How I Remember It...

My mom was a single mother from the time I was a baby.. 

She raised my sister and I on her own...

with occasional help from family... 

We were raised to be independent from day one...

This was done both intentionally.. and at times, out of selfishness... 

My mother and I are very different women.. 

we are VERY different mothers... in practically every way.. 

But some of the things I remember, make me think about the things that one day Drew will look back on and remember.... 

Today, I want to talk about the GOOD things.. 

-Pancakes... and not just on weekend mornings... to this day, the smell of pancakes reminds me of my mom. 

-Being tucked into bed and night like a "burrito".. Mom made sure all the blankets were tucked in around me tightly and I could barely move.. and loved it. 

-Trips to Molles Manor... we lived an hour and a half away from ALL of our family, but Mom took us down to Grandma's practically every other weekend.. and every single holiday.. 

-Wal-mart.. that's where mom worked, so that place became our second home. To this day my sister and I have a loyalty to Wal-mart.

-Gingerbread cookies at Christmas time... frosting them was always my favorite part.

Drew and I have a few things... things I know I'll remember forever.. but I wonder what he'll remember, what he'll look back on and smile about.... 

Every day is another chance to create more memories.... 

Chocolate & Jeans Don't Mix

First of all, I have a bone to pick with Levi... 
They are the only brand of jeans that I can find to fit semi-ok and are pretty comfy.
However... They get stretched out after about an hour or 2 of wearing them... 


This morning I wanted to wear my new favorite jeans, but they were stretched out from wearing them a couple days ago, so I sprayed them with a little water and threw them in the dryer while I continued to get Drew ready for school. When I was ready for my jeans, I went to pull them out of the dryer and was quickly and messily reminded of the fun-sized chocolate bar I left in one of my pockets.... 


After I finished cleaning out the dryer I had to go find a back up pair of jeans for the day... 


Guess this is just a reminder to always finish your chocolate =)

Remodel, baseball & Drew

After Drew's game Saturday we headed to the Lemon Festival since we knew the DEMO construction crew (Grandpa & Uncle Dino) would be destroying our house till about 5. Of course I forgot to take any pictures while we were there and Drew was covered in a strawberry sundae... but when we got home he had to take a picture of Brady wearing the new Miami Dolphins jersey he bought for him (I couldn't find a Cowboys jersey for Frankie... ) 


-Remodel Day 2:
This is what we came home to:

    

The big closet is still gone... the six WONDERFUL drawers next to the small closet were gone... my door was gone.. and we could now see in to the kitchen and the dining room from my bedroom.

Oh, and of course there was dust EVERYWHERE.. I know it's to be expected with on going construction.. but wow... it was a mess... 

Sunday was another baseball filled day. Drew participated in a little league baseball clinic at our local minor league baseball stadium. It was HOT out there... and hard to see him amongst the 897 million kids out there... but he had a good time. And when it was over we got to stay and watch the minor league game that night. 

My purse was absolutely STUFFED that day... 

just another day in the life of a baseball mom =) 

** I was way too tired Sunday night to take pictures of Day 3 of the remodel

And So It Begins...

Friday:
I took the day off work and spent the day helping in Drew's class.

recess... his favorite subject...

and when we came home, we walked into the beginning of our home remodel mess... 

My grandpa/landlord has decided my home needs a make over: lowering the ceiling, installing a new central AC unit, putting wood flooring in the living room & dining room, enlarging the dining room, and expanding my ONLY bathroom... which meant pushing my large closet into my bedroom by about a foot... 

DAY 1- Before 

small closet & drawers

 large closet, cabinets & drawers

After

Goodbye large closet

 My clothes were moved to a pole in Drew's toy room

We survived day one... 


and Saturday we went to Lowe's so little man could build a bird feeder and planter before we headed to his game.... 

Day 2,3 & 4 of construction will be coming in the next post... 

The "Marriage Isn't For Me" List

I decided to make a list of all the reasons Marriage Isn't For Me...

I am not anti-marriage.. I believe to each their own.. this is just for ME... 

So here we have it, so far.... 

In no particular order:

1. I don’t like to share... anything... EVER.
2. I could never bring myself to clean up after a grown man.
3. I have drastic mood swings that no man is strong/brave enough to deal with.
4. Everything always has to be my way… however; if you always let me have my way I will walk all over you… and I don’t have patience for a man that lacks a back bone and his own opinions.
5. The word compromise is not in my vocabulary.
6. I am the biggest hypocrite you will ever encounter.
7. I like knowing that my home will always be exactly the way Drew & I left it when we get home.
8. My crazy family is the only family I have the patience for.
9. I hate sharing a bed with anyone other than my son.
10. The thought of “checking in” or letting anyone know where I’m going or when I’ll be home makes me physically ill.
11. Taking anyone’s (other than Drew) feelings into consideration seems next to impossible… and very undesirable.
12. Being financially dependent on anyone for anything would drive me insane.
13. The thought of having anyone live with Drew and I is purely unimaginable.
14. My life is run by my child… completely.. No man in his right mind would be happy living with this… and I refuse to marry a crazy person.
15. My clothes take up both closets and all the drawers in my room… So realistically, I don’t have room in my house for a husband.

...To Be Continued... 

Note To Self:

1. Unless you put coffee grounds in it, that little machine in the kitchen only makes HOT WATER... for some reason that filter thingy doesn't just fill itself... (remind me again why I gave up Starbucks??)


2. That annoying repetitive sound in the morning is your ALARM... you set it... and for a good reason.. Get UP when it goes off and stop making excuses to squeeze in an extra 5 minutes of sleep. Who knows, you may even walk into the office ON TIME for once... 


3. If you can't even find time in your/Drew's busy schedule to make it to the Gyno to get your tubes tied... you definitely don't have time to have another baby... 


4. How do you have no back bone or voice when it comes to strangers... but no hesitation when it comes to your own crazy family and their opinions? 

Half Birthday & Morning Madness

Today my monster is officially 6 1/2....
and yes, we celebrate half birthdays in our house.. 


So last night he asked if we could stop and get him a donut before school today since it's his half birthday, and of course I agreed. 
Then when I woke him up this morning, sang Happy Half Birthday.., and told him he had to get ready so we would have time to get a donut today, he says "that's it? a donut?.. I thought you would give me something special?"
WTH?? I was giving him what he had asked for... and that still wasn't enough. He's sure got the whole "being a man" thing down already... 


So he got up and was dressed in record time. Normally he drags out the getting dressed ordeal for as long as possible each morning.. however, since he knew the NON-SPECIAL donut was waiting, he was dressed quicker than Superman. 


After which the morning madness continued... 


While Drew was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, and I was in my room attempting to get pretty for the day, I heard a splash... and no faucet... I knew exactly what it was.. 
Thanks to the spilling of an entire bottle of mouth wash, our bathroom now smells like bubble gum.. and my bath mats are a shade of pink...


While I attempt to clean up that mess, I tell Drew to go put a sweater on. 
I'm on my hands & knees soaking up the pink mess when he yells "Mom come see this" so off I go out to the hall on my way to his room.... and see a beetle on the floor. So I tell Drew to get rid of it, and I go back to the bubblegum smelling mess. 


Now I must admit, I am fully aware of my monsters fear of bugs... but he's 6 1/2 now.. time to suck it up and be the man of the house, and get the creature out. He took about 10 minutes... following the bug around.. trying to lure him on the a piece of toilet paper so he wouldn't have to touch him.. finally he smashed the bug with his shoe... 


Not only does Drew have a fear of bugs.. but also hates being dirty.. in any way.. so now he needed to wash his shoe before he could go to school since the bottom had "green beetle blood" on it.. I swear this little diva is so dramatic some times... 

I'm already exhausted by 6 1/2... but it's time to start planning for his 7th birthday.. yes, his birthday isn't till October... but what kind of overly obsessive mother would I be if I didn't start planning  6 months in advance? 

Drew & his cousin Monique at Saturdays game