Fall is here! San Antonio's Autumn consists of mostly sunny 70 and 80 degree days with occasional cold front that turn the mid day into a brisk 50 degrees. Nights get to be in the high 30s and 40s. I am enjoy the cool. However, I am NOT enjoying the pee.
Yes, it's getting cold. Cold enough to make little bladders of little ankle biters spasm and let loose, but come on I WILL NOT turn on the heater. That's why god gave us blankets. Thankfully god also gave us washer and dryers so I can wash pee drenched bed clothes!!
I am feeling a bit down--really as far down as I have been. Pee will do that to ya. Ha! No, not really. I am a Mom--what would I be without pee and poo (I am just glad the kids aren't prone to vomiting). My birthday is coming up. Just a slap in the face from Time, "Yes, you are getting OLD and your dreams are just THAT! Mwhahahahaha!" I've also been going through more of the same friend issues. For my part, friendship is very intense and very personal...so I am currently trying to keep my sucking chest wound taking me down with it. I've just lost a part of myself, it's that simple.
I am missing my mates, P and Q. I would love nothing better than to galavant around town stealing shopping carts and relaxing in the fact that I can just be me...without fear. I've been alternating with wanting to carve myself out a hallow tree and become a hermit or wanting a strong drink.
I've been distracting myself, with some success, with the Twilight series. I love it, and I had NO clue it was such a tween sensation. I feel for the poor actors in the upcoming film tho', they must be deaf with all the screaming. Anyhoo, I read the four books in about 2 days and re-read the first one, just to get it out of my system. Grin.
Last night, Jamey got to meet my father and his wife. It went well, talked about all sorts of things, cheese and music, mostly. Jamey and Lori (my step mother) both love cheese and we all are music buffs. It was a bit awkward at times--Jamey isn't happy with my father's absence, but he's willing to see how this all works out.
It's Friday night: so that means BBC America comedy Friday. I'll leave ya with one of my favourite Catherine Tate Show bits.
Boy do I need a vacation. I feel like I in a rut. I fee like an old stink damp gym sock.
I just can't muster any sort of energy at all. My internal clock is fucked up too. I am going to bed waay too late and thusly dragging my arse out of bed waaay too late.
This week is Kim last full week here. I'll miss her and her help. I wish she was staying--I think it would be good for her to settle here. But I don't think she's ready to leave home yet. Oh well. I did get her to quit smoking--hopefully THAT will stick. A few days ago I bought her to nicotine gum.
If you stopped by earlier--or follow my tweets you would have noticed that I cleaned the tub. Rather finished it...it had so much lime scale it took several days if scrubbing. I was contemplating a before and after, but I really don't want to share that much info. Anyhoo, it's such a thrill to have a sparkling tub with a nice new shower curtain (got that a few weeks back). Right now I am looking at the dinner room table that I need to clean off. I should clean it off before Kim's boyfriend arrives tomorrow and DEFINITELY before my parents come. I don't need my mother to make her motherly noises.
Eh, make that stinky dried gym sock stuck to the couch.
Okay--so lately I have been doing this thing that I haven't done since I was a kid. I am sure you did this too.
Imagine: you are 10 years old and you have been charged with cleaning your room. And lo and behold you see a toy/book/game that despite the dire words of your parent (clean this room or else): you sit on the floor and commence NOT cleaning your room. You are lost in time and space, engrossed in your activity. And then the doorknob turns (or if closed doors weren't allowed, ominous foot steps sound) and you jerk up and pretend that all along you were cleaning. HA! You are SO busted.
Well, for the past several weeks, when Jamey walks in the door. I am once again 10 years old, I stop, jerk and pick up something. Never mind I may have spent the entire day cleaning and I am having a well deserved sit down. I stop, I jerk and pick up!
It's driving me nuts. I am not in trouble and my husband is NOT my Dad/Mom. What really bites: I JUST did this again when my sister walked home form her day at work!!!
Tuesday was Jamey's birthday (I'm 6 months older than him and I have spent 6 months enduring taunts from him about how old I am)...we came home from the Silver Stars to this:
It was very very sweet--and a mystery.
Now he's thirty too. HA! Welcome to adulthood--grin.
They decorated very well...it took us a solid day to figure out who the decorator was.
It was our friend's T and R (two over the hill fogeys themselves).
Jamey had a quiet low key birthday. We went to see a Silver Stars game where I had arranged a special surprise on the jumbo-tron. It didn't cost anything (which is what he wanted) and it was something different and unexpected for him. And of course generated birthday wishes all around from our Silver Stars friends. The Silver Stars were playing the Houston Comets...we lost, but one of Micci's favourite (former) Silver Stars players now plays for the Comets, Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson. On our way out of the arena (we stay late to do some cheering and such) we saw Pee Wee leaving out of the same door we were about to leave out of. Because Mic was being shy, I called out to her, and told her how much Micci missed her playing for the team and that she is his favourite all time player. Jamey managed to push Mic up to her so he could shake her hand and say hi. It was a very sweet moment.
And then we cam home to the aformentioned very sweet birthday surprise.
I've seen this meme all over the blogosphere. Its sorta fun and why not.
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning of the post.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves in their post.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
Questions:
1. What was I doing ten years ago?
Hmm Ten Years ago, I was in Austin was about to make one of the biggest and costliness mistakes of my life and by the end of the summer would tuck my tail between my legs and move to live with my parents in New Mexico the land of entrapment!
2. What are five things on my list to do today?
1. Clean
2. Cook a Meal or two
3. Do Laundry
4. Do Dishes
5. Knit
3. Snacks I enjoy?
Anything chocolate...LOVE me some Cheetos and Doritos
4. Things I Would Do If I Were A Billionnaire?
Hmmm...does that mean I was born one, became on or all of a sudden had it plopped in to my lap? I mean I would NOT be the same person if I had a billion dollars. Course off the top of my head right now, I'd pay off debt, buy a new house (with ma very own yarn studio), buy all the expensive yarn I am currently drooling over (Handmaiden Sea Silk for instance), and then fidn out how I can crash some U2 parties and figure out how to become Bono best good friend. Oh and I would go on TRIPS all the time....Italy, France, Ireland, Wales, Japan!, San Francisco!...Globetrot.
5. Three of my bad habits?
I procrastinate.
I ignore things/events that I should deal with (um yeah read above).
I am a slob...if I was a billionare I would have a maid and a personal assisant/butler guy named Henry.
6. Five places I have lived?
I've lived in way more than 5 so I'll pick the top 5 (in no particular order): San Antonio TX, Austin TX, Germany, Flagstaff AZ, Fort Meade, MD
7. Five jobs I've had?
Carrryout/Casher at HEB, Clerk at Hastings Books, Clerk/Manager of a Hollywood Video, Hostess at Jim's (it's a diner type place), Retirement Plans Specialist at Citibank. And that is IT. Now I am a SAHP and a knit wear designer.
8. How did you name your blog?
Dubh Croi means dark heart in Irish Gaelic. I think it's pretty much self explanatory. I love Gaelic and my heart is a deep dark well. Unknowable.
I am not planning on tagging--hate that--so you if want to participate in this meme--by all means do it and leave me a comment (because I LOVE them and I am curious!).
Kim is here. The kids are spazzing out. They are SO excited their heads are about to explode. It's almost funny. Sigh.
Yesterday we spent the day with my friend Anne and her grandson. And then spent the evening knitting with friends--awesome! I came home, and Jamey had bought me a tripod--yip! I detail WHY I need one on my other blog.
Sorry for the outage this weekend (and Monday). There was a "wee" problem at our hosting site: one of their transformers blew and while there was no damage done to the data, they were without power. Fun fun. Good thing I don't depend on this site for any sort of income. Hopefully my dozen readers come back.
On to news from the weekend. Micci is growing up and has his first loose tooth. Woot! My sister, Kim, is just days away from her "visit." This visit hopefully will lead to her permanently moving down here. (San Antonio is an easier place to become independent than D.C.) The kids are super excited about her visit. For my part: it will very very interesting and I am sure will create all sorts of blog fodder.
We all saw Prince Caspian yesterday. Great movie. And of course it inspired me to start the next book, Voyage of the Dawn Treader. For some reason, it is much more interesting now than it was a years ago when I tried reading it. Shrug.
And better news: I haven't bought diapers in WEEKS!! Woot! And if we do have more kids, I am doing cloth. I am tired of the waste of diapers, not to mention the expense. Lori isn't completely potty trained--she still has accidents every day, but those are out numbered by successful visits to the potty. Woot woot!
My wonderful father in law is coming in tonight for a visit and of course I am cleaning like a mad thing. What me? My house is always immaculate!
This is what I found in the couch after I washed the cushions and vacuumed up months of crumbs (all that coinage was totally worth digging through and sucking up all the nasty icky crumbs and assorted debris from the inner recesses of our couch). Our couch is a very old couch and has a distinct personality--of a street urchin, it LOOOOVES you so much, and gives you hugs and steals the change right out of your pocket.
And as I am a SAHP, I claim my income and declare it good for YARN SHOPPING!!
And I survived HELL week! Sorry it took so long to post again. I've been feeling blah and blech. I am blaming the dreary weather and PMS (although the pms diagnosis isn't confirmed yet--but I can still blame the hormones right??)
Happy Be-Lated April Fools!
This week has been quiet. Lori did lose a fight with gravity, but in her words, "I'm OKAY!!" She got a nice goose egg on her forehead for her trouble. That girl is a trooper. Last week she got run down by a bike...even sported a nice red tire track. Did that stop her?? NO! This girl is amazing!
She'll have fun in soccer next year. Tonight I gotta take a snap shot of her with her pink soccer ball.
Thursday was a big day. We went to the zoo, saw the new Africa Live exhibit and then Mic had his FIRST soccer practise.
First stop was the bears (which were hiding), but he got to ride the Kimodo Dragon.
Every time we go to the zoo Mic has to perch on the statue...
Then to see the Hippos in their new exhibit. It also helps cut down on the smell: hippos are very stinky.
This croc was really beautiful and the picture was perfect.
This hyena was incredibly hyper.
It was incredibly hard to get a decent picture: he was always in motion. I normally don't like hyenas but this one was beautiful.
The ostrich got quite close to us.
Then he got upset when the keepers came it to the enclosure to do chores.
Onward to the Rhinos!
I also took a ton of pictures of flowers, because it is Spring (and with the accompanying allergy fun)--I love the flowers, these flowers will not last once temps hit the high 90's and stay that way. I am looking forward to the Blue Bonnets.
After the zoo (Jamey had a volunteer thingy for the Final Four--he then picked us up at the zoo), we run some errands and then went to Mic's first soccer practise. He did great. He listened well, took turns, and was a good kicker. We do need to teach him jumping jacks. Jamey and I nearly fell out of our lawn chair laughing so hard. He jumped like a martinet: his feet never did close back together.
Mic did get hives from the sweat like I knew he would. His entire torso was covered in hives....his face broke out too--but that died down by the next morning. His torso hives didn't fade until Saturday night...we were nearly to the point where we were going to take him to the urgent care clinic, but finally a double dose of benadryl calmed them down.
This is Saturday morning. I decided to give him 1% hydrocortisone with aloe.
This is what it looked 5 minutes after I rubbed in the cream. This is why I was very close to taking him to the clinic. But it did die down and I gave him two tablets of children's benadryl and he sleeped and most of the hives went away.
I am hoping that if I give him one tablet before practise it'll prevent the hives.
He is late-nearly a year and a half late. Typically, He pops into my life every 5 years--give or take. I expected Him last year or perhaps the year before. Not that I look forward to His sudden, inexplicable appearances. However, from time to time I wonder what He is up to. Is He married? Has He seen his father before the elder forgot Him? The fact that He never acknowledged His grandson didn't really surprise me. Why should an absentee father be a present grandfather?
Now that He has popped up--even if it was in a weird generic email--I am loath to open the door or the proverbial box. It's one thing for me. I expect the hurt. I expect Him to disappear. However, my children deserve a grandfather that is present. A grand father that does not disappear. My step-father has earned the right to spend time and affection with my children. He was there when I had chicken pox; he was there when I broke my arm; he was there for my many trips to the ER; he was there for prom; he was there for my first straight As. He never let a birthday go by without an acknowledgment. Although my step dad and I have had our disagreements and he was the last person in the world I wanted to talk to or be with; he was always there when I did need him. My step dad was there to greet my grand children and meet my husband.
Now that He has opened the door again--He's also let in all the hurt and confusion that is associated with Him. I know I don't want that pain to touch my children, but why do I even consider allowing it to touch me again. And why do I cling to the one meaningful thing he gave me?
My friend Anne took Micci on a playdate with her grandson. I've got 3 hours of scream free cleaning/knitting time (I still have that second sock to finish). Although Lorelei is the source of the screaming, guess who the instigator is? Lori was upset at first--but then I gave her a few slices of the cinnamon raisin bread I bought last night to make up for having to spend the afternoon with me. Of course when she realised that I wasn't letting her eat the whole loaf she did have a teeny fit. LOL
This week has been one big BLAH...the girly hormones kicked my arse this week. On Monday night Anne (along with aforementioned grandson) suggested we go on a picnic then to the museum on Tuesday. We saw the Our Body: The Universe Within exhibit and let the kids run around the HEB Science Treehouse. By 3 I was exhausted and desperately seeking a couch to collapse upon. We left shortly after--4ish or 5ish...I always forget my watch, and went to Cheesy Jane's for shakes and onion rings. But we did stop in the museum gift shop where i scored two hypodermic shaped ones. Awesome. One is for me and the other is for my combat medic brother. AND they write in red ink!
I spent Wednesday recovering from Tuesday.
Aunt Flo finally came on Thursday so I was feeling better, but still tired. But laundry got done--well I've got Mount Everest right now, so I was able to manage three loads. And a cleaner kitchen. The kids decided that evening to make chocolate milk. They are both trying to be "bigger" kids and independent, especially Lorelei. Well Lorelei thought it would just be easier, cutting out the middle man, to put the chocolate sauce directly into milk jug. Sigh, so I got to go on a late night trip to the store to get more milk (which led me to also buy some raisin cinnamon bread).
Today, I am hoping to get a lot more cleaned up and finish this second sock!! I am so tired of this sock!
Finally got the server issues worked out over at Birdy's Knits. Whew! Luckily people are there over the weekend to fix this stuff.
My brother is here again...now all ties are finally severed from his ex-wife and doesn't have to worry about her not making car payments. Yea! I also fixed his sweater...as much as I could. Looks good.
My sock is well...I ripped and ripped...and I've re-knitted about three increase rows. Maybe I'll finish it someday. LOL Anyhoo--all knitting can get whooshed back to Birdy's Knits. And this blog can get back to poking fun at my mom, my kids, my husband, and my life.
Christmas was fantastic! Kids had great fun (which is the important thing) and I got some great stuff I am excited about. Most of all, and most importantly, my brother Phil was able to spend the Holiday with us. It was awesome having him here. The kids were so happy and hyper and used Phil as a jungle gym. Mic got us all up at around 7.30 am. He saw me nearly empty stocking and told me that I must have been on Santa's naughty list. Nah, Santa just favours the kids. I feel so blessed that we can give the kids the toys they want (lucky they aren't into the pricey toys).
After a morning of playing with gifts and dozing, we went to see National Treasure 2. Then homeward to make lasagna for Christmas dinner. I forgot to put the bread in the machine before leaving...so we didn't have any of the yummy bread I had planned on using...maybe tonight.
Today I have been lazing around watching the DVDs we got for Christmas...knitting a teeny bit and trying to grow Triops.
Jamey was sick today. He swears he has three different kinds of headaches. However I am not going to let a little thing like illness stop Christmas shopping and a chance for me to shower and get out of the house.
So let's ditch Jamey and take the kids out Christmas shopping with Mommy!!!!
Actually I didn't get annoyed until Lori peed in the toy aisle of Target. An that was three hours after we left home (I had stopped asking if she needed to go potty an hour before.)
Anyhoo--I took the kids for pancakes at IHOP...scratch that kid. Lorelei fell asleep...and didn't wake up until we were in Walmart two hours later. Mic had a healthy dinner of chocolate chip Funny Face. I had an equally healthy heart clogging steak and eggs with pancakes and COFFEE!!!! (The coffee I think helped the shopping IMHO). Despite having to return a well done steak for the medium rare I ordered (I like my steak quietly mooing), it was a fun dinner just Micci and me.
Then on to Wal-Mart for mondo toy shopping. We spent the money that some of the family sent for the kids on gifts (pics forthcoming for certain people to print out for the family--if its not too much trouble). I bought the traditional under things for Jamey and Micci and me. Lorelei not so much since I've bought her tons of underwear lately (although I would love to find her some fun tights--but I think the truly fun ones start at a size 4 not a size 3). The kids also bought for each other...in a round about way. All Lorelei wanted to get Micci was a baby.
We also got some cute slippers for the kids and pj's for Lorelei. And my sweet, thoughtful kids got me a sewing machine carrier/holder. AND finally Micci got some bed sheets that weren't pink and flowery.
Santa still needed some help for the gifts the kids were dying for. Mega Spinosaurus for Micci and Lorelei I had to improvise. She wanted Disney Princess Cash Register, but I can't find it anywhere--saw it two weeks ago but someone didn't want to buy it then. However, I really wanted a cash register that had arithmetic functions and Lorelei really liked playing with any sort of cash register. I found a great little one that I like much better. It'll also be great to teach both kids about money as well.
I'm DONE! Things started to go south in Target when Lorelei peed in the toys aisle. I am so tired of pee. Really really tired of pee. When ever I get the urge to think of a third child (hmmm that fresh baby smell!!!), I just think of urine...urine EVERYWHERE!! Anyhoo. We still had to go to HEB and buy stuff for Christmas baking.
I've also made the unilateral decision to NOT make a fancy Christmas dinner. Since no one will eat it all...and even though I LOVE Turkey soup--I don't have the heart to go through all the prep and pick up afterwards. So I am either making Birdy's Awesome Lasagna or having Jamey pick up HEB's Chef Prepared Chicken Pies. (It's a toss between actually working in the kitchen or just popping it in the oven at the appointed time.) If I DO make the lasagna, I'll post pics and a recipe--cause it's AWESOME and fast (no boiling the pasta).
BUT, I am going to do some Christmas baking. So far I've come up with: Bird's Nests, oatmeal scotchies, peanut butter spiked brownies, and chocolate no bake cookies. I'd love to make some mint and chocolate cookies, but alas Jamey doesn't like mint...poot.
So I have a week to get my shite together. Cleaning, cooking, and knitting. Adamas is STILL on the needles...sigh.
To continue: the kids got ice cream at HEB because they were good while we shopped our butts off. But it's just another reminder that yes these are my kids. Wanting ice cream when the weathers in the 40s...it's so like me. Poor Jamey was still sick when we got home. He threw up while we were gone. And only got out of bed to use the toilet.
I think I have nominated myself for Bad Mother of the Year yesterday. Jamey and I took the kids to see I am Legend yesterday. I thought it was a movie about a plague that devastated NYC and it was about how it was spread and how one man survived it..and I did not realize it was about mutant vampire thingies until it was too late and my kids were hiding their faces in my jacket.
Did I take them out? Nah (this is why I deserve the nomination), it was a pretty good movie except for those bits of scary vampire violence.
We did not want to take them to see The Golden Compass (we want to preview it first), but we were okay with I Am Legend....
November always wants me to pull my hair out and hide under my blankets. THe holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is weeks away--Christmas is less than 2 months away. AND everything is happening right now. This year is no different.
Oh well.
I desperately want to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I hate that I don't write as much or as well as I used to. I figure NaBloPoMo will hopefully inspire me--get me writing better or something.
I am betting on "something."
I have my Crafy Show on Saturday--I also want my new website up too. Not to mention Christmas Knitting. ARGH.
I am hoping Phil can come down for Thanksgiving--he's actually finally getting divorced. He's so tired, so stressed out I just want to be there for him.
One of the things that makes Jamey and my relation ship is our mutual enjoyment of playing "monkey". He enjoys being "groomed" and I enjoy "grooming." (Yes this includes pimple pooping, hair plucking, and the like.)
In this case "in the like" refers to me cleaning our his ears with my pinky fingernail. I have skinny fingers and I keep my pinky nail around a quarter of an inch long just for this purpose. Jamey has weird ear wax that is not waxy...mostly is powdery or chunky and usually requires help coming out. It gets so bad his ears will clog limiting his ability to hear. (NO it's not because I stick my finger in his ear)
Jamey's been sick so he's been on various medicines including musenix and I believe that has a great deal do with the amount of wax I pulled out of his years a few nights ago.
Sorry for the blurriness.
It did come out of both ears and no it's not clumped together. I have seen this before when we had his ears cleaned out by the nurses aid. Which reminds me I totally want a ear flashlight and a scooper of my own for Christmas. And this is actually rarely what it looks like--mostly its golden not dark brown.
My house is mine again. My house is clean--so I can relax, a bit. I had house guests in the form of my brother, SIL, and my mother. They arrive early early Thursday morning. They arrived in typical mother and sister in law stormy fashion. The storm was so fierce it was decided my mother wouldn't continue helping my brother and SIL move to Arizona. My brother and his wife left Saturday morning (car problems prevented them from leaving on Friday) and my mom was privileged to take an extra bit of vacation and relax with her favourite daughter (if I can say so....lol) and her only grandchildren (not quite sure she saw it this way).
We did some yarn crawling...(I finally had a positive experience at Yarnivore), went to the library and Jamey and I took advantage of her presence to go on a date. I had to nail my mom to the couch so she wouldn't help do my chores. I hope she enjoyed her stay.
School starts next week--so I thought it would be a good time to officially start home school. In our trip to the library yesterday I found that the library has a some fun home school programmes for the kids this fall, the ABC club and ABC science. It'll be fun for Mic and a place to meet other kids.
Thursday--all of a sudden I felt so much better. I think I was right--women problems...sigh...hormones are so frustrating.
Last night was wonderful! My Spurs won the NBA Championship for the 4th time!! And true to form the awesome citizen's of San Antonio conducted themselves fantastically during our in to the wee hours of the morning street party. The police chief (a new guy from Phoenix) said that the only problems they had was convincing people to stop hanging out of their car windows. Grin. Yeah that's our big problem.
I am so proud of Tony Parker too--I am a huge fan and it was so neat to see him get the MVP trophy. Eva was so cute snapping photo's of him--you would think a big Hollywood star would need snap shots. (See, here in S.A. our Spurs and their families are like OUR families--they're not super stars--they are super guys.)
I also finished my my secret project and I am crossing my fingers and toes, but I will let my breath out. I am fully expecting a rejection letter. But it's a good experience. Whew.
So between that and the Spurs winning, I got no sleep last night. BUT I did finally delete all my email spam--all 14,000...yes---fourteen thousand. A typical month see me getting about 4,000 spams. That does not include the hundreds and hundreds of emails that I want (yahoo groups and friends).
We leave for Myrtle Beach in exactly a week--a week of beach fun (and I found a yarn shop in N. Myrtle Beach--grin) and then a week with my in-laws (and the vastness that is their family) and a couple days with my family. For the first time in years, my entire family will be in the same place at the same time. Phil will probably be deployed soon after to Iraq. He's in intel (back office) so he won't be shooting at anyone, but still there's roadside bombs, suicide bombs, and snipers. I wonder if my other brother is jealous. Craig has been itching to be deployed (he's a medic) and so far he hasn't, whereas Phil's already been to Afghanistan. But I don't mind--Craig WILL be in the thick of things--so him working in an ER in S. Carolina is fine with me. It scares me to think of the horrors Craig will see when he does go to Iraq. I wonder what it'll do to him.
