Secure pool area at the cost of a Sunday

Well with the sad story of 2 local kids falling and being found in their pool by their older brothers and both now in ICU, I am happy to say my husband, father and I installed one of the baby fences around my pool. In all honesty I am not sure which is more dangerous, the potential of my children falling in the pool or asking my husband to install this fence on a sunny, hot Sunday. Let me start by saying I purchased this fence last year direct from the manufacturer to save some money and figured I would pay to have it installed. Well, with the lowest estimate being $2100 for installation only, I decided to rent the tool necessary for $160. You do the math, sounds like a good idea, right??? Not so much! My husband is great and demolition, building, etc., but the attention to detail or exact measurements not so much. That's where "Daddy" comes in. My dad is somewhat of a thinker/problem solver when it comes to projects and my husband has the patience of a 2 year old. So I get the 300lb tool with the 3 kids in tow and we rise early on Sunday to get started. Stephen and I figured we would lay it all out, get started and I would take the boys to the Dr. when my dad got there. We started at 7:30am, my dad got there at 9:00 and by 9:30 the drilling started. We only needed to make 48 holes. After 2 hours and 2 holes, my husband started getting a little impatient, hot and lets say bothered. He suggested switching to the other side where it was more shaded and I explained why he couldn't, he did not like my response but when "Daddy" expressed the same reasoning, Stephen listens. 1/2 way thru and 8 hours later, Stephen felt bad that my dad was spending his entire Sunday doing this so he suggested my dad leave. My dad refused saying he didnt mind, but the truth is my dad realized him being there keeps Stephen from yelling, my yelling back, Stephen ruining my new concrete, us not getting the job done in time and the chance of my moving back with mom and dad with 3 kids and a dog!!!! Well thanks to my dads help and patience, me moving along side my husband with an umbrella and my husbands willingness to please me and get this fence up, my children are safe!

Its been forever

Well its pretty sad that I haven't found a minute since November to write a blog and being firewalled from all good websites at work I have been unable to post a new blog. Well one might ask how I found time tonight, so let me begin. After dropping my car off today for routine service and yes forgetting all my important items in that car including my blackberry (which actually beeps every 20 minutes to remind me of everything) and yes an umbrella too, when the quick shuttle only made me an hour late for work. Well when I got to the dealer my car was only moments from being ready when they offered me a loaner because i was going to be late to pick up one of kids for one of the many extra-curricular activities. I only drove a mile or so and pulled over because the windshield wipers were not working correctly which led me to get out of the car to try to fix the problem when I discovered that this new model compact car has doors that lock automatically when the ignition is turned off (great feature if I knew about it). Well being that my blackberry and umbrella were in MY car and I was standing outside this car in the pouring rain, I don't even know where a pay phone might be these days and didnt even know the name of the dealership I dropped my car off at. I was left to either walking my ass back to the dealership or asking some young punk ass kids walking in the rain to borrow their phone. Well I used their phone, got the dealership to drive my car to me and spare keys. Sounds good and I was on my way in my on car soaking wet!!! Well my husband picked up chinese food and I was now drying off. I realized I needed a few things at the store so I escaped out the back door without Max noticing so he wouldnt scream the entire time I was gone and just when I got out the door my missing blackberry chirped to remind me I was 20 minutes late to proctor an exam at the library. So soaking wet head and some dry clothes I race to the library and now find myself with just enough time to update this blog and of course make it to the store after to pick up those urgent items. Also I am so sick of this ****ing rain. Enough already!!! I hope this person passes this test, I need to get home make 24 cupcakes for Isabelles class. I am having a pool party for Isabelle next weekend and just hope we get a little break in the rain. 30 kids for a pool party will be extremely disappointed if the pool party is in my living room. Well I am hoping to keep up on my blog.

Back to Reality!!

Well, I am back from a great weekend getaway with my husband. We left or should I say we escaped Friday evening for our first weekend away without the kids since Max was born. Family members offered to watch the kids as long as we promised that I wouldn't come back pregnant. All I hear is how well behaved my kids are and how much fun they are but yet many are almost willing to pay to have me get my reproductive organs ripped out. Well, with that promise made Stephen and I had only one goal and that was to complete all holiday shopping on this 48 hour repreave!! We hit the outlets in Pennsylvania. Stephen made sure we were the first ones there, literally, the first ones there. I told him I was going to sleep in. While I was trying to sleep at 5am, he was showering, then fidgeting, walking the halls, checking out everything and doing a dry run of the 1 block trip to the outlets. Well we were there for the opening and Stephen did well. He looked for items and was really trying to be a help until I finally told him he can go to a fun store since he behaved so well. He would check back in every 20 minutes, carry my bags to the car and when he got really antsy he would move the car to the next strategic spot. After 2 hours and $1000.00 later we realized we only bought things for our kids, which on the way there we said our kids didn't need a thing. We left the outlets, hit Macy's in NJ (yes 30 minutes away) and Stephen was a trooper especially when he found clearance racks and actually looked thru them until I explained that the kids really didn't need summer clothes at this moment (mind you that my husband has not been to a store other than Lowes or Costco in years). I quote "during these times we should really watch what we are spending", in agreement we finished and only bought the necessities and finished all 36 people on our list and filled the trunk and back seat. As we spoke about saving money and waiting for some of the Dec. 1st sales we pass a large billboard for a FIREWORKS warehouse. 30 minutes off I-80 and into some hillbillie town we find a trailer and a warehouse. My husband looked like a 5 year old in a toy store. So much for saving money, he only wanted to stop for sparklers since my kids love them so much, but then I overhear questions regarding more bang or more color and my husbands response being more bang. A couple of hundred dollars later, we have sparklers for the kids and enough explosives for a nice size show, which I have been informed will be entertainment after Christmas dinner. Sorry, neighbors! Well, we are home and no matter how much my husband and I couldn't wait for some alone time, there was nothing better than walking thru that door and having the kids run to us for a hug! That's what its all about and now I know why I bought them everything they wanted and everything my husband wanted but used them as the excuse for the purchase!

So much to be thankful for!

Well first off, I am thankful to my wonderful husband for letting me sleep in this morning (8:30). Daddy made a dash for the door for an emergency leave raking. Well I woke up to start my potatoes which was going great until the phone rang, the kids ran in screaming that my dog puked on the carpet. This now brings all the kids in the kitchen screaming...damage control time, hang up the phone, pick up the puke, wipe Isabelles ass and back to making potatoes. I then hear "mom, daddy stepped in dog shit", not a big deal to most grown adults but for this family it means, daddy is dry heaving and puts those shoes in the pile of other untouchable shoes in the garage never to be worn again. We don't wash them off, we buy new. So back on track with the potatoes, my bonus slicing the onions is the uncontrollable tearing of the eyes which makes my precious children think something is wrong with mommy and we better be good, Isabelle cleans the living room and stephen has grabbed the electric broom. I keep the tears rolling until one of them finally asks for the windex. Once I knew the windows and coffee table would be cleaned I turned off the tears.

Off to grandma and pop-pops. This would be a big Thanksgiving since my mother in law was told 5 months ago that she had cancer and would not be around for Thanksgiving. Well she was there and in remission. Isabelle made a craft turkey with construction paper feathers and we all had to write what we were thankful for. It was really a nice time. Dinner went smooth and everything was delicious. Now off to the sitting room to chat around the fire that was blaring. For those of you who are not familiar with the Smith Home or some may call the Smith Igloo the home is usually freezing. My mother in law is now always cold so we pumped up the fire place. Luckily everyone kept on their clothes but my mother in law did take off her wig. Yup, you guessed it, this lead to the entertainment. First Jacklyn put it on and looked like an extremely butch dike, Isabelle next who looked like a psychopathic midget, Patrick's turn and then of course my husband who was a cross between Adam Sandler and Garth from Waynes World. Well now that fun ended what could top that, I know, a small discussion about flat screen tv's and how far they should be from viewing for optimal picture. Using the family room as an example we were trying to figure out how wide my parents living room was. Guessing was not going well so out comes a tape measure. My mom would tell us exactly how wide the room was. For anyone hiring a contractor, do not have 3 or 4 glasses of wine and then measure. The very tought measuring tape resembled a piece of yarn making the letter U and instead of going straight across using a 2 foot diaganol. This was not a big deal until Paulie needed to make it more exact! Dessert time, all went well, like father like son, my father in law brought his own car so he could leave right away, my husband has now collected everything from diaper bag to leftovers and placed them in a black leaf bag and told me the car is ready and he is putting the kids in the car. Must be time to go!!! Tomorrow 10am, Isabelle and my neice have cheer camp from 10 till 2, car needs an inspection, kids get haircuts and then me and Stephen are off to PA for a much needed getaway! As crazy and dysfunctional my family may seem, I love each and every one of them and wouldn't change a thing...well maybe, forget I said that, but for the most part I am extremely lucky and extremely Thankful!

Another day!

Well I awoke feeling a tad bit better to find my little guy a little stuffy. Trying to stay on top of this since me and the hubby are finally getting our first alone time this weekend since Max was born. Well I went to work thinking it would be a good day considering we would be off tomorrow but I guess the miserable people every office has to deal with can't even be on nice mode before a holiday. Well after making it thru the day with only using the "C" word twice while describing someone and almost jumping over my desk to strangle that person I heard the stock exchange bell ring and made a b-line to the parking lot. I was just going to make a quick stop at the food store so I had all the ingredients to make my potatoes tomorrow. Well me and every other person on the planet had the same idea. Well I got in and out of there as quick as possible to only have my bag of red potatoes break and all 30 of them ran for cover in different directions. (sorry to all people eating pavement in their potatoes tomorrow) Well I came home to my lovely waiting family and was eating when hubby suggested the kids go with him to Grandma's house so he could set up the turkey fryer. This was a great way to give mom a break and just give me a minute to do my things. Stephen and Isabelle so excited and rushing to find their shoes and jacket and knocked over the kitchen garbage with such force that dinner was on the other side of the kitchen. You guessed it, evil mom told them they needed to pick it up!!!! This started off ok until they had to pick up salad. For the only person "colleen" reading this you will understand how jacklyn and i could not help but laugh when everytime Isabelle touched a peice of lettuce and dry heaved, stephen looked frightened by her sounds and Max would just giggle uncontrollable. Well I made them pick it all up, Isabelle found a way to use a plastic fork, fling it onto a paper plate stephen would hold and he would shake it into the garbage. This was almost as much fun as giving the kids glow sticks on a string, shut the lights off until it is completely dark and make them spin the glow sticks. Every couple of seconds in between them having fun you can hear the glow stick hit them in the head and a shout of "ouch". Stephen and I usually save that one for a Saturday! Well kids are in bed and I am just finishing up and thinking I just might make it to bed before 10 unless i get roped into facebook.

Just one more thing to do with no time left

Well lets see, I complain all day that there is not enough time in the day for me to brush my teeth and here I find myself writing a freakin blog after being pressured by my sister who apparently has way too much time.
After overdosing on tylenol cold and sinus and 1/2 a bottle of nasal spray last night and convincing my children mommy would be really mean if I didn't get to bed before them I awoke feeling better that was until my 1 year old had a blow out this morning in his pajamas (picture the feetie pj's looking like a pastry bag filled with shit), letting my dog out in the rain to coming back to mud prints all over the carpet after my 3 year old said I let Crush (the dog) in and my daughter already hating the outfit she picked out 10 hours prior. Well once I left the house all seems to get better until I realize I drove to work all by myself and wasted that 20 minutes of alone time singing along with High School Musical. Not that Gabriella and Troy Bolton don't sing a mean duet but that was my time damn it! Well after losing an additional 20 minutes of my life I get to work to read an adult news article about how the financial crisis is affecting not only Wall Street but Broadway. Wow, the #1 broadway show Young Frankenstein is being cancelled and thinking how this was not the end of the world until I realize the only X-mas present I had purchased ahead of time was my very hard to buy for in-laws. Yup, you guessed it, I purchased them 2 orchestra seat tix to Young Frankenstein on January 10th. Well they will definately not have to worry about the crowd considering it is closing the curtains on January 4th. Will have to work on that gift now. Well lets put that behind us, I leave work and honk the horn and my childrens other mom aka Becca has the kids ready and waiting for gymnastics which we have 15 minutes to get to, oh I take that back only Isabelle has gymnastics since Stephen walked out of class last week and decided gymnastics was for girls and he wanted to do Karate...here is were Dad steps in. Dad is excited that his son, his namesake would rather fight so I explain how wonderful it is that he feels this way and karate will now be his responsibility. So yes tonite was Stephen's 1st karate class. He says it was great, Dad thinks he should wait.. not sure if he meant wait until he gets older or wait until there is a class mommy can take him to!