Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Have You Ever Vacuumed Concrete?

So, last night I found myself in a cleaning mood. Yea, I don't know what happened to me. I must be coming down with something. So, I started to vacuum and made my way towards our dining room. In I go, and as I was half way finished I started thinking about the fact that I was vacuuming concrete? Why, you might ask? Well, one of our precious pets decided that our dining room carpet was a lovely place to have a potty break when she had been inside too long, before we came home to let her out. That, over time, spells (or should I say 'smells') yuck. So, one Sunday afternoon I went to children's choir practice. When I came home, Rick had torn out the carpet and padding in sheer frustration. Hence, the concrete floor.

The only problem with that is he tore it out over a year ago. Yup, and with no plan or savings towards a new floor in mind. With 2 kids in private school, one of which is therapeutic, there's not a lot of extra cash floating around here these days. Every time we seem to have money saved up for the flooring here comes a car repair bill, a big dentist bill or a vet bill for a sick, stray black kitten that just happened to wander into our yard, I swear!

So, we have a concrete floor and tell ourselves that our friends and family will still love us even if we have a concrete floor, right by the front door, next to our nice foyer, for every one to see as they walk into our home! Yea, uh huh.

This past week I was at my friend Cindy's house. She and her hubby, Andy, have their own business, work from their home and are raising 2 little kids. They just bought a gorgeous sectional couch that is so comfy to sit on. The only problem is their family room isn't big enough to hold it so it's split, with one half on each side of the room. They will only be in their current house for a little while longer and so the sectional will fit in their new home. In fact, they have a few other things in the house that they want to keep for their new place but it's packed into this one for now. Plus, Cindy LOVES to sell things on Craig's List so she has her old sofa and chair still in the house to keep safe until she sells it online. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as we worked around couches and boxes while fixing lunch and chuckle about how different our lives are than what I thought grown up life would be.

Go back to the spring of 1987 in Austin, TX. Cindy and I are students at UT and in her apartment. We're sitting on the couch that she is now trying to sell on Craig's List (it's real suede and in great shape!). Cindy and Andy are getting married in June of '87 and I know that Rick is going to ask me to marry him some time soon (he did on New Year's Eve of '87). We think we're pretty grown up, for the most part, and fairly mature. We read Bride magazine, Cindy paints her beautiful long nails, I learn new ways to put on eye shadow and we talk about our wonderful guys. We have visions of houses and dream careers, living near a park and meeting there as we raise our babies in family bliss.

Now, here we are 21 years later - I'm vacuuming tumbleweeds of dog hair off of my concrete floor just before I run out the door to pick up my children from their therapeutic school that we can't afford to drive into Houston rush hour traffic to get to someone's (mine or their's) psychologist appointment while Cindy cooks a meal, while walking around a couch in her kitchen, answering her cell phone from women in tube tops that shouldn't be wearing tube tops (I'll explain in a minute), checking her computer to see if a potential tenant has any felonies, helping 1 child with her homework while listening to her 4 year old having a fit because she won't let him go into the garage and see all of his Christmas presents!

How does that song go .....

Okay, I promised I'd explain the women in tube tops. Cindy and Andy are in the rehab (construction, not detox) and real estate business. They own homes and apartments in Houston, as well as some apartments in Galveston. People still trying to recover from Hurricane Ike are looking to rent the ones in Galveston, with help from FEMA. Some of these people, according to Cindy, do happen to fall into the butt crack, tube top wearing, missing some teeth category and I heard some interesting stories the other day. I told 'ya, I wanna be a Toys R Us Kid. I bet some days Rick, Cindy and Andy do too!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Christmas Questionnaire

I'm borrowing this idea from Beth Moore's LPM website! Here we go...

1. Fresh or Fake Tree: Well, we always had a fresh tree growning up, but then when Rick and I had our own tree we got an artificial one. It bit the dust a while back and so for the last 3-4 years we've had a real tree and I'm so glad we're back to the real thing, baby! Real is always better than fake!!!!!

2. Favorite Ornament: Oooooo, there are so many cute ones the kids have made. I guess the ones that the kids made out of their handprints when they were in Mother's Day Out at our church are my favorite. I can't believe they were ever that tiny.

3. Favorite Christmas Song: That's an easy one. Actually, it's not a song, it's a whole album to be exact. Yes, I said ALBUM and it looks like this....

I don't think I'm capable of putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it without this music playing. Seriously!

4. Favorite Tradition: Susie and I always got new nightgowns on Christmas Eve and I do that with my kids too. When we get home from Christmas Eve service, the kids then get on their new jammies. Josh even goes along with it as long as I find him cool looking pajamas. After that, they each get to open 1 and only 1 present! Then, we all cuddle up on the couch and read The Night Before Christmas. I think we'll start a new tradition this year of reading the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible, as well.

5. Favorite Gift Ever Received: You know, I can't really remember. I know I've gotten some wonderful things in my life but the things I remember are the gifts I've given. The Christmas of 2003, when Lauren was 20 mths old was so special because she was really into everything she got. She loved her cozy coop car, her Little Tyke's kitchen and immediately started cooking for her new baby doll. I loved hiding bikes in the Bivens' garage (our neighbors) until Christmas Eve and then seeing Josh fly down the street in bare feet and his pajamas. Those are my favorite gifts.

6. Favorite Christmas Meal: Turkey, mashed potatoes, rutabagas, stuffing made with roasted chestnuts, some type of green veggie (for a variety of color on the plate, you know), gravy, cranberries, etc...

7. Favorite Christmas Cookie: We used to make all kinds of cookies with my mom when we were little, like shortbread, chocolate macaroons, 2 different kinds of Egyptian cookies from my father's family recipes (I can't spell either of them - one sounds like the noise you make when you throw up; the other one sounds phonetically like 'co-nah-fah') and rumballs. We would roll them in different coatings like red or green colored sugar, coconut or ground nuts. Now that I'm an adult and have the recipe for rumballs I know why my mom didn't let us eat too many of those RUMballs!!!

8. Favorite Place to Be: Wow, that's a hard one for me right now. This will be the first Christmas that will just be me, Rick and the kids. To me, holidays are all about having massive amounts of family coming and going and people sleeping everywhere. As a kid it was a blast and I loved every minute of it. But, times change, people move and things happen. So, we'll have our own time with our own traditions and maybe this year we'll be less frantic and more into what Christmas is really about - the birth of Jesus!

9. Favorite Memory: Ummmm, too many to list. Of course, there are lots from when I was little, like when we had so many family members at our house I had to sleep with my parents and I kept them up all night because I heard Santa and his reindeer on the roof. Really, I did!! Then, another year, Susie and I were thrilled because we both got the Chrissy dolls we wanted - you know, that doll that was as big as me and when you pulled on her short pony tail her hair grew long and then when you pushed her belly button her hair sucked back into her head again. Then, fast forward about 25-30 years and you have the joy of watching toddlers Lauren and Josh opening presents, having wrapping paper stick to their faces because of all of the candy canes they were eating, all while they were yelling about what Santa brought them. To those of you who have known us for a long time- remember when Josh was little and whenever he talked with enthusiasm this vein bulged out of his neck!! Can't you just picture him saying "How did Santa know I wanted Thomas the Train and Percy and Sir Topham Hat!" in that hoarse little voice and that big blue vein! What a sight.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie: Christmas was when The Sound of Music would come on TV and I still love that movie to this day. I think I can still sing the words to every song, and maybe even a few of the motions or two. I totally embarrass Lauren and Josh when I do this, even in our own home. I love all of the claymation movies like Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph (with Mr. Heat Miser & Mr. Snow Miser) - Remember this...

and don't forget Santa Claus is Coming to Town or Little Drummer Boy. However, my favorite is The Grinch. I love the dog, especially when the Grinch puts the antlers on him and he teeters over until the Grinch saws off most of the antlers. Too cute! I first saw it on TV when I was in the hospital after just getting my tonsils out. Back then it only came on once a year and if you missed it, oh well, too bad, so sad! Ahhhh, these youngin's have noooo idea how good they have it.

So, email me your answers to this questionnaire so I can take a peek into your holiday traditions. I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Take care!