Love is waking your laptop to find silly little cabin-fever-induced webcam photos of your teens…all 350 of them (cabin-fever-induced webcam photos, NOT teens, I mean!)
[shiver]
Aaaaand, there's more snow on the way?!?
FLOB! Seems Mother Nature is in desperate need of a serious attitude adjustment, too…or, a new laptop…whatevs.
Happy Love Thursday, everyone!
© 2003 – 2011 ThisFullHouse.com
My husband, Garth (not his real name) thinks I'm nuts (I know, act surprised anyway okay?)
Aaaanyway, as I was showing a family friend my our new BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER, not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS camera…
[takes breath]
…he calls me out.
"She takes the weirdest pictures."
I was crushed.
So, I grabbed the camera (ever so gently) and began to scroll through the memory card.
We nabbed this old foot pump Singer sewing machine in a yard sale, B.C. (before kids) I just love the shadow play with the wood and metal in this shot.
Looking up on top of the sewing machine: the flower pot is a quick (but, prettiful) place to drop our keys and the glass ball actually belongs to something else that broke, years ago (can't remember what) but, the kids like to pretend it's a magic crystal ball….me, too.
Looking to the left of the sewing machine: two of my favorite pictures of Garth (not his real name) and I thought that the reflection on the one of us dancing at my brother's wedding was sort of cool — quite apropos, really.
Looking to the right of the sewing machine: the dining room window is the brightest in the house (even on the gloomiest of winter days) so, my geraniums are always in full bloom! /gloom
Aaaaand, then looking left (again) from the sewing machine: my Aunt Theresa crocheted this blanket for me as a Christmas present. My cousin gave it to me the day Theresa passed away and I'm still waiting for the awful sense of loss and regret to pass, too, each time I look at it.
[heavy sigh]
Aaaand, this is when I moved to the back door and, well, color me weird, but darned if I didn't start to feel a whole lot better!
"What's this one about?"
I looked over my friend's shoulder and blankly stared at the viewer.
"Um, what do YOU think it looks like?"
[eyes go wide]
"Well, I would say a Christmas Cactus."
[shrugs]
"But, you're the photographer."
[grin]
"You probably see something different, like hair, or something!"
[frown]
I know. In this case, different is code for nutty and/or weird. Still. I love, LOve, LOVe, LOVE my new BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER, not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS camera…
[takes deep breath]
…because, it compels me to slow down and really appreciate the world around me and, well, she DID call me a photographer, right?
[sound of crickets chirping]
Shut up, Garth (NHRN!)
© 2003 – 2011 ThisFullHouse.com
Our house is about 1,800 square feet — that's the equivalent of some folk's swimming pools, here in Jersey — and it looks even smaller, from the sidewalk.
Understandably, it's hard to imagine 6 people living in such a house.
"Wow!!!"
It's really funny to watch first-time visitors walk through our front door, stare up at the high ceilings, blink both their eyes, rapidly, as they try to center their gaze on the back wall, some 25 feet or so away and then, you know, physically stumble.
"It looks a lot bigger on the inside!"
It's an optical illusion, really — not to mention, they've just seen the biggest room in the house — still, we get by.
Unless, someone gets sick (which, during creeping crud season, is pretty much once a week) or, we're hosting a sleepover (what I like to refer to as, slumberless parties) when no one is sick, of course!
"Wait, how many kids DID you invite?"
Aaaaand, well, reorganizing a corporation could NOT be anymore challenging than rearranging our house.
"Where DID you put them all?"
Considering, my brother and I were raised in an even smaller house (6, including the bathroom) it's funny to think that my own mother had trouble visualizing the logistics of making room for 10 more very-near-to-their-adult-size teenagers.
"Only 5 of them stayed over."
[whispering]
"Where are they?"
You know what's even funnier?
Watching my husband, Garth (not his real name) both eyes darting left, right and then left again, several times and finally gingerly walk through the front door, expecting a surprise attack, land minds, or something.
"Relax…they…are in the girls' room."
It's quite ironic, really — considering, it's hard for friends to imagine how all 3 of my daughters share the same room and, you know, live to complain about — then again, at least they have a bedroom door.
"Don't they want more room?"
[shrugging shoulders]
"Apparently, not."
Until, about 1:30 in the morning.
"Sorry, mom, but we sorta got hungry."
Judging by all the empty cans of soup AND containers of chocolate frosting, I found tossed in the kitchen sink, I would say so.
"You know, you coulda stayed in the living room?"
[shrugs shoulders]
"It's no big deal."
I know (DAMMIT!) still, over the years, I've learned to be careful not to complain about the house, too much — no matter how frustrating, stressful or claustrophobic it may be, especially, in the wintertime — and most especially, NOT in front of my kids.
Seeing as it's, you know, their home, too.
"Besides, my friends think our house is all comfy-cozy inside."
Aaaaand, well, I just love that, you know?
Happy Love Thursday!
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House / TFH Gone Shopping
Gave my minivan a snowhawk the other day and now the rest of the cars in the neighborhood, you know, want one!
I was cruising The Motherhood the other day and found an interesting article picked from the headlines by Emily (because, she's really smart like that) written by Nick Bunkley of the New York Times entitled, "Mocked as UnCool, The Minivan Rises Again," where he asks the question:
Could driving a minivan, the ultimate embodiment of the suburban family vehicle, ever be considered cool?
Didn't you hear? According to some car makers (rhymes with Schmoyota) we need a little swag-guh put back into our wagon-layden suburban driveways.
Me, I'd settle for a quick resurfacing, or a little less snow.
Whassup with all the labels…can't mom and dad just live and let drive…um…whatever the heck you want?
Everything ends up smelling like sour feet, anyway.
As a longtime 7-passenger vehicle enthusiast (i.e. co-owner of our kids' personal taxi service) I really never understood all the rage against the minivan.
Until, this morning.
"Holy crap!"
10 days post Snowmaggedon and the secondary roads here in Jersey are still cruddy (3 feet make for a lot of snow) to the point where you can't fit 2 minivans on the same street, at 1 time.
"Move over, you stupid Land Rover!"
So, I'm playing chicken with my neighbors getting kids to (and from) school.
"They're not stopping, Mommy!!!"
Aaaand I feel forced to pullover, once more, and make room for folks driving their flashier cars and not so much because I am passive aggressive like that.
[waves]
"You're welcome!"
You could say I'm also teaching my children that, no matter the situation, or the type of car you drive, you CAN be the bigger person, right?
"But, she didn't say thank you, Mommy?"
Then again, there is a reason why I chose Bertha (she's my car) in a lovely shade of suburban assault.
"That's okay, maybe next time…we won't be so nice!"
She'll have to try and pass me, after school.
[pats dashboard]
"Right, Bertha!"
Why, yes, I've always named my cars and, honestly, would you mess with a woman named Bertha?
[sound of crickets chirping]
Stay-at-home mom, my rear bumper!
© 2003 – 2011 This FULL House Blog / This FULL House Reviews
The kids tag-teamed being sick over holiday break and, at last count, it was my youngest daughter's turn…shhhh, but don't tell her, okay?
Oh, not to worry, we experienced bright and shiny non-crud-filled moments, together, too.
Like, during our annual New Year's Eve movie marathon, we watched Fiddler on the Roof and one of our (okay, my) ALL time favorite musicals, ever, The Sound of Music.
That's a combined total of 355 minutes (or, 5.916666667 hours) of unadulterated, pure as alpine mountain air, nerdy nirvana and, well, yes, we are THAT family of geeky Broadway buffs blurting out lines from old show tunes at the dining room table.
Wanna come for dinner? No problem. Dress casual. Bring a face mask.
Aaaaand, for your musical pleasure, here's a little something, just for you, with slightly adjusted verbage, to compliment the suckage:
Yes, we're barely alive with the help of Mucinex
With muck we have flung for like a thousand years
The crud fills their lungs with the sound of mucus
My heart feels like it's gonna drown with every cough it hears
It makes me want to beat the creeping crud out of them
just from total lack of sleep
I just want them to breath (dammit!)
makes parent teacher conferences seem like a breeze
To cough so hard it makes them trip and fall
god I hate that their feeling this way
To cough through the night
and sleepwalk through the rest of the day
I go to the pills when my heart feels all achy
I know I will hear what I've heard before
Their lungs will be blessed with the sound of Mucinex
And I'll sleep once more
Dinner's at 6-ish, you're welcome!!!
[This is an unpaid, unsponsored and undoubtedly the dorkiest post I've written in, well, what day is it? Aaaaaanyway, just be glad I didn't post the video I made of myself, you know, singing it, stupid sleep deprivation.]
© 2003 – 2011 This FULL House Blog / This FULL House (Re)Views
Queen Latifah (love her!) gives a really great interview in Parade Magazine, this week:
"There's something about growing up in New Jersey that prepares you for whatever you might encounter around the world. We're not afraid to go places."
Having lived in Jersey, all my life, I feel it safe to say, "What she said!!!"
Contrary to what many other people may think (about people from Jersey) specifically, about moms like me…ahem…we really do know how to use our words and, although we tend to speak with our hands, some of us more than others…ahem…Jersey Girls know how to use their inside voices, too.
[sound of crickets, chirping]
Unless, you've had someone home, sick, since Christmas Eve and then get dumped on by 3 feet of snow (a.k.a. Snowmaggedon) causing you to convince a typically understanding 15 year-old (note: she was the one sick on Christmas) that…YES!!!…celebrating unbirthdays is waaaay cool (IS SO!) oh, and that shopping for last minute New Year's Eve snackage is awesome AND fun (see previous parenthesis) then, some unfortunate a$$hat decides to take your parking space.
[inhales]
You know, the one you've been patiently waiting on for the last eleventy hours.
"ARE YOU FRICKIN' KIDDING ME!"
[puts car in park, rolls up sleeves, swallows gum]
"What are *bleep*ing blind, can't you see me *bleep*ing waiting ovuh-heh?"
[inhales]
"Yah, well, a very Happy *Bleep*ing New Year, to you, too, you morrrrrrr-RON!"
Aaaand, this is about the time I remembered that, you know, my 15 year-old was still in the car and, judging by the look on her face, I just earned myself another reason why I won't be accepting Mother of the Year, again, or anytime soon, for that matter.
[rolls window down]
"Yeah, what SHE said!"
Then again, looking on the bright side, my kids are getting older and, well, worst case, they won't be afraid to call out bad behavior when the see it.
[rolls window up]
"Um…what the heck is an A$$hat?"
Aaaand they seem to be able to show much more restraint than, you know, their mother, already.
"Someone who says or does something, stupid, without thinking."
On the other hand, the lesson would have been MUCH MORE effective if, you know, I had thought to roll the window down…first.
"Can I say it?"
[one beat, two beats]
"Only if someone really, really deserves it!"
So, Happy New Year, everyone…except you.
[rolls down window]
"You stupid, parking-space-stealing, a$$hat!"
What she said!
© 2003 – 2011 This FULL House Blog / This FULL House (Re)Views
Created with the most BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS Christmas gift…EVUH (thank you, Garth – not your real name – you TOTALLY rock my socks!) deep freeze courtesy of Snowmaggedon 2010.
Edited with Picasa 3.0 to Bruce Springsteen's 10th Avenue Freeze Out (DITTO!)
Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ
Tag, you're it: Wordless Wednesday
See you next year, everyone!!!
© 2003 – 2011 This FULL House Blog / This FULL House (Re)Views
Happy 15th Birthday, Heather!
By now, you've been marked on the measuring wall, had your birthday hunt and opened your gift (you're welcome!) and I really do hope that you're not too disappointed.
Don't worry. I understand. Even if you swore a thousand and one times on your beloved great-grandmother's grave (who loved you very much, too and is probably watching, right now, so I better be REAL careful about what I say next) birthdays SHOULD be coveted and a time when selflessness is, more often than not, overlooked.
Unless, you live in our house…your birthday falls SMACK in the middle of cold and flu season…it snowed about two-gazillion feet and you're STILL digging out (DAMMIT!) or, in this case, ALL of the above (see previous parenthesis!) aaaand, your birthday sleepover (a.k.a. slumberless) party has been postponed (again) until maybe, um, next year?
"How about if I pencil you in for this Thursday?"
It's times like these when I begin to believe that wishing on sunshine and rainbows is highly overrated.
"That's okay, Momma, I understand."
As I watch you, right now, whille we take advantage of a delayed opening at dad's office (YAY!) and enjoy an impromptu breakfast celebration (i.e. just happened to have eggs, milk AND enough flour) chowing down on his scrumpdeliumptious crepes and finding contentment with where you are, right now.
"For some reason, these taste really, really good today, dad!"
It's only then do I realize the warm streams of light that begin to float through our dining room window and find absolute joy in being able to see our spit in the sunshine.
"Wait, let me try!"
Still, I can't help but agree with your father and his gosh-darned New England sensibility (sort of!)
"You guys are really just too much!"
Because, these are the times, when I truly believe, with all my heart, there is NO such thing as too much gift.
"Ready, together now!"
Happy Birthday, BeeBop!!!
"We're spittin' on sunshine, WHOOAH!"
Once again, you've proved yourself WAY too much gift, for me — but, I love, LOve, LOVe, oh my gosh, I absolutely freakin' LOVE you — I'm keeping you, anyway.
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House Blog / This FULL House (Re)Views
Beeeeecause, all the baking, cleaning, cooking, planning and preparing in the world will NOT stop the creeping crud from putting a damper on your holiday.
Unless, you live at our house…
"Sweetie, you awake?"
…you're turning 15, this week…
"Any special requests?"
…but, have lost ALL concept of time…
"Can I please have some water, now, pretty please?"
…because, the kid's been puking since Christmas Day.
"Um, not yet, Sweetie, maybe tomorrow."
At our house, birthdays and holidays sometimes arrive late and can last an entire week, even.
"What day is it, again, today?"
[one beat, two beats]
"Uh, well, um, Christmas, yeah, that's right, it's Christmas!"
On OPPOSITE day, so what?
"Oh, look…AAAAAND it's snowing!"
Besides, this way, it looks like we'll be having a White Christmas, after all!
"Oh good, just in time for my sleepover!!!"
Um, yeah…about that…considering Snowmageddon has indeed arrived, uh, no.
"Right, Momma?"
Shhhh, but don't remind Heather, that Glen has a wrestling tournament (on Heather's birthday) but, he's also coughing up a lung, like Holly and Hope's been hitting the bathroom (on and off) since early, this morning.
"Riiiiiight, I hope it snows until New Years."
What? Okay, I don't know about your house.
"YAY…let's have pajama day, everyday!"
I would MUCH rather admit defeat once, than have to succumb to the creeping crud, one celebration at a time, you know?
Happy, um, Everything!!!
© 2003 – 2010 This Full House Blog / This FULL House (Re)Views
It's been a crazy, busy year — even Santa doubts my being able to finish EVERYTHING on MY to do list in time for eggnog o'clock — then, my youngest daughter (she's 9) asked if she could practice her writing skills and wrote a wonderful post about Christmas.
It made me realize just how GROWN UP she's getting and, sadly, Kris Kringle won't be needing my services, for much longer, after all.
[pout]
Good thing Hope and I got the chance to play Santa, this week!
I am very proud to be one of bloggers chosen to participate in Cepia LLC's Random Acts of Zhu holiday giving program.
Each of us were given 104 Zhu Zhu Pets to donate to the charity of our choice, with no compensation OR strings attached.
Why?
Hope and I were THRILLED with the prospect of being able to help families in need and perhaps make another child's holiday a little brighter, too!
Our first stop was the Herb Young Annual Toy Drive held at Hope's elementary school where we donated 7 boxes (56 Zhu Zhu pets) to the children at Spring House in Eatontown, NJ:
"We provide services to break the barriers of homelessness and reinforce self-dignity, independence and self-awareness for women with children."
The toys will be distributed to the families staying at Spring House, tomorrow, Christmas Eve!
Next stop, Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, NJ — they took GREAT care of my middle girl two Christmases ago (okay, me, too!) — we made an appointment to deliver the remaining 6 boxes of Zhu Zhu pets, after school on Tuesday.
We were greeted by Jara Ferrante, a Child Life Specialist and her Assistant, Elizabeth (nice name, btw, heh!) two SUPER friendly ladies with an AWESOME sense of humor (see picture above) who make it their business to help even their littlest visitors at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital feel warm and welcome.
Hope was THRILLED to learn that the Zhu Zhu pets will be put into the "magic closet," so, whenever there's a birthday, or a child is having a particularly difficult time adjusting to their journey, they will be gift wrapped and, hopefully, help the children left in their care feel right at home.
I know, Hope did!
Thank you SO MUCH, Jara, for allowing us to bring some of that warm and fuzzy feeling home with us, along with Hope's new bff, Hopscotch (she's Dr. Bernard's bouncy buddy) too!!!
Special thanks to Cepia LLC for allowing my family to help spread a little holiday cheer, this year!
Why?
Because, nice matters and being able to give a little back to our community, via This Full House of sticky floors and crunchy socks, feels REAL GOSH-DARNED GOOD, too!
LINKY LOVE BYTES:
Jersey Shore University Medical Center's Website
K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital Social Media Center
K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital on Facebook
K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital on Twitter
Happy Holidays, everyone!!!
(Cross-posted to my review blog)
© 2003 – 2010 This FULL House (Re)Views / This FULL House Blahg'd
Disclosure: No payment, or product was received for this post or for my participation in this program.