This Full House Archive

Author: Liz@ThisFullHouse

  • My Goal for 2013: To Keep Blogging, Like It’s 2003

    Entering my 10th year of blogging (seriously, it was hard enough for me to admit/accept my kids entering their double-digits)  I often times compare maintaining a blog to that of nurturing a child:  just imagine if parenting came with spell-check and a delete button, eh?

    Some years are more difficult than others, then there are those times when the suckage runs real deep and all you would need to do is check back in a blogger's archives to realize that one of three things happen:

    • Blogging increases.
    • Posting decreases.
    • Blog shuts down, completely.

    Most especially, around this time of year, when folks begin to re-evaluate the time and effort it takes to nurture a blog, as well.

    Aaaaaand, then there's the added consideration of maintaining an online presence (MOP, for short), while under the influence of suckage.

    As 2012 comes to a close, 63 days post-Sandy and 10 days after the Mayans quit counting (can you blame them?)  I find myself in the totally opposite situation:  clinging to my archives, like a teething child looking for something to bite into (HARD!) and stomping my feet while declaring (in a totally whine-y voice):

    "But, I don't waaaaaaaant to stop blogging AND you can't make me…DAMMIT!"

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  • Holidazed by the Chalkboard Project: I blame Pinterest AND @TheNextMartha

    In this house (full as it is)  DIY projects are gauged by three very important factors:

    1.  My husband's analytical mind:  I'd mention something about this or that getting done and then he would agree with me, using graphs and/or spread sheets and then submitting a final paper in nothing less than 1,000 words.

    2.  My patience level:  I have none.  That is to say, with stuff that doesn't work right, after the 17th time and my aversion to reading directions doesn't help any…either.

    3.  Calculating the time it takes to get the job done:  before my husband gets home.

    Needless to say, we're a little behind on our DIY projects (not for the lack of wanting, either)  and, trust me when I tell you, ability has absolutely NOTHING to do with our ever-growing to do list…either.

    Last year…I re-did our bathroom…during Thanksgiving week.

    Okay, I just thought of a 4th import DIY factor:  if it is a holiday week, or not.

    This week, I walked by the garage door and noticed the wallpaper was ripped (DAMMIT!) and who wallpapers a garage door, anyways?!?

    [raises hand]


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  • The Christmas Elephant in the Room

    Lucy the elephant

    Lucy the Elephant, she's from Jersey!

    Going to Grandma's house on Christmas Eve has been a Thompson tradition ever since we began adding grand kids to their family tree and every year we would trade-off visiting with my parents, as well:  dinner here, dessert over there, etc…

    My kids are very lucky to have both sets of grandparents in their lives, they know it, we know it and, now that my kids are older (aren't we all?)  I'm beginning to truly understand why our folks look forward to having their grandchildren around them, especially during the holidaze.

    My father would joke with my kids, thanking them for "re-charging" Papa after each and every visit.

    Aaaaaand, as I get older (physically, because mentally I'm still, like, not even out of my teens, yet!)  I'm realizing the same restorative power, every time one of my children insist that I stop whatever it is I'm doing, RIGHT NOW, because he or she NEEDS a hug.

    We had my in-laws over for dinner, last night.  Although they live just a five or ten minute car ride away (because, in Jersey, we speak in the time it takes to get somewhere rather than mileage)  we haven't visited with Grandma and Grandpa since Thanksgiving.

    It's been a tough year for my in-laws.  Just last night, my father-in-law admitted that any and all of the mileage put on their car is for doctor visits and trips to the pharmacy, which is pretty much how my parents spend their days, plus or minus a trip (or twenty)  to B.J.'s.

    This year, my sister-in-law broke the news that Garth (not his real name)  and I would be hosting Christmas Eve (without me, and with good reason)   so, I baked one of my mother-in-law's favorite desserts (chocolate gingerbread cake, and it was good)  to help soften the blow.

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  • Pinterest is my….SQUIRREL!!!

    Pinterest has been my time-suck of choice since it first launched in 2010, it really is the perfect social media channel for folks with really, really short attention spans…like me.

    Pinterest Prowess

    In fact, a large part of my day job now involves spending hours and hours flipping through people's Pinterest boards and…well…let me just tell you, it's like throwing open the cabinet doors, clearing a path to the garbage can and telling Doofus-Dawg to "HAVE IT, MY FRIEND"!

    Pinterest is my…SQUIRREL!!!!

    Yesterday, I mentioned something on Facebook about my thinking it was cute how I keep pinning all these holiday recipes on Pinterest, as if…

    Aaaaand, then I realized my FAVORITE thing about Pinterest — it is the perfect playground for snark, most especially around the holidaze:

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  • Pushing Buttons, On The Facebook

    It's official, my parents are now on the internet. Or, at least, the 20 minutes of what I was able to show them Sunday night, because it took my husband Garth (not his real name) 2+ hours to actually get them online, which (to folks older than 20) is 2 hours, too long.

    Apu on Facebook

    A few weeks back, after introducing my father to Facebook, Apu immediately began sending messages to family in Hungary.

    It was not the introduction to the internet my parents were expecting — especially, after everyone and my brother insisted that my parents really need to be on the internet — and my father also suffers from "Let's see what happens when I push THIS button" (he's a criminal in elevators) which is pretty much never a good thing, especially on the internet.

    First I showed them how email works, although my mother was the director of the purchasing department for a large packaging corporation (a.k.a. my cosmetic hook-up) pre-retirement, so Anyu was already pretty familiar with it.

    "What's that button do?"

    As far as I know, short of sitting on one's hands, there is no cure for LSWHWIPTB and, combined with the distraction of shiny, pretty, blinkies on sidebars, it can be downright debilitating.

    "What else would you like me to show you?"

    My father is now on "the Facebook" and, as far as I know, he hasn't broken the internet, which really shows a LOT of restraint on Apu's part and, well, I'm pretty proud of him for that, too.

    "Did you show Papa how to leave a comment, or respond and *like* a wall post, on Facebook?"

    [blank stare]

    Aaaaaand, that is why I don't teach people how to use the internet…for a living.

    "Papa also mentioned something about starting a blog, like you, too."

    Although, I do suspect it may have been a defense mechanism on my part.

    "He said, to tell people when they're not doing stuff right."

    I'm not quite sure if the internet is ready for Apu.  Then again, it will certainly keep him occupied — especially, with winter and cabin fever just around the corner — and perhaps even keep my father from pushing my mother's buttons, or vise versa, right?!?

    I'm sitting on my hands, just in case.

     © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • Planes, Migraines and Insensitive Asshats

    I don't often go away, heck it's a gosh-darned event just to be able to get out on a date night with my husband….but, when I do…I drink Dos Equis…PSYCH!!!…just kidding, I hate beer.

    Aaaaanyway, what was I saying?  

    (Looks up at ceiling, blows bangs out of eyes)

    Oh yeah, so this week I was traveling….as in, I physically got on an airplane and flew over several states….after double-dosing on Dramamine, of course….but, the last time I traveled….in an airplane, over several states…my youngest kid passes out while visiting Grandpa in the hospital…and, well, now maybe you know why I was seriously second-guessing my getting on an airplane….at all….let alone, tempting the powers of #FUBAR….right? 

    (Blank stare)

    Long story, short….NOTHING happened….UNTIL I sat down to have breakfast with Busy Mom (don't be jealous) and my cell phone rang.

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  • Wordless Wednesday: Delinquent Earns Another Reprieve

    Delinquent is the anti-lap cat, unless you are recovering from the migraine from
    hell and then he will make an exception, as long as you don't make a
    habit of it…YO!

    Delinquent Cat and Heather

    Also, he may or may not have figured out I'm still pissed at him for peeing all over the floor (AGAIN!) dumbass delinquent cat.

    Check out the new Wordless Wednesday HQ!!

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • The Afterglow of Giving Back: Helping Us Get Past Hurricane Sandy

    It's been a month since Hurricane Sandy made landfall here in New Jersey (I blogged about our experience, once we got power back) and although the news crews and Weather Channel folks have since moved on to other more immediate and pressing matters (sadly, there is bad stuff happening in the world, all the time)  reminders of just how cataclysmic this storm really was remain and, well, the devistation isn't going away anytime soon.

    I realize that some folks may be growing tired or even a little weary of hearing about yet another Sandy story (I'm looking at you, dude on my Facebook stream who insisted that Jersey should just get over it already) trust me, we get it.

    On the other hand, a large percentage of my husband's customers are small business owners who lost both their homes AND their livelihood, excuse my Jersey when I tell you:  he hears it ALL friggin' day.  In fact, there are people STILL living it, every day.

    Either way, the sense of helplessness is incredibly overwhelming.

    Elizabeth and her son at Samaritan's Purse
    So, when my good friend, and fellow NJ Digital Mom, Elizabeth Norton  (that's her up there with one of her adorable sons!)  suggested we get together and help give back by volunteering to serve dinner to the good folks of Samaritan's Purse (a non-denominational Christian organization providing relief to victims of war, poverty and natural disaster) I was all, like, FRIGGIN'YAH!

    Holly and Me at Samaritan's PurseI got to share the experience with my oldest daughter and, honestly, she and I were a little nervous about how the evening would play out. 

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  • Wordless Wednesday: You Don’t Scare Me, I Have Teens and a Fleece Blanket.

    That awkward moment:  when you go to pull your blanket up higher and accidentally punch yourself in the face.

    Snuggles Are For Grownups

    Me and my snuggler in crime, during scary movie night.

    Yeah, that hasn't ever happened to me either, but I hear your eyes don't stop watering for a solid 3 commercial breaks.

  • Cyber Monday, A Blogger’s Parody

    Dedicated to everyone and anyone who found their email/inbox bombed by newsletters that you don't remember ever having subscribed to in the first place:

    Cyber Monday, so disappointing to me,
    Cyber Monday, it was worse than I thought Black Friday to be.
    By Monday morning, Monday morning would pretty much guarantee,
    That Monday evening I would have 3,982 emails waiting for me.

    Cyber Monday, I get it, sometimes it just works out that way,
    Cyber Monday, Black Friday starting on Thursday was bad enough you see.
    Monday morning, I had little to no warning of what was to be,
    Oh Cyber Monday, 3,982 emails, REALLY?!?

    Every other day, every other day,
    Being spammed every other holiday is bad enough, yeah.
    But whenever Cyber Monday comes, but whenever Cyber Monday comes,
    I'll be ready for you, the very next time.

    Cyber Monday, you won't be disappointing me,
    Cyber Monday, send me an unsolicited email and unsubscribed you shall  be.
    Oh Monday morning, take this as a warning of what is to be,
    On Cyber Monday, next year I'll be sending an auto-response, p.s. BITE ME!

    With my sincerest apologies to the Mamas and the Papas.

    Yours truly,

    I.M. Tired N. Cranky

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House