We lovingly call MIL "the FBI" because she finds everything out. One of my son's friends calls his mother "CSI" because she analyzes and questions the slightest things. I think these kids just think we are dumb.
When I'm gone for a weekend leaving a college age child home alone, I know there will be a party and it doesn't take the FBI or CSI to figure it out when you get home. Let's see the trash was taken out to the curb for pick. Maybe because they didn't want me to see all the garbage? But they are not full grown adults yet and so the beer caps in the kitchen can under the trash bag are a give away as are the shards of broken glass under the sofa stuck to the floor and the vacuum cleaner that no longer sucks up anything because its full of glass and chips or maybe the picture frame that doesn't stand anymore because when they put it back together they put it upside down and the back keeps falling off. Why did they have to put it back together to begin with I don't want to know. Apparently, everyone is safe and sound because I am thinking I would have heard otherwise.
There's another weekend away planned. I hope the house and my stuff survive.
Showing posts with label growing up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label growing up. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Really? Back to School Time?
Is it really Back to School time? I can't tell. I have one starting his second year in college and the other starting his Senior year in high school and it just seems like another month to me just like the last one.
Sure, I bought some hugely overpriced books and spent all of 2 hours scouring the Internet for cheaper versions to bid on and win one at half price (can I hear a WooHoo!) but I'm not elbowing anyone for that last 8 pack of crayons, or the 2-pack of glue sticks etc. etc. Any I am NOT rummaging through tight aisles looking for uniform pieces and dragging a child to the dressing area explaining to them where exactly their waist line is. I don't miss any of that at all. But I do miss the the general get new stuff for school feeling. I remember taking them to the big box department store for them carte blanche to pick out folders (4/$1) and packs of fancy pencils that weren't going to last 2 weeks and fancy pens and the binders and folders and the pencil cases! oh the pencil cases! that never fit all the things they wanted. And going home and sorting, labeling and organizing everything. They were going to be so successful because I had gotten them all these wonderful tool they needed to excel and be smart. What a feeling of accomplishment.
Now, I give them cash to go buy shoes, I order books online and everything else they tell me they will buy as they need it and I no longer cover books.
I got a coupon for a big box office supply store and I think I need to drag my teens there this weekend and at least make them pick out a pack of pens (say that 10 times fast) just for old times sake. After all I think this is really the last year I can make them do this. We can watch other families melt down and maybe sit and have a coffee and reminisce about the years gone by. Yeah, I don't think so! So, sorry for all of you trying to get everything on the list. I'll have an extra cup of coffee for you this weekend as I relax staring out my front yard that is so calm birds actually come visit now. Comfort and Joy! Hey, maybe I'll even watch a movie.
Sure, I bought some hugely overpriced books and spent all of 2 hours scouring the Internet for cheaper versions to bid on and win one at half price (can I hear a WooHoo!) but I'm not elbowing anyone for that last 8 pack of crayons, or the 2-pack of glue sticks etc. etc. Any I am NOT rummaging through tight aisles looking for uniform pieces and dragging a child to the dressing area explaining to them where exactly their waist line is. I don't miss any of that at all. But I do miss the the general get new stuff for school feeling. I remember taking them to the big box department store for them carte blanche to pick out folders (4/$1) and packs of fancy pencils that weren't going to last 2 weeks and fancy pens and the binders and folders and the pencil cases! oh the pencil cases! that never fit all the things they wanted. And going home and sorting, labeling and organizing everything. They were going to be so successful because I had gotten them all these wonderful tool they needed to excel and be smart. What a feeling of accomplishment.
Now, I give them cash to go buy shoes, I order books online and everything else they tell me they will buy as they need it and I no longer cover books.
I got a coupon for a big box office supply store and I think I need to drag my teens there this weekend and at least make them pick out a pack of pens (say that 10 times fast) just for old times sake. After all I think this is really the last year I can make them do this. We can watch other families melt down and maybe sit and have a coffee and reminisce about the years gone by. Yeah, I don't think so! So, sorry for all of you trying to get everything on the list. I'll have an extra cup of coffee for you this weekend as I relax staring out my front yard that is so calm birds actually come visit now. Comfort and Joy! Hey, maybe I'll even watch a movie.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Summertime
It's Memorial Day Weekend. Where I grew up that was the beginning of summer! The community pools opened (no one had private pools) and we were all there Saturday morning waiting for the lifeguard to come open up at 10am. The water was cold but we didn't give a hoot. It was summertime! Mothers would come down with sandwiches and command us to come out and eat a few hours later and then we'd get back in the water until closing. Sunday we did it all again! and Monday we'd be there first thing because we didn't have all day. We were going to be dragged out of the pool soon to be taken to a parade and then BBQ. Honestly, we just wanted it to be done with to get back in the pool. I mean the parade was nice and the food was good. But we couldn't wait to be handed our popsicles that we ate walking back to the pool. It would melt and drip all down our arms but we didn't care becasue we were going to jump in the pool to clean off.
After the first week we slowed down a bit and only went to the pool after lunch. All the moms took the babies in the morning. They were everywhere. Don't jump over here because of the babies. Children stop splashing like that you are gong to drown the babies. They would get on our last nerve. So, we gave them the pool in the morning and took it over in the afternoon. Now, when I say took over I mean took over. This was a very large pool, it was for an entire community but we monopolized it in the afternoons and played Marco Polo and had relay races and diving competitions and who can make the biggest cannonball splash competitions and who can keep their legs straight while doing a handstand under water competitions and on and on.
Before lunch it depended on which mom was watching us what we could do. One mom made us read. She made us read real books the funny papers didn't count. Ugh! It was horrible. And she knew all the books and would ask you things about it to make sure that you had actually read. Awful. Another mom would let us just watch TV and play quietly. We just had to be quiet because she was always tired (in my adult years I realize now she was always hung over). The girls would play Barbie and the boys would play GI Joe. It would all be good until the boys invariably launched an invasion on the Barbie townhouse and we'd scream and get kicked out fo the house to go be outside. Another mom didn't want us underfoot and we had to be outside and getting fresh air. So, we'd be on the playground or we'd play baseball using trees and shrubs as bases.
Summers were great. The morning set depending on the mom in charge, afternoons in the pool until sundown and then stay up late because who needs to go to bed early in the summer. NO ONE, there's no school! I wish I could do some of that again. Those were the days, the lazy days of summer.
After the first week we slowed down a bit and only went to the pool after lunch. All the moms took the babies in the morning. They were everywhere. Don't jump over here because of the babies. Children stop splashing like that you are gong to drown the babies. They would get on our last nerve. So, we gave them the pool in the morning and took it over in the afternoon. Now, when I say took over I mean took over. This was a very large pool, it was for an entire community but we monopolized it in the afternoons and played Marco Polo and had relay races and diving competitions and who can make the biggest cannonball splash competitions and who can keep their legs straight while doing a handstand under water competitions and on and on.
Before lunch it depended on which mom was watching us what we could do. One mom made us read. She made us read real books the funny papers didn't count. Ugh! It was horrible. And she knew all the books and would ask you things about it to make sure that you had actually read. Awful. Another mom would let us just watch TV and play quietly. We just had to be quiet because she was always tired (in my adult years I realize now she was always hung over). The girls would play Barbie and the boys would play GI Joe. It would all be good until the boys invariably launched an invasion on the Barbie townhouse and we'd scream and get kicked out fo the house to go be outside. Another mom didn't want us underfoot and we had to be outside and getting fresh air. So, we'd be on the playground or we'd play baseball using trees and shrubs as bases.
Summers were great. The morning set depending on the mom in charge, afternoons in the pool until sundown and then stay up late because who needs to go to bed early in the summer. NO ONE, there's no school! I wish I could do some of that again. Those were the days, the lazy days of summer.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Comfort Food
It's been cold here in sunny South Florida. Honest. It's in the 40s and even 30s at night. That's cold. For people who live here is freezing but we won't get into that. Anyway, between the cold and I have some friends who are going through some yucky stuff and that drags me down a bit I needed some comfort food.
Last night I made good ole meat loaf and mac n cheese. I'm not talking little powder pack of seasoning meat loaf or box mac n cheese. I am talking all homemade from scratch. I did make dough boy pop in the oven biscuits because there's only so much a girl can do on a weeknight.
Dinner was DElicious. I sauteed the onions and spices for the meatloaf first and grated a carrot to add to the mix. THEN I wrapped it in bacon! Tell me what's not better with bacon. Nothing.
The mac n cheese was yummy! The macaroni were just right not overcooked and mushy. The cheese was a combo of Colby, cheddar and parm blended into a roux with butter and cream. I tossed it all together and put it in the oven with more parm sprinkled on top and let it bubble up. Oh So Good!
I felt so warm and good after dinner. It was a comfort meal for me. Not so much for my boys because they didn't grow up on that since they don't really have winter and all but I used to have that at least every 10 days in the winter if not more often. I was feeling a bit drained. Dinner took me back and recharged me. I am ready for the weekend and getting things done.
Last night I made good ole meat loaf and mac n cheese. I'm not talking little powder pack of seasoning meat loaf or box mac n cheese. I am talking all homemade from scratch. I did make dough boy pop in the oven biscuits because there's only so much a girl can do on a weeknight.
Dinner was DElicious. I sauteed the onions and spices for the meatloaf first and grated a carrot to add to the mix. THEN I wrapped it in bacon! Tell me what's not better with bacon. Nothing.
The mac n cheese was yummy! The macaroni were just right not overcooked and mushy. The cheese was a combo of Colby, cheddar and parm blended into a roux with butter and cream. I tossed it all together and put it in the oven with more parm sprinkled on top and let it bubble up. Oh So Good!
I felt so warm and good after dinner. It was a comfort meal for me. Not so much for my boys because they didn't grow up on that since they don't really have winter and all but I used to have that at least every 10 days in the winter if not more often. I was feeling a bit drained. Dinner took me back and recharged me. I am ready for the weekend and getting things done.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Packing for college. And so it begins...
As the two of you know, 18 will be off to college soon. We are leaving the 21st to be exact and so we have limited time to complete his winter wardrobe. To that end I suggested that he bring out the winter clothes, pile it on the coffee table so that we could review it while packing and make note of what if needed so that we may spend fun filled weekends running around Miami in the dead of summer scouring the stores for winter clothes on a budget.
Well , I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of clothes he brought out. I didn't realize we had bought that much and that he was SO ready to go. I great calm and sense of relief came over me. As he brought things out, I was taking them off the hangers and folding them in piles. Then I start realizing some of this stuff is old. I don't mean hand me down old, I don't mean out of style old. I mean I bought this for our 2 days of cold in Miami, I don't even remember when. When he plopped himself back on the sofa, I asked "Does this fit?" "Ahhh, no." he answers nonchalantly. "And this?" "nope", "What about this?" "Nah". Do you see a pattern here? A good third of all that clothes he brought out to pack was too small on him! Now, I realize everyone has their own packing style but I presume we all pack clothes that you know - FITS!.
So, I take a deep breath or 32 and calmly ask him to go through the clothes so we can figure out what we still need to buy. "Now?", he asks incredulously. "Yes, right now." "But why now? I'm not leaving yet." I take another deep breath. "Because there aren't enough last minutes to get everything done at the last minute. So you choose. If you want me to be a part of the clothes buying and packing then now. If you want me out of the process, then whenever." At his point it would be beneficial for you to know that I haven't packed for either of my children since they were old enough to drag a rolling bag, which is quite young. I would tell them what they needed (3 underwear & socks, 3 shorts & t-shirts, pajamas, bathing suit etc), they would pull it out, pack it in their own bags that they were responsible for during the trip. Children can do this from very young if you are not particular about the matching aspects of their ensembles; which I wasn't. So, 18 bolted to an upright position and declared "You're going to pack for me?" "If you want me to and you go through the clothes now, I will." "Hell yeah!" he cheered as he popped off the sofa and sorted the clothes. 16 and hubby laughed and he says "After all these years of telling them to do it, now you are going to pack for him?"
I matter-of-factly explain, I was teaching them to think, to plan, to organize and to be responsible. He already knows how to do that, now I can do it for him. They all laughed but 18 sorted the clothes and has one bag packed and ready to go by his mama.
Well , I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of clothes he brought out. I didn't realize we had bought that much and that he was SO ready to go. I great calm and sense of relief came over me. As he brought things out, I was taking them off the hangers and folding them in piles. Then I start realizing some of this stuff is old. I don't mean hand me down old, I don't mean out of style old. I mean I bought this for our 2 days of cold in Miami, I don't even remember when. When he plopped himself back on the sofa, I asked "Does this fit?" "Ahhh, no." he answers nonchalantly. "And this?" "nope", "What about this?" "Nah". Do you see a pattern here? A good third of all that clothes he brought out to pack was too small on him! Now, I realize everyone has their own packing style but I presume we all pack clothes that you know - FITS!.
So, I take a deep breath or 32 and calmly ask him to go through the clothes so we can figure out what we still need to buy. "Now?", he asks incredulously. "Yes, right now." "But why now? I'm not leaving yet." I take another deep breath. "Because there aren't enough last minutes to get everything done at the last minute. So you choose. If you want me to be a part of the clothes buying and packing then now. If you want me out of the process, then whenever." At his point it would be beneficial for you to know that I haven't packed for either of my children since they were old enough to drag a rolling bag, which is quite young. I would tell them what they needed (3 underwear & socks, 3 shorts & t-shirts, pajamas, bathing suit etc), they would pull it out, pack it in their own bags that they were responsible for during the trip. Children can do this from very young if you are not particular about the matching aspects of their ensembles; which I wasn't. So, 18 bolted to an upright position and declared "You're going to pack for me?" "If you want me to and you go through the clothes now, I will." "Hell yeah!" he cheered as he popped off the sofa and sorted the clothes. 16 and hubby laughed and he says "After all these years of telling them to do it, now you are going to pack for him?"
I matter-of-factly explain, I was teaching them to think, to plan, to organize and to be responsible. He already knows how to do that, now I can do it for him. They all laughed but 18 sorted the clothes and has one bag packed and ready to go by his mama.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The more things change, the more they stay the same
That saying occurred to me this morning as I was driving 15 to his Cross Country practice. Last night I had a wonderful time and well needed laughs coupled with the fun of meeting new friends. Just what I needed after this week.
Pheasantly Fascinating, Mrs. Phez, The Scribbler's Nook - who I insist I know from somewhere. He looks so familiar! I truly hope it comes to me!- , The Mind Wobbles and her hubby all got together at Chez Phez to play Cranium. It was tons of fun. As we were leaving TroyBoy said they had little kids that wake them up at 5am. Well, mine may not be as little as his anymore and you may think much has changed but lets see. I'm thinking Baby Phez probably woke them up a little after 5, my alarm rang at 5:20. Mrs. Phez and I both got up. She got the baby, changed his diaper and got a bottle. I woke up 15 and got dressed. She probably took the baby to their bed to feed him and trying to get him to doze off so they can squeeze in another 20/30 minutes of sleep. I drove to the park, parked the car. lowered the windows, reclined the seat and slept for an hour while 15 ran. It's now 7am. They've given up on sleeping in. Lil' Phez is probably up by now wanting breakfast, they start the day for real this time. I am sure coffee is in play. I sit up and watch them finish up their practice, stretch and at 7:30 we leave the park and go home. He showers and I start laundry and have my coffee.
So, 15 years have gone by and my grandfathers words when I told him I was pregnant ring true. "You will never sleep the same again."
I just met the Phez' and I don't know their morning routine. I am really winging it assuming they do close to what we did when the boys were that young. But as you can see we are all up because of the boys, taking care of the boys. The upside here Phez' is eventually you don't have to change their diaper. :)
Thanks Phez' for inviting us! It was lots of fun!
Pheasantly Fascinating, Mrs. Phez, The Scribbler's Nook - who I insist I know from somewhere. He looks so familiar! I truly hope it comes to me!- , The Mind Wobbles and her hubby all got together at Chez Phez to play Cranium. It was tons of fun. As we were leaving TroyBoy said they had little kids that wake them up at 5am. Well, mine may not be as little as his anymore and you may think much has changed but lets see. I'm thinking Baby Phez probably woke them up a little after 5, my alarm rang at 5:20. Mrs. Phez and I both got up. She got the baby, changed his diaper and got a bottle. I woke up 15 and got dressed. She probably took the baby to their bed to feed him and trying to get him to doze off so they can squeeze in another 20/30 minutes of sleep. I drove to the park, parked the car. lowered the windows, reclined the seat and slept for an hour while 15 ran. It's now 7am. They've given up on sleeping in. Lil' Phez is probably up by now wanting breakfast, they start the day for real this time. I am sure coffee is in play. I sit up and watch them finish up their practice, stretch and at 7:30 we leave the park and go home. He showers and I start laundry and have my coffee.
So, 15 years have gone by and my grandfathers words when I told him I was pregnant ring true. "You will never sleep the same again."
I just met the Phez' and I don't know their morning routine. I am really winging it assuming they do close to what we did when the boys were that young. But as you can see we are all up because of the boys, taking care of the boys. The upside here Phez' is eventually you don't have to change their diaper. :)
Thanks Phez' for inviting us! It was lots of fun!
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