Today wasn't a bad day! It was perfectly gorgeous outside...sunny, cool...perfect. There were no sibling fights. I didn't even have to raise my voice once! Robin had the bulk of her homework done before she even got home...which was a good thing since this was a soccer game night for Ryan (which I had forgotten until the children got home this afternoon).
I took a run to school to pay my health insurance premium. Almost $650! My VEBA account should be paying that, so I need to contact them for the future. I mean, it's MY money...yes? Considering that the heart attack cost over $60,000 (which is more money than I made per year as a working teacher), I have to be very certain that the insurance keeps on going!
What I didn't do today was work on the house. There is still stuff to do--always--but I was tired. I did fix a pot roast in the crock pot, went to Ry's soccer game, and puttered around some. I considered getting a nap, but my trip to school sort of cut the heart out of the time I had. (I don't want to miss Dr. Phil, you know!)
In short, it was a low-key day. I liked it!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Productive Weekend
Yesterday, I worked on the house, maintaining the cleaning job we did last week. Not a big deal, exactly, since no one was here to mess it up.
Today, I promised myself that I would work on my bedroom. For those of you who are uninitiated, my room is what used to be the garage. Everything that once was in the garage got put on the patio...and, because there is a big walk-in closet in my room, everything that has no other place in the house ends up there. Thus, the two trashiest places in the house/yard are my bedroom and the patio. I started to commence to begin work at getting rid of "schtuff" and finding places for things I don't want to throw away. Sometimes I have to talk to myself about it. "Why am I saving this?" "Where did this come from?" "What was I thinking??" I actually found the floor in places. Meg asked, "What is that tan stuff down there?" Silly girl! The room will not be done in a week. (Heck, it hasn't been done in the year since the remodeling was completed!) But at least I got a start on it. I will keep on keepin' on. Maybe before the snow flies, I can have a nice bedroom and patio. Will keep you posted on that!
This afternoon, I met my friend Ryan and his wife, Bonnie, for supper at Olive Garden. We need to do more of that sort of thing! Ryan knows my house intimately...he has done so many repairs around the place! Bonnie is most patient, I think. She gave me a hug. I should have been the one to initiate that! They are both retired, as I am. We had a good time, although it was cut somewhat short by the fact that my grandchildren were due home and Meg was nowhere to be found. When I got to the house, Nathan and the children were waiting. Ugh!
It has been cool today. I like it but know that it is only an indicator of things to come. I hope God grants me time to get through the fall season!
Today, I promised myself that I would work on my bedroom. For those of you who are uninitiated, my room is what used to be the garage. Everything that once was in the garage got put on the patio...and, because there is a big walk-in closet in my room, everything that has no other place in the house ends up there. Thus, the two trashiest places in the house/yard are my bedroom and the patio. I started to commence to begin work at getting rid of "schtuff" and finding places for things I don't want to throw away. Sometimes I have to talk to myself about it. "Why am I saving this?" "Where did this come from?" "What was I thinking??" I actually found the floor in places. Meg asked, "What is that tan stuff down there?" Silly girl! The room will not be done in a week. (Heck, it hasn't been done in the year since the remodeling was completed!) But at least I got a start on it. I will keep on keepin' on. Maybe before the snow flies, I can have a nice bedroom and patio. Will keep you posted on that!
This afternoon, I met my friend Ryan and his wife, Bonnie, for supper at Olive Garden. We need to do more of that sort of thing! Ryan knows my house intimately...he has done so many repairs around the place! Bonnie is most patient, I think. She gave me a hug. I should have been the one to initiate that! They are both retired, as I am. We had a good time, although it was cut somewhat short by the fact that my grandchildren were due home and Meg was nowhere to be found. When I got to the house, Nathan and the children were waiting. Ugh!
It has been cool today. I like it but know that it is only an indicator of things to come. I hope God grants me time to get through the fall season!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Why...Again!
I hit a wrong button and published only the title of my blog attempt. Let's try that again...
I'm not a demanding person, but I'd sure like to know WHY the only two days of rain we've had in the last couple of weeks have come right at Ryan's soccer game time.
Other burning questions:
WHY is it that cleaning out something (like a closet or a drawer) creates a bigger mess somewhere else in the house?
WHY have we had Ryan "meltdowns" two Friday evenings in a row?
WHY can I go to bed tired but be unable to sleep?
WHY do I stupidly say I will drive the children to Muncie for a weekend visitation with Daddy when I KNOW (with my luck) that traffic will make it a much longer trip than usual, if I'm driving?
WHY did Robin start asking for a restroom on the way to Muncie when we were in the midst of a traffic tie-up (at 8 mph) and no exit in sight?
WHY can I not find Robin's "new" winter coat, purchased late last winter, but her dirty OLD coat is properly hung up in the closet??
Inquiring minds want to know!
My sister tells me that her garden harvest is in full swing. Wish I were there to help. I miss having a garden, although I've been without one since The Divorce. I am hoping that her tomato crop is good, since I usually try to rob her of whatever extra canned tomatoes she cares to give up. I'm sorry, but there is a most noticeable difference in the taste of foods cooked with home-grown tomatoes vs. the stuff you buy in the store. I was totally spoiled as a kid. We always had fresh garden produce. There ain't nuthin' like it!
My trip to Muncie tonight was most frustrating. Meg had something she wanted to do, so I said I would drive the children up to visit their dad and his fiancee'. Silly me! Traffic came to a slow crawl on the approach to I-69 northbound...and it stayed that way until I was past the first or second exit past the infamous 116th Street exit. Then a lot of traffic exited and we got up to speed...but what is usually a 1.25 hour trip became a 2.5 hour trip. Oh...then there was the stop we had to make for Robin, who had to "go" and was sounding urgent in traffic. Ugh!
In spite of all, life is just not as stressful as it used to be when I went to school, fought with students all day to try to give them an English education, then came home to other young'uns and a messy house. If I live long enough, we might just get things down to a fine science!
I'll be doing cardiac rehab, if insurance can afford it. I still don't have my "heart" into all the changes that the doc wants. I have always been a procrastinator. Maybe life has caught up with me, in that regard??
Ciao, and God bless. Going to bed here.
I'm not a demanding person, but I'd sure like to know WHY the only two days of rain we've had in the last couple of weeks have come right at Ryan's soccer game time.
Other burning questions:
WHY is it that cleaning out something (like a closet or a drawer) creates a bigger mess somewhere else in the house?
WHY have we had Ryan "meltdowns" two Friday evenings in a row?
WHY can I go to bed tired but be unable to sleep?
WHY do I stupidly say I will drive the children to Muncie for a weekend visitation with Daddy when I KNOW (with my luck) that traffic will make it a much longer trip than usual, if I'm driving?
WHY did Robin start asking for a restroom on the way to Muncie when we were in the midst of a traffic tie-up (at 8 mph) and no exit in sight?
WHY can I not find Robin's "new" winter coat, purchased late last winter, but her dirty OLD coat is properly hung up in the closet??
Inquiring minds want to know!
My sister tells me that her garden harvest is in full swing. Wish I were there to help. I miss having a garden, although I've been without one since The Divorce. I am hoping that her tomato crop is good, since I usually try to rob her of whatever extra canned tomatoes she cares to give up. I'm sorry, but there is a most noticeable difference in the taste of foods cooked with home-grown tomatoes vs. the stuff you buy in the store. I was totally spoiled as a kid. We always had fresh garden produce. There ain't nuthin' like it!
My trip to Muncie tonight was most frustrating. Meg had something she wanted to do, so I said I would drive the children up to visit their dad and his fiancee'. Silly me! Traffic came to a slow crawl on the approach to I-69 northbound...and it stayed that way until I was past the first or second exit past the infamous 116th Street exit. Then a lot of traffic exited and we got up to speed...but what is usually a 1.25 hour trip became a 2.5 hour trip. Oh...then there was the stop we had to make for Robin, who had to "go" and was sounding urgent in traffic. Ugh!
In spite of all, life is just not as stressful as it used to be when I went to school, fought with students all day to try to give them an English education, then came home to other young'uns and a messy house. If I live long enough, we might just get things down to a fine science!
I'll be doing cardiac rehab, if insurance can afford it. I still don't have my "heart" into all the changes that the doc wants. I have always been a procrastinator. Maybe life has caught up with me, in that regard??
Ciao, and God bless. Going to bed here.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Urge to Kill
Child abuse is a horrible thing. I've spent my entire career working with and defending kids. But I gotta tell ya, I came this close ---> <--- to throttling my grandchildren this afternoon!
It was a perfectly okay day. I worked to maintain the cleaning headway we had made over the last week. I did some dishes and caught up on some laundry. Planned a nice dinner. I even got a luxury bath, complete with my favorite bath oil, before the children got off the school bus. And they got off in good moods. Great day!
The kids had their after-school snacks and were watching TV. All was well...or so I thought. Then, out of nowhere, my grandson heaved the TiVo remote control all the way through the kitchen, from the living room, at his sister. It hit the kitchen floor and went into a zillion pieces.
I confess: I came unglued. I yelled and screamed and threatened to take his favorite toy and smash it to a million pieces, then ordered him to his room. You'd be proud of me: I wanted to beat him bloody...but didn't. Robin, who had hidden in the utility room to escape my wrath, was next on the hit list. The scenario was that Ryan was singing a song in the living room. Robin didn't want him to. She hit him a time or two and tossed the TiVo remote at him, which prompted him to heave it at her. She wasn't innocent. She was ordered to HER room, too. The neighbor boy came to the door wanting the children to come out. Too bad! Ryan was told that he could only come out when his mother got home (and she was late due to some traffic tie-up). Robin fell asleep.
I want everyone to know that the stupid remote control is not worth my blood pressure OR my grandson's sense of being loved. I'm sure he had no notion that the thing would be destroyed by his actions; HOWEVER, the living room television cannot be operated without it. We can turn it on and off at the power button. Period. My main concern is his reckless disregard for property. Meg has ordered a new one, which Ryan will have to "work off". It's not going to be easy for one 5-year-old to work off a $50 investment...but he will, or will lose his "Jack" privileges. In the meantime, I took his Star Wars light saber, which is gone for good. (He paid for it with money he had saved, blah, blah...)
The day ended okay. I am still a bit miffed at Ryan. I have to keep telling myself that I am the adult. Interesting how children figure out what buttons to push!
It was a perfectly okay day. I worked to maintain the cleaning headway we had made over the last week. I did some dishes and caught up on some laundry. Planned a nice dinner. I even got a luxury bath, complete with my favorite bath oil, before the children got off the school bus. And they got off in good moods. Great day!
The kids had their after-school snacks and were watching TV. All was well...or so I thought. Then, out of nowhere, my grandson heaved the TiVo remote control all the way through the kitchen, from the living room, at his sister. It hit the kitchen floor and went into a zillion pieces.
I confess: I came unglued. I yelled and screamed and threatened to take his favorite toy and smash it to a million pieces, then ordered him to his room. You'd be proud of me: I wanted to beat him bloody...but didn't. Robin, who had hidden in the utility room to escape my wrath, was next on the hit list. The scenario was that Ryan was singing a song in the living room. Robin didn't want him to. She hit him a time or two and tossed the TiVo remote at him, which prompted him to heave it at her. She wasn't innocent. She was ordered to HER room, too. The neighbor boy came to the door wanting the children to come out. Too bad! Ryan was told that he could only come out when his mother got home (and she was late due to some traffic tie-up). Robin fell asleep.
I want everyone to know that the stupid remote control is not worth my blood pressure OR my grandson's sense of being loved. I'm sure he had no notion that the thing would be destroyed by his actions; HOWEVER, the living room television cannot be operated without it. We can turn it on and off at the power button. Period. My main concern is his reckless disregard for property. Meg has ordered a new one, which Ryan will have to "work off". It's not going to be easy for one 5-year-old to work off a $50 investment...but he will, or will lose his "Jack" privileges. In the meantime, I took his Star Wars light saber, which is gone for good. (He paid for it with money he had saved, blah, blah...)
The day ended okay. I am still a bit miffed at Ryan. I have to keep telling myself that I am the adult. Interesting how children figure out what buttons to push!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day Off
After Meg and guest took off this morning, and I got first one then the other child on the school bus, I went to bed and slept until just before they came home at 4:00. I needed the nap and had already decided this morning that that's what I would do. Good for me!
Maybe I'll feel more like getting back to work on things tomorrow...
Maybe I'll feel more like getting back to work on things tomorrow...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Clean House?
I continued to work on the house today in preparation for a guest. 'Twas a marathon, but worth it. (I get amused by my sister's guest preparations. She dusts, vacuums, and changes bed linen. She doesn't have a clue what REAL cleaning is like because her space doesn't get messed up enough!)
The bathroom isn't done. Close...but no cigar. The shower rod project is still ongoing...and the painting (because of that, and other obstacles) isn't totally done. I did get the b-room put back together today, however, and it's going to look nice...when it's done...hopefully, before I croak!
Ryan had been anticipating Megan's friend Denis for some time. When they hit the driveway, after his return from a three-month trip to California, Ryan opened the storm door and screamed, "Denis is here!" Then he proceeded to talk Denis's leg off...about Godzilla and other monsters. Poor Denis! After a long flight and no supper, he was regaled by a 5-year-old who couldn't stop talking! Ry's been put to bed, but I'm 100% sure he isn't asleep yet. My best guess is that he is hoping to talk to them when they get back from their late supper.
Ryan had a soccer game tonight, and Robin had Girl Scouts...and there was just me to deal with both. Thankfully, Grandpa Phil could take Ryan to soccer so I could take Robin to GS...and the Scout leader brought Robin home so I could be here when Ryan got back. It takes a village!
It's been a busy day. I'm ready to hit the sack!
The bathroom isn't done. Close...but no cigar. The shower rod project is still ongoing...and the painting (because of that, and other obstacles) isn't totally done. I did get the b-room put back together today, however, and it's going to look nice...when it's done...hopefully, before I croak!
Ryan had been anticipating Megan's friend Denis for some time. When they hit the driveway, after his return from a three-month trip to California, Ryan opened the storm door and screamed, "Denis is here!" Then he proceeded to talk Denis's leg off...about Godzilla and other monsters. Poor Denis! After a long flight and no supper, he was regaled by a 5-year-old who couldn't stop talking! Ry's been put to bed, but I'm 100% sure he isn't asleep yet. My best guess is that he is hoping to talk to them when they get back from their late supper.
Ryan had a soccer game tonight, and Robin had Girl Scouts...and there was just me to deal with both. Thankfully, Grandpa Phil could take Ryan to soccer so I could take Robin to GS...and the Scout leader brought Robin home so I could be here when Ryan got back. It takes a village!
It's been a busy day. I'm ready to hit the sack!
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