bittersweet symphony

Thankful Thursday

Taking a moment to be thankful for that handsome hubby of mine. He spent the last 2 days off due to the polar vortex 2014. He has now used 6 snow days. They will be making up at least one day. When he knew he was going to be off, he headed out to lowe's for some supplies to make some repairs around the house.
1. Changing out 2 overhead lights in the kitchen. One hasn't worked for a couple years, one hums when you flip the switch. Now we have bright task lighting to wash dishes and cook by! Amazing what a little light will do in your life.
2. Repairing the drywall in our bedroom. 2 holes were cut in the wall a last winter to fix a leak. A leak that was never found.
3. Putting the pedestal back on the bathroom sink by extending the plumbing and moving the sink. It never fit since he replaced the flooring (3yrs ago on another snow day- he also replaced the toilet the same day. In a 1 bathroom house that was fun) It was kinda falling off the wall.
4. Repairing the Tupperware cupboard and the drawer above it. Really I don't break things on purpose. They just seem to break while I am using them.
5. He even upgraded our fire safe box to a safe. Now we have a place for important papers, coins, gift cards, my dad's navy photos. He asked if I wanted to put any scrapbooks in the safe, for safe keeping. Uh, we need a safe room to contain them all. It was a sweet thought.
6. Because of the above repairs, I was able to cross of a few things from my list: move silverware drawer & junk drawer and organize Tupperware.
7. I am so thankful that Eddie is handy and willing to do things around our house. Especially on his bonus days off. He is a great example to our boys.
8. I know he was happy to go back to work today...to rest!

obsessed?well mabye...

happy mail day....

 

What you are seeing - other benefits of couponing! Free samples, coupons, free coupons, rebate checks, cheap newspaper subscriptions. What you aren't seeing: the 3 little bags of cheez-its received as free samples  - the boys and I had a taste testing of our own - 3 new flavors- all yummy.   Yes, I have turned into that krazy coupon lady...I bought coupons on Ebay. I know, I know.  The coupons will enable me to get FREE vitamin water, free tuna, walmart or marcs' will pay me to take GAIN detergent out of their stores.  In my defense, we hardly ever see Vitamin water coupons in this region.  And I have learned a new trick  - when you see a great "stock up" price - ask the store for a rain check if you don't have enough coupons to get a good supply.  Example: Mrs. T's Pierogies on sale @ Giant Eagle 3/$5.00 last week. Making them 1.67 each, not a bad price anyways. But use a clipping service or ebay to buy 10 - $1.00 off 1 Mrs. T's (average price with shipping $1.49). Go back to Giant Eagle with rain check and coupons in hand - get 10 boxes for .67 each.  Other things in my mail pile - free coupon for land of lakes olive oil butter (had to buy one and send in the proof of purchase and they sent me a coupon for a free one). Rebate check for $6.00 for Pediasure. Bought it when it was on sale at Giant Eagle and had a coupon - paid $2.99 for it. Brady & Riley thought it was chocolate milk.  Sent in my rebate - got $6.99 back - turned out to be a $4.00 money maker.  Funny story: This week at Giant Eagle, when I handed the cashier all my coupons, she said - "oh you are one ofthose obsessed people". I said obsessed with saving money! So by the end of my transaction - spent $22 - saved $55.00 she was asking me how I saved so much! what is the secret? where do I get my coupons? I told her about a couple websites. And she was like - I need to start doing this! Well of course - who doesn't like to save money!

okay so I might be a little obsessed lately. Just feeling the need to stock up the household for my surgery in may. I don't know how I am going to feel or how long my recovery will be. So by stocking up on stuff now, I won't feel the need to go to the store, eddie won't have to go and we can still have a  stocked pantry & freezer to make simple meals to last 4-6 weeks.

Here are some quick snapshots of the boys tonight - they crack me up. So silly! They saw me taking the above picture of the mail and wanted their pictures taken.

 this is the tight sqeeze... Riley knows mama wants good smiles - so while wearing his best cheese face, he makes sure little brother has a good smile too.

 these are the fake "nice" smiles

and this is them just being them. sweet, funny boys who truly enjoy playing together (when they are not trying to sit on each other or rolling around on the ground).

other obsessions of late:

riley - everything star wars. Playing and building star wars legos whenever he gets the chance. Drawing elaborate star wars battle scenes. playing captian rex and clone trooper with brady, or having a jedi battles with air light-sabers.

brady - trying to eat the most chicken tenders at lunchtime - just ask grammie.

eddie- counting his calories. He put a calorie counter on his droid phone and enters in all his meals counting up to 1600 calories a day.  He has last 9 pounds since sunday. How is that possible? Guys just think about losing weight or watching what they eat and bam - the weight is gone. I am so proud of him. maybe if I had a droid phone...I could count calories and lose 9 pounds in a week...hint...hint...wait I don't think eddie reads this. Oh well - flip phone it is until the next upgrade.

what i really need to be obsessed about- finishing our taxes! spring cleaning! and decluttering! selling weights sets, weight bench and conferdate train set on craigslist!  

but for now? I think I will go obsess over some thursday night tv...
 
 

 

 

10 on tues...well now wednesday

1.this is late because all the computers in the house were being used...fantasy football draft night.  It must be getting close to fall! Eddie is only in 3 leagues this year. He is quite serious with his excel spreadsheets and graphs. You think I kid, but it's all true.

2. Riley is now 6! hopefully I will be back with a birthday recap this week. We basically started celebrating his birthday Thursday night and wrapped it up Sunday afternoon with ice cream cake and presents.

3. We went camping this weekend - our church retreat. And Saturday was a crazy weather day - cold, cloudy, rainy, some sun and lots of wind. But that didn't stop the boys from having fun. We got there set up camp, next to grammy & papa. Everyone else stayed in cabins with indoor plumbing. We took a walk with the our charges - trying to keep them busy until lunch time. Lunch and then free time. Dinner, campfire then a hayride. Now the hay trailer was pulled by Farmer Bob and he wasn't driving a tractor - but a ford f150. More on that later. I don't think the boys have run so much. They had a blast. They even went on a snipe hunt thanks to mr. m, but the snipe got away.

4.Now I am more of a camp in a cabin with dish tv and a hot tub kind of girl, but growing up we did camp. Well if you call a tarp thrown over a clothesline, between 2 trees, by a river in a cow pasture in Shenandoah  -camping - then we camped. For as long as I can remember - all the men in my family would go to the river around the 4th of july for a week or so. My grandpa (before his stroke) my dad, uncles, cousins. Later on my dad would take my nephews and brother in law.  But when I was little-  I remember going on this camping trip. I know my mom was probably a nervous wreck all the time, and didn't enjoy it. But I remember it being fun. I remember my uncle denny catching an eel and trying to whack it before it squirmed back into the river. And that would become a yearly tradition - who would catch the eel this year.  I remember my dad's green coleman grill that he would cook eggs and spam  on the iron skillet in for breakfast. I remember catfish for dinner. I have so many memories, but I am sure I only went a couple times, maybe only once, and maybe those memories are the stories I have heard so many times. But I want my children to experience stuff like this, even if it is out of my comfort zone. I don't want them to see that. I want them to have happy memories, I want to be that mama that "does" instead of the "does not".

5. wow, sorry about that tangent up there. Thanks to my 2 readers if you are still with me. Hi Marie! Hi Missy!

6. Missy, I hope everything goes smoothly this week as classes start back. And I hope your new employee works out!

7. Now that the boys have bunk beds, Brady doesn't roll out of bed every night and come to my side of the bed. To tell you the truth, I miss it.  I miss his little face at my bedside, I miss the little snuggles and whispers. I miss the weight of his little body as I carry him back to bed.

8. Fall is in the air - which means fall TV. What are you watching? Me: glee, Grey's,' parenthood, heroes, private practice, modern family.  I need a break from reality tv.

9. The Hornets lost their game on Friday night. Hopefully they can keep this streak up. We are going to the game Friday night to see Daddy & the band. I don't want to see the home team stomp North Royalton. I would really like to see my husband in October.

10. Swim lessons and piano lessons will be put on the schedule this week. We didn't make the soccer registration due to a mix up with the spring team - but it's okay. Riley got a set of golf clubs for his birthday (and not the fisher price kind either) so I don't think he will be missing soccer this fall.

10 on tuesday - kindergarten edition

1. Today was Riley's 1st day of Kindergarten. I took the day off. We started the morning off with pancakes, after we slept in until almost 8am!

2. All morning - Riley kept saying how excited he was for school! I can't wait to go to school! I wonder if mrs. miller (his teacher) will be wearing a new shirt too?  I remember she was wearing that green dress last time (okay the one and only time he saw her at open house!)

3. Today was also the day bunk beds and the new love seat were being delivered.

4. So the boys and I spent the morning cleaning out their room, Riley helped me take down the crib. Brady helped carried the parts out the door, until he got hurt.  Tried to sort more clothes, put away the baby stuff still in their room. Their room is turning into a big boy room! We have a few projects to complete, maybe a canvas or 2.

5. Speaking of projects- eddie is probably glad garage sale season is over. 2 dressers stripped, sanded, primed, one painted & new hardware, the other waiting for color.

6. Time for lunch, getting riley dressed for school. New shirt! new shoes! new supplies! Take some pictures inside and out. Brady was just as excited as Riley. He had to have the Cars backpack and happily posed with pictures.

7. Early arrival! wait outside, line up. The bell rings. Time to walk to the classroom. This week - parents can walk them to their locker, next week parents need to say goodbye at the outside doors. Mass chaos, as students, parents & siblings walk to the 2 kindergarten classrooms. We find riley's locker (#157) hang up his backpack, time for a quick hug, and off he goes to his teacher. Just.like.that.

8. Brady and I walk down the long hallway, tears are already stinging my eyes. Getting brady buckled in the van, call my mother in law. She knows I would call. I choke back the tears as I tell her what happened. She laughs and remembers the day the twins were in kindergarten and kenny was out the door to the middle school. I don't think it will get easier when it's brady's turn.  I dial my sister in law, leaving a shaky voice mail. she calls right back. She followed the bus to school to watch her 1st grader go to her class.  I call Eddie, he answers I barely can speak with the lump in my throat.  But he reminds me I get to spend some solo time with Brady.

9. Brady and I head home to make some chocolate chip cookies. At 1:00- Brady says: let's go get ridey, mama. Yeah buddy I miss him too, but he is at school for a couple more hours. They have been playing so well together this summer. Riley is patient with Brady and even builds him star war's lego ships and guys.

10. Eddie gets home in time so we can all go to pick up Riley. We get there early. Wait on the sidewalk. The Kindergarten's come out and stand by their teachers. I tell eddie - go get him! Did he get bigger in the 2.5 hours he was away from us? Riley smiles big when he sees Daddy. We all get a quick hug, then hand in hand riley & daddy walk back to the van, already chatting about the days events. Gingerbread story and a cookie. No playground today. Had to learn first then they could play. I pull out riley's folder and see a pictured that has been colored by a professional!  We get home, I start dinner (turkey meatloaf, cheesy potatoes, green beans) while the boys start building their new bunk beds. They couldn't wait to go to bed!

Will come back and post pictures hopefully tomorrow. I just wanted to get this day down before I forgot the little details. I am so proud of Riley. He was so excited to go to school, no hesitation, no fear.  I hope he always enjoys school and is excited to go.  Next week he turns 6!

10 on tuesday - cinco del mayo version

is it really the 5th of May already?! I think I will get some chips & salsa at lunch!

1. Figured I better update for my 3 readers out there - plus I really want to see my status updated on erin's blog list.

2. Happy Scrapbooking Day! I actually scrapped on Saturday! I also had a really fun senior photo shoot. Eddie didn't believe me when I told him it was an actually scrap booking holiday - he thought I was making it up!

3. We (and by that I mean eddie) is busy with the never ending list of house projects. We had 2 trees removed, eddie is going to install some landscaping bricks to build up our yard, we had our driveway repaired and the approach re-poured.  And don't ask about the kitchen...it's still not finished.

4. Happy First wedding anniversary to Becky & David! I will have something in the mail to you this week - there is a little story behind it.

5. My baby is going to be 2 this month.  I don't know if I can handle it. Seriously I think this is going to be harder than when he turned one. He is talking so much - this morning it was "daddy...are you?" calling in a little voice -meaning daddy where are you? The other morning I got him out of his crib - put him on the floor and he said: breakfast -  waffles -come mama.  He also loves to climb in riley's bed, pull up the covers and says : I sleeping. And pretends to sleep complete with fake snoring. I have to put together a 23 month post so I don't forget the little things.

6. Riley has his first t-ball practice tonight! I don't know who is more excited Daddy or Riley. Although Daddy is a little nervous since he is the coach.  He has been looking for t-ball drills for practice.

7. Riley's Art Show is also tonight at preschool! So after practice we will zoom over to the Art show and then zoom home hopefully getting everyone in bed by 8:00.

8. I want to go on a beach vacation this summer! Brady has never been in a pool yet. I feel like we are denying him something.

9. Recent movies reviews: The Wrestler(with Mickey Rourke) - awkward.  Slumdog Millionaire: graphic, in your face reality, good ending.  Bride Wars: good chic movie  Marley & Me: I read the book, but the movie was so much better and heartwarming. 7 pounds(with Will Smith) sad, sad and more sad. I fell asleep and never finished it - but eddie said it continued to be sad.

10. I can't wait for summer TV! SYTYCD and Army Wives. I still have the last episode of ER on my DVR - I just can't bring myself to watch it.  Does anyone watch live tv anymore?

I will be back with pictures - my pictures don't live on this computer.  Get prints today! www.scrapbookpictures.com has another great deal going on for a limited time!  

i voted today

Yes I voted today for the upcoming General Election in November.  I filled out my ballot ahead of time and mailed it in.  I knew I wouldn't have time to run around on election day-plus-there are more car accidents that day due to increased traffice since everyone is heading to the polls to vote.  But I am sad I won't get a sticker. But at least my vote will count.

Going to be a very random post while I try to get some things down that Riley has been saying and doing & catch up on life and photo shoots.

In the car on the way home from Wednesday Night Alive (our church's midweek program - dinner is included - tonight was shepard's pie with corn, rolls & butter with pie for dessert - comfort food at it's best) Riley said -mama want to hear a joke ? Sure buddy- what's your joke?  Riley: gooey yucky computer!!  Umm he doesn't quite know the art of joke telling yet - but it will come.

Last Monday night I had a senior photo shoot  (pics to come) and I said my goodbyes to my boys-hugs and kisses all around. I walk out into the garage about to get into the car - when the garage door opens and there is a distraught Riley: Mama! I didn't get to say I love you!   This made me weak in the knees and heart. I hope he keeps this sweetness as he grows up.  The other morning eddie left before riley woke up and when he figured out daddy had already left for school - he broke down in tears: But I didn't get to hug him! Oh my sweet boy. Your daddy and I love your tender heart.  and you are sweet with Brady (at moments)when you will say he just needs a hug and kiss mama to make him feel better!

Guess where we went this past Saturday?

   

(click on images to make them larger- this was my view most of the day)

 

it was a bit cold. But warm when the sun shined. We really got lost in the 3 acre corn maze. Eddie was having trouble with the map - but we eventually made our way out. We got a huge pumpkin and an acorn squash. I love acorn sqaush with cinnamon, brown sugar butter. But no one else in the house likes squash - so I think that will be my dinner thursday night while the boys have tacos or soup and grilled cheese.  I will post an album to the left from our day - lots of pictures to share.  After the farm -we went to lunch - Red Lobster! No waiting during lunch - we got seated right away. Yum.  Riley tried shrimp and real crab for the first time & brady ate a little shrimp for the first time. Although I don't think he noticed inbetween bites of ketchup and french fries. Saturday was also sweetest day - but I didn't think we celebrated this fake holiday in our house - but riley and eddie ran some "errands" saturday morning while brady and I took our morning nap. And they brought me back these:

 

And delivered flowers to Grammie, Meem and Mamaw. Such sweet boys.   So I made brownies with peanut butter frosting during Brady's afternoon nap.

Easy Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup of creamy peanut butter (reeese's is the best)

1 stick of butter (softened)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups of powered sugar

so good and low fat too!

I love right now as i type this post up- eddie and I are sitting at the kitchen table with our laptops. He is cracking up right now trying to figure out a league name for his fantasy football  baseball basketball team. Whenever he laughs I laugh.  I can't post any of the names here because, well, I can tell you this - boy humor is a lot different than girl humor.  The league draft is tonight and they guys are instant messaging trash talk to each other. I love that he shares this banter with me - boys are funny!

Time to rotate laundry and post some new albums. Watch for more  pictures in the next post!

good night all!