April Insider's Club

Check out how cute the April jewelry is!

So here's the thing. It's tax season. I say that a lot this time of year because it's kind of an excuse/explanation for my life right now. From about February 1st to April 15th, I suck at most everything. I'm a bad friend, a bad mother, a bad visiting teacher, a bad aunt, a bad school volunteer...the list goes on. But at least, I'm a rockin' accountant.
This year I've been trying to pull it together and still have dinner on the table each night since I'm still a newlywed and I want my husband to think he got a good deal when he married me. Next year I'll let the cat out of the bag and he can see what it's like to eat Campbell's soup for three months while I sit in my office and work.
Every year I make a list of things that our tax money will pay for. This year, after all the kids clothes, car registration, etc I'm hoping to redo my upstairs bathroom. This bathroom needs it bad because, like my furnace, it is the original 1950s stuff that came with the house. My problem is this...I'm cheap. Like, really cheap. Ridiculously cheap. I learned it from my parents. I come from cheapness on both sides.
I've decided to install a new vanity myself. Of course, by "myself" I mean, I will oversee my husband doing it. Hey, don't feel bad for him. I made dinner every night remember?
I'll update you on the bathroom which obviously won't get started until after tax season.

Moving Day

This is a little something I wrote last year when my brother was moving.

It’s moving day. Not for me. My brother and his wife are moving into their first house. I love moving day. Although again…not for me.
Moving day is like a family reunion. Your friends and family come over. Everyone looks like they’re ready to raise a barn wearing their old shoes, sweatshirts and jeans. All the cars and trucks pull up and people clear out their trunks and back seats so we can jam your stuff in there.

Then comes the good part. We get to go through all your stuff. We see everything you own. We know what is hiding in your couch when we pick it up and cookie crumbs fall out. We see what’s in the back of your freezer you forgot was there and notice that your movies are not alphabetized. We haul boxes back and forth… and then we start to goof off. We fake like we’re going to toss your favorite mirror over the balcony to get it down the stairs faster. We joke that we’re going to ride your mattress down three flights of stairs. We put your winter hats on and make fun of your ties. Volunteer helpers are never very serious. We don’t care that much because all of our stuff is at home waiting for us to come relax. There’s no sense of urgency there.

I like watching the men on moving day. Even men who normally aren’t very into the “man” stuff like hunting or watching football always seem to walk a little taller on moving day. The women defer to them to take the washer and dryer up or down the stairs and we let them carry twice as many items as us while we scurry back and forth. It’s not that we can’t do it. I mean, I moved myself and two kids twice as a single Mom by myself. I can carry a bookcase as well as anyone, but frankly I’d rather watch the guys do it. They’re very proud of themselves.

For some reason, someone always brings a small kid on moving day. Without fail, someone will bring a three year old along like it’s going to help. People hand the short one something like a roll of paper towels to carry to the truck and back and make them think they’re helping. And as darling as they are…I always wonder why someone thought it would be a good idea to bring them along.

Then before you know it, moving day is over and we’re all standing around waiting for our free pizza. I kinda wish I was moving now.

Alarm Clock

My husband is away this weekend. I'm not sure why but he seems to think he's my personal alarm clock. I love my husband very much but when he knows I'm sleeping, he calls to wake me up when he thinks I need to get up. This is usually about 15 minutes before I actually need to get up. Is there anything more annoying than being awakend JUST BEFORE you have to be awake? No time to get back to sleep and no reason to really get up. Just time to sit and wonder why someone woke you up 15 minutes too early.

On a more important note...last weekend ended like this:
Sister in law DID go into labor. I took charge and took over care of the 3 yr old and 18 month old. I was awesome. Cutesy babyness ensued and I'm an aunt again. 6 lb 8 oz McKinna Kathleen is adorable.
Grandma is still alive. No problem.
Parents got picked up from the airport. Still no tip. Sigh!

I'm in charge!

Day 1
My Mom and Dad have left the country on vacation and I've been put in charge. I drove the family to the airport, pulled out their luggage like a good Taxi driver and I didn't even get a tip. Later, my Dad called to tell me he'd left his cell phone plugged in at home and could I run over and unplug it. ??? Suuuuurrre.
I was given the assignment of checking up on my Grandmother every day because my Mom thinks she's going to die while they're on vacation. I promised I would put her on ice if she did. I called Grandma to tell her that I'm in charge. She sounded impressed.

Day 2
My second duty as the woman in charge is to keep track of my sister-in-law. She's a couple weeks away from her due date and Mom is afraid she'll go into labor while they're on vacation. (Do you sense a theme here?) I called her to tell her I'm in charge. She chuckled.

Day 3
I had to stop at my Moms house today to get some of the tax folders that are there. My Mom is my tax helper this year and does all my printing and stuff. She puts all the labels on, stamps the copies and puts those little flag arrows on the signature lines for me. Basically, all the fun stuff.

It seemed so weird to walk into their house and not have anybody there. I tried on a bunch of their clothes and made some long distance calls and rearranged their DVD collection so it's out of order. I was thinking of sending smoke signals out the chimney but I'm not sure anyone would notice. I'm in charge! What are they going to do?

I'm a cartoon

Lately, I've been having fun creating myself as an animated person.

Check me out!