A short post to let you know I'm still around. The holidays were gone before we knew it but superfun while they lasted. We amped up our technology here a bit, so we are all a bit more "plugged in" than normal. Feeling equally bad and good about that.
Big changes happening for me on the work front which have made life interesting. I'm pleased to report I'm not stressing (much) about the changes and am trying to be amused and open to finding the good that is there. One bit of good? Somehow I've scored a great office with two windows. I'm geekily excited about my windows.
Bob has been off several days with the boys while I've been working and it sounds like they've had some great times together. I am so thankful that he is an involved parent who (usually) wants to be with his kids. I am home with them the last two days of their break (tomorrow and Friday) and we have plans to return to an indoor gym on one day and go swimming on the other. Looking forward to fun and playful times with them. Ice rinks *just* opened, but I fear they will close again soon with the 40 degree weather that is coming our way. Fear is too strong of a word. I'm quite happy with the warm and dry winter we've had so far.
So, in a nutshell, 2012 looks pretty good so far. 2011 was a bit of a roller coaster, but overall it was a year I am glad to behind us. I am looking forward with hope and optimism.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Sunday, December 11, 2011
yard projects
It all started with the new sidewalk that was poured in front of our house this spring.
The brick walkway that made the path from the sidewalk to the front door sunk
and it was a couple of inches below the edge of the sidewalk.
My husband, ever the perfectionist and potential-lawsuit-worrier, set about his plan to fix it.
But, as with all good house projects, one thing quickly led to another.
As he assessed the state of our outdoors, he noticed the roof to our shed was rotton.
Cedar shake shingle roof - oh, so quaint but oh, so needing replacement also.
So, he, with a bunch of One's help, re-shingled the roof (early June).
He then re-stained the shed (late June).
And he, with a little bit of help from me, replaced the broken fence near the shed
(the rest of the summer).
That was a big project, let me tell you.
He had to dig post holes 4 feet into the earth.
We made concrete and poured them into the postholes.
We had to make the fence level
and square.
He built the rest of the fence,
and we tag-teamed painting it.
I think our neighbors were worried it would never get done.
We took many breaks during the project, and our next-door neighbor laughed at me
literally watching the paint dry on a hot and sweaty August afternoon.
With that done, it was time to tackle the front yard.
The people we bought the house from were big gardeners.
We tried our best to keep up with it, but we were clearly over our head.
Last summer, we took apart about 1/2 of the front yard's garden,
redistributing the plants around our yard
and to other yards in the neighborhood.
In that space, we planted grass and a cherry tree.
We decided we liked that so much that we wanted to simplify the rest of our front yard.
So, Bob disassembled the rest of the garden.
He took out the brick walkway.
He studied catalogs with different paving options.
We considered cost and style and installation effort,
and we made our decisions.
Bob's goal was to complete the project before Halloween.
His vision was to sit outside in the front yard,
with a bonfire blazing,
while children came to trick or treat.
It was that vision that kept him motivated.
So, without further ado,
here are pictures of our front yard, taken on October 31!
Note the path - gorgeous!
Note the lack of plants - maintenance free!
Note the freshly sodded yard - green and lovely!
(what is not so obvious is a small tree planted)
You can see the tree better in this shot, along with the doggie peeking out the door.
roaring fire? check.
husband relaxing in front of it? check.
scary halloween decorations? check.
This little area was a hodgepodge of plants which I battled constantly to keep weeds out of.
We got rid of it all,
placed in some large stones which were a part of our landscaping,
planted a bush,
and added in this odd gun-totin' leprechan Bob got from his boss.
And one more shot of the path, because it is so gorgeous.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
raw
missing this space here.
life has been busy.
good busy and not-so-good busy too.
we were in NYC for thanksgiving week.
that was good busy.
we ended up doing all free things all week long - at first by accident, later on purpose.
someday, I may even get a chance to post a picture or tell you what we did.
we are all decorated here.
lovely tree purchased at a fundraiser for the forestry association on UW Campus.
we got there with only 4 trees left, so we got a d-e-a-l.
I've always wanted a frasier fir but have always been too cheap to get one.
well, this year, we have one
for $20.
it's beautiful.
maybe I'll take a picture of it at some point to post it here.
I went fishing for a new job (one with benefits)
and ended up getting a permanent offer at my current place,
still part-time but with benefits.
exactly what I wanted.
Now, however, the place has seemed a little crazy.
I find myself having twinges of buyer's remorse.
I feel like I'm working a lot and I'm missing parts of my old life.
you know, the one where I baked bread
and made soap
and went to the library
and read books
and had a clean house
and listened to NPR
and cooked varied, well-balanced meals.
tonight?
Pizza Hut.
sigh...
no picture needed of that.
*****
after a calm period, things seem to be heating up again with One and his anxieties.
I am again relieved to be with a competent therapist who can guide us through this.
but still,
I yearn for perspective.
I want to know that it will all be all right,
that we will get through this,
maybe not as we thought we would,
we may be a bit broken in places,
but stronger in other ways too.
I am grateful to be on this journey with Bob.
despite our flaws individually,
and as a couple,
no one loves our boys like we do,
and I'm thankful to have him.
life has been busy.
good busy and not-so-good busy too.
we were in NYC for thanksgiving week.
that was good busy.
we ended up doing all free things all week long - at first by accident, later on purpose.
someday, I may even get a chance to post a picture or tell you what we did.
we are all decorated here.
lovely tree purchased at a fundraiser for the forestry association on UW Campus.
we got there with only 4 trees left, so we got a d-e-a-l.
I've always wanted a frasier fir but have always been too cheap to get one.
well, this year, we have one
for $20.
it's beautiful.
maybe I'll take a picture of it at some point to post it here.
I went fishing for a new job (one with benefits)
and ended up getting a permanent offer at my current place,
still part-time but with benefits.
exactly what I wanted.
Now, however, the place has seemed a little crazy.
I find myself having twinges of buyer's remorse.
I feel like I'm working a lot and I'm missing parts of my old life.
you know, the one where I baked bread
and made soap
and went to the library
and read books
and had a clean house
and listened to NPR
and cooked varied, well-balanced meals.
tonight?
Pizza Hut.
sigh...
no picture needed of that.
*****
after a calm period, things seem to be heating up again with One and his anxieties.
I am again relieved to be with a competent therapist who can guide us through this.
but still,
I yearn for perspective.
I want to know that it will all be all right,
that we will get through this,
maybe not as we thought we would,
we may be a bit broken in places,
but stronger in other ways too.
I am grateful to be on this journey with Bob.
despite our flaws individually,
and as a couple,
no one loves our boys like we do,
and I'm thankful to have him.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
bits and pieces
Just banished the children to the basement to watch tv. It's so peaceful and quiet up here now. Why don't I do this more often?
Two has plans to make dinner for us tomorrow night. He has put together a list for a buffet. Included are crackers, vegetables, "frut", apple sauce, and meat.
Three's instrument is wide opened tonight. Do you know this phrase? I learned it from a friend who was in acting class, and this was a way to, I suppose, get in touch with one's feelings while acting. Anyway, we use it (probably wrong) when we are close to tears. And that is my Three tonight. Lots of things are making him sad - songs, a video, not being able to start watching a full-length movie now (at 7:45 pm).
One had an EPIC birthday party the other night, which is worthy of its own post. Let's just say that I have discovered Laser Tag and I looooooove it. If I were 20 years younger and it were an olympic sport, I'd drop everything and dedicate my life to laser tag. I still might. Dudes. I ranked 7th out of 31 in my second game. I rocked.
Three is now a puddle on the floor and needs to go to bed. Frankly, I do too. I am achy and tired and ready to go lay down.
Two has plans to make dinner for us tomorrow night. He has put together a list for a buffet. Included are crackers, vegetables, "frut", apple sauce, and meat.
Three's instrument is wide opened tonight. Do you know this phrase? I learned it from a friend who was in acting class, and this was a way to, I suppose, get in touch with one's feelings while acting. Anyway, we use it (probably wrong) when we are close to tears. And that is my Three tonight. Lots of things are making him sad - songs, a video, not being able to start watching a full-length movie now (at 7:45 pm).
One had an EPIC birthday party the other night, which is worthy of its own post. Let's just say that I have discovered Laser Tag and I looooooove it. If I were 20 years younger and it were an olympic sport, I'd drop everything and dedicate my life to laser tag. I still might. Dudes. I ranked 7th out of 31 in my second game. I rocked.
Three is now a puddle on the floor and needs to go to bed. Frankly, I do too. I am achy and tired and ready to go lay down.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Halloween happiness
Quick check in.
One just got a phone call from a boy in his class to meet at a park about 2 miles away and play some football. (this boy lives nearby the park). One agreed to go and asked if he could ride his bike. This may seem like such a simple thing, but for my tentative boy, this is huge. We reviewed the route and I asked him to call me on my cell phone when he got there. And off he went. I fretted until he called 12 minutes later to tell me he made it. I said, "have a great time honey! I love you!" and he hung up.
I'm so happy for him to make some new friendships and branch out a little in the world.
One just got a phone call from a boy in his class to meet at a park about 2 miles away and play some football. (this boy lives nearby the park). One agreed to go and asked if he could ride his bike. This may seem like such a simple thing, but for my tentative boy, this is huge. We reviewed the route and I asked him to call me on my cell phone when he got there. And off he went. I fretted until he called 12 minutes later to tell me he made it. I said, "have a great time honey! I love you!" and he hung up.
I'm so happy for him to make some new friendships and branch out a little in the world.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Dear anybody and everybody else
Hey y'all,
Don't be sad if I didn't write you your very only letter on this blog. I'll be happy to. Just leave a comment, and I'll get right on it.
We had a sweet weekend full of nice moments and a bit of sadness too chez mooncrawl. The boys were off from school on Thursday and Friday, and I decided not to work. I had a very lovely time with them (that is, when they weren't in a fistfight and I wasn't screaming at them to stop). On Thursday, we went to the outlet mall in Johnson Creek to purchase some clothing. Back-to-school shopping in October. Why, you ask? Well, I have decided that it's now too cold for One to continue to wear shorts, and he needs some proper pants that fit him. Now he is outfitted with "skinny jeans", dark wash doncha know. I am of the mindset not to argue with my children about what they wear to school. As long as it doesn't have holes in it and is clean (enough), I let them wear what they want. Anyhow, they twisted my arm to get them an ice cream cone from McDonalds in Lake Mills, and we meandered home on rural highways and byways from there. We were in good moods and were being silly together on the drive home. A simple moment, but one I cherish.
On Friday, we joined the rest of Madison to participate in the downtown halloween activities. We met our friends down there (one of my best buddies and her three - all similar age to my three) for lunch, and then waited, impatiently, for the 2 pm start. As soon as the clock struck 2 pm, My One and Two and L's One took off down the street, bopping into store after store grabbing candy. Only problem was that they didn't get permission to go ahead AND they were going the wrong direction. We decided to follow behind, hoping they would wait for us, but nope. They were gone. Vanished in the sea of thousands (probably hundreds, but for the sake of the story, let's stretch it). My emotions went from worried to angry pretty quickly. After 30 minutes or so, they found us. I laid into my boys - threatened to not allow them to go trick or treating on Halloween if they pulled that stunt again - and we continued on.
That night, I met some ladies out for drinks and food. Though here's the strange part, half of them didn't eat. I was looking at this crowd - a group I don't regularly go out with - and I thought, "man, they are all very skinny. Like model skinny. Like unhealthy skinny." So I suppose I wasn't that surprised when they didn't eat. But really? I don't get it. Who goes out to have a drink and eat and then not eat? Certainly not me. By 9 pm, the non-eaters were done (probably too famished to stay awake any longer) so L and I went to a movie. We saw One Day, which I had also read. It was as I expected - good enough for the cheap theater.
Saturday, Two had a flag football tournament. This is his team's third time in the tournament, and it's the third time they came in 2nd place. I'm pleased to report that Two didn't seem bothered by this at all. Sounds like all of the kids on the team were in good spirits about their second place status. I wasn't there, however, as I was at my cousin's husband funeral. I haven't mentioned this situation before. He died unexpectedly, though he did have many health complications. I am very sad for my cousin and their 17 year old daughter. He died in September while visiting his parents in Washington, and his memorial service was here on Saturday. It was lovely. My cousin did a wonderful job pulling it together. She had the musician from my grandmother's funeral perform, and he (as you may remember) is a very soulful and beautiful musician. My little cousin's choir from her school also sang, and there were many sweet stories shared about S. It was a beautiful tribute and I learned so much about S that I didn't know beforehand. Just like I love a good obit, I also love a good funeral. This one was good.
Last night, Bob and I had a date here at home. The kids were here too, but we just decided to ignore them. Well, actually, they were outside playing football in the dark, so we watched PBS American Masters - the one about The Troubadour and James Taylor and Carole King. It was great. (We were hoping to watch the Pearl Jam episode but that's not available yet online. Love Pearl Jam. Love, love, love.) After a while, the kids wandered in and joined us and watched along with us, wondering how old these people are and are they still alive? and why does their music sound like that? There was a comment in the episode about how the singer/songwriter phenomenon happened when it felt like the country was in a bit of an ugly standstill - stuck in a war they didn't like, bad economy, no new direction in music. I looked at Bob and said, "sounds familiar."
Sunday, today, was cold and rainy and low key. Two was sore from all of his football playing, so he didn't move much. The Packers had a bye week, so we didn't really know what to do with ourselves. Bob went outside to look at his newly completed yard projects (more on that later). I folded the laundry. We carved pumpkins. Bob and Two had their date, and I took Three and One to Target to do some shopping, including buying another SD memory card. Wondering why there haven't been photos lately? That's what happens when you grab the memory card out of the slot and don't put it somewhere safe.
Off to bed now. I'm not really looking forward to tomorrow. Strike that, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, trick-or-treating, being over. It's cold and nerve-wracking (who is going to run into the street in front of a car?) and there is so much expectation about getting all of this teeth rotting candy that there are bound to be tears at some point.
Don't be sad if I didn't write you your very only letter on this blog. I'll be happy to. Just leave a comment, and I'll get right on it.
We had a sweet weekend full of nice moments and a bit of sadness too chez mooncrawl. The boys were off from school on Thursday and Friday, and I decided not to work. I had a very lovely time with them (that is, when they weren't in a fistfight and I wasn't screaming at them to stop). On Thursday, we went to the outlet mall in Johnson Creek to purchase some clothing. Back-to-school shopping in October. Why, you ask? Well, I have decided that it's now too cold for One to continue to wear shorts, and he needs some proper pants that fit him. Now he is outfitted with "skinny jeans", dark wash doncha know. I am of the mindset not to argue with my children about what they wear to school. As long as it doesn't have holes in it and is clean (enough), I let them wear what they want. Anyhow, they twisted my arm to get them an ice cream cone from McDonalds in Lake Mills, and we meandered home on rural highways and byways from there. We were in good moods and were being silly together on the drive home. A simple moment, but one I cherish.
On Friday, we joined the rest of Madison to participate in the downtown halloween activities. We met our friends down there (one of my best buddies and her three - all similar age to my three) for lunch, and then waited, impatiently, for the 2 pm start. As soon as the clock struck 2 pm, My One and Two and L's One took off down the street, bopping into store after store grabbing candy. Only problem was that they didn't get permission to go ahead AND they were going the wrong direction. We decided to follow behind, hoping they would wait for us, but nope. They were gone. Vanished in the sea of thousands (probably hundreds, but for the sake of the story, let's stretch it). My emotions went from worried to angry pretty quickly. After 30 minutes or so, they found us. I laid into my boys - threatened to not allow them to go trick or treating on Halloween if they pulled that stunt again - and we continued on.
That night, I met some ladies out for drinks and food. Though here's the strange part, half of them didn't eat. I was looking at this crowd - a group I don't regularly go out with - and I thought, "man, they are all very skinny. Like model skinny. Like unhealthy skinny." So I suppose I wasn't that surprised when they didn't eat. But really? I don't get it. Who goes out to have a drink and eat and then not eat? Certainly not me. By 9 pm, the non-eaters were done (probably too famished to stay awake any longer) so L and I went to a movie. We saw One Day, which I had also read. It was as I expected - good enough for the cheap theater.
Saturday, Two had a flag football tournament. This is his team's third time in the tournament, and it's the third time they came in 2nd place. I'm pleased to report that Two didn't seem bothered by this at all. Sounds like all of the kids on the team were in good spirits about their second place status. I wasn't there, however, as I was at my cousin's husband funeral. I haven't mentioned this situation before. He died unexpectedly, though he did have many health complications. I am very sad for my cousin and their 17 year old daughter. He died in September while visiting his parents in Washington, and his memorial service was here on Saturday. It was lovely. My cousin did a wonderful job pulling it together. She had the musician from my grandmother's funeral perform, and he (as you may remember) is a very soulful and beautiful musician. My little cousin's choir from her school also sang, and there were many sweet stories shared about S. It was a beautiful tribute and I learned so much about S that I didn't know beforehand. Just like I love a good obit, I also love a good funeral. This one was good.
Last night, Bob and I had a date here at home. The kids were here too, but we just decided to ignore them. Well, actually, they were outside playing football in the dark, so we watched PBS American Masters - the one about The Troubadour and James Taylor and Carole King. It was great. (We were hoping to watch the Pearl Jam episode but that's not available yet online. Love Pearl Jam. Love, love, love.) After a while, the kids wandered in and joined us and watched along with us, wondering how old these people are and are they still alive? and why does their music sound like that? There was a comment in the episode about how the singer/songwriter phenomenon happened when it felt like the country was in a bit of an ugly standstill - stuck in a war they didn't like, bad economy, no new direction in music. I looked at Bob and said, "sounds familiar."
Sunday, today, was cold and rainy and low key. Two was sore from all of his football playing, so he didn't move much. The Packers had a bye week, so we didn't really know what to do with ourselves. Bob went outside to look at his newly completed yard projects (more on that later). I folded the laundry. We carved pumpkins. Bob and Two had their date, and I took Three and One to Target to do some shopping, including buying another SD memory card. Wondering why there haven't been photos lately? That's what happens when you grab the memory card out of the slot and don't put it somewhere safe.
Off to bed now. I'm not really looking forward to tomorrow. Strike that, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, trick-or-treating, being over. It's cold and nerve-wracking (who is going to run into the street in front of a car?) and there is so much expectation about getting all of this teeth rotting candy that there are bound to be tears at some point.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Dear Green Girl
Dear Green Girl,
And now, a post to my other faithful reader/commenter. Hello there, Green Girl. I am so impressed with your 3k running time. At my fastest, which was admittedly very slow, you could have lapped me. Well, not white, but trust me - you are much faster.
I just read a book you recommended. The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson. I really enjoyed it. I love books set in the Midwest, since, you know, I'm a Midwest gal myself. I love family sagas that span many years. I wish I could have gotten to hear more of the mother's voice, and I was sad that she died off of our watch. She was fascinating from afar. I also wanted to get to know Torrie as an adult - again hear her voice, hear what she thought of herself as a teenager. Thanks for the recommendation.
Last night I was cleaning up a mess that I wonder just happens in a house overrun by boys, as is my house, as is your house. My Two was grabbing something out of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and he knocked a jar of fingernail polish into the sink where it promptly broke open and splattered all over everything. Bright pink all over my white tiled floor, toilet, sink. Two was apologetic and it wasn't his fault really< but these boys... Like bulls in a china shop. I love them all like crazy, of course, but I do crave a space - even a corner- that is mine and not overrun by chaos and boy-smell. Do you have such a space?
One has a birthday coming up. He will be 11. He has opted out of a birthday party the last couple of years (which has made me sad and worried) but perhaps another sign that life has shifted into a better, happier place for him, he wants one this year. And he seems to be making up for lost time. He is inviting 10 boys to do laser tag and the (gasp) sleepover here. 10 boys plus my 3 equals a long, loud night. Any tips for me? Have you ever hosted such a bash? My hope is that some of them will not be able to stay the night.
Time to wake my chickadees up and get the morning show on the road. I've gotten accustomed to waking up about an hour before I have to wake them up. I sometimes work out during this time, but I also just enjoy the still, quiet house. Maybe this is my corner.
I so enjoy your blog. Have a great day. Sorry autumn (not your fav) has turned ugly. Put on your favorite sweater, drink some tea, and don't look outside.
:) Teresa
And now, a post to my other faithful reader/commenter. Hello there, Green Girl. I am so impressed with your 3k running time. At my fastest, which was admittedly very slow, you could have lapped me. Well, not white, but trust me - you are much faster.
I just read a book you recommended. The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson. I really enjoyed it. I love books set in the Midwest, since, you know, I'm a Midwest gal myself. I love family sagas that span many years. I wish I could have gotten to hear more of the mother's voice, and I was sad that she died off of our watch. She was fascinating from afar. I also wanted to get to know Torrie as an adult - again hear her voice, hear what she thought of herself as a teenager. Thanks for the recommendation.
Last night I was cleaning up a mess that I wonder just happens in a house overrun by boys, as is my house, as is your house. My Two was grabbing something out of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and he knocked a jar of fingernail polish into the sink where it promptly broke open and splattered all over everything. Bright pink all over my white tiled floor, toilet, sink. Two was apologetic and it wasn't his fault really< but these boys... Like bulls in a china shop. I love them all like crazy, of course, but I do crave a space - even a corner- that is mine and not overrun by chaos and boy-smell. Do you have such a space?
One has a birthday coming up. He will be 11. He has opted out of a birthday party the last couple of years (which has made me sad and worried) but perhaps another sign that life has shifted into a better, happier place for him, he wants one this year. And he seems to be making up for lost time. He is inviting 10 boys to do laser tag and the (gasp) sleepover here. 10 boys plus my 3 equals a long, loud night. Any tips for me? Have you ever hosted such a bash? My hope is that some of them will not be able to stay the night.
Time to wake my chickadees up and get the morning show on the road. I've gotten accustomed to waking up about an hour before I have to wake them up. I sometimes work out during this time, but I also just enjoy the still, quiet house. Maybe this is my corner.
I so enjoy your blog. Have a great day. Sorry autumn (not your fav) has turned ugly. Put on your favorite sweater, drink some tea, and don't look outside.
:) Teresa
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