A blank canvas...

So, we've been in the "new" house for two years now. I haven't decorated out master bedroom. All the furniture and bedding we have came with us, which is fine, I like it, but I am feeling like starting fresh. The room is a blank canvas...literally. The walls are white. Ok, the trim and the doors are some horrible shade of, well, not sure what to call it exactly....maybe coffee with a bunch of cream added? Anyway, that's what I have to work with. The walls can be painted anything and the doors are the old bifold style so they are coming down anyway, so they'll be a lovely crisp white. As for the trimwork, yeah, it's gonna change!

So, what do I do? What colors shall I use? I am far more adventurous than DH. He's fairly boring really (in this sense anyway!). I could go a bit with with black and white toile and add brightly colored sheets in blue and be thrilled. Or a red and white checkered quilt with crisp white linens and billowy curtains. I like cottage style, vintage looks, even chenille. Not crazy about modern styles or bed in a bag theories...

Any ideas? Any color schemes?

Tonight I Wanna Cry...

So, have you heard this song? It's by Keith Urban. Sad, haunting at times, wistful, and so very appropriate for me right now. You know those days, weeks, where you simply feel more and more overwhelmed, where everything is compounding and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight and crying might be your best bet? Yup, that's where I am. I'm fine, just passing through, but that's where I am...

GOOD morning!!!

This happened last week, but it is oh so relevant....


Last Friday, I awoke to a missing six year old and a bed/floor/rug/blanket covered in vomit....

Found said six year old in the basement watching tv. He vomitted during the night sometime and then found a couch to sleep on (in barfy clothes, so as not to WAKE us up! Nice....

While I appreciate the full night's sleep, the ants have discovered said bafy areas, I have a full load of barfy laundry to do and now I have a mattress that has vomit soaked into it.

The other boys had the lovely opportunity to breathe in barf fumes all night....

Special....

I feel pretty, oh, so pretty. I fell witty, and pretty, and gay!!!

Sing it with me....

Fortunatelty it ended there and no other DS fell victim to the barf wars!

Reason # 2,647 to LOVE your teenager!

DS #1 (soon to be 16) apparently decided he wanted to start texting even though we told him no. We have him on a $10 a month add on to our cell plan, but don't think he needs to be texting, etc. He's had the phone for almost a year now. This is where it gets interesting...

Last month there was $68 in texting on our bill....

We're peeved, but calm and tell him that the first $70 of lawn mowing money earned is ours....he has moved three lawns so far this season so his debt is down to $10!

Yup...well, today DH got this month's bill and while he did stop the day we told him to, another billing cycle had started (yes, we, the smart parents hadn't thought of that) and so on this month's bill....

$150 of texting.....

I . love . my . life .

So...we're not yelling at him or anything, but we did disable texting, which disables ring tone and he is soooo bummed about not having the "COOL" ringtones!

But, um...yeah....

HELLO!?!?! $220 in texting bills!!! YIKES!

He will be mowing lawns most of the summer....and instead of putting it in his savings account or spending it, he will hand it over to me to pay back his debt.

The sad thing is, he was going to get Timberland boots next week. He has been waiting and waiting to get them (they lower the price way down in the Spring) and I had told him we would look at it again when we were at the Spinal Rehab next week. We often visit a mall on our down time...I planned to buy them. He has been so patient and really respectful of our decision to wait until spring for the lower prices...

Yeah, well.....Mama thinks maybe NOT!

However, I might get them for his birthday....which is in June.

But you'd be proud, we didn't yell or flip or anything. We spoke calmly to him both times and discussed what happened, the choices he made, the disrespect of our authority, the consequences of his actions, etc. Frankly I am surprised by our calmness...

Should I worry?

ME ME ME!!!

Kerry just tagged me!!!!

The rules are as follows:

1. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment letting them know they've been tagged and to ask them to play along and to read your blog.


What I was doing 10 years ago - 1998
1 - Raising a six year old while pregnant with twins!
2 - Learning way too much about the local public school system.
3 - Thinking about selling our cottage sized house in hopes for a bigger abode.
4 - Contemplating turning thirty...
5 - Did I mention being pregnant with twins??

Five things on my to-do list today
1 - Soccer games and track practice for three boys.
2 - Clean house. 15 minutes per room, at least the main living areas.
3 - Work on school documents - registration is a week out and I need to get some forms finished so they can get printed next week.
4 - Make and take dinner to a friend undergoing chemo. This is her BAD weekend. So, I am planning Meatball Veggie Soup, wheat rolls and some Mac n chees with Chicken fingers for the kids!
5 - Dinner for us....hmmm.....haven't thought that far ahead. Guess I should have doubled the soup recipe....

Snacks I enjoy
1 - Popcorn
2 - Fuji apples and cheddar cheese
3 - Orange italian Ice
4 - Frozen grapes, cherries, and blueberries
5 - Pistachio nuts

Things I would do if I were a billionaire
1 - Remodel my existing house, not overboard, just nicer.
2 - Build my mom and dad a cool retirement cottage in the woods like they dream of
3 - College / life funds for kids
4 - Set up a foundation to be benevolent to others
5 - Invest

Five of my bad habits
1 - I procrastinate
2 - I am not organized
3 - I return library books late
4 - I drink too much soda
5 - I'm on the computer waaaay too much
(I am WAY too similar to Kerry!)

Five places I have lived
1 - OR
2 - MD
3 - VA
4 - MD
5 - MD

Five jobs I've had
1 - Parks & Recreation Building Attendant
2 - Nanny (four years)
3 - Scrapbooking Instructor
4 - Preschool Teacher
5 - Children's Books Visit my bookstore: ubah.com/n1927

Now for the tagging.....I choose......
Milissa at howeslife.blogspot.com
Andi at andisperfectgravy.blogspot.com
Christine at totalwasteofmytime.blogspot.com
Jen at jensmack.wordpress.com
Laura at barelyhanginon.blogspot.com

Boys are....

DS #1, 15 years old, has been trying to reach this girl all day, she finally calls him back and within ONE minute of the call he says, "Can I call you back?"

She hung up on him...

Smart girl!

State Testing and Threatening Kids...

I was at a propaganda meeting about mandatory state testing of third graders tonight. I bit my lip for a long time while they told us how HAPPY our children were preparing for the tests and how relaxed they were.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I had to mention my kid, the one who got 35 pages of mandatory homework (study prep) to complete OVER Sprink Break. The work was mandatory and oh, if they completed it they could take part in the Ice Cream Sundae party. If they didn't finish they could sit and watch the others.

Oh, and then last night we got 13 MORE pages to complete that night...

So, remember my kid...he's 9 years old, in tears every day about the work load...not understanding the work (some of the homework is on stuff they have NEVER been taught), etc. Last night he didn't want to go to scouts (for the third week) because he said he HAD to work on his math practice for the test...

So, last night after he had gone to bed we hear sobbing coming from his room....he was hysterically crying about the tests and the work and how if he doesnt get it done everyone will know and he won't get to have ice cream and....

I.am.livid.

So I asked how forcing homework in this manner on children was not contributing to the stress in the children. Yeah, ok...here's the response I got from one of the teacher's. "Well, I have had parents call me telling me their children are in tears, but I just don't see it. They're so happy and they are all getting their work done..." Yeah, because you keep telling them they have to or they WON"T GET TO PARTICPATE IN THE PARTY. You are threatening them...bullying even....

ARGH.....

Thanks, I feel better now.....

Honestly....