A New Tradition

Today I decided the boys and I had a new tradition.  Several times this summer we have walked to the local coffee shop, but today I realized we tend to go most often on Tuesdays.  Every other Tuesday is Bible Study and the off Tuesday is my night to clean my house. Since I know I have somewhere to go or something to do each Tuesday I tend to want a mid-afternoon pick me up. Hence the tradition.

We get out the umbrella stroller, Micah rides, Jack walks.  We head the block and a half to Cafe Javasti.  Jack practices walking next to us, stopping at the road, holding hands to cross the road, and jumping on stones. Micah just enjoys the ride. 

At Javasti, I order a double short non-fat latte and a butterhorn for the boys the share. While I am ordering Jack picks out the same table, the one closest to the door and the toys and gets out the legos. I bring back the cookie, put Micah at the table, and sit down with my coffee. The boys love the butterhorn, I sip my latte, and watch them eat and play.  

We stay maybe 15 mintues, not long, but enough to enjoy our treat and play a little. We don't talk much but we all seem to feel better after our little treat.

On the walk home I savor my coffee, Jack continues to work on following directions, and Micah still enjoys the ride.  A little sweet time with my boys and the added benefit of caffeine to hlep me make it through the night. What could be better?

 

Enjoying half of a butterhorn.

Building a tree with legos.

Thank You Mom!

Today we celebrated my older sister's birthday. We had been having a very wet camping weekend and showed up excited for some good food and a dry table to eat at.  During dinner I found out my sister, who was supposed to also go camping until she realized it was going to rain, went and saw Mamma Mia! for the THIRD time last night.  Hmmm, that is not even fair.  Ever since the movie ended I have been dying to go back. I bought the soundtrack that night and have listened to it on repeat ever since.  

Once dinner was over and we were sitting there visiting, my husband came over and whispered in my ear: "Mamma Mia!, Marysville, 4:00". WHAT???!! He is even willing to go.  I subtly asked: "When is Michelle opening her presents, Lisa, Brandon and I are going to see Mamma Mia!". Everyone started talking at once.  When it was all said and done, both my sisters were going, my brother-in-law was going, and my husband and I.  I was giddy. My mom was left with 5 grandkids, two who were recovering from a weekend of camping.  But she just smiled and shooed us out the door.

I loved the movie even more the second time. I sang, I clapped, I laughed. You would have hated to be at the movies with me. My husband just laughed at me. He enjoyed the movie, even laughed out loud a few times, but was a little in awe of how much I loved it.

When we got home my boys had been fed, bathed, and were all sweet smelling. My mom got out the cake and ice cream and we finished celebrating my sister's birthday. Well, we did as soon as I was done singing and dancing to my favorite Mamma Mia! songs.

Thank you mom, for willing taking all the grandkids, and sending your girls out the door with a smile and a wave. It was the perfect way to end the day!

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

While I was sitting at my desk reading other people's blogs (my favorite past-time) I heard, what I thought was little feet above my head.  Nap time should not be quite over yet, but if my older son was up, I wanted to get him out of the room before he woke up the wee one.  

I quietly tiptoed up the stairs, careful not to step on an creaking stairs, opened up the doors and peeked in.  I saw my three year old laying in bed.  His opened his eyes and looked right at me.  I quietly beckoned to him: come, get out of bed, be quiet, don't wake your brother, come on, we can watch a show (all just using hand gestures). He blinked once and rolled over to face the wall.

Okay, so that wasn't him I heard moving around the room. And I don't think he is ready to get up.

The little one is turning out to be my reader. See... he can't even go to sleep without holding onto one of his books. 

Sweet dreams baby boys.

The 'Other' List

Long ago I wrote about a list that my husband and I had hanging in our house, a TODO list of things that needed to be done before we could move. Well, that list is still hanging in the same spot. It really can come down now but apparently our design aesthetic is to have random paper taped to the wall with blue painters tape.

Tonight I am not talking about that list but a different list. The list of actors/musicians that you could *ahem* you know, wink-wink, if you ever ran into them. For years, engraved in stone, has been Toby Keith. With his hat on, of course. Loved him, loved his songs, went to his concerts every year. But, as with all things, Toby has lost his allure.

Today I saw Mamma Mia! and I have a new man to put at the top of my list. Pierce Brosnan. I loved him in Remington Steele.  Haven't seen a Bond movie since they replaced him.  Own and love The Thomas Crown Affair. I even enjoyed his turn as a bad guy in The Matador. But nothing put him on my list until this movie.  My mom and younger sister said it was the opening scene that did it for them. Watching Pierce Brosnan in his jeans was good enough for them. That was fine, but for me, it was when he stood in the doorway with his arm on the doorjamb and sang "SOS". OH - MY  - GOD! Never heard the song before and did not care. I didn't even care that Pierce Brosnan is apparently not a great singer. I loved it. I absolutely loved it.

On the way home I stopped and bought the CD. I have played the song over and over along with Mamma Mia, and Take a Chance on Me.  I am even trying to figure out how I can go see the movie again.

My List:

1. Pierce Brosnan

2. Johnny Depp (can I just say: Captain Jack Sparrow)

3. Hugh Grant (watching him dance in Love Actually makes me want to jump)

Who is on your list?

OMG!

I know this is the third post of the night but I am heading out for a week of camping and needed to get all my thoughts up and posted.  

A warning: some graphic information in the following story.

I have lived in this house since mid-February. I don't have the exact number of days but am thinking it is around 150, give or take. This is important because of what I discovered, much to my dismay, this afternoon.

We have one bathroom in our house that is working. It is upstairs and, unfortunately, the only window is right next to the toilet. This has always caused me some concern but the window is that frosted, privacy glass and we have a paper shade over it.  I know it isn't 100% private as I came home late one night and saw my husband's silhouette through the window. Since then I have tended to leave the light off when I am using the bathroom once it is dark outside. I have serious peeping tom issues.

Unfortunately, I found out today that it isn't at night that the bathroom is most on display. I had gone out to the Westy to get some things for our camping trip. I am walking back to the house and I happen to glance up at the bathroom window and what do I see?? I see my husband. I see his blue shirt, I see his khaki shorts, OMG, that is not his shorts I can see! Are you serious??  Every day I go into the bathroom when the shade is up you can see all of me. You can see my clothes, you can see my lack of clothes, you can see EVERYTHING I am doing. Just think on that for a second.  

This summer we have had the window open quite often because it is one of the few that opens upstairs and we need the breeze. I will go inside, close the window, do my business, open the window and leave. I figure the most that the neighbors have seen is the window opening and closing. Nope, they have been getting quite a show. The best part is the neighbor directly behind us is having construction work, so this last week the house that stares at my bathroom window has been full of men working on his new garage. 

That is just great.  I think I have to move.

The trouble with money

I have to admit I have an issue with money. Not with spending it unnecessarily (really!) but more with thinking I have been 'cheated' out of my money. This tends to only happen when I have cash on hand, which thankfully, is not often.

The first time I became aware of this problem was our first trip to Seaside. At dinner the last night, or second to the last night I can't remember, I counted my money remaining and had less then I thought. I went back in my mind over all of the meals I had eaten, lattes I had enjoyed, and all the taffy I had bought.  I kept coming up with the wrong number. I felt in my gut I should have more money in my wallet then I did. This was very upsetting to me because the only thing I could think of was that my sisters had some how 'taken' my money. Now, I know they didn't do it intentionally but I was quite convinced at one of the meals I must have put in more money to pay for my share of the dinner then I should have. It was only $6 so it wasn't a huge amount but it was very upsetting to me.  Well, I won't go on but I will say that, no, my sisters did not take my money. I had forgotten about the $6 admission fee to the aquarium we had gone to. It was a little embarrassing, and to this day my sister's still tease me about how I felt I had been gip'd by them.

Well, I realized this is a serious problem I have when I went to take my boys out for ice cream the other night. Their dad had a dinner meeting and we were on our own for the night. For a special treat we headed out to Baskin Robbins before going to a park to play. I was so excited to go and eat ice cream with my beautiful boys.  I ordered Jack's strawberry ice cream cone, my rocky road ice cream cone, and a spoon for Micah. When I went to pay my heart stopped! I only had $2, where was my money? Each week my husband and I get $10 for  our 'coffee' money. This can be spent anyway you want but that is our cash to use for treats, mainly coffee. I was going to use the rest of mine to pay for our ice cream cones. I knew I had only gone for coffee once that week and it had cost $3. Where was the rest of my money! 

I sat down to eat my ice cream but could not enjoy it. I spent the entire time re-tracing my steps of the week to find out where my money went. I knew on Tuesday I had stopped at McDonald's after VBS for chicken nuggets for the boys. I did not have my $10 with me and ended up paying with my debit card. That night I went to Bible Study but did not spend any money there. Then, Wednesday, I stopped for a latte because I knew that from 2:30 on it would be a VERY long day. I got a triple latte and handed over my $10 to pay.

That was it! My barista must have taken my $10 and given me change for a 5 dollar bill! I go to the same drive-thru espresso stand and the barista is always the same. On Wednesday he was telling me a long story about President Bush and he must have looked at my money wrong. I was very upset. I was considering if it was possible to bring this up with him. I know $5 is not a lot of money but it was my coffee money for the week and it was gone.  

By the time I came out of my musings over my missing money, I realized Micah was on the table licking the window and Jack had ice cream all over his face and hands. Quickly, we cleaned up and left. I was still very upset about my stolen money and was once again re-tracing my week when I remembered. Oh, yeah. The boys and I went on a walk Tuesday afternoon to Cafe Javasti and shared a butter horn and I had an iced coffee. Oh, right, that is where I handed over my $10 and was given a $5 bill as change. I guess my money was not stolen and I did not have to confront my friendly barista to demand my money back.

I think I need help.

A sister shares...

On the ledge next to the mirror in my bathroom I have this little picture that says: 

A sister shares the memories of yesterday, the joys of today and the hopes of tomorrow

I read it several times a day whenever I am in the bathroom washing my hands, brushing my teeth, putting on make-up. I think of my sisters and agree that they do share the memories,the joys and the hopes. But they also share something else.

The share the snotty email sent late at night when you are tired and cranky.  They share the terrible, awkward family obligations that you know you have to attend.  Knowing that at least one sister will show up at the dreaded family Christmas, or the cousin's birthday that you know you will need a stiff drink to get through, or even an awkward and painful dinner event.  No one else understands what some of these events mean or can even attend. Husbands are not always there based on work schedules but sisters always are. 

We don't always get along or say things nicely to each other but we try. I love looking at the 4th of July pictures from this year and seeing my sisters and me lined up on the curb with our families.  Seaside is mainly about sisters and creating memories that we will laugh about for years to come.  

I am thankful for my sisters, for the memories of yesterday, the joys of today, and the hopes of tomorrow. I am also thankful they are there to call when I am upset, to ask questions about make-up colors, to listen to their bad day or current frustrations with husbands and or kids.  

I am thankful for my sisters.