Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Ending the summer with a bang

This is the last week before the monkeys head off to the zoo next week and we are going out with a BANG!

Monday - YMCA complete with Activity Pool (basically a jungle gym in the middle of the pool) and huge waterslide

Tuesday - Disneyland...pretty much says it all : )

Today - Belmont Park down at Mission Beach with some cousins, it has a wooden roller coaster that was originally built in 1925 and completely refurbished in the 90's

Tomorrow - Potluck at a good freinds' "house"  it's like a friggin estate, built on 4 acres (unheard of in decently populated areas of So. Cal.) the kids can run all over by the pool, volley ball court, basketball court and we can watch them from the back patio : )

Friday - NOTHING - sorry kids, Mommy needs a break

We may end up having an extremely lazy and laid back Labor day : )

Monday, August 29, 2011

To make or not to make...the bed

Which side of this coin do your prefer?!  I flip-flop between the two...

I love the way a made up bed looks...I just hate doing it...

The stretching, the tucking, the putting on and taking off of pillow shams...thank God I ditched the idea of decorative pillows years ago...now I am just stuck with shams...and a predominately white quilt...








What the monkey was I thinking?!  I have 2 young children and a messy husband...did I mention that our room is where we spend most of our time?!  (The computer and upstairs TV are in here)  Everyone knows there is no eating in the bed and the 5 year old has brought it upon herself to show me her hands and face before she jumps up.

It's a little "girly" for my macho man's taste, but I haven't purchased a bedroom set per se in about 15 years (it took me 3 years to convince him to let me paint the furniture black!)...and it was on sale...and I had a coupon!!!!  I mean I really like what I have, but there is NO WAY I would have paid $49.99 for just one pillow sham?!  Are you kidding me?!  Again I have to  thank Kohl's for their 30% off coupons and the fact that they have sooo many things on sale...how do they make any money?!

Now's where the guilt comes in...I am a totally "Do as I say, not as I do" kind of girl here...

I had a mother who came in after me and pick up my crap, made my bed for the most part and pretty much waited on all of us hand and foot.  I did have chores as a kid like dishes (no dishwasher in the double wide) vacuuming, emptying ashtrays, waxing the floor and once I got my license I had to cart my brother around everywhere he needed to go...but I had very little experience in cleaning up after myself.  My mom would get so tired of the way my room looked, she would go in and overhaul it herself...Although there is one memorable time when I was in high school when she dumped everything and I mean EVERYTHING I owned (did I mention that I am a recovering pack-rat?!) on top of my bed and told me I could sleep on the floor until the bed was cleared off...took 3 days...this is what I had in my room
9 drawer dresser
4 drawer dresser
bedside table with 1 drawer
desk with 3 drawers and hutch
6 drawer lingerie chest in my bathroom closet (grew up in a trailer, but I had my own powder room!!!!)
and a shit-ton of stuff shoved under my bed

So, with the school year starting and me hopefully going back to some type of part time work I am expecting my girls to pick up their rooms and make their beds...guess I'm going to have to get off my ass and set the example...being a grown up sucks sometimes...

Friday, August 26, 2011

Proper Motivation

Nothing will motivate a married woman to clean her house top to bottom like a visit from her mother in law...oh yeah, then add in the fact that my mil pretty much hates me...

"Take care of Jim, take care of the girls and stay out of everyone else's life"

I think that says it all don't you?!  Pretty straight forward, no real gray area to interpret here folks. 

I'm pretty pissed that I am running around here cleaning as tho I was Mr. Clean incarnate, I really don't care what she thinks of me...but I do want the hubby to be able to breathe and not hyperventilate thinking his mom saw the house a mess...so I am cleaning, BUT I did take this little cyber-space  "me" moment : )

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Slow burn

subject removed until public annoucement so I don't get killed!!!!!!

Ok, it's official on FB, so now I can re-post this about my sister in law


So I found out last night that the extended family is going to get a little bigger, which is awesome - whose doesn't love little babies?!  Uh...apparently my mother in law...

Actually this will be a VERY interesting 33  weeks and beyond, because for YEARS my mil has been "burned out" on kids...(she has 6 of her own and used to run an in-home daycare) I am guessing that when this little bundle of joy comes along from her youngest that the tide will turn.

So how will the grandchildren that are here and their parents handle this?!

Since the blowout last October my kids haven't seen a whole lot of her...she has asked for them a half dozen of times and they do see her before and after church (even during sometimes when she is teaching Sunday School) ...but the days when I would just take them over "just because" are gone.  I don't deny her access to them, but it's up to her and the hubby to schedule play dates at her house.

It's so hard to explain (or for people to understand) that I am not bitter, nor do I hold a grudge...I just accept things and people for who and what they are and if she is a person that doesn't like me and doesn't want to spend time with my kids...why would I want to be around her?  It takes energy to hold a grudge and quite frankly, it's not worth it.  If she were just a friend or a coworker - I would drop her like a hot rock...quickly and with much force.

I just really had hoped that my kids would have a close relationship with their local grandparents.  I grew up 1,800 miles away from any grandparents and I missed out.  My husband had a great relationship with his Granny (mil's mother - go figure)...my only saving grace at this point is that my parents ARE THE BEST GRANDPARENTS EVER!!!!!  Period, no question!  My kids spend more time with my parents that are 2,00 miles away than with the ones that live 3 miles away.  My oldest is 11 and has spent the night at the mil's 4 times...and 3 of those were when I had the little one 5 years ago and was in the hospital for 3 1/2 days.  And not once since.  My poor nephew lost his other grandma when he was 3 (he is now 13) and was just recently invited over for quality time with just him...it had been 7 years since his last one on one visit.

I don't want the new baby to be ignored by any stretch of the imagination, I am just worried that the other grand kids will get even less attention then they already do  :(  Maybe this will be the catalyst that will turn her around and she will realize what she's missing.  This family is full of wonderful, awesome, beautiful children and they are growing up way too fast.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Facebook Dis

Ugh!  I find it frustrating and humorous at the same time...my husband is the only one who claims me as a relative on FB...

My sister's in law claim their other in-laws as "brothers" and "sisters"...in some cases they haven't even know these people for more than 5 years and I have known them most of their lives.
My niece claims an uncle in law, but not me (her aunt in law). I was there the day she was born AND she comes over here to swim once a week.
My mother in law "unfriended" me back in October.

It's not like I have left them out...I don't do that Family tab and they have left another in law out of the mix...as a matter of fact, his mom has the same name that I do and she is from the same hometown as me...small world...and it gets smaller...I have another brother in law whose wife's mother shares the same name as me...now if my name were popular, say I could go by some ready made stationary or a key chain with my moniker - cool...but my name is not common and I have only met 4 other people with my name and now 2 of them are in my extended family...who knew?!

I may not be claimed as family of FB, but watch out folks - there are more Paulettes in this family then there are of any of you  >: }

Monday, August 22, 2011

Face to face

In an attempt to get back to basics and cut the technology cord (a tiny bit anyway)  I set up a lunch date with the hubby and the kiddos.  Of course we did have to text back and forth a bit to get the time and place down (I didn't want to call and interrupt his work and with texting he can get me back when it works for him) 

For such a little thing, it seems like we accomplished quite a bit:
He got out of the office and all of the stress that comes with it (poor guy works IT, I think that says it all)
We got out of the house
We went to a FANTASTIC sandwich place in San Diego (I have been going there for about 15 years)
Had a great tasting, freshly made sandwich off of a real plate.
Supported a local/family owned and operated business
We spent time together as a family : )

I could get used to this, but maybe next time I will pack up a picnic and meet him at a park...otherwise I'm gonna have to get a real job : )

Sunday, August 21, 2011

$30 Bed Makeover

So this is the 11 year old's $30 bed make over...she's getting to be a big girl (I couldn't get her to get rid of the ballerina quilt she got for her 3rd birthday!) and she picked out the new comforter that was on sale and mommy had a coupon - so it only cost about $20 - thank you Kohl's! We already had the lavender jersey sheets & the lavender fleece throw, picked up the bed skirt for $5 at the thrift store (had to break up all that purple) and the round sequined pillow for $2 and my mom bought her the beaded fringe pillow about 2 years ago.  I love it when a plan comes together  :)



The lack of dollars spent on this endeavor and my time rummaging thru local thrift stores helped me ease a discomfort that has been nagging at me lately...

Who am I?

Or better yet...

What have I become?

I used to be a pessimist and have switched over to the optimist side...this I am good with  : )

The fact that I spend way to much time on the Internet and not enough time with another human in front of me is disturbing...especially because the human contact I do have is pretty much only with people that are related to me...don't get me wrong I LOVE THEM, but to steal a line from Peggy Lee...

"Is that all there is?"

I used to have a full time job, that actually paid me money, gave me benefits AND commission, I used to go out to lunch with adults and have adult conversations...now I have a network of other stay-at-home-moms that I talk to on the phone while our kids fight with their siblings in the background and we tell each other to hang on a sec.  While I am thankful for these adult conversations, most of the talk is about our kids or our husbands.

Is this all I is?!

I used to write letters and send cards to friends and family...and getting a letter or card back in the mail was like Christmas, I couldn't wait to rip open that envelope and see what was going on in my sender's life...now I have sporadic texting, unanswered emails and nonexistent blog updates. 

I used to go into local shops (even Walmart) where the checkers recognized me and commented on how big the kids have gotten...now I don't even get off my ass to go to the store unless I have checked the Internet to make sure "my store" has it in stock...I used to make things and re-purpose things I was given or treasures I found in thrift stores...hell, I even used to buy things at thrift stores and then turn around and sell them on ebay for some decent money.

I used to be a size 2, ass kicking Tae Kwon Do machine that could do anything and wasn't afraid of anyone.

The four walls that make up my house are slowly becoming my world and thanks to (or because of ) the Internet...I don't actually have to leave my home to do anything...practically anything I want can be delivered to my front door...groceries, clothes, home furnishings, medications, stuff the dog needs, etc.  It's like I've become an agoraphobic in training.  Thank God I have to actually leave the house to take the kids to school.

I have never been a fan of change. 
 I am not really self-motivated
and
I hate being told what to do...
not a good combination...

So, dear cyberspace, it looks like I am going to have to get up, find my big girl pants...actually put them on and start kicking my own ass.

I want to get back to letter writing, no Internet surfing, go out and getting my hands dirty in the yard, walk the dog, playing with my kids, I want to wear single digit clothes, I want my life back!!!  I want to go back to the trailer park where it wasn't about how big my flat screen is or if we have the latest and greatest blu-ray movie or explain why we don't have surround sound.  I want to grab a board game and not the wii remote to see if Netflix has been updated.  I want to play scrabble with my husband and piss him off using French words instead of him watching a game on the tube and the highlights on the computer while I'm reading a book on my nook.

I want the life we had before we were "blessed" by all this technology in our house...

Ok, I'm not gonna lie...I we will keep some of it...for practical reasons : ) 

I'm gonna keep my nook (hey, I don't have room for all the books on it and I get free ones from the library) and I will continue this blog...It's like a diary with spellcheck and feedback.

Let's hear it for heading back to the basics...we'll see how I do : )




Saturday, August 20, 2011

So now I'm the bad guy

How am I the bad guy when I'm not the one out until after 2 in the morning?! 

Still not home for those of you keeping track...

So between work, overtime, the new 5 day a week walking schedule, fantasy football, movies and poker with the guys...how am I not expected to turn into a shrew?!  It's like the deck is stacked againest me...

Don't know if it's him, me or everything in between   : (

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

After - Room #1

The five year old's room is now done with the purging/organizing/putting away phase : )  I am going to wait until she is in school to steam clean the carpet. 

When we put carpet in the room it was our tv room/den...we knew that it would eventually be a child's room so we put some nice, upgraded pad and cheap carpet.  I'll keep steam cleaning it for a few more years then we'll get some new stuff...probably just in time for the nail polish and cosmetics phase of her life.

Here are the "after" shots : )




My mom went crazy and bought these decorative boxes in about 9 different styles/sizes for each girl's room.  The awesome thing is - they go in either room!  so, we can switch out and add and subtract as needed as long as they keep their current color palettes  :)

One of my favorite things about this room is the comforter...look closely...the center is a baby quilt and the "border" is the matching crib bumper pad...my mom and I are an unstoppable team!!!!  My mom can sew ANYTHING.  I am serious, from baby clothes, baby quilts, sofas, sail covers, gun covers, bags to hold bullets that came out of big guns (like for a C-130) to tablecloths, drapes (she hates doing those) roman shades (swore she'd never do those again unless a grandchild asked).  You name it, she has probably done it.  She's like the Rainman of all things fabric.  The only problem is that some of her color and fabric choices are a little bit whacked out.  I can't count how many times I have come up with an idea and she has made it work.  I just have to pick out the fabrics (she once wanted to cover my sofas in the fabric equivalent of a brown paper bag, so I went out and bought a fabric with texture to it instead) and go over exactly what I want and it's like MAGIC!!!!  She's quick too...you got to keep an eye on her or she will slipcover everything in sight.

I guess it will stay this way for a little bit, it's a pretty good transition from baby girl to Kindergartner...I asked them if they wanted to paint and change up their rooms and they each said no.  This is a relief financially, but a bit of a bummer for a mommy with itchy fingers...

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

During...



So, there really isn't a "before" shot because the rooms are in constant state of disaster...so here is what the 5 year old's room looks like now...




And the 11 year old's...





It's really depressing (just look at the 5 year old...even she can't believe how messy it is)

Again I shall put on my big girl pants, go forth do the best that I can in a 10 x 10 space with no money...

Oh well, at least it keeps me out of the bars ; )