Weekends are Supposed to Be Relaxing

This past weekend was long with both good and bad days.  Saturday was pretty nice, after working on my grocery list I took my son swimming then came home, grilled some dinner and played basketball with him and the hubby.  All ended well that day. 

Sunday on the other hand was full of fighting from the moment I woke up (at 11am) until I went to be bed.  It started with the dear hubby and I getting into it over his OCD moment in my kitchen and trying rearrange everything.  I am 5'2" tall and he is 6 feet tall, so anything he puts on the top shelf is out of my reach and he should know this after 4 yrs.  However he still puts heavy glass dishes that I use almost daily on the top shelf.  To top it off, I didn't have any coffee or anti-depressants in me yet, so I was irritable to say the least.  This argument spiraled downward from there and the yelling proceeded to wake my 11yr old princess, who is about as much of a morning person as I am.

As my day drug on, I heard the words, "Mommy, I'm bored" and "Mommy, I'm hungry" no less than 6,243,898 times. Not to mention they just love picking on each other to the point of physical violence erupting. These children are the laziest and non-imanginative kids I have ever met.  Let's just say there is no shortfall of things to do around here, we have 4 TVs, 2 DVD players, a Wii, a Playstation 2, a basketball goal and huge backyard with 2 fetch loving dogs.  Just because we lack the funding for a pool, my son believes this is the most boring place on the planet. 

By 4pm I was ready to pull my hair out or just plain run away.  I really am not much of a people person and to my husbands dismay I love, love, love complete silence and being alone.  So to this end, I left the family room and crawled back in bed (since I was still wearing my pj's it was easy) and spent an hour and half watching reruns of my favorite show, NCIS.

Total bliss...oh wait... the door just opened and sure enough here comes the boy to tell me again that he is bored.  Someone please put me out of my misery and shoot me in the head. Can I move to a deserted island and live like Tom Hanks in Castaway (minus the fishing for food and such).

Okay back to real life...I love my kids, I love my husband, I love my dogs, I love my too small house.  Oh who am I kidding, right now life just sucks.  Maybe tomorrow will be better! 

Children Cost More the Older They Get...

My afternoon trip to the mailbox is never much fun. Remember when you were a kid and getting the mail was so exciting even though there was usually nothing for you anyway?  Then as you get older and become independent you start receiving these nice pieces of mail addressed just to you, only now it just costs you money.

Well today was no different than any other day except the temperature was well over 100 degrees and my feet were smoking just walking to the end of the driveway.  I returned to the wonderfully air conditioned house and sat down to read the sale ads for the local grocery stores (the only exciting mail I get these days).  Then I saw it, the oh so familiar white and orange envelope belonging to the one and only AT&T.  My kids' cell phone bill has arrived.  I skimmed through it to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary and there I saw my lovely, sweet (and a little sassy) 11 year old daughter has sent 1,163 text messages, 90 multimedia messages and received 1,175 text messages.  When I had picked my jaw up off the floor and said a prayer thanking God for unlimited texting plans I sat there and wondered, what could they possibly talk about that much?  Anytime I sneak a peek at her phone the messages are usually one word like, "Hi" or something.  The preteen and teenage girl is a wondrous creature (even I was one at some point long ago). 

Oh how I miss being a kid again.  Maybe tomorrow's mail will bring something nice, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Nothing Goes as Planned...

For the past year I have been taking classes trying to get into a nursing program.  I have not made much headway, but I am trucking along.  Recently I found a different school that had a shorter and more convenient program so immediately, I began the transfer and testing process.  Now they tell me only 12 people will be accepted and my chances of getting in are very slim.  Bummer, now what?

Brainstorming and searching the internet, I have found a couple more options, but they require several prerequisite classes and again are very competitive to get into.  I am frustrated and dismayed.  It took me 5 years, 2 kids and failed marriage to figure out what I wanted to be when I "grew up" and another 6 years before I was in a position to actually go after it.  Now I am once again being kept from what I feel is my true calling in life because I didn't go to college when all my friends did.

Okay, depressed thoughts over and now I must tend to the 5 children running a muck (well only 1 is doing that, the others are asleep or occupied by whatever TV show is on Disney at the moment). 

Good Times with Friends

The kids went off to spend Father's Day weekend with their father, so my wonderful hubby and I had time to go see some good friends. Every weekend there is a group that gathers at the lake house of a couple we all love to hang out with. They own a lake house about an hour north of where we live and it is a great little getaway for all of city folk. I decided to go out on a limb this weekend try my hand at making Jello Shots for everyone. So after a trip to the grocery store and liquor store I was all set. They are actually very easy to make and I kind of felt like a mad scientist making sure to mix the right amounts of water and Everclear (yes, I don't mess around with my liquor, it has to be the best) with only the best tasting Jello flavors. There will be no yucky green or blue shots around here, only Cherry, Strawberry, Tropical Fusion and Watermelon. By the time I finished off all 5 boxes of Jello, I had 102 tiny 2oz cups stacked neatly in my refrigerator.

Then the hubs and I settled in to watch a movie while the jello set overnight. We promptly woke a little before 9am (way too early for a Saturday in my opinion) and packed everything we needed for the day. Sunscreen, sunscreen, beer, jello shots, change of clothes and more sunscreen. You can never be too careful when it is 100 degrees in Texas with no shade from the sweltering rays. Just to make sure the shots tasted alright we each had to try one, and surprisingly they were perfect! Nothing like a shot of liquor before 10am to get the day started (that was a first and last for me).

We hopped in the car and headed north, stopping for ice, coffee and breakfast. We reached the halfway point and got a text message from our gracious host asking if we were almost there. My wonderful husband then started to panic thinking he would be left behind and that would be the end of his world. Yes, because being left at the dock with a cooler full of beer and jello shots would surely be worst thing that happen to us that day, right? I assured him we were going to get there in plenty of time and texted her back to let her know we would be there shortly.

Just as we pulled into their subdivision 2 of our other friends pulled in as well, so we were just fine. Everyone loaded up the coolers and piled into the cars to go to the dock where the boat was waiting for us. The day was indeed hot and the discussion of sweat beads rolling down places I won't mention was quite comical to those of us sitting in the back of the boat. The breeze was welcomed and we anchored the boat near one of the islands where people gather to "party" you could say.

The day was great, the beer, jello shots were devoured and the multiple cans of sunscreen were emptied. The water was cool and the sun was hot. Fun was had by all and before we knew it 5 or 6 hours had past and it was time to head back to the house. Back at the house everyone cleaned up, changed clothes and prepared for dinner. Later while we were eating a friend of ours looked at my husband and I saying he wanted to produce a reality show about us and the others agreed it would be hilarious. I just don't see what everyone finds so funny about our life, we seem pretty boring to me. After dinner we couldn't stay to enjoy the ensuing fun so we headed back home to rescue our poor doggies from the lonely house.

Looking at Facebook today, we apparently missed the best part of the night. After we left, everyone proceeded to continue drinking, singing karaoke and having a great time. There was mention of a taser being administered by someone they all met at the small town bar. One of guys only asked to tased once and had enough, but the resident party guy kept asking over and over. They all said it was hilarious. Dang, I always miss the good stuff! Maybe next time.

Vacations are GREAT!!

 
We just arrived back home from 5 days of swimming and sunburning. Saturday morning we loaded up our car with everything 2 adults and 2 kids could need (including food) for the next few days of fun in the sun. We were also joined by another couple and their 2yr old girl (one of my daycare babies). We live north of Dallas and needed a cheap getaway for this summer, so a 4-5 hour car ride to New Braunfels, TX became our final destination.

The car ride down there started with my husband drinking 2 large cups of coffee and talking the entire time. I was about to cut my own ears off and then remembered this was my car and I would then have to clean the mess that would follow. We were actually ahead of schedule and decided to stop in Austin for a few sightseeing opportunities. We checked out the University of Texas campus and took some photos by the football stadium. There was a really pretty water fountain that I wanted to have the kids picture taken. We stopped the car at the curb and I was just going to use my phone's camera real quick, but my hubby decided that wasn't sufficient so he opens the trunk and proceeds to dig the camera out of our suitcase which is of course as far back in the trunk as possible. Then my dear son says he needs to go to the bathroom. Why can't anything just be simple? I spot a trash can and bench under a tree and tell him to go take care of it really quick over there. Thank goodness it was him and not my daughter!

After a few pictures at the campus we headed over to the State Capitol building which is surrounded by beautiful flower gardens and fascinating statues and monuments. That actually went well once my daughter agreed to get out of the car and join us in the sweltering heat. A quick lunch of sandwiches, chips and cookies in the car and we were back on the road with a little over an hour of travel time left.

We made a quick stop at Walmart for yet another new swimsuit for my daughter and checked in at our condo around 4pm. The kids promptly changed into their bathing suits and announced it was time to go swimming. Dear lordy, can't momma just get a nap now? No.

The next 4 days were filled with daily visits to the pool, a family outing to Schlitterbahn water park, a mom and dad only trip to float down the Guadalupe River while the kids went to the water park again and a lazy day of swimming and TV watching with the kids while the dads went to the river. Oh, yes there were also several nights of adult beverages after the kiddos were past out from too much sun and fun.

The best moment came on day 4 when my 8yr old son decided he could finally swim without the life jacket that he holds on to so dearly when swimming is even mentioned. He put it down on the side of the pool, took a deep breath and with his sweet little cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, he frantically doggie paddled about 5 feet across the pool. I almost cried! Then ran for my phone to take a video. By the end of the day he was jumping into the pool at the 5ft depth and swimming across the pool all by himself. Finally, success!!!

Homemaker or Burglar Hunter?

My neighbor and I have really become good friends over the past few months. When she gave birth to her second child and decided not to return to work it really gave us quite a bit in common. She has a 3yr old and 9 month old and I babysit a 2yr old and a 10 month old so they make perfect playmates.

This evening as I sat down, cracked open an adult beverage and started reading a few blogs, said neighbor called asking if I was busy. Being the "never say no" person I am, of course I jumped right up and took off to her house at her request. For the second time in the past two weeks she has left home and not closed her front door (the wooden one that locks, the glass one was closed). So in her great fear of finding a burglar in her house she forced me to walk with her through the house to see if there is anyone there. We went into every room, searching each closet while my son kept her two kids occupied in her suburban out in the driveway. Naturally there is no burglar and everything is in it's rightful place.

The whole idea of this is amusing to me, because really, honestly, what the heck could/would we have done if there had been someone in the house? Two women armed only with pink cell phones, hunting down a burglar. All the while, my strapping husband sits on the couch 2 doors down sipping his glass of wine. The whole thing is almost laughable and yet a little frightening at the same time.

Memorial Day Weekend Summary

We had a wonderful weekend with plenty of painting, planting, shopping, swimming and baking. It was busy though! The first project I tackled was painting our master bathroom a beautiful sky blue color and it turned out even better than I imagined. I want to paint my whole bedroom that color now and use a nautical theme for the decor.

The best part was when my husband walked in and exclaimed, "You got blue paint drops on the concrete floor!"
Me: "Huh?!?"
Him: "Look at the floor!"
Me: "You mean the floor we are going to tile eventually anyway? What about it?"
Him: "I guess you're right, it doesn't really matter." (then he walks away)

I determined quite a while back that my dear hubby suffers from anxiety and control issues. He didn't want to paint the room himself, but insisted on telling me how to do it correctly. Since I painted every single room and baseboard in my previous house, I must not know what I am doing.

The next project was planting flowers in my flowerbed and I actually got some help from 8yr old son, which was really fun. They look great and I just hope they can withstand the Texas heat, that is always an issue here.

Sunday and Monday consisted of cooking out with my in-laws (so yummy) and swimming with the kiddos at our community pool, then baking some delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies (recipe will be posted soon). The perfect end to a great weekend.

Speaking of Memorial Day, as a former Marine's wife I can say it is really heart warming to see how many people remember the true meaning behind this great holiday. So many friends and family members made it a point to say thank you to all those serving in our military and their families for the sacrifice they make everyday. Without the great service of our military, we wouldn't be able to to have the freedom to share holidays or any day like this with our loved ones. Our family is fortunate that our former servicemen were kept safe and always returned home while they were sent away on a mission.