persephone33

Only he's not getting paid. Oh, well.

Tom Sawyer's house looks a lot like a beach in the south pacific, doesn't it? Funny.

But seriously, it was if the kid was born to be on stage or in front of a camera. Of course, I think genetics plays a role. Nolan doesn't like to advertise that he has the exact same degree I do, and rolls his eyes about the boys being enrolled in musical theatre, but I know he's proud, too. Neither one of us are really stage parents, though. You know those mothers who are there every step of the kids' day? The ones that still wipe the kid's nose when they're perfectly capable of doing it themselves? I call them 'Alpha Moms.' I, to coin a phrase from one of my dear friends, Jayme, am a 'Beta Mom.' I'm hanging out, waiting for them to need me, but making sure they actually do before I step in.

And honestly? I tried to help him with line interp. It's one of the five things in life that I do really well, but true to ten year-old form, he waved his hand and said, "I got this, Mom."

Fine. But I'm standing over here waiting when I'm needed.

Even though I didn't plan it, I seem to be busy. Really Busy.

I'm pleasantly sore from all the workouts I've been doing to reduce in the name of South Pacific, waist deep in research for costuming Eurydice (now that I understand it, I think I may like it. Still not sure, though),preparing and rehearsing for a women's retreat drama mid-September, dance rehearsals and blocking rehearsals for South Pacific, managing to do the HGC diet without wanting to pull my (or anyone else's) hair out*, writing a little and sewing, painting and keeping the house from exploding with dirt.

I am woman, hear me roar, etc.

We're getting our new bed delivered today. I could NOT be more happy. I still need to document the drama that is The Bed. Gracious. It's an epic freaking saga.

The children have been gone since Sunday, and they return this afternoon. I've missed them! But the house is really clean. And quiet. ;)

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* Actually, I'd sell my grandmother for some queso. And you know how I love my grandmother.

† I am uninspired by the blue strawberry. *frowns* Everything I've started out writing is blerghy. I do like the quote, though. Also, did not get kicked out on the first round. *confetti throw*

† Mosquitoes are from the devil. I've been having a weird reaction to them this year. The bite area gets really red and swollen and hot, and then it hurts for a few days. Also - bug spray is gross.

† Made strawberry balsamic jam, two batches of blueberry peach, and plain peach jam over the past few days. I think I'm done being the pioneer woman, for awhile.

† It's impossible to keep my home clean and orderly with the boys home. They are a whirling tornado of sloppiness that have waaaaay more energy than I do. If I told them to clean up every mess they make, I'd just be cleaning constantly. And yelling all the time... so... School starts in a month. *nods*

† My house is too big. By the time I'm done really giving it a good go, cleaning wise, it's time to start over. No, Nolan, I don't want to move.

† Saw Despicable Me Friday with the kiddos. I laughed a little, I suppose. And little Agnes was cuuuuute ("It's so fluffy, I'm gonna DIE!"), but overall, I'd give it a meh.

† My mom's in Russia right now, and they didn't take their cell phones or laptop, so are unreachable for the next 10 days. It's not like I NEED my mother; I'm 37 years old for crying out loud, but knowing I can't talk to her is irritating. She and Tom are taking a cruise down a river in Russia, though. Sounds cool, right?

And now, for your reading pleasure, here's a story in which I humiliate both myself and a fourteen year-old boy simultaneously. *curtsies*

( Get a coke. This one is sort of long. )

So if you other moms think you're in the running, just know that I've got it locked up.

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep right after Glee last night. Maybe even before it was over. All I know is that I was awakened this morning, by Abbey, doing her Lassie imitation of 'Timmy's in the well,' at 8:05 this morning.

My kids' school starts at 8:00.

They were up, by the way, I think playing in the bathtub. I don't know for sure, because I yelled for them to get dressed and get downstairs while I staggered in the kitchen for coffee. A record 15 minutes later, they were dressed, brushed, combed and in the car, me having shoved a granola bar at them for breakfast.

I also didn't know that the temperature had dropped 30 degrees overnight, so all they have are hoodies instead of real coats. I realized that I had a hair appt. right after I dropped them off, and didn't want to reschedule. So I had to go unshowered with yesterday's makeup and whatever mismatched clothes I'd yanked on - also with no coat.

Of course, Nolan calls and wants me to have lunch, too.

It was like a whole morning-long walk of shame. And all I did was fall asleep. Not even anything good.

So now I'm home, about to go soak in the tub and scrub my face, praying that I don't fall asleep again before I have to go pick up the kids from school. I'm getting them an alarm clock at the earliest point possible.

Good times. Gooooooood times.

Nothing good can come of the phrase, "Hey, Mom?  It's okay; the chandelier didn't fall, but..."

*headdesk*

*heavy sigh*

Will not barricade children from house.

Will not call husband and say, "This is all your fault!!  YOU wanted BOYS!"

Will love children even they are destructo-bots.

Carry on, my lovely friends.  Carry on.

75 days left until school starts.  *whimper*

I've been waiting for what seems like months for this weekend.

I'm actually experiencing a touch of what's to come right now.  Ethan and A.J. left for art class just a minute ago (It's right down the street) and I've got some music cranked (Aretha Franklin's RESPECT, and no one wants anything from me at the moment.

That's what's happening this weekend; Nolan is going fly fishing, and my in-laws are taking my sons to see Mt. Rushmore.  (I was not invited.  My feelings were not hurt.)  So, for the first time in ten years, I am going to be alone, unencumbered, with no one depending on me to do ANYTHING for four days.

You single girls may not get my intense delight and glee, but the Moms on the f-list know; ten years is a long time to go without a break.  A misanthropic person by nature, before I got married I might go weeks between seeing people not immediately associated with work.  So, yes.  I'm happy.  Happy, happy, happy.

That said, I can hear my mother screech about posting that I'll be alone.  So if you're going to come all the way over here to stalk and kill me, do it quickly.  ;)

My children have been grounded this week for blatant disregard for explicit instructions.  Everything was taken away.  X-Box, computer, bikes, skateboards, playing with friends...  everything.  They are allowed to play with the toys in their rooms.  So what are my two boys doing right now?

They are curled up on the sofa and chair in the living room...

Reading.

Ah.  Listen to the quiet.  Discipline RULES.

 Would anyone like to tell me why a child's medical emergencies only happen between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., when all normal people are trying to freaking sleep?  

And why they never go to Nolan's side of the bed?

(Actually, I can answer that.  They could've lost an arm and be bleeding out, and Nolan would say, "You're fine.  Go back to bed.")

So.  The boys are at my bedside in their little boxer-briefs, shivering, and Ethan tells me, "I can't breathe." 

If you don't have children who have had upper respiratory troubles since they were 15 months old, words simply cannot express how much you hate those words.  I immediately go into Super!Mom mode.   Like I hadn't been asleep for the last 5 hours already.  Out comes the nebulizer, the Xopenex, and the pedia care & tylenol.  I sit with him while we do a double treatment, and he goes back to sleep rather easily.  I, on the other hand, did not.  And as a little extra added bonus, I think I've got it, too.

His fever keeps coming back, but the flu and strep tests were negative when I took him to the doctor yesterday morning.  Any advice from you moms on the f-list?  If not, we hunker down and wait it out.

Aaron is an iron man.  The child never gets sick, and he's a little indignant that Ethan's getting to stay home from school again. 

Please let us get better before we have to spend 16 hours in a car.  Pretty please?  With sugar on top?

And a little side of delightful:  reenie1sent me MUSIC yesterday, and it's freaking AWESOME, you don't even know.  I'm listening to the Best of Led Zepplin (according to her) on the car ride home, looking at Ethan in the rear view mirror to make sure he's alright, thinking that he's going to make a comment about the new music.  Because he notices when I get something new.  He didn't say a word.  I chalk  it up to him being sick.  

Then, I get him home and tuck him beneath a blanket on the couch, and  stick in Bridge to Terabithia, and he says in a small little voice, "Mom?  That CD in the car rocked."

I have to agree.  It totally did.  :D

Freaking disgusting.

There are just certain things that you SHOULD NOT have to say.  Like:

"Don't lick your shoe."

"Please don't try to scale the walls.  Spiderman is pretend, and you're leaving shoe marks on the paint."

" You cannot eat brown sugar from the bag for a snack."

"No, you can't go out in the snow in just your underwear and boots.  You'll have to wear clothes."

But today was the kicker.  Aaron was playing Green Lantern, which, you know, I'm all for.  He asked to borrow my High School Class ring, which has a green stone in it.  I said, "Not right now."

THEN, he got quiet for a few minutes, which is NEVER a good sign, and I found him standing in front of my jewelry armoire, looking at my orbis ring. Which is a really pretty ring, with different colored interchangeable orbs you can put in, to match your outfit or whatever.

He panicked when he looked at me and began making noises like he was blowing his nose.  HOWEVER, there was no kleenex in sight.  

Ew.  Ew, ew, ew, ewwwwwwww.

Long story short, he had shoved one of those little orbs up his nose.

No, we will not be making a trip to the emergency room, but I'm going to have to sanitize the velvet lining of the jewelry box, and take a bunch of my earrings in to have the snot removed from them.  

*sigh* 

Now I'll have to add, "Don't shove Mommy's jewelry up your nose, please," to my list.

 I can tell the hormonal surge for the month has abated somewhat.  You know how I know?  Because I was able to resist the siren call of the tire iron begging me to beat down the idiot mother drivers in the boys' school parking lot this morning.  I told that silly tire iron, "No, you'll just have to catch me earlier next month," and gave it a blithe smile and a pat.  In addition, today I was able to smile and say hello to the shirtless, well-muscled, but Probably Gay Neighbor taking his dog for a run, instead of snarling.  (Why do I think he's gay?  He's way too pretty, his workout shoes match his shorts, no girl is ever with him, and his dog is a Pekinese.  It's just a feeling I get.)

Then there's the October podcast.  I'm trying to put music into it, and as most of you know, I am woefully deficient in the technical arena.  And by woefully deficient, I mean CRAP.  So, I'm working on it.  I have recorded three of the four fics, and I have only the 21 page monster left, as well as the editing.  *rolls eyes*  The editing.  *shivers*  My itunes freaked out yesterday and I spent most of the morning trying not to lose the kagillion songs I have on it.  The up side?  I fixed it (wonder of wonders) and now have Lil' Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and The Pharohs.  I really do like that song.  It's a classic, and it's perfect for the fic I recorded.  It's actually part of the fic I recorded. (Little Red Riding Hood by StrangerWithMy Face) Anyway.

Playwrighting went well last night.  It appears as if we have a premise.  We'll finish the plot outline and cast of characters next week, hopefully, and then begin some actual dialogue.  Thank God.  caliga_rpg is all kinds of fun so far...  lots of ideas, lots of scening possibilities.  All I need is time, right?  Riiiiight. The fun starts October first, y'all.  Come and play.  There's caliga_fanif you want to comment and squee with the rest of us after the posts start.  Put it on your f-list.  You know you want to.

The boys had their first date last Friday night.  alittleredhoodtook them to the Amarillo High homecoming game. They had a blast. (She was actually babysitting on a night she had something else to do, so I owe her.)


Aaaand I've watched the first two seasons of Veronica Mars.  (I love Logan.  I can't help it.  It's the bad boy project 'fixer' in me.)  The 3rd comes out on DVD in late October, and I'm going to die before I get to see it.  Why was it cancelled?  Why do I watch cancelled TV series and torture myself?  First Dead Like Me & Firefly, now this.  

Okay.  That's all the news that's fit to type.  Have a lovely day, all.