The Dream that Preceded the "I Do"

 

With the new year and all I have decided to jump in on the Spin Cycle -- I don't think I have ever participated in a blog carnival and am excited to start.  The Spin Cycle host has now gone on a road trip hand off from FL to CA, to Gretchen now and each week she will toss out a theme.  This week’s theme is “Dreams”.  And for days I have not been able to get Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” out of my head. (Thunder only happens when it’s raining, Players only love you when they’re playing, Women they will come and they will go, When the rain washes you clean you’ll know.  You will know.  Oh, oh, oh you’ll know).

I wanted to share a dream that my husband had about 27 years ago.  So, it’s not my dream but I was in his dream.  I had not thought about his dream for a while, but the other night we watched Matt Damon in The Adjustment Bureau.  When the movie ended Hubs said to me, “That was just like the dream I had before we were married.  The one in which I knew I was going to ask you to marry me.”

Ohhhhhh yeah!  It really was a lot like that movie.  

I had only been going out with Hubs for about 3.5 months when I graduated college first (I’m a year older hehehehe) and I moved to Atlanta which was about a 5 hour drive away.  About 3 weeks later I drove to visit him for the weekend and he asked me to marry him.  The next year we would be apart due to him finishing college so you could say it was like a promise-asking.

Before I arrived for that weekend he’d had a dream in which the two of us were at a very large city hotel, dressed up for a fancy party.  All during the night as we walked down halls and went up stairs and came out of elevators there were people chasing us.  They also tried to block us from going down stairs or from entering a hallway.  It was like a maze, and we had to work together to figure out which halls to choose.  This went on for a long time.  Finally we found a grand staircase that we needed to walk down to get out of a lavish front lobby door.  Right when we were within arms reach of the door, a man popped out in front of us with his arm outstretched as if he was about to block our way.

But instead he smiled really big and stepped back and opened the lobby doors for us.  The partygoers that had been in the hotel trying to block us previously all stopped and gathered and smile.  Through the glass windows in the lobby you could see a large, white limo waiting for us with a chauffeur.  There was a lady in the limo who greeted us nicely and asked us to get in so we did and the limo drove off.  Hubs has said he was very, very happy and his dream meant that he had his answer--that asking me and marrying me was the right thing to do.

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I’m really tickled that he brought it up the other night and I have enjoyed asking him over the past couple days to give me the deets (he hardly remembers things from last week so this is always intriguing to me).  And it’s all quite getting us in the mood for a little celebration of 25 years’ wed in a few months.

And He Did It With No Butt-Crack

There were some things too distracting this past weekend that I never posted about the Full Wolf Moon, although there was some howling going on here.

Our basement is a finished "in-law suite" and that is where I have my office for work.  And where the kids have a computer and where they play PS3 and have sleepovers.  And where people stay over if we have guests and where Hubs and I slept and showered for a month while our master bath was being redone.  I am just so glad that we had no guests for Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

And there is a full kitchen.  It doesn't get used except one year when we did have Thanksgiving at our house.  Although its cupboards are full with items that don't fit in the "regular" kitchen so very often I yell down the stairs, "Bring up the crockpot please!"

During Christmas there was a lot of "Bring up the large roasting pan!" and opening of the cupboards.  And it seemed a little dank and mildewy.  On December 30th Hubs pulled away the refrigerator (which we don't use) which is against the front wall of the house (underground) and realized that the wall was wet.  And a third of the cupboards (cheap stuff) were wet.

Just picture that scene from "A Christmas Story" where the dad mutters all sorts of obsenities.  So New Year's Eve Eve was tense with sounds of, "#$!@#$#!! Money Pit !@%$!@#$>?!!@#"  Soon he put up plastic up barricading the kitchen and a respirator on his face and thank goodness for the little truck to haul away the walls and cabinets and debris. That was New Year's weekend.

Contractors were called in for advice and estimates and it was presumed that rainy weather over time was too much for the foundation and water had gotten in over the wall.  There were plans made for re-arranging of downspouts and additional sealing of the foundation wall.  It has been very educating, actually, seeing the ceiling removed and learning what pipe brings the water into the house and what large white pipe brings everything (and I mean everything.....foreshadowing) out of the house.

Everyone went back to work in early January and this past Saturday, before it began to rain, we were staring at the wall in the basement and a little water drop emerged from the wall and dripped onto the floor.  Hmmm, water goes down and not up and right above that drop is the large white pipe--a depository for every pipe in the house.  And we had been doing laundry and flushing toilets.  There had to be a crack in that pipe which is the "sewer pipe". 

Hubs went outside to the front of the house with a shovel.  Well, he did not have to dig very deep--who knew how shallow the sewer pipe was.  And finding a crack in it was no mystery.  The entire 4-inch pipe WAS BROKEN IN HALF.  And this is RIGHT in front of our house.  Just several feet from where I had planted peppers, which were very Prolific.......

He dug all around the pipe and basically we now had an open cesspool in front of our house.  Oldest asked if he could go use the bathroom and brush his teeth.  I described the situation to him in further detail.  Next thing you know he had several friends at their homes yelling out to their parents that Oldest was in dire straights and needed a place to shower and use the bathroom immediately!  So he grabbed his bike and was gone.

We had a plumber coming over on Monday to replace a part of the pipe that brings water into the house.  We called him from the crappy scene.  He was busy.  I thought we would be going to a hotel but Hubs had other plans.  He declared that this was not brain surgery, hopped in the truck, went to Home Depot and came back with clean, white 4-inch pipes of all shapes and sizes.  And proceeded to use power tools, hand tools and elbow grease and fixed it. 

He then called into the house for Youngest to flush the toilet, who did so after yelling, "3-2-1, Fire In The Hole!" (cracked me up)

All is well again for now for just $70.  Except that the foundation still needs to dry out and apply sticky sealer all over it and rebuild the studs and walls and ceiling and cabinets in the in-law suite kitchen.  The plumber came on Monday to fix a 5-inch piece of pipe that was "galvanized" and needed to be copper.  Took no time at all and was $200. I truly think he was bummed that Hubs fixed the sewer pipe situation. 

Had to get all this off my chest to be able to concentrate and enjoy the new master bath.

Back to School After Seventeen Days Off

We took down our outdoor Christmas lights on Saturday knowing that the arctic cool, windy weather was moving in.  This morning for back to school it was a chilly 24 degrees.  Sunday meant I had to shop for the school lunch items that we really didn't need these past 17 days.

My middle son has lots of time in the morning (which is just his style) and he makes his own lunch.  He told me he started a trend this fall with everyone eyeballing his lunches and now everyone he eats with brings a plastic bag like he does to toss.  I don't feel too bad about the using of plastic store bags because he makes his own lunch.  There is no way anyone in our house over the age of elementary school will transport anything other than a plastic bag.

Look what he put in his lunch:

Perfect for pretzel dipping.

There was lots of sleeping in during winter break--and the oldest of course takes the cake.  He says his world record is close to 2:00 p.m. but that didn't happen here as far as I can remember.  I get pretty jittery when it gets to be after 11:00.  I know some other moms that are more chill on this knowing how early they have to get up for school right when their REM sleep is happening.  But for 17 days I heard about three chapters that had to be read and when I suggest spacing it out and reading a few pages a day I am looked at like I have two heads and 22 snakes growing out of them.  So yesterday Hubs was out (teachers had to return to work on 1/2/12) and I turned up the TV loud at about 10:30 (out of kindness!), knowing the next day's alarm would get him up at 5:50 a.m.  He got up at 11:00 and then an hour later I couldn't find him and then found him sleeping in the guest room.  I promise you the three chapters did not get read.

Today he was out the door at 6:25 a.m., as usual, for the 6:30 a.m. high school bus.  He gets home at 2:45 and then watches sports highlights and eats and then at about 4:00 he went into his room.  At about 6:00 p.m. I found this:

I had my middle son take this photo.  He is the family videographer, as about 15 minutes earlier I asked him to film Dad, who was snoring on the couch.  He always denies it so now it is documented.  Middle son is savoring this last year that he gets to have lots of time in the morning and leave the house at 8:40 for his bus.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Gifts Before Christmas

Sigh, it's the last day of December.  I'm very sentimental but I am ready for a new year.  So ready that I gathered all the Christmas knick knacks and placed them on the living room floor to be packed away tomorrow or the next day.

I bought almost everything for the boys from Amazon.  At the beginning of December I told the older two to pick out what they wanted from Amazon and to put it in the cart for my perusal later.  They know the price range.  One of my middle son's gifts was an acoustic guitar.

I'm totally amazed that the large box arrived with a huge sticker on the front showing exactly what the gift was.  Our UPS guy arrives at 5:00 p.m. and everyone is home and saw the gift.  Good thing it was not a surprise gift.  I do lament how gift giving was a little more exciting when they were younger but they assure me they do not mind there are no surprises as long as they get some things they covet.

So the huge guitar box went un-wrapped under the tree and it was the first item.

I should complain on Amazon as a reviewer and warn future recipients.

My husband received a $100 gift card to Home Depot from his students, which is so nice.  The day before Christmas here is what he bought:

On Christmas Eve he installed a new garbage disposal as ours bit the dust a few days into winter break.

Tonight on New Year's Eve we are home watching dvds after turning down a neighbor's party.  We are exhausted --although there is always the chance that Hubs gets a second wind late at night doing house stuff.  Yes, you heard me -- usually he finds something to fix or something to clean at 11:00 p.m. or so (I have started a photo journal of this habit).  Last night's chore, however, is a very ugly, horrendous project that is taking place in the basement.

The oldest two sons have been invited to spend the night at different friends' houses and we are here with our 5th grade son.  Talk about gifts before Christmas.  I was just reminding Hubs how eleven years ago when we lived in a different house (that was not a Money Pit) we had a few friends over ringing in the year 2000.

We had been trying for baby number 3 and I would later find out in January that our Christmas gift was arriving in September, 2000 (a year 2000 in the Year of the Dragon is a Golden Dragon.  He loves that).

He is a wonderful gift and my buddy.  With flexible eyebrows:

And as much as my Hubs annoys me with his constant need to clean and do chores just when I am relaxing, I do treasure that he still drives the boys to three different restaurants -- even this year -- to get me restaurant gift cards  for our one-on-one dates.  He started this tradition when they were very little.  And they make cards to this day out of my former-life-scrapbook materials.  They put them actually on the tree.  And I peek ahead of time. 

What they write makes tears drop from my eyes, makes me smile and gives me strength.


It's almost time to ring in the New Year and I am seriously hearing Moonshiners on the TV--better go change the channel.  Happy New Year!

Santa and the Boys Meet Again

The Sunday before Christmas has become for years our tradition of taking the boys to the mall to visit Santa.  And yes, our boys are in 10th grade, 8th grade and 5th grade.  And yes, the two oldest are not thrilled but they no there is no negotiation.  They may utter some words of dissent in November but don't say much as the day gets closer and I remind them how on that particular Sunday we leave the house at 8:45 a.m.

 Plus, the boys know that after Santa we walk the mall and buy them new clothes as Christmas gifts (that have to get wrapped and then opened on Christmas day).


We were first in line at about 9:20 a.m. which is what we accomplish every year.  I sat on the floor and the boys and Hubs walk around a little bit and meet back just before 10:00 a.m.  When we arrived a worker for the company that takes and sells you the photos arrived and I asked her if Santa was coming at 10:00 and wihout even looking up from her table she answered yes with a grunt.  Why don't I ever say out loud what I thin such as, "Does someone need a hug?" (from Elf).

Santa arrived via a nearby escalator and we were happy to see it is the same Santa for the past five or six years we've gone to this mall.  He greets everyone in line and I know he does a mental double take when he sees the two oldest standing there who are about 5'7" and 5'8" this year.  I told Santa it's been a 5 year tradition seeing him.

Hubs told Santa that our family rule is to make a visit to him for as long as they live at home.  Santa thought it was a great rule.  He is the most personable Santa ever, and we love him because he takes a lot of time and asked again this year if they clean their rooms.  They struck out on that and then he asked if they fight with each other.  They struck out on that too.

At the end of their visit he had them put their hands in for a "Goooo Santa cheer".  It all makes me very happy inside.

And then we found some great sales on clothes for the boys and a baseball mitt for Oldest (very little surprises under the tree when they get older but it does not bother them).

And then for our traditional lunch out on the Day We Visit Santa, I heard about a place where you pick out your own "protein" and spices and veggies and sauces like a Mongolian BBQ or stir fry and they cook it and bring it to you in a big bowl and then you can go back for all you can eat.  It was really yummy and not crowded until we left--a great choice and a wonderful day.

And then after we read the Sunday paper back at home (yes, we are old fashioned and get the paper once a week)  and relaxed for about an hour, it was more cleaning and painting and fixing back at home for us adults.

My Last School Winter Party Attendance Was Today

Phewwww.  I am already tearing up whenever I think of my youngest son finishing 5th grade this May where I will see him on the stage of the high school, receiving accolades for his hard work in grades, attendance and safety patrol.  Also, this month I am really tickled at still being able to pick out "toys" that are surprises for him from Amazon (unlike the other two whom I tell to pick out what they want on Amazon and put it in the cart).

But today was the last winter party and I am not verklempt.

I do not know why I am the one parent who is the one to put together stuff for a craft.  They really didn't even need it--I think they were just thrilled to have lots of treats to eat and the last hour and 20 minutes of the day spent having a party.  Sidenote: my husband traditionally asks the room mom to do a craft (such as a fleece scarf) that his 5th grade students will make and give to their Kindegarten buddies who will remember the gift long after one the students would make for themselves.

So I find out last week or so that there is no craft and last year I had the 4th grade class do rice sock snowmen which ended up costing me about $75 for supplies and I certainly didn't want to do that.  The next thing I knew I was telling the room mom that maybe I could figure out a candle craft.  (Note: the craft cannot be an ornament or anything pertaining a particular culture or religion--it is so interesting how my older boys have made ornaments in early grades and none for my 5th grader.  Not that there is anything wrong with that).

This is how you come up with a candle craft and make yourself not even worry about it in advance: Go to the Dollar Store the day before the party with no plan, to the candle aisle and see what is available for 22 of the same candle (got a green one bigger than a votive).  Wander around the aisles and buy decorative small paper plates, a styrofoam snowflake, some glitter glue and some shiny red or gold wire ribbon stuff and voila.  A little centerpiece with the candle on top of the snowflake which sits on the place, a little glitter glue on the plate, and the shiny wired wreath piece wrapped around the candle.

On the way driving back home I got a call from my grandmother who was advised by her doc to go to the hospital because the big sore on her leg from a cut is not getting better.  Today is day two and she gets very little info and may get an MRI.  I know this is why I am also distracted today.

So, so thankful that I have a job that lets me work from home so that I can take the hour to go to the Dollar Store yesterday and then today take the hour to be with my son at his winter party.  And an hour to make cookies for it.

Having lunch with him last week was much more enjoyable than today so I will make sure to do this several more times because moms at middle school lunch does not happen.  Girl fights do.  There have been slug-fest, hair-pulling fights during lunch at middle school (and high school too) and both my older boys tell me they involve only girls several times a year.

So for this year that I have one in high, one in middle and one in elem school, we are still going to see Santa this Sunday--it's tradition.  We'll be first in line as usual to get it done (I bet Santa is surprised when they turn the corner and see him, especially this year that two are taller than me).  We then walk around the mall and the oldest two find clothes they want so it is a trade off I suppose.  They are just glad that none of their friends are there on a Sunday at 9:30 - 10:00 a.m.  I'll miss that tradition one year soon but not the winter class party.

Hope everyone has a good class party, or party soon.

December's Long Night Moon

It is also known as the Cold Moon or the Moon Before Yule and it looks full tonight although it is technically full on December 10th.  AND there will be a total Lunar Eclipse with this full moon.  Except we can't see it on the east side of the US.  Maybe I will get to see the next one which won't happen until April 2014.  Not that I would be up at dawn tomorrow anyway!

It has gotten cold here and I actually welcome that (boo hiss to hot flashes).  We usually go "find our tree" at Home Dept the Sunday after Thanksgiving but we waited a few days after that.  Last weekend I flew to Fort Myers, FL to visit my 90 year old grandmother.  I usually go for a Sat-Mon weekend in December to bring her some company, although I dread leaving home.

I refer to our Christmas Tree's angel as the Angel of Air Traffic Controller -- doesn't she look like it?

She does not "go with" our tree but now that I have started visiting Grandma these past few years in December just after we set up the tree, that is what the angel means to me.

I stayed with my grandmother for five days this past July and now five months later it's really apparent how she is moving slower and slower with her walker and her highlight is usually going to the Red Lobster where she ignores and strolls past the hostess, calling back over her shoulder, "I know where I want to sit."

But she wasn't up to it this time and it was a good thing I visited when I did because she had a cut on her leg bound tightly which was ignoring doc's directions of letting it "air out".  I was there for her doctor's appt and so fortunately she is listening to him now.  It was all very depressing and I come from a line of dysfunction of which I have broken the chain.  And instead of Red Lobster or Longhorn I cooked and froze about eight homemade meals.

I can't lie--I was so glad to get back to my guys.  You know, living here is like being at a frat house.  There's never pretty music playing.  In fact the joke is that when I decorate the tree I never listen to holiday music--instead I have to listen to crazy TV shows like "The Top 20 Most Shocking" Cop Car Chases Gone Bad or Girl Fights or something..  This year a new show was on the Discovery Channel called Moonshiners.

Hubs was putting back together his closet and made a box of items to take to Goodwill.  I said, "You know, the boys are big now so maybe they should take a look at some of these belts and jeans and shirts you don't want.  And I showed Middle Son some overalls that were in the box (I think Hubs wore them to do yard work many, many years ago.  I used to like it when he wore these one-piece coveralls when working under a car but that is a different story) and he got pretty excited about them saying the guy he was just watching on Moonshiners was wearing overalls with no shirt.  So he quickly puts on the overalls with no shirt and we all got a kick out of it.  He even asked me if I was going to get the camera.

Right now they are all watching some comedian even though I told Hubs we needed to watch Crazy Stupid Love together alone.  Keep warm during the Full Cold Moon, wear a shirt, go outside and tell me if you can see the moon and or the Lunar Eclipse.