The Wish List

My post on facebook got me thinking tonight. I posted "I wonder where the clean up after the kids fairy is". I'm washing dishes at 9:00 at night thinking, you know, if I really had a few wishes, it sure wouldn't be that. So - Dawn. What WOULD be your first wish? The obvious one - money. Hell, it may not buy happiness, but it would sure buy a nice rack . Sure as shit, no one is going to stare at my stomach and think I should double up on pilates classes if I had giant hooters. And it would also mean I wouldn't have to work. Don't get me wrong, my college education has landed me a NICE job. But the hours are long and the work is stressful. And it takes away from things like... my kids. Oh man, it sucks so big time walking in at 8:30 at night and seeing them tucked into bed and just giving them kisses and chatting for a few minutes about their day. Mom should be home to cook dinner and play! Uh oh, that sounds like the whole working mom guilt story. Moving along... I would most certainly buy Mikey that F450 King Ranch rusty-orange crew cab duallie. What's the difference between a F350 and a F450? Probably something like trying to compare a WalMart purse from a Coach - there IS a difference, probably towing capacity and wow! factor. Kind of like those giant hooters.

Hmmmm... my second wish? To slow down time. I love the song "Don't Blink". You spent so many years waiting for this and waiting for that (drivers license anyone?) and now that you have kids and they are really fun - life is just moving along and warp speed and I'd like to slow down and enjoy this time. Pretty soon they aren't going to WANT to be around Mom you know. ;o) Shhhh... don't tell them, maybe they will still like me in a few more years. I am fun you know!

My third wish - while I'm still in my 40's and Mike has his Harley and F450, I'd like to show off my giant mammaries while driving around in a Jeep. Just not going to let this one go.

Oh - what a bad Mom. How can I not wish for things for my kids? Morgan would have a Western show horse AND an English horse that would jump any fence put in front of it. And her own barn, of course. Dylan? He'd be pretty happy with a new camo quad. And he's still young enough that I could let him loose in the Target toy section with $200 and he'd think he died and went to heaven. Gotta love 'im.

My last wish? That someone would please go to CVS and pick up my prescription for me? Please???

Tree Frog

I suspect that I am not always the easiest person in the world to live with. We had a very early season heat wave (3+ days of 90 degrees!) that was just... weird. The leaves weren't even out on the trees yet. It was so freaky warm that we were able to keep the windows open at night. And that's when our tree frog saga started. Now, I'm quickly approaching early menopause and that means, among other fun things, that I don't sleep well at night. I awaken in the middle of the night to this freaking BIRD chirping away. Then I thought, self - you know better than that. Birds don't chirp in the middle of the night. Well, I did hear birds put up a horrible fuss when an owl wasn't around, but this wasn't fussing, it was chirping and it was LOUD. Grmp. I got up to take another benadryl and managed to sleep. Fast forward to warm night #2, and the chirping starts at night. I said to Mike I bet it's a freaking frog and we are NOT sleeping with the windows open. Because if mama doesn't sleep, mama isn't happy. And if mama isn't happy.... Well, Mike happens to like having the windows open at night, so this was not a battle I was going to win. So, I see him head out in his boxer shorts, t-shirt and a flashlight. Sure as shit, about 10 minutes later he comes flying back in the house - telling me to come outside. There, on our bushes by the stone fireplace is the tiniest frog you have ever seen. I said to Mike THAT is what was chirping so loudly? He said (in typical Mike fashion), well, do you hear it anymore? So he takes the offending frogger and marches it up to the camper on the top of our property. We get into bed and less than 2 minutes later you can hear the fucker loud as day. I kid you not. Mike rolls over to tell me to deal with it and I'm getting up to shut the window. The need for an open window won and Mike gets back out of bed, goes back outside with his boxers and flashlight and once again re-locates midget frog with the super loud chirp to the OTHER side of the house. Right by the neighbors window ;o) We had a pretty good laugh next night when we heard him in the family room. Well, it's a good thing we moved him because I now hear him and a potential mate chirping back and forth while I'm typing. Thankfully I can't hear a blooming sound from the bedroom.

Now, I feel like I should be a bit educational as to this frog. I think it's a gray tree frog, native to NJ. The loud little fucker (ahem, frogger) is only 1 1/4" = 2 1/2" big. It's voice is a hearty, resounding trill usually heard in spring and fall. I guess they trill, not chirp. Nocturnal, they descend from trees and shrubs at night to trill and breed. Well, I'm not saying up with the flashlight to watch bitty frog mating, but I can attest to it's trill.

Reserve Grand Champion!!!

Wow - a year ago I really didn't pay much attention to the fact that the classes within the horse shows had CATEGORY winners. Morgan would place 5th, or 6th, or even (wow!) 3rd. This year? A whole 'nuther story. That girl has worked hard and is on an amazing horse, and is just kicking show butt. This was a big show up at our country fairgrounds. HUNDREDS of horses. HUGE classes. Morgan's showmanship class had 26 kids, I think her rail and pattern classes had 24. She placed 2nd in showmanship (a HUGE surprise!), 2nd in equitation, 3rd in pleasure and 2nd in pattern. And... overall reserve grand champion. This time around she was a bit... frustrated... that she didn't get a first place. I told her each show will be different, and she and Sissy weren't quite as in synch as the last show. It's okay, she'll go back to the ring and practice some more. We have a bit of a break now, her next show isn't until mid-June. Here's a picture of her in showmanship.
and... for fun - one of Morgan's BBFFs (best barn friends forever).... Morgan ready to go out for showmanship, Mikaela with a bit more time until she rode her horse Dugan in english.

Babies!!!

Maybe it's because we raised birds from eggs when I was so young. Maybe it's because it's spring. Maybe it's because babies, of any shape and form are... babies. Whatever the reason, it always brings so much joy to find a birds nest on our property filled with babies. We decided to cut down the rose bush in our pool this year because it was just too big and thorny and (duh) too close to the pool. That bush always had at LEAST 2 nests - one was our resident dove. I was pretty bummed on that warm February day when we cut it down, knowing the mama dove would have to build a new nest in a new location. We took it down mid-winter so she didn't have a chance to make her nest and lay her eggs. I was also pulling down Christmas decorations on that warm day, and had one more final wreath left - the one over our shed. I walked over and Mike said WAIT!!! I'm telling you, that boy missed his calling in life - shoulda been a detective. He sees EVERYTHING. There - poking out of the very top of the wreath was a newly formed nest. Tucked way under the eve of the shed. I have to get a milk crate out to hang the wreath, how Mike saw that nest is just beyond me. But he did, and our wreath stayed up. Fast forward to May, and yes we still have a Christmas wreath up. But our wreath also has a new addition - 3 baby birds. They must have hatched a few weeks ago because they've lost their down and already have pin feathers. If you look closely (double click to expand the picture) you can see 3 little heads. Mama was fussing in the neighbor's crab apple tree when we took this picture, but all you PETA folks can be assured that no harm came to these babies while they peeped for the camera.

Tuesday Ten

Wow - 2 weeks in a row! Actually, I'm happy to be back on my blog, it's my creative outlet to the stress of work. I can write fun things, not technically, grammatically (and intelligently) drafted messages for work. Phew! Anyway, this week's Tuesday Ten - in honor of Mother's Day... the Ten Best Things About Being a Mom.

1. My kids. Okay, can I start out with a duh? Honestly, there was a point in time about 4 years ago when I thought I couldn't take it anymore. Dylan was at his most difficult. Morgan was getting eaten alive by other girls in school... I think I just lived day to day and didn't ENJOY them. Phew, am I glad that time is past!

2. Reading. I'm so glad we are past The Hungry Caterpillar and on to more entertaining books like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Even more fun? Sharing books with Morgan. Hey Mom - did you read Black Stallion yet? Let me know when you get to the part when he....

3. Camping. I grew up camping with my family. I have such great memories of exploring ponds for tadpoles in the middle of a 3 mile hike, canoeing in Lake George, looking for starfish in tide pools in Montauk. The best part of being a Mom is exploring new things with the kids. If you didn't have kids, would you be out on the beach flying a kite? Giggling at silly birds on the shore line?

4. Gardening. I think my biggest surprise of all is that Dylan is my most interested gardener. He LOVES to plant things, would water anything that I ask him to. Morgan will, but she's more of a pick the produce kid than grow it. It's fun to see their different personalities come out in the garden.

5. Sharing notes. It started when Morgan was being eaten alive by mean girls in school. I grabbed a mini notebook and wrote her a little note each day that she took to school. Fast forward 4 years and a few notebooks later. We now trade notes. If I work really late there is a note on my pillow. If our morning is really rushed and we forget the notepad, I text her. But it's a tradition I wouldn't trade for the world.

Hmm.... it's 9pm and I didn't get home until 8, a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs reheated at 8:15, and now I'm crashing with writers block. I have so many "Mom" moments... I think most of the time it's the smaller things in life that really hit home. I have a "happy journal" on my dresser where I jot small things that happened during the day that were great. A lot of times I just tape a note from Morgan, or write a funny quote from Dylan in there. But it's the kids that are in there the most. Not material things that I bought.... usually things we did as a family. I probably should have squeezed Mike in there, because we've grown together as parents. At least I got five things on my list before I head to bed. Good night Stars... Good night Moon... Good night green light in my room... ;o)

GRAND CHAMPION!!!

Sometimes you just have to shout!!! For those of you who have followed our saga.... Morgan's horse Misty died quite suddenly at 3 last year. A week or so after that her trainer left Spring Valley to start her own barn. We made the very difficult decision to go with neither Amy nor Spring Valley - we chose to start over at a small farm called Elvada. The trainer Cindy was just so patient and wonderful with the kids. Cindy didn't have a fancy indoor arena to ride in. Morgan put on her "real" cowgirl and rode outside all winter long. What she did learn from Cindy was skills. Not just getting in the saddle and controlling the horse, but riding it the RIGHT way. Well... fast forward to warmer weather and the first local show of the season - on Mother's day. The usual up at 4:45am, out of the house by 6am. It was a bit weird not having to lunge, but Sissy is 18 and has been around the block and knows her stuff. Morgan and Sissy had the ride of their life today - it was AMAZING to see both in sync. And the judge saw it too. 2nd place in equitation. 1st place in pleasure. 2nd place in pattern. And.... overall grand champion. Phew. I'm still on cloud 9. So is Morgan. Here are a few pix.

Tuesday Ten

They're baaaccckk! It's been a LONG while since I've done a Tuesday Ten and I begged my fellow blogging girlfriends to get it going again. Our first ten? Ten Things We Have Been Up To Lately..

1. Gardening! Spring has sprung - the grass is green - and oh sh*t. I wanted to move the garden last year because it got too shady and tomatoes by the pool aren't all that cool. First things first - dig up a LOT of grass. Carefully. Because we needed to transplant it into the bare spots left after our septic dig. Waste not want not, I guess, but that sucked! So, I now have peas, lettuce and spinach sprouting. Grass re-growing. And... I have TRAYS of seedlings down on my potting bench under grow light. Yeah!
2. The Barn. It's kind of a given that I'm always at the barn, but this time of year more than usual. We've spent some extra time grooming Sissy trying to get her winter coat out. She was just diagnosed with an overactive thyroid and her coat isn't slicking out. But we're getting there! And extra lessons prepping for the first show.
3. Working. Anyone on facebook has had to listen to me bitch and moan about work. I've officially gone from a 60% schedule to an 80% schedule, which means I don't have Weds off anymore. However, I am very happy I have a job, and reason #2 always costs $$.
4. Running. Aaaahhhh... springtime jogs with my girlfriends. The running group varies from week to week, but I love it. Drops the extra winter weight like a snap. And it's so nice to be outside after running on the treadmills all winter long. I had a 2 week reprieve because of a strained achilles, but I'm back in action and eyeing an 8 mile race in June.
5. Picking up after my slobbolas. Yup, it's a word. Don't believe me? Come by my house. Unannounced. Anytime.
6. Baseball! That's my boo-man!7. Cyber shopping at Athleta.com. I'm not sure what I covet more - the clothes or their bodies. I can't afford the clothes and damn I work out but I'll never look like those girls... but it's fun to look!
8. Reading Diary of aWimpy Kid series. I love that Dylan still likes to sit in bed and have me read to him. Sure, he could tackle quite a bit of the book himself, but I keep thinking this just can't last that much longer, so why not indulge?
9. Thinking about my life philosophy. A friend of mine recently formed a team for kids that didn't have try outs. Which sparked a great debate in my house about doing what's right for kids. Which led to charity events which you just buy tickets to attend something fun like the circus. What do the kids get out of that? Right. So Morgan is going to start volunteering for handicapped riding. We are looking for the right thing for Dylan - his bestest idea was asking people in school to fundraise to buy Bakkugon for kids who truly don't have ANYTHING. What a concept to him. He's got a house full of "stuff" he could sell if he wanted to, and some kids don't have a bed to sleep in at night.
10. Ripping CDs for spin class. My 5:45am instructor said he was open to new songs. So I took some really varied stuff off my running playlists. Pretty high engergy stuff. It's gotten 4 plays, great feedback and he said his high school sports kids love it too. Wow! Thinking about putting together a second CD.

Life is good.