Mother's Day Weekend

There were a lotta boys in and out of this little house all weekend...boys grabbing food and being loud and just being boys.  

Gonna miss all the commotion when Alex and his crew graduate and disperse next month...though they've been best friends since kindergarten, so I'm not sure they'll ever truly disperse.  I'm also not too sure about graduation at this point either (there's an awful lotta senior-itis happening around these parts), so maybe they'll be together for an extra year.

Just kidding.  Kinda.

But the biggest thing that happened this weekend...in between the watering of the garden and a nap in my favorite addirondack chair in the afternoon sun, was the picking of the very first tomato of the season.

I did what any person would do with the very first tomato of the season...toasted some bread, soaked it in olive oil, sprinkled it with a smidgin of kosher salt and topped it with big slices of the warm from the sun, red, ripe  tomato.

A moment of silence, please.

Other weekend happenings:

A rather expensive trip to Costco where I bought a random assortment of things from a cute new shirt to paper towels to the most amazing salt and pepper pistachios.

Not just salt, but salt AND pepper.

Can't. Stop. Eating. Them.

Also, that guy that I like so much is still hanging somewhere in Europe with a busload of students, so I have a little free time...mainly cuz I have no one to talk to.  Well, unless you count the menfolk who are asking for things...things like 'where's the milk' and 'where's the bread' and 'where'd you put my socks' but who run the moment I ask a question about anything important like homework or prom or chores.  So anyway, while waiting for the dryer repairman to finish up I painted a part of wall greek blue...this from the girl who was recently contemplating painting her whole house white, now felt the need to add this blue somewhere, somehow into my already crazy color pallet.

Whatever.  I'm a girl and I'm allowed.

Too. Much. Time. On. My. Hands.

Sigh.

And no, I don't like it...but because I'm a weirdo, it'll probably stay like this forever.  Or until my sister-in-law comes over and fixes it.

Everyone should have a 1-800-Joanna in their family.

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And today, Mother's Day, my boys at home got me flowers (gotta love a dad who plans something even though he is away!) and made me breakfast,  yet another afternoon snooze in the garden and then dinner at my girlfriends house.

It was a nice day.

Happy Mother's Day to both of my Mom's...and to all the women I know who are such amazing role models to me.  I have been blessed by all of you...thank you!

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What I Did This Week

I'm doing the single mama thing this week (and next, but let's worry about next week next week...) and aside from the $450 dryer repair (on top of the $250 repair last year...makes for a mighty expensive dryer that was already mighty expensive to begin with!!!  BUT...I spent 6 hours on the phone with LG yesterday because this new repair was caused by the certified tech they made me use for the last repair and he did the repair wrong, it looks like I'll have that cash back in my pocket...) it's been a relatively quiet week.

Spent another amount of time with Verizon trying to figure out why that guy that I like so much's phone wasn't working in Europe...turns out they had activated my simcard on my phone (which is boringly here in America, with me) instead of his.

Easy fix.

International data plan?  Awesome.  Time differences?  Complicated.

Matthew in front of the Berlin Wall.  I have a picture of him like this when he was 8 and another when he was 18...and now at 22.  He's a tad bit grown up now.

Mid-week Happy Hour.

Two hours of therapy with really good food.  And beer.

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We have been friends forever.

Love friends that you have had forever...forever friends don't need to be impressed, know your kids inside and out and don't judge because they more than likely have one who is similar and make you laugh.  Hard.

Boys off to school and met Katharine for an early morning hike...fun until we saw a snake.

A big one.  A big, stripy one.  A big, stripy, dead one.

It's back to hiking the mall for me.

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Actually, our next 'hike' was Balboa Island...no snakes, just lots of young momma's with new babies and very, very low tide.

 Balboa is my happy place but the price tags on those little houses?

Just a little (a million or two) over my budget.

And finally...open house last night at the middle school.

Brian played his trumpet and we ate from the Carl's Jr truck and then walked around to all his classrooms.  

What does it say about me when one of his teachers told me he tends to talk too much and my first thought was 'well...it's May' ????  

Instead, I looked at Brian and told him not to talk as much in class, he said 'ok' and we went on our way.  The groovy thing about child #3 is that he listens...so far.

I'm glad it's Friday...today I am in search of Nuggets t-shirts for my boys (not easy to find in Lakers territory, but game 7 is tomorrow night and they are having friends over to watch the game), watering the backyard and planning my garage sale route for tomorrow morning.

Big plans, I tell ya.

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Graduation Weekend

Friday Night:

Family supper, of which only two family members decided to show...me and that guy that I like so much.  Two decided to go play basketball and one wasn't living here yet so he was off the hook.

It's ok boys...dad was hungry and ate your share.  You snooze (or make mom mad); you lose.

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Saturday Morn:

Baccalaureate.  Gotta say, graduation at small Christian colleges is done big and done well.  Not sure that guy that I like so much would agree (he does it every. single. year and it's an all day thing) but I had a ball.

The other two stooges brought a football and escaped for chunks of time.

Saturday Afternoon:

He's done.  Finito.  

With his Bachelor's, that is.  

And yep, I was the sloppy crying mama (complete with hiccups) in the audience.

I'm allowed.

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Saturday Evening:

After a rather fast supper out, the move home began because there's nothing like planning ahead.  

I'll go out on a limb and call it 'dumping' rather than 'moving' because piles and piles came in, were dumped wherever and left.  

Sunday Morning:

Up and out by 3:00am for a rather early morning flight to Europe.

Yawn.

Sunday (later in the) Morning:

The good thing about a baccalaureate service is that it counts as weekend church. Brian and I headed to downtown Disney (about 20 minutes form our little house on our little street) and had breakfast with our most funnest friends ever...friends we've known since college.

Mickey waffles plus the Liberatore's equals a very, very fun and tasty few hours.

Sunday Afternoon:

Home to cook for a bunch of guys coming over for the big Lakers/Nuggets game...my boys are HUGE Denver fans but everyone else are Lakers fans.  Made for a rather loud get together...I remained on the premises (with this group?  No question!) but watched lots of trash TV in the other room.

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Sunday Evening:

I may or may not have paid $.99 for an iPad game.

A game for my cats.

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Sunday Late Evening:

Waited to go to sleep until my crew landed in Berlin...love when flights are delayed due to maintenance.  Not.  But all is well and their adventure has begun.

I'm lonely already.  Sigh.

Sunday Late Late Evening:

That 1,001 chocolate chip cake I bought for the boys and their friends?

980 of those mini chocolate chips are EVERYWHERE.  The ants are thrilled.  My cats are too busy playing with their iPad to care.  I mop the floor because that's what one does at the end of a long weekend.

How was your weekend?

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Flying Away

Change is in the air at my little house on my little street...lots and lots of change.

My oldest is moving home from college today, graduating tomorrow and leaving for a European adventure the day after.  He's so grown up now and just seems to have it all together...or as together as one can have it when they have so many balls up in the air.

As if that's not enough change happening in my little world, boys #2 and #3 are also graduating...one is off to a new adventure of his own and one is moving on to high school.

I suppose in the big scheme of things it is probably easier to have it all happening at once, but I'll be the first to admit that I have that anxious feeling deep in the pit of my stomach...that feeling of who will be where and when and how and why.

Being a mum to this houseful has evolved so much...from day to day hands on to simply overseeing.  Last night all three were here including Matthew's girlfriend (who lives in a different state) and I sat at a stool in my kitchen and watched them all eating and laughing and arguing and just hanging out...and they all seemed to be so carefree.  Worry free.  Happy.

Aside from Brian, my youngest, I have no control over this next stage...and while I am trying to piece together all the details, they are just living exactly how I hoped they would.  They are just living each day for what is, planning for the futures and not stressing over the little stuff.

But I have spent the last 22 years planning every single little thing.  Meals planned.  Homework done.  The house cleaned.  Laundry done.  Sports schedules managed.  School events handled.  Birthday parties planned.

So last night I kept asking them for the plans.  

'Have you?'
'Did you?'
Will you?'
'You should...'

And just like I did with my parents, they did with me.  They looked at each other and rolled their eyes and gave each other that all knowing look that said 'here she goes again...'

I know that look well....I've given it off many, many times.

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I'm trying...I'm trying so hard to let them all fly.  To watch them stand on their own...to make their lives happen.  To make mistakes and let them fix them, rather than swooping in and fixing everything right away.

It's hard to not question every little decision I've made regarding each of them.  At the time I felt I had done my best, given my all, loved them so much it hurt, taught them to love God.  I was there...not because I had to be, but because I wanted to be.

But did I do enough?  It's so easy to say 'maybe I should've' or 'maybe I could've' or 'if only I would've'.

Are they ready to fly?  

Or better yet...am I ready for them to fly away?

The Day After

Two things:

1.  Want to feel special?  Loved?  Have a birthday on Facebook.  So very, very cool.

2.  I might need to rename my blog 'a houseful of flowers' because currently my house is full of, well, flowers.  Love, love, love.

Yesterday was just an overall great day.  Coffee with a girlfriend.  Lunch with a girlfriend.  An afternoon with my boys.  Texts.  Phone calls.  Supper cooked by that guy that I like so much.  Prosecco.  Flowers in every room of my little house on my little street.  Creme brûlée.

Oh, and lots of 'you're only (blank) old and your son is graduating from college???  Personally, I like that comment a lot and yes, I was a young 'un.  And I guess I still am...though I do wish someone would hand that memo to all the grey hairs that have taken over my head.  

Not that you'll ever see them.  Thank you brunette in a box...you're my best friend.

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But, I think the biggest thing is that yesterday was all about my attitude.  It was just a happy day.  One of those days where I felt hugged from all over the world.  One of those days where all the negatives...like the fact that ants are crawling out of every nook and cranny in our little house on our little street, just seemed so small.  Small like ants.

One of those days where I just felt blessed at every little turn.

Today is back to normal.  My little house is a disaster zone and there isn't a clean sock to be found.  The ants need to be evicted and I have to figure out what to feed my family in the next few days.  I'm thinking food of some sort, but beyond that I am at a loss.

SoCal is gloomy and chilly...really hoping the sun peeks out today, too.

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Hippo Birdy 2 Me

Today is my birthday.

I love birthdays...mine, yours, theirs.  Love the corny song, love making someone feel special, love cake.

But most of all, I am just thankful for yet another year that I've been blessed to spend with people I really like.  

That's the best present ever.

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Monday, not Tuesday

I went through most of Monday thinking it was Tuesday, which meant that I did all my Wednesday scheduling for work because it was Tuesday...only it wasn't Tuesday.  It was Monday.  Which means Wednesday is still two days away.

Basically what that means is that I am losing my mind...but then again, that's nuthin' new.

My Monday began EARLY...my phones are required to be on at 6:00am and some mornings calls trickle in, but this morning?  Non-stop until 6:45am when I left the house and drove to a nearby city where the new person I was training was supposed to be trained...only the trainee never showed so the trainer (me) ended up working a corner.

The fun part about just being a crossing guard?  You chat with people and you're outside and you can't talk on the phone...and for me that is a HUGE blessing.

The funner part?  I get paid extra and momma needs a new pair of jeans.

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Immediately after working a corner, I ran home and picked up Alex for his dentist appointment followed by coffee with my girlfriend...then home to do all the things that had piled up over the weekend.

And to top it all off,  Matthew performed one last time before he graduates this weekend and then he was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award in Music.  That kid...well, he's a keeper.

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Home to two incredibly grumpy and starving boys who instantly forgave me for neglecting them when I carried in a rather large and in charge Nick's pizza.

Pizza tends to make everything better.  

So for a day that I almost skipped over, it was pretty ok...all that was missing was a hot bath, a glass of wine and a pile of magazines.  Sadly, my bathroom has a slight infestation of ants and the thought of soaking in a tub with floating ants is just downright nasty.

Yuck.

Anybody want some ants...they're free to a good home.

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