Update on the last post....

The boy is off his meds.  Turns out it was all in our heads and they didn't help.  In fact, they made things worse.  He was getting angry and aggressive - VERY unlike him.  So we stopped them and he seemed to think they were helping.  So I started giving him fish oil pills but not telling him what they are - just that they are supposed to help him focus but not make him angry.  He's not convinced.

It's been up & down the past few weeks in pretty much all aspects of my crazy life.  Busy with school stuff (THE vote happened and it was unanimous - I'm now the PTA President), spent 4 days in Vegas for the state PTA convention, this week is insane with happenings at school, work has been busy, FG has been busy and the new season of his fishing show is starting up, DD is busy with her social activities, friends and writing books.  I'm impressed with them too - for a 2nd grader, they are excellent! 

That's all I have the energy for right now.  I've been trying to keep up reading my favorite blogs but feel like I've been absent.

I will say I've been cooking some dang good food lately though!  One of my favorite meals has become grilled chicken tacos that I squirt with lime juice, topped with mango/avocado salsa in a corn tortilla warmed on the grill.  YUM!  I also made the most delicious grilled pork chops with a sweet pineapple sauce topped with grilled fresh pineapple slices. Hmmm, maybe I'm just liking grilled food?

We survived the week of FG's cooking

Actually, he did well.  The French Dip Sandwiches didn't come until a few days later and I ended up making those.  I convinced him that it was a better idea to eat the London Broil just as it was and then use the rest later for French Dip sandwiches.  He agreed and was happy to not have to go grocery shopping for any more ingredients.  All in all, the week went pretty well.  I did end up in the kitchen quite a bit, guiding and teaching, but he did it all and he learned.  I'm kinda sorta hoping this happens more.  I think I'll talk him into being in charge of dinner at least once a week - from start to finish.  But I'll still do the dishes. Do any guys you know suffer from Male Dish Blindness?  It's similar to Male Refrigerator Blindness but applies to dishes.  When FG does the dishes, without fail, he leaves at least one dish out.  No, it's not left on the other side of the kitchen or on the island, it's left immediately next to the sink.  When I've asked him about it, he is genuinely shocked that there was a dish left and he honestly does NOT see it. Weird. 


Oh how I adore Anne Taintor!



My Sweets Party went well. I woke up with a helluva migraine that day.  It would not go away for anything either.  By the time the party rolled around, I was running  behind and so doped up it wasn't funny.  I made a lot of new things this year too.  After 16 years, it was time to shake things up a bit.  FG mixed some yummy drinks too.  My favorites had to be the Homemade Snickers Bars.  Ohhhhhhh myyyyy gooooodddneeeesssssss.  Heaven in 9 x 13 pan.  Homemade Snickers Bars.  They were not hard, just time consuming.  And I hate to unwrap caramels.  Damn I really hate doing that!  I just took my time with the bars themselves and made sure I did them step by step without rushing to the next.  They were really so delicious!  And my kids hate peanuts!  Whoohooo!!! More for me!

I've been busy at work and really wondering why people just can't be competent.  Is it really that difficult?  I'm also about to be elected our PTA President for next term.  Uh, yeah, I went there.  I wasn't planning on it but it came about and I thought for days on it.  I had to do it.  Now I'm scared to death.  I do know that I must be involved in my children's school.  I've directly seen the payoff between having a good relationship with the staff and teachers and my kids getting what they need.  I've seen the opposite too :\  PITA parents who think their kid does no wrong, deserves everything blah blah blah and are just not pleasant does not generally go over well or bode well for anyone involved.  Nope, do my volunteering, be reasonable and understanding that my kid is one of many who all have the same rights and be kind and my kids have reaped the benefits. 

So I guess I will continue to have 4 jobs for awhile.  Those are ON TOP of wife, mother, daughter, friend. 

This a test. This is only a test.

This has been a challenging week.  My attempt at a regular schedule with my menu planning was thwarted by a last minute work trip for FG.  DS ended up staying home from school after getting his Herbst Appliance installed.  He probably didn't need to. He was ok and could have gone to school but I it was nice to have him hang out with me.  I took him to In & Out Burger for lunch - his first meal with the metal in his mouth..  He did surprisingly well! He's talking well now too. 

That was challenging because he is my baby and it was tough to watch him get the stuff installed in his mouth.  The girl installing it wasn't very warm & fuzzy either.  She was a bit harsh with him and I really wanted to tell her off.  But she had sharp instruments in his mouth.  I figured it was better to not say anything at all.

While he & I were driving to lunch it was complete chaos.  The wind was blowing sand & dust everywhere.  Vice President Biden was here giving a speech at the High School by my house.  There was a big rig turned over on one direction of the freeway.  The other direction was closed because of the VP.  We had to go a crazy back route.  We finally got on the right path and we see crazy clouds.  As we keep heading in the direction, we smell smoke.  Living here, we know what a wildfire smells like.  I looked it up while eating lunch. Sure enough, there was a wildfire.  And the wind was blowing like crazy toward our house.  The fire was heading toward out house.

I didn't worry too much - it was a ways away.  Then we get home and I sense something is missing.  Yep. The metal structure with the vinyl cover that goes over our boat was GONE.  I go around the house to the backyard and it is a destruction zone.  The metal is mangled and leaning in a tree.  The tarp is still partially tied to it and the straps are scattered around the yard.  My two 4x4 post clothesline poles snapped and are laying like dead soldiers on my lawn.  I snap a pic with my phone and send it to FG.  Just so he knows what I'm dealing with.  I call a bunch of neighbors and the ones I'm able to get a hold of come rescue me.

Meanwhile, the smoke is getting thicker and thicker.  We are coughing and the wind is blowing dirt into our eyes. 

After we got that all settled, we were glued to the TV.  The fire was moving closer.  I started to wonder if I should pack anything up.  I grabbed some bags and grabbed the photo albums and the cases with all the discs in them - all of our pictures on disc.  I grabbed the computer hard drive.  I sent FG a text and asked him what he wanted me to pack of his. I didn't really worry too much.   THEN I saw flames on a nearby ridge.  THEN I went into protective mom mode.  I stayed calm.  Amazingly calm really.  I packed clothes.  I packed important papers.  I took pictures of every room in the house.  I gave the kids bags and told them to pack up a few things they wanted in case we had to leave.  We got the Reverse-911 call telling us we were under a Voluntary Evacuation Order.  I loaded the car.  The kids kept trying to take their shoes off and I kept making them put them back on.  I watched the ridge with an obsession.  But outwardly, I remained calm.  I reassured the kids things were most likely fine but I'd rather be loaded and ready to go if they told us to leave. 

Finally the flamed died down.  The wind started to subside.  I fed the kids dinner and showered them and read DD a bedtime story.  I tucked them in and kissed them goodnight and told them all would be ok.  I was 90% sure of it.  They snuggled in and went to sleep.  I dozed sporadically.  Even with the fire subsiding and the news reporting that it was no longer growing I was still uneasy.  I got up several times.  I felt exhausted.

I just kept thinking that I feel like I'm always being tested on how strong of a woman I am.  The chaos in my life.  The constant changes.  The crazy things that happen when FG is out of town and I get to take care of.  I went into labor in the middle of the night with my daughter.  FG was 2 hours away and I had a 3 year old sleeping soundly in his own big boy bed.   I couldn't wait 2 hours for him to get home - she was coming. I could go on & on. Things always seem to happen when FG is out of town and I have to stay strong because, really?  What other choice do I have?  I don't know if it's a reminder, a confidence builder or a test.    Just one small request though.... can it please stop?  I'm strong. I get it.  I can handle issues and scary situations alone.  I am a strong mama for my children and remain calm in intense situations.  I GET IT.  I can live without a reminder for awhile, ok universe?

Let go of the Eggo!

As crazy busy as I have been lately, I am trying to get back into the things that I enjoy.  I miss cooking exciting meals and trying new things and taking care of my family the way I like to.  I just have to force myself to stay on track and be diligent.  The kids and I went to the grocery store yesterday.  I am now armed with the items I need to cook (mostly) what I want to feed this family.  The organic fruit & veggie delivery will arrive today too. 
Last night as I was cleaning up before heading to bed I noticed ripe bananas.  I also knew that I bought and extra container of buttermilk to make a giant batch of waffles.  Instead of just stumbling up to bed, I took out two sticks of butter so they would be warmed by the time I hit the kitchen in the morning.  As soon as I finally got my butt out of bed & ready (another thing I need to be diligent about - I looooove laying in bed in the mornings!) I started right in on baking some banana bread and prepping for the waffles.  Now we have waffles for the rest of the month for busy school mornings!

One of the things I do is undercook them slightly.  They are thick!  When I take them out of the freezer on a school morning, I pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds then into the toaster.  If they are fully cooked, they get too done in the toaster.  I've heard of people using the waffle maker to heat theirs up but that's too much hassle for me in the morning!

I ended up with 27 waffles.  There are now 22 wrapped waffles (we ate 5 for breakfast as I made them) in Ziploc bags in my freezer, ready to be taken out as needed and warmed up.  They are sooo good too. Not only are they cheaper and homemade but they taste SO much better than the frozen grocery store waffles. Mine are definitely bigger than Eggo's too so if you have a smaller waffle maker, you may end up with more from this recipe.  I figured it out and these cost me a grand total of about $3.80.  I say about because I didn't figure exactly how much the dry ingredients other than the flour cost.  I added $.25 because how much can 1/2 tsp of salt or 4 tsp. of baking powder really cost?   So under $4 for 27 waffles!

Buttermilk Waffles

8 T butter (1 stick), melted & cooled

4 Cups Buttermilk

4 eggs, separated

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. sugar (I've substituted with agave syrup)

Melt butter & let cool.  Pour 4 cups buttermilk into large mixing bowl.  Separate eggs, putting whites into smaller mixing bowl and add yolks to buttermilk.  Add melted butter to buttermilk & egg yolks - mix.  Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  Beat egg whites until fluffy or stiff and add to batter, folding in just until blended.  (This step is worth it for a really light, fluffy tender waffle).  Do not overbeat batter.  Cook until almost done and let cool on wire rack.  Once cooled, wrap each waffle in plastic wrap and put in large ziploc bag.  Freeze.

Now I'm hoping to get a menu plan done for at least the rest of the week.  Look at me go!

Need to clean this place up!

The aftermath of Christmas....
The house in general....
This blog!

Maybe now that I have my new laptop I can be better about keeping this thing up.  I looked at my sidebar and it's pathetic!  Most of what is on there is outdated and needs to go.  The picture at the top is years old.  I haven't posted a recipe or a menu in AGES.  I'm going to start trying to find time to get my act together and take care of some of these things.  I miss it.  I definitely need some menu inspiration.  I need some downtime and an outlet such as this little virtual place.

The house, well, it's in need too.  I'm done with the Christmas tree.  I want it and all of it's falling needles out of the house now.  I like to look at it but it's time has passed.  The rest of the decorations can stay up for just a bit - we're having friends over to dinner on Friday so I'll leave the house all decorated at least until our guests leave.  That would so be FG and I - our guests walk out the door and we start un-decorating the house!

I'm off to a job interview in a few minutes.  For freelance work of the same nature of my former career.  I'm just not sure what I would do if  I ended up with anything "regular" that had benefits and a 401K plan.  *sigh*

Our holiday was very merry.  Mostly great gifts all around! DD got a karaoke machine from my parents.  It should have come with ear plugs.  She isn't a bad singer but she certainly likes it LOUD.  DS is thrilled with everything he received.  Yesterday, the day after all the crazy present opening, we cleaned out old toys.  I'll have to remember that timing!  They were very willing to part with so many old things.  Clearly they had outgrown them but my kids always have trouble parting with things.  DD hesitated about a few items and I made her a deal, we put the doll stroller and accessories away and if she doesn't touch them in the next few months, they are getting donated.  She was ok with that. 

My parents gave us a GoPro.  FG is all excited.  I wonder if I'll ever get to use it?!  He already uses two of them on his outdoor show shoots but now he's excited to have his own.  I think we'll use it more for the family next summer when we are on the boat & take it on the tube.  If I manage to get up to the mountain this winter, maybe we'll take it skiing.  First we need some serious snow.  No snow here - ugh!

Alrighty, wish me luck on this little interview.  I don't know how it will work out but it will be a nice change. I'll try to get back to menu planning.  I have been REALLY bad about it.  I need to take some time and get back to researching recipes.  I think that will come with updating my blogroll too - get some new blood going into this lifeless thing!

Bullets for a glimpse...

That's all I have time for!  I miss blathering on about what is happening with me, around me, to me et al. 

• I'm a bit more disenchanted with my job.  6 mo. and I've realized it's a HUGE uphill climb. Pushing a giant boulder.  I see potential but I cannot do it on my own. It is not my business.  If it was, it would be run very differently.  The F-bomb would not be dropped at every available moment either.  I finally told my boss yesterday that I am having a hard time because if I'm going to be the only one who cares, I can't handle it.  I'm not just a "paycheck collector". I CARE.  I strive.  I attempt. I feel like the only one too many days.  All I can say is Thank God it's uber-flexible.  It's certainly not the pay that is keeping me around!  It's the fact I can come & go as I need to and that I do still see potential and I am given a very long lead to do my job the way I know it should be done.
• FG had a grand adventure in Alaska.  A bit too close to too many bears for my taste!

Yeahhhhhh.  That's too close to a mama and her cub!

He had a quick trip to Oregon and next month he's off to S. America for nearly 3 weeks.  Good times, good times.  ARGH!

• During his little trip to OR, he forgot a crucial piece of equipment.  Given that he was IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERESVILLE he called me very panicked.  What's a good wife to do?  Arrange for the kids to be watched all day and hop in the car.  uh huh. I did.  I drove 500 miles to save his sorry butt.  It didn't even need to be said that he owes me big time.  And the massage he gave me two days later doesn't count because we all know what "massage" translates to for a guy. 
• School is going well for my kiddos.  They are enjoying 2nd & 5th grades.  DS has a MUCH better teacher this year and DD has the same teacher DS had for 2nd grade.
• Today was my first day helping in either classroom.  I went to DD's 2nd grade class and did the same thing I did when DS was in there.  So it was easy and she was happy to not have to walk me through the whole process. She is very particular about how things are done. 
• My stuff for PTA is going along.  I'm just trying to not feel guilty about not devoting a gazillion hours to it.  I should be working on some stuff right now but I don't want to. I wanted to read some blogs and write on mine. :)  I have been giving of myself so much that I have learned to take care of ME a bit more sometimes.  The knot in my neck and the headache are usually good indicators that I need to take some time for myself or I am no good to anyone.
• Our cow is almost ready!  Hopefully next week!  We're starting with 1/4 because a whole cow is around $2,000.  I'm excited!!  The kids love red meat but we don't eat it often.  This is going to be so much better for us!  And it's much cheaper per pound to buy a 1/4 cow.
• I'm still happy with our organic fruit & veggie delivery!  I think they should give me a discount with all the people I've referred.  It's not a CSA so I can "shop" from my computer and then it gets delivered.  This week I was supposed to get some chard.  Uh, I would be the only one to eat it.  So I had that taken out and will exchange it for something else - probably some grapes that I know the kids will eat.  So glad I've started it and it's going well for us. 
• I need to get back into menu planning.  I have been kind of doing it but not regularly.  It's tougher when FG is gone.  I found a new recipe for Orange Chicken that DS loves.  I haven't really been baking too much but a few of the "regulars" here & there.  I have been eating a boatload of salads. 
• I should take a picture of the kids clothes organizers.  I broke down and bought the hanging closet shelf things.  I have never seen two kids so excited about organizing!  I think it had more to do with going back to school and the fact that I started those and got new backpack hooks right before school started.  I tell ya, it has been wonderful though!  Especially  now that I have to get myself ready & out the door shortly after they leave.  We pick out the clothes for the week on the weekend and they know what to wear every morning.  There's no looking for socks, mismatched clothes or wrong "temperature" clothes.  We look at the weather and decide together what to wear for every day of the week.  DD knows she can't wear a dress on PE day and that she must have tennis shoes.  So yay! There's no more fighting over the clothes every morning or the night before.  It's once a week and done!

Life is good

It is. I feel like we have emerged from this dark cave into the bright sunshine.
I'm sitting next to my parents pool watching my kids play. They are getting along and laughing. Last night we had the clients over from the new fishing show. One guy lives in a town near us, the other lives in Ireland. They are such nice people and they like FG a lot. In their honor, we opened a 48 year old bottle of Canadian Whiskey. FG figures his parents have had it since they got married in 1963 and when they got divorced in 1996 we ended up with their liquor cabinet & bar glasses. So we pulled out the 1960's highball glasses & cracked the paper seal on the whiskey & toasted to a great partnership. FG and I felt it was worthy. I agree. It's all part of what is making 2011 so much better than well 2009 AND 2010.
My son has been pretty darn good lately too. Yeah he still gets nuts from his SPD and he's still a space cadet at times but he has been helpful, responsive, cooperative and responsible. I have praised him a lot for his behavior. His sister, well, she's still tough, doesn't give a darn if she gets in trouble even when I take away her precious TV (no, she does not have one in her room, she just loses the privilege to watch theirs in the playroom). But he was like that at 7 too and I expect that by the time she's 10, she'll behave a bit better.
What I am not liking is FG being gone so much. The guys broke it to me last night that they got ANOTHER TRIP planned & paid for in August. At this rate it's a trip once a month! But he enjoys the work & he's getting paid so it's better than the alternative!

I'm still alive

Very very much alive.  Very very much busy.  Yeah yeah, I know that's terrible grammar.  Get off my back. I'm going crazy here!

Summer is half over - wahhhhhh!
Since I've been good with bullets, here's some more if you care to get caught up.

• FG got a new gig.  It sort of fell in his lap with 2 weeks notice to be out of the country on a project for 2 weeks.  He is now producing a new show that involves fishing and travel.  So he went to Ireland for 2 weeks to work.  Right now he's in the Northwest on some lake following the guys around.  In October he's going to the Amazon. As in the RIVER for 2 weeks.  Next spring, back to Ireland and then a month or so later he's going to Nepal.  They will be bunking with some buddist monks.  And he GETS PAID to do this.  Frickin' amazing.
• My job is going along swimmingly.  My boss loves me.  I do the job well and I work hard for the 4 businesses I'm doing marketing for.  It's amazing what I can get done in 15 hours a week and just how much 15 hours a week pulls me away from other things.  I do not miss the toystore one tiny bit!  I heard the manager was badmouthing me.  Yeah, probably because I busted her for being a grouch and was sick of her shit so I left.  I heard business is really slow and it doesn't surprise me at all.  They have the wrong person in there as manager.
• I pulled the kids out of school a week early and we flew to the midwest.  My cousin got married.  I'm the oldest cousin by 15 years so they have always been little kids in my mind.  Now they are in their early 20's and getting married.  Freaked me out when one of them got me a beer.  Then we spent a week in N. WI where I grew up vacationing.  My kids LOVED it.  They keep asking to go back. I thought for sure DD would hate every second of it but she decided to prove me wrong and adore fishing!
• DD and I flew home to finally see FG (our trips overlapped so we went 4 weeks without seeing each other).  DS stayed behind.  He couldn't get us on the plane fast enough and have his aunts all to himself.  I can't blame him, I did the same thing as a kid. I spent all summer with my grandmas and my aunts.  DS stayed 99.9% of the time with my aunt who is his favorite person on earth. 
• DD went to Girl Scout camp in the middle of the woods.  FG and I kept driving and looking at each other like, "Are we seriously leaving our 6 year old here?!"  She couldn't wait to kick us out of the camp.  (What is it with my kids?!  Do they hate me?  Lie to me and tell me they are just well adjusted and secure knowing they can be away from mom and survive.)
• With both kids gone for a week, FG and I reverted back to being DINK's.  We enjoyed ourselves.  Actually I think we kept ourselves busy so we didn't think about the fact our kids were all over the place.  One day we worked from 9-5, had a client event at 5:30 which was Family Night to see Cars 2 (we snuck out since we didn't have kids and saw Green Lantern), then we went out to dinner together at a swanky bar downtown and didn't get home until after 10 pm.  I don't think we've done that since we have had kids!  Then we spent a few days in San Francisco before picking up DD on the way home.
• DS came home 2 days before DD's 7th birthday.  He was not happy to come home.  He had a blast but I was more than ready for my kids to be back under my roof!
• DD turned 7. She had a nice party. She got her ears pierced. 
• Now I'm doing the kid-juggle every day for work.  Thankfully one grandma will take them on Mondays.  A friend who's kids play with mine takes them some Tuesdays.  Wednesdays I work with FG so they just come to the studio with us and then Thursday they have been spending the day with my dad.  I'm off Fridays. 
• Last Friday since they had been shuffled around so much all week without much fun - lots of errand running with the grandparents etc - I decided we would have a super fun day.  We went pottery painting, had a picnic lunch, watched a play, made pizza at home then went mini golfing when FG got home from work.  They had the "best day ever!"  I explained to them that is why Mom works and they have to go do not-such-fun things sometimes.  I think they are old enough that they got it.  They seemed to  understand that the things we did took money and mom has to work for money.   Of course the next day they were at each other's throats all day and I punished them by making them pull weeds.
• I'm trying my damndest to get us to eat better and having a bit more income is helping that.  Tomorrow I get my first delivery of organic fruits & veggies - as local as possible.  We are going to get 1/2 a cow this fall.  I'm starting to get local fresh eggs.  For the past year I've been giving us local raw honey for allergies (works ah-maaaaay-zing!).  I'm anxious to try the fruits & veggies.  It was pretty inexpensive actually!  Almost as cheap as what I pay for non-orgainc stuff at the grocery store.  The cow I'm excited about too.  It won't be ready till fall but they are fed the grains from a local brewery and alfalfa.  No steriods, no hormones, no pesticides.  Happy drunk cows! 
• We may be the only people in the country paying off our debt.  As sucky as it is at times, when we look at where our bills started to where they are now, we are proud of ourselves.  Business is improving, FG's new project doesn't hurt either!  We are still fairly broke and still watching every penny but we could have easily said screw it, and walked away from all the bills.  I know it's taught our kids a good lesson and FG and I have survived through I think the worst of it. 
• I'm getting the house cleaned every other week and FG is no longer speaking to his dad's wife.  If you've read any of my posts over the past few years this will all make sense to you.  FIL finally saw first hand that she is a selfish, money-grubbing bitch.  I don't know that I've ever met anyone as selfish.  But now we are done paying for them to get their house cleaned every week and me working essentially 3 jobs (PTA/School stuff can take up as much time as my paying job!) and scrubbing my own house.  I told FG that if the whole thing went away, fine, he could sell that space and we would at least get income for it.  I only want it because it's there and it's dumb that we are giving it away to his dad's bitchy wife every week.  So yay me! 
• 2011 so far is 1000x better than 2010!

Well Hot Damn! It's been awhile!

Let's see... I'll give you a little run down in case you care.....

• I turned 40. gulp.  FG had a great party for me. It was 80's themed and everyone got into the spirit. It was fabulous and over too fast and I didn't drink enough because I was up at 7:30 the next morning cleaning the kitchen.  Now I'm 40.  whoa.
• DS turned 10 (before I turned 40, thank you!).  I got to experience having a bunch of little boys around for 2 days straight.  I gave him a great party - complete with the chocolate fountain, no cake.  I am C-R-A-Z-Y.
• We've had some bumps and bruises at school. Not the literal sort.  Thank God we have an amazing principal and counselor at our school.  The teacher is not worth a whole hell of a lot.  Fourth grade is tough tough tough anyway.  But this teacher has one foot out the door of the school since she's been there 25 years. I was about ready to kick her butt the rest of the way.  We had a big meeting. FG got to play Bad Cop, I got to play Good Cop.  The principal got to play even Badder Cop and the counselor got to play mediator.  We got what we wanted, DS seems happier and all is going much better. 
• I've been kidnapped by the school PTA.  It all started when I volunteered to help out with the first book fair of the year.  Our party-loving librarian decided to have a Girls Night Out as a thank you to everyone who volunteered.  That included teachers, parents and the principal (thus getting to know her better).  Yeah, so that was great and all but becoming friends with a 50 year old librarian with no kids who likes to have parties and do-do-do and go-go-go has not been good for the relaxation part of my life.  Now I'm do-do-doing and go-go-going because she ropes me into stuff.  It's fun though so the social part of my life has been busy. And really, how many people can say they hang out with the school principal and drink wine and gossip?  I've learned SO much from being around these other parents and the more out-going, social teachers who aren't afraid to hang with the parents from the school.  It's helped (see above about the Big Meeting). 
• This has also caused me to volunteer to take on the membership chair for the PTA next year.  Miss Librarian and I did the nominating committee for next year's board.  Now suddenly we are signed up to do all sorts of (fun) stuff and going to the PTA convention.  I told FG they have a PTA store there and maybe I'll come home with a cool fanny pack or tote bag to show the world I'm a PTA member! He called me a Goober.  But really, for membership I have a ploy to fill people's bellies with wine and yummies so they'll volunteer for more stuff. I'm sneaky that way!
• I quit my job at the toystore.  My last day is tomorrow.  I decided that I was done with it all.  I do not like the manager. She is negative.  I mean, we work with toys! It's supposed to be FUN.  She was such a downer every day.  She "hates" everything that comes in and thinks it's all "stupid". She's just not pleasant and honestly, sales are showing!  My boss, the store owner, dragged it out of me yesterday so I finally gave her the full scoop.  I told her that is what prompted me to start looking for another job.  It took a few weeks but I found one that will be challenging and fun at the same time. 
• Now I have to find stuff for my kids to do over Spring Break and in the summer.  My new job, a Marketing position for three businesses under one umbrella, is flexible and it's still part time but I do need to go to the office. I don't want to start and say, "Oh by the way, care if I work from home all summer?"  yeah. not a great way to start off.  She's cool, she's flexible but she's still running a business.
• Today I am sorting and tagging a gazillion things for a large consignment sale coming up.  It's all kids stuff and it seems like DD suddenly got too old for so many of the toys & games we have.  So shortly after Christmas I ruthlessly cleaned things out.  Now I'm going to consign as much as I can and what doesn't sell will get donated to charity.  I drop it all off on the 24th and will never see it again! Then I just have to sit and wait for my check.  I'm really hoping I get a decent amount so I can go buy the little girl some new clothes.  She is a weed, I tell ya!  She's sooooo tall!!! 6 years old and needs a size 8, at least.  Some of her shirts I have been getting in a 10! 
• DS has been playing basketball. He's a little guy. Doesn't play very well but dang he loves it and gives it his all!  For a kid who doesn't like people too close to him, he is right in the middle of the game.  It's awesome to watch!  He's totally bummed that the season is ending. :(
• One amazing thing the principal did for my little sensory kid is she got him a sensory cushion!  This boy has not sat down in a chair in class in 4 years.  Now, he sits.  He says he likes the bumps on it.  AHHHH-MAZING!
• Other than all of that, I am still plugging away with my coupons and bargain shopping.  I've done really well lately and it's been necessary.  I've even dragged FG with me and he gets into it too. :)  We are still no where close to the "extreme couponers" but I have saved our family a decent amount of money!

All geared up for the food holiday!

I'm excited. I'm in a good mood.  It's snowing like crazy and I made my kids ride the bus.  No wimps in this house!
2 days until the big food day!  I think I have experience on my side and thankfully this year, time.  The fact that I have roasted many chickens and done now quite a few Thanksgiving dinners is putting my mind at ease.  I know what I'm doing.  I know what it takes. I know what to expect.  I know that I will get up early and work on the bird.  I know I will chop the fresh herbs and mix them with other seasonings into the butter and slather that sucker inside & out with it.  (I do the under the skin on top of the meat with the herbed butter thing and it makes for a yummy bird!).  I will mix the stuffing up to the right consistency without really paying too close of attention to measurements. 

Having time on my side this year is so helpful too.  I worked at the toystore yesterday but am off for the next week.  Holy Moly how did that happen?  The paycheck will hate it. I am going to try to enjoy it and not think about the lack of funds coming in a couple of weeks.  So I already started on some of my T-Day prep.  I made the red cabbage on Sunday.  As I stood over the pot, stirring and watching the color change to such a beautiful purple, I closed my eyes and was back in my great-grandmother's house.  I don't have a fabulous memory except of many things when I was small.  I can picture her house - details of her house - at any time I want.  The red cabbage smell just intensified the memories.  We had many Thanksgivings there when she was still spry enough to cook for a huge family. 
Today I'm going to work on the dining room and if I can get FG to put the leaf in the table, by the end of today, my table will be set for Thursday.  I cover it with an extra table cloth and then that's that.  I can take my time cleaning out the crystal glasses and making sure the silver isn't tarnished. 
Tomorrow I will clean the house and make the mashed potatoes.  I started doing this a few years ago - I make them a day ahead of time, adding cream cheese to them when I mash them.  Then into a large casserole dish they go, only needing to be baked after the turkey comes out of the oven to rest.  The result is fluffy, yummy, creamy potatoes that have gotten rave reviews.  Really?  Mashed potatoes?  They are such a staple in this house anyway and have been all my life - we ate them (and do now) regularly with weeknight meals.  But honestly when I make them like that people can't seem to get enough of them.  I'm just happy it's such a huge time saver!  I'll make the pies tomorrow too.  Pumpkin.  My mom is bringing lemon at DD's request (the girl loves lemon flavored anything except chicken picatta - weird).  MIL is bringing pecan at FG's request.  Everyone is bringing wine!  Yay!!!  But me, I could eat an entire pumpkin pie by myself.  I have.  Not all at once.  When it's here, I eat it for breakfast and dessert.  MMMMMM! So I'm making two. One for me and one for everyone else. 

Now, I'm even excited about leftovers!

Whoa! Slow down Time, just a little bit please!

Yikes! October is well upon us.  What did you do for 10-10-10?  I went to a baby shower.  It's been awhile since I've gone to a baby shower.  Baby Showers and Wedding Showers seem to be abundant in your 20's & earlier 30's.  By the time I hit my mid 30's the Wedding Showers were rare and now that I'm, gulp, in my late 30's approaching 40 Baby Showers aren't happening every week either. 

Since I only blog on my PC but can do just about everything else on my ipod I haven't been on here at all. I feel so behind catching up with Bloggy friends!  A few little highlights have been:

• I chaperoned a field trip for DS's 4th grade.  We had to take charter buses and we left school at 9:15 am and returned just before 6 pm.  It was 95 degrees outside and we were in the middle of the desert with NO trees.  It was hot, dusty and sticky.  LONG day that wiped me out.
• I covered for a girl who was sick at the toystore the next day.  It was busy and we are training newbies.  Not fun on a super busy day.
• Last week was Walk (bike) To School day so I helped herd along 9 little children walking to school from a park.  (Our house is a bit far.  Maybe next year we'll attempt it!)
• DD whipped out a poster on Safety about 3 minutes before we left to meet others at the park.  The school was having a contest.
• DD came home from school that day saying she won a new bike & helmet.  I didn't believe her so I called a few people and the PTA President confirmed that she indeed won the bike. 
• DS was very upset.  I do not know how to make this kid happy. I seriously want to take him to a psychologist and find out why he seems to thrive on being unhappy.
• I have been helping out in DD's classroom too.  So. Many. Kids.
• I switched out my summer clothes/shoes for the cool-weather ones over the weekend.  This was after I spent my ONLY day off in a couple of weeks scrubbing down my house.  It was 80 degrees outside while I was packing away shorts and flip flops and pulling out sweaters.  It was definitely a conundrum but I know I won't be wearing the linen pants until next spring anyway.

Now here's my menu

• Sunday - Soup & grilled cheese
• Monday - Roasted whole chicken, rice, veggies
• Tuesday - Kids will get their choice. FG and I have to go to the parents night informing us what they will be teaching our son for the sex-ed program they start in 4th grade.  Lord help me!
• Wednesday - Pork chops, roasted red potatoes, veggies
• Thursday - Grilled tri-tip steak, noodles, spinach salad
• Friday - no idea. I'm hoping FG and I get a date night!
• Saturday - Homemade pizza

Last week I made a chuck roast in the crock pot, chicken fajitas (I had mine on a salad instead of in a tortilla), bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breasts, hot dogs.  It wasn't an overly exciting week!

Monday already?

We went wine tasting over the weekend. We had a great time with friends who joined us.  We drove down in our big car & our poor friend J was a teeny bit hungover.  He neglected to tell us that his birthday was the night before!  Thanks to Facebook I found out so we had a card & an itunes card to surprise him with.  But sitting in the backseat of our large SUV on curvy mountain roads with a hangover was not much fun for him.  He rallied though and we had a great time sampling at several wineries.  They had never been to that area before - it's such a nice little gem!  Better than Napa, I think, which has gotten so full of itself.  This area doesn't charge for tastings, you are generally chatting it up with the winemaker and they are generous with their pours.  We were admiring the grapes on a vine at one vineyard and the owner was over explaining to us when they would pick them, what they should look like, why he was taking off small "new" clusters and tossing them down on the ground. I just don't think that happens in Napa much anymore.  He let us taste the grapes, explained how the seed would be darker when it was time to harvest and told us, "Go ahead and taks some bunches if you want them." 

The kids bounced between grandparents for the time we were gone.  I found out that FIL left DD sitting on a bench in a busy and zero secure place.  He took the kiddos to go indoor blacklight mini-golfing.  Apparently DD got scared of it (because it's such a good idea to take a 6 year old to a place like that! It was nice enough they could have gone to the outdoor one where there would not have been and terror issues. But no, this one is great because it's scary - like a haunted house!).  So I will give him the fact that he was in a no-win situation with the kids.  He hopefully learned a lesson that he can't take the kids to do things like that on his own.  He was going to get it for leaving one kid or the other alone or just simply having a terrified crying 6 year old drama queen with him which would have made DS miserable as well as everyone around them.  So I'm not sure if we tell him we are unhappy with having her sit on a bench alone, by the front doors, or not.  They are fine. They are safe. They had a good weekend.  I think we'll just leave this one alone for now.

But now it's Monday. I have no menu planned. I have another busy week.  I have piles of laundry to get through and it's going to be HOT.  Like record breaking HOT.  I guess we'll be getting a bit more mileage out of the kid's summer clothes and the grill.

Hopefully I'll be back at ya tomorrow with a menu.  As of right now, I've got no clue!

The transition

Right now I'm sitting here sniffling and doing exactly what I didn't want to do - staying in bed way too late, letting the kids watch too many cartoons in their jammies and eat breakfast ridiculously late.  They got up early at least.  I have a lovely summer cold.  ARGH!  So I must give myself a little break and not be so hard on myself but dammit, it doesn't fit with my plan! 

My plan of transition is slowing working.  Slowly.  I'm actually getting the kids to bed at a decent hour.  I'm trying to get myself to bed at a decent hour too.  But this morning I woke up just before 6 and started sneezing and sniffling again and haven't stopped. At least I slept well from 11 - 6! Poor FG. I woke him up too.  He left for the day and I went back to sleep.  I heard one of the kids come in and ask if they could turn on cartoons and I mumbled a stuffy- "Yeth"and went back to sleep.  I know, I know, my body needs the rest and better to let it now and get over this blasted bug while I can and don't HAVE to get up and get the kids out the door to school. 

I'm struggling with my grocery shopping list too.  Ey yi yi!  I have a week of "summer" left and then the first week of packing 2 lunches every. single. day. for two very different kids.  Since I shop every two weeks on payday, today's my day!  I'm scanning the ads, printing coupons, matching up deals at various stores...  and my mind is reeling.  Dinners for the next two weeks.... snacks for the boat and home..... lunches at home..... lunches at school.... will DD need a mid-morning snack of her own or will the class have a group snack like DS did in 1st grade?  will she even have a snack?  will DS need one?  his 3rd grade teacher had us send one every day because they don't get a break in the morning so she implemented one for the class of 10 minutes to eat a healthy snack, stretch their legs, go to the bathroom and transition into the next subject. Should I plan for that this year or is 4th grade getting too old for "snack time"?  Oh yeah, afterschool snacks too and then easier to prepare, quick cleanup dinners since we'll all be getting used to new schedules - me included with working while the kids are in school 3 days a week. That means I won't be able to feel like making anything that takes a whole lot of time or effort those 3 days.  Time to bust out the crock pot! I have to get out of the mindset of finding super-easy stuff for FG to get on the table for the kids and find stuff that I can handle.  (He's a frozen pizza, chicken nugget & canned green beans cook. He's improved but I couldn't throw too much at him.) 

Right now I'm thankful that the sun is setting a bit earlier.  No, I don't want summer to end but if it has to and the kids need to start back to school, it's much easier to get them into bed when it's darker out than in June & July when it is fairly bright at 8:30 pm.  They are anxious and getting excited about the upcoming year too.  I think they are getting tired of each other and missing friends.  Playdates are great but they are together 24/7 and even when there's a break with other friends in the mix, they are still together.  The other night they were bickering and both near tears over little things. I said, "Ok, I think it's bedtime!" and oddly, they both agreed and went up to bed.  I wondered who took my kids and replaced them! 

I'll let you know what sort of deals I get at the store today.  I'm armed with coupons and sale flyers.  I was so excited when I saw that cereal boxes, the regular size ones, were $.48 at one of our stores.  I know it's a typo and will be corrected when we get there.  If for some odd reason they honor it, I'm buying 16 boxes (it's a buy 8 & get them at that price deal).  I would buy more but I don't have that much room to even store 16 boxes! Wish me and my sniffly nose luck today!

While I'm at it - pictures!

A little glimpse of our summer....

Sunset on Donner Lake, July 4, 2010

How we watch fireworks every year - over Donner Lake

6th Birthday Family Party July, 2010

Her present from her brother.  SO excited!

She wanted the same cake as last year.  I think it turned out great!  (Yes, I made it)

Danish roll lesson with my Grandma

DS took a nice picture of us!

The true test... Dad said they were perfect! He hasn't had them in years and my mom could never get them right.  DD sure loved them too!

The Cast

DD doing her solo part during "So Long, Farewell" ("I leave and heave a sigh and say Goodbye. GOOOOODDDDDD BYYYYYYEEEEEEEEE")  Aug 1, 2010

Swimming with her BFF.  My dad put the big fountain in for the girls and they had a blast!

Meal planning and schedules

There's been a chill in the air, the sun is setting a bit earlier.  Yesterday really felt more like September than August.  (This will all change in a few days when we have a heat wave in the low 100's with lows in the 60's).  I looked up the bus schedule, talked to a mom "in-the-know" from the school about some rumors I had heard and had a craving for chicken pot pie.  As much as I LOVE summer and don't want it to get cold and grey and have short days, I am also hitting the stage I do every August.... the desire for a routine and a schedule.

My boss talked to me yesterday and it looks like I have two weeks of craziness left before I'll be working every Monday and Tuesday during the day and still every other Saturday.  Yipee!!!!  That leaves Wed. am for school volunteering, our business or myself, Wed afternoon for our business where we are on a tight schedule.  Thursday & Friday for school volunteering, household care, whatever may need done for the business and gee, maybe even some time for ME.  Let me tell you, that is a big ol' carrot dangling in front of me! I cannot wait to have every evening free, every afternoon without the ulcer growing while I impatiently wait for FG to get home so I literally pass him in the doorway as I rush off to work.  I'll have Tuesday nights off for all the school functions that happen a few times a month, the PTA meetings on Tuesday afternoons once per month. I'll have Wednesday afternoons to be home and wait for the bus which will now arrive 45 minutes earlier for "Professional Development".  I'll be home to tackle homework and projects each night. (hmmm, that could be the downside here!)

I checked out The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook at the library a couple of weeks ago.  I've been reading the tips more than the recipes so far.  Last week I had a bit of extra cash and I made amazing use of it.  I got all the toiletries we needed, most of the school supplies and lots of food at great bargains.  My best bargain.... spent $86 at Target (we have a very very limited grocery section at our Target - no produce or anything like that so this was all school supplies, cleaning supplies, toiletries and some packaged food like cereal) but I saved $40.  Out of all of my shopping, I got 9 boxes of cereal and didn't pay more than $2 for each.  The ones I did pay $2 for were GIANT too. :)  I got razors for FG and I at a steal too.  I used my coupons wisely with sales and BOGO offers.  Yay for me!!!

I also managed to make a menu for roughly 2 weeks.  It, of course, got thrown out of whack immediately when we had DS's teacher from last year over to dinner. What an enjoyable evening it was!!!  But I wasn't going to serve her the hot dogs I had on the menu that night! Instead I got a great deal on some petite sirloin steak which I marinated all day to tenderize it.  Corn was on sale.  She brought a salad.  I made a peach pie with fresh peaches that were on sale too.  I made homemade bread in my bread machine.  All in all, I think I spent about $15 on the dinner total.  It has felt good to have a menu again and soon, I will be sharing it on here again.  Hopefully with some new recipes and some more interesting content than what I've had lately!

Other items of note... DD finally pulled out her first loose tooth.  It's been hanging there for over a week.  While I was at work this past Tuesday, FG had the kids outside playing and DS's bike chain came loose, which meant he had no brakes.  Going down the slope of our street.  He panicked, FG didn't have much time to think so he literally used his body to stop DS from getting hurt.  Instead FG got hurt pretty badly and most likely cut an artery in his ankle.  From the puddles of bright orange blood I cleaned up and the way it took a few hours to stop bleeding heavily that's my best guess.  We are not sure if he broke something, sprained something or just really bruised his bone but he did something nasty to it beyond a deep cut.  He couldn't put any weight on it yesterday and was ready to go get himself a walking boot.  This morning he woke up and it felt a lot better.  He could bear weight on it but not his full weight.  We'll see how it is.  I must say, I'm a pretty good wound cleaner!  I got home and fixed him all up and have been changing his dressing as needed.  Poor DS feels awful that he hurt his dad but keeps calling his dad his "hero" for saving his life.  :D

Giving myself the day

Well the kids too.  I planned to take them to the beach today but decided not to.  I am not sure if DD's BFF and her brother are coming over here this afternoon or not.  Their parents, while extremely nice and great people, are a tad, um, unorganized and flaky.  While I am an overachiving planner and I know I drive my friends bat-$!@# crazy with it, they are somewhat the opposite.  A planner?  A calendar?  eh! Who needs 'em!  Yes, the thought makes my skin all tingly and I get light-headed as mine is rarely a few feet from me and certainly never left at home when I am out and about.  God bless whoever invented the electronic organizer. 

But because I decided to give myself the day and I have a list a mile long of things I would like to accomplish, I am not doing anything!  I stayed in bed until an embarassing hour.  The kids were up and watching TV (no need for mom anymore, they can both work the darn thing perfectly).  I finally rolled out of bed and showered.  I finally made them brunch. Do I know what's for dinner?  Nope. That's on my list of things I want to get done today - read through some recipes and possibly try something new!  DS has requested hot dogs or steak.  Kids are weird.

I just realized it's nearly noon.  Holy crap. I have nothing done besides feeding my kids one meal. At least I cooked it for them and it was a large meal so I doubt they will really want any lunch soon.  It's a gorgeous day outside too.  We should be out enjoying it! 

Am I the only one who does this?  It seems like so many people I know get so many things accomplished. I guess they don't laze around in bed all morning.  I'm feeling guilty yet free all in one big ball of confusion.  I feel like I'm wasting time but still enjoying slowing down a bit.  So what is wrong with me?  I'm going to be kicking myself later when I think of all I need to get done and just piddled the time away.  I know I'm going to feel guilty, scratch that because I already do, that my kids are watching TV instead of playing a game with them or taking them somewhere fun and interesting with friends.  Why can't I just feel normal and happy?!  I really do think I'm losing my mind some days. Stress is killing off brain cells way faster than any amounts of alcohol. 

Now, off to make a couple of phone calls, write out a list so I can cross things off and hopefully get my rear in gear!  What are you doing today?

Dare I really say it?

I am getting into the groove of thinking about school starting and I'm really not minding it all that much.  Whew. That was a round about way of saying I'm looking forward to school starting.  Ok, well, I am and I am not.  It's going to be so tough to have both of my babies gone ALL. DAY. LONG. and it's going to be tough to deal with two sets of nightly homework, spelling test lists, science fair projects, read-a-thon times..... you get the idea.  But FG and I have both noticed that the days are getting a bit shorter and the nights are getting a bit cooler. But I am really in need of a break from these two!  I can barely think straight (ha, no comments please, I am fully aware I have Mommy Brain!).

This post was just interrupted by me telling my 9 1/2 year old son that he sounds like an idiot and kids will make fun of him for acting the way he was at that moment.  I told him I didn't mean to hurt his feelings but he will get made fun of by other kids and that probably will hurt his feelings a lot more if he keeps up acting like a complete fool.  He screeches like a girl and he makes these noises that sound like a strangled cat.  It grates on my every last nerve.

Where was I?.... oh yes, Mommy Brain.  My patience is running very thin from all the running we've been doing.  Our diet isn't great these days.  The fruit basket is E.M.P.T.Y., the carbs and overall crap foods are up.  Maybe that's the explanation for the idiotic behavior?  This week was supposed to be a bit slower but alas, no such luck.  Monday my mom was off work so I took the kids to swim. I normally do laundry and clean up the house on Mondays.  I've been piece-mealing the laundry all week and that is just not my style!  I do it all at once and get that shit folded and put away that very same day.  It's all in baskets in my bedroom right now - unfolded and wrinkling. I've been piece-mealing the housecleaning too.  Ok, that really doesn't work!  Then I get no respite!  I'm doing a "big" job every day and usually it's at some God-awful time like 10:30 at night.  It feels like once I get one bathroom cleaned and a floor mopped, it's time to do it all over again. 
Yesterday was only Tuesday but it was a work day for me both at the toystore and in the office.  So I rushed DS out to golf then rushed DD and I to the office to get some paperwork done for 2 hours then rushed out to get DS then rushed home to throw some food in all of us (at 3:30. Yep, that's when my kids finally ate some lunch which was a lovely balanced meal of chocolate milk and pizza rolls.  That was after DD had a cereal bar & a sucker around 12:30).  Then I rushed off to work at the toystore and no frickin wonder I didn't feel like doing anything when I got home.  I didn't have any patience when I tried to get the kids to bed either.  Yes! I'll start clearning room for my Mom of the Year Award.  So along with our wonderful diet, my psyche is not in a good spot.

4 weeks.  That's when school will start.  Things will really change around here and change with an SPD kid is always a big struggle.  That's another post rattling around in my head - the vast differences between a "normal" kid and mine.  I've got one of each and boy howdy does it keep me on my toes! 
Any advice out there to make the transition easier, please please pass it along.  We all suffer every school year getting the routine going.  Try as I may to start it early with earlier bedtimes and a more rigid schedule, I struggle with trying to make the most of the last precious lazy days of summer. 

I feel like I haven't read a blog all summer, like all I've done on mine is b&m about how busy we've been and how crazy it makes me.  I haven't baked or tried new recipes. Heck, I've barely cooked much!  I miss my bloggy friends and I know I'm here talking to myself because of it.  I'm headed to a new era and I'm scared.  On top of that, I think I'm going to work days at the store instead of nights.  I'm waiting to see what will happen but they are opening a new location in town (Liz, up by you!!!).  I talked to my boss and told her that I would ideally like to work a few days while the kids are in school. This works out for her too because the college girls go back to class soon too, making them unavailable during the day.  I may still work every other Saturday day because that is actually fun for me.  I see the kids and the parents from school and get to retain my "Rock Star" status among the elementary school age kids.  I wrap a heck of a lot of presents and don't do a lot of store cleaning.  So we'll see how this whole transition works out for this family of 4.  Until then, I'm trying to figure out how to get a break but still enjoy the last few weeks of summer with my idiotic wonderful little children!

Kid's performances

I am knee deep in the kids' performances!  It's made for a busy time this summer.  But they are doing awesome. I'm quite surprised at DD.  She can be shy, which is fine with me.  She's not immediately trusting like DS can be.  So I don't push too much when she pulls a shy routine at people she doesn't know.  Safer that way!  But put this girl in a performance and dang, she can belt it out!  Barbara, the girl who organizes all of this, introduces herself and then has the kids introduce themselves to the audience.  DD has been told that these people are old, they don't hear so well.  So I'll be damned if she doesn't get up there and proudly and loudly declare her name, that she is 6 years old and going into 1st grade.  Then her solo part in "So Long, Farewell" she belts that one out too.  It's shocked me every time! 
Today is #5 of 6 performances.  Last weekend while my grandma was still visiting I had my parents bring her down to one of the retirement homes to watch the kids.  DS did amazing during "Who's on First?"  He gets it, which is so funny and he really gets into doing his roll of Abbott.  My dad liked it so much he wants to come back and see them again so he's coming today, so is my MIL.  Initially, Barbara's mom said they would do a "Friends & Family" performance but I just think there's no time.  Barbara is literally running from one performance to another with all she has going on. 
That leads me to what I've been working on.... there's still a journalist in me somewhere and a girl who knows how to put together a tv package.  I emailed my old college friend who is now a big-time anchor on our local CBS station.  I told her about Barbara and all that she's doing with the kids and setting up the performances at the nursing & retirement homes.  She also performs in our area's Young Shakespeare troupe and next week leaves for Ashland Oregon (Or-eh-gun, not Ore-ahh-gone for those of you in the East).  She was selected as one of 20 kids from across the country to attend a Shakespeare workshop.  Pretty impressive for a 17 year old!  Anyway, I have our big camera that I'm taking to the performance today in case the news camera can't get there.  The reporter/co-anchor of my friend emailed me back and said she definitely wanted to do a story on Barbara and was hoping to send a camera to today's performance.  I am taping it for our own use and just happen to have the quality camera we do.  I told her I can provide her some footage if she needs it and it is broadcast quality.  Producing a TV show has it benefits in personal life sometimes in that my kids home videos will ROCK! hee hee hee. 
I am sure Barbara will go on to do impressive things in life.  She is a terrible babysitter - we did that ONCE last summer and it was awful.  The artistic do not always make great housekeepers.  (My house was disgusting when I got home. Thank goodness I had a few glasses of wine in me so I didn't freak out about all the food left on my kitchen counters or the paint splattered all over the chairs, table & floor.)  I can't wait to see the news story on her.  She definitely deserves some regcognition!

Balance

I can see why year-round or multi-track school could be appealing. 
I had a panic attack yesterday.  I couldn't breathe and I was alone and freaking out.  I don't know why exactly. Nothing specific triggered it.  Just maybe looking at my calendar of stuff to do, crap going on with the business, FG and I kicking around the idea of moving out of state (very very pre-mature but just the thought, the inkling of it makes me nervous) was enough to set me off.  I have to cut myself some slack but it's hard. I look at other people and wonder how the heck they get it all done in a day!  Then I realized that different people have different levels of abilities to balance things in their lives.  I'm sure the stressful things right now outweigh other things which can make even small things seem insurmountable.  

I want to write a post about my DD and how she's 6 now.  But I don't have the time to devote to it.  And since I have somewhere to be or someone to see at all times for the next several days, I don't want anyone to see my puffy eyes and runny make-up after I write it out.  But yeah, my little hell-fire is 6 now.  Sweet one minute and will give you the iciest stare the next. 

I will admit I am a lucky girl that today, at the age of 39, my grandma is going to teach me to make a family recipe.  It's one of my dad's favorites (he has so many!) and one that my  mother has attempted for years and years and never managed to get right.  So my grandma is visiting and she is coming to my house today & tomorrow to teach me how to make these rolls.  She has shown me how to make many things in my life that her mother taught her to make.   There are no real recipes for many of them, which is why a personal lesson is necessary.  Sure my great-grandma wrote things down but really, how do you truly interpret a "dash" a "dollop" "mix it until it looks right" if you aren't shown?  My grandma is proud of me that I make so many of her recipes and her mother's recipes.  I cook and bake a lot by feel. Which she does too.  I guess it's just in my genes.  I made dinner for everyone the other night.  My dad's sister and her husband were visiting too.  I got so many compliments.  When they asked me what I did to marinate the meat, I couldn't really answer.  When they asked how I made the potatoes, I sounded like I was repeating a page of my great-grandma's cookbook, "I just put in enough of this & that until it seemed right and I tasted it along the way."  My grandmother beamed.  She said softly, "You cook by feel don't you?"  Yep.  Sometimes it doesn't turn out, most of the time it does. 

Now I'm waiting for two kids to arrive that I promised a friend I would watch for her today.  I've got crafts ready to go.  I kept them the other day too.  It's nice to help friends and I am actually paying her back for taking mine recently for a couple of hours.  But eye yi yi.... why do I get myself into these things?!  As soon as these performances and rehearsals are DONE for the kids, I will be able to breathe a bit.  I looked at my schedule for August and was happy to see nothing but birthday reminders and days on the boat scheduled (besides some work here & there).  I am hoping to do some sleepovers and days at Tahoe with the kids.  I'm in denial that school starts back up at the end of August.

I really got off point here didn't I?  What I started out saying is right now I'm 24/7 kid stuff with zero time to myself.  I'm either with my kids or at work (yeah, hello!, toystore - OPK!).  I told FG that while I don't want the kids to go back to school, a few minutes to myself, a trip to the grocery store alone, a chance to browse books at the library alone would be wonderful.  But with school comes homework, volunteering, papers to sign (and I am considering getting my sub teacher license this year) and less fun time with the kid - no lazy mornings of blueberry pancakes and cartoons in jammies.  So I can totally see how breaking it up could be appealing.  Make the most of the few weeks off school but then send them back and have a good routine (with some free time!) established for a few weeks too.  Then again, I don't know if I would like having them home for 4 weeks in November when I can't send them outside for hours or go to the pool.  Aren't we always struggling to find balance no matter what our situation is?

Update.

We're tired.
Worn out.
Sleepy.

We had a heck of a weekend and are not trying to reign in this week.  Two days in a row we've happily cancelled plans to stay home and not be so on the go.  That's unusual but that's how worn out we are!

Last week was fun.  We swam with friends on Tuesday.  DS had his golf lesson & played 9 holes with the kids in his class.  They have been practicing for their upcoming performance.  It's a community theater thing that DD decided to participate in this year too.  They go to retirement homes & nursing homes and the old people just adore seeing the little kids do just about anything.  So I'm not pushing it too hard as far as being perfect. I just want them to have fun.

Thursday DS had a real audition.  For an actual paid job for a toy company commercial.  He did well.  He's excited at the prospect.  I'm happy that there was finally an audition.  I was going to let the contract laspe with the talent agent because they just seem to harp on wanting him to take this $$$ class and that $$$ training. I get that they need to practice and keep up with training but the $$$ just isn't there for us to do it right now.  We'll see what comes of the audition.  I was very pleased with his performance though!

Friday we took the boat to the lake.  We met up with friends who have a cabin there.   FG had the funniest line of the weekend.... while nervously watching two of his children get on our boat, the BIL of my friend asked FG a ? about the kids going on the tube or something.  FG, completely normally says, "Yeah we've got it. We've been doing this for 2 weeks now."  O.M.G.  I about died seeing the guy's face!  Poor guy!!!  Needless to say, he hoped onto our boat fast because his kids were already on there.  We finally put him out of his misery when we explained that we've had the boat for several years and we knew what we were doing.  His kids, who had never been on a boat and certainly not a tube behind the boat, LOVED it!  They asked to go again and wanted to go faster.  Another highlight of the trip, DS fell off the tube going over some bumps.  Now, this could have gone two ways.  He could have come up swearing his little head off at us, because naturally, it would have been our fault (as a parent, isn't it always?) or he could have come up and realized that was kinda fun.  THANK GOD the latter happened and he came up shouting "That was AWESOME!"  whew!  My little fearful guy who does not like cold water enjoyed it!  And he's the only kid who fell off the tube the whole day so that was a bonus. I always get nervous we're gonna make our friends pissed off at us because their kid gets dumped in the lake.  I have got to remember to take a camera sometime too.  We have so few pictures of our boat time!

Saturday I had to work.  Slowest. Day. Ever.  I cleaned shelves. I hate cleaning shelves.  Next time you are in a toystore or even Target, look at the shelves of toys and imagine having to take the product off and clean everything.  ugh. I'd rather be super busy with customers.  The only people we did have in the store were super-needy too.  So I was either cleaning shelves or trying to find the exact right thing for someone who shot down the first 300 things I suggested.  I don't mind helping people but a little info from them is nice, like what age they are looking for, if they don't like puzzles/messy things/art kits.... how much they want to spend so I don't recommend the $40 toy when they want to spend $15.

Bonus part of Saturday... two actually... my mom wanted the kids so FG took them out there to swim, watch a movie and enjoy time with their grandparents.  FG and I did a lot of driving in two different directions that afternoon.  One to pick up new chairs for our on-location shoots and two to visit friends camping.  We crashed their dinner (I made & brought some dessert so we weren't empty handed) and enjoyed a nice kid-free evening with friends. 

Sunday I had a killer migraine.  We're talking dark room, pillow over the head, didn't care what the kids were doing migraine.  I managed to kick it and just deal with the "migraine hangover" just in time to leave to visit OTHER friends at the lake where we watch the fireworks.  We picked up our bucket of chicken and piled everyone and everything into the Mini (easy to find a parking spot!).  On the way home, I think FG was about to have a breakdown.  All the driving we had done, the little sleep we had gotten... all of it just hit him and he was DONE.

Monday we planned to take the boat out again and I woke up at 8 and told FG, nope, don't wanna go!  He, who normally is up & going well before me on "Boat Days", rolled over and said, "Uh humph guh." which I think meant, "me either".  No one in the house got out of bed until after 10 am. 

Today I nixed taking DS for golf and DD swimming.  I have to work, they are happy making a mess in their rooms and hanging at home for awhile.  My wonderful friend offered to take them for the afternoon & take them (with her boys) to play rehearsal and drop them back home so FG can come home at his normal time. 

This week, this little princess turns 6.  Wow.