Where the hell have you been?

This is a question I have been hearing a lot lately. I don’t really have one particular reason for my online and occasional real life absence. It’s been a lot of things, really. Mike is graduating in 3 weeks from high school. So you know that means lots of planning, invitations, mailings, and a lot of talking to people I don’t like, but it’s a small town and I have to be nice. Mike’s track season for him, Mel’s hand bell concert schedule (she performed with the Erie Jr Phil a few weeks ago). Melanie had a wickedly twisted break up with her first love, that took a while with lot’s o’ drama (not hers, just him pulling her chain and his family). Our giant burmese python died the Saturday before Easter. We buried him in the yard and planted a purple rhodi in his honor. Joshua has a new schedule at work that is driving him and I both a little nutty. Lindy (don’t think I’ve mentioned her before, but she is my mother’s sister, the cool one) and I have started a business. Designing and sewing clothing, handbags, wallets, baby items, jewelry, etc. This is the first week since February that I have not been at one or more of my machines on a daily basis. We are putting together an online store that will hopefully be up and running in a few weeks.

My calendar for this week is also full. An honors banquet tonight, where both M & M are getting recognized for something (I am hoping a scholarship for Mike, keep your fingers crossed), tomorrow Mike is getting his tattoo from Johnny at Karma Tattoo. Since Mike’s 18th bday was on mother’s day….we gave him his tat for his birthday and he is giving me a small one for mother’s day. Not your typical mother’s day fare, but I have never been the typical mother, either. Thursday is actually a down day which can prep me for Friday when I am chaperoning Mel’s Accelerated Bio class to the Cleveland Zoo. Saturday, the Guitar and Strings concert is being held in the Albion Boro Park. G&S is an informal music club at Northwestern. All the kids are pretty talented. Melanie and her friend, Melanie, have written a song and will be performing it in a 6-7song set. I am WILDLY excited to throw down a blanket, and listen to some awesome music. The concert starts at 1 if you want to join us. Bring a picnic and chill with the cool kids on Saturday!

I am sure I have left out a lot of detail but this is a quick and dirty version of why I have been MIA for the last few months.

Peace!

Contamination Nation, part 2

Well, it’s Tuesday and Joshua went back to work last night. He is still achy and sore, but digestively sound. Mike is also still sick but he has his college classes on Tue and Thur, so he went to school today. So it’s just me still working on laundry from the great vomit-o-thon, and mel is still home.

On a high note, the cable guy is here installing CABLE!!!!!!! We agreed when we moved in that the choice was broadband internet of cable, we all chose internet.

Have a great day!

Contamination Nation

WARNING- this is not for the weak of stomach…

All is not well in the Vadney house. Yesterday morning, Joshua the husband woke up to an urgent need for the bathroom (I’ll spare details). He laised around until 10, then went to bed and did not wake up until 830. This is monumental, he never naps that long. He wakes up to tell me he has been shivering and everything aches. You have the flu, I tell him….No I don’t…whatever. So we go to bed at 930, and he sleeps all night through. I wake at 430 (it’s not intentional, my body and it’s pharmacy have designated 430 to be my wake up time) and go downstairs. As I am passing Mel’s room, her bed is stripped and she isn’t in there. Oh great, I am thinking the dog made a deposit on her blankets last night. This was NOT the case. I find Mel on the couch, shivering despite the massive amounts of fleece blankets on her. She proceeds to tell me that sometime last night, she woke suddenly and knew she wouldn’t make it to the bathroom, so she threw up into her blanket. Then she says she has done it 5 time more since. Great, 2 peeps with the flu. I get her some Immodium and some dramamine, hoping to stop her explosive upper and lower issues. Just before she falls asleep, she tells me that Mike was also up last night and that they were taking turns in the bathroom. WONDERFUL!!!!! 3 peeps with the flu.

So, I seem to be the only one not sick, therefore taking care of everyone else. It’s been a few years since more than one of us has been ill at the same time. Gotta go, I have more blankets to wash. What a Monday….

Advice needed from mothers of young ones

As my children have grown older, their interests have gone from power rangers and barney to IPods, cell phones, and xbox…I am mostly ok with that. But I think I am losing my connection to what little kids like.

My dearest friend, Christine, is having her son’s 6th birthday party this Saturday. Billy is a great kid and very much a part of you family. Since he and his sister were born (Ana is 4), all of their gifts from me have been handmade (don’t conjure up images of Ralphie and Aunt Clara’s gift, I am MUCH cooler than that).

So Billy’s party is less than a week away and I spent today crocheting this:

I was pretty impressed with myself considering it took less than 4 full hours to complete. Then my 17 year old son walks in the room and asks who it’s for, I say Billy’s birthday. So my son proceeds to tell me Billy is too old for a dinosaur and I should think about a trip to ToysR Us. I was heartbroken.

Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Isn’t She Lovely

Melanie and her friends got dressed up and went to see Hairspray last night. This was the picture I managed to take before she ran out the door.

MMMM Donuts!

Last night, Melanie had a sleepover with 4 friends. I love it when they all come over. They take over the living room and play music (mel and MelL play guitar), watch movies, gossip, giggle, and basically make me want to go back to being a teen again. This, of course would be one of the VERY few reasons I’d want to be a kid again.

They stayed up into the wee hours, and were all still snoozing when I got up this morning. So, I got dressed for the weather, and drove to Shur-fine and bought donuts and orange juice for their breakfast.

Now, they are all up again and watching another movie. After a little fighting (my hair isn’t done blah blah blah) I got a great shot of them.

I love these girls.

From left to right, Nikki, my Mel, Mel L, and on top are Sara and Pia.

Morning View…and then the snow came

This is a shot taken from my backdoor this morning. I got a new camera for Christmas and have been snap happy today….

This is the same view 4 hours later

Eden’s meme

You are an Extroverted Self-Knowing Tree Hugger

1% of the 44144 people who have taken this quiz are like you.

I think I am computer challenged because the site said “just cut and paste to your site” Well, I did that and all I got was code. ;( But the test was almost right on, I am still learning more about the self, but I am definitely a project in progress tree hugger.

My new Kitchen

Since buying this house 2 years ago, the one room Joshua and I both wanted finished was the kitchen.  Slowly and as cheaply as we could, this room slowly came together.  The following pictures were taken after Joshua’s vacation over new Year’s.  I LOVE my new kitchen!

New Countertops (Home Depot), new stove and range hood (Sears)

Long Counter on South Wall

We ran out of Cherried oak (this was what was left over from the flooring for the upstairs), so Joshua laid a slate tile “island” in the center of the floor.  I LOVE THIS!

Dishwasher found on Craigslist for $50!  New double sink, beautiful countertop

Painted walls and ceiling with a new track light which illuminates the entire room

Everything that went into the construction of this kitchen was aquired slowly.

Kitchen cabinets- 25 years old, bought from a man in Northeast whose wife was remodeling their kitchen (I swear the new cabinets she chose looked exactly like the old ones she sold)

flooring- solid oak, cherry stained, purchased at auction for $1.57 sqft.

Wall and ceiling paint- mistints purchased at lowes for $5 a gallon

Countertops- purchased at Home Depot, this was the only purchase that we paid full price

Appliances- fridge, stove, and range hood all from sears when they have their 20% off sales.  The dishwasher Joshua found on Craigslist for $50

Light fixture- purchased at lowe’s, it was $129, but I had a coupon for $25 off a $150 purchase

I walk into this room and still can’t believe it’s in my house.  I love this kitchen!

Finding the Wonderful Little things in life

Over Christmas, my mom flew to California to spend the holiday with my brother. A nice, quiet Christmas. I was greatful. Then she comes back and brings me a box of Dewar’s Chews from Bakersfield. Their shop was a few blocks from our house and we used to take the kids there for caramels and fresh home made ice cream. The chews were yummy. Then….my 18 year old sister, Julie, runs into our older sister, Mary on myspace. We have been out of contact with her for about 3 years. Our cards and letters returned, her phone disconnected. We have found her again. I spoke to her tonight and it was like no time had passed. My parents took Mary in when I was a kid. She was a foster kid, but I always called her my sister. She taught me how to be beautiful, to wear make up, to style my hair. She taught me to take a stand even if it meant getting my ass kicked. I am so glad I found her again. Life is way too short to miss the ones you love.