Old friends visit

It has been non-stop since the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Definitely too much to post in one sitting but hopefully I will be able to catch up this week.

My husband keeps in touch with several of his fraternity brothers from college. There were 4 couples (and later families as we all expanded) that would take a mountain trip every year. Our last trip was about 3 years ago. It is a much further drive from Maryland. It was always so much fun. The guys knew each other and the girls got a long so well.

One of the families stopped and stayed the night with us as they were passing through on their way to Connecticut the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. It was so wonderful to see them and their latest addition. They have 3 super cute girls.

Here they all are!

It was typical. My boys were shy at first but after a short while the kids got along great. My boys were teaching the girls how to play football. They were also giving away all of their possession to the girls. It is such a shame we live so far away and can't see each other more often.

As I talk with my friend I briefly felt a little inadequate. She home schools her daughters and is very careful about what they eat and drink. All organic foods and milk. She really seems to be doing great.

She mentioned that she makes her own flour. Then uses the flour to make bread or for any kind of recipe requiring flour. The flour you make is supposed to retain a lot of the enzymes and nutrients than the flour you purchase in the store. I remember the bread my sister-in-law used to make was so good. She brought and shared with us during one of our vacations.

This has really intrigued me. I need to do more research. But I think it is definitely something I could do for us.

Hair woes

I had the same person cut and color my hair for most of the years we lived in NC. Once I found her I knew I had to stay with her. At times, it would drive me a little crazy that she was running so far behind. But for the most part I always got a good cut and my color looked great. The advice she gave me before I left was to go to a spa type salon.

When you move along with finding new doctors for everything a good hairdresser must be found. I started out by looking at people’s hair. I never looked at anyone and thought wow I really need to know who cuts their hair. But eventually I did ask someone. I looked the salon up on-line and it looked nice and seemed to be what I was looking for.

I ended up with some one who was newer because she had an opening when I wanted to go in. She did not want to thin my hair out like I wanted her to and that frustrated me a lot. My hair is very thick and must be thinned A LOT. I was also a little nervous after she colored my hair and put highlights in. She ended up having to put more product in to tame the color of my hair.

I ended up trying someone new. She understood my need to thin and cut my hair really well. I do have a little problem with how she does my highlights. She doesn’t put color right up to the root of my hair. My hair tends to grow quickly and by 2 months my gray is popping through and the highlights have grown out. But she normally cuts my hair so good.

Last weekend, I had an appointment for the works. Trust me on this, when you stylist tells you that she went out the night before, had a lot to drink and didn’t get to sleep until 4am run like the wind. My color doesn’t look great and she left my sides too long. I ended up calling her to talk about my issue. Something was not right. I went in on Friday for the correction. She didn’t wet my hair. She just “fixed” the sides. Now she ended up cutting them too short and it looks really goofy.

I am not sure what to do at this point. I can’t afford to get my hair colored every 2 months. I don’t think I am up for trying to find a new stylist right now. Maybe a good new years resolution.

Houses

We are currently living in our 3rd house. We like most started with a smaller house and then had to step up as our family grew. Then a job change brought us to Maryland.

I find it a little odd that I have trouble remembering the details of our first house. We built the house before we got married (we were engaged). I remember the hassle of building the house and how there were so many choice to make. In the end, we loved the house and had many good memories there. We also knew that we would probably not want to ever build a house again.

While we were living in the house, we got our dog. She was our look into what parenthood would be like. And then a while after that the boys were born. We stayed in that house until the husband nudged me to think about moving. The boys were not yet 2 years old. I resisted for a LONG time. We ended up selling the house in 3 weeks I think.

We did a lot of looking around but nothing ever stood out. Then one day we were walking in the neighborhood, which we did often. A house was for sale and there was an open house the next day, which happened to be the day we were going out with an agent to look at more houses. There was a contract pending on it but I guess it was about to expire.

The minute I walked into that house I KNEW it was the house for us. I remember telling my husband that he needed to get me that house that evening. It was perfect plus we loved our neighborhood. It had 4 bedrooms 3 ½ baths plus a large bonus room. The main floor was nice and spacious. We lived in that house for 4 years. We did a lot of work within those 4 years.

I found out the other day from an old neighbor that the people who bought our house are selling it and moving back to their old hometown. I have heard she is not happy and wants to move back to be closer to family and friends. We were of course were curious and had to go look up the listing to see how much they were selling it for and check out the pictures. They have listed it for the same price we listed it for. You know the one that they thought was outrageous at the time. The pictures showed many aspects of the house. There are some things that look similar and other things they have changed completely.

That house brings back so many awesome memories. It reminds me of the good friends and good times we had there.

I like the house we are in now but I would have done some things differently. It definitely was all about the neighborhood and school district for us this time. But we are making some really good memories and friends here as well.

We have been in Maryland for 2 years now. I meant for us to “celebrate” our 2nd anniversary but I got my weeks messed up. Maybe I will do something special this weekend. I love having a reason to celebrate.

Crazy Hair Day 2009

Crazy hair day was this past Friday at school. This year Jay decided that he would participate. Last year he didn't want anything to do with it. Ee was so incredibly excited about it ALL week. In fact, he drove me crazy because that was all he could think about. We kept wishing for Friday to get here and if finally did.

Jay had tiger stripes on his head

Ee wanted pony tails in his hair with a lot of color.

I volunteered at school on Friday. The smell in the classrooms was enough to make you nauseous. But all this kids had fun. The minute they walked in from school they went straight to the shower to wash the color out.

Rainy and dreary

It is a rainy dreary day here today. The rain is supposed to be around for the next few days. It really does make me want to lay on the couch and watch TV. But I have things I need to get done especially writing here.

The rain has put me into a mood so this post is going to be about what drives me nutty, well maybe nuttier.

The boys are all waking up WAY too early for me. As I turned in bed, I could see Jay’s light on in his room and it was only 5:30. EE was up at a little after 6am and then Tee. Even if I am awake in the morning I really like to have time to fully wake up and watch a little news by myself. That has not happened much lately.

I don’t understand why people liter. I was leaving the ball field on Sunday. I turned around and this person threw trash out of his car and onto the ground. Where exactly do they think the trash will end up? And why would anyone think this was ok?

Tee had a play date with one of his friends in the neighborhood. We played at their house today. I really like the Mom a lot. However, it is hard to have a conversation with her because she is always tending to her child’s needs. I like to play here because we can be in the basement but the play room is hidden from the sofa area. The boys will go play and only come out every so often. I can’t tell you how many times I would start a story and not finish because she was interrupted. Very frustrating!

Do you know a crackberry addict? A crackberry addict is a person who owns a blackberry and must attend to the blackberry every time a vibration occurs. It doesn’t really matter where this person is or what he is doing. They stop in their tracks to attend to the vibrating that just transmitted on their phone. I live with an addict and sometimes I would like to toss the thing out the window.

Something happened the other day that really sent me into a tizzy. We have a neighbor who I have written about many times. She has a son in 2nd grade also. She is never really happy with anything and everything she does is to the extreme.

She does a lot of nice things for people and volunteers but she always has to make it a point to let you know what she has done. She gets gratification by praising herself. She is a nice person but I can only take a little bit of her.

She and her husband helped with basketball evaluations this past weekend. Her husband will be an assistant coach. They convinced the coach to draft my boys for their team. It is a 2 for 1 deal with them. She shared the information with me at the bus stop the other day. I really would have been ok with the boys NOT being on that team. Another season in which I will have to deal with her nuttiness.

Make my day

Today I heard something I will probably never hear again. I was driving Tee to preschool singing along to a song on the radio. He says “Mommy you a good singer.” It just made me crack up because it is so far from the truth. But at least he thinks so for now.

I never thought parenting would be such hard work some days. Don’t get me wrong it is the best thing in the world. But it is made nicer when something funny happens or the kids say or do something to make your day.

This past weekend, Jay started what he calls a “book” to thank his Dad for everything he does. The “book” has 7 or 8 pages complete with drawings. He is still working on that “book”. What I find very interesting is that I am the one home with him everyday. I make him 3 meals a day, do his laundry, help with homework, arrange play dates and the list goes on and on. Yet he wants to thank his Dad.

My husband thinks it is funny I am a little bitter by it. Jay truly is a Daddy’s boy. I guess my husband should be entitled to one Daddy’s boy because the other two are certainly Mommy’s boys.

Yesterday, Jay handed me a picture he drew at school for me. No words just a picture of grass, a sky and birds flying around. This is the first picture I have gotten from him in a very long time. It made my day.

The boys

The boys played their last two baseball games for the season on Sunday. They won one and lost the other. It has been so nice to see how much the boys’ skills have improved over the last few years. I never thought I was very competitive and when it involves me I still don’t think I am (that competitive). My husband will probably think this is very untrue especially when we play games. He is a sore loser and I am a sore winner.

I feel a little competitive for the boys although I don’t show or say anything. They need to understand you win some and you lose some but the most important thing is to have fun. The boys play on a team in which some of the kids are really good and some are not. Sorry no nice way to say it. There is one kid who finally made his first hit of the season on Sunday.

The boys tried out and made the spring travel baseball team. They currently only have 6 definite players and are trying to recruit more. I believe they need 12 players. We are very excited for them as I think this will be a great experience. They really do love to play baseball.

The boys (and the rest of the team) will have to work on their skills over the winter. They will be practicing at an indoor baseball facility and possibly do a few clinics.

The boys had basketball evaluations this past weekend. I believe basketball will start in a few weeks. They will practice 2 times a week until the league starts in December and then they will practice one day and have a game on the other. We will be a little busy this winter.

The other little boy has been growing, talking and getting into mischief lately. He has learned how to ride his tricycle. Very cute to see him pedaling down our driveway. He does well going down him but can’t pedal up the slight hills.

He is talking non-stop. Every question he asks me has to be repeated about 10 times. Yes, the same exact question. For example, after the boys get on the bus to go to school he will ask me “when my guys be home?” Then he will start with when will Daddy be home. I feel like I repeat what I say so much, almost enough to make me crazy.

He has gotten a little taller also. The 2T clothes are now high waters. It is amazing how quickly he has grown.

This morning he bit, and I don’t just mean a little bite, his brother Jay. I am not sure what was going on but Jay laid down on something Tee was making. Tee climbed on him and bit him on the back side of his shoulder. It looked like it hurt so badly. Honestly, I wanted to cry for Jay. I felt bad about having to put him on the bus a short while after that happened.

The Force be with you

Despite the unpredictable weather and an injury, Halloween ended up being a nice evening. Jay dressed as Darth Vader, EE as Jenga Phet (I hope that is right) and Tee as a football player.

We grilled burgers, dogs and brats at our neighbor's house. My neighbor, me and another neighbor down the street made a cozy spot for ourselves on the front driveway. We each had a TON of candy. The other neighbor always makes cider, spiked to order if you desire. I came loaded with shots. I don't remember the name of them but they compared them to chocolate covered cherries. They were made with Raspberry rum and Chocolate liqueur. They were all gone by nights end. Not only were the shots gone but all of my candy was gone as well. I bought 3 very large bags of candy from the warehouse store.

The husband's took the kids door to door. Tee couldn't keep up with "his guys" (as he calls them) so the husband took him while the others went ahead with neighbor's husband. Tee was dropped off with me and then the kids forged on. They got so much candy.

What to do with all the candy? I will tell you what we are going to do. Our dentist office will buy candy from the kids $1 for each pound. They will then send the candy to our troops overseas. We are headed there tomorrow.

Oh, and about the injury. It was so warm and humid Saturday that my neighbor's garage was a bit slippery. EE ended up falling on his arm. It hurt him at first but by night's end it was fine.

EE was invited to a Halloween party Friday evening at one of his friend's house in the neighborhood. He had a great time. The rest of us were at my neighbor's house for pizza.

Sunday brought lots of rain and our baseball games (the double header) was canceled. We are going to make them up this weekend.