Thursday, May 31, 2007

Showings

Now I think I am finally prepared for the showings of my home that are about to happen. I had agreed to start them tomorrow and already had a call today informing me of one tomorrow afternoon. The ball is in motion. I think the reality of this has all settled in now and I'm getting a bit excited. At first, the change of moving from suburbia to countryside was rather ominous. But after having talked to a lot of people about it, I'm finding out that they are envious of the fact that I'll be living on 7 acres of woodland and marsh. Well, there are pros and cons to the whole thing. But I just hope that this is a quick sale now because it is really difficult to have to keep cleaning and tidying up. We're starting to feel as if this home is a hotel now that I have de-personalized our things. I must say, it does look nice. Hopefully someone else will think so to for the right price! Stay tuned...

Monday, May 28, 2007

Tidying Up

It's been a nutty couple of days trying to get my house "decluttered" of personal things. I bought a bunch of cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and tape and started packing up the little loose things as per the instructions of my realtor. Then today was a solid day of cleaning - dusting, vacuuming, mopping, bathrooms etc. I carried several huge boxes down 2 flights of stairs and also moved a tv on my own. Pretty handy for a small woman, I might add! That's hard work and my back is killing me now. Not to mention all the tension in my shoulders. I've hardly even been on my computer for days now. It's going to be a challenge initially to keep up the tidiness for showings. That's the worst part of the house selling thing. Constantly having to be on notice to tidy and vacate for someone who wants to take a look around. Hopefully all the hard work will pay off with a good sale at the end. My neighbors just found out this past weekend and are not too happy with us moving. They're probably just worried about getting a new neighbor that won't care for this house as much as we do.

I still have so many crazy feelings about this move. There must be a reason for it all. I just have to figure out a way to ease my anxiety because I can feel it building up and that's not a good thing!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Thoughts on Parenting from Oprah's Show

I just heard something on Oprah that really impacted my thoughts. And that is the idea that children don't mimic what they see you do to them, they treat themselves in that manner that they see you treating yourself. Therefore, if you never forgive yourself and are hard on yourself, they will treat themselves the same. If you don't learn to love yourself, they cannot learn to love themselves. Very interesting thoughts. Women tend to be giving and compassionate to everyone else but themselves. So how can we expect our children to learn to go easier on themselves if they don't see us acting out that behaviour? Some thoughts that I am definitely going to explore.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

We're Moving

So some big news in my world...we bought a new house this past weekend and I have 90 days now to sell my current home and get packed! My stomach has just been in knots. Talk about a great way to lose a quick 3 lbs. Not! As usual, we do everything fast and furiously. I'm still in relative shock about the whole thing, being that I agreed to talk it over (the idea of moving) and wasn't completely sold on buying another place. It had only been a week that I agreed with my husband on the notion of moving. And within 5 days, we'd bought a new home. When my hubby gets something in his mind, he does it right away. So a new chapter in my life is about to unfold. Should be an interesting one too. We are moving from suburbia to country life. I'm sure I'll have lots to write about in the coming days!

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Long Weekend

With this being the first long weekend of the season, we are sticking close to home. Today's absolutely beautiful and must be enjoyed. Of course, there are always the usual list of weekend "chores" to do (i.e. laundry, tidying up, walking the poochies etc.)...but I am stopping right now to take a break. My son is outside playing with a friend from school who lives nearby, my hubby is outside tending the garden and I am sneaking a moment at my computer to see how my Internet life is unfolding. Shortly we must get organized for a birthday party my son has been invited to - it's at an indoor play gym where they will play laser tag (whatever that is)...I'm hoping it won't last too long as I'm tired and drained at the moment. I never like attending these things where I don't know any of the other adults. I've always been somewhat uncomfortable at new social scenes. Oh well, it's only 2 hours max. How tough can that be to endure? About 1 hr. 59 minutes too long for me! LOL...

Friday, May 18, 2007

The Challenges of Making Dinner

I got the car fixed after just that one night. Ahh, so nice to ride without the sproing-effect. I'm tired today so I'm not going to write much. Had a rough night with little sleep. Woke up & just couldn't fall back. I'm full of anxiety these days. Can't stand it. Makes me wonder how I'll ever deal with the change of life.

This week's weather has been insane. Two days ago it was 92F & then Thursday morning was around 50F. Great weather for sickness. I have to tell you another "black cloud" moment for me. Wednesday night we decided to have homemade pizzas on the grill. So my hubby & son had theirs all cooked. At the time a giant thunderstorm was about to ensue. But I figured I could get mine on the bbq even if it was starting to rain. Surely it would be cooked before the sky opened, no? Ooooh, noooo!! As I watched the monsoon pelt down and sizzle on the bbq, it was not looking good for me to rescue my dinner. And just when I really needed to get out there & bring that hot pizza in before it burned, nickle size hail decided to decent. I raced outside, grabbed my meal and ran inside, hair covered in hail, clothes stuck to my body from the rain. So after that, I ate my meal alone, in my bathrobe in a moment of silence. And that's just how things roll in my world.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

What a Ride

Today's adventure involved my car...or should I call it my "low-roller." For those unfamiliar with what that is, picture a bobble head and you'll get the gist. Driving around yesterday in my big beastly SUV, the back end suddenly got lower and started to bounce every time I hit the smallest dip in the road. And living in an area where the climate changes quicker than hours in a day, you can imagine how de-constructed our roads really are. As my son sat in the back attempting to eat a hot dog (after running errands), I heard him holler, "Mom I can't even eat without getting ketchup and mustard all over my shirt!" I just took to laughing as I've never experienced a car that jumped like a jackrabbit being chased by a coyote before. Good thing I like roller coasters and can find the humor in bouncing up and down in the car (without La Bamba playing either!) as it slowly clings to every divot in the road. I just got back from taking it in to the shop. As I drove madly across the 407 highway to get to the dealership (frenetically bouncing I might add), I thought about how absolutely stupid I must have looked. When I was 18 I might have enjoyed a car that danced on its own, but in all honestly it doesn't suit a woman over 30!

Monday, May 14, 2007

Mother's Day

Yesterday was a really nice Mother's Day with my family. It started out with my son waking me up with a hug and a, "Happy Mother's Day Mom" along with a bunch of cute cards...some of which he made at school. Those handmade ones are my favorites and will eventually go into my personal stash of his little projects. Isn't it funny how we save all these things during their stages of growth? I remember my mom saving all kinds of my things as I went through school and at the time, just couldn't for the life of me understand why she would save such things. Now I completely get it. The old adage about youth being wasted on the young is so true. It's a shame we can't really understand until we've walked in the shoes. As for some of those old school workbooks of mine, my mom still has some in her basement. As an adult, I flash right back into the time that I did that work and feel special that she thought enough to actually keep them for me.
After a slow morning, we all went out to our favorite little Italian restaurant and had a divine lunch. I was definitely not worrying about the calories. Every bite was scrumptious - from the linguine with garlic and oil to the sea bass and giant shrimp entree (all to be washed down with Prosecco). And the tartufo dessert was definitely a tummy pleaser. Why do all the good foods have to be so "wrong." Oh well, life is short and you have to enjoy every little moment with great zest! Cheers!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

New Background

Just a note...yes I had to change the background look of my blog. The old blue was so dull and so not me. I'm searching for some way to put on a cute picture but have yet to discover how to do this. If anyone knows how to do this, please clue me in.

Bicycles

Yesterday after school my son and I went for a nice long bike ride. It's been ages since I've dug out my bicycle and I was glad I could still manage on it. Although at first, I thought something was wrong with the brakes but then discovered the steering was turned around! Ummm....blond moment. We zoomed all around our neighborhood for about 45 minutes. Great exercise and fun just to be outside together. I think the nicest part was when my young lad decided he wanted to collect all the noticeable large trash along the route and pitch it in the lamppost trashcans. He's learning about planet Earth and how people need to take care of their environment. He's constantly asking me why people litter. It was really touching to see such a genuinely concerned gesture. And believe it or not, that little bit of "tidying up" actually made the path look a lot nicer. Who knows, maybe others will follow in his lead.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

The Grey Tooth

Yesterday's visit to my son's dentist proved positive. The one tooth that has been becoming grey since his bike fall is apparently alright (and so are the grown-up teeth beneath). Whew! The dentist told me that blood can apparently get trapped inside the tooth which makes it discolored. Okay, now to just wait until it eventually falls out. We also learned that his top 4 teeth and bottom 4 teeth are getting loose, so apparently the Tooth Fairy will be busy around my place in the near future. I hope all of these don't start coming loose simultaneously, or that's going to be a colossal issue for him and for me. Yes, OK I'm being selfish or maybe squeamish is more the appropriate word as to the thought of his tooth loss. Being that he is completely terrified at the sight of even a droplet of blood, this whole new chapter is daunting to say the least. I am dreading the first tooth! Will it come out on its own or will I have to be mommy Evil & pull it? Eeks...why don't they just give out parenting manuals when they're born? Or at least a little, tiny clue to help in spots like this?

Monday, May 7, 2007

Just Another Monday

Ah, back to Monday life. Today I am feverishly working on posting my new ethnic purses and shell jewelry onto my website and ebay. But I have so many things that need posting that it's a bit daunting. I am feeling torn in so many directions and excited about my business so much that I'm lacking focus in any area. I need to just slow down a bit and focus on one thing at a time. But patience has never been one of my virtues. I want everything to be done basically yesterday!
This weekend was beautiful weather finally. My tulips are opening and the daffodils and hyacinths are swaying in the breeze. They smell fantastic when you catch a whiff while walking to the front door! Love that...all the leaves are coming out of hibernation and finally dotting the neighborhood with color. I realize that I really have a need for color. It just makes me feel happy and alive. That's probably why I like the southern climates so much - endless shades of colors throughout all the seasons.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Lots of Tears

As I was saying in my last post...life is never dull. Well, that certainly proved true 2 nights ago when my son suddenly fell off his bicycle. My brother-in-law was watching him when suddenly he swerved the handle bars and ended up falling face first into the cement. I raced outside full of angst at what I might see, only to see my baby crying his little heart out and holding his mouth. This could not be good, I'm thinking. The bulk of his injury was his mouth. Being that he hasn't yet lost a tooth, I hoped this was not going to be the first night the tooth fairy would visit. That would make for a horrible memory.
Luckily no bones were broken and his face looked relatively alright (albeit from the several chaffing marks). But his top couple of teeth around the gums were bleeding and it looked a bit ominous. I rushed to put the ice pack on his mouth as he wailed himself to sleep in my arms eventually. Nothing is worse than seeing your child hurt and in pain. I just wanted to absorb all of it for him so that he would flash his smile at me or let out a belly laugh once again. I am happy to report that this morning he is well on the mend...but he tells me that his front tooth is wiggly...hmmm...