what did December bring?

January.

See how that happened?

*blink* and now it's January. Actually, it's the last third of January, closer to February.

Yep.

Any hoo ... it's cold. I'm cold. My house is cold, and no, it's not a furnace issue, it's a I live in Chicago and it's just crazy ass cold this week issue. I think it is supposed to be 15 tomorrow, so that will be nice. A little bit of sun and no wind, and it might not be too bad.

So, I sit most nights with a cup of tea, doctored up with my friends honey - if you can get fresh, local, unpasteurized honey, I highly encourage it. I curl up with an afghan and I hunker down. I haven't been getting much done at night, but my days have been busy.

So as I sit here now, without a cup of tea, but a glass of water instead, my kids on the couch next to me as we watch some kid-tv, I fight the yawns and figure out just how early isn't too early, or too lame, to go to bed.

I know how to live large, don't I?

how it plays out

I just saw ... karma? ... play out right on my street.

One neighbor, Neighbor P, has had a broken furnace for more than two weeks, and has been waiting for pay day to be able to buy the parts needed to repair his furnace. Our other neighbor, Neighbor M, had her furnace go out last week and had her new furnace installed yesterday. Well ... the furnace that was taken out of her house yesterday had the part that Neighbor P's furnace needed, and he was able to go and scavenge the piece he needed for free, take it home, put it in and get his furnace working again.

Important Fact: Neighbor P has two small children at his house.

Both neighbors have heat, and it didn't have to put Neighbor P in the position to decide heat or food, heat or mortgage, heat or insurance? Neighbor M may be making payments for a year to pay off her furnace, but it's doable for her. Not necessarily fun to make payments, but it's doable.

How's that for timing?

really, I do

I really want to blog, really, I do ...

But why can't I get over here to do it?

I hate feeling like my life is a list of good intentions, but that I lack follow through.

Has facebook taken over my blogging? I know that it has definitely taken over some of my other "freer" time. I now do my best to hop on in the morning and at night, and to limit my time to an hour a day. Otherwise, it's a huge time suck.

I've also found about two dozen other blogs that are so beautiful, so inspiring, so creative ... all the things I aspire to be ... that I live vicariously through them, and let my own little blog wither from lack of attention.

I've got a mental list a mile long of things to share, but they still remain, in my mind, not yet shared with my oh so pathetic readership of two.

I don't think I ever openly shared my blog with my friends or family, because, you know, that would mean that I am putting myself "out there" for my friends and family to see further into our lives. I'm pretty open about it anyway, but for some reason, actually admitting I've got this little slice of the blogosphere is a risk I haven't taken yet. And it's been a while, so I probably should get over it, but ... not only is it withering from lack of attention, at least I am not sharing my blogful neglect with anyone else, except the couple of you that pop over here to check on things. Thanks, you two.

can it get any busier?

I mean, really?

I know I frequently mention THE LIST ... and how long it is, and how I should do this or that or the other ... but, ya know, I just don't feel like it. And I keep picking up other projects that just keep pushing other things to the lower end of the list.

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a very cool school desk for Q. He is my story teller, artist, drawer of many things. He has repeatedly told me that he plans to be an artist when he is older, but his schedule varies. Some times it will be only in the mornings, leaving his afternoons free to be The President. Last week, he told me he was going to be an artist on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving Tuesday and Thursday open for "being a worker". But, back to the desk. Tonight, I spent some time and expended some energy removing rust spots from the desk, with the help of a wire brush. I've got the first coat of primer on the top part of the desk, I'll put the first coat on the bottom portion of the desk tomorrow night. Then, once all is said and done, and, probably next week when the desk has been painted, I'll have to make a space in his room for it. But then, once that miracle has been worked (bunk beds don't give me much to work with), I will get to stand in his doorway and watch him create - stories, pictures, pictures with stories ... whatever his creative soul brings forth.

My daughter graduated from Preschool last Sunday. We had the ceremony in the park, and unlike last year, which involved many tears on her part, and much clutching of my skirts, she sang her heart out! I could not have been more proud of her ... the difference in my child from August 2007 when she started Preschool and the girl I hang out with today is amazing. She has grown so much, in so many ways. Yes, she completely tries my patience some days, and she can baffle me quicker than anyone I've run into so far, but she is a truly wonderful little big girl. I know that we will continue to butt heads, from here on out, but she's my girl.

This week is the last full week of school for Q - his last day, due to a bunch of snow days this year, is next Tuesday. He goes for all of an hour and a half, whatever that's worth. Last week was full of poetry recitals, the week before was Teacher Appreciation, and this week is the End of Year Carnival. Add to that, getting a card signed by all the kids, an unannounced ice cream treat on Thursday, and every day life in between all of that, and I'm a bit tired. We're looking forward to the end of school and the start of Summer Break. We'll see how we're feeling at the beginning of August.

Oh, and to continue on in my rambly way, I have a new neighbor. Our next door neighbors welcomed Sweet Baby Michael today. Mom, Dad and Baby are doing well, and from the pictures I saw, I think that this baby is going to get a lot of hugs and kisses, because wow, is he adorable.

So now, I look at the clock and need to decide ... finish the dress that I started two months ago, or go read a book for a bit before I go to bed. I think I'll work on the dress, because I'd like The Bee to wear it to the parties we're going to this weekend. If I get it done, maybe I'll come back and post a picture. We'll see how that works.

Where have we been?

Well, not here, that's for sure.

We managed to survive the snow and the cold that January brought us.

We watched the inaguration of a new President, wishing that we could be in Washington, DC. Can you imagine just being there, in the crowd, regardless of your voting record. I am kicking myself that I was not in Grant Park on Election Night. What was I thinking?!

February found me unemployed. Unexpectedly unemployed at that. Told over the phone, unexpectedly unemployed. Able to go in the next day and tell the people that I've worked with for, in some instances, TEN YEARS, that I had to come in and pack up my desk, that my job was one of the six positions eliminated, unexpectedly unemployed. It was a lovely twenty four hours, I must say.

February also found us with the flu. That was a fantastic four and a half days. Just Fantastic.

And, now, being totally housebound because of the crappy ass weather, for what seemed like for-freakin-ever, we were out playing today.

With bats and baseballs. With kettle cars. With Power wheels. With each other. Without our gloves and our scarves. In our sweatshirts.

It was so nice to be outside today ... the garage was open, I vacuumed out the car after three months of salt and snow, the kids burned off some serious energy, and I got to see a bit of the sun. It was glorious.

So now, as I try to figure out what direction my life goes in next, I will sit back and try to have an "Attitude of Gratitude". Thankful that I was able to work for an organization that I truly believed in for ten and a half years, and that I made a host of wonderful friends. I can honestly say that I am a better person and a better parent for having worked there. It may have ended in a way not of my choosing, but I take from it more than I could have expected when I started there as a single female, a recent transplant to the area, knowing only the person I moved in with (I did marry him!). I left there, having gotten married, watching my Mom pass away, having two children, becoming an aunt seven times over, and making some terrific friends. While I'm sorry it ended, I am thankful for everything I gained.

not good

My in-laws live on a country road, or at least what in this area is called a country road.

I have known them almost eleven years, and this morning, there was an accident on the road in front of their house. It was the fourth accident in the time that I've known them. This morning, two high school boys died as a result of the accident. They were on their way to school, six miles from the house.

This is really bothering me today ... I don't know if it's because I've got kids of my own, or if it's because I "know" the house it happened at ... this is the house that we are considering buying, once my in-laws retire and downsize. Is that it - am I going to have to make myself familiar with "the sound" of an accident happening? Am I going to have a conversation with my kids, using phrases, "oh, they usually are heading the other direction" or "I had to find which side of the house they were on"?

Whatever the reason for my being upset, it's really not about me. It's about two boys that didn't make it to school. Two sets of parents that won't be poking their head in the bedroom door, or listening for steps that aren't coming home again. There won't be the sound of their child pulling in the driveway, only people bringing condolences.

I hope that the families and friends are able to look back and remember with a smile through the tears, and that they are able to make their way from this awful point.

a crazy busy long while

is what it's been around here.

And, it looks like it's gonna be another few days, because I hear myself being called into another direction.

I might be back later tonight, but it's highly unlikely.

Next Monday is looking pretty good ...

clean up

So yes, it stopped raining.

I read in the newspaper that the Chicago area got 20% of it's annual rainfall in a 30 hour period last weekend. No wonder we're all under water.

The carpet is out, and the floor doesn't look too bad. The basement smells weird, though.

Also, I'm glad I cleaned out earlier this year, or my job would have been much worse.

Heading into a sunny weekend, for The Husband's Twenty Year High School Reunion. He's old.

Goings On

The kids have been enjoying their summer so far ... we're still having a bit of a goofy time, and they are definitely in some "I don't feel the need to listen to my Mom, and I will do exactly what she is telling me NOT to do while she is standing right here"

It is a daily reminder in our house to not jump on The Bee's bed. I tell them to stop. They do. I walk away. They jump. Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

Today Niece Number 1 was over, and at some point I had wandered upstairs and noticed that the shelf above The Bee's bed was hanging by only one hook - not how it usually hangs. So, I asked Q and The Bee what happened. Of course, she pointed left and he pointed right.

She said that he threw his lion and it smashed the shelf down.
He said that he didn't know.

So, I said I would have to talk to Daddy when he got home to see how we were going to deal with this.

Tonight, I replayed the above to The Husband, and then he called The Bee into her room, where we were sitting. He asked her what happened.

She said that Q did a kick punch and knocked the shelf down.

Us: What were you doing?

Bee: Jumping.

Us: Are you supposed to be jumping?

Bee: I tried to stop, but my brakes didn't work (holds up her left foot). I need to get a new foot because my brake didn't work, so I couldn't stop jumping.

Us: Oh.

Bee: Yeah, my foot is broken.

I don't remember much after that point because I think I was holding my breath hard from trying not to laugh that I may have suffered a mini blackout type of thing or something.

It turns out that Q did knock the shelf down, but it was an accident. However, they were jumping on the bed. The shelf was able to be re-hung with minimal effort, although I wanted to exaggerate my efforts in re-hanging it, but I didn't.

We'll see what the rest of the week brings.

Goings On

Oh, it's been busy around here ... I've got a mental list that feels like it's a mile long of things I want to blog about, and I barely find the time to make it over here, much less check in on friends and people that I could only aspire to be like.

We have been shoveling, painting, Play-Doh'ing, making lots of jam and jelly, jumping on the trampoline, building forts out of couch cushions, reading our library books, making suckers and candy, decorating our Valentines ... all while trying to stay warm. It looks like we're supposed to get more snow this weekend, so I'm off to the store tomorrow morning, instead of my usual every other Sunday afternoon excursion. If I didn't shop only every two weeks, it wouldn't be a big deal, but we're pretty much out of everything here, so this weekend, shopping is a must.

Let's see ... what else ...

Today, Q said to The Bee, "Don't bother me, I need a piece of quiet!"

I finished a hat for my niece last week, and for The Bee and Q today. Nothing fancy, just having some fun with fleece. I'm hoping to get a baby blanket finished for my newest cousin tonight, so I can visit on Monday, weather permitting.

I have an actual list floating around here somewhere ... and it's odd, now that I've actually cleaned my desk, I can't find it. That's what you get for trying to be organized and proactive. Give me chaos and a slack ass attitude any day.

Maybe I'll get to some more of it tonight ... I've got to set up the iron and get cracking on that blanket ... more on that baby later too. He doesn't even have a name yet, so I refer to him as Gavin. I like it.

it's good

My sister and I are sitting here chatting and supervising, sipping lukewarm coffee, because we both know that it will never truly be hot, as long as the kids are little. Q is cutting and building Puppet Man, complete with ears and a penis. The Bee is gluing, folding and gluing some more. Nephew #2 is creating his first painted masterpiece, both on the paper and himself.

It's good.