Sans Christmas card...

All right, I'll forgive you for not sending me a Christmas card (you know who you are) if you forgive me first :-) Well, the universe conspired against me this Christmas card season. Let me explain.

Remember how I told you that when I give my new home address out to people now I feel like I'm giving some Extra Terrestrial the longitude and latitude to come over and have Darjeeling tea with me? Well, to give you an idea, if you type in my entire address in a GPS it will not find it. If you omit the first part, it does. Apparently they changed the format of street addresses around here not too long ago and every now and then, delivery people have issues. Nothing major so far - they always call and eventually I get my stuff, but the prints I ordered for our Christmas cards didn't fare so well. Half of it arrived and half Lord only knows where it could be. They are reprinting them so I may still send them later, but unless you're family or someone who could die one day and live me an inheritance (ha, as if I know those people!) you did not make it on my first attempt.

I take comfort in thinking that perhaps you're keeping up with my blog and know what we're up to this Christmas season. DH & I had a wonderful time (champagne included) during our annual Wrapping Party which this year was relocated to a wonderful basement that has yet again proven to be very very handy (if you've read previous posts you know what I'm talking about :-)

We went to bed at 2:30 am only to be awoken by baby girl an hour later telling us she couldn't fall asleep. Well, let me tell you that a queen size bed is not big enough for two adults, a cat and a child! They were gracious enough to let me sleep till 7:30 am, when, with my trusty cappuccino in hand, the unwrapping ceremonies began. I'm sure you had a similar ceremony going on at your house, especially if you have little ones around. This year, even our cat got a gift: one of those drive your cat crazy circles where you can drop cat nip in the middle for them to scratch! Oh, joy!

A big hug to all of you this holiday season!

Let it snow, let it snow....

And yes, we got plenty!! Just about up to my knees - yikes! What have I done moving up here???? And before you go making wise cracks about it not being too difficult to snow up to my knees (in reference to my vertically challenged physique), I'll have you know that I've been told by none other than a medical professional, that for a short person, I mean, vertically challenged person, I have surprisingly long legs. So, there!

Well, it hasn't been all that bad. Then again, I don't have to drive anywhere to go to work, right? Today, DH left his car home and took the SUV because it has 4-wheel drive. The kids' school got canceled and they were very sad (mainly because this being the last day before Christmas break, they were supposed to have their Christmas party today which included a Secret Santa exchange).... So, cabin fever time! Baby girl is all for going sledding again outside but Baby boy has a nasty little cough at the moment and is not inclined to venture out, even as pretty and inviting as the yard looks from my patio door. It's a good thing they took their brand new sleds to a park nearby last week and had a blast! Hopefully that will hold them over till, in another few days, both kids will be up for some snowball fight. I can't wait... he, he, he!!!

Meanwhile, DH was told (by me) to go get his early Christmas present last week: a brand new, shiny red snow blower! How did I know, right? Well, I got tired of the neighbor offering him her snow blower (and no, that's not code for anything else - get your minds out of the gutter already! :-), him not taking it because he was afraid it would break in his hands, while freezing his cutie patoutie out there shoveling our long driveway. He finally took me up on the offer and got it. I'm sure he thanked me for my insight this morning when he had to use said snow blower to get out of the driveway..... After all, if nothing else, I am known to be a thoughtful person :-) But really, I'm loving it so far. The natives tell me that by February they are so sick and tired of all this snow mess, but this being our first winter here, like I said, so far, it's all fun and games.

Did I mention that I finally gave in and decided to start training to be a Jazzercise Instructor? They've been hounding me since Texas, but I never felt motivated enough to welcome the added responsibility. I enjoyed the freedom of just going and having fun too much to feel inclined to turn it into a job. Now, not knowing too many people and having nothing better to do with my time (well, there's always house work & other little projects, but that's always gonna be there), I decided to start the training and if all goes well, in mid-February I go in for my certification. I'm loving it, but I've had a problem with my right foot for the last few years (Morton's neuroma) that gets aggravated when I exercise too much. If I can only get past all the heavy training I could possibly just pace myself afterwards, but that's always easier said than done. We'll see. For the time being, DH feels sorry enough for me that I'm cashing in on foot massages every chance he offers to do it. Yeah, I'm shameless, I know, but that seems to be one of my endearing qualities... Let's just go with that!

Stay warm!

Cookie Exchange Party

Well, most of you who know me, know that I love to cook. That being the case, I often peruse through web sites in search of new and yummy recipes. One of my favorites is the Nestle website. They even encourage you to write reviews for the recipes you've tried, good or bad. Well, I guess I've done enough of them that a while back the Nestle people invited me to be in their Advisory Panel for the new chocolate chip line they were launching. That was a lot of fun. I basically tried new recipes using their new products and share the opinions of my family and friends who tried it. But that only lasted a year.

So then, a couple of months ago, they contacted me again asking if I'd be willing to host a Cookie Exchange Party. I don't know if you've had a chance to ever go to one, but basically this is how it works: each guest bakes several dozen cookies of one kind of cookies (however many dozens depends on however many guests are coming). Then at the party, each person walks away with a dozen of each variety of cookies that were brought.

Needing an excuse to put a deadline on certain house projects around here (I'm shameless, I know) I set it up for the last possible option the Nestle people gave me, which was December 6. That worked out great! My dining room tile floor got done by none other than DH, which saved us a ton of money and looked fabulous! I tell him, I cannot recommend him to my friends only because I cannot afford the time, but he does fabulous work! It took him a week (well, in all fairness there was a Thanksgiving weekend in there that we needed to go to IL for and also he does have a regular job he must attend to) but it was done just in time. I had a small group of 5 ladies coming which meant each of us baked 5 dozen of one kind of cookie but went home with 5 different kinds: Russian Tea Cookies, Peanut Butter Kisses, Molasses, Sugar & Candy Cane Cookies. We had a great time just sipping coffee and cider and trying a few samples and having good conversation. By the way, it was during that conversation that I learned about fleece lined jeans and remote control starters (to warm your car) among other things I wish I had known before we moved :-) Now that I'm not a newbie anymore, I think I'm gonna have a bigger group next year! For all my trouble of hosting (as if!) the Nestle folks sent me several cookie tins and recipe booklets to distribute to my guests. That was a nice touch.

If you ever want to host one, it is a lot of fun. It doesn't even have to be Christmas but that is as nice a time of the year to host as any. And don't worry about going home with too many cookies that you can't possibly eat. You can always take them to the office or send them to your kid's school, or even a nice treat for Sunday School. It's just as much fun passing it forward as it is to eat them! Another great reason to do it is to also make someone's day by shipping them to distant relatives, friends, kids who are away in college or even in the military overseas (just remember to pack them well and ship priority mail)!

Go ahead! Nibble time!!!!!

Who invented glitter?

Well, it may be obvious to you (right?!) but I finally realized today that although the credit for coming up with glitter, as we all know it, goes to an American cattle farmer named Ruschman during the 1930s, the credit really should go to God.

This week, as I was driving the kids to school, we looked at all the fields that are now blanketed with snow as white as white can be (have I mentioned that by now we've had two snow storms that brought around 6" of snow each time?). When the sun hits it, it's amazing how beautiful it shines! Seeing that, I told my kids: "Look how beautiful the snow sparkles with the sun!", to each my daughter says: "It's like someone dropped glitter all over it!" And that's when I had this amazing epiphany that God is the one who invented glitter in the first place. OK, like I'm fond of saying: "I am a genius! A slow genius, but a genius nonetheless." Yeah, I know that basically God really invented everything, but you know how we, humans, tend to get sidetracked by patents and all.

And then, when you look a little closer at how glitter is actually made, I can't help but think that old man Ruschman must have had a little divine inspiration to come up with it. While some may assume that glitter is produced by simply crushing the source material (very tiny flecks of glass, stone, paper, plastic or polyester), that is simply not the case. Commercial glitter manufacturers use various dies to cut out individual pieces in bulk. Even though pieces of glitter can be as small as 50 microns in size (and again, let me remind you that I belong to the SLOW variety of geniuses, so I had to go look up what 50 microns would actually be in my world, and that turns out to be 0.002 inches), each piece has been precision-cut in the shape of squares, circles, rectangles or hexagons.

Which led me to my next epiphany (this has been a prolific week for epiphanies around here!): we have all been precision-cut into the beings that we are today, by none other than God... while we were still in our mother's wombs. I find that amazing!

Didn't mean to get all preachy on you. Just wanted to share. Maybe there's hope for me yet!

Now don't go saying you didn't learn something new today (I'm assuming that, like me, you never heard of Ruschman before).

Have a wonderful day!

Parent test

Well, this ought to be interesting. DH started this new job right, and in the midst of all the health assessment papers, there was this optional parent/child relationship assessment questionnaire. He brought it home, so we gave both our kids a copy so they could rate us individually as parents.

I was surprised how eager and easily the kids took the assignment on. They were very happy to take their time rating us and then discussing the reasons for their answers and how we could improve (bet you'd love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation, huh?!) Anyway, surprisingly - to me anyway - my boy was harsher in his assessment of me as a parent than my little girl (the only single "E" I got was from him - the nerve!). However, I ended up getting an overall "B" from both of them. Daddy (who I'd have sworn would always get an "A") ended with a B+ I think. I guess that shows that for little people, they have great expectations of us... just you wait till they become parents someday! I'm saving this piece of paper to show them!

Thought I'd share this particular joy with you. Your mission, should you accept it, is to print the 12 questions, give it to each of your children, have them rate you, then be prepared to sit down with them and discuss the reason for each grade. This is where you get to ask them questions on how you can improve or do better in certain areas from then on. Brace yourself!

MY PARENT: _____________ (insert name)

1. Understands me A B C D E
2. Lets me act my age A B C D E
3. Listens to my problems A B C D E
4. Spends time with me alone A B C D E
5. Treats me with respect A B C D E
6. Is nice to my friends A B C D E
7. Helps me with homework A B C D E
8. Tells me he/she loves me A B C D E
9. Answers my questions A B C D E
10. Allows me to make decisions A B C D E
11. Pays full attention to me when I speak A B C D E
12. Helps me feel good about myself A B C D E

Have fun!

In Wisconsin, you "park" in the basement :-)

...at least in the winter.

Let me explain: last night DH and I finally had our first date since moving up here. I know, tell me about it, it was long overdue. Anyway, with the temperatures already falling and in the 30's, and flurries coming down sporadically, we were wondering what to do. The usual dinner and a movie is always a good staple, but really there wasn't any movie I cared to see right now (in another 11 days, Twilight comes out and that's another story). So, as we were leaving the kids asked what we were going to do, so I said, "Well, we're going to dinner and then probably park somewhere." Of course, that went over their heads, as I had hoped.

However, as we were finishing a great dinner, we began to wonder, really, what are we going to do? It's still too early to go home and the kids might still be up. Well, "parking" anywhere at this time of the year can become rather chilly, so DH enticed me to come home with the promise of a foot massage (and he knows I can never say no to that). So, as we crept into the house, we realized both the sitter (our BFF) and the kids were already in bed - yeah! But, although I was pretty sure the sitter was already in la-la land, I could hear whispers coming from the kids' room. So, we grabbed a couple of blankets and the massage oil and headed for the basement where we parked for the next couple of hours. Oh, the simple pleasures in life...

Yes, it may sound rather tame for you wild cats out there, but since moving into our new house, we've been rather busy with all the painting, and shopping for new carpet and hardwood floors. I'm hosting a Cookie Exchange party in early December, so that's what's pushing me into getting the house as finished as possible. As you can imagine, all that activity leaves us as tired as it leaves us a bit cash strapped to do much else.

So, here's a cheer to the simple pleasures in life! Look around and you're bound to find some!

Song of deliverance

Hi, everyone! It's been a while, I know. Getting all set up in a new home may take just a week for some of you, but I like to pace myself - I'm a big believer in spreading the joy :-) We just had our first visitors last weekend which forced us to pick up the pace (basement carpet has been cleaned and stretched and upstairs carpet shall be installed by the end of the week). DH's brother and sister-in-law came to see us and were also a big help in getting some other little projects accomplished around here, so things are looking up! We even managed to get an antenna in the attic so Craig Ferguson from the Late Late Night Show (after Letterman) is once again back in my life... Ah, the simple pleasures!

But all this also means less time for mamacita here to spend browsing the internet and killing an hour or two writing some fun stories. Well, a while back a friend asked me (after reading my blog) if I was a writer by trade. While flattered, I quickly rushed to say no, but in the back of my mind, a little voice was saying "What about that compilation book on twin stories?" The thing is, as a member of the twins club in my area, a writer got in touch with the club asking for several short stories on life with twins. She got responses from all over the country and picked some she deemed appropriate for the book. I submitted two stories and they both made it into the book. The other thing that came to my mind was that (don't laugh now), as the twins club Chaplain for the last two years (I told you not to laugh!!) I had the opportunity to write articles for the club newsletter.

So, what follows right now is one of my Chaplain articles. It seemed to have connected with a lot of people based on the response I got. Twins or singletons, motherhood takes a lot out of you, but eventually it gives it all back tenfold! The purpose of these articles were mainly to encourage everyone to just hang in there. Hope you enjoy it!!

...................................................................................................

"YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE; YOU WILL PROTECT ME FROM TROUBLE AND SURROUND ME WITH SONGS OF DELIVERANCE" ~~ Psalm 32:7

We’ve all experienced that moment: you hear a song on the radio, or at the mall, or at a doctor’s office, and all of a sudden, you’re transported to a specific time of your life. Like "the" song they played at your high school prom or the song to which you fell in love with your husband.
Sometimes, it’s not so much an exact moment of your life, but rather, a phase. Stop and think: what song brings you back to your first stumbling days, months or years of motherhood? For me, if I were to be absolutely honest with you, that song would be "Unwell" by Matchbox 20. The chorus goes something like this:

"I’m not crazy I’m just a little unwell
I know that right now you can’t tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see
A different side of me"

Oh, boy, it only takes a few days of no sleep and bad eating habits to make you feel very unwell. Many a days I found that being my theme song and wondering where this different side of me came from.

But you know what? There’s hope! The days go by and turn into months and years in which your kids get older and you learn to cope. Sometimes because God placed angels in your path disguised as wonderful spouses, relatives, friends or neighbors. Sometimes, you had to learn to cope on your own. Whatever the case may be, one thing is for sure: there’s just no one song that will define your entire life. The top 20 hits on the radio change daily. So will the songs that mark important stages of your life.

I know that’s definitely been the case with me. I’ve had a different theme song for the last few years now, to which I even play air guitar and throw my long curly hair around (much to the delight of my son and embarrassment of my daughter – go figure?!) whenever I happen to hear it on the radio. It’s "Better Now" by Collective Soul. Here’s a little bit of it:

"Yeah, yeah, oh I’m newly calibrated
Yeah, yeah, all shiny and clean
Yeah, yeah, I’m your recent adaptation
Yeah, yeah, time to redefine me
Let the word out. I’ve got to get out
Oh, I’m feeling better now
Break the news out, I’ve got to get out
Oh, I’m feeling better now"

What is your song of deliverance? Here’s hoping and praying you get out there and get a good one!

And like flint, we're in!!

Well, we've been in our new home for a week now. Half of the boxes are gone (I'm pacing myself and spreading the joy - ha!). Wow! I'm really learning to love this place! The fall days are gorgeous and just perfect for the kids to ride their bikes to school. I know it won't last and it will get too cold for that before too long but for the moment we're enjoying it.

On moving day, our friend Kittie, unbeknownst to DH, sent an email to coworkers and 5 guys (including DH's boss) and another sweet girl from work showed up to help us haul all the furniture into the house. I was sooooo thankful for our friend's quick thinking and all I had to do was provide the food & beer. They were done in about 2 hours.

Of course, now that all the furniture is in the house (remember, hind sight is 20/20) I decided that no, I cannot leave with the brown carpet upstairs, and we're on the hunt for the last few days for new carpet. Let's call it my "fix" for not being able to paint the outside of the house yet...

Baby girl is having her first sleep over tonight at her BFF's house who lives a couple of blocks from us. Baby boy already has had playdates and they are both now into the Pokemon trading card fever. Lord, help me. I was actually shocked last Sunday when my door bell rang: through the glass panel I was able to see baby girl's BFF's face who just showed up by herself, on her bike, to see if they could play. I'm so not used to that and it was so cool!

But for those of you who may be under the illusion that this move/transition has all been smoother than a baby's but for me, you'll take heart into knowing that into every sunny day a little rain must fall, and I was definitely caught without my umbrella on our last day living at our friend's house. As I'm loading the car with the last of our boxes to get going to our first night at the new home, the kids were going berserk with anticipation. To get them out of my hair, I told them to go ride their bikes one last time while I finished loading the car. Well, someone misunderstood me (I won't name names) and as she left the house, locked the door behind her. This was 3 pm. As I tried going back in for more boxes and realized what had happened, I was pretty miffed. After we tried every single way back into the house, my self restrain came crashing down and I had a little cry fest. For the next 3 hours, we visited the neighbor to the left, who was not home. Then on our way back, missed the neighbor to the right who was just leaving in his pick up. With my purse inside the house, which contained car keys and cell phone, we were pretty much stucked sitting in the garage. For a while we even road our bikes, then just sat in misery (OK, I was in misery - the kids were playing with rocks!). Finally I saw one of the neighbors get home, around 6:15 pm and said neighbor happened to have, as I was hoping, our friend's number and I was able to find her spare key. I haven't memorized any of DH's new phone numbers yet.

By then, DH who had planned on going straight to the new house, had already left several messages on my cell and on our friend's house phone. He was also on his way to the house fearing that some ax murderer had gotten hold of us. So, yes it could have been worse but don't try telling me that just yet. I'm trying to recover from the trauma still.

Oh, yeah, and we finally got internet installed in the house, and also got a home phone number yesterday. The kids have started piano and guitar back up at a very nice conservatory nearby. My Jazzercize cronies continue to haunt me and, who knows, I might give in sooner or later... Speaking of that, they offer Jazzercize Junior here (for kids) and both my kids decided to try it out for a bit: they're rehearsing some musical number from High School Music to perform at one of the Middle School basketball games in a couple of months! I can't wait!

Catch you all later. I hear boxes calling my name...

A weekend of "firsts"...

All right, first of all, thank you Shelia for being my on-line blog consultant :-) As soon as I have full access to my computer at the new house (you know, when I can get DSL again and it doesn't take me forever to open any links, etc) I plan to dedicate a serious amount of time to my beloved blog (I'll need breaks from all the unpacking after all).


And, as far as the outside color of the house, I want some ocean/teal/blue sort of color. Something cheerful... A girlfriend suggested getting the front door painted some strong red, and that might be an excellent idea to hold me over for a couple of years... Thanks, Annette!

Well, last Saturday, DH came up with this crazy idea, which the kids were all over it in no time at all: attend a Tractor Pull - it's so much fun... Yeah, I'll give you a moment to mentally picture ME in the midst of a Tractor Pull since I did not even bother bringing a camera (I didn't want any proof left over for posterity that I ever attended such an event!). Suffice it to say that a Demolition Derby is a thousand times more entertaining. On the way back, I made DH stop and get me one of the "dangling carrots" he promised me for moving to WI: a new Dyson vacuum cleaner (don't worry - I have a long list for him).

Sunday though, was a lot better. DH acquired some tickets for the Packer game at Lambeau Field against the Cowboys (are you guys following me??). That was a lot of fun! I'll tell you what - it was like walking into a State Fair from where we parked all the way to the stadium! They really go all the way here with green & yellow gear. Not to feel out of place (since I was the only one in the family without Packer gear) we went to Sports Authority the day before and got me a hoodie since I couldn't find an Aaron Rodgers jersey that would fit me.

Anyway, we had our tailgate party in the parking lot along with a gazillion other people, marched into the stadium and had a terrific time (not taking the final score into consideration here). As we entered the stadium they gave each of us a Packer flag to wave during the game. They also had sign making stations throughout the stadium so that you could make your sign right there if you forgot to bring one from home. How nice! I sat next to a very nice older gentleman who has been a season ticket holder for forever, and he was ever so nice, cluing me in to when the F-18 jets were gonna fly over the stadium, explaining to me who the funny fellow in the sidelines with the neon orange cooking gloves was and what he was doing, and sharing more game trivia than I can remember now. I tried to reply as if I knew more football than I really do, but I either faked well or he just humored me. As I was trying to take a picture of Randy and the kids, a very nice Packer fan just stopped and offered to take the picture of all of us (and I saw that happen around me as well). They are all so nice! Some Packer fan guys had platinum blond wigs on and I couldn't figure out why till DH explained it was a salute of sorts to Jessica. It was pretty funny. Next time I'll take a picture!

The kids had a good time and were actually well behaved for the most part. They did get bored at about half time but when we offered to leave a bit before the end of the 4th quarter (if you watched the game you can understand why) they actually refused and we stayed trough the end. Green Bay is about 2 hours from home, and the game ended past 10:30 pm, but they had a nice little nap on the way home. Now that we have fulfilled our promise to take them to a Packer game at Lambeau Field, we decided that if at all possible, we're gonna find a sitter for the next game we attend. Who know, maybe the little darlings are the ones who jinxed the game... yeah, that's what happened!

A humble abode...

Check it out - added a pic of the house, but as I still am not all that savvy on the layout arrangement, it placed the picture all the way at the bottom of the blog. The color of the house (the outside, that is) is not to my liking exactly, but as the previous owners just had it painted before placing it on the market, DH is trying to get me to consider waiting a couple of years before we repaint... We'll see!

What to do, what to do??

Believe it or not it's back to warmer days here now (go figure - now that I've located the kids' jackets!). They still need it in the morning when it's around 60 degrees but later it warms up to 78... then back cool again in the evenings.

You know, it took a lot of cajoling for me to finally do this blog, but I can see the merits of it now (anytime friends or family wander what we're up to, they can just check out the blog) and also its downfall (it's a very very public diary of sorts so you have to bear that in mind when writing - For the X-rated version go to http://www.yadayadayada.com/ ha!). Anyway, I'm still learning the ins and outs, only managed to get one picture in there, but once we're installed in our new home in 2 weeks I'll have more time and leisure to work at the computer. Speaking of that, we JUST signed the closing docs on the new place today (this morning)! Kind of exciting!!! I plan on posting a picture later tonight. Check it out! You won't be disappointed... he, he, he!

My kids' school here doesn't have a Volunteer Room like they did back in Texas, but I've already been recruited to assist in the library on occasional Wednesdays. I've been waiting for us to be completely moved into the new house before I can go to the PTA people and suggest something like we had in Texas. You see, they had this room filled with die-cut machines, a laminate machine, a binding machine and all sorts of art supplies. The teachers in the entire school would send any projects they needed help with there and once a week, several volunteer moms would meet there and try to get as much of it done as possible. I've been helping in there ever since the kids started kindergarten, and then this last year I was actually in charge of it. It was a lot of work but also a tremendous amount of fun. This meant that all those cutesy calendars, hearts, and journals that our kids got to work on while learning several different things wasn't entirely on the teachers' shoulders. In my view, it worked great because it left the teachers with more time to do what they're trained for, which is to teach, but it also made it more fun for the kids because they weren't just learning from books and such, but using different tools that capture their interest in a different way. Besides, the stories we got to hear from other moms were just too good. It was such a great way to make friends. One of our volunteer moms turned out to have been Miss Louisiana in 1991. We made her bring the video tape of that and just had a blast watching it (looking good, Christi!).

My new Jazzercise place here is also cool, sort of like a miniature version of the Rec Center in Texas. The ladies are all very nice but there are only 2 instructors teaching. And, wouldn't you know, the first time I had a class with the owner, she comes to me at the end of class and starts on the "You need to be an instructor, girl!" speech. (Rhonda, did you call her?!) I had to laugh! You know, I really would LOVE to be able to do that, and I know I can do it (and do it well) when there's an instructor up there. But I just can't see how I'd manage to remember what arm goes with what routine and how many times, while you're reciting what happened on Desperate Housewives last night and who you kid went to prom with over the weekend! I mean, those girls are multi tasking to the extreme! We'll see. I've been bored enough lately (I'm sure that will change when we start unpacking in 2 weeks) that I'm actually thinking a bit more serious about it.... I'll keep you posted.

I often think of our niece Jennifer when I'm taking the kids to school. Beatrice found us this scenic route that is just beautiful: lots of tree tunnels, lakes, cow pastures and corn fields. Jennifer would be very proud of me - after only 3 days I manage to turn Beatrice off and drive to and from school without her assistance. Of course, my elation at not depending on her for every turn was short lived when last week, I got a little cocky and decided to stop at a supermarket on the way and that took a little more detouring than I thought it should have, so back to work Beatrice goes....

The reason I think of Jennifer is because she used to come visit us in Texas all the time when she had a break from Nursing School (now that she has graduated and joined the work force, her schedule doesn't allow for that kind of freedom anymore). But, coming from a small town in IL, it always amazed that within a few visits she had already figured out where our house and The Galleria Shopping Mall was in relation to the Tollway. I've been visiting DH's family in small town IL for over 10 years now, and whenever I had to go anywhere on my own, he still had to draw me a map of cornfields, cow pastures and any other landmarks (and I use that term loosely) or I'd really be lost. Of course, that is now a thing of the past since Beatrice came into our lives - provided it's not a cloudy day that would obstruct her view from the nearest satellite.

Oh, good news: I'm not going to the library for Internet access anymore. Found this Asian restaurant that has two computers that patrons can use for free and they don't kick you out in 30 minutes... then again, there's only so many egg rolls I can eat per day :-) Catch you later.

To clarify...

OK, lest you start passing judgement on Jazzercise, and just assume that it's your old grandma's Jazzercise, I dare you - no, I double dare you to take a class and then think Jazzercise is anything but the coolest most fun way of exercising. I'm telling you: never would have thought an hour of exercising could go by so fast and be so much fun. I encourage you to look them up, find the closest one to your house and give it a try. They usually offer a visitor free class - ask about it.

And speaking of that, Mary Beth asked me what Personal Touch is. It's basically a personal trainer session, but they usually open it up to groups of 5 people or so. Because it's such a small group, the instructor is able to go from person to person and fix your position, making sure you are using the proper muscle groups to get the most benefit out of that particular exercise. It's amazing how many times I thought I was doing it just right, and after PT, realized that I was a bit off the mark. You can always tell you are finally doing it right because your muscles are so much more sore than before!

Oh, I finally figured out how to add a picture to this blog, but as I'm not that savvy yet, it placed the picture of Truman & I at our morning coffee spot at the very end of the log (so you have to scroll all the way down). I know, I need to also add a picture of the new house, but bear with me... baby steps, you know! Have I mentioned that I'm working with limited resources here? From working in a kitchen which does not come equipped with a garlic press or lime squeezer (the horror!!) to having to wait till DH comes home with his laptop to use a dial up connection (because we're in the middle of nowhere and DSL is not available here).

But these things too shall pass (now would be good :-). Oh well, 23 more days and we'll be moving into our new place and then I'll be plenty busy unpacking and finding all the little gadgets I miss so much. Can't wait!

School/Jazzercise is back on!

Yeah, school started the day after Labor Day here, so that means the kids are now out there interacting with other kids, making friends, learning and, just as important, not watching Sponge Bob Square Pants so much!

I was so excited when I picked them up at the end of the first day, as Madison brought along a friend to meet me. This little girl lives in the same neighborhood we will be in by the end of the month and she walks to school. The next day, this same friend asked if Madison could stay for another hour after school to join her Brownie Troop (the prelude to Girl Scouts...). Of course, I couldn't say no, so Madison is now officially a Brownie and already earned her first patch at that meeting. She's super excited about knowing she'll have friends from school in the same neighborhood.

Dorian has also made many friends but has told me it's too early to make any pronouncements on best friends yet. Beatrice found us a nice back road to get back home from the school, and yesterday we saw two deers and one doe. I stopped in the middle of the road and they just stood there and looked at us! So close - it was so amazing!

And, with the kids gone most of the day, it was more than time for me to find my new Jazzercise haven! When I was looking at locations on-line, I noticed that several places around here meet at churches, which didn't sound very appealing to me (how can you get groovy with it at a church??). Just my luck, wouldn't you know, the closest place to my house, which is actually across the street from the kids' school - how convenient - is at a church? Well, I was so Jazzercise starved that I didn't pay much attention to anything except signing up and starting right away. Well, once I started, I finally looked around and realized that, the room we exercise in is about a quarter of the size of the place I was used to in Texas. It also does not have wood floors or mirrors. Not to be the inflexible import, though, I still gave it a try for two days because, after all, it's within walking distance. But in the back of my mind, I began to realize that in the long run, I was not gonna be very happy in those crowded conditions.

So, I went in search of the next closest Jazzercise, which is about 8 miles from the house, and, bless my poor exercise deprived soul, is at a Dance Studio, which means it has wood floors and mirrors, not to mention that it is a lot more spacious. Today was my first day there and I loved it! They even offer Personal Touch so that will be awesome. Not as loud of a crowd as my Texas bunch (miss you Francine, Allison & Susan), but once I get them warmed up to my short shirts, I intend to let my hair down.... Watch out!

My first DD

OK, settle down - no, I have not broken up with my BFF, Victoria, and decided to visit a plastic surgeon to see what could be done to enhance my upper peninsula :-) Rest assured Ms. Secret and her padding business shall not go out of business on my account. The DD stands for Demolition Derby!!

That's right, city girl went to the local county fair over Labor Day weekend, because DH decided to get the kids all excited about going to watch a Demolition Derby. Yes, I was thinking "Serenity now" the entire time, but you know, by the end of the day, it was actually kind of fun, and I was even picking favorite cars! But I have to admit that I'm really not the fair type. I guess I went to one too many State Fair of Texas in the past, that I really see no point in walking around in the heat of summer, eating bad food, having to play those lame games to win cheap stuffed animals (cause the kids now know every fair has a Midway!), and, of course, spending a small fortune in the process.

The Demolition Derby part was actually fun! It must be some kind of passion that possesses those drivers into spending their own money and time fixing up these cars and keep on coming back just to have the thrill of smashing it to smithereens into whoever is closest to them. OK, maybe some of them even seemed to have some kind of strategy as to how to be the last one standing (or should I say running) by the end of each round, but it just seems to me that scream therapy might have the same effect at a lesser cost... Then again, it did look like a lot more fun than just screaming... But let me clarify, I'm not dating myself here with the screaming therapy remark - I just read about it in Barry Manilow's biography a while back. Apparently that was a big fad in the 70's (who knew?!). It seems to have helped Barry, though. Good for him!

Seems I'm not the only city creature around here...

Well, you already know I'm a city girl (I come from a small town of 700,000 people). Beatrice, our GPS also does a lot better within city bounds, but I got to say, she's trying to adapt. She has recently found me three local Methodist churches, a Bed Bath & Beyond, a Barnes & Noble, and a Michaels (although this last one was two doors down from BBB so I don't know if that really counts, but I'm trying to be forgiving). She's trying really hard to put the supermarket hour long trip behind her. And, in all honesty, much to my surprise, she led us straight to the kids' new school without an incident, while Dad was very miffed to miss the "Meet & Greet" today because Mapquest couldn't find it!! I was shocked!

Anyway, it seems that our cat Truman, has had as much of peace and tranquility as he can stand! Lately he has taken to making a funny noise as he walks around or lays about the place. It's not really meowing, but more like a mumbling of some sort that I could swear translates to something like "I'm bored out of my mind!!!!!" Not that I blame him. We are, at the moment, the second to last house on this rural road. My friend's cat, Princess, who has been banished to the great outdoors before we even got here, is not friendly towards him at all and always hisses at him whenever he tries to come near her. Could it be she's miffed that while she's freezing (well, not quite yet) her patoutie outside, he's enjoying the comforts of what used to be her home?? Geez, some creatures can be so sensitive!! Well, in just a little more than a month we'll be moving to our new place, which is in a neighborhood surrounded by other houses, so I'm hoping the poor fellow will have a chance to make lots of friends like he did around our old house.

As I said earlier, we had the "Meet & Greet" at the kids' new school today. Madison actually got the "boy teacher" that Dorian was hoping for. But because of the boy/girl ratio in that class, the principal asked me if it would be OK to have Dorian in with another teacher. I was perfectly fine with it, and after meeting them both today, I think Dorian may have gotten the better part of the deal. His teacher came across very nurturing, offered lots of information and went out of her way to let him know that there are two other boys in the class who are new and don't know anybody else, so he'll fit right in. Not that Madison's teacher was bad, he was just a... man. You know, no new information packet and a "yeah, come in Tuesday and we should have a desk for her"... didn't exactly make me feel all nice and cozy. But according to Dorian's teacher, he's the Math teacher for the Advanced Math kids, so apparently the man is smart. Let's hope we get to know him better over the next few weeks. I'm also looking forward to being able to volunteer at the kids' school as I did before because I know that will be a great way to get to know other parents as well as teachers.

Our little house on the prairie

Well, we have been all over the place and saw 40+ houses since the day we arrived (Aug 4th). Just as we thought we were ready to put an offer on a house, we had to leave for the Napa Valley, CA, for a friend's wedding (he was also in our wedding), so we had to put things on hold till we got back. But because we had to skip town (it was a nice get away as we dropped the kids in IL with some of Randy's family), we had to wait till we got back this past Monday. Well, CA was great, but before the weekend was over I was chanting "My kingdom for a beer! My kingdom for a beer!" It's a beautiful place but when you stop to think about it, there's absolutely nothing to do but visit wineries and shop. OK, OK, they do have one of the few Culinary Institute of America schools there, so we had to go and have lunch on their patio and even took a class to learn how to make Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho and that was a lot of fun! You know, I wasn't a fan of cold tomato soup before, but that was pretty darn good!

Anyway, in the meantime we found out that the house we were about to put an offer on, which claimed to have 1.95 acres, had in fact (according to city records) 0.95 acres. Could have been an honest typo but the price we're willing to pay for a 0.95 acre property is quite different than one that has 1.95 acres. So, we took yet another look over the internet on what was out there and found 3 more promising properties, ended up visiting one this past Tuesday and made an offer on it by Wednesday. The house is perfect (well, almost perfect), beautifully updated (even if I don't like some of the room colors - but that's minor), it's a 4 bedroom (not including the basement which is fully finished) and has 1.7 acres. Does not have a pool but with a yard that big, we can afford to wait (winter is coming up anyway). And is located in an excellent school district.

They took our offer, but we had to agree to close Oct 1. We really wanted Sept 14 (or sooner) but for that to happen, they said we would have to up the offer by $5,000 more, so I told Randy I won't mind travelling back and forth to take the kids to school. You know, after all, what else am I going to do with myself not knowing a soul (apart from our landlady - kidding, our friend Kittie who we are staying with) and not being able to unpack or do anything else?? So the next step was to make sure our friend Kittie was OK with us staying here till Oct 1st. When I tell you the woman travels a lot I'm not kidding (she's only been here half of the time we've been around) Randy had to call her in Mexico where she is till the end of the week. So, first she said we couldn't leave, then she said Randy and the kids could move on but that I had to stay (I've been doing my part to spoil her by cooking really good meals every time she's home - my evil plan seems to be working - ha, ha, ha!!).

So now that we know what our home address will be we can start working on school registration. Yesterday, the kids and I took a drive to their new school, filled out all the paperwork and this coming Monday we have our "Meet &Greet" with the teachers. Dorian actually requested a "boy teacher" (they have 5 third grade teachers) and by the looks of the very friendly school secretary, he will probably get it.

Yesterday was also a momentous occasion as the new homeowners of our place in Texas signed the contract in the morning and we did our portion in the afternoon. Such a weird feeling knowing that won't be our home anymore. Don't take me wrong, I'm super excited about the new place (we're gonna have a basement!!) but it's still sad to leave the only home our kids have ever known...

Today, Saturday, the moving truck will start the trip up here. The owners of the house we're buying have agreed to let us use a large building they have on the property (could be another 2 car garage by its size) to place our stuff in till Oct 1. It will take some creative placement to fit everything, but Randy is good at organizing overloaded refrigerators so I'm confident that this skill will translate to a larger scale.

Hubby also spent an hour on the phone before he left for Texas and finally got AT&T to change our DSL account to a dial up, so even though it takes longer to do anything, as long as hubby and/or his lap top is at home, I can log on.

Truman doesn't seem to be traumatized by the yellow jacket encounter. He goes back out in the patio and sits on the very same picnic table with me for my morning coffee (I know, don't you feel bad for me!? ). It helps that my knight in shining armor armed himself with a stick and some spray and completely destroyed the hive that was under the bench so I haven't encountered any more flying menaces. While we were gone to Napa Valley , our friend Kittie was here so Truman was well taken care of as well. That cat is some lucky creature!!

What good is Beatrice anyway??

So, here we are (cat and all): first week of August and hubby is already at work (actually since the last week of July). We loaded our small SUV to the gills, and completely equipped with as many liquids as possible (cooking, drinking, cleaning and otherwise - did you know moving companies do not pack those??) we headed out of town, leaving behind 107 degree weather (so long, suckers!!!! ) Yes, I'm fully aware I'll be singing a different tune come winter...

Anyway, can you believe I forgot to bring jackets for the kids!!!! Never would have thought I'd need it in August! But it was 65 degrees this morning! And tonight we will be making smores on the fire place outside!!! It's so cool here!! It was down to 60 degrees last night! Anyway, we got to WI on a Monday and already saw two houses that evening and at least one every night since then. Then, over the weekend, we hit several open houses and felt like by the following week we would be ready to make a decision and perhaps decide what to make an offer on.

Our cat Truman and I had our first encounter with wildlife that very first week. I was peacefully enjoying a cup of coffee on the deck with Truman when some yellow jackets swarmed his food and stung him. Not thinking much of it (did I tell you I'm a city girl??) I went to retrieve his food and promptly got stung myself! Ouch! Well, armed with my newest issue of National Geographic (did you know that there are more pyramids in the Sudan than in Egypt?), after I calmed down and located my Neosporin, I went outside again and extracted my revenge by smashing 4 of the little buggers. When my knight in shining armor got home later, not to be outdone by the little woman, he decided to avenge me yet further by killing 5 more (yeah, I initially reported 4 but he corrected me)! Ah, the world is a good place again! Well, more on our country life adventures later!

So far the kids are having a good time, enjoying going outside to help our friend in her garden, spotting deer, and chasing little frogs (they're everywhere!). The house hunt is taking most of our evenings. During the day I got lost (despite our GPS who can't seem to locate a satellite out in the country half of the time) and took an extra hour just to find a supermarket. But I'm getting better and today I didn't even bother turning Beatrice (our GPS) on - maybe the rest will do her good! Meanwhile, every time I get lost I seem to find a new lake! Very pretty around here!

Well, no internet access at home at this point, so Beatrice (in an attempt to redeem herself) located the local library and took us straight to it. I've been spending a couple hours there just about everyday with the kids (it's our daily outing). Our internet is hooked to our local phone number (the one in Texas) so it will take us a while to figure out how to get that to work here. Meanwhile, my cell is the best way to get hold of us.

Our house in Texas sold in six weeks (really fast considering the market conditions) and the closing is scheduled for Aug 22,. The movers are coming in that day to pack and take everything on the road the next day. Randy will be there but I'll stay behind so the kids and I don't have to travel that far again.

Meanwhile the house search continues and we're hopeful! I've been telling everyone I know in Texas that if they venture up North and come see us, I promise all the beer and cheese your heart desires!

Why Toasted Frozen Tundra?

Hello, friends! After being told repeatedly that I should really create a blog to communicate with all my buddies, I decided that, not having anything better to do till our moving truck gets here (more on that later), I might as well start writing. It's fun for me, helps pass the time and the only TV available in the house has been commandeered by the twins on behalf of Sponge Bob Square Pants...



So, in a nutshell, after living in Texas for 17 years, my family and I have moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where dear husband Randy has taken a new job. My boy and my girl, now 8 years old, are loving staying at our dear friend Kittie's house. She lives in this 35 acre property, in this big house and very graciously offered to have us move in with her while we look for a house to buy. She travels a lot for work and is barely here so she's enjoying the company (or so she tells me :-). Till school starts on September 2nd, Dorian and Madison are enjoying spotting deer, catching frogs in a jar and satellite TV whenever possible. As soon as Kittie gets back, we're roasting smores by the fireplace outside.... Yum!!!



Our 1 yr old black cat, Truman, has also made the move up here with us (he was kind of made officially part of the family when we had one of those electronic chips implanted in him). Truman's adopted mom, Nicole, my neighbor in Texas who used to baby sit him whenever we traveled out of town (he also spent most nights at her place for a long while) was concerned that being loose in a 35 acre space he might get lost in the woods and we might never see him again. So, heeding her concern, the kids and I took him on a supervised walk a couple of times on the first day and then just let him on his own. He has adapted beautifully. He spends the day sleeping away (mostly on the foot of our bed - yeah, I know I'm eating my words about letting a cat in the house now) and then, usually around 3 am or so (isn't he a dear?!) he meows to be let out. By morning, when Randy is leaving for work, he's waiting by the front door to get back inside - sometimes with a token of his appreciation (a dead field mouse) sometimes not.



So, as a way of introduction, here's the reason for the "Toasted Frozen Tundra" name for my blog: after toasting our cutie-patouties (sp??) in Texas for so long, we've now moved to Wisconsin where said patouties will in short order be frozen as winter looms in the horizon (or so the locals tell me).



Pardon my blunders as I'm new in the blog world. Catch you later (I think Sponge Bob is finally over!!!!).

Acsa