July 16, 2008

Still On Leave

My time off work was extended for another two weeks. For some reason, I thought it would be fine to go back two weeks after surgery, but my doctor thought otherwise. I called to find out if I could go swimming, and she said I couldn’t do that, either. Rest, she said. How much rest does one need? She won’t release me until she sees me next Monday. For now I’m just trying to relax and enjoy my month off with Jerry and the kids. We’ve gone to a lot of movies, the library, the dog park, taken lots of walks, gone out to eat, and today I finally got a really good haircut and highlights. I don’t know what was going on – apparently some miscommunication – but my last two haircuts didn’t go as planned. I asked for a particular style, and my stylist kept saying she didn’t want to cut it that way, fearing I wouldn’t like it, and promising to cut it that way the next time if I still wanted it. Finally, today, I strongly conveyed my wishes, and came out with exactly what I asked for. Now I will be able to put my flat iron to good use.

After my hair appointment, I went around the corner and stopped in at Talbot’s. I tried on clothes for nearly two hours before I found what I wanted. I’d been looking for a denim skirt for a long time and finally found one that sits just above the knee. I didn’t realize how pasty white my legs were until I stood in front of the three-way mirror. Ugh! I picked up some self-tanner at Walgreen’s on the way home. I’m flying out to Los Angeles next week (Anaheim). Hopefully my legs won’t look so pale after a week of self-tanner.

Speaking of shopping, we started our back-to-school shopping early. The kids got their backpacks and shoes already. I want to take Mitch to get his school clothes tomorrow and Rachel on Friday. We’ve had a virus move through the house this week. It started with Mitch last Saturday, then Jerry on Sunday/Monday, and Rachel woke up with it this morning. I hope I can dodge this one.

The kids are playing sports at the Y this summer. Mitch, basketball; Rachel, volleyball. They practice on different nights, but their games are on Saturdays, usually at the same time. Their schedules keep us on our toes. Other than that, we are looking forward to our family vacation in August. We’re going to South Padre Island again where it will be all about the water – the beach, the swimming pool, and Schlitterbahn. The kids like to comb the beach for shells during the day. At night, we get out the flashlights and buckets and search the beach for sand crabs. They like to see who can collect the most, and then we release them into the surf.

Posted on July 16, 2008 at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 08, 2008

The Tobacco Boys

Mitch and some of his friends decided to form a gang. They call themselves the Tobacco Boys, named after one of the side streets in our neighborhood. For the most part, they ride bikes together, go swimming, play ball, and collect Pokemon cards. Yesterday a few of them decided to sell Kool-Aid on the sidewalk. They earned $3.75 in about 20 minutes and decided to call it a day. Mitch’s share was 81¢.

Posted on July 8, 2008 at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 05, 2008

Chillin' n Grillin'

Taking it easy has been the name of the game for the past 12 days. I have been back on the treadmill for the past 10 days in a row gradually building the pace each day. I’m supposed to be off work for at least 4 weeks, but I’m going to go in on Monday just to see how things are going. Not being able to drive has been a pain. I don’t like being tied down or housebound. We’ve taken lots of walks around the neighborhood and drove Emma over to the dog park for a romp. She loves it over there. I finished watching Sex & the City from beginning to end. I tried to time my treadmill exercise to when The Price is Right was on. It made the hour go by quickly, but I couldn’t sit around and watch TV all day. Jerry picked up a few movies for me, and I watched them while on the treadmill, too: Mad Money, Juno, Harry Potter, Order of the Phoenix, and Gone Baby Gone.

Last Sunday we went to the mattress store to pick out a new mattress set. It was fun to try out the new mattresses with all the gadgets they come with – remote controls, massagers, heat, elevation, dial-a-number, memory foam. After that we stopped for ice cream at Marble Slab, and when we got home the phone was ringing. The delivery guys wanted to deliver the set within the hour as they had two other deliveries in our zone. They hauled away the old mattress set and had the new one set up in no time. The new mattress set feels great.

Tuesday, we went out to Katy Mills to walk around and do some light shopping. Rachel needed sneakers, and we got a nice set of sheets for the new bed. Mitchell’s Pokemon collection has really grown, so we stopped by the card shop to pick up some new sheets for his binder, and we bought him a Pokedex so he now has a reference book with pictures and stats of all Pokemon characters.

Jerry got up early and went to the meat market to buy a brisket. He worked on it all day, and it turned out really well with corn on the cob and potato salad. Rachel and two of her friends are having a sleepover tonight (here). They just got out of the bathtub and are blow-drying their hair. We put the inflatable mattress in the playroom, and they are planning to watch the Titanic. That should keep them busy for about 3 hours.  Jerry & Mitch are out in the driveway setting off the remaining fireworks and sparklers.  It's actually quiet outside which is surprising.   The nightly fireworks usually go on for at least a week after a holiday. 

Posted on July 5, 2008 at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 04, 2008

Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

We will be setting off some fireworks for the first time in about an hour. We stopped by the fireworks stand around the corner and picked up a container with an assortment of small-scale fireworks. I had such a good time as a kid running around the back yard with sparklers in my hands making patterns in the air.

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe 10 years have gone by, but we sure do have plenty to be thankful for, especially our marriage, our children, and the home that we’ve made. There are a lot of happy memories. We went out to dinner, our usual Carrabbas. On the way home, we decided to pick up some fireworks, and then we noticed a lot of heavy smoke in the distance. It was hard to tell what exactly was on fire, but we decided to be nosy and investigate. We made our way across Fry into a new subdivision. At the back of the subdivision, there were several fire trucks lined up in front of a row of houses that back up to a large vacant field. The fire was back there in the field, and there was no way for the firetrucks to get back there.  The firemen are just sitting there waiting to see if the fire will approach the homes.

The neighborhood pyrotechnic junkies are sitting out on the curb rubbing their hands together. They can’t wait until it gets dark to set off what surely will sound like WWIII. We’ve already been invited to three different backyard firework displays tonight. We are planning to drive out to the Grand Parkway to watch the professional show, and then we’ll come back and set off a few of our own. Be safe.

Posted on July 4, 2008 at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 26, 2008

Home Sweet Home

Elizabeth & Matt were married on June 14th. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was fun! Lots of dancing. (Pictures below.)

The kids had a great time in Michigan. They really enjoyed their cousins. Aunt Toni took Rachel for a manicure & pedicure and to the hair salon to get her hair styled for the wedding day. The weather was cold. They only got to swim once, but they went to the movies and to the children’s museum. They took lots of walks in the woods and rode bikes. Toni has a barn in her backyard with a basketball court inside. Mitch really enjoyed playing "barn ball" (basketball) with his cousins. Rachel can't stop talking about Michigan . . . how beautiful it is, how much she wants to live there, and how much she wants to go back during Christmas for cousin Andrew's wedding.

As for me, I enjoyed some peace and quiet, but I am really glad to have my family back home. Things were a bit too quiet around here in this big house. I resorted to my single days of eating Capt’n Crunch for dinner while standing over the kitchen seat. There was simply no need to sit down and make a mess or fuss. I went out to dinner with some of my GFs, saw the Sex & the City movie, and studied hard for one of my national certification tests. I took the exam (1 of 4) on Saturday and was relieved to have passed. Karen and I took our dogs over to the dog park a few nights, and that was really fun.

I went into the hospital for surgery on Monday, the 23rd. I was a little bit afraid of having the surgery because my mother died while having this same surgery at age 28, leaving 3 kids at home. At the time, I was just 6 years old. Fast-forward 40 years, and I was facing the same surgery with a son who is 6 years old. Kind of creepy. The surgery was pretty straightforward and, other than an infiltrated IV in the middle of the night and some nausea and vomiting from the epidural, things went well. The kids came up to visit me on Monday night. They brought flowers and a lot of questions. I just wanted them to see that I was okay. I came home from the hospital on Wednesday. I’m sore and tired and taking it easy. I’m catching up. Prior to seeing Sex & the City movie, I had never seen even one episode of the show. I got out the CDs and just finished watching through season 4 last night. Jenny & Barb sent me a get well package of magazines, Sudoku puzzles, candy, cookies, and lotions. That was a nice surprise.

Cousins Leslie, Rachel & Kelly

(Jason, Brian & Brandon)

(Brian, Kelly & Toni)

(Paul, Julie, Liz & Matt)

(Millimaki Family)

(Aunts Lori, Shelly, Rachel)

(Rachel & Brandon Travolta)

(Kelly & Jack)

(getting pampered)

(nails)

(curls)

(hair)

(Old Ish)

Posted on June 26, 2008 at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 12, 2008

They're Off

Jerry and the kids landed in Chicago about an hour ago. They are already in the sky again and should be landing near the UP in the next 30 minutes. Needless to say, we got an early start this morning. After packing and double-checking the lists, my head hit the pillow at 1 a.m. I was up at 4 a.m. to get the kids dressed and into the car. It was dark outside, and Mitch said he didn’t want to fly in the dark. I thought the kids would sleep in the car, but Mitch was at his finest – breathing on his sister, looking at his sister, and making noises to irritate her to no end. By the time we got to the airport, it was 5 a.m. Cars were lining up behind mine, so I had to say a quick goodbye and wish them well. The ride home was such a contrast. Perfectly quiet with no arguments or anyone touching or looking at anyone. I got home at 6 a.m. and played ball with Emma for a while. I noticed right away that Jerry forgot his electric razor which was charging in the cradle, and I forgot to pack Rachel's hair dryer. I made the beds, straightened the kid’s rooms, and put things away, realizing that everything would stay in place until they get back. How odd.  I kicked off my flip flops and realized that they would be right there the next time I looked for them.  I wouldn't have to wonder where Rachel put them or if she was wearing them. I really thought when I walked in the back door that I’d feel like Tom Cruise running around in my underwear singing “Hallelujah!” I won't have to share the Hostess Ho Ho’s with anyone else!!  No more hiding them behind the mixer. A part of me will enjoy a little peace and quiet. It’s going to feel strange coming home to a stony silence in that big house for the next 10 days. And it’s not just my kids, it’s the group of kids that hangs out at the house that we are just so used to hearing and having around.

Posted on June 12, 2008 at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 06, 2008

Passionate for Purses

I have a passion for purses. I’m not crazy-passionate: I don’t own hundreds of them, nor do I change purses every day to coordinate with outfits. I like to carry a nice bag that is fashionable and functional. My favorites are from Coach, but I like Dooneys, Marc Jacobs, and so many others. The kids got me a new Coach bag for Christmas for the past two years in a row, and I don’t mind this new tradition. Jerry noticed me looking at purses online a few weeks ago, so it was inevitable that I was going to get a new summer bag. I like to take my time, as the hunt is half the fun. The other half is getting a bargain, which is nearly impossible with designer bags. I had my eye on a particular giraffe print drawstring one, a Dooney, which was sold out everywhere and hard to find, even online. I put my name on the waiting list at Macy’s and was on Dooney’s list, too. I got an email a few weeks ago from Dooney that it was back in stock. The next day I got a call from Macy’s saying a new shipment had come in. I was tempted to order online from Dooney, but for some reason (as with shoes) I like to see a purse in person, try it on, look inside, etc.

I stopped at Macy’s after work. When I got to the purse counter, I was so excited to see this new purse. The clerk pulled it out from behind the counter, and I have to say it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen in my life. I can’t imagine ever wanting it. It was that ugly. I opened it and tried it on just to be sure I wasn’t crazy, but it was just so ugly in person. I was so relieved that I hadn’t ordered it online from Dooney. With that out of my system, I turned around only to see a display of Dooneys that were on sale 40% off. They were left over from the Memorial weekend sale. I had never seen Dooneys that were 40% off, but one of them caught my eye. It was also drawstring style, which I have never had or ever been interested in, but for some reason I liked it. The sale purse was an ivory background. I tried it on and then opened it up and took out all the stuffing. As I was falling in love with it, I noticed that the draw strings were covered with black stuff. I asked the clerk about it, and she took the bag from me and realized it was a purse that had been returned. It was used, as in dirty, with someone else’s lipstick in it and missing the registration paperwork. She was appalled, as the purse never should have made it to the floor, she said. They didn’t have another one.

<----(ugly purse).  Disappointed, I decided to walk over to Dillard’s just to see if they had this purse. They had a small selection of purses left over from the sale that were 40% off. I didn’t see the one I wanted, but there was a wallet in the same pattern. The lady checked in the back, and she had the exact purse I was looking for, on sale at 40% off. I opened it up and carefully examined the strings for damage or use. It was brand new, never having set foot on the floor. She had no idea why it was in the back as it should have been on the holiday sale display. The matching wallet was also 40% off. I hate matching wallets & purses, but I decided to go for it.  Oddly enough, I don't like advertising for the designers; I don't like seeing their names or initials all over the bags, but this one has Dooney written all over it.  And now, I just love my new summer bag and wallet. When I got home, Jerry was not that impressed, “you just got a new purse for Christmas!” Yes, I did, and I still love that one, but I'm a girl, and it’s summertime, and after 10 years of marriage, he should know by now. Sometimes I wonder about him, having been raised with 4 sisters. He should be used to purses and shoes and such, but his opinion is that if you buy a new purse, you throw the old one out. Very funny! There is no way I’m throwing out a designer handbag. I asked him why we have so many ball caps all over the house. Why don’t we have just one hat at a time? He didn’t have an answer for that.

<----- (Christmas '07 Coach bag).

Posted on June 6, 2008 at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Drowning

One of my fears is of either of my children drowning. With all of the pools in our neighborhood, our children spend a lot of time in and out of so many pools. It scares me. It's not so much about either one of them not being able to swim, but more of that fluke moment when someone loses their breath, or inhales water, or when someone jumps into the pool and lands on top of another kid, and no one sees it. There are so many scenarios. Rachel has been swimming freely for a while now. I can’t remember when we felt safe enough to let her go. In order to swim in the deep water or ride the big slide that drops into the deep end, she has to take a swim test at both the Y and the Quillian Center. At Quillian, she takes a test every week, and at the Y she takes a test every single time she enters the pool. She has to swim the length of the pool in the lap lane. She has to do the American crawl with her head above the water and arms moving over her head, not under water. After passing, she receives a bracelet or has the back of her hand marked to identify her to the life guards. Mitch is becoming a stronger swimmer. He can't do the American crawl (yet). He can dive under the water, swim the length and width of the pool under water before coming up for air, and loves to do cannon balls and dive for rings. I still make him wear a swim vest when swimming at the neighbors if we aren't with him. He gets really upset because he’s not a baby you know, and he is apparently the only one who has to wear one. When I got home from work, Rachel was already swimming down at Katie’s, and Mitch was sitting on the staircase with his chin in his hands. He wanted to swim, but I wouldn’t let him go unless he wore the vest. He begged and begged. I finally agreed to walk him down and watch him swim without the vest. After watching him for about an hour, I realized that he doesn’t need the swim vest. He dove, swam the length of the pool, made spectacular cannon balls, and played Marco Polo. His eyes were a bit bloodshot, but he never got tired. It's so hard to let go. I just don't want my kids to drown.

Posted on June 6, 2008 at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 05, 2008

Off to Michigan

Just 9 more days 'til Liz & Matt's wedding. Jerry & the kids are flying to Michigan for our niece Liz’s wedding next week.  I can just imagine how excited Liz is as she has ben counting down the days.  The kids are beyond excited to be flying to Michigan again to see their cousins, aunts, uncles & Grandpa. I wish I could go, too, but I can’t. Jerry’s sister Toni is going take care of Rachel and make sure she is groomed and presentable. Thank goodness, because let me tell you . . . Jerry’s specialty is not ponytails and Goody barettes. Toni’s going to pick Rachel up for the rehearsal and for the wedding and keep her under her wing. When we first told Mitch about the wedding, he just covered his eyes and said, "Oh no!! That means I have to watch them kiss. Ewww!"

Rachel obviously is excited at the chance to buy and wear a new dress and heels. I found this dress online for Rachel, but there was no guarantee that it would arrive before they fly to Michigan. With the price of gas and limited free time, I didn’t want to waste time driving around to different stores, so I called the one closest to us, and they had one in her size. Jerry ran her over to the store to try it on, and it was even on sale. It had Rachel written all over it with just the right amount of sparkles on it. Now we just need to find heels and jewelry.

Apparently, there is another family member just as excited about dressing up. Jerry got up early this morning and made pancakes for me while I was in the shower. When I came downstairs, I noticed Mitch’s suitcase sitting by the backdoor. He packed last night and is ready to go at a moment’s notice. He’s traveling light, too. Inside were his favorite dress up clothes (dark navy dress pants, orange dress shirt & tie) and one Webkinz. He’s all set and apparently will swim sans swimsuit. You'd think this was his only set of dress clothes, but he just has his heart set on wearing them! Little does he know that he's getting a new set of clothes. I hope we can find something that he likes.

Posted on June 5, 2008 at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 04, 2008

Googlemaniac

Mitch likes to Google. He likes typing in his favorite words just to see what comes up. He likes searching for images of his favorite black bear Webkinz. It goes without saying that his internet use is closely monitored by both of his parents. There are rules as to asking permission to use the computer, the time allowed on the computer, and permission needed for anything that is to be added to favorites or anything that is printed. For the most part, he manages to stay within the boundaries. We also have strict rules on the use of the computer by other kids. If we don’t have permission from the parents, then other kids are not allowed to use the computer. At all. Simple as that. The other day, Mitch went down to play at Drake’s house. He came home a few hours later and fell asleep in his room. Shortly thereafter, Drake’s mother came down to have a word with me. She checked the history of her computer and found that while she and her husband were outside working on their new fence, Mitch & Drake were upstairs on the computer. They went to Google and typed in “fart” and “butt.” From there, they stumbled upon “boobs.” She was very alarmed by this and wanted me to know that she grounded Drake from the computer for 2 weeks. I told her that Mitch knows how to use Google, and I could imagine it was his idea to type in those words. To me, it’s like a boy looking up dirty words in a dictionary. Who hasn’t looked up body parts just to read the scientific descriptions and giggle about it? Man, it was hard to keep from laughing about it, but I am glad that she came down to tell me. After that she brought me up to speed on the neighborhood gossip and then complained that one of the neighbors nicknamed her Mrs. Kravitz. I can’t imagine how she earned that title. She doesn’t miss a thing.

Posted on June 4, 2008 at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 03, 2008

Backyard Campout

Jerry put the tent up in the back yard yesterday to air it out, and the kids begged him to let them sleep outside last night. Mitch was really into it even though it was 95 degrees. When I got home from work at 4:30, Mitch was busy carrying things out to the tent: his Webkinz, DVD player with a stack of movies, a cooler packed with treats that he carefully packed with Ziplok bags, a fan, and a checkers game. It was especially funny because he was so busy taking all that stuff out to the tent which was literally 12 feet from the back door.

Posted on June 3, 2008 at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 02, 2008

$7 Fun

I spent $298 at the grocery store this week, most of which was loading up on cases of drinks and snacks for the kids and their friends. The freezer is stocked with freeze pops and popsicles. I also picked up a bag of water balloons and a $7 slip-n-slide. I knew the kids would just love it. They did. We set it up yesterday, and we’ve never heard so much giggling and squealing coming from the back yard.

Posted on June 2, 2008 at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)