h/t - Unkawill

h/t - Jack @ Murder and Mayhem

Friday Rich and I brought everything up that would need to be set up the next morning.  The kids were brought to my in-laws for an overnight sleepover.  Saturday morning came and we started to set up.  I was making the last minute dishes in the morning and early afternoon.  My friend Sue came over to help with cutting and putting things together.

By this time we pretty much knew who was coming and who wasn't.  Knowing there was a good possibility of last minute cancellations due to child illness or emergencies we had a good handle of the amount of people coming.  Due to the effort that goes into this party it is important to know how many people.  The gift bags were already put together.  The party is mostly friends and neighbors that have now become good friends.  Some people even ask months in advance when the party is going to be to make sure it makes their calendar.  Some people I find are a little less enthusiastic.  I would never want to force someone to come.  I want people who want to be there.  The invitation states "An evening of good food, good friends and laughter."

Everything was on-track until the phone rings at about 6:01.  The party starts at 6:00.  People were already starting to arrive.  Keep in mind I know that things can happen but this just put me over the top.  A friend called and said they couldn't make it because they were buying a car and still needed to sign the paperwork.  I thought she was kidding until she quickly chuckles and goes into what a great deal they were getting.  I am thinking to myself - you have to be kidding!  The last thing I wanted to hear was what a great deal they were getting when I had over 20 people coming to my house for a party.  Others that couldn't come either had other plans or were on vacation or had a true childcare issue that arose unexpectedly.  But purchasing a car?  This was a first.

Let's just say the invitation list gets rearranged every year and this is an example of why.  I want people there who want to be there.  It was just as well because the people that came had a wonderful time and stayed until 2:00 in the morning.  They helped clean so the next morning involved minimal cleanup.

The party was a success and we are already planning the next one.

Here is a sample of some of the things we had to get done.

1. paint deck
2. touch up paint inside house
3. paint kitchen (keep in mind we had to take down the wallpaper and spackle the crap out of the walls)
4. clean screens
5. chop wood
6. week hill & side gardens
7. replace plexyglass & screen for door to deck
8. sweep below patio
9. attach tikki torches to deck (not recommended but we do it anyways – fire extinguisher always nearby)
10. plant perennials
11. fill in flowers with annuals
12. deck door – paint
13. storage door – paint
14. fix floor
15. get invitations
16. replace light fixtures – kitchen
17. replace bath faucet
18. replace rugs in kitchen
19. clean patio
20. weed-be-gone patio / parking place
21. songlist for party
22. CD for party gifts
23. make strawberry /peach
24. print labels for CD’s
25. replace both door bells and chime

So this is just a sample of our list and most of them are done. Needless to say some are quick and some are long and involved.  The kitchen is finally painted - Summer Pudding.  For those who don't know what summer pudding looks like - it's cranberry.  We did however, change the light fixtures in our kitchen by ourselves. For those who read the previous entry know that is a huge accomplishment this is for us.  Keep in mind that the first light in the kitchen took six attempts for it was a success.

So now all we have to do is go grocery shopping, make the food and gift bags then bring the kids down to my in-laws at the beach.  If we aren't too exhaused by Saturday we should have a great time.

We cut the power to the house as they suggest in the directions.  It took all of 15 minutes to change the doorbell and two buttons.  Hubby went to turn on the main circuit breaker to the house - nothing.  We later find out that the main one should not be turned on and off in the older versions.

It was broken and it was Sunday.  Never a good situation to have to call an electrician.  After going to the store to get bags of ice to make sure the food in the fridge doesn't go bad we feverishly make phone calls to any 24-hour electrician that we can find.  In the meantime my father is trying to get a hold of a friend that it an electrician.

"Mr. Electric" was the first to call back.   The story gets worse from here. 

"Yup it's broken he said and it will be anywhere between $500 - $1200 to fix."  He said but with a smile that you could hear through the phone lines.

As I was hyperventilating the phone rings and my dad says that Kevin will be back in the area in about an hour and a half.  I was slightly relieved in that I knew he was good as well as reasonable.

Walker says, "Mommy,  I can't turn the T.V. on right?"

"Nope."

I don't think the house has been that quiet since before children.  Besides the fact that it was potentially a financial nightmare I was enjoying the quiet.

Kevin shows about a few hours later replaces the breaker switch in about 15 minutes and says, "Okay the part of $25 and for my time and gas how about $60."  I could have kissed the ground he walked on.

So forget about knowing people in high places - make friends with an electrician. 

Recap

Having your electricity go out... alarming

Having it go out on a Sunday... expensive

Having a friend that knows what he is doing and is willing to fix it on a Sunday for a minimal price... priceless

So needless to say we took vacation time to try and get some of the projects completed.  Imagine this a week of rain, two little ones inside all week.  The kids were driving each other crazy as well as us.  We didn't get through all our projects because most of them consisted of painting something inside or out. 

Before my vacation Walker had a situation at camp that even today gets me so upset that it is difficult to discuss.  That was the start of the vacation so you know it wasn't starting very well.

We got through (and actually survived) vacation.  Rich and I haven't been on an actual vacation since our honeymoon almost ten years ago.  There always seems to be something that needs to be done around the house not to mention the money it takes to go somewhere these days.

So if I haven't blogged in awhile it is due to lack of time and when there is time ... there is no energy. 

When it came to his primary teacher to give her assessment she felt the need to say at the end that he still has behavior issues and impulses.  I took it with a grain of salt and didn't put too much thought into it because it was not validated by any of the other six teachers in the room.  Makes you think doesn't it?  Believe me if he has a behavior issue I would be the first to address it.  I will not tolerate such behavior.  My kids aren't perfect and would be the first to admit it.

Walker came home a few weeks ago and says that one of his best friends wasn't being nice to him and teasing him and taking off Walkers shoes.  There are the three boys that are in the same kindergarten class and also go to the after school program.  So I asked him what was going on and asked him if he was doing the same.  Walker was talked to on how to handle the situation.  I discussed with the afternoon teacher to find out what was going on.  All three boys were doing the same thing.  I discussed this with Walker and said this is not appropriate behavior and I don't want you doing these things anymore.  He promised me he wouldn't.  I followed up his teacher and she said it was still happening.  She explained that she talked to the boys and asked them to come to her and explain why there were feeling that way.  That's a bunch of hogwash.  She is young - chalk it up to inexperience and lack of wisdom that comes from repeatedly reprimanding your kids.  She was probably around 20 years old.  I asked the boys to come to me (including Walker) with the teacher.  I explained that this behavior wasn't going to be tolerated any further and if they wanted to continue being friends than they needed to treat each other better.  This type of behavior was going to stop immediately.  I then told them if it continued that I had the names and phone numbers of their moms and would call them.  They happen to be friends.  I also know that they are the type of mothers that would do the same.  If Walker was doing something he shouldn't and I wasn't there to see it I would trust that they would step in and do the same thing.  Well needless to say for the next several weeks it didn't happen. 

Walker has now started with the recreational department summer program and is loving it.  The second day the counselor comes up to Rich and says, "You know... you have a great kid there."   There is nothing a parent would rather hear from others.  He may not be the most intelligent or the fastest but he is well behaved and is compassionate among others.

Recap

Knowing your 1st child has passed kindergarten... relieved

Knowing the 2nd child may end up with the same teacher... frightening

Hearing that your child is a good kid from an almost stranger... satisfying

I recieved an e-mail that I thought was worth publishing.  Author unknown.

A birth certificate shows that we were born; a death certificate shows that we died; pictures show that we lived!  Have a seat . . . Relax. And read this slowly.

I believe...That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe...That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe...That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe...That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe...That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe...That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe...That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe...That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe...That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe...That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe...That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe...That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe...That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe...That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe...That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe...That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe...That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe...That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe...Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe...That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe...That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I believe...That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe...That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I believe...The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Well... last night I got the strangest text message.  Here it is:

Stanger:  Hey long time no talk

Me:  Who is this?

Stranger:  Bradley

Me: I don't know a Bradley - you must have the wrong number.

Stranger:  Kelly's Friend

Stranger:  The guy u thought was super hot

(... by this time I am laughing and so is my husband)

Me:  Sorry but I don't know a Kelly and I am married with two kids.  BTW my husband is already hot.

Stranger:  Oops sorry

Me: No problem.  My husband was starting to wonder who this hot guy named Brad was.  Hope you find whoever the messages were intended for.

Stranger: Thanks bye

So that was my excitement for the evening.  It was worth a chuckle to say the least.  This is not the first one I got that was a little strange.  The last one involved a blonde woman who claimed she was having a hard time with a hangover due to late night partying.  When we looked up the number she worked for a large real estate firm.  Geez people make sure you know who you are sending messages to.