Show show show my house....

Happy Halloween!!! I have to say that Halloween is my favorite holiday EVAH! I don't know of any holiday that goes against all my motherly teachings so much and that I am ok with....it's ok baby...go get and eat that piece of candy from the strange looking man that we don't know. When Madison was little little, he used to coach her a week before "Now honey...this is a square....this is orange....if they give you a choice of candy....go for the orange squares...I just...I mean you will love them!!"

My angels will be home from school soon. It was the first Halloween parade through the old folks home that I missed this year. I missed it because there was supposed to have been a showing. I am not entirely convinced (since I did drive bys) that they showed up. I seriously hope they did show up. I am not allowed to decorate for anything and it ticks me off.

We have a party every year that we invite a few of our friends over, I buy/cook way too much, we take the kids trick or treating while drinking whatever alcoholic beverage we can fit into our coffee mug and then it is fun for all.

My favorite all time people that have come to my humble abode for candy have been the little baby (dressed as a princess), her teenage mom (dressed as a princess) , and then grandma (dressed as herself?) all holding onto a plastic Shaw's supermarket bag. I am sorry, if you are old enough to produce a child and that child has a child.....you are too old. I usually dress up as one of my Soul Sistas but since I can't do anything around my house, I think I might not be dressing up. I am just not into it this year. Although the day is still young and I have make up. One never knows. I think one year I might get a bald head so I can dress up as John if he had boobs.

Madison is going to be "lazy" this year. That is my favorite costume since it means she get to wear her jammies and I get to back come her hair. With hair that long, it is going to be fun to comb out. Listen out your window tonight and you will probably hear her screaming!

Anthony is going to be a phantom. I bought it last year hoping that it would fit....and since I stopped feeding him a month ago...it is a perfect fit.

I will post pictures tomorrow!!! Happy Haunting everyone!

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed....we have a showing tomorrow and Sun and one possible offer coming....

See the pretty little image to the right? That is what I woke up to this morning. It was 32 feels like "get me out of this place" cold. The only thing I kept were winter coats (thank god) and a few long sleeve shirts. See, when you have a smallish size house and your realtor says "Decluttering makes it appear larger and there for will sell faster and look nicer" (in their sing songy voice) AND your family is moving to Arizona AND it is August when she says this....what is the first thing you are going to get rid of? Your flip flops and bikinis? Well, I did get rid of John's but that is neither here nor there....NO my friends, you get rid of your flannel sheets, your fleece turtleneck thingies, and you donate your space heater to your brother's man town! So, that is what I did! And now what? We are all a freezing mass of a family who is strategically trying to run their heat *JUST* enough so that we don't have to purchase more oil....

We had another showing today. A nice young guy probably looking to start a family soon....who will need an above average starter home to attract that nice young lady....JUST BUY THE HOUSE...IT IS GETTING COLD HERE. :-)

seriously? A whole week?

I can't believe it has been a whole week since I updated my blog. I guess nothing of importance has happened! Well, except that I had a birthday. I didn't know that 27 would feel so old. My husband and kids got me an awesome present of perfume (what are they trying to say?) Actually, when it comes to my hubby, he is the best at picking out perfume and jewelry. I just wish he did it more often! It was *almost* the perfect birthday....there was no cake to be had....and that is just not right.

We did have 4 showings over the weekend....all which resulted in NOTHING! It is getting colder here and the threat of snow is getting me a little ticked. Not because I don't love the snow but I donated all my winter clothes! Pretty soon you are going to see me on the side of the road "will work for mittens for kids" "will work for long sleeve shirts for my husband" but then wait....that means I will have to work. I don't want to do that. I do enough of that already!

We have another showing tomorrow so I am feverishly cleaning up the house today. My g/f said that is all I do is clean...and she is right....I never knew having 3 kids would be so much work ;-) Off to vacuum/dust/and wash! Keep your fingers crossed and the prayers a comin'!

Seriously

I am a person that lives by a schedule but has the ability to be spontaneous. So this nonsense about selling/buying a house, moving, getting a (gasp!) job, and all the other schtick that is going along with this is driving me BONKERS! How my in-laws did it 1000 and a half times I will never know.

It doesn't help that John is in Arizona this week....an odd thing has been happening lately....I don't sleep well when he is not here YET I seriously love it when he is not (but just for a short time). I wonder what psychoanalytical-isms that says about our relationship *barf*. I haven't slept with the light off and my glasses off the whole time he has been gone. That must prove to me he is good for something :-p (ouch)

So the offer has been made on the house in AZ and I really love it. I just don't want to get my hopes up since I still have this house that I am writing this blog in. I really wish it would just sell already. If we could at least get more than an unofficial offer of $50k we would be thrilled. I know this spells disaster but I have mentally planned out where I want things in the house. Let's hope something for once goes our way.

Off to get something more than nothing accomplished today.

Have you had a stupid sober late night idea?

It started out innocently enough. I swear at this hour, even sober, it seems like a harmless idea. I used to dance in high school...in choraleers (grapevine anyone?), and then in private lessons. I love the feeling of being free on a dance floor and letting my body just go with the beat of the music but let's face it, I am white....very white to the point of translucent ESPECIALLY on the dance floor. I think my sis-in-law has more color than I do when it comes to the dance floor (I have her beat the rest of the time).

So I have been bugging the h*ll out of my girlfriend here to take hip hop lessons with me. I mean come on, she has run how many races with me (even a half marathon), goes shopping with me, to the bar, snowshoeing with me up in VT in freaking February, to ___________ (fill in the blank with whatever other hair brained idea that I may come up with). She has done almost everything with me EXCEPT this.

So why would this be a hair-brained idea? If you have ever watched me "freestyle" (dude that made me giggle just typing it) I have two moves with my feet......left to right and right to left. My arms may vary to up above my head (if I shaved my armpits and remembered deodorant), to out to the side, and then in a left right motion. I look like someone who is convulsing or forgot their meds. Heck, half the people at my wedding thought I was wasted....I guess they saw my dancing.

I have taken many aerobic classes in my day at Bally's and can follow along quite well....sometimes I may jump left when the rest of the people are jumping right but that is when a water break is needed and then I move on (either that or I bust out laughing at the sight of myself in the 8 feet tall mirrors). I have also done many DVD's in the comfort of my own home and if you have seen me do that, then you know that Billy Blanks has personally called me demanding that I give his DVD's back because I am making a mockery of his Tae Bo moves. What I have here is a passion for the moves....I may not get them right but my heart is there.

That leads me to my hair-brained stupid sober idea....what if I combine the learning of hip hop in the comfort of my own home?!?!?!? HELLO!???!? This is what I have been waiting for my whole life! So I go to my absolute happy place website (not Target Mom but just as close).....Barnes and Noble. I swear they made that site for me. So I google Hip Hop at home and the first one is Carmen Electra's Striptease (which is what my friend said she would rather do...actually she said Pole Dancing which is what that is....minus the pole....John may like it if I did that but this is not about him). The third one down is a Hip Hop video that I can also "Dance off the Inches" and I am up for that as long as the inches aren't coming off my knockers. The only thing stopping me from running to grab my wallet is the girl on the front cover is WHITE!

Mark my words people.....I will learn Hip Hop one way or another....

My poor kids.....please pray for them

This is ridiculous....

Selling a house is just that....ridiculous. Not only have I de-Montesed the house, I have to keep it at Joanie level clean at all times. If you don't know what Joanie level clean is, then take your best cleaning day and multiply that by 1000. It is just unattainable and unsustainable and many other "un" words that I could look up and use.....especially if you have 3 kids like I do.

3? What? Did you have another one secretively that we don't know about? (you ask yourself)....that answer would be no. I married him about 11.5 years ago. He is going to AZ tomorrow and although I will desperately miss him taking out the trash, taking Frank out to poo, and taking me out to lunch, I won't miss the third person that I have to clean up after.

But Holly, he is old enough to put his own dishes in the dishwasher and put his clothes *in* the hamper not NEXT TO IT (you silently ask yourself again)....my answer to that is....I know....I know...one day it will sink in...I just have to have faith and an ass load of magic beans to make it happen....

yeah!!!

Well, I finally decided to stop making excuses and put myself first this week. My goal at the beginning of the week was to workout for at least 30 minutes every day. I mean, come on, no kids, no husband, how hard could it be. Well, then starts up the excuses....oh, I know I am not the only one to use them. Heck, we are a nation of overweight people so clearly I am not. I have never felt guilty about working out, just felt guilty about not working out. So Monday I did a walk with my kids.....an hour and a half....it was awesome and fun. it amazes me the things that we don't see that they do see...and THEN....surprise surprise, John walked with me a short while when the kids were in karate.

Tuesday, I did a new Pilates DVD that I bought....for Breast Cancer Awareness month some of the proceeds go to research and as a bonus (WHOO HOO!) they gave me a pink band to use. I know that Pilates is supposed to be relaxing and work but I think my mouth got more of a work out than my muscles. I have to give a shout out apology to the girls on the video. I don't know you so I shouldn't have said those things about you. I am sure they are untrue. My bands never seem to work they way theirs does and it is frustrating.

Wednesday, I went for a run and damn, did it suck.....but a good kind of suck.....like the "I know this hurts now but just think of all the ice cream I can justify eating later" kinda suck.

Let's keep this up....2 more days and then I can go back to being a lazy bum again...I only said 5 days ;-)

One lucky Daddy I tell ya

This weekend was a 4 day weekend for the kids and I. We decided to not just lay around and do nothing (although don't ask the kids what they are doing now while I write this).

Friday night was a great blow off steam night with my friend Jen and boy, did we have a great time. (high five to that)! We did find out that the bar that we were going to go to (the 80's Lounge....that only plays 80's music....and 80's videos.....and has 80's pictures all around) has seen it's final day about 6 months ago. So sad....I guess it is time to move into a new decade....sigh....

Saturday, John, the kids and I ventured where we will never go again on a Saturday afternoon. We went to pick apples again....that was one of the dumbest ideas of mine that John has *ever* gone along with. There was a line to get into the place.....ON THE MAIN ROAD! That should tell you something right there. It should have told you that we need to turn around and pick apples at the local grocery store.....but being the great guy that he is, John forged ahead and cut off women and children alike. Picking in the fields wasn't too bad but the play area that the kids wanted to play in was like being in a sea of non-listening little brats who didn't pay any attention to what was going on around them. After I saw a kid hit his mom, I bowed out of there with the promise to go another day when there weren't as many people. Does that mean I am getting old?

You might have asked yourself "why is she telling me this?" Well, I will answer it now, the kids decided to make John an apple crispy pie thing that looks wonderful (if you like that sort of thing which thankfully, I do not). Madison and I also made some homemade applesauce and let me tell you....my house smells appley-delicious.....now to get some damn buyers in here so they can visualize what my home smells like when you make apple crispy stuff and applesauce....that would just seal the deal on my 4 day weekend. :-)

4 day weekend?

That is what is going down at my house. Thankfully it is only a 4 day weekend for my kids and not you know who. Kidding. Kinda. Maybe. It struck me today that not only am I going to be stretching some friendships across the country but my children are too. Anthony and his good friend devised a way that they could still trade Pokemon cards through the mail.

My acquaintances here are many, friends are few yet special. I know that I will keep in contact with them all.....crap, I need a tissue. What was the post about wine....I think I will start now...it is Friday by the way!

Do I have a problem???

When in Costa Rica I had a glass of red wine (not the whine that I am used to) every night with dinner. Strictly for health reasons as my parents often tell me that the reason they drink isn't because of the stress my brother causes them (I am the good child mind you) rather the benefits of the wine. With the amount they drink, they are the healthiest people that I know.....kidding.

In any event, I asked one of the waiters to escribo la nombre de vino on paper so I would know what to look for when I got home. He did. I went to the liquor store (without the paper cause that would make my life *WAY* too flipping easy) and BY MEMORY I remember what the heck it was.....only......they didn't have the style (?) that I wanted.....so I bought another. So the reason for the post is.....do I have a problem if I am drinking at 1:39pm.....even if it is just to try it?

Vacation pictures

Me and Toucan Sam

The active volcano Arenal - we saw a little lava flowing at night
A coffee plant...I love this and have more respect for my coffee now
The hot springs at Tabacon....it was like swimming in bathwater

Me me me me at the La Paz Waterfall.

Ya know?

You know how in previous posts I have spoken my unwavering love for my kids? That is still there but this now retirement thing isn't all it is cracked up to be if I still have to get up at 7am to make sure the kids are out the door (yes, all three of them). Take today for example.....would it have killed them to quietly sneak out of here after getting their own lunch, pack their bags, their own breakfast, taking out the trash so I could have had the extra sleep that I so desperately needed? Selfish is what I say...selfish (them, not me, in case that is what you are thinking)

So far no appointments this week. C'mon people!!! It is starting to get cold here and I don't have my long john's anymore....

I am back...

I am back from a week of doing nothing and oddly enough, I am happy about that. Not including missing my angels like crazy, it is always good to be home. Here is a recap about what I did on my summer vacation:

I left for the airport before God was even up. It was 2:25 am and my mom and I were sitting there watching House Hunters (they were in Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach)....I never did find out what house they chose to live in. Anyway, the guy who picked me up was an older but very nice guy. We stopped at one more stop down the street and there was an older foreign couple who had more luggage than Paris Hilton traveling for a weekend. The driver said they were bringing goods back to their home country to sell. Damn, I didn't know I could go and do that. I will file that away for next time I am traveling to Costa Rica....

Eventually I get on the plane and you always see those one or two people that you just don't want next to you but you just *know* they will be in your aisle......well, my guy was a Rick James wannabe. He had the biggest sunglasses I have ever seen on a man with more bedazzledness then I would ever wear. His hair was unusually wet and styled more than mine. He was flashier than I don't know what but I saw him in the airport lounge and I just knew.....I boarded the plane and sure enough, 23C.....to my 23A.... Although usually chatty and spunky by nature, I can and most likely will talk to anyone about anything. It is a great little trait I picked up from my Dad (thanks Dad!). I quickly put in my ear phones and had my book in the locked and reading position....with no buffer in 23B I wasn't taking any chances. After take off and I saw that his head was doing the bobbing and weaving dance of him being in dreamland, I looked closer at him and realized that he wouldn't be able to hear me anyway with the forest growing out of his ears.

I quickly made it to the connecting flight by running and pushing people (sorry if you were one of them) and really had a great uneventful flight....just me and my peanuts looking over the ocean.

After passing through customs and the sign that states I can't have sex with underage people in Costa Rica, I quickly found John among the many men asking if I need a taxi. I was extremely relieved since no hablo mucho Espanol...together John and I have the speaking ability of a 5 year old so we can get along fairly well :-)

Right after I landed, one of John's friends took us to a beautiful waterfall that had birds, butterflies, snakes, bugs and frogs....there was a hummingbird place and fish. It was a beautifully magical place and I managed to somehow stay awake and fairly sociable throughout its entirety. We ended up going out to dinner to one of John's favorite places and then got home just in time for me to pass the heck out. ;-)

I woke up to a room that was empty since John had left for work. I opened up the room darkening curtains to a beautiful sunshine. I quickly threw on the sunscreen and headed out with my book in tow. If you don't fully know me, then you wouldn't know that I have issues with relaxing and sitting still. Laying out to get a tan gets really old quickly for someone like me. So I went back to the room to get my gym shoes on and headed to the gym. I hopped on the treadmill for a 3 mile run and then onto the elliptical for 30 minutes. It was during that time that a guy (who doesn't make an appearance at the gym very often) came in.....wearing......MESH SWIM SHOES! I thought (because although I talk about people, I am a good person at heart) good for him for getting to the gym to try and better his health. So as I am sweating my pounds away, he sits down at the weight machine....only....he doesn't use it for the weights....he starts twisting and turning and doing anything but what the machine is intended for. OK....benefit of the doubt...at least he is limbering up for whatever reason....and then....out of all the treadmills he chooses....he picks the one right freaking next to mine! OK whatever, I focus my attention on Marshall Mathers in my ear telling me to just Lose myself in the Moment so I do and then, out of the corner of my eye the guy next to me FALLS OFF HIS TREADMILL! You know the good-hearted person that I just claimed to be? Well, she was pushed out of the way by the girl that had to run out of the gym because she almost peed herself from laughing! Mom, where did you fail?

Tuesday was a full shopping day. Another one of John's friends wife took me out for the day and showed me the sites. She thankfully spoke English so I was saved another day. She is such a beautiful woman and I still say she was lying when she told me her age ;-)

Wednesday I woke up not feeling 100%. Granted I did find a few wines that I liked at dinner but it wasn't from that. I think I had a touch of a sinus infection/allergies or something like that. I swear I wasn't using that as an excuse not to use the gym but I didn't want to spread my sickness to others so it was a tan day. My chest is white so it worked.

Thursday was an awesome amazing day. John played hookie from work and we went to visit the volcano Arenal. We saw many beautiful sights along the way. Had a great lunch. Then went to Tabacon. They are hot springs that used to be cold until 1968 when the volcano became active and now, it was like taking a bath. I will post pictures shortly. We stayed there until right before dinner. John and I went down the water slide (LOSERS) and then we swam up to the bar to order us a cold one. My next house needs to have that. The coolest thing (or one of them) was in the boys bathroom....why not the girls I will never know. It was a trashcan type thing where you put your bathing suits in them and then push the button and in less than a minute, your bathing suit is DRY! I swear I would love laundry more if I had something like that.

Friday I was all set to tan the backside (see, I failed to tell you that I didn't have enough time to tan everywhere and was planning to lay on my stomach all of Friday...I had a new book any everything). Got up, had bathing suit on, saw sun, laid down and WHAM cloud. Well sh*t. Guess I will go to the gym. I went on the bike this day and biked 12 miles and had sweat pouring out of places I didn't know glands existed! I was gearing up for dessert that night. In any event, about mile 5, guess who walks in.....YUP! Mesh shoe guy walks in with a *new* pair of flashy turquoise shoes. I swear to God I had visions of him falling dancing in my head and had to put my face downward. I was happy to report that he didn't fall this time (mostly cause I didn't want to leave yet). After the gym, I went to the pool again (cause there was sun) and when I got out there, WHAM clouds and a sprinkle of rain. Well more sh*t. So I ran up in the room showered, got lunch and the rain was gone. So I grab my book and lunch and head out to the pool to sit and more rain. I think it was God/Mother Nature getting back at me for the unkind thoughts I was having about the guy in the green and white striped piece of fabric bathing suit, or the woman who didn't really need to be in a bathing suit or the guy who I was really hoping didn't catch himself when he was about to fall in the pool.....I am sure it was my fault :-)

The best part of the entire vacation was when we landed at Boston Airport and my blue Honda pulled up and I got to see the smiling faces of my babies and hear them tell me all about their week. Like I said, it was good to go away but it is even better to come home.