I Believe...

I knew the time would come when all of my children would question me about Santa.  It is heartbreaking and completely normal.  You just hate for that day to come.  Some do not include Santa as part of their Christmas celebrations and that is their choice.  How those miss out.

You may think I am being materialistic.  I assure you that I am not.  One of my favorite things to do every year is to go see Santa with my children.  I have been to see Santa every year that I have walked this Earth-beginning in 1972 when I was one.  Okay, so I did not go the very first Christmas I was here.  I grew up in Richmond, VA and we are lucky enough to have Legendary Santa.  My family has been going to see him for over 55 years.  I have pictures of my mother with her brothers when she was just ten, sitting on Santa's lap.

To me, Santa means believing in magic and something bigger than yourself.  And most importantly, giving of yourself to others.  There is no greater gift that you can give to yourself than to help someone else, whether it is in giving of time, goods, or just a smile.

It reminds me of Christmas when I was young-going to see Santa with my family, my grandmother and great-grandmother there with us.  Santa would always say that he would "do my best.  And just remember, Ole' Santa loves you."  When he said those words when we went to see him last night, I can guarantee that my eyes were not dry ones.

When "the question" was asked, "Mom, do you believe in Santa?" I always answer yes.  Because I truly do-I believe in the good in people and caring for others and in loving people.  No matter what they believe in-Santa or not.  I will always believe.

One of each....

One of each what you ask?  I now have children in each level of public school-elementary, middle, and high school.  I little mind blowing, especially the high school one.  I always thought that that one seemed so far off, but fifteen years has a way of blowing past you and before you know it, BOOM!! There it is!

I don't remember high school being this big of a deal, but it is when it is your child in high school.  Yes, it was moderately amusing, and by the end I was oh-so ready to graduate, but it is so different now.  Everything is so competitive-honors classes, AP classes, dual enrollment.  Make sure you are involved in clubs, sports, have volunteer hours, high SAT scores, and a high grade point average.  Shew, makes me tired just typing the sentence!

My high-schooler has a good head on her shoulders, so I try not to worry.  We do make sure she keeps up with her school work through our blessed friend Edline, which I wrote about in a previous post.  So far so good-except sports, she has suffered a concussion and I now have something fairly significant to add to my worries.  Helmets for soccer players?  I think yes!

My son is the middle-schooler, looking at specialty center high schools.  He loves languages and foreign cultures, so his career choices will be interesting.  He is involved in Boy Scouts, which is slightly less dangerous than soccer, except when they go hiking in the mountains and stand on overlooks that are 3500 feet high.  Yikes, I can't look.

My youngest in my senior in elementary school.  She loves math and science and her friends.  I predict she will be the female equivalent to Gordon Ramsey one day.  She already is writing recipes, so she will definitely  be one to watch!

I am busy mom, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  As I have said before, it will be too quiet in our house when that day comes.  And I am more than happy to have one of each....

This song's for you...

I have to gush for a minute.  I will start by saying how much I love music.  I could do without the T.V., computer, and a few other things, but music is one thing it would be hard for me to live without.  Having said that, I will gush a little more about one of my favorite musicians-Elton John.  Just watched an interview with him that was not at all surprising, but I loved watching it.

I remember singing his songs since, well since I can really remember anything.  Songs seem to trigger some of my earliest memories, and I remember singing "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" when I was a little shrimpy kid.  One summer, he played a concert in Central Park that was replayed over and over again.  And I watched it over and over again.  I loved all the costumes he wore then-the Donald Duck costume stands out in my mind, and seeing the thousands of people who had a blast watching him perform.  I know I loved it!

His music is timeless and as I have gotten older, I love his honesty and  his openness and his music even more.  I look forward to reading his book.

He is one of the musicians that my kids sing along to-usually subconsciously, just because he is one of those that they have grown up listening to by way of their mother.  I will sing the songs to them-much to their great embarrassment with gusto.  They may not realize it yet, but I mean every word-"How wonderful life is, when you're in the world"....

Gone to the dogs....

There are three dogs here at home as I am writing this piece.  My two pups, Bella and Molly, and my parent's dog Scout.  I am dog-sitting for the evening.  These past few days have quite literally been the dog days of summer.

Friday evening, my oldest daughter was asked to dog sit for the weekend for one of our neighbors.  That evening she had five dogs.  Yes, I said five.  They were very well behaved-I was surprised.  There were shelties, a golden, a malti-poo, and a mutt.  One female and four males-the poor lassie.  She had one admirer who just would not leave her alone, until she had had quite enough and put an end to his foolishness.  Good girl.  Got to tame those boys!!

Our dogs met some new friends-the neighbor's five and their cousin Bernie.  After a little time running around sniffing, everyone started to ignore each other and see who could drink the most water.  Bella won that one.

Scout came this morning-she is a big black lab, about ninety pounds of puppy.  She has been very well behaved-making my day that much easier with three dogs, three children, and two cats around.  I know that I can't really count the cats because they can take care of themselves, but I am going to because I can.

I did go out and purchase a Thunder Shirt for Bella-it has worked fantastically.  She still barks when she sees people outside, but she does not go polar and have a nervous breakdown.  She has graciously left that for me to do.  Lord knows this house can't handle anymore anxious women.  Maybe I should use the Thunder Shirt myself....

OMG it's hot!!!!

I would say hot is an understatement.  I love hot weather, but even this is pushing it for me.  It is 104 degrees not counting the humidity.  And why would you want to count any higher than that?

So what does one do when it is hot outside?  Paint their master bedroom of course!  My sweet hubby and I spent the last two days painting away.  He is a trooper.  I love him to pieces.  After eleven years of living here, I finally feel like it is our room.  Not what someone else had in mind.  Don't get me wrong-it wasn't a hideous 70's green or anything like that.  It was a sunny yellow and liveable(obviously) but I love change and have wanted something new for a while.  And now-I have it!

It is a calm blue color-yes, it does remind me of the beach.  The color of the water in Hawaii, or the sky on a clear day.  I love it.  The best thing about it?  It's done.  I did the cutting in and around the baseboards and the ceiling, Patrick did the rolling.  We are a good team.

I have lots of ideas for other things that I will be adding to our room-shelves, a new headboard, a "new" mirror(code for an old mirror that I spray-painted a glossy orange).  It will look great when it is completely done.  That should be by the end of the week-not in another 11 years.

I would rather spend cooler days outside playing or relaxing on my porch-and get stuff done inside on days when it is just too darn hot...

Play that funky music...

Music is one thing in life that I would have a hard time living without.  It brings back so many memories of people, places, travels, adventures.  No bad memories go with music for me.  I tend to attach all things good to music.

Bruce Hornsby and the Range were actually the inspiration for this post.  I was listening to Radio Margaritaville and one of their songs began to play.  "Every little kiss..."  It reminded me of times when my Patrick(then my fiance) and I would take road trips to Williamsburg or the beach, playing their tape(yes, it was awhile ago)on the stereo, in our Jeep Wrangler, top down, wind in our faces.  It was always a great time.  When I listen to those songs, I close my eyes and I am there.

U2 reminds me of high school and college days, when anyone who lived with me either grew to love U2 or hate them because all of their songs were constantly playing.  Loudly.  I still play them-loudly.  I finally got to see them in concert in 2009 for their U2 360 tour.  It.was.awesome.  It only took me twenty-plus years to see them.  Hopefully it won't be that long before I see them again.

Jimmy Buffett of course reminds me of the beach, lazy days, lots of smiles, cheeseburgers, and I lifestyle that many of us would love to live everyday.  If I can live it vicariously through Jimmy's music, I will take it.  I sit on my porch under the ceiling fan, a cold beer in my hand, and just relax.  Not too bad of a way to spend an afternoon.  It is playing almost constantly when I am at home or in my car.  I love that I will catch my kids singing along to a song that not too many other kids would know-like "Tin Cup Chalice".  Unless their parents are Parrotheads.  Look it up, take a listen.


I like the newer stuff too.  Flo Rida is way fun, Maroon 5, Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Foo Fighters.  All great music that I listen to-when Jimmy is not playing.

And to the song that this post is named after, just bob your head along to the rhythm.  "Play that funky music white boy!"

Summer 2012

Ahh, summer.  Just the simple word stirs up lots of different thoughts and images and memories.  I think of the beach-warm, salty air, running across hot sand, sitting in my beach chair with a new read and getting through maybe a few pages before the sound of crashing waves puts me to sleep.  I see colorful towels slung over shoulders of children as we made our way to the pool for long afternoons-them playing with friends and me doing the same-play being talking and soaking up the sun.  The smell of chlorine in their hair and falling asleep on the couch after we would make it home-ready to do it all again the next day.  I remember the first time we took a family vacation at the beach-my oldest wanted to stay on the beach, my then youngest could not take the feel of the sand on his 18 month old feet and demanded the pool.

This summer, I am thankful for a job that allows me to be home with my children once again.  It is a little different now that they are older.  My son will be going to camp soon, my oldest is conditioning for high school sports, and my youngest, well, she just wants to be outside with her friends, rain or shine.  It is strange being home all day now.  After starting my new job a few months ago, I feel like I have been constantly busy-going from work to home and doing all of the things that need to be done there-house work, errands, picking up kids from school and sports.  Sometimes evenings felt busier than earlier parts of the day.  Sad to say that I feel guilty for sitting and watching T.V. or reading-I always feel like I need to be doing something.  What I need to do is not feel that way!

I love reading Facebook posts from my friends who live far away about what they are up to.  And my friends who are right around the corner.  Travels, anniversaries, swim team, doing school work with their kids, mosquito repellent reviews.  I can relate to all of them and they give me a smile.

I hope that your summer is relaxing-even if with work and family and everything that life brings, you can find an afternoon, a weekend, or whatever time you can to sit and relax and enjoy everything that summer brings.

"How many times do I have to say it?'!

As a mom, I will go out on a limb and say that I am a pro.  I have been doing this now for fifteen years, so when I look at my three kids(some who are taller than me) and they are walking, talking, feeding themselves, I feel pretty good.  When they bring home honor roll, I feel awesome.  When other people compliment them, I am on cloud nine!  "Pat yourself on the back" I say to myself, you done good.

And then there are those times when I think, "Does anyone listen to anything I say?", "Am I talking to myself?". Today was one of those days.  I was leaving a message on some one's answering machine, my two teenagers standing mere feet away-they could see I was on the phone.  And what did I have to do?  That's right, I had to tell them to be quiet DURING my message.  It goes without saying that after said message was delivered, I delivered it to them.  "How many times do I have to say it?  Be quiet when I am on the phone!"  Maybe I am far from being a pro.  Maybe I need more practice.  Maybe my kids need to listen to what their mother tells them!

I know, the behavior could have been something way more offensive and I should be grateful-I am grateful that they are good kids.  Just puh-leeease refrain from loud conversation twenty-four inches away from someone(especially me)who is on the phone.  I think they were sufficiently surprised by my just-so reaction.  My delivery was spot on.  And then I was dead silent-that was the kicker.  Good behavior has prevailed for the last five hours.  But tomorrow is another day....

I'm Baaaaack!

I have been neglecting this poor blog for a few months now.  I know, I am a bad blogger.  In my defense, I have started a new job that gets me up at an early hour and while I am off at 1, I do have three children and all of their activities, not to mention normal household duties and errands to run.  Plus I need some down time.  Time to read, to watch T.V., but that time is hard to find as well.

So, enough with the excuses already.  Here I am, please, hold your applause.  HeeHee.

So, what to write about?  I could write about how we have not had a winter-really.  In mid-March, there were days when the temps went into the upper-eighties.  Then we hit Spring break and it was in the fifties.  Last week, winter came.  Next week is May.  I am not sure which end is up.

I could write about books I am reading-a new biography on Queen Elizabeth II, some Pat Conroy, and if I could snag a copy from one of my kids or my husband, I would like to read the Hunger Games.  I think I will have to wait for summer break for that one though.  The hype has reached Mount Everest heights around here and as soon as I start reading a copy, it find it's way into the clutches of someone else's hands.

I could write about my plants blooming a month ahead of time and my dismay as I was so looking forward to separating some of my Hostas and having many new plants for free.  Now they are as big as they would be in June and not being sure if they are too big to separate, I will err on the side of caution and leave them alone until next Spring.  *Sigh*

I will tell you about my excitement that next weekend is the Kentucky Derby.  I hope I am able to go to the Derby one day, to take part in all of the fun and wear big , beautiful hat.  I love hats.  And to have a mint julep-which I will make next Saturday in abundance.  They are heavenly.

I could write about needing to have my hair cut and high-lighted(is that a word?) but I think only I would find that interesting.

I think I need to go and figure out a proper post-but then again, this blog is really just about my everyday life-I hope you have found something you can relate to.

Thanks for reading, I will be back-sooner rather than later.

Grrr....

Several times in the last two weeks or so, I have treated myself to Starbucks on my way to work.  It is entirely too convenient-a right turn in, a right turn out, and a total of three minutes spent picking it up.  That includes parking!  So, in an effort to save my pennies, or dollars when purchasing cups of coffee, I decided to buy an espresso machine.  I have been a barista, so I know the tricks.  In my excitement, I accidentally purchased two machines.  Different brands which I will not mention.  They will not like me.

I tried out both machines and to my extreme frustration, neither of them worked.  On one, the pump would not work and on the other, the steamer wand would not steam.  The only thing that got steamed was me!  It was not a banner afternoon.  So now, not only am I without an espresso machine, but I have to pay to ship them both back to Amazon.  Grrr...

I think my dollars will go to Starbucks tomorrow morning.

Confused and Grateful

These are words that have me  in a nutshell lately.  Quite a contrast of feeling, but completely true.  Confusion at how to deal with the cancer that my mother has been diagnosed with and grateful to have been given a job that keeps me busy enough during the day that I don't think about that confusion.  Life is strange that way.

She is undergoing chemotherapy treatments and so far so good.  We are only two treatments in.  I have asked for information regarding life expectancy and all of those things that people want to know who do not deal with uncertainty well.  I have come to realize that there is no certainty in life.  There are no hard, definitive answers.  The only thing I can do is be positive and encouraging.  So that is what I do.

I had someone say some very hurtful things to me about cancer.  That it is a blessing.  That is total crap.  They have obviously never dealt with it before.  That at least they were not hit by a bus-you get to say goodbye.  Again, more crap.  That is all I will say about that.

I am grateful for the job I have.  I learned of it a mere two weeks after my mother's diagnosis.  It is a blessing to be busy and when thoughts creep into my head, I make sure they are positive ones.  Negatives will only bog me down.  I am positive I love my mother and that the doctors are doing everything they can to help her beat her cancer.  I can only do the same.

I am grateful I have wonderful family and friends that I can talk to about my confused and grateful emotions.  I am grateful to all of them.  There is no confusion there.  There will be days when I know how to deal with things outwardly, but inwardly is another thing.  Sometimes, I really suck at it.  But I am far from perfect.  I am doing the best I can and I take things one day at a time.  With a confused and grateful heart.

Caffeine

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Caffeine-the way so many of us begin our days, with a strong cup o'joe.  I like mine black-no cream, no sugar, nada.  The first sip is always the best one-sometimes the second, depending on how hot the coffee is.  Sometimes I will pour a cup, set it down, get distracted, and come back to it a few minutes later and it's not as hot as I would like.   Life is complicated enough-why make coffee complicated?

I have seen it done-so many times.  "I would like a grande, non-fat, sugar-free mocha, with two pumps of mocha, one pump of vanilla, half-caf latte."  Shew-that is a mouthful.  It almost sounds like a complicated mathematical equation.  I was at a coffee shop one day in line behind a few people who placed orders just like this one.  When it was my turn, I ordered just a black coffee.  The barista pulled out her "Easy" button and with a laugh I happily slapped that sucker.  I know coffee can be a serious thing-but it is just coffee.

Some people's caffeine fixes vary.  From Red Bull to Mountain Dew, Diet Coke to espresso-which if made right with a pack of raw sugar is delicious.  Others prefer breakfast tea or green tea.  Some love Starbucks while others prefer locally grown organic blends.  From Maxwell House to Folgers, Dunkin' Donuts to Millstone.  Some people do not drink anything caffeinated.  They do save money and maybe some time waiting for it all to brew, but I love it.  It is fun to go out with a friend for a coffee-or whatever floats your boat.  It is relaxing to sit with a cup and read a book or watch television while enjoying a cup of java.  Interesting the dichotomy there.  Something that is a stimulant is used to relax.

Hmm.  Maybe it is more complex than I thought.

Looking...

During the Christmas season, I find myself becoming nostalgic.  Many times, this begins several weeks before and continues until well after Christmas ends.  Remembering times from my childhood, people that have passed on, when my kids were little.  I love seeing old decorations once again, hearing music, looking at photographs.  I know that Christmas is over, but it seemed to go in a blur this year.

Now that things have slowed down a bit and everyone seems to be able to relax(knock on wood), the nostalgia has kicked back in.  There are times I find myself putting my grandparents and great-grandparents names into the Google search bar just to see what I can find.  I feel like I am trying to find them, like they have become lost. To find out things about them that I perhaps did not know.  I was lucky enough to have known my great-grandparents.  My great-grandmother passed away when I was almost twenty-seven.  My oldest daughter was born on her birthday.  She was one of the most beautiful people I have ever known.  I still look for her.

I think in a way, I am looking for pieces of myself.  I have found things about them all on-line.  Very strange.  And wonderful at the same time.  I think, "Why didn't anyone tell me that?"-but in finding them, I find out more about me.  The harder I look, the more I realize that I do not have to look far at all.  They are always with me-guiding me, steering me in the right direction.  Having a good laugh from time to time.  They have never really left at all.

I think about them with fondness, although I wish I could have known them all as an adult-to ask advice, about their lives, their childhoods, what their families were like.  Maybe one day, I will find out all of those answers, until then, I will be looking.

Year Two

This is officially the second year of my little blog, "EscapeHomeDaily".  Pretty cool and I can not believe a year has gone by already.  So much has happened-some good, some not so good, but always interesting.  I made one resolution this year, to get healthy.  I have already started eating better and drinking more water and have seriously cut my coffee intake.  This may be the hardest part of the whole thing.  I know that I will not cut out coffee entirely-I love it too much.

The getting healthy resolution has been one that I have made every year for the past, oh, fifteen years or so, but sometimes something can happen in your life to wake you up and slap you across the face and tell you that you are not getting any younger.  This is that time.  I look forward to the challenge and the results that can only be beneficial to me.

I would like to have my children's book published.  That is a HUGE thing for me.  I love the story and believe in it too much to give up on it.  Have you ever seen sales people that are REALLY good sales people and thought, "I could never do that.  I just don't think I have what it takes to sell like that."  I thought that way too until I wrote my story and spoke with a publisher.  Just that was enough to really make me believe that other people may want to read my story.  And so, I will not give up until it is published.  Period.

I know a new year always makes me want to clean out my house.  I have written about that a lot-so I am pretty sure it is something that will always need to be done.  Goodwill, here I come!  I did some cleaning out today and marking of items that need to go-maybe a yard sale this year?  I think I will be patient this time around and not make a huge pile of stuff in my dining room.  Just mark the items to go to the sale and bring them out when it is time.  We'll see.

My other goals are to work more-yes, I did say that, read more, be outside more, and relax more.  But health is my main goal.  For myself and my wish for everyone.

So here's to Year Two of my little ole' blog.  She has been fun to write.

Cheers and best wishes in 2012-make it the best yet!