Spring Cleaning.

It's strange not having some massive impending doom to be stressing about. Not really doom, but scary, stressful things. Like I previously said, I took care of some huge things in January and February and am quite proud of myself. I got a 14 year old Volvo to pass emissions and run well (with the help of Kyle the Great), taxes (which I've realized through Kathy the Great isn't that stressful, but I've gone without filing for a bit, had a kid, and have been working as an independent contractor, those things equal terror!), made it to St. Louis and back for my sister's wedding (which was stressful for me, as both Owen and I were in the wedding party, we took a long train ride for the first time and Owen is unpredictable), all among other things that weren't as stressful, but added up.

Now I'm left with really nothing to stress over. How novel!

Yesterday Filip was extracting a window to be fixed, which he broke playing soccer in the house, and the curtains were being annoying. It's been nagging me for a while anyway. I think I've snarked about cleaning them since before the holidays. So without thinking of the massive chore ahead, I yanked every curtain down and got to it. It ended up sucking up a whole Saturday. Because of course I couldn't just clean them all, I had to hem them as well. And then they needed to be pressed. And did I mention that four of those curtains had been tucked behind a radiator that the cats somehow squish themselves behind causing those four curtains to shift from their nice, luxurious chocolate color to a matted, dense, opaque grey? Yeah, no. Not an easy task and had I have thought about everything that would have went into it, I most certainly would not have elected to take that on yesterday.



I've had a bit of a cold through the week so beer has been off the table for me. But it was Saturday! And I was engrossed in a furry curtain mess and needed something! So while Filip was helping with the ironing and I was de-furring, I concocted a delicious little cocktail. We call it the Ironed Curtain.



A couple cubes of ice, roughly 2 ounces of gin. Fill the glass 3/4 with tonic. Splash of green Chartruese and grapefruit bitters. Seriously delicious. A perfect beverage for Spring Cleaning.

I must say, even though it's not a huge difference, the curtains do look much nicer, and they aren't going to be harboring fur and dust colonies any longer.


A typical Sunday. Owen's napping, soccer, Filip's napping. But look how much cleaner it looks with those short curtains!

Spring cleaning is super motivating for me this year. I've got a few more little projects around the house I'm excited about, and excited that I have the time for them! If I get my hands on a power sander this week, there will be more exciting posts and hopefully cocktails to accompany them!

In the spirit, I've also spruced up the old Etsy shop and am offering a 25% discount on all purchases this week. Get it! And help me move out winter stock and make way for amazing new finds!

Now I finally get to start working on my project for Erin's wedding. I'm excited to embroider again!



And excited to help out because I'm actually very, incredibly, super bummed out that we'll be traveling when Erin and Benny get married this May. This is one wedding I sincerely don't want to miss. So in the meantime, I'll help as much as I can in lieu of being there.

Sounds like the man-folk in this house are waking up from naps and seemingly on the wrong sides of the bed and couch...

Hiya! Leap!

Hi. It's been a long time! Happy New Year.

We went to Superdawg today, and it was a big day for Owen. He had his first, very own, Supercheesie. Pretty exciting.

Many a cause for celebration lately! Last Friday, February 24th, Owen pooped on the potty for the first time. Pretty awesome. He was doing a funny little dance, we moved into the bathroom, started reading Everyone Poops and there you have it.

My sister was just recently married in Saint Louis. Owen's first train ride too! He loved it, obvs. It was a pretty hectic weekend as both Owen and I were in the wedding party. I didn't get to take many pictures at all, but the ones I did manage to snap you can see here. Even though Owen crashed and burned in a big way early on Saturday evening, it was a fun get together and I'm happy for my sister. Congrats!

Many big, major things that needed to be taken care of early on this year, but thankfully, those are all out of the way. For now, all that's left to do is look forward to our trip to Poland! Finally! Stress is out of the way, everything TCBed, and in 2 months we'll be on the other side of the world for a much needed break. I'm a bit nervous about being away from Owen for an extended time. Mostly nervous for myself, not for him, but it's really not a major concern. Major concerns are going here and here and here among other things. Going to the sea, going for coffee, going for walks, and going everywhere being lost and not at home.

In the meantime, looking for more places to see and things to do. Spending time working on etsy and am excited about new listings and things for the shop! Busy with work, busy with Owen, all things per usual. I'm exciting to be doing more of the things I want to be doing. I'm excited about being motivated about writing and having encouragement to write and somewhere to go with it, which has, in turn, encouraged me to work on writings and things that I've always just pushed aside and never mustered up what I've needed to do it.

Anyway, these are the types of things I say quite often on this blog and then six months go bye without another post. Along with other things that nag me when I'm trying to fall asleep, this is on the list of things I'm regularly going to tend to. 2012 is looking good. Today's February 29th, leap year! And I've already packed about a year's worth of stuff into this year already. It's easy and awesome from here on out!

I'll leave you with this, even though a couple months old, because it's February 29th and your mind should be blown even further.

franksgiving

I had already started drafting up a post about how I was thankful that Owen started calling me mama.
I went home last weekend for my little sister's bachelorette party.


my mom, sister and I, bachelorette party

Before heading out, I spent some time with O on video chat and just before signing off he so clearly said Bye Mama.
We were all shocked, as I've been commonly referred to as Diwut (Filip). I got teary-eyed. How awesome, right? I leave for a couple days and bam, now he's finally calling me mama!
Except no. Yesterday I asked Owen if he wanted to talk to grandma on video and he ran over to my computer all excited yelling Mama! Mama! Mama!
So grandma is mama. Womp, womp. Back to Diwut.

But yeah. Still thankful for that little jerk even if he calls me Diwut. Thankful for many things.

"There comes a time when it just doesn’t make sense to keep on fighting. It’s not that you’re being a quitter, it’s just that you’ve got the sense to know when enough is enough."

I thankful that the good lord gave me enough sense to know when enough is enough. Many times over throughout the year enough has been enough, and finally putting those things to rest has made everything so much better.

Work is busy, Etsy is busy, Owen is busy. I really kind of don't know what to do with myself today not having anything to do. I mean, there are things to do, but forcing myself not to do them is tough, but necessary. I'm thankful for busy-ness.

I'm thankful for friends. Thankful for Tinkey and Nicole and Jeff, without whom I'd be more insane than I already am, if that's possible. Thankful for family. Thankful for my little family. Thankful that everything is lining up in place and things are working out just fine. Thankful that I'm happy in everyday and not looking to the future for better times or regretting things because I'm more fond of the past. I like everyday, I'm happy with everyday, I'm okay with everyday and I think that's what I'm most thankful for. No, it's not actually, I'm most thankful for Owen's amazing dance moves.

Two Years Old.

Two Years Old for Owen today. Two amazing years.

When I woke up early to start making Birthday Breakfast I found this:



Bacon & Sausage & Eggs & Waffles & Ice Cream.



Followed by Presents.





We're heading to the train yards on the Southside in just a bit. More ice cream and snacks. More trains. More Birthday. Weekend with Grandma and aunts and uncles and the City Museum.

I obviously flopped on posts about my dad last month, but things just get so busy without even realizing. There's a few stories I'm still going to get around to posting.

The past month has been the beginning of a much needed new era. And I'm really excited to be at the start of it with a gorgeously handsome, hilarious and incredibly smart two year old, new work prospects, a pretty damn awesome relationship, and a blindingly bright future. The time is now, this is how it's going to be, and I'm putting my foot down with this one. Amazing, awesome, and super fun times, there's not enough time for anything else.

I'm really humbled and incredibly lucky to have such an amazing kid. Even if his favorite past time right now is breaking things without me knowing and telling me after the fact, "I goke it!"

Earliest Memory

I never got around to writing anything last night as I was busy, busy working until wee hours. I guess I have that on my mind which is kind of influencing this evening's topic.

I was working on some interviews with women in a rehab center. They were all asked the same questions, mostly about their upbringing, their parents, their relationships with their parents. It's curious as you can see obvious similarities, but then sometimes, not. Very curious how we all get to where we are and in some cases there's so much blame, and other cases there's so much thankfulness and perception is the key. Such fine lines. Ah, anyway, I get too intimate with work sometimes.

She asked each participant the earliest memories of their mother and then their father. It's so fascinating because I totally relate to all of them in one way. I don't know if it's maybe a mama thing or being closest with your mom or what, but I can't remember an earliest or first memory of my mother. It's my mother, she's always been there. She's always been number one. But with my dad, I have a very clear memory, probably one of the firsts, if not the first. I don't have a very particular instant with my mom. So funny. I've been racking my brain the past 2 days trying to pinpoint something, but I haven't been able to yet.

Okay. So, the first memory I have with my dad. It's spotty, but you'll get the gist of it.
I think I was maybe 3 or 4. Not in school yet.
There was a baby shower. I honestly can't even remember which aunt it was for, wait a minute. Maybe it was for my mom when she was pregnant with my sister. That might be it. Or maybe it was for an aunt pregnant with one of my little cousins. I really don't remember, but I remember that it was at my mom's house.
I remember everyone prepping for the party. Decorations, snacks, drinks. I remember being in a powder blue dress. I remember that my dad was assigned to go to St. John's Liquor's, which is no longer in business, to get ice and drinks or things of the like.
I remember climbing into my dad's truck and going with him. I followed him around the liquor store. The check-out counter was really tall. I had to stand on my tip toes to make myself eye level with the ledge of the counter.
On the counter was a basket of Dum Dum suckers. I wanted one, sure. What kid wouldn't? But I was an incredibly shy kid. I typically hid behind my Mom's legs in public and in this instance, I was with my Dad, so I knew better than to ask. The woman behind the counter asked me if I wanted one. I nodded yes. She told me to take which ever one I wanted. I grabbed one.
My dad paid for his selection. We walk out of the store. I climbed back into the truck, and before my Dad started the truck he noticed that I had a sucker. He didn't realize that the lady behind the counter told me I could have one. I didn't understand how he missed the entire interaction between me and the woman behind the counter. He didn't believe me that she said I could have one. He told me I stole it. I cried. I went to my room and missed out on most of the party because I was so upset.

That's basically all that I remember.

It's so funny. I was so small, such a tiny kid. And looking back, I have a handful of memories throughout my childhood and adolescence where I felt as upset as I did over the Dum Dum because one or both of my parents didn't believe me when I was telling the truth.

That doesn't make my Dad a horrible father, nor my Mom and awful mother. By any means. They did what they knew how to do and what was natural for them. How did that become the earliest thing I can remember about my Dad?

What is going to be the earliest thing Owen remembers? Has it already happened? Will it happen this year? Next?

I whole-heartedly believe that this memory has had an impact on the way I handle things with O. I talk to Owen like a regular person. Which I know can sound really weird especially when I'm in Target and someone overhears this adult conversation I'm holding and then I turn the corner with Owen. I only mention this because I've received a lot of strange looks in public when I realize I've been talking to Owen for a while. Lots of stuff like that, so on and so forth.
Anyway, everyone wants to be taken seriously no matter their age.

Mama's here to listen.

Feeling Crummy

I feel really crummy today. Laid on the couch most of the day praying that Owen would quiet down and it never really happened, nor did he take a nap.

If I was in elementary school today would be a day where I'd insist that I had to stay home sick. Sick days were awesome when we were kids. If my brother, sister or I stayed home sick from school, my Dad would bring us a two liter of Sprite and a king sized Hershey bar on his lunch break. He'd eat a sandwich and watch either Sanford And Son or All In The Family and go back to work. I don't know why, but he did it every time until high school, really. Those were the days.

Lawn Mowing, Dave Ullrich Style

This one's going to be short and sweet (and hilarious- well, to me at least) because I'm sleepy and want to watch netflix all curled up in big blankets.
Dag, I wish there were some Duraflame logs laying around. I'm so ready to kick up the jams in my fireplace!

Anyway, no pictures tonight, sadly, as I don't believe any exist. Which is a very sad story, but maybe not. Maybe best in my memory. Who knows?

So, dads mow the lawn, right? My Dad had a very interesting lawn mowing outfit. And no one really knows where or why. Maybe he did this to annoy and embarrass my Mom? Maybe it just felt right? Maybe he want to make me, my brother and sister laugh hysterically? Part of me thinks it's a little of all of that, but most of me sort of thinks that he just had his own motives that he'll never tell, and even if he did, we'd never understand.

He wouldn't wear his lawn mowing outfit every time he mowed the lawn, but when he did (unannounced) my Mom would see him out front and close the front door and all the blinds. Seriously, so funny. We (my brother, sister and I) would be screeching gleefully.

My dad would be trucking along the front yard, on the busy-ish street that my parents live on, with all the neighbors looking on, wearing denim shorts that he cut super short, his big black work boots, a large wicker cornucopia turned backwards on top of his head, no shirt and sunglasses. On occasion he'd wear those oversized novelty sunglasses. He'd mow the entire front and back lawn like this, then come inside as if nothing had happened. Totally straight faced, totally puzzled at the questions we'd ask him about what he was wearing and continue on with the day like nothing was out of the ordinary. Again, this wasn't every time he mowed the lawn, but until the age of about eleven or twelve, this happened at least a couple times every summer.

It hasn't been brought up in years, but I'm almost positive that if I mentioned it to him he say to me in a very, very quiet monotone voice, as serious as could be, "I don't know what you're talking about." And maybe he'd kind of mutter something to himself or shake his head and snicker a little.

Really, what a nutter. Definitely an amazing Dad Moment.