Taking 2012 out in style...snort!

You know, Jeremy & I are a really exciting couple that likes to live on the edge.  Want to know what fabulous plans we have for this New Year's Eve?  After tucking the kids in bed this evening, we tore the laundry room apart so we could start a mini-renovation project.  For the last hour and a half, we've been working on taking the cabinets down and moving them up farther on the wall in order to make room for a shelf below the cabinets.  The cabinets were SUPPOSED to be moved all the way to the ceiling.  However, we discovered that the walls or the cabinet are not quite straight enough to do that.  So, we are calling it "good enough" with moving them up a good 10 inches.  (For the record, the cabinet has been moved and Jeremy is currently working on replacing and tightening all of the screws.)

I just do not want to start another house project right now.  At the same time, I want to get the laundry room done because of two reasons:  1.  it is the only room left on the main floor that hasn't been painted and 2.  because I really really REALLY want to get some kind of a counter installed in there.

For whatever reason, the cabinets in the laundry room (and basement bathroom, for that matter) are of a different (and very ugly) finish from the rest of the cabinets in the house.  So, as part of this project, I will be painting the cabinets (hence the reason I wasn't too scared to move them -- I can caulk and paint over any damage we might inflict).

The worst part about this project is that we can't just tear it apart and leave it that way until it is finished.  I have laundry to do...lots of it.  So, the washing machine will need hooked back up tonight.  And then it will need pulled out again to put the shelf in, and when we put the counter in and when we paint...it is just a vicious cycle.

I'm betting this project will take a good 8 weeks to finish, as I can't see having enough time to finish it all at once (either because I just don't have time to work on the project or because I have to clean up the project to do laundry).

Here is to hoping that 2013 has a more exciting end than 2012.  Happy New Year's everyone...may 2013 be a blessed year for you and the ones you love!

A little pearl from Ross...

We had the B. side of the family in to celebrate Christmas this week.  This morning Ross asked Grandpa for a glass of milk.  Grandpa asked Ross if was supposed to drink out of the little glass cups.  Ross responded, "Yes, except when they are all dirty and then we use the big ones or on holidays when we get to use the Chinese ones."  I think he got the "good china" mixed up with "made in China".

Eh...it has been a while!

I was reminded this weekend that there are actually a handful of people out there who read my blog and are wondering why I haven't been posting.  Sigh...I mean to do it.  I just haven't had time.  Since school has started, I've been helping Jeremy in his office and volunteering at the school, which leaves little time for much else.

Truthfully, I wish I could find the time to keep this updated for me as much as for anyone else.  This is a good safe place for me to record all those things the kids do that you think you won't forget but never seem to remember (you know, when I look at Jeremy at the end of the day and say, "Shoot, what was it that Ross said that was so funny?).

So, for today, I'll leave you with our most recent family photos (taken in November, of course).  This particular photo shoot was a bit trying.  The wind was blowing like crazy and I discovered that, while I had packed my tripod, I had left the widget (for lack of a better word) that actually attaches the camera to the tripod at home in the drawer (and we were in Ohio).  The solution was to set Jeremy's iPhone on top of the tripod and then set the camera on top of the iPhone and then pray like mad that the wind wouldn't blow the entire set-up over.  It worked out pretty well as the cover on Jeremy's iPhone was a kind of grippy and kept the camera from slipping off.  We ended up breaking the tripod however, so no more family photo shoots until I splurge for a new one.  And typing this has just now reminded me of that fact, so I guess we will be missing our obligatory family-in-front-of-the-mantel picture that we take every year on Christmas Eve.  

If you are wondering, the background for the picture is the old barn at my parents house (though come to think of it, why would you be wondering about it?).  I quite like the effect and might have to use it again...

(And just because he makes the best faces, one of Ross!)

Are you happy now, Uncle Thomas?  ;-)

Good gracious, has it been busy!

Has it really been that long since I posted?  I swear I have been writing daily blog posts in my head, though I'm not sure what good that does me.

Last weekend Jeremy & I headed off to NYC.  Many many thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law for watching our kids (who seemed to have just as good of a time as we did).  It was a great weekend, with the exception of a lot of rain on Friday.  We were soaked by the time we got to the hotel on Friday (Jeremy insisted we take the subway, instead of a taxi).

After dumping our luggage, we wander around a bit.  In spite of the rain, it was nice because foot traffic was light.  We took a long walk to check out the Laduree store for some macarons.  We were supposed to do this when we were in Paris a few years ago, but it just didn't happen.  I was in HEAVEN!  It is beautiful with all the rows of brightly colored cookies!  And I must say, my macarons hold up pretty well compared to theirs (and they don't cost $4 a cookie!).

Look at those (slightly melted because they got too warm) beauties!  

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Fortunately, the weather cleared in the afternoon before we took a round trip ride on the Staten Island Ferry.  It was great (both because of the views and the price -- it is free)!  

 We also did the "Top of the Rock" (Rockefeller Center) tour.  The views were great (that is Central Park behind us).  I'm getting better at snapping self portraits!

I hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art by myself on Saturday, which I enjoyed.  I must say, though, after touring the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay and Versailles, it wasn't very exciting.   I also squeezed in a fabulous run in Central Park.  I usually don't run outside, so I was a bit worried, but there was so much to look at (and so much to dodge), that I did really well.  I'm getting better at monitoring my own pace and I'm guessing I averaged a good 8 minute mile.  It felt like running in a Super Mario game -- so many things to dodge and look at.  I'd like to think I got some bonus coins for making the run without hitting anyone, stepping on any feet or getting lost!

Of course, we also had to do some shopping.  Jeremy loved the Macy's at Harold Square (see dorky photo below).  I, honestly, don't like shopping in those kind of crowds.  Thank you, but I'll stick to smaller markets like Charlotte and Columbus.  I did, however, HAVE to make a trip to Tiffany's and just couldn't leave without a little (actually, kind of big) blue box.  I recently broke one of champagne flutes, so I indulged in a very nice replacement set.

The last night we were there we saw "Rock of  Ages" which was FABULOUS!  I had soooo much fun (in spite of the fact that they charged $8 for a can of beer -- really?).  The music was so much fun (all 80's rock hits) and made me want to dig out some Bon Jovi for my next run!

I also did a lot of knitting (Bryant Park was a great place to sit), eating (the cheesecake was good, but I fell in love with black & whites) and people watching!  I was ready to come home to my babies on Monday, but would go again in a heartbeat (or, maybe in two or three years when Jeremy wants to hit the same conference again)!

New York!

Since moving last year, Jeremy & I have had only a few occasions to spend time together without the kids.  I know "they" (whoever the hell "they" is) say "date night" is important, but it just hasn't been feasible.  This has really started to wear on us and Jeremy, being the great guy that he is, decided to intervene.  On October 1st, Jeremy's continuing education requirements re-set (for lack of a better term) and he now has to complete 40 hours over the course of the next 2 years.  It just so happens that there is a conference in New York in a few weeks that will meet a good chunk of those CE requirements.  So, thanks to my in-laws, I'm going along and we are getting a few days away.

I'm really excited, though a bit nervous, too.  I absolutely LOVE Washington, DC and would, honestly, love to live there.  But I really detested Paris (it was a beautiful city, but the people were appalling).  I'm afraid that NYC might be closer to Paris in my eyes than to DC.  We'll see...I figure I'll either love it or hate it, but I doubt I'll be ambivalent towards it.

So, I'm searching for activities that I will enjoy doing on my own during the 3 days of conference that Jeremy is attending.  So far, this is what is on my (solo) docket:  running in Central Park, picking up macarons at Laduree, and buying something at Tiffany's (I'm not coming home without a blue box, damn it).  I'm not a huge shopper, really -- I can usually handle only 2 or 3 hours before I poop out (unless, of course, I have my good friend Erin along, and then I can go for the day and do major damage to the check book).  So that is one of my tasks for the next week (along with about 3 billion other tasks) -- find some activities that I will be happy to take on solo!

Box tops & labels & scissors, oh my!

I can't remember anymore if I mentioned this or not, but I am the Box Tops coordinator for our school this year.  I really am quite pleased to be doing this.  It lets me channel some of my Type A, compulsive & organizational tendencies into something productive.  It is also, however, proving to be a learning experience...learning how the programs work, learning how to communicate clearly and learning how to have reasonable expectations on what I get back from the parents and students.

We did an incentive at our fall festival, which included the students completing collection sheets (sheets designed to have a specific number of labels glued to them) and returning them to me at the festival.  My first lesson learned (and I'm saying this because maybe some other new coordinator will stumble across this and find it helpful) -- collection sheets aren't worth the trouble.  I'd say less than 10% of the sheets are submittable as they stand.  I got expired box tops, Campbell's labels, box top logos that weren't actual box tops (like the little advertisements on the side/top/front of the package that say "this product earns you box tops") and only a handful actually had the correct number glued to them (which is important because you have to submit the box tops in bundles of 50).  I'm not trying to sound ungrateful (or overly pick, but in all honesty, I am a rather picky person) -- it was just a learning experience.  In our case, it would have saved us a lot of volunteer time to have the box tops loose.

I've been working my way through my pile-o-box tops during Saturday football games.  And tonight I spent a good chunk of time learning about the Campbell's Labels for Education program.  This might sound crazy, but it feels good to have a project to do (that isn't for me).  I miss working at times and, as I told one of the PTO moms this week, I am at the point where I either need to find a part-time job or volunteer.  Volunteering is what I would rather do (and the kids feel the same way -- they freak out anytime the idea of me going back to work comes up).

Speaking of work, today marks the 5 year anniversary of me leaving the work force.  I really can't believe it has been that long.  I miss it (a little) every day, but still feel like I am doing the right thing for me.  I guess I think I'd miss what I'm doing now more, if things were reversed.

The mother of all blisters...

...or so I thought.

Yesterday I hit the gym for my favorite class -- TurboKick.  The instructor was a fill in and (as I was warned) was quite intense.  I mean, this woman had me sweating in a way that I thought only a good hard run could get me sweating.  She did FOUR turbos (short intense tracks designed to get your heart rate up really high really fast).  I'm used to doing two.  By the fourth one, I was pretty much in muscle failure.

Jump?  You joke, right?

Punch?  Do you mean wave my arms around like limp noodles?

Kick?  Hun, these toes just are not leaving the ground anytime soon!

About 45 minutes into the class, my big toes really started bugging me.  By the time we finished, I was sure I had two of the biggest blisters ever on both of them, as well as the ball of my foot.  When I got home and removed my shoes from my oh-so-sore feet, I was surprised to find no signs of blistering.  And then I realized that I had actually bruised the soles of my feet.  After icing them, they felt a little better.

Man, those were my good running shoes.  Now I'm thinking they belong on the curb.

Today, because I am a maniac, I hit the gym twice.  Once this morning for yoga (necessary, because I was so stinking sore from Turbo) and then back again for a "bellies and bottoms" class and then an hour on the treadmill.  I had intended to run, but ended up walking slowly -- slower than I ever usually walk, simply because my feet hurt so bad by the end of the class.  I know I should take a day off and let my feet recover and heal, but I am heading to Ohio this weekend and taking 4 days off anyway (because, lets face it, no matter what I plan on doing, I rarely actually run when I am there).  I really do need to do a nice long run tomorrow, but I am dreading how my feet are going to feel.

You know the crazy thing, though?  I actually really enjoyed having that woman beat the heck out of me in gym!