Fly on the Wall: December 2015: Questions

Welcome to the December Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 11 brave bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes....

Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!

In the cast this month:

Me

The man
C., The middle (son, 17)

J., The youngest (son, 11)

I'm usually asking, "WHY?" around here. A lot. And pretty loudly. But you already know that. This month, a fly on the wall might have heard more questions.  Some of the queries even had answers.

Just wondering:

Me: "What is that contraption sitting on my towel bar?"
C.: "It's an automatic soap dispenser."
Me: "Where did it come from?"
C.:  "Oh. Our store's bathrooms got new dispensers, so I brought the old one home for you. I thought it would be cool. Plus, you're always talking about not spreading germs, so I figured you'd love it."
Me: "You brought that home. From your store. Used?? Do you see anything wrong with that?"
C.: "Mom. I didn't steal it. My manger knows about it. It's totally okay."

Germ free?

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Well?

Me: (rolling my eyes) "The weather channel is calling for a measurable snowstorm. Are they over-reacting?"

Mother Nature: "Um..."

My front yard. After all was said and done: 15 inches

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Me: (to C., panicking). "You are NOT driving to school in this weather, are you?"
C.: "Of course!  Quit worrying."
The man: (to C.) "I shoveled the drive, but you're going to have to clear off your own car."
C: "Okay! I will." (Because it was no big deal.)

 3 hours later. He took the bus, people.

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Really, Mom?:

Me to C.: "All you've been doing with your free time is playing that video game. What happened to the days of 'making art, or doing something creative?"

C: "Really, mom? 'Making Art?"
Me: "You know what I mean. Something OTHER than playing that video game."
C: "The video game is called 'Fallout'."
Me: "Yay for 'Fallout'.  Just do me a favor and do something other than "playing" Fallout all night?"
C: (not looking up from the controller) "K."

A few days later.

The man: "Did you see what your son made?"
Me: "Which son?"
The man: (in a super-impressed voice) "C.!"

I follow him to the basement.

The man: (pointing to 5 bottles) "C. made those!"

Me: "They look kind of cool. What are they?"
The man: (questioning exactly how I fit into our family.) "Haven't you ever heard of 'Fallout?' They're from that game. C. made those! " (He shakes his head at me.) "I swear. That kid is so creative."

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So?:

A friend: (after last month's post) "Did you ever finish the fireplace?"
Me: "Partially. I still have to put another coat on the bricks and paint the brass insert black. I'll definitely have it done by Thanksgiving."

before

Thanksgiving (with room decorated to defer the viewer from seeing the brass insert)

Me: "Okay, so I didn't paint the brass-y part. It will absolutely be done by Christmas." 

December

Me: "I have a REALLY strong feeling that brass may be back by Spring."

Speaking of the holidays:

Me: (to J., C., and The Man) : "Can we please talk about something other than Legos, video games, or computer stuff?"

J., C., and The Man (in a united front): "Sure we can. There IS a movie showing soon..."

Me: "Is it Fallout?" 

Rhetorical questions of the month:

Me: (to the dogs, in my semi-annoying 'mama' voice) "Who loves their new sweaters, huh? Who wants to go outside and play in the snow? Huh???"

Not them.

Check out this month's participants:

Baking in a Tornado                         

Spatulas on Parade                          

Follow Me Home                           

Menopausal Mother                          

Never Ever Give Up Hope                                   

Someone Else's Genius                            

Southern Belle Charm                     

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                                  

The Angrivated Mom                

Go Mama O                                       

Juicebox Confession                    
Not That Sarah Michelle               

Happy Friday, friends!

-Michele

Fly on the Wall: March 2015

Hey-O!  Welcome to the March Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 14 amazing bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes....

Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!

Cast:
Me
The man
Alex, the eldest (daughter, 21) 
C., The middle (son, 16)
J., The youngest (son, 10)

First of all, I'd like to explain where in the world I've been for the last few months. But if I did that, I'd actually have to give an answer. The truth is I've been dealing with issues out in the real world that are a bit too painful to blog about. Yet. I miss writing so much. I hope to continue, but for right now, I'm here. Thanks for sticking around :)

Hockey, anyone?
Red Wings forever, I know. But, we are across the country from Joe Louis Arena. For now, the youngest is attending games here in our city. Our team, the Mustangs, are part of the Western States Hockey League. J. absolutely loves it.

Thank goodness the Mustangs also wear red.

Since J. likes to imitate life in LEGO form, this is sitting in the middle of his bedroom:

Check out that audience. Everyone is a fan :)

Here's the zamboni!

The announcer.

...and the "Stanley Cup". 

Love this month was:

1. Getting coffee each morning from the man. He rocks. There's no other way to put it.
2. The middle child giving up Java and Coke for Lent. Someone has to pick up the extra caffeine. I'm happy to help.
3. Sharing something personal with an in-law and getting the kindest response EVER. Seriously. EVER.
4. Getting a text in the middle of the day from the eldest that says, "I love you, mama."
5. Getting funny memes and words of encouragement from amazing online friends.
6. Receiving a surprise gift from my forever friend. 

Thank you, Nick Nack! 

Yep, I'm Asian.

You might have already known that. But, if you had any doubt, check out my red "Mr. Miyagi" painting job. It was the first coat of my sewing room re-do. 

Old room with the dreaded "I don't know what's been on you" carpet.

First coat. Wax on, wax off. Two brushes at the same time.

3 coats later...

Quote of the month: (and a bit of bragging)

To the man and me: "Oh yeah, if you want to come tonight, I might be getting an award."

-said the boy who won First Place in Engineering in the District Senior STEM fair, The Office of Naval Research Award, a Yale Science and Engineering Association Award, and the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Award for Sustainability Solutions. You know those times when life gets you down? When being a teenager is really hard? This night told all that negativity where to go.

While I had nothing to do with these awards, I did give birth to that child. Let a mom hold a certificate or two.

Advice of the month from Grams:

When I asked Grandma what keeps her looking so young:

"Walk around with Jesus in your heart. Let that light shine through. Oh, and always wear a long-line bra. In a size that fits, of course, not one that you WANT to fit."

-Thanks Grams.

Thanks once again for reading. Thanks also to the Fly's AMAZING creator, Karen @ Baking In a Tornado, aka "The Blogging Original", for hosting this challenge! Would you like to join in the next FLY challenge? Click on the FLY button on my side bar. Karen will  take care of you.

Take a look at what the other bloggers have going on inside their homes. Go on! Leave them a comment. You know you want to...

Baking in a Tornado                          

Spatulas on Parade                          

Follow Me Home                           

Menopausal Mother                          

Stacy Sews and Schools                        

Battered Hope                                   

Just A Little Nutty                                  

The Momisodes                                        

Someone Else's Genius                            

The Sadder but Wiser Girl                        

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                            

Disneyland in Kentucky                               

Juicebox Confession                            

Searching for Sanity                      

Go Mama O       

Happy Friday, friends!

-Michele                               

Fly On the Wall- November '13

Hey there!  Welcome to the November Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 13 awesome bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes....

Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!

Cast:
Me
The man
A., the eldest (daughter, 19)
C., The middle (son, 15)
J., The youngest (son, 8)
Our dogs: Lila and Henry

Have you ever had one of those months where something goes wrong and you are stupid enough to ask aloud, "Can it get any worse?" Our last few weeks have been like that. Take my advice. NEVER ask if things can get any worse. Of course they can! Whenever you start feeling like you're at the end of your rope though, take a look at the news. The tornadoes in Illinois, the devastation in the Philippines...everything can be put in to perspective very quickly. On that scale, we are doing (and will be) just fine.
If you were a fly on the wall at my house this month, you would have witnessed:

Halloween:

It was a regular Halloween at our house. The older kids were at parties, I was giving out candy, and the man and J. were out collecting the goods. One of our neighbors came to our house and asked if we were the home who was giving away the Bud Light. I wiped a tear from my eye, and gave him a Snickers. I don't share the good stuff…

Henry dressed up as a fish. He loved it!

Lila went as a shark. She hated it.

J. went as Jango Fett

C. was an actor from a black and white movie.

A. went as a winner of a Publisher's Clearing House Contest. Her Man was Ed McMahon. They won!

***

J.: "It's not fair. I have to give all of the chocolate to the sugar witch. It took me a long time to collect all of that."

A.: "Did you know the sugar witch looks a lot like mom?"

C.: "Did you know you can stuff all of your candy in a sock and mom will never find out?"

I give them all the "mom-look."

C.: "What? I learned that from dad."

Food:

Comments from random family members.

"I can't eat Rice Krispies without sugar. It's all Grandma's fault. She poured sugar on those like it was crack. Now I'm addicted. To Sugar. On my cereal…"

"You weren't the first one to invent mixing Rice Krispies with Frosted Flakes. I've been doing that for years with Apple Jacks and Fruit Loops. Yes, I am a Sweet Genius."

"I can't eat these french fries, mom. They taste like…potatoes!"

"Never eat M&Ms out of the bottom of your purse when you also have an open bottle of Advil in there."

"I'm taking my sleeping bag and living at McDonald's for the next little while. They have the McRib AND pralines and cream smoothies. If I get sick of any of it (which I won't,) there's a Dunkin Donuts next door."

Teeth:

We went to our 6 month check up last Saturday. The man had to have a filling replaced, the eldest and the middle child both had a cavity. The youngest and I got off with a clean bill of health.

J: I can't believe it! I don't have any cavities!"

Me.: "I'm so proud of you!"

J. : "Do you know my secret?"

Me: "I think so…"

J: (handing me his box of complimentary toothpaste) "Here, you can have this. My secret is to never brush your teeth. I even told the dentist that."

Awesome.

A.: "Can we please buy toothpaste that doesn't taste like fish?"

C.: "What is this "floss stuff" you were speaking about?"

The man: "You are now responsible for your own dental bills."

Random:

I was stressed out of my mind one day with something completely out of my control. So, I decided to paint the inside of my house. The walls. The doors. A table. The stairs. Some chairs. A chalkboard. I didn't know where to start (because I'm the queen off ADD), so I came home with this.

Where to start? Everywhere. I have no less than five projects going on with no end in sight. My husband gets it, although he hates the chaos. My kids just shake their heads and try not to touch any paint. Another relative told me, "You will never be happy." Ouch! I promised that the man's next wife will be in love with white.

During the painting marathon, I pulled a familiar muscle in my back. It's in my sciatic nerve and I always ending up begging the man to apply these derma-patches to the area. We also have these back beaters that we found at Bed Bath and Beyond. They are fantastic. They are also loud when they hit your back. I never care. I just want the pain to go away.

 Of course when A's boyfriend asks what that "banging sound" is,  the youngest has to chime in.
"Dad's just hitting mom with his blue balls."

How do I find myself in these situations? We have no secrets, people.

Private tips overheard from the kids:

"If you throw lots of underwear down the laundry chute, mom will be happy because she will think you are (actually) changing your underwear."

(Probably not related) "Flushible wipes make everything better."

"Say something nice when you go in mom's room. It will be easier that way to ask for chocolate."

"If you look at the wrapped presents and your name isn't on any of them, you have some serious thinking to do."

Finally:

I was talking to the youngest about these wall stickers called "Fat-heads." Have you heard of them? They are life size stickers of sports heroes or princesses. You can now order (according to him) a "Fat-Head" of yourself.

Me: "Why in the world would you want a life-size sticker of yourself?"
J. "It would be SO cool. I'd always have someone to talk to. I bet we'd even agree on things most of the time."
Hmmm.


Thanks once again for stopping by, and to the Fly's AMAZING creator, Karen @ Baking In a Tornado, aka "The Blogging Original", for hosting this challenge! Would you like to join in the next FLY challenge? Click on the FLY button on my side bar. Karen will more than take care of you.

Take a look at what the other bloggers have going on inside their homes. Go on! Leave them a comment. You know you want to...

Baking in a Tornado                                     

Just a Little Nutty                                

Follow Me Home                          

Stacy Sews and Schools                  

The Sadder but Wiser Girl                            

Menopausal Mother                                     

Moore Organized Mayhem                

The Momisodes                                 

Spatulas on Parade                      

The Rowdy Baker                              

Sorry Kid, Your Mom Doesn't Play Well With Others                       

Moms Don't Say That                            

Juicebox Confessions                               

We are trying to make it through November without turning on our heater. 9 more days  to go...

Happy Weekend, friends,

-Michele         

Day 32 of Forty - Basement Bathroom Update

Today, the man and I continued our project on the downstairs bathroom. Those of you that follow the blog will remember that last weekend we tore out just about everything from the room with the exception of the bath tub. After some sanding and painting, we were ready to start on installing the floor. I will share more pictures when it is all done, but here is a shot of the man hard at work. So far, so good.

 Happy Saturday, friends!

Day 25 of Forty: What are you doing NOW?

I can't talk long. It's Saint Patrick's Day and the kids are staying overnight at their grandparent's house. I remember the days when this would only signal a great party with friends and spirits..but... well, we're old, people. The man and I have instead decided to gut our basement bathroom.

Good times. Hey, at least the bathroom is GREEN. That counts for something, right?

Wish us luck trying to put it all back together.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends :)

What are your plans this evening?

Day 16 of Forty-Let's all go to the movies..

The man and I decided a few months ago to put theatre-like room in the basement. We also decided to use the room I had been using as a classroom. If you remember, I was homeschooling the youngest as well as tutoring a ton of kids....and I had a few (thousand) items left from teaching school. For those of you that have been following this blog, it is also the room that held the evil-twin chairs...

I say "theatre-like" room because there are actual theaters in people's houses these days. Wall size screens, big, squishy, leathery chairs and popcorn makers. I've seen a few and they are gorgeous. No, when I say theatre-like, I mean a room, painted a dark color...with a TV.

I was in charge of painting and the man had to handle the electronics. We planned where things would go and what we would add to the room to make it fun for the kids, all the while also keeping in mind what would and wouldn't fit down the basement stairs. You'd be surprised.

As it goes, I painted that cute old blue classroom the color of an eggplant. A single-man living in the next town adopted our two evil chairs. Then, my husband hooked up every game system/stereo piece/DVR/DVD/CD/VCR/OMG!- thing known to man. I believe every piece we've ever owned is in that room. In good conscience, I won't go into how many wires are hiding behind a piece of black IKEA furniture. I won't because I can't even look myself.

We're not finished. I will show you parts of the room this weekend. Again, it does NOT look like any movie house you've been to..  We don't have the wall-sized screen. There aren't any velvet ropes or blinking lights around posters..

BUT if you know us, (which you should by now) you'll have faith that we stayed true to the important parts of any theatre experience. As far as I'm concerned, I could sit on the floor and watch puppet shows as long as I have these:

Tomorrow is Friday, folks! Enjoy your evening :)

Monday Makeover II

So, my mother-in-law let me take home this table a few years ago. (No, the woman NEVER stops giving..) She even had a new top made for it because she rocks like that. I have to be honest and say that I have loved it ever since I saw it in its original state. I thought the old paint gave it character.. I had it in my living room for a long time. But one day, I noticed the paint was literally falling off onto the floor. When I picked up the pieces of paint, they would turn into powder. All I could think of was "LEAD PAINT!", and perhaps the realization that the man's mother might have an alternative motive with all this gift-giving...

-and HERE is a picture of an organizer the man bought for my birthday last year. A hint maybe to, you know, be more organized? You have been following the blog and saw the before shot of the closet yesterday, right? Even though there was important "stuff"stuffed in those cubicles, there was no order to it at all. I really do love this little piece of furniture, but still haven't used it properly.

And then that man went and helped me make a teeny tiny, fantastic office...He actually helped make the stripes, remember? 

Now I know this is going to be shocking to all of you, but I decided to paint the table and organizer. Yes. More paint. Even all those little annoying cubicle-thingies.. (what in the world was I thinking?)

I used the last of the aqua paint from the room and mixed it with another quart of creamy-white paint. When it was finished, the man helped spray the whole thing with a lacquer spray paint. I know you can't see it from the pictures, but it has a soft shine to it. Perfect for a very girly office. Will it stay organized? Your guess is as good as mine.. (if your guess is "No!")

Here is the finished product..

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I'm not sure if I'll regret painting that old red table.  For now though, it's exactly what I want.

Have an organized week for me, friends :)

A day in the life of being married to me...

Setting: The craft room. It's the weekend before my birthday. I have disassembled one of two closets and junk is strewn everywhere...The man, trying not to look worried, peeks in.

The man: Wow. What's going on in here? (He's asking in that, "I'm being nice, I don't really want to know." kind of voice.)

Me: Hey, Mr. Man. I think I'd like to paint this weekend and I need your help.....

The man: Really? What in this house is left to paint?

Me: Very funny. I'd like to paint the closet with some leftover paint, and I need your help with..

The man: But..It... is a CLOSET. (He says this to me as if I'd look at him, realize that it IS indeed a closet and change my mind..) Why do you want to paint it?

Me: Because it's a complete disaster, and I'd like to make it an office.

The man: An office....Inside your craft room... 

Me: Yes. That's what I said...and I'd like to paint stripes in there..

The man: (looking into the shell-of-a-closet, he shakes his head because apparently, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever thought of.) I still don't understand why, you know, with it being a closet and all...

Me: You know what? Never mind. I was going to use the "It's my birthday; could you please help me?" excuse...but I'm not asking you anything. I don't need your help..I don't want your help. Please. Just go.

Looking a little (okay, very) relieved, the man starts to walk away. He's slowly walking up the stairs...I start to follow him.

Me: Guess what? I am perfectly capable. I can do this myself!  I can!... But....

He looks back at me as if I fell over and cracked my head open at that very moment, he might pause a minute or two before calling 911.

Me: If one were to "hypothetically" paint a room...and say, if the wall is 38 inches, and the other is 44 inches, how might one measure the tape out for even stripes?

Oh. He ALMOST got away. So close...I can literally see his jaw start to tighten.

He again starts shaking his head at me because he knows I will make a spatial mess of things if I take charge of that blue painters' tape, and if THAT happens, I may need to REPAINT...and if I buy NEW paint, I might as well repaint the whole room.... So with that "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" realization, he asks softly, "Do you have a ruler?"

Me: (Taking advantage of the short window of opportunity) Yes. Yes! But.. do we really need one?

The man: (hoping his next wife will love stark white walls) Yes, Michele. Yes "we" do.

Thank goodness for beautiful leftover paint in the garage. Thank goodness for the sparkles I bought at Lowe's to put into the paint. Thank goodness for the man who helped his FIRST wife measure out stripes for a tiny closet no one will ever see.....except for me.

And you. 

And the man who knows his paint-addicted wife is as close to giddy as anyone can be over a 12 square foot sparkly closet office. 

This is the closet in the craft room. It was supposed to stay like this...

But it eventually turned into this...

Go ahead. Shake your head. It's a mess...Tsk. Tsk.

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Post closet, Pre-office

Measured stripes.....

Gold and pink paint..

With sparkles? Yes.. They really work!

Look at that tape! It's the cutest little room and it is junk-free. 

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Because I was so embarrassingly excited about the even stripes AND sparkle-paint, the man found the perfect gift for my birthday. 

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I think I'm in love..

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Now, what to do about that carpet?

Me: Honey???

Crickets.

Happy Weekend, friends :)