home

One of my brothers recently asked me to send him some photos that I had taken of the house we grew up in. It inspired me to sift through the photos and take a trip down memory lane, a trip which I am going to share with you.

Before we begin, here are some facts:

1. The house is over 200 years old
2. The house is located in the Catskill Mountains of NY
3. The house served as a party hub whenever my parents were away
3. The house is still in the family, although my dad got it in the divorce and completely ignores it
4. The house is haunted

 Ah yes, the roller rink....I lived only a couple doors down

I got there just as they were burning down the barn in the back - so weird to see the 3 story beast gone

 Found this in the pile of rubble

I was so upset I couldn't rescue this to use with my kids

 This used to be an awesome garden - my parents grew a lot of their own veggies

 My father decided to add a tree house finally when I was like 15 - needless to say it was a "party box"

 I couldn't believe this was still there after all these years

 I used to go down to the creek to write in my journal - very dramatic teen of me

 Cellar Door - they do say it is the most beautiful word

 The sad part is, we used to tie my youngest brother up and lock him down there to torture him - I have apologized a million times for that...even still to this day

Even looking through the photos creeps me out a bit. Like the spirits who "lived in my closet" will come through the picture and haunt me now.

But, I can say I do have an appreciation for the quaint beauty of the house and the land. I hope my brother makes it work this summer with the "artistic retreat" he is planning on having in the house with his buds...maybe I'll just stop in for a bit to reminisce and tell some ghost stories.

Stream of Consciousness...While Vacuuming

Man that rug looks dirty...


I can't walk by it again...


It's getting vacuumed.


(Head to garage to pull out the vacuum, which immediately has pieces fall off as I pick it up) Ugh! Shitty ass clunky vacuum!


Man this vacuum sucks! (angrily hit the power on as I start humming a tune from Tangled, which at this point had been watched 3 days in a row with the boys)

(Abruptly stop humming as I feel debris hit my leg for the third time) I swear if it shoots something out instead of sucking it in one more time!

(As if to tease me, a small bit flies out from under the vacuum and hits my foot) Damn it! That is it! I am getting a new vacuum tomorrow...and never buying a Bissell again! No...this time I'm getting a Hoover....

Or an Oreck.....or a Kirby...those vacuums used to be so good...what happened to them?

Hmmm that reminds me of that movie I used to love....The Brave Little Toaster....the vacuum was named Kirby....I wonder if I can find that movie...the kids would love it, it was so cute...


As soon as I'm done I'm looking for that online....maybe I'll blog about it.

 If a dog can do it, WE can do it! 

and sometimes they sit still....

Because I am tired and lazy...and because they are just so damn cute...

I probably could have picked a better time, like when they were clean and well dressed (as in the first 5 minutes of the morning), but it was an opportunity not to be missed. 

what to do when you don't know what to do

Today was an interesting day for me as a parent. It was the first time I was completely stumped with a toddler situation that I had to seek advice on.

Both Tim and I had late work meetings, so we had to set the little guys up with the sitter for after hours. In the middle of indulging in rosemary bread, pasta, mozzarella, and wine during my work dinner, a little light bulb flicked on in my head.....it was going on 7:30 pm and I hadn't yet checked on the boys (by this time I was imagining them having thoughts of abandonment).

I shot the sitter a quick text to make sure they weren't calling for mommy at the door.  I shortly received in return the following:

...Their good...eating dinner. Jonas got in trouble twice for squeezing my daughter's boob. Please discipline him when he gets home about touching girls...

Now, my immediate reaction was, "oh crap, how the hell am i going to handle this?!" My next reaction was, "the kid just turned 3...he couldn't have been serious about his positioning of the squeeze...what does she mean by 'discipline him'?"

I immediately turned to the only other mom at the table (who also happened to have 2 boys...one of which was also 3)....and asked her for some mommy moment advice. I showed her the text, gave her a look of panic, and desperately asked her what to do. She looked at the text, looked at me and said, "absolutely nothing."

I cocked my head to the side and twisted my entire face into a huge question mark. She continued, "He's 3. If you make a big deal out of this and get real specific about not squeezing boobs, he is going to go right back and do it again."

It made perfect sense. I decided to take a little of her advice, and mix it with a little of mine, with a dash of advice from another. I wasn't sure how to approach the whole situation about being told to "discipline" my kid, but I let that part go.

When I picked the boys up, I made it a point to let the sitter know that I would have a conversation with Jonas about keeping his hands to himself and minding people's personal space. (I wasn't about to put my kid on time out 8 hours after he did something wrong).

Of course when I got home and brought Tim up to speed on the situation, he immediately acted upon it without letting me give him my opinion by telling Jonas that he can't go grabbing and pinching girls, that it was bad, and needed to keep his hands to himself.

What did Jonas do? Immediately start reaching out to pinch tim on his shoulder and chest over and over again.

The moral of the story is that I learned a very valuable lesson in parenting today. Sometimes your kid does things that they shouldn't do...including grabbing boobs....but there are some situations that aren't fully understood by a newly turned 3 year old...and those situations need to be dealt with immediately and then left as they are, or else the intrigue from reminding them only perpetuates the issue.

I am sure his infatuation with boobies will only grow...lets just hope he keeps his hands to himself for awhile.

born a ramblin woman

Traveling for work hasn't been easy. It isn't exactly peaches and cream to fly into a city you've never seen for a few nights and examine nothing more than cheesy drapes and a board room while leaving your children behind. On occasion you are actually given the chance to go out and explore the locale. Such instances can drum up interesting conversation between a native and the naive.

My recent travels, both personal and professional, have brought about some interesting sights and sounds that deserve recognition for being out-right ridiculous, and at times, completely heinous. Here are some prime examples from 2 of my most recent trips:

Bahamas (personal trip, but with my professional besties)

• In getting off the cruise boat in the port: "Pretty ladies want some braids?...braids?....ladies want some braids?...how 'bout some braids for the pretty lady?"
• In laying on the beach: "Jet skis...jet ski rentals...want some jet skis....ladies rent jet skis?"
• "Banana boat ladies?...ladies want to ride banana boat?...banana boat ladies? (Repeat 2 or 3 times while laying in same spot on beach and giving the same answer each time to the same people asking...which results in...)
• Ladies want jet skis?banana boat?...no? how about bahama papa?...is free of charge! all the pleasure you desire! no? how about some jet skis? (at this point the only reaction is laughter...did I seriously just get asked if I wanted a "bahama papa"...free of charge!)

Kansas City (current work trip still in motion)

• In getting on the plane and sitting next to a single lady: "Whew! Ladies! YES! No Men! Boy am I glad! You will not believe!....my husband just left me for his high school sweet heart!" (Just clicking my seat belt) "I'm heading out to help her husband and tell alllllll about it in court!" (story continues for about 30 minutes as flight takes off and attendants come to order our drinks) "I'll take a bloody mary" (leans towards us) "never ordered a drink before on a flight...yes, first time!" (woman proceeds to make drink and down it as fast as possible...giving me the thought that this may not be quite her first time)
• In sitting in the hotel lounge overhearing a seemingly well-off southern/mid-west couple's conversation: "We are heading to our favorite spot tonight...yes...they have got this group...all blacks...but boy they can sing!" (do people seriously talk like this?!) "But thank goodness it isn't Saturday...or else all those hoodlems would be out!" (Now, what do they exactly mean by this?....I then turn to my gal pal and breathe a sigh of relief for the fact that I may not have money, but at least I am not ignorant!)
• In sitting in a good 'ol Kansas City bbq joint when the waitress approaches us: "fruit punch!" (huh?) "you have got to try jack daniels and fruit punch...goes together real well" (look at my lowly jack and ginger and give a nod in acknowledgment that a jack and fruit punch might not taste all that bad)

All in all, finding out about new places can be both fun and alarming. I consider myself a yank...and will continue to be a little naive in certain areas of the world that don't fall into my common place. No matter where my travels may bring me, I can't help but be that outsider that eavesdrops, and asks dumb questions, and down-right stares.....for better or worse, it's just in my nature.

haunted

No matter how many years pass since my days as a waitress, my brain never fails to dig up the 'ol restaurant employment file to shake things up and cause me a restless night.

A serving nightmare can hit at anytime...a deep sleep in the middle of the night, a mid-day snoozer, a 20 minute power nap...no time is safe.

The theme of the dream is typically the same...me, the old Italian dining stomping ground, and about 10 tables sat at once. No matter what I do I can't get drinks on time, can't get orders right, and can't remember what people had ordered when I go to type them in. I'm simply stuck so far in the weeds that not even another person's help can help, and I just need to try to keep the guests as happy as possible so they don't just walk out.

These dreams send me into such an anxiety ridden panic that my heart races and my breathing excellerates. I wake up in a cold sweat thanking my lucky stars it was only a dream...they always seem so real that I swear they actually are affecting my psyche.

Today I was actually able to sneak in an hour nap, but was left frustrated and even more exhausted by the insanity my brain was stewing up.

In this serving nightmare I had actually returned back to waiting tables after already having other jobs and my children. It had been so long that I had "forgotten" how to serve. I came incredibly ill prepared, and had even worn ridiculously high wedge sandals with my uniform. The restaurant had changed the way they served bread and butter at the table since I had worked there, and no matter what I did I just couldn't get the set up right....and NO ONE would help me. Meanwhile I had about 10 tables angrily waiting for me to get their drinks, bread and appetizers to them at the same time, while a new manager just followed me around complaining about everything I did.

I tossed, turned, and perspired so hard through my "nap" that I woke up soaking wet from the ordeal.

Now, I have had multiple jobs since leaving the waiting world, but none have left such an imprint on my hippocampus.


Hopefully my brain won't decide to revert back to finish that dream when I close my eyes this evening...although, I really do wonder if I ever got the food to the table on time...

is there, or isn't there?

Jonas and I tend to have some of our best conversations during the car ride home after daycare. Last friday had to be one of the best of all time...

"I want juice mommeeeeee!"

"Ok, you can have some juice when we get home"

"Dylan have milk mommy....da milk is in your boobies"

"No, there isn't any milk in mommy's boobies anymore"

"Yes dare is"

"No...no there isn't anymore honey. Dylan only drinks bottles now"

"Yes dare IS MOMMY!"

"No, I really don't think there is anymore"

"YES DARE IS MOMMY! dare is milk in only one. dare is milk in one and not de oder"

"Oh really! so what you are saying is that only one boobie has milk in it still?"

"Yeah...only one has milk mommy...but not de oder one"

"Well ok...if you say so, but I really don't think so!"

And we left it at that...changing the subject to how we like green leaves and think we see alligators in the  water we drive by.

p.s. there is no milk in one.

welcoming myself back to the blogosphere

Whew! It's been a bit longer than I had anticipated from my last post. I guess you can say a little something called life got in the way...you know, tending to children, working, feeding hubby, working, tending to children, and so on.

A lot has been going on...so to catch you up, here is a breakdown:

Work trip to Dallas and the Byron Nelson

(my awesome window seat....that had a beautiful view of a wall)

My birthday weekend in Siesta Key

Summer fun

Our first annual pig roast

The boys growing like beanstalks and getting into mischief 

A visit from my sis and baby niece

So there it is...or there it was....and here I am hopefully being good about being back.