Baby Girl and I went to see Cinderella this weekend.  I know what you're thinking, of course I would see it with not 1 but 2 Downton ladies, but that was not the only reason.  Yes I was happy about that but I have always loved this story, it is my very favorite of all time. I went in with a bit of cautious optimism, knowing that often these remakes don't really make me all that happy.  And we all know it's all about me!  Anyway, it was fabulous and if you get the chance GO!  Really it has to be one of the best films I have seen.  I can see a new DVD joining my collection in the future.
         

And Now We Melt!

        This is the view from my entryway window this beautifully sunny morning.  What is it?  Well that is Hubby's size 14's heading to the roof, dealing with an ice issue.  Now that all of this fantastically wonderful snow and ice is starting to melt we have a leak that started in my kitchen and it now in the entryway.  I am not a happy mama.  He keeps saying it's not a big deal he can fix it.  And yes this man built the house and it is one of the most beautiful homes in the area (if I do say so myself) but....as you may know, before Hubby was a pharmacy school student he was a home builder.  (Kind of an odd leap of careers.)  One of the best in our state for that matter.

Hubby on the ladder to the roof!

   He has built some very impressive homes however, I live in an unfinished home.  You know the whole shoemaker's kids with no shoes.  Now don't get me wrong, I knew this would be the case when we built.   What we have been building for the last 10 years is quite fabulous, come on why wouldn't it be. HA HA. We have most of it done and I really don't care.  With that said, I do have a few rooms that are done and my kitchen and entryway are two of them.  He certainly can fix them and they will be wonderful when they are done and probably with some up grades because that is how we roll,  but he just doesn't have the time and I know that for the next three years (just a guess on time) that there will be a hole in the ceiling of now two rooms. I know it is a very incredibly petty thing to be upset about, but I am. 
P.S. He is always in need of a haircut so the whole carpenter's house never done thing goes both ways in this house.  A hairstylist's family always needs haircuts.

LOVE or HATE......

    I have heard from many a mother that the first time your adolescent says "I hate you" it really sucks.  Now my lovely daughter has yet to say that and I think it is because she is a bit dramatic and she has to put her own spin on it and that spin goes a little something like this...."why do you hate me so much Mom?" (insert the crying here).  The first time I heard this it did make my heart break into a million, scratch that, a billion pieces.  But now I am thinking it is done for effect.  She is a very wonderful, beautiful, and CRAZY smart 12 year old.  She says that I yell at her everyday, and I will admit that I do raise my voice far more than one should but here is an example....A couple of weeks  go she forgot (yet again) her lunch on the table and then as we were sitting at the bus stop, now keep in mind I had asked her no less than 3 times if she had her lunch and each time the "Yes MOM!" got a bit more sarcastic, so there we were and I could see the bus coming into view and she yells, "I forgot my lunch!!!" That was when I put it in reverse down the driveway like a crazy woman and I was all "WHAT, I asked you 3 times!"  So as I approached the garage She, my darling wonderfully SMART daughter, starts to get out of the car while it is still moving!  So yes, I lost my %*#@.  In the trying to keep my child safe kind of losing my *@!#.  Of course what I see as a way to let her know that she CAN'T just out of a moving car she saw as me being mean and "hating" her.  UGH.
    There are the things that I do get upset about like her constant wanting to put a huge amount of salt on her food, everyday!  I am a good cook and when I cook I do use spices but for some reason she feels that before she actually tries it she needs to completely douse her dinner, whatever it is, in salt.  I have for just about 9 years been all "No salt...that's enough....no more...you don't need it."  So each and every night she tries to sneak it or if I let her use it she continues to try to get more when Hubby and I aren't looking and each and every night she gets caught.  And that usually consists of  "STOP...you know better, etc.?" So I ask, "why do you keep doing it when you know you're going to get in trouble," response, "I don't know."  Complete frustration is all I can feel at times.  So for now I guess I will have to take solace in the thought that someday she too will go through this with her children.

Mom, What's for dinner???

As we were eating dinner at yet another basketball game tonight I was thinking about how nice it would be to eat a meal that I cooked and was eaten at a table at OUR house. I thought that tomorrow night would be the magic night and I even had dreams of making an apple pie. Then Darling Husband just annihilated those dreams for me by reminding me that I have a class tomorrow evening and child #1 has basketball practice at the same time.  That's what you get with life in the fast lane I guess.    There was a time when I would knit at least a little everyday and cook all the time and Friday was usually pizza and movie night, now every night seems like pizza night and I would love Friday to be just plain home cooked meal night.  Now I seem to carry my knitting bag everywhere yet nothing ever gets taken out of it.  Now Darling Husband is a full time PharmD student and working full time, yeah full time that's what I said because he is the most awesome man I know (don't tell him I said that), and I am a full time student and still spend many hours a week at the salon and the kids!  I have certainly come to the realization that their schedules run the show, who gets dropped off where at what time and for how long, these are the questions that D.H. and I are constantly asking each other.  2 kids in 2 different basketball leagues then there are the games at least 3 a week it seems like, then the other things like before and after school activities and then they want to do things on weekends! How dare they! LOL! This weekend will consist of D.H. working all weekend, I will work a bit then child #1 wants to go to cheer on his friends at a school event a couple of hours away and I said yes.  I guess I won't be eating at home Saturday night either.......Maybe I will pick up a box of cereal on the way home.

Bon Voyage Mr. Branson

 


































          As we all watched the season finale of Downton on Sunday we saw two more of our beloved characters leave the show.  I am very sad to see Tom leave for America, but pleased that at least they didn't have him die, it does leave things open for him to come back and visit us from time to time at Downton.  Darling husband tried to reassure me by saying that at least he was coming here. Very humorous, I know.
      I hate that we now must wait ten more months for the next installment.  I am never very anxious for January to come back around except for the hope of what wonders Mr. Fellowes may have in store for us. So until then we shall all have to watch reruns and wait for Call The Midwife at the end of March.

GO Blue Jays!

      In the last year we have been very busy.  We of course have the regular day to day stuff like kids, their activities, both hubby and I being in school as well as work, and blah, blah, blah.  In that time hubby graduated with his BA in bio. and chem. and went through the intense process of applying to PharmD (doctor of pharmacy) programs, got accepted to all he applied to and chose....Creighton University, go Blue Jays!  School is in full swing again for all of us and let's just say that the last few months have flown by.
      The medical grad school field is a very different world than that of the residential carpentry world that we have been living in for the last 15 years.  So here we go into a new endeavor that while is going to be a bit of a struggle for the next few years, will be very much worth it in the end. 
     I haven't been knitting as much as I would like to, but I have been doing more sewing in the last couple of weeks, photos to come soon!

       It has been proven to me that exercise is VERY bad for you, so is doing dishes!  Last week I decided that I would be getting up in the morning and getting on the treadmill to start my journey back into running.  So I got up thought I should clean the kitchen first.  Started with the dishes, and that was it.  Bent over to pick up a plate and my back went out.  So there I was, not moving off the couch for 4 days.  I was just getting back to where I felt good yesterday and again the thought of working out came into my mind.  NOT A GOOD IDEA.  I picked up a book off my bed and SNAP, back to where I was a week ago.  So what have we learned boys and girls...no exercise and no dishes!