Down to the Wire

I will be so happy when this painting is all done. Good news is the base coat is finished, so we no longer have to deal with mullet man (mullet man being the man with the one-liners), but we still have to deal with the main guy, Dave the painter. He does the faux finishing. This has been going on forever. We signed the contract back in September sometime saying we'd like it to be done by December 2 (the day before our Christmas party). Now it's December 1 and he hasn't even started on the faux finishing yet. He was supposed to start this morning, but called and said he'll get started this afternoon and finish tomorrow. Talk about cutting it close.

I'm so frustrated because one, I don't want it stinking of paint in here for our party, and two, I want them done and out of here so I can get the house cleaned up. I hate all the last-minute scrambling to get everything ready the day of a party, so I was wanting to get as much done tomorrow as I can. It'll all come together, it always does, but why can't anything go as planned?

Lesson learned...don't give them a date and expect them to be done ahead of schedule just because you give them 2 or 3 month's notice, expect it to be done by THAT DATE. I guess I can't ask for much more. Lesson learned. My fault.

Some exciting news...Rick Springfield has returned to General Hospital! Okay...I don't watch General Hospital anymore, haven't since 8th grade, when I gave it up for Days of Our Lives, but back in his day, DAMN he was sexy. Remember that movie, "Hard to Hold"? I sat in that theatre seat, butterflies in my stomach, gazing at the screen, wishing he would jump off the screen and...and...you know...reach back in time and remember those teen-year fantasies you had about your favorite rocker. I wanted to do it all and more. This was the 80's folks, my fantasies consisted of some heavy necking and maybe a feel-up over the blouse. Do they still use the term necking? Do they still say petting? Ew. Anyway, I still won't be watching, but I'm excited he's back.

I'm waiting on some changes from Mia for the new look. Hopefully soon!

Too Many Paint Fumes?

Quips from our painter...

"Are all three of them twins?"

"I have more respect for murderers and drug dealers than thieves."

"I'm taking this with me (pointing to our toilet paper)."

"I've got a bed like that, 'cept mine has mirrors on the top."

"Dang! That's the biggest bathroom I've ever seen!"

"(Referring to his boss being a Jehovah's Witness) What does that mean? Does he believe in God and stuff? You can tell me. I promise I won't tell him you said anything."

Turkey Turkey Turkey

My first turkey venture was a success. It could have been taken out a little sooner, but overall, everything was delicious. Along with the turkey, I made stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, and sweet potato casserole. Then Saturday, we did it all again, but our friends were kind enough to bring the side dishes, so all we had to do was the turkey and stuffing.

The baking of the turkey turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would, but it's such a time guzzler that I think we're going to do a ham instead of a turkey for Christmas. We're hosting Christmas at 3:30 p.m., eating around 4:30; we'll be at his mom's for brunch in the morning, so that doesn't leave us much time to visit and get home in time to get the turkey in the oven. We might fry a small turkey to have alongside the ham, but that's it.

We got our Christmas decorations up this weekend. I've been wanting to take some pictures, but our digital camera has been on the fritz, so it looks like a new camera might be in our future. We need to do something quick so we can get a photo to use for our Christmas cards this year. That's always fun...and stressful! Getting three kids to cooperate for a fun, family photo just isn't the jolly good time you dream it to be.

Mia is going to have some mock-ups for me this evening, so my new look should hopefully be up in the next day or two. Keep your fingers crossed!

Randumbs

I think I've got everything I need for Thursday. It's my first turkey, so it's safe to say I have a bit of turkey-anxiety. Cross all crossables that I leave us with an edible - and maybe even delicious - meal. There's only going to be three of us, plus the kids. Then Saturday we're doing it all again with two other couples. It will be good practice for when we host Christmas - serving close to 30 people, plus a gaggle of children. eek! Practice makes perfect, they say...

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I'm going to see "Wicked" tomorrow night. I was hoping to get through the book in time for the show, but it's not exactly a quick read - I'm maybe a third of the way through. I used to be an avid reader, but since I've had kids, I'm just too damn tired anymore. I'm really looking forward to the show. It starts at 8 p.m. and goes to 11 p.m., so I'm sure it will be midnight at the earliest before I get home. That's LATE for me. If I make it to the first guest of Letterman, it's a big deal.

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RD and I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and got everything we needed to make our wreath. This is what I was going for. I need to take a picture of it. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. Though...RD did most of the work, though he wouldn't want me to share that. ;)

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We decided to wait on the train set for the kids. I think they're still a little young to appreciate it, so we'll reconsider it when their birthday comes around. So now I'm trying to think of something else and I'm drawing a blank. This (21 months) is a really hard age to buy for. They're past all the baby-stuff, but they're still too young for most everything else. My mom's getting them a big, play kitchen; RD's mom is getting them this big Dora-house thing that they can play in; and his sister is getting them these Flinstone-type cars they can ride in. What toys did your children love at this age? As for what they're into right now...Elmo, dogs, babies (I bought a Cabbage Patch Baby for AR), and planes. You can only buy so many Elmo's.

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Something I'm very excited about...I will have a new look soon! The kids aren't exactly babies anymore (though I'm in constant denial), so I wanted to change things up a bit. Mia is working on something, and I hope to have it up soon. Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas to Me!

We went shopping for my Christmas present today. After searching various stores on-line, we headed to Pier 1 to look at some chairs. We saw a couple we liked, but nothing that got us too excited. RD suggested we go to Crate and Barrel. I thought they'd be way too expensive, but I love the store, so we went ahead. I still had a few Christmas gifts to buy, so the trip wouldn't be a loss.

Everything we looked at was way too expensive, as expected, then we found this. Still not cheap, but not ridiculous - and it's the perfect color! The chair and ottoman will be delivered November 29. I'm so excited!

Now the only furniture pieces we really need are end tables and a chair for the living room and a chair and bench (for the end of the bed) in our bedroom.

I'd like to get some art pieces, but I think all the fun house stuff I'm wanting is going to have to wait until after the holidays.

Our dining room walls are a dark chocolate brown. I am wanting a vintage chocolate print, but have been unable to find one that isn't too cutesy or just the wrong colors. Do you have any stores or websites you'd recommend?

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. It's taking everything in my power to keep from dragging out our Christmas decorations. Maybe I'll see if I can find a good movie on t.v.

I'm bored out of my mind.

Fun all over the place

Bunco was a blast! I'm so excited to have a scheduled outing every month. A chance to get away from the house, the family (yes, definitely needed from time to time), and a chance to gab with the gals. Everyone was really nice and a lot of fun.

Plus, the host of the evening built the same model house as we did, so it's always fun to see what options and upgrades other families go with when building the same house.

The night before last I got a call from one of the moms I met at the Pampered Chef party, inviting me and the kids over to play yesterday morning. RD was off work, so I left SJ home with him and took AR and SA down to play. It's a win-win situation. I have just two kids to keep in line and SJ got some one-on-one time with his dad. She has a 17-month old daughter and is due in April with her second. Another mom from her cul-de-sac brought her 16-month son over as well. They kept commenting on what angels my two are. "Just wait," I told them, "They're not comfortable here yet. Let us come a few times and you'll see what they're really made of." ha!

While at Bunco, I made plans to have another mom and her two daughters (4 and 18 months) over to play. Even if it's time spent with Elmo and choo choo trains, I feel like I've finally got a social life again.

Something that's long, long overdue.

Bunco Fabulous!

Yeaaahhhh!! I got a call from my neighbor, A, "the clock lady," as she called herself (long story). They've added another table for their Bunco group, so she asked if I'd like to join them. They take turns hosting and meet the third Wednesday of every month - my first being this Wednesday.

I'm so excited! Two of my Aunts have been in the same Bunco league for close to 30 years and have made lifelong friends. I have no idea how to play, but I hear it's easy and has more to do with a bunch of ladies gabbing and drinking it up, more than the actual game itself.

I really need this.

Weekend Randoms

RD cleaned up SA's hair, so it doesn't look all that bad anymore. Aside from me missing all his sweet curls, it actually looks pretty good. RD even went ahead and cut SJ's hair today. There was a lot of squirming and screaming involved, but his hair turned out pretty good. I trimmed AR's bangs, but I'm not going any further than that. This sound awful, but it's one thing to mess up the boys' hair, it's another to mess up her's. The boys hair is a fairly easy fix, just buzz it...her's...well...I can't chance it.

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Yesterday was a fun day. I spent the morning at a multiple's playgroup. A girl I used to work with had triplets a few days after mine and she's involved with the local Twin's Club. She has them over to her house once a month for a playdate. This is the first time I've gone and we had a lot of fun. I thought for sure my three (especially AR, who is very clingy) would be fighting over my lap the whole time, but to my surprise, they all jumped right in to play.

Then lastnight I went to a neighbor's house for a Pampered Chef party. I really don't need any more Pampered Chef stuff, but I went mainly to meet some new people. I had a lot of fun. I really hit it off with a couple of the ladies, and we plan on getting our kids together sometime in the next week or two. It's always wonderful having something to do in the mornings - it really breaks up the day. Plus, our kids are the same age, so I'm excited for my kids to make new friends as well. And mommy can always use more friends herself!

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I'm back on my happy pills. Boy can I notice a difference! I'm a much more pleasant person when medicated. I never wanted to be one to rely on meds to get by, but I got so sick and tired of being so pissed off and unhappy all the time. It's like night and day. I'm happier and you can bet those around me are happier as well.

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Dave the painter is starting on our foyer and master bathroom a week from Monday. He is doing a reverse rag rolling technique in the foyer and Venetian plaster in our master bathroom. He said it should only take him three days. I'm sure that's if he doesn't talk. This man talks and talks and talks like you wouldn't believe. Once those rooms are done, all we will have left to paint are the kids' rooms, which we're waiting on until they get their big-kid furniture. The house still looks a little bare - we still need furniture here and there, but it's all coming together.

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That's all folks! It's starting to storm, so I guess I'll get off the computer. It wouldn't kill me to go to bed early for a change.

Have a great weekend!

A Moment of Insanity

We did the unthinkable. Insanity? Maybe. Over-confidence in our ability? Most definitely. Stupidity? Well....gulp...yes.

Just what did we do, you ask? It's awful, just awful.

We cut our son's hair. RD did the doing, but it was my idea, and he won't let me forget it for a second.

His hair was out of control. All over the place! SA's got this really curly hair and when it gets long, it doesn't really get, well, long, it just sort of grows...out. It just gets bigger and bigger. The boy's already got a huge head, so his hairstyle was just not helping. If my husband made one more Art Garfunkel joke I was going to snap, so I said, "Let's do it. Let's go cut his hair. Let's cut both the boys'." Due to the results of our first victim, the second son was spared.

I don't know what I was thinking. Okay, that's a lie, I was thinking, "How hard can it be?" I figured we'd just set the clipper to a 6 or 7 and buzz away. Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom. Just like that.

Three words.

It ain't pretty.

I just kept staring at him thinking how strange he looked. Poor kid. He's a great looking kid...but...that hair...well...that head that once had all that hair. I think he'd be better off had we just shaved it. Yes, it's that bad. All RD could say was, "This was your idea." And he said it again and again and again.

Now I'm taking the kids to a playdate tomorrow where we're going to meet a lot of new moms. Just how long do you think it's going to take me to blurt out, "My husband did this!" ;)

Bring On the Ho-Ho-Ho!

I am so excited for Christmas! We've had some crazy weather around here - I've had the windows open for a few days, kind of strange for November - so it's hard to believe Christmas is so close, but I'm ready!

I'm looking forward to decorating our new house. I spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday in our basement, going through bin after bin of decorations. A lot of it I need to just get rid of. My mom, God love her, is a dime-store junkie, so I have a lot of things that I've never been able to bring myself to put out (AK, like that Christmas tree toilet bowl brush I used as a White Elephant gift last year). I know I'll never use any of it, but I've felt too guilty to throw the stuff away, but I need to either give it to Goodwill (someone would want it, right?) or throw it away, because right now all it is doing is taking up space.

We're hosting two Christmas parties this year - RD's friends (they're mine, too...but you know..."his side") on December 3rd and my dad's side of the family Christmas afternoon. It has always been tradition that my dad's side has turkey for Christmas - something I've never made. I suggested we have ham this year...that didn't go over so well; so turkey it is. RD's working on Thanksgiving this year, so I'm having my mom and my friend, C, over. I'm planning on having a small Thanksgiving dinner that night, so I'll have a trial run at the turkey dinner.

I've gotten most of our Christmas shopping done. I got most of it done while down at the lake, then did some lastnight and this morning. Now I just have our mom's, our stepmom's, and our kids to get. We're getting the kids a train set and table, along with a few little things; RD said he is getting new work-out equipment for Christmas (oooooooo-kaaaaay, I'll play), so then I told him I'm getting a new chair and ottoman for our family room. Boring, I know, but I'm going to get my fill of perfumes, knick knacks, and clothes from family, I'd like something I've really been wanting. My birthday is two days after Christmas, so I already asked him if he'd get me the vacuum I've been wanting. We're great fun at parties...heehee! Who would've thought I'd get so excited over cleaning supplies? Welcome to the real world!

I've got a great husband who is quite romantic when he wants to be, so I know he'll pull through for me on V-Day and our anniversary in March, so for now, give the lady what she really wants. ;)

I've got a question for ya...we've become sort of friends with some of our new neighbors (I say 'sort of,' because it hasn't turned into any more than joining each other for walks around the block or talks in our yards...yet), so do I do anything? I mean...do I send them Christmas cards...give them some Christmas cookies...anything? What is a nice neighborly gesture without being too...I don't know...creepy or suggestive? I know I'm giving this too much thought, but am curious to see what the general consensus is.

Grown-up Type'a Weekend

Okay, I feel like a total grown-up now. I totally get that I am a grown-up, and have been for some time, but I still feel like a kid. I feel like a kid playing house sometimes. I may look all of my 31 (getting close to 32) years, but I sure don't feel like it (except for my back pains...and crow's feet...and snail's pace metabolism...you get the idea). Sometimes I still have to pinch myself when I see that I'm married with three kids living in Suburbia. House payment and all. But anyway...where was I? Oh yes... I had a total grown-up moment today...

RD left for Chicago this afternoon to take his boards. His flight comes in tomorrow at 8:20 p.m. - right in the middle of Desperate Housewives...what on Earth was he thinking(?!?!) - and I needed someone to watch the kids while I pick him up. A neighbor-girl stopped by a while back offering to babysit, so I gave her a call. When she called back she...gulp...called me "Mrs. XXX". -insert shocking horror music here- "Please, please call me Mel, because calling me Mrs. XXX makes me feel really, really old and someday you'll understand that's a really, really bad thing. You see I like to think I'm this young, cute, itty-bitty thing that just happens to have three kids and a husband, so don't jolt me back into reality by addressing me as you would your Great Aunt Jane's friend, m'kay?" Okay, I didn't really say that, but it did cross my mind.

So that was my moment of the day. They seem to be plentiful these days.

As for the rest of my weekend, lastnight I painted the guest bedroom. The color is sort of a coffee with cream kind of look. A very relaxing, and what I would call yummy, color.

Tonight, my friend, C, came over for dinner and we rented a movie after the kids went to bed. This was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and I highly recommend it. If you haven't watched it yet, you've gotta put this movie on your gotta-watch list, because it is that good. Crash. I laughed, I cried, I got really pissed off. You've got to watch this movie.

Tomorrow, not much on the agenda. I need to go to the store to get the Sunday paper (gotta get my coupons...yes, very old lady of me...teehee), and I've got to get some cash to pay the sitter. Other than that, nada.

Time to go through my US Weekly. Britney's pissed off and Jessica's once again not wearing her ring. Oh the drama!

Until next time, have a great weekend!

Enough to Make Your Heart Melt

I was sitting on the floor, just before bedtime. AR came up next to me, wrapped her arms around my head, pressed her cheek against mine, patted my head and said, "Awwwww, my baby."

So sweet.

Pictures and stuff

I finally downloaded all the pictures from my camera. Long overdue! So I thought I would post a couple.

Here is a picture of AR and SJ in their costumes (w/my MIL)...



Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of SA dressed as Elmo without his face in the picture, so I don't have one of him to post.

Here are the three of them crawling like babies. They think this is hilarious for some reason. I say, "Crawl like babies," and they take off. If only they'd listen to me any other time.



As you can see, the boys aren't wearing their costumes in the picture. They couldn't wait to take their's off, whereas AR would've stayed in her's all night if we'd let her.

And I have to share my great buy from the Lake. I bought two of these lamps...



...at $12 each!! They were originally priced at $50. They're gorgeous and they're perfect for our bedroom...



I went to the mall and to Target today to get some deals on the discounted Halloween merchandise. I got a cute witch from the Hallmark store and a whole bunch of goodies from Target. Man I love Target. They got all their Christmas stuff in...and I'm going to be getting into a lot of trouble! ...insert evil laugh here...

I told RD to take the remaining Halloween candy into work today, but he said he didn't want to take it in today because he's sure they'll be overloaded with it. Like we're not overloaded with it? He said he'll take it in on Monday. I guess he would rather be the cool guy who brings all the candy in on Monday, rather than blend in with all the other people who brought it in today. In the meantime, I'm doing my part in ridding us of Snicker's. I.JUST.CAN'T.RESIST.

My bladder's doing spasms right now and I really should get to bed anyway. So until next time...

Happy Halloween!

Remember that cold RD and the kids had? As expected, I got it...and why do I always get it worse? Oh well. Aside from the endless tickle in my throat when I lie down to go to sleep and the chunky coughs, I'm feeling back to my sort-of-normal self.

The kids still all have snot running out of their noses for the better part of the day, but I expect they'll have an endless supply of snot for the rest of the season. We're such a perty family!

I had a lot of fun tonight. Once again, I got that feel-good feeling about our new neighborhood. I was worried we wouldn't get many trick or treaters due to the crappy weather, but that didn't seem to stop anybody. It was so neat to look out the window and see all the kids walking up and down the street with their parents. And to top it off, the kids were so polite. RD had to work, so my mom came over, we ordered pizza, and dressed the kids up - just for our benefit really; I didn't take them out. They're still too young to get it, but I'm hoping next year they'll be old enough. AR was a princess, SA was Elmo (he's obsessed!), and SJ was a frog. They looked adorable...of course! They were in awe of all the different characters that came to the door. I wasn't sure how they'd react, but they loved it. They just stood there and stared in amazement at each kid that came to the door. We had A LOT of kids, but we still have A LOT of candy left over. I anticipated a large crowd, so we stocked up. I told RD that whatever is left he is taking to work tomorrow. I've been eating Snicker's and Twix bars for two weeks now, and my belly izza growin'!

The kids have been a little out of sorts since the time change. I wasn't sure how we would handle it - what we would change, if anything. Before they would go to bed sometime between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and get up at 8:30 a.m., but since the time change, it's been a struggle keeping them up past 7 p.m. So I think we're just going to shift everything up an hour - put them to bed at 7 p.m. and get them up by 8:00 a.m. I think with it getting dark so early it does something to them. Even before the time change, as it got darker earlier, they just seemed ready - like they knew it was time. We'll see how things go. For now, I don't mind having more of the evening to ourselves.

I got the last trick or treater a little after 8:00 p.m. By 8:15 p.m., I turned our lights out, got in my jammies, grabbed a handful of chocolate (might as well go out with a bang!), and sat down to watch a movie. I watched the Amityville Horror remake with Ryan Reynolds. It was pretty good. Damn his body is out of control! He's got a sort of weird yet attractive face, but his body...wow. I think the original was better, but I'd say it's worth watching.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! Time to take my tired, chocolate-stuffed body to bed!

Exhale....aaahhhhhhhh!

Now back to reality!

I had a wonderful weekend! It was the annual girls' trip down to the lake...and more importantly...to the outlet malls. My Aunt and Uncle have a condo down at the Lake of the Ozarks, and all the girls in our family (my dad's side) head down for some serious eating and some hardcore shopping.

We had such a great time! You should see what all I bought! Wow! We always have a contest (that no one really wants to win) on who buys the most each year. I have to say I won hands down this year. I got about half of our Christmas shopping done, some clothes for next year for the kids (Children's Place had a great dollar rack!), and some fun stuff for around the house. I got a fountain for our garden in the backyard for a steal - $100! The fountains we were looking at around home were $300 or more. I also got some lamps for our bedroom for 12 DOLLARS EACH!!!! Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

As much fun as we had, I couldn't wait to get home to see RD and the kids. Unfortunately, RD, AR, and SA all have awful colds. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before SJ and I catch it ourselves. RD had the house spotless when I got back. Damn, he's the greatest.

It was a wonderful time and very refreshing. Just one more year until we get to do this all again!!

Time to go tend to my sick children. I hope you all had a great weekend!

A Less Than Perfect Day

I had a busy day ahead of me, so I hopped right out of bed. I got the kids up at 8:30a, got them dressed, fed, then cleaned up again, and headed out the door.

First task of the day - the mall. I had to get a present for our good friend, P, who just graduated from the F.B.I. Academy. I went to Things Remembered to get him a leather travel bag. The girl said it would take about an hour to get the nameplate engraved. "Great," I said, "The mall's gonna love us." I told her thanks and headed out to the van. I was making chicken and dumplings for dinner, and thought I'd go ahead and go across the street to the grocery store to get the items I still needed. As soon as I got to the van, I realized there were perishable items on my list, and I couldn't chance our trip at the mall taking longer than expected, so I headed back into the mall, saving the groceries for later.

We strolled in and out of stores, stopped for a pretzel and lemonade, and enjoyed all the people-watching. We smiled at all the old ladies ooh-ing and ah-ing over the triplets, and went back to Things Remembered to check on our gift. "I'm running behind. It's going to be another 20 minutes or so." So off to continue our people-watching.

My stomach started to turn. Great. The pretzel decided not to agree with my stomach. My bus...I mean stroller, doesn't handle those small stalls so well. Lucky for me, there was a family lounge with an oversized stall just the right fit for us.

It was a bit hairy maneuvering the long stroller into the stall, but we made it. The door kept bumping back into the stroller, and as big as the stall was, it was still a little tight for the kids' liking...so the screaming began. I could hear a sound like a phone ringing and some voices coming out of the alarm box on the wall. I figured one of the kids must've accidentally touched the button, and though I couldn't hear what the person(s) were saying from the intercom, I yelled, "I'm fine! Just trying to go to the bathroom! We're okay!"+

My stomach even worse now after the screaming, the kids finally settled down, and I tried to get down to business.

Banging on the door.

That did it. Now the kids were screaming again.

"Security!"

"I'm fine! Just trying to go to the bathroom! Everyone's fine!"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Please. I'll be out in a minute!"

Talking over intercom.

It quickly became obvious they weren't going anywhere until I came out. I guess I'm just going to have to be miserable, the business isn't getting done anytime soon.

Long story short...too late...turns out there's a voice activation system in the restroom, in case someone calls for help. Great idea, but I would think in a family lounge, screaming kids wouldn't be so out of the ordinary.

The tall, bleached-out security officer (woman) continued to follow us throughout the mall. No offense to all you mall security personnel out there, but c'mon. Did she think I was abusing my kids? And...she's MALL SECURITY! To top it off, as SA was crying, she said, "She needs a nap." I guess HE needs a haircut. Bitch.

It's lunchtime, and I still have to go to the grocery store. Lovely.

Fast-forward to later in the day...

The kids were playing together quietly. Perfect! Time to start dinner. I put in an Elmo video, hoping it would buy me enough time to wrap everything up (got as much done during naptime as I could). Perfect planning...just didn't work.

The kids were crazy. Not a little crazy...CRAZY. They were getting into the pantry, pulling everything out they could get their hands on. They were spinning the lazy susan, pulling out all the spices - running from me as fast as they could, waving their Nutmeg and Celery Salt in the air - giggling all the way.

I looked over at SJ, he was covered in orange. He had gotten some cheddar-filled crackers out of the pantry and had a gooey, cheddar mess all done the front of his shirt (the F.B.I. shirt that was a gift from P...I should've known not to put it on them until the last minute). Pulled his shirt off, he's going to have to go shirtless. No time.

As the madness continued, I called our friends on their cell phone.

Me: How close are you?

Friend: Just got on XXX.

Me: Shit!

Friend: Time to put P's (new) badge to the test. I'm flooring it! Be there soon!

They got there just in time to save our dinner from being burned to the bottom of the pan. RD got home (finally) and we all sat down to eat. The results...eh...not great. I bought the wrong biscuits for the dumplings, but overall, it wasn't so bad.

We got the kids to bed and sat back for some good, ADULT conversation. It was bittersweet really. We knew this was the last time we'd see P for awhile. His first assignment is in Cleveland - three years. These are friends we are very close to - friends we would see every weekend - friends the kids are very close to. It pains me to think that next time we see him, the kids might not recognize him and run to him as they do now.

As the evening came to a close, we all hugged goodbye, and I fought back tears as I said, "See you soon." It won't be too long really. They're talking of coming back as early as Thanksgiving, so that's not too far away. And though I worry, I know the kids won't forget.

So that was my less than perfect day. Not much different than any other day. I go to bed and let it all go, then wake up the next morning refreshed - naive maybe, as I wake up ready to start it all over again.

Bit of This, Bit of That

I went to my good friend, A's, Friday night for an At Home Party. We had such a good time. RD stayed home with the kids, what a treat! We had a great time sharing stories of the past, reminiscing about old times. You know...those stories you share when the hubbies aren't around. RD still says he can't imagine me being a "party girl." Oh, honey, if you only knew. I wasn't always so innocent. ;) Those were the days! So glad they're behind me!

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The kids have been so wonderful the past few days. God's good like that. Just when the kids are about to send me over the edge, he gives me a taste of the good life - reminding me how precious these three babies are. They're so sweet, so loving, so perfect...well...almost perfect. ;) They're dishing out kisses and thank you's without being asked, keeping tantrums to a minimum, and being so kind to their siblings. Just heavenly.

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Why do so few people know their directions? Is North/South/East/West so hard? I swear...being new to the area, I have had to ask directions my fair share of times - when I ask, "So is XXX Street North or South of Highway XX," I get (almost every time), "Uh...I don't know." What do you mean you don't know? Is it THAT difficult to figure out? Geesh.

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Grey's Anatomy - LOVE THIS SHOW! It seems to be getting better and better each week. I'd been getting a bit burned out on ER, so I didn't think I'd be interested in another medical drama, but I gotta say it's pretty good.

---------------------------

Our security system is being installed next Wednesday. Now we can all sleep better.

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Okay...my heavenly little children are screaming at each other, so I gotta go. Be back when the angels are sleeping.

Why must one child always be having a bad day?

Why? Is this some cruel game that gets played on mothers of more than one child? For two weeks SA was a bear. He had two molars coming in - and to put it mildly, he was pissed. During this time SJ and AR were my sweet little darlings. Now SA is back to his lovable self, and SJ and AR have been raising hell. Now...I know I should count my blessings and thank my lucky stars that they haven't all been out to break me down at once. Don't think for even a second that we don't have those moments. But damn! Can't they all be having rock star days simultaneously? Is this not possible? Is that asking too much?

Apparently so.

Just How Safe is Suburbia?

As I mentioned before, I live in your stereotypical subdivision. Well-manicured lawns, neighbors waving to each other from their front porch, sharing some beer and conversation as they push their strollers up and around the block after dinner. I've joked many times that it feels like what I would call a "Stepford Community." BMW's and Lexus' are a frequent sight driving up and down the street and everyone feels safe leaving their garage doors open. Heck...I even leave my purse in my car AND key in the ignition. Bad...bad...I know.

A new neighbor just moved in next door. Final house is now complete! No more construction!! Woo hoo! I went over to welcome her to the neighborhood. One of her first questions was whether or not we had a security system. We hadn't really talked about it much yet, and rarely used the one in our last house, so didn't really think of it as a priority. She mentioned that a security company's salesman had stopped by and informed her of a string of burglaries that had occurred recently in our neighborhood. I hadn't heard anything and assured myself that it was just the salesman's way of trying to scare her into buying his system. I was playing outside with the kids and saw the neighbor behind me outside talking to another woman who lives down the street. Their kids were outside playing, so I took AR over to play for a bit (the boys were still napping). After the usual smalltalk, I asked her if she had heard anything about the break-in's. Turns out to be true. As a matter of fact, the local news was here a few days ago to do a story on the burglaries. Most of the burglaries were thought to be teenagers - taking purses and money left out on counters, but the last break-in was in the middle of the day. A man was standing in his kitchen when a teenager just walked in his house through the door in his garage. The man chased the teenager out, and when the teenager reached his car he pulled out a sawed-off shot gun. The man then immediately ran back to his home. Smart move! Unfortunately, he didn't get his license plate number, so the punk never got caught.

Then tonight...the doorbell rings. It's a woman I don't recognize. She says she lives across the street and goes on to say (in broken English) how she saw someone walking through our house in the middle of the night. My mind immediately goes to the burglaries and my stomach turns as I'm waiting for her to tell me how she fears she may have spotted an intruder in our home. As she's going on about seeing someone, I'm wanting to wave my hand at her, wanting her to get to the point...anxious and worried about what she's driving at here. She then proceeds to tell me that her husband was beating her. He was beating her inside the house, then dragged her to the front yard and beat her some more, then to the garage where he continued to beat her. During this time, she said she looked around desperately for help and saw that someone was up and walking around in our house - she was wanting to know if either me or my husband had witnessed the beating. I was confused as to why she wanted to know if we had witnessed anything - her accent was so heavy, it wasn't all clear, but I'm guessing maybe as a witness for the police? I'm not sure. I told her that it was probably me she saw, that I walk around at night when I can't sleep (which is often), but that I hadn't seen anything. Which is quite odd considering how nosy I am...I'm often looking out the windows. She asked that we call the police if we see him around, as he has made threats to come back and "get her." I gave her our phone number and told her that if she can't get to a phone and he is there, to flash the front porch light on and off if she can as a signal and I will call the police. It makes me so sad...so sad to think that she was looking around for help, and saw me (or RD) walking around and we didn't see. I then knew why I didn't recognize her, in all the times I had seen her, she never looked up. She would always follow behind her husband (the very few times I saw her) out in the yard, but always had her head hanging down, like she was afraid to look up.

I later felt bad...like maybe I should have invited her to stay at our house if she was scared, but I feel like I just can't put our family at risk like that. It would be different if we didn't have kids, but I have to protect them first. I don't know how crazy this guy is. I do want to help her in any way I can though. RD said he will take care of her yard for her, and I hope to see her again soon - maybe we could invite her over for dinner or help her get out of the house a bit.

Though everything looks perfect around here, nothing's ever as perfect as it seems. You never know what goes on behind closed doors.

This is what we talk about

In reference to the news that Katie Holmes is pregnant with Tom Cruise's baby...

My Mom: She must've been artificially inseminated or something.

Me: Sigh...what this time? Why?

Mom: Because I don't think there's anyone in this world that would want to sleep with HIM.

Me: Don't be stupid.

Mom: Really! I don't think anyone would. They had to of had it done for them or something.

Me: I would. Sure he's an ass...but I'd sleep with him.

Mom: Going back to a discussion we had two years ago or more... I still think he's gay.

Me: Well, then, Mom, you must be right. I give up. Why do I care, people? Why?

Boring Post

I haven't been able to get on-line, as our Internet has been down, but it's FINALLY up and running again! After bad-mouthing our Internet provider, we've finally come to the conclusion that it's our computer not the service. Not as easy a problem to fix...

We went to Sears to get the kids pictures taken this morning. What an ordeal. Awful. Just awful. The photographer was totally obnoxious and the more the kids fussed, the louder she got. We went ahead and ordered a few photos, just for our trouble, but I don't know that any of these will make it to our walls.

I cleaned out a few of our closets today. We've only been here a few months, but the closets quickly became the place to stash all the junk we had no idea what to do with.

Oh brother. RD's on the floor next to me...he just said, "Let's go have sex now." Are you kidding me? Gotta love the boy for trying. It's hot...I'm tired...you know the drill. Well...maybe it would make for a nice break in the afternoon. Hmmmm....

Told you this was a boring post! Until next time...

Little Things that Make Me Smile

• Having the windows open. There's something about having all the windows open in the house that make things seem...I don't know...better. It's so refreshing.
  
• Starting the walk to the cart return when a stranger comes up and says, "I'll take that for you."
  
• RD putting his things away...without me having to say a thing. Maybe it's the new house, but he's been so great about picking up after himself. Oh...Lord...please tell me this is going to last!
  
• Sleeping in until 8:30 a.m. and sometimes 9 a.m. I don't know what it is with these kids, but they've been sleeping so late some days - and I'm loving it.
  
• The kids hugging me back...and doing it so tight. I love it!
  
• AR puckering her lips up before I do for a great big kiss.
  
• "Just because" calls from RD in the middle of the day.
  
• Getting catalogs in the mail. May sound silly, but I LOVE getting catalogs in the mail. Got a mailing list? Sign me up!
  
• Clean sheets.
  
• The sound of my kids giggling. It's priceless.
  
• Trips to the store without the kids. Again...priceless.
  
• RD leaning over for a kiss or whispering, "I love you," in the middle of the night.
  
• The look of lust in RD's eyes when he sees me naked. Even after three kids and having 20 pounds to go, he makes me feel like I've still got it.
  
• Hearing my favorite songs on the radio from way back when and still being able to sing along to every word.
  
• Hearing the love behind the word "mama." They may not know how to say that they love me, but I can feel it.

More Quips from my Mother

Mom: Pointing to the kids. Do you ever wonder how all their stuff fits in there? You know...their guts and stuff?

________

Mom: I bought some slippers for the kids. Tossing them on the floor. I don't know who this blue Elmo is.

Me: That's Cookie Monster.

Mom: Shrugged and kind of made a face like I didn't know what I was talking about.

Me: Blue Elmo....geesh.

No title...just a bunch of randoms

AR's surgery went well. She was so good. The nurse warned us that at her age, children are usually bears when they come out from being under, but she was a doll. She fussed a bit when she woke up - confused, not knowing where she was, but settled down really quick. We're still awaiting results on the biopsy, but the good news right now is that she is recovering well. She's as spunky as ever; you'd never guess she just had surgery.

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We have a busy weekend ahead of us. We're going to my cousin's baby's birthday party Saturday afternoon, then we're having some friends over for a BBQ that night, then Sunday we're having RD's family over for dinner - sort of an informal birthday party for him. His sister is going to cut the kids' hair when she's here, so we can FINALLY get some pictures done! We haven't had professional photos taken of them since they were SIX MONTHS OLD! Bad mommy! I know!

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I've been out of my Sarafem (a.k.a. Prozac) for over a week now. I didn't think it was that big a deal, but I can tell the old paranoid me is making her way back. I really need to be more on top of my medications. I'm awful about taking them. It's amazing I haven't wound up pregnant or in the hospital due to an asthma attack as bad as I've been. There's a drive-thru pharmacy right up the street, so I have no excuse. Just being lazy. You know the routine...keep the house up, keep the kids taken care of, (try to) keep hubby happy, and forget about me. It's the same ole' Mommy Mantra.

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Speaking of routines, I really need a new one. I'm bored...I think the kids are bored. It's so hard taking three out by myself. I'd love to take them to the park, but how on earth can I keep all three in line?! I'd love to let them run around in the back yard, but we don't have a fence yet and live on a corner lot, so I'm not comfortable letting them run loose back there. For now, the extent of their outside-play is hanging out on the deck. We're having a fence put in next Spring, but that doesn't give me any solutions for what to do now. It'll be easier when they get older (right? ha!), but right now when I say stop or come here, they think it's hilarious to run the other way, laughing hysterically at the top of their lungs. Maybe I could get one of those child harnesses? Do you remember that old Saturday Night Live sketch with Mike Meyers and Kim Bassinger? They were little kids at the park and he was strapped to the playset. He kept trying to run and kept getting jolted back to the ground as he hit the end of his lead. It was hilarious! That's how I picture an outing with my kids using those things. I don't think they'd be too happy.

Anyway...I'm rambling and I'm tired. Who knows if I make any sense. I'm getting over a cold and my head has that doped-up-medicine-head feeling.

Maybe I'll try going to Target tomorrow. We all know how well that's going to go! :)

We're not THAT old

After a nice session of foreplay, RD and I just laid there.....

....

....

....waiting for the other to - shall we say - assume position. After some awkward silence...

RD: My back really hurts.

Me: You know my muscles have been aching all over. Still aching from when I was sick.

RD: sigh...

You know it's bad when you start bickering over who has to get on top.

I guess Target wasn't meant to be today.

I've been waiting for this day. Pay Day. All the projects we've had going on, it's put a lot of the fun little purchases on hold for awhile. Then today came.

I got the kids up from their naps, gave them snacks, and changed three poo-filled diapers. I noticed AR had strawberry stains all down the front of her shirt from lunch, so I was scrambling around to find another t-shirt that would match her pink pants. Finally, after going through every drawer, found one! Then it was time to put on the kids' shoes. I found five shoes - there was one missing. After looking every place imaginable, I found it in the laundry room. Go figure. I run in the bathroom, glance in the mirror...what's that? Oh, God...please tell me it's not. Poo. I somehow managed to get a smear of poo on the front of my shirt during the diaper derby. For a brief moment, I actually considered just wiping it off and heading on our merry way. I then came to my senses and realized that if I didn't want to head out with AR having strawberries smeared down the front of her shirt, what on earth makes me think poo is okay? I quickly change and carry everyone downstairs to make our way to the van.

I rush around turning the tv and lights off when I hear, "Uh-oh." I go to see what uh-oh's about when I see AR holding my Diet Dr. Pepper can, soda dripping down her belly. Time for shirt #3. I change her shirt, no longer caring if it matches her pants, and clean up the floor. Now time to go.

We hit the road. I get about a mile when I realize I forgot my wallet. Just brilliant. I start wondering if maybe something or someone is trying to tell me this trip isn't meant to happen.

We finally get to Target, I get the stroller out of the van when I notice a white powder substance all over the seat. hmmmm. Great. It was on the floor of the garage when Pest Shield came by. The stroller was covered in pesticide. I look around for a double-seated cart, contemplating carrying the third, when I realize this trip just isn't worth it. I jump back in the car and head home.

After the hellish preparations that went into this shopping trip that never happened, I decided I better make a stop at Dairy Queen to make all my trouble worth it.

I guess we'll try again tomorrow!

Lessons in Building

Going into building, we heard all sorts of horror stories. So many, that we went into this on the defense, ready to have all sorts of hurdles thrown our way. Overall, it was a very easy, very pleasant experience.

Now, RD will go on and on about how much work it is moving into a new house, but going from experience at our last house, moving into an older house is much harder work. But that just goes along with my theory that RD isn't happy unless he is complaining about something. I love my glass-have-empty man. :)

It took quite some time to feel like home, but I have quickly come to love this house. It's such a wonderful feeling loving everything about it. How can you not when you get to pick out every detail yourself. Everything from the shingles, brick, siding, cabinets, flooring...down to the little things like door knobs and thermostats.

We started off throwing in all the bells and whistles, then seeing the pricetag, started weeding out all the things we thought we really didn't need. Hindsight's a bitch they say. Overall, there aren't a lot of things I would change, but there some things I would've done a bit differently or would have added.

• Larger deck - we've been in the house just shy of two months and we're already adding on to the deck.
• Bay window in bonus room.
• Ceiling fan in bonus room.
• Bay window in basement.
• Heating lamp in ceiling right outside master bath shower.
• Window for (future) bedroom in basement.
• Run electrical wires under sidewalk for landscape-lighting in front.
• Would've done some sort of fancier front porch. Maybe exposed-aggregate...I don't know...something.
• Stained glass in master bath.

But there's a reason we don't have all that. Money...or lack thereof. So, I can't complain.

I love our house and given the chance, I'd do it all again.

It's not fair *POUT* *POUT*

I babied you while you were sick. I held you. Rocked you. Sang to you. I gave you all the TLC you needed and more. What do you do when mommy's sick? You're pulling out all the vents, you're jumping on the couch, pouring your milk on the floor. I can see you conspiring in the corner to kick me while I'm down.

This hurts, kids. Really, it does.

One more week to worry

AR's surgery has been rescheduled for next Monday. I was afraid this was going to happen. She came down with a fever Friday - it was gone by Saturday - and all three had a red rash from head to toe by Sunday morning. The doctor thinks it's Roseola. I called the ENT Doc Friday and this morning, and the nurse said that it would be okay to proceed. After making the poor thing go all morning and part of the afternoon without anything to eat or drink, having RD's mom take the day off work to watch the boys, and spending two hours in the waiting room (let me tell you how much fun THAT is with an 18 month old!), we were told they wouldn't do the surgery due to the rash.

SO...this is the third time we've had to reschedule. I sure hope this isn't a sign. I told you I have an over-active imagination!

What exactly do you mean by EVERYTHING?

We were outside talking to the neighbors behind us yesterday when we got on the subject of window treatments.

Neighbor: I really like the shutters you put up. I wish we would've done something like that.

Me: We're really happy with them. It's helped so much with the heat...and we were anxious to get them up...having a corner lot. (The back of our house is visible from the street. Lots of windows...you get the idea.)

Neighbor: Yea, before you had your blinds up, I could see everything. And as if to add for emphasis, repeated... EVERYTHING.

Me: I'm sure. Nervous laughter...

What exactly did she mean by everything? It wasn't what she said as much as it was how she said it. Now I know it couldn't have been anything THAT bad because we had temporary treatments up on the bathroom and bedroom windows. Humph.

Could be a number of things...

• Maybe noticed I point and yell a lot around the kids.
• Maybe noticed I'm often picking my underwear out of my butt.
• I often wiggle my butt back and forth when at the computer in the playroom. (We don't have a chair yet at this desk)
• I really need to wear a bra more often...even if I'm just hanging around the house.
• I kiss my babies...A LOT.
• I lie my big butt down on the floor any chance I get when the kids are playing quietly.
• I snicker a lot when RD leaves the room. Our yard looks great...but a great yard means lots of time for him outside...outside, meaning not inside helping me with the kids. Can't wait to get that fence!
• I snack way more than anyone with my size thighs should.

Whatever it was, I hope she enjoyed the show!

Pray for my baby

AR is having surgery tomorrow to remove a cyst in her neck. It's not uncommon for young children to have cysts, so often they go untouched, but this cyst is in the front center of her neck. They're concerned that as it grows it would make it difficult for her to swallow food and/or make it difficult to breathe.

I know I sound overdramatic, but as a mother, that's my job, right? It's a very simple outpatient procedure. I'm not as nervous about the surgery itself as I am about the anesthesia. I find the idea of her being knocked out completely totally overwhelming.

Then there's the biopsy...ugh...the imagination of a worried mother is endless.

I'm sure everything will go smoothly, but keep all crossables crossed for my sweet princess. :)

Out of the mouth of Grandma's

Grandma (my mom): Why are XX's testicles so much larger than XX's?

Me: Blank Stare

It's one thing to compare the accomplishments of each grandchild, but...

Year-End Projects

My list of things I want to buy is endless - no, I don't actually have a list of things I want to buy...though that's not a bad idea(!) - so I won't fill up cyberspace with that long list, but there are many projects I'd like to complete in the new house before the end of the year...and some that will spill over into next Spring.

• Finish painting
  - Guest Bedroom - light beige
  - Foyer - reverse ragrolling w/neutral colors (hiring someone)
  - Master Bath - Venetian plaster...light browns w/hint of olive (hiring someone)
• Get new switchplates and receptacles for all rooms.
• Get boxes organized in basement. You know...all that junk we have no idea what to do with. Maybe a Spring garage sale isn't a bad idea...
• Get digital camera fixed. We're missing out on way too many photo opportunities.
• Start Christmas shopping. Quite an arduous task now that we have kids.
• Get some Fall/Winter clothes for the kids.
• Get some Fall/Winter clothes for me.
• Glue broken-off piece onto kitchen table.
• Fill nail holes with wood putty. The chair-rail had to be removed when the shutters were installed in the Dining Room.
• Deck addition. late-September/early-October
• Installation of remaining shutters (play room), blinds (laundry room), and shades (kitchen/breakfast room).
• Storage/work station in garage

Spring Projects

• Backyard fence.
• Installation of irrigation system.
• Play set for kids.
• Get bids for finishing basement.
• Built-in bookshelves one each side of Family Room fireplace.
• Big-kid furniture for kids.
• Paint boys' room (dark, slate blue)
• Paint girl's room (bottom pink, white chair rail, top yellow)

Long-Term Projects

• Crown molding in Powder Room
• Cabinets in laundry room
• Ceramic-tile backsplash in kitchen

Making a list is one thing, actually making these things happen is another.

DARF!

My husband is quite intelligent. Very smart cookie he is. Sometimes...however...I just don't think he thinks things through.

Due to busy schedules and the usual monthly visitor, we hadn't had sex for over a week. He was off work yesterday, we had no plans for the evening, so I was looking forward to some nice - let's call it - adult time. We had a pretty good day. We were tired from...well life I guess - no better way to put it - but it was a good day. We had some screw-ups with our prescriptions and once again I forgot to take the deck-addition plans to the Assocation for approval. He starts nagging at me an hour before bed.

THINK IT THROUGH, BUDDY!

B*tch at me before bed and you know what's going to happen? Nada. That's what.

Lucky for him - and me - we avoided each other for the next hour and come time for bed we acted like nothing ever happened. As a matter of fact, this sweet, loving, man showed up for bed.

I knew he was a smart cookie!

Prairie Dogs Rock!

I was desperate to get out of the house yesterday. I had been stuck without a van (in shop for repair) for too long, and the weather was gorgeous, so I needed to get out. We decided to head to the mall to go to ZGallerie in search of some framed photos for the dining room and breakfast room. Half way there, after commenting on how awesome the weather was, we changed direction to head to the zoo. On such a beautiful day, how could we go to the mall?

It was the kids' second trip. We took them earlier this Spring, but SA had some crazy reaction to his sunscreen, so it was a very brief jaunt. Last time we went, the kids seemed more interested in all the people there and could care less about the animals. My how things change!

They were enamored with all the sights! They were unimpressed with the zebras...even the monkeys...then came the giraffes. They were all leaning forward in their stroller and in unison they all started...barking at the giraffes. What can I say? They're obsessed with dogs.

I laughed at their silliness and kind of shrugged my shoulders at the mom next to me, and she said, "My son's been baa-ing at everything all day." Aren't kids precious?

We checked out the penguins, where AR let out an excited shriek making the ladies ahead of us jump. Then came the best part. THE PRAIRIE DOGS. The prairie dogs were always something to glance at and pass. What's exciting about a prairie dog? I failed to find a single thing. But our sweet children opened our eyes. They went nuts!! What it was about these little things that was so dang exciting is beyond me, but our kids thought they were the neatest things. We probably spent 15 minutes staring at our children, cracking up, watching them stare and crack up at the prairie dogs.

I always enjoyed the zoo. I'm an animal nut and always enjoyed a day at the zoo. Now it's not about the animals, it's about the kids. We had the best time. You couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces. Watching the joy on our kids' faces was priceless.

It was a perfect day.

Bad Blogger!

I know I haven't posted much since we moved in. I don't have a good excuse really...just haven't felt like it. I'm constantly writing blogs in my head - they just never make it to the computer.

I've even fallen behind on all of your blogs. It's sort of like that book that's been sitting on my bedside table for over a week. I'm really excited to read it...I really want to read it...but to find a moment to kick back and clear my head enough to concentrate on one thing....

Isn't that the hardest thing for moms? Making time for ourselves? Don't even get me started on the condition of my feet. eek! I missed my last pedicure appointment - and let me tell you - these toes ain't pretty! Next appointment - my nail tech better where a mask and some full-body armor. But...enough of my failure in grooming. Can you tell I'm in a whacky mood? I'm on my period...I'll just blame it on that.

The excitement of the new house has kept us busy, but our projects are slowing down, and I should find more time for me now.

Now Raffi is singing about a spider on the floor...and I'm really finding it hard to concentrate...so off I go.

Randoms

We got a lot done this past week. We got the living room and family room painted, the remainder of our lights that were on back-order were installed, our shutters were installed, and RD and I built a retaining wall at the front of the house. He's going to start on the retaining wall in the backyard today, and I should hopefully get started on painting our bonus room sometime in the next week. I'm slowly getting pieces here and there to fill up some of the space. I'm wanting to hold off on hanging pictures until I know where all the furniture and stuff will be arranged once we're done. I ordered this really beautiful mirror from Crate and Barrel. I think it will look great over the fireplace.

The kids have been so good lately. We went through a really tough week, and the only thing different we could think of was that we had moved them to one nap instead of two. I keep thinking they should be ready, but obviously they're not, so I don't want to push it. I think AR is fine with one, but the boys seem to need much more sleep than she does. They are doing so many cute things! AR is such a girl. She loves putting things on her wrist to wear as a bracelet (even strange things like sandals, etc.), she likes to walk around in our shoes, loves for me to cut her nails, loves to *try* to brush her hair, and she's always picking up and wiping the floor with clothes or towels...or whatever she can get her hands on (where do you think she got that from? ha!). SA - we joke that he's the hall monitor. He is a mere 18 months, but is already tattling on everybody. Funny thing is...he's our most mischievous one! He'll stand and jump on the couch while yelling, "Get Down! Get Down!" (I think I might've posted about this before, but humor me...my memory's not what it used to be!). Sweet SJ - I've posted before about him being the more high-maintenance of the three...okay...the whiniest of the three. He's been much better. His tantrums are still the longest and loudest of the three, but he has been so much fun lately. He has the sweetest and most gentle personality. Sensitive, yes, but I wouldn't change a thing. He's so precious.

I am really loving it here. We moved to a city we swore we would never move to. I don't know what our big hang up was. I guess it seemed like too big of a hike from where we were from...too something...just different than what we were used to. I am loving it. We both are. The people here are wonderful. Everyone is so nice. There are so many young families - so many kids. Yesterday, AR would not nap, so I finally gave up and got her up, took her out on the deck and saw there were a couple moms with their kids playing in the yard behind us, so I took her over there and let her play for a bit. It's been so dang hot this Summer, I haven't been outside much, so I haven't had a chance to really get to know many people, but with the cooler temperatures we have ahead of us, that should hopefully change.

It's snack time, so I gotta run. Hope everyone's week is going well!

Tacky to Some - Resourceful to Others

I'm downstairs and couldn't find anything to put my hair up. Heaven forbid I walk upstairs to get something - that's just too much trouble.

What do I do?

Dig through the gadget drawer in the kitchen and pull out a potato chip bag clip. Works wonders!

My hair's off my neck and my kids think I'm quite stylin'!

So much for that

In an effort to give myself a boost in the morning, I decided to wake up early to go for a morning walk.

I've been exhausted lately, mentally and physically, and I thought some time alone to clear my head and get a jump on the day might do be some good.

Did it work? Well...so far my ass is as tired as the rest of me and I feel like I lost an hour's sleep.

Let's see if it works better tomorrow.

9 O'Clock...Let There Be Rest

It's wonderful having a bigger house now. More room for the kids to roam around...more room to play...more room to get away from each other when we want to...more room for guests...MORE TO CLEAN. Wait...what was that last part? The cleaning never stops!


I'm one of those anal people that likes to have everything "just so" at all times. I obviously had to make some adjustments when the kids came - there's no "just so" when there's kids around - but you could bet by the end of the day when I'd retire to bed for the night, the house would be perfect. I love starting the day off with everything spotless. A fresh slate you might say. Though time-consuming, it was definitely do-able in our last house. Now our house has tripled in size and I could be picking up and cleaning into the wee hours if I kept at the same rate I did before. It's just not possible. I was spending every waking hour (that wasn't spent with the kids of course) cleaning.

We talked about getting a cleaning service. But I really don't know that it would help much. Though the deep cleaning is a pain in the *ss, it's the day-to-day cleaning that is keeping me running. Not to mention I'm so picky about how I want things done, I'd be hard pressed to find someone that would do a job to my liking. I know...you're probably rolling your eyes right now!
So what do we do? I finally set a cut-off time for myself each night - and RD has decided to do the same. By 9 p.m. each evening, I am done. Whether or not all the "chores" are done by 9 p.m., I am. The kids go to bed at 8 p.m. and that will give me an hour to wrap up what I didn't get done during the day. It will be so nice to actually sit down for an hour or two and just do nothing. I could read...watch some t.v....imagine the possibilities!

On a side note...it's raining. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! We have new sod out front and seed and straw in the back, so yes, we've been doing rain dances everyday...BUT...we had 100-degree weather and no clouds in sight, so I spent the better half of the kids' nap watering the yard. I come inside...in come the clouds and down comes the rain. Oy-vay.

My daughter is giving me the sweetest hug and biggest smile...gotta run. :)

oops

Some of those pictures uploaded HUGE! Sorry 'bout that!

More pics

Foyer


Living Room (as you can see...in need of more furniture!)


Dining Room


Powder Room


Master Bedroom


New Patio Furniture (we're adding on to the deck - once we do, this will go up there)

I'll post more pictures as we get more rooms painted...and actually have pictures on the walls. It's a work in progress!

House Pics

Family Room


Family Room (the kids were wanting to climb into the fireplace, so until we get glass doors...there the play crib sits)


Kitchen (light above island is on back order)


Kitchen


Butler's Pantry

Let me see if I can upload some more...

Crybaby

"He's the crybaby, isn't he?"

That's what my grandma said lastnight at dinner about one of our sons. "Oh...he's teething," I said. I always have an excuse, "He's teething...he didn't nap well...he's just tired...etc." But, she's right. He is the crybaby. I don't know what to do. The other two have your normal little outbursts from time to time, but are overall very good, easygoing kids...the third on the other hand...

What to do? We try not to feed into his whining. Anytime something doesn't go his way, he cries. He whines or cries anytime he wants something. He throws himself down on the floor at the drop of a hat. How do we deal with this? We, for the most part, treat them all the same. Obviously he has a more high-maintenance personality, but how do I get things under control before they escalate? Can I?

Ugh...help.

Gulp!

Well....the bathroom's yellow all right. It's the kids' bathroom and the shower curtain has a lot of fun colors, so I think it looks great. It is a bit of a shocker at first glance though. RD's first words, just as I thought they'd be, were, "Wow...that's yellow."

I know it's strange that I've never painted before living in this house (always hubby's job), but I think I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. Next project - guest bedroom. I'm more anxious to get the downstairs rooms done, but the ceilings are too high - I can't reach. So I'll be on RD's back for awhile to get those rooms going. :)

My dad and his wife are (finally!) coming over to see the house tonight. She is the most picky eater I've ever met, so it's always a challenge finding something to make that she won't pick apart. She seems to like the more traditional meals - nothing fancy, nothing green. I'm going to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes - and for us green-eating folks, some green beans.

Hope everyone's weekend's going well. I promise I'll get some pictures posted soon!

White walls be gone!

I'm loving living in a fresh, new house...everything is shiny and new! And the walls are all an awful white.

I love color. To see a white wall, I see there's something missing. We've got everything unpacked, but it just doesn't have that cozy-feels-like-home feeling yet. I don't know that it will until we slap some paint on the walls. Not to mention the very obvious lack of decorative accents everywhere you turn. We've taken on several very expensive projects right off the bat (e.g., shutters, expanding the deck *yes, ALREADY*, and silk shades in the kitchen), so it's not leaving a lot of breathing room in our bank account for fun knick knacks and much-needed lamps. RD painted our bedroom before we moved in, because we wanted it painted before the new furniture was moved in. Definitely one of our better decisions. I have no idea how those movers got it up the stairs. It turned out great - it's sort of a butterscotch color.

Being a novice at painting, I started with something much smaller - the powder room downstairs. Of course, I couldn't reach the ceiling to do the edging, so I needed RD's help afterall, but it turned out beautiful. I would call it cinnamon, but it's more of an orangish color. My next project is to paint the kids' bathroom upstairs - I'm thinking yellow. I've been nagging at RD to paint the kitchen next (olive green), so it's slowly looking like home.

I started walking around taking pictures today, so hopefully I'll have some time to download them tomorrow when they're napping.

Hmmm...smelling something funky. I think there's a poopy diaper or two waiting for me....

I'll be back later. Have a great weekend, all!

I SAID NOOOOO!!!!

I am so sick of correcting my kids. I know...I know...you veteran moms are saying, "Get used to it. This is only the beginning!" I feel like all I'm ever doing is barking out commands. I'm yelling out no every 10 seconds or removing a child from jumping on a piece of furniture.

My plea's for ordinance in this house have become such a common theme, SA has taken to barking them out himself. Anytime anyone - including me or RD - gets near the trash can, he yells out, "Na na na na na! (a.k.a. No no no no no!)" I know as soon as I hear him yelling out, "Giiiiiii daaaaa! (a.k.a. Get down!)," that means AR is jumping on the couch again. I swear I have a permanent scowl on my face lately.

For those with older kids...please tell me this gets easier. Lie to me if you have to. ha!

Ramblings of an Insomniac

Can't sleep. Shouldn't have taken that nap with RD today. So much I could've gotten done instead of sleeping.

Worried about AR's surgery. Having cyst removed from neck in three weeks. Worried about my procedure. Having suspicious-looking mole removed from my leg in one week. God, if it's cancerous and I die...I'll leave my poor children motherless. There's so much I'll miss... Okay...now I do sound crazy. Over-reaction, anyone?

So much to be done around the house. Colors. What colors should we do? I hope the shutters are in soon. Neighbors seem nice. Someone's always outside. Always. Seems almost "Stepford-like" around here. Not that that's a bad thing, just...different.

I hope RD's having a good night at work. I hope he doesn't sleep too long when he gets home...I really would like to get him to go with me to look at that patio furniture tomorrow. Hope he likes it as much as I do.

I can't believe my ex-boyfriend's friend is my neighbor. Oh, yes, you read that right. I'm okay with that...I hope RD's okay with that. If he wasn't, he'd never say it. I have a feeling we'll be running into "the ex." Kinda weird. Oh well. We're all grown ups, right?

Guess I'll try to get to sleep...again.

Have a good night, everyone!

Back in Blog Land

Where to begin?! I have so many stories to share...but don't know where to start!

We're in the house. We closed last Wednesday and moved in on Thursday. I'm loving it. It's been a crazy week - I'm so sick of boxes - but it's starting to feel like home. Living out of boxes and bags the first few days, it felt more like we were staying in a hotel. So I guess you can say it's felt like some sort of a working vacation...with a lot of overtime!

The kids are doing great. They're really enjoying all the extra space. They were content just to run around for a few days, now they're wanting to investigate every drawer and cupboard, so we've been scrambling to get things babyproofed as fast as we can.

Wow, how they've changed since I last wrote! They're running around and they know so many words!

Our stay with my mother-in-law was wonderful. It was definitely cramped quarters, but overall it was a wonderful experience. I went in ready to really dred it...ready to be irked at all the things I'm supposed to get irked about when staying at the in-law's, but that attitude lasted only a few days. We always got along great, but during our stay there, we became great friends. I can honestly say I really miss her. She's staying over this Friday night, and I can't wait!

I need to take some pictures of the house and get them posted. It's so beautiful! We've met a lot of the neighbors, and they all seem really nice. I can not believe all the kids our kids' age!! This neighborhood is flooded with 1-2 year olds!

I know I've been rambling, but it's been so long! I hope to be able to start visiting your sites soon. So much to catch up on!

Be back SOON!