multi-hyphenated-me

the hyphens that define my life

Be Well September 10, 2013

Filed under: Life — multihyphenatedme @ 8:52 pm
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This is not a post to tell you to eat and drink less and work out more, though this advice is good and most likely we all should follow it (ok fine, just me), this post is dedicated to the importance of well-being.

So far, September has proven to be one hell of an unhealthy month. 

My two sisters were scheduled for a bone marrow transplant – one to give, one to receive, later this month.  We learned this week that my sister in need of the transplant has an issue that conflicts with bone marrow transplant protocol and needs to be addressed by her team of doctors before moving forward with the transplant. Hopefully her doctors figure out a solution sooner than later.

My dad, who is in a nursing home due to a severe stroke, was diagnosed with malignant tumor in his lung.  He had surgery last week to remove the tumor and a quadrant of his lung.  The cancer had not spread to his lymph nodes and he is recovering well.

My nephew’s girlfriend is having back surgery this week to relieve her chronic pain.

My friend’s sister is having a heart transplant on Thursday after a lifetime of heart health issues.

A friend is in the hospital recovering from four broken vertebrae in his neck.

I learned today that a dear co-worker and old friend had a heart attack and is recovering from bypass surgery.

While my thoughts are with those that are in need of care and aid and healing, wishing them all the best in their recovery process, my heart and the message of this post really goes out to those that are the primary caregivers to these patients in need.

 Are you one of those people?  Are you an EMS or first on the scene response person?  Are you a doctor or a nurse?  Or are you a loved one? Or are you just associated with one of these caregivers?

In any of the above cases, your health, your strength – both mentally and physically – are needed like never before.  Your turn to breakdown will come, but, for now, do what you have to do, lean on others if necessary for support but stay strong, have compassion, and do everything you can.Moms naturally fall into this vicious cycle.  We stay up late, getting coughed on or barfed on as we hold our kids close, nursing them through their ailments, pushing ourselves to the limit until the family is outside playing in the sun all happy healthy and well, and we find our maternal selves laid up in bed with an exponential version of their disease.

People also have a tendency to take on others ailments.  My son pulled his left IT band and tweaked his patella tendon on his left leg.  We have been icing and working that leg for a week.  As I see his bum leg getting stronger, I swear his heebie jeebies jumped into my knee. 

Colds, flu and soccer injuries don’t compare to the extreme health emergencies like the those listed above in just my family and friend circle this month.  For the longterm caregivers, know that recovery is going to take a long time.  Care will be arduous and will suck the life out of you if you let it.  There is no sugar-coating it, caring for someone in these extreme cases is hard work.

You must be strong.  You must be healthy.  You must be well, in mind, body and spirit.

What does that mean?  That is for you to decide.  Take time for yourself, get enough sleep, enlist the help of others (this is what family and friends are for), and call on social services for relief.  Whatever you do, don’t carry the responsibility on your shoulders alone, don’t internalize the stress that will create resentment toward the person you’re caring for and love and most importantly, remind yourself why you love the person you are caring for and express that love for them. 

I lack official qualifications to say any of this to you, but I do know from firsthand experience.

 

Pie Camp September 9, 2013

Filed under: Cooking — multihyphenatedme @ 9:09 pm
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With all of yesterday’s drama, I almost forgot to research an ad I saw in the Sunday edition of Spokesman-Review for a pie-in-the-big-sky culinary event introducing Upper Crust, a sophisticated Pie Camp featuring the “Pie Whisperer” Kate McDermott at Paws Up Resort in Greenough Montana.

What? Pie Camp? Sign me up! My super talented cousin goes to knitting camp, certainly I should go to Pie Camp.

Who is this Pie Whisperer? I don’t watch TV so I assumed she is someone of Food Network fame.

Doesn’t “paws up” mean you’re dead? What kind of resort is this? Where is Greenough Montana?

Let’s draw the line in the sand right there to show my ignorance and socio-economic class. Now that poor and stupid boundaries of this discussion are drawn, let’s continue, shall we?

I started on Amazon to find Kate McDermott’s cookbook. If you whisper to pies, you should have a book. No book.

Who is Kate McDermott? A Google search informed me that Kate McDermott is a reknown pie maker that the likes of Dorie Greenspan (one of my favorites) is quoted on Ms. McDermott’s Art of The Pie website (www.artofthepie.com), “I would do anything to take an Art of the Pie class from Kate.” I don’t know who Ms. MsDermott is, but she is obviously someone that I should know! On her website, she offers her regular crust and gluten-free options. Kerrygold butter seems to be her wingman.

Ms. McDermott is a fellow Washingtonian from Seattle that has people bending over backwards to take her pie classes. Again, I need to go to pie camp!

Next I Googled Paws Up Resort. Let me backpeddle here. Paws Up doesn’t mean you’re dead, it means you surrender to glamping in incomparable luxury and unspoiled wilderness. You know I’m a sleeping bag on the ground in a tent kind of camper. Though I love a great resort and have stayed at several, I’ve never glamped, definitely not like what Paws Up has to offer.

Clicking on Events and finding Upper Crust, I nearly choked on my Sunday morning coffee when I saw the price. For a mere starting price $5,361 you receive 3-nights inclusive package for two. Sorry kids, no semester of college, no soccer or video games or food. Mom needs to go to four classes at camp, which I could swap out classes for shooting clays or horseback riding. http://www.pawsup.com/pdf/upper-crust.pdf

Here I am hoping to win a blue ribbon and $10 prize for my pie at the county fair while serious money is being spent and people are travelling from all over to learn to bake pie. Really? Hmph! (Dear Boss, There is serious money to be made in pie…I may need time off to investigate. Wife of Boss, please share my thoughts, since he’s too busy to read my blog himself).

Though I’m outclassed financially (bottom crust, not upper crust apparently), I came to the conclusion that I didn’t need no dang pie camp to bake me some pies. Some damn good pies at that, thank you very much.

I stomped around the house tonight and squaked over the ridiculousness of the whole thing, then shut up and made a blackberry pie using the local Green Bluff berries we picked last month. My sweet as pie (today) seven-year old suggested “we” should make a pie every week. God love him! Of course, he quickly followed this up with the great idea to stuff as many Hershey’s bar into a pie and see what happens. I agreed to make a chocolate cream pie next, so our weekly tradition is now set in stone, with his dad’s eager agreement.

As soon as I served the blackberry pie tonight, my charming seven-year old quickly asked, “When do we get pumpkin pie?”

I’m sorry, Ms. McDermott, I have no time to attend your camp, I’m too busy baking pies.

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Here’s the morale to my story: Cook for your audience. Though my pies may not be $5K worthy to the upper crust, my family loves them and that, my friends, is priceless.

 

Shrub Emergency September 8, 2013

Filed under: Life — multihyphenatedme @ 8:37 pm
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On today’s project list was to plant eight boxwood hedges to continue the row across the front perimeter of our yard that inexplicably stopped at the halfway point of our yard.  Nearly completed, hedges in a row.

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All was well for shrubs one through seven.  Then as the shovel entered the ground for shrub number eight, we heard a  HISSSSSSSSS and knew immediately that we hit a gas line.  Vince shouted for me to call 911.  Within 10 minutes, the emergency call was placed and the Spokane Fire responded, with six trucks.  SIX!

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The first two rolled up and blocked traffic.

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Three more blocked traffic coming from the main arterial road.

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The chief showed up.

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Along with Spokane Rescue.

We were evacuated along with our neighbors to the east and west.  We sat on the curb across the street watching the action.

We were stunned that we hit a gas line at such a shallow depth.  My husband, with 25 years construction experience, commented that gas lines are typically sheathed in PVC, not a bare, exposed polyurethane pipe.  Or, if the pipe is exposed, then there is an indicator, like sand, concrete, tape or other notification, that the gas or electrical lines are near.  Apparently in Washington there is a LAW that says you have to call the utility company if you are going to dig to even plant a daisy to avoid hitting a line.  Here’s the thing about laws, you sometimes don’t know you’re doing wrong until you get caught breaking the law, or the gas main as in our case today.

As new citizens of Spokane, how are we supposed to know shallow lines are the norm?  How are we supposed to know to call the utility company before digging a foot down before planting a shrub?  Though ignorance is no excuse, we simply did not know; furthermore, from our experience in living in both California and Arizona, we have never been required to call for landscaping.  For serious excavation, yes, for landscaping, no.  Lesson learned.

We sat on the curb chatting up our neighbors, informing nosey passerbys what was going on and waiting.  Then….

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the local news showed up!  Vince and the neighbors quickly volunteered me for the speaking role.  Damn!  I was gardening, I didn’t even have lip gloss handy. I really wished I was wearing my teenage daughter’s “oops” sweatshirt! Thankfully they just wanted photos, no interview of the dummy that didn’t know to call.

After 20-30 minutes of us and the fire department standing around, Avista, the utility company, arrived to save the day. Within moments, the line was clamped, turns out just to be a nick in the line from the shovel tip, and we were permitted to return to our houses.

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The guy in the yellow super safety suit is the utility man in the danger zone clamping the line.

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The fire department took a tour of our house checking the gas line for leakage as gas typically travels up the line.  Thankfully, no gas was detected and the house was our again.  I wanted badly to ask for a selfie photo with the firemen but lost my nerve.  The firemen and utility man were all great and kept everyone safe.  The best part, nobody once called us a bunch of dumbasses, which we appreciated.  Funny thing, the firemen told us this was their second call, just like ours, today.  Many of our neighbors came up to us afterward and told us similar stories or their misadventures with buried gas lines.  We are in good company.

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This is an interesting photo, my last of the experience.  Our sprinkler line lies horizontal with the sidewalk.  The gas line, newly fixed, starts at an 18″ depth at the sidewalk, then quickly jumps to a 12″ depth.  Why did they change elevation when the line was installed?  Why didn’t they stay deep?

Huge thanks to Spokane Fire and Rescue for keeping us and our neighbors safe today.  Thanks to the Avista utility man for not only clamping and fixing the line but for lighting the pilot light in my second oven that has been out since we moved in.  He taught us the trick to lighting it (heating the coupler, pushing a button, something something…I hope Vince paid attention).

Boxwood hedge #8 doesn’t have a home in the front row but the hedgerow project itself is done.

Another first for us in Spokane. Broken gas line, check!  Emergency services, check!  Let’s hope this mis-adventure was our last.  Good to know the emergency teams are in place, ready when we need them.

 

In the Zone September 7, 2013

Filed under: Gardening — multihyphenatedme @ 9:46 pm
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Today I went to the Friends of Manito Plant Sale.

manito plant sale 

Manito Park is one of the nation’s most beautiful parks and it happens to be a half mile from my front door.  The Friends of Manito are responsible for the spectacular gardens at the park, so when I saw that they were having a plant sale this weekend, I had to go.

The weather was cool, in the high 60’s, when I set out this morning at 9 AM.  The skies were overcast but rain wasn’t in the forecast until late this afternoon.  I really had no business attending the sale as our timeline for the front and back yard projects doesn’t begin until Spring.  I had to seize the opportunity.

A live band greeted my arrival at the sale, then BAM, sensory overload.  Tables spread out from one end of the parking lot to the next and wrapped back around to the front, filled with every type of plant, grass and flower imaginable.  Conveniently and smartly, the Friends of Manito provided shopping carts to load up the potted plants.  I bypassed the entire section of houseplants because my house is nowhere near ready for plant decor yet.

Bypassing house plants was the only time I exercised self-control.  I bought raspberry, blackberry and blueberry bushes, some with berries ready to ripen.  I have a berry patch planned for my front yard next year, but the time is now.  Our backyard is completely unlanscaped with the exception of 2 tall pines, a mountain ash and an original fountain that needs work.  The fences along the property line are low on the east side and the neighbor is against putting in a higher fence, wanting vines and other flora to green screen between the two properties.  Our westerly neighbors have a tall fence with nice architectural detail. 

To accommodate our east side neighbors, my husband and I planned to plant tall shrubs, again, in the spring.  Since I was at the sale and spring will eventually come, I bought a BUNCH of shrubs.  Several butterfly bushes, a mountain variation of hibiscus’, bee balms, hydrangeas, and a variegated elderberry.  I added a couple of dinnerplate peonies (dinnerplate size flowers!!), coneflowers,  Denver and Marmalade Rudbeckia variations of black-eyed susans.

When I was deciding which elderberry to purchase, an elderly gentleman pointed out that, whatever I do, don’t buy zone 5 plants. “Spokane,” he said “is really a zone 3 or 4 and plants from these zones thrive best.”  “Oh, thanks,” I said, totally confused.

Before I left the house, I consulted Sunset Magazines Western Gardening Book, one of the premier resources for western gardening.  Sunset’s book told me that Spokane is in zone 2, the second coldest climate in the west.  Let me inform you that zone 1 is the top of the rocky mountains, the top of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the top of all local mountains.  Brrr.  This zone, it turns out, is only specific to the Western Gardening Book and the plants it references within. 

To bring some clarity to the situation, and relieve the stress from my brain at the thought of changing out all of the plants I already selected, I consulted with a couple of Friends of Manito working the sale.  The Friends all concurred that Spokane is Zone 5 and all plantings at Manito Park are Zone 5.  Phew.  Living only a few blocks from the park, my zone 5 plant selections were safe. 

Aside from the momentary zone delirium, I was so happy, in my element, looking at plants, touching their leaves, smelling their flowers.  At checkout, I became a card-carrying member of  the Friends of Manito and look forward to participating in upcoming meetings and events.  Washington State University’s Master Gardener program had a table set up and I look forward to engaging with them soon too.

After paying for my plants, I asked the cashier if I could leave my cart behind the checkout table while I pulled my car into the loading zone.  Many people were doing the same and it was no issue that I followed suit.  When I came back with my car, my cart was gone.  I asked the checker if he knew what happened, but he didn’t know and was stunned.  I was on the verge of tears.  Tears!  I was so sad my plants were gone, not that they couldn’t be replaced, just that they were mine for a fleeting bit of time, then gone.  Sadness.

Two women walked up and said, we grabbed the wrong cart.  They had my cart!  My plants were back!  I quickly loaded up my car and brought my treasures home.  The boys unloaded the car and my husband and I plotted and planned our plantings for tomorrow.  The rain fell at 5 PM just as we were done for the day.  The photo of my plants may not look like much but they have huge growth potential, the bushes will grow up to 8 feet tall, and the elderberry can be 13 feet tall.

manito carload

In case you’re wondering, we’re in the zone, and that would be zone 5.  Know your zone!

 

Sweet Sixteen September 6, 2013

Filed under: Life — multihyphenatedme @ 9:33 pm
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A friend of mine posted on her blog, livefullyalive, today that there are sixteen weeks left in the year. Sixteen short weeks, one hundred and twelve days until 2013 is over. 

“That’s it!?!’  Was my first reaction. I’m already stymied by this short week due to the Labor Day holiday, beaten down with back-to-school week and now this newsflash. Not that, on September 6, December 31 seems far away.  Click through the upcoming holidays and the end is obviously near.

A long time ago, I attended a conference that had a slogan, Mo Chi Chu, translation:  moving straight ahead without hesitation.  Life is very easy to spend hunched over like a linebacker pushing through until week 16 is upon us, barreling through what comes our way to meet our goals or reach our destination.

My husband and I practice living in the moment, staying centered and in the now. We’re an interesting combo because he’s naturally a forward thinking dreamer and I’m nostalgically rooted. Not surprising if you know he is a water sign, constantly swimming upstream, and I’m an earth sign, rooted and  grounded.  Staying present, in the now, can be a challenge for us both regardless of our elements.  As goal and project driven people, we both look at what’s coming up next, as in the next 16 weeks, to see what we can achieve in that time frame as we are inclined to make the most of each day.

Yet our practice of staying in the now, reminds us to slow down, make each moment count, and be grateful for what we have.

Tonight at dinner we congratulated the boys on finishing their first week at their new schools.  We acknowledged that it hasn’t been an easy week but each day the boys each shared a story that included someone else, a friend, a connection. We gave thanks for our health, in spite of our son’s soccer injury this week that has him sidelined at the onset of soccer season, and all of us low on sleep from the recent thunderstorms. This week has definitely left us wounded but has not stopped us. 

Today, I’m grateful that my oldest son is safe.  He was impatient waiting for us to pick him up after school so he decided, with his bum knee and foot, to walk/limp home.  I didn’t see him as I drove to pick him up, couldn’t find him in the parking lot or on campus and was on the verge of panic before my husband called to inform me that our son walked home.  When I got home, he griped at me because I was late.  After telling him I was thankful he was safe, I reminded my son that he has a cell phone, not to talk or text with his friends, but so I can reach him whenever I need to, for whatever reason.  If he is going to walk, call me, as I called him to tell him I was late. 

At that moment, I paused.  I remembered having the same conversation with my daughter, his older sister, when she was in junior high and having the conversation again with my son gave me pause.  I hugged my boy at that moment.  He squirmed.  In that moment, I realized how quickly he will grow up as his sister before him went from junior high to sweet sixteen to college in a blink of an eye. 

With only 16 weeks left in the year, the holidays are soon upon us.  Remember to take each day as it comes and embrace the special moments in our lives.

Thanks LiveFullyAlive for inspiring my post tonight!  I am grateful for you my friend.

 

Get Your Bake On! September 5, 2013

Filed under: Cooking,Gardening — multihyphenatedme @ 9:56 pm
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There are great combinations in the world – milk and cookies, peanut butter and jelly, Sonny and Cher, and the list goes on.

The last 24 hours of my life has been a rough combination – late night baking, thunderstorms, kids wide-eyed and up all night watching the storm, our dog’s toenails clickety clacking on the wood floors all night from his storm nerves, me not getting even 6 hours of sleep, getting the kids ready for school 45 minutes before school starts because I didn’t know Thursday was late start at 9:30 (aren’t we already starting late at 9?) and I had to work all day, no more staycation or vacations for me.

From the deepest depths of exhaustion I write this blog post tonight. I only write because I’m a total showoff (that’s for you DB) and want you to know that my exhaustion stems from my six baking entries in the Spokane County Interstate Fair.

No drum rolls, no fanfare, just photos and brief commentary.

As you know in previous years, I have won awards at the Coconino County Fair in Flagstaff, AZ.  This year, I thought it would be great to test Coconino County against Spokane County and submit my winning entries.

The very first prize I ever won at the fair was Best of Show for my peanut butter and jelly bar cookies.  My mother in law and I went to the fair with my baby who is now 12 in the stroller.  My mother in law and I whooped and cheered when we saw the Best of Show ribbon on my cookies!  I have a photo of that day somewhere but here is today’s entry for Peanut Butter Jelly Bars.

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The boys had one after school today and RAVED about them as if I had never once cooked anything good for them, ever.  My husband doesn’t like them.  He didn’t like them the first time I made them and won big, nor this time.  The boys gave him a full ration of grief, I didn’t have to say a word.

I have won more blue ribbons for my pies than anything else I’ve ever submitted.  Of course I had to submit a pie to the Spokane County Interstate Fair!  Today’s entry was an Old Fashioned Apple Pie.  Straightforward and simple, double crust, granny smith apples sweetened with minimal sugar, lemon juice and zest and just enough cinnamon.  I had to make an extra pie for the house (to keep the wolves at bay).  My husband may not like the bar cookies but since last night, he’s already eaten half a pie.

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Banana Walnut Bread is our household staple. Coconino gave me blue, let’s see what Spokane County thinks.

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Three nods to the past and three nods to the future.

Spokane County Interstate Fair hosts the Fleischmann’s Yeast Best Baking Contest with two categories, one for baked goods (anything goes) and one category for dessert pizza.  I have never entered a brand name contest so why not try for both.  Each category has a $125 first place prize.

For most Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, I make Parker House Rolls that the family loves.  I modified the recipe I typically use to abide by contest rules and hope for the best.

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The second category, dessert pizza, is the main reason I was up later than I should have been.  I was stuck.  I went into baking last night without a clear plan and I suffer now because of poor planning.  Yet in my cross-eyed delirium last night, I came up with Honey cardamom Raspberry Focaccia.  A crazy combination of recipes from various sources that turned out to be one of the best looking entries of the day.

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In August when I signed up to participate in the fair, I felt the need to expand my horizons and push my limits.  Trust me, I was cursing myself last night for my idiocy.  In all fairness to myself, it was a good idea, what wasn’t a good idea was six entries.

For my sixth entry, I decided to go beyond what I know – wheat – and make a gluten-free pie. Suspenseful, right?  For me too.  I won a blue ribbon for a strawberry frangipane tart in Coconino, so why not make it gluten-free for Spokane?  Spokane foiled my plan because they disallow fresh fruit entries.  Instead, I made an almond frangipane nectarine tart with fig glaze.  Turned out pretty good I think, who knows for sure though, no taste tests available as I had to turn in the whole pie!

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I’ll let you know the results when them come in!

 

Fair Eve September 4, 2013

Filed under: Cooking,Life — multihyphenatedme @ 8:24 pm
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This eve is not fair.  It’s hot and humid with a storm on the way promising relief.

Tonight is Fair Eve, the night before baking entries are due at the Spokane County Fair.  Judging takes place on September 5th & 6th.

Oh yes, it’s ba-king night, and the fee-ling’s right.  Oh yes, it’s baking night, oh what a night. Oh what a night!  I hope you sang along to the classic disco tune Ladies Night, if not read it again.

I have no time to blog, let alone sit down, and shouldn’t be posting this blog right now but, I’m a giver, you want to read, so who am I to stop you?

I can’t tell you what I’m submitting to the fair just yet.  Photos and full details will follow in tomorrow’s post.  I will tell you that I’m submitting six entries. Two are entries in the Fleischmann’s Yeast Best Baking Contest, first category is baked goods and the second category is dessert pizza. Each category has a $125 first prize and momma needs a new pair of shoes. A quick bread, cookies and two pies is all that I’ll tell you about my other entries for now.  I’m in it to win it, but I really just love the motivation to bake.  I’m really anxious to see the competition too. What does Spokane County have to offer?  We’ll just have to see.

I have seen some great fair photos across the country from The Fabulous Beekman Boys from Sharon Springs NY (Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge), known December winners of CBS’s “Amazing Race,” were grand marshals for the Grand Sunshine Fair Parade in Schoharie County.  www.beekman1802.com  I follow them on Facebook and  find them funny and practical and awesome, you might too.

My cousin is a ridiculously talented knitter and took first place for each of her entries, a shawl and tam at the Medina County Fair in Northeast Ohio.  She also took second place for a quart of cherries she canned.  I just want to say that we had the same knitting teacher, our Grandma, yet I own “The Idiot’s Guide to Knitting” and she is a professional knitter, providing samples for knitting magazines to show in books and patterns.  Blood is one thing, talent is another.  I hope she doesn’t mind me bragging her up and showing off her blue ribbons.

kim craigs

My friend’s kids are true 4-H animal raising fair winning professionals.  Her teenage high school daughter took the Grand Champion prize for her steer (Go Taya!) at the Coconino County Fair in Flagstaff, AZ.  Her husband also proudly won the Hogs in Heels Race – envision this guy –  6’3, skinny as a rail, in jeans and heels chasing a full size pig around a corral with a bunch of other men in heels.  If my friend and her husband didn’t have 5 kids, I’d question his real motivation other than good old-fashioned fair fun.  The kids also showed chickens, pigs, goats and steer and have a bunch of really cool giant belt buckles from past year victories to prove they are serious contenders.

One of my co-workers worked at the Orange County Fair in Southern California for three weekends pouring wine samples from the various wines submitted for judging.  He likes to think of himself as a Carney, but he is just one of the important people who make county fairs fun, even if it is the OC Fair which is a county fair on steroids.

Now it’s my turn.  I wasn’t going to blog but just churned out 575 words and counting just reliving the summer fun my connections have had at their county fairs.  I hope you found some summer fun at your county fair.

Back to baking!

 

Emotional Rollercoaster September 3, 2013

Filed under: Family — multihyphenatedme @ 9:15 pm
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This summer, in its entirety, has been an emotional rollercoaster.  Moving, of course, brought a flood of emotions.  The kids had to learn to allow themselves to have fun and not feel guilty for loving their new home as their emotions conflicted with missing their friends.  Their sister, our daughter, visiting and leaving brought waves of emotion.  The anticipation of their friend arriving and the sadness when he departed, left us all a mess. Why then am I surprised that back to school should bring anything else but a loop-de-loop, full range of emotion?

Back to school morning started great.  Everyone woke up right on time, charged with excitement, and devoured puff pancakes for breakfast. They went through their list of morning responsibilities and rituals until they found themselves waiting in the entryway a full 20 minutes early.  Yet when I suggested we take pictures out front to utilize our spare time, the boys monkeyed around and tortured me with their silliness while I begged for one straight-faced photo.  My husband joined in on their antics and they all mucked around.  If you can’t beat them, trick them.  I was able to capture the photos I did by telling them I took the photo, then snapping while they were laughing at their hijinks.

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Though we had fun this morning, our youngest was visibly nervous.  Very clingy and needy, he verbally said he was scared.  He said “I don’t even know where the trash can is.”  I guess the bathrooms weren’t as important as the trash can.

I walked the boys to the elementary school and my husband dropped our son off at middle school. The boys and I were the one of the first to arrive on campus and went straight to their classrooms.  Arriving early gave me time in each class to talk with both teachers who were great and funny and kind, everything I want them to be.  I couldn’t help but feel choked up when I walked out of the school.

The Parent Teacher Group (PTG) had a coffee meet and greet at the school entrance once school started but I didn’t stay.  While waiting for the meet and greet to start, I tried to engage with some of the parents, asking questions, letting them know I am new to the school, without connecting with anyone longer than a few moments.  I missed my friends, I missed being known on campus and being part of the school community.  I took my pity party home.  The good thing about taking a vacation, work needed me.  My friends and family checking in throughout the day helped me too.  Thank you.

I missed the kids but I truly enjoyed the silence of my house today.  Until 3 PM when the boys returned.  Our seven-year old said it best about his classroom “There is a 0.0.0.0 percent rule about no talking.”  Good thing we’re back at school, hopefully we’ll work on percentages.  No talking at school means plenty of jibber jabber all afternoon whether anyone was listening or not. Lots of news to report from all three.  Middle school apparently is cool and has the best lunch.  “Good,” I said “be motivated to go to school for lunch.”  No friends made yet, but he likes his classes.  Our youngest found the trash can and did enough good deeds to earn an extra recess.  Our fourth grader made 5 solid friends and is on his way.

Day one done.

 

My Favorite Night September 2, 2013

Filed under: Family — multihyphenatedme @ 8:46 pm
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The kids were thrilled to learn that their new school day is from 8:55 AM until 3:00 PM, a full hour later start in the morning and forty-five minute later release in the afternoon. The kids translated this late start to a later bedtime. Ha ha, silly kids, no chance.
Back-to-school night is my favorite night.

Yes! Early to bed, early to rise makes a man (or child of mine) healthy, wealthy and wise.
Our school night bedtime is 9 PM and the boys are grumbling and missing summer night free-for-alls already. They will sleep until 7 AM, giving them ten solid glorious hours of sleep. Well rested, they are set up for success at school or so I hope.

Nerves, anxiety and apprehension are running high tonight. First day of school is one thing. A new school, new kids, new teachers are a whole other can of worms. As an involved mom (no, I did not say helicopter mom), I too am apprehensive. Will I find my place in the new elementary and middle schools? We’ll start with the coffee meet and greet tomorrow morning and meet the principal at the elementary school and see where the new path takes me.

Having rested and rejuvenated with 6 days off work, I have back to work anxiety too. I haven’t opened my email or listened to a voicemail or answered my phone in 6 days. I can’t remember the last time I took time off completely without checking in. Of course I’ll pay for it this entire week playing catch up, but as restful and relaxed as I feel in this moment is completely worth it.  My six day vacation doesn’t equate with a full summer off from school but I too feel the pressure of going back.

A college sophomore, a seventh grader, a fourth grader and a third grader confirms my babies are growing up.

Our seventh grader texted his older sister today and asked her how to make friends at a new school. Direct hit to my heart. Honestly though son, have you ever had an issue making friends? No. I gave the advice to be a friend to get a friend. Do what’s right, lend a helping hand and support the underdog.

Our youngest said today at lunch that he would be the loneliest kid in class and won’t have any friends at all. The kid that can’t stop talking and has no fear to speak to anyone about anything and is capable of befriending kids much older and much younger than him as well as his own age, will certainly have difficulty making a friend. Yeah, right.

Our nine-year-old fourth grader is completely opposite with his sites set high. He proclaimed at lunch today that he will be the most popular kid in the fourth grade. That’s the spirit!

My husband is in charge of our nightly bedtime ritual of bath, teeth, reading and bed. I hear that showers are finished, teeth are brushed and the boys are in bed reading. I will end now to head upstairs and kiss them goodnight. Then I will run downstairs and click my heals and maybe add a fist pump to celebrate my favorite – BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!! WOO!

 

Drum Roll Please September 1, 2013

Filed under: Life — multihyphenatedme @ 9:02 pm
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In January this year, my new year’s resolution was to post on my blog every day. Today, September 1, is the 244th day of the year. Though I did not live up to my resolution, I am damn proud of the fact that today’s post is my 100th blog post.

Not only did I manage to write 100 posts on my blog, you, my faithful readers, have read my posts!

Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read my blog! Whether you are one of the night owls reading late at night, or if you start your day reading my blog with your morning coffee, thank you.

Thank you to those of you that follow along and comment about my on my personal Facebook page. You challenge me and inspire me and care about me enough to want to know what happens next, for which I am thankful. Thank you too for missing me when I fail to post because I’m down or exhausted or because I just need a break. Your support comforts me and gives me strength.

For those of you that don’t know me, yet found my blog enticing and interesting enough to follow, you make my heart swell. Fifty-two unknowns follow my little blog start-up that could and does. Follow. Not check in from time to time, follow. That means every time I post, they are notified that Multi-hyphenated-me just posted again to her blog. Thank you for following my blog. I hope my posts continue to be worthy of your time.

Aside from my Facebook commenters, thank you for your comments posted directly to my blog. Please keep posting! It is such a cheap thrill for me to see that someone has commented! Facebook commenters, thank you too, but you don’t affect my stats. One reason I have this blog is to become a better writer, whatever that means and for whatever it is worth, mostly just personal satisfaction. I love stats. Stats tell me how many clicks on each individual post, how many shares and tracks all comments. Facebook friends, please, if you would, follow my blog and post directly to my page. Or not, I just love you and your comments any way I receive them.

Thank you visible readers of my blog. Thank you for clicking “like” on Facebook or on my site. Thank you for your comments. Thanks for supporting my effort to be a writer no matter how ridiculous and asinine my attempts may be.

Before I end this, I want to express gratitude to all of you out there that read my blog but don’t click “like” or leave a comment or follow my site. I think of you as my secret admirers. Thank you for reading and for giving my site your attention. If I have inspired you to read my blog, or you were just bored senseless and chose my blog because your mind has gone numb, I am grateful for your time. Feel free to click “like” or comment or follow me.

Drum roll please….tomorrow will be blog post #101. And the beat goes on.