A place called home

It's the reason I started this blog...Mama Kat's Writers Workshop

4.) “How many homes have you had? Write a journal entry about ALL the places you’ve called ‘home’ in your life.”

At this point in my life I can say I have called two places “home.” I have lived plenty more places, too many to count. To me, home is where I have a sense of family and belonging.

The first place I called home was back in Washington where I grew up. It was in a house my dad built with his own two hands, to me it was a mansion in the middle of a magical forest. I lived in that home from ages four to ten…this happens(still) to be the longest I have ever lived in one place. Making that time, the most stable time of my entire upbringing. When I took my husband to visit my home state back in September, I could not wait to show him that house, of all the places I lived growing up. Driving down Sunset Avenue to my old house brought back so many memories: riding bikes down the road, walking to the school bus. And then I saw it…and it wasn’t as big as I remembered it, and it was….wait for it….yellow!! While it certainly wasn’t the mansion I had boasted about growing up in, it was still my beautiful home. That house held all the childhood memories I cherished, of Christmas mornings and lazy summer days. No matter how it looks to anyone else, it will always be my magical mansion in the forest.

B-Town, WA

The second place I call home happens to be the house we live in now. It is really nothing to write about, it is SO SMALL! It is a starter home, and the first house my husband has ever owned(at 41). We closed on the house right before we got married…literally. 8 days before we got married, and 6 weeks before our son was born…I know, one of “those” weddings…wink ;) wink ;)

The house is barely 900 sq ft. and it was uninhabited for 2 years before we came along. To say it wasn’t lived in isn’t exactly true…there were many woodland creatures who liked to call our place home, even after we moved in(that’s another blog, for another day). Whoever lived in the house 2 years prior to us, trashed it!! When we came along it was in need of some major repair, and TLC! We were crazy to take it on in the midst of getting married, and having a baby. But our options were limited, and we were determined to make it work. Or rather, my husband was determined to make his pregnant wife happy. I am so proud to call this little place home, my husband has put so much hard work, love, and dedication into this house. It in NO way resembles the place we bought 2 years ago; we have new carpets, floors, new paint, new fixtures, and all thanks to my husband’s handiwork. Not only did the house get a major face lift, but it also got a family. Our house has thrived with its new residents. Having our son play in his room, run through the house, and wake up here on Christmas morning has been a dream come true…and I finally feel at home again.

Somewhere-town-NY

and I rant...

Time for Mama Kat's Writers Workshop

1.) Time for your tangent…what is your latest complaint?

My biggest complaint…for today, is that my in-laws use our private bathroom. We have a small house. Ok, that I get. But what I don’t get is: why do they insist on walking through our bedroom to use the master bathroom every time they need to use the facilities? We have a perfectly good and accessible guest bathroom. I just don’t get it. It frustrates me beyond any comprehension.

The guest bathroom is not dirty, admittedly it does house the cat box, but I always make sure it’s clean for our guests to feel comfortable. So I ask my wonderful husband, “WHY do your parents insist on walking through our bedroom to use our bathroom?” He has no response, and then I get angry because he’s not responding, to which he answers, “well it is weird, but I don’t have an answer for you, why don't you ask them? " UGH!!!! My wonderful husband told me I should ask them…ME!? WHY would I ask, they’re his freakin’ parents! Apparently he’s ok with them walking through our space.

His response probably is more aggravating than the fact that his parents feel the need to walk through my bedroom, to get to the bathroom. Inevitably, they wind up seeing my private stash of porn(People magazines) by the toilet and bra’s hanging all over. It’s not like it’s a once in a while thing, they come over a few times a week to watch our son. While they watch him, I often wonder to myself, did I remember to put away the hanging bras? or pick up the undies on the floor? is there a plastic bag lining the garbage can? and oh, CRAP I forgot to make the bed! Maybe if I left the bedroom and bathroom all nastified then they’d stop walking through MY personal space. I already took the Kleenex out our private bathroom, maybe it’s time to take it out of the living room too.

...and that is my rant for today.

Cold Goo and a lake full of Jell-O

Yesterday was my last ultrasound before this baby is born. The nurse did the initial ultrasound, when she finished and left me with 2 things: a 3D image of my baby on the TV screen(which was interesting for all of 45 seconds), and she left me with cold goo on my exposed belly for fifteen minutes before the doctor came to see me. It was awful! I kept wondering, am I supposed to be sitting here? Maybe she was done and since everything is ok, the doctor isn't coming...should I wipe this off? Was I supposed to get up and get dressed? What is taking so long, she did say he would be coming right? I am going to feel really dumb when they come in 20 minutes later and tell me I was done, and I could have gone home. Finally he came, ah relief.

Why does my Mother-in-Law laugh at things that aren't funny? Like when my son has too much food in his mouth and it poses a choking hazard, she thinks its funny. My wonderful husband thinks its nervous laughter, but I find it immensely annoying, and I wish she would stop.

My son is finally starting to say please, I am not sure he knows why he's saying it, but at least he's started.

My wonderful husband asked me the other day if I remember waking him up in the middle of the night to ask why there was a rabbit on his hip. I told him I don't remember waking up in the middle of the night and asking why there was a rabbit on his hip. But I do remember my dream from that night: me swimming in a lake full of Jell-O.

Notes of Love

Notes of Love

Notes like these are exchanged between my husband and I everyday. I leave one the keyboard at night for him to find first thing in the morning, and he in turn leaves me a note to find when I get up after he leaves. It's the first thing I think about, and look for in the morning. I'll be posting them as often as I can, because they make me feel wonderful, and its better than any morning coffee!

7th photo of 2009

This was the 7th photo in my photo album of January 2009, so I can only assume that it's the 7th photo I took. Mama Kat's Writers Workshop would have me write a poem about this photo, but I don't do poems. Instead, I am just going to write a letter to my son, he was 7 months old in this photo. For the last 19 months he's been my only child, and in less than a month he'll no longer be an only, and I have a few sappy things I'd like to say.

Dear Son,
The last 19 months have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. I've spent every day of your life with you. In a few weeks you are going to have to share us. Your daddy and I have tried our best to prepare you for this, but I know your life will never be the same. It makes me really sad at times, because I know that we've had the best time of our lives together. You have brought me more joy than I could have ever imagined. In a few weeks you will become a big brother, and I know that you will be the best big brother ever! You will love and care for your little sister, and you will protect her with all your strength and heart, because that is who you are by nature.
I've loved being your mommy and I consider myself the luckiest person alive to have been able to experience you day in and day out. You have taught me patience, love, and more laughter than I imagined possible. Even though it won't be just the three of us anymore, I want you to know that you will not be any less loved. It might be hard at first, but the funny part is you won't remember any of it! I wish I could slow down the next few weeks, but I can only cherish these last few days of just the two of us at breakfast, and lunch, reading books to you, playing dance party, putting puzzles together, coloring, tickling you and your laughter. The laughter isn't going away, it's only going to get louder!
I love you Handsome Boy!!
Love,
mommy

This is my son, on the 7th day of 2010

Not my first Random thought...

But it's the first time I've blogged about them.

My cat peed in the bathtub last night. I cursed and swore at her up and down, then I threw her outside in 3 degrees to spend the night in the snow. THAT'S how I felt about THAT! I woke up this morning and my husband left me a note: "Jinx peed in the tub again this morning. I whacked her and threw her outside. Caught her in the act"

GREAT!!

I googled "why does my cat pee in the tub?" looks like it could be a UTI, taking her to the vet tomorrow. For now I'm on tub watch.

Should I feel bad that I plop my kid on the sofa to watch Little Bear while I type out random thoughts? He's way into the TV, more than I should let him...but sometimes I need a minute, or 30.

Been trying to envision where I want this whole blog thing to go. Not sure I have a vision yet, just know that I like getting things "out" there that my family(my husbands) doesn't get to see. They wouldn't get it. They don't entirely "get" the family blog yet. I guess they're not much for the techy baby book idea. Hey, I have a hard copy baby book too. I just like the interactive bloggy world.

Trying to find a color to paint our laundry room has proven to be much more difficult than I thought. All the other colors in our house were no-brainers, but for some reason they make 1,434 different shades of yellow, and I really don't want my laundry too look like the McDonalds golden arches. Why did we buy a fixer-uper again? I just have to keep telling myself, it's the last room.

Ah, well Little Bear is over and I have about 43 seconds until the little guy comes to find me in the office. 4,3,2,1...and there he is!