Upcoming PTA fun

I have a friend who is super involved in her son's PTA (way to go!!) and I told her I would put a post up about their spring fun raiser. I haven't had to be involved in PTA yet but she has given me ideas to think about for this coming school year. (Grayson starts kindergarten this summer - yikes!!) Below are the details.

Join us Friday, April 24th at Dillard Drive Elementary School for a great fun-raiser! The Art Fair will start at 5:30pm and will showcase our school wide talents in our very own gallery in the Media Center. Bingo Basket will begin at 6:00pm in the school cafeteria and all are welcome! Stroll through the main hall while enjoying a mango ice from Rita's or some hot popcorn from the PTA. Visit the free art station and make a craft to take home. Check out all our baskets from businesses like Home Depot, Beverly Nail Salon, Trader Joe's, Massage Envy, Monkey Joe's, Learning Express, Target, The Chocolate Bean, REI and Starbucks (just to name a few!). Plus, there will be Family Night and Couple's Only baskets for lunch or dinner at Moe's, Bentley's, House of Biryani, NY Pizza, Red Robin and Carolina Ale House (among others!). Need a weekend getaway? We just might have that too! Come try your luck and help our school at the same time! Hope to see you there!

What?! Me? Sarcastic? Never.

I'd like to say that I'm not sarcastic. That I don't love the irony in life. But it just isn't true. When Jeff and I argue, I have a bad tendency to get very sarcastic. And, often, when I make jokes, there is always at least a tinge of sarcasm or irony there.

I don't know where it comes from. Does it really matter? I mean, seriously. I do know that the only person I know more sarcastic than me is my friend Don. He can have a very biting sense of humor at times. Love it!!

So, anyway, the point here is that I have a new author I love. She's funny in a sarcastic, ironic, biting, self-effacing way. Her first book is "Bitter is the New Black" and I laughed out loud way too many times. She writes like she is having a conversation right next to me. I'm reading her second book, "Bright Lights, Big Ass" ("A self-indulgent, surly ex-sorority girl's guide to why it often sucks in the city, or who are these idiots and why do they all live next door to me?" see? funny, right?). Funny as well. Written a little differently but still, laugh out loud funny. Give it a try.

We might have to wrestle for it

This is the comment Jeff made last Thursday night when Grayson decided that he likes tamales. In the last couple of months, we have seen an increase in the foods Grayson will eat. And he's already a great eater! He's been eating sauteed spinach and roasted asparagus, as well as the common veggies (corn, green beans, peas) for a long, long time. He loves tacos, pesto pasta, and homemade pizzas with feta cheese. He also eats the normal kid cuisine foods (hot dogs, grilled cheese, hamburgers, tacos).

A little over a month ago, we had edamame. Grayson adored it. Two weeks ago he ate five ribs. We were amazed. None of the other kids we regularly hang out with would even think of touching ribs. Jeff said then that Grayson was starting to eat enough of "his food" that I would need to increase the quantity I cook. Then, one night I made homemade chicken pot pie. You guessed it - he ate A LOT of it. Not just enough to make us happy. He ate where we didn't have to ask him to eat xx number of bites. Then, as if it wasn't enough, he asked for leftovers for lunch. (His teachers always ask him what he has since it's not the normal PBJ lunches.)

The big event those was Thursday night. I made tamales for Jeff and I. I really didn't think Grayson would like them so I made cheese tortillas for him. Right after prayer Grayson looks at my plate, then Jeff's, then asks "What's that Mommy?" "Cheese tamales. Do you want to try it? It is made from corn. You like corn. Then it's filled with cheese and green chiles. It isn't hot." Sure enough, he wants a bite. Then another. And another. Now, I didn't make enough for him as well. So Jeff says "We might have to wrestle for the tamales Grayson!".

I'm not complaining. You kidding?! This is wonderful! A little strange among our friends but great for us. So, I guess I need to start cooking for three people in the house now - not 2 1/2 people. :)

Thought for the New Year

Each year Jeff and I make a list of all the things we want to accomplish. A majority of them are things around the house - caulking, overseeding, add plants, etc. Rarely are they the standard "lose weight" type goals. But one is always there - define a budget for the year.

This upcoming year the budget will be the top of the list. And, really, is it any wonder? The economy is in the toilet and doesn't seem to slowing down as it heads for the sewers. Job markets are unstable, house values are declining, and retirements have been knocked flat. We as a society have gone too long thinking that more is better. And credit is like having free money.

maybe because things are so bad, I've been watching the Suze Orman show some lately. I really enjoy her frank comments and her no nonsense attitude. So, with the budget for next year in mind, I've decided to check out some of her books. I'd like us to not only have a budget but to become fiscally secure and strong. I don't want us to worry again about job losses or house values. It means things will be tight, I'm sure. And there will be lots of "no we can't buy that" in our house. But that's ok. Jeff and I will be better off and Grayson will learn that there are more important things than more "stuff". Wish us luck.

Big Brown envy

It's that time of year when children behave, kitchens are filled with sweet smells, and houses are decorated gaily. It's also the time of year that I experience envy. Specifically Big Brown envy. I'm talking about where you see the UPS and FedEx trucks driving through your neighborhood several times a day. They leave packages at all the houses it seems but yours. Yes, I want a package!

Why? Hmm, perhaps it's the anticipation of what the box holds. The unexpected surprise. Or perhaps it's just the sheer fun of opening a box, even when it's something you ordered yourself. Likely though it stems from my past career.

I worked in advertising before having Grayson. I was a Senior Media Planner and Buyer. And to the average Joe, that means nothing. In real people language - I'm the one who decided how the ad budget was spent. As you can imagine, sales reps want you on their side. They want to be "friends". They want the money! Visits from sales reps used to mean you would get some little trinket with their magazine/newspaper/website/tv channel logo on it. But at Christmas? Oh at Christmas the boxes would come. Not from everyone mind you. But enough would come that others in the ad agency would start making frequent trips to the media department in search of chocolates, cookies, and such. And food wasn't all you got. I have in my house a silver Tiffany picture frame (blessedly not engraved!). I received wine, turkeys (yes, as in more than one), gift certificates, and spa bath stuff.

The last few years I worked, the free goodies were less and less. Ad revenue was not as high and budgets were just not there for lots of holiday goodies to any but the biggest of spenders. My agency still received cookies and candies, just not in the same quantity. And I think all the years in advertising spoiled me at the holidays. I became accustomed to the boxes. I don't miss advertising. And I don't' truly miss the boxes. But it sure is cool when you get one! I hope you get at least one this year!

Latest Grayson photos

I haven't put many photos of Grayson up lately. Here are pics from Halloween and singing in choir. Enjoy!!

If only.....

I could say what I want right now. There is something I so want to blog about but.....I don't know who is reading this. No, it isn't a political blog. Spare me. The election is over and done. It's that I don't know if the person who said something to me today reads this. I doubt it, but, well, I have the kind of luck where they would read this.

So what's my solution? Drinks tonight with a girlfriend. I'll vent there. I've already vented to another mom and that helped too. All I will say is this:

Moms don't need to be lectured too. We have it hard enough. We already worry that we aren't doing the best we could. We know that we make mistakes. But we trust that our children know we love them and would do anything for them. There. Not much of a blog. I'm sorry. But oddly enough, I feel better. For all you moms out there - WAY TO GO!! Keep up the hard work!!

Finally it's done!!

The guest bath is finally done and it looks FAB-U-LOUS!!!! I love it. It was a lot of work but not really hard. Just time consuming. Well, and all the little stuff that went wrong but why harp on that. :) So here are the pictures. We put in the bronze fixtures and accessories (towel racks, etc), new tile floor, new cabinet, and granite counter.

Where are the squirrels?

We've worked hard on our yard the past five years. It isn't perfect but it is nice. We even laid sod in the back yard three years ago. That was a long and tiring process since we did everything by the book. You know: till, add topsoil, amend with lime, smooth out, then lay the sod. So, we try to maintain our hard work. In years past, we've had acorns to pick but not like this. For the last two Sundays, we have spent several hours, on our knees, picking acorns. I kid you not. The pile you see pictured is from just the front yard and collected in less than two hours. The bucket is what we used. That pile represents SIX full buckets! And we aren't even halfway through the back yard.

Which makes me wonder - where are the squirrels? For years, we have lamented the little holes the squirrels dug, hiding their food for the winter. Our cat would sit for hours at the front of the house, twitching his tail and making these weird noises. Not so this year. Really. In the last week, I've seen two. That's all two. Are we facing a harsh winter? Did the squirrels get scared away? Let me know what you think!

Changes

Two weeks ago I went to my gynecologist for my annual. I've been noticing some changes - nothing serious - and thought I'd ask him about it. Things like irritability, not sleeping well, quick mood changes, irregular periods, and here's the big clue - hot flashes. Yes, I'm in perimenopause. Oh the joy. Add this to the small but increasing amount of gray hair I'm finding and it's just a stellar month! For the record, I'm now 42 (as of today) and this starts in your 40's.

I knew it was coming. And I thought this would be his answer. But still it's a little unnerving. I mean, it's one more confirmation you're getting older. I don't mind the idea of not having a period anymore. Really, who would? But, why is a different story.

I came home and told Jeff the news. He took it like a typical man (meaning his only comment was "OK") until I told him this could last up to 10 years. Then he just looked at me. He has been on the receiving end of the mood swings and crankiness a lot lately. He just looked at me a LONG time. I think he was dazed. His next comment - what can I (meaning me not him) do for it? Answer - low dose birth control pills.

I don't really want to do that. I don't know why. I enjoy the freedom of not having to remember taking it. (For those who don't know, Jeff was snipped three years ago.) And the savings is nice too. But after this weekend, I think I'll have to go on it. I really was a *itch to both Grayson and Jeff. Jeff is one thing, but Grayson can't understand all this. And he shouldn't have to.

So, I can't believe I wrote this. Southern ladies don't talk about these things in public. But, then I thought, I don't know who's reading this. And the ones I do know about, I'd tell anyway! Something to look forward to ladies!

Update on the bath - yet again

So this time, it's good news. The plumber came today and he saved us money! I KNOW!! How often does that happen? Anyway, he figured out how to get the drawers out of the vanity in no time. Apparently there is some little "trick" to it. He told me he does a lot of bathroom renovations and sees this a lot more lately. So, the pipes do not need to be moved!! (I love this plumbing company anyway - they have always steered me right, been honest, timely, and, here's the kicker, one of the cheaper quotes! When you find a goodie, keep them!!) Whew!!

The Money Pit

That's what this bathroom renovation is. The money pit. I don't know if you ever saw the movie but I feel like I'm living that right now.

We thought, after getting the tile down and the light fixture moved, that we were coasting toward easy street. Who was I kidding? It never works like that. We McMullans (my maiden name) are notorious for having stuff go horribly wrong.

This weekend we decided to install the cabinet and vanity. We measured where the pipes were in the wall so that we could drill the holes in the cabinet. And, yep, here's where the problem starts. The water pipes are perfectly lined up with the drawers in the cabinet. Meaning we would never be able to get the water shut off in an emergency. Why don't we just take the drawers out if such an emergency would happen, you ask? Because we can't figure out how to get the drawers out. Seriously. I know it shouldn't be hard. But after 45 minutes of working with the drawers, they won't come out. So, see, that's a problem. Because you just know that you aren't going to have 45 minutes to fiddle with drawers if there's a water break.

So then we thought, why not just put a hole between the open space under the sink and the drawers. We could simply reach through and turn off the pipes that way if necessary. The problem there is that there is a support board there. A 2 inch board. And, I'm not so keen on messing up something that helps it stay stable.

The only solution we could come up with was to have a plumber come and move the pipes over a few inches. I know, I know. The cost! But, what else can we do? Seriously, if you know something, share it with me!! We need a plumber anyway to put in the shower/tub fixtures so we'll have him do it all at once.

Now, one more kicker. The vanity top. The one I loved. It was marble and oh so elegant. Not happening. We have taken the top back three times now due to cracks. We discovered that this weekend too. After returning the third one, we agreed that we aren't meant to have marble. We found one in granite we like At Home Depot. And it's cheaper. So that's sweet. But still - the marble was just gorgeous. But if it was so susceptible to getting chips in the padded box, can you imagine what a five year old could do to it?

Bath Renovation, Part 2

At this point, living in an apartment looks good. No, seriously. This bathroom renovation is just awful! Here's where we stand now.

The tile floor is laid and looks great. Wasn't hard to do, just time consuming. Spreading the grout was a little harder but not much. Again, just took a while and the cleanup was more physically strenuous than I thought it would be. (Who knew you would need to scrub the tiles three times, hard, to get the residue off?!)

After the floor was laid, Jeff and I thought the best thing to do next would be to sand the areas of the wall that were dinged in the gutting process. We also decided to move the light fixture box so it would be centered on the vanity. Yes, you read correctly. The light box was not centered over the vanity in the first place. Now, you may recall from a previous post that the original light fixture was glued to the wall. We discovered a month ago, after patching the sheetrock from the glue, that the box wasn't centered when we hung up our new fixture. See, the original light was one of those hollywood globe lights that are standard contractor grade and it never showed up. The new fixture made it very apparant.

My husband is very handy. He went to Lowes and found all the stuff he needed to move the box. It was supposed to be as simple as adding a piece of wood to the 2x4 and then attaching the box to that. The box only needed to move over about 2 inches. Well, get this. The original box was never attached to the 2x4. It was simply pushed into the sheetrock. Yep. That's right. The box was attached to NOTHING!! I kid you not. Who does this kind of crappy work?>! Once again, a 30 minute job became a 2 hour job.

Not all TV is bad

As a parent, you are bombarded with news articles and "helpful" moms telling you not to let your child watch TV. It can lead to obseity, lack of attention in school, lower IQ, etc. While that could be (and probably is) true, not all TV is equal.

We are very careful about both the amount of TV and the type of programs we let Grayson watch. Not just because we believe everything we read but because, well, it's not really needed to have a fulfilled childhood. I believe that creativity isn't sparked by watching the TV. But I also know that there are, in my oh so humble opinion, times when it is justified in this house. Grayson knows he can watch a short show before nap and bedtime. Contrary to any media reports out there, this settles my child down. It's part of his routine and he knows sleep is next. He also watches sometimes when I'm sick or need to get something done and can't with him around my feet. You know what else? I also know that I watched TV growing up and I turned out just fine.

So, what does he watch? Well, a lot of PBS. Sid the Science Kid, Zula Patrol, Jakers, and Cyberchase are some of his favorites. He also loves Scooby Doo. Come on! What kid doesn't love Scooby Doo>!? Heck I still like it!

Here's how I know that it isn't all bad though. Today, coming home from a birthday party, my son decides to tell me all about the moon. Why we can only see one side. How the other side is in the dark and why. And more. And he had it all right!! Now, Jeff and I didn't tell him this stuff. This is straight from watching Zula Patrol! Not only did it entertain him, but he learned something!! How cool is that?! So, all TV is not bad. And it isn't all equal. But most of all - I'm doing something right. :)

Family Exercise

Over the last few months, Jeff and I have taken up jogging (well, more like a jog-walk combo for me). We haven't been as consistent as we would have liked but we are trying. Last Friday Grayson asked to go with us. (Clarification - we have been jogging individually, not as a couple. No calls to Social Services are needed! :) )

He did a great job! I was really impressed. And humbled. We went .8 mile. He was tired at the end but not so much that he didn't want to do it again. So, today, we went again. This time we ran just shy of a mile. He needs to walk a little more than Jeff and I but that's ok with me. I think it's great he wants to exercise. Along the way, he makes us work a little harder too!

Stinky Feet

My son has some seriously stinky feet. I know it's from all the running and playing he does. He gets VERY sweaty and, well, feet sweat. Now before you ask, yes I do bathe my child. I also wash his shoes and the insoles. Heck, I even put Spray-N-Wash all over the insoles. (I don't want to even think about when he's sixteen!!)

Yesterday he wanted us to smell his feet. He finds our looks and exclamations hysterical when we get a whiff. I asked him why he thought his feet stank. His response? "There must be some kind of natural environment that makes my feet stinky." I kid you not. It cracked me up so much I wrote it down right away. Seriously?! What 5 year old talks OR thinks like that? You know you'd laugh too! Heck, I'm smiling now. My little erudite son.

Turning 5!

I know, I know! I should have done this over a week ago! Hey, it's been a little crazy here and I just haven't had the time. Anyhoo, I said I would write about Grayson turning 5, so here it is!

Almost two weeks ago Grayson turned 5! It seems like just yesterday that he was walking and starting to talk. The time really has gone by fast! For birthdays in the past, we've been low-key, relative to other parties here. We had one at our pool when he turned 3 and last year, for his 4th birthday, we had a playdate at the park. But, this is 5. It's big to kids. They can now have a lot of toys that were off limits before. For many, they are starting kindergarten. Somehow, kids just instinctively get that 5 is a big year.

This time, we had his party at a local gymnastics facility. Grayson picked a pirate theme months ago and I was lucky enough to find most of the things at the dollar store. I made, in my humble opinion, the cutest cupcakes! I;m not good at decorating cakes and cupcakes. Baking in general I have covered! But the decorating part? Yeah, not so much.

Seven of his friends were able to make it. It was a great size because all the kids were able to do things many times. There was the rope swing, the trampoline, the foam pit, balance beam, tumbling, and more! For the most part, the pictures did not turn out well. Lighting was just too dark.

Most of the gifts were Legos. I don't even want to comment on the floor in the bonus room right now! However, Jeff and Grayson love it. The best part at the end, for me, was watching all the kids crowd around Grayson as he opened pictures. All the oohs and ahhs! So adorable!!

Where have we been?

I know I haven't written in a week or so. Grayson turned five on Aug. 25th (another blog on that) and then we traveled to Texas for the holiday weekend. Between those two events, I stayed crazy busy!

My in laws live in San Angelo, which is on the west side of TX. It takes us almost a day to travel. Because there are few flights into San Angelo, we typically fly into Austin and then drive the rest of the way. By the time it's done, all three of us are just pooped. Jeff's parents are in their 80s so it is very important that we make the time for Grayson to see them. This trip was a little harder for me than usual since my uncle passed away two days prior.

I don't come from a large family. And usually that's ok. But we've had two deaths now in the last year and we're getting smaller. I loved my uncle very much but there was no way I could make the memorial. My husband's family needed to take precedence. On top of which, the death wasn't unexpected. He had been sick for a few years now and his health had been failing. I know he's in a better place but it's still hard losing a loved one. I pray that my mom and aunt found strength and comfort this past weekend.

There really isn't anything to report about San Angelo. Seriously. Nothing. And we've never had much chance to see Austin either. This time, though, we did get a chance to see the bats emerge from Congress Avenue Bridge. Usually the bats leave the bridge at dusk. Not this time. Sometimes they leave later if the insects aren't plentiful enough (come to my house - we have LOTS!). This was one of those nights apparently. Jeff couldn't really see anything since it was quite dark. Grayson and I barely made out the bats leaving. Kind of anti climatic. But at least we've done it. I don't have any pictures because, well, it was too dark!! So, here's a link at what we should have seen. :)

http://www.batcon.org/home/index.asp?idPage=122

Blast from the Past!

Last night I reconnected with my best friend from high school. I've tried to find her in the past a few times and have been unsuccessful. Reunions were of no help since our class council was, and still is, useless (they're the ones in charge of that, you know!). Thankfully Denise always keep looking for me!

We talked for such a long time last night and it was so nice! In high school we were like sisters. We were into so many things. Most need to stay between us! ;) (I don't want to think about Grayson and high school right now!) I had forgotten some of what we did but we talked and laughed and it felt great. And, we found out that we have some similarities even now in life. How great is that?!

I have made a conscious decision that we are going to keep in touch. I hate that we lost touch in the first place. We live in such a mobile society now that it becomes difficult to maintain friendships without that conscious effort. She now lives in Columbia SC where all of my relatives are!! Her daughter is in Rock Hill where my parents are! What a small, small world. Here's looking to seeing her soon! :)

Kill the computer!!

My husband is a computer programmer. As such, we collect computers. That's ok. We made a deal when we got married - he doesn't comment on my shoes, I don't comment on the number of computers. So far, so good.

Today, without any prompting from me, Jeff decided we needed to rebuild a computer for Grayson. One that would actually work, have all the keys, and, in a pinch, be used by us as well. So out came three computers we had laying around the house. After figuring out which one is best for the job, he started taking this and that from each one. Next step - destruction!!

Grayson and Jeff had a fantastic time destroying the computers!! Heck, I've wanted to do this same thing to a computer before! It was definitely a moment worth capturing. Enjoy the photos. (Disclaimer - we in no way condone the mindless destruction of technology. And, as always, safety first!) :)