Today marked the ‘official’ end of summer. It was the last day that our community pool was open for the season. And we all have such fun just hanging around in it, chatting, watching the kids play, doing some playing ourselves, that I figured it would be a good location for this week’s Pull Up Monday. (yes, that’s really the pool where I spent my entire summer. Yes, that silver-haired guy standing there is Steve.)
Pull up a towel, or just jump on in. In a bit, they’ll call “guard break” and then we can hang out here while we send the kids to the concession stand to get sugared up – and when they come back, we’ll let them have the pool, and WE’LL go get some goodies!
While you’re here, make yourself comfy. Unburden, tell a joke, vent. We’re friends here, and as long as you keep your language toward each other kind, you can say what you want. You can even swear, if you need to, but not at someone else.
Us Girls..Our Views 
Well, another week gone by! Something about Sunday nights, I don’t seem to remember much about what I did all week. What work got accomplished, what important milestones were reached . . . but let’s see what I do remember.
Work-wise, our little company is putting on a conference in DC Monday, so that has been a lot of what’s going on. Myself, I have been focused mostly on other stuff – the usual – a little less intense than my “big deadlines” but still always busy (and always backed up). Today the other folks all went to DC to get set up, so my girls and I have the house to ourselves. This is a rare luxury. If I didn’t have a bunch of work to do, I would just go to sleep right after this comment, enjoying the fact that nobody could complain about me not working past midnight for a change. But alas, I took most of today off to fool around, and I really have to deliver a few things before morning. Tomorrow I have to drop the kids at school at 6:30am and then head to the airport. Their ex-nanny will pick them up in the evening and I’ll get home after their bedtime. The girls are not thrilled with this plan. It seems like they think I am going to be away from them for a long time – not just the 2 hours we normally get to enjoy each evening.
This past week, I worked a little every day on getting those critters out of the basement, preventing their re-entry, and getting rid of the smell. I think the house finally doesn’t smell like skunk or dead critter. I also had to fix the problem that was causing my fridge to leak all over the floor. I finished getting all the stuff out of the basement that doesn’t belong down there. Did a lot of organizing of my kids’ stuff, though I still have a lot to do. My kids are so thrilled to “rediscover” the toys that had been hidden away for months. They are now much more into imaginitive play, so the dollhouse stuff, kitchen stuff, etc. is really enjoyed. They are also on a major paper airplane kick, along with a newfound interest in coloring and drawing. Miss E is drawing some pretty recognizable stuff and signing her name quite nicely. Miss A is more into making little marks that look like Arabic writing. Not sure what that’s about, but hey, she’s definitely her own person.
Saturday, I gave the kids some outdoor work to do for pay under the nanny’s supervision. Then after lunch, the plan was to go see one of the Aunties perform her instrument and watch an ethnic dance at an ethnic church festival, and then go to the zoo. We went to the church and watched the performance (which was very late) and then I got each kid a cupcake and some juice, and as they were finishing, Mr. Houseguest said he was gonna go buy some food, and did we want some? I said “No Please, we are going to leave for the zoo after finishing these cupcakes.” So I was moving some chairs around and he went off and Miss E followed him. Apparently before I caught up with them, Miss E told him she wanted a hotdog. (Mind you, Miss E is 3 years old, not exactly the boss around here.) I was not told about this so I simply went about my business of getting my kid to finish her cupcake so we could leave. Next Mr. Houseguest comes with some ethnic sausage and other food when I decline, he says “she said she wanted a hotdog.” To which I repeated my previous position. Upon which Miss E started crying. Next Auntie’s mom comes over to see what’s happening. Poor little Miss E, I feel sorry for her, seeing everyone around eating and she can’t have any. Ugh! She’s still finishing her cupcake, she already had lunch, and we’re going to the zoo (where, presumably, I will not let her starve all night!). Eventually we finish the cupcake and exit, and Miss E is smiling and laughing the instant we leave the church. I give Miss E a major piece of my mind (I was VERY pissed), and I get a phone call. It’s Mr. Houseguest’s aunt, “oh, poor everyone, I was the one that told Mr. Houseguest to buy the food against your wishes, now everyone feels bad.” COME ON, PEOPLE! I AM THEIR MOTHER! I DECIDE WHAT THEY EAT, HOW MUCH, AND WHEN, AND WHERE! If you don’t want to rock the boat, listen to me in the first place! OH I was angry.
Next I took the girls home and dealt with the bad behavior and eventually went to the zoo. The girls had a blast. We rode a camel and they spent their earned money in the dinosaur gift shop. On the way out, we met a woman who also had a 3-year-old adopted from the same country where my kids were born. So maybe we will meet up again sometime in the future.
Today I went to Sunday School and they got to talking about how sad it is that everyone who doesn’t know and believe in Jesus is going to burn in hell forever, and what we should be doing about it. This is what I was taught as a kid, but I don’t subscribe to this belief any more. I have spent a lot of time over the years studying the Bible and trying to understand its timeless meaning. And to me, that’s not what it says, when I look at it comprehensively. So I feel kinda strange in this group. I am going because I like to spend the time thinking about the Word, and I want to bring up my kids with a solid spiritual foundaton. The Bible is the logical place for us to start, since it’s what I was raised on. But I don’t believe that everyone who doubts the Bible (or parts of it) is below me or doomed to damnation. I also believe I still have a lot to learn. It will be interesting to se how my spirituality matures as I get older. (Most of the people in the “class” are way older than I am.) And, will my kids be treated differently if I let it be known that I don’t agree with their attitudes? I hope not, since I am thinking of putting them in their school.
I have read that kids who go to church regularly tend to be much higher achievers than kids who don’t. Looking at the experience as an adult, I can see why. However, I don’t want the church/school to influence my kids to be narrow thinkers. Hmm. That’s not what happened to me. After all, the Lutheran tradition begins with a guy seriously questioning the church. But yet, why do so many people seem to stop questioning at some point? Or am I just missing something they have figured out?
Ah, so many questions in life. Will they all be answered before I go?
You know, SKL, I don’t know if it’s actually the church-goin’ that makes the kids smarter, but perhaps it’s the culture that is fostered within that atmosphere? I ask this because Josh attends a Catholic school, but we don’t go to church. Steve is a ‘cradle Catholic’, and I’m a mash-up of a bunch of different things. I went to a Lutheran Sunday School until I made my Confirmation around 8th grade, but when I went to high school and then college, my church attendance dropped off. But it didn’t stop my questioning, or my wanting to know more. It didn’t stop my faith or my spirituality. But I have grown up questioning the UN-questioning dogma that I see so often in those who are ‘religious’.
SO, to stop rambling, and get back to the point… I think perhaps it’s more of a culture found within the religious community that extends to the school, and the values and principals that you teach/live at home, rather than the actual ‘sit in a pew on Sunday morning’ thing. Because the folks that I hang with at school know that I’m not a practicing anything, but Josh and I are still treated well and included – they discipline and love him in equal measure, just like they do for the rest of the kids.
Well, I’ll come back tomorrow and comment more. Oh, yeah, it’s Monday, but I’m not working tomorrow b/c we’re slow and I had to stay home. So, if anyone knows somebody who can help me write a resume that’d be great. Oh and job openings too!
Are you really going to throw some job feelers out there? Does it look that bad? That’s really too bad. It’s a good job.
How long do I wait for it to get better? There’s not much out there, but I should still have a resume together. St Cloud is adding on big time so they’ll need help eventually and I know a few people up there so…
I know. Job interviews are also a good thing to have to gain experience. I just hate the thought of you driving to the city. St. Cloud would be awesome. Besides, you love your job and your friends.
@ Sue – If you really wana know how to write the correct resume and weather your resume if a winning resume or not then click here –
Test Your Resume – http://www.3smartcubes.com/pages/tests/resume-test/resume-test_instructions.asp
We had a great weekend! I did exactly what I wanted to do, and needed to do Saturday. Lay in the sun, relax on the pontoon, lay on the lake…all while holding my Daiquiri! It was perfect!
Sunday was relaxing too, went into Maple Grove for some fun shopping but didn’t find anything we liked. 😦 That was a bummer, but it was nice to get out of town for a while. Then we ended with baseball practice. Boy was it windy!!!
This is our last full week before school starts back up. 😦 We’re doing some shopping tomorrow, Bailey needs shoes and a backpack. And some supplies are left to get. Tuesday is our open house, it should go fast since we already know the teacher. 5th grade…ugh! We were driving past the middle school, and I almost cried just thinking about him being there next year.
MIDDLE SCHOOL????? *plugging my ears* *I can’t hear you* *la-la-la-la-la*
I can’t believe how grown up Bailey and Trinity have gotten this summer. I’ve just watched them mature before my eyes. It’s only a matter of time with Christopher I know so I’m going to savor in his 6-ness.
“savoring the six-ness”
What a great concept! Josh is turning 7 next weekend (the 11th), so I’m gonna have to ‘savor his seven-ness’.
I guess that means that it’s ok that I couldn’t keep a straight face last week when he told me that his teacher busted him for sliding down the banister at school?
The same thing used to happen with Toby. He’s tell me what he did “wrong” and just couldn’t keep a straight face. It was all so “no big deal” to me. Well, not all of it but most of it.
We did really have a nice day on Saturday. Just us girls and the kids. They played. I read on the pontoon. It really was nice. Sunday it got very humid and it’s still that way today so I’m not even going near the door. It’s funny how spoiled I get when the weather works out and then when the humidity hits or something in the air, I miss the nice weather. At least I know an end is in sight and fall is almost here. To be honest I’ll be glad when it freezes and everything that’s alive dies. There’s something in the air that hates my lungs the last 2 days.
Laura, that pool is wonderful. How I wish our town had one like that. How is school going for Josh? I can’t wait till next week and see the bus and have things back to normal.
I’m tired of reruns and basically just tired of summer and being inside. I want new shows and I want to do a little in the yard. I have a lot of flowers to move so if you can read this and you want some lilies, iris’s or hosta’s, let me know and they’re free to you.
Not much else to tell. It’s boring on my end.
I’d LOVE some Iris’. I only have a few of those. I have lilies and hosta’s everywhere!
Sure then. Next time you come out we’ll dig em up. They’re on the north end of the house. Paul’s bedroom side and they don’t even bloom anymore because they don’t get sun. I want to put some in the back too by my birdbaths. Maybe one day you could come over and we could make a day of it. Don’t you have some time off coming soon?
I’ll always take flowers! All of my iris’ I got from you are now one color, even though they didn’t start off that way! I wonder how that happens b/c I really miss the purple ones.
I don’t know how that happens either Sue. I have white, purple and yellow but they haven’t bloomed now in two years so I have no idea now what color they will be.
I’ve also planted every single Easter Lily I’ve ever had in my house (35 years=35 lily’s and that’s only if I buy just one which hardly ever happens) and none of them have EVER come back white. They come back light yellow which is okay but I wonder too.
I’ll take some off your hands too!!! I’m always looking for more flowers!
oh no about Sue’s job it’s so tough on everyone this darn down turn.
I have yet to go swimming this year it may not happen. I’m just getting ready to fly out the door to go to town. Nice header cute little crab. Happy Monday…
You know, last year I never once got in our pool. I did swim in Vicki’s but never did get in ours. I think that’s one of the reasons we didn’t bother with it this year. I know next year I want it back. I missed it. I didn’t miss the wet sandy floors but I missed the kids and us having a nice quick place to take a dip. I’ve been in the lake more this year than next but we aren’t going to rent that same cabin next year.
Your not renting the cabin next year or just changing cabins??
I think part of the fun at the cabin for us this year was having you guys for our neighbors. I am unsure what our plans will be for next, we didnt use it near as much as you guys used yours. kinda hard when sean works every other weekend.
Those new people who are there now have ruined it for us. They sit in front of the dock there and we have no privacy. I’d loved to have kept it but it’s very uncomfortable now. That Dorthy is a dingbat and who knows what she told them. They don’t mow or anything so if we have to keep our “yard” clean and mowed, is it not “our” yard? We don’t really know what to think. They are very nice people but we didn’t rent that place to have strangers on top of us. We may look at a house on a lake to rent or something. Unless Dorothy adds things to a contract. I won’t rent under these same circumstances because every time we’ve had solid plans, things have happened. They use our beach because it’s clean. Well, we had to clean it. I don’t think they really get it. Also, the smartest people are often idiots. Paul and I had wanted to go and stay overnight a LOT more too but with no shower, that’s hard. He can’t go to work without bathing.
It’s sad and I feel really bad. It’s so close and we have used it a lot but if I wanted to sit that close to strangers, I’d go to the beach and not have had to pay that rent.
Wow, that’s a bummer. I can kinda relate because I have to go out with my kids every evening to avoid dealing with people who meddle in our business. I just don’t know how to tell people to “back off” any better than I already have. It’s a cultural thing at my end. Not sure about your end. I do understand that it is very hard to say “go away so we can enjoy our privacy.” I hope you arrive at a better arrangement next year.
I know. Thanks. I was going to do a post about this but didn’t think it was very interesting and now here this is. I guess the big thing is I don’t know what they were told. As I already mentioned, the owner is a little old lady and I’m not sure what she told them or what she’s doing for that matter. All I know is we’ve had a lot of fun up until now.
If you’re interested again, I’d give talking to her another shot but I want a contract if we do this again. It has been great to be next to you guys and we’ve had a lot of fun.
Wow, I had no idea those people planted there butts in front of our place..the nerve!!! I wouldve maybe said something to them, like here is the rake go clean your beach area just like we had too and i wouldve explained these were the conditions we had when we moved there. I am quite shocked that they didnt figure out that this was OUR space..I wonder what dorothy had said to them, I hope it wasnt “the beach area is over there”(infront of our places.)
I will talk to you more in person about this later.
Also Sean just stated to me something Dorothy said when we rented it..She said the last cabin on our end will not be rented so all this space will be ours.
That’s just it. We rented those ones so we’d have privacy. Who knows with her. She is very flaky. I can tell you though, it’s very uncomfortable.
Vicki, how I wish you would have been there. They just unpack their vehicle, and park down low where Dorothy parks and unload and sit at the end of our dock. To my knowledge, they don’t even take their stuff to their cabin. They just put it next to them in their chairs. Like I say, they are very nice and the kids are fun for our kids to play with but it’s our cabin not our kids and if Paul and I went there alone for a quiet day, I’d be furious and I can’t say anything so we just haven’t been going much.
We can talk more in person. I’d really like to rent again just because of the boat and location but I’m not going to rent again without a contract. If we have to mow and weed and work, so should everyone else.
Joy, I feel that Dorothy has some real control issues. Just the thought of dealing with her drives me mad. Along with the control issues I think that she really has no idea what she is doing with the place, I mean, you can tell by the new driveway that she put in. I really liked hanging out with my neighbors/lake neighbors.
What else really makes me wonder about her is she’s got that guy working on the opposite end dock and they come out in a few weeks. Why isn’t she working on the bathroom/shower or any of the other cabins she could be renting?? But….that’s one of the pitfalls of renting. Like I said, if we sat down and talked to her, we’d love to rent it again but I need more boundaries of what we can do and can’t and what’s ours and what’s not.
I would tell those people to sit down by their dock!!! That’s kinda rude to go sit in front of ours, especially when you guys are all down there.
Would you be brave enough to say that? I sure wish I was. I thought it was rude too when we were there. It’s one thing when we’re not but man, we felt odd. You walk down the dock and you put your eyes down and nobody says anything. It’s WEIRD.
Jenny is very much like her mom when it comes to opening her mouth. I say this in the nicest way possible.
I never would have thought that. Jenny, you always seem so quiet.
LOL Jason.
The thing with me also is I just “kind of” got used to using my oxygen around you guys. I feel very self conscious and don’t wear it around any other people. I’m not comfortable around people like I used to be so this “closeness” bothers me.