tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21295855254688796722024-03-14T19:46:13.278-05:00Snippets for SanityTracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-6051137636057042112016-10-21T16:01:00.001-05:002016-10-21T16:01:46.603-05:00Say what you mean, mean what you say....I have been told that I have a large personality. I have been told that sometimes I say things and people take offense and their feelings are hurt. These are the same people that know that I would never intentionally hurt them.<br />
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So let's say that I did or said something to hurt your feelings? What would you do? Give me the benefit of the doubt and bring it to my attention OR take it personally, throw away our friendship and never tell me the reason?<br />
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In my life I have had very few that made the first choice. Most have made the second choice. It's like they don't even know me at all. Or, they didn't care enough about our friendship to take a risk and bring it up.<br />
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Am I an ogre? Would I stomp around and eat their liver? Nope, I would first listen to what they had to say, apologize for any hurt and do my best to smooth it over. Plus, I have never enjoyed liver so why would I eat yours?<br />
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Over the years, this has made me paranoid. I send a text or an email and it goes unanswered. Are they mad at me, have I offended them somehow, what did I do wrong? Then I start to beat myself up only to find their phone was lost under the sofa for three days.<br />
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How do we break the cycle? I have consciously made an effort to be more careful about how I say things. I try not to ever tease anyone, even in the most harmless way. I work hard to recognize the body language of those around me to make sure I have not offended someone. I will have to say, it is exhausting.<br />
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Would it be easier just to let those people go? Absolutely! Do I want to let those people go? Not really.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-26265916275613747342016-05-31T15:55:00.000-05:002016-05-31T15:55:08.965-05:00When did we become such haters?Every time I am on social media or watching the news, I see/hear yet another story of people hating on other people. This person is bad because they drove too fast down my street, that person is wrong because they park in front of my house. Don't go in my bathroom if you aren't really a girl. I am a better parent than you because I don't (pick one) feed them crap, ever let them out of my sight, allow them to ever misbehave at home or in public. I call bullshit on all of us.<br />
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I got news for you folks, we are NOT perfect. Not one single person on this planet is perfect.<br />
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We spend so much time worrying about situations and things that have never happened to us and probably never will. We condemn those that are different from us for not being the same. Hatred, prejudice and anger are flowing wild. How did we get here? <br />
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We want the government to leave us alone, then we want them to make stricter laws against anything we believe is wrong. You can't have it both ways. <br />
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What happened to love thy neighbor as thyself? Do we really hate ourselves so we have to spend time unleashing those feelings on others in hopes that we would feel better? Then there's the Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Do you want your neighbors, friends, peers, family members to treat you like you are treating others? God forbid you ever make a mistake or do something that someone else doesn't like because these same people that are hating with you, will now be hating against you. <br />
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Let's grab the pitchforks and the torches. String them up from the nearest tree. Behaviors that should be far behind us now that we are a "civilized nation" are now brewing back up in full force. Where does it end? Who has to die to satisfy our sense of wrong or injustice?Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-1215228650123668862015-11-04T16:37:00.000-06:002015-11-04T16:37:09.364-06:00Loss of control...I know it has been a really long time since I have posted on my blog. Honestly, I visit the blogging world almost daily and everyone has such fun stuff to say that I soak that in and get my therapy from there. Blogging for me is about a reality check, sanity saver, proof that I am not alone in this crazy, messed up world. At this time, I am not finding that balance so I feel the need to post.<br />
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I tell myself that I have nothing to complain about. I am one of the lucky ones. I have a great husband, fantastic kids for the most part and a pretty normal life. I go to work each day, shuttle kids around to their activities, care for my family and my pets. It is the normal rat race that we all face. Why then do I struggle each day to feel normal? To feel like I am in control of my own life?<br />
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The biggest thing I seem to worry about these days is my life getting away from me. I can't seem to keep my arms around everything. Loss of control has always been a big thing for me. It is like a small tornado that gathers speed and starts to whirl faster and faster until I have to do something to make it stop. The damage that it does is mostly internal, but sometimes my loved ones are hit by the shrapnel.<br />
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One of the biggest ways that I attempt to control my life often has me defending myself. I am often ridiculed about keeping my house too clean. This is not a joyful thing for me. I don't do this to make myself seem better than anyone else. This is purely trying to control my inner tornado. If the house is not clean, there is clutter. The clutter breeds and makes more and more piles of junk and then soon I feel like the walls are closing in and the ceiling will collapse on me. Even thinking about this while I type makes my chest feel tight. It's a lot like being claustrophobic. Does this make me crazy?<br />
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I have tried to break my struggle into daily things rather than worrying about what will come tomorrow. Unfortunately, the monotony of every day has added to the struggle rather than detracted from it. I feel like every day is the same. Like the movie Groundhogs Day. It all seems so senseless. Why does any of the stuff we do each day even matter? Make the bed each morning, unmake the bed each night, lather, rinse, repeat. Every meal, every task done again and again and again. Unfortunately not doing these things is not an option I have been able to live with thus far. I struggle to leave the house with an unmade bed in it.<br />
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I love my daughter more than my life. I love all of the zany, crazy things she does. I love her creativity and her ability to see things and put them together as art where all I saw was junk. She is my complete opposite in so many ways. She loves to have all of her things out where she can see them, so when she is busy creating she doesn't have to stop to take something out. It is already there for use. This makes me absolutely crazy. I have tried to reorganize her room, buy storage furniture, cubbies, bookshelves, etc...to keep the mess contained, but it doesn't work. The cubbies sit empty while her desk, her dresser and her floor are full of all of the things she needs to see around her. I try so very hard to turn a blind eye to her creative castle, but sometimes I lose and find myself in the dungeon of doom. Get out of the way because the Flying Monkeys have been turned loose.<br />
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I have pondered the ways in which I can climb back up the mountain of sanity, but I often end back up in that place near the bottom, next to the quicksand. The rest of my family goes about their business blissfully unaware of my plight. Only when they hear the sirens do they duck for cover. There has to be a point of balance somewhere in there. <br />
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In attempt to find that balance, I am putting this out in the universe to see what happens and to take ownership of my crazy. I am the one with the issue. I own it. They don't understand my issue because it has never happened to them. I can't be resentful and angry with them because they don't understand what it is like to be me. They are just living their lives and they aren't trying to punish me. Any lack of effort on their part is not a deliberate attempt to hurt me. I will focus on how I can change myself and not on how I can change them to conform to my issues. <br />
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P.S. - I started this blog as a whine session about how everyone else causes my issues to be greater and after reading and editing several times, I realized that they aren't to blame for my issues. While not 100% what I was going for, it is the truth. Dang it...Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-21602775931198849372014-05-06T12:01:00.000-05:002014-05-06T12:01:02.314-05:00Moving into the Old House...After purging anything that would not be allowed in our new/fabulous home, we packed up the rest of the artwork, knick-knacks and many other things (that the hubs was able sneak in while I wasn't looking). We patched up the nail holes, touched up the paint, cleaned the windows and made our home ready to put on the market for sale and have it sell BIG.<br />
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But then it didn't...and then the frustrations with the new home set in...and suddenly we decided that our cleaned up old home was going to be way better than any fabulous, shiny new home. We couldn't fight the battle anymore. We stopped stepping across that line, took down the for sale sign and removed our listing from the MLS. We threw in the towel and called it quits. It was almost the happiest day of my life.<br />
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Now we have to move back into our old house. I call it an old house because it is not new to us, but it is only three years old so I guess you can't really call it old...here comes the fun part. We have to buy new stuff to replace all of the old stuff we sold in preparation for the move. I am a shopping fool! Our old house is rapidly becoming fabulous! Our wall hangings and decorations are in new places and grouped with other new things and it is like a new place altogether. I guess I didn't realize that by the time I had gotten to putting up the decorations the first time we moved in I was so pooped that I didn't really put them in the right place. Now they are in the right places with other new things and everything is just falling together like it should.<br />
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A new sofa for the family room that isn't the size of a school bus....<br />
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Moving the girl child back upstairs with her new queen sized bed to entice her to give up the closet that was her room downstairs...<br />
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A pool table and a dart board for the game room...<br />
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A new sectional sofa for the media room that is cushy and comfy...<br />
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In the end, it will be way cheaper to redecorate than pay for movers, twice... and pay for apartment deposits and down payments on shiny new homes. By doing these few simple things, we have changed the way we will live in our home and use more of it. <br />
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Now, time to find a cleaning lady that can clean like me....Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-23877896146513177492014-04-28T16:56:00.000-05:002014-04-28T16:56:22.308-05:00When do you throw in the towel?I have a bad habit of letting people have one more chance, then one more, then another after that. It's like the man who draws the line in the sand daring you to cross it. Then he draws another line and dares you to cross that one. The effect of drawing the line gets lost quickly.<br />
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We are in the process of selling our house and buying a new one. The house we are in is way too big for us and since Mom isn't here anymore, it no longer fits our needs. We are three people roaming around the hallways yelling "Marco" and waiting for the "Polo" to find each other.<br />
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I work for a home building company that happens to build pretty nice houses. I bought this one from them about a year before I started working here. We got a really great deal so we just couldn't pass on it. <br />
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Now that I work for the company, my deal is not so great. 5% off of the base price and upgrades, nothing off the lot premium. This was my first disappointment as two of my coworkers recently purchased homes from us and made out like bandits with upgrades at cost on top of a discount on the base price. I seriously considered not buying when I got the news. Hubby and I talked about it and decided we still needed to downsize and that even at almost full price, this was still our best option. So, I stepped across the first line....<br />
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Then we go to make selections and I had a concern about the layout of our shower. It was like a cave and being claustrophobic, I asked if I could change it up a little. Suddenly we have a new master bath option for this home and we need to wait for the new blueprints to be drawn - because another customer wanted it. <br />
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The changes were what they asked for and way more involved than my simple request.The new option is drawn, but instead of just addressing the shower, it adds 3' to the rear of the home and I can no longer add the sitting area to the master bedroom because it won't fit on the lot. Even though I thought the sitting area was important, I was glad the shower issue was resolved and after some more discussion, I stepped across the second line... <br />
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Next I met with the sales person to try to update our contract with all of the new items only to have him tell me he doesn't know where the pricing is coming from and basically accuses me of being dishonest. I price options for a living. I know what they cost. I also have all of the pricing details that back up my items which I sent to him and he never read. I told him I didn't appreciate being called a cheat and told him I was really not happy with the way this process was going. He eventually apologized and drew the third line...<br />
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We crossed this line too only to find out that with the garage we selected, the home still won't fit on the lot. It is 9" over. The other customer is 18" over so we are redrawing the plan for them at no charge. I don't want to take 18" out of the width of my home just because that is what we are doing for the other customer, I want to take 9" out of the width of my home because that's all I need to take out and I am still a paying customer. I informed them of this last week and now it has been four days and not a word from the sales person or manager as to what we are doing. I think it's time to stop allowing them to draw the line.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-92186481000333277842014-04-14T15:23:00.001-05:002014-04-14T15:23:36.165-05:00Sporting ParentsI happen to be the parent of a child that is involved in sports. At first I was coaching Cheerleading which I am not really sure you get to call a sport. (Don't get me wrong, these girls put in a lot of long hours, sweat and tears into their practices and their job is not easy.) Now I am coaching Volleyball which is most definitely a sport that involves fewer tears and way more fun. With a team of 8 girls you would think that it would be relatively easy to coordinate the practices (same time and day every week) and the games (same day every week) with every one's schedules, but that seems to be way more of a challenge than anticipated.<br />
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Every week I get a call or an e-mail from a parent - what day and time are we practicing this week? Same day and time as last week, and the week before and the week before and that I mentioned in my e-mail THIS MORNING.... I actually had a parent tell me they had three girls in sports and they couldn't keep up with which coach belonged to which girl. Time to stop hitting that crack pipe Mom...<br />
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Then we have parents that don't show up with their kids, don't call, don't e-mail and don't return phone calls. Dear Sir or Madam Ass Hat....we had to forfeit our game because we didn't have enough players. Was Sally involved in a major accident? No, she didn't feel like coming today? I wish I could say "Off the team!", but I can't because then we would have to forfeit more games. We have 8 players and need a minimum of 5 to play. You would think that would be easy, but one of the 8 broke her arm the week before our first practice so she's out. Of the 7 left we have had more than one game where we barely eeked by with our 5. <br />
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As a parent, when you sign your kids up for these events, you are making a commitment of your time as well. They should have to sign an oath.<br />
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I, parent of sporting child, do hereby promise that I will bring my child to all practices and games unless they have suffered a loss of limb or plague. I will pick my child up from said practices and games in a timely manner so that my coach doesn't have to babysit my child for an additional 30 minutes. In the event that I am tardy I agree to buy my coach a pony. <br />
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Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-9067241072557455392014-01-23T08:31:00.001-06:002014-01-23T08:31:47.026-06:00Lazy people...You have my attention...yes, you. Who am I talking to? All of the people out that that just don't give a crap. My 8 year old is at the top of the list right now. How do you teach your children to have pride in what they do? As a parent, how do I run quality control when the minions could care less if their output is sub par? <br />
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Brush your teeth...done 2 seconds later, funk still on teeth. Try that again. Aww Mom, do I have to? I assume this is a rhetorical question because she already knows the answer is yes. Time to get up and get dressed...child still in bed 10 minutes later. Oh, you meant now? No, next week dear....<br />
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I know that many of the challenges I face on a daily basis are all just part of raising a child, but when it comes to things that really matter (like school work), how do you get your kids to care about the quality of work they turn in?<br />
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Homework is the worst...<br />
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Me: Good job dear, but you didn't spell walk correctly, why don't you erase that and put the k after the l instead of the other way around.<br />
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Child...scratches the k over the l and the l over the k<br />
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Me: Dear, you wrote that with a pencil, which I am noticing still has a pristine eraser. Why don't you erase the word and write it correctly. That way your teacher knows what you are really trying to say.<br />
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Child: Aww Mom, do I have to? (complete with eye roll)<br />
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Me: Yes<br />
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Child...partially erases word but not enough to really remove the word and writes over the top making the entire word now illegible<br />
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Me: So, you feel like that was the right thing do to?<br />
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Child: Whaaat?<br />
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Me: You don't care if your teacher can't read your writing? I know what the word was and I still can't read it.<br />
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Child: She won't care, it will be fine.<br />
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Me: Aaaagggghhhh!!!<br />
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It is the same thing time after time and I notice it wherever I go. People are lazy and flat out don't care if they are doing their best work or not. As a society we have gotten so used to trying to make everyone feel good about themselves so we don't criticize, correct or complain. <br />
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How do we stop the cycle? How do you create that sense of self worth in your child that causes them to take pride in what they do? How do you develop that sense of competition to be the best at something? Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-35570119197429198062013-10-29T13:52:00.001-05:002013-10-29T13:52:13.672-05:00How do you let it slide...Things have been crazy as ever in my world. I have gone over to the dark side and am now a cheerleading coach. <br />
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No way you say...<br />
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Unfortunately, that is the truth.<br />
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I signed my daughter up for her second year of cheerleading with the local youth sports group. It serves elementary aged children as our schools at that age don't have any organized sporting events (I am starting to understand why they don't offer sports to kids this age). We have football, basketball, volleyball and many other types of ball related sports. <br />
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There is usually at least one to two squads for every grade of football starting with the K-1 flag football going up to the tackle football for the rest of the grades. This year they decided to change a few things and it left the girls with fewer teams to cheer for. This means that our squad has 20 girls on it, which is twice the amount that we had last year. That is a lot of pom-poms to get moving in the same direction at the same time.<br />
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We started out with a head coach and one assistant coach. After the first practice, the head coach begged for volunteers from the ranks of the parents for another assistant coach. My daughter coerced me into signing up. I was hesitant given that I have never been a cheerleader or a coach before. I did have a vague idea of what the cheers were supposed to look like based on all of my sideline watching last year. How hard could it be, right?<br />
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If you know anything about me at all, you will agree that I am a "lead, follow or get the bleep out of my way" kind of person. By the fourth week of cheer, my head coach started coming up with all sorts of reasons why she had to miss a practice here and a game there. Next thing I know, I am running the show and she is showing up sporadically. I believe it was all part of an evil plan to make me into a cheerleader....<br />
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Next we get the invitation to sign up for Spirit Squads. These are much smaller groups of 5-6 girls that are cheering for youth basketball. How hard can that be, right? Still not wanting to be a head coach, I offer my services as an assistant coach yet again. I get the e-mail saying that my application has been accepted and here is my list of players. Wait a minute, who is my head coach? Oh, me you say? How did that happen? UGH!<br />
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I will have to say that the rest of the world doesn't seem to understand organization, follow through and planning the way that I understand it. You want to know what time your games are? No way... You want to know which team you are cheering for? No way... Every thing is full of drama and always at the last minute. Which is like Kryptonite to me!<br />
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Everyone keeps telling me to stop worrying about it so much, let it go, it will all work out... My brain is now lodged somewhere around my armpit as I bury my head trying to comply with this advice. <br />
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Then I started thinking about my work place, social gatherings and other events I have taken part in over the last year and I have realized that the old fashion value of striving for perfection has all but disappeared. Nobody cares if they do a sub-par job. As long as it is passable, that's all they care about. I am not okay with that. You should always try to do your personal best. Why has "getting by" become our norm in society?Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-38652138215186048282013-08-20T14:42:00.000-05:002013-08-20T14:42:00.198-05:00The Dentist...I was talking with a coworker about taking my daughter to the dentist and noticed my palms started to get sweaty, I started talking faster than normal and my heart rate increased. I realized it was my fear of the dentist that was affecting me. Just to talk about it brings back memories of going to our family dentist when I was a kid. He was brutal. I think he got great pleasure from hurting children. I know that I couldn't eat for 2-3 days without it hurting after a visit to him. I still remember his name...Dr. Cook. I used to imagine that he would cook the children that didn't open their mouths wide enough so that's why his last name was Cook. Silly, I know, and I am sure it added to my distress wondering if I was next on the menu. <br />
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I developed such an aversion to going to the dentist that at one time I went almost 5 years between visits. There is something about laying there with your mouth open that leaves you feeling very vulnerable. They have you held hostage. As you try to prevent drowning from all of the saliva that collects in the back of your throat, you silently scream that it is time for Mr. Thirsty to make his debut. Please get suction me quickly before I die over here.<br />
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Then there is the question asking they do while their hands are shoved into your mouth. Really? Why do they feel the need for small talk while you are laying in the chair unable to answer? I think I will do flash cards for next time....<br />
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Yes, I had a nice summer<br />
No, I can't believe it is time for back to school already<br />
Yes, we were very busy<br />
No, we didn't go anywhere special<br />
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AAAAGGGGHHH!!<br />
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I realize that my claustrophobia may be the real reason why I get so stressed out about going to the dentist. That fear of not being able to get away. You can't suddenly jump up and head out the door when they have your mouth pried open with their tools shoved down your throat... Sorry, there I go again. I think I need to subscribe to sedation dentistry. It would be so much easier. <br />
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My daughter asked me what the big deal is. I think she smells my fear as I walk her into the office. I smile nicely and am as polite as possible to everyone because I don't want them to remember me and take it out on me the next time I come in. I am invisible... She is such a trooper about going to the dentist. It doesn't bother her in the least and she can't wait to pick something out of the treasure chest when we leave. That 10 cent toy is the key to erasing any bad memories from the chair it seems...Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-62172011617166093842013-08-07T16:56:00.000-05:002013-08-07T16:56:04.997-05:00Long time no see...In the infamous words of Jack Nicholson from The Shining, I'm back...<br />
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I took a break from blogging because honestly, I didn't have the time nor sanity to keep up with it. I was traveling all of the time for work and when the work day was done, I was either bringing more work back to the hotel or lapsing into a coma due to brain overload. It did not leave much room in my head for any original thoughts.<br />
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I have since left the job of my dreams for another job. One that is less exciting, way more boring, but puts me at home every night for the family of my dreams. My daughter finally loves me again and my husband is excited to see me because he thought he dreamt up the whole getting married thing. Nice surprise for him!<br />
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I also gave up the life of glamour and fame to be here for my mother's failing health. I have written several posts about Nonna Nonsense in the past if you need a refresher about how "special" my mom is. Or I should say was...<br />
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Sadly, we lost Nonna on the 21st of July. No, I didn't leave her at the mall, she passed away quietly and peacefully at the hospital due to her advanced emphysema. She retired the end of May after just reaching her 65th birthday, spent the month of June packing up 65 years of collections and moved in with us the end of June. She made it one week with us before we had to take her to the emergency room with pneumonia. A week later she was in ICU, a few days later she was on life support and exactly two weeks later she slipped quietly to the other side.<br />
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My heart was broken for her lost dreams of seeing her grand daughter every day and all of the other things she would have time to do now. Then my heart was healed in her passing as her essence passed through me with great joy announcing there is more. Now I am not one of those people to thump a bible or speak in tongues, but I honestly felt my mother pass through me on her way out. It was about 3 minutes before her body gave up, but suddenly my tears turned into a smile, laughter, giddiness about the next adventure. Maybe I was just crazy with grief, but somehow I don't think so.<br />
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Now that the memorial service has passed, family has come and gone and the flowers are just about finished I am ready to take my life back into the world and do something great with it. I don't want to wait until I retire to travel. I don't want to wait until Summer for a vacation, I don't want to put anything on hold until it is a better time. There is no time like right now...Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-80848007857241894502012-09-04T13:59:00.002-05:002012-09-04T13:59:48.863-05:00Busier than a one armed paper hanger...and better looking too!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTQHo4vOHz__NGP7pZWzrlEddKFTnl4dVOYpjEZt-GH9lcWWF3otkBfWPr6_QU-3GhNrttuEsRtreHKGnBwH14PRhCIRMMigfWGj19m0O9WiPNtoW65Bgqt9dgBQmZyId_MRySaZ-sQxU/s1600/Picture+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTQHo4vOHz__NGP7pZWzrlEddKFTnl4dVOYpjEZt-GH9lcWWF3otkBfWPr6_QU-3GhNrttuEsRtreHKGnBwH14PRhCIRMMigfWGj19m0O9WiPNtoW65Bgqt9dgBQmZyId_MRySaZ-sQxU/s200/Picture+035.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
I am sure most of you have stopped checking my Blog as I haven't posted in so long. I am still traveling the circuit with work, so in my off time I have been working on doing all of the nominal things like first day of school for my first grader. My favorite part of this picture is the beautiful green band aid on her leg...<br />
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Then we have had cheer practice going on with our first game on the 25th. We won by a small margin, but our team won. Go LOBOS!!<br />
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This is my daughter (left) with her best friend getting ready for the game. These two have been friends since they were babies. <br />
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Beyond that, my step-daughter has gone home to her mother's now that summer is over and we are having a partial empty nest syndrome going on. I really wish we could keep her full time! Oh well....<br />
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Work is going well, but the travel schedule has been pretty hectic. The FH has kept up his end very well pitching in to drive kids around, feed the dog and not mess up the house!!<br />
Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-55309864734678098412012-08-14T14:23:00.002-05:002012-08-14T14:23:52.125-05:00Give me a C, give me an H, give me a Hernia...Mini Me is now full swing into her first season of cheer leading. She is a whopping 6-1/2 and just like the other 6-7 year olds in her group, can't jump. I guess I never realized that it was a talent to be able to remove your body from the ground. She jumps, it just isn't high enough for her to even remotely get the kicks in. There is hope though, the second grade girls that practice part of their time with us are much better jumpers. <br />
<br />So, this means we have been working on jumping 101. I say jump higher and she says I am jumping high. I got out the ruler and she didn't even clear the 2" mark... So, I stood behind her and helped her get the feeling of how high she should be jumping.<br />
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Let's just say I now have a hernia and she is jumping a whopping 2-1/4"...<br />
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Progress!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-85249687114248831302012-07-30T15:49:00.000-05:002012-07-30T15:49:02.292-05:00Church with Bonus Daughter...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I had the rare opportunity to take Bonus Daughter to church with me yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried really hard not to stare at her during the pastor’s sermon, but I was trying to gauge her reactions to what he was sharing with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You see, I have asked her several times to join us on Sundays and she has always declined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She goes to a non-denominational church with her Mom when they go and I think she was worried that maybe she would be cheating on her church by going to another one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe that she was being disloyal to her Mom because that was their thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talked with her about it a little bit and tried to make it very open and accepting to her choice to go or not go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was truly surprised and excited that she chose to go with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then I got nervous…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I remember how I felt about religion at her age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it was the being 11, or maybe it was because I felt like I was getting nothing from the church, but that was a very hard time for my faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Catholic Church was not the kindest to me or my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They shunned my mother when my parents divorced and only going every other weekend with my Dad meant we never signed up for any of the children’s teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I never felt like I belonged there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In my life, I have traveled to many different churches of many different faiths trying to find somewhere that I felt God closely with me while I was there and continued to feel him with me even when I wasn’t there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my daughter was just over a year old, I found my current church and just knew it was the right one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When we sing, I feel my heart swell and my eyes tear up and I feel so loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is like stepping out from a cold building in the middle of summer to feel the heat of the sun shine on your face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It warms you instantly and continues to warm you as long as you are receiving it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel welcome there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody cares where I’ve been or what I’ve done, they accept me and my mixed up family with open arms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Can you tell I’m glad to be back at the church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After almost a year, I have made it a part of my life again and I feel so much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At the end of the sermon, I asked Bonus Daughter if she understood the message of the day and what she thought about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She really got it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She really heard the message and got it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so proud of her and her desire to have a relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also thankful that she allowed me to share in this part of her life and can only hope that she will continue to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-41187808330676371092012-07-27T11:58:00.000-05:002012-07-27T11:58:00.769-05:00Beauty and the Beast...One of my friends recently told me that her daughter has been offered a modeling contract. She's 6. The daughter, not the mother.... Anyways, the mom worked at the mall and took her daughter to work with her one day when they were doing a modeling promotion for kids. One of the people working the show prompted mom to sign up - of course - and her daughter won the whole thing. <br />
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On one hand, I am so excited for these people as the mom and the daughter are awesome people. The daughter is as cute as a bug and certainly very photogenic. I can totally see why they would select her as the winner.<br />
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On the other hand, I am so bothered by this that it has caused me to dig deep into my heart to figure out why I don't want them to have this. I have discovered the horrible truth...I am jealous. At first I thought it was jealousy because I wanted my daughter to model, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that wasn't it. It was even uglier than that.<br />
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When I was about 10, I was signed up at a modeling school. I went with a friend because for that day only it was free. I guess it was their way to <strike>sucker</strike> bring in more clients. They loved me. Not only did they love me, they decided that I could come back on a scholarship because I couldn't afford their class. The suckered me in so much that I really felt like maybe I would make it big. I was certain tall for my age, very blond (naturally back then) and had a great complexion. I had dreams of how big I would be and even began practicing my red carpet walk. Hey, I was 10, that's what 10 year old girls do, right?<br />
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Then came the utter disappointment, I was out. Helga or Olga or one of those Swedish names came in the door off the street and stole my scholarship. Evidently it doesn't matter how cute you are, if you don't pay your dues, you don't go anywhere. I was left with the wonderment of what might have happened had things been different and I could have paid for the class. <br />
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I do realize that I most likely would have never really been a model. Not that I'm a dog, but I am not exactly high fashion model pretty. The point is that they got my hopes up only to dash them into the gutter. I don't want that for the daughter nor the mom because it really sucks. I pray that it's nothing but wonderful for them and that I see the daughter on the cover of Vogue one day. On the up side, I don't recall ever seeing Olga on the cover of anything... :-DTracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-39412431410161028772012-07-09T14:42:00.003-05:002012-07-09T14:42:33.456-05:00The craziness continues as usual in my world. Had a spat with Nonna, shipped off Bonus Daughter for a week and finally got the cable buried in my yard. Yes, cable, no dead body. Here's a little more of the details of what I have been doing...<br />
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Nonna - <br />
Well, Nonna has been pretty quiet lately. I knew it couldn't last though. Little by little she has been sending her <strike>junk</strike> stuff, my way. I have been diligent in trying to find places for everything she wants to keep, but I informed her that the inn was getting full and she hadn't even sent any of her "real" stuff over yet. I had to remind her once again that she has two rooms in our house. Not lots of rooms in our house. Two. She keeps spilling out into the general areas and "suggests" how some of her things would look better in specific places where I have proudly put my things. Nope, not working for me...<br />
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Bonus Daughter - <br />
We have had Bonus Daughter living with us since the end of the school year (about June 1st) and things have been going pretty smoothly if you ignore her Momma Drama. Her mom sold her house and they were not due to move until September. The new owner sold their house sooner than expected and all of a sudden the move date was the first week of July. Mom said she wanted us to keep Bonus Daughter and she was going to go live out of town to get herself back together. After many tears and finally acceptance from Bonus Daughter ("really, we're not that bad" I kept telling her) we were ready to have a full time Daughter. Only to have her mom change her mind at the last minute, literally, and now Bonus Daughter will be going back to live with her Mom in August. <br />
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Cable - <br />
When you build a new home, the cable company runs a line from their box to your box on the outside of your home. This line lays exposed on the ground until another crew comes back and buries it. After over a month of waiting for this to happen, I called the cable company and spoke with a nice man in a third world country somewhere. After clearly explaining what I needed done, the man sends a repair technician to my home. This technician politely tells me that he only fixes the cable, he doesn't bury it. I told him I was sure that I had a shovel he could use. He didn't even crack a smile. So I call the cable company again, again I am connected with a person that is not from this country. After explaining to her several times in several different ways, I am assured that a specialist will be coming to my home to bury my cable. And to not be confused. What? I'm not confused, you're confused. Whatever. So, cable technician #2 is scheduled. I take time off from work to be there. That morning I receive a call from the contracting company that actually buries the lines. The wonderful technician that had originally arrived was evidently impressed enough with my desperation that he contacted someone to finish the job. YEA! Now I don't have to take time off from work and the cable has been successfully buried. Little does Technician #2 know that if the contractor hadn't interceded on his behalf, there was definitely a shovel that would have been used...<br />
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That's all I have to report for now. Jet setting off to Phoenix again tomorrow. I think I have started getting mail there.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-91766908948104220862012-06-28T15:06:00.002-05:002012-06-28T15:06:24.982-05:00Dust in the wind...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was out in Phoenix earlier this week for work and came across an honest to goodness sand storm. Two days in a row. The second day I was at the airport, anxiously awaiting my turn to leave and out the window I see this.<br />
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Of course in my mind, it really looks like this:<br />
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So I start to panic. <br />
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You could tell which people at the airport were from the area and which ones were visiting because about half of the people started milling about with concern while the other half acted like they could care less.<br />
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I knew better though, secretly they were worried that we would find out their secrets. That there in the desert they were hiding this:<br />
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Oh wait, that was me this morning after the whole 5 hours of sleep I got...</div>
<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-65755290164111735242012-06-25T15:09:00.000-05:002012-06-25T15:09:16.870-05:00Rooster-poxI've gone crazy mad with Rooster Pox. At least that's what the hubby thinks. I found this awesome rustic rooster lamp that is going to go in the showcase part of our entry as well as a rooster night light and rooster canisters. I never had a thing for roosters until <a href="http://thebloggess.com/">The Bloggess</a> posted about her rooster Beyonce. I loved the story so much and after sharing it with my friends, I got my own Beyonce as a wedding gift.<br />
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There were many of my "other" friends that didn't know the story behind Beyonce and really thought maybe I should be friends with people that were so tacky they would give me the best present ever!!<br />
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Some people are in love with elephants or turtles, even frogs. Me, it is the glorious rooster. Even a chicken is a great second, but roosters are my new favorite. I have never been one to collect anything, ever. Now, I am a rooster collector. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canisters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My New Lamp<br />
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The Night Light<br />
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Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-25811465245173541082012-06-20T20:40:00.001-05:002012-06-20T20:40:15.756-05:00Where has the time gone? It is almost the end of June already and I am not ready for it. The temps have started soaring and so we will be in the 100's again. Hopefully not as many as last year's record!<br />
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I pretty much feel like I am visiting when I am at home these days. My job has me traveling a lot and the inside of a hotel room has started to feel like home. It is a hard balance. Most of the time I really do love my job and I love the people I work with, but I miss my family and my home when I am not here. <br />
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I keep telling myself that it won't be this way forever and that helps me to get through it. I just don't want to miss out on anything. The husband is doing a wonderful job of picking up the slack, but it has been hard on everyone. <br />
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I am thankful to have a job, a home and a family so I continue to press on and do my best.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-53476936489323864362012-06-12T12:59:00.003-05:002012-06-12T12:59:40.879-05:00In 50 Years...I spent the weekend with my extended family in Florida celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of my mother and father in law. They married back in 1962 when they were oh so young and in love. Their actual anniversary was at the end of May, but we chose to celebrate on the 9th so everyone with kids in school could make it. Little did we know that Joe would pass four days after their actual anniversary. <br />
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You would think that the celebration would have been turned into a funeral, but true to form, his wife took it in stride and continued with the anniversary party. She wanted to remember the 50 wonderful years they were married with happiness instead of looking upon it in sadness. She is an amazing woman and I am so very fortunate to be part of her family.<br />
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In 50 years, I will be too old to blog, but I sincerely hope that my husband and I can look back at our time together and smile the way that she smiled the entire day. Everyone shared their memories of how Joe and Donna came out to the baseball games and a million other great times that were had in their presence.<br />
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It makes me wonder what people would say about me if I were gone. Would they say how kind and patient I was, or how organized and clean I was. As I am pretty sure I know the answer to that, I am definitely going to have to reconsider my OCD tendencies about how clean the house is! I need to sit back and relax with my family more and worry less about the mess and more about those I adore. That's my new mantra...Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-66618101138274174442012-06-05T12:51:00.001-05:002012-06-05T12:51:24.664-05:00Summer Rules...My step-daughter is staying with us for two months this summer, so Saturday morning I dutifully laid out the ground rules for the duration. My husband - her father, sat idly by nodding his head every so often. Evidently he figured I had this one.<br />
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<ol>
<li>You must bathe - at least once every 48 hours. With soap...</li>
<li>You must make your own bed - every morning, completely, not half way, not most of the way, all of the way.</li>
<li>If you take it out, put it back when you are finished in the same condition you took it out in... (this rule covers a plethora of things so don't think I didn't provide her with a list of at least 30 situations in which it would apply)</li>
</ol>
I have added one rule to the list just last night. After completing your shower, hang up your wet towel. Do not throw it in the laundry basket to mildew until it can walk itself to the washing machine. You might think it will lead the other clothes with it, but it will only crawl into your bed and strangle you in your sleep. <br />
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Yes, she thinks I am completely insane...<br />
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I think 4 rules is getting off pretty light. When we were kids, Mom would leave us at home during summer break and give us a list of chores so long, it would take half of the day to get them done. I know it was her way of thinking we would be too busy to get into trouble, but we could get into a ton of trouble in the other half of the day and before doing all of those chores, we relished in our schemes of how we would complete the tasks without actually doing the work...<br />
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Kids today have nothing on us!<br />
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Does anyone remember hearing the garage door and frantically shouting "Mom's home..." as you ran around the house completing the tasks on your list that had conveniently been left undone? We definitely perfected the art of procrastination.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-38910807045643028712012-06-01T13:28:00.001-05:002012-06-01T13:28:28.394-05:00Happy birthday to the best guy I know...I had to specify with the best guy that I personally know because I am sure there are a lot of wonderful men out in the world. Men like Gandhi, Pope John Paul II or heck, even Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I know Jesus, just not in the same way...<br />
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Now that I have secured my own personal spot in hell...<br />
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Today is my hubby's birthday. I started it out with a birthday wish and a card to show that I knew in advance that today is his birthday. On Sunday, I am willingly let him meet with the <strike>geeks</strike> technicians from Best Buy so he can design his new media room. What he doesn't realize is that his gift is the consultation... At $99 I think that is a heck of a present, don't you? LOL!<br />
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The new washing machine was delivered today and I am sitting at work thinking of all of the laundry I will be running it through tonight. I wonder if I can sign up with GE to be a field tester? I would be willing to bet I could make a living out of doing laundry and providing feedback. Two of my most highly qualified skills!! Oprah envies my spot removal abilities and congress is considering my most recent feedback of what they can do with their latest decisions.<br />
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On to another busy weekend but am so glad none of it will involve packing or unpacking. YIPPEE!!!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-68403277617931028632012-05-31T13:50:00.000-05:002012-05-31T13:50:02.778-05:00I finally had a quick minute to put in a post. I apologize for being such a periodic blogger, but life keeps happening and I don't want to miss the bus.<br />
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My daughter's last day of Kindergarten is today. I keep trying to tell her that after school she will be a first grader, but she isn't buying it. She gives me a patronizing look and tries to explain to me that 1st grade doesn't start until August and then she will be a 1st grader... I have given up.<br />
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The weather has been crazy here this week. We have had lots and lots of thunderstorms. Some with hail, some with just heavy rain, but it has been a lot of everything. I heard our old neighborhood had quite a bit of damage and I am hoping our new home owner's were able to escape without any. I remember last year when the hail and straight line winds did a number on us. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.<br />
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Work has been crazy busy. I have been traveling a lot and have learned that there is a ton more where that came from. It scares me to think about how much time I may have to be away from home. It is so hard on my daughter (and me too) whenever I am gone more than a day. What can I do though? I love my job and the company I work for. I am hoping there is another way where I can be home more. <br />
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The new house has finally been put together short of hanging some drapes that I don't have yet. I think all houses should have the same number and size of windows so that you can take the draperies from house A and move them to house B. After all, if you buy a pre-existing house B, those drapes are always UGLY! My first house had pink walls with rose colored drapes. They were so dark, heavy and dusty I almost had to hire movers just to get them into the trash. Then it took a really big stick to keep them there...(Shudder)<br />
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Yesterday we lost my husband's father. He had congestive heart failure and diabetes. Mom and Dad had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last weekend. We already had a trip schedule to go out there in June for an Anniversary party. Now we will have to change it to a different kind of celebration. It will be a celebration of his life rather than a mourning of his passing.<br />
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The thing that warms my heart the most is all of the wonderful notes my hubby has gotten from people telling the "I remember when" stories about his dad and how great he was. Most of the time you get a "Gosh, I'm sorry for your loss", but with Joe we have a bunch of memories of the positive impact he had on the lives of his family. I had only met him twice, but he was really a special man. He always had something funny to say and it was never at the expense of others.<br />
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I think that just about wraps up what I've been doing lately...Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-1652422945965207622012-05-21T15:20:00.001-05:002012-05-21T15:20:22.948-05:00The journey of a million foot stepsI believe the real name of the book is a journey of a thousand foot steps, but I know I took way more steps than that this weekend so I am going to go with a million.<br />
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Friday morning - 9:00 a.m. closed on old house - went smoothly without issue<br />
Friday afternoon - left work early for a 2:00 closing on the new house, called on the way only to find out that funding hadn't happened from the first sale yet. Went ahead to the closing and signed all of the papers. <br />
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3:00 - no funding<br />
3:30 - no funding<br />
4:00 - no funding and I am told it will be Monday at this point...<br />
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Panic sets in, movers schedule, utilities scheduled, all of the things you do for a move are freaking scheduled...<br />
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Calls go out to the lender on my new home, calls go out to the president of the home builder that we bought are home with, calls go out to the title company for our buyer... Lots of calls go to people that can help us.<br />
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Panic turns to terror...what are we going to do? How will we move on Monday? Can we move on Monday? Husband out of town Monday, me out of town the rest of the week, OMG what are we going to do? I started eyeing the cardboard boxes wondering how long it would take anyone to notice our cardboard, human Habitrail.<br />
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5:30 - the phone rings and the lender says he thinks the president will let me have the keys once he can finally reach him.<br />
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9:00 - the phone rings again and the saint that is my lender says he finally reached the president and I can have my keys the next morning at 9:30 a.m.<br />
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9:01 - the crying starts...tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of stress, basically lots of tears<br />
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Saturday 5:30 a.m. - I am up and at 'em. Boxes are ready, cleaning has been started, I am ready for this move. 9:00 the movers show up, 9:30 I get keys and we are in business...ALL DAY LONG....<br />
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Sunday 12:01 a.m. the crying begins again and I count the remaining body parts and can't find any that don't hurt. I really thought when you hired movers, you didn't have to do any of the heavy lifting. Evidently, you still do...<br />
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I told my husband that we will not be moving from our new home until we are dead...<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-68678035426976060742012-05-11T15:50:00.001-05:002012-05-11T15:50:34.924-05:00Winner, Winner, Where's my Chicken Dinner?Okay, I have never received an award before and I am pretty sure I haven't written anything that deserves one, but I never pass up the opportunity to share the great blogs of other people. The person that gave me the dubious honor of an award can be found lurking at <a href="http://melyndarockinthecrazy.blogspot.com/">Crazy World </a>. Thanks for the vote of confidence Melynda.<br />
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Seven things you may or may not want to know about me? Hmmm....<br />
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<ol>
<li>I have severe OCD in the form of cleanliness to the point that I drive everyone crazy with it. Use a coaster, pick up your trash, put your shoes away - no, I don't care that you are still wearing them...</li>
<li>I have a very hard time accepting help from anyone, but I am getting much better. My dear husband has found a way to break through my defenses and now I have come to rely on his help</li>
<li>My daughter is the best thing I have ever done. Even if her dad is a nitwit and she never listens to a word I say, I thank God for her every day.</li>
<li>Sometimes I still feel like I am 16 on the inside. I want to skip school, play hookie, ditch the babysitter, etc... I keep wondering when will I ever really feel like a grown up?</li>
<li>I tend to give my opinions even when I am not asked. I am working on this one as it seems to be a hereditary trait. Not everyone really wants to know what I think - shocking, I know!</li>
<li>I am a tender heart. Give me your downtrodden, your broken and your weary and I will wear myself out trying to fix them up.</li>
<li>I am claustrophobic... I can't even think about being stuck in a small space without having a panic attack</li>
</ol>
I think that about does it for me. Want to check out some other great Blogs that I love, love, love?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thestephanieconnection.blogspot.com/">Connecting with Stephanie</a><br />
<a href="http://ecwrites.blogspot.com/">The Crazy Life of a Writing Mom</a><br />
<a href="http://www.survivingboys.com/">Surviving Boys</a><br />
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There are more, but I will let you start with these....<br />
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*HOUSE UPDATE*<br />
Just got a call from my Realtor and the Appraiser has not come by to do the appraisal yet. She is coming today though. We close next Friday and it is an FHA Loan for the people buying our house. What do you think the odds are that this closing won't happened? AAAGGGHHH!!!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129585525468879672.post-15892292136884862762012-05-09T13:31:00.003-05:002012-05-09T13:31:49.801-05:00A-A-A-A-G-G-G-H-H-HI feel like today has gone to hell in a handbasket. I got up feeling fine this morning. I was even in a good mood. I woke up my daughter, got her ready for school and headed off to work. That's when the day went south...<br />
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<ul>
<li>My neighbor threw an easel and play set in the trash that I had given them for their kids - I live across the street, if you don't want it, give it back!</li>
<li>I sat in traffic for well over an hour - and I even left early</li>
<li>I have gotten no less than twenty requests for help from coworkers today, all of which have required me to stop what I am doing to figure out their answer</li>
<li>The stuff I am trying to work on, isn't working the way it is supposed to</li>
<li>I have gotten a slew of e-mails from the Lender on my new house asking for x, y and z. Every time I think I am done they come up with something else. I believe they now know everything about me, even what I had for breakfast this morning.</li>
<li>The appraiser for the sale of my current home still hasn't turned in his appraisal which means if it doesn't appraise for the sale price our sale could go through because the new buyers are doing an FHA loan. (This in itself is cause for panic because everything would completely unravel if this falls through!)</li>
<li>My water bill is still showing unpaid even though the payment cleared my bank over a week ago...</li>
</ul>
I could focus on only the bad stuff, but there is good stuff that I am trying to focus on as well. Otherwise I will become the very thing I loathe the most. A whiner...<br />
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Good stuff...<br />
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Good stuff...<br />
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Still trying to think of some good stuff...<br />
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Okay - here we go.<br />
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My daughter bought me donuts yesterday with her own allowance - that is the first time she has ever bought anything for me<br />
I have a job<br />
I have a home<br />
I have a husband whom I love dearly<br />
I have my health (even if my head is still so stopped up from allergies)<br />
My head hasn't exploded...(yet)<br />
We have about 90% of everything packed and the move is just over a week away<br />
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Okay, it is almost balanced. I really hope everyone in reader-land is having a much better day!!<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588737236494064981noreply@blogger.com4