Last delivery please

So since moving into the house we have had deliveries after deliveries and although i am so excited about getting new things (minus the panic attacks I have whenever John says "we are just looking...") I am done having boys traipse through the house with their dirty shoes.

Today is the last delivery until the delivery of a pool happens. If we want people to visit, we need this part. It is my secret weapon to getting people to come out to our house. My bedroom set should be here within an hour and 20 minutes. You know the old "we will be there between 8am and 10pm please be home and anxiously awaiting your delivery".

I am finally going to be able to retire my canvas buckets and store my underoos in a drawer! A real life drawer! WHOOO HOOOO. Pictures of the upstairs will be posted soon!!!

Again...

nothing much to post about so I will just put a picture of my baby up....you know, that one that still loves me.

He was taking his practice test for spelling.

Uninspired and unfunny

Not down. Just nothing to really write about.

Just cleaning and trying to stay busy. I am going to start painting the kids rooms. that should fun

I read something the other day (ok, I admit, it was on my shampoo bottle) and it said "Who is the person that you talk to the most"

I knew that answer hands down: My Mom

Nope, you talk to yourself the most.

I didn't think that was true until I was walking around my empty house cleaning up and instructing myself where to go and what to do next.....

Is that proving the shampoo bottle was right or that I am mentally unstable?

kinda fitting

When I moved to Worcester there was a 2 year old little girl who lived next door that used to come and talk with me when I was outside. She had beautiful blonde curly hair and her favorite word at the time was "actually"

How are you today?

Actually, I am good.

We had that conversation many times. I loved talking with her as she was always such a happy kid I talked about her so much that the joke within my family was that my first friend in Worcester was Emily. Yeah she was 2 but she was the one that I talked with. (and it doesn't hurt that she was born on a kick butt day!)

Anyway, John and I just went across the street to meet the younger couple across the street. The woman and I think we are going to hit it off quite well. They are about our age and yes, the guy is hot but I think we will get along....

It is just fitting that her name is Emily.

I won't be forgetting that :-)

I really do rock

I am not even going to play modest right now. I just Rule with a capital R!

The kids and I went to Pier One's SUPER ASS BLOWOUT SALE (I am not 100% sure if that was the exact title but it was really darn close). I went in for a cross to hang on the wall that I have been eyeing since it was full price (yeah yeah it was only $15 but when I saw it I didn't even have a house and the juju wasn't going to be jinxed yadda yadda yadda). I bought (and yes, I did add them up) $199.00 worth of things.

Why Holly, you aren't working and you just bought a house and your husband is a spend a holic right....how could you afford that?

I got almost everything 50-75% off (and some 90%!)!!! Serious! I got a $40 vase for $8.....I got a $25 vase (that matches my one from Costa Rica) for $4!!!! I got a huge bag of lava rocks for 98 cents! A couple place mats (so I don't scratch the top of my new washer and dryer) FOR 68 CENTS! AT PIER ONE! I walked out of there with each kid carrying a huge bag (thank God I brought them!) and I had to purchase a trailer for my car to get the stuff home....all for $62.

Sorry, I don't meant to yell I am just so flipping excited right now!

Shipment comes in on Sun....I will be back....

The powers that be...

There is something to be said about a little retail therapy.

John left this morning for CA to see a few HS friends of his. I am so excited for him since he rarely gets out and yet envious since I have never met this elusive couple that I have spent 11 years sending Christmas cards to....

But it was not meant to be.

That just left me, Madison, Anthony, John's checkbook and a bunch of stores for us to explore. I jumped on the computer this afternoon to plot out my plan. I find it comforting (and yes a little bit anal) to plot out from farther to closest and then if there are things that spoil or if I can bribe the kids with something etc. All the parents that read this know what I am talking about.

Anyway, I found a workout store that J ( I am keeping her anonymous in case her husband is reading) and I used to go to in MA called Lucy. I flipping love their store (that and Lululemon but there isn't one that is close to here). The have very expensive yoga pants that are sized perfectly! You know, the size smaller that you normally don't wear fits ( I freaking will buy every size 2 on the rack if I can get into it).

I was "window shopping" on the Internet today and found a pair of cargo pants that I fell in love with. I just had to have them. So I found them and bought the $68 pair of pants....FOR $14.99! HELLO! Then I found a $45 ORGANIC (read granola crunchy here folks) tank top for $9.99! I am stoked! Seriously.

Talk about a mood brightener. I still can't get the smile off my face. I wonder where the kids and I will go tomorrow...

There are few things in life I love

Of course my family and friends are at the top of my list

I love hot Italian bread from the store that is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle (did your mouth water to or was is just m....never mind)

I love waking up in the morning with nothing to do but stay in my jammies and just do nothing all day (of course then the rational side of me takes over and then I feel guilty since I wasted a day doing nothing and then I will have double the work load when I get up the next day)

I love when Anthony comes over and hugs me for no reason even if I am not cooking food, eating food or anywhere near food (that boy is going to eat me out of house and home when he is a teen...I need to open a food bank)

I love hanging out with friends who just get it and me

I love hearing laughter (especially when it is me laughing or I have a few people that I just love to make laugh which in turn makes me laugh and then the whole world is right)

Finally. I love Cheez-its.

Feeling a little granola crunchy

So I have been talking about it for a couple years now but....sitting in my driveway....is....my....VERY OWN COMPOST BIN!

I would say that I am trying to live green (which I am) or that I am trying to reduce the amount of waste for the world (which I am) or that I am trying to get every last little bit out of the food that I buy (which I am) but my real reason is because I heard that compost makes the very best gardens and I am so excited to get one started.

I have 3 rose bushes outside that have been mine for a week or so now and I am very proud to say that I haven't killed them yet. YET being the word. Any advice on how to take care of them would be greatly appreciated.

First level...

This is where we eat most of the meals....the bistro set.

Dining room set...with my new china hutch!

The killer sofa that we basically stole :-)

Just things that I am not sure where they are going to end up but look nice for right now.

Another angle of the sofa

The Montes Room ;-) it is housing all the pictures I have to hang.

We "picked" a new house

At the off chance that you don't know

there is a comment section. I would love to hear from you guys too! I have set up the comment section. You don't need to use your name but give me a clue as to who you are such as

Best Jam Maker in the World
Card Creator
Red Head Indy Girl
Rock Wall Guy
Rhymes with Lou
Talk Show Host Ms. Jones

Something that will give me a clue ;-)

I don't know about you but I could go for some eye candy...

Holy cow - Grill Master broke his cardinal rule

and bought a gas grill. That is a picture of "my" grill up above. Charcoal man himself wouldn't actually admit to using it. (although technically neither of us have since we just put it together....and we didn't get into a fight).

I told him I would love to use it if he bought me the salt and pepper shakers that go with it. They would have made the story better if I knew how to insert the picture here but I don't so they are also above. I would have also preferred pink but he "swears" it didn't come in pink. They also have a griddle pan for breakfast! I am going to be making everything outside!!!

We just got done moving things around the garage and it is getting better. Not 100% complete but it will be done soon.

We bought a bedroom set today that is beautiful. All I have to say is thank God that so many businesses are failing (and I know that sounds so bad) but we are really making out here :-) Kinda like our reward for putting up with so many bumps in the road.

Well, the garage may be clean but now my house is a mess so I must go and clean. The children you ask? Where are they? The lady next door offered to watch them and let them play with her grandchildren for a while. I wasn't going to pass that up. Yeah I know I don't know her from the next person but she did bring us a crock pot full of meat and potatoes so she can't be all that bad, right?

It isn't the Patriots

but let's hope the Cardinals win tomorrow!

I will be torn if it is the Cardinals against the Steelers. I mean, who do you go for, the cute QB or the Hottie mcHot GQ looking coach?

I guess that kinda tells you who I am going to be rooting for.

Update on the whole razor issue

I *finally* found it. I went to take a relaxing bath in my new jet tub. At Target tonight I got a cheap a$$ bottle of smelly stuff that is made specifically for "jet tubs, hot tubs, Jacuzzis".

Here's the visual for you:

I have my razor on the tub, bottle of smelly stuff in one hand, glass of wine in the other (what, you didn't expect me to take a tub without one, did you?) I opted not to have the candle burning because as of right now, we don't have blinds up so we taped a "temporary" blind up (read really expensive tissue paper folded back and forth by the local kindergarten class). I just know my luck the sh*t would have caught on fire.

I went to get in the tub and realized the moron's who installed it left the sticker on. Dur! So I peeled it off and the first one came off great.....the second one needed a razor blade (straight edge not the kind for my leg). I jump in the empty tub and started picking and scraping. Oh that was fun. Upon closer inspection, there is grout splattered in the tub.....little annoying flecks that my anal retentive a$$ is going to have to scrap off one by one tomorrow. Oh joy on that one.

So I quickly move over to the kids bathroom. When I start to shave, I make a J....then an O....by the time the H was started I began to question if John would truly appreciate all the hard work that went into my display of love so I opted to just shave it all off never to let him know. If only I would have married a man who would appreciate something like that.....

p.s. that is *NOT* a picture of my leg up top....i swear.

Happy Birthday!

Am I a great aunt or what!? Today is my nephew's birthday and I haven't unpacked the box with the cards in it so I haven't sent one yet. Yeah me. This is only the second birthday that I have been his aunt and I have screwed up both. Yeah me!

So this is my public shout out since the bugger wouldn't let me sing to him on the phone.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday DEAR OUR ALL TIME FAVORITE CHARLIE!

Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Hoffee's done - Madison circa 2001

I am so excited right now I just had to tell you about it.

I made coffee! I haven't had good coffee since it got packed away. See, I fell in love with a brand in Costa Rica and so I bought 6 bags of it. I love love love love love it! I am anxiously awaiting the beep of my machine and since no one is home except Frank, I don't have to share!

There are 6 Dunkin Donuts on every block in MA....there are 6 DD in the huge city and surrounding towns in the town I live. Not that I loved DD but it was a good cup of joe. My option now is Starbucks and I have to say....*bleck* no way. It just doesn't taste good to me (unless I drink crap coffee and that *IS* the good stuff.....

There is the buzzer...be right back. Please listen to this beautiful music while you hold.






Can you smell it? Isn't it wonderful? SWEET NECTAR OF THE GODS! :-)

Off to unpack and move things from here to there.....

I need sleep with a capital S

I know that it was 70 here today and I could have worn shorts (if I found my razor which I still haven't and really should) so I know that most of my friends/family/loved ones are in colder climate and the sympathy is going to be low BUT I am tired. Just tired. My eyes are tired.

Today I met someone who was pricing out blinds for me as I am sure my neighbors are already sick and tired of seeing my naked a$$ walking around the house and I have to tell you. I can chat it up with the best but this man had me beat. I swear to God he needed a Ritalin. He was worse than my Dad! Yup, I was shocked too! He came in *way* too high so my neighbors get a great view for a little longer. :-D

I am off to bed as I am having to think too hard to be funny. That just isn't right.

I am what?

So I have been a little slower at unpacking today. I mean, I have my bed, my toothbrush and 15 boxes of books that need reading, what else is there in life?

When I got married almost 12 years ago, I took my grandma's bedroom set. It was white and wonderful and totally nothing I would have picked myself. When we moved to MA, the packers cracked the one mirror and I never got it replaced because "I wanted the mirror that my grandma looked at herself". Lame. I know but it is what I wanted.

When I moved, John asked what I wanted to do with it. I had been toying around with *gasp* replacing it but just never found anything that meant that much to me. I figured with this move, I would start anew. Get something that I could leave to my kids/grandkids etc. I found a woman who was down on her luck and needed "anything". She had nothing. So I thought this was where the dresser would come full circle and would fulfill the rest of this life with this woman who said "what? this is from 1987? I would never have guessed....it is *SO* gorgeous". Now, for my family/friends that read this you should know....about 1995, it started to yellow. I don't know if it was the MA sun but it was yellow....on the drawers....not the top.... gorgeous wouldn't be the word that I would use. That being said, I have never found a dresser with deep enough drawers like Grandmas and that was part of the reason that I never replaced it. That schiznazz was SOLID!

So without our dressers, we have no where to put our clothes. Thankfully, I have enough cloth baskets for our underwear, bras (just mine..), and socks. They are neatly lined up around my bay window as GHETTO as can be. It works. For now. Our pants (which I just found) are neatly folded on the shelf in the super long closet. I put my things right up near the front on the left hand side and threw John's down past the midway point. There are two reasons for this.

1- when I was putting them away, he found it necessary to leave the house and go pick up my check book at the store that was 20 minutes away....and was gone for 2 hours. 2 HOURS! Serious? So that leads me to reason two.

2- the dude works at a desk all day long with no exercise in the day except to get from car to desk and back again. I am doing it for his health....more for this reason than for #1....honest....I swear...

I am off to find my razor. I think it is time since I can braid my leg hair. That level of warmth is good when I lived back east but when I wear shorts in Jan here, it isn't very attractive.

191 boxes of cardboard to break down...191 boxes of cardboard....

Everyone sing with me!

IF someone would help me, I could get through the boxes faster and have time to lay out in the sun (that does complete the song if you sing it the way I did)

Anyway....we are (read I am) busy unpacking the boxes. I was busy from 8am until 9pm last night trying to break my in laws record of 3 days. I can tell you they were on speed cause I don't think it is going to happen for me. I did a great dent yesterday and then we had a few errands to run today and my motivation isn't there like it was yesterday. I did complete:

Mad's room
Ant's room
Formal Living room
Living room
pantry
kitchen
most of my room


I refuse to look in the garage. I just know it isn't pretty.

I will send pictures when I find my camera. I haven't been able to find Anthony today. I hope I didn't put him in a box of papers. Although that would be one less mouth to feed...and let me tell you, at 6, he can already eat John under the table....and that is a hard thing to do...please send money to help me feed him when he is a teenager

house update

Since John has been taking the computer to work (my only lifeline to my "old" life) I haven't been able to get back to too many emails.

Here is the update.

We finally signed the papers for the house tonight and we are receiving the keys tomorrow. In a nut shell, the house didn't appraise at the amt that we agreed on and we lowered our offer and didn't want to make up the difference so as of a couple days ago, we weren't going to move there.

The guy finally caved and gave it up for the appraised price and then decided to be a tool and not fax in a paper right away so it delayed us two days. Whateva!

The kids are loving their new school and making friends. That is a huge load off our minds. OH OH OH the best part. Since the guy had to go down in price, it lowered our monthly mortgage and so I don't have to go get a job right away!!!! WHOOO FLIPPING WHOOOO!!!!!!!!

I may still do that since I will go nutty at home but down the line ;-) way down the line ;-)

me embarrassed?

Ok, I have been debating on this all day to type but I feel confident that no one will bring this up or ever mention it again for a long time.



Unpigmented hair.



I found more than just one the other night. All on the top of my head.



See, when I lived in MA I had a very horrible bathroom light. I never had to see them. Then, we get put up in this apartment and the lights are so bright that I am afraid they look like landing strips for the Phoenix airport. I can't tell you how many times I have peed in the dark as to not attract the planes.



My first experience with unpigmented hair happened (and I kid you not) on my 25th birthday. Happy birthday to me! Basically I did what I have been told many times not to and I plucked the heck out of the area to make sure I got it all. It's my birthday for crying out loud. Have they no sense of decency?



My next experience with it happened (and I swear to God I am not making this up) on my 26th birthday and believe you me, I looked....all the time.....)

Let me tell you, I quickly learned to stop fricking looking on my birthday!

Now, getting back to the apartment and their god forsaken flood lights for bathroom lights. I went in their the other day and thought "hell, this AZ water is doing great for my hair it is so flipping shiny....wait....what the H*LL is that!?!??!?!?!" I perched my butt right up on that counter, sat Indian style and got my tweezers out and went to work. Since when did my shine turn into unpigmented hair?

I am not vain or high maintenance in the least bit but I will not be one of those old women who walk around with flowing curly beautiful unpigmented hair. I am going to be 95 years old one day with chestnut brown or "natural" tawny auburn or heck, hot pink for that matter.

I am sure this move or my marriage caused this. That is the only plausible explanation I can see...

quickie....times two

Ok. We are looking for the basics for the house that we don't own as of yet. BUT the house that we are going to hopefully own as of tomorrow or Tuesday needs a couple things. Washer and dryer and a bed for the many many house guests that are going to fly/drive/walk/bike out to see us on a regular basis as to help curb my depression that is setting in and make me forget that I even moved in the first place.

We went to a mom and pop store to find a washer and dryer. Front loaders because I am trying to turn John as green as possible before he realizes my evil plan. We are talking to a nice guy (let's call him bald guy since I am too lazy to go get his card out of my purse). We tell bald guy what we are looking for and he shows us a couple models and then he swoops in for his commission and tells us about his great new model that just came in. "This washer and dryer communicate to each other and the washer will tell the dryer what it needs to do"

Huh? Are you serious? A few things come to mind when I hear this:

1- I am going to get a b*tchy model that aren't going to like each other and end up on non-speaking terms and then where is that leave me.

2- With them talking, it will make me feel a little left out...I mean I am not going to have too many people to talk with the first little bit and what if they don't like me

3- Unless it comes with half nekked foreign guy to move it from washer to dryer to folding it and putting it away, I am not interested....

We will go back this week to see if that model is available

THEN

We go to IKEA because so many people sing their praises that we thought we would check it out. On a weekend. Big mistake.

There was a freaking line to get in the joint! Are they giving away Swedish people in there along with the meatballs??!?!?!?!

Anyway, we were looking for the bedframe for the guest room and while John and I are looking (note that I took John and the kids.....what the heck was I thinking) the kids lay on the bed. I am so tired that I almost laid down with them. They weren't jumping, rolling, swinging or even pillow fighting and some PITA old guy comes over and said "Do you see how nice that bed looked before you laid all over it? I expect you will put it back when you get off"

Huh? Serious?

That was this guys job.....to go yell at the kids that were testing out the beds. They must take that job very serious in Sweden. I think that will be my future job. Hey kids, get off my bed! ;-)

ok, it is late and I can't find the spell check option so if there are any errors, deal with it :-)

Boo hoo hoo

Carp. He isn't joking. I am looking for a j-o-b....and I don't mean my Aunt and her family. I have to say, although I didn't expect to be a good stay at home mommy (since I have been there and done that). I just like the idea of sleeping in.

When I was at home with Madison when she was first born, I got her picture professionally taken literally every week or so. I mean, she was radically changing and growing into her skin and head....doesn't every mom want to document that?

There came a time though that I got *gasp* bored and tired of NOT shopping. See, I didn't not shop, I just didn't shop as often. So I opened my own childcare and I loved it. I loved watching other people's children grow into independent/wonderful/fabulous/and funny people. There were so many over the years and some became friends. I loved getting up in the morning and not having to *go* anywhere for work except the kitchen. I didn't get caught in my jammies (except on jammie day and only ONE time when I was big fat pregnant did I make the mistake of just "laying on top of my made bed" - remember that Liz?) In other words (if i haven't said this yet) I loved my job.

That leads to my search for my next job. Oh what the heck will I do? I don't know. I am going to try and stay in the same field....who knows.....stay tuned.

PS. Just watching the game right now....sorry Glenna but I am very happy right now (GO CHARGERS!)

The smell of comfort food....

I am like many Americans. My new years resolution is to get healthier. I have taken many provisions to make sure that happens. Last year I started out with a huge bang.....and I lost 30 pounds. (yeah me!)

This year I have taken a couple routes that will help ensure that I get healthier for the year of 2009.

1) move to warm climate so that I can run when I want (check)
2) make contest with friend as a check in with exercise (check)
3) actually exercising for the past 3 days (almost check....I need to do something today)
4) live in *my* house with the ability to cook good healthy food (not yet)
5) get a good nights sleep so that I can make better choices (not yet....this bed that they have us sleeping on is sloped in the middle makes me bend in positions so that I don't wake up the hot half naked man next to me....in fact, the only way the bed could be the way that it is is if some really big person was sleeping in the bed....alone....for long periods of time.....alone....)
6) overcome the black cloud that has made a permanent home over my head...I am missing my friends and mommy...oh yeah, you too Dad.....and the rest of my family.

BUT good news! Once we move into the house and get everything where I want it, I am going to be visiting our grandparents. I can't tell you how excited I am to see them again! My kids haven't met them yet and that makes me sad too....but not for long!

Well, it is January 3rd and I am about to take my kids off to the pool.....

I am done with temp living...

and let's get on with fixing up my house! We are in a fully furnished apartment and it further solidifies that i am not an apartment dwelling person. I don't mind it for short term but I am too close to my neighbors that last night, as I was in bed *WELL* before midnight my time ( 2 am your time), I could hear the conversations next door as people were out on their patio. I was WAY too tired to try and hear what they were talking about but I could hear them.

Today we went and saw some friends today. I hope I faked being happy enough for the time that I was there. I know eventually I will be happy about being here but not just yet. I can't think about it or I will dehydrate myself with tears again.

It is cool that I am recognizing things and roads. I have no idea how they fit in the big picture yet but I recognize it!

Tomorrow we are going to look for bedroom furniture. It should be fun with John and the kids....NOT!!!