Totally irrational...

the degree of crabbiness I am feeling right now is totally irrational.  BUT it is April 11th - APRIL 11TH and it is snowing and sleeting and it isn't just that is happening today and has been happening for the past week but it is continuing to happen for the next ten days.  I cannot begin to express how ticked off I am about this news.  It is spring and yet we are still experiencing winter - and it hasn't exactly been a warm winter - so all I can do is rant and rave and share my frustration on my blog because that is also a completely pointless endeavor!  I know I have a bad attitude but I'm entitled.  I LOVE summer and it is never ever ever coming this year...

TTFN... 

Surprise!!!

And it really is a surprise.  After months and months of nothing but crickets I've decided to stop and chat for a bit.  It may just be a short drive-by as I don't know there is much to be said even after all this time but we shall see what seems to pour forth from my fingers (ha).

Things are good.  The job is good.  The kids are good.  The dog and cat are good.  Oh and the HotY is good too.  It is all good.  The weather however is not good.  It is March - you know March that time of the year when all things winter related are supposed to be packing up their bags and leaving town but this year these nasty winter guests seem to want to linger.  GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm sick of you and your white pasty snowflakes.  I want green grass and colorful bursts of flowers and sun - hot sun.  So go away cloudy skies and icy winds we don't want you here any more.  I know this may seem a little strong but really I have rolled up the welcome mat for winter and all his excess baggage.  Be gone.

Okay, I feel so much better now.  I can't tell you how long I have been waiting to get THAT off my chest.

Yesterday Barbara Millicent Roberts (renowned Barbie doll) and I celebrated our birthday's.  I still think she is a little bit fake but hey no one is perfect - not even dolls manufactured by Mattel. 

Syd performed in the Eagles Cancer Telethon in January.  Here is a You Tube clip if you want to check it out.  She was as calm as a cucumber. 

Lauren's soccer season is soon to start so she will soon be receiving her moments of glory and Alex is doing well as always.  I'm still trying to convince him that some day is he going to want to move out but right now he is not buying it - why ruin a good thing. 

And just to prove I had not ceased to exist during my absence here is a picture from the girls' Christmas concert in December.

 

TTFN...  and thanks for stopping by. 

The party's over...

After leading a life of leisure for the past two years it is now time to go back to the real world of full-time employment.

Yes, I have a new job and who knew starting over would be so hard or intimidating or nerve wracking.  When you have been employed by the same employer for a long period of time you know all the rules.  You know your boundaries, what you can do what you can't and how far you can push.  A new employer - all of those things you knew before not so much anymore.  Don't get me wrong I think I am going to enjoy the job and the challenge and it is something I think I can do well but still - scared, ambivalent and kind of sorry the party is over - but everyone knows no one promised life would be a party. 

Hey, here's a thought - maybe being part of the real world again will give me something to write about - heaven knows that has been lacking - so here's hoping :-)

Now get back to work - I know I am...

TTFN

Oh and since it has been so long since I have posted here are some pictures from the apple orchard and Halloween.  I'll get caught up one of these days.

I'm not ready for this...

FALL.  It's on the way.  The temps don't reflect the change of season yet but I know it is coming and we all know that does NOT make me happy.  Give me summer.  I want summer.  I need summer.  Please don't leave me summer. 

Fine, it's going to happen, fall is going to make an appearance but I DO NOT HAVE TO LIKE IT.

A sure sign the season is almost upon us is the start of school on Monday.  The girls headed to the classroom and were a little more reluctant and a little less excited than that first day of school in Kindergarten.  Where did the last five years go?  I don't know about you but I am not five years older (and winter is not coming ---- it's all about denial :-)) 

Here are the pictures. 

Lauren 1st day of Kindergarten

Sydney first day of Kindergarten

Lauren & Syd - first day of 4th Grade.

 



Alex doesn't start his fall schedule until Tuesday but soon everyone will be back to the schedule.

The secret room...

I would love to create a secret room in our house. A room only accessible by me and those I invite.  There would be a complicated lock and secret code just to insure there are no invaders.  The room would function as a bathroom.  A pristine bathroom, no toothpaste in the sink or on the counter or splattered against the mirror.  The toilet paper would always be replaced and the towels would be nicely folded and not thrown in a heap on the counter or floor (the water free floor).  All my makeup would be pretty and none of my lipstick would have smushed ends.  There would be no Barbies hanging out in the bathtub and the shampoo bottle would be right where I left it. 

This magic, private room would also contain all the items that I can never seem to find when I need them because they have been "borrowed" and sometimes replaced - but never where they belong.  These items would include good scissors (you know the kind - the ones that actually cut something other than paper), scotch tape, a round hair brush, a toothbrush (don't ask), Diet Coke, Ritz crackers, a laptop, paper, pen, a black Sharpie and my iPhone.  Oh and most importantly, the room would be sound proof.  No sound in - no sound out.  Not one "mom" able to penetrate my fortress.  Yep, some day I'm going to have a secret room.

Wanna come over and play?

TTFN...

50 years in the same canoe...

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday (their actual wedding date by the way).  Our family gathered in the BIG city on Thursday for a long weekend of fun and frolic and no crabby.  It went pretty well.  Okay, fine, I may have had a moment or two of crabby but I kept it pretty contained - just keep in mind it was a lot of family time and IKEA :-) 

During the next four days we ate, we drank and were merry.  Friday we spent the day on a BIG lake and although I used sunscreen I walked away with a BIG sunburn.  I'm talking glow in the dark, it's getting hot in here, I'm going to look like the tanning mom when this thing fades to tan, sunburn.  It's a little better today but still not pretty.  I'd say I am old enough to know better but I did think I was knowing better and used sunscreen.  No AD Sunscreen - NO GOOD!!! 

Other than that sunburn thing It was a fun weekend and I think my parents enjoyed the family time and really after 50 years they deserved to be celebrated - 50 years - with the same person - no one thrown from the canoe.  I think that is quite an accomplishment and testimony to love, perseverance and working it out!  Congratulations m & d (although as I was looking at the pictures from the weekend I noticed I have pictures of my mom and I have pictures of my dad but I don't have any pictures of them together - but I promise they were there - together - really, trust me :-) - I'm not making this up).

TTFN... Go celebrate love and marriage and enjoy the pictures...

The captain (my dad) and co-captain Lauren, she took her job very seriously. 

.

I could tell Sydney and my nephew Nicholas were having a very deep conversation on the beach so I took this picture.  It turns out she wanted to know what he was looking for in a girlfriend and was quizzing him on all the important things like what his favorite color is, what foods he likes to eat, what he likes to do on a date, what kind of skin he likes, etc.  She concluded her friend Gabriella would be a perfect match - of course Gabriella is only 9 and Nick is 20 but what's a little age difference.  I'm sure Gabriella's parents would be thrilled with the match. 

But the best part of that deep conversation was this:

Syd - I think I should bury you in the sand.
Nick - I don't think I would like that.
Syd - Well then I'll start with your mouth.

No one said the girl wasn't smart :-)

Sydney in her element enjoying the water, sun and wind.  And those sparkles on the water - I was informed those were the fish taking pictures of her. 

Mom, Jordan and Nick hamming it up.

I'll take this one!

I'm back...

at least for today.  I found out a few things about our little yellow winged visitor since the last time we talked.  It is a Goldfinch, which I knew but now I know I knew for sure, (say that three times fast) and it is not a Ms. Birdie it is a Mr. Birdie.  The reason he is pecking at our windows is because he picked our house for his "territory" and when he sees his reflection in the window he thinks he is another male Goldfinch competing for his territory so he is pecking at himself thinking he is someone else.  Oh my gosh that sounds like my life some days!  But he seems to have departed.  He was here last week but I have not seen him at all this week - maybe he finally found Ms. Birdie and they are off living happily ever after in some lofty tree.  It sounds like a nice story anyway.

Big happenings with the girls.  They went to Girl scout camp (it was hot and buggy but they had fun anyway),  This week Syd got braces and Lauren got an expander.  Lauren is having the harder time - the expander is tearing up her tongue and there is nothing you can do about that other than to just let it heal.  I'll be glad when this phase is over.  Oh and just to round things out Alex had the flu.  Yep, it has been all fun and games in the Crabby House.

I was going to write something else but I don't remember what it was now.  I'm sure it was earth-shattering whatever it was.  I really really really am going to write on a more regular basis but there has not been much to say.  I'll work on that but just to give you an idea of how things are going - this sums up the excitement level of my days

TTFN...

Oh and Lauren thinks she has found her "car" ummmm I think not!