Mother’s Day 2009

Happy Mother’s Day (a day late). I meant to write yesterday, but yesterday sucked. Well, the first part did anyway. The evening was pretty nice. I found out this morning why I was throwing myself such a pity party yesterday. What a wreck. Oh well, it passed as usual.

Dan had to work until 4:00. In years past he would have gone turkey hunting, so he never did anything for Mother’s Day. No surprise there.

After a gloom and doom morning, I brought the girls to visit my parents. I got her the standard issue card and a big mounding container of impatiens. They always plant them in the antique caldron on the side of the house. The visit was the same as usual – mom annoying the hell out of me and me getting bitchy and bossy at her. My dad must love when I go over.

When I got home, Dan made dinner for us. He made venison tenderloin, stir-fried zucchini and boiled potatoes. It was quite good for a spur of the moment meal. I was supposed to get my make-up Mother’s Day lunch the day before, just him and me. Didn’t happen. The MIL was the cause. She is usually the reason we fight. So Saturday sucked too. That woman is a piece of work.

We even played a board game together. Shocker. We try to watch AFV as a family every night. The kids like it, we like it – win, win. They even went to bed easy for a change. To finish the night, Dan and I watched the Incredible Hulk. Hey it was on. It wasn’t bad. When I was little (circa 1978/1979) I used to watch the original television series. Yeah, um, I’m glad the hulk was just a big body builder in green makeup back then as opposed to the hulk of today. I once had a nightmare about the hulk back then and was found under the kitchen table crying in the middle of the night. I would have needed therapy had I seen the hulk of today at 3 or 4 years old.

On a brighter note, Morgan’s kindergarten class had a Mother’s Day Tea for all the mothers or grandmothers on Friday. It was nice. Morgan drew a picture of me and wrote all the things she liked about me, etc. They also had a little poem to read and a song. So cute. The written poem and the hand prints made me well up. It was about them growing up and looking back on their little handprints to see how small they used to be We were served cookies and iced tea. After a few photos, I got to bring her and Ashley home with me.

I went to the Tea that they had in Ashley’s kindergarten class two years prior. Big difference. Let’s just say that Morgan is a little more loving and friendlier and we’ll leave it at that.

What We’ve Been Working On

I’ve been cracking the whip more than usual lately. What’s new right?

Here’s some photos of what we’ve accomplished so far:

The duck wallborder that went around the middle of the entire living room was removed (horrible task) and the ceiling and walls were painted. Most of the stuff shown in the photos was already on the walls or in the room with the exception of the new console table, pillows, runners, black and white tree print, collage frame, all electrical covers and switches (they were the standard beige type), thermostat and drapes. I also moved the girls school photos into the living room. They replaced the tree prints that I moved into the kitchen (last photo). I also need to paint the window sill and the closet door. Dan will be stuck with the task of spray painting the outside door.

Living Room 1

Living Room 2

Living Room 3

Living Room 4

Living Room 5

The dining room, ceiling and hall were painted and the chair rail and half tongue and groove wall behind the table were torn out.

I transferred the mirror, floor lamp and arched mirror from the living room. I transferred the fake greenery from the downstairs family room. I transferred the two black collage frames from the kitchen. New things include: the light over the table, the Pergo flooring, the green area rug, the wine table, the drapes, the clock, all electrical covers and switches, radiator enclosure and the gallery frames that need photos instead of the stock artwork. I also need to paint the pantry door and patio doors white. There is also a wall ledge that needs to be put up. And, yeah, the previous owners did not center the ceiling light fixture. Slight PITA. It’s on the “to do” list.

The dining room table clashes terribly with the room color and decor. Dan has forbidden me to buy another until the kids are older. He’s right, but I cannot stand looking at it. Maybe I should start buying some scratch off tickets.

Dining Room 1

Dining Room 2

Dining Room 3

Kitchen

Overall I’m pretty happy with everything. I even managed to order 9 5×7s for the new collage frame. I actually put photos into a frame within one month of purchasing it. Shocking considering Morgan’s frame in her room still has the stock images from 5 years ago

Ashley’s Room

Here are photos of Ashley’s room makeover:

One:

Two:

Three:

Four:

Here are the before photos:

One:

Two:

Three:

Four:

Five:

Six:

That was her nursery wallborder, way before I embraced the color pink.

Bullhead Fishing

Dan and I took the girls bullhead fishing last night.

Ashley caught her first bullhead and then caught several more before we had to leave.  She was quite bummed, but it was pitch dark and a school night.

Morgan didn’t want to fish, but was content picking snail and clam shells along the shore.

I was content too – sitting in the truck reading a book

First Cook-Out of The Year

Not last Saturday, but the Saturday before that, we had some awesome weather. It was 84 and stayed warm long into the night. Our friends Matt and Lisa invited us over for a cook-out and a campfire.

The kids ran around and played baseball, tv tag and hide-and-go-seek. Later they roasted marshmallows and we made s’mores. What a great excuse to buy chocolate bars.

It was a great night and I hope we have a few more like it before summer officially begins.

Happy Birthday Nina

It is my niece Nina’s birthday today.  I was six when she was born.  A little weird being an aunt at six.  Hard to believe that that little devil is knocking on 30’s door, married with kids.  Crazy I tell ya.

I was trying to find a photo of her to post, but I don’t have to cuz she did the work on her blog.

Happy Birthday and I hope you have a great day.

Love ya.

Go To Hell Dell

Just wanted anyone visiting this blog to know that Dell sucks ass and no one should do business with them.  Bastards.  Also, don’t expect to speak to anyone with english as a first language – EVER.

Eeeks

I don’t care about the article, it’s the photo.

I cannot believe I used to think he was HOT.

Time has not been kind.

7:45 a.m.

Morgan and I were still sleeping.  Last day to sleep in.  Ashley was up and in the living room.

“Mommy someone’s here!!!!!” 

Ding Dong

Crap.  I was sleeping!!!!  No bra, horrible morning breath, bangs sticking up like in Something About Mary and possible eye gunk.

I peered through the blinds and saw an asian woman in pajamas and slippers on my porch.  It took a few seconds to register who it was – Carlton’s mother.

Carlton is a little boy who was in Morgan’s UPK class last year and is in the opposite kindergarten class this year.  He rides her bus.  I knew before she even asked – she thought there was school today   Poor woman, I wish.

So in broken english (she’s chinese), she explained that she didn’t know and why hadn’t the bus come.  The bus picks her son up 10 minutes earlier.  She was sorry to wake me up.  I told her not to worry about it because I’ve been in her shoes, sort of.  The cancelled day due to the bridge being closed.  I didn’t watch the news and Ashley stood in the driveway waiting for the bus for 15 minutes.  I hate being out of the loop.

I like to complain about spring break and how hard it has been with the kids alone, but if anyone needs school to start again it’s Carlton’s mother.  My kids are a handful, but oh my.  He’s something else.

I told her, “One more day ’til freedom.”  She smiled and nodded, but I don’t know if she understood my meaning

Yahoo!  One more day, one more day, one more day to suffer go.

OMG – The Chills!!!

Just saw this on Perez. This kid is awesome.

And if you have been living under a rock, here’s another video.  She makes me well up.  Dan and I were stunned the first time we saw this video.