Proper or Adorable?

Every mom wants their child to speak using proper English. However, I know that personally there are some sayings I will miss. Tonight while staring with wonderous eyes out the car window at Christmas lights, cherub 3 exclaimed "that house is the AWESOMEST"!

This seasons fashions...

On Turkey day, mom was telling a story about knitting (at least I think that is how it started). Suddenly, I heard her telling hubby all about "topless mittens". I think BigSis, BabySis, Hubby, BIL & I were going to giggle our way right off our seats. Poor mom just didn't get why we were laughing~even after we tried to explain. She then proceeded to tell him all about the "flap that goes on and off the topless mittens". At this point, we told her she could now rename them "peepshow mittens".

Antique Hubby

Even though in less than 40 days I will be turning 40, it is hubby that is looking a tad antiquish. Last week I was walking by my bedroom window when I stopped dead.in.my.tracks. Outside hubby was bringing WHEELING out the trash to the curb. He was using.a.dolly. I was laughing so hard I could barely make fun of him! Sigh. We are getting old.

job blog stop

Get job. Stop blog. Seriously. I absolutely love my new career and our whole family has transitioned wonderfully. However, the house cleaning blogging has taken a hit. I am going to try REALLY hard to blog. So today...a few snippets. Sadly, I am truly in second grade! When I typed the post title, job blog stop, all I could think of is 'those are all 1 syllable words'. I need to get a grip (also a 1 syllable word).

Some things I know...

1) Cherub 1 is slowly entering the i.hate.my.mother tweenhood stage.
2) Cherub 3 IS taller than cherub 2 but is still the baby.
3) Cherub 2 has a softspot for his baby brother.

More Than They Bargained For...

As a new teacher, the first month of school is like a treadmill that you just.can't.get.off. Seriously. Honestly though, the most nerve wracking thing for me wasn't the first day, the first time my principal observed me, or the first mix-up on the job, etc.

Three words for ya: parent-curriculum-night.

It is the night all you parents come and fall asleep with your eyes open, check out the new teacher, ahem, spend an hour with me to learn all about the wonderful things I will teach your child this year. So basically, I have to be prepared to babble talk for forty five minutes straight!

That night, I arrived back at school 45 minutes ahead of schedule. I read over my material one last time, double checked my handouts, and shared some info with other teachers. With about 20 minutes before you were gonna size me up and down and ask me difficult questions I probably couldn't answer because I am new scheduled to arrive, I popped into the ladies room to change into my neatly pressed jackie o type dress and cute little sweater.

Dress off hanger.
Dress over head.
Zip and Clip
Shriek

The hook was broken off my dress so I couldn't get the dress zipped! It is in these times that someone's true personality shines. I blinked back tears, swallowed the swear on the tip of my tongue , threw the sweater over my bulging out side (zipper was on the side under my arm) and skuttled to my teacher friends room. I entered her room, red-faced and sweating, closed the door and told her that she was being initiated, like it or not, to be just like a roommate to me. That's right. She got to zip me (which entailed seeing half my naked self). I couldn't decide if I wanted to faint or cry from the embarressment. Zip. No darn clip. We decided that it was best to keep my

left
arm
down.

Ummm ok. I am Irish. I literally talk with my hands. For the remainder of the night I prayed that my dress would not pop open. I am sure that meeting the new teacher who was popping out of her dress was not what the parents had bargained for.

Next year, skirt and blouse.

10/10/10

September 10, 2010.
Abbreviated 10/10/10.
See you in 1000 years!
Seriously. Everyone should be playing the lottery with 10's!

What we WANT to say...

I said~ "Boys, don't wrestle."
I heard~ A large bang.
I heard~ Lots of giggles.
I heard~ A louder bang.
Cherub 3 said~ "OUCH! MOM! He bent my arm back!"
(I wanted to say "You Dope. You asked for that one.")
I actually said~ "Are you ok? Let me see honey..."

Thankful

Thankful for
hubby's strength, humor, unconditional love, and inventiveness.
hubby's whole-hearted support of my decision to go back to work.
cherub 1's sweetness, creativity, and determination.
cherub 1's positive energy and happiness.
cherub 2's sense of humor, creativity and determination.
cherub 2's imagination and ability to make one live in the moment.
cherub 3's sweetness, loving nature and determination.
cherub 3's love of tradition and ability to make one live in the moment.

Tick Tock

As a "change of lifer", I have been interviewing for a teaching job, thinking about interviewing for a teaching job, preparing for an interview for a teaching job, searching for an available teaching job, losing sleep over the lack of teaching jobs, for what seems like an eternity. I am exhausted.

I had another interview today which felt like it may have gone well, which means...
nothing.

I hope someone hires me soon.
Tick tock.
Off goes my working "internal clock".
If it takes much longer, it will be time to retire.

Mid-Life Crisis?

Jokingly, hubby has been teased a great deal recently because he seems to have started a traditional mid-life crisis. First came the monstersizedTRUCK:



Which was "needed" to tow the CAMPER that one of our neighbors hates and asked us to relocate because it was "highly visable from every aspect of her home":



Which led to the current OBSESSION BOAT:



It is a good thing he does not have a secretary we are HAPPY...



...so his crisis does not worry any of us! Enjoy mid-life hubby! xoxo

What's really in your nest?

Big Sis and I have a morbid agreement. If one of us dies, the other will rush over and clean out "that closet" before all the relatives get to our home to gather. You know, the closet or space that everything gets shoved into when you are having a party or if you are just being plain lazy when picking up. The pile of, ahem, stuff that needs to be sorted through but NEVER does until either 1)the closet won't close anymore 2)the crap falls out when the door opens or 3)a good friend opens the closet door by mistake and you feel mortified. So having said that, it seems like lately, ALL my closets are "that closet".

So, here I am, nesting. Nesting~ traditionally this action takes place right before a woman gives birth to her babies. A time when she cleans every closet, organizes, purges, makes everything ship-shape. I am nesting. Big time. I am on a mission to rid myself of dig myself out from under the 39 years of clutter and disorganization that I have bequested upon my home.

Do you know how many pens I found in the "craft bin". Let's just say, I'll never buy a pen , crayon, sticky, sticker, or googly eye again. I won't even tell you how many mittens were in this house! I have donated enough mittens to keep half of our state warm next winter.

One closet, one corner, one room, one bin at a time, our house is going to be like new!

Statute of Limitations

What is the statute of limitations on your favorite wardrobe item? I guess it's time to start purging here. My recent conversation with cherub 3:

Cherub 3: Mom, how old is your shirt?

(Pause to look down at my fav t-shirt that only has one tiny hole.)

Me: About 15 years old.

Cherub 3: Hey, next year it can drive!

Vroooom speeds the shirt right to the trash.

Trapped!

The picture doesn't do it justice but this is the construction at the end of my driveway. We can't get in or out with our cars due to the BIG hole. Happy sewer project!

They Do Hear Ya~ Keep Talkin'

Sometimes, we parents babble about things: elbows off the table, chew with your mouth closed, use your manners, be kind, the list goes on and on. The list can seem so long that we feel like drones...like the parents on Snoopy, when they talk it's "wha, wha, wha, wha". However, every once in a while the cherubs do something that makes you realize that some of that droning sunk in. :o) Hubby, this one is for you!

Cherub 2 brought home from school:

My Role Model is
"my Dad because at hockey he teaches me how to be a good sportsmanship."

Sweet Saturdays

After I ran a 5K with BabySis (below post) and said a BIG THANK YOU to hubby for shlepping the cherubs to their baseball and softball practices, we enjoyed a sweet Saturday:

Cherubs 2&3 battling and giggling during a hockey game

Cherub 1 & hubby building a bunny cage!

Cherub 3, our daily waiter, took orders for dinner after I asked hubby "what fine establishment will be making our dinner tonight"? He graciously accepted my hint not to cook! Love him!

So pooped from the day outside, cherub 3 fell fast asleep on my lap.
Sweet Nothings.
Sweet Saturdays.

Run, Run, Run

**Note** Completely unflattering pose of me (on right) with sistas outta control in old, baggy sweatshirt. Why, oh why did I forget my running jacket at home?? GREAT pic of BabySis (on left)! You go girl!!

A beautiful day for a road race! BabySis & I ran a charity road race today to benefit Breast Cancer. Here are our (typical) antics for the day:

*running our usual 15 or so min behind, put the "pedal to the metal" to arrive on time (yes we still live in the 80's)
*rely on the force to get there cuz we aren't so good with directions
*lock ourselves out of the car
*figure out a way in
*ran in the "flat,flat,flat" 5K road race (Margie lied!)
*renamed the road race "The Rolling Hills of NH" cuz it WASN'T so FLAT!
*our heads remained DOWN during the hills so we "couldn't see them"
*enjoyed the peaceful, colonial style atmosphere
*tried to keep up with twin of "Airbud",dog from the movie, who rocked the race
*tried to keep up with BabySis who didn't break a sweat
*got giddy when BabySis won a prize of cute basket with water bottle and candy
*cracked up when I won, appropriately, a "wine diaper", ahem, wine cooler (pic below)
*cured our caffeine withdrawal headaches with coffee and breakfast after race

As a person that is BLESSED to have TWO wonderful sisters, I cherish these days. Days that I can spend uninterrupted time with one of them, catching up, giggling and creating bonding memories. Love you BabySis!

My Cup Runneth Over

Cherub 1 is currently writing a book about a little bee. Seriously...she is becoming an author as we speak! She quietly told me today that she completed the dedication page and wanted me to read it. Below is the dedication page...

I would like to dedicate this book to :

My mom and dad who helped me write this book. They were also there for me when I needed their help. They helped me get through problems that I couldn't do on my own and made me feel much better by supporting me and telling me that they went through the same thing when they were my age. They understood every way that I felt. They understand me the way nobody else does. I love them sooooooooo much.



Of course, I cried when I read it! All I can say to you cherub 1 is thank you and WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN 1 MILLION CHOCOLATE COVERED MOUNTAINS!

Up to my neck in smarty pants!

Cherub 3: Mom, can I have some of my chocolate bunny?
Me: Sure!
Cherub 3: How much can I have?
Me: You can eat to it's neck.
Cherub 3: (Pause) Ok, then I'll start at it's feet! (Laughs)
Me: Good one! Nice try though!

Turning the Lights On!

It's like driving with your headlights off. Being an unorganized mom that is. Without organization you end up on the wrong baseball field, missing a registration deadline, running out of milk (again), forgetting dentists appointments, the list goes on and on. For some reason I have been on an organizing tear! You would think I was nesting the way I am acting.

I would like to give credit to The Happiness Project, my recent book club read, but that would be a half truth. I only actually made it through 3 chapters (before dying of boredom). The book was about a real life woman's quest to be happier, starting by being more organized. So quite possibly, the book was good for something. It sparked my nesting, turned my headlights on!

My house looks better, it is easier to find things, I waste less time, I stay calmer, I feel calmer. Well what do ya know, organization can make you happier. It only took me 39 years of driving in the dark to figure that out!

Keeping Me Going

I went to bed last night feeling sick. As soon as I ate dinner~ it all started so I feel like something I ate might have been spoiled? Anyhoo. Now it is the middle of the night and I am blogging because I can't sleep! It is kind of nice, kind of quiet in the wee hours. I had time to catch up on Sarah's blog (In the Trenches) and I must say, thank you Sarah!! I love the ticker tracker thing you suggested for keeping track of my running. I am taking your advice~ I added one to my blog so now it is out there. You can see what I am running (or not running). A few short weeks ago I accomplished this:

...but then I stopped. Sickness fell on the scale and my running fell to the wayside. Starting tomorrow! Thanks for the motivation Sarah!!

Perfection

Hubby will always keep them up later
He will always appear to be more fun
They will never appreciate my rules until kids of their own
I can live with that :o)
I would walk through fire for them
So would hubby.

Each day I cherish more and more
I appreciate the giggles, gangly teeth, mischievousness, innocence
Realizing that the first 4 years were a blur...
Knowing I can't get them back
This knowledge fuels me to cherish more deeply
Play more games, do less dishes & laundry (can I get away with that?)

Each day our bond gets stronger
We bond in different ways
Advocating for our cherubs
Ensuring their safety
Teaching them
Hugging them, loving them.

Not in balance
Not perfection
Not ideal
Not rich
Not in harmony
Yet, perfection.

Lingo Lango Lungo

If you have kids or have been around kids chances are you've seen the movie Monster's Inc. A hysterical animated film about monsters jumping out of kids closets to steal their screams. If you haven't seen the movie~ stop right here...this post will make noooo sense. If you have, enjoy!

As with any industry, the teaching industry has it's own lingo. This morning, hubby & I attended a teacher/parent conference for one of our cherubs. I was using industry terms such as differentiated, active learning, 504, and IEP. Hubby, a software guru by trade, said at one point while drowning in a conversation filled with teacher lango, he wanted to stand up and yell "2319! 2319!"

A Little One's Perspective

Cherub 3: Mom, when you were little like me, were schools invented?

Me: Yes, believe it or not, we did have schools back then!

I wonder how old he thinks I am??

Baby Nephew

Here is a borrowed post off of BigSis's facebook page. Had to put this one down in history as one of the funniest things Babynephew has ever said.

Having a nice family dinner, Nana is over and BabyNephew asks " was I born in a cab?" What??? I don't think you have ever been in a cab.... we have not seen Nana laugh that hard in a long time!!!

Time Check

When: Today
Time: 7:42am

Cherub 3: Mom, we gotta get up it is SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO!!

Me: (Giggle) You are right! We gotta get ready for the bus. We are running reeeealllly late if it is in the 700's!

Hubby is not a salesman, yet is a salesman at heart. My mom always says he could sell anybody anything. Her big line is that he could "talk a dog off a meat wagon". Tonight RLF, Kris & I were at our kid's Middle School taking a tour when we came upon a little art show. All the students had created artwork based on real life phobias. After checking them all out, I realized there was a rational explanation for my muchprefertakeoutsyndrome:

I have Mageirocophobia. Fear of cooking.

Think I can sell that one to him? That's my story...I am stickin' to it.

*Disclaimer* This is in no way meant to offend a true mageirocophobic.

PS- We actually decided I probably have fear of cleaning as well but I couldn't find the word for that one. I am sure he would agree because my house is SO messy right now it looks like it got robbed!

MB's Back

So it has been years since this chick has entered a road race. To be specific, it has been 6. That's right, I ran a road race a few months after cherub 3 was born and then I seemed to stop running when I unknowingly entered the race to become big and fat. Not anymore.

Sunday, I ran in the 1st of a 3-part running series. It was an Irish run, so naturally it started and ended at a pub.

Here's a quick recap of the race:

Hubby backed out of the race the morning of. Determined to do it, that didn't stop me.

40ish min wait for bathroom, I was in the MEN'S room (hey all the rules go out the door when you have to go and your limited on time) when the gun sounded. That's right, I wasn't there for the line up. Didn't let that stop me either, I hopped out of the bathroom, onto the street, saw the runner's waaaaayyyyy down the street and just started running to catch up.

Realized after the first few minutes that I was STILL running up hill.

Still running up.

Still running up. Questioning, is there a top to this hill?

Reached the top of the hill, rounded the corner and saw the cone saying '1 mile'. Yes, the first WHOLE mile was UP HILL.

Since I managed not to stop going up hill for a mile, all my nerves left me because I realized I could do it.

Ran. Mile 2.

Ran. Started seeing people running towards me. That is when I smiled knowing that I must be near the end. You know, all the CRAZY runners that run the other way after they hit the finish line (to show off) ehem, to get just a little bit more exercise in because the run wasn't long enough for them.

Ran faster.

FINISH LINE! For me a record, 34 min 10 seconds!

Cherub 2 asked me if I came in first. I told him I came in 142nd. He made a horrified face. I told him how wonderful that was. He looked at me like I was crazy. But for me, I finished. That was the beauty. No more entering the "race" to get big and fat. Now I am just in a big fat good mood knowing that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Can't wait for the 4 mile and 5 mile. Can't wait to assemble the other two thirds of this medal together. MB's back (even if I run in the back-wink)!

Dear Sarah,

I broke my promise to you because I told you I would FINALLY blog on Sat. I think it was because you all kept me up till 3am on Friday after the Black Eyed Peas Concert! We had so much fun I had to go to bed at 8:30pm Sat night to recover. The night definitely was a "Good Night"! This pic was taken from one of my neighbors that also went~ they had 4th row seats. Go Fergie. Ours were almost just like theirs. We were in the 2nd row...ahem, from the back! Nosebleeds and all, we had a blast. (Just don't dance to fast up there...kinda steep.)

Afterwards, we danced at two bars till closing time. Thanks to my girls for an awesome night. I still can't believe we found the 80's band with the flock of seagulls hair! We might have to become official groupies! As always, I am still giggling a week later. Love ya!

Love,
MB

PS to Sarah- I will start blogging now~3 months off is long enough!

Thud.

Open fridge door. Thud. A Nintendo DS crashes out of the fridge to the floor. So many unanswered questions there.

My Baby Doll

As cherub 1 grows up, figuring out what makes her tick can be more tangled than the hair knots after her nightly shower. Lately, she has slowly started to gravitate away from the little girl things like barbies, "playing house", etc. Yet, today was special. We ran our very own beauty shop. Cherub 1, her friend and I got all her American Girl dolls all gussied up for their "proms". We had a blast picking out glamorous outfits and shoes for each doll. I relished each braid, bow, and ponytail we put in.

Even though it was easier to untangle the knots of her dolls hair than those of her emotions as of late, I cherished each and every moment with my little baby doll and have locked this fun memory for safe keeping.

Santa's Belly

Over Christmas time, cherub 2 asked me how Santa's belly got so big. I told him it was probably from eating all those cookies everyone leaves him. He agreed and told me that Santa's belly was "so big it was like 17 cookies big"!