End of the school year...

So...my goal this summer is to get on my blog and create some witty writings at least three times a week. Of course, I'm going to feel victorious if I get on here three times during the whole summer, but that's neither here nor there.

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of school projects, homework, teacher gifts, parties...it goes on and on. Sometimes I think that it's ME being graded on things for my boys, surely the teachers can't think that my children are doing all these things themselves.

It's "Teacher Appreciation Week" at Littleboy's school, and I tried to be as creative as possible with Miss C's gift. At one point she and I had discussed my husband's wonderful ability to make sushi for us at home. It's SO great that he makes it, really, it is...who has money to go out all the time in order to self-medicate with sushi?? She had said to me "Oh, how great for you, I wish I knew how to roll my own sushi!" So for her gifts, we have given her things to make her own sushi, different items on different days.

Today I sent in a book on how to make sushi, plus chopsticks, nori (seaweed), and a bag of rice. I neglected to think about how "easy" it would be for Littleboy to carry this to his class...a 5 pound bag seems light to me, but watching him carry it (along with the other gifts) did cause my husband and I to chuckle...poor little skinny kid.

Tomorrow is his class party, should be fun! (translation: should be loud, chaotic, and crazy-making). He is just as excited about it as I am!!! Maybe someone will be buying Xanax for the teacher as her end of the year gift....

Wish me luck on cracking open this blog more often...coming up soon: hubby and I paint the exterior of the house...I'm going to cause that man to weep with frustration, I'm sure.

OldestBoy

So, OldestBoy is on his second international trip (he went to Japan in November). He's in Florence, Italy today...sleeping as I type this (better be). His tour guide has posted a couple of pictures of the group, one a great group shot...the other a really out-of-focus picture of what I believe to be, high school kids riding in a gondola...or a camel floating on a beanbag..one of the two.

This child is going to see the Sistine Chapel...the Pope...Pompeii...everything I've always wanted to see, and hopefully will, one day. I hope he truly appreciates the "fantastical-ness" of this adventure he's having. I certainly do.

He's only going to be gone for 9 days total - it seems like it's an eternity. How in the world will I cope if he decides to live elsewhere to attend college? I think I'll lose my mind. It's not that I don't have plenty of kids around here to occupy my time...keep me hopping...create dirty laundry; but when one piece of this hectic puzzle is missing, things just aren't the same.

Sleep well, OldestBoy, your momma loves you so much (and really misses you alot).

So here I am...

...sitting in the new location for our office, and quietly reflecting on the tortured *heck* the last few weeks have been in this house. Yes, we DID move the pool table back up the stairs (the stairs have a turn at the landing, did I mention that before?), and we did move the big boys back downstairs...each into his own room. Littleboy and Babyboy now share a room, along with all their toys, and the office is back into it's original location.

I have cleaned every single closet in this house, removing bags and bags of clothes and toys to either be donated or sold. I have organized file cabinets, refolded towels and sheets, separated Legos from pirate warriors, climbed to dangerous heights (to me, anyway) on a ladder, restocked light bulbs, bought "mature" drapes (in lieu of Peter Rabbit drapes) and even bathed the cat.

Let's see...I've also replaced all the air conditioning filters, cleaned and organized my pantry, brought cupcakes to Littleboy's school, had a couple of meetings with the new accountant, and debated with the repairman about the humidity sensors in the (then) non-drying dryer.

The household budget has been reworked...somewhat (see: met with new accountant) and I learned that we will be perpetually broke. I've organized clothing and accoutrements for Oldestboy's trip to Italy this week, the ceiling fans have been dusted, snowboarding boots packed, and a dinner consisting of 450 gyoza (potstickers for Japanese folks) was pulled off without a hitch.

All this to say...if you happen to talk to me anytime soon, and ask me how I'm doing I'm going to say "I'm tired!"...and I'm really, really going to mean it.

Overwhelmed and "undermotivated"

A common topic of discussion lately seems to be how overwhelmed my girlfriends and family members are. I've been waking up every morning with a ton of things hanging over my head. Part of me hopes I'll be able to get to them all, but another part of me knows..."ain't no way I'm gonna finish".

Just this morning I was taking a stroll around the yard with the fella who mows my lawn. (Hubby can't do it (he's working all the time), Oldesboy and Middleboy are swamped with schoolwork and crew...and I just don't have time...so it's an expense we've managed to work with.) He was showing me the spots of crabgrass that need to be dealt with, and telling me what kind of somethings I have to put into the spreader-thingy and push around the yard. I think I got what he said, I know my eyes glazed over a couple of times, but I think I got the gist of it. Now, while I have the funds to pay "lawn fella" to come once a week, I can't afford to get any extras with him. The weeding, trimming trees, etc., all fall to me.

Lawn fella is walking and pointing and telling me to get the rake out and rake a couple of bad spots, "Or, you can pull these sections out by hand"...and I'm thinking in my head "When exactly am I going to have TIME to do this?" I have weeding to do, the trees need to be trimmed, my screened porch and pool are just a mess from the winter...but then there's the taxes, the new self-employed health insurance issues to straighten out, and the afore-mentioned moving of rooms.

Oh, and don't forget that Oldestboy needs help going through the maze of paperwork in order to apply for every college scholarship under the sun, Middleboy's backpack needs replacing and I think the oil needs changing in two of the three cars.

*sigh* I'm overwhelmed, I tell you. I keep making to-do lists after to-do lists, and the piece of paper now becomes two pieces. Maybe one day, when the kids are all grown and out, and Hubby is retired, I'll get to it...or not.

We're moving furniture...

AGAIN.

Lately Middleboy has been saying that he doesn't like having his bedroom upstairs in our bonus room. He shares the space with Oldestboy, and it's a pretty large area. They have bookshelves and dressers, an entertainment center with all the xbox accessories, a desk, and about 15,000 books full of Pokemon cards from when they were 10 and 8.

Oh, that and 10 tons of clothes that they don't wear, yet don't want to get rid of.

*big, big sigh*

Since Hubby is now working at home, we need to move his work area into the bigger room downstairs that currently houses the pool table and full-size drum set. It has french doors, a wooden floor, etc...much more professional looking. (Right now hubby is working in the spare bedroom that has a Crayola ceiling fan and glow-in-the-dark stars all over the ceiling.)

So, to summarize, here's what's going to go down:

1. Move Oldestboy bed and dresser down to bedroom number 2.
2. Move Middleboy down to (well, the hallway at first).
3. Move office out of bedroom number 3.
4. Move Middleboy into bedroom number 3.
5. Move pool table upstairs into bonus room (yes, upstairs, can you stinking believe THAT?)
6. Move office over to current pool table room.
7. Move desk set from upstairs down into office.
8. Empty all closets, and move accessories with applicable owners of said accessories.

And that should take me, what, 9 years???

So, for those of you that are planning wonderful spring break trips this year, I'd like you to, please, remember me, and stop by on your way out of town...we're moving that pool table Tuesday at noon...

So many ways to describe him...

As you know, I try to refrain from using names here on my blog, in the interest of keeping my teenagers communicating with me. However, today I'm breaking that rule because I want to try to describe Martin deMaat.

My Uncle Martin was by far, the coolest man I have ever met. I mean that honestly. I know that "cool" is a cliche, everyone uses it, no one really means anything emphatic by it, but I do. He was cool. He was always "okay". He made you feel like everything was always going to be "okay". "It is what it is" is a phrase he used often. When you were stressed and upset he would sometimes tap you slowly and softly on the middle of your chest, just below your collarbone. It would help you to focus and relax, and on occasion I now find myself doing that, without even being aware of it.

If you asked anyone who knew Martin, they would tell you that they were certain they were Martin's best friend. He made everyone feel that they were important, that they were worthy.

For quite some time my uncle lived downstairs in a two-flat he shared with my mother in Chicago. Whenever I would take Oldestboy and Middleboy up for visits we would get to spend time with Martin, and it was always great. He was so much fun to be around, and had a laugh that would make people want to be in on the joke. (If you've ever heard me laugh out loud, you know, it's LOUD, and so was his.)

Martin had this way of talking and using his hands, it was so fascinating to watch. His hands were beautiful, and I'm so grateful that Oldestboy has hands that are looking just like Martin's, the older he gets.

Martin would take me shopping for clothes for Oldestboy, when I had no money of my own to spend; he would always put cash in my pocket when I would be heading home..."just in case"; he made me feel important, and pretty; he taught me about "thinking outside myself"; he made me laugh...and the day he left he made me cry.

It was 8 years ago today that we lost Martin; And a loss it continues to be. I have dreamt of him a few times, and he is always smiling and happy...and I know he wants us to be happy too. So I try hard, for his sake, to be happy, and remember that I will see him again. Until that day I will tell Littleboy and Babyboy all about their wonderful Uncle Martin, who loved everyone and was loved by everyone, too.

**Please scroll down and listen to Drops of Jupiter on my music player, this song reminds me of Martin whenever I hear it.**

Being sick ain't fun

Wow, I've been out of it for DAYS now. I'm finally sitting down to write a little bit, finding that the effort of moving this mouse .5 inches is making me short of breath. So sad, isn't it?

Middleboy came down sick last weekend, sort of a "stuffy nose-feverish-coughing thing" going on. Of course, he didn't want to stay in his room the whole time, he had to come downstairs on occasion to go to the bathroom (how dare he), or to eat (some nerve).

Children are notoriously bad at keeping their germs to themselves...or maybe girls are cleaner, I wouldn't know. I follow my boys around with Lysol spray and wipes, but to no avail. I think they are determined to share the wealth, so to speak.

So, Momma (me) turns up sick Monday night. Momma doesn't just get a "stuffy nose-feverish-coughing thing" though...no, of course Momma gets a full-blown sinus infection with the beginnings of bronchitis which has since turned into the first stages of walking pneumonia. Thank God I'm on antibiotics, because I know that tell-tale stab in the back when I cough. I've had pneumonia before, and dang it, I was headed for it again.

(On a side note, let me officially thank my idiot stepfather who always insisted on making me breathe in his second-hand smoke growing up. "Thanks *nameless doofus*, for the great gift of weak lungs you've bestowed on me.")

So here I am, about 5 days later, still short of breath when I walk around, taking antibiotics as big as a men's size 9 dress shoe, and laundry to the ceiling. Don't get me wrong, Hubby has been superman around here...driving kids to school, making dinners, grocery shopping, homeworking...all while trying to keep our business at home running too. He's been fantastic, but the house needs both of us to maintain.

*Sigh*

I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed, looking at the mess I have to contend with, guess I'll just go back to bed....now where's that inhaler??