falling back.

Here we are, a million years later, and so much has happened but not much has changed.  I'm 50, soon to be 51. I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around that one. We live in Arkansas now. It's been 5 years now and it's been a mix of good and bad. My baby is a junior in high school now.  He's a great kid. So smart and inherently good. Also really anxious and struggling to find his people after covid and online school for his freshman year of high school.  Talk about bad timing. It's nice to be able to look back and see snippets of life from years past. I want to hang on to this space, like an old tattered photo album that no one cares to look at but me.

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Monday.

How is that for a creative title?  
Monday.
It really says it all.

It wasn't a bad day.  Just long.  So long that at 3:00, I could no longer quite remember what day it was.  Must be Wednesday, right?  Because Monday started so long ago.

But no.  Still Monday.

My classes started today.  I always seem to have one student who seems a bit difficult.  A bit different.  I'm trying to be patient.  But really?  Do we have to be so difficult / different on Day One?  Couldn't we wait until at least Day Two?

Connor has decided that, rather than a hedge hog, he thinks he would just like to have a dog.  Just.

Today, I put a second coat of paint on one side of our guest room.  And painted the baseboards.  Tomorrow, I plan to move all of the furniture over to the finished side so that I can paint what remains.  Because that's just the way I get things done.  You know.  The way that takes the longest.

Slow progress is still progress.  Right?

Here we go again.

Here we are.  Three days into a new school year.  Connor is now a third grader and he is super excited about learning to multiply and writing in cursive.  Ha!  He's excited, but mostly about seeing old friends and getting to know the hedge hog and hamster living in his classroom.  I'll take it.  Anything that helps me to get him out of bed in the morning is good with me.

Jason and I are back to work. There aren't enough hedge hogs or hamsters in the world to get me excited about getting up at 5:30 every morning.  But, I'm trying to stay positive.  Find the silver lining. Choose joy.

Enjoying every weekend moment.  : )

Dental Guilt.

Someday, when Connor is grown, I hope that he remembers that we always required him to brush his teeth twice a day.  Every day.  {Even though his grandparents sometimes failed to follow this particular directive}

And that we sometimes brushed his teeth for him when they were looking particularly fuzzy.

And we purchased fresh toothbrushes {cool ones, even} as needed.  We lovingly replenished his toothpaste supply even though 75% of it was wasted when he wiped it off his toothbrush into the sink.  And left it there.

I hope that he'll know that we cared deeply about his oral hygiene.

And, most of all, I hope that he'll understand that the reason we dragged him {kicking and/or screaming} to the dentist every 12 months was because we loved him.  And only wanted the best for him.

And I sincerely pray that the fact that I, his mother, fail to make the appropriate number of dental appointments each and every year AND lovingly refuse to floss his teeth for him, will not result in any long-term dental distress.  

I.feel.so.guilty.  

Good news, though:  No cavities at today's visit!  Maybe there is hope for us yet.

A Reintroduction of Sorts.

Well, hello.
I haven't been HERE in a while.  I'm off work {from one job, at least} for the summer and I've had a lot more time to read and enjoy blogs.  

Kind of makes me want to start one of my own.  Oh wait.  I already did.  Years ago.  

I just abandoned it when life got crazy!

Sorry, little blog.  

I'm thinking of giving it another go.  Writing in this little space sounds like a lot more fun than the list of things I have to do today:  Mow the back yard before it gets too hot or rains; go to the dreaded Walmart; lose {again} to Connor on his newly created Zelda board game; and/or deep clean the house so that it's not gross for our visitors on Saturday.

Or shower.
Or laundry.
Or grade 74 assignments.

So let's see...where to start?

My name is Tricia.
I'm 42.
I'm married to Jason and we have a son named Connor.
He's turning 9 on Saturday.  It's so hard to believe that this will be his last year in single digits!

I'm a school psychologist for a small school district in Missouri.
I also teach online Child Psychology classes for a local community college.

I dream of waking up one day with some crazy {amazing} artistic talent that would allow me to make a living off of my creations while also raising a wonderful kid, keeping up on the housework, and learning to cook.

Or, you know, winning the lottery would also be okay.

In the meantime, I just try to make it through the day without losing my temper, cursing in front of Connor, and / or pulling out my hair.  

Welcome to Our Happy Little Home.  Again. 

Have a Sweet Night.

Some nights it feels like bedtime will never arrive.

Some nights it feels like I can't stand one.more.minute. of noise.

Some nights I dread all of the work I have to do once Connor finally (finally = 8pm) goes to bed.

But...

Every night, I have to smile just a little bit when I hear Jason say what he always says to Connor at bedtime:

"Have a sweet night."  Not a good night.  Not sweet dreams.

Have a sweet night.

One of my favorite things.  Truly.

Back to School

Today was our first day back from spring break.
I could not be more tired.

On the up side...Connor enjoyed the first grade jokes that accompany April Fool's Day.
Did you know that your shoe is untied???

Easter Day

Connor left a very nice picture for the Easter Bunny.  : )

Parents were awakened too early.
Rain turned to sunshine.
Roast beast (Ham) was eaten with Grammie and Grampie.
Connor enjoyed scooter and soccer and strawberry "moose."
A very good day indeed. 

P.S.  We have enough candy to last us until Halloween.  How will I ever stay out of it?

 

March 2013

It has been a long time since I've posted anything here, but I'm feeling inspired to get started again.  If nothing else, I would like to document a bit of what is happening for Connor's sake.

Last week was spring break for Connor and me.  We Grampie Jack did a couple of projects around our house. He put two hanging rods in Connor's closet, making it much easier to reach things.  So much easier that even Connor can find his clothes!  It's a miracle!!!  Another project was replacing wire shelves with wooden shelves in our master bathroom.  Huge difference!  Too bad I didn't get the rest of the room painted over the break, but it will happen soon.  I swear.

Connor spent the night with both sets of grandparents over the break.  Jason and I had very romantic date nights (e.g., going to the laundry mat to wash dog blankets, visiting our local Walmart, and falling asleep at 7:30 pm).  Pretty pathetic, but our little town doesn't offer many date night options.

The rest of spring break was spent puttering.  I read a book and did some stitching.  Connor played Mine Craft and Mario games.  We enjoyed sleeping in until 7am and I'll admit, there were a couple of "pajama days" during the week.  Good times had by all.  Except Jason.  Because he was working.  His spring break was two weeks ago and he got to spend it all by himself!

Tomorrow is Easter and rumor has it that the bunny has already visited Grandma Jo and Grandpa Jack's house.  We're going there this afternoon to see what is up.  It's gloomy and wet so I'm hoping that the bunny hid his eggs inside.  Does that make me a wimp?  

At least it's not snowing!

Working 9 to 5...

Actually, it's more like 8:30 to 4:30, but I'm doing it.  Oh yes I am.

I've been sitting here, catching up on my blog reading and I was suddenly bitten by the the "why don't you write a post of your own, you lazy woman?" bug.

So.
In April, I finally  received my certification as a school psychologist. 
In May, I interviewed and accepted a job as a school psychologist.
June and July were spent preparing myself and family for the upcoming changes to our lives (and occasionally freaking out).
And August 1st, I started my new job.

It's...
I'm...

Did you catch that?  Trying to sum up how I feel about the job, the schedule, the incessant fatigue--that's hard.  I can say this: 

• I've had one paycheck so far and I don't hate it. 
• Fatigue is cumulative.  I start out feeling pretty good on Monday, but by Friday I'm driven to tears by the fact that I have to wash my face and brush my teeth before falling into bed at nine.
• It's really irritating when you send an email to someone and they never respond.  Do you send another?  Will that be interpreted as pestering?  What if you really need a response?  Should you contact someone else?  How will that be construed?  It really drives me crazy.  And the worst part is, I'm sure I'm guilty of the same thing because we all get busy and forget sometimes, don't we?
• My crockpot is my friend, but I still found myself at Walmart at 5:30 last night buying things to go along with what was cooking in my crockpot. 
• I've been doing my grocery shopping on Sunday, but we keep running out of food by Thursday.  Yesterday Jason had to take one boiled egg, a yogurt, and a package of Goldfish crackers for lunch.  I bought Subway for myself.  Connor, luckily, has been buying his lunch at school for the last week and a half, but yesterday he brought home the lunch calendar for September and I see several days when I'll have to send lunch for him.
• Making lunches might just be my least favorite part of this process.  It's not a new thing.  I had to send lunches for Jason and Connor last year, too, but the idea that it's one more thing that I have to manage every morning is a bit much.
• Our dogs bark all the time.  We've been leaving them outside and I'm fairly convinced that they spend their entire day barking and barking and driving out neighbors insane.  Would anyone like two new {old} dogs???
• Connor has been going to an after-school program and he really seems to like it.  This is a huge relief to me!!!
• Connor came home last night in a super grumpy mood--you know the kind they have right before they come down with a cold or flu?  This is a huge stressor for me!!!

I hear the sounds of DS-playing coming down the hall so I'm off to check the health status of my little one.  Here's hoping that he's slept off any sick bugs!!! 

Crafting Report.

It's been a long time since I've checked in to this little space. I thought that I would share pictures of some crafty things I have done lately...

Butterflies for Teacher Appreciation & a friend's birthday...

I also made gifts for my niece's 20th (!) birthday and my mom, but I forgot to take pictures of them before they were gifted.  I'm organized like that.

In other news, Connor has finished kindergarten!  So, so hard to believe that the school year is over.  We have a couple of weeks at home together before he goes to summer school in June.  It's also time to start planning his birthday party because he'll soon be turning 7.  Seven.  VII. 

How did this happen???

This and That.

Here it is Thursday already.  I can't believe how quickly this week is going...

• Cleaning Day(s) has resulted in a fairly presentable home and--for once in my life--I feel like I am on top of my housekeeping duties. Here's hoping that I can commit to doing a little each day in order to maintain it!
• For the last two nights I have made an effort to go to bed early. Am I feeling the positive results? Not so much. I think I woke up 47 times last night because I just could not get comfortable. Hate that.
• Today is full of things that I just don't really want to do. I'm itching to do something creative, but I just can't decide what on a project...
• Connor has been stuffed up and coughing all week. He thinks that he might be feeling a little better today. I'm really hoping that we can avoid the sinus infection and bronchitis that so many people are enduring right now. Why is it that beautiful trees and plants can make us all so miserable?
• Connor has soccer practice tonight. I'm hoping that it will be warmer than the last two practices. There is nothing better than being outside in the beautiful spring weather, watching kids play soccer. There is nothing worse than being outside in the miserable, cold and rainy weather, watching kids play soccer. You just never know which one you'll get in April.

Time to get started on my work. Nothing to it, but to do it. :-(

Cleaning Day.

I hereby declare today to be Cleaning Day.  Woot Woot. 
(Imagine me dancing like a pre-teen Disney star). 

I'm about as excited about it as I would be for a root canal, but the dust bunnies are holding a convention under our kitchen table, there are cobwebs hanging in every corner of every room, and there is mud (!) on more than one wall. 

The health department would surely cite me for several critical violations and an entire book of less severe, non-critical, violations, though I'm sure that they would approve of the nicely organized spice cabinet that I worked on for several hours on Friday.  You have to have priorities, right?

It's time to get busy.  I just hope that the bunnies don't gang up on me. 

Okay.  No more procrastination.  I have to get the kid to school, return some overdue library materials, and mail off our tax payment (What will the state of Missouri do with our $4.00?)before the cleaning fun can begin.  Perhaps, if I'm lucky, I can figure out a way to work in a trip to Walmart.

It's going to be a great day... (she said, sarcastically!)

Update:  It's 10:22 and I've cleaned one room.  The good news?  I found our missing phone wedged between the mattress and foot board.  The bad news?  While vacuuming our bedroom, I sucked up the cord to Jason's pillow speaker.  That's $21.20 worth of damage so far.  Yay me.

Sunday Gratitude.

Today, I am grateful for...

1. mild, springtime weather--even if it ushers in a big storm.
2. a boy who still enjoys playing with stuffed animals.
3. a funny husband.
4. bell peppers (finally) growing in my little pots.
5. good movies. 
6. time to work on my classes.
7. my coffee pot.
8. our cozy little home.
9. sleeping until eight this morning.
10. crafty daydreams.

Our Saturday.

Today began early {because 7AM always feels earlier on Saturday mornings} with the usual Saturday-in-Springtime question:  Has Connor's soccer game already been cancelled or will we have to wait another hour to get the call?

We had to wait.  We had to shower, get dressed, force C to eat breakfast, force C to get dressed, gather up the snacks (it was our turn), drive to the field (through the rain & thunder), park in the crazy lot, and then find out that the game had been cancelled. 

Good times.

We decided to take a drive to Lebanon.  There's not much to do with a six-year-old in Lebanon, but we managed to hit one pawn shop {I waited in the car and read the newspaper}, one game store {I waited in the car and read a magazine}, ate a cheap lunch, and stopped at three antique stores / flea markets.  Sadly, I didn't find any treasures today.

The sun came out on the way home and we decided to take the scenic route.  Jason likes to take me on curvy, hilly roads because he thinks it's fun to watch my face turn green and to make me yell while going over hills too fast.  He's mean.

We nearly ran over a small turtle so...we decided to "rescue" it.  In a sand bucket.  Did you know that turtles can climb out of sand buckets?  Our very persistent turtle friend did not stop trying to get out of his container for one second of the 14 mile drive home.  I think that he was ticked off because Jason was driving too fast on the curvy, hilly roads. 

After looking around our front yard for a bit, Turtle is now sleeping under a bush in our flower bed.   I feel a little guilty about our turtle-napping, but I think it will be pretty happy once it figures out that there is a pond down the road.  Sure beats getting run down by a pickup truck on a curvy, hilly road...

Thorns.

Ashley Judd.  Why is it that her face gets puffy and folks think she's had plastic surgery, but my face gets puffy and people think that I've been hitting the glazed donuts a little too often?  Am I the only person who finds her annoying?  I may agree with some of the things she says, but she is way too intent on letting all of us know that she is brilliant. 

I wonder why there are still roads within the "metro" Springfield area that are labeled things like "Farm Road 138" and "Highway J."  Every time the "traffic watchers" on morning radio tell us that there is an accident on one of these roads, I picture two tractors that have collided on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere when in reality it's probably two minivans intertwined in front of a Starbucks near south Campbell.  It's very important to me, for some reason, to name these roads.  How about Smith Road and Jones Drive?  How about Bugs Avenue and Bunny Street?  Maybe Ashley Blvd and Judd Expressway?

Why is there salsa on my computer screen?

Is it wrong that I'm praying that Connor's soccer practice gets rained out tonight?  I'm not a great sports mom, but I'll never let Connor know that.  I pray for a weather incident in private while enthusiastically helping him dress in shin guards.

I wish that I could wear fun sunglasses instead of my one and only prescription pair.  I daydream of lasik.

How is Rock Center different?  Isn't it just another version of Dateline?  Did we need another primetime news show?  I guess I didn't realize that there were people out there still needing more news about all of the tragic things happening in the world.  Tell me more about the potential risk of my child being kidnapped.  More details, please, about that horrible accident that happened last week.  What does Ashley Judd think about the objectification of women?  Thank you, Rock Center, for addressing these important issues.

I am crabby with a capital C.  Perhaps I'll take a nap and try my hand at being human again later. 

Pinned It and Did It {Again}!

We have a room in our house that has served many purposes.  It has been a guest room.  It has been an office.  It has been a craft room.  More than anything, though, it has been a storage warehouse for all of the stuff that has no other home.  This, of course, means that it is always, always, always a giant mess.  I've cleaned it and organized it many times over the 8 years we have lived here, but it always degenerates back to chaos, but...


{wait for it}


...this time is different. 


"Why?" you ask.  "How?" you snicker.


Because I have found the secret of the universe and I'm here to share it with all of you:

Source:  Pinterest via Heather Black

It was late one night.  I should have been in bed, but I just wasn't ready to say good-night to my old friend "Pin."  I sat on the couch, repeatedly scrolling down, enjoying the pictures of tiny Yorkie dogs and deviled eggs designed to look like baby chicks and suddenly, I saw it and I was overcome by a sudden feeling of clarity and happiness!  I knew right then that:

Hangy Shoe Organizer Thingies

are the key to organizational success / ruling the universe! 

Who knew???  I found mine at Walmart for $5.97 each and I have purchased four of them so far this week.  That's right.  Our store is now out of them and knowing our Walmart as I do, they will never {ever} restock.  That spot on the shelf--it will still be there months from now, but they.will.never.ever.restock.  Can you tell that our Walmart makes me sad?


Ready for the tour of my newly {re}organized {again} Guest room (without a bed)/Craft room/Office?  Here goes...

Bad picture, I know, but the joy is in the fact that I can see everything I have without having to hunt and hunt and hunt, then go to Walmart to buy whatever it is I can't find only to find that the spot on the shelf where my item should be is {you guessed it} empty!

A real-life conversation at our house this past weekend:

Jason:  Where the {bleep} is the {bleeping} scotch tape?
Me:  It's hanging on the guest room closet.
Jason:  O...kay.
Me:  Did you find it?
Jason:  Yes.

Ahhh.  Did you feel that?  The winds of change are blowing my friends.  My husband found something without my assistance.  This is nothing short of life-changing!

Admittedly, there are some things that can't hang in shoe organizers and I'm at risk of running out of closet/door space so here are some other ways I'm trying to tame my clutter...

Fabric is now stored (by color) in a dresser.

Sewing and embroidery supplies are stashed away in this little cart.

My little paint collection is organized by color.

My paint "chips" are sorted by color, too. 

I have a small shelf full of miscellaneous craft stuff and magazine storage and though I need to find a way to pretty it up, it has potential.

And finally, this chest has two drawers devoted to scrapbook paper, one drawer for buttons, and one for zippers and lace.  Yes, zippers and lace.  I seriously need to stay away from craft stores for the next couple of years. 

So.  There you have it.  Pinterest has improved my life (again) and I'm in control of my guest room/craft room/office (again) so all is well in my world (again).  At least for now...

Pinned It and Did It!

I'll admit it:  I wasn't a huge fan of Pinterest when I first found it.  It seemed difficult to use and I just couldn't understand what all of the fuss was about.  But then I tried it again and I found it to be much more user-friendly. 

And now?  Well, now I'm a Pinterest junkie.  I love looking at all of the creative ideas that exist in the world and it inspires me to try new things. 

I found this cute little birdie one day and thought that it looked like just the kind of quick and easy project I like:

Source:  Pinterest via Yuzo Fujii; Original Source:  Misseskwitty's Flickr Photostream

So...I made one.  Oh, yeah.  I finally made something that I had pinned!

Here's my version:

My little bird now lives on top of our TV cabinet:

I'm having fun adding little accents around our home.  Even better?  Using stuff that I already have. 

It makes me feel better about my borderline-hoarding of craft supplies.  : )

Getting Hammered.

I've been a little stressed out lately.  Trust me when I say that:

Thoughtless people + The need for confrontation = One miserable Me

Ordinarily I would address this situation (or at least avoid it) with the assistance of Chocolate, but Chocolate and I aren't speaking right now, what with the big Lent thing and all.  I tried turning to Chester Cheetah and his yummy Day-Glo orange Cheetos, but I ran out of those sometime on Thursday so I needed a different fix. 

What's a girl to do when there are no more snacks in the house?  Grab a hammer, that's what.  I spent an entire afternoon hanging empty picture frames in one corner of my living room and I could not be happier with the result. 

I can't decide whether to call this "Free Therapy"  or "Quick!  Get this girl some Xanax!" 

I feel much better now...except for one thing:  Jason has hidden my hammer.