M+B=E2O2

bad timing

Our house is in utter chaos. At least my garage is nice.  The contractor started the work on the house today.  Three of our rooms have big, black plastic containment walls partitioning off the window area. Each room is missing about a third of its square footage.  The kids rooms are weirdly arranged, which they think is way cool, but it is awkward and well a huge sheet of plastic + young children just seems kinda wrong.    The destruction of the walls and window removal starts tomorrow.  Good times. 

We also scheduled the closet organizer people to come and do the closet in our bedroom and put a built in desk in the room adjacent to our master bedroom.  They are actually not supposed to come until next week which would be great except that we failed to realize that Ben is on call next weekend so he had to rip out the existing closets, spackle, primer and paint them- yesterday. I was up and down the stairs, moving furniture and rearranging all day yesterday.  I would have slept soundly except that my left shoulder was aching so badly I wanted to cry.  (I have an old rotator cuff injury from swimming)   We get to live out of baskets and things hung up randomly throughout the house until next week.  Last night we  slept on the aerobed on the living room floor. 

Yup, good times here.....

It's the End of the Month (as we know it...)

Well the clock is ticking down.  Just a few more days and November will be over.  Generally one might think I have song filled words of Christmas to sing to you and all that crap, but no, it means two other things in this instance. 

1. The 30 day challenge is over at www.orgjunkie.com
2. It is the end of NaBloPoMo

I know I clued you in on the garage clean up thing.  However I have hesitated to say anything about the NaBloPoMo thing.  I sort of decided on a whim that I'd give it a try.  I only officially signed up last week.  How's that for limiting the chance of failure.  Sad I know.  I don't know that I have ever written as much as I have this past month.  I know there were a couple of days of, well, fluff, but I tried, really tried to write a few meaty posts each week.   I have both enjoyed and hated this whole thing.

I like that I feel somewhat accountable for posting.  At the same time I resented that I felt that I had to.  Overall I do think it has been a great exercise for me.   I do love to write. I do love to share my weird musings.  I do love that there are like 3 people who regularly check in on me.  (Along with all those Pink Cast people- which  you know I will be sure to use the words Pink Cast in a post a least once a month so that I can have hits from all over the globe!)

I look forward to slowing don a bit  in the month of December.  I have much to do around this house and blogging everyday is just not likely to happen. 

As for the challenge.  Well, I knocked out quite a bit in the garage this last weekend.  It looks fantastic.  However it is not finished.  There are two areas left that are in dire need of help, and I am just not so sure that I will get to them before the weekend.  I am going to try though.  Either way, I will be posting pictures on Friday of my clean and organized (mostly) garage. 

I Accept the Challenge

I'm doing it.  I am cleaning and reorganizing my garage. I am entering the challenge at orgjunkies blog. I took the before pictures a few weeks ago, then thought I wouldn't get to do it because of the work we need done on the house.  As it turns out it is looking like  we should be able to get it in shape. 

I spent the better part of today working on it.  Ben came out and helped as well.  He was the muscle in the bigger stuff.  I took a huge load of stuff to the rescue mission- HUGE.  I have several large bins empty and ready to fill and put on a shelf.  I am also getting all our Christmas stuff out  and hope to get them up in the next few days.  The large Frosty the Snowman is already hanging out on the porch- one less item taking up space in the garage!  I plan on spending more time out there tomorrow.  It looks pretty bad tonight,but that is always how it seems to be when doing a major reorganization.  You take a trashed garage, trash it up some more, then eventually you have a sparking clean and organized space.

So now I will share the before.  It is pretty bad.  Maybe tomorrow I'll take a picture of the mid point.  Since I know there will now be an "after", I feel ok (sort of) about embarrassing myself with this crazy space!

Yay!

We found out today that our homeowners insurance will cover the damage done in our downstairs bedroom.  Yippeeeee! The deductible is far less than the worst case scenario given by the contractor.  Feels as though a huge weight has been lifted.

Now if the fog would clear out of my brain life would be peachy. 

My Poorly Socialized Kids

We went to a reunion of sorts last Saturday.  I grew up in this area and our family had a sailboat.  From the age of 7 until I was around 16 or so- I spent all my spare time on the water or involved in the yacht club in some way.  We are blessed to have some islands off our coast and every holiday was spent on the boat at the islands.

My parents had a large, core group of friends- most all from the same club.  Many raced their boats as well as cruised.  Those folks partied too!  The 80's were a fun time.  This group of friends has drifted in part over the years, some leaving sailing and boating entirely.  Several are member of the yacht club that we joined.  This was a large reason for choosing this particular club.

A few months ago when my parents were out and we were at the club, they told Big Lar that he should have a fall BBQ at his home.  He has a lovely little home in a nearby small town, and his landscaping is beautiful. (He is a landscaper by trade and his yard is all native CA low water plants).  The idea took and it was decided that it would be "the old crowd". 

We had to go to a family party in LA in the morning, then we headed over to Big Lar's.  My parents and sister came to town for the event.  We got there around 1:45 and stayed until 6pm.  It was a great afternoon of socializing, eating and remembering old times.  LD brought a photo album that spanned the decade and that was sure fun to laugh at! 

Mine were the only children.  Big Lar has no kids/grandkids so his house had nothing but the yard for them to play in.  They had a few pieces of candy and a couple of trinket  toys from their  goody bags that they got form the party.  They played non stop- happily- without fussing or fighting- the entire time.  They were polite and respectful and a real joy to have there. One friend gave them the greatest compliment.  She said to me "Your kids are so nice Michelle.  You know sometimes you go somewhere and there is just one kid, and after a half hour you are ready to throttle the kid, and here you have four kids and you'd have hardly known they were even here.  They are just so pleasant!"  Wow!  That sure feels good!  Even my Olivia was happily playing, only coming to me periodically. 

Yes my poor, unsocialized, kids. How will they ever learn to adapt to "the real world"?

Oh and now, it has been decided that this will be an annual event... how cool!

Ben's Birthday Weekend

It's pretty cool when a single day can morph into a 4 day event.   His actual birthday was Saturday, but he got to start celebrating on Friday at work.  Nothing major, but a nice gesture.  Friday night we left the kids with my MIL and went to the yacht club.  Every Friday they have a Friday Night Dinner.  Once a month they celebrate all the birthdays of the month during  the dinner.  This was the October Birthday Dinner, so along with several other members we sang Happy Birthday and got a bottle of champagne.  We met several new couples at dinner and really had a nice time. 

Saturday marked the big day- 35.  He received several rounds of happy birthday from the kids, then he left for the off track betting place to go bet on the Breeders Cup with his brother.  He didn't end up winning, but had a great time.  While he was gone the kids and I went to Costco to get him his birthday present.  We got him Airhog helicopters.  I can't tell you how long he has wanted a remote control helicopter.  They also had the adjustable weights that we've been waiting and hoping for them to carry.  Each dumbbell can adjust from 5 lbs to 52 lbs.  So he got an unexpected present from me. Needless to say he was thrilled.   

Saturday night we had made plans with G & C.  we dropped Olivia off with the grandparents and the rest of us (G, C & their 2 kids) piled into The Beast (my suburban) and we dropped off all the kids at the Halloween party at the gymnastics studio and the 4 of us went out to dinner-completely free of children.  Now that was a treat! 

We went to a favorite tri-tip/bbq restaurant near gymnastics.  G & B had never been so we were excited to share it with them.  After a lovely meal, they pulled out their gift to Ben.  I had wondered why G had brought a sail bag into the restaurant.  The bag itself was part of the gift.  They put together a "Sailing Conversion Kit" for him.   Because of how clever and how much thought they put into this, I am going to share with you the directions for the kit, which were included.

• 1 retro Ullman Sails Sail Bag-  Container for sail, gear, cold beverages, etc.  Can also be placed over head to disguise oneself after bad performance.
• 1 North Sails One Design Mylar Enclosure- To house all impeortant sailboat documents, note it is waterproof.
• 1 Yacht Club Burgee-  To be flown proudly from any vessel you may be aboard, duplicates may be flown from backyard to show off to friends you have enough money to be a member of a yacht club.
• 1 Jimmy Buffet Novel-  Does anything really need to be said about how to use this?  If ou ever forget how to have a "laid back" time, this book wil remind you.
• $100 Dollar Bills-  Just a friendly reminder of the obscene amount of money it takes to participate in this adventure.
• 1 Personal Sized Tube of Sunscreen- to be aplied liberally to all exposed areas.  Warning, not for spousal consumption.
• 1 Package Crusing & racing Magazines - Because when your're not on the water, you need to act as if your preparing to be.  The 'Showboats' one is so once again, you can impress your friends.  Just tell them you interseted in a new "time-share" that's way cooler than a condo.
• 1 Mount Gay Rum Red Hat - You'll be shocked to learn this is the coolest, most coveted sailing item in the industry.  Can be found on EBAY for exorbitant amounts of money.  If you ever need extra funds for your boat and you put this online, we will no longer be your friends.
• 2 Ullman Sails Stickers - To be considered one of the chosen few, you must tattoo your car/window with a sailing sticker of some sort.  These have been treated with UV protection.
• 1 Sailing Related Invoice - To prepare you for the reality that you will be spending a lot of those $100 dollar bills. 
• 1 Roll of Duct Tape - Haven't you heard, it really does fix anything.  Can also be used to cover the mouths of obnoxious crew members.
• 1 Extremely Used and Loved Sailing Book - This has some really good information in it and can occupy the nex 3 years of your bathroom time.
• 1 Pair Size 10 Flip Flops - Because no matter how hard you try to resist, you always feel more relaxed with out shoes.  Be free our friend, don't fight it!
• 1 Harken Block Key Chain - quite possibly the most expensive key chain you'll ever own.    You already have a wallet that proves your true identity,now you have a key chain that proves you've been converted to a true sailor.  By the way if you ever get rid of this, we will disown you.  We weren't kidding, these suckers are expensive.
• 1 Bottle of Mount Gay Rum - You are a sailor now.  You need to ditch the Captian.  This is the true sailor's rum of choice.  Besides, if all esle fails with the above mentioned items, you can enjoy this item thoroughly.

Seriously-how cool was that!  Like my friend Jenny said recently- "But regardless of whether those friends are helpful, thoughtful, intoxicating, or sobering, I've found that friends are always worth the effort."

So true.  Our circle of friends has grown in the last year, and truly the effort is beyond worthwhile. 

On to more of Ben's birthday.  So let's see we left off at the restaurant.  After a very enjoyable opening  (and reading of) gifts, we went back and got our kids.  We came back to our house and got them all upstairs and in bed.  FIL brought a sleeping Olivia back and again we were 4 adults with out children.  Awesome!  We had a few drinks, talked then played the game Cranium.  It was really fun!  The boys won in the end but not with out a good fight from us girls.  We hit the sack much too late, but I'd say it was almost worth it (I'm still trying to catch up on sleep!!!)

Sunday G & C had a Gal Guy sailing event so I kept the kids while they sailed.  Ben went out to lunch with his good friend C (thus marking day 3 of the never ending birthday), then he helped Ben pick out a computer for work.  C is our computer guru.  I am now the happy owner of Ben's old laptop, and Ben's office is sporting a new desktop PC.

Late in the afternoon, the kids were getting edgy so I piled them all in The Beast and we went to the yacht club.  C & G were just taking the boat out of the water so it was great timing.  I sat and chatted a bit then piled my crowd back into The Beast and we headed to MIL's house for Ben's birthday dinner.  She makes an amazing lasagna.  We sang to Ben (again) and he got a whole set of tools and a tool box from them.  Our house was sadly lacking proper tools.  We have a mix match of random stuff, but now- we've got it all. 

Finally, we get to Monday. The last and final day of Ben's birthday.  On Monday Fed-Ex delivered the gift I had originally ordered for him.  I got him wireless headphones so he can get on the bike in the early morning and watch the Justice League or Lord of the Rings- two of his favorite things to workout to.

And so it ended.  The 4 day birthday. 

A Mother Knows

Last month was a tough one for me with Olivia.  Bad.  So I came to the conclusion that her behavior was due to a few things. 

• she had been in a cast for 3 weeks
• she spent an additional week in a splint that she could not walk on.
• we spent a week in Vegas- a new and strange setting
• we started piano lessons, leaving her behind with our first non family babysitter.
• she was getting close to the age of 2

For  the sake of my sanity, I made the only change I could.  Olivia now goes to piano with us. 

My first inclination was to just make her tough it out.  I thought that thousands of kids go to daycare everyday- she should just deal with it.  Then I thought about all the reasons that we homeschool.   One reason being that we don't have to put our children in the care of others. ***I  have never had to put our kids in daycare, and for that I feel blessed.  Not blessed that they didn't do daycare, but blessed that we didn't ever have to make a choice.  I  have always loved being with my children. I do admit to wishing at times that I could have the time to myself, but mostly I feel pretty lucky to get this opportunity to spend so much time with my kids.  I thought that if I could work out a way to take Olivia and have H (or sitter) come over on other days so that Olivia can get used to her it might help ease Olivia's anxiety.  So that is what I have done.   For the last 3 weeks I have taken Olivia to lessons. For one of the lessons she slept tough the whole thing. For two of them she woke up during the lessons.  Those were not so great, though we managed.  I explained to our teacher that it has to be this way for now.  I just can't take the repercussion of Olivia's separation anxiety.   

I have the satisfaction of finding out that I was right.  H came last week for a couple of hours.  when I opened the door  and Liv saw her she couldn't get into my arms fast enough.  I didn't push her.  H went ant hung out with the other kids upstairs.  I took Livi upstairs to my room so I could work on the computer and do the banking.  she stayed with m for about 5 minutes before the joyful sounds of play were too much for her.  She went and played with them.

When they were ready to transition to downstairs, she ran back to me and climbed in my lap.  She told me "downstairs Mommy downstairs".  I told her that she could go but that I had some work to do on the computer.  She thought about it for a minute or so and then hopped down and said "Bye Mommy".   I stayed upstairs for another 15 minutes cleaning my room and stuff before heading downstairs.  the kids then wanted to go in the front yard to ride bikes and such so again,with the transition she was climbing all over me.  I again told here I had work to do in the house and she eventually went outside and played. 

Another observation as proof that there was too much change in her life at once happened at park day a few weeks ago.  We were the first family there, we had a picnic lunch and sat together on the grass.  She was off and running and playing with her siblings after eating.  Two families showed up at the same time and set their stuff out. She was in my lap and practically on my face in less than a minute.  You see she not only wants me to hold her, she wants to be one with me.  It's like she can't get close enough.  Makes it very difficult to talk when you have a 2 year old literally sticking her cheeks to your own.  After a few minutes she would get up and go play again, but over the course of the next 30 minutes, as a new family would show up, she'd glue herself to me for 5 minutes or so. 

I do think I am making the kinder, gentler choice in dealing with this.  Though it is with out a doubt the longer route.  Since we've got the time and ability, I am happy to take it.  She is slowly separating herself from me.  I'm sure I'll miss it someday- but it sure is good birth control!!!

***I once said this to a family member who then got very defensive with me.  I just want to clarify that in no way do I think that there is anything wrong with daycare (or more traditional schooling for that matter).  I know that each family is very different and while this has been a blessing for us, it could be a nightmare for another family.  I know that cercumstacnes play a huge role in the decisions we make in life.  Which is why I use the word blessing in the first place,  I know not everyone who wants to make the choices we've been able to make can. 

Halloween monster

I had the most frightening experience last night. 

I have this huge fear of spiders- I mean huge. Last year I tried to conquer them - totally unsuccessfully. 

Late last night I was trimming the stems off  a bouquet  of sunflowers so that they'd live another few days.  I gathered the bunch of stems and took them  outside so that I could add them to my compost pile  in the morning.  When I walked outside I could tell immediately that the winds had turned.  As you all know Southern California is on fire and the East winds (aka Santa Ana's) have been  horrific.

This time of the year we always get  Santa Ana's, it is as much a part of fall as red and orange leaves.  In the 30 or so years that I have lived in this state I have never seen them blow  like they have been blowing.   They are a weird experience to begin with.  You look outside and see the clear blue sky.  You know it is mid October.  You see the trees swaying.  In your mind you expect to walk outside and need a jacket.  It looks cold because it is autumn and by golly it is supposed to be cool- even in a southern California beach town.  However when you walk outside you are hit with a hot, dry wind.  It feels like summer, but windier.  I both love and hate the Santa Ana's.  They stir up all sorts of allergens so even if you don't have allergies - you get a runny nose, but they feel kinda nice too- sort of like a warm hug when you least expect it. 

This time there was no warm, gentle hug.  The winds were more like  a hot slap in the face.  The gusts were strong (gusts were clocked at over 100mph!!!!!). I didn't want to drive anywhere for fear of flying debris.  Whole tree limbs were bouncing down our street. 

Back to my story.

The winds turned late yesterday and  effect was immediate.  That cool ocean wind with speckles of moisture gripping your skin.  It was a welcome relief.  I put the flower stems in a pile of leaves that had gathered themselves on my back patio and walked out to the edge of the grass- just under our wood slat awning.  I breathed in deep and felt a web on my arm.  I tried to brush it off- but I couldn't seem to get it.  I glanced up and, I kid you not, less than 12 inches from my face was the biggest mother fricken spider in the whole world.  Huge.  I swallowed a scream and ran in the house doing that "get this GDMF thing off me" dance- you know the one-even if you don't have the mouth of a sailor I'm sure you've done the dance.  I was gulping screams all through the house brushing every inch of me off.  I looked back outside and saw the monster spinning a new web.  Ben, who had gone to be 5 minutes earlier came to the top of the stairs to see what was wrong.  I made him come down and look at the beast.  He is used to my arachnophobia , but even he was impressed and disgusted with the creature. 

Whenever he tries to mush a spider for me it inevitably gets away.  I reminded him of that as he went for shoes and something to beat it with.  It would likely take nothing less than a baseball bat  to knock that thing senseless.  The homeschooling mom in me wanted him to leave it there so we could go out and look at in in the morning and see what kind of beast it actually was.  But then I knew I'd have to make it go away some how or worse capture it for the boys to have play with study and Homie don't do that. 

He ended up capturing it in an old yogurt container ( a big one not the single serving kind) and then he taped it up - can't be too cautious here- and we put it in the trash which will get picked up today thank God.

I hate spiders. 

Fires...

Ugh- these fires here are awful.  My area is not on fire, however there are numerous fires north & east of us- and with the horrible Santa Ana winds the smoke and ash is everywhere.  The winds are supposed to start dying out by tomorrow I think-  pray they do.

  My good friend had to evacuate her home- they left as a wall of flames appeared behind them.  Their house was spared thank God, however the backyard was burned up- they had a gazebo and the girls had a trampoline.  The house is full of ashes and smoke damage- I am praying that this is the worst of it for them.  I just heard on the news that their street was  closed down.  I have another friend who is near another of the fires, but I have yet to hear how her family is doing.  Her boys have severe asthma though so I'm sure they are out of the area even if their house is not currently threatened. Please say a few prayers tonight for southern California. 

We are staying home-  I decided not to take the kids to their piano class today.  Between the smoky air and the 30-50 mph wind, I just didn't think it a great idea. 

Two other prayer requests while I am asking-  One for my dad- he has something going on with his eyes-  not sure what is going on I;m waiting to hear form my mom- but it is not good I'm fearing.  Also a long while back I mentioned that my Uncle needed some prayers.  He still does, though I'm not sure what is going on there.  He was dx'd with  mesothelioma not too long ago- he had an operation on Oct 10th to remove some lung- not really sure how much.  I know my aunt is struggling with this. 

I'm so full of cheer lately -  Yikes!  I will write a happy fun post sometime soon- really.  There are many a good things going on in our world and much I am thankful for.....

The Birthday Girl

Ok well her birthday was Wednesday- oops.  Olivia is officially 2.  And boy is she ever 2. Happy Birthday Little one!