Gone to the Beach!

Have a great holiday weekend!

Too Funny!

You Are Marcia Brady

Confident yet kind. Popular yet down to earth. You're a total dream girl. You've got the total package - no wonder everyone's a little jealous of you.

What Brady Are You?

Back to work--I was checking my email and I couldn't resist!

Break Time

Gotta take a break from keeping everyone on the edge of their seats with the tales of my exciting life. It'll be okay. Just don't stay away forever.

We're going to Hilton Head for Labor Day weekend and between now and then I have mucho crapola piled on my plate. What with root day, cleaning my house to the point that someone may or may not be coming by to tell me if it's worth anything to anybody but me, and giving every bedroom in the house the pinto shed treatment, I have to stay away from this computer or it just won't happen.

Have a great holiday!

Home Improvement

Well, we made it through Day 1 with J3 on the road alone. He went to "hang out" with some friends and then to a movie. He spent the night and came home this morning. So far, so good.

After three frenzied days, the master bath is painted and the ceiling in the shower de-stained and painted, J3's bathroom (formerly known as the girls' bathroom) has been scraped to the bare walls (at least three or four layers of wallpaper, the last was painted over...yikes!). New manly wallpaper was hung, all the brown trim on the windows and door were painted white--the last holdouts in the house--and the pink ceiling was transformed to white once again (don't ask, it was a bold decorating move when the girls were in there!) AND the mess I made trying to paint the vanity a few years ago was rescued by a professional. The lovely Shabby Chic curtains were removed from the closet and replaced by white closet doors and a new bathroom door was hung. The ceiling in the dining room was also repainted (we had twin leaks in the master bath and the dining room from a screw up when they put on the roof a few years ago--water pooled inside at the same spot where they put the flashing on wrong for years, then slowly came through making a horrifically dark orange stain on the ceiling. Ick.) Lots of touch ups on all the nicks on the white woodwork, and they were outta here. I love paying professionals. Seriously. So much better than DIY.

Today, DOTR's handy dad is coming over to work on a few pesky things. DOTR is in the doghouse because he made a huge mess earlier in the week while my back was turned for just a minute. I took J4 to get a haircut and when I came home, DOTR had spilled stain all over the front steps (brick, so they can't be painted) and slopped the wrong color stain on the threshold. He was laying on the floor taking apart the dummy door handle on one of the front doors with the parts for the new (and WRONG) handle and the old one all mixed together. After a good butt chewing, I had to try to scrub all the stain off before it dried and worked like crazy to try to lighten the mess all over the brick steps. Still looks like crap and I'm still good for at least a half hour of bitching about it everyday. In fact, I feel another one coming on just thinking about it now.

And I haven't touched the laundry for a week, so I guess fun time is over and it's back to work.

Happy Saturday. Or not.

T Minus 5h

J3 is scheduled to take his driver's license test in less than five hours.

Then, look out.

ETA: He aced it. J1 failed twice and I'm pretty sure it was a mercy case when she finally got it. J2 failed once and then did okay the second time.

Take this out of there....and put it in here

And so on and so on.

Moving bedrooms around has to be the biggest PITA I have going right now. Basically, when the girls moved out, both of them just packed up what they needed from the crap that was laying around and left.

In less than an hour, a painter/wallpaper remover, etc. will arrive and I have a nasty bathroom to clean out before then (what am I doing here?....break time to clear the dust from my nose and eyes). We called our friend to give us an estimate yesterday and he could fit us in this week or the middle of October. So I took this week. As in bright and early this morning.

Today is Bid Day, so I'm also waiting to hear if the girls' sorority got the pledge class they were hoping for. Up until yesterday, everything had been going swell for them--great parties and good return rates. Fingers crossed.

I have some other big news, but it's a secret right now. I'll give a little hint.....I really need to clean and organize to make it happen.

Dust to dust. I'm off to dust.

First Day of School, Part 2

Today is the first day of school at GT. It's also the middle of recruitment and most importantly, it's skit day. They added an extra party, so instead of three times, they get to perform it four times. It's a new skit, so things are gearing up for the world premiere (J2 helped write it and is playing the role of Princess Aurora, Snow White's roommate). DOTR just got the biggest kick out of J2's constant running down to Tech for "skit practice" all summer.

Guys just don't get it. Basically, for fraternity rush, you hand somebody a beer at a lake and if they seem like they have enough money to pay the dues and aren't too obnoxious, you ask them to join. He was mortified when I burst out in songs from our rush skit, the world famous "The Sound of Kappa". There was some serious competition for the role of Maria, and usually a music major got it. But I did get a secondary solo to the tune of the goatherder's yodel......"out on the walk was a lonely rushee, lost, confused...what will she do? she's gonna be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, we really do want you."

Yeah, seriously. All done wearing a powder blue flannel Lanz nightgown. ('cuz we're "them kapper kapper gammers in their blue and blue pajamers").

I love one of the lines in that Southern Belle Primer book (or why Princess Margaret will never be a Kappa Kappa Gamma). One girl describes her confusion as to whether she was being asked to join Phi Mu or a traveling road show of The Wizard of Oz.

What was your rush skit? Do share.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Would somebody please clue my boys into this?

Spent the entire day cleaning inside, outside and upside down.

We're playing bedroom "upset the fruit basket". J3 is moving into J2's room (previously known as "the girls' room"). J2 is moving in with J1 (since neither of them really live here anymore, into the room previously known as "the computer room"). J4 is staying put (in the room previously known as "the boys' room") and enjoying his own room for the first time in his life.

Here's his new bed from Ethan Allen. The armoire has been in their room for a couple of years. They had XL twin beds with black headboards (the mattresses I hauled to J1's apt.)

I tried to make them clean up by themselves (after 21+ years of parenting, you'd think I'd know this doesn't work--I must be a slow learner) but their standards are so far below anything that would put them in the same neighborhood as godliness that I sent them outside and made them pick up sticks and pine cones for hours. I told them not to come back in until they'd filled the wheelbarrow ten times. And that they were grounded until after Labor Day.

Suddenly cleaning their rooms looked very enticing. And they had to pick up sticks and pine cones anyway.

One step closer to heaven tonight.

Keep on Going...and Going...and Going

Tuesday:

AM--Super secret appointment (I may tell about it later, don't want to jinx it!) Then stop to pickup new headboards for twin beds and order new queen mattress for J4 from Original Mattress Factory. Headboards not there yet, so DOTR buys MOTR lunch at Ted's Montana Grill. Yum.

PM--Pick up headboards. Pick up boys from school, work on more craft projects (so NOT a crafter), cook dinner.
Late PM--Take down boys' beds and load mattresses into Landcruiser.

Wednesday:

Early AM: Tie bed frames to top of Landcruiser, load rest of crap into Landcruiser and overage into car. Take off for Tech (12th trip in 6 days, I think). Unload beds from Landcruiser. Take down ugly bunkbeds in J1's room and load into LC and car (no room for head and foot boards in LC). Drag two mattresses, two box springs, two headboards (unassembled), and two bedframes into apartment. DOTR leaves to get back to work (somebody has to pay for all this decorating!)

Take J1 to coffee shop in apt. complex (yeah, baby, that's cool urban living for you) for a quick breakfast before she has to leave for rush workshops.

AM & mid PM: Iron dust ruffles, pillow shams, etc. Put together two headboards. Put together beds. Make beds (dust ruffle, memory foam, mattress pad, sheets, two pillows, shams, comforter--too cute). Put up new shower curtain (adorable craft project, BTW). Put together rest of J1's desk that we gave up on Saturday night because we were too tired. Scrub out dryer because J1 put something wet and full of blue dye in it (long story). Scrub out dryer again. Leave for home just in the nick of time to beat traffic.

Late afternoon/early evening: Get started on cleaning up boys' room for mattress delivery. More boys' laundry. Then to church for acolyte training. Stay for a few minutes then......

Back to Tech to see the rush skit (J2 wrote a lot of it, built the set and is in it) and video. Sign up for parents association ($$). Bring more stuff to house for J2's room. Bring important stuff that J1 forgot (phone charger-yikes-and clorox for dryer cleanup). Take girls to late dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Cobb salad and split pea and barley soup. Yum.

Late, late PM: Home. Stay up too late to watch Olympics.

Thursday:

DOTR has early meeting, so MOTR has to take boys to school. Speeding ticket on the road I drive to school 4-6 times a day. Note to self--have spedometer checked (35 in a 25 mph school zone--I think not). Or possibly arguing with boys caused a surge in speed. Not sure. Ouch.

Go to office. Do some work. Go to grocery store to buy bread, milk, and orange juice (always out). Pick up boys from school. Clean up room for mattress delivery on Friday. Clean up room some more. Do some more laundry. Make dinner (meatball subs and corn on the cob--yeah, it's all boys again). More laundry.

Bed. Finally. Missed all the gymnastics, but couldn't stay awake.

Friday:

AM--DOTR has another early meeting, so drive boys to school. No speeding ticket, although he shot me with radar again. Mattress delivery.

Walk to office. Check email. Update blog.

It's the weekend already. What happened to last week?

Back to School

Thursday:
First day of school

Friday:
AM-- DOTR moves J1 into apartment
PM--MOTR arrives to help with unpacking

Saturday:
AM--MOTR and J1 spend 6 hours shopping for apartment
AM--DOTR moves J2 into sorority house; moves furniture around and takes J2 shopping at IKEA, then comes home to drop off Landcruiser
PM--MOTR and J1 drop off Landcruiser full of stuff purchased that morning, then head for IKEA to buy furniture. Kill. me. now.
LATE PM--MOTR puts together dresser, J1 puts together desk.

Sunday:
AM--MOTR drives home and falls into bed at 1:00 am
AM--MOTR arrives at church for acolyte recognition Sunday, then ditches her co-coordinators for the second service. Then off to Michael's, Target, Homegoods for things we saw yesterday and didn't buy.
PM--MOTR takes J1 grocery shopping, then loads up all the new stuff to take to the apt.
PM--DOTR takes boys to buy school supplies.
Later PM--MOTR goes to sorority house to help J2 decorate her room, takes her to Target and then out to eat. Then back for more decorating.
Late PM--MOTR leaves ATL at 11:30 PM, falls into bed.

Monday:
AM--MOTR swears if anybody wakes her up, there will be hell to pay. DOTR drives boys to school.
PM--MOTR starts on decorating project for J1's bathroom, then goes shopping for more supplies. Linens 'n Things (3rd location visited in three days), Target (7th visit in 4 days), Joann's (2nd visit in 3 days), Ethan Allen to buy new bed for J4 (upset the bedroom apple cart coming soon). Oh yeah, check in at the office and clear 100 emails. Update blog.

How was your weekend?

So long, summer

First day of High School tomorrow.

Student Sendoff

Our local GT alumni club hosts a student sendoff every year, just down the street from us at Oakton.

I wanted to get a picture of everybody in front of the Wreck, but the boys ate fast and took off to walk to church for UMYF, so I just got the girls. Now that J2 is allowed to touch it (if you touch it when you're a freshman, you'll never graduate...or "get out", as they say at GT--you know, like prison!) I got a better shot than last year. She was afraid to get too close.

Wes Durham lives in our county, so he comes every year and gives an update on the football team. Two guys from our HS that were a year ahead of J1 are still on the team, and the premier running back is a second year from one of our county high schools (Blue Devils beat them everytime we played them, though).

The home schedule has much to be desired (Jacksonville State, Duke, Missippi State, Gardner Webb, UVA, FSU and Miami), so we didn't get season tickets this year. DOTR hates to pay that NCAA licensing fee when we'll be able to get tickets anytime. He got a cool new style hat autographed by the new head coach at the silent auction. It's a fun day for the family.

Go Jackets! Our second favorite college football team.

Let the fun begin.

Fall Madness

Yes, I am aware that it's only August 5th.

However, today was "Fall Madness" at the high school. The boys picked up their schedules, I sat through 9th grade parent orientation for the fourth and final time (thank goodness), bought two yearbooks (cha-ching) and joined PTSA.

In two days, the boys are off to school. In three days, J1 moves into her apartment. DOTR has already booked the Uhaul, but this is when a boyfriend would come in handy. I'm really not up to hauling a washer and dryer, a loveseat and a big chair. I'm still not sure where she's planning to sleep because she's not taking a bed. In four days, J2 has to move into the sorority house for the first time. Luckily, she is moving into her sister's room with her sister's old roommate, so most of the big stuff is already in the room.

While the rest of the world is settling in for the dog days of summer, for some unknown reason the powers that be in the Southeast think it's a good time for school to start.

Me, not so much.

Happy 16th Birthday!

Look out--he'll be on the road soon!

The Way Home

Today is French Boy's last day with us. The boys decided to take a trip to Bass Pro to kill time until he has to go to the airport. I think he had a good visit, it's hard to tell. I think most of the time boys just like to sit around and play video games. If that was what he wanted out of his visit to America, then I think he was fulfilled.

We had very disturbing news late Thursday night. A middle school teacher was found dead in her apartment (Thursday was the first day back to work for our system--I guess she didn't show up for work?). She was only 28. She taught both boys and was J4's homeroom teacher in 7th grade. She was a first year teacher when she had J3--he was on a team that was in the 400 (an annex) building with 3 teachers who were 1st or 2nd year teachers along with a great, fun mentor teacher. They had a wonderful year apart from all the craziness in the main building and I had great admiration for anybody who could love annoying 12 year old boys. She was patient and kind with J4's many disorganizational issues, and in meeting with her for conferences, I found out that she was trying to save $40,000 so she could be a missionary. Details are still sketchy, but last night they had a brief news report that it was a "possible homicide" and that her boyfriend was missing and was a "person of interest". How devastating.

It's hard to know how to even "go there" with the boys. As normal as I say my life is, last year we sadly had a similar incident happen with our church administrator. On the first day of VBS, it was discovered that she had been murdered by a former boyfriend, who then killed himself. It wasn't like she sat in her office and administrated, either. She had been employed at our church since she was 21 (she was 36, I think) in one capacity or another, she went on mission trips, chaperoned the youth choir tour, and was at every activity, etc. Everyone knew and loved her, and her daughter was active in youth, choir and Sunday School. J2 was home alone with the boys while we were in Bermuda, so we weren't even there to tell them about it--J2 had to tell us. They were all (VBS workers and church employees) taken into a room after the first day and told about it, and asked not to comment to news media.

We believe they are in a better place, they have gone home.

The hard part is for those who are still here.

Another Day, Another Dinner

After the fiasco on Tuesday (I'm brain dead, that all happened on Tuesday not Wednesday), DOTR did take pity on me and we all went to dinner at Viva Mexico on Wednesday night. Since J1 was with us (she's legal) we ordered the BIG pitcher of frozen margaritas. Of course, our good friends came in while we were eating, so it was a big table full of Mexican fun. We even let the boys get fried ice cream. So generous.

Last night I cooked again, and the stars must've been in perfect alignment. No disasters, thankfully. Earlier in the day I marinated tilapia filets in a papaya ginger sauce (bought the marinade at World Market), then I broiled it. We started with fruit salad (canteloupe, strawberries, pineapple, red grapes and blueberries), then had the tilapia on lime teryaki brown rice (I made it up), with leftover butter beans and fresh green beans. For dessert, I outdid myself with a choice of Mrs. Smith's Key Lime Pie or Lemon Icebox Pie. French Boy says "what is pie?" Like a tart. OK....then, "what is lime?" Even J1 can't think of the French word for lime, so she goes into long explanation en francais. "Oh," says French Boy, "....citron vert." Oh yeah. Green lemon.

And because I was so hungry for a peach pie, I also baked another one. For today. Or possibly for later last night, since there are a couple of pieces missing and I may or may not have had one with Breyer's vanilla ice cream.

Now, what to do for an encore? French Boy goes home tomorrow night, so it's the grand finale.

Then, it's back to "if you're hungry, make yourself a sandwich." Thank goodness.

I'm exhausted.