Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Running.

...as in, my poor old tired body can't do it very well!

I am speaking literally. New good friend and I, last week, thought we were going to be all Jackie Joyner-Kersee and run our route, instead of walk it. Cut to this week, my lower back is JUST feeling better and New Good Friend's knee is still out of commission.

Guess we're back to "wogging." Have I coined that term? Has anyone else made that up? I have no idea. I just know I am not a jogger, yet, but I'm not content to walk. Hence, I wog. Yeah, it is funny looking, I know, you can stop giggling.

Anyway, off to class and then to Costco and then to do a bunch of this and that. And I've started writing/editing again! So, if you actually click on my writing blog link you'll note I have started posting again! Woop.

I can't believe tomorrow is September first! Another year is totally getting away from me and as my thirteen-year old character would say--it is just FREAKING ME OUT!

;-)

**UPDATE**
I just googled "wogging" and it looks like I was beaten to the punch. Even though *I* made up the term, someone else made it up long before me. D'OH!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Me? Really? Are You Kidding?

Chalk one up for the "You're-Actually-Not-Invincible" demons I guess, but I received some crazy news this weekend.

I've been having a lot of headaches, lately. Some in one eye, some in the other, and it has been bugging me. I figured stress from Back to school. Well, Saturday, I woke up with a red gunky eye. I immediately thought the worst. Pinkeye. Gross. I mean, GROSS! How could I have gotten it? My kids are all fine, I always sanitize the shopping carts before I shop, I always sanitize in the car after I've packed up, how did I get it?

I didn't want to have it all weekend, so off to the CVS Minute Clinic I went. I told her I suspected pinkeye. She asked me if I had any other symptoms. I said no. Well, now that I thought about it, I'd had a headache in that same eye the night before. Not a super bad one, but bad enough. She checked my ears, my nose, and my throat.

HER: "You've got allergies. It's allergic conjunctivitis."

ME: "Come again?"

HER: "Allergies. We're just starting Ragweed season, it makes sense."

ME: "But (sputtering) But I've NEVER had allergies in my whole life! EVER!!!!"

HER: "Welcome to North Carolina."

Okay, is it just me, or am I hearing that a lot lately? "Welcome to North Carolina" is code for "Yeah, we have freaky ways of doing things sometimes completely different from what you're used to, and yeah, things happen to you here that don't normally happen to you. Deal with it."

But talk about a wake-up call! She said I had allergies!!! My left sinus was almost completely occluded, whatever that means, and even though I could breathe just fine, the headaches were actually allergies. She prescribed antihistamine eye drops and Zyrtec D.

Guess who got better almost instantly? I am freaking out. I mean, I've always been so allergy-free! I could mow the lawn, roll in the grass (not so much these days, heh heh) stick my face in a bale of hay and dance through a field of pollinating flowers without so much as a sniffle...until now. Apparently I now have allergies. I know millions of people live with them every day but for me, it's a new experience. At least now I can control the headaches! And I've never lived in a climate this warm/pollen producing before, so that explains a lot.

Go figure. Huh.

This weekend was soooo lazy. Mostly because I stayed home because of the ugly eye, and also because I just didn't want to go anywhere. Bad Lara. And for those of you who don't think I take a nap, don't worry, I will on occasion! I just have guilt over it. To me, taking a nap is the ultimate indulgence. :-)

Time to get cracking! Welcome to North Carolina!!! ;-)

Friday, August 27, 2010

What Was I Thinking????

So, I am officially the room parent for my son's fourth grade class. This is SO not me. I don't sign up for these things! I am content to take direction from others, be a worker ant, let others be Queen, etc. etc..

Talk about jumping in feet first! I figured, since we're new, what better way to "get to know" my kid's school. And let them get to know me. I hope I don't suck. I hope the kids don't want to throw rotten tomatoes at my head...

I walked my middle-schoolers to the bus stop for the last time today. My daughter wanted me to walk with them, my son wanted me to stay home. Typical. Thing Four (who is three) just likes the fact he can come with me and dance around making monkey sounds and be a total ham for all the older kids until the bus comes. At least he's a good ice breaker.

Second day of Middle school was better, Thing One is finding some friends. Thing Two hasn't had any major Incidents happen to him, so all I can do is pray and hope for the best. ;-)

I seriously had to sign about 93736 papers for both of them, it is crazy how much. Times sure have changed.

It's funny, after getting up at 5:50 to get Thing Three up, then get him out to the bus and get the other two Things ready and out the door, all I want to do is go back to bed. I don't, of course, because that would make me lazy, but man, I really am tempted to take a nap when Thing Four goes down for his after lunch. I'd sure like to do a "Lara Siesta" one of these days.

I've got a pork roast in the crockpot, we're having sweet pulled pork tonight! I layer it with chips and black beans and rice and cheese. Mmmmmmm....

Have a good weekend!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Middle School Sucks

You know what? It really does. I remember well my middle school experiences. Well, mostly just 8th grade, because I've blocked most of 7th grade from my memory. Because I was a bit of a dork, and was treated accordingly. (Mostly I think it stems from the pivotal act of SHAVING MY HEAD right before 7th grade started. Okay, it wasn't exactly shaved, but I'd had hair down to my butt for years, and my dad cut it to my ears and feathered it. Right. Before. School.)

Anyway, Thing One came home from school yesterday claiming she wasn't ever going back, and Thing Two was of the same feeling. Lots of hugs and TLC yesterday. It's not that the middle school kids were mean, it's just that my kids were ignored. I explained no one knows who they are yet, and most kids going to gravitate towards the familiar. Hopefully today will be better. They are also a little shell-shocked because elementary school is a picnic compared to middle school. All these new classes and teachers and running around from place to place is a shock to them.

I know things will get better for them, it's just not fun to have to watch them go through it, you know?

Got a lot of my house clean yesterday. There's still not enough hours in the day. I'm almost busier now than I was during summer! Probably because I'm doing all the things I couldn't do because I had kids at home and DIDN'T WANT to do them. ;-) Yeah. Funny how that works.

Happy Thursday!




Wednesday, August 25, 2010

WHEW.

Okay, before I launch into today's post, a few tidbits for you Harry Potter Lovers out there: Click here for a complete in-depth (and completely spoilerific--be warned) synopsis of a recent Chicago test-screening of the first Deathly Hallows movie. It looks to be AMAZING!!!

And for you VAMPIRE DIARIES lovers out there--I am LOVING this:

Yeah!!!

Now, about first day of school. So, we PLANNED to have the kids in bed by 9pm last night. Well, they had scouts and church stuff last night, and didn't even get home until 8:40. And they had to shower, and of course they all wanted to talk and talk and talk talk talk talk blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda until I screeched at them to get to bed because it was now 10:30.

We went to bed. Cut to 2am. Thing Four falls out of bed (yes he sleeps in a queen bed and yes I have guard rails on both sides because he is a very restless sleeper) and starts crying. I ran to comfort him and his siblings were already in there with him, calming him down. I screeched at them to go to bed, I had it covered. Cut to 3am. Thing One comes running into my room fresh from a nightmare, and needs me to tuck her in. I practically fall over my own feet I'm so tired at this point, but I make it to her room and tuck her in again.

5:45: Wake up Thing Three because his bus comes at 6:45. 6:30: wake up Thing One because she doesn't like to blow dry her hair. 7am: wake up Thing Two because he takes an hour just to eat breakfast.

Anyway, they all got on the bus okay, my house is a total sty and looks like a tornado ripped through it, but everything is fine! I am exhausted and have The Tension Headache From Hell, but nothing a little Excedrin won't cure.

Fingers crossed my kids have a good day. I am a wreck for them because they are all starting over, meeting new friends and I remember well that feeling and how UN-FUN it was, being the New Kid.

Please send happy thoughts our way!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Countdown...

One day left! School starts tomorrow!!! Oh my gosh I can't believe it!!!

Poor Thing Three. His school bus picks him up at 6:45 am. His other siblings don't have to catch the bus until 8:05. CRAZY!! And I'm a horrible mom because I still have to take them to get new shoes today. I am THE procrastinator!!!

One more open house tonight, and we're done. And I'm happy to report that I am no longer driving around illegally any more! (My WI license plates expired in June!) I now have shiny new "First in Flight" NC plates (I forewent the "Luv2Farm" plates) and I don't have to worry every time I see a police car.

In my defense, I had to wait until I got my actual license before I could do my plate registration. They don't give the license out here at the DMV. You get a sheet of paper and in 7-10 days you get the license in the mail. You would think with all the technology they have these days you could walk out with a license. There must be other factors.

Anyway, I am off to class, good friend and I did two miles and weights this morning from 6:30 -7:40 and I'm dead. Then my kids are having friends over and we have to school shop (I KNOW!!!) and then open house. Then Scouts and church meetings. Then I will shoot myself and it will all be over.

Okay, scratch that last part. Happy Tuesday! It's Toast Day!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Those D*** Neighbors...

So, we have a saying in our house--because no one ever admits to anything (you remember the little "Not Me" ghost who ran around the Family Circus cartoons? Yeah, that would be about right), and it's probably inappropriate, but whenever something happens and no one will cop to it, it must be the D*** Neighbors! For the sake of keeping this kid-friendly, I will say Darn Neighbors.

Anyway, those pesky Darn Neighbors have been up to quite a bit of mischief, lately. They ate the Last Chocolate Chip Cookie. They overfed the fish. They left wet towels and swimsuits on the floor of the bathroom. They left the Wii on all night long. They made off with the DO NOT TOUCH/MOM'S scissors, and ate all the bacon before we could put it on our home-made pizzas the other night. Those Darn Neighbors. They are becoming a nuisance, they are! They leave granola bar wrappers by the kids' computer niche, deplete all the candy in my candy jar, and my BIGGEST PET PEEVE EVER, they leave empty cartons of stuff in the freezer. You know how sometimes you're having a sucky day and you MUST have a fudgesicle, and you go to the freezer and joy of joys there's still some fudgesicles left, and you grab the box and....DENIED!!! THE BOX IS EMPTY!!!

Those Darn Neighbors!!!!!! They ate them all up and put the empty box back because they didn't want you to know they finished them off! I hate those neighbors!!!

Yeah, those darn neighbors. They are just TROUBLE.

;-)

Today is crazy with school open houses and last minute shopping and general chaos and mayhem. I hope everyone has a good Monday!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

SUSHI.

We're off to Walmart for school supplies! They just opened up a super Walmart (yesterday!) a few miles from my house, and the kids and I are excited to go.

Thing Four (who is three) really really really really REALLY wants a pet, so I promised him a beta fish. Sadly, our two Betas, Paulie and Blueberry, passed away a few years ago, but I happen to still have their bowls.

He's already decided he wants to name his fish "Sushi." Let me tell you, there's a lot of excitement in the casa today over Sushi's impending arrival! Thing One is all in a snit because she wants a fish too, but I told her to wait a few days, because today is "Thing Four's Fishy Day." She is pouting. Typical twelve-year old. ;-)

Good friend and I did two miles and weights this morning. We are following my personal trainer's structured workouts and we are both S-O-R-E!!! Next week I'm starting up the Yoga again (I haven't done it for two weeks and I miss it!) and frankly I have no idea why I'm on a health kick but maybe it's my pre-emptive strike since the Holidays are near. And I love Holiday Baking. The pumpkin cakes, pies, cookies, you name it. Holiday baking is the BEST. Marzipan, Aplets and Cotlets, Stollen, all the rich yummy foods we don't eat except the months of November and December. I know, some of you don't eat them AT ALL, but let me enjoy my moment of Food Fantasy. ;-)

We were supposed to go swimming today, but rain trumped those plans. So, I opted to GET STUFF DONE. How popular do you think I am with my kids right now?

Heh heh.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Think of Something Funny.

So, since I am beyond tired from lack of sleep (I call it the "Hubby-Is-Out-of-Town" Insomnia) I can only think of a few Murphy's Laws this morning. As they apply to me.

Murphy's Law #3684736:
The week you decide to eat healthy is the week all the birthday parties are being held. Hello Cupcakes.

Murphy's Law #6049385:
The one time you forget to pack a diaper and wipes in your handbag is also the one time your non-potty-trained three year old will choose to have a complete blowout. Oh, and don't even think about checking the glove box in the car for the "emergency diaper," because that will be gone, too.

Murphy's Law # 6068947:
When you decide to jog your trail as opposed to walking it, it seems twice as long.

Murphy's Law #8069462:
The week before school all the neighbor kids come out of the woodwork and you won't even have a moment's peace.

So, there you are. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Friday, August 13, 2010

A Day for the Trashcan.

Yesterday was a Not-So-Bueno day. You know those. The days you let things get the best of you, and you want to curl up with cookies and milk and wallow...yeah, that was me yesterday.

I didn't want to take my boys to the eye Dr. (Good thing I did, both of them needed updated glasses). I didn't want to take them around their new schools so they'd be comfortable. I didn't want to shower. I didn't want to balance the budget and pay bills. And I especially didn't want to make a pasta salad and go to a church function last night. But I made my sorry rear-end go, and came home to a Hubby who'd had a similarly yucky day.

We went to bed at 9:30. Seemed the logical thing to do, so we wouldn't be prolonging the sucky day. Of course our normal bedtime is around 11:30, so, when we both snapped awake this morning at 3:30, we just had to laugh.

I was supposed to go to the DMV this morning and register my car, but THANK THE HEAVENS ABOVE I called first. The title isn't in my name, so they won't let me. Can you imagine what would have gone down had I driven all the way there just to have them turn me away? I think you might have read about me in the news tomorrow. But I DID call first, so crisis averted. Whew! So, HUBBY gets to get the cars registered. That's what he gets for going and buying a car without me. ;-)

Walked four miles this morning with New Good Friend. We were sweating buckets in this humidity! I figure as long as I'm doing something an hour a day that is good. We usually do three miles. But we also like Cold Stone. Gotta make it up somewhere!

And now I'm miffed because the neighbors have all introduced themselves and they all have kids my kid's ages, and I have to keep my house clean all the time because my kids want so-and-so to come over. Every day.

**grumble**

I know. I'll lighten up soon.



Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sleepers and Diggers and Dozers...Oh My...(Church Version)

Okay. I have to say, I love my church. It rocks. But the PEOPLE in it, sometimes, can be...well...interesting.

The opening meeting in our ward meets at 11am, and it is Sacrament meeting. We take the Sacrament, and then we hear talks about various subjects from members of the congregation. Here's where the Funnies can sometimes kick in. Whoever is speaking that particular Sunday, sits up in front of everyone where the Bishop sits. The Entire Time. And sometimes, I think certain people have NEVER learned "Pulpit Etiquette." So, if I were to make a few rules, they would be as follows.

Rule #1: Remember, people can SEE you. And Everything You Do. So, even if you really want to scratch that itch on your backside, or get that pesky booger, you'd better refrain until after the meeting, and go somewhere private, like a bathroom stall or broom closet. I mean REALLY, folks!!! It is not attractive and ruins my spiritual experience when I see you with your finger buried halfway up your nose. And no, bending down to pretend to retrieve a hymn book and doing a quick "dig and wipe" is still VISIBLE to the rest of us. I won't name names. It's too gross.

Rule #2: If You Are Going To Fall Asleep On The Stand, Please, for the love of all that is Holy, NO SNORING. Mostly this applies to the Bishopric sitting there every Sunday, but yes, it has happened once where one man waiting to give a talk actually succumbed to a major case of The Sleepies and gave out a snort or two before waking with a jerk and realizing that he was the object of massive laughter throughout the congregation. I mean, COME ON PEOPLE!!! Use that no-snore throat spray or chew gum or sing some ridiculously upbeat song in your head but TRY not to fall asleep! Because falling asleep sitting up never turns out well.
So, that's about it. I know, sometimes church can be a tad boring (I said SOMETIMES, please, no Lightning!!!) but we all need to make the most of it. :-) So, TRY. Please!!!

Monday, August 09, 2010

It's Monday...WHEW!!!

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! You ever have one of those crazy weekends that are just so...full...you collapse into bed at night exhausted? That was us. We RAN all weekend.

Saturday we got up, worked out, then met one of Hubby's work colleagues for lunch and "comp shopping" for the next SIX hours. (Hubby is in the Retail business and he has to look at other stores and see if they "compare" to his company's sales, etc, hence the "comp" shopping.) And of course I told him we'd bring the kids and make a day of it. We were dead by the time we got home, but had already committed to buying ice cream and going to another family's home, and later that night, I had to run to Harris Teeter at 11pm to buy food for the Sunday dinner, which we'd invited two families in our church ward over for.

Got up early Sunday morning to make potato salad (mine has to "ripen" in the fridge for six hours) and write Thing Two's church talk because I'd forgotten to remind him he had one and it was the least I could do, and get my lesson ready for my class I teach. Then it was scrambling around to get everyone dressed for church, and Hubby was supposed to say the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting (which means we couldn't be late) and of course we were late and we honked at this minivan that was sitting and NOT MOVING at the green turn light and it ended up being people who go to our church (can you say MORTIFIED? But we had to be there to say the opening prayer!) and then after church it was a mad scramble to get the rest of the food prepared and the house tidied/shoved/glued/faked out/dusted/vacuumed for the company to come over.

The company was great, the food was good (go me) and I had eleven kids running through my house like banshees for three hours. Well, make that TEN kids and one three-year old who thinks he's eight years old and gets really frustrated when his little body doesn't keep up with the rest of the older kids. ;-) Poor Thing Four.

The night was success, but Hubby and I were E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D. We didn't even read before bedtime. We just both fell into bed and were asleep instantly.

And in the spirit of Major Randomness--don't you just love it when you realize you've moved around so much you don't have any complete immunization records for your kids? (And someone was lazy and didn't bother about it--oh who said that!!) and you have about FIVE different sets and you need to put them all into a cohesive spreadsheet?

Yeah. I love it too. Better get going on that...

Friday, August 06, 2010

So...

What do you do when a spectacular lightning storm knocks out your Internet, and you are informed it won't be back up until 8pm TONIGHT and your iPad won't work because your entire neighborhood is an AT&T dead zone???

Implode.

Yes, that probably is an option. Or you could throw the iPad in the car and drive until you get a signal so you can blog. Not that I would DO that, but yes, I am currently sitting in my backyard (I figure ten paces forward, five to the left and two paces back and I am in the spot where I actually have some signal bars...)

Last night was...interesting. My kids, who all happen to be notorious Thunderstorm Wimps, ran downstairs as soon as the lightning and thunder started. I find storms fun and exciting. My kids...well...not so much. They all gathered in the kitchen while I made dinner. My daughter was the best:

HER: "So, are there tornadoes in North Carolina, Mom?"

ME: You know there are.

HER: "You could at least LIE, you know. And tell us there aren't any so we'd feel better.

ME: Yes, I could, but then you'd call me on it.

HER: "Yeah, I guess you're right. (pause) So, where would we actually hide if a tornado hit our house?"

And on and on and on, ad nauseum. My kids, who usually act like they're invincible, turn into full-blown paranoids when it comes to stormy weather. And guess who all wanted to sleep with me last night?

**sigh**

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! I will relate the inspiring tale (not, heh heh) of my weed beds on Monday's post. Notice I didn't call them flower beds...

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Twist and Shout

Sorry, I'm listening to my "Lara's Favorite Beatles" iTunes list right now. I've got every song I've ever loved/felt an attachment to on this list. It's quite comprehensive. I LURVE it. Even my kids are getting into the Beatles. Everyone should be!!!

;-)

Got up early today and weeded my beds. I had to start at 8am, because after 10 the heat is unbearable. And the SUN is too, for fair-skinned folk like me. I don't know if it's the Irish or Russian in me, but I am WHITE and FRECKLED. Bet you didn't know that about me. Oh, and I don't tan. I freckle. I remember when I was a cheerleader eons ago in school (don't snort like that, it's unbecoming) and I was so embarrassed at my neon flesh I resorted to tanning beds. I know, I know. Frankly, in retrospect, I had no business being a cheerleader. I mean, how many 5'11 cheerleaders are there, out there? Not too many.

ANYHOWIDON'TWANTTOTHINKABOUTIT, Hubby comes home tonight. I am happy to report that I have unpacked and frou-frou'd the Game Room, Master room and Thing Four's bedroom. I am NEARLY completed with Thing One's and the Boys' rooms. The week isn't over yet!

Now the focus is on SCHOOL. I can't believe they start up in three weeks! Where did the time go? Hey, wait a minute, I should be celebrating! But you know what, the older my kids get, the more I am enjoying having them home with me, safe. The world out there is scary sometimes, you know?

Off to shower. I smell like dirt, Roundup, sweat and SPF 7834. Niiiiiiiiiice.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Hubby is off to NYC this morning, good friend and I already did our three mile walk, and now I am jumping in the shower. I need to stock up at Costco, get my nails done (my thumbnail popped off when I was taking heavy wet towels out of the washer and putting them into the dryer last night don't you HATE that?) and then I'm going to sequester myself upstairs and GET. STUFF. DONE.

I have until Thursday night. I want to have the house all done before Hubbs comes home. Especially since I've had him tiptoe-ing around boxes and tissue paper for four weeks now!

The weekend was good. Saturday we ran around a lot, but saw that Cats & Dogs movie (don't waste your money) and went to dinner. Sunday was a nice relaxing family day. Hubby and I made quesadillas and we watched Adventures In Babysitting. I think it was a lot funnier twenty years ago. Our kids mostly laughed at the Eighties clothes. ;-)

Time to run! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!!