Some Mother’s Day Help

April 29, 2013 By

Two years in a row now, Leo had totally got it right. Is it a coincidence that I have been blogging for two years? I think not. To see last year’s list, click here. See, Leo is really a “hit you over the head with a brick house” kind of guy. If I don’t spell it out, I end up with coconut people and faucets. If you don’t believe me click here. After 24 years together, I have learned…lists are the way to go and since there is still time, I thought I would do one now.

1. Last year’s spa day with a friend was AWESOME. I would love that again. A whole day to do what I wanted, some time by the pool with a frozen drink, quality time with a friend that was uninterrupted by kids and a massage thrown in there? Heaven on Earth.

2. This one will have to be given way early but the okay to go to BBC in Charlotte. And if we can’t swing it then the okay to go to BlogHer in Chicago in July.

3. Gift certificates are always a good, safe bet. Some that I would enjoy: Old Navy, New York and Company, Barnes and Noble and Shutterfly.

Shooting for the stars with these:

1. Telling me we are putting the house up for sale since I think it might be easier to move and start over than keeping this house organized and clean. How in the world we have outgrown this house, I have no idea.

2. A new car since mine is seriously old and needs to be put down.

Since those aren’t likely to happen (and these are still shooting for the stars):

1. A kitchen island (yes…it still escapes me).

2. A kitchen or master bath renovation.

I’m no dummy. I know that by asking for the last 4 things, it ups my chances of getting something from the first list. Because that is how it works over here. It has for years. And it goes both ways. He comes to me with an idea that I really do not want to do, such as spending time with people I’d rather not (I’ll leave it to your imagination since I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and you never know who might stumble across this blog) and I will end up saying, “Why don’t you go fishing for the day instead?” or “Why don’t you go to the boat?” He ends up doing what he really wants and I end up not having to restrain myself from strangling anyone. Don’t judge, it’s worked for 24 years. :)

What I absolutely do NOT want:

The backyard stuff to be my gift (since he is more the backyard kinda guy).

The heat fixed to be my gift (not likely since it is finally getting warm).

The garage fixed to be my gift.

I think it’s reasonable to not want those three things, don’t you?

I would say that I don’t want anything and I just want to spend a lovely day with the people I love but I’m pretty sure Nico has a basketball tournament and since it is Mother’s Day, I won’t be able to get anyone to watch Gia. So, since that pretty much guarantees some stress at some point, having a nice gift might balance it all out.

What about you? What are you asking for this year?

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Filed Under: Holidays, Leo 24 Comments

Hi, My Name is Mrs. Crabbypants

April 17, 2013 By

Here we go again. Shockingly, I am crabby. Call this a rant. Call this blogging angry. Call it “glass half-empty”. Whatever.

Yes, I woke up yesterday and today and thanked God that I am alive and that my family and friends are all safe and sound but what in the Hell is wrong with the world we live in?? It’s like we finally crawl out of the hole of thinking this world is shit from the last tragedy only to go reeling again from a new one. My heart is heavy and prayers continue to be said for the people who were affected by the bombs in Boston.

If we let the fear of what is happening in the world stop us from living, then the evil of the world wins. I get that but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. Scared of the world that I brought kids into. Scared and saddened that each time something like this happens, a little bit of their innocence is taken. First it was that they couldn’t play outside without the threat of someone kidnapping them. Then it was school shootings, then it was movie theater shootings, then more school shootings, now it is places where there are thousands of people gathered. Trying to protect our kids in today’s world is a daunting task. With my kids, I am doing what most are and that is focusing on the good in the world. The people who ran toward the blasts to help those hurt, the police and fireman and paramedics that responded without any hesitation for their own safety.  There is still good in the world, I know but inside, my heart is breaking and my mind is screaming, “What is wrong with people??”

I know my problems are small but they are still my problems and they are making me crabby.

Nico is taking driver’s ed. He had his first class and I sat there thinking, I AM NOT READY FOR THIS! I don’t even know how we are going to fit driving time in our schedule. And knowing how Nico is with everything else, he is going to be relentless about wanting to drive and originally I thought, Who cares? Leo will do it anyway. But my dear, oldest son informed me that he wants to only go with me. He said he feels more comfortable with me. Huh. So with everything else, I am the mean parent but with driving, I am the nice parent? How in the world did I screw myself over with that one? See, I don’t want to deal with it. I would just like him to learn with Excel, have Leo take him out and poof…he’s a driver with a license that can cart his and his siblings’ rear ends where they want to go. No such luck and that makes me crabby.

I am one unemptied Target bag away from being on my way to a Hoarders episode. The laundry is piled so high, Gia keeps using it as her inside rock climbing wall. My four children do NOT put anything away and their clothes are all over the house as if the entire house is their own personal closet and then they wonder why I go ballistic when they ask me where something is. Open your eyes and walk the house, Kids, and you might find what you are looking for. Baseball season has hit so there are no meals being made, only fast food eaten at hours that they should be in bed. Since they aren’t in bed when they are supposed to be, that means my nights are even longer so if I want any downtime at all, I have to stay up later which makes me tired which…yes, you guessed it…makes me crabby.

The biggest reason I am crabby is that Nico has a tournament in Indiana this weekend. I am so thrilled for him because he is so excited and I am excited to see him play. The tournament itself is not making me crabby. Ready for this? I have to drive there by myself with the four kids. Just typing that makes me feel panicky. Why, you ask? Where is Leo? Oh, yeah…that’s right. It’s the poker club night and there is some bullshit about it being the championship game and blah, blah, blah! We are already going to Vegas because he was in the top three so I really, really don’t care about him placing first. Maybe that makes me a jerk or unsupportive and so be it.

I’m trying to think of this as an adventure or at the very least, something to blog about when I’m done but it’s not working. I resent the poker club. I hate it. I hate that I have to do this with the kids by myself and it is making me mad at Leo. I don’t care how much money placing first gives him. I DON’T CARE! It’s not worth it. I mean if it meant we could move or even that I’d get a new car or even that I could go to Bloggy Boot Camp next month in Charlotte, then yes, I’d say I’ll suck it up and do it alone but IT DOES NOT. It doesn’t mean a hill of beans (okay, I felt about 80 when I said that). It only means that I am driving 3.5 hours with 4 kids. I can’t even follow anyone because it will stress me more out when my kids have to stop every half hour to pee or when I have to pull over because Gia is screaming because she hates the car. Plus driving in traffic freaks me out. Well, driving in traffic doesn’t but merging on the highway in traffic does. Wait…what am I saying? If I am stuck in traffic, it means I am stuck with my four kids in a small space and what if they have to pee or worse like they usually do? So yes, driving in traffic DOES freak me out! Not to mention that the only way Gia will not cry is by listening to Beauty and the Beast on CD and I have come to hate every song and the story itself because it drives me insane to hear it over and over again. I think I need to stop talking about this before I go into a full-blown panic.

Oh, and Leo, I hope you are reading this (and you will because I am going to send it to you and then read it out loud when you get home) because on the way back…you are driving the van and I am driving your car. Oh, yeah…it’s happening.

Amazing, I always say not to blog angry but I’m feeling less crabby already.

 

What about you? There seems to be a blogging funk going around. I am hoping that you find some humor in my crabbiness because what I think the world needs right now is to keep moving on and keep laughing otherwise we might all end up crying. Keeping Boston in my prayers today.

 

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Filed Under: basketball, Leo, Nico, Rants, What is wrong with the world? 44 Comments

Same Old Rant, Different Day

March 12, 2013 By

What is it about teens that makes you destined to live a life of regret? Nico is a freshman. I need him to go to college. I need him to go to a college at least 3 hours away. I need him to go that far so that I am not just a phone call away from stepping in and rescuing him. And being that I know myself so well, I know that I am not going to handle it well when the time comes for him to actually leave. So that means that once he’s gone, I am going to spend my time wishing I appreciated him when he was here.

However, this morning will not be one that I will think of when I am missing him.

I might have anger issues and nothing brings them out more than mornings with Nico. They are even worse when it’s Leo’s week to drive Nico and two other boys to school. Unless one of my feet are stuck in their @sses, they don’t move. I have ranted on here before about how Leo uses me as his alarm clock and how Nico doesn’t wake up to his blah, blah, blah. Just freaking get up already…it’s always the same. You know what time you have to be ready and if you are in some sort of contest to see how long you can sleep and still get out of the house on time, I have news for both of you: YOU’RE BOTH LOSING!

Personally, I think Leo and Nico think they move a lot faster than they actually do. Leo said that the boys get to school on time and that it is me just worrying because I don’t like to be there with the buses so I go earlier when I drive but I am a nervous wreck worrying that the boys are late for school. Here is how our morning went:

First, a little sidebar: Gia is sick. Scary sick with no symptoms other than a high fever and falling asleep on and off all day and then not sleeping at night. I let her sleep with us last night because when her fever is high, it makes me nervous. She woke up at 3:45 and at 4:00 cried that she wanted to go downstairs. I told Leo that I was going to leave my alarm on but was going downstairs and might not be able to get back upstairs to wake them up. He insisted that he didn’t know how to shut off my alarm so I told him to keep snoozing it. He said that is what he can’t find. It’s right on top but whatever. I shut my alarm off and took Gia downstairs. She was on fire and dozed on and off until 6:00 when she finally took the Motrin.

Gia was awake at 6 so while she cried when I left, I went upstairs to wake up Leo and Nico. Both rolled over and said it was too early. Nico said he set his own alarm and not to worry. Gia fell asleep shortly after I gave her the Motrin so I was stuck downstairs with her on top of me. You know that panic that you get when you’re trapped and have to get somewhere. That’s how I felt. I kept willing them to wake up.

At 6:30, Leo yelled down to me (waking up Gia) that Nico wasn’t in the shower, he had to get in and he had a meeting to get to and his exact words were, “I have to go.” The anger that I felt knowing that him having to go meant I was going to have to drive the boys to school and didn’t know how I was going to do it with a sick baby on top of me bubbled over. I went upstairs, put Gia down on my bed and banged on Nico’s bathroom door to get in the shower. He yelled back that Leo was in the other one and he didn’t want cold water and neither did Leo. I walked back to Leo who was in the shower and said Nico wanted to get in the shower and was he almost done? He answered with, “Is he in the shower yet?” I told him to hurry up. I walked back to Nico and he said he set his alarm but it didn’t go off. The walking back and forth went on until 6:50 when they both ran out of the house.

Gia dozed off and I put my head down for a half hour (being that I was up since 3:45) when I heard my phone go off that someone texted me (thank goodness otherwise the twins would have been late). It was Nico: Can you text me page 463 problems 20-25 in my algebra book? Sorry. I ran out and forgot it.

3 hours. At least 3 hours.

Last night I had my most embarrassing moment happen. My mom and dad helped us out with Belle’s volleyball game and watching Gia so Leo and I could go to Nico’s basketball awards night. A great big thanks to them for that! My mom told me that I could go to the grocery store after to get some things I needed and popsicles for Gia. I went to Dominick’s, filled up my cart in case Gia was sick the rest of the week, got to the check-out put all the items on the conveyor belt and grabbed for my wallet. My wallet which was not there. I looked at the cashier and said, “I’m so sorry. I don’t have my wallet. What do you want me to do?” She asked if I was going to come back but with a sick kid, I knew I wouldn’t be able to. She replied rather aggravated, “Then just leave it.” With only one line, of course it was a long one and I had a ton of stuff on there so I heard the moans and groans. I fled quickly knowing I would not be able to show my face there again.

Oh, and today is Tuesday, the day when Gia goes to school giving me 4.5 hours to get stuff done. There goes 4.5 hours of getting stuff done (which is why I haven’t been able to visit my favorite blogs).

I still have to go grocery shopping.

Friday is Leo’s poker night.

Fell asleep while I was doing my hair.

Fell asleep while I was doing my hair.

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And how is your week going?

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Filed Under: Leo, Nico, Rants 15 Comments

A Valentine’s Quiz

February 14, 2013 By

While reading one of my favorite blogs The Dose of Reality, they had a post with questions to ask your significant other on this most romantic of holidays that I thought would be perfect for me to do here. You all know how much (or if you didn’t, you do now) I love the questions game and since Leo’s ideas of Valentine’s Day gifts and celebrations are much different from mine, this one was a safe one for him.

I asked him the questions and he had to answer them how I would answer. (No idea why the spacing is so close after I publish it. In draft, there is a lot of space between them.)

Where was your first date? Lake Geneva Yep, we went up for the day and as far as first dates go, it was romantic and fun and Leo and I had a blast.

Favorite Take-out and your mate’s order? Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Cheese and a salad with no onions This is exactly right.

Best thing your partner cooks? Pepper Steak and Chicken Tacos I’m glad he thinks this because we are having Pepper Steak tonight. I’m actually really lucky in this area because he eats whatever I cook.

What was the first trip you took together? Boston (first time we flew) Lake Geneva (first trip) He actually got this one right for the one we flew but he said Lake Geneva, our first date which wasn’t really a trip. It was just the day. The first trip was skiing in Wisconsin Dells for our first New Year’s. We went with a ton of friends and though I didn’t ski that time, it was so much fun.

What is your dream vacation? Somewhere tropical where she can sit at a pool with a frozen drink. Maybe Jamaica. I guess this has finally sunk in but for a funny story about what he thought mine was, click here. His would be Alaska where he could fish or anywhere he could fish or Vegas where he could gamble the whole time. 

Who is better at handling money? I am (Leo). He handles the money so by default, he is right and since it is Valentine’s Day, I am going to leave it at that.

What detail at the wedding did not go as planned? There was a mess up with the tables and twenty people were marked to sit at the same table. Adam (one of our friends) lost his wallet (but drove back and found it on the street). He’s right about the table and I forgot about the wallet but what stands out in my mind is that right before our outdoor pictures, he got a mosquito bite…right on his forehead.

What song reminds you of your spouse? Patience by Guns and Roses It is what it is but this bugs me. It’s because I don’t have any so ha ha, I get it.  The song that reminds me of him would be Love Bites by Def Leppard and no, I am not being spiteful. That is the song that was on when we had our first kiss.

What was the first thing you noticed about your spouse? Her smile. It was contagious. I love this. It makes me all warm and fuzzy and makes me forget his answer to the last question. Well played, Leo. Well played. The first thing I noticed was how tall he was and then when he turned around, his blue eyes (which are actually gray).

What one item of clothing would you like your mate to eliminate from their wardrobe? She has some nasty sweatshirts that are old. Personally, I think he had to stretch there and also, most of the sweatshirts that I wear are his. For me, it would be any of the t-shirts he still has from 1988 or his shirt with the USA flag on it. Not that I don’t appreciate our flag but it is obnoxiously large across his chest and the shirt, I think is bright blue. That and he has this one hat he wears to poker that is so ugly. It makes him look like an extra on the set of The Sopranos.

What is the best way you have been influenced/changed by being together?  She taught me how to love. Okay, let me pick up my jaw and wipe away the tear from that answer. I had no idea that was coming. Forget grand gestures or candy or even dinner. That answer speaks volumes and makes me feel even more warm and fuzzy than the smile one. He has made me a stronger woman than I ever thought possible. He has encouraged me to follow my dreams and he loves me more than I deserve sometimes.

So there you have it. I have to say I am impressed by his answers and think we should take this on the road to the Newlywed Game (except we aren’t newlyweds anymore) and make some money on how well we know each other. This will mark our 23rd Valentine’s Day together and thanks to Ashley and Lisa from The Dose of Reality, it’s my favorite because it’s always nice to revisit the when, the why and the what of how you fell in love and got to where you are today. Thanks Ladies!

And to Leo, it’s been a wild ride and I’m so happy that I’ve had you next to me through it all. Love you!

And to all of you out there reading, Happy Valentine’s Day! I love, love, love that you come here and are interested in what I have to say. The reading, the commenting and the encouragement mean the world to me. :)

Some formal dance in 1990, I think. Pay no attention to the Jersey Shore hair going on. Apparently, I wanted to be 5'8 that night.

Pay no attention to the Jersey Shore hair. Apparently, I wanted to be 5’8 that night.

I know I just posted this but it's the most recent one.

I know I just posted this but it’s the most recent one.

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Filed Under: Leo, Love 22 Comments

Part 2: Exploring New York

January 17, 2013 By

This week’s writing prompt from Mama’s Losin’ It is to pick a word that someone else used for their New Year word and let it inspire you. It couldn’t be more perfect for this second part of my trip. I chose Explore from Farewell Stranger.

 

I am not a city girl. I watch shows like Sex and the City and Friends and not even a small part of me wants to live in the city. I spend every New Year’s at my sister and brother-in-law’s condo in downtown Chicago and still, there is no desire to walk around and explore the city. When I am there, I feel like a bumbling idiot that is one wrong turn away from ending up in a rough neighborhood. Maybe it is that I have lived here my whole life so it doesn’t have the same exciting feel to it. I think it has something to do with finding out that Nico had CF while we were down there. It’s forever tainted in my mind. I went to Texas a few times and if money were no object and I could take my friends and family with me, my dream would be to live in a big house with acres and acres of sprawling land (and afford someone to take care of it since we can’t even seem to get a patio built-in our dinky yard). I fell in love with Texas many, many years ago over the course of a few trips. I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love in just two days but I am completely in love with New York City!

We landed in New York with the weather at a wonderful 57 degrees. Not a windy, blustery 57. Just 57…which honestly felt like 70 here. We checked in at our hotel, The Omni Berkshire and the first thing I noticed was across the street, there were a few office buildings that looked like fashion design studios (me being the Project Runway fan that I am was instantly giddy to see some in real life). We didn’t want to waste one minute of exploring so we headed out to Central Park.

Taking pictures like this makes me realize how small I am.

 

I just know this was the site of one of the Law & Order SVU scenes. I just know it because I have seen all 200 episodes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was just in awe of how cool it would be to live near Central Park. On a warm day, I could sit on a bench or on top of a hill and write or read all day. It was inspiring all sorts of scenes for books that are swirling around in my head. We walked around until we came to the ice rink. It made me think of the movie Serendipity and we were this close to ice skating ourselves but I didn’t want to explore the ER in New York so we passed.

Central Park was the first thing I wanted to do. Going to FAO Schwartz was the second. When I was little, since my birthday was in June, my family would go to Kiddie Kingdom. The best part was that there was a castle that was a toy store and my parents would let me pick out my birthday present. I am a lover of toy stores. Let’s face it, I am a lover of most stores but book and toy are my favorites. I wanted to be able to say, I was where they filmed Big. It was hard but I walked out of there feeling satisfied that I had seen it and without spending one dime. That even impressed me.

Then next thing I really wanted to do was have a slice of New York style pizza. It had been a while since we had eaten and without the kids, we were planning on having a late dinner so with Leo’s trusty GPS, we headed to Ray’s Pizza. Now, pizza is my favorite meal. I could eat it all day everyday so I was really skeptical since Lou Malnati’s is my favorite here. I was expecting it to be different and it was and it was amazing! I think I loved it so much because it wasn’t my dinner. It was the perfect thing to eat at that time. It was sooo good.

After that, we headed over to Magnolia’s Bakery. It was the bakery featured in one of the Sex and the City episodes and has been in a few movies as well. Leo is not a sweet-eater (yeah, I don’t get that either) but was such a good sport to humor me while I ordered flourless chocolate cake (would have been sooo good if I had been able to heat it), a lemon bar (I am still dreaming of it right now it was that good) and a s’mores cupcake that was worth every bit of the walk to get there. I swear it tasted like a real s’more.

Total deliciousness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that, we headed back to the hotel. Leo had to do something for work and I wanted to change before heading back out for dinner. To be honest, I needed a break from eating. I said I was going to eat my way through New York and that was pretty much what I was doing. I took a very small nap and then we headed out again. We had several suggestions from friends, Ashley from The Dose of Reality and Kimberly from Reflections of Now as well as from our friend Jerry. We planned on hitting them all and then deciding but when we stepped outside, it was raining. I was bummed that there was not a drugstore anywhere on the way to Times Square from our hotel? I felt like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry tried to buy and umbrella from someone on the street.

I should interject here that we had to do some business with the FedEx/Kinkos across the street before we could go to dinner. Kimberly from above sent me a design for business cards (on a side note, if you have any design needs, click on that link, she is awesome!) but with all the craziness leading up to leaving, I didn’t get them done nor did I think I’d need them. Leo thought differently so we had a wonderful guy there help us and I left with 20. It’s just the best feeling to have someone believe in you.

After the business cards were picked up, we started walking. Now, I will tell you, I wanted very much to be a “wind in my hair” kind of woman. I wanted to say, “Screw it! I don’t care if my hair gets wet. Let’s be that romantic couple that runs through New York City in the rain laughing and giggling the whole time.” I  wanted to but you see, I only had my flat-iron with me. Straightening my hair would have eaten up a lot of time in NY so I opted to wash it that morning and only bring my flat-iron to fix it before the luncheon the next day. Getting caught in the rain would not make for a good look for me the next day. However, I was a good sport until Leo wanted to get a picture of us in Times Square and there was a huge crowd waiting and doing it so he took one of me freezing. It came out dark and it’s on his phone so that is why it isn’t here. Me looking like a drowned rat has nothing to do with it.

We went to one restaurant, Joe Allen and we were warned and sure enough, we needed a reservation. We were heading to Carmine’s when it started raining really hard. There was an Italian restaurant called Sofia’s and that is where we ended up eating. Again, we were not disappointed. I think Leo licked his bowl clean.

Just give me shrimp and artichokes and I am happy!

Did I explore New York? Absolutely. Was it mostly the food? Why, yes, yes it was. Was it also the surroundings of where we were? Definitely! I fell completely in love with the city. It might have been where we were (Midtown Manhattan where Carrie Bradshaw did all of her shopping), why I was there (someone read my blog, liked it and invited me there…that is a high in and of itself) or who I was with (a husband that went above and beyond humoring me making sure I loved every minute of our exploring the city).

This is me being excited at being in New York.

It doesn’t matter. I can’t wait to go back! Hopefully next time, it will be to meet with a literary agent! A girl can dream…

What about you? What is your favorite city?

Linking up with Mama Kat:

 

Mama’s Losin’ It
 
And with Alison from Writing Wishing and Galit from These Little Waves:
 

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Filed Under: Having Fun, Leo, Memories Captured, Writing Prompt 31 Comments

New York Trip: Leo

January 16, 2013 By

I need to split up this two-day trip in three parts, Leo, NYC and the NFL Luncheon. There is just too much to try to cram into one post and doing it in two would feel equally disjointed.

This first post is going to be a little cornbally (I don’t know if that is a word but I like it and it fits) so if it isn’t your thing, I get it. You can tune in for tomorrow’s.

I love to travel. I didn’t know how much until I couldn’t do it anymore. I had lots of time but no money when I first started (first time I was ever on a plane was when I went to Boston in 1992 and I cried when Leo and I didn’t have seats together. I was 22 and a flying virgin). Then when I had money, I was working and time was limited. Then we had kids right away and well…you know how that goes. The money is sucked right out of you and time? Ha!

Leo and I used to get away once a year and my sister (or cousin) would watch the kids. I didn’t realize how much we needed that time until we didn’t have it anymore (everyone has their own lives now and with four kids, it’s just too hard). When this opportunity came up to go to New York, I was absolutely giddy. The last time I remember being that excited was when I found out I was pregnant with Gia. The day she was born is probably up there as well except it is shadowed by them having to rip my stomach open to get her.

It’s been 23 years and Leo is still my best friend. This trip brought that to light again. There was no bickering. There were no “digs”. No nagging. We hung out (with no time constraints), we talked, we took a thousand pictures and we laughed at things other than our kids or our own mishaps. I told him four things I wanted to do while there the short time and God bless him, he made sure we did them all. Which brings me to the whole reason for this post. We needed this. Maybe all couples don’t need this but we are a couple that does.

We get wrapped up in all that having four kids entails and we forget about us. We forget that we still like to do the same things. We forget that we enjoy being with each other. It was so nice to shut out the rest of the world for two days and just be.

I know not everyone is like this and it might not even be a favorable admission but I need time away. That anxiety that I constantly feel or the ball of stress in my stomach, I think I’d feel it a lot less if I could get away every now and then. I wrote a ton. I felt at peace. I was relaxed. It has NOTHING to do with how much I love my kids. I love them enough to know that I am healthier for them when I can take some time for myself. Some would say that sounds selfish and maybe it is but maybe it is just knowing myself pretty well. Knowing my make-up and that if I don’t get time away to regroup, I feel a little crazy and a mom who feels like she is going crazy isn’t good for anyone.

The greeting I got when I got home from the kids, I can’t get that if I am always here. Sometimes it takes doing without to realize how good we have it. I missed my kids while I was gone. Absolutely but how can we ever appreciate what we have without knowing what it would be like not to have it? On both sides.

Even knowing I am like that doesn’t mean that I will always get to do it. At least not to this extent. It’s a lot for someone else to take on. So for now, I’ll stick with weekly Barnes and Noble trips for myself and dinner or a movie once in a while for Leo and me and hope that from time to time, we’ll get to get away to rediscover and reinvent our love story (I told you…cornbally but I can’t help it…it fits).

I want to thank my family for helping me. Without you guys, I wouldn’t have been able to go. I want to especially thank my dad for staying with the kids. It went off without a hitch. I know my mom would have stayed here except that she couldn’t get off work so thanks for lending dad to me for two days. Thanks to Jen and Kim for getting Nico back and forth to school and practice.

A huge thanks to Leo for going with me. You knew this was important to me and you made the two days seem like a week. Thanks for hitting all the things I wanted to in the short time we were there. I had a blast with you and look forward to many more travels at some point in our lives. :) Love you.

Thank God for the GPS. It got us to all the places we wanted to go.

Apparently, taking a picture of ourselves will always result in me looking like a floating head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pouring my heart out with Shell today:

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Filed Under: Leo, Love, Pour Your Heart Out 14 Comments

Some Tidbits: Massages, Leaves and a Video

November 2, 2012 By

It’s been pretty crazy around here. A few things going on over here have gotten lost in the shuffle so I figured today would be a good day to catch up.

I bought my first Groupon. I was so excited. It was $80 for three 1 hour-long massages.  Getting a massage is a treat for me. I usually get one a year so the thought of getting three made me giddy. I have a friend from high school that is a massage therapist and at our reunion he announced, “Massage is a necessity, not a luxury” and I always remembered that because it is so true. Anyway, I looked forward to the massage. I bought it in September and couldn’t get an appointment until the end of October. I kept thinking, this is going to be good if they are that booked up. I went last Tuesday and let me tell you…worst massage I have ever gotten. It was a lovely, small Russian woman who I am pretty sure might have killed people in Russia using her bare hands to dismember her victims. I told her in the beginning that I like a lighter touch. If that was her lighter touch, I shudder to think what the regular one was. I told her again that it was too hard and she adjusted for a minute and then went right back to tearing my limbs apart. I kept screaming in my head, THIS IS NOT RELAXING! Then I heard myself say out loud, “I just can’t seem to relax” and she took that to mean do it harder. The form asked if I had any aversions to touch (tickling) and I answered no. I didn’t know that I should have put I have an aversion to pain. Worst 55 minutes spent on a day that Gia was in school.

We have a very happy twin (Belle) and a very sad one (Tommy). We woke up at 4:15 am on Saturday to get Belle ready and to the Sears Centre by 6:15am for her cheerleading competition. Then I had to watch 64 cheer routines until we found out she got first place and a bid to State. So happy for her! Tommy went undefeated in the regular season but lost his game on Sunday meaning his hopes for a rematch with Bartlett in the Superbowl were dashed. It was a heart-breaking way to end such a great season. He was crushed but didn’t have much time to dwell on it because his basketball season started right after he lost the football game.

I got an email last week that the men in our neighborhood were interested in starting a bible study and that some of these men wanted to do service-type projects for the elderly, the sick, single moms or anyone that needs encouragement. They mentioned raking leaves as one of the things they wanted to do. When I read the email, I thought about how nice that was that the men were doing that. Imagine my surprise and horror when I get another email to me and the neighbor that sent out the original email about the men’s group that is from my dear husband saying, “I’ve been trying to get my kids to rake for 3 weeks and it still isn’t done. Send them on over.” I. WAS. MORTIFIED. I quickly responded with, “Nevermind. Leo and the kids are fully capable of raking our leaves. Let the men help those that really need it.” Then I sorta, kinda yelled at Leo asking him what he was thinking and he gave me some story about only seeing the title of the email and reading the last line or something as to how he misunderstood.  And yes, on Sunday, the men showed up and did my lawn. I was/am so embarrassed. Of course no one was home here to even go out and help them because no one is ever home. On the bright side, through my embarrassment, my yard looks the best it’s looked in a while. Thanks again, Men!

This little video makes me smile. You get a little of me actually saying no and sticking to it, a little of Gia’s funny expressions on her face and a lot of dancing. It’s a little long but cracks me up so I am sharing it (no one wants to be a Debbie Downer all the time).

YouTube Preview Image

 

What about you? What is going on in your world?

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Filed Under: Family, Gia, Isabella, Leo, Random Thoughts, Tommy 6 Comments

5 Things That Make a Great Dad

October 26, 2012 By

As a “Mommy Blogger” (and I wear that name proudly), I write about being a mom. Leo is a good sport about me blogging about him from time to time even if it isn’t in the best of lights. Today is not one of those days. Today is a day to discuss the two best dads I know: Leo and my dad. They show me all the time what great dads they are. I could have chosen a dozen things that make a great dad but it would have been too long (still working on shortening up my posts). I could have written about the obvious: time and encouragement. While those are certainly a necessity of being a great dad, I went a different, less obvious way.

When I came across Eli’s blog, Coach Daddy, I was an instant fan. He is one of the funniest bloggers out there and it is refreshing to read from the dad’s point of view. I’m over at his place talking about what I think makes a great dad. Come on over and see. While you are there, leave a comment or two and take a peek around his blog. You will become an instant fan as well, I swear.

Just click here. See you there!

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And the List Goes On

October 13, 2012 By

It’s about that time again. Time to break out the list of broken things in this house. Last time I did this, I got a new microwave. Here’s hoping.

1. The pipes. We have three bathrooms. One of the toilets makes a sick, dying cow sound every time someone flushes it and doesn’t really flush all the way. When I brush my teeth and turn the water on in my bathroom, it makes a shaking sound. The shower is starting to make funny sounds as well. It’s bothersome and a tad terrifying that at any given point, there will be some sort of pipe/water situation.

2. The kitchen ceiling. There is a bit of a crack and it scares me that at some point, the tub might fall through.

3. The backyard. Uggghhh…a landscaper that shows up sporadically and a lump of dirt where there should be a patio makes for an ugly backyard.

4. A fire alarm that continues to beep even when you put new batteries in it.

5. A broken water dispenser. I don’t know what happened but suddenly my favorite part of my fridge is broken.

6. Wire shelf. There is one of the wire shelves in the mudroom that has broken not all the way off but slanted down. If it was all the way off, it would look better but Leo insists he is going to find the pieces to put it back together.

7. Does my car count? The seat won’t move back and forth and the driver side window goes down but I have to say several prayers for it to go back up.

8. Towel Bar. Remember the story about the towel bar? Still not fixed. Don’t remember? Click here.

9. Something is going on with the heater in this house. I go to bed thinking it is working and wake up freezing. The temp says 62 and the heat is set for 69 and it doesn’t kick on.

10. My beloved rocking chair. Leo bought it for me when I was pregnant with Nico and it is now broken. It no longer rocks. It might be an easy fix but in this house, that doesn’t exist.

So that is it. It’s mildly annoying but could be worse. I’ve been told that the more I complain about this house, the more no one will want to buy it. Do I want to sell it? Absolutely! It has nothing to do with my neighborhood. I live in a great neighborhood but I get the 7 year itch when it comes to houses and this year it was 8 years since we moved here. As much as I would love to move by my sisters, I won’t uproot my kids and change schools. I’d be happy moving in the same district. Do I see that happening ever? No, I do not. There are certain changes that I do not like. This isn’t one of them. I am married to someone who handles all changes well, except when it comes to moving or buying cars. The two changes I enjoy a lot.

At the very least, I am hoping this gets the pipes or heater get fixed. And maybe the ceiling.

What about you? What needs fixing at your house? If you could move, would you want to?

 

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Filed Under: Family, Leo, Rants 7 Comments

Weekend Wrap Up: What I Learned

September 10, 2012 By

I survived the weekend. I’m not sure how but I did. I have not been on this computer since Friday morning. That is huge over here. I have missed it greatly and found myself saying, “This would be great for the blog.” If there is an award for “most annoying” on Instagram, I think I won it this weekend. I have a very good reason, though. See, I am jealous of all of you that I follow that make delicious cookies or baked goods or those of you out there that go out to fabulous dinners or have gorgeous cocktails and take pictures of them on Instagram. I never really get to do that because lets face it…no one wants to see a bowl of Lucky Charms marshmallows or the 100th meal I’ve eaten at Jake’s Pizza. It was a good weekend that was non-stop activity and I realized that I learned a lot.

Things I learned on Friday:

Gia is a bear when left with too many babysitters and it’s really hard to have a good time when your child is screaming, “Don’t leave!” while hanging onto your neck.

Trying to get your granddaughter comfortable by reminding her of how you showed her your bidet doesn’t work. She will look at you like you are crazy and she might be right. (So many things wrong with that statement and before everyone gets in a tizzy, I asked Leo if I could put that in here.)

I am able to be social even when I am uncomfortable.

Tours of Chicago pizza places might be the most awesome thing ever.

Slice from Coalfire.I’m more of a deep dish pizza girl but this brick oven one was delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended the tour with this chocolate chip cookie sundae. When I die, I want Heaven to be filled with these.

 

 

 

 

 

I can get ready in a car in a parking garage. That is, I can change my clothes, fix my hair and put on make-up in a car that is parked in a parking garage. I was almost able to curl my hair but the plug wouldn’t work. I don’t even think we did that in college so Rochelle and I were pretty impressed with ourselves.

I don’t like wearing lipstick. Rochelle talked me into putting some on and I don’t think it is ever coming off. Ladies, if want a lipstick that stays on forever, Maybelline Super Stay 2 Step Lip Cover is for you. It is not for me. Roche said it looked good but I felt like a clown.

I still don’t like boats. I would have had a much better time is we stayed on land.

I still have the best time with Rochelle no matter what we do.

A rare picture of Rochelle and me with the city as our backdrop.

Things I learned on Saturday:

I love watching my boys play football. It is rattles my nerves and I’m on the edge of my seat but I love watching them do what they love.

I need more “going out” clothes. Finding three outfits for two days that I was going to be around other people dressed in something other than yoga pants and a t-shirt was a struggle.

Going out with my sister, Gina and my brother-in-law, Deo and our mutual friends, Chris and Doug should happen much more often.

I love fish tacos. Who knew? I also love cheesy rice.

Once you drink a really strong margarita, it doesn’t matter. The rest don’t taste strong anymore.

Really strong Margarita. I’m pretty sure this was a glass of Tequila with a splash of strawberry.

I would really like to live in a house I love.

The talk of sleepovers is a buzz kill every single time. I’m hoping that Nico learned that when I say no, I mean no and that I’m not giving in but odds are the next time I go out, it will be the same thing. ANNOYING!

I still have the best time with Gina no matter what we do (and really mad we didn’t take any pictures).

Things I learned on Sunday:

Gia only likes football games if she is eating Skittles and that introducing her to the person that is going to be her teacher for the Mom’s Day Out class I signed her up for when she is tired and crabby from being at a football game is not a good idea. She took a Skittle out of her mouth and threw it at her teacher. I don’t think she meant to hit her with it because that was how she was eating them. She’d chew on one, realize it wasn’t cherry and spit it out (why do you think I sit so far from everyone?). It was a proud “mommy moment” really.

Tommy’s fast and like a different kid on a football field.

I have wonderfully, generous former students/parents. Tammy (the mom) and Jake (the son/student) gave us their old weight bench. It was exactly what we were looking for and Nico was both relieved and thrilled that he now has one. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whenever I talk to former students or their parents, it makes me really miss being a teacher. I wonder if I’ll ever go back. It isn’t like it used to be but I still miss it.

What I learned overall:

The biggest thing I learned is that I can’t go out both nights of the weekend. I’m still a little bit of a mess.

I like my weekends with less activities planned.

I am still a “veg out”, write or read kind of person. I like lazy days.

Time with just Leo and me is time well spent. I feel extremely lucky that the spark that was there 23 years ago is still there today. A wink from across the room or a protective arm around the shoulders and kiss snuck in once in a while brings back all the feelings of when we first fell in love.

Usually it is Leo sticking his tongue out in pictures. I like that it wasn’t this time. This was before the boat. Should have stayed at the hotel bar.

Being so busy kept me distracted from my follow-up appointment this week. If you could spare a prayer that all is still well, that would be much appreciated.

I’m glad we got some time alone but I am really glad that the overpacked weekend is over. It was a good time but I am EXHAUSTED.

 

What about you? Did you learn anything this weekend? I’d love to hear how your weekend was.

 

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Filed Under: Family Fun, Leo, Love, Uncategorized 16 Comments
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