suffering from carbonated beverage withdrawal. Craving sweet drinks, and sweet treats seems to be my major fall back right now.
So, we did not too bad for our first week of sales, dismal in comparison to what we did the last time we did this around, but we'll get there. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we'll be able to keep the tables we borrowed from the Cub Scouts for the entire month, as opposed to returning them after the weekends. Sometimes I just don't think things through. Spent most of yesterday cleaning the house. Got the living room back to some semblance of normal, since we removed most of the furniture, this is as close as we could get. It'll work for now.
During the course of the weekend the kids were testing our patience. See, I've never parented a 7 year old before. A 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and newborn...but not a 7 year old. Each thing I experience with him is new to me, and sometimes a curve-ball works its way into the crevasses I leave behind. He was testing everything, and making a major argument out of the simplest no, which made it very challenging. Suffice to say we're left the option to seek counseling for him, but who knows how productive that can be before we leave?? Would we be better off if we just waited until we got to BC, or not? *sigh*
In any event, he did something ridiculous that made me giggle. After I stopped giggling, I said "I'm blogging about that!" (which is actually a regular threat around here, though rarely used), and he shot back at me the 7 year old version of blogging and tweeting. Kind of caught me off-guard as I don't even talk about blogging to him, or usually, around him. I've never mentioned Twitter either, as I don't do it myself, or follow anyone on it.
MIL came over after dinner last night, and decided to try and play with the ornery children that I had. The park was in the plan, but they were being so difficult we ended up just hitting the backyard & driveway. All things quiet and content for the time being when all of a sudden...you could hear chimes & cheesy music in the distance. The Ice Cream Truck was coming.
For the record, neither one had actually "finished" their dinners, and when they asked if they could get something I said no. Of course, the damned lady driving turned up our street. *sigh* I gave in and said ok, and just as I was about to turn to the house to get my wallet, out come Mr with some cash in hand. Apparently he had waved down the Ice Cream Lady.
Stupid Universe...it's bad enough I'm porkin back the cake that's been sitting in my freezer cause it needs to be empty when we sell it, but you need to throw in the Ice Cream Lady as well?!

Lazy Sundays

After our sale ended yesterday, and things calmed down a bit...we all turned into a bunch of lumps. Drudging our feet from one side of the house to the other, or one floor to the other. We were all bagged out.
It wasn't until I sent D up to his room to grab something that I realized how bad it was upstairs. When he walked out of his room he asked me "Mom, why does my room look like a tornado went through it?" We had emptied off his bookshelf to sell, and had sorted through most of the toys in the room, leaving a gigantic mess behind us, claiming we'd clean it up later.
Well, later had arrived. About 2 1/5 hours after I went in, I emerged from a completely clean & re-organized room. I noticed that when I'm tired I clean at a slower pace...
We ate dinner, which Mr was kind enough to cook (a combo of leftovers & new stuff) for us, and then I headed back upstairs to continue what I had started. I had weeded out a bunch more stuff in the boys' room as I was cleaning, and had left it in our hallway, ready for transport 2 floors down to the garage. I then attacked our bedroom. Cleaning, tidying, hanging up those straggling sweaters (which I'm famous for) that were left on the floor, and weeding through some things that could stand to go. Another huge pile of stuff (mostly bedding) lay at the bottom of the stairs where I had thrown it.
Officially spent for the evening, I headed to bed. I hit the pillow, and don't really recall what happened until Mr came to bed, and complained about his for keeping him awake :o( I don't give him enough credit for his pain. When he complains I tell him to do something about it (which usually doesn't help anyways), and when he doesn't complain I assume all is well, when it actually isn't. Poor guy got hardly any sleep cause of the pain. I guess we're switching places from yesterday.
Business is slow today, giving me enough time to do the dishes, tidy up a bit, get some food cooked, get dinner into the crock-pot, and blog. I'm off to go enjoy the rest of the day outside now. Hopefully we'll be able to keep some semblance of clean as we ready ourselves to move. Hopefully all this packing & shit is gonna get my ass to be a little less jiggly...that would be a welcome reward.

Saturday Snapshots

Today was our first day for our 5 weekend Garage Sale. Yes. You read that right. We've signed ourselves up for 5 weekends of this torture. Stayed up late last night to get things organized, got up early to put some finishing touches and continue bringing things down to add as I weed out & prioritize our possessions.
This shot is of Mr being social with our neighbor while we waited for customers. I'm so glad he got more rest than I. He spent his time chasing the boys, and playing with them outside, while I paced inside and tried to rest my feet a bit.
It was difficult to have the boys in and out of the garage, as they kept asking to keep the toys we had up for grabs, but with a little persuasion they eventually put them back. I'm amazed they didn't get more grouchy, but, overall they were fairly well mannered...up until it was nap time for H. Took a bit, but I did get him down, and he's got much brighter spirits now.
This morning started out rather dreary & wet. The grass was damp when the boys took their first romps in the yard, and they both came back drenched and ready for a snack. Got them changed and fed, but D had a wardrobe malfunction. He was wearing pants that could be turned into shorts by removing the lower portion of the pant-legs. I guess he wanted to look unique because I noticed him running around the the lower portions put on the wrong legs...
The afternoon turned out just fine, bright & sunny, warm in the light, cool in the shade with a light breeze. Made me glad I didn't schedule the sale for longer, as I wouldn't get to enjoy it at all, then.
Next task is to keep packing. The landlord visited today to inform that he would be tossing up the For Rent signs this weekend, and though he's required to give 24 hrs notice before a walk-through with anyone, I'd rather it be clean beforehand, than have to worry about it & rush. So, pack up what we don't need, and be done with it.
One thing is for sure, after today's observations. We sure have an eclectic community. We had people from all walks of life, interested in a large variety of items on the tables. I hope we can get our money's worth from all of this work...if not, oh well. It's definitely worth the exercise. I feel like my butt may fall off from the amount of times I've been up and down my stairs. Who needs a stair-master??

Saying Goodbye

I do wonder why I put things off for so long, until I just exhaust myself when I rush to get it done on time.
It occurred to me today while I was cleaning that my family has moved each year but one of our 8 years together. I wonder what I should make of that.
Spent today cleaning out the garage, setting up tables, re-arranging our storage/side room to accommodate visitors who wish to look at the piano and what-not, as this weekend's forecast calls for rain, and it's looking like the whole thing will need to be in our garage as opposed to out int he driveway. *sigh* Maybe next weekend we can do it outside instead of in...but of course this could also be a blessing in disguise, it could just be easier to leave it all set up. *shrug* we'll see. I'll be spending my evening putting price tags on everything, and cleaning the upstairs as there's just a huge mess because we took furniture items out that were still being used.
We sold our couch yesterday. Mr listed it on the classifieds, and we got a phone call not more than two hours later. Kinda made me think he sold it for too little, but at least we won't need to worry about it's transport now. We are officially couch-less for the time being. I got tired of sitting on the floor on a pile of blankets, so I hauled up our air mattress today from the basement. It's a king size that folds in half to form a couch. Course, once I blew it up I noticed a huge hole that I'm going to need to patch overnight tonight. At least I know we'll make it worth the money we spent on it.
So, our Garage is full of stuff we don't want to haul with us, and it's very surprising just what we don't wish to keep. It's difficult for me to waste things. I know, selling them to strangers isn't wasting them...we're getting at least some money back from the investment that was made, but when I see something that we bought just a month or two ago I have to resist the urge to snatch it up and say "BUT THIS IS STILL GOOD" (much like that lady in the roll-over minutes commercial)!
I tend to get sentimental over having sales like this, or donating items, because I can remember when we got an item, or the reason we bought something, and it comes back clearly. I can clearly picture every item of clothing in our household right now. I know each item in my Mr's wardrobe, his fav combinations and so on. I know each and every shirt my sons own, and can tell which one they're asking for with one color request.
I attatch all of my memories to an item...and it saddens me to let them go. I don't mind change, I welcome it, in fact. I just don't like good-byes. I've never liked good-byes. Even when my mom came to visit us last summer, I dreaded the good-bye's more so much I found it hard to find things to occupy us with. I dislike knowing what I'm missing because I know that I will eventually forget it's existence, and a piece of me will go with it. That's another huge reason why I love taking pictures so much. They're a visual reminder of what my life has been about so far.
Eventually, all those little things that I've experiencing, or will experience will be put together to make an amazing person. Maybe it already has...but I'd really need to go back and re-read my journal to get an idea of what I was like to accurately judge that one.
In any event, it's a bitter-sweet feeling, saying good-bye to a part of life. I've worked hard to adjust myself to living here. I've helped my family try to fit in, be a part of the community, and have made it through long enough to see that we'll be leaving a hole for someone else to fill when we go.

Friday Fill-Ins #122

And...here we go!

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is always be the first to the coffee machine.

2. How happy are clams, and why would we aspire to be happy like them?

3. When I think of carnivals I think of a chick who has many piercings poking a fake flower with a wire stem through various piercings. I watched Real Sex last night and they had a segment on an Erotic Circus.

4. Lilacs are my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include A printer that doesn't work, two of my cameras, and an Atlas open to the page I'll need to navigate us across the country.

6. Kriss Kross makes me wanna jump jump. that made me giggle

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to putting the finishing touches on our Garage Sale stuff, tomorrow my plans include having the first day of our garage sale and Sunday, I want to sleep!