Category Archives: home life

11.07.10
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The Merry Wife of Suburbia (Act XLII, Scene XI)

A suburban home.  4:45 pm Friday afternoon.  The housewife sits at the dining room table while the children run amok.  Her hair is in curlers.  Her face lacks makeup.  The babysitter is due at any moment.  She is frantically pushing fabric through her sewing machine.  The doorbell rings.

Housewife: Must be the babysitter!

Daughter #1: Mom!  Some girls are here!

Housewife: (aside) Not another fundraiser… (to her daughter) What do they want?

Daughter #1: I dunno…

Son #2: (eagerly) They’re selling cupcakes.

Housewife: (aside) I am not getting up from this machine.  (sighing, to son)  Tell them they have to come in.

Enter the babysitter, a woman in her 20’s.

Housewife: Stephanie, what do they want?

Stephanie: They’re selling cupcakes.

Enter two teenaged girls.

Girl #1: We’re selling cupcakes.

Housewife: Do I have to pay you now?

Girl #2: (timidly) Yes…

Housewife: (loud sigh, shaking head)  Girls, I’m Cinderella, and I’ve got to finish this dress for the ball.

Son #2: I’ve got money, Mom!

Housewife: You want to buy cupcakes?  (He nods his head.)  Then go get your money.

Girl #1: We’ve got red velvet, vanilla……(The din of running, playing children obliterates the sound of her voice.)  What kind would you like?

Housewife: You’ll have to ask the buyer.

Phone rings.

Housewife: That’s your dad!  Somebody answer the phone!

Son #1 answers phone.  Son #2 returns with money.  He orders cupcakes.  Girls depart.  Son #1 hangs up phone.

Son #1: Dad’s on his way home.

Housewife: (rising triumphantly from her chair and shaking out the dress) Good!  And my dress is complete!

Curtain falls.

Before: skirt is floor length

The Dashing Duo

In front of my favorite rose bush
11.04.10
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Eye opening, or not

My friend stopped by yesterday, and I showed her a skirt that I was converting into a dress for a military ball.  I hadn’t done anything yet, but the ball is Friday night.  My friend is also a seamstress, so she stepped right in with helping me lay out pieces.  Meanwhile, another friend stops by and we had quite a little party with us (mostly them) ripping seams and pinning and cutting. 

It was great.  I highly recommend having other people come over and do your craft projects for you.

At one point, I had one friend counting the number of steps in the directions and the other friend commenting that I had 48 hours to get it all done.  “I have 49 hours and 15 minutes to get it done,” I corrected her haughtily.  “You can always be fashionably late,” she replied.  I suspect they think I’ve overstepped my capabilities. 

Last night I made a run to the fabric store for a crucial zipper, and I picked up some fabric to make a jacket as well.  The facility where the ball will be is freezing, and a fur coat would be welcome (but I just got some satiny material instead).  I also bought a strapless bra, since the dress is wide on the shoulders.  Then I bought some new eye makeup.

After all that, it was bedtime, so I’m only on step 4.  It may be a late night tonight.

This morning, I put on all the eye makeup to see if I liked the look.  I don’t generally wear much makeup at all, and if I do it might be a mascara and a natural shade of lip stick.  I like the way it turned out as it helps make my blue eyes pop out from behind my eyeglasses.  But it’s definitely too dramatic for daily wear: medium and dark blue shadow, black liner and mascara.

At the breakfast table, I was not at all surprised when Katie asked me, “Mommy, are you going somewhere today?”  Innocently, I asked her whatever did she mean?  After she pointed out I was wearing makeup, I looked both older boys straight in the eyes and asked them if they noticed the makeup.  Nope.  Of course not.

I love boys, I really do.

And I love having daughters.

10.22.10
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Girls’ Weekend

This afternoon, I am running away from home.  Well, actually, on Sunday, I am running…away from home…participating in the Army Ten Miler in Washington, D.C., which is quite a way from home.  But this afternoon, I am leaving to get there.

Like a good wife and mother, I am trying to ensure a stress-free weekend for my husband.  I have made sure that there is plenty of milk, bread, eggs, bacon, frozen pizza and ketchup.  I am quite confident that he knows how to find the McDonald’s across the street if necessary.  This morning, I will make sure that my girls have all of the required components of their dance clothes ready to go and that their hair is brushed and pulled back.  I will make sure that my boys have game uniforms and equipment assembled (no hunting for shin guards at the 11th hour on Saturday).  If they can’t remember their water bottles, that’s too bad.  I will also make sure that everybody knows what they are wearing to Mass, so that my husband does not have to listen to the female histrionic wailing of “I have nothing to wear.”

I’m hoping to get caught up on laundry, but I really doubt I’ll get the house cleaned (that’s my usual Friday afternoon activity).  I’ll assign chores to the children, but it will be up to Bill to see that they are completed.  If they aren’t, oh well.

I do hope to finish this week’s schoolwork this morning.  The children are motivated for two reasons: this week is the end of the 1st quarter, and Monday is the Feast of St. Crispin.  I have promised them dinner out on Monday (we have gift cards to the Olive Garden) to celebrate IF they have done all their work.  What’s the big deal about St. Crispin?  Fritz had to memorize the St. Crispin speech from Henry V.  Any excuse to party will do.

I suppose I ought to pack at some point, too.  I bought grapes and candy corn to sustain me on the car ride.  Today I head to North Carolina to friend Rachel’s house.  Saturday, Rachel and I will go to friend Christie’s house.  Sunday, we shall run together (we band of sisters). 

Some women might choose a spa weekend or a shopping trip to an outlet center.  My girlfriends and I, we go for a ten mile run.

09.27.10
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I think I like October

The 10 day weather forecast is calling for temps in the lower 80’s and (gasp!) upper 70’s.  If it weren’t going to rain today, I might have even opened the windows and turned OFF the A/C.  Maybe soon, I’ll even contemplate digging out the fall clothes.

After months of brutal heat, I am so ready for nice weather.

09.20.10
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Decaffeinated

It’s not a good thing, ever, to wake up and find out that your coffee maker is broken. To have this happen on a Monday morning is even more foreboding. I think I’ll cancel any plans this week and hide under the bed.

Anybody love their coffee maker? There are so many choices…

09.19.10
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Wake me up when it’s over

Only 142 days until February 7, 2011.

What is February 7, 2011? The day after the Superbowl.

Fifteen years of marriage, and never an issue during the football season. Oh, perhaps some temper tantrums or grumpy Monday/Tuesday mornings, but nothing that didn’t wear off by afternoon (73% of all Packer fans experience bipolar disorder…85% of all statistics are fictitious…). And I like football, especially if junk food is involved…or good company…

But then I grew an adolescent football junkie. If I hear one more name or statistic or find my browser opened to Yahoo fantasy football one more time, I’m.going.to.scream…

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, yeah, and what do you say to two young boys when they want to know why Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for 6 games (reduced to only 4 because he’s been a good little boy)? Football has ceased being fun for me.

09.04.10
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Random Saturday

Bad night for sleep. First, Katie came into our room because she was scared. Bill had her sleep on the floor next to him. Then Jenny brought Mary in because Mary was scared. I pulled Mary into the bed. Jenny went back to bed, but couldn’t fall asleep, so she checked on Katie (in the top bunk) and freaked out when she saw the bed was empty. She came back to our room, so we put her on the floor next to me. She was shivering with fright, and asked where the dog was. I assured her that Greta was in her usual spot in the corner, on guard against all bad guys. I got into bed and lay on my right side facing out, Mary to my back, Jenny just under me.

I heard a noise, so I opened my eyes. Jenny was standing right in front of me, and it startled me, so I yelped. Bill, fast asleep, heard my cry of alarm, so he abruptly sat up, yelling, “HOO? WHA? HUH?” This scared the daylights out of Jenny, who screamed and jumped into my arms.

This is one of those scenes in a movie that you think is silly because it wouldn’t really happen. And then it does.

The three of us haven’t gotten much sleep since 4 am.

*******

As soon as Bill gets back from his bike ride, I’m heading out to the store to buy the last few things I need for my month of meals. I have 2 more dishes to prep and the sauce for some meatballs to make, which means I’ve completed 27 1/2 meals. I’m pretty pleased with myself, although I admit to being a geek when I make a batch of chili and get excited that the huge amount is enough for two meals so I’ve already made a meal for October!!

It’s a good thing I’ll be done today, because my meal plan begins tomorrow. I’m not done blogging about it…I just need more time. Still flying by the seat of my shorts.

*******

There are some really really wonderful people in the world, and my family is fortunate enough to benefit from their generosity. Time share/condo owners have donated off season beach rentals to a program called Warrior Vacations. Next week(end), we will be staying for free on Amelia Island in Florida for 4 nights. We are all looking forward to this time away, although I have predicted at least two crises from Bill’s work to interrupt things. Bill had yesterday off, and there were two crises just for yesterday. The holiday weekend is still young. Who knows how many more there may be?

I had planned my meals as easy to take along for the trip, but now I’m doubting that we’ll have a full kitchen there. If we do, I’ll probably hit a local grocery store for some easy foods. This means that my September month of meals should last me through the first week of October. Cool.

*******

Except for one child who needs to finish a novel for Religion and one child who needs to take a math test, we have finished three full weeks of school. Due to visitors and other distractions, it took us 3 weeks to do the first week, but we’ve been on track for the second two weeks. I’m pretty happy about this. I’ve arranged the school year in groups of 3 to 5 weeks followed by a catch-up week…or a week off if we’ve stayed on track. Next week will be gloriously light. I will have the kids bring some reading along, but other than that, we can have a guilt-free vacation.

Should be lovely.

08.28.10
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It’s what’s for dinner.

I actually don’t know what’s for dinner tonight. It’s still early.

But I DO know what’s for dinner in September. ALL September. And for breakfast and lunch, too.

Not only do I know what’s for dinner, I am in the midst of putting together all of the recipes I’ll need. And making grocery lists for all ingredients (separating them into “buy now” and “buy fresh” categories). And planning which things can be made in advance. And hopefully doing that pre-cooking or other prep work in the next few days.

When I told my husband these plans, he said that I was “crazy”…and “ambitious.” I asked which, and pointed out that “crazy” was an insult and “ambitious” was a compliment. He artfully dodged answering.

The project IS rather ambitious, and I’ve been working hard all day. My plan is to use this monthly menu three months in a row. While I’m using it, I’ll put together a winter menu to use three months in a row. Then a spring one, then a summer one. If I do this every quarter for three years, I’ll have a 12 month plan!

I do know that there are already books written with this sort of menu planning in mind, but I need to go with food my family eats. If I don’t make tacos at least 2 or 3 times a month, my oldest son will be upset. And if my kids have to face a whole month of casseroles or strange recipes, they will waste away until they resemble concentration camp survivors. I try to limit new recipes to once a week.

If I succeed, and I plan to succeed, I will not only not have to think about planning food for a month, I will surely save money on emergency dinners at the drive-through. We’ve got fall baseball and soccer and ballet starting next week and the week after. I need to get food on the table in a jiffy.

08.26.10
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Adrenaline beats caffeine any morning

“Now that’s an ominous sign,” I told Bill as we stepped out the front door. It was 6:40 am and a full moon hovered just above the tree line.

After he pulled away, I went back in the house and headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I stopped dead in front of the refrigerator. Up on top, a snake perched, looking down at me.

I blinked. Do we have any plastic toy snakes, I pondered. Is it a prank of some kind? Am I seeing things?

It moved.

I screamed.

I immediately called Bill. “You have to come home! There’s a snake on top of the fridge!”

Had he been even 2 more minutes down the road, I would not have called him. But lucky me.

We tried to get a picture, but the resident 2 year old had exhausted my camera battery. And the zoom lens doesn’t reach from the other side of the kitchen.

I do not know how the thing got up there. I’m not sure I want to know.

Bill came home, captured the snake, and took it outside. What a guy.

What a day…and it’s only just beginning.