This was last Thursday, when the kids had to go to school:
This is today, when school is cancelled:

I’ve lived here all my life and I still don’t get it. 

Lately, I’ve been fairly slack on making fun dinners, baked goods, anything.  Yesterday, I decided it was time to change that.  I went to my go to website to find something to use up leftover chicken and ran across Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta.  There were some pretty high hopes for the greatness of it and let me tell you it in no way disappointed.  Seriously.  It’s so good.  Naturally, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly (does anyone?) as I didn’t have walnuts, vegetable broth, or fresh parsley.  I used chicken broth instead and left out the other two.  I’m going to say it in no way diminished the taste because of how awesome it was.  Today, I’ve got a cookie recipe of her’s that I plan on trying.  Providing I get all the laundry done.  Stupid laundry.  

Throughout the years, Alan’s music has been shoved to the backburner.  He’s decided that it’s time that it comes back out and get the kids involved.  He tackled the playroom to also become a music room.  Colin dove right in. 

Thankfully, this went well with my Valentine’s Day present to him.  And since I can’t keep surprises to save my life, it’s already all set up. 

No, there hasn’t been a bookshelf sitting there for years. Why?

Guitar one up!

Two guitars!

Third puck up, but they screwed up my order, so I don’t have the 3rd hook yet.

Didn’t even think about getting black screws until it was too late. Oh well.

Wires all hooked up.

Aaaaand, play!

I’m quite pleased with myself for this.  I have a love/hate relationship with vday.  It really is a silly holiday and way overblown.  However, I like to do it.  This year, though, I couldn’t see spending a ridiculous amount of money on an overpriced average dinner, so I wanted to do something that had some actual meaning to it.  Plus, I got to use a power tool.  🙂  Also, I learned that there’s a knob on the trigger that changes the tension in the drill that makes drilling a ton easier.  Learned that one the hard way…oops. 

I believe they exist.  Couldn’t tell you what they actually are, as I can’t say that I believe in a god and therefore don’t believe in a devil.  Angels and demons, not so much.  But, something not of this plane?  Something’s there.  I’ve had experiences all my life, but the latest one was two days ago.  It was ambiguous enough that it absolutely could have been my hair, and I’m aware enough that’s a logical explanation.  However, I’ve seen enough in this house (example: the child standing in the boys’ bedroom when they were both with me) that even though I told myself it was probably my hair,  I promptly left to go to Walmart.  For the longest time, Alan would give me the look that he usually gave me when I recounted something strange that happened.  Then, it got him.  A few times.  Won’t lie, I relished that “I told you so!” moment.  Now, anytime I relay something strange he doesn’t give me “that” look; I get the knowing look.   

That’s all I got about that.   I’ll end with this picture Alan took in the St. Augustine Lighthouse.  It’s the same shot that the show Ghost Hunters filmed when they got a shadow figure peering over the edge.  Even with no ghosts, it’s a damn cool shot.  

Tuesdays put me in a good mood.  Yay lunch-date day!  Today was decent sushi.  A little pricier than it should have been, but not bad.  And since I’m in a good mood, I’ll pretend like you’re in my living room and show you a few vacation pictures.

Oliver giving his normal expression after I’ve yelled his name for the 4th time.

Colin didn’t want to watch the scary part of the movie. He’s literally watching through his fingers. We were still in Texas.

Less than 3 hours later, and not even half way through Louisiana, the kid passed out.

Here’s a much less “I hate the world” post.  It was a beautiful day today so we took the boys out for some air and sunshine. 

Soccer and plastic helicopter things.  Makes a good time for all!

The boys right before trick-or-treating.

Alan has white knighted (yeah, I’m looking at YOU, stupid car battery) it 3 times in the last 6 days.  That’s a pretty high standard he’s setting for himself 🙂  I also got a new garbage disposal, AND, he cleaned the kitchen for me last night.  It needed to be cleaned because I spend a ridiculous amount of time in there cooking super awesome foods.  Remember that one time a looooong time ago (my last post) that I talked about trying the sausage spaghetti squash?  Yeah, it was amazing.  I made it again last night with some tweaks, obviously, and it was still just as awesome.  I also tried a different blackberry cobbler.  Strangely, after using loads of sugar this time, neither of the kids would touch it.  Which makes me part proud and part horrified.  It’s sugar!!  Ah well. 

This past weekend we finally got out to our happy hour sushi place.  I don’t know that I’d ever want to eat there during non-happy hour prices.  Geez.  Thankfully, it’s stupid good so I just ignore it.  You know, until the credit card bill comes.  Then I cringe.  Sunday was spent being lazy and watching the Cowboys actually win.  Well, I was lazy.  Alan was being heroic and installing the disposal.  I had a twinge of feeling guilty for staying home to watch the whole game before heading down to get the boys, and then saw mom post pictures of the boys at a Cat in the Hat play.  That immediately squashed (mmmm, squash) the guilt and I had another beer. 

Speaking of beer, I should stop drinking that.  And eating the chips.  And donuts.  And get back in the gym for real.  Stupid Halloween candy… I may be carting some of that up to Alan’s work today to get it out of my house.  Which means I should get off here and get ready for that whole gym thing.  And getting Colin to school.  That’s a lot of “and.”

I’ve decided I’m going to go all caveman on little Ms. Motivation.  Just club her over the head and drag her butt back here.  Tomorrow.  While I did eat well today (and do my cardio today !!), I’m finishing my bottle of wine….that I started a little while ago….and then I think I’ll try the whole not drinking alcohol for a while.  Just saying (or thinking) that makes me start laughing.  But, I’d like to see if I can do it.  You know, that whole control thing.  *Not* that I have control issues or anything….ok, all of you STOP laughing!

That’s all I got.  Here’s a picture of my new haircut.  Yes, I love it.  No, I don’t know why I keep growing my hair out and hating it the whole time instead of keeping it short.  I think somewhere along the way I got programmed to think men across the board preferred long hair.  Right at this moment, I’ve decided I don’t care what I’m *supposed* to think, I like it short.  (full disclosure, Alan says he has no preference and likes it both ways.  Seeing as how he’s seen me with much longer and shorter hair than I’m currently sporting, I’ll believe him.)

Oh yeah.  Here’s the picture.  No, I’m not smiling.  I don’t in selfies.  Just feels weird.

I have this thing.  Mostly I ignore it, much to the chagrin of people who were excited that I started it.  I’ll take pictures of the boys, or think of something witty (or sometimes actually intellectual) and think I’ll post it here.  Then I don’t.  I rule. 

That’s a lot of “I”. 

There’s a girl (woman, lady, whatever) that blogs and I occasionally read it.  Sometimes I think she’s strong to write it all down and put it out there.  Other times, I want to say “get over it!  Move on!”, then immediately chide myself because that response is made mostly out of jealousy at not feeling like I can be as free with myself.  Of course, the immediate response to *that* is wondering who the hell bloody cares about my intellectual thoughts!!  🙂  Ah, the inner workings of my brain. 

I have pictures of the boys and fireworks and the zoo and new tattoos (well, just one), but I’m too lazy to wait on them to upload.  Maybe I’ll do it another day.  Or, maybe I’ll just keep all those pictures to myself.   

We’re going to a wedding in Seattle in just over a month.  Somehow, I have to re-find my fat melting motivation.  That shit is so gone.  Not even just hiding under the couch kind of gone.  Like, “bitch packed her bags and moved the hell out” kind of gone.  But, I won’t lie.  The donuts have been soooo good.  Now, I have to gravel and beg and plead to get her to come back and give me another chance.  I gots a dress to buy!  Shopping blows. 

I haven’t even made any good recipes lately.  I have chicken legs in the oven, but not fancy ones.  Just bakin’ in beer.  Wish they’d hurry up, I’m hungry….and bored….

It took me a year, but I finally -FINALLY- can deadlift over my bodyweight!  Not only do I get to use the big girl plates, but I’m adding to them.  That probably makes me happier than it should.  I don’t have a lot of goals with my workouts.  I actually can’t think of any goal that I have been striving for other than that.  And I did it!!

This past Saturday, Oliver participated in a soccer tournament that was not part of his regular season.  It started ridiculously early.  Who in the world wants to start a soccer game at 8am??  Oh.  The soccer people.  Ugh.  But, he had fun.  Tied the first game, lost the second game and won the final game.  Every player got a trophy since they technically weren’t supposed to be keeping score; it’s all for fun, you know.  The day actually didn’t go so bad until…..Until….my beloved 4 year old.  Oh, my dear, dear boy.  I suppose in the end it’s my fault.  Isn’t it always the mother’s fault in the end?  He was wore out and way cranky so I held him and made him shut his eyes.  After a few minutes I asked him if he needed to potty.  He assured me the answer was no.  Repeatedly.  Once he realized I was serious about keeping his eyes shut and being still, he suddenly needed to potty.  Naturally, I said no.  Repeatedly.  So, he peed on me.  Right on my lap.  The best part of that was his response.  “I told you I needed to potty.”  I was torn between beating him and praising him for his caustic tongue.  Pretty sure I chose the smart route and kept my mouth shut.   I ended up missing all but the last minute of the final game since I had to go home and change.  Motherhood, so glamorous.  That moment was a definite lose.

I haven’t been making many fun new recipes lately.  There is a coffee cake that I’m wanting to try, maybe later this evening. 

I was so excited that my legs didn’t hurt after leg day yesterday….until I did uphill cardio today.  Yup, it hurts.  

Colin has good weeks and bad weeks at school.  This week seems to be a bad week.  And last week was soooo good.  *sigh*  Yesterday, we got a note in his folder about how bad his day was.  Not only did he get two time-outs, but he also smooshed a cocoon that everyone was watching for emergence.  The child has a knack for tattling on himself and he didn’t fail this time.  He kept talking about a caterpillar and butterfly, but it was in broken phrases so we couldn’t quite get it until we read the folder.  I tried to explain it to him in 4 yr old terms how it was wrong and sad, but I’m not sure that he quite got it.  Either way, if I start finding dead animals in my yard, that child is going on meds*!!

Oliver has been having headaches and “eye aches” for a couple of months.  Took him to the eye doctor today (sans insurance) and found out that his glasses are actually helping his eyesight, but he doesn’t need a new prescription so it’s not vision related.  So, back to watching and trying to figure out what’s going on.  Hoping it’s sinus/allergy related and we don’t need to go back to a doctor (sans insurance). 

Dinner tonight was portobello pizzas again.  This time, I needed to use the brussels sprouts that were on the verge of going bad.  I had used a recipe before that was pretty damned good and thought that I’d use it again.  The downside was I couldn’t get the balsamic vinegar open.  Neither could Alan.  If I couldn’t get the vinegar open, then naturally I didn’t need to use the chicken stock.  One without the other would just be ridiculous.  Plus, I was too lazy to cut onions.  What ended up sounding good was frying up 4 strips of bacon.  Once those were cooked through, take the strips out, but leave all the grease.  Put in the sprouts (trimmed and halved) and fry up until crispy.   Break up the 4 bacon strips to bacon bit size and throw in the pan and toss.  At the very end, sprinkle garlic salt on to taste.  It was pretty freaking awesome.  I can’t say that was the first time I’d “made up” a recipe, but it’s one of the few times I’d done something on the fly that ended up tasting amazing. 

I’m pretty sure I’m shooting guns tomorrow.  Hopefully that works out and I don’t die. 

*I’m totally kidding…unless I really find dead animals in my yard….