What do you do with the Stuffed Animals and other Dilemma’s?

I am stressing about a lot of things but one of those things is my blogging. For awhile, I was a dedicated daily blogger. In light of recent events -BUYING A HOUSE- ( I love to scream that) I am afraid that my blogging is going to become a weekly event. Not that anyone was worried I am sure. I’m still here, and wanting to write all the time, but it’s taking a bit of a backseat to the craziness that is now my current life.

I wish I could just record my blogs for you. I could do that while I am driving to and from work and save some time, except I am not that technically savvy. Instead, do you know what I do at night in my bed until I fall asleep, (get it outta the gutter) in the car, in the bathroom and any spare moment while I am not talking or working?? I am organizing the move, imagining where everything will go, picturing how everything will look and planning it all out. I’m slightly obsessive compulsive so wanting to put sticky notes on everything in our current house so it knows where it is going in the new house is not out of the ordinary for me. I’m just afraid that one of the kids will go to school with a note on their butt that says: Living Room.

My girls made fun of me the other day because every time I talk about the new house I put my hands out and spread my arms to demonstrate how everything will be organized and perfect. (it truly is a sickness)

I know, I've moved 13 times, I should be a pro -but it has been five years since the last move and the kids aren't babies so I have more brain use to focus on the most minute and ridiculous of things. CONSTANTLY.

In between the obsessive compulsive planning here is what I have been up to:

Shaving my daughter’s legs. Yep, I was caught off guard that we have hit this milestone. One minute I am discovering the box of baby blankets from the last move and then next, I am giving shaving lessons. The best part was when my younger daughter watched more intently than her sister and then asked what we could do about the hair on her arms?

Showing off my “borrowed” wedding ring that looks like its 2 carats at least. As timing will have it, while we are in the NO SPENDING because we are buying a house zone, my real wedding ring lost a tiny side diamond and a prong broke. Shortly before our vacation, the hubby sold his gold wedding band and the stainless steel ring he ordered didn’t fit, so we were starting to get a complex. My sister in law who has a jewelry cure for everything came up with an eye popping solution. I have been wearing this looks-so-much-like-the-real-thing I may not ever get the original one fixed, and it’s kind of fun to see other women eyeballing it. Eat your hearts out!
But seriously, I love my original ring that is currently wrapped securely in paper towels awaiting its repair. But I ask, should I be worried the hubby hasn’t found something for his finger??

Sorting through toys/books/games/craft supplies in what now seems like the biggest basement ever. During all of this the biggest dilemma is: What do you do with the stuffed animals??
First of all, there were WAY TOO MANY. They HAD to be filtered. Thanks to the Toy Story series, I have been carrying around an immense and unnecessary amount of guilt. I don’t think you can donate stuffed animals and if you can, what if they get mis-treated? The hubby wasn’t too hip on burning them and I wasn’t either – what if they make a strange noise? (I seriously had this thought) I can’t just toss them in the garbage amongst the spaghetti sauce. So, what do I do? I told the kids- One huge storage bin full of stuffed animals is PLENTY and they seemed to agree, so NOW WHAT? It’s really weighing on me and they currently reside in wait in the middle of the basement staring at me everytime I walk past them.  FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!

Finally, the following thoughts have run through my head in the last week:

What if the cat’s hate the house and do bad things and then in turn hate me and then the kids start to dislike me? Should I buy walkie talkies for the kids because my new bedroom is going to be father away from their rooms than it ever has been? (a baby monitor would be too much wouldn’t it?) Where am I going to put pretty much everything I touch in the house when I do anything. Am I going to make it to the move date or will I spontaneously combust from excitement, stress, anxiety and internal organizing?

Next post is a good one: Our first night in the Cabin, a thunderstorm and a Deer Head.

Cloud Nine

Located between Elation and Disbelief, I have been here before but not often. Each time as good if not better than the last.

On the Sunday back from vacation (because we never sit still for long) we toured a home built in the 1800’s that needed some major TLC. We liked it enough for a second opinion and then promptly ruled it out. The next day we looked at another house, got our second opinion and fell in love.
In the middle of the school carnival, the hubby who was manning the bouncy house (fulfilling every man’s dreams –watching a bunch of sweaty kids hurl themselves onto germ infested inflated stinky feet smelling plastic) called me from his cell phone. I was across the gym manning the SHOCKER game (Unfortunately, it didn’t really shock the kids and it was very popular) when he called and gave me the news that there was a counter offer, but I could tell from his voice it was in our favor even over the din of screaming kids, air machines and static.

After 39 years, 13 houses I never owned, 252 rent checks, 8 lease agreements, and 6 different cities –

I AM A HOME OWNER!!

And I am ON Cloud Nine.

I never thought I would see this day. I told myself that renting was better than owning, even though I knew better.

We move in 8 weeks. 15 minutes away. To the house I hope to live in forever.

I feel like I have won the lottery. Which explains the loss of appetite, the ability to say YES to every single thing my kids ask me (including the craziest of requests) and not being able to sleep because I am organizing the move and where the furniture will go and what color I am going to paint the walls - in my head.

I’m wearing a crazy grin and some of my clothes from yesterday. My house is a mess (trust me, that is a major off/balance sign for me) and I have a strong desire to put sticky notes on every single item in my house so it knows where it is going in its new place. (I wish it was that easy)

I keep wondering what I did to deserve this. The excitement, love and support all of my family has shown me is overwhelming. I’m starting a list of IOU’s that is intimidating.

I can’t wait to fill you in over the next two months as I am CERTAIN there will be interesting things happening and I can barely wait!

The house was built in 1888 but has more of a 1940’s 50’s feel which I love. Restoration Vintage . Right up my alley.

ASneak Peak (with before and after's down the road)




The Hubby and I will live here



I think the kids will live here?

 So far only one of the kids got to see the house and she was rolling around on the carpet like a puppy - I think she likes it. 



I own this tree! WOW.



It's the little things that thrill me

Seriously

I wrote this between daydreaming, pinching myself, running to the bathroom with stomach pain attacks and after long periods of staring off into space.

85 and Sunny to 49 and Rainy in 24 Hours

3am til 1am = Drive time from Home to Florida with 3 breaks to eat and 3 other stops for overpriced gas and under-cleaned restrooms. EXCEPT for the rest stop right inside West Virginia - #1 rest stop I have ever been to with a view of the Blue RidgeMountains to die for.
(I just might open a chain of BATHROOMS for travelers only….)
Normally Cracker Barrel provides a good place to eat, walk around and utilize a cleaner restroom than most. Unfortunately our first try was marred by a very car sick girl from a tour bus who seemed to be competing in the puking Olympics. We tried a Chik-fil-A in North Carolina along with the rest of the state and three surrounding states. I have never seen so much traffic in one small area in my life. Not sure what was going on there but we had poor timing and more than one of us was crossing our legs for an hour of the dead stop traffic.

The dollar game was a success, the alphabet game beat one child who refused to go past the letter V, ( why don't farmers put random letters out in their fields - like Q and Z)and when we stopped at the Savannah National forest to see alligators in piles, I thought I might leave without an intact husband who insisted on getting out of the car to point out the obvious.

On the very last mile of our trip while both the hubby and I held our eyelids open we saw a small (person?) dart across the road dressed all in black with some kind cape or with wings. We still haven’t figured that one out. Yes we were tired and we might have been listening to Coast to Coast on the radio for lack of anything else, but still – it was definitely some kind of caped THING.

The weather was amazing, the company just as good, we left with sunburns, a newly learned card game (Wizard), sunburns and a bag of sea shells like any good lily white northerner would.



We saw Dolphins, visited Boca Grande, and Venice, went out to “the gulf” (I mistakenly was calling it the ocean) saw sea turtles, crab traps, pelicans, storks and funny little birds.

Lessons learned: A family of five sharing a bathroom goes through a roll of toilet paper a day (three girls – go figure). “I ready” in South Carolina is the equivalent of saying “How may I help you?” We weren’t the only tourists; apparently the Love Bug National Convention was taking place the same week we were in town. They don’t bite but they are annoying.

And MOST IMPORTANTLY – Check your car insurance coverage and make sure it includes a rental car plan, and if you have AllState Insurance you are NOT in good hands.

On the same day we arrived at 2am- a mere 5 hours later, the hubby was diligently going to wash and vacuum the car when a car pulled out in front of him causing $3100 in damages. Despite not being cited, it clearly not being our fault, we were left with NO car for the ENTIRE vacation. We picked up the car hours before we had to head home and it was five times daily phone calls that even got us that close. We drove home with a wheel in the trunk and a missing mud flap that they forgot to put on because of the hurry. The only reason the dealership had to hurry is because AllState refused to accept responsibility, return phone calls or help us in any way. Needless to say, the vacation was marred by this but trust me, in the grand scheme of things (tornado’s, & deadly weather) I’m not complaining. Just be prepared and ASK your insurance company how they would handle your claim if you were in an accident while on vacation that was not your fault. Would they do everything they could to help you?

Although coming back from vacation to dust, angry kitty’s, lots of junk mail, mounds of laundry, sand in your suitcase, and an empty fridge can be a pain, I am glad to be home safe with wonderful memories. – Even if it’s remembering your hubby and father ranting about politics, and insurance companies. Even if remembering the waitress who hit on your son, then realizing he was too young moved on to your hubby. Even if your Mom beat you at every single hand of cards with that cute innocent smile on her face. Even if you spent every night sleeping on an air mattress between your two girls who wiggle so much it felt like a water bed and you got sea sick.

We even watched the Royal Wedding in our finery

Vacation is over.  Back to reality, see you soon Blog world, - I even missed you.

Thank you Dad!

Thank you Mom!!

Pre- Vacation

I was having guilt about not blogging. I tend to carry guilt like a piece of luggage. Speaking of luggage, I am packing for four (the hubby thankfully packs himself) in our lovely redneck luggage – Laundry Baskets. We have one real suitcase. That one holds my stuff.

I have been working over-time because I feel guilty going on vacation and we have been really busy at work, plus the amount of things you have to do before vacation makes you wonder why you bother. BUT, I’m OK with being bothered – it’s my fault that I am one of THOSE people who has to leave the house immaculate. Just in case.

I have managed to tan, get my toes and nails done and get the kid’s hair cut as well as eat nothing but oatmeal for lunch so I feel decent in my bathing suit.

By this time tomorrow, we will be on our way. I have a mix of anxiety, guilt of course, and excitement. The hubby and I are avoiding each other and the kind of arguments that always pop up before a big event. (We will be celebrating our 15th anniversary while away, so we have learned when to ignore each other)

I am on my way to visit two of my very best friends as well as parents all rolled into one. It’s going to take riding in a car for 24hours with four other people, but we will get there. It hasn’t been without hurdles. The cracked windshield, a new tire and battery trouble should take care of the bad things happen in three’s scenario though.

I will have stories to tell, I am sure, and no worries you WILL hear them.

PS – I’ll be commenting on your blogs from the depths of my temporary bedroom in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. See you then!

Spring Break!! Ain't what it used to be.......

Then vs. NOW

Then: Destination: Daytona & Panama Beach or bust.

NOW: Still going to Florida........ To my parents.  In a small town you may not have ever heard of.

Then: Bus trip. Talked Bus driver into playing Journey non-stop. Bus driver picked up lady right inside of  Daytona,  who rode the rest of the way on his lap.

Now: Honda Odyssey. Will have to put up with non stop Fox News radio since the driver is the hubby, who won’t have anyone on his lap at anytime. Guaranteed. (there will be three kids in the car- I’m adventurous, but not in front of the kids)

Then: Drinking. Throwing Up. Hangovers.

Now: I have a child who gets car sick. By the time we get to my parents I will need a drink. Maybe enough for a hangover. Recovery time might take longer.
Then: Bikinis.

Now: Not a Bikini.


Yep. Things change.

I am looking forward to my vacation. My parents are more fun than anyone I ever went on Spring Break with and I won't have to hold their hair back, or carry them to bed. (I HOPE!)

I am cautiously, apprehensively, nervously looking forward to 24hrs in the car with three kids and a hubby. I have already bribed everyone into being good. I told them when we leave, I will give everyone 25 single dollar bills. If you whine, annoy, ask are we there yet in the first 12 hours, cry, fart, spill, tease, aggravate, or wiggle, you lose a dollar. Whoever has the most dollars when we arrive to our destination, wins the dollars I took.

All three kids have developed ways in which they will win this game.

I’m kind of scared.

It’s bound to beat the time we drove home from Spring Break and stopped in every single state to do something fun and still made it home in 15 hours. (This included bowling in Georgia,  and seeing a movie in South Carolina)
Is it Spring Break or Bust for you?

From the Treadmill

The treadmill. Calling me as I type. It’s annoying. I hate it. But I have to use it rather than the nice outdoor walking trail, because if I am on the treadmill I can multi task. Here is a list of things I can do from my treadmill:

Go over spelling words with the youngest. I tend to go faster as she spells the words wrong.

Watch all my recorded TV shows. The problem being that the TV by the treadmill is not controllable by the remote. So at every commercial, I jump off the treadmill, run into the other room jog in place while fast forwarding, then run back to the treadmill and hop on while it is still at the speed I left it on. It actually gives me more exercise and it’s a challenge not to fall from rubber legs or hitting speed from a dead stop.

Iron. If you place the board over the treadmill, you can iron while walking. It does get a little confusing when using your arm from left to right while your legs are moving forward though, but with practice, it can be done. This is a good time to do steep incline mode so you can go slower while ironing. However, it makes you hate ironing more than you already did.

SHE can ride a bike and iron- THAT's talent

Monitor everyone’s movements in the house. With the treadmill in the basement, you are able to hear every single step of the people above you. You know when someone is in the bathroom, for how long and how many flushes it took. You know when someone is mad (little particles of dust falling is another sign to this one) You know when the cat has jumped down from somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be on top of. You know when the washer is un-balanced (falling ceiling tiles is another sign of that). It’s like being upstairs with your people even though you are in the dungeon of the basement, using the dreaded treadmill.

Folding Laundry. Since there is a never ending supply of laundry to be folded, there is always a reason to go walk on the treadmill. The problem here is folding the fitted sheets. Easy to get caught up into one and it’s a real pain getting the sheet out of the rollers under the treadmill.

Eating anything chocolate or something you have been hiding from everyone else. No one will suspect you are eating chocolate or their stash of cheetos from the treadmill. Nor will they come look for you in the basement.  Sometimes the whole house leaves while you are walking away and you never know, except the ceiling does get quiet.....

Playing a Board Game with one of the kids. They like to move all the pieces anyway, so really you are just there for moral support. This way they don’t feel like they are actually playing the game alone. All you have to do is read a card or toss the dice their way.

Check yourself out. There are mirrors in front of my treadmill. I have now perfected my treadmill strut. You know, just in case someone ever comes to visit me while I am in the dungeon. I will look very sexy with my treadmill perfected walk. I also can tell when my shorts are starting to ride up and retrieve them before they get too far…

Unfortunately, the movement messes with my eyes, and prevents me from reading, blogging, or writing. But I’m working on that.......



Come on, make me look bad - What can YOU do from the treadmill?

Gold Linings

A little digging in the jewelry box and guess what happens? $600 is what happens! That chunk of change pays for clothes for our Spring Break trip and covers some bills. (Unfortunately, I have one child who is exactly in-between sizes, so I am currently trying to shrink the three pairs of shorts I just bought her)

A funny irony is that while clothes shopping, the hubby was accosted in the restroom by someone asking him to buy some gold necklaces which were wrapped in newspaper. Of course he declined despite our recent success. However, I just might go back to the jewelry box to dig a little deeper…. (Seriously, some of the stuff we exchanged were necklaces from high school!)

PS – Check out my new pic on the right – My amazing nephew made this new graphic. I absolutely cannot stand any picture ever taken of me; however, I think he did a pretty good job and coming from me, my toughest critic, that’s saying something! Thanks Chase! (I see yet another title among many in your future!)

Today was the first warm day our part of the world has seen since October. Normally we will have a fluke warm day in January or February, but that didn’t happen this year. It went from 50’s yesterday to very close to 80 today. Better than ANY reality TV shows you can watch, is driving around in mid east America on the first warm day in many, many months.

Break out the wife beaters! Get some air in your lungs and starting blowing up the baby pool! Send the kids outside in whatever might fit –even if it is snow pants and no shirt. (I’m only exaggerating a teeny tiny bit here) But it was fun to see every single person come out of their “dens” and feel the instant summer breeze. Windows were open even if the screens weren’t in place yet. Impromptu baseball games were formed, yard work was commencing. Not a single car window was up, and outside eating sections were full even if they hadn’t yet had their spring cleaning.

Unfortunately for our part of the world, this kind of weather will not be long lived. It’s going to be up and down for another month, but it was a nice sneak peek and on a Sunday too! (I did see one lone wooden snowman hanging on for dear life)

 Personally, I would prefer a steady 65 degrees all spring long, because I’m not quite ready to be hot. Believe it or not, it was actually hot at some point today. I might have broken a sweat- and I really dislike sweating…..