R.I.P Twitch

Well, today was the day.  Our little Twitch has left the Earth.  I knew something was up because each time I would move his little hut he would not move.  Normally when the hut is just touched, little Twitchy would get, well, twitchy!  Early this afternoon, he seemed really slow and lethargic.  By dinner time he was gone.  I left the disposal up to the man of the house.  He and boy #2 walked outside and disposed of Twitch.  It seemed that the boy was going to be fine with it.

Well, he wasn’t.  I watched out the window and saw him walk back to the house very slowly, taking each step very deliberately.  His blond head was hanging down.  My heart ached for him!  When he came into the house he really started to cry and had the biggest tears rolling down his cheeks. He wondered out loud if it was something we did that ended Twitch’s life.  I assured him that we took excellent care of Twitch and what a lucky crayfish he was to have the boy for his keeper.  Thanks to me, he dined on worms and had a fresh Tupperware container of water every day or so.  What more could a crayfish ask for?  My boy was sad for the rest of the night and was unusually silent during dinner.  He is still sniffling.  I told him I thought it was a rule somewhere that states that whenever a nine year old boy has a crayfish that dies, that little boy gets to go out for ice cream.  So off we go to our favorite ice cream place and hopefully that will help dry his tears.  I know it will make me feel better!

Cortisone, Crayfish and College

After about two and a half months of pain in my elbow, I finally went to the doctor.  First stop was my regular GP.  She told me I had tendinitis (tennis elbow) and that I should see an orthopedic doctor.  I held off for awhile due to my fear of needles and the fact that everyone told me I was going to need a cortisone shot.   I would have none of it, and decided to just tough it out, hoping that the pain would go away.  Because ignoring pain is the way I roll.

It didn’t go away.  It got to the point that I could not sleep because my arm hurt so bad.  I finally made the appointment with the orthopedic doctor and when I hung up the phone, I broke out into a cold sweat!

The appointment was last Wednesday.  I was in the waiting room for about five minutes before I was called back by the physician’s assistant.  The first words out of my mouth were, “do you think the doctor is going to inject my arm today?”  She looked at me like I was nutty and proceeded to tell me that she could not answer that question.   After the typical question and answer session, the doctor came in and introduced himself.  He examined my elbow and a little smile crept across his face.  It took him all of about 30 seconds to announce that I indeed had “tennis elbow” but that was not all, oh no, that was not all!  He also told me in addition to “tennis elbow”, I also have “golfers elbow.”   You know, because I am such an all around athlete!

Even though I was nervous and sweaty about the shot, I laughed out loud and announced that I could not wait to tell my husband that.  I am not a golfer.  Or a tennis player for that matter.  It struck me as funny that someone such as me, with very little athletic ability is stricken with two “sports ailments” at once.  My good friend and neighbor instructed me that maybe it is not tennis or golf elbow, perhaps it is drinking elbow!  She suggests either switching arms when I drink or start drinking slushy drinks that require a straw!  We went to their house over the Memorial Day weekend so in honor of my “drinking elbow”  I mixed up a batch of Southern Comfort Slush with pomegranite  and took it over there for the fun, with some bright colored straws!  The way I figure it,  using a straw in a slushy drink can only help, right?

The good doctor went on about  how the pain can sometimes go away on its own, sometimes physical therapy can help, sometimes not.  He told me that in my case, he would recommend the cortisone shot due to the amount of time that has passed with no improvement.  I sucked it up.  Kinda.  Not without feeling like I was going to pass out or pee my pants or both.  It all  happened so quickly that there was no time for me to talk myself into anything.  By the time I was done asking how bad it was going to hurt, where exactly was the needle going, how long is it going to take….it was OVER!  Simple, piece of cake, no problem.  I am convinced that although I am a baby when it comes to medical procedures, I am really tough and also have a high pain tolerance.  After everything I heard about cortisone shots, one would think that it was right next to a form of torture.   It was NOTHING!  I walked out feeling so much better.  That night I iced my arm a little and the next day I felt great.  Pain gone!   I cannot believe how great my arm feels, as if there were nothing ever wrong.  Completely back to normal.

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Last week, I went to an informational session at Carthage College.  I wanted to see what their program for adults was all about.  I was so nervous, I almost backed out at the last minute.  Since I have been laid off, I have done some serious thinking about what I want to do.  I started Carthage right out of high school with a major of Elementary Education and a minor in English.  I figured, why not go and see how long it might take me to finish my degree?  I guess I don’t give myself credit when credit is due because not only did I think that I would have a hundred years left of schooling, I also thought that the credits I did have would leave me with a poor GPA and I never would be accepted.

I was wrong.  On both points.   Not only do I have a quick two and a half years left of school (going part time!) I have a GPA of 3.65, making my admittance into the Education program a snap.  When it was told to me that I would need a minimum GPA of 2.75 to gain admittance, I panicked.  I seriously thought that there was no way my GPA was high enough and I would be destined to “work for the man”  for the rest of my life.  Clearly, my memory is a bit distorted.  Either that or I am really hard on myself.  Or maybe  a bit of both!   Now, I just need to figure out how to pay for the crazy expensive tuition!  My first class will start at the end of July.  I will be a forty year old college student!  Better late than never, I guess!

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The school year is very quickly coming to a close and all of the “schoolies” in my family are chomping at the bit to be done!  I hear it on a daily basis. “Only 20 more days….only 16 more days….only 11 more days!”  I cannot believe that summer is here.  I guess that is because it is 50 degrees, cloudy and rainy.  One would have to look at the calender to know what month it is, because it feels like November. 

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Boy #2 has been studying crayfish at school.   The class was divided up into small groups and each group was assigned a live crayfish. Daily, he would come home and tell me about what he learned.  My boy explained to me that out of all the kids in his group, he was the one that could handle picking up the crayfish.  Each time a student would reach in to pick up the crayfish, said crayfish would try to pinch (with his one claw.  He has a disability!)  and scurry away.  Not for my boy, apparently.  He could pick up the crayfish and ”pet” him.   He is a “crayfish whisperer!”   My boy forged a crayfish bond with little “Twitch” (yes, the group named him.  He is very “twitchy!”)

Now that the unit is complete, the teacher sent home permission slips for each kid to get in on the “lottery” for taking home a crayfish for a pet.  At this point, there are only two live crayfish left.  My boy hurried home from school, whipped out the permission slip and proceeded to beg me to sign the slip.  He wanted Twitch to come home with him.  Ugh. Blech.

I tried talking him out of it.  Told him that crayfish do not live long, and they stink when they die.  I tried everything I could to discourage this adoption, until I sat and did the math.  Hmmm….two crayfish left, eighteen kids in the class…what are the odds?

I filled out the slip, promising to care for the crayfish, feed him, clean his water daily and keep him away from flushing toilets (damn!)  I enthusiastically handed it over to the boy, telling him to not be disappointed if his name did not get picked.  I was going to be the “good guy” because it was not going to be my decision to not adopt the crayfish, it would be up to sheer luck.  I was going to play the odds!

Well, guess what is now sitting on my counter?  A one clawed crayfish named Twitch. 

After about four days living at our home, little Twitch was not looking so good.  Although the instructions stated that crayfish would eat just about anything, we found otherwise.  We tried small pieces of meat, dog treats, dog food, and he refused to dine.  Who knew crayfish would be so finicky!   My boy was getting a little uptight and worried about Twitch and his lack of nutrition.  I tried to prepare him for the imminent death.  The look on his face (my boy, not the crayfish!) tugged at my heart hard enough that over the weekend, while planting flowers, I dug up two worms, carried them into the house and dropped them in with Twitch.  I was awarded Mom of the Year award for that by my family, and Twitch gobbled one worm up immediately.  The other worm is still in the tank, still alive and still avoiding the one claw of Twitch!  Ugh, of all of the things I do for my kids, this one is definitely not my favorite.  Yuck!  Hopefully, Twitch will live out the remainder of his long  life in comfort on my counter.  Let’s just hope it is not too long!

I’m with the band!

Some of my really good friends own a bar in town.  Actually they own three.  One of the bars has a program called “Guest Bartending” where one can sign up for a night where they can be, well, a guest bartender!  The whole basis is that a guest bartender invites all of their friends and family to come out and see them make a fool out of themselves, trying to serve drinks, and pour a draft beer (so hard!) all in the name of charity.  The guest bartender gets to choose who will be the recipient of 25% of the sales, 50% of the tips and 100% of any direct donations and raffle prize money.

Well, I knew I wanted to sign up, but was not sure who I wanted my charity to be, until I went to the parent meeting for Boy #1 for summer band.  WOW! Band can get expensive.  Not only do we pay for private lessons, the rental of an instrument but now I owe a few hundred so that my boy can march in the band in every single parade in southeast Wisconsin for the entire summer.  Really?  I have to pay for that? (oops, I don’t mean to get sarcastic about it!)   Since band is his “thing” of course we will cough up the money.  But it got me to thinking…how many kids love band as much as my boy, and how many of their parents have fallen on hard times and find the fees a little out of their reach?

So, the middle school band program was going to be my choice.  I signed up, convinced the very cool band teacher with cool hair and love of video games to be my partner along with Mr. T. and the planning began!

I sent out Evite’s, emailed everyone I knew and started getting local businesses and friends to donate raffle prizes.  Because I HATE asking people for donations, I ended up buying some of the raffle prizes myself.  I know, it kind of defeats the purpose, but it was so much easier!

We had a wonderful turn out and it was a great success!  I ended up turning over a check to the middle school band program for $528.19!  Not too shabby for someone that cannot pour a draft beer to save her life!  Bartending is not as easy as it looks!  Thankfully everyone there was patient and understanding.  On top of it, this particular establishment offers a selection of over 100 beers, each of which that needs to be poured into a specific glass.  What the heck?    When I was getting my crash course from the very knowledgeable real bartender, after about the third or fourth sentence, all I heard was “blah, blah, blah-blah, in this glass and blah blah-blah only in this glass.”  Ummm, okay.

Thankfully, my beer loving husband knew what he was doing from his years and years of bartending.  I spent a lot of the time selling raffle tickets for the many prizes, which was probably for the best.  I hope I never have to pour a draft beer again.  If I ever guest bar tend again, which I might, the memo in the Evite will be that everyone will get an extra raffle ticket for free if they order something from a bottle!

We had a great time, and it was for a great cause.  I was so happy to be able to contribute to something that makes my son so happy.  Playing in the band makes his heart sing and I am grateful for that.  Not nearly as grateful as I was when my girlfriend mentioned to me that I am going to be that Mom that marches with the band, with the little squirt bottle spraying the kids down as they march on pavement hot enough to fry an egg on in their long sleeve polyester black and white band uniform.  Thanks for that Mrs. Tennessee.  Yup.  Cannot wait for that. 

Here are some fun photos of the night.

My very supportive beer loving friends, Lynn, Amy and Andy

The FUN Moms! They won a LOT of the prizes and cheered loudly! See all of their raffle tickets?

Me drawing the next ticket! "Winner, winner chicken dinner!"

The Three Amigos. Partners in bartending!

Notice the t-shirts?  Each guest bartender receives a tshirt to wear with the Guest Bartending logo.  Apparently, the majority of female guest bartenders are a size 2 because although the tag of my pink T said ladies X-LARGE, I think it was X-LARGE in toddler sizes.   Seriously, it was tight!  Showing more than I would care to show, but maybe that is the point?  I was very self conscious all night with that shirt on.  Good thing they ordered an X-Large instead of the LARGE, which is what I requested!  Don’t think I would have fit into the LARGE.

Mrs. Tennessee winning a gift certificate for Cafe De Lube. A coffee shop and oil change garage all in one. Only in K-Town!

Tuesday Night Tea Club Julie walking away with the Food Network coffee set! NICE!

My friends Nancy, Dave, Julie, Jennifer and The Captain!

My friend Jean. After a night of softball, she walked away with a cooler full of Corona! Start slicing the limes!

We had a great time!  Everyone was so generous and I was thrilled to be able to hand over  the cash to the band teacher, even though he is the reason my son has changed his career aspirations from being an orthodontist to being a middle school band director.  (In my best Stewie Griffin voice) “Damn you, vile man! You have impeded my work since the day he left my womb!”

Hahahahaha….Just kidding. No I am not.  Yes, yes I am!  It is a joke.  Not really.

Growing up / Part Deuce

Last night I had another lump in my throat, butterflies in my stomach moment with Boy #1 and I survived to write about it.  I am slowly getting the hang of this parenting thing!

Yesterday, as soon as the boy got in the car after school, he announced that he was meeting some friends at the skateboard park that is new in our town.   I think  I stopped breathing for a quick second and  just looked at him with a blank stare.  I knew that the skate park just opened last week.  We have driven past a few times and my boy would press his face against the window and gaze with adoration at the concrete structure.  He talked about his “ollies, push shoves, grinding, kick-flips” and other skater terminology that is like a foreign language to most parents.

I was a little panicked, but did not say much due to the fact that it is a proven fact that the more a parent discourages, the more the kid wants to experience it!  So I just said, “oh, that sounds like fun” and gulped my fear back down to the pit of my stomach.

We arrived home and he dropped everything, grabbed his board and off he went to find his neighborhood buds.   He called me a few times, letting me know that they were just skating at M.’s house, which is just a few blocks away.  All was well with the world at that moment.  Then the call came…

“Mom, can you please give me, Eddie, M and S a ride to the skate park?  Please, MOM?”  I reluctantly agreed, if only so that I was the parent that was there to supervise.   I thought I would sit and watch and make sure that nobody broke their neck! 

We chatted on the way over and I tried to keep my cool to not embarrass my boy.  I made no mention of safety or stranger danger, after all these kids are twelve and thirteen years old, but I really wanted to…oh, how I wanted to!

We arrived at the park and I pulled into the closest parking spot I could, in full view of the park.  I opened the hatch of the car so the kids could get their boards out and turned off the ignition.   The kids thanked me for the ride and hopped on their boards and rode off, all the while my boy looking at me with a look of  disappointment.

“Ummm…your not staying, are you?”  he said to me.  I told him I had planned on it and he very firmly told me “NO WAY!”  I quietly got back in the car, and drove away, calling Mr. T on the way to ask if he thought it was the right thing to do.  He of course laughed at me and told me to come home, they would be fine.

I got home and no sooner than when we started a pizza, the phone rang and it was my boy. “Mom, can you come back now and get us?”  I immediately thought something was wrong but was told by the boy with a little chuckle, that they were way out of their league and the skaters that were there were like professionals!  They were a little embarrassed by their lack of skills.

I drove back to the park, picked up the four boys and really enjoyed listening to them talk about their experience.  My biggest fear was that the older kids there would somehow bully, pick on or make fun of these younger kids and I was so relieved to hear them tell me that it was quite the oppposite.  They explained that almost all of the older teens really encouraged the young ones and told them to not be embarrassed, to get out there and try, because that is how you get better…keep practicing!

That was like music to my ears.  I was thrilled that the older skaters were so polite and encouraging to these boys, and I think it meant a lot to them too.  They talked about going back this weekend and trying again. We came back to Casa Teenie and Mr T. made a pizza for the boys.  They sat at our table and talked and laughed and had a great time.  My boy was going to spend the night at Eddie’s house so once the other kids left, I drove the boy and Eddie over.  When we got in the car, my boy and Eddie proceeded to tell me that I was “cool dealio” for taking them to the park and making them a pizza.  I scored big for that!

My boy said to me that he could not believe that I not only approved of him going to the skate park, but that I actually drove them there!  I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was so proud of me, relieved in a sense and also happy that he has a “cool dealio” mom!  He thanked me and with as much sincerity as a twelve year old boy can muster, he said, “Thanks for trusting me, Mom.”

I think I may have melted into a puddle at that moment.  I talked to Eddie and the boy a little about trust, and making good choices.  I explained that the reason I allowed it was because they have not given me a reason to NOT trust.  He smiled a ear to ear grin and my heart sang!  I then turned into Mommy Police and said that I did trust, and believe me, the second I ever find out that there is any kind of behavior that was off limits, they would be in so much trouble, they would not even know what hit them.  I include Eddie in this because he is like my third son, and I know I would have his parents permission to wallop him if need be!  I told them both that the second there was any funny business, they both would be transferred to a school ( I won’t mention the school name) that they both say is a school for nerds.  I heard Eddie gasp in the back seat and say “ohhhhhh…that would be the worst punishment in the world!” 

That is right, Eddie…straight and narrow.  Keep on the path and keep the boy right along with you!

Someone stole my glasses!

As mentioned in previous post, my boy #2 wears glasses.  His prescription is mild and he only needs to wear them at school for distance.  Yesterday when he came home from school,  I asked the usual questions.  How was your day?  Do you have homework?  What was exciting at school?

Then, just out of curiosity, I asked, “did you wear your glasses today?”  Without skipping a beat, my boy answered NOPE.  He seemed very unaffected by the whole conversation and very matter-of-fact explained that he lost his glasses.  About a week ago.  He said it like he lost a pencil…no shame in his voice. 

I asked if he asked his teacher.  He did.  She has not seen them.  I asked if he checked the lost and found.  Nope.  At this point, I am starting to lose my cool a little due to the fact that I am unemployed and I am still making payments on his glasses and cannot afford to replace them at the present moment.  My boy was casually washing a pear at the sink and I shut off the water and told him to get his shoes on.

We were going to take a little walk back to school.  It was then that my boy started to cry.  He could tell I was angry.  The whole walk to school I gave him the lecture about how expensive the glasses were, how he needed to be more responsible for his things.  I told him that he should not have waited a week to tell me that his glasses were missing and that maybe we would have had better luck finding them if we knew sooner.  His response?  “I think someone stole them!”

When we got to the school, we went into the office and I made the boy do all of the talking.  He quietly told the two office secretaries that he lost his glasses last week and wondered if anyone turned them in.  Sure enough,  someone had turned in a pair of glasses that were left in the computer lab at one of the computer stations.  They handed them over and we made the positive ID.  I sent the boy to his class room to put the glasses in his case.  We then walked home with me telling him the entire way that he is so lucky someone turned them in.  You see, we have a new “allowance” plan in place at our house and here is how it works:

Each kid starts the month out with a set amount of allowance.  Then, for each “infraction” (bed not made in the morning, dirty clothes laying on the floor, video games not cleaned up and put away) we will deduct .50 from the allowance.  I keep a notebook with the deductions.  At the end of the month, they will be paid the remainder of what is left.  I explained to the boy that if the glasses were lost never to be found, his deduction would be so big, that for the next year he would owe ME money at the end of the month!  Hopefully my point was made and the boy will start to take a little more responsibility for his things.  I am not holding my breath, but it is a nice thought!

Growing up.

I have always been a little on the cautious side when it comes to my kids.  Alright, actually a  bit more on the freakishly overprotective side.   I have been teased about it mercilessly from my family and friends over the last twelve years, but I don’t care.  They way I look at it, it is my job to protect my children, keep them safe because you don’t get a second chance.  There are enough freak shows around and scary stories on the news that make me want to keep my kids close by me and my eye on them at all times.  I never want to be the parent that says, “if only….”

Now that my oldest boy is growing up, sportin’ a little peach fuzz and getting ever so close to the scary teen years, I am trying hard to loosen up a little, slowly starting to snip the apron strings one thread at a time.  I have let him go to “Teen Night” at the local ice rink with his friends, no parents allowed.  The first time was really hard for me and I worried and paced the whole night.  Although the teen night ended at 10:30 PM, I told the boy that 9:00 was my limit and that his ride would be showing up promptly.  That was good enough for him at the time…until he got there and started having a ton of fun.  He called and asked if he could please, please, please stay until 10:30 PM.  I OK’d it, but only after talking with Eddie Haskell’s mom.  Eddie was there with the boy, and she was on board, so with a little pang in my stomach, I approved.

Now, my boy has never given me a reason to not trust him.  When I say be home at 6:00PM, he is walking in the door at 5:55PM.  When I told him under no circumstances should he ever cross over into the park across the street from his school, he never has.  I went to the same middle school and that park was notorious for gangs, smoking, a little drug action and worse.  It was the place the “bad kids” hung out before and after school and sometimes even during school.  My number one rule when he started that school was no park, not ever.  So far, he has not even looked that way, until recently.  A few weeks ago, as we pulled up to the curb, he asked if they could go over the park and hang out before the bell rang. Use your imagination, you will know what my response was to that request!  He was so angry with me, slammed the car door without saying goodbye, and sulked the whole way to the 6th grade door.  I felt terrible, but I was not going to cave.  Until I started sitting in my car, watching what exactly was going on in the park.  I noticed some of the boy’s friends, a lot of their friends.  They are playing touch football!  Nothing bad, no smoking.  As I watched with relief, I smiled when I saw the principal watching the innocent game of touch football, supervising along with one of the other staff members.  When the bell rang, the principal herded all of the kids up and they crossed the street all together, in the cross walk, of course.

When the boy came home that night, I told him I had a change of heart.  I told him what I had witnessed that morning and his response was “I know Mom, that is why we want to go over there.  We want to play football too.”  He was grateful for my change of rules and the next morning, the two asked if we could leave for school a little early.  I agreed and when we pulled up, they darted over to the park, dropped their back packs and joined the game already in progress.  The principal turned in my direction, smiled at me and gave me a friendly wave, almost as is he were saying, “It’s OK crazy mommy, I got it from here!”

Well, here we are with the first warm, spring like weekend.  Yesterday, the boy’s were outside all day.  Boy #1 and Eddie Haskell took their skateboards over to Eddie’s house, and I approved.  On their way, they ran into a couple kids they go to school with.  I don’t know these two boys very well, but I do know that they are good kids.   One of the kids mom used to head up the Market Day program at the elementary school, and I got to know her a little bit and the other boy’s mom owns a trendy little art gallery in town.  They both live in the neighborhood and although I don’t know them well enough to invite them out for coffee, I felt comfortable letting the Boy hang with these two boys.   My Boy called me and breathlessly said, “Mom, we are going to Nate’s house.  He has a half pipe in his backyard!”

The boys had a blast and my Boy was home right on time.  Each time they changed venues, he would call me and tell me where they were going to be.  Each time I said the same thing, “OK, thanks for letting me know!”  All night  he told me of the adventures they had that day, and I was so happy that he had fun, hung out with some nice kids and enjoyed the nice weather, which is so much better than sitting in front of the video games!

Today, right after lunch, Eddie called looking for the Boy.  Apparently, the same group of boys were going to meet on their bikes and ride around.  Off he went, just as excited as the day before.  About 15 minutes after he left, the phone rang and it was the Boy.  He wanted to know if he could ride his bike to the skateboard shop with the other kids.  Well, my first reaction was a firm “absolutely not.”  The skate shop is about two miles away, all of the travel time on a very busy street, passing the home of a very strange, clearly disturbed man that tries to sell empty milk jugs in front of his house along with other pieces of garbage.  I could sense in my Boy’s voice that if I did not let him go, he would never forgive me until the end of time.  I got the typical “everyone else gets to go, PLEASE MOM!”  I knew I had to let him go.   And I did, but not without feeling like I was going to cry (I didn’t) and not without feeling nervous and a little jumpy about it.  After all, isn’t a rite of passage, to cruise around town on your bike with the cool kids?  I remember doing the same thing when I was a  kid.  I reluctantly agreed, and gave him the “talking to” before we hung up.  “Do not talk to the strange man that tries to sell garbage, watch for cars, stay together and keep your cell phone on.”  He did just that, and within an hour he called and said that they were almost back to our neighborhood and everything went fine.  I could tell that he felt a little more grown up, proud to have been given that privilege.  I am proud of myself too.  This was a big step for me today.  I think we are both growing up!  I bumped into my niece at Target and I told her what transpired today.  I said, “you are never going to guess what I let the Boy do today”  When I told her, she smiled at me, patted my shoulder and said “Good for you Auntie, good for you!”

No one said this parenting thing would be easy, and let me tell you it’s not!  But it is the best, most rewarding thing I have ever done.  And hopefully as I snip threads one by one from the apron strings, my boys will grow up happy, healthy and safe from strange men selling garbage.

Here comes the SUN!

I am beside myself with excitement at the present moment.  Not only is the sun shining brightly and there are blue skies to be seen, but my parents are on their way here and I cannot wait to see them!   They should arrive sometime around noon.  I spent the entire day yesterday getting their guest bedroom ready, cleaning, washing linens and floors.  Yay!  I am a forty year old kid right now, and so thrilled that I get to spend the next week or so with my parents under the same roof!

This morning, I had to cook breakfast for Mr. T’s Breakfast and Basketball program so I was up very early to scramble NINETY eggs.  Yes, NINETY!  It did not take as long as I thought it would, but I had a helping hand in Mr. T. which was nice.  He did not get the whole “scramble” thing and insisted that I should just crack the eggs into the pan and then, you know, just mix them around a little.   So you can see why I do all of the cooking and he sticks with the laundry!

I am off to the grocery store now to pick up a few things in anticipation of my parents staying here.  I want to make sure I have some of their favorites on hand.  I need half n half for Mom’s coffee and a case of flavored water.  I will also stop at the local Italian market to get wine for my Mom.  The only problem is I have no idea what to buy.  I buy wine the same way I bet on the dogs or  horses…which one is the prettiest?  I will look at the labels and whichever looks the nicest will be the kind that I buy! 

Weather forecast calls for snow tomorrow and all I can say to that is BLEH!  So tired of that kind of weather!  It is April for crying out loud.  Someone send a memo to Mother Nature, please.  Snow, snow stay away, come again another day…like next December!

Tomorrow we will have a big family dinner at my house with my parents and Chuck, Ann and the kids.  No worries here.  The menu is already planned as my Mom is bringing a lasagna.  All the way from her house.  Cause that is how she does it.

One one last note, my sister in law is having a pretty major surgery on Tuesday, so if praying is your thing, send a shout out for her.   I know things will go great and she will be on the road to recovery lickety split!  She is going to have more help than she will probably need with my Mom being here, me being off of work.  This is the time for paybacks, but in a good way.  When I was really sick with pre-eclamsia with my first born, she was right there the whole time taking care of me with massages (I could not move) and combing my hair.  Neck surgery, check. I could count on her.  I did not even have to ask for help, but she was here, taking care of my kids and getting them off to school.  So although Ty and Emma surely do not want me to pack them a lunch and kiss them goodbye at the school door, I would do it in a second, if they would let me!    Love you, Ann.  Don’t worry about a thing.  We will make sure that everything is taken care of.  Just get better fast and remember, pain medication is your friend!

Weekend Update

I have been casually “called out” by my Dad about my lack of updates on the blog.  He commented last week that if I did not start writing more, he was going to permanently boycott Teenie Tidbits and never read it again.  I guess when you live in the north woods with no signs of life with the exception of a herd of deer that visit your yard nightly to feast on the corn you leave for them, you get hungry for a little entertainment!  So this update is for my Dad….

 

I was laid off from my job last week.  Don’t go feeling sad and sorry for me just yet.  I have actually enjoyed the first week so much, my husband is a little concerned that I may never work again.  Although that may have something to do with me skipping through the house in the morning, shouting “I don’t have to work today, I don’t have to work today…”  I have kept my house insanely clean, all of the laundry has been done each day (much to Mr. T.’s dismay) and I have enjoyed several long walks along the lake front with my best friend, Dewey.  I have even added to my cupcake recipes, had lunch with a Julie, had dinner with another Julie and scored my highest score yet on Bejeweled!  All in all, a very productive week! My friend Julie invited me out on Tuesday night for dinner and drinks.  She has obviously been reading my blog because it did not take her long to suggest Ron’s Place for a Pom-Pom tea and a 5 x 5!  Count me in!  We had a great time and I think we both realized that we need to do this more often.  She suggested maybe a Tuesday Night tea club?  Sounds good to me.

I have always wanted to be a Desperate Housewife but financially we have never been able to swing it.  When you are forced to make it work, somehow you can.  Once I got through all of the complicated unemployment gibberish, I started to find other ways to cut back on our monthly expenses.  We are going to be just fine. 

This past week, I helped Jordan and his buddy build a volcano for social studies.  We actually finished it about a week before it is due, which is a huge accomplishment in itself.  It turned out really good, and the boys are looking forward to “blowing” it up on Monday in class.  Before you look at it and say out loud, “that does not look like a volcano,” let me school you a bit, because I thought the same thing.  Apparently, there are several different types of volcano’s.  This one is a Shield Volcano, which means it’s appearance presents itself as a “hilly” piece of land due to the “accumulation of  fluid basaltic lava.”   That little piece of information comes right from their chart next to the volcano.  These two really know their volcano’s!

This past week was also School Spirit week at Jordan’s school.  Each day was a different theme.  Because Jordan’s best friend is very outgoing and crazy funny, he convinced my normally shy, reserved boy to go all out for a couple of the spirit days.  We can always count on little “Eddie Haskell” to bring many laughs to our day.  Here are the boys on “Decade Day” (choose a decade and come dressed accordingly.)

 

Duuuuude…aren’t they, like totally cool?

Here are some more photos from Spirit week.  This is from Twin Day.  Now, these two boys were certainly not going to go to school looking like ordinary twins.   Nope.  They were going to go as conjoined twins.  I laughed so hard that morning, I almost spilled my coffee when they came out from the bedroom.  When I dropped them off at school, they “fell” out of the car and all of their school mates were just cracking up!

 

So much fun!  And then finally, here they are on crazy hair day:

 

Now that I am not working, I really want to try to get this cupcake thing off of the ground.  I volunteered to bake cupcakes for the Art Auction held at Collin’s school Friday night.  Although I was not going to make any money from it, I thought it would be a good way to show people what I can do.  The incredibly talented Rhey Graphics made me quick little business cards to put out next to the cupcakes so I could start to spread the word.  I made three different types of cupcakes.  The first were a butter cake with a chocolate butter cream and bright colored sprinkles.  I thought these were really kid friendly.

The second kind were a chocolate devils food cake with a vanilla buttercream that I tinted fuschia.  I topped them off with some pastel sugar crystals.  I thought all of the little girls would love these due to the hue,  but truthfully I saw just as many little boys eating them as I did girls!

And the finale….my new Grasshopper cupcakes.  Although these morsels were very labor intensive, with steeping mint leaves in heavy cream on the stove, and then adding the strained mixture to bittersweet chocolate, I think they have to be my all time favorite.  I am not usually a fan of minty things, but these delicious cupcakes had just the right about of mint and because they were made from real mint, the taste was an earthy, true mint and not a candy cane, overly sweet mint.  I filled the cupcakes with the mint ganache and topped them with a vanilla mint butter cream that I tinted ever so slightly with a very pale, what else, mint green.

I think these beauties will be one of my faves for a long time to come!

Yesterday, I baked two and a half dozen red velvet cupcakes with a vanilla bean cream cheese frosting, topped with shaved chocolate and a strawberry for my friend (Tuesday Night Tea Club)  Julie.  It is her Dad’s birthday, and they are celebrating with their family.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures before I delivered them.  I may walk over there today and ask to snap a few before their festivities start.  I was slightly disappointed with this recipe.  The real, original red velvet is made with oil, not butter.  The first few times I made them, the whole oil thing made me a little crazy.  They tasted fantastic, but adding so much oil made me cringe a little.  I searched for alternatives to the oil version and I finally found one.  I made a few alterations and the result were a beautiful cupcake, but a slightly dry consistency.  I guess it is the oil that makes it “velvet.”  I am still learning as I go!  I think next time I will go back to the oil version and just close my eyes as I add the oil!

On Saturday afternoon, Mr. T and I went to a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club out at the dog track.  It was a Wisconsin Beer and Cheese festival.  It was packed and at $25.00 a ticket, I am sure that the the BAGC are going to make out like fat rats, which is a really great thing.  I am not much of a beer connoisseur, but I did try a few that were pretty good and some others that were…let’s just say unpleasant.  One selection was a smoky chipotle beer.  I cannot remember the exact name, but I thought, hmmm….I like chipotle, so I thought I would give it a try.  One little sip and I was in line at the glass rinsing station to rid myself of that sewage. YUCK!  I liked the more simple, light beers. I did have fun with some of the names of the beers.  I sampled a “Fatty Boombalattie” and some selections from the Horny Goat.  Nice.  Do their mothers know that their brewery is called that?  I really liked the cheese and brat samples and I even found myself in line placing a few wagers on the dogs.  That was more up my alley.  And no, I did not win any money!  Once we got home from the beer fest, we went to our neighbors for an “after party” and had pizza and more beer.  I opted for a cocktail and I was the only one.  What is with all of the beer drinkers?  When I was a kid, men were the only ones that drank a beer, and women would drink wine, an “old fashioned” or as my Grandma Rhey would say, a “highball.”  Yes, the days of the highball are long gone.  Now men and women drink beer and I know several women that know more about beer than I would ever care to know. What happened to the choice of Miller or Miller Light?  I guess I am a little out of touch (and old fashioned!) when it comes to the new fad that is micro brews. We had a great time and enjoyed great company and a lot of laughs! 

When we got up this morning, we had about two and a half inches of cold, wet, slushy snow.  Back in December if we would have seen such a sight on an early Sunday morning, my kids would have cheered and immediately started to put on snow pants,  boots and head to the garage for snow boards, sleds and ski’s.  This morning, when I opened the living room blinds, the only thing that was heard was a collective  GROAN!  We thought it was spring…Mother Nature apparently did not get the memo.  Mr. T. is out snow blowing now.  He is thrilled beyond belief.  Just what he wants to be doing on a Sunday morning.  Oh well, I know the rest of the day will be spent in front of the TV.  March Madness, BABY!  It is here whether I like it or not.  I may head back to the kitchen for another round of Grasshopper cupcakes.  I have the fresh mint and I hate to see it go to waste. 

All in all, a great weekend.  And I don’t even have to spend the day cleaning the house!  I have all day tomorrow!  Yippee!

Stressed out…then knocked out!

I have had stressful situations before and have recognized it and dealt with it accordingly.  Everyone gets to those moments where they feel overwhelmed and like they are about to crack.   I have often been on the other side, coaching friends on how to get through something difficult, encouraging them to take a moment for themselves, get a massage, meet me for a drink and talk (I really like to suggest that one!)

But now, I feel like I am about to explode.  If you have lived in a cave for the last fifteen months or so, let me bring you up to date.  The real estate market has gone from feast to famine.  It is incredibly difficult to get out of bed each and every day and go to the office with a smile on my face.  I am struggling with the fact that the rapid decline has nothing to do with marketing, advertising and my ability to generate new business and everything to do with the economy, the unemployment rate, the saturated inventory of homes and of course the enormous percentage of homes that are in foreclosure.  In other words, there is nothing I can do to fix it this time. 

Two years ago,  I would work until 7:00PM or 8:00PM on a Friday to get the agents ready for the weekend.  I would be preparing ads for Open Houses, putting together marketing packets to distribute at said Open Houses and of course get all of the showings scheduled for the 80 or so listings that we  had.  I was busy and I loved it.  I felt like I was part of the success that the business was experiencing.

Fast forward to March of 2009.  Now on Friday’s, I can walk out of the door right at 5:ooPM and head home, usually phoning Mr. T. on the way to ask where he was going to take me to forget my troubles.  Most recently, it has been Ron’s Place for a tea and a burger.  I don’t know many troubles that cannot be eased by a visit to Ron’s Place!   I know I am not the only one in the world that is experiencing this kind of helplessness over the state of the world, but it still does not make me feel any better.  But a Pom-Pom Long Island seems to help! The Pom-Pom is a Long Island ice tea made with Pomegranate and grapefruit juice.  So, really I am doing something good for my body, too.

Last Tuesday, I came home, and as usual I was crabby.  My darling husband is getting used to it, and tries to snap me out of it as best as he can, usually by cracking a really inappropriate joke.  Other times, he will just know what to do, and immediately starts to give me a hand in the kitchen, telling me to just go and relax and he will take care of the dishes. Nice!

On that particular night, I decided to crack open a bottle of wine.  I am usually not a wine drinker but with no sight of caffeine free cola to mix with my Jack Daniels or Captain, I figured any port in the storm, right?

I polished off two glasses of wine while watching TV in my pajamas and you know what?  I felt a little better!  And I did not even need the nightly dose of Tylenol PM to take me off to the land of nod.  I was already there!

Tonight, I am really looking forward to American Idol.  And I just might put on my pajamas and uncork another bottle of wine.  My Mom will be so proud of me!

OK…I get it now!

I never understood the draw of Facebook.  I heard many people talk about it, and I just did not get it.  What exactly is the purpose of this public forum to announce what I am making for dinner, or where I am going on Saturday?  More importantly, who the hell cares?  I know I am not the busiest Mom on the planet, but I have enough in my life to care about and nurture.  I work full time, have a couple kids that are busy with things and still have to maintain a household.  You know, feed my kids,  clean my house, pay the bills, run the errands, that kind of thing.  Oh, and tend to my blog!  I certainly do not need one more thing draining my attention. 

That is, until now.  After several “friend requests” through my email, I finally gave it a shot.  I signed up.  Once I was there, I thought everyone was a complete whack-a-do!  Seriously?  People spend time actually doing this?  Why should I care that so and so is getting ready to pick up her kids from school?  What is so special about that?  Don’t we all do that every single day?  Ugh. Whatever.   I cancelled my account.  Simple as that. 

Then came more comments from friends and relatives. “Hey, are you on Facebook?”  I gave it another honest try, and then it happened.   I re-connected with one of my best childhood friends.  Someone I have thought about many times the last twenty five years.  Because I cannot grasp the fact that I am now forty years old, I also cannot grasp the fact that it has been twenty five years since I last saw my friend!  Twenty five years? Seriously?

My friend grew up in the neighborhood that I now live in and I spent many Saturday afternoons hanging out at her house, playing, riding bikes,  having sleep overs.   Every time I drive past  that house, I  think about her and wonder where she is, what she was doing and how her life has turned out thus far.   And now, thanks to Facebook, I know! 

My old childhood friend, Leslie,  is living in California.  She is even more gorgeous than I could even imagine.  Her children are just as beautiful.  Her life sounds exciting and it is just as I would have imagined it to be because we mid westerners automatically think that everyone that lives in California must know someone famous, live near someone famous or is just…  famous!  My friend moved from Los Angeles to Malibu and now calls Santa Monica home.  She once worked for Vogue Magazine and  is married to a television producer and runs into “famous” people at the grocery store.   I hate to sound like such a celebrity stalker, but I am fascinated that my childhood friend calls someone like Brooke Burke a grown up friend.  Uh-huh,  that Brooke Burke!  My husband is suddenly interested in Facebook and wants to know what he  has to do to have Brooke Burke be his friend!  Whatever.

So now, we have exchanged emails and are starting to correspond and catch up and learn what each other has been up to over the years.  Being that it is a small world and all, my friend brings her son to a sports camp each year in where else, but good old Wisconsin!  And the so mentioned camp is only about an hour or so away from my parents resort!  We talked about getting together some time this summer.  I would really love that.  I told her that maybe we could organize a little reunion with our elementary school and neighborhood friends from long ago.  After all, there are many of us that still live here. 

 I enthusiastically told Mr. T. about Leslie, our childhood and how I found her on Facebook.  I told him about the camp in northern Wisconsin that my friend is bringing her son to this summer and about the possibility of having our little reunion.  His response? “Oh, that would be so great, honey!  Good for you!  I would love to meet Leslie.  Ummmm, can she bring Brooke?”