GAT'sfamily

Our family: Mom, Dad, 5yr old, 2yr old, and very large, but friendly dog in N. KY

Sunday, July 31, 2005

Shoot I missed another opportunity

It really isn't that strange that I didn't date more before Hubby. I really am so not good at picking people up. Ok granted it's moved from trying to pick up dates to trying to pick up play dates for my kids but I still suck at it. I had the PERFECT opportunity yesterday, and did I work up the balls to give the other mommy my phone number and ask for a date and end up looking like I'm as desperate for friends in the same city as I am? No.

Now I'm kicking myself because our kids hit it off (and ANYONE who knows #1 knows that doesn't happen often, although he has gotten better), she seemed really nice, and I know what park they frequent, but I'll probably never see them again. Oh well....Maybe next time.

Oh yeah that was me..........

That said we don't need to worry about how the house looks and is decorated, just the bones of it. I am either really stupid and unable to learn from experience (I mean this is our 3rd house, one of which was 85yrs old) or an eternal optimist.

Yesterday after sizing up the job painting our bathroom is going to be, I went to work scraping off the old chipping paint. The good news is I discovered drywall under the 4 coats of paint, not plaster. This means it is probably not original to the house (a lot of it is plaster) and hence probably not lead based paint. The bad news....The really bad texturing job of the previous people has to either be replicated in the areas I scrapped so I can just paint over it or, sanded down so I can start over with a new texture (or my preference NO TEXTURE). I'm thinking this will be a "mini" redo of my bath. In the future, I have big plans of redoing the mirrors , possibly redoing all the tile (there is ALOT of a strange blue/grey/purple tile). Change out and placement of the lighting fixtures and adding in an exhaust fan. I think this time it will stop with just trying to redo the bad texturing in the areas that need it and re-sealing the grout lines with a colored grout sealer (not a big job according to my BIL).

I've decided the whole house will probably be done in 2 stages, if we live here long enough. Here is our list

PHASE I - The bandaid effect.

Painting the faux wood paneling, and the ugly ceilings tile in the Living room
Ripping off the wall paper and re doing our bed room
Moving the washer and dryer out of #2's room and back into the basement before we move him to a toddler bed soon.
Painting the faux wood paneling in #2's room sometime before we have a #3
Decorating #1's room incorporating the faux brick paneling into the design (train tunnel anyone?) before moving #2 in with him.
Removing the Faux rock paneling in the basement (aka, craft room). Making sure there is no mold behind it, re-sloping and tileing the floor. Possibly add in a futon or something to make it into a guest room


PHASE II - for when the kids are a little older and we have a little more money (haha)

Get a natural gas line put in, change out furnace, stove, water heater, dryer, etc.
Rip out the carpet in the living room/toy room and redo the hardwood that's underneath.
Rip out the paneling in the living room, fix the cracked plaster walls our neighbor says is underneath, paint and find molding for the floor board that will match the woodwork in the rest of our house.
Gut the kitchen and start over trying to reuse the old tile backsplash I love and the cabinet's that while old looking match the style and wood used in the rest of the house.
Pull the faux wood paneling off the walls in the family room and replace with drywall.
Gut the bathroom....Start over, hopefully with a jucuzzi tub. At least change the tile and re-color the tub/shower inset thingy, mirrors, etc.
Remove paneling from both the boy's rooms and redo.

My new rules for future houses??? NO weird hard to replicate TEXTURE on the walls/ceiling, and NO PANELING!!!

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Me space

I've decided it's time to carve out a little "me" space in our house. I started with our bedroom. That lasted 3 weeks. So now I've moved onto the lovely little desk I found at the garage sale last week. While the rest of the room may be in total chaos. My little desk is organized with all our bill information and my book, plus a few knick nacks that actually do have sentimental value to me. And although the chair sitting in front of it so does not match, it is one of my parent's old dining chairs that I've been redoing for years now (We get the table when they die or my mom talks my dad into the fact they need a smaller one...so basically when the die we'll get the matching table and buffet).We'll see how long this spot lasts as being completely mine. Hey I still have the basement for my craft table ;-)

***TMI WARNING for all men, and non - mom's********

I weaned #2 about 4 months ago completely (finally), and though it took a while I completely dried up. About 3 weeks ago I noticed I was leaking after a shower. OK no biggie right, it was just a few drops and I nursed for the last 18 months it should take my body a little time to forget the habit of producing milk. Well yesterday I walked around feeling full all day...not engorged, but full, and last night after my shower I was leaking again. This time it really had that yellow colostrum look and was more then just a few drops. and today again I'm walking around feeling full. Umm what's up with this???

I mean yes I got hubby around to my way of thinking that we should start trying for #3, which there would be a very very slight chance that could explain yesterday and today, but what about 3 weeks ago....and I KNOW I wasn't pregnant then. Odd, just very odd. Besides if a #3 is the explination to yesterday and today this will be a LONG 9 months....think any milk banks take pre - natal supplies ;-)

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Just call me "DEAL SEEKER"!

So after a day of dragging DH to a ton of garage sales I'm proud of my shopping prowess. Just a small recap of the days finds.

An art desk for the kids $2

A writing desk for me $15

Like new backpack for #1 $2

Toys for the kids that they didn't need $5

2 nice old fashioned pie plates $1.50

And then on top of my garage sale finds I went to work and found out they had Booster seats on clearance for $10 PLUS my discount...Yes ladies and gents that's 60% off the regular price. All because they changed the color on the same model.

Today has been a good day.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

I was wrong (um right)

Hubby, who "never" looks at my blog, looked at my last post and wished for me to clarify one point. He didn't say he didn't want another baby....what he said was he wanted to postpone it for a few months till our finaces are in a better situation. So there it is his side of it.

What he didn't add was that it's highly likely we'll be in the same situation for quite a while unless Uncle Sam helps us out (we're hoping to claim the losses we took on our house last year for a nifty refund). So waiting is really pointless since at that point it would just end up postponed again, and again, and again...Until #1 and #2 move out of the house and I go through menopause and it's a mute point ;-)

How dare he be sleeping

*****WARNING MAJOR DH (and I don't mean DEAR) VENT AHEAD*********


I am SO sick of getting into conversations with DH at night where he re-nigs on something he said before and then goes to sleep as I sit here on the computer fuming away thinking great I need to be up in 7 hours and I'm too pissed to sleep. And he says I start the conversations. Well maybe that's because I've been waiting for him to answer my question for 2 weeks, and I'm sorry but I don't think about important things till #1 and #2 are in bed. I mean really what in the hell gives men the ability to sleep through any noise or emotion is really ticking me off. Last time he did this I was so angry I kneed him in the balls at some point in the middle of the night (no it wasn't on purpose, yes I was asleep, and no I wasn't really sorry in the morning since I was still mad, but I was later) Ya think the man would learn.

And why does he have to be so Damn rational about something that is not a rational decision to begin with. Once again he's deciding that we shouldn't have any more kids...at least right now. And excuse me for not wanting to wait till all our bills are paid off...I mean by that time #2 will be in school and I do plan to have a career at some point in my life beyond working at T. HELLO we haven't been preventing it from happening, but now that I actually want to try you're saying it's a bad time? No shit, it's always a bad time to have a kid. With the exception of finances right now is probably the best time and we weren't exactly roll'n in the dough when we had the last two. And if he really wants to be so f*ing rational maybe he should have thought of that when we AGREED to have 3 children the first time BEFORE we were married. I mean shit, I've let him back out of having more after each of the first two....And I've waited patiently with no pressure for him to come around and say yes lets have more...But stop saying yes and the saying no again. He knows damn well that if we wait too much longer I don't want another one because I don't want my kids spaced out that far which is why I wanted to jump on this bandwagon a year ago.

And it wouldn't be quite so important to me to have a career, and get through the baby making stage if he'd get his butt back into school and find a career that has a future, but that's another whole frickin argument for another night.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005


Doggie Dino's, and #1 Posted by Picasa

Doggie Dinosaur Roar

Hubby and the boys have a game they call dinosaur roar.....Basically they chase each other while being as loud as they possibly can and the dinosaur "Tickles" the people it catches. We're dog sitting for a week and half and while our dog was wrestling with the other (smaller) puppy #1 was having a fit...Until he decided they were playing Doggy Dinosaur roar. Now he wants to be a doggie so he can play too.

It's scary how well Hubby knows me. He "almost" read my mind last night. We were talking and I made the comment how our Horse-dog is going to miss having a playmate, and how #1 and #2 are going to miss him as well. After saying that I was thinking Hmmm maybe this will be what it takes to get Hubby to think we need another dog, and out of his mouth came..NO WE ARE NOT GETTING ANOTHER DOG. Not that I'm pushing for it, heck I'm just glad I got him to agree to another kid in the future, but I did mention to him the other night that some people we know are trying to rehome their dog.

But mom, The kitty did it

So this morning I wake up and realize Hey it's pretty light out, the kids slept in! YAY! Then I roll over and realize there is a completely naked boy in bed next to me...Great he must have had another accident. I go, into his room to see what the damage is, but no pee in the bed? No pee on the floor? Oh NO, it must be in MY bed, but nope my bed's dry. So when #1 wakes up I ask him. Honey where are your clothes. Silly me. The kitty took it away in the spaceship because he's too little for clothes. Don't know why I didn't think of that one.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

New Camera Functions?

OK we've had our digital for what 6 months now? And we just figured out it takes 3 pictures in rapid succession. Awesome feature when you're trying to get a photo of #2 smiling. Up till now I can probably count the number of pics we have of him smiling. No one would believe that he's generally a very happy smiley go-lucky kid, unless it's a tantrum moment of course. So check out the pictures we took of the boys with their new hats from Grandma and Grandpa who are on vacation in Alaska. I especially like the one in color. Looks like he's trying to pick up a girl or something ;-) The B&W, we changed it because #1 was moving and looked like he had bruises in the color version, plus I like the effect of B&W.

Aren't we cute! Posted by Picasa

Hey baby, how are you? Posted by Picasa

Friday, July 08, 2005


Houshold pet peeve: Clean and partially folded, but not put away laundry. Posted by Picasa

Magazine Subscriptions: Yup here they are, but this year I'm letting Readers Digest run out and probably going to pick up Nat'l Geographic. The Country one has some awsome photographs in it. Posted by Picasa

Favorite framed Picture: #1 and #2 made the frame for me with the help of daddy for a gift. And this is one of my favorite pics of the boys together. Posted by Picasa

Stuff Portrait Friday.

My first ever stuff portrait Friday, and I think everything is being posted in the wrong order today, but oh well that's live. This week Kristine at http://randomandodd.blogspot.com/ would like us to post:

Favorite framed picture
Magazine subscriptions
Household pet peeve

Here are mine!

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Random money thoughts

So I got thinking on the way home from the grocery store tonight how much my spending habits have changed in the last 7 years (ok, 5 years hubby and I weren't very frugal till #1 came along) . I had a freaky landlady one time tell me I couldn't rent an apt in her building because I didn't make enough money and had to allow at least $400/month for my food budget. Still think that lady was smoking something, especially since that's on the high end of what I spend for a family of 4 now.

So all these thoughts on what I was told I'd need to spend for food all those years ago got me thinking, If I had to live on the same amount of money today as a single person with no kids, as I did then, could I? And would it be easier or harder on me then it was then. I decided I think it'd be easier only because I've gotten to the point of actually understanding money better, and how to make it stretch further. But I also think I'd be looking for a way to find a higher paying job.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005


This is from our back yard. We actually had a better view from our bathroom as it's up higher. Posted by Picasa

Cotton Candy!!!

Ok again we forgot the camera (bad parents, I know) but my kids had their first ever taste of cotton candy last night. We're not really "festival" type people, well I am, but Hubby isn't, and have never really been anywhere with the boys were they sell it till last night.

We went to the city fireworks display and they had this awesome little festival thingy with all sorts of "fair"food including cotton candy. Well I don't know if you've ever watched JoJo the clown on Disney, but it's one of #1's favorite shows, and we have the CD which has a song all about cotton candy. For the last 6months+ I've been promising #1 we'd get some next time we went somewhere they sell it. And the results #1 loves it, I still like it, Hubby thinks it's too sweet, and #2, while loving the taste hated the texture.

The rest of the night went well. Both boys loved the fireworks and then came home, got ready for bed and watched the fireworks from the Minor League ball field near our house. We're all a little tired today, but hey it only happens once a year and it's almost nap time !

Saturday, July 02, 2005

What's the point?

Someone please tell me what's the point of working at a store with lots of great stuff on clearance, AND an employee discount if you're too tired to remember what cool looking things came through your line after your shift, and too tired to go find them?

Ok, so today was my second day of work and I am DEAD. I've worked retail before, I've been on my feet for 8 hours before, but I guess I'm getting old. Other then that it was ok, and like I said I checked out lots of stuff that would look good in my house for other people, but was too tired to try to find some for me after work. Oh and they've been trying to get me to open a charge card with them. Um no. I got this job to pay off the credit cards I already got, and I recently put hubby and I on a cash only budget so I have to stick to it too.

I know I said I was going to start the Friday stuff pictures (sorry can't remember the name right this minute) but a nice big storm Thursday night knocked our internet out until today...So next week.

Ok, I'm off to fall asleep in front of a movie on the couch next to Hubby. Good night