keeping options open

5-31-13

More looking.

In an effort to make sure we don’t miss out on any other options while the dream home is in limbo, we went and looked at a couple of places yesterday. We found one that was actually pretty cute. Huge lot, potential galore, and in pretty decent condition. Two of the bedrooms were even attached via closet which could easily be converted into the boys own personal Narnia room. Either way, we went ahead and okayed an offer on the place just to make sure our foot was in the door.

This appraisal can’t come soon enough for me.

It was not even 5 am and I was already cursing my boss’ name. He is on a roll right now, hell bent on being the biggest idiot ever. Seriously, my patience is being tested these days with people not thinking things through.

Tomorrow we go look at another place. Although it is in Hawthorne, it had appeal since it has a dungeon. Ok, technically it is a basement, but come on. We all know what it is. Ken kept advising me to not use that terminology around certain people. I still feel he is being paranoid in a bad way, and I don’t like being censored quite so much.

I am feeling angry, angsty and feisty these days. It is a combo that makes for a lot of fidgeting. I can’t get comfortable at night, I can’t stay still during the day and ultimately I find myself mumbling like some Carl in Up. I just want to tell everyone to get off my lawn, but this would seem incredibly strange if I were to shout it while not on my porch.

Day 11 is 110 squats. So far this morning I have accomplished 60. I did it in two sets of 30. I need to increase my sets to make sure I get all the squats in. It appears that tomorrow I have a day off. I will try to adhere to these days off since I think it is important when doing this program.

The boys have no more homework at this point, which is awesome. It does mean they are full of energy in the afternoons, but I am sure I can combat this. I am considering filling a bunch of water balloons tomorrow without their knowledge and then run outside with a target on my chest. It is supposed to be hot out, so this seems like a good plan.

Next week will be crazy with it being their last week. I am going to go to Dax’s classroom on Tuesday to help with the pizza party. Friday is their last day, and I am waiting to see what their schedule is like because I will pick them up probably pretty early. They always release them early.

I gotta say, I am really hoping next week will be the last time on campus.

little news

5-30-13

Day 10 is 105 squats. Woo!

By breaking them up into sets of 20 each I have been able to keep up with the increasing number of ones I need to do each day. It is nice because each set does make me feel like I did work, and I am not in any pain like I was the first couple days. It will be interesting in 20 days to see how I feel about 250 of these bad boys.

I have to take Mr. Bobby down to the dentist today. I think I will go over to the orthodontist while I am down there and make his appointment. Even though this whole outing will not take long, I am not exactly looking forward to it. It feels like time I could be using to take care of packing.

The house saga continues. The appraisal fiasco is that there is conflicting opinions on whether or not it was orders. As of right now, it has been ordered, and I honestly don’t know when it will take place. Super irritating. We are hoping to go down to the house again, though, to get some measurements of each room. We need to get estimates on carpet/flooring and some other items so we can prove to Papa Brenan that the fixing up in fixer upper can be worthwhile. He is concerned still that the cost of that will make it all more trouble than it is worth. I still maintain that even beyond the obvious which is that this is a big house in an awesome area, there are only a handful of things that need to be done before moving in. Much of the work can be done over the next 50 years. Sure, we don’t have a great track record of work being done. This being said, I feel much more permanent at a new place and I am more inclined to enjoy work. Plus, the kids are older which means I have more time to work.

All the same, I don’t think I have to say how stressed I am right now. 

Observations from a school performance

5-29-13

The music teacher had no rhythm. 

Kids singing America the Beautiful in front of me juxtaposed with two hispanic ladies chattering behind me was a strange reality. 

I get teary when I watch kids sing, even when I don't know them. It gets exponentially worse with how well I do know them. 

It warms my heart when kids in Bobby's class wave to me almost as enthusiastically as they wave to their own mother. 

Using an iPod for the music instead of the piano seems wrong. Putting the iPod on top of the piano is blasphemy.

When the songs are updated from the classics that I sang, it is much harder to help the kids who don't remember the words.

When did 5th graders start wearing bras?

Parents can be very rude when waiting for their own children to perform.

The music teacher mentioned that they are making cuts for the program. This makes me sad.

Don't want to talk this morning

5-28-13

No house talk this morning. I am feeling too upset.

It was a productive weekend. I wish I had been more, but I think I made a good dent. I packed up much of the playroom, including the stuffed animals, most of the toys (leaving out playmobile and weapons since these are the go to toys of the moment), and costumes. I think my plan today when I get home is to move the furniture out of there so we can prep the walls for paint. We got paint for the whole inside of the house, which means our house will soon be all white inside. I am kind of bummed since I loved my Mac and Cheese hallway, the blue/purple in the boys’ room and the deep red and browns in our room. Oh well. Some day when we move I can go color crazy again.

A lot of this packing and paint procurement took up Saturday and Sunday. We also worked on laundry and just getting the house clean in general. I was proud, though, that despite all of this work, I still managed to stay on track with my squats and even got in multiple walks! YAY!!!

Yesterday we decided to go to the Westwood cemetery to show the boys all the people who died in the military. I know this may sound morbid, but it seemed like a good idea to let them know why they got to have a day off. It was a nice hike around the grounds, looking for all the Medal of Honor award winners. Luna came with us, too. She was sporting her new service animal badge. LOL! We had the boys fix any flags that had fallen and then had them salute the ones they fixed. It was very cute.

I am really looking forward to the gym today. I need to get out of my head for a good stretch.

Heat

5-23-13

I do not like the idea that a heater, something we would probably not use, is a make or break factor.

Apparently for appraisal purposes we need to have the heater functional. It has been known to work. It has been known to not. Either way, it needs to be a good little heater and not piss me off when the people are there today. I knew buying a house was a pain in the ass, but sheesh, it is a really big pain on this one. I am going to stay positive. I know in my heart this place is home. I can feel it.

I hurt today. I did 50 squats on Tuesday, and yesterday I did 55. Today I am supposed to do 60. On the first day, I ended up breaking it up into 2 sets. Yesterday, I ended up powering through all 55 at once. It feels fine while you do it. It is after. I think today I am going to try the multiple sessions approach again. Each time I use the bathroom I am going to do 10. I figure I will be in there about 5 times before I go to the gym. This will mean I will be able to do the remaining right before I am using the treadmill, which helps loosen it all up. Tomorrow is apparently the resting day. I have the cool gel for muscles, but I am considering picking up some just OTC Ben Gay or better smelling equivalent. It really hurts the most during the process of sitting down. Once I am sitting, I am fine. Sure, walking and all that other stuff is sore, but tolerable. I am trying to make a point of keeping super hydrated. This will serve two functions. The more important of the two would be to get my ass up more often to pee.

Ok, did my first 10. Sure, it hurt, but I feel good.

Dax tried out his new skateboard a bit yesterday. He is tentative, which is good if you ask me, but I know it won’t be long before he is the new Tony Hawk. I am trying to get info covertly from Bobby to see what kind of cool thing he would want from the Tooth Goblin for his current tooth. He told me he will think about it.

Xanax

5-22-13

Turns out, Xanax is pretty potent.

I popped one right before I left home. I wanted it to have time to kick in since my nerves were already flaring. I was surprised, and pleased, that no one was home. I texted Ken and found out he and his folks were up the street at the Carl’s Jr. Ken asked me if I took my Xanax, and I laughed and said yes. The response was clear that things were not good.

“Take another one”

I asked if I was going to cry.

“I am on the verge”

Super fuck. I headed out, glad for the hike since I was pretty sure the exercise would calm me ever so slightly. There were warm greetings, but I could sense the mood of the table.

They had already done a walk through and were not impressed. Bob in particular was pretty sure that it was a shit hole. He didn’t use these words, mind you, but the tone of his voice and the carefully chosen words to not say “shit hole” were a dead giveaway.

I tried to be upbeat about my future home. We headed back to the house for the official inspection. At one point, Bob talked about painting over my beloved wallpaper in the dining area. He didn’t even finish his thought when I snapped. I told him no. He pointed out that he wasn’t done with his thought. I told him that if his thought included anything about removing the wallpaper I loved then I was dead set against it. He was annoyed, but frankly I was tired of his bullshit.

Ken pulled me aside and told me to not fight him on these things. The wallpaper was a make or break thing. Da fuck? Sigh, I was so spent. I went back to helping the boys with their homework and honestly, I opted for a third Xanax. I probably should not have, but it made the rest of the afternoon rather appropriate in the idea that I was stoned. I hung out in my groovy new pad and felt like I was in the correct era with my mind set.

The inspection guy was awesome. He was very thorough and didn’t seem to mind the tag along team of the Captain and Admiral. I hung out with the boys mostly, trying to keep them on task. I also spent some time chatting with the listing agent, who turned out to be quite fascinating. He told us how back in the 60s he actually hung out for a few weeks with Charles Manson! Dude, I could talk to this guy for hours. He was also just a total sweetheart and I liked his stories a great deal.

By the end of the inspection, it was becoming quite clear that the house was in far better shape than assumed. The termite damage we see seems to be what we get. It isn’t in spots we could not see and ultimately everything seemed to be in pretty good shape. Frank was able to show up despite his prior appointment, which appeased Bob somewhat. He had been rather snarky and pissy when he found out Frank wasn’t going to be able to make it. I pointed out (this was pre-lecture from Ken) that Frank already had his appointment before he knew about their flight down. I didn’t care for Bob’s comments about how Frank had better be there since they paid $300 to fly down. Sigh. Sometimes he needs to remember this isn’t 1960.

Bob also is not fond of Brandon. I adore both Frank and Brandon. I wonder if it is simply because they are youthful and fun, but either way, I like working with both of them. I feel comfortable, which is saying a lot. It annoys me that there is such a negative vibe when they had to deal with the Killjoys.

The good news is now we just need the appraisal. If that checks out at the right price, then we are in business. In fact, Bob now is talking about making escrow even shorter so that we can get the upgrades started ASAP so that when we move in, the place is ready to go. This puts Ken and my main concern on getting our house ready for rent.

I know I should not be annoyed, but I keep getting frustrated at them dictating the look of certain things. I kept being told that the house was an eyesore. What the fuck? I did say I wanted to trim some of the vegetation in front of the door. I then was told that the stuff I wanted to keep was stuff they were getting rid of and they were keeping the tree I hated. WTF??? Look, I am fine with a lot of things, but please don’t change my house to look like something they want to live in. I want it to be something *I* want to live in. Fuck!

Appraisal should hopefully be done by early next week. Until then, I have some time to not stress. I need to get boxes since that is super crucial right now in terms of packing. I would like to get a bunch boxed up today during homework hour.

In other news, Dax had himself quite the dangler in his mouth. This tooth was stubborn, but Dax was more determined to not let me yank it. I told him it needed to come out before bed since it was that loose. After lots of encouragement from Bobby and I, and lots of messing with it, Dax managed to pop it out. He was quite proud of his accomplishment. Thankfully Ken was out taking his folks to the airport so he was able to stop at Walmart on the way home to find a gift from the Tooth Goblin. He texted me that there was a skateboard for $15. Dax had literally just been talking about how much he wanted one. I sent back the text saying to get it. Ken was relieved since he couldn’t find anything appropriate for the prize. We crafted a letter last night that basically indicated that due to his bravery of pulling his own tooth that he was ready for his prize which is currently sitting in on his desk. The good news, too, is that Bobby should be losing a tooth very soon, so I need to find him a fun kick ass present for that one.

My thighs are screaming at me this morning. It is a good thing. Alyssa gave me this 30 day squat challenge. Each day has a slightly higher number of squats. Yesterday was 50, which I broke up into two sessions. I think today, which his 55, I will do my first set before my walk instead of after. It will allow my legs to stretch out after the squats, which is a good thing. Even if I don’t get to the 250 I am supposed to be able to do by day 30, I am just happy to do 50 or so a day for 30 days.

Tired just thinking about it!

5-21-13

Audits suck.

I am in the midst of gathering items for the AYSO audit going on right now. It is a bit of a pain only because I have other things going on that make me not care about this. It isn’t too much, but it does require a hint more stress on my part.

I kept pretty busy yesterday afternoon with some light cleaning and even managed to get the family out for a walk with the dogs. Poor Lycos is probably not going to be able to do these walks much longer. I know she loves coming with us, but the walk is just tiring her out too much. This sad thought keeps going through my head that she won’t get to see the new house. That being said, we saw this lab chow mix on Sunday that looked just like Lycos who was 16! It gave me hope!

Damn! I just called into KROQ to try to win Kings tickets for Ken but the screening question was to name 5 current Kings players. FUCK! I didn’t know any. I fail.

I have my Hunger Games parachute pack filled with Xanax for today. I think the boys and I will probably end up meeting everyone at the house. I will need to bring their homework so we can do homework in the new place.

We found another place near by our new house that clearly was from the same housing tract. They had redone it completely. It is good because we can show this to the folks to show them how much cheaper our place is! Plus, we really don’t like much what they did with the other place. I really love how open this house is. It won’t feel so crowded. Just walking into our current house is an act of tetris. I am looking forward to an uncluttered entry way and room for everything!

We were discussing last night the things that will need to be done pre-move and things that can be done over the course of months, years and decades. In addition to all of this, we need to fix up aspects of our current place to rent it out. So much to do!!!!

Nerves

5-20-13

Inspections looming make me nervous.

We received the adorable letter from our real estate peeps that said Congrats! We are in Escrow! That being said, it is the tentative scary time right now due to the impending inspections by not only a licensed professional but by our financers, Ma and Pa Brenan. The house does have a lot of work, but even after having looked at it again yesterday in more detail, I can’t help but see all the potential that oozes from the 57 year old walls.

My folks came with us yesterday so I could get a little input from them as well. My dad is nervous about the work as well, but my mom I think fell in love with the place with the same passion I have. She loved the neighborhood, the size and the park/school down the street. She was super impressed with the place. She even offered to be there during inspection as a nice buffer for my fragile esteem while Papa Brenan was slamming the place.

Tomorrow is the big day, with the Brenans flying in at 11 and then they basically go to the house for inspection and head back home at 6. As Ken pointed out, at least it is a quick turn-around. I also have my Xanax prepared so I don’t stress too much. I totally understand why the harsh criticisms being that this is a half a million dollar investment. The issue is I take it personally, as if I have found a piece of crap. I also really like the place and I worry that he will pull the plug on the whole thing.

But seriously, I love this place. The boys picked which room they want, which thankfully was not the one Ken and I will be using. LOL! I have big plans for every space and I find myself imagining every piece of furniture we have and I have places for just about all of it. It seems to flow as if it is meant to be. We got two new (to us) couches, too. Our new neighbor who is just now moving in was getting rid of these two big, nice couches and so we bought them from him. One will go in the Rec room and the other will go in the living room. Yay!

I have been pricing out flooring. I had hoped to put down carpet squares in the Rec room since it would be a heavily trafficked kid room. I thought that then I could remove squares when need be for things like a spill in order to hose them off. We had these at my parents’ house while growing up and they were awesome. I have even seen some that come in packs of all different colors that you put down together and the rainbow effect is awesome. That being said, I am looking at $600 for this, which is pretty pricey.

We were excited to find that the god awful lighting they had in the kitchen is super easy to fix. We also noted that since the ceiling in the house is the actual wood from the roof, we could easily put in a skylight at some point. This was cool, too! I am sure the cats would love a kick ass sun spot.

Speaking of cats, there are also a couple of spots in the house we could screen in to make nice indoor/outdoor spots for the cats and more specifically, their pans. It would allow them the benefits of fresh air without the dangers of being outdoor kitties!

I am telling you, this place really speaks to me.

In non-house news, we had a busy weekend. Registration day for soccer meant spending the day at Hull on Saturday. I didn’t mind, though, since the school now says future to me what with it being the place the boys will hopefully attend. It also wasn’t too crazy and the boys were very well behaved. I would have been ok with it being a bit busier since it would have made the day go by quicker, but it was ok. I was all kinds of proud because the 3 ideas I had last registration were implemented this time with lots of compliments about their success. Yay!

Saturday night was a mellow family night. We rented a couple of flicks from the Redbox and just chilled in front of the tube.

I am thinking that I will finally get some sleep after tomorrow night. If Papa Brenan doesn’t decide to back out on the house, I will feel so much better. I can then for sure say I am in Escrow and I will feel like we are moving forward. I find myself tossing and turning at night because I am so nervous about everything.

Can I get a "What What"?!

5-17-13

Escrow, baby!

Ok, it isn’t completely in there yet, but said paperwork is in process and they are not accepting other offers right now. All of the necessary preliminary items are being worked on and it sounds like officially speaking we will be in escrow starting Monday. WOO!!!

It is a 45 day escrow, which I am way more than ok with. There is so much to be done!

Our yard sale the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend has been pushed back. Ken pointed out that since we are in the process of for reals packing now we might as well pull out as much as possible for the blow out sale. Plus, it means it gives us a 3 day weekend in which all we will be doing is working on the house.

I packed up a lot of clothing in my closet yesterday. I packed up things that I knew I would not be wearing over the next 3 months. Mostly things like winter clothing or my fancy dresses. It was something I could do while the boys worked on homework so it made sense. I will be able to work in there mostly during homework sessions.

Packing looks to be daunting and exciting all at the same time. We are going to probably order one of those PODS so we can put boxed up items in there. What is nice about that is that they can take said POD away and then bring it back to us when we move in. Sure, it is an extra expense, but it will be similar to using a moving van, and reality it will save space and time overall.

Papa Brenan is not 100% on board with this house. He worries that it is too much work involved to get it ready. I understand his concern. There is to be a thorough inspection made soon, which I am hoping will put his mind at ease. The termite damage estimate is about $7K. That being said, we got the house at $50K less than asking, and it is technically under $500K. He was willing to make offers up to $550K, so I still think even if we have to put $10 to $15K of work into this, we come out ahead.

I LOVE the neighborhood. Ok, I know I don’t know the neighbors like my current ones who are at about a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of awesome, but I am excited about the closeness of schools and parks along with the quantity of trees everywhere. Of course, it may end up being evil, who knows, but I have high hopes. Especially what with people staying there until they die!

I am hoping that once we are in escrow that I am allowed to go to the house more often. I would like to take my folks over there. I also wonder if we can start work on repairs while in escrow.

I am super anxious to start moving in. I am excited about fixing up the back yard. I am excited about making the house my own. Since I am hoping in my heart that I will be here for the next 50 years, I can take my time and not just throw the place together. I want to make it good.

Ken seems excited, but still in Captain KillJoy mode. It is mostly due to his father, who is Admiral KillJoy. They are just being cautious, which is hard for someone like me who is excited at the drop of a hat!

This morning is the volunteer appreciation breakfast at the school. I have not decided if I should go or not. I need to remind Ken of this since if I end up coming home, we need to be ready to go to the school at 7:30, not 5 till 8 like he and the boys tend to do. I have to pick the boys up at noon thirty anyway, so perhaps taking sometime today would not be the worst idea. Especially with my tomorrow super busy what with registration, and the next 6 weeks filled with dust and boxes! HEE!!!!!!!!!!

internal dance

5-16-13

Tiny internal happy dance going on right now.

Brandon called me last night to tell me that the seller accepted our offer on the house. My understanding though is that we are not done in terms of the wait before escrow. We sent over signed paperwork and all of that has been forwarded to the listing agent, but until things are signed, we are still at the mercy of possible other, higher offers that could come in.

The good news is that it sounds as though because of the accepted offer, if we are the official buyer, we may not have to go through the court probate portion after all. This would be good for the simple fact that any possible issues before escrow should be avoided if at all possible.

There is work to be done on the house. There was extensive termite damage to the tune of about $7K. Of course some of this is stuff we can do ourselves so we may end up only having some of it done professionally. I think we at the very least will have things like the holes in the flooring repaired and then in the living room put down carpeting.

We will have to get new appliances since there are none present in the house. This means a trip down to maybe the Sears Outlet store there at Old Towne. Hopefully we should be able to make the house ready for move in quickly.

There is a bunch of 70’s wallpaper near the kitchen and specifically around my fab rotary dial phone. I think my plan is to find a cool looking frame, kind of similar to the one Monica has on her door in Friends and put that around my phone keeping the wallpaper intact as well. Then I can always paint around the rest and make that more of like a piece of art. If I get my way on this, I may even need to make it working art. Hee!!

If this all happens, there is a lot of work ahead of me. That being said, I think it will be super happy making work. 

fly free

5-15-13

Goodbye butterflies!

We released the butterflies yesterday afternoon which was a lot of fun. It was cool how mellow they all were. They would sit on your hand for a while, even on my nose for a bit. Two of them even started mating! Clearly these were comfortable critters. LOL!

Our offer for the house should be written up this morning and our understanding is that the listing agent has told us they would entertain an offer for much less than we had planned. The hopes is that that amount is still more than the other couple offers. I think our agents are really interested in us getting this one and the listing agent is also involved with their parent company, so perhaps we have a better chance.

We have been invited to the volunteer breakfast at the school. I don’t know that I will go since I already am leaving early for the next 4 Fridays. Granted, I am not leaving too early, but early enough I feel like leaving at 7 would be pushing it. LOL! Of course, it would give me a couple of “me” hours.

Today is Bobby’s dentist appointment. Hopefully it goes well as this is his first time getting a filling. I also have to endure the diet questions from the dentist along with probably getting shit for having not called the orthodontist yet for Bobby’s front teeth. Sheesh. He is a nice man, but sometimes he gets a little too naggy.

Registration day is Saturday morning. I am hoping to balance a little quicker. I may do cash earlier in the day so we are not there as long. That being said, I am not too concerned. We have nowhere we have to be after except just home. I think Sunday is also a free day which means perhaps some garage cleaning will happen for our yard sale next week. Yay!

The troops are back in the office today and I am finally done with my womanly woes so I get to go to the gym today. I am looking forward to it.

Rotary Dial

5-14-13

Here we go again!

I had a good feeling about the place just based on the listing. I was waiting on Brandon to get back to me about a time to look when they reduced the price. Yay! They also finally posted some pictures and I was intrigued. The neighborhood is the one we love (down the street from cul-de-sac) and even closer to the park. It’s a corner lot with one street that is the same street of the elementary school and the other the same as the awesome park. It has a huge tree in front and the lot is large. It has a big living room with a good sized kitchen with a dining area. It has a large rec room that has a sliding glass door out to the yard. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with lots of expansion potential. It needs some work, but work I am willing to put in for the rest of my life.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94982605@N05/sets/72157633490661898/

It is a probate sale, what with the guy having died (in the house no less!). Our offer will go in today and they will be reviewing said offers on Saturday. If ours is accepted, we will then wait for the court date in which we hopefully then get approved to go into escrow. It is a slightly more tedious process, but it is a nice thing to hope for while still looking. Plus, it means that we will still have time to pull out if we manage to convince cul-de-sac.

As crazy as this sounds, I was strangely excited about the rotary dial phone on the wall. It was clearly the phone this guy used. It even has the phone number on the phone with the 213 area code!! Plus, the pen holder is for a mortuary. Dude, it is all kinds of good omens, right?

I actually was able to really see where I would put furniture in this house. I see where the boys’ pool will go. I see how the rec room will end up having a couch also that the kids can hang out in. It will be like a play room. I see a dining room table. I see a lot.

Now we wait. Man I hate to wait.

Bobby came home early from school. At lunch time he apparently felt ill so they sent him home. He said his stomach hurt. We think it was heat related. It was cold he said in his classroom and then when he went out to lunch in the 90 degree heat it probably messed with him. Plus, he was in long sleeves and long pants. He felt better after some water and soup so this is good.

I am hoping to have Bobby get most of his homework for the week done today so he doesn’t have to do any tomorrow. He has a couple of fillings at the dentist so it would be good for him to not have to worry about anything.

Ken registered Luna as a service dog for me! She is officially a companion dog for my anxiety. Her vest is on order but she has her badge now. I will be enrolling with her in some kind of training to work on some skills with her. It means I can take her anywhere, even on a plane! I love this!

I washed my dogs and 3 of my cats yesterday. The fleas have been crazy so I washed Monarch in the flea shampoo. He has had the worst time with it. I ended up washing the kittens, too. The dogs needed the most help. Lycos hides her flea issues well what with her being too old to scratch and being all black you can’t see the grody. The red that comes off in the washing process is pretty disturbing. I also brushed her and created a giant ball of fur, which was insane! I need to brush both pups again today. They are both all shiny and soft now, which is awesome.

hungover

5-13-13

Hungover.

As if that wasn’t enough, my girl parts are screaming at me in the form of an epic period. I am shockingly functional so far this morning despite my handicap, but I am not happy about it.

The weekend was long. I felt like I was on the move the entire time. Saturday morning the boys and I went to Adams for the boys to be filmed for an AYSO anniversary video for this next season. It did result in Bobby deciding to play after all this year, which is pretty cool. It also allowed the three of us to kick the ball around a bit, which I know Dax loved.

At around 3:30, Chris came over and the four of us headed out to Pasadena where we were part of his team for a charity mini golf game. It was miserably hot, but we had a lot of fun. The boys did quite well in the holes they golfed on, which was pretty awesome. There was nummy food and beer, both of which I was able to consume. The boys discovered the “photo booth” which was a guy with a camera set up with lots of random costumes. They then proceeded to dress up and give the photographer something to do. I gotta say, I was impressed with their creativity. Ken came out and we all were able to play mini golf until 8. It was a late night, but lots of fun.

Sunday morning I overslept having been unable to get comfortable much of the night. Ken woke me up when he was heading out for day two of the Armed Forces Day tournament. I got up then and quickly got ready so that the boys and I could go to my mom’s where we would ride with them to go out to Grammie’s.

We did lunch and when we got back to the house, the boys went in the pool in their undies, which was pretty funny, especially when I explained to them that they would have to go home commando due to the wet underwear. They were not thrilled with this so I told them they could swim naked and I could throw the undies into the dryer. They were amused and exhilarated by this. My dad and Matt were out with them so I was able to visit with my mom and Grammie. I told them they should go out to see the boys since it would make them giggle. Sure enough, as soon as they were told Grammie was out there, they quickly jumped back into pool all embarrassed, but laughing. It was awesome.

We got home late afternoon. I was tired, I was hot, and I was bummed Ken wasn’t able to leave the tournament early like he had hoped. I opted to rock some rum. Yeah, I got a little silly.

While we were out on Sunday, most of the butterflies came out of their cocoons. It was so cool! The kittens also agreed with this assessment and were hell bent on trying to get them. Thankfully they were unable to. Lucy did make an impressive effort at one point when she jumped up to my shoulder when I was next to the habitat so that she could get a better look. Sheesh, cat!

We went to IHOP for dinner, which was nummy. It was nice to not have to worry about cooking. I was spent.

I now just need to make it through another day of work. LOL! The boss is out, so it will be less annoying. I can now look at new house listings to see if I can find us a new place to live. 

the blues

5-10-13

Oh, I guess I didn’t write one yet.

To be honest, I am not feeling warm and fuzzy right now. In the past couple days I have had more anxiety attacks than I would like and an almost complete breakdown at the school yesterday. I realized that I had forgotten to get the teachers flowers as per the instructions for the Thursday gift for each teacher on Teacher Appreciation Week. I had been really good on everything else but for some reason this one managed to slip my mind. Let’s just say I was glad I had on sunglasses.

Of course, it didn’t help that this was right after two incredibly frustrating situations including trying to navigate 3 bikes into a small doorway. I was spent. Both boys even asked me separately if I was sick or something because as Bobby put it, “I wasn’t as talkative” and Dax said, “Your voice is lower”. My depression was seeping out.

I put it to good use and started cleaning. I cleaned the kitchen, did a bunch of laundry, cleaned the bathroom and did a bunch of other things. I did all of this in maybe an hour. It was crazy. The boys thanked me profusely for cleaning the house, which was odd. I mean, sure, it was nice, but it was odd.

Ken had to run to the store to get milk and he returned with multiple six packs of apple cider for me. He had also noted my blues and clearly tried to cheer me as best he could. The issue was that I knew that there was a ton wrong, but I wasn’t sure if I could put my finger on any of it.

I can chalk some of it up to hormones since my body has finally figured out that it was a good week late on my womanly time. I may have extra crazy stored up.

On the plus side, it looks as though this evening may be better what with dinner at Cozy’s happening with my folks in celebration of Ken’s birthday. I am just happy because it is Cozy’s. Hell, I may even treat myself with a margarita. Woo!

Now I am just counting down the hours till noon when I get to bail from work. Fridays in May the boys get out at noon thirty which although could be considered inconvenient to most, I find delightful as it means I can leave even earlier than normal. I am considering taking the boys to lunch, although I think I will instead just get them and come home. Maybe I can work on more housework. 

Baby

5-9-13

Ok, seriously, these bruises are getting out of hand.

I have now found 2 crazy ass bruises on me and I honestly have no idea how I got them. I am not shocked that I have somehow injured myself, but I normally remember said injury. I think I am just hurting myself so often that they all blend together. LOL!

On Saturday, the boys and I may be driving out to Pasadena to be the other 3 of a foursome with Chris in his charity mini golf game. We are not sure at this time if we will actually get to play, but we will go out that way to hang out. It should be a lot of fun. I love that Chris was so cool about me bringing the kids since I would imagine some people would think they are a buzz kill.

Friday night we are going to dinner with my parents for Ken’s birthday. Not sure where we are going yet since Ken has not chosen. I may have to do it for him. LOL!

There are no new houses on the market this week which is I guess a good thing since my heart still belongs to cul-de-sac. I have considered waiting until it goes on sale, but that seems foolish. We have Brandon looking at one place near there for us and I will continue to look.

“Hey I just met you

And this is crazy

But here’s my number

So call me maybe.

It’s hard to look right

At you baby

But here’s my number

So call me maybe.”

Do these seem like overly sexual lyrics? Well, apparently the school my children attend feel that the second “baby” is offensive and the girl singing it for the talent show actually had to remove that word, despite the fact that it is for rhyming purposes.  Have I mentioned that I fucking hate this kind of censorship and fear from public schools over something so incredibly tame????? Sheesh.

pretty

5-8-13

Bleah.

I feel uber icky and it is super annoying. I am hoping it goes away soon. I am also kind of sleepy what with contending with some Ken snoring at one point and a cat fight in our backyard last night. Lame!

Lycos did better on her walk last night that the last time. She was tired and sore, but she seems so happy after. Plus, she was still pretty perky even after all of it. Dax is learning the finer art of dog commands. Luna will listen to him, but she still looks to Ken or I for the “real” commands. I am hoping that with more practice, Dax will feel more in charge.

I was considering taking Luna to an obedience class. I think she is quite good, but working on some commands and just being able to do so with other dogs present would be a good thing. Plus, I can take a kid with me and let them do some of the practice, too. Panda and I did this, as did Lycos and I, so I think it would be fun. There is a group that meets every Tuesday so I am considering that.

It is amazing how much quicker Bobby does his homework when I breathe down his neck. Sheesh. I am hoping today I can get them motivated while I continue working on things like laundry.

I feel pretty today. I stopped by Del Taco to pick up some breakfast this morning and the boy at the window was flirty with me. He told me he loved my earrings and hung out at the window talking to me. He even asked my name. Look, I don’t know if he thought I was cute but dammit I am going to dream and feel pretty. LOL!!!

Next time I need to take a week off

5-7-13

How did three days go by so fast?

I certainly didn’t waste any time, either. I was up late every one of those nights. Friday night left Ken and I home alone since the boys were at my folks so they would not have to deal with registration on Saturday. It seemed silly to go to bed at normal time, so instead we finished out the season of Cougar Town. It was a lot of fun to sit and laugh like that.

Saturday was long. We had lots of people at registration which is a good thing. However it did also mean I had my nose buried into the laptop all day. It was entertaining part of the morning since I had to take a Tylenol 3 for my horrid neck pain, which left me a hint loopy. It certainly made it more enjoyable. We have another one of these events on the 18^th. I hated the end since even though I was pretty well organized, it did take a bit of time to balance the cash. I had everyone sitting around watching me, which was unnerving. I think next time I will balance the cash in smaller batches.

After registration, we went and saw Iron Man 3. Holy fuck, it is awesome! Dax got scared at one part, which sucked specifically because he was sitting on the side where my neck hurt. It took a lot to be able to pry him off the seat so I could raise the arm rest between us to comfort him. He was better after a little bit after I reminded him that Iron Man always wins. Sure enough, the rest of the movie, even in tense parts, was super awesome and funny so it was nice to hear him laughing as much as I did.

After we put the boys to bed, Aaron and Jenn came over where we sat around and talked much of the evening. They were arguing about some things and we were helping them through the issues. It was actually pretty nice to get to know Jenn more since I know how important she is to Aaron. She is nice! It is also funny to watch Aaron, who is similar to Ken in their more mellow approach to life, dealing with someone who is much more emotional and animated like myself. LOL! We are hoping to find more time to hang out since I think it would be good for everyone.

Sunday I was able to sleep in to almost 9! It was awesome! The boys played Minecraft all morning being that it was overcast and cold out. It was good, too, since Ken and I were leaving at 4 to go to our outing. Katie came over and we headed out to Hollywood to go see Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. It was a small venue and we got there early enough to allow us in the front row so that Kevin was right in front of me. Dude, I love that man! Jay was there, too, along with both of their wives. Neil Gaiman was there, too! He is a voice in the movie. It was a lot of fun! One of the best parts was the poor lady from the theatre trying to keep Kevin to a schedule since they had to clear out the theatre at a particular time so the next showing could come in. If anyone has ever listened to Kevin talk, they know this man doesn’t stop unless you turn off his mic, and even then. It was cute watching him go on and on and her trying to get him to stop soon. LOL!!!

I was smart in taking yesterday off. It allowed me to sleep in a bit. That being said, though, I had been under the impression I was going to get home much later than I actually did. I could have probably worked. Oh well. I am not upset.

I managed to get a lot of laundry done and some other light housework. I also spent a great deal of time fighting with Picasa in order to upload the B-17 pictures for the daughter of one of the ladies Ken flew with. Thankfully I managed to get it done.

The boys did a lot of homework and I had them work on some chores to keep earning money. I started keeping a tab now. Bobby needs to earn $5 for his field trip. On top of that, they have guns they want to “buy” from us. Dax also has a sticker book he needs to earn. They are both upset that they have to earn it, but I keep explaining to them that this is how life works. I think this is going to be a good lesson.

I found a random bruise on my thigh. I really wish I could keep track of these things, better.

Ken has an eye appointment this afternoon. He is going to get his eyes dilated which means I get to drive. It isn’t so bad. The boys will work on their homework while we are there. It does mean that the afternoon is a hint hectic, but it is what it is.

Now if only I could wake up. I was spoiled with all the sleeping time. 

fingers and toes

5-2-13

Everyone cross your fingers.

Cul-de-sac is our target right now. The owner wants to sell. His kids are essentially making it a pain in the ass. They decided for him they would not list until June. The problem is, we don’t want this house to list. If we don’t have to compete, we stand a better chance. Ken spoke to Frank and he is now on the case. He is trying to explain to the family that they have an interested party that loves their place. They told Frank they would put together some numbers and get back to us. The good news is we have a month. Even though they might not work with us right now, we still have an opportunity when it does list. It also means they are not entertaining any other offers right now. That being said, it is still stressful.

My hygienist noted I have been grinding my teeth. I think I know why.

I am on backup duty this morning. I have to cover the new accounts desk for 2 days. I don’t work Monday so I don’t have to do it that day, too. The one reason I hate this backup thing is that Esther feels the need to send me everything that Jean didn’t complete so that I take care of it. It should be flattering that she knows I will get it done. That being said, I just find it offensive. It isn’t my job as backup to be cleanup.

I didn’t sleep well. This is bad since I am up late tonight for the board meeting. Bleah.

Still Waiting

5-1-13

Still waiting.

We were supposed to have the house we loved. In fact, the agent and our agent were all prepared on Friday that we would most likely enter escrow on Monday. Sadly, a last minute bid came in in which they offered just a smidge more than us in addition to 50% down. How do you turn that down? The agent for the house actually really wanted us to have it, and Brandon told her to let us know if anything happens. We are the next in line, but I don’t see another opportunity on this place.

For now, we wait on cul-de-sac because it sounds like we still have a strong chance on that one. There is some kind of family snafu on their end that they are working out, so hopefully that gets resolved soon. If so, I can so see us growing old in this house. I have already started decorating in my head. I know, dangerous, but it is what it is.

We went to PF Changs for Ken’s birthday dinner. Bobby had won a certificate for a free kids meal so it seemed liked  a perfect time to introduce the boys to the wonder that is Changs. Thankfully, they both liked it a lot! We had a lot of fun and I love how charming the boys are with waitresses. Dax kept telling me how nice I am when I deal with service workers. I think he wanted to be like me. LOL!

After dinner I was able to go and stock up on some good lotion and sparkle spray at Bath and Body works. I am drenched in one of the sprays right now. It is a scent I have never bought before and I am quite pleased with it. Japanese Cherry Blossom in lotion and “shimmer mist”. Hee!

The boys have been working hard on chores lately to earn money. Bobby’s class has his field trip in a couple weeks in which they need $10 each to pay for the movie. So their assignment is to earn the money from us. I love this! They even had to write down things they would do to earn said money. I have held Bobby to this. He and Dax washed my car on Sunday. They both have also brought in the trash cans along with their normal poop picking up duties. I also have them helping with laundry more and Bobby even helped with the dishes. They are getting old enough now to really be able to handle more and more which is AWESOME for me. More help! We even bought a couple of toys they wanted and have explained that when they do chores, they earn money to buy them. It is a win win!

They both even have been doing their homework with less complaint. I explained to them that the quicker and better they do their homework, the more time they get to play. It has really made a difference. Dax really doesn’t like to waste time during homework now, and even when he has to use the bathroom for any extended time (which is every day for these kids. Sheesh! It’s like they hold up all their poo all day!!) he brings in the folding table and does his homework while sitting on the pot. LOL!!!

Dax also is going through another writing burst. He only has to write like 4 to 5 sentences for his paragraph each night. He tends to write like 12 to 13. I love how motivated he is to write!

Bobby has been getting into more philosophical conversations lately. His spelling words are actually Holiday Names this week, which means he has to write sentences for each. We got to Memorial Day and when he asked me what the day was for I explained how it celebrates the people who died in the service. He was super offended at the use of the word celebrate. I had to explain the grander meaning of the word and we talked about all the people who have died and he has now decided that on Memorial Day he wants to go to the military cemetery in Westwood to pay his respects. Old soul, that kid.

We found out that Bobby also is a choreographer! There is some kind of talent show at the school and a handful of the girls in Bobby’s class are singing and dancing to Call Me, Maybe. I watched some of their dance, and it is adorable. Ms. Jenkins proceeds to tell me how Bobby went on and on in class about how much I would love the song and the dance (which I do) and he was helping the girls and explaining how certain moves should go with certain lines in the song. She said he was a huge help! I am so freaking proud of that kid. I love that he enjoys music to that level.

Of course, it didn’t help Ken’s assumption that he is gay. I keep explaining to him that he shouldn’t use stereotypical actions to decide the sexual preference of our 8 year old. I think that the things he does are just because he has a crazy mother. Both the boys appreciate things on a different level, and honestly, I am taking full credit for that. They understand!

Our yard sale has been scheduled. We are doing it on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. It is the first free weekend we have in forever so it is perfect. Plus, it means I have time to get everything together in order to put it all out. Yay! The piles that are gathering in the house don’t bother me as much since I now have an exit strategy.

Bobby and I have a teeth cleaning appointment this afternoon. It is a pain in the butt if only because it does eat up our afternoon. Wednesdays are crazy days anyway since Ken is at work till late and then heads out again for soccer. The one nice thing about Wednesdays, though , is that I have some time to myself where I can catch up on Mad Men. Yay!

We have a busy weekend ahead of us, too. Friday night the boys are staying at my folks since Saturday is the giant registration day. Ken and I don’t even have plans to go out. I think we will eat leftovers and watch Cougar Town. Registration ends at 2, which means we are there from like 7 am to 3 pm. Long day. My parents will bring the boys to us in the early afternoon and after the long ass day of logging checks, we get to go see Iron Man 3! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday night Ken and I have tickets for the Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. There is also a Q&A after which is with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes and I think even Ralph Garman. Woo hoo! I made a point of taking Monday off since I know we will be out late. It also means I get Monday to work on going through the house and getting more stuff together for the yard sale.