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Archive for June, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday plans…

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

trader joe's I’m at that point in the week when I start thinking about what I can do to make the time remaining special for the kids. I know that they are only going to be gone for a week, but it always feels like a really long time when they are gone. I don’t mind having a day here or there, but after that, I’m ready to have my kids back.

Needless to say, I did everything in my power to spend some time with them despite work today. So, for lunch, I ran home and picked them up. I brought them to the mall, met them during my break, and planned our evening together.

We had a nice frappuchino, vanilla bean, of course. Rachel paid with a card. Yes, she officially had more money than I did. And it was her idea. She was trying to reward Keenan for being good while she was shopping. What a nice big sister. Really.

On the way home, we stopped to visit Donna at her new job. She went into it full speed ahead, the same way she does everything. And because of that I’m sure she will be very successful.

After that, it was my usual plan: a meal discussion. All I knew was that I was in no mood to cook. Dominoes has become our standby. Ever since they changed the recipe and made their crust all flavorful, I’m hooked. And that’s probably why it took me all of twelve seconds to get the order placed online.

Rachel wanted to go with me. No, she didn’t drive. Rush hour traffic scares her. It’s probably just as well. Rachel during rush hour traffic may very well have been the end of me.

We had some time to spare. Field trip. We walked to Trader Joe’s. I love Trader Joe’s. It was one of our last stops on that fateful day in February before I ran into HIM and changed the course of my life forever. Ahhh.

Well, we walked around and picked up an appetizer. That eight pack of sushi was our treat for picking up dinner. And the chocolate croissants were our treat for our last breakfast together for a week. Yeah. We haven’t had them since her birthday. She deserves them.

So we paid, picked up the pizza and headed home.

me: Sushi me.

That’s Bubble speak for hurry up and give me a piece of sushi you lazy kid!

Rachel: Hold on.

me: And don’t forget the wasabi.

Rachel: I said hold on.

me: Okay, let’s do that thing.

Rachel: What thing.

me: You know…that thing. Let’s pretend I’m the mom and you have to do what I say fast and without ‘tude.

*giggle*

Rachel: Here’s your sushi.

me: That’s more like it. Oh, and did you wasabi it?

Rachel: There is no wasabi. There’s soy sauce and shredded ginger and…shredded wasabi…

So, I tried the first one without and decided that it was good enough to stand alone without the extra kick. At the end though, I wanted more.

me: Let’s try that wasabi now for future reference.

Rachel: You don’t have anything to eat it on.

me: I have a finger. Put it right there.

She tore open the packet and it squirted out onto her finger.

me: No, I said on my finger.

And while we were eating wasabi out of a packet, we devised a new plan. Normally, on Wednesdays, we ate whatever we wanted without taking into account even for a second what HE might be interested in eating. We do this because Wednesdays are all you can eat Bojangles night. And on that night, HE dines at Bojangles. Alone.

New plan. From now on, we’re going to select food from Trader Joe’s on that one special night to create a meal. We’re going to work our way through that store, fresh, frozen, and partially prepared. Oh yeah, we’re gonna totally own that place. It’s a good plan. It’s a solid plan. It’s the kind of plan I can really support and enforce.

*Sniffle*

Only the kids are leaving tomorrow afternoon. And the following Wednesday is my birthday and Rachel has been planning a special meal. So…three Wednesdays from now, we will be dining on Trader Joe’s. It’ll be a special night, the last night before I leave for California. I can’t wait.

Posted in Reflections | 3 Comments »

Keep them safe…

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

computer safety It’s moments like these that I start to feel old, moments where I begin a thought with this phrasing: when I was a kid…

The truth, however, is that life is different from when I was a kid. There are numerous reasons for that, but the biggest is most definitely the advancements in technology. Like every generation before me, my children have things that I didn’t have as a kid. We went from the excitement of having a VCR to VCRs becoming obsolete in such a short period of time. We invested in DVDs, and they are now being outdone by BlueRays. Cassettes and walkmans have gone the way of the dinosaur. Now, it’s all about CDs, MP3s, and iPods. Computers have moved from being a luxury item to a necessity.

And because of their popularity, their mainstream acceptance, their usefulness, kids are trained to use computers almost from infancy. Like everything else in this world, the machine itself, technology…not bad, but how it is used can be. It all depends on how it’s wielded, just like something as rudimentary as a bat or as sophisticated as a cell phone.

As much as we work to keep our children safe out in the world, we often hit an epic fail when it comes to their safety within the home. We forget that our days of child-proofing aren’t over because we no longer need outlet covers and Mr. Yuck stickers. Nope. Kids can be in even more danger when left to their own devices around computers. We all comfort ourselves with…not my kid. Rest assured…even my kid.

Several years back, my sweet innocent son was encouraged to check out Girls Gone Wild by some older boys. Yeah. I was NOT impressed. And my daughter snuck around and signed up for MySpace behind my back, lying about her age. Oh, not a happy night in my household. Excuses like, ‘but all my friends have one’ do not fly. Instead, I begin channeling my mother: And if all your friends jumped off a bridge…

Maybe I’m not as evolved as I thought I was. Ouch.

It’s scary to find out that we’re not as in touch and involved. It’s hurtful to think we have somehow managed to drop the parenting ball. And yet it happens so easily. Danger lurks everywhere. Don’t believe me? Read the newspaper…online, or watch MSNBC and their Catch a Predator series.

Suddenly, I’m longing for the days the kids fit in a Snugli and could be worn around my neck. Shoot, maybe even farther back when they were safely ensconced in my womb. Since I know I have to cut the cord, since I have to admit that my babies are growing up between two households with very different rules, the absolute best I can hope for is that I raise them right, teach them to be savvy, that it’s enough to keep them safe.

I had to forget about their ideas of privacy, their views of boundaries, and go with my gut. If I hadn’t checked the history on the computers, I’d never know what was happening in my own house. We’ve always had an open door policy, as in…my door is always open to you. The new open door policy meant that if you were on the computer, the door would be open. Anything you felt had to be done behind a closed door, you probably shouldn’t be doing. I have their passwords. If at any time I don’t have their passwords, they no longer have computer privileges.

Oh, and the computer is a privilege. There’s no law that says they have to be online at all. The Child Protection Agency will not reprimand me for the kids not being able to check on Facebook or email. As much as I want them to be happy, I want them safe even more.

We’ve had our challenges with bullies at school, with bullies around the neighborhood. Now with cyber-bullying, I have one more area to worry about. So, as I was writing this piece, inspired by the Yahoo! Mother Board, I asked my daughter if she had any problems with that.

Rachel: Mom, are you kidding me? We’re barely online.

*inner sigh*

Maybe I have one less thing to torture myself with. Maybe I don’t have to worry about packing up the family and moving to some remote island. Maybe for now, we’re safe right where we are.

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 7 Comments »

Monday schmunday…

Monday, June 28th, 2010

philly cheese steak I just finished my weekend with the kids. It’s notable because I really only get one a month. And I treasure every moment of it. It’s easier to treasure these moments, of course, if you have a little spending money. Oh, and I didn’t. So, we treasured these moments around the house. And I don’t think we did so badly.

Let’s see…

Saturday night was our best family night so far this summer. We had Ed, Laura, and Bailey over for dinner. That was one of our last minute plans. Those are my very favorites.

Laura ran into me at the mailbox. I thanked her for letting me vent the night before. She questioned my need for two purses.

me: Rachel spent the night with Breanna and wants to come home for lunch. I need to bring her permit so she can drive home.

Laura questioned what I was making for lunch. So I told her.

me: We’re making English muffin pizzas.

Laura: Oh, I love those!

And that started us on an entire discussion about our favorite easy meals and kid comfort foods and ended with us planning to go grocery shopping and make dinner all together, while Rachel sent mournful texts questioning when I was going to get there.

So we made our pizzas. And we ate our pizzas. And HE finally emerged from the bedroom. HE loves sleep. And if he can get a good twelve hours on a weekend, he’ll take it.

Keenan ran off to play with a neighborhood friend. Again. I’m beginning to wonder what they do over there. He finishes breakfast and wants to go there EVERY DAY. Maybe the father subscribes to Playboy? I only ask because…well, the boy is twelve. And he suddenly has this penchant for pants and bathrobes. And it’s still 80 degrees in the evening. I’ve started calling him, ‘Hef.’

Anyway, the three of us hopped in the pool, then made an impulse decision to go to Rita’s. I think you know how I feel about Rita’s. Om nom nom. Rachel had been begging for Rita’s all week. And any place that advertises Ice, Custard, and Happiness on their sign has a special place in my heart. Needless to say, we were dying to share that experience with HIM.

We hopped in the car and rushed to our destination. I had a shopping date with Laura, HE had lights to install, and Rachel…well, she just wanted her custard. And I have to tell you, the custard, while ridiculously smooth, didn’t seem as chocolatey good as the last time I had eaten it.

HIM: Needs more chocolate.

See why I love him?

Rachel: You could have ordered a gelati. Then you would have three layers of chocolate, two custard and one chocolate ice.

Ahh, but HE had found the chocolate ice sample to be disappointing, too.

HIM: Yes, but then I would have had three layers of disappointment. Here, I just have one.

Right then and there, while Rachel was in the store, waiting for the custard we bought Keenan but left without, we made a pact. Next month, on our kids weekend, we would be trying Kilwin’s together. They, supposedly, received the best ice cream in Charlotte award in 2009. I love market research. Mmm.

Well, we made it home and went our separate ways. I shopped with Laura, he installed lights, Rachel nursed Hidalgo, her food baby; and Keenan ate popcorn and custard. I wasn’t worried. He seems to be in a growth spurt. I knew he’d still eat dinner.

We made dinner for 6:30pm. The families came together with their courses. I was making the Philly cheese steaks, and chilling the watermelon. Laura was making the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and French fries. Rachel made the salad. Keenan prepped plates. And HE took over when it looked like I was making the meat wrong. I didn’t care. The end result was an amazing meal.

After the clean up, they left and we went in the pool. The guys were plotting against me…and Rachel. We played…rough…for an hour. I took a Keenan foot to the head when he was flipped. I just couldn’t get out of the way fast enough. And I had to wonder…

me: Why’s it always gotta be me? Why is it always my head?

HIM: At least it wasn’t your nose.

Yeah. Thank God for small favors. (See, I’m very spiritual…)

And as we marveled over the gorgeous sunset we were enjoying together, and the rabbits…including Babbit…playing out in the yard, we decided to order a movie on demand and end the evening relaxing to family movie night.

It was a great plan. We all dried off and changed. I wore my favorite outfit: His pajama pants and a big t-shirt. Hef made the popcorn. Rachel settled in on the couch with all her blankets and pillow. We snuggled in the lounge chair.

We rented The Wolfman. I had my reservations. Not big on Benicio Del Toro. Love Anthony Hopkins. Of course, since my head was on HIS chest and his magical arms were around me, I saw the first half hour and the last fifteen minutes. According to HIM, I didn’t miss much.

It was a great night. And Sunday night was just as good. And that’s why I hate Mondays. We get into this great routine of making dinner together, this comfortable balance of all hanging out together, and all too soon it is ripped away with responsibility. Grr. Well, we have plans to see the next Twilight movie on Wednesday evening. I can’t wait to share it with them. Then they are gone for a week to the beach.

I’m just going to treasure every moment until then.

Posted in Reflections | 4 Comments »

Save me…

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

crosses After I finished with my first YouTube video production Friday night, I was ready to relax. Ummm. Okay. I was in no condition to do much other than relax.

We ended up over at Ed and Laura’s where we talked about the roof job HE is about to do for them. There were a lot of details to work out. It was fine. I went in and baked cookies. I explained that I would be out once the cookies were ready.

So, twenty minutes later, I headed out the door, after leaving two cookies on the cookie sheet for Keenan, since he was hanging out in his room. And then, for reasons that were obviously ‘rita induced, I didn’t think a thing about leaving Bishop unattended in the house. Right.

Well, I offered up these fantastically wonderful cookies, Nestle Toll House break and bake at its finest. And everyone snagged one. And when Ed was about to say things to get himself into trouble, I offered up another one.

me: Ed, here.

Ed: I don’t want one.

me: I’m hoping if you have it, you won’t talk with your mouth full.

It was a not so subtle hint. The only kind that works around here.

And we laughed more and talked more. Then the neighbor came home. We don’t know much about him. He’s Haitian. That’s all I knew. Only, after his visit…I knew waaaay more.

He came over and started talking to Ed at first. And I really need to set the stage. Ed and HIM are sitting on huge chemical buckets and Laura was sitting on a plastic chair. I was standing, holding a plate of cookies. Our wagons were circled.

The circle was breached. And he was trying to pass out invitations to this supernatural experience at his church. Yup. One wild and crazy night of Evangelism and Religious mysticism. Great. And we were invited. Really. He insisted. And I knew it was going to take a ton of effort to rid ourselves of the interloper.

I lost track of time after that. Over the years, I have received tons of invitations to event I haven’t wanted to attend from people I haven’t wanted to be around. In each of those scenarios, I was gracefully able to extricate myself from the situation. And in each of those situations, the inviter knew when to make an exit.

Oh, but not this guy. He had hit the mother load. Ed is a non-practicing Roman Catholic. Laura is Jewish. I have explained to HIM that he is agnostic. And I’m a non-practicing American Baptist. (We’re a very conservative sect. Please don’t confuse us with some of the other groups…)

Yes, so the neighbor we don’t really know has decided to save us, especially Ed. And he went on and on and on. And I should warn you in advance…

I don’t need saving. My soul is good, my place in heaven reasonably secure.
Nothing irritates me more than people trying to choke their views down my throat.
None of my plans for the evening involved being saved in the driveway by a man who didn’t know me and what little I knew of him…not good.

So, he started on Ed. And I haven’t seen many people over talk Ed. It takes a rare person to be able to shut him down, render him ineffective and silent. That part…amused me mildly. At the same time, I found it disrespectful. Extremely disrespectful.

Laura was in no mood for the discussion that evening. She was sorting through her own issues. A little eight-year old girl Bailey went to school with, Ellie Potvin, who had been in her class and Girl Scout Troop, died after a long battle with a rare form of pediatric cancer. And Laura was struggling to understand how God could let that happen. She tried to bring that up.

Laura: Tonight is not the night for this. I’m trying to understand how God could let this little girl suffer for years and die.

It was rough listening to Laura. And I had lost my own child many years before…

neighbor: Well, the parents were bad and are being punished.

Yeah. I passed HIM the plate and pretty much jumped down the guy’s throat at that point. Of all the insensitive, ill-conceived, utterly idiotic things he could have said…he went for the gold..maybe even platinum.

me: Don’t you ever say that! I will not believe that for one minute! I might buy into it being a test of faith, but not a punishment!

Yes, I was yelling. I had pulled out my mommy-yell. It had taken less than three seconds for me to dust it off and polish it before using, too. And I wasn’t alone. The man jumped back in surprise, but didn’t have enough sense to exit the driveway.

He brought up Moses and a few of the apostles. He tried to share his beliefs. Unfortunately, he did it in entirely the wrong way. Not only was he shoving it down our throats, he had it wrong. Seriously, as the man quoted away, he was bastardizing the Bible. Yup, there’s no combination like passionate, ignorant, and misinformed.

Oh, for the record…don’t quote scripture to me. Don’t go toe to toe on Bible trivia. I may be non-practicing, but don’t mistake that for lack of education or understanding. Soon I was desperate to shut him up.

me: Have a cookie.

He took one, but it was all melty in his hands because he wouldn’t eat it. God forbid that it should interfere with his ability to attempt to make a point and convert us. Or maybe there wasn’t any room in there with his foot and all. Regardless, when this attempt to delicately shut him up had failed and Laura’s attempt to ever so nicely send him packing went unnoticed…

Laura: Well, thank you for the invitation. It’s nice to know we have a man of faith next door…

I looked at HIM.

me: I’m over this.

And I spoke directly to the neighbor. I know I have been calling him the neighbor. There is a reason for that. The jackass wouldn’t give us his name.

me: We haven’t met before. I’m Nicki.

And the neighbor chuckled and backed up. He looked at HIM.

neighbor: Oh, this one. She’ll cut you off at the knees! Hahaha!

Hmm. That might be the first thing he’d gotten right all night. He was at least a little perceptive. Oh, but no, he never gave us a name.

Instead, HE walked back across the street in disgust after several more minutes of this BS and I followed, disgusted that this jerk was ruining my night. Yeah, I was completely sober now.

Laura and I discussed it later. There are lots of ways to make your point with me. The first and best is to be well-informed and respectful. I’ll listen to you. You should listen to me. We’ll sort through our belief system.

I needed to be saved Friday night…from the neighbor, not by the neighbor. Oh, and I don’t think I’ll be needing my invitation. Any takers?

Posted in Reflections | 4 Comments »

Inspired by Pippi…

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

Yes, it’s been a rough week. And it was Friday night in The Bubble. And I desperately needed to have fun. And so…I read Pippi’s blog. (She’s back!) In all honesty, Pippi and I have remained in close contact even when she dropped from the public eye. Yup. We’re thisclose. In fact, we’re so close that I know her REAL name. That’s how I roll…

Anyway, I digress. This is my first YouTube experience. And this is one of the few times I have intentionally taken a video. My first video was in Cozumel when I tried to take a picture of HIM in a HUGE sombrero. Ooops. Then there were the videos of HIM shaving Doug’s head in the garage. They were very funny, but since HE is so private, so are the videos.

My first take had HIM holding the camera while I spoke and poured. And there was no sound. We figured I had to be holding the camera for the sound to pick up. So I drank it and we moved on. The second take, I finished and realized that it hadn’t recorded. Nope. I forgot to push record a second time. So, I drank it and moved on. The third time I remembered to push record, and it seemed very promising, but there was no sound. So, HE came over, discovered I had somehow messed with the settings and it was on mute. That meant…I had to drink it and move on.

That brings us to the fourth take, and the video masterpiece you have before you. Yes, there was room for improvement. There was not, however, any more room in my blood for more alcohol at that moment. I’m a girl who knows when to say when. If you look hard, you can see HIM in the background…and Bishop. I just couldn’t do any more takes. There’s no pouring the margarita back into the bottle and there’s no wasting it. We have to drive to another state to even buy it. There’s only one store we know of that carries it. Yes, it’s not just a lemony-lime color, it’s liquid gold.

So, forgive me for maybe having a bit of a buzz when I did the last take. It was unintentional although not unnecessary. Even more, it was over too soon. Oh, but you can read about that tomorrow. I insist.

Oh, and no fiances or dogs were hurt in the making of this video. (Okay, the dog came close. He couldn’t keep his nose out of my glass during one of the takes. Luckily, he was easily distracted by his basketball.)

Posted in Reflections | 6 Comments »

Happy Blog-iversary to me!

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Wow. 439 posts in the past year. I guess I have a lot to say.

As I write this, struggling to find the best words, the house is mostly quiet this morning. And quiet is good. I need the peace to help me think. I started a post yesterday to be published today, same as always, but it simply wasn’t good enough.

Today is, after all, my one year blog-iversary. (What is that…paper?) And I’ve been feeling restless all week. Don’t believe me? Simply ask HIM. By last night I was very nearly driving him crazy with it.

I didn’t want to be anywhere or doing anything. I had a hard time relaxing long enough to sit through a movie. I didn’t make dinner, but suggested one of our famous snack nights. And I didn’t even haul all the options out on the counter like I used to. Blame that on Bishop. He’ll snag some food but fast. Monday night he managed to eat the baked potato I pulled out while I was hauling the rest of the Potaco ingredients from the fridge. I thought I was losing my mind searching for it until he skulked off wearing a guilty look.

So it was one year ago today that I put up my first post. Another year of my life has flown by. And this past year, like most years, not dull.

Sometimes, I like to see where I’ve come from to get perspective on where I’m headed. I like having goals and a plan, even though so much of my life celebrates my ability to fly by the seat of my pants. (Luckily, it’s a pretty big seat.) And that’s why my original post for today looked nothing like the post you’re going to read.

I had put together something of a year in review. There were landmarks from each month linked to posts. That was all well and good when I was reminiscing about all our fireworks disasters this past year in July, or our trip to Great Wolf with the kids in August, or even about the moment after the squatter removal when I finally was able to exhale in September.

Then came October, when we broke up and I moved out after living with anyone who would take me/us in for a week. Reading that month about killed me, reminded of all the gut-wrenching sorrow I poured out online, remembering how sad and hopeless I felt. It was my rock bottom.

Slowly, I pulled it together. Slowly, I struggled to let go of the hurt and the dreams that would never come to fruition and even tried to stop loving HIM. I tried dating. Tales of my breakfast date and not-a-date are the stuff that legends are made of. And no one seemed truly surprised that I managed to have a stalker. Come on…who else could own a house and rent an apartment, but still need to sleep on Kimberly’s couch for a night? Probably just me.

And that’s why I was over random dating by December. Instead, I focused more on writing, receiving my invite to join Deep South Moms. I focused more on being a Mom and getting back to me…whoever that was. I stopped missing the life I had, the life I so desperately wanted, and instead found the beauty in the life I had.

The kids and I started January strong, creating lists for the year. And we have been working on them…some. Interestingly enough, it was following the list the day before Valentine’s Day that led me back to HIM. Yup. My life changed. Forever. For good. I’m back where I was last year. My life has come full circle in some ways. Only, now we’re engaged.

And I suppose some of my discontent comes from the fact that while there have been lots of changes, some of the ones I want most have yet to happen. Professionally, I’m still in a job I don’t want that doesn’t pay what I need. I’m still not published. And while I told myself for a while that it was okay, that maybe writing a blog and writing for Deep South Moms, and being a member of the Yahoo! Mother Board was enough…it really isn’t.

Don’t get me wrong. I love that I have a few advertisers that allow me a little money. I was able to buy Rachel’s awesome necklace without spending a dime from my pocket because of it. And after this next payment, I’ll be buying a new door handle. Woohoo! I love that I came home yesterday and found a new product to review. Really cool. I love the little perks.

I want more. I want to accomplish what I set out to do. I see HIM working toward his goal every day. I help him. And now, after our talk last night, he seems even more determined to help me. I’m not sure what he can do to make this possible, but the support is nice.

Maybe this is some of the cause of the restlessness. Even though I have gone through a lot of changes, I’m still in transition, still evolving. That should make me happy, right?

Well, the good news is that 2010 is only half over. I still have plenty of time to leave my mark. I still have plenty of time to make those dreams a reality.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for your words of encouragement when I’ve needed them. Thank you for sticking it out. In return, I’ll try to make the next year of blogging even better, more interesting. I’ll try to line up some giveaways. That’s right. You should benefit from free stuff, too. I’m sure there will be much more to write about, such is the nature of my life.

In the meantime…

Here are some pictures of the work bench. Like me, it’s a work in progress. And, a side note, Ninja has returned. Long story. Let me know if you want a kitten.

Posted in Reflections | 8 Comments »

Happiness is passing a rite of passage…

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

It was another trip to the DMV yesterday. I’m sure you remember the tragedy that was our last trip…five months ago. I’m sure you remember that it ended with Rachel failing and me trying to comfort her and pretty much ruining her chances of getting her permit for…well, apparently five months…because I threw away all papers verifying her existence. *gulp* Yeah, it took a while to recover from that.

Only, with all the papers back together, her existence firmly rooted in an appropriate paper trail, and Michael ready and able to man the office, I planned a trip to the DMV. And I toyed with the idea of taking the morning off and spending some quality time with the girl. I mean, how long could it possibly take?

So, we left for the DMV bright and early. I was bemoaning being broke. And she wanted McDonald’s. Well, we went through the drive-thru. And we’re rushing, hence the use of the drive-thru. And the man in front of us was…old. And he was taking forever. And I was planning on using my card, while hoping against all hope that it would work. Finally, I reached the window.

Micky D employee: Your money is no good here.

And I’m thinking but I haven’t even given her the card yet! How could she know?

Then she explains that the man in front of us paid for our breakfast. Nothing could have made me feel worse. I was grumbling about how slow he was and he was paying for my meal.

I looked at Rachel.

me: I’m going to hell for that.

Rachel: I know, Mommy.

So, we drove to DMV. And it’s been a good six months since I’ve been there and I can literally get lost in a parking lot, so I’m worried about finding my way.

Rachel: It’s a left turn.

me: I know. That’s very helpful.

We finally arrived. DMV opened at 8am. There was a line out the building and down the sidewalk. Way down the sidewalk. And it wasn’t moving. And the thermometer said 84. Only it felt more like 104. And the air wasn’t moving, either.

Well, I tried to make the best of a bad situation.

me: Let’s play a game. Let’s play…this line is so long…

Rachel: Okay. You start.

me: This line is so long that I could get a manicure, pedicure and Brazilian wax, come back, and still not have lost my place.

Rachel: Okay. This line is so long that I could go to the salon over there, get my head shaved, come back to the line and grow dreds before it moves.

We went on a few more minutes getting sillier. And then we stopped.

I’ve been offered compensation to advertise for a cool company that does personalized blankets and canvases. They told me that if I sent them a picture, they could make it up on canvas for me. Sweet.

me: Help me pick one.

Only as we’re scrolling through the photos on the camera, I realize that they are predominantly kittens and Bishop.

me: No. I’m not getting a kitten print.

Rachel: Why not?

me: Because I’m not five.

And she did that thing she does. She started sharing our pictures and talking to the really hot guy behind us. I should be so fearless.

After two hours in the blistering heat, we made it inside…only to wait in a new line. On the bright side, the new line had air conditioning. And we stood there for another fifteen or twenty minutes before we were given a number and instructed to go sit in the chairs…that were all full. So, we stood against a wall for another hour. Finally, two chairs emptied. (Yes, other chairs emptied, but I let older people and pregnant people and an older pregnant person have them. I had some bad Micky D Karma to work off.)

Finally, we sat. And we waited. After another ten minutes, our number was posted and the booth we were supposed to be in was given. I stood up and rejoiced, quietly. It was like winning the lottery. I mean, we had been there for three hours at that point. Over three hours.

We march happily to the booth, only to find…it’s empty.

Rachel: This is just my luck!

We waited and waited and waited. Finally, a man came and took her information and my information. And…sent me to a new chair.

At last…she passed!

Rachel: It was down to the wire, mom. I had to get the last question right, or fail.

me: I suppose you’re going to want to drive now.

We did the phone calls on the way to the car.

I dialed HIM.

me: Rachel has something to tell you.

Rachel: (in a sing-song voice) I got my learner’s permit.

HIM: (in a matching sing-song voice) You’re gonna wreck your mom’s car.

We made it home. She drove part of the way, including pulling into the driveway. HE was outside watching as we pulled in. And though I jumped from the vehicle and kissed the ground, in reality, she didn’t do so badly.

My baby’s a driver!

Does that officially make me old? I know it makes me happy. I get to watch her grow up. I get to experience all these rites of passage with her. And even though I often wish her father would want some of these experiences, I’m thrilled that I haven’t missed any. One step closer to being independent. Yay! One step closer to leaving the nest. *sniffle*

Posted in Happiness is... | 8 Comments »

Book Review: Winter’s Passage

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

There’s something special about being given products to review. I really love it. Part of it, no doubt, is the idea that I’m getting free schwag. (And who doesn’t love a little free stuff?) At the same time, as with all honors, it comes with great responsibility.

Sometimes, I’m a lot of work. I received two books this month to read and review. And I was really excited about both.

The first was a book for teens. I have a teen. It was a fantasy. She lives in a fantasy world. Seemed like it would be a great fit. Oh, better still…it was an ebook! As I’m slowly breaking away from the life of the technophobe, I thought this would be fantastic.

Word to the wise, keep in mind, ebooks can be easily deleted. Yeah. About that. So, the book was emailed to be as an Adobe file. And I received it the same day I found out about the Yahoo! Mother Board Summit in California . I had soooo many emails in my box that I promptly deleted it. Well, nuts!

After a few apologetic emails, I received Winter’s Passage by Julie Kagawa once again.

Now, this book is a teen fantasy romance for Harlequin. I was intrigued because it combines the fairy realm with the real world in a contemporary setting. In this novel, Megan Chase, half-breed daughter of Oberon, the king of the Summer Court, is traveling with Prince Ash, son of Mab, Queen of the Winter Court. If you have studied any of this area, then it helps. (And by studied, I mean watched movies, read literature, even experienced a bit of Shakespeare…) Puck is one of Megan’s best friends and is currently encased in a tree.

The story, as part of a series, does a fine job of keeping you in the loop if this is the first one you’ve read. It just so happens, for me it was. And I liked that. I’m pretty quick on the uptake, but it’s nice not to have to work for it.

The premise was reasonably fresh. I liked the book. This is not one that is destined to become a timeless classic. It does, however, fill a void. For those kids who can be convinced to read most anything as long as it’s on a computer screen, this is ideal. At 67 pages, it is considerably shorter than most novels. That’s how ebooks work. And I think, in order to truly give a better review, I’d have had to read more of the series. There are others in the series coming out over the next few months.

PS. On a completely different note…wish us luck! Rachel and I are off to the DMV. I’m not sure which of us is more scared.

Posted in Reviews | 2 Comments »

The Last Song…

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

the last song I had a great plan for yesterday.

See, Mondays are a nice day for HIM to have some down time, to relax and refresh and pull himself together for the week. During the school year, that is made exponentially more challenging by the presence of…EVERYONE. During the summer, I can give my man a break.

So, Kimberly and I planned to go to the movies and pick up the kids on the way home. Not only would he have some quiet time during daylight hours, but he would have the evening and part of the night to himself. He was VERY happy and appreciative.

As you know, Kimberly and I have a history of picking chick flicks. Yes, those movies our macho men would rather stick a hot poker in their eye than risk seeing tend to be the ones that we gravitate toward on our movie nights.

Last night, it was The Last Song. Yup, we love love love some Nicholas Sparks. (I still want to be him. The talent, the money, the coastal home…) I mean, the man had TWO movies in the theater at the SAME TIME!

Well, I didn’t have much hope for a truly enjoyable experience. We went to the $2 movies. It was, apparently, teeny bopper night. The high school kids were out in full force. And they are rude, have no movie etiquette when it comes to behavior during a movie and seating prior to. Yup. We were magnetic north AGAIN. And the curse was in full force.

I sent HIM a text about it. He sent back some very helpful advice.

HIM: Fart on them! hahahaha!

Right. As a girl, I’ve been trained not to do anything so unladylike EVER. Suddenly, I’m supposed to be able to perform such a taboo task on demand. GUYS! Grrr.

So, the movie began and it took forever for everyone to get into it enough for the crying to stop. These kids had clearly turned on their once teen queen Miley Cyrus. Poor girl. She probably cries each trip to the bank, both ways.

The movie was quintessential Sparks: bittersweet, deeply moving. And yes, I cried loads of movie tears. And I was soooo moved that I had to rush home and talk to HIM. Lately, I have been a bit stressed. There’s a lot going on.

I’m still dealing with a renter/squatter. And it may not ease up. It seems like everyone and their brother owes me money right now, which is making it difficult for me to pay all my bills. And while we have enough work to keep us afloat, it is frustrating to try and figure out how we are going to make enough to cover some of our really necessary remodels and pay for a wedding. We will. We always do. I just need to have more faith and let go more.

I know this. Practicing it is different.

AS soon as I walked in the door, I discovered that he had gone to bed. I went into the room and found him half asleep, lying with Bishop. Bishop took one look at me and stepped down to the floor. Huh. HE usually has to shove him off. Nice.

HIM: How was the movie?

me: Great.

HIM: So lots of movie tears, huh?

*Smile*

me: Yeah. It also made me think.

And I had to take a deep bolstering breath.

me: Life is short and precious, HIM. I don’t want to waste time getting upset with you over little things.

HIM: And I’ll never give you big things to be upset about.

me: I’ll work on it. My biggest flaw is also a big part of what make me who I am. I feel everything so deeply. And then I get hurt and upset easily. Only, Miley’s character pushes everyone away. I tend to run.

HIM: No. You get overemotional or you put up a brick wall.

I let him speak without arguing. Perception is reality. At the same time, I knew what he meant. When I’m trying not to get upset and I just need to process how I’m feeling, I close off. I clean. I get silent. On the bright side…I clean! And you’d think he’d appreciate my silence instead of my babble. Instead, he prefers me perky.

As Kelly Preston’s character said in the movie:

Kim: We’re not perfect. Any of us. We make mistakes, we screw up but then we forgive and move forward.

I’m ready to move forward.

And on the wedding front: Wedding Journeys…

Posted in Reflections | 5 Comments »

Two down, three to go!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

We celebrated Father’s Day yesterday, just like everyone else.

Only it was different. We hosted HIS family. Yes, his father, step-mom, sister, her husband and their two young kids came over.

I had been wanting to have them over for a while. It was a combination of things. On the one hand, they are family and I’m used to having constant family gatherings. I com from a family where we would have a big family lunch together every Sunday after church, and where every holiday was a big food deal. And I think the other part was that I really want to get to know them better, I miss the family gatherings…miss having a family period.

So, HE invited everyone over for dinner. And just in case I wasn’t sure what prompted the experience, I asked while he hung out with me as I painted the workbench while we waited for everyone to arrive.

HIM: I’m a little nervous. I’ve never hosted before.

me: Relax. I’ve got this. I have. Tons of times.

HIM: I knew you were going to say that.

me: So why are we hosting now.

HIM: Because of you. But you already knew this. You just wanted me to verify it.

me: I may have suspected…

There was a lot of truth to what he had said. I knew he was nervous. He had told me as much over and over and over again the past week. It was those stinking growing pains. It was a sign he was an adult. It was a sign he was a family man now. Bachelors don’t host. Now he had an almost wife, and kids that they had never met before. Yes, normally my kids are gone when they are over.

Everyone arrived and I wasn’t ready. I mean, the house was clean, and I was clean, but I had decided against make-up and hair until the last possible moment. And HE assured me they would call in advance of their arrival. Only they didn’t. So, I was standing there au natural when everyone arrived.

me: Looks like I”m going to have to get by on personality.

And I almost did. Emma, his niece, wanted to see the kittens. Bishop was a bit too large and intimidating for her. Of course.

And I had to pull out some toys for them to play with. Thank you , Keenan! Travis enjoyed several of your WWE wrestlers. I don’t know them well enough to tell you which ones. Just know that the two with the most baby drool…yup, a huge hit.

And Emma really enjoyed Noodles. She carried him around most of the evening. She even hauled out the big dog.

I ran around and served up potacos. And in all honesty, I think part of the allure for everyone was the name. Yes, we are a clever bunch. I mean, what else would I name a chicken taco served on a baked potato. That’s right. It’s a potaco.

The last time I had spent any time with Emma, we were in Myrtle Beach. It was over a year ago and Christie was still pregnant with Travis. Emma was a little shy, but did okay with me. I know how to be with kids. And I miss using my baby hip.

Now, she’s two and a third years old. She has long curly strawberry blond hair. (It’s been washed out from its normal red by the sun.) And she is starting to talk. She hung out with me a lot.

We washed potatoes together, and she stabbed them with the fork before I put them in the oven. I really enjoyed it. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a little one help me in the kitchen. And I guess I didn’t realize how much I missed it. Oh, but it’s like riding a bicycle. And it came right back when I needed it.

They took a kitten when they left. Ninja now is off to a great home. And I’m thrilled. And she’s keeping the name Ninja. It’s kind of been my goal to keep the kittens with friends so that we can see them forever. So far, so good.

After everyone left, and the dishwasher was loaded, the kitchen cleaned, the disposal unclogged, the house back in order, we sat and talked on the screen porch.

me: So, it went really well.

HIM: It could have been better.

And I replayed the experience in my mind, fast forward of course. Seemed pretty stinking perfect to me.

me: How could it have been better?

And I gave him the look that suggested I challenged him for a response.

HIM: There could have been a rock band. If there was a rock band, it would have been better.

Hmm.

me: Otherwise?

He smiled.

HIM: It was a great first hosting. My dad seemed to be having a good time and that was the goal.

It was a nice Father’s Day. Hope you were able to enjoy your with your fathers and your kids and for those of you who have them…your husbands.

Happy Monday. Let’s make it a great week.