Sorting

OK, so some people think it's a little strange that I like to sort Skittles and MnM's by color.  And I concede that, yes, It might fall into the realm of "odd."  But, apparently its genetic.  I discovered Matthew eating his dessert of MnM's the other night, and just burst out laughing.  He didn't see what was so funny about it. 

We're still here

Yes, we're still here!  But it's football season, and that means BUSY!

A handsome man sat next to me on the couch last night.  I reached over and held my hand out, introducing myself, "Hi, I'm your wife."  OK, so that's maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, our lives get crazy during this time of year and we really only see each other in passing.  But don't worry, we've had 9 years of practice, and we'll come out just fine. 

It doesn't help that my work is ultra busy lately, too.  I've gone into work 12 straight days now.  Unfortunately my work requires me to actually be on site to do my job - no working from home.  Weekends are when I can actually get work done without so many distractions and meetings.  I even came down with a nasty cold last Friday, but had to come into work anyway to meet a deadline.  But don't worry, I've only got a month and a half left of such craziness.

So what's new?  Matthew has lost his two front teeth, and is loving first grade at his new school.  He's playing soccer, and was a superstar last weekend - scoring three goals in the fourth quarter to beat the other team 3-2.  Andrew and I argued and both tried to claim credit for his athletic prowess.  He's also taking (ice) hockey lessons, and loves it. 

Kayla is in pre-K, and has developed a love of homework.  I think it makes her feel like a big girl.  She's doing gymnastics, and has no fear, of course.  She's still feisty as ever, but a little more agreeable these days.  She still can't control her hands, touching everything in site.  Will she ever outgrow that?

Matthew and I are already conspiring together on our yard decorations for Halloween this year.  New house, new yard, endless possibilities.  He seems to have inherited my fondness for Halloween, and is always coming up with great ideas for decorating.  Kayla wants me to sew her a Minnie Mouse costume - trouble is, I don't know how to sew.  But it's flattering that she still thinks I can do everything!

Enough rambling for now.  I've got tons of pics to post...stay tuned..

My Near-Win at a Contest

I enter radio contests - I admit it.  I keep thinking I'll win something someday, and that someday almost came this past weekend.  Here's the story...

I entered a contest in August for this local radio station for a "$10,000 bathroom renovation featuring a deluxe walk-in shower and bathtub."  Sounds pretty good, right? 

So, I get a call last week from a guy saying that I've been selected as a finalist.  Cool, I thought!  But, they probably have called about 100 people with this same news.  When I asked them how many finalists there would be, the guy wouldn't give me an answer.  The catch was that I had to show up at the California Home and Garden show at the Fairground this past Sunday before 5 pm, check in, and they would announce the winner at 5 pm.  If I wasn't there in person, I wouldn't win. 

I debated actually going because it just sounded like a hassle, and I was sure the chances would be low.  But then curiosity got the best of me.  So, Sunday afternoon I got in the car and made the trek to the fairgrounds with Kayla

I got there just in time, and we checked in at the radio station booth.  Turns out there are only 12 finalists!  So, now I'm feeling pretty good about coming all the way down here.

They line us up as it gets closer to 5, and make an announcement about the contest, and describe our fabulous prize.  Turns out, the prize is this freaking $10,000 handicap tub thingy... 

So, now my mind is racing.  I mean, what the heck will I do with this thing?  Don't get me wrong, it's a very useful thing for someone who needs it, but clearly I have misinterpreted the contest.  But, the contest didn't say it was a handicap bathtub!  I certainly can't bathe kids in that, and it's not going in the master bathroom, I can tell you that!  I start thinking that maybe my mom will want it (unlikely), or maybe I can sell it on eBay, or maybe I can just make a run for it before they announce the winner. 

Meanwhile, they are handing out keys, and one of  those keys will unlock a padlock next to this fabulous prize.  I make Kayla pick out the key for me, because I'm still considering my options.  A drum roll sounds somewhere, and the first victim, I mean finalist, approaches the padlock.  She inserts her key, and opens the padlock!

HALLELUJAH!!!  I think I heard about three other sighs of relief in the line around me.  I've never not wanted to win something so badly in my life! 

So, the lesson here is...read the fine print people, read every word, or just don't enter radio contests. 

Pear Budget

After moving into a new house with a big new mortgage, and big new property taxes to pay, we knew we needed to create and maintain a budget.  But, we have very limited time, so we needed something really easy and convenient to use.  Enter Pear Budget. 

What is it, you ask?  Well, it is a really simple budgeting and expense tracking service - way easier to use than Quicken or Microsoft Money, and perfect if you're new to budgeting or just overwhelmed by other methods of keeping track of your spending.  There are no fancy bells or whistles, and I have to say that it is awesome, and works great for us.

So, give it a try.  They have a free 30-day trial so you can check it out. 
http://www.pearbudget.com/

Sorry Coach! Better luck next year...

I signed Matthew up late for soccer this year, and he was put on a long waitlist.  He's been excited about playing again this year, and then was pretty disappointed about the possibility of not being able to play. 

Then comes the first email to all of the parents on the waitlist...
"If you are willing to be a head coach, your son will be placed on a team."

Hmmmm, I think.  Andrew can't do it with his football schedule, and there is no way I can do it with my work schedule this Fall.  So, I reply back that I'd love to, but just can't.  I felt pretty good about saying "no," because, well, it's difficult for me.

Then comes the second email two weeks later...
"There still are not enough teams for everyone on the waitlist this year.  But, if you are willing to be an assistant coach, then your son will be placed on a team." 

Assistant coach - hmmmmm, but I still don't have the time.  So, I reply back that I'd love to but won't be able to go to all the practices.  The response back was, "No problem!  You can miss a few practices, and here are all the forms and classes you have to take to become a volunteer."

Crap.  So much for doing better at saying "no."

I filled out the forms and sent them in, and figured I'd somehow make it work.  Yesterday I got this news...
"Thanks for volunteering, but we were able to find enough coaches and won't be needing your help as an assistant coach.  Your son has been placed on a team"

Thank God!!!  I think I actually verbalized this rather loudly at work- I couldn't even pretend to be disappointed. 

Today I got an email from Matthew's soccer coach..."we need volunteers to be referees."  

Hmmmm, let me think.  HECK NO.  Me, in the gold, striped, collared shirt and knee high socks, dealing with annoying parents?  Oh, I don't think so.  My son is already on the team, Mister, so you have no leverage now.  This time, I'm not even going to email back.  That's pretty darn close to saying "no", if you ask me.  Small steps...

Matthew's "Good" Choice

We've been talking to Matthew and Kayla a lot about the difference between good and bad choices.  You know, typical parent stuff. 

Yesterday Matthew is sitting with us at the table finishing dinner, and he says that he is going to go find Kayla and wrestle with her on the couch.  So, I ask him, "is it a good choice to wrestle with your sister on the couch?"  I'm concerned that they might break something or someone will get hurt, of course.

And Matthew responds, "No, you're probably right, because she's a very powerful fighter, and she'll probably win"

So glad we're getting through to them...

Monday blues

All work and no play this weekend, makes Melissa tired, grumpy, and feeling bummed on this Monday morning.  Not to mention I had to come in to work before sunrise to catch up because we are understaffed and overwhelmed with tons of deadlines looming. 

We cleaned out our garage and did tons of work moving into the house this weekend.  Our poor kids are bored, complaining, and fighting.  Matthew keeps telling me he doesn't get to see me enough.  I am busy at work, and busy at home, and no where am I feeling in control or on top of things.  . 

It seems like this moving stuff will never end.  For every box I unpack, and every item I send to Goodwill, there is just another box filled with stuff, and no place to put it!  There are still chairs left to paint, and every room needs to be decluttered.  And to make matters worse, we only have three weeks left until school starts and football begins.  Time is not my friend right now.  Boy do I wish I were back in Hawaii...

Kayla's Room

OK, so here it is....  Kayla's new pink room (well, just a partial view).  When we first brought up the idea of moving to the kids, they weren't thrilled about leaving the only home they've ever known.  So, to sweeten the deal, we told the kids they would have a new room, they could choose whatever color they wanted, and there would even be a few room "surprises."  The first "surprise" was a castle mural on one of her walls (not shown).  And the second "surprise" is the crown canopy above the bed (see previous post).

Kayla loves her new room.

Any guesses?

What is it, you ask?  Well, it's something I designed and made, and it's a surprise for Kayla.   So, this is a bit of a teaser, but I'll give you a hint...it goes in her room.  We're planning on finally finishing up the kids' rooms this weekend with the last of their room "surprises"  I'll show you a picture of the rooms tomorrow (or the next day) so you can see what the heck this is.

We're Back!

Wow, it's been a while since my last post!  One problem has been that we've had no internet service for 3 weeks, and so, I haven't been able to blog from home.  Long story short - AT&T messed up our order 3 times and so we switched providers, and now we're back online.  It made me realize just how much I rely on the internet for little stuff here and there.  It was a bummer not having it!

So here's a quick summary, which I will follow up with more info and pictures later on tonight and this week.

Got back last week from 10 glorious days at a condo at the Waipouli Beach Resort on Kauai (see pics below).  I can't begin to explain how fantastic it was to have ten totally lazy days of vacation after the crazy year we've had.  Vacation to me is when you sit around and do nothing you don't feel like doing, and just live in the moment:  No rushing to take kids to school and get to work, no scrambling to make lunches in the morning...fantastic.  "Travel" is what I call it when you go somewhere to see the sites and be a tourist.  That can be fun too, but it isn't always relaxing.  This trip to Kauai was a vacation.  We lived in the lazy river pool (complete with waterfalls, caves, and waterslides) at this place.  The 2 bedroom condo was new and beautiful (granite countertops, love it), and I highly recommend this resort to anyone thinking of going to Hawaii.

   

Matthew's swimming really improved on the trip, and he lost his second tooth (on the top, which the tooth fairy almost forgot about).  We also celebrated Kayla's 4th birthday on Fourth of July, and watched some amazing fireworks up close.  So much fun!!! 

Now I'm back to work and completely swamped!  Ugggghhhh!

I've got so much more to tell - but it will have to wait until another post.