I'm turning 40 on Saturday. HWK and The Teenager keep hinting around, asking what I want to do, what I want for presents. The truth? I don't feel "40". And all I really want is exactly what I already have -- a lovely family and fun hanging out with my favorite two boys. I'm incredibly lucky.
Now don't get me wrong...I certainly took the round-about way to my bliss. And there are moments I want to murderalize HWK and The Teenager. But we always seem to end any disagreements laughing, and no matter how busy we are, we always find time for one another. And that's saying something, since The Teenager is 14!
I love my family, my life, and even the crazy days when it seems like my "to do" list will never end.
Forty-shmorty...these are the best days of my life!
29 September 2010
23 September 2010
back to school...or...how I am flunking high school the second time around
The Teenager is a freshman in high school this year, in the Honors Program. He's had an extraordinary amount of homework these first couple of weeks. HWK and I assumed the teachers were getting the kids back into the swing of school and homework. Well, last night we went to "Meet the Teachers Night".
First, we had to go to each of The Teenager's classes, in order. The high school has two stories, and - I am not kidding - the classes alternate from the first to the second floor every other class. The high school is shaped in an "H", with stairways set with no apparent rhyme or reason (and HWK's an architectural designer, so he knows a thing or two about such things). Luckily, they gave us a map...oh, wait...that was my wishful thinking. Luckily, the wings had signs listing room numbers...oh, wait...they didn't. It was fun! Dash up this flight of stairs, whip a look down the hall to spot a room number or two, then move on to the next...dodge the parent yakking on their cell phone/blue tooth who WILL stop mid-stride, gesturing wildly to make their point to the person they are yelling at. I actually smiled at two people who were on blue tooth (how was I supposed to know - they were looking right at me). They didn't smile back. One actually looked at me like I need medication. *sigh*
After navigating the wings and stairwells, we had 9 minutes per each "mini class", where we had to sign in, listen to the teacher's presentation, take notes, and hopefully be able to formulate any questions into something that resembled intelligence. Then the bell would ring. I kid you not. They rang the bell. And anyone who dared be late to the next class got The Look.
We heard a lot about state testing, and Regents testing in NY is BIG! The Teenager has DAILY homework in the bulk of his classes. And when I say daily, I mean they have calendars with homework for every day, including the weekends. Every night. Every weekend. Every break. He is expected to navigate, review, retain and spit out information found on a myriad of websites, in audio files, textbooks, workbooks and worksheets.
Now I am all for pushing kids. We love the fact that we were able to get him into such a progressive, aggressive school system. We know their structure will help ready him for what has become a competitive arena of college. But come on! Shouldn't there be a little more work/life balance at 14?!?!?!?
HWK and I were exhausted after running around the high school for 2 hours last night. Both HWK & I did well in high school "back in the day". Both of us were in College-bound classes. Since HWK is bringing home the bacon, the house and homework supervision IS my job. I fear, lovely reader, that I may flunk high school the second time around. There's a lot. I mean A LOT to learn. And multi-media is wonderful, but can we get some moderation? Read the material, listen to the audio file, go online to review the website, "play" the related "games", come up with a "uniquely you" way to regurgitate the material (small film, essay, poster, etc.), then turn around and do it again tomorrow...now do that for your other 6 classes, as well. Good gravy! No wonder kids are stressed!
This morning, as I toasted a whole wheat waffle and poured his milk, I wracked my no-coffee-yet brain, trying to think of positive, motivating things to say to The Teenager. And when he left, following HWK around the corner to the car, I barely suppressed the urge to yank him back...to spend one more day at the pool, or riding his bike, or playing a video game. In essence, to let him just enjoy being a kid for one more day.
First, we had to go to each of The Teenager's classes, in order. The high school has two stories, and - I am not kidding - the classes alternate from the first to the second floor every other class. The high school is shaped in an "H", with stairways set with no apparent rhyme or reason (and HWK's an architectural designer, so he knows a thing or two about such things). Luckily, they gave us a map...oh, wait...that was my wishful thinking. Luckily, the wings had signs listing room numbers...oh, wait...they didn't. It was fun! Dash up this flight of stairs, whip a look down the hall to spot a room number or two, then move on to the next...dodge the parent yakking on their cell phone/blue tooth who WILL stop mid-stride, gesturing wildly to make their point to the person they are yelling at. I actually smiled at two people who were on blue tooth (how was I supposed to know - they were looking right at me). They didn't smile back. One actually looked at me like I need medication. *sigh*
After navigating the wings and stairwells, we had 9 minutes per each "mini class", where we had to sign in, listen to the teacher's presentation, take notes, and hopefully be able to formulate any questions into something that resembled intelligence. Then the bell would ring. I kid you not. They rang the bell. And anyone who dared be late to the next class got The Look.
We heard a lot about state testing, and Regents testing in NY is BIG! The Teenager has DAILY homework in the bulk of his classes. And when I say daily, I mean they have calendars with homework for every day, including the weekends. Every night. Every weekend. Every break. He is expected to navigate, review, retain and spit out information found on a myriad of websites, in audio files, textbooks, workbooks and worksheets.
Now I am all for pushing kids. We love the fact that we were able to get him into such a progressive, aggressive school system. We know their structure will help ready him for what has become a competitive arena of college. But come on! Shouldn't there be a little more work/life balance at 14?!?!?!?
HWK and I were exhausted after running around the high school for 2 hours last night. Both HWK & I did well in high school "back in the day". Both of us were in College-bound classes. Since HWK is bringing home the bacon, the house and homework supervision IS my job. I fear, lovely reader, that I may flunk high school the second time around. There's a lot. I mean A LOT to learn. And multi-media is wonderful, but can we get some moderation? Read the material, listen to the audio file, go online to review the website, "play" the related "games", come up with a "uniquely you" way to regurgitate the material (small film, essay, poster, etc.), then turn around and do it again tomorrow...now do that for your other 6 classes, as well. Good gravy! No wonder kids are stressed!
This morning, as I toasted a whole wheat waffle and poured his milk, I wracked my no-coffee-yet brain, trying to think of positive, motivating things to say to The Teenager. And when he left, following HWK around the corner to the car, I barely suppressed the urge to yank him back...to spend one more day at the pool, or riding his bike, or playing a video game. In essence, to let him just enjoy being a kid for one more day.
20 September 2010
Holy Freaky Week, Batman!
Hi there! Long time no blog!
Remember my love on online shopping? Two different vendors "lost" my paid-for-but not-received orders (don't think that will discourage me...still love me some couch based acquisitions!)
I had hoped to launch our Etsy.com shop this past week, but alas, it was not to be. It was a crazy week!
Remember the smoking dishwasher? Finally replaced.
Remember The Teenager? Settled into his first year of high school (nag-whine-nag-whine).
Remember my love on online shopping? Two different vendors "lost" my paid-for-but not-received orders (don't think that will discourage me...still love me some couch based acquisitions!)
OH, and ever had a root canal? Sheer joy!
Ever had a tooth fracture halfway through, making oral surgery the highlight of your week? Ecstasy!
Every been given lovely it-doesn't-hurt-no-more-wait-what-when-did-we-get-a-unicorn pain meds for aforementioned oral surgery, even though you told the surgeon you don't take such things because they make you a wingnut? Weeeeeee.........
Yeah....anyway.....
It wasn't all difficult. The Teenager is, after all, back in the school groove! Autumn is breezing its way down the Hudson, cooling our nights and surrounding us with the vivid colors of the season.
AND...tada...HWK bought me an early birthday present...
Yayyy! HWK rocks!!! It's (He/She?) cherry red! Love it!! It's happy and cheery and fun!!!
I also had a "wow...lemme think about this" moment at the local grocery store (animal lovers you are warned):
WTH?!?!?
I was vegetarian for a brief time in college. It's double takes like this that make me wonder if I could persuade HWK, raised on and around cattle farms, to give up meat. Seeing the above, coupled with the movie I watched last night about Paul Watkins, Sea Shepherd founder and animal activist, makes me think I need to take a hard look at how I, and my family, can work to have a more positive impact on the world around us.
Finally, after finishing up some left over shtuff, I will be back in my groove by midweek. I've got crafts to make, darn it!! I hope your week was more productive than mine, and that this week is filled with joy for us all!
13 September 2010
A perfect Autumn Weekend...
I had a prefect Autumn weekend -- here are some photos showing why!
The Teenager had The Friend over Saturday, and they stayed up quite late playing guitars. The Teenager has been playing since he was little. Here he is all young and adorable:
Don't tell him I posted this; it will ratchet up his teen-angst to an unbearable (for me) level! Between HWK and The Teenager, the guitars now have a room all to themselves. Here are some of their babies:
The white one on the right I like to call The Teenager's Savings Account, since he wiped his out buying it.
Anywho, on Sunday morning we awoke to this eye-opener:
I mean really, between the eyes and the legs being all akimbo, she's a poster kitty for birth control!
After lots of coffee and scones (yay!), HWK and I packed up The Teenager & The Friend and headed upstate to the NY Renaissance Faire. Ohhhh, Renaissance Faires! My Fall hobby! Jousts, men in tights, dark chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick (!), handmade jewelry and beautifully made girly finery...this is my idea of heaven!
We started at the joust:
Then we just wandered, stopping to listen to Cast in Bronze, a very cool traveling musician who plays a set of very small to very large bells using what looks like a converted organ:
The Teenager had The Friend over Saturday, and they stayed up quite late playing guitars. The Teenager has been playing since he was little. Here he is all young and adorable:
Anywho, on Sunday morning we awoke to this eye-opener:
After lots of coffee and scones (yay!), HWK and I packed up The Teenager & The Friend and headed upstate to the NY Renaissance Faire. Ohhhh, Renaissance Faires! My Fall hobby! Jousts, men in tights, dark chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick (!), handmade jewelry and beautifully made girly finery...this is my idea of heaven!
We started at the joust:
Then we just wandered, stopping to listen to Cast in Bronze, a very cool traveling musician who plays a set of very small to very large bells using what looks like a converted organ:
We watched a glassblower create works of art:
We watched as a metalsmith cast jewelry for me in sand:
The Teenager and The Friend were amazed at the transformation from 800F liquid metal to pins and pendants.
And I finally found a way to keep up with them at the Faire:
That's The Teenager on the right, the Cheeky Marmoset. Please note the air of resignation. He, unlike the The Treasonous Cretin Friend, is aware I may leave them here..... :)
We had a great day wandering around in the crisp Fall air watching performers and revelers alike, munching on Carny food, we didn't have to worry about The Teenager and The Friend wandering around by themselves, I now have lovely handmade jewelry, and we were all pleasantly tired on the way home. See? Perfect Autumn Weekend!!
Now I'm going take a minute or 30 to enjoy the last scone with my coffee before tackling this week's stuff-to-do list. I hope your Monday is a good start to a new week!
11 September 2010
Fabulous Fingerless Gloves - my new lovelies
I adore accessories. Beads and baubles. I rarely indulge, however. For my upcoming 40th birthday I have given myself permission to invest in some new, fabulous goodies just for me. Now, I will be a Dime Store Diva - Frugality is practically my middle name.
Hey, I said frugality, not cheap!
Luckily, with friends like Dawn from Baahurrah Farm (http://baahurrah.blogspot.com/), I am finding quality, one-of-a-kind lovelies that won't make HWK groan in fiscal pain. Today I got my much anticipated package from Baahurrah Farm, including 4 amazingly gorgeous and heavenly scented soaps and my new, handknit fingerless gloves. La! La-la-la! You should probably just go now to her Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/baahurrahfarm.
Buy everything. Really. You'll thank me later.
OK, back to me: check out my new lovelies, and try not to drool into your keyboard...I will not be held responsible for ruining anyone's laptop but my own (darn waste of chocolate that was!):
Admit it, you're jealous. Heck, I'm jealous of me right now!!
Hey, I said frugality, not cheap!
Luckily, with friends like Dawn from Baahurrah Farm (http://baahurrah.blogspot.com/), I am finding quality, one-of-a-kind lovelies that won't make HWK groan in fiscal pain. Today I got my much anticipated package from Baahurrah Farm, including 4 amazingly gorgeous and heavenly scented soaps and my new, handknit fingerless gloves. La! La-la-la! You should probably just go now to her Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/baahurrahfarm.
Buy everything. Really. You'll thank me later.
OK, back to me: check out my new lovelies, and try not to drool into your keyboard...I will not be held responsible for ruining anyone's laptop but my own (darn waste of chocolate that was!):
Admit it, you're jealous. Heck, I'm jealous of me right now!!
Fashion Night Out - Jersey Style
HWK, The Teenager and I attended a Fashion Night Out NYC event this evening, completely by mistake.
We traveled south to Paramus, NJ to the ridiculously large Garden State Plaza Mall, about 15 minutes from the George Washington Bridge that links us to Manhattan. When we arrived we noticed it seemed busy outside, and the Valet Parking was larger than usual (yes, Valet Parking at the mall...let's save that for another time, people). HWK & The Teenager went to see the-movie-I-was-not-seeing-because-really-why-would-I (it rhymes with "President Weevil") at the Mall's AMC. I set off in search of a good book and a cushy chair at Borders (you know, the other library - Barnes is my usual haunt).
I got sidetracked...big time. There were soooo many people! And DJs spinning in several stores ("spinning" - I'm so hip). This is the mall that often does movie screenings, and where I inadvertently saw the cast of "Vampire Diaries" last Fall, so I thought I should take a peek around.
After several haughty looks from emaciated Amazon women wearing some really unique textile combinations, I asked a saleswoman if there was an event happening this evening. I cannot adequately describe the look of abhorrent horror she gave me. She spat out, "It's Fashion Night Out!", spun on her impossibly high heel, and left me in a dissipating cloud of expensive smelling (ie., cloying) scent.
I completely lost it. Laughed and laughed. I can only assume, after all, that she did not approve of my ignorance, or, perhaps, of my very cool "no make-up, purple polyblend comfy shirt, jeans and flip-flops" look. I tell you, I was almost hysterical. I couldn't help it. I got dissed by a Jersey Girl because of Fashion Night Out! Oh, if I only had a scrunchy and some Aquanet....
We traveled south to Paramus, NJ to the ridiculously large Garden State Plaza Mall, about 15 minutes from the George Washington Bridge that links us to Manhattan. When we arrived we noticed it seemed busy outside, and the Valet Parking was larger than usual (yes, Valet Parking at the mall...let's save that for another time, people). HWK & The Teenager went to see the-movie-I-was-not-seeing-because-really-why-would-I (it rhymes with "President Weevil") at the Mall's AMC. I set off in search of a good book and a cushy chair at Borders (you know, the other library - Barnes is my usual haunt).
I got sidetracked...big time. There were soooo many people! And DJs spinning in several stores ("spinning" - I'm so hip). This is the mall that often does movie screenings, and where I inadvertently saw the cast of "Vampire Diaries" last Fall, so I thought I should take a peek around.
After several haughty looks from emaciated Amazon women wearing some really unique textile combinations, I asked a saleswoman if there was an event happening this evening. I cannot adequately describe the look of abhorrent horror she gave me. She spat out, "It's Fashion Night Out!", spun on her impossibly high heel, and left me in a dissipating cloud of expensive smelling (ie., cloying) scent.
I completely lost it. Laughed and laughed. I can only assume, after all, that she did not approve of my ignorance, or, perhaps, of my very cool "no make-up, purple polyblend comfy shirt, jeans and flip-flops" look. I tell you, I was almost hysterical. I couldn't help it. I got dissed by a Jersey Girl because of Fashion Night Out! Oh, if I only had a scrunchy and some Aquanet....
10 September 2010
Waiting for my online shopping lovelies to arrive and watching smoke roll from my dishwasher...
Waiting patiently is just not a skill set I have mastered. Being a frugal Diva, online comparison shopping is a both a necessity and a bit of an addiction. On one hand, I love checking on my purchases and seeing their journey from different parts of the country/world as they meander their way home to me. On the other, online shopping lacks the instant gratification factor.
I'm currently stalking the mail lady for: yummy soaps and fingerless gloves from Diva Dawn (I follow her blog http://www.baahurrah.blogspot.com/- check her out, cause she's fabulous!), bits and doodads for my soon-to-be-up-and-running Etsy.com shop, a bunch of wise-cracky t-shirts for HWK and The Teenager (ThinkGeek.com is my Geek Walmart!) and my new laptop!! Darn Dell, btw, as they have "delayed shipment"...I know my cherry red lappytop is languishing in some warehouse wishing it were here with me, sipping Chai and pretending we have nothing better to do than love one another!
Oh, and just for the record: hand washing dishes because my dishwasher smells like burning plastic and fills with smoke is just not how I had planned to spend my morning!! The Teenager was shocked and slightly grumpy to be asked to dry the aforementioned dishes, as he apparently believed the dishes were like the laundry - washed, sorted and returned by Faerie Folk! Ah, youth...
Luckily for all, it is hard to be sulky (me or The Teenager) when our windows are open and our home is filled with crisp Autumn breezes!
I hope you're all enjoying a lovely Friday!
I'm currently stalking the mail lady for: yummy soaps and fingerless gloves from Diva Dawn (I follow her blog http://www.baahurrah.blogspot.com/- check her out, cause she's fabulous!), bits and doodads for my soon-to-be-up-and-running Etsy.com shop, a bunch of wise-cracky t-shirts for HWK and The Teenager (ThinkGeek.com is my Geek Walmart!) and my new laptop!! Darn Dell, btw, as they have "delayed shipment"...I know my cherry red lappytop is languishing in some warehouse wishing it were here with me, sipping Chai and pretending we have nothing better to do than love one another!
Oh, and just for the record: hand washing dishes because my dishwasher smells like burning plastic and fills with smoke is just not how I had planned to spend my morning!! The Teenager was shocked and slightly grumpy to be asked to dry the aforementioned dishes, as he apparently believed the dishes were like the laundry - washed, sorted and returned by Faerie Folk! Ah, youth...
Luckily for all, it is hard to be sulky (me or The Teenager) when our windows are open and our home is filled with crisp Autumn breezes!
I hope you're all enjoying a lovely Friday!
Evil Meow Meow Kitty
I have a wonderful husband, He Who is King ("HWK") *snort* and 14 yr old sson ("The Teenager") who, despite being boys, are really quite civilized. More on them later. This post is about the only other female in our house. Toffee. Or, formally, Caramel Toffee Macchiato (she was named by The Teenager before he was one). Toffee is a wench. Wait, lemme tell you how I really feel. She's a mean, conniving, cruel wench. She wakes me every morning by climbing up to my chin and meowing/slapping me in the face with her paw until I get up and feed her. She ignores me the rest of the day (stopping regularly to greet and be patted by HWK and The Teenager). Bedtime? Bedtime is her time to climb up me to be patted. And if I sleep before she's ready for the patting to stop? A quick bat from one of her polydactyl paws usually wakes me. The sick thing is, I love her to bits. I cater to her, in fact. And she is completely male-oriented. She loves HWK and The Teenager. I'm merely slave labor.
Don't worry. I'm not going to go on and on about her in multiple posts. Just wanted to explain in advance in case I reported a feline death....and here's proof of the complete disdain she holds for me:
 |
| I told you she is a wench. |
The Beginning...
...so I'm wondering if starting a blog is pretentious, me being an exhibitionist, or just an online diary. I guess it really just depends on 1. my motivation and 2. if anyone ever bothers to read it. I'm just gonna plow on, and see what happens.
As for me, here's my blog's "love me, love me" online ad: I'm almost 40, wife and stepmom, daughter and friend. I take love and loyalty very seriously. Everything else is open to interpretation and lots of facetious eyebrow lifts.
As for why you should read? Eh...here and there I may amuse you. I will be honest, sometimes too honest. Maybe some of what I type will remind you of how you feel. Some may make you thank whatever-god-you-believe-in that you only stumbled across this on the 'Net, and not at your local PTA meeting! There probably won't be any rhyme or reason...just what I'm thinking about, laughing at, or cranky about.
More later....
As for me, here's my blog's "love me, love me" online ad: I'm almost 40, wife and stepmom, daughter and friend. I take love and loyalty very seriously. Everything else is open to interpretation and lots of facetious eyebrow lifts.
As for why you should read? Eh...here and there I may amuse you. I will be honest, sometimes too honest. Maybe some of what I type will remind you of how you feel. Some may make you thank whatever-god-you-believe-in that you only stumbled across this on the 'Net, and not at your local PTA meeting! There probably won't be any rhyme or reason...just what I'm thinking about, laughing at, or cranky about.
More later....
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