Anybody remember the movie with Chris Rock and Kerry Washington: I Think I Love My Wife? Well, that title came to mind yesterday (that would be Tuesday since I’m late posting this blog). I have these days where I’m just overwhelmed with a flood of positive emotions for my life mate. Maybe it was the sight of him standing in the kitchen washing the mountain of dishes when I finally made it back from my mom’s house and the grocery store. I was tired and hungry; and I had a monster headache to boot. (Of course, the water was running constantly for the first 20 minutes after I arrived and was putting away dishes and preparing dinner, and that was driving me completely crazy, but I tried really hard not to say anything! After all, Mike was washing dishes and that’s what matters.) Whenever I’m in one of these euphoric moods, Mike inevitably says or does something to burst that bubble and I revert back to my unappreciative, nagging self oftentimes before I’ve even had the chance to tell him how much I love him and how wonderful I think he is. In other words, these “moments” shall we say are fleeting or short-lived. What is up with that? You’d think it’d be the other way around: my “normal” self would be the loving, dedicated spouse, and the fleeting moments would be characterized by the fussing and nagging. (Actually, in my opinion, there is a lot of love and dedication going on from what I have to put up with on a regular basis--Mike may agree as well.) All of this is to say I realize I complain a lot about Mike, especially in this blog, but he does have some redeeming qualities as well. (Please don’t ask me to name them!) Just as Chris Rock realized when tempted by that scandalous Kerry Washington, I think I love my husband.
07/29/09, cont…
Well, today is supposed to be a day of shopping for Alisa. Her b-day money and gift cards are burning a hole in her pocket. I think she figures she has enough for her hermit crabs, but we’ll hit the clothing stores first. Surely, she will have to add a little to her gift cards and that will reduce her “hermit crab” savings. (I see hermit crabs as something else for me to take care of when she gets tired of having to pay attention to them and feed them and change their water.) I always tell the kids “first things first” in an effort to help them learn to prioritize. We’ll see how the shopping turns out.
For the majority of the day I was busy with food preparation, laundry and dishes (after I brushed down the pool in the light rain, which was actually quite pleasant). It seems that every time I turned around someone was saying they were hungry. I guess in my household summertime is for doing nothing but sitting around thinking of what’s next to eat. Part of the problem is I just went to the grocery store Monday, and the kids feel compelled to eat up everything I bought simply because they know it’s there! It’d be different if they were outdoors playing or engaging in any type of physical activity, but they spend their time on the computer or playing video games—not exactly expending a lot of energy.
Anyway, my day was peppered with phone calls from a very excited Barrett who is counting down the minutes until his vacation officially begins. I lost count after 7 or 8 calls.
Around 4 p.m. the kids & I loaded up and headed to the Parker Uniform store to check out what sizes Alisa will need for next year. Of course, everything is a different size: 32 for the skirt, 14 ½ for the jumper, XXL for the long-sleeve polo shirt, 16 for the blouse and L for the cardigan. Aaron called my attention to the time around 4:50…He was supposed to be at weight training at 5 p.m., and we were in Fort Worth a good 20 minutes from home. I tried to convince him that he would only be a few minutes late, but he decided not to go. It’s too embarrassing to walk in late. The boys were “maxing out” on the weights, and the kids in Aaron’s group would all have to start over with the lower weights to let Aaron work his way up to where they were. I don’t like to be late places, either, but I thought he could at least suit up and hit the gym for part of the workout even if he missed the maxing out part. I didn’t pressure him, though. That was not a battle I felt like fighting.
We delivered X to his dad who was picking us Leyla at Tia & PaPa’s house. Just when I was worried about how to make a clean break without getting Sasha all worked up, her mom showed up to pick her up, too. We left PaPa & Tia to their quiet house and spaghetti & meatballs for dinner and headed for Costco and a girly store called “Justice.”
I ordered some prints from my camera with the 9¢ coupon at Costco. Then we took Alisa across the street to the Highlands to check out Justice. Aaron stayed in the car because the store had “just for girls” across the front doors. They had lots of brightly colored (as in neon) outfits and sparkly stuff any girl would love, but Alisa disappointed at the prices (welcome to the world of shopping, right?). A t-shirt with a silkscreen print cost $24.99, jeans were $29.99. Alisa was determined not to spend more than the $20 on the gift card and refused to put any of her cash with it, which meant slim pickings. She ended up getting jewelry. Earrings were buy 2 get 1 free, so she bought two cards with multiple pairs of studs on each and got a pair of silver hoops for “free.” She has very sensitive ears, and I hope she’s able to wear them. 8 pairs of earrings for $8.99 sounds scary to me, even if the card they’re attached to says “sensitive.” We’ll see about them soon enough I suppose.
We stopped back by Costco to pick up my prints as well as picante sauce and lettuce for tonight’s taco dinner then headed home. I had zero energy by the time we arrived. I really wanted to lie down for about 30 minutes, but it was already getting late. I took out the ground turkey and mixed it with ground beef in a skillet and let that get going while I washed lettuce and gathered the rest of the toppings to chop. I think I was moving in slow motion. There were dishes stacked from dinner, breakfast and lunch, and there was barely any room to maneuver, but I managed to pull it all together. It was after 9:00 p.m. when we finally ate dinner. I spent over an hour in the kitchen for everyone to be practically done eating by the time I sat down to the table with my plate. All I could think of was the movie, A Bug’s Life, when the ants were talking about the grasshoppers: they come, they eat, they leave! The remainder of the evening passed without much incident (of course, it was practically bedtime when we got up from the table). I managed to put away the food and leave the dishes for another time (recurrent problem in this household). I chatted with my sis-in-law (she now has AT&T so cell to cell costs us nothing-woo-hoo!) and read to Alisa until my eyes began closing on their own. I retired for the night around 12:45 a.m.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
July 28, 2009
Don’t you just hate it when you have one of those days when there’s only one crucial thing (as in it is time-sensitive) on your list of things to do, and it’s the only thing that doesn’t get done?! Well, today the one thing I needed to do was renew my library book…yes, the same one I have been trying to read for the past 9 weeks! It was 9:20 p.m. when I remembered (again) that it was due today. I realized it yesterday, and while I was in Hobby Lobby earlier today and the cashier asked what the date was. At the time it was only 5:00-ish and 9:00 seemed a long way off. Then a trip to Alberstons, waiting at the customer service counter for rain checks, returning to Tia’s, gathering up children and returning home took up some more time. Hunger prevailed when I walked in the door with my 8-piece (+2 pieces) fried chicken from Albertson’s. I put away the groceries and hurried to prepare some sides to go with the chicken: mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, kool-aid. We ate, I returned a couple phone calls and checked e-mails. At 9:00 I got up from the computer to fix ice cream cones for Aaron, Alisa & Xavier & turn on the pool pump & filter. Never did I think of renewing that book the whole while I was online! Oh well, that oversight may have cost me 25¢.
The vast portion of my day was spent putting together a “baby girl” scrapbook for my mom’s friend from Milwaukee who is expecting her first great-grandbaby sometime next month. Mom was telling her friend “Billy” about pre-made scrapbooks where the pages are already decorated, and all you have to do is stick your pictures on it and it looks like you’ve done a ton of work. Naturally, mom got Billy all excited about the prospect, then mom couldn’t find a pre-made book anywhere-not Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann Fabrics, nada; so guess who was recruited to help her put one together? Well, I agreed to the assignment thinking with the two of us, we should be able to knock it out in a couple of hours. Everything-decorative paper, stickers, letters, etc.-was included in the scrapbook; it just wasn’t assembled. It only had about 3 “sample page” ideas, though. So, mom and I were trying to get creative with the supplies on hand. We had oh so many distractions. Alisa was trying to do an edible fingerpaint (i.e., vanilla pudding with food coloring added) “babysitting” project with Leyla—“Tia, do you have food coloring? Where’s your blender? I need three bowls to mix the color. do you have paper?” Feeding time at the zoo (i.e., lunch time for the kids). Xavier & Aaron were busy feuding over the computer/internet to the point that stricter sanctions had to be imposed. Four-year-old Sasha wanted desperately to help out with the scrapbook, and asked questions every 60 seconds: “Can I glue that? Can I put this sticker on? Can I cut that paper?” When her efforts failed to get her what she wanted, and, furthermore, she was shooed out of the room to “Go play with the ‘big kids’,” she had to change her tack. Then, the issue became the big kids were being mean or refusing to play Barbies or whatever else would warrant a little attention and sympathy. My poor, poor little girl!
The remainder of my day is outlined above. Now, my eyelids are drooping, and I think I’ll turn in soon.
Yesterday, was a “down” kind of day. I have been feeling a lethargy like you wouldn’t imagine. I think I pinpointed the root of the problem when I was “chatting” with a classmate online earlier today. I told her that I feel like I simply don’t have the energy to do anything. A lot of it probably has to do with my diet and activity level (or the lack thereof-too much ice cream, not enough exercise). I can barely manage to get through the “daily grind” sort of stuff like laundry and dishes, let alone the big things around my house that need doing. My focus must now shift to Aaron’s birthday which is right around the corner. By the time it’s over, summer will practically be over as well. I feel all the more depressed because I see that I will be starting yet another semester (one where organization is crucial) with my house in the same state of chaos we’ve all grown accustomed (or resigned) to dealing with. That is not acceptable to me, but feeling depressed doesn’t exactly make one want to jump up and get in gear. On the contrary, depression perpetuates the cycle of nonproductivity: You feel a little blue so you sleep a little more; the more you sleep the less you get done; the less you get done, the more there is to do; the more there is to do, the more overwhelmed and less capable you feel to get stuff done, so you resort to your comfort zone: sleep.
I had decided not to blog because I was mainly going to fill you in on my adventures while grocery shopping in the rain (highlight of my day) and to complain about Mike’s snoring (despite the many expensive gadgets he has to prevent this phenomenon) and my having to sleep on the couch as a result. The good news was with groceries in the house we did eat well. Of course, I had to come in from the rain and prepare lunch for three able-bodied people who’d rather lie around watching movies and playing video games than fix themselves something to eat.
Yesterday was also my friend Jamie’s birthday, so I had another friend on standby until I could firm up a plan. We wanted to treat Jamie to a coffee or dessert or something to celebrate her special day. When I couldn’t get in touch with Jamie at home in the afternoon, I figured she and her husband were on a romantic date, so I didn’t bother calling her cell phone. Then, when I did reach her in the evening, she was about to eat dinner and go to the movies. She and her husband had been out taking care of homeowners-related business not on a romantic “date” afterall.
I spoke with my sister-in-law who lets me unload on her and who lifts my spirits late last night. After our conversation I was all ready to get busy blogging. I sat down at my computer and logged on. After typing a few sentences the electricity went out. I lit a couple candles and waited to see what happened. Within a few minutes the electricity was restored. I booted up the computer again, logged on and started over. When the electricity went out for a second time and didn’t come back on for a while, I figured it was time to call it a night.
It’s about time I do the same for today. Alisa has requested that I come and read to her. Aaron is having a meltdown because he accidentally saved Xavier’s video game activity over his own, and he had already beaten the entire game. Now, I guess that means he has to pick up wherever Xavier left off tonight and beat it again. Xavier is loving every minute of Aaron’s agony, and laughing like a hyena. I’d better go run interference. Good night. Until the next time…
The vast portion of my day was spent putting together a “baby girl” scrapbook for my mom’s friend from Milwaukee who is expecting her first great-grandbaby sometime next month. Mom was telling her friend “Billy” about pre-made scrapbooks where the pages are already decorated, and all you have to do is stick your pictures on it and it looks like you’ve done a ton of work. Naturally, mom got Billy all excited about the prospect, then mom couldn’t find a pre-made book anywhere-not Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann Fabrics, nada; so guess who was recruited to help her put one together? Well, I agreed to the assignment thinking with the two of us, we should be able to knock it out in a couple of hours. Everything-decorative paper, stickers, letters, etc.-was included in the scrapbook; it just wasn’t assembled. It only had about 3 “sample page” ideas, though. So, mom and I were trying to get creative with the supplies on hand. We had oh so many distractions. Alisa was trying to do an edible fingerpaint (i.e., vanilla pudding with food coloring added) “babysitting” project with Leyla—“Tia, do you have food coloring? Where’s your blender? I need three bowls to mix the color. do you have paper?” Feeding time at the zoo (i.e., lunch time for the kids). Xavier & Aaron were busy feuding over the computer/internet to the point that stricter sanctions had to be imposed. Four-year-old Sasha wanted desperately to help out with the scrapbook, and asked questions every 60 seconds: “Can I glue that? Can I put this sticker on? Can I cut that paper?” When her efforts failed to get her what she wanted, and, furthermore, she was shooed out of the room to “Go play with the ‘big kids’,” she had to change her tack. Then, the issue became the big kids were being mean or refusing to play Barbies or whatever else would warrant a little attention and sympathy. My poor, poor little girl!
The remainder of my day is outlined above. Now, my eyelids are drooping, and I think I’ll turn in soon.
Yesterday, was a “down” kind of day. I have been feeling a lethargy like you wouldn’t imagine. I think I pinpointed the root of the problem when I was “chatting” with a classmate online earlier today. I told her that I feel like I simply don’t have the energy to do anything. A lot of it probably has to do with my diet and activity level (or the lack thereof-too much ice cream, not enough exercise). I can barely manage to get through the “daily grind” sort of stuff like laundry and dishes, let alone the big things around my house that need doing. My focus must now shift to Aaron’s birthday which is right around the corner. By the time it’s over, summer will practically be over as well. I feel all the more depressed because I see that I will be starting yet another semester (one where organization is crucial) with my house in the same state of chaos we’ve all grown accustomed (or resigned) to dealing with. That is not acceptable to me, but feeling depressed doesn’t exactly make one want to jump up and get in gear. On the contrary, depression perpetuates the cycle of nonproductivity: You feel a little blue so you sleep a little more; the more you sleep the less you get done; the less you get done, the more there is to do; the more there is to do, the more overwhelmed and less capable you feel to get stuff done, so you resort to your comfort zone: sleep.
I had decided not to blog because I was mainly going to fill you in on my adventures while grocery shopping in the rain (highlight of my day) and to complain about Mike’s snoring (despite the many expensive gadgets he has to prevent this phenomenon) and my having to sleep on the couch as a result. The good news was with groceries in the house we did eat well. Of course, I had to come in from the rain and prepare lunch for three able-bodied people who’d rather lie around watching movies and playing video games than fix themselves something to eat.
Yesterday was also my friend Jamie’s birthday, so I had another friend on standby until I could firm up a plan. We wanted to treat Jamie to a coffee or dessert or something to celebrate her special day. When I couldn’t get in touch with Jamie at home in the afternoon, I figured she and her husband were on a romantic date, so I didn’t bother calling her cell phone. Then, when I did reach her in the evening, she was about to eat dinner and go to the movies. She and her husband had been out taking care of homeowners-related business not on a romantic “date” afterall.
I spoke with my sister-in-law who lets me unload on her and who lifts my spirits late last night. After our conversation I was all ready to get busy blogging. I sat down at my computer and logged on. After typing a few sentences the electricity went out. I lit a couple candles and waited to see what happened. Within a few minutes the electricity was restored. I booted up the computer again, logged on and started over. When the electricity went out for a second time and didn’t come back on for a while, I figured it was time to call it a night.
It’s about time I do the same for today. Alisa has requested that I come and read to her. Aaron is having a meltdown because he accidentally saved Xavier’s video game activity over his own, and he had already beaten the entire game. Now, I guess that means he has to pick up wherever Xavier left off tonight and beat it again. Xavier is loving every minute of Aaron’s agony, and laughing like a hyena. I’d better go run interference. Good night. Until the next time…
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
I was so trying to figure out why we had nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon when I realized I forgot about a big piece of the puzzle. Lani heard all about it, but I'll share it with everyone else as well. On Friday, Mike brought home an invitation for Alisa to attend the birthday party of the daughter of one of his coworkers on Saturday. Years ago, Alisa attended the same girl's b-day party at Chuck E. Cheese. We discovered at that time that the girls were polar opposites, Alisa being very quiet and reserved and Rosslyn being outgoing and talkative. Mike & Rossi kept talking about getting the girls together for play dates with the hopes that Alisa would temper Rosslyn's excessive energy and Rosslyn would coax Alisa out of her quiet little shell. Well, that (meaning the play date) never happened. I can't remember a single "play date" Mike has taken either of his kids to...just not in his nature. Anyway, all of that history is to now tell you this. The invitation was for America's Incredible Pizza Company (AIPC), a place in Euless I'd heard a little bit about but to which we'd never visited. I thought it was something like Chuck E. Cheese. I called Rossi to RSVP saying that Mike & I would bring Alisa to the party. Then, I went online to find out how to get to the place. The invitation said only: "You're invited to an INCREDIBLE Birthday Party!" and all of the typical for, date, time, from & RSVP lines. Nothing else-no website, telephone number or anything. I found their website online without difficulty and discovered that this is a buffet and anyone entering the facility must purchase a buffet and drink! The adult buffet was $8.49, kids ages 8-12 were $6.49, and drinks (including water!) were $1.89. Here, I was thinking we would take Alisa to the party and Mike, Aaron & I could sit nearby and order a pizza (which by my coupon-loving standards would probably be expensive anyway) and visit with Rossi & his family while the girls played a while. I wasn't planning on spending $30 on pizza and drinks and have to purchase a gift as well. I absolutely hate that everything comes down to "can't afford it" or "not in the budget," but I knew I'd be kicking myself in the butt when I was short about $50 for paying bills in the next couple of weeks. I'd think back to the extra money we spent to attend the birthday party and feel as if I'd been bamboozled. So, I told Mike to take Alisa, just the two of them. At least Mike could eat $9.00 worth of pizza (the "discounted" rate for those attending a party was $8.66, including the drink, for adults). He refused to go, so I had to call Rossi back and inform him that Alisa would not be attending the party afterall in case there was someone else who could use her spot. Alisa really didn't mind. I think she only agreed to go to be polite in the first place--it's not as if she was jumping up and down about attending a party for someone she only met briefly a few years ago. I really think the invitations should at the very least have a note printed (even if in fine print) instructing invitees to see their website for more details. More appropriately, they should inform invitees of the buffet & drink purchase requirement and offer the discounted rate for those attending the party. What about people like me who rarely carry cash on them, and who may or may not have even remembered to toss their purse/wallet in the car and may or may not have put their debit card back in their purse after pumping gas the day before? What then?
Then, I was a little perturbed with Mike. I felt like he should've taken Alisa anyway. His excuse is always, "She'll be more comfortable if you're there." He turned down the opportunity to work extra hours in order to be home in time to accompany Alisa and me to the party. Then, he decides not to go at all?! I accept that I should have checked out the website for AIPC before I RSVP'd for the party-that was my fault. I suppose I should be happy that he didn't go and spend extra money on a gift and pizza buffet if he hadn't worked the extra hours. In essence, he would have given up money-making potential and spent extra money. Now, however, it's the principle of the thing. I really didn't want to call Rossi back and tell him Alisa wasn't coming after I'd just called earlier the same day to say she was. What kind of wishy-washy people will he take us to be? I didn't want to take Alisa by myself because then I'd be vexed for paying $9.00 for 2-3 slices of pizza and a glass of water or I'd be miserable from trying to force down extra slices of pizza to try to justify paying the $9 for the buffet and have to suffer for that the rest of the evening (from a GI perspective). Mike slept clean past 7:00 p.m., so it would've been a chore to get him up and dressed for the 6:30 party anyway. Even if his original intention was to go with us, he probably would have bowed out at the last minute anyway. Sleep would have prevailed. NOTE TO PARENTS EVERYWHERE: Please, please, please make it known on invitations that out of pocket expenses are a part of your child's party. It is helpful to parents like me who are always a day late and a dollar short wherever we go!
I knew there was something on the calendar for yesterday. When we decided not to attend the party, it seemed like a "do-nothing day."
Today has been pleasant. I awoke and ventured outside to check on the pool. The water is much clearer. It could use a vacuum, but I didn't have time for that this morning. I came in, washed dishes and started breakfast. Alisa's flat iron was already pre-heating because I just couldn't manage to tackle her hair last night. For some reason I was on the brink of exhaustion by 10 o'clock-ish last night and couldn't pull myself out of it. Usually, I can catch a second wind after 10:30 or 11, but not last night. We had waffles, bacon and juice for breakfast, fixed Alisa's hair, dressed, fed the dog and fish, and headed off to church. I thought I was serving as a Eucharistic minister for mom so she would serve for me next week when I'm off on the RCIA retreat, but wires were crossed somewhere because there were already 3 Eucharistic ministers lined up. That was okay. I sat back and enjoyed Fr. Angelo from the Comboni Missions preach on our commission to spread the word of Jesus and help our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world through prayer, missions and monetary support. I just know that one day I, too, will be a missionary of some sort. I think I will start with accompanying Doctors without Borders somewhere once the kids are out of high school. Who knows where the Lord will lead me from there?
We gave Edward Briscoe and his son Leonard a ride to Starbucks after church, then we dropped Tia off at her house and arrived home ourselves. We were hungry, so I fixed nachos with tortilla chips with refried beans mixed with taco seasoning and topped with shredded cheese placed under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until the cheese was hot and bubbly. Mmmm they were yummy.
My two big goals for the day were to pay bills and make it to the grocery store. Gotta pay the bills first to see what would be left for groceries. That entailed more than a notion, however, as I would first have to take inventory, plan a menu for the week, consult with recipes for ingredients needed, write out a list, locate my grocery ads and check them to see who had what on sale, etc…I decided to get on that as soon as I got up from my nap. I crawled in bed with Waking with Enemies and read a few pages before asking the kids to wake me if I wasn’t up by 4:00.
After I got up from my nap I did find my grocery ads and begin the list. I took a little detour to begin this blog, then received a phone call from my good friend CB. I hadn’t spoken to her since we commiserated over the death of our former future husband, Michael Jackson, last month. Somehow the time has skipped to 7:55, and I must go and finish preparing dinner. I spotted two cans of tuna in the cupboard while I was in there getting a snack and decided on tuna noodle casserole for dinner. It doesn’t exactly fit with “Soul food Sunday,” but I have what I need without a trip to the store, so it will have to do. It’s pouring down rain and thundering and everything else outside, so the grocery store will have to wait. I will go ahead and pay bills and get my list together tonight so I can get my shopping done first thing in the morning while Mike is home with the kids.
Other things to do this week include a trip to the library, taking Alisa shopping (her birthday money and gift cards are burning a hole in her pocket and we have to get her sizes for school uniforms), planning Aaron’s birthday celebration (it’s right around the corner), visiting B’s place so he can give me instructions for what do to in his absence, and cooking up some stuff for Mike for this coming weekend while I’m gone on the retreat. With his mom being ill, there’s no sending him to her house to eat when I’m away like we did in the "good old days." I told Sasha she could spend the night one day this week, too. I'd better set that up because she will not forget! It will be another busy summer week, but I guess I really just wouldn’t have it any other way.
Then, I was a little perturbed with Mike. I felt like he should've taken Alisa anyway. His excuse is always, "She'll be more comfortable if you're there." He turned down the opportunity to work extra hours in order to be home in time to accompany Alisa and me to the party. Then, he decides not to go at all?! I accept that I should have checked out the website for AIPC before I RSVP'd for the party-that was my fault. I suppose I should be happy that he didn't go and spend extra money on a gift and pizza buffet if he hadn't worked the extra hours. In essence, he would have given up money-making potential and spent extra money. Now, however, it's the principle of the thing. I really didn't want to call Rossi back and tell him Alisa wasn't coming after I'd just called earlier the same day to say she was. What kind of wishy-washy people will he take us to be? I didn't want to take Alisa by myself because then I'd be vexed for paying $9.00 for 2-3 slices of pizza and a glass of water or I'd be miserable from trying to force down extra slices of pizza to try to justify paying the $9 for the buffet and have to suffer for that the rest of the evening (from a GI perspective). Mike slept clean past 7:00 p.m., so it would've been a chore to get him up and dressed for the 6:30 party anyway. Even if his original intention was to go with us, he probably would have bowed out at the last minute anyway. Sleep would have prevailed. NOTE TO PARENTS EVERYWHERE: Please, please, please make it known on invitations that out of pocket expenses are a part of your child's party. It is helpful to parents like me who are always a day late and a dollar short wherever we go!
I knew there was something on the calendar for yesterday. When we decided not to attend the party, it seemed like a "do-nothing day."
Today has been pleasant. I awoke and ventured outside to check on the pool. The water is much clearer. It could use a vacuum, but I didn't have time for that this morning. I came in, washed dishes and started breakfast. Alisa's flat iron was already pre-heating because I just couldn't manage to tackle her hair last night. For some reason I was on the brink of exhaustion by 10 o'clock-ish last night and couldn't pull myself out of it. Usually, I can catch a second wind after 10:30 or 11, but not last night. We had waffles, bacon and juice for breakfast, fixed Alisa's hair, dressed, fed the dog and fish, and headed off to church. I thought I was serving as a Eucharistic minister for mom so she would serve for me next week when I'm off on the RCIA retreat, but wires were crossed somewhere because there were already 3 Eucharistic ministers lined up. That was okay. I sat back and enjoyed Fr. Angelo from the Comboni Missions preach on our commission to spread the word of Jesus and help our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world through prayer, missions and monetary support. I just know that one day I, too, will be a missionary of some sort. I think I will start with accompanying Doctors without Borders somewhere once the kids are out of high school. Who knows where the Lord will lead me from there?
We gave Edward Briscoe and his son Leonard a ride to Starbucks after church, then we dropped Tia off at her house and arrived home ourselves. We were hungry, so I fixed nachos with tortilla chips with refried beans mixed with taco seasoning and topped with shredded cheese placed under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until the cheese was hot and bubbly. Mmmm they were yummy.
My two big goals for the day were to pay bills and make it to the grocery store. Gotta pay the bills first to see what would be left for groceries. That entailed more than a notion, however, as I would first have to take inventory, plan a menu for the week, consult with recipes for ingredients needed, write out a list, locate my grocery ads and check them to see who had what on sale, etc…I decided to get on that as soon as I got up from my nap. I crawled in bed with Waking with Enemies and read a few pages before asking the kids to wake me if I wasn’t up by 4:00.
After I got up from my nap I did find my grocery ads and begin the list. I took a little detour to begin this blog, then received a phone call from my good friend CB. I hadn’t spoken to her since we commiserated over the death of our former future husband, Michael Jackson, last month. Somehow the time has skipped to 7:55, and I must go and finish preparing dinner. I spotted two cans of tuna in the cupboard while I was in there getting a snack and decided on tuna noodle casserole for dinner. It doesn’t exactly fit with “Soul food Sunday,” but I have what I need without a trip to the store, so it will have to do. It’s pouring down rain and thundering and everything else outside, so the grocery store will have to wait. I will go ahead and pay bills and get my list together tonight so I can get my shopping done first thing in the morning while Mike is home with the kids.
Other things to do this week include a trip to the library, taking Alisa shopping (her birthday money and gift cards are burning a hole in her pocket and we have to get her sizes for school uniforms), planning Aaron’s birthday celebration (it’s right around the corner), visiting B’s place so he can give me instructions for what do to in his absence, and cooking up some stuff for Mike for this coming weekend while I’m gone on the retreat. With his mom being ill, there’s no sending him to her house to eat when I’m away like we did in the "good old days." I told Sasha she could spend the night one day this week, too. I'd better set that up because she will not forget! It will be another busy summer week, but I guess I really just wouldn’t have it any other way.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
A "do-nothing" day
Today felt very much like a do nothing kind of day. As I think back over it, though, I realize I did quite a bit. My internal alarm clock went off at 7:30, but I glanced at the clock and rolled over determined to "sleep in" a little longer. The next thing I knew it was 8:30 and I could hear Missy whining outside my bedroom door. I got up and headed outdoors with the dog. The pool still had a green tint to it even though I shocked it last night and applied algaecide the night before that! That little downpour we had yesterday, short-lived as it was, must have thrown off the chemical balance in the pool. I grabbed the "whale wall" brush and began brushing down the sides. The problem with brushing is it stirs up everything so you can't see what you've brushed and what you haven't brushed. As of this evening the water still didn't appear to be clearing as I would have expected. I'll backwash and shock it before I go to bed.
I trimmed the mint back some and tackled the overgrown grass and weeds around the pump motor. All of those weeds near a small machine like that make me a little nervous. I came in from the heat and walked Aaron through fixing his own omelet and cinnamon toast for breakfast. I fried myself an egg and had cinnamon toast, too. Alisa was still asleep. I got a call from Bear saying that his computer was back in working order by some small miracle. Hallelujah!
I folded laundry and caught up with Lani who sent me awesome photos of her & Lorenzo's trip to Idaho to visit her family and friends. I told Lo Jr. I wanted to stand up, place my hand over my heart and sing My Country 'Tis of Thee looking at the majestic mountains & waterfalls. I wanted to forward a photo of the wedding cake I did for Tiwanda's wedding, so I began tinkering with my camera. How hard could it be to download the photos from the camera and then attach them to an e-mail? Hard enough for me to throw in the towel after an hour of attempting to do just that. The kids and I basically snacked all day until dinner time when people were hungry for "real" food. Aaron decided on Lipton Pasta sides and salad for dinner. I threw in a few meatballs out of the freezer and completed the meal (Cave man Mike say, "meal not meal without meat-ugh!"). We stopped by Arlington Westlake Ace Hardware store for D.E. Powder for the pool then ventured on to Sonic to try their new "chiller" for 99 cents each. The strawberries in the strawberry-limeade chiler kept clogging the straw, but overall everyone enjoyed their treats. Mike had the cherry limeade and reported that it, too, was tasty.
My eyes are closing and I still have to tame Alisa's tresses. She didn't swim today, but I had her wash her hair anyway, because it was a tattered mess from just pulling it back into a ponytail without really combing it out. I may have to do that in the morning. I'm tired now and probably won't have much more energy once I've tended to the pool. Good night, all. Until next time...
I trimmed the mint back some and tackled the overgrown grass and weeds around the pump motor. All of those weeds near a small machine like that make me a little nervous. I came in from the heat and walked Aaron through fixing his own omelet and cinnamon toast for breakfast. I fried myself an egg and had cinnamon toast, too. Alisa was still asleep. I got a call from Bear saying that his computer was back in working order by some small miracle. Hallelujah!
I folded laundry and caught up with Lani who sent me awesome photos of her & Lorenzo's trip to Idaho to visit her family and friends. I told Lo Jr. I wanted to stand up, place my hand over my heart and sing My Country 'Tis of Thee looking at the majestic mountains & waterfalls. I wanted to forward a photo of the wedding cake I did for Tiwanda's wedding, so I began tinkering with my camera. How hard could it be to download the photos from the camera and then attach them to an e-mail? Hard enough for me to throw in the towel after an hour of attempting to do just that. The kids and I basically snacked all day until dinner time when people were hungry for "real" food. Aaron decided on Lipton Pasta sides and salad for dinner. I threw in a few meatballs out of the freezer and completed the meal (Cave man Mike say, "meal not meal without meat-ugh!"). We stopped by Arlington Westlake Ace Hardware store for D.E. Powder for the pool then ventured on to Sonic to try their new "chiller" for 99 cents each. The strawberries in the strawberry-limeade chiler kept clogging the straw, but overall everyone enjoyed their treats. Mike had the cherry limeade and reported that it, too, was tasty.
My eyes are closing and I still have to tame Alisa's tresses. She didn't swim today, but I had her wash her hair anyway, because it was a tattered mess from just pulling it back into a ponytail without really combing it out. I may have to do that in the morning. I'm tired now and probably won't have much more energy once I've tended to the pool. Good night, all. Until next time...
Friday, July 24, 2009
Here comes the bride...
Well, it's Friday July 24, 2009, and I think I will be all caught up with my blog by day's end (that is, if I finish yesterday's now and blog again later for today.) My day started with a phone call from my cousin Barrett (aka "B" or "Bear") yesterday morning. His computer for which he'd just installed internet service a few days prior was not cooperating, and he was down in the dumps. We talked for an hour and a half before I said I'd better go and get on with my ever-evolving, never-ending list of things to do, especially with this wedding coming up tomorrow. I had dishes stacked and waiting for me in the kitchen. Mike is back at work, so I figured I'd better get back on some type of cooking routine so there'd be food for him to take to work for lunch the next day (still just don't understand why the man can't take a sandwich, chips and fruit like we grew up eating for lunch!).
I set Alisa up with a list of gifts she had received for her birthday and a stack of thank you notes to get started writing. I think it's a good idea for young 'uns to get in the habit of showing their gratitude, even for small things. I appreciate receiving a note of thanks or even just a brief phone call so I know someone received the gift I sent.
I was blogging away when B stopped by for a change of scenery, a bit of chit chat and encouragement, and a hug before going in to work for the afternoon. I told him about a t-shirt I saw recently which was solid black with small white lettering. It said something to this effect: "I knew there would be days like this, but I never thought they would be so bad, so frequent and so long." I'm almost certain those are not the exact words, but it's enough for you to get the drift. I told B I would have to find that t-shirt for the both of us. Having faith is not always easy, but it is a mighty, mighty good thing, folks.
At some point I took another 2-hour nap. I really think that medication I was taking made me a little drowsier than usual. That, and I haven't been to bed before 1:30/2:00 a.m. for the past week. I'm done with the pills per se, but I'll be glad when they're out of my system.
I fixed Ranch & herb Shake 'n' Bake chicken, corn, cabbage, and cornbread for dinner. It was the kids' first time to have Shake 'n' Bake, and I they really enjoyed it. Either that or they were just happy to have a "meal" that wasn't served on a bun with chips on the side. I've raised the bar for dinner tonight!
After dinner, I hurried to the library to renew Alisa's book on CD and update her library card (which was the reason I couldn't just renew the book online) before the library closed. We had checked out Blubber by Judy Blume when we went to Blanco for the weekend, but didn't get around to listening to it on the road. It was all PaPa could stand to have to listen to How to Eat Fried Worms. I figured he wouldn't be too thrilled about listening to a story of vicious elementary school age girls picking on their chubby classmate. In fact, Alisa wasn't even too interested in the book, but I wanted to listen to it "for old times' sake." I know I had to have read it along with most of Judy Blume's other books in my late elementary years, but I really couldn't remember how it turned out.
Anyway, after the library I scooped up mom and we zipped over to Michael's for more wedding cake stuff (and scrapbook stuff for mom). Upon my return, I baked the remaining cakes and washed dishes for the rest of the evening. Alisa & I did sneak in a game of Backgammon while the last cakes were in the oven. It was a great game. Alisa had three pieces left on the board & I had two pieces on spaces one and two. I just knew I had her licked when she rolled double sixes and off went her last three pieces. You win some and you lose some!
Today I have to make up a bunch of buttercream frosting. I started to just buy the tub of "decorator icing" at Michael's except for (1) I have never tasted it; and (2) I had already bought the ingredients to make the frosting. It would have meant more work and running around burning up my gas to return stuff and try to hunt down another coupon to save 40% off of the big tub. Later, I'll transport the cakes to Shannon's house to frost and decorate them. I still have to stop somewhere, probably Hobby Lobby, and get the cake boxes and cardboard circles. I think that's all that's left. Lord knows, I don't want to be up all night fooling with these cakes. I wanted to develop a few photos for Alisa to stick in her thank you notes to her friends, too. I'd better get my list of things to do today going before I forget something.
Later the same day...Well, it's 12:47 a.m. (I suppose that officially makes it Saturday), and I've been home from Shannon's for almost an hour I guess...long enough to unload the car, see Barrett off, check e-mails, turn on the pool pump, shock the water (it looks a little green & cloudy from the downpour earlier today, scratch the dog, speak to Mike & tuck in two young ones. I folded a couple of loads of laundry that had been abandoned in a laundry basket for a few days. I also finally received a little information from the IRS although it wasn't what I had hoped. I learned that amended returns take 8 to 12 weeks to process, so I guess we should hear something in the next couple of weeks at the very latest. B came over and caught me up on current events (I don't watch the nightly news very often) as well as happenings at Tom Thumb where he works part time, as I washed dishes, made lunch and made 4 batches of buttercream frosting. He dozed off on the rocking chair and I retreated to my bed for a nap around 5 p.m. My feet ached from standing on them all afternoon, and I simply wanted to get off of them. My sister in law, Renee, had called earlier to see if I could watch Sasha while she went to a "meet and greet the wedding party" dinner (this took the place of the traditional rehearsal dinner for this couple). I explained that I would be at Shannon's decorating the cakes, but Sasha could join the crowd and play with her cousins if Renee's mom wasn't available. Renee dropped Sasha off a little after 6 p.m. and we loaded up the car and headed over to Shannon's. Aaron was trying to make certain we were gone before Mike made it home from work and recruited him do some yard work. Shannon was heading into Hobby Lobby when I called to tell her we were on our way to her house around 6:30. She said to get with Derrick and order pizza from CiCi's for everyone when I got to her house. She would stop and pick it up on her way home. Four adults, four children and one baby. I figured 4 large pizzas would suffice, so I called and ordered 2 pepperoni, 1 cheese and 1 spinach alfredo pizzas from CiCi's.
Shannon found some beautiful ribbon at Hobby Lobby to embellish the cake. Although my icing wasn't as smooth as I would have liked it, the cake turned out really pretty: an 8" atop a 10" and a third 6" layer atop 3" pillars. Shannon bought artificial calla lilies for the cake, but I think she decided she'd rather have the real roses and rose petals to garnish the cake.
Sasha had a mini-meltdown because she came downstairs to ask us to call her mom or dad to see if she could spend the night with "E" (that's what she calls me), and had to explain that her mom was already on her way to pick up Sasha. Apparently, she and her mom had already discussed the fact that Sasha was not going to spend the night tonight. She was not a happy camper as they headed for the car. I think being tired had a lot to do with it, too.
So, that was my day. All's well that ends well. It's now 1:25, and I'm off to catch some z's. I am grateful for the nap I took earlier. Good night. Until next time...
I set Alisa up with a list of gifts she had received for her birthday and a stack of thank you notes to get started writing. I think it's a good idea for young 'uns to get in the habit of showing their gratitude, even for small things. I appreciate receiving a note of thanks or even just a brief phone call so I know someone received the gift I sent.
I was blogging away when B stopped by for a change of scenery, a bit of chit chat and encouragement, and a hug before going in to work for the afternoon. I told him about a t-shirt I saw recently which was solid black with small white lettering. It said something to this effect: "I knew there would be days like this, but I never thought they would be so bad, so frequent and so long." I'm almost certain those are not the exact words, but it's enough for you to get the drift. I told B I would have to find that t-shirt for the both of us. Having faith is not always easy, but it is a mighty, mighty good thing, folks.
At some point I took another 2-hour nap. I really think that medication I was taking made me a little drowsier than usual. That, and I haven't been to bed before 1:30/2:00 a.m. for the past week. I'm done with the pills per se, but I'll be glad when they're out of my system.
I fixed Ranch & herb Shake 'n' Bake chicken, corn, cabbage, and cornbread for dinner. It was the kids' first time to have Shake 'n' Bake, and I they really enjoyed it. Either that or they were just happy to have a "meal" that wasn't served on a bun with chips on the side. I've raised the bar for dinner tonight!
After dinner, I hurried to the library to renew Alisa's book on CD and update her library card (which was the reason I couldn't just renew the book online) before the library closed. We had checked out Blubber by Judy Blume when we went to Blanco for the weekend, but didn't get around to listening to it on the road. It was all PaPa could stand to have to listen to How to Eat Fried Worms. I figured he wouldn't be too thrilled about listening to a story of vicious elementary school age girls picking on their chubby classmate. In fact, Alisa wasn't even too interested in the book, but I wanted to listen to it "for old times' sake." I know I had to have read it along with most of Judy Blume's other books in my late elementary years, but I really couldn't remember how it turned out.
Anyway, after the library I scooped up mom and we zipped over to Michael's for more wedding cake stuff (and scrapbook stuff for mom). Upon my return, I baked the remaining cakes and washed dishes for the rest of the evening. Alisa & I did sneak in a game of Backgammon while the last cakes were in the oven. It was a great game. Alisa had three pieces left on the board & I had two pieces on spaces one and two. I just knew I had her licked when she rolled double sixes and off went her last three pieces. You win some and you lose some!
Today I have to make up a bunch of buttercream frosting. I started to just buy the tub of "decorator icing" at Michael's except for (1) I have never tasted it; and (2) I had already bought the ingredients to make the frosting. It would have meant more work and running around burning up my gas to return stuff and try to hunt down another coupon to save 40% off of the big tub. Later, I'll transport the cakes to Shannon's house to frost and decorate them. I still have to stop somewhere, probably Hobby Lobby, and get the cake boxes and cardboard circles. I think that's all that's left. Lord knows, I don't want to be up all night fooling with these cakes. I wanted to develop a few photos for Alisa to stick in her thank you notes to her friends, too. I'd better get my list of things to do today going before I forget something.
Later the same day...Well, it's 12:47 a.m. (I suppose that officially makes it Saturday), and I've been home from Shannon's for almost an hour I guess...long enough to unload the car, see Barrett off, check e-mails, turn on the pool pump, shock the water (it looks a little green & cloudy from the downpour earlier today, scratch the dog, speak to Mike & tuck in two young ones. I folded a couple of loads of laundry that had been abandoned in a laundry basket for a few days. I also finally received a little information from the IRS although it wasn't what I had hoped. I learned that amended returns take 8 to 12 weeks to process, so I guess we should hear something in the next couple of weeks at the very latest. B came over and caught me up on current events (I don't watch the nightly news very often) as well as happenings at Tom Thumb where he works part time, as I washed dishes, made lunch and made 4 batches of buttercream frosting. He dozed off on the rocking chair and I retreated to my bed for a nap around 5 p.m. My feet ached from standing on them all afternoon, and I simply wanted to get off of them. My sister in law, Renee, had called earlier to see if I could watch Sasha while she went to a "meet and greet the wedding party" dinner (this took the place of the traditional rehearsal dinner for this couple). I explained that I would be at Shannon's decorating the cakes, but Sasha could join the crowd and play with her cousins if Renee's mom wasn't available. Renee dropped Sasha off a little after 6 p.m. and we loaded up the car and headed over to Shannon's. Aaron was trying to make certain we were gone before Mike made it home from work and recruited him do some yard work. Shannon was heading into Hobby Lobby when I called to tell her we were on our way to her house around 6:30. She said to get with Derrick and order pizza from CiCi's for everyone when I got to her house. She would stop and pick it up on her way home. Four adults, four children and one baby. I figured 4 large pizzas would suffice, so I called and ordered 2 pepperoni, 1 cheese and 1 spinach alfredo pizzas from CiCi's.
Shannon found some beautiful ribbon at Hobby Lobby to embellish the cake. Although my icing wasn't as smooth as I would have liked it, the cake turned out really pretty: an 8" atop a 10" and a third 6" layer atop 3" pillars. Shannon bought artificial calla lilies for the cake, but I think she decided she'd rather have the real roses and rose petals to garnish the cake.
Sasha had a mini-meltdown because she came downstairs to ask us to call her mom or dad to see if she could spend the night with "E" (that's what she calls me), and had to explain that her mom was already on her way to pick up Sasha. Apparently, she and her mom had already discussed the fact that Sasha was not going to spend the night tonight. She was not a happy camper as they headed for the car. I think being tired had a lot to do with it, too.
So, that was my day. All's well that ends well. It's now 1:25, and I'm off to catch some z's. I am grateful for the nap I took earlier. Good night. Until next time...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A day late
Well, it's now almost 10 a.m. on Thursday morning. I just got off of the phone with Barrett. I'd much rather be singing, "Friday night, just got paid, money in my pocket..." (smile) Where did I leave off…Oh yes, Alisa’s birthday celebration on Wednesday, 7/22/09.
As it turned out four of the five friends Alisa invited were able to attend. We left the house around 8:25 to pick up everyone. They were a little cramped until we dropped Aaron at PaPa & Tia’s (his ear was bothering him and so he didn’t end up going to weight training…slacker!), then all was well. We arrived at Pump it Up at 9:00 on the dot. I already had the waivers signed, so the girls watched the safety video and were ushered into the bounce arenas. Both A & B were open so the girls chose the less crowded side. They were the oldest ones there by a long shot. I tried to catch a few shots of the girls at play, then got them together for a group shot so I could sit down. Most novice photographers make the mistake of getting multiple shots of the same subjects while not having a single shot of a couple of the guests. I figured as long as I had a couple of group shots, everyone would be represented in the scrapbook. I then found a “quiet” bench by the fan and cracked open Waking With Enemies by Eric Jerome Dickey (the dose of mindless “smut” I’ve been trying to read since before summer school let out). I read a little but was too often distracted by girls reporting they were going to get a drink of water or go to the restroom or someone else’s kids squabbling over a Little Tikes Car. Eventually, a “field trip” group came so all of the Pop in & Play kids were ushered into Arena A, and it got a little crowded. I waited to see where Alisa & co. were and never did see them. I checked in Arena B to make sure they hadn’t missed the announcement while in the restroom and gone back in there. No big girls. I started to get a little nervous when I didn’t find them at the water fountain or in the restroom with multiple stalls, but then I found them all huddled in the single toilet bathroom holding court. Very Are You There God It’s Me Margaret? moment. One of the girls had just reached a crucial moment in every “adolescent” girl’s life the day before, and I’m certain they were holed up in the ladies room playing show and tell with her “supplies.”
A mother of a cute 3-year-old boy sat beside me and asked about what I was reading. She said she had just finished a book entitled, Same Kind of Different as Me by authors Ron Hall and somebody Moore, and had loved it. The mom on the other side of me agreed that the book was indeed an excellent read, and she informed us that a movie based on the book would be coming out soon with Samuel L. Jackson playing the lead character. I now know what book to reserve at the library (that is, IF I ever finish reading this one). At any rate, the girls were about all jumped out by 10:40 so I told them we could go ahead and pick up our pizzas and head to the park. I left them indoors as I went out to my car to get the phone number for CiCi’s Pizza and call to place our order. I ordered a medium spinach alfredo and a large half pepperoni/half cheese figuring that should be enough for five “little girls” along with the drinks, fresh fruit and cupcakes I had in a cooler in the car. The only problem was CiCi’s didn’t open until 11 a.m., so the order wouldn’t be ready until 11:10 or so. I told the girls they might as well enjoy the AC a little longer and we could head out right at 11 and not have too long to wait for the pizzas. We ended up waiting anyway because whoever I spoke with made an alfredo pizza not spinach alfredo, so they had to redo the one pizza. It was all good. We made it to the park around 11:30 (Here’s where I wish I knew how to download my photos and post them on here because I got some cute ones of the girls.) and ate pizza. The watermelon, orange slices & strawberries were pretty much untouched, but the pizza was devoured. The girls ran off to explore the park a bit then returned to open Alisa’s gifts ($20 bill, $20 gift cards to Walmart and Justice, and a "blendy pen" set) and eat cupcakes. We all left to see where the “trail” went (turns out it led to a housing development-surprise, surprise). Then, it was 12:30 and time to load up and return kids to their proper owners. I think everyone had a good time, including the birthday girl. Aubrey called her mom and asked if Alisa could come over for a couple of hours. I told her maybe one day next week, but not today because she had her cousin over (and she was spending the night with Taylor, but I didn’t mention that out loud!). We stopped by Tia’s to pick up “goody bags” Aunt Shannon had put together from some odd & ends left from Xavier’s previous parties. I dropped off Aubrey. No problem. There was a note taped to Avery’s door saying to knock next door (her Grandparents’ home) if no answer at home. No problem. Then, I stopped by Taylor’s house (I was going to drop her at home to take a nap or whatever until I delivered Alex to Aunt Faye). No one was home. No answer on her cell phone either, so we went on to my house. Then, I called Aunt Faye. No answer. I just went online to check e-mails and maybe start my blog. I told Alisa to pack her bag for Taylor’s house and change into some shorts for Six Flags. Yikes! I really did say Six Flags in front of Alex. Shoot! By 2:30-ish I had heard back from both Taylor’s mom and Aunt Faye, so I met Aunt Faye at mom’s to drop off Alex and pick up Aaron (Xavier came along, too). I delivered Taylor and Alisa to the Schulte’s home and returned to my own to lay it down.
I must have slept for close to two hours, and it felt great! Mike was working until 10 p.m. so Aaron & I had leftover chicken with pasta alfredo for dinner. Then we ran to Walmart grocery store to get cake baking supplies. I decided to go ahead and start with the baking so I wouldn’t be so far behind schedule. My personal preference is to bake one day, make frosting one day and decorate another day. Otherwise, it seems as if I’m on my feet for 9 or more straight hours (which I basically am if you consider: baking, dishwashing, more baking, dishwashing, frosting making, dishwashing, decorating, dishwashing, etc.). I managed to bake the 8” layers and one of the 10” layers before I had to stop for fear that I would become careless and mess something up. It was not as much as I had hoped I’d get done, but it was enough for one night (another reason to start early). Okay, so that’s about it for this one. I can’t seem to get caught up, but tomorrow should be easy because I didn’t do much in the way of errands, etc. today. Gotta get in bed before 1:30 a.m.! I can hear Mike snoring through the wall, and it's rhythmic cadence is kind of hypnotizing me. Of course, it doesn't sound so "rhythmic" when I'm in the same room with him. As Winnie the Pooh would say, "Oh bother!" Good night. Until the next time.
As it turned out four of the five friends Alisa invited were able to attend. We left the house around 8:25 to pick up everyone. They were a little cramped until we dropped Aaron at PaPa & Tia’s (his ear was bothering him and so he didn’t end up going to weight training…slacker!), then all was well. We arrived at Pump it Up at 9:00 on the dot. I already had the waivers signed, so the girls watched the safety video and were ushered into the bounce arenas. Both A & B were open so the girls chose the less crowded side. They were the oldest ones there by a long shot. I tried to catch a few shots of the girls at play, then got them together for a group shot so I could sit down. Most novice photographers make the mistake of getting multiple shots of the same subjects while not having a single shot of a couple of the guests. I figured as long as I had a couple of group shots, everyone would be represented in the scrapbook. I then found a “quiet” bench by the fan and cracked open Waking With Enemies by Eric Jerome Dickey (the dose of mindless “smut” I’ve been trying to read since before summer school let out). I read a little but was too often distracted by girls reporting they were going to get a drink of water or go to the restroom or someone else’s kids squabbling over a Little Tikes Car. Eventually, a “field trip” group came so all of the Pop in & Play kids were ushered into Arena A, and it got a little crowded. I waited to see where Alisa & co. were and never did see them. I checked in Arena B to make sure they hadn’t missed the announcement while in the restroom and gone back in there. No big girls. I started to get a little nervous when I didn’t find them at the water fountain or in the restroom with multiple stalls, but then I found them all huddled in the single toilet bathroom holding court. Very Are You There God It’s Me Margaret? moment. One of the girls had just reached a crucial moment in every “adolescent” girl’s life the day before, and I’m certain they were holed up in the ladies room playing show and tell with her “supplies.”
A mother of a cute 3-year-old boy sat beside me and asked about what I was reading. She said she had just finished a book entitled, Same Kind of Different as Me by authors Ron Hall and somebody Moore, and had loved it. The mom on the other side of me agreed that the book was indeed an excellent read, and she informed us that a movie based on the book would be coming out soon with Samuel L. Jackson playing the lead character. I now know what book to reserve at the library (that is, IF I ever finish reading this one). At any rate, the girls were about all jumped out by 10:40 so I told them we could go ahead and pick up our pizzas and head to the park. I left them indoors as I went out to my car to get the phone number for CiCi’s Pizza and call to place our order. I ordered a medium spinach alfredo and a large half pepperoni/half cheese figuring that should be enough for five “little girls” along with the drinks, fresh fruit and cupcakes I had in a cooler in the car. The only problem was CiCi’s didn’t open until 11 a.m., so the order wouldn’t be ready until 11:10 or so. I told the girls they might as well enjoy the AC a little longer and we could head out right at 11 and not have too long to wait for the pizzas. We ended up waiting anyway because whoever I spoke with made an alfredo pizza not spinach alfredo, so they had to redo the one pizza. It was all good. We made it to the park around 11:30 (Here’s where I wish I knew how to download my photos and post them on here because I got some cute ones of the girls.) and ate pizza. The watermelon, orange slices & strawberries were pretty much untouched, but the pizza was devoured. The girls ran off to explore the park a bit then returned to open Alisa’s gifts ($20 bill, $20 gift cards to Walmart and Justice, and a "blendy pen" set) and eat cupcakes. We all left to see where the “trail” went (turns out it led to a housing development-surprise, surprise). Then, it was 12:30 and time to load up and return kids to their proper owners. I think everyone had a good time, including the birthday girl. Aubrey called her mom and asked if Alisa could come over for a couple of hours. I told her maybe one day next week, but not today because she had her cousin over (and she was spending the night with Taylor, but I didn’t mention that out loud!). We stopped by Tia’s to pick up “goody bags” Aunt Shannon had put together from some odd & ends left from Xavier’s previous parties. I dropped off Aubrey. No problem. There was a note taped to Avery’s door saying to knock next door (her Grandparents’ home) if no answer at home. No problem. Then, I stopped by Taylor’s house (I was going to drop her at home to take a nap or whatever until I delivered Alex to Aunt Faye). No one was home. No answer on her cell phone either, so we went on to my house. Then, I called Aunt Faye. No answer. I just went online to check e-mails and maybe start my blog. I told Alisa to pack her bag for Taylor’s house and change into some shorts for Six Flags. Yikes! I really did say Six Flags in front of Alex. Shoot! By 2:30-ish I had heard back from both Taylor’s mom and Aunt Faye, so I met Aunt Faye at mom’s to drop off Alex and pick up Aaron (Xavier came along, too). I delivered Taylor and Alisa to the Schulte’s home and returned to my own to lay it down.
I must have slept for close to two hours, and it felt great! Mike was working until 10 p.m. so Aaron & I had leftover chicken with pasta alfredo for dinner. Then we ran to Walmart grocery store to get cake baking supplies. I decided to go ahead and start with the baking so I wouldn’t be so far behind schedule. My personal preference is to bake one day, make frosting one day and decorate another day. Otherwise, it seems as if I’m on my feet for 9 or more straight hours (which I basically am if you consider: baking, dishwashing, more baking, dishwashing, frosting making, dishwashing, decorating, dishwashing, etc.). I managed to bake the 8” layers and one of the 10” layers before I had to stop for fear that I would become careless and mess something up. It was not as much as I had hoped I’d get done, but it was enough for one night (another reason to start early). Okay, so that’s about it for this one. I can’t seem to get caught up, but tomorrow should be easy because I didn’t do much in the way of errands, etc. today. Gotta get in bed before 1:30 a.m.! I can hear Mike snoring through the wall, and it's rhythmic cadence is kind of hypnotizing me. Of course, it doesn't sound so "rhythmic" when I'm in the same room with him. As Winnie the Pooh would say, "Oh bother!" Good night. Until the next time.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Is it Wednesday already?
Wow, what has happened to the last two days (i.e., Tuesday and Wednesday)? I think they have passed like a whirlwind simply because there was so much to do. Yesterday, I arose from my slumber around 8 a.m. and went outdoors to brush and skim the pool. Just like the damsel in distress, however, I left the replacement of the car battery to Mike. Batteries Plus was out of the battery we needed, so Mike decided to go on out to the dealership after withdrawing some cash to pay for it (that just set him back about $100 toward the money he was trying to save to get his tires). We had a coupon making the battery about $10 more than the Batteries Plus model, but it was a "genuine Honda" battery, and it came with a 100 month warranty. I then put out the trash and recycling and gathered Alisa's paperwork for ACA. I called Jamie to make arrangements for Aaron to get to and from weight training this morning. I returned Laura's call from the night before. She wanted Alisa to go to Six Flags with them and spend the night with Taylor after Alisa's party Wednesday morning. I figured it would make for an exhausting day, but Alisa would enjoy the time with Taylor. I called the IRS to see if I could speak with a real live human to check the status of our amended return. The automated system told me I needed the same information requested on the online inquiry, so I hung up. I should've checked with Monica - she was suppposed to look up the exact figures for me when she went to class on Wednesday evening. I thought I'd surprise Mike and schedule his massage since he never managed to schedule it himself the whole while he was off work: 4:45 p.m. with Amanda. That should give him plenty of time to get back from the dealership with my new battery and get good and relaxed before returning to work Wednesday morning. Pleased with the progress on my list of things to do I'd started the day before, I headed out to make copies and drop off the papers around 11:20 a.m.
After Mike returned home sometime between 1 & 2 p.m. (his brother "treated" him to lunch while we were around here scrounging for something to eat!), I called my friend Jaida who is loaning me her textbooks for Maternal Child & Pediatrics for next semester to arrange for pick up. As I was trying to get out the door to get Missy's heartworm meds, meet Jaida to pick up the books, gas up my car, stop by the library and do some grocery shopping, my cousin Yolanda called. She informed me that her mother (my Aunt Faye) had Alex (Yolanda's daughter who is Alisa's age) and they would be calling me to discuss a drop off/pick up time and place. That couldn't have been timed more perfectly. Aunt Faye & I agreed to meet at a McDonald's neat TCC-SE campus where I was picking up the books. So, off I went again, coupon from the internet for Missy's heartworm tablets in hand, to check off some more from my things to do list.
Aaron & Alisa were swimming when I returned home with Alex. Another cousin, Devo, was changing out of his trunks to go to the gym for boxing practice. Alex sat on the side of the pool and had a popsicle. I stayed inside and started dinner. I knew a couple of little people who would be hungry when they got out of the water. I fixed pasta with alfredo sauce (out of a jar), grilled chicken tenders on the George Foreman grill, watermelon (hadn't made it to the store for veggies so had to substitute fruit), and sour dough bread toasted with garlic butter. Alex didn't eat much, but she typically doesn't. A little later (as in going on 10 p.m.) the girls went with me to the grocery store to grab a few items for breakfast and Alisa's picnic. I told them they'd have to be in bed at a "reasonable" hour since we'd have an early start. Remember, too, that Alisa had been swimming so that meant her hair was wild and free!
Mike was true to his usual "end of vacation" behavior. Just as I had predicted, the battery was all he did (besides sit outside and watch the kids swim--I guess that should count for something). He even had me cancel his massage appointment because he'd rather take advantage of a nice relaxing massage when he doesn't have to go to work the next day (i.e., his next "first" off day so he has off day #2 to continue relaxing). He had the nerve to call my cell phone at 1 something in the morning from our bedroom which is literally next door to the office where I was up typing away, to request that I bring him some sherbet. I had to get up from my desk (which you should know is no easy feat if you've been paying attention to prior blogs or visited my house, ever!), stumble through the dark living room taking care not to trip over the black dog who likes lying in the middle of walkways and get to my phone in my purse on the table. Did someone ask why I didn't just turn on the light in the living room? Well, it just so happens that the dimmer switch to the living room light fixture just up and gave out several weeks ago. Mike claims it only costs about $2 for a replacement switch. One would think that it could have easily been taken care of during the 9 days he was off, but no, it wasn't. Imagine my surprise when the caller ID read "home." I knew the kids were sound asleep, but I checked their rooms anyway. I could have sworn Mike was just snoring in our bedroom. Apparently, he awoke to go to the restroom and remembered that he had gone to be without anything sweet. I fixed us both a dip and then went to bed myself.
Either my computer screen is going out, or my eyes are simply too tired to focus. I will have to close for now and bring everyone up to snuff on Alisa's festivities tomorrow. Good night. Until next time...
After Mike returned home sometime between 1 & 2 p.m. (his brother "treated" him to lunch while we were around here scrounging for something to eat!), I called my friend Jaida who is loaning me her textbooks for Maternal Child & Pediatrics for next semester to arrange for pick up. As I was trying to get out the door to get Missy's heartworm meds, meet Jaida to pick up the books, gas up my car, stop by the library and do some grocery shopping, my cousin Yolanda called. She informed me that her mother (my Aunt Faye) had Alex (Yolanda's daughter who is Alisa's age) and they would be calling me to discuss a drop off/pick up time and place. That couldn't have been timed more perfectly. Aunt Faye & I agreed to meet at a McDonald's neat TCC-SE campus where I was picking up the books. So, off I went again, coupon from the internet for Missy's heartworm tablets in hand, to check off some more from my things to do list.
Aaron & Alisa were swimming when I returned home with Alex. Another cousin, Devo, was changing out of his trunks to go to the gym for boxing practice. Alex sat on the side of the pool and had a popsicle. I stayed inside and started dinner. I knew a couple of little people who would be hungry when they got out of the water. I fixed pasta with alfredo sauce (out of a jar), grilled chicken tenders on the George Foreman grill, watermelon (hadn't made it to the store for veggies so had to substitute fruit), and sour dough bread toasted with garlic butter. Alex didn't eat much, but she typically doesn't. A little later (as in going on 10 p.m.) the girls went with me to the grocery store to grab a few items for breakfast and Alisa's picnic. I told them they'd have to be in bed at a "reasonable" hour since we'd have an early start. Remember, too, that Alisa had been swimming so that meant her hair was wild and free!
Mike was true to his usual "end of vacation" behavior. Just as I had predicted, the battery was all he did (besides sit outside and watch the kids swim--I guess that should count for something). He even had me cancel his massage appointment because he'd rather take advantage of a nice relaxing massage when he doesn't have to go to work the next day (i.e., his next "first" off day so he has off day #2 to continue relaxing). He had the nerve to call my cell phone at 1 something in the morning from our bedroom which is literally next door to the office where I was up typing away, to request that I bring him some sherbet. I had to get up from my desk (which you should know is no easy feat if you've been paying attention to prior blogs or visited my house, ever!), stumble through the dark living room taking care not to trip over the black dog who likes lying in the middle of walkways and get to my phone in my purse on the table. Did someone ask why I didn't just turn on the light in the living room? Well, it just so happens that the dimmer switch to the living room light fixture just up and gave out several weeks ago. Mike claims it only costs about $2 for a replacement switch. One would think that it could have easily been taken care of during the 9 days he was off, but no, it wasn't. Imagine my surprise when the caller ID read "home." I knew the kids were sound asleep, but I checked their rooms anyway. I could have sworn Mike was just snoring in our bedroom. Apparently, he awoke to go to the restroom and remembered that he had gone to be without anything sweet. I fixed us both a dip and then went to bed myself.
Either my computer screen is going out, or my eyes are simply too tired to focus. I will have to close for now and bring everyone up to snuff on Alisa's festivities tomorrow. Good night. Until next time...
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