This Full House Archive

Tag: blogging

Sundays in My City:
Beware the Icicle Slayer

I know, I know, enough with the snowmaggedon posts, already. Still. This winter has made for some really beautiful pictures — here in Jersey, anyway — like these ice swans captured by my 15 yo, in our backyard, the other day. She's majoring in photo journalism and, well, the girl has a great eye, no?

Oh, and the icicles? They are EPIC this year. I'm so glad I took this shot outside our den/guestroom/laundryroom/playroom…before they ALL melted.

Or, before my oldest (a.k.a. Holly the Icicle Slayer) got her hands on them and, truth be told, having caught a glimpse of her darkside, you'd never know that, IRL, she's really an Italian literature and arts major, right?

I was a little frightened for the wreath's safety.

So, I thought it was probably a good idea to, you know, step back and put down my brand new camera, frigalicious as it is (yes, it's a word!) not to mention, put away the rest of the Christmas decorations…I know…shuddup!

But, not before grabbing this shot, as she claimed her trophy and, well, thank goodness her little brother wasn't home to, you know, turn it into a weapon and pretend it was an ice saber, or something.

Before it melted, of course — Happy Sunday!!!

To see other scenes from around the world, check out Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City.

Oh, and feel free to clean off a chair, sit down and visit my photo journal or my Flickr photostream.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

February 6, 2011
You See, This is EXACTLY Why I Love Reading Other People’s Blogs!

It's been a rough couple of days/weeks/months here at This Full House of sticky socks and crunchy feet.

Without going into too much detail (you're welcome!) for fear of boring you to the point where you experience permanent decrease in vision, or your head explodes (I know, too late, stay with me here, just a little longer, okay?) it's just the typical drama that goes along with living in close quarters, in the wintertime and raising kids, who are old enough to, you know, talk back.

Which, in the long term, is a good thing, seeing as my children will most definitely display brilliant moments of absolute resilience or, at the very least, be able to hold their own in a conversation.

Me, not so much.

I'm just too gosh-darned tired to argue and, may the parenting gods on high forgive me, but, I sort of like it when I hear other seemingly rational and somewhat more educated people, you know, complain about their kids.

Inevitably, the guilt sets in, hard, and typically in the darkest of moments — like, hearing when a family in one of our schools suddenly loses a child — and, well, I just can't imagine living without either one of mine.

Until, the next time my oldest is running late, my son leaves his jacket behind, or my youngest interrupts a conversation, while my husband, Garth (not his real name) and I try to convince my middle girl that parents are NOT, you know, as dumb as we seem (which is most days, btw) well, every day, it's something, right?

[sound of crickets chirping]

So, there I was, just sitting here, at my desk, minding my own business (sort of) reading other people's blogs (hence, last parenthesis) when the most amazingly fantastical thing happened.

The sun came out.

Then, suddenly…um…uh…funny, I sort of forgot what the heck was bothering me in the first place.

Aaaaand, well, I just love that, you know?

Happy Love Thursday!

UPDATED TO ADD: Due to a sports-related emergency (Gatorade blew up in son's gym bag) he found his jacket in the front office, today (YAY!) but, seems to have misplaced one of his wrestling shoes (Ummmmm) bet you didn't know they cost an arm (possibly a leg, even) or, that there was such a thing as wrestling shoes, either, right?!?

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

February 3, 2011
The House Next Door

It's sad, really. A lonely, frozen, barren, wasteland comes to mind. Gloom crashes in like icy waves, extinguising all of the warmth from my body, culminating in a moment of complete and unavoidable despair.

The sadness is overwhelming.

It clouds the eyes and turns my thoughts toward darker days.

This house is old. The woman living inside is even older. At 104, she has outlived her children and even some of her grandchildren. What have her eyes seen? How many times has her heart been broken and…yet…it continues to beat?

It's amazing, really. A sturdy, unsinkable ship comes to mind; made with strong hands and bound by family ties that, although broken long ago, weathered yet another storm.

Yes, this house is old. The woman living inside is even older. It is her home.

Grace lives there and her next door neighbor's name is Hope.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

January 29, 2011
Do I Love Him?

I haven't slept with Garth (not his real name) since, Christmas!

[eyes go wide]

In the same bed, I mean, SHEESH!

We've been married for 20 years and, well, as Doofus is very willing to demonstrate (DAMMIT!) the couch can be pretty comfy, too.

Still, our kids are getting older, we're feeling old-ish (more and more, everyday, dammit!) I guess life is just rubbing our nerves raw, at the moment.

Okay, you can cut the tension with a cotton ball and the hardest part is, you know, pretending like our kids don't notice.

Oh, we're fine — just in case you were wondering or someone closely related to us happens to wander in here and read into stuff he, or she really shouldn't.

SLAM!

It's just real hard to wake Garth (not his real name) once he sits down, poor guy, so it's just easier to let him sleep with the dawg, while I watch Fiddler on the Roof, for the bazillionth time, right?

[the sound of crickets chirping]

Still, it also raises one very important question:

(Garth NHRN)
Do you love me?

(Me)
Do I what?

(Garth NHRN)
Do you love me?

(Me)
Do I love you?
With kids in 4 different schools
And this cruddy flu going around
You're upset, you're worn out
Go inside, go lie down!
Maybe it's indigestion

(Garth NHRN)
"I'm asking you a question…"

Do you love me?

(Me)
I'm a dork!

(Garth NHRN)
"I know…"

But do you love me?

(Me)
Do I love you?
For twenty years I've washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house

PAUSE: Okay, so Garth (not his real name) does ALL of this too (maybe, even more) but, that's NOT the point, here! Continue:

Given you children, milked the cow (no, not really, SHEESH!)
After twenty years, why talk about love right now?

(Garth NHRN)
The first time I met you
I didn't think we'd last the day
I was scared

(Me)
I was shy

WAIT A MINUTE: Okay, for those of you who knew me B.C. (before children) you can all STOP laughing now! Continue:

(Garth NHRN)
I was nervous

(Me)
Truth be told, so was I

(Garth NHRN)
And now I'm asking,
Do you love me?

(Me)
But, I'm such a dork!

(Garth NHRN)
"I know…"
But do you love me?

(Me)
Do I love him?
For twenty years I've lived with him
Fought him, laughed with him
After twenty years the couch is his
If that's not love, I ask you, WHAT IS?

(Garth NHRN)
Then you love me?

(Me)
I suppose I do

(Garth NHRN)
And I suppose I love you, too

No, it doesn't change a thing, but even so, after twenty years, it's sorta nice to know — not to mention, hear myself say it out loud, pretend my blog is a stage and that I sing REAL good, too!

Move over, Doofus (the dawg, I mean!)

© 2003 – 2011 ThisFullHouse.com

January 21, 2011
Sundays in My City: Winter Blues

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

To see other city scenes from around the world, check out Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City.

Oh, and feel free to clean off a chair, sit down and visit my photo journal or my Flickr photostream.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House Blog / TFH Gone Shopping

January 16, 2011
Hump Day Diddy Dumbs:
The Sound of Mucinex

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

January 5, 2011
Curse While You’re Thinking
It Saves Time (In Jersey, Anyway!)

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

January 2, 2011
Nearly Wordless Wednesday:
Freeze Framed – Jersey Style!

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

December 29, 2010
Congratulations It’s ….

Just the BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER, not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS camera…EVUH!!!…looky what WE can do:

Is that thing even loaded?

Yep, Mama's packing and ready to zoom!

Christmas has arrived early at This Full House of sticky floors and crunchy socks…

…bearing 10.3 megapixels and 26x zoom!!!

Thank you, Garth (not his real name) for suggesting that we wait, continue couch diving for loose change and then gift each other with the most BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS camera…EVUH!!!

[takes deep breath]

Although, you'll have to pry it from my stupid manfingers with a 33 1/2 inch crowbar, first.

[hides arms, ever so gently, behind back and puckers up BIG]

Merry Christmas, baby!!!

© 2003 – 2010 This FULL House (Re)Views / This FULL House Blahg'd

December 21, 2010
#Reverb10: Lesson Learned

Reverb 10 is an online initiative created by Gwen Bell to reflect on 2010, consider, you know, what's next and, through daily writing prompts, help folks (like me) share their story.

Since I am ALL about sharing (shuddup Garth, not your real name!) my friend Shannon is doing it and now Diana's joining in (although, the non-conformist in me can't promise to, you know, write daily) I've decided to give it a whirl.

Todays' Prompt: Lesson Learned — What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

My first thought? Which one? Seeing as I've made it my business to share stuff I've learned about myself, either through raising my kids, reading your blogs (yes, I REALLY DO READ BLOGS!) or through the bazillion mistakes I've made, over the years.

Too many to recount, really (you're welcome!)

There is, however, one lesson that I find myself revisting on a daily basis (almost) but, I've resisted blogging about, lest I offend anyone, or risk opening an old wound that, for some reason, just refuses to, you know, scab over.

Until now.

Entering into my 8th year of blogging and helping our community of moms (and dads) grow exponentially, I made the mistake of allowing myself to believe my integrity was unquestionable!

Well, it wasn't…isn't…ugh…what I mean to say is this…having lived through that experience (a.k.a. I Survived Twittergate) and then, rethinking my entire blogging platform (for the better, I hope) I've learned that my integrity can indeed remain, intact.

And, so, I continue to share my words (here) find ways to engage and give back to my community (here) read your stories (here) and, hopefully, one of us will feel better, knowing that, even though comments aren't what they used to be (stupid facebook, dumbass twitter) doesn't necessarily mean no one is, you know, listening.

PHEW! I feel better now, thanks!!

Aaand, if you're STILL reading along, know that there is a special place in heaven (or, a facsimile thereof) reserved for prettiful people, like you.

Even if it means humoring a professional dork, like me.

/story

—————————————-

My OTHER Reverb 10 stories.

© 2003 – 2010 This Full House Blog / TFH Gone Shopping

December 17, 2010