Okay, so it's been a while since I've written. I'm the only human to have noticed but that's not the point. Either I talk to myself or I write to clear my head. There's a ton of clutter so really I should be doing both. Time for a (minute) cleaning...
Still trying to set my head straight before writing 'the book' and even before tackling Halfway to Heaven. I have managed to throw down a couple episodes of Fuzzball though. Who knows where that'll go. Waiting on crits from an editor/writer friend. Her plate's full enough so I try not to poke. In the meantime I still find myself wishing I were where I, well, a 'where' which doesn't exist. I need to stop that. On one level, it's not wrong to dream. On another level, the one to which it's all come... I need a purging and replenishing. God knows it.
My kids, now there's a good topic for story-telling. (As for the first 'story' it was too difficult to tackle with them and too muddled for me, hence Fuzzball was born.) I completely see my imagination present in both of them, especially my daughter. She has explanation upon explanation and manages to make them make some kind of sense. My son tries to too, but his are rather... confusing and scattered. I could wish for more time or energy (really it's the latter I need more), but I know it'll be a while that we're stuck with this schedule. ICK! My BFF needs to get off the night shift but there's no end in sight without cutting hours and we can't afford that!
Lighter note: we're a lot more stable financially than we were when we moved into the Love Shack. Not that we're doing great, but we're at least doing now. In fact, I was happily surprised this month to realize I get paid three times before the next mortgage is due... So I can buy my contacts before we go camping at Creationfest this year! Yay! It's the little things really.
Speaking of the little things, she wants me to paint her nails before we go to the park. Oh futility. No matter. Off I go...
Pendulum
It's not forever...
I kept telling myself that over and over again as I walked to my car in the dark, empty parking lot. Yet again my mother-in-law had brewed another drama in our family. God help me! I don't know what to do anymore. Now my husband, my best friend, my only sidekick, had accused me of whatever-it-was-this-time too. The text, whose literal content is a mute point, still had me shaking and caused chest pains. Anxiety sucks. I can't even text him back anymore, not even after the three 'sorry' texts he sent. I know he didn't mean it; I know he loves me more than that.
I just can't do it anymore. The accusations, the fake happiness, the pretend-you're-listening-when-Caroline's-talking-and-smile-and-nod looks, and the DRAMA! This woman defies everything we set for our children! She delayed their coming off bottles. She kept my daughter in pull-ups longer when we had her in underwear, she kept highchairs and sippy cups when they were in regular chairs and using regular cups or cups with lids and straws. I could deal with that little at a time. I let it slide time and time again hoping she'd allow me to explain and listen to reason, let our teaching be consistent. Still she pretended to listen and defied us. I gave up so many times I lost count. I reasoned that she was still taking good care of them and they loved their Fridays with Oakey and Yaya. How could I mess with that? I hadn't the heart... then.
What kept on happening is that she would bombard my exhausted husband, my only partner in crime, with accusations, criticisms, and mothering that, quite frankly on his schedule, he didn't need nor did he have the stamina for. Usually he sided with me, I sided with him, whatever was needed because we're a team and a team needs leaders to hold it together. Tonight was different. I got the brunt of the accusation from him. Sounded pretty personal if you read the text yourself. I was downright hurt. Barely held together for the rest of work. When the office was finally closed and I headed home, I tried to calm down and drive safely.
Jesse wasn't much better than me. I let my frustration and hurt out first since I hadn't had a turn in this blowout yet. I cried more than yelled, telling him how I felt and why instead of accusing anything back. (At least, that's how I hoped it came out.) Then we sat and tried to examine what was happening. It was easy to pick apart the little things, but the bigger picture was this: an emotionally unstable woman who we trust with our children was creating emotional havoc in our marriage. This is unacceptable, but somehow unavoidable in our current situation. We need child care on Fridays. Nancy is free and beyond that is a priceless relationship from grandparent to grandchildren. Is that worth the stress? He said he no sooner walked through the door than was attacked with accusations and such and in front of the children?!
My heart can't take it anymore! This is unacceptable! There must be another way, right? Again, God help us! I don't want to break the woman's heart, nor destroy her relationship with our kids, and I don't want to break my kids' hearts! I'm desperate for an answer as Friday comes every week and the stress level is dangerously high. My husband on his limited sleep already feels like a loser (which he is NOT!) and I feel trapped in this horrid schedule! She has no idea how hurtful she is!!
Do I cut my hours somehow and lose some benefits at work to stay home on half of Fridays. Should Jess change hours? As it happened, he talked to her tonight and she was apologetic, apparently on an up-swing of sorts, and all is well now... for now. He liked my phrasing when I said she's on probation. One more slip and Fridays are gone until she gets help. We can't dive-bomb, roller-coaster, and suddenly be all better when she's afraid of losing the kids. You know what they say about empty threats. If there's a consequence, it has to be followed through or else it won't work. Something. Has. To. Work.
I kept telling myself that over and over again as I walked to my car in the dark, empty parking lot. Yet again my mother-in-law had brewed another drama in our family. God help me! I don't know what to do anymore. Now my husband, my best friend, my only sidekick, had accused me of whatever-it-was-this-time too. The text, whose literal content is a mute point, still had me shaking and caused chest pains. Anxiety sucks. I can't even text him back anymore, not even after the three 'sorry' texts he sent. I know he didn't mean it; I know he loves me more than that.
I just can't do it anymore. The accusations, the fake happiness, the pretend-you're-listening-when-Caroline's-talking-and-smile-and-nod looks, and the DRAMA! This woman defies everything we set for our children! She delayed their coming off bottles. She kept my daughter in pull-ups longer when we had her in underwear, she kept highchairs and sippy cups when they were in regular chairs and using regular cups or cups with lids and straws. I could deal with that little at a time. I let it slide time and time again hoping she'd allow me to explain and listen to reason, let our teaching be consistent. Still she pretended to listen and defied us. I gave up so many times I lost count. I reasoned that she was still taking good care of them and they loved their Fridays with Oakey and Yaya. How could I mess with that? I hadn't the heart... then.
What kept on happening is that she would bombard my exhausted husband, my only partner in crime, with accusations, criticisms, and mothering that, quite frankly on his schedule, he didn't need nor did he have the stamina for. Usually he sided with me, I sided with him, whatever was needed because we're a team and a team needs leaders to hold it together. Tonight was different. I got the brunt of the accusation from him. Sounded pretty personal if you read the text yourself. I was downright hurt. Barely held together for the rest of work. When the office was finally closed and I headed home, I tried to calm down and drive safely.
Jesse wasn't much better than me. I let my frustration and hurt out first since I hadn't had a turn in this blowout yet. I cried more than yelled, telling him how I felt and why instead of accusing anything back. (At least, that's how I hoped it came out.) Then we sat and tried to examine what was happening. It was easy to pick apart the little things, but the bigger picture was this: an emotionally unstable woman who we trust with our children was creating emotional havoc in our marriage. This is unacceptable, but somehow unavoidable in our current situation. We need child care on Fridays. Nancy is free and beyond that is a priceless relationship from grandparent to grandchildren. Is that worth the stress? He said he no sooner walked through the door than was attacked with accusations and such and in front of the children?!
My heart can't take it anymore! This is unacceptable! There must be another way, right? Again, God help us! I don't want to break the woman's heart, nor destroy her relationship with our kids, and I don't want to break my kids' hearts! I'm desperate for an answer as Friday comes every week and the stress level is dangerously high. My husband on his limited sleep already feels like a loser (which he is NOT!) and I feel trapped in this horrid schedule! She has no idea how hurtful she is!!
Do I cut my hours somehow and lose some benefits at work to stay home on half of Fridays. Should Jess change hours? As it happened, he talked to her tonight and she was apologetic, apparently on an up-swing of sorts, and all is well now... for now. He liked my phrasing when I said she's on probation. One more slip and Fridays are gone until she gets help. We can't dive-bomb, roller-coaster, and suddenly be all better when she's afraid of losing the kids. You know what they say about empty threats. If there's a consequence, it has to be followed through or else it won't work. Something. Has. To. Work.
More of the Same
I'm fat.
Yeah I know those who know me would say, "Yeah, okay Caroline." Those who know me really well, of which I can think of one person besides myself, might say, "Well whose fault is that?" I'm not really fat, just seriously out of shape for me... and with a bigger mid-section.
That's not exactly what I'm here to blog about. I just needed to start somewhere. I can't even type like I used to: I'm looking down at the keys and backspacing all the time!!! This is going to take forever!! I'm out of every loop known to... well, known to me anyway. I can't cry about being out of the loop with things I never cared about: pop culture, music, government elections, price of tea in China (Sorry Jess). Not only have I been disconnected with work and my own family, I haven't even taken more than a worrisome thought of my own person. Plenty of worrisome, warranted or not alas, but not more. I only half care about what I eat anymore. I care to the point of "will this send me running or give me reflux" and that's about it. Snacking more, as expected, has led to the current overhang. I haven't even exercised in well over four months. Aside health, I haven't done a thing in the mom's group I'm 'in' in even longer. Schedule's too... retarded. I have about two hours Tuesdays and Thursdays and all morning Wednesdays but I usually either hang with my mom on her day off or have things to do at home (and my home's tiny so a playgroup there ain't happening). {F~@%ing backspacing!!!!} All this ho-hum is killing me. As if my hormones aren't screwed up enough. I need to find a way out of this rut!
So my dad got me this great book for Christmas about angel encounters, clueless about my state mind you. I did me well to read some real stories, get out of my own head so to speak. That's really my biggest problem and why I haven't gone back to writing, hence the backspacing, hence the depression, hence the torn emotions, hence the loss of reality, hence the cluelessness of those around me, hence the looking inconsiderate probably, hence the mind-churning... how do I explain this and then hence the lack of seeing psych. <sigh> Yeah. I don't even have social interaction to distract me. How could I? Our schedule SUCKS! I have one friend who's reached out to meet up with me, the one who'd see me delve back into the torture of self-losing writing (LUV U!!!) but that's another story. I've lived in Tewksbury a little over a year and been in the mom's group almost a year. No new friends really. I've worked at WPA for nine years shy three weeks. Don't hang with any of them outside work unless we get out super early and I miraculously have kid coverage. Now this is no dis on anyone else; at least work people have invited me places on occasion. It's somewhere between my schedule, lack of babysitter, and not having friends to start with. Oh and the no-babysitter? People say, what about all the teenagers in your neighborhood? Okay, I'll just knock door to door until someone's willing and looks okay for the job. I don't know anyone! My next-door neighbor's crazy, love her, but she's batty (though I would trust her in an emergency I should say). My diagonal neighbors are nice but always busy. We haven't exchanged numbers or connected online or anything either.
I'm so running away with this. Not like anyone reads it though so whatev. I think I have the most publicly private (or privately public?) blog there is. I remember when the depression was at its worst and Jesse told me later he had been really worried about me (which surprised me for two reasons: I didn't know he noticed and he didn't tell me he noticed). I blogged then, but I also FB'd all the time and not a soul in my contact list gave a rat's ass. Too busy updating their kid's hockey score or poeming about life or commenting on their yummy lunch or saying where the hell they are and how often they pick their damn asses. lol. I'm so not on FB anymore. I use Google+ to get social media news or techno things or the like, but I'm hardly on that too except a glance a few times a week.
So my recent fixes? I've unplugged and replugged on a different, more calming level (hence the switch). I should throw in that I was sometimes as guilty about the pointless status updates, but I don't use that outlet anymore. It was utterly fruitless. I pray now, much more and it's much more therapeutic... with answers! I'm still a bitter old bitch, with a growing mid-section to work on, but at least I can stare my issues in the face and say, "Yup, you're there. Sit tight while I deal with life and I'll figure out how to kick your butt later." I'm still stuck in a shitty schedule, but Jesse has the worst of it truthfully. Thank God I have a husband like him who can take it! I'm also trying to keep busy which for someone who likes human contact and basically has none _ sucks. This post is the longest I've been on the computer in a while. I'm trying to go back to reading or at least doing chores and then going to bed, which inevitably ends up being midnight every night anyway. I've learned to shut my mouth at work, less I talk the less the counter and the easier the day goes. "Yup my bad... okay, sure..." And I certainly don't chime in with comment like I used to when people say utterly foolish things like, "How'd he get into football if he went to a Christian college?" That was today's head slapper. Seriously, there should be a stupid board! I'm not a genius by far which leads me to believe I should have a much more rewarding job... it's like punishment sometimes! They're not all like that at all, but I swear I catch some really ridiculous moments and it's usually from the egos to boot.
Okay, I've killed enough time, and backspaced enough for one night, or week. Sometimes I think my brain is such mush I'm going to be just as dumb... I'd better get some sleep.
Yeah I know those who know me would say, "Yeah, okay Caroline." Those who know me really well, of which I can think of one person besides myself, might say, "Well whose fault is that?" I'm not really fat, just seriously out of shape for me... and with a bigger mid-section.
That's not exactly what I'm here to blog about. I just needed to start somewhere. I can't even type like I used to: I'm looking down at the keys and backspacing all the time!!! This is going to take forever!! I'm out of every loop known to... well, known to me anyway. I can't cry about being out of the loop with things I never cared about: pop culture, music, government elections, price of tea in China (Sorry Jess). Not only have I been disconnected with work and my own family, I haven't even taken more than a worrisome thought of my own person. Plenty of worrisome, warranted or not alas, but not more. I only half care about what I eat anymore. I care to the point of "will this send me running or give me reflux" and that's about it. Snacking more, as expected, has led to the current overhang. I haven't even exercised in well over four months. Aside health, I haven't done a thing in the mom's group I'm 'in' in even longer. Schedule's too... retarded. I have about two hours Tuesdays and Thursdays and all morning Wednesdays but I usually either hang with my mom on her day off or have things to do at home (and my home's tiny so a playgroup there ain't happening). {F~@%ing backspacing!!!!} All this ho-hum is killing me. As if my hormones aren't screwed up enough. I need to find a way out of this rut!
So my dad got me this great book for Christmas about angel encounters, clueless about my state mind you. I did me well to read some real stories, get out of my own head so to speak. That's really my biggest problem and why I haven't gone back to writing, hence the backspacing, hence the depression, hence the torn emotions, hence the loss of reality, hence the cluelessness of those around me, hence the looking inconsiderate probably, hence the mind-churning... how do I explain this and then hence the lack of seeing psych. <sigh> Yeah. I don't even have social interaction to distract me. How could I? Our schedule SUCKS! I have one friend who's reached out to meet up with me, the one who'd see me delve back into the torture of self-losing writing (LUV U!!!) but that's another story. I've lived in Tewksbury a little over a year and been in the mom's group almost a year. No new friends really. I've worked at WPA for nine years shy three weeks. Don't hang with any of them outside work unless we get out super early and I miraculously have kid coverage. Now this is no dis on anyone else; at least work people have invited me places on occasion. It's somewhere between my schedule, lack of babysitter, and not having friends to start with. Oh and the no-babysitter? People say, what about all the teenagers in your neighborhood? Okay, I'll just knock door to door until someone's willing and looks okay for the job. I don't know anyone! My next-door neighbor's crazy, love her, but she's batty (though I would trust her in an emergency I should say). My diagonal neighbors are nice but always busy. We haven't exchanged numbers or connected online or anything either.
I'm so running away with this. Not like anyone reads it though so whatev. I think I have the most publicly private (or privately public?) blog there is. I remember when the depression was at its worst and Jesse told me later he had been really worried about me (which surprised me for two reasons: I didn't know he noticed and he didn't tell me he noticed). I blogged then, but I also FB'd all the time and not a soul in my contact list gave a rat's ass. Too busy updating their kid's hockey score or poeming about life or commenting on their yummy lunch or saying where the hell they are and how often they pick their damn asses. lol. I'm so not on FB anymore. I use Google+ to get social media news or techno things or the like, but I'm hardly on that too except a glance a few times a week.
So my recent fixes? I've unplugged and replugged on a different, more calming level (hence the switch). I should throw in that I was sometimes as guilty about the pointless status updates, but I don't use that outlet anymore. It was utterly fruitless. I pray now, much more and it's much more therapeutic... with answers! I'm still a bitter old bitch, with a growing mid-section to work on, but at least I can stare my issues in the face and say, "Yup, you're there. Sit tight while I deal with life and I'll figure out how to kick your butt later." I'm still stuck in a shitty schedule, but Jesse has the worst of it truthfully. Thank God I have a husband like him who can take it! I'm also trying to keep busy which for someone who likes human contact and basically has none _ sucks. This post is the longest I've been on the computer in a while. I'm trying to go back to reading or at least doing chores and then going to bed, which inevitably ends up being midnight every night anyway. I've learned to shut my mouth at work, less I talk the less the counter and the easier the day goes. "Yup my bad... okay, sure..." And I certainly don't chime in with comment like I used to when people say utterly foolish things like, "How'd he get into football if he went to a Christian college?" That was today's head slapper. Seriously, there should be a stupid board! I'm not a genius by far which leads me to believe I should have a much more rewarding job... it's like punishment sometimes! They're not all like that at all, but I swear I catch some really ridiculous moments and it's usually from the egos to boot.
Okay, I've killed enough time, and backspaced enough for one night, or week. Sometimes I think my brain is such mush I'm going to be just as dumb... I'd better get some sleep.
A Rant for Andy Rooney
Oh how I love a good rant! Who doesn't? Well, it does help to agree with the rant and even more so to be said ranter, but there's something of an art to being a seasoned ranter, one like the late <sniffle> Andy Rooney.
He made everyone smile with his words, his perspective. He put simple things into plain terms and made us consider ourselves and the things we do on a regular basis a little differently. It wasn't meant to be philosophical I don't think, just an opinion worth mentioning and thinking about. Why do we have so many watches? Why do we pay for all the comforts of travel when the ride is only an hour, but still complain about the price? Why do we keep things we'll never need but can't quite throw them away. I can't do the man justice on ranting or even pointing out the simple things we might overlook in life, and I wonder if he ever even considered himself a ranter rather than an opinionated person or question-maker in some cases. I will, however, attempt my own blurb on my opinions, my qualms in life, and hope to somehow make someone think. I can't promise anything good.
I recently took a hiatus from the ever-popular Facebook having had enough of settings being changed without my permission, unwanted emails, constant 'image' changes, etc. I thought I really spend too much time reading statuses like "just fed the cat" or "traveling to sunny Cali again!" or "if you think your life is awful, just read below..." and such things. Really, I only joined to stay updated with friends and family, not to read about someone's inner thoughts or to hear about day-to-day activities. I don't care how often someone with a cold blows his or her nose. I don't want to repost your sentiments and I don't care to read your thought-provoking song lyrics. Now I'm not even going into the games notifications (most of which I had disabled although they spit out more games a week than the illegals spit out kids in America), but I'd say I only cared about 3% of what I read unless it was personally to my wall or in a Facebook email. I commented on some posts which were funny or Bruins related or weather related. I sent birthday or condolences or congratulations as appropriate. I began to realize, however, that I was no better. My posts went from dangerously depressing when I was totally bummed out on life and stressed (may I add that no one, except perhaps my husband, ever commented on those) to excitedly cheering on the Bruins (sometimes play-by-play) to cute or witty kid stories and/or pictures of the, er, cherubs of mine. I was indeed a hypocrite and I did not like it one bit!
So, after checking out the invite to Google+ from my brother, I decided to try just that. People I found interesting were on it and I liked the whole 'circles' thing where you could decide which group of people to read about. I posted a hiatus on Facebook and moved to Google+ and soon didn't spend more than a few minutes on the computer every couple days. People had my email which I get on my phone, and my phone number to call or text. If I was needed, or missed, I could be found. I'd like to say that people thought I fell off the face of the earth but really no one even noticed. I missed parties, general social news, and tons of pictures and gossip. Okay, I'll admit I didn't 'miss' any of it per se, but I was bummed that no one, not even a few good friends, ever noticed that I wasn't around.
Are we so plugged in that we're so impersonal? Does anyone ever pick up the phone anymore? What happened to, "Hey I haven't heard from So-and-so in a while..." Perhaps this is simply a kink in the computer age, but it's a pretty big one. It's like we've been dehumanized. I think if I stopped showing up to work people would miss me, some people would miss me not just because I wasn't pulling my weight at the office. I think if I stopped calling my mother, which sometimes there's been unintentional stretches, she'd call me to see what's up. I know my kids would care if I wasn't around; they'd be devastated! I sadly cannot say this of any online friends, which is what I'll call those I don't see daily, or even weekly, but with whom I still have some kind of connection. Dropping from the online world proved one solid point: I don't make a dent of a difference in it.
Well, I'm rechecking in with ole' Face Book again and this time, as with Google+, I'm not spending more than a few minutes every couple of days on it. If I need a friend, I'll call someone. If I need to express something unimportant but stressful at the time, I may post. If I'm needed by anyone, rare, I have a phone. I'm no longer slave to the online world. I'm also no longer relying on connections in that manner to find kinship in any way unless personally directed at me. What is it anyway that drives us to connect with a lit screen, a world in which we can both hide and express ourselves? Or is that all it is? The ability to hide and express at the same time? I'm not sure what Andy Rooney would have to say about all that, but I'm sure he'd have plenty of people listening. As for me, I just had to rant for Andy Rooney.
He made everyone smile with his words, his perspective. He put simple things into plain terms and made us consider ourselves and the things we do on a regular basis a little differently. It wasn't meant to be philosophical I don't think, just an opinion worth mentioning and thinking about. Why do we have so many watches? Why do we pay for all the comforts of travel when the ride is only an hour, but still complain about the price? Why do we keep things we'll never need but can't quite throw them away. I can't do the man justice on ranting or even pointing out the simple things we might overlook in life, and I wonder if he ever even considered himself a ranter rather than an opinionated person or question-maker in some cases. I will, however, attempt my own blurb on my opinions, my qualms in life, and hope to somehow make someone think. I can't promise anything good.
I recently took a hiatus from the ever-popular Facebook having had enough of settings being changed without my permission, unwanted emails, constant 'image' changes, etc. I thought I really spend too much time reading statuses like "just fed the cat" or "traveling to sunny Cali again!" or "if you think your life is awful, just read below..." and such things. Really, I only joined to stay updated with friends and family, not to read about someone's inner thoughts or to hear about day-to-day activities. I don't care how often someone with a cold blows his or her nose. I don't want to repost your sentiments and I don't care to read your thought-provoking song lyrics. Now I'm not even going into the games notifications (most of which I had disabled although they spit out more games a week than the illegals spit out kids in America), but I'd say I only cared about 3% of what I read unless it was personally to my wall or in a Facebook email. I commented on some posts which were funny or Bruins related or weather related. I sent birthday or condolences or congratulations as appropriate. I began to realize, however, that I was no better. My posts went from dangerously depressing when I was totally bummed out on life and stressed (may I add that no one, except perhaps my husband, ever commented on those) to excitedly cheering on the Bruins (sometimes play-by-play) to cute or witty kid stories and/or pictures of the, er, cherubs of mine. I was indeed a hypocrite and I did not like it one bit!
So, after checking out the invite to Google+ from my brother, I decided to try just that. People I found interesting were on it and I liked the whole 'circles' thing where you could decide which group of people to read about. I posted a hiatus on Facebook and moved to Google+ and soon didn't spend more than a few minutes on the computer every couple days. People had my email which I get on my phone, and my phone number to call or text. If I was needed, or missed, I could be found. I'd like to say that people thought I fell off the face of the earth but really no one even noticed. I missed parties, general social news, and tons of pictures and gossip. Okay, I'll admit I didn't 'miss' any of it per se, but I was bummed that no one, not even a few good friends, ever noticed that I wasn't around.
Are we so plugged in that we're so impersonal? Does anyone ever pick up the phone anymore? What happened to, "Hey I haven't heard from So-and-so in a while..." Perhaps this is simply a kink in the computer age, but it's a pretty big one. It's like we've been dehumanized. I think if I stopped showing up to work people would miss me, some people would miss me not just because I wasn't pulling my weight at the office. I think if I stopped calling my mother, which sometimes there's been unintentional stretches, she'd call me to see what's up. I know my kids would care if I wasn't around; they'd be devastated! I sadly cannot say this of any online friends, which is what I'll call those I don't see daily, or even weekly, but with whom I still have some kind of connection. Dropping from the online world proved one solid point: I don't make a dent of a difference in it.
Well, I'm rechecking in with ole' Face Book again and this time, as with Google+, I'm not spending more than a few minutes every couple of days on it. If I need a friend, I'll call someone. If I need to express something unimportant but stressful at the time, I may post. If I'm needed by anyone, rare, I have a phone. I'm no longer slave to the online world. I'm also no longer relying on connections in that manner to find kinship in any way unless personally directed at me. What is it anyway that drives us to connect with a lit screen, a world in which we can both hide and express ourselves? Or is that all it is? The ability to hide and express at the same time? I'm not sure what Andy Rooney would have to say about all that, but I'm sure he'd have plenty of people listening. As for me, I just had to rant for Andy Rooney.
Yards for Sale!
Well, I was going to add more photos but this one took about 25 minutes to load... hmmm, Network errors? Anyway, I spent my time perusing the yard sale tips and tricks articles on the web and feel a little more (and a little less) prepared for our big mom's group yard sale Saturday. Now since I've forgotten my original blogging intents, I'll yak about that. :)
I was and still am psyched to be doing this. (I pause to laugh because I typed 'psycho' at first.) I can't wait to get rid of all the baby stuff! And other random stuff too but mostly the big things like the two strollers taking up a chunk of the basement. It'll also be nice to make some $$$ but I'm not going to guess and figure this early on. I checked out those 'tips' sites and realized my to-do list needs shifting. Don't use a money box... so.... Yeah... I started making signs but as I saw a sight with images of good and bad yard sale signs and thought maybe doing all posterboard isn't the way to go. My next-door neighbor has some old shelves she's getting rid of... could use those boards...
Now I wonder if I have enough tables to share. I think my stuff might take up about 3 plus what I can get on the ground. I need to label things/prices and get a general inventory going so I know things were paid for and appropriately. I also might offer to share the dot stickers Jess picked up for me. They might help us know when something bog has been paid for.
My mind is walking through an imaginary yard sale and I'm already overwhelmed. I'm going to dedicate tomorrow night to getting a plan together. Tonight I need to dedicate to showering and sleeping... mostly the latter.
Catching up on catching up
It's been a little longer than I'd like since my last blog. It's like the old journal days... diary starts, going well, forgotten about; another starts, going okay, forgotten; year later another journal, soon forgotten as well. I've even forgotten about the letters to my kids I'd started. Really should get back to that. Seriously I've had a thousand journals and probably 8-10 currently on my desk. At least for now I have only one online log... for now...
Few things to mention. First, we've discovered our shack is the place all the cool cats want to be. Literally, all of Shadow's family keeps visiting this house looking for her and rubbing up against us and wondering what it's like inside. Kinda funny if you think about the cat conversation:
Shadow: Hey guys, you should see my pad. I have my own water fountain! Plus whenever I go inside, I get a kitty treat!
Elsie: I have to live with a dog!
Shadow's brother and sister are currently hanging out on our front steps while she sits by a window barely noticing. Is she a snob too?
She's the best cat, and that's saying something from me who happens to be a dog fan. I took the kids on a little jaunt around the small block across from our house. Shadow looked perplexed at the wondering of her lit'uns without a stroller or wagon. She followed us the whole way around!
Next Godin family fun fact: Jess and I are in love... with those little frozen pie shells! We've made quiche, chicken pot pies, and pumpkin pies, all single serving each. You better believe they'll be torts in our future this Christmas!
Further on the clean-up agenda: gate's gone from the laundry room for a few reasons. One, cat's getting bigger and got stuck a few times. Two, we're sick of tripping over/through it. Three, the kids are basically old enough to keep out of trouble, although VJ now has full access to the cheese balls. Also, rearranging toys and donating/selling baby stuff. Yard Sale Oct. 15th with the mom's group!!!Wish us money!!!
Now go figure that the ACs come out of the window and the temp rises with humidity. Hello Murphy? Get bent! Oh well, we survived a while with no ACs so a week or two now won't kill us. Think of the money saved on heat, not that we're currently paying the oil bill. <$$$ sux!>
Well, pumpkin and apple picking are complete, pictures uploaded for those on Google+ or who know our personal site. Can't wait to go through this fall/winter season with the kids older now! And I will try to keep blogging, but no promises! :)
Few things to mention. First, we've discovered our shack is the place all the cool cats want to be. Literally, all of Shadow's family keeps visiting this house looking for her and rubbing up against us and wondering what it's like inside. Kinda funny if you think about the cat conversation:
Shadow: Hey guys, you should see my pad. I have my own water fountain! Plus whenever I go inside, I get a kitty treat!
Elsie: I have to live with a dog!
Shadow's brother and sister are currently hanging out on our front steps while she sits by a window barely noticing. Is she a snob too?
She's the best cat, and that's saying something from me who happens to be a dog fan. I took the kids on a little jaunt around the small block across from our house. Shadow looked perplexed at the wondering of her lit'uns without a stroller or wagon. She followed us the whole way around!
Next Godin family fun fact: Jess and I are in love... with those little frozen pie shells! We've made quiche, chicken pot pies, and pumpkin pies, all single serving each. You better believe they'll be torts in our future this Christmas!
Further on the clean-up agenda: gate's gone from the laundry room for a few reasons. One, cat's getting bigger and got stuck a few times. Two, we're sick of tripping over/through it. Three, the kids are basically old enough to keep out of trouble, although VJ now has full access to the cheese balls. Also, rearranging toys and donating/selling baby stuff. Yard Sale Oct. 15th with the mom's group!!!Wish us money!!!
Now go figure that the ACs come out of the window and the temp rises with humidity. Hello Murphy? Get bent! Oh well, we survived a while with no ACs so a week or two now won't kill us. Think of the money saved on heat, not that we're currently paying the oil bill. <$$$ sux!>
Well, pumpkin and apple picking are complete, pictures uploaded for those on Google+ or who know our personal site. Can't wait to go through this fall/winter season with the kids older now! And I will try to keep blogging, but no promises! :)
Moving on with Moving in
This weekend I found myself on my knees, surrounded in filth, bent into one of the lowest, unseen and unexplored regions... of my house. Yup, under the couch and in the basement. Under the couch I found enough toys to fill two plus buckets from their toy shelf, including three disgustingly dirty bugs (eyes missing on one but pipe-cleaners intact on all!) and several partial Easter eggs (the plastic kind), plus trucks, dolls, "doctor" kit stuff, Legos, and tons more I can't recall just now. As for the basement, well, let's just say it's like we hadn't been living here over 10 months yet.
So, shelves went up in the bedroom (and we now have printer access!), the bathroom (kitty's litter box no longer near her food), the laundry room, and basement which we were finally able to unpack. Now, it's a short basement so the shelf building and installation is another story, one for the BFF to tell I believe but it involved back-breaking feats of futility in part and eventual success. In other organizing news, we now have a portable closet downstairs to keep our dressy clothes as they literally hang over the shelves we have in the closet. So glad that's accessible now!
Where were the lit'uns in all this madness? With family! Yay! Time to do some clean-up, shelf-building, and organizing... and more cleaning! We're not even done but we did so much, including going out to dinner Friday night and bowling with a friend. We came home at 1AM Saturday morning for the first time in years, at least three! We did get to spend some time with them today, Labor Day, going to the zoo in Boston, so we didn't completely neglect them. ;)
We have so much more to do but who knows when the next opportunity will be? We can at least piece meal the rest as it doesn't involve as much up and down the dangerous stairs or pulling out a box of What-the-heck-is-that? or exposing ourselves to material that may or may not be hazardous. God only knows, we could get deathly ill in the next week or so. Did I mention previously that the house was built in 1929?
Be that as it may, we've come to a good resting place and I'm so grateful to the family who pitched in to watch the kids. They even slept over two of the nights which was a humongous help!! Plus they had an amazing time with their awesome aunt and uncle!!
Well, work never ceases and it's getting late. Back to laundry, dishes, baking, and whatever other chores we've set out to accomplish tonight. Mayhaps sleep will conclude? Tomorrow, it's back to the grime.
So, shelves went up in the bedroom (and we now have printer access!), the bathroom (kitty's litter box no longer near her food), the laundry room, and basement which we were finally able to unpack. Now, it's a short basement so the shelf building and installation is another story, one for the BFF to tell I believe but it involved back-breaking feats of futility in part and eventual success. In other organizing news, we now have a portable closet downstairs to keep our dressy clothes as they literally hang over the shelves we have in the closet. So glad that's accessible now!
Where were the lit'uns in all this madness? With family! Yay! Time to do some clean-up, shelf-building, and organizing... and more cleaning! We're not even done but we did so much, including going out to dinner Friday night and bowling with a friend. We came home at 1AM Saturday morning for the first time in years, at least three! We did get to spend some time with them today, Labor Day, going to the zoo in Boston, so we didn't completely neglect them. ;)
We have so much more to do but who knows when the next opportunity will be? We can at least piece meal the rest as it doesn't involve as much up and down the dangerous stairs or pulling out a box of What-the-heck-is-that? or exposing ourselves to material that may or may not be hazardous. God only knows, we could get deathly ill in the next week or so. Did I mention previously that the house was built in 1929?
Be that as it may, we've come to a good resting place and I'm so grateful to the family who pitched in to watch the kids. They even slept over two of the nights which was a humongous help!! Plus they had an amazing time with their awesome aunt and uncle!!
Well, work never ceases and it's getting late. Back to laundry, dishes, baking, and whatever other chores we've set out to accomplish tonight. Mayhaps sleep will conclude? Tomorrow, it's back to the grime.
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