jank

January 20, 2010

mom talk

[20:20] adrianne-> dude my son has that twinkle in his eye. he's going to be bad, i think.
[20:20] krystal2> yea, max spent 45 minutes tonight going through the shit in the couch cushins and eating it
[20:21] adrianne-> hahahaha
[20:21] krystal2> when he got to the marble i said "NO. JUST NO"
[20:21] krystal2> he said "pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"
[20:21] krystal2> it was so sweet that i just said "ok, i guess"
[20:21] krystal2> :p
[20:21] adrianne-> yeah grey likes to pull himself up on his high chair and eat the chunks of food that are left in the seat
[20:21] adrianne-> HAHAHAHAH
[20:21] @kesseret> hahahaha marbles don't really hurt coming out, staples do.
[20:21] krystal2> hahahahah
[20:22] adrianne-> well trent saw a red polly pocket shoe in grey's poop today
[20:22] @kesseret> at least that's what my mom tells us (I ate staples as a kid)
[20:22] krystal2> HAHAHA
[20:22] @kesseret> oh MAN! rofl at polly pocket shoes
[20:22] krystal2> i hope it wasn't a stiletto, that could HURT
[20:22] @kesseret> did he 'fish it out'
[20:22] no he just saw it, laughed, and flushed

Posted by krystal at 9:17 PM | Comments (1)

November 24, 2009

Thankful

Thanksgiving isn't for a few days but whatev. Here are some things I am thankful for these days:

-yesterday's visit with Adrianne. We always keep in touch, sometimes better than others, but when we get together it's like no time has passed at all. I love how we have a "past" together. Adrianne doesn't forget things like the .wav files I made of Jake singing when he was in Kindergarten. He walked in the door yesterday and she started singing "up, down, jump around, rumbeling in my tumbeling".

-I'm thankful for my parents. They're having us all in for Thanksgiving dinner as always and even though this year for the first time, like, ever, I'm not bringing anyone except my own huge family, mom still said "ok who are you bringing this year? Mom doesn't really understand my need to "take in strays" (her words, not mine). But daddy does. He grew up with a mom who did the same thing. I really am not trying to save the world or anything. I just know how happy my family makes me and I tend to want to share it with everyone around me, whether they like it or not. My folks are also taking the kids overnight for 2 weekends in a row so Dan and I can go out like grownups do. We really need it. I need to have a reason to do my hair and makesups. Dan just needs a full night's sleep I think.

-The kids. I spend a lot of time fretting about them and complaining about them but in the end I am so so so proud of them. Jake is a pleasure and more like a friend now that he's almost a grown up, Trevor is creative and kind and loves his siblings, Kendall is smart and beautiful and helpful, Tess is smart as a whip and keeps me on my toes, Max is my tiniest baby who refuses to grow up. I think he knows that sometimes I just need someone to hold on to. He'll grow up when I do I guess.

-Dan. Another victim of my complaints. A long time ago my mom said "it's ok to have bad days, just try not to have them on the same day as your husband...that's when fights happen". Considering I spend a LOT of time complaining, it doesn't leave much time for Dan to have bad days. Granted, he shouldn't ever have a bad day. Afterall, he's married to me. But he keeps his bad days to a minimum so I can have the lion's share.

-My jobbie job- I've been at this job for 3 years now and I love it as much as I ever have. It's not boring, I rarely ever wake up thinking that I should just stay home, and I have some of the best co-workers ever. The very best part of the job is that there is limited "talking" required. I like to save my talking for friends so I get to store it alllllll up during the day and unload later.

-Glennon's blog. I feel like reading her blog is like having a teacher. She's teaching me, through her words and actions, how to be a better person. I might just need that, believe it or not.

-Friends. I have the most wonderful, understanding, hilarious group of women (and men) in my life. They are all different and we mesh really well. Who else has a group of friend who discuss waterboarding at every.possible.event?

-Suzie. While Suzie really fits in the friends category, she also belongs in the "omgwhatwouldIdowithoutyou" category. Suzie is the mother my babies should have gotten. She's nurturing and not sarcastic to them. She doesn't tell them to "get over it" when they cry. She takes them out in public. She's not afraid of what happens when things get out of place. She not only takes care of my kids, but when I walk in after a long day at work, she offers me a beer and then she offers me her ear and her shoulder. She may not always agree with me, but she never lets on if she's not 100% on my side.

-food. I still love food more than I should, but I am thankful for it, Let's also just add in "wine, beer, vodka and champagne" while we're at it since that's what usually qualifies as dinner for me.

Posted by krystal at 7:17 AM | Comments (1)

September 22, 2009

Homecoming

This past Sunday I went to church. I know...amazing. My friend Steve who is a Catholic priest always says ch ch...you know what's missing? U R. So when I type about church to him I call it chURch.
I'm one of those people...the ones who don't like going to church very much. I went regularly as a kid and as a young adult but now I'm sorta tired on Sundays and I would much prefer a mimosa instead of an hour of guilt and committees that need me to sign up. I'll be honest too, while I suspect God is out there, I also find myself feeling a bit confused about exactly how I should know this. My mom said that's why it's called "faith". Maybe some people are better at that than I am. I don't know....that's what I say for now. I don't know.

So without going into my shallow feelings of why I would feel dumb for blindly following the big guy in the sky, I'll just tell you about Sunday.

Sunday was Homecoming Sunday at my church. It's the day that welcomes back people who have moved away, people who just don't make it to church often and ones who are there all the time. There's special singing, a guest preacher and TONS AND TONS of food cooked by the best cooks in Spotsylvania County.

As a child homecoming meant that my mom and my nannie spent the entire day Saturday cooking and the weeks before that cleaning the church and making it look nice even though my old church had peeling plaster and no air conditioning. We'd wear nicer than usual church clothes but not too many because homecoming was HOT. We'd sit through the service, eat the best meal ever and then go back to the swealtering hot church for afternoon singing. The adults LOVED this. The kids did not love it so much. We were hot and bored and full...and there's no TV at church. But I fondly remember homecoming because my nannie made banana pudding, and we ate outside...all of us. We sang and sang and sang in the afternoon. We were Marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. I remember the songs of my youth word for word but I can't quite remember the lyrics to Boom Boom Pow. Maybe it's old age.

This past Sunday my cousin Justin gave the sermon. Justin and I grew up together. We would laugh hysterically as we pronounced our last names "weeee-yums". He grew up to be such a wonderful man, overcoming so many odds. In his sermon he talked about the saints who have gone on before us. He spoke about how we grew up with people loving us and watching out for us and guiding us as we grew. He talked about my grandmother who taught our Sunday school class and her friends and the others who really truely shaped our lives even when we weren't thinking that they were. The next day tried to shape his sermon into something that I could live with. I don't know if God is there...but if he's not...is it so wrong to love being a part of such love and grace?

Why's it so hard to figure this all out?

Posted by krystal at 6:29 PM

June 25, 2009

uterus of doom

I'm so glad that Maddy and Angel are having babies because I have this needneedneed to hold an infant. Max isn't even out of diapers and I've been having "omg I need a baby" urges. I'm overjoyed that I got my tubes tied and I can't ever follow through on the urges of my uterus. I know that the last thing in the world that I want or need is another child, but I need to smell a baby's head. It's so weird. Kids are a pain in the butt, but babies are just the most wonderful thing in the world.

This will pass...I have not lost my mind.

Posted by krystal at 9:14 AM | Comments (1)

June 22, 2009

thickah den thieves

Terri, Gayle and I often joke about how we should have the Real Housewives of Fredericksburg. We figure with our motley bunch of friends we'd make for an interesting reality show. When we all get together there are lots of hilarious conversations, lots of happy kids and sometimes, very aggravated bystanders. Terri, Becky, Tree, Gayle, Maddy, Sarah, Amy, Angel, and Suzie...when these girls are together, there's bound to be fun. We each have our fair share of crazy and there's not one of us who lacks a strong opinion about one thing or another. We tease each other and argue politics and we yell at each others' kids. We share our gossip and our beer and our lives. Thursday we had a semi-impromptu gathering of girls and kids at my house. Dan came home from work and helped gather and return folks to their rightful homes. After that, he and I sat outside and watched the remaining kids playing in the pool. It was such a happy night for me. I always wanted the big crazy family with lots of eating and playing and noise and now I have it.
***
So we have had Gayle's kids and their dog, Roscoe, at our house since Thursday while they house-hunt in Florida. Yesterday my folks came over for Father's day dinner and my mom and dad jokingly asked Dan how he likes being the father of so many kids. He said that he really doesn't mind, just as long as Gayle and Wil come back for them! haha. I told my mom that the thought did occur to me that they could skip town and leave us with two extra kids and a dog, but I felt pretty confident that they'd be back. Mom said something about "the kids of Fredtalk" and I said "well, it does take a village"
After we ate lunch we watched our kids, Gayle's kids, and Caylor, playing in the pool. Mom watched me smiling so happily at the chaos. She said that I get it from my Nannie Williams, taking in strays. She's said that before and I always love it. Nannie did take in strays; staying at her house on weekends meant sharing space with pretty much anyone who arrived at the door needing food or someone to talk to. Nannie always had something to offer to people in need. I know that I will never ever be the woman that Nannie was. Her motives were pure and good. My motive is selfish. I like being surrounded by love. I don't like a lot of people so the ones I do like, I want to be with. Of course, I also have an expiration date on all of this freaking joy. Once I don't get my Sunday nap, or once I do dishes for the 40th time or once the kids ask "so ,what's for dinner?" at 8pm after I spent all morning preparing a huge effing father's day lunch, that's when it expires. I was so very happy to get up this morning and go to work. I'm alone, it's quiet. Nobody wants a thing from me that doesn't involve installing software or swapping hardware. I'm about as complex as a speck of dirt, but I do have two sides. Today I'm embracing the flip side.

Posted by krystal at 10:45 AM

June 2, 2009

team jacob

These days at my house everyday feels sort of like vacation. Except for the part where I get up and go to work and where the house still has to be cleaned and chores done. We've been spending most every night outside on the deck. I cook our meals on the grill as much as possible and there seems to be (touch wood), peace in the world.

After 4 years, Jake's girlfriend, Megan, seems comfortable at our house. I know that in a large part, the discomfort was because of me. I spent my past 4 years making sure they did not procreate or become so obsessed that they ran away together or something. Now, though, they're 18. They seem to be in a healthier relationship than ever. The spend time apart and they go on dates. This Sunday Megan helped me hang lights around our yard. She's still quiet, but I think that's because she's a quiet person. I see Jake trying to be a better man around her and there's nothing wrong with that at all. I still hope they don't settle down too early and have regrets, but that's their decision. My mom reminded me last night that she was married and pregnant at their age. I reminded her that she should not tell them that.

We've put a lot of effort into getting prepared to get prepared to get ready for this party on Saturday. I can't wait to be done with the getting ready and start having fun with our friends and family. So far there's no rain in the forcast...let's hope it stays that way because I really don't have a plan B.

Posted by krystal at 7:06 AM

April 22, 2009

amazing

We moved into our house in December...the trees were dead, the pool was covered and cracked and I was completely in love with the yard as it was. Now, however, every single day is a new surprise. The former owners were apparently the weird variety who loved planting things everywhere. Each morning when I wake up there's something else blooming in either the front or back yard. I know if this requires any upkeep on my part, those plants are doomed but OMG this year they look so beautiful! I have no idea what most of the trees/plants/flowers are, so maybe I'll take some pictures and seek help from the dear innernets on how to not kill them so quickly.

Posted by krystal at 2:28 PM | Comments (1)

April 14, 2009

vacation: day 3.5

Monday was pretty fun for everyone. Everyone got his own breakfast which was a break for me. Then, without any nagging from me, everyone got ready and we went to the mall and downtown harrisonburg. The big kids all have their own money so I only had to fend off the insane spending craze from dan and myself. At the end of the day we ended up with lots of new flipflops and some new clothes for dan and max. We also got Play-doh because the clay for Cranium somehow dried up in the 2 years since we last played.

We had a nice lunch at a buffett filled with townies and then came on back. The kids hung out here except for Kendall. She's got go-genes so she walked to the club house and went to the game room and little store. (she actually made 4 trips because we kept thinking of things we needed).

I made some homemade guacamole for our chips and we had burgers on the grill, potatoes, and freshly sliced pineapple for dinner. After that we played a game of Cranium, watched 24 and TMZ and went to bed. For the first night the babies slept in their own beds so Dan and I got more sleep than we have for the whole vacation....aaahh.

Today it's raining but we have some indoor activities planned. I think the kids want to go to the movies and tonight Dan and I get "date night". We're leaving the babies with the teens and going to a murder mystery dinner theater. I'm not anticipating much, so maybe it'll be pleasantly surprising.

***
I need to start writing down the funny things that go on here because I forget by the next day. Here's one though.

Jake: when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace
Trevor: that's fantastic, ghandi...now let's play runescape.
Jake: it's jimi hendrix.

(it was funnier at the time I guess)

Posted by krystal at 8:49 AM

March 14, 2009

the mother update of all updates

This will be random and weird but what's new, right?

-Last night we all went to Jake's work and had him serve us dinner. The ribs were so awesome and the cook sent home more of them with him last night. As we were leaving, he said "bye family I love you!" OUT LOUD. I am more and more impressed with him everyday. Who knew 2 years ago that things could change so much. My mom always said to just love the unlovable and eventually he'd come around. He has and we have. It's good.

-Max has just come out of a long long bout with the flu, ear infections and the worst week of his life (and ours). When he's sick, he wrecks us all,and our blankets and towels and carpet. He's so happy now though even though he has a ganglion cyst on his ankle. It looks awful but doesn't seem to hurt him. I guess he'll never have to wear shoes. Max is becoming a wiz at sign language. He's not as vocal as Tess was at his age but he uses his hands to speak volumes. I could learn to live with some quiet around here.

-Trevor is finally getting adjusted to his new school and admits to having friends. He's also spent the week cleaning up the back yard. These are two accomplishments I never thought I'd see from the surly one, himself. He's still a crab and still beats dead horses all the time, but he is what he is and I'll take it as long as he rakes leaves.

-Tess now wants to know what knees are made of, what trees are made of, what animals are made of, etc. She's so anxious for spring because I've promised to take her to the zoo when it gets warmer. She loves animals more than people so much that she considers herself one of them instead of a human. She uh...refers to people as "humans" which is odd.

-Kendall. Did I tell you she's perfect? There are 2 bad things right now. The first is that boys are constantly knocking on our door, pretending to want to hang out with Trevor, but obviously enthralled with Kendall. She doesn't give them the time of day but I can see that she likes the attention. The second is that she wants to wear a bikini this summer. I told her we'll find one that doesn't scare me to death and one that she likes too. She's ok with it. Dan said "tell her no!!" haha. He's so overly protective of her.

-Tonight's supper club at our house. The theme is "last supper". I can't figure out what to cook. I chose the stupid theme and can't decide what would be my last meal. How dumb is that? I guess I'm going to grill some steaks and maybe make mashed potatoes. I really just look forward to having a house full of people. It gives me an excuse to demand that my family help me clean.

-We also had our CD exchange last week. I love cd exchange because I get all sorts of new music. I just have to keep the kids from stealing the cds before I can listen to them.

-Our pool is being repaired in 2 weeks. Turns out we hired a scam artist to give us our first estimate and our pool is going to be much cheaper to repair. I am so glad we listened to Chrissy and my dad and got a second opinion. Looks like we'll be having pool parties this summer!

uh oh, max is awake. peas!

Posted by krystal at 7:11 AM | Comments (2)

February 5, 2009

jank, just jank.

I was up at 4:30 this morning. It might be because I was asleep before 9 last night even though I wanted to watch Lost.
*
Dan and I have a date this weekend. It's way overdue. I'm hoping we can either check out the new pub or have sushi. I don't want to go to a movie. The movie previews I've seen don't look so great these days.
*
I've got to get back into my pampered chef stuff. I have one party lined up but I really want to do more. The new stuff comes out in March, so if you're interested, please just drop me a line!
*
My ears are still popping and my throat is still sore but I'm trying to ignore it. I have a few more days worth of pills to pop and at that point I'll re-assess.
*
Max got his first haircut and he's so handsome. I think he looks like Brad Pitt, but kendall says I'm nuts. I just might be.
*
I should really be getting ready for work instead of typing random stuff.

Posted by krystal at 6:51 AM | Comments (1)

January 4, 2009

REDRUM

Here I am on my 16th day off in a row. It's Sunday morning and Dan's still in bed because he's on vacation. That's what you do on vacation unless you're me. Poor me. Tomorrow morning I know that I will happily skip out of this house, happy to have survived 2 straight weeks and 3 weekends with my family. All of us...in this house...all the time...together. We've had a few outtings and a few brief periods of separation but as of yet, I have not had one day without at least one of my family members with me. It's been a very very very very very bonding vacation. When I say bonding, the word "bondage" springs to mind.
Believe me. I'm not the only one feeling a little weary at this point. Dan's taken to hiding in the basement and the kids have decided that it's time to go out and meet strangers in the neighborhood. The only ones who aren't tired of all of this are the babies. Tess and Max seem to just love making sure the rest of us do not rest or sleep.

I'll go back a bit though so that it doesn't seem like I'm not happy to have been off. We got all moved in, we got decorated and Christmas has been a complete whirlwind. We've had so many folks by to visit that I really don't think I can name them all. That's what I've always wanted...a house full of friends and family and love and eating and drinking. We had that. The kids have each had friends over to stay the night and we have too! It's been so awesome. I decided that the best way to tolerate each other as a family is to keep us entertained by other people. That's why the past 3 days have been a bit of a strain....we've been alone together. No fun, no parties, no distracting people and a brand spanking new diet. Where's the fun in that?

New Years eve we had a party here. It was a blast. Tree came over early with the hugest christmas/housewarming basket of great stuff and helped me make things look pretty. I'm fairly good at buying stuff but once I get it, I have no idea how to make it look right. Tree can stack up 3 oranges and make it look like art. I need her. Aaron, on the other hand, can stack 2 oranges and a banana and make it look like porn. I need you too aaron, really. hehe.

Today I have to fill out the kids school transfer papers, find clean work clothes, and finish this last bottle of champagne and then it's off to start the new year! I hope it's a great one for you all!

Posted by krystal at 10:36 AM

December 16, 2008

fa la la la la

Holy....bajeezus. I've never been so not-ready for a holiday. Last year I started in august or something ungodly like that so that I could have a baby in December and still send out Christmas cards with a family picture. HA. What on earth was I thinking? It worked but I was a stressed out mess. This year I'm pretty sure we won't be sending many cards and if we DO, they will be sans picture. I've just had a hard time getting my act together. I have the kids together more than ever but uh, sometimes they're not clean and dressed nicely. I imagine that'd make for a third world christmas picture. All we'd need is to have a fly land on max's face while I snap the picture or something equally horrifying. Suzie says that baths are for dirty people...I think my kids are officially dirty by now. So for those of you who normally get a christmas card, I love you and I hope to see you SOON. Please forgive us...we're sucky slackers this year and will resume with fabulousity next year.

Tonight's dad/daughter date night. I love shopping with dad and especially the dinner and beer drinking after we shop. This year I'm going to enlist Kendall to help with wrapping because she's willing and able and she's normally 2 inches behind me talking my ears off anyway.

This Friday is my last day of work til January 5. Then I have been summonsed to jury duty in Richmond. Oooooh, grand jury stuff. I have visions of being stalked and killed by some bad person I voted to put away.

woot. 12 minutes til shopping!

Posted by krystal at 4:33 PM

December 7, 2008

A general foods internatn'l coffee moment...on crack

We're moving in 2 days. I've been in-the-midst-of-moving for so long that I'm not sure what it'll be like to not be surrounded by boxes. It's so bad that even Dan complained about the clutter. The past month seems to have been an exercise in something...I'm just not sure what. I do have to say that buying a house these days is WAY different from the last time I bought one in 1988. Now you just scan, fax, email and verify on the phone. It's almost too easy. We got our loan without being grilled to death and aside from having to wait til TUESDAY, it's been a very good experience. If you ever need a realtor please ask me about Chrissy. She's really truely found her niche. I haven't had to deal with anything. She takes care of things and has our back even when we're not sure what she's up to. I can't say enough good stuff about all of this.

Oh, so last Tuesday I got older again. I had a nice birthday dinner out at Capital Ale House with Dan, Tyler, Amy and Billy. I think I heard from friends I've not talked to in years and I even got a call from Stacy in Puerto Rico. If you have not heard about how Dan wrecked my birthday over the millinium falcon, please ask me, not him. I'll explain it all in very clear language without even getting angry again. Even though I'm over it now (see? I'm not seething), he's still bringing it up daily, like HE is the victim here. whatever. (we're not really still fighting, please don't feel the need to avoid us, even if we are moving and would make you move shit for us)

It sort of feels like the month of December is going by way too fast. Max is turning 1 on Wednesday and thankfully Suzie has offered to let us have a small birthday celebration at her house since she's got my kids anyway. We're just gonna do cake/icecream at 4 so we can take some pictures and prove that we did celebrate him on his first birthday. We'll make it up to him later, I promise.

Kendall and I had a really cool night. We were completely over the whole packing thing so this evening we went to the mall. We had fun walking around and buying stuff, even though shopping that doesn't end with dot com usually just doesn't work for me. Then we had a really awesome dinner at Ozeki. Kendall loves japanese steakhouse food. I just love being with her. I think the thing that makes me enjoy her so much is that she loves to talk about things we've done in the past and good grief, she remembers a lot. She's fun to be around and fun to talk to. I know that we'll eventually hit those teen years where she's not really interested in being around me, but we're not there yet so I'm soaking her up like a sponge. I love that the things we do today will be the memories she talks about later.

Posted by krystal at 9:53 PM | Comments (4)

November 30, 2008

thankful

Man, this holiday season has come up on us like a tornado. I knew it was coming because the people on tv said it was, but here it is and I'm finding myself in disbelief.

We did the normal Thanksgiving dinner thing at mom and dad's house. This year I didn't bring anyone with me, just the seven of us. haha. I guess that's enough. The food was great, the company and wine were awesome as well. I love that no matter how disfunctional we are, we have holiday traditions that remain steadfast.

Now don't go thinking I've gotten soft because I'm feeling mushy and grateful. I'm still me. But now let me tell you about Jake turning 18. He's now old enough to vote, get a tattoo, buy cigarettes and lottery tickets, drop out of school, and pay his own car insurance. (riiight). He was rewarded for staying alive by having his car break down. We managed to get it going and back home and we let him take our car out, but it'll have to be dealt with this week I guess. I just hope it's not too expensive. He and his friends celebrated in style by going to Hooters, where he had to spell hooters w/ his butt while they sung to him. I know he's got a lot of living to do and probably many many assholeish episodes for us to live through, but I'm proud of him and pleased with the man he's becoming.

***

We're down to 10 days before we close on our house. The packing is not done. Dan packed a box of books yesterday, went through a few things in the closet and then went to take a nap. I think he's waiting for the moving fairies to show up and do all of this work, but it's not happening. I'm not a very patient person and it's frustrating to me that things aren't more packed up here, but it'll get done. It has to, right?

***

Max turns 1 right in the middle of our move. I'm still not sure when or how we'll celebrate but I think we'll get it fit in there somewhere. I don't want him to grow up thinking we didn't work in some celebration time when he turned 1.

***

Speaking of celebrations. We're going to have New Years Eve at our house. I'm really looking forward to it. Mom's going to watch my babies. I'll probably let Jake and maybe Trevor stay home for the party, but the rest are not coming. It's a good occasion for a babysitter.

***

Posted by krystal at 9:01 AM

November 8, 2008

5am is the new sleeping in

Ever since the time changed last week I've been getting up before 5. I can't stop wiggling around and trying to readjust and get comfortable. This could have something to do with falling asleep by 8, but even on Friday I woke up earlyish after staying up til TEN to watch grey's anatomy. I think I'm broken. I think I know why, too. I can't stand clutter. I can easily live with the messes of this house tucked sloppily into closets with the door closed quickly to prevent the crap from falling out. I can't live with everything, just ...everywhere.

The upstairs of our house is covered in boxes. Not just any boxes either, these are ABC store boxes. Those people are saints. They loaded up my car 3 times the other day and begged me to come back for more. I will, too! Jake came home the other night to find his room completely filled with empty booze boxes and told Dan that he thought maybe we didn't get the house so we spent all our money on alcohol. haha.

This is the first and last free weekend that we have in a long time so I'm planning on using it wisely. I'm going to force my trifling family to help sort out some crap and get rid of things. They are the collectors of junk, I'm sick of it. I want their stuff GONE. By Sunday you'll hear their cries of agony from miles away. If this fails I'll take a day off and throw their shit away while they're not home. Either way, I will win. Order will be restored.

We got our home inspection done the other day. Things look good. There are a few repairs that need to be made by the bank before we can get it FHA approved, but otherwise there's nothing major wrong with the house. The inspector said that he's never seen so much house for the price and that we're very lucky. I hope he's right...I won't believe it til it happens for real, but for now, we have the key to that sucker, so if any of y'all wanna see the house, we can break in and show you!!

Posted by krystal at 5:20 AM | Comments (3)

October 30, 2008

I wake up...get outta bed.

I can't sleep. We've decided to buy a house and we've accepted their counter offer. That means we're buying a house unless something gets hosed during the loan finalization or the home inspection. Oh.my.god. I woke up in a tizzy about it. The house is beyond my wildest dreams so if we end up not getting it I won't be shocked, but if we DO....oh.my.god. I'll giggle right up til the time when that first payment is due. It has a pool. oh.my.god. Send good vibes and paypal donations pls.

***

Work has been great. I'm busy but happy. Here's a funny email that came yesterday:

Is there a way to find out who typed "i'm rick james bitch" as the login for MTP or would I have to login to each machine to see which one has that listed as a login? UGH!!!

***

Halloween has been fun so far. We went to gayle and wil's party and had a great time dancing in the living room. I don't like this holiday but their party and our new tradition of playing movies on the roof on Halloween night has made it better. Tess is either a kangaroo, dinosaur or dragon this year and my mom called yesterday to say she's gotten Max a monkey costume. Kendall's a hippy. Maddy, Doug, Gayle, Will, and all of their kids and my folks will all be coming over to trick-or-treat so it should be a good time. I'm so glad it's on a Friday this year!

***

Pampered Chef selling has been going pretty well. I've had some parties and made back all of the money I spent buying the starting up kit PLUS I earned $200 in free stuff which I promptly spent. I only have one more party lined up though, that's Gayle's on the 16th. I need to book more shows or I need to take some time off to get myself ready for moving. eek.

***

ALSO: I've made a bold step in trying to prepare for being house-poor. I'm going to find a cheap beer that I can live with. We all have to make sacrifices and this is a biggie for me. Suggestions other than miller light are welcome. I'm finding that yeuengingalingaling in the can is more tolerable than the bottle.

Posted by krystal at 5:15 AM | Comments (6)

September 23, 2008

Dan and other good stuff

Yesterday Dan helped me change ups batteries at school and he helped me repair a printer sensor that involved taking the entire gd thing apart. When I say helped, I mean he did it for me. It's an oddity that when I'm at work I can do stuff but when I have my husband there I suddenly can't figure these things out. It's wonderful though because I do learn a lot by watching him do my job ;)

****

Saturday's first pc party went pretty good. I only forgot to do like 10 or 15 things but I was among friends and Amy gave me some helpful ideas on how to stay on track next time. (an outline...who knew?? ha). The next party is at Suzie's house and by then I plan to be more organized and by the time I get to Chrissy's party a week later it'll be smooove sailing. Grammy OB, I mailed you a package yesterday so I'll call you sometime and go over anything you needta know.

***

This is a big birthday week so I'm trying to wrap my head around everything that needs to be done for Tessie's party tomorrow and Becky's on Saturday. It's gonna be fun or I'll kill myself making it so.

Posted by krystal at 6:40 AM

September 14, 2008

Giving in to addiction

After a few years of spending Dan's hard earned money on Pampered Chef, I've decided to go ahead and sell it. I really love this stuff and it's turned me into someone who has ingredients in the house instead of just having food. Peggy used to always tease me because everything I cooked came straight from the freezer and went to the microwave but now I can actually cook a thing or two and it doesn't taste bad! So if anyone reading this is interested in hosting a party or coming to one or just wants to talk to me about it, please email me at krystalc@gmail.com. I don't have a pampered chef website yet because I have to earn it. I hope to do that by the end of my first month. In fact, I hope to earn more money than I spend. Oh also, my California peeps...you can have a book party long distance and earn lots of nifty free stuff too!

HA. You guys read the subject of this post and thought it was about beer, didn't ya?

Posted by krystal at 7:28 AM | Comments (3)

July 27, 2008

a chat while I wait for Tess to poop...

Terri: it's not too early for wine, is it?
i'll be asleep before big brother
Krystal: hahaha
i started w/ a nice little pina colada 2 hours ago
Terri: haha
of course you did. that's like becky telling us she got new shoes

Posted by krystal at 4:40 PM | Comments (1)

July 6, 2008

What I did on my summer vacation.

I know it's just the beginning of July but I haven't had 5 minutes to blog in a while so I'll jot while the jotting is good.

Dan, Trevor, Kendall and Tess just went to see Wall-e. Dan reports that he didn't get to see much because Tess had to poop. Anyone who knows this kid knows that her bowels can ruin just about any special occasion. I see therapy in her future.

This morning on the way to church I got a ticket for running a stop sign. Same fucking ticket and same fucking sign as my last ticket, almost 4 years ago. It was during this stop that the police officer informed me that my tags are dead. D'oh!

I've been off for (what seems like) several billions of days so I've gotten pictures developed, Max's baby book updated, scrapbooking done, posters framed, and I got a kick ass new camera. I got the Nikon D80 so now Dan and I can exchange lenses. We also got a really nice flash too. I can't wait to go somewhere so I can take pictures of something other than the kids, but right now Tess and Max have such snotty noses and coughs that I just don't feel like dealing with them much in public. I've also devoted a good amount of time this weekend to watching Food Network which is ALMOST as good as actually cooking. Baby steps, I say.

Last weekend was a whirlwind. We left Friday for Alexandria where we spent the day with Stacy and her family and stayed at a fancy schmancy hotel. On Saturday we went to the Crime and Punishment museum in DC. It's just across the road from the Spy Museum. Thankfully Sarah kept the babies for us so we could actually enjoy the museum. After we spent 3 hours there we went to a pub for lunch then said goodbye to the Fernandez family, got our brood and headed south. I really had such a good time with Stacy. Each visit with them was remaniscent of older days where we had tons of fun doing the simplist stuff. Some things don't change. I guess I've gotten mushier in my old age though because I got teary-eyed-emotional several times just because I was so happy to be with my friend again. Who knows, maybe they'll get a visit from us next time.

I'm sure there's much more going on but I'm alone in this house with nobody except Max, who is sleeping. I think I'll grab a glass of wine and watch more cooking on tv. I'm going to be starting to study for my MCSE this week, so I'll have to restrict my fun. So for today, I embrace mind numbing laziness.

Posted by krystal at 2:21 PM | Comments (1)

May 12, 2008

Rainy days and mondays blahblahblah

knock knock?

who's there?

smell mop.

***

I just needed to write that joke down before I forgot it.
***

Mothers day recap: it happened. As I've said 100 times before I'm not a huge fan of the day. I got some beautiful flowers from Dan's folks in a really awesome vase. Dan got up w/ the kids and made breakfast and we did not go to church. Later in the day we went to mom's house where we had steaks on the grill in honor of dad's birthday and mother's day. We hadn't seen Ellis, Megan and the girls since Christmas so that was nice. If we'd had this dinner a week before there would have been PMS involved and feelings might have been hurt during the visit, other than mine. Instead I left feeling a bit funky, but everyone else was fine. Before dinner my little niece, Anna, came up to me and in her little jokey-smurf sounding voice said "aunt krys, you're WEIRD. you have FIVE kids". I responded to her by saying "you're weird...you have no teeth!" But of course, I started thinking about how little babies don't just randomly think that a family with lots of kids is "weird". I've said before that my brother is perfect and I guess that's a good thing to be. I'll stick with "weird". It sort of makes me ok with not seeing my family except on holidays. I feel stung, but not shocked.

***

It's a mess out. Stay dry.

Posted by krystal at 7:53 AM | Comments (2)

May 5, 2008

puff puff pass

I'm done. Since I last wrote I've taken the final 2 MCSA tests and I'm done. I'll now sit back and have faith that my big big boss was serious when he said he'd give me a network analyst 2 position if I got this certification. I've decided that certifications are much like tattoos. I get such a rush from passing them that I feel like I should get more. I either want to get my MCITP (which is the latest version of microsoft crap) or my CCNA which is a Cisco certification (for those of you who don't give a shit). I'm sure that given a few weeks off from studying I'll decide that the certification I have now is just plenty. I pray that I am not blogging about how I didn't get a raise in a few weeks. I have utter faith in my supervisor and I know he'll be true to his word.
Now I'll just breathe.

Jake's going to his prom in a few weeks. He'd decided to go but had not committed to anything regarding a date until this weekend. Luckily for him, we won't have to pay a rush order on the uh, white tux with black pin stripes. Good thing fashion sense eludes me, right? He also informs me that he won't be going with his girlfriend, Marina, the Bulgarian. He'll be taking Brooke, the girl he hated most of last year. Great.

Saturday we went out to Loriella Park with the mean mommies. We got there first and there were 3 teenagers up in the treehouse thing that links to the slide and the bridge. They were blocking the way for the little kids and cussing and um, spitting and throwing bananas. Their primal behavior was amazing to me. Amazingly assholish is what I mean. I told Dan we should probably leave since both of us had our "i'm gonna kill them" faces on even though we were across the park from each other. We stayed though, in hopes that Maddy would show up and give 'em what for. She didn't come but the cops did. I swear I really suck at biting my tongue, even if it means I could get my jaw jacked.

Let's see. Oh, coming up is mothers day. We're broke. Possibly this is caused by the fact that I took 2 tests that cost $125 each in a 1 week period and I had to pay for the training materials too and now a tux and prom tickets and flowers for a girl that my son hated until a month ago. So mothers day might just be cards for moms and my dad's birthday present might just be a cake. My mom promises me that real moms don't get all pissy about mothers day not involving really great gifts because they're used to being martyrs. (wahwah) but as a mom, I know that this is not true. We work our fingers to the bone and one day a year we should get some mf'ing presents. If we don't, well, our kids suck. Oh, and not only the kids, but the men who are not our kids who also benefit from our tireless work...they suck too. So let me just say that next year I promise not to suck at being a daughter. This year though, I have no choice.

Tess is completely obsessed with caterpillars and lady bugs. She talks about them nonstop. Trevor's friend was over with his sister. The sister has 1.5 arms. I figured it wouldn't be long before Tess noticed and today was that day. Here's how it went down. Tess; where's the rest of your arm? Megan: well, I was just born this way. Tess: my nannies house has lady bugs and they're so cute and they are PETS!!! end of conversation.

Well, it's cinco de mayo and since we're irish and not mexican, I'm drinking a corona light and pouting about the fact that we didn't have enough money for me to go out to dinner w/ sarah and terri even though I got my certs. But on the bright side, my mexican maid came back today and she's fabulous. So HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

Posted by krystal at 6:14 PM | Comments (4)

April 25, 2008

Till a caiman comes along and eats me.

Today I took my sons to lunch, minus Max. He's not fond of Fosters anyway. While we were there Trevor was drawing pictures on his napkin of his new band logo. Yea...he has a band that has never practiced and knows no songs, but has a logo. Anyway..he wrote "Till November" on some banner looking thing. I said "uh, it's 'til" He said "GOD JAKE. YOU MESSED ME UP AGAIN!!'. Jake defended his choice of spelling and I told him that, duh, it's part of the word "until" and he is just a dummy.

3 hours later Jake called me from work. "Mom, I have a college professor here who says that T-I-L-L is correct." I laughed and said "what's she teach? algebra?" He said "no, wanna talk to her? and I also have a high school English teacher here who also says that T-I-L-L is correct. so ha!". I could honestly feel my chest expand with pride about my kid being interested enough in words to correct me. I'm not really all that smart but I think I know a word or two. I thought that 'til was part of the word "until". So I told Jake that I'd google it and then decide what I believe. Well...sure enough, "till" is fine. In fact, "till" has been around longer than "until". whoopsie! I swallowed a huge chunk of pride and called Jake back to tell him that he wins. Man, that hurt and felt great all at the same time.

Now lets jump ahead 2 hours. Tess is being a jerk. She just needs to go to bed but it's not dark yet. She demands "MAMA. COME READ THE DIEGO BOOK". I just want the kid to sleep so I get excited about her reading a book rather than destroying the house for a change. I said "ooh, you want me to read to you about the alligator?" She gets all indignant and teary eyed and says "NO. IT'S A CAIMAN!!!!!". ugh. I give up. I've got to expand my vocabulary, stat. How will I ever manage by the time Max can talk?

Posted by krystal at 7:32 PM

April 20, 2008

I may as well call this blog "sunday"

I only sit down and write out my boring thoughts on Sundays it seems. I swear I have boring thoughts on every other day of the week as well so you guys are missing out. Some of you are not missing out because like, Becky and Terri come over every Wednesday and I share my midweek boringness with them. I'd blog those thoughts but it has become tradition to be too tipsy to remember Wednesdays anymore. I'm a loser. When I say too drunk to remember, what I mean is that I just go to sleep...and those thoughts go away. somewhere.

So anyway.

Things are boogying right along around here. Jake is getting a car. It's a cute little honda that's way too old and has way too many miles on it. But it's a honda, that's how they're sposta be. I'm seriously happy that he'll not be risking wrecking our cars anymore. It's also had him being a much nicer kid for at least the past month. I think the awakening came after he tried to lift a pair of shoes from wal*mart and they told him that he hadta pay for em. I went ahead and told them that next time they should just throw him in jail and he's been a humble bumble ever since.

***
Max has been growing insanely fast. He likes to stand up, with help. In fact, all the child wants to do is stand and it's really annoying because he's not OLD ENOUGH yet. ugh. He also likes to eat my hands while i hold him up and that's always really gross because he slobbers more than a hound dog and it's so creepy to feel baby gums on your hand so then you start to squirm and he falls and that's a whole nother bucket of apples right there. My favorite part about Max is that I can hold him up to my face and smoosh his face against mine and he smiles and I can feel his face break into a smile and it makes me smile too and then I laugh and he laughs too. And when he's laughing he's not eating my hands. He also rolls over...then bitches about it.

***

Tess is potty training and destroying shit as usual. She fell down this week and skinned her knees. Dan bandaged her up w/ gauze and tape and honest to god, the child lost the ability to walk for just about 24 hours. It's not that her legs didn't work. I'm sure if she had stood up she'd have walked but she would not. She wimpered for the first 5 hours in the fetal position and then after that Kendall put her in the umbrella stroller and pushed her around for the rest of the evening. She didn't even get up when Jake drove the stroller back to her room and left her there alone, unable to walk. I found the whole thing amusing but Kendall and Jake were highly aggitated by her and just wanted her to stop it. The next day she was still a cripple but once the bandages came off later that day she was a new woman. There's something very dramatic about this girl and I'm sure it does not come from me. *cough* dan *cough*.

***

Trevor got good grades. Because he got good grades he wants to turn into Jake and go visit friends all the time rather than do school work. Not so fast there bucko. I feel like I'm constantly complaining to him these days and he's constantly scowling. Welcome to teenager part 2. He's argumentative and lazy and smelly. Ahhhh yes. I remember this, I think I can live through it because he's worth it. If not, I'll beat him.

***

Kendall..I wonder if I'll ever get tired of brrrraaggging about her. Let me think. no.
She's got zits though, and she's bored easily. There. I said something not braggy about her. I'd say more but she's in the kitchen making cookies and that, is what makes her perfect today.

***

Dan's the bees knees still. He brought home some white boards and we nailed one to the wall in the kitchen so that we can write mean stuff about each other and alla that. I know that we don't have room in this house for anything else but we now have 3 more bookshelves (which we do really seriously need) and the white boards and a little table for Tess. We DID get rid of Edwardo this week though. He's off living with Becky and crew and she reports that he's very happy. This is good because when he lived here he was a cricket eating, do nothing, piece of shit who only turned black and puffed up when I sang to him while I did laundry. I'm glad he's found peace with those who understand bearded dragons. This brings me back to Wednesdays and things I don't remember. I woke up Thursday wondering where the stupid lizard went haha.

***

Today I marinaded some ribs and chops in my what I recollect as my dad's kickin' bbq sauce recipe which includes vinegar, lime juice (cuz i didnt have lemon) , hot sauce, peppers, onions, garlic, worchestershire sauce, and some other things I found in the cabinet. (I just realized that I never say cupboard...and I still won't since it's a cabinet). Anyway, they've been cooking in the oven for a little while on low and soon I'm gonna take them outside and cook 'em on the grill because everything's better on the grill, especially when it's raining outside and you're not expecting that wonderful aroma.

I also made homemade guacamole yesterday. It was fab if I must say. Dan loved it so I think we'll do that again. Oh also we've been eating some fresh artichokes too. I read that they're very healthy and brain smart and ALSO only 25 calories EACH. This does not, of course, count the butter I dipped mine in. ha.

***
Diet? Yeah, I'm on it. I did good 2 weeks in a row but I feel as though I've gained weight this week. Couldn't be the eating frenzy I've been on since Thursday. Oh what the hell, since last Sunday.

Oh, max is awake.
ciao.

Posted by krystal at 5:11 PM | Comments (2)

April 11, 2008

A love letter from Bill Gates

Congratulations on your exam success!

Congratulations on passing Microsoft® Certification Exam 270 - Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional. Your exam results have been received by Microsoft and your records are currently being updated to reflect this information. This exam will be associated with Microsoft Certification ID 6156422. To ensure you receive credit for all your exams, please use this ID number when you register and take future exams.

If this is the first exam you have taken, you will also receive an E-mail containing instructions for accessing the Microsoft Certified Professional Web site using your Microsoft Certification ID.

Before you take your next exam, you may want to take advantage of the Second Shot offer, which provides a free retake on any Microsoft IT Professional, Developer, or Microsoft Dynamics certification exam. Simply sign up for Second Shot before you take your next exam, provide your exam voucher number when you register for your exam, and you will have the benefit of a free retake if you do not pass. This offer is available from September 15, 2007 through June 30, 2008, and signing up is free. Remember, you must sign up before taking your exam to qualify for the free retake on the same exam. For more information, and to sign up, visit the Second Shot offer Web page.

See the right side of this email for links to targeted exam preparation resources, certification information sources and MCP community information.

Again, congratulations on passing your recent Microsoft Certification exam. You'll enjoy the greater confidence that this widely-recognized validation of your skills on Microsoft technology will help to inspire in you, your employer and your colleagues.

The Microsoft Certification Program Team

Posted by krystal at 6:59 PM | Comments (3)

March 30, 2008

suckapants

Tess has been having a hard time getting to sleep in her own bed lately and I'm dead set against her sleeping in our bed. She pleads with me that monkeys are in her bed and monsters etc. I'm pretty hard nosed about it and sometimes Dan will go in her room with her for a while but not me. I let her crash with me Thursday night because Dan worked late but her toes ended up in my ribcage and I'm just not tolerant. I like my sleep and my space.

Tonight I put her in bed determined to make her stay in her own room no matter what. I told Dan that even though it sounds like she's dying in there, she depends on us to set boundaries for her and that we must remain strong against her wishes to destroy our sleep. We must leave her in her room. She's safe, she's just being a little asshole and we need to prevail. I think I had him sold on this too. What happened next was funny.

Jake got suckered in. We giggled as we heard them in her room talking. Then after a few minutes Jake knocked on our door.

Jake: mom? Tess is sad and she won't go to sleep.
me: ha. sucker. that's why we were letting her scream.
Jake: but...
Dan: but nothing. you figure out a way to deal with her. HA!
Jake: yea but...there's a bug named fluff on her wall and it's about to crawl on her mirror.
me: she doesn't have a mirror.

Dan got up and went to read her a story.

I'm the one who loses in this situation though because I don't sleep well until he's here so I have to wait for her to sleep first anyway. Oh well...at least the blog got updated.

sweet dreams!

Posted by krystal at 10:03 PM | Comments (3)

March 20, 2008

Tres

So if you bet Dan and I wouldn't last three years, you lose. We made it and it seemed almost like a walk in the park. If you don't count the two babies being born in that time and the 17 year old causing more stress than ever and my constant battle of the bulge. I think the next hundred years should be cake too..just like these have been.

Today is the last day of school for over a week. They're stoked, I'm stoked. We're all stoked together. I just want to make it clear that I'm stoked because I will NOT be out of school. I will be working, far away from the destruction that is sure to happen in our house during the break. I have overcome some of my anxiety with regards to our house being trashed but not all of it. As a result, I'm switching to a cheaper house keeping service to show my non-care-itiveness. I'll let you all know how this batch of cleaners works.

***
Kendall's in the play Annie at school and after what seems like years of practice, they're doing it for just one more night...tonight. I saw the first to shows yesterday and man, they blew me away. I don't know why kids singing makes me so emotional but just the second the curtain went up I started blubbering and stopped as the curtain closed. What a la-hoooser. If you read this today and get over to Battlefield tonight, it's worth the $2.

Saturday my child groom turns 32. We're going out to dinner with my mom and dad on Friday to celebrate and other than that and the kick-ass gift that we got him, there's not really anything great going on in celebration of his birth. This is partially due to Easter and partially (majorly) due to the fact that we're poor til the end of the month, as usual. I'd really really really like to go to Melting Pot to celebrate our anniversary/his birthday but eh...whatever, we'll go another time when we have mo money and a sitter. (does this time ever exist? ha).

Have a happy Easter everyone, and a great first day of spring. woot.

Posted by krystal at 9:45 AM | Comments (3)

March 13, 2008

The Halls, on Lorraine.

It's probably been over a year since an elderly couple stopped me on the way to my car for work to ask me the name of our cat. I told them that her name is Kooky and that I hadn't picked the name, the kids had. They said that they were the Halls, on Lorraine and that they walk by everyday at 6:30am and visit our cat and that they'd often wondered what her name is. They love Kooky and a lot of times I'll see them up in our yard petting her while she rolls around in the dirt. The cat LOVES dirt. She comes in the house looking pretty and sassy but she's really a pig at heart. I think it's so cute when they visit her and she seems to like them too. Well, as I was leaving the house yesterday from doing a quick lunch-time check on the sickly and shut-in (Dan and Tess), a knock came at the door. It was Mrs. Hall. She reintroduced herself and told me that she was concerned about Kooky and wondered if we'd seen her. I told her that Kooky was inside more now that Leeroy is dead. She said that someone over on Chestnut had told her that they'd taken in a big fat fluffy nice long-haired stray and she was afraid they'd taken Kooky. Dan came out of our room with Kooky and all was well. Mrs. Hall was also kind enough to take our netflix movie out and put it in the mailbox.

I love this neighborhood.

Posted by krystal at 10:23 AM | Comments (1)

March 10, 2008

I hope you all don't mind profanity...

Man, did the weekend fly by. It seems like it was just Friday and I didn't really accomplish anything. Sickness has not left our house for months it seems. Kendall was sick last week and then Tess had a high fever and cough over the weekend and now Dan's been stricken. I'm still healthy, knock-on-wood. Terri and I are convinced that germs can't live where beer is living. *cheers* Is it wrong to want to flee this house with Max until they're all better?

I found out this weekend that I can be pleasantly surprised still. I always feel grateful for my friends. I feel unworthy most times. I used to get mad at people who lose track with me because I'm always here doing what I always do and if I can juggle life, so should they...if it matters. Nowadays though I feel like my friends are far more thoughtful than I am. I have given a lot of effort over the years to always send thank you notes but I know I fail at it sometimes. That's because my brain is mush. Since the birth of Max I'm afraid I've become what I used to hate. I love seeing my friends and as long as they remind me that it's time to hang out, I'm there. I just seem to have lost the ability to INITIATE. I *mean* to call. I *mean* to send thank you notes, I *mean* to come to scrapbooking, I really fucking mean to do a lot of things but it seems like by the end of the day I've accomplished the required parenting and work stuff and sometimes I cook dinner. I go to bed exhausted and guilty of not keeping track of my friends. I do have free time. I spend it with Dan and the kids and I watch tivo'd shows and I stare longingly at my MCSE book and promise in my head to open it in a day or so. That book does not initiate conversation...so there it sits. Now back to the point. Saturday after everyone left my house I found an envelope on my dining room table reminding me that girls need some "me" time. Sarah took time out of planning her wedding to make me feel really special. I swear I'm going to be more conscientious about being a friend from here on out. In fact, I might just move out of this house with all these sick people and go live with friends! hehe KIDDING. But Sarah, if you read this, Thank you so much for reminding me that people are good and even if my life-sucking family doesn't give me a break, my friends are there to listen to my bitching.

Now...Dan is screaming at the kids because he's currently sicker than anyone has EVER been in the entire history of the world so I'm going to save them.

Posted by krystal at 8:24 AM | Comments (3)

March 8, 2008

solitude

I'm up before everyone. The house is always full so this is most likely the closest I'll come to being alone for a while. It's weird though. I have Tessie's milk waiting here for when she wakes up. I'm going to let Dan sleep in at least til 8 because I'm going to Gayle's pampered chef party today and I need him to be in charge of Tess and Max while I'm gone. Or maybe just Tess. Max might go since he loves pampered chef.

The cats are insane this morning. Kasey has forgotten that she's 8 years old and is chasing Kooky around the entire house. They're knocking stuff off of tables and making all kinds of noise.

Dan and I played Rock Band last night after we got Tess to bed. We played until my throat hurt and eyes blurred. I think there is too much of a good thing.

Ok, I realize when I'm rambling pointlessly.

Happy weekend!

Posted by krystal at 6:32 AM | Comments (1)

March 6, 2008

R-u-n-n-o-f-t

I've had the busiest stressiest week in a long time. Things are good, just BUSY. I've been getting off work at 3pm just to get home at 6pm because of all of the kid running and picking up and dropping off in my life.

Tonight was going to be extra killer because Trev and Kendall had chorus stuff til 7 and Dan wouldn't home in time to help with the babies. I guess my exhaustion showed through because my mom and dad offered to come by and watch the little ones so I didn't have to drag them to the school filled with 600 middle school students and their parents.
It was also spirit night for the middle school so we went to Foster's grill for dinner first. These school-type-folk need to get their poop in a group because I was also encouraged to go to "8th graders parents night" at another school. When I explained that I couldn't make it the guidance secretary said to me in a condescending voice "Well it'd be nice if you could do this for Trevor". Yea. eat a dick,lady. I'm doing the best I can.

My brain is tired from work. I rarely let work things get to me but this week there was an instance where I thought I was letting down one of my coworkers. It turns out that I wasn't but for 12 hours I felt really bad. I've always had trouble letting people down and no matter how baddiebadassed I want to come across, I try to be the supreme pleaser and when I feel as though I'm falling back, I take it badly. I'm glad I was reading too much in to some extended eye-contact. I'm chill, man. Totally chill.

Posted by krystal at 5:54 PM | Comments (1)

February 5, 2008

showered

Saturday we went over to Terri's house for my post-baby shower. Gayle, Amy and Terri threw the best ever baby shower. We had food for the dieters and food for the not-dieters, good friends, rock band in the basement for the boys and kids and of course, BEER. As always with the mean mommy club the party started at around 2 and ended way later than that. As always, one of us zonked out early. This time it wasn't me. I LOVE YOU BECKYSUE! We got so much wonderful stuff for the baby and so much good stuff for us and many many diapers and wipes and who else walks away from a baby shower with 4 bottles of wine, some dvds and the juno soundtrack? Angel even got us a sex ed book so we know what causes all of this. Once again I'm reminded of the awesomeness of our friends. I'm all aflutter w/ love :)

Yesterday I started back at work and back on my diet, from which I'd taken 2 days off. I feel like a bad kid sent to the corner in regards to my weight but at work, I was welcomed back by the coworkers who are SO happy to get rid of taking care of my schools. I missed Max a lot. I missed The Young and The Restless too, but I'm watching it now on tivo. I have to say, it was wicked cool to be back at work fixing things and driving around and even the meeting I had to attend wasn't bad. I love my job.

Now...about the diet. I've done really well about sticking to it. I lost 7.4 lbs in January. I even made it through the pampered chef party. I did not do so well this weekend. The baby shower and superbowl food nachos were just too good to resist. I'm back on it though. That's the beauty of weight watchers I guess. It's forgiving. I just need to make time to record my food even though I'm working so I don't go overboard. We took a yoga class last week at the gym and that was fun. Maybe next time I'll work out on some machines if I get brave.

That's about it. Time to get moving!

Posted by krystal at 6:22 AM | Comments (1)

January 6, 2008

Goods

Nothing bad has happened in the past 4 days.

We got a very funny card from Dan's folks that sort of gave me a paradigm shift in regards to Jake. Maybe just a paradigm shake...I'm still standing firm on my resolve.

Had Terri and Kayla over on Thursday for our would-be-survivor night and then on Saturday the mean mommies got back together like old times. We watched movies and drank beer and Becks kicked our ass at Scene-it. It makes me think I might need an xbox 360...or at least to watch more movies so I can do better next time. In the midst of this we had Trevor and 11 of his closest friends playing loud music and making noise in the basement, The house was a mess and full and happy.

Eating right has been going ok...I'm going to do an official weigh-in tomorrow so I can start "officially" with the girls. I'll also start counting my points rather than just skipping a bunch of meals and eating what I want for dinner. I know how to do this right and I will.

Today I'm going to make my menu for the rest of the week's meals and drink some pomegranite martinis. Sunday does not have to suck. (even if there's not an episode of Law and Order in sight).

And in the forcast...Ed Beamurhead is coming to visit for the weekend and I'm so happy about that. I remember the first time he came and he was just a wee baby owl and now he's a dad and grown up. I told him he has to sleep on the couch and that the baby will wake him up and he reminded me that it's not the first time he'd been woken up by one of my kids. The first time he visited, Kendall was an infant. Time sure does fly.

Posted by krystal at 2:41 PM | Comments (1)

December 24, 2007

diet...bandicoot...our saturn...

Things with "crash" in them? Tha's RIGHT!
Yesterday Jake crashed our saturn vue into a mercedes. A parked mercedes. A parked mercedes on the other side of the road. He's fine, our car is broken and the mercedes guy is a peach for not choking the living daylights out of the kid. I guess in the end we just have to say "thankfully nobody was hurt". I've not really felt that way though, in all honesty. I want to hurt Jake. I'm grateful for Dan. He went to the wreck, dealt with insurance and saved Jake from dealing with me. I would have run over him with the other car.

Last night we went to Gayle and Wil's house for a small gathering. It was just what I needed, too. I've had my poop in a group for a while as far as Christmas goes, but hadn't gotten into the spirit. Last night was the visiting and drinks and cookies and music that made things festive. Tess ate so much that she barfed around midnight and I have a hangover the likes of which I haven't seen in over 9 months. All is merry and bright....aaah. Thanks Miss geeeyul and mr. weeeol.

Today we have the family reunion and Tree and Jason are visiting this morning. I love Christmas Eve. There's still anticipation and there's also food. (and beer!)

We need to go to the store for milk, batteries and some drinks for mama's house tomorrow.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Posted by krystal at 7:13 AM

December 18, 2007

delovely...is it even a word?

Today's the first day that Max and I will spend alone. We've bonded a lot over the past 2 nights since he decided we should stay up and watch Intervention rather than sleep. Til 4am. I try to be mad at him and tell him that he's doing it wrong, but this baby smiles at me. He's just a week old and he really does smile. I know you think it's gas but it's not. He's a smiler and that's his saving grace right now.

We've had a whirlwind week since he was born. The hospital stay seems like a blur and maybe it was a percocet induced blur, but it was just fast and company-filled. Thanks to everyone who came to see us in the hospital. It was so fun showing off the baby and seeing my friends all at the same time. Dan's mama and grandma were here too so Tess got to play with them and it was nice getting to meet more of Dan's family since we haven't yet gotten out to California. The distance didn't seem to matter a bit and by the 2nd day Tess and grammy were fast friends. I think she loved it. So far she's not a bit jealous of Max and she is excited everytime she sees him. In fact, when she walks in the door he's the first person she asks for. I am very surprised. I thought we'd have a case of baby blues like you've never seen before but it's not that way yet. (I know...YET).

Yesterday my mom came over and saved my life. I know that it's not important for the house to be clean when you have a new baby. I know that recovering and bonding are the main things you need and it's really nice to have a nap thrown in there. I also know that my mom understands my insanity in a way that nobody else does. I'm highly aggitated by dishes in the sink, laundry undone and crumbs on the floor. I don't even like shoes in the living room. She came over and put everything in its place, cleaned Jake's room, finished up the laundry I hadn't finished and brought dinner. In the mean time she played with Tess and took care of Max so I could take a 2 hour nap before exiting to get her hair done. I'm in a better frame of mind thanks to her.

Posted by krystal at 10:57 AM | Comments (3)

December 6, 2007

I love you. go away.

The kids woke up all sad this morning because school wasn't cancelled. Not even a delay. I got up early just to see the looks of disappointment on their little faces. Heavenly. It's not everyday that I want them gone, but today it's important that they go. I have 2 school days left before Max arrives and Tess and I have things to do. Not to mention, the cleaning lady comes today and I need the house as empty as possible so she can work her magic. I'm not sure if Dan's working from home or not, but I hope he stays home. I like it best when he's here; especially now that I'm so close to having the baby.

We bought our tree yesterday. This is the 2nd year in a row that we've gone to roxbury mills to get our tree. The kids and I prefer going to the tree farm to cut a tree down but last year got cancelled for some reason and this year we just don't have a good day to go so we found a beautiful tree for way too much money and it's now sitting here, lopsided, in our living room. It's just a little crooked and you can only notice it from 3/4 of the room...Dan and Jake tell me to shut up, that it's fine, but I am sure I'll obsess about it even though there's nothing I can do to fix it. Otherwise the tree is as perffect as the rest of this family. Tree hunting was as peaceful as ever. There was bickering and yelling and all of the other fun stuff that goes with taking 6 people to choose 1 tree. When we got home Dan and Jake got the tree into the stand while Kendall and I fixed dinner. The eruption really happened when Jake slapped Trevor in the back of the head for ignoring him and then Trevor threw a container of cheese at Jake at the dinner table and stormed off to his room...you get the picture. So anyway, we listened to carols, decorated the tree and retreated to our rooms to recover til time to go get some ice cream at Brusters. All in all it was a pleasant chaotic night and we all went to bed still loving, if not liking, each other. There's no way June Cleaver could survive in this atmosphere but we all seem to thrive on it.

Dan and I took Tess to the mall to see santa yesterday. She let us know right away that the man in red would get nowhere close to her. We spent some time with the SAHM's at buzzy's play place and then got some chicken teriyaki and came on home. I don't care about the santa picture. I recall not taking the other kids when they were little because I didn't want them getting germs and god knows what else from the the mall santa. The mall was fun and at the Stuffy Bear Company we scored 3 shrek babies for 10 bucks. Not bad, eh? If I were rich I could be a professional mall person except that freaky-weird-talk-to-themselves people approach me and I really get skeeved out by it. I guess I'll stick to amazon.

Posted by krystal at 7:08 AM

December 3, 2007

date night

Dad and I are going shopping tonight for mom's Christmas gifts. It's the one night a year we go out without anyone else. It's fun, productive and usually there's a meal afterwards. We just went out for lunch yesterday though so I'm not sure if we'll eat this time. It's going to be interesting this year since mom refuses to give me a list. She said that she has everything she needs. COME ON. WE ALL NEED SOMETHING. WE ALL WANT SOMETHING. THROW ME A BONE HERE. She whined and whined til I sent her lists for all of my family and now she's doing this to me? I don't think so homey.

I have so much crap to do. I'm outtie. Just wanted to reflect on the happiness that is going shopping with my daddy.

Posted by krystal at 12:18 PM | Comments (2)

December 2, 2007

Better 40 than pregnant.

I believe I actually said that last year when I turned 40. Boy oh boy. I guess now that I'm 41 and pregnant I need to revisit those words.

I should have listed on my 10 things about me tag thing "I love to complain...I'm not unhappy when I complain, I'm doing what I love best". That's how the last 9 months has been for me. I have complained about being pregnant, the kids we have, dan, work. etc. But in reality, those are all things I love the most. I think I complain because there's humor in it. It's funnier to me when I say "I don't know when to stop having babies" than "I feel so blessed to have a 5th baby on the way". I say that I've done my Christmas shopping in case I die before Christmas rather than "I love this season and just can't control myself". It's just how I am. This should go without saying, but just in case...ya know?

Today we're going out to lunch for my birthday with my folks. I wish we were going without Tess but she's going because she's here...she's ours. We'll take PSP along with us so hopefully she won't run amuck in the restaurant. After we eat I plan on getting the rest of my Christmas stuff wrapped and stashed away.

This coming week is going to be a busy one. I have to shop for food for while I'm in the hospital, clean the house up so the cleaning ladies can clean it after me, get the river house ready for grammy O'Brien and grandma Mary's visit. Finish getting the nursery ready and dig up enough clothes for 4 days in the hospital. Tess stayed home with me the last 2 days of last week and uh, that wasn't very productive. She's bossier than I am. I know it's hard to believe, but she's quite a task master. I'm sending her to Ms. Gayle's this week so she can play with Bella and I can get my stuff done. I feel bad sending her but she's happier with routine and I'm happier when things are crossed off of my list.

Just in time for me to feel older, Jake turned 17 this week. He can now rent Rated R movies. As with most things in my life, I complain because I love. It's true that he makes me absolutely nuts a lot of times. He has caused me more sleep loss than any of the other kids. He pushes the boundaries of my patience and makes me cuss a LOT. In reality though, I think that Jake has grown to be a very nice person. He's funny and smart and easy to reason with. He still asks for permission rather than forgiveness and for that, I am grateful. I worry about him and his choices and I'm sure I always will...but I feel confident that he's going to be just fine.

Just in case you guys may not know...I can drink again in eight days.

peace.

Posted by krystal at 9:25 AM | Comments (5)

November 30, 2007

Tag...and not the deoderant spray

A Game Of Tag

Here's how you play:

Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog w/ 10 weird, random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment ("You're It") and to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag me back, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can see your answers!

1. I never have a good hair day. I've only had a hairstyle that I like once and now I can't recreate it. Most likely because I'm too fat for the style. I'm ok with it though.

2 I'm a morning person. I wake up motivated and ready for the day. This ends by around 10am...sometimes noon.

3. I never really thought "gosh I hope I have 5 kids"...but I did always want a big family and I did always think I'd have a baby at 40.

4. I'm an ISTJ

5. I don't dislike people as much as I pretend, but I find that people do let me down more than not. I hold myself to the same expectations so I'm often mad at myself.

6. I forgive easily because it takes too much energy to hold grudges.

7. I love cheese.

8. I like doing crafts but don't really like having the crap I make lying around. That's why people get stuck with it as gifts. Same with baked goods. I love baking, but would prefer to eat something I bought at panera or starbucks.

9. I'll risk a toenail fungus to get a pedicure any day of the week.

10. I'd rather have no beer than crap beer. Sad but true.

I tag anyone who is linked on my blog.

Posted by krystal at 6:52 PM | Comments (3)

November 19, 2007

heartburn

Tess just walked out of the room with her socks on her hands to show jake and janine how she can talk with sock hands. She's left me here in the room watching WowWowWubzy with the remote clear across the room.
Jake just asked for ANOTHER favor. It's so gd annoying. He's the favor kid. He asks for shit ALL.THE.TIME. I just yelled at him "NO JAKE THAT'S FAVOR NUMBER 15. IM DONE DOING FAVORS TODAY. YOU MAY NOT USE MY CAR. YOU MAY NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING ELSE TODAY, YOU'VE REACHED THE FAVOR LIMIT. GO AWAY"

So he said "ok" and quickly exited the room. I'm not even kidding when I say how much he asks for. He even text-asks for shit when he's not here. He asks for shit in his sleep I bet...I just can't hear him.

I had a crap weekend with the exception of going to Terri's house for Kaylabug's birthday party. Whatever plans I had made in my head fell through due to sickness and nothing got done around here because Tess was my best bud all weekend while Dan was in bed. I'm determined to stop feeling sorry for myself when other people don't cooperate with things in my head. I will just move on and do shit anyway. I should be able to do that by this age.
On the bright side, we're VERY close to having a middle name for Max. I'm not going to jinx it yet by telling you the name. We'll give it a few more days and then revisit.

I've gotten most of my christmas gifts bought and a good portion wrapped. Being the anal retentive list maker that I am has its advantages...I just need more time alone and I'll get things done. Oh.yes.I.will. This way if I die giving birth, my kids will still have Christmas. Nothing morbid about that.

Posted by krystal at 4:41 PM | Comments (4)

October 23, 2007

say click. take a pic!

I do wonder sometimes if Rosie Perez saw herself as a talking camera on Diego in her future back when she was doing White Men Can't Jump. Oh well, who am I to talk about surprise lives.

Leeroy had his nut-ectomy yesterday and is now walking around with a lampshade on his head to keep him from licking parts he shouldn't. He's been a real trooper through the whole ordeal. We're all just happy that after 3 attempts he's finally less of a man than he was yesterday.

***
Yesterday I went to Subway to grab a seafood sub and the woman behind the counter said "are you having twins?" My first thought was "are you middle aged making my sub at Subway?". I'm learning that it's not ok to just blurt out the inhumane things that come to mind. Of course, I'm a slow learner.
***

I've had a hard week of watching my pretty Kendall learn that racism can, in fact, happen to her even though she's perfect. Being one of 2 white kids on the step team has opened her eyes a bit. She's sad that her teacher is racist, she's sad that her dear friend Teresa will talk to her at home but not at practice around her peers. She's not giving up though. She stomp/claps around the house all the time, determined to be good at these steps that just aren't exactly natural to her. I've told her that I have her back and I'll allow her to handle things on her own, but if she needs me I'll be the first one to get involved. I told her that if she sticks with it people will like her just because she's awesome. She believes me. I hope her fellow step-team people don't let me down. I hope her coach chills with the "white girl" comments before she sees just how angry a mom can get when her baby's self esteem is on the line.

***

Trevor has a new girlfriend. Let's rejoice or something. 13 year olds are so...greasy.

***

I changed a motherboard today with very little effort and it worked without a hitch. I know it's not much of an accomplishment, but sometimes those effers are difficult.

***

Gayle and Wil's halloween party is this weekend. I'm looking forward to it.

Posted by krystal at 5:16 PM | Comments (4)

October 18, 2007

Song For A Fifth Child

Song For A Fifth Child

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
but I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Kathy just posted this on Fredalk and I wanted to keep it.

Posted by krystal at 8:11 AM | Comments (3)

October 11, 2007

Everything's peachy

This afternoon I got the results of my EEG. I've got a brain. Hooray! This confirms what I'd thought all along. So I have drugs for my chest issues and I feel less sick in that arena and my head, while still splashing with lights occasionally, will survive. The doc says it's migraines with aura and that's just fine with me. I can live with something as long as it has a name.

Speaking of names, we still don't have one for the baby.

Speaking of baby, Dan's mama and grandma are coming to Va for the birth. I'm so glad about that. It's been over a year since we've seen then so I think we need to get Tess back reaquainted with her california grandparents before she outgrows her current cuteness. I just wish Amber was coming too. This'll be good though. I panic occasionally when I think of how the family can possibly survive with me in a hospital room for 4 whole days. (they'll rejoice, I already know this).

The heat finally broke along with my sickness and I now declare the next 2 months a bitch-free zone. I'm getting a new attitude that goes something like this "fuck it...we're fine". I think it's healthy.

Posted by krystal at 2:30 PM | Comments (1)

September 30, 2007

Great big bed

This morning at one point we had all 6 of us on the bed watching tv. We've got many many tivo'd shows to watch today. Life just doesn't get better than that. Oh and if it could, it'd be made better by the fact that I had Pauls Bakery cake for breakfast.

Yesterday we had a small birthday party for Tess. She still does not grasp the concept of opening gifts and pretty much latched onto Tree's gift of several beanie babies and mom's gift of the fishing game and hasn't acknowledged much else. In fact, I heard her in her room this morning playing the fishing game before even attempting to wake us up. I walked in to find her holding the tiny plastic fishing pole in one hand and 4 beanie babies clinched in her other arm. She said "hi mama wanna play fish POLE?" There's a long sad story to tell about the Diego cake that never quite came to life, but I'll spare you. We will just be happy that daddy knows when to throw in the towel and go to Paul's Bakery. Everything was perfect.

I see a neurologist tomorrow about my head issues. I feel very silly going since I haven't had any spots or dizzy spells since the moment the appointment was made. I guess if there's nothing to find then they won't find anything and we can just go on our merry way. I really would like it if I could get back to working a full week without 100 dr appts. This isn't how I roll.

Jake's been here this weekend along with all the chaos that comes with anything jake-related. He leaves the cabinet doors open on purpose to piss me off, makes a huge mess, eats nonstop, causes the other kids to fight and asks for stuff all.the.time. It's having him back for visits that makes me miss him even more. He was whining that he misses his friends and that he misses everyone...but I'm not sure letting him come back is a good idea right now. He's in a new school and hasn't given it time yet. I want him to understand that his actions have results and that while I will always love him and want him to live here, there is no revolving door. Parenting is so hard because even though you think you're doing it right, there's nobody around to tell you that you are. I imagine with 5 kids, Jake is not going to be the hardest one...that'd just be too simple.

Tess finally got out of the tub so I get my shower now. We can go to the mall later and then watch more tv and enjoy family time Stress can resume tomorrow.

Posted by krystal at 10:26 AM

September 15, 2007

weekend overfloweth

Last weekend we did so little that I was in an angry funk that didn't end until we spent way too much money on new beds. This weekend is the opposite of that. The first addition to our boring equation is Jake. He brings chaos to our routine. Not in a bad way. Just...chaos. We went out to eat at "olden" corral last night and then had to take him to a football game. We were up bright and early to take him to work and now we're watching Diego before the rest of the chaos begins.

Today we have to mail some ebay sales, shuttle Trevor off to a birthday party by noon, pick up Jake from work at 2, take Tessie to mom's house before 3 when we pick Trev back up. Then we head to Amy's house for Terri's pampered chef party and then Amy and Tyler's tiki party. Oh, and in there somewhere I need to cook something for the party and some food for homecoming at church tomorrow. (church tomorrow? you say) yes. Church ...because the rents will have Tessie.

So tomorrow we need to go to church for homecoming and then sometime in the day, find time to get hungry again so we can go to supper club tomorrow at 6. *PHEWWWWWWW*

I'd feel exhausted from all of this activity, but I'm not busy saving a whale like poor ol' Diego. That's one busy kid.

Posted by krystal at 7:35 AM | Comments (1)

September 9, 2007

wired

Dan's reading Wired magazine to me. This is the only mag we get at our house and that means I've already read the article about the founders of Penny Arcade that he's reading to me. I don't mind much, I even told him that I've already read it, but it's funny that he gets aggitated with me for not listening. He says that if he and Diaz were not *total* nerds in school, those two guys would have been them. Good thing they were hot, otherwise they'd be millionaires "driving a fuckin' Mercedes".

Tess is in the tub telling me how whales (pronounced "wheels") can swim (sweeem). I just want her to get the top layer of dirt off so we can go shopping for a new mattress today. I love the mattress we already have but Dan can't sleep on it anymore and I'll do anything to get out of the house today so that is our big expedition. Besides, we need a daybed or futon for Jake and a bed for Tessie too. I've never bought real furniture before. Usually things have just been handed down or just end up here. This is sort of exciting.

I haven't been sleeping very well this weekend. I think part of it has to do with being 27 weeks pregnant. The baby keeps kicking right at 2am. I think he's practicing for a lifetime of torture. The mother-guilt in me won't allow me to just sleep and ignore his kicks because I feel like he asks for so little right now that it's the least I can do to just wake up and rub my belly while he kicks away. Another thing that bugs me is that we still have no name for this little guy and while we've had hundreds of helpful suggestions from friends and family, we just don't agree on anything yet. You know what this means, right? It means that I'll pick his name (do NOT tell Dan!) because I'm the one who will fill out the birth certificate. It's not that Dan has bad taste in names, but our little boy should not have to walk around with a name like "great white shark", his latest suggestion. In the end I'm sure we'll agree on a name and by then, it'll be too late for me to get sleep.

Last weekend when we were at the river Trevor was playing (at) his guitar and I told him about my guitar recital when I was 10 or 11. I learned to play just enough to play a John Denver song at my recital. Dad sang along while I plucked away nervously at my plastic coated strings. I'd refused real strings because they hurt my fingers. I'm glad dad was there to sing and drown my bad playing. Once that recital was over I put that guitar away and never tried again. Anyway, Dad started singing the song and I sang with him and mom tried (she's terrible with lyrics) and it was way fun. The song has been stuck in my head ever since. It was one of my favorites, right along with Luckebach Texas when I was a kid.

Theres a storm across the valley, clouds are rollin in
The afternoon is heavy on your shoulders
Theres a truck out on the four lane a mile or more away
The whinin of his wheels just makes it colder

Hes an hour away from ridin on your prayers up in the sky
And ten days on the road are barely gone
Theres a fire softly burnin, suppers on the stove
But its the light in your eyes that makes him warm

Hey its good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend
Yes n hey, its good to be back home again

Theres all the news to tell him, howd you spend your time
Whats the latest thing the neighbors say
And your mother called last friday, sunshine made her cry
You felt the baby move just yesterday

Hey its good to be back home again - yes it is
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend
Yes n hey, its good to be back home again

Oh the time that I can lay this tired old body down
Feel your fingers feather soft upon me
The kisses that I live for, the love that lights my way
The happiness that that livin with you brings me

Its the sweetest thing I know of, just spending time with you
Its the little things that make a house a home
Like a fire softly burnin supper on the stove
The light in your eyes that makes me warm

Hey its good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend
Yes n hey, its good to be back home again

Hey its good to be back home again - you know it is
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend
Hey, its good to be back home again
I said hey its good to be back home again

Ok, time to go be mean to my family!

-peas.

Posted by krystal at 9:31 AM | Comments (8)

September 5, 2007

The month before my favorite month.

We went to the river for the holiday weekend and spent 3 glorious days in the most beautiful weather ever. It was almost too chilly for swimming but the girls swam anyway. The only thing missing was Jake. He was supposed to be with us for the weekend but had to work. I was thrilled, though, to receive a picture message from him of his newly shaved head. Either my ex has pulled off the coup of the century or his insistance that jake NOT shave his head, but rather get a mullett just worked on accident. Either way...he's bald and I'm happy. Not happy enough to be "ok" about being dragged back into child support court, but happy nontheless. The long weekend was really what I needed. We played texas holdem for m&m's and saw the barge go down the river. We ate low country boil one night and steak on the grill the next. Everything was fantastic with the exception of Dan's allergies. I hate to think that the place I love so much causes him pain, but it does. In the future we'll take allgergy meds. It's very important that he love the river too.

Work has not really calmed down yet and my head is usually pounding by the end of the day. I have days when I get tons accomplished and days where I feel stupid. I just want one or two days where I don't rush around a lot. Days with lunch breaks are also a plus.

This month Tess turns 2. We're not having the big hoopla that we did last year for her birthday...just a few friends and our family. We're going to get her a toddler bed for her birthday. I hope nobody tells her that we got her furniture when she turned 2...it can be our secret. Besides, she has so many toys now that I can't figure out where to put them all.

I just heard Kendall yell at Tess "do you want a piece of me? I'm reporting you to mommy!!!" This house is a riot. I guess I'd better go investigate.

Posted by krystal at 6:51 PM

August 14, 2007

whassat?

Happy Birthday Grandpa O'Brien. (that's in case your kid forgets to call, I nagged him all day about it).

In case I ever wonder why I didn't stop with one kid, now I know. For the past 2 days Trev and Kendall have been at my mom's house hanging with their cousins and Tess and I are left staring at each other. We're not used to being alone. Dan's working. Tess and I have little to talk about aside from wow wow wubzy and the occasional wonderpets. She is happy to discuss these topics over and over but I get bored easily. When we go outside the mosquitos eat Tess and when we're inside there's nothing fun to do...except eat, which is always a good plan. I want my other kids back, dammit.

Work's much nicer now that there are only 8 hours in my work day. Anything can be tolerated for 8 hours, right?

Terri, Amy and Sarahlynn are all on vacation this week. I think this is some huge conspiracy or something. There's not much on twitter, even less on Fredtalk and blogs sit, unupdated. what is wrong with you people...TYPE.

Posted by krystal at 6:12 PM | Comments (2)

July 2, 2007

amnioticness

Everything went fine today. We got to see all of the limbs on our new baby but no girl or boy parts. It was cool to see it kicking around since I still haven't felt anything. In fact, I still don't feel pregnant. We'll have results on Thursday. The doc today said that I'm a week farther along than I thought. That's cool...maybe we can have the baby on my birthday or the day after.

The rest of the day was spent sleeping. I hate when I waste a day off without doing anything.

Posted by krystal at 6:29 PM | Comments (4)

June 30, 2007

blurbs

This week at work we converted one of my schools from a novell server to a windows one. It was a LOT of work and made my brain hurt, but it's done and I'm happy. Each day I came home, plopped my butt down and just did not function. I realize it's not ditch digging or brain surgery, but it did the trick on me.

**
Dan's folks sent us flowers mid-week which was a huge pick-me-up, especially since they came with Godiva chocolates. Thanks so much for that! The flowers are holding up really well, way better than the chocolates.

**
Jake is off to Fredcamp, Kendall and Trevor are at Westview this week. Things seem to be settling in w/ Jake gone. We miss him, but we don't miss the fighting, sneaking and messes. Maybe this is a good thing.

**
Please know that no matter how angry I get at anyone on the road, I will never, ever sling a Blizzard at another car. Those things are way too expensive.

**
Leeroy was unable to get neutered this week, as he has one testical up in his abdomin still. I wonder if that's where hitlers was hiding too?

**
Thanks to you guys, I have about TONS of pampered chef stuff heading my way. Now, really...really really, I need to start cooking. If you want lots of stuff too, contact Amy. She makes it all so easy and fun.

**
The reason I'm off Monday is because Ive got my amnio. I can't wait to have this over with. I was doing some work in a special ed classroom the other day and seeing kids in helmets made me very apprehensive. I mean, once you stop laughing, that shit's just not funny. We're not sure what we'll name it but we're leaning towards Lily if it's a girl...even though I do love the name Delilah. It could just be that Plain White T's song. I love it...as Jake says "it's timeless". We'll see. No boy names have popped into my head yet.

**
Tess wants some donuts from Paul's bakery. I guess I should give in. How'd I know this? She sent it to me telepathically. Really.

**

DAN GOT A NEW JOB. DAN GOT A NEW JOB DAN GOT A NEW FUCKIN JOB. TYVM.

**

um, tess just came in holding her diaper, which means somewhere in this house there's a puddle. ciao.

Posted by krystal at 7:01 AM | Comments (7)

June 28, 2007

Pulling the last 10.

I have 10 hours to go before a 4 day weekend. hooray.

Posted by krystal at 7:51 AM | Comments (4)

June 3, 2007

at a loss...

Dan's at work. Jake, Trevor and Kendall are at their dad's house. Tess is at my parents' house. The dog is even in the back yard. I am alone in this house for the first time in a long long time.
I'm not sure what to do with myself. Tivo is empty with the exception of Starter Wife and a bunch of episodes of Wow Wow Wubzy. I'm sure Starter Wife will do just fine. In a few hours I have to go to church but Terri's going along so it'll be ok. Solitude is a gift and a curse. I'm sitting here knowing I could do anything I want, but doing nothing. I rarely love doing nothing, but right now it feels just right.

Last night was supper club. It was appetizer night. There was so much food, as always. It rocked...Liz came for the first time and so did Amy and Tyler. The coolest part for me was sitting out on the back porch afterwards. Terri's porch is screened in so we got to enjoy the beautiful night without bugs, and there was a fantastic yard sale going on next door.

Friday night Tessie and I went to a birthday party at my friend Traci's house. She and I have been friends since middle school. Her family is as familar to me as my own. As soon as we arrived they teased me about my huge family, my bad driving, how clumsy I am, scatterbrained etc. The whole night was a blast. Everytime I'm back around them I feel 14 again. We're the same girls; Traci, her sister Terri and me. Our kids chase each other and pick on each other and now, take turns watching Tessie. The kinships we form in our younger years might drift a bit as time goes on, but in the end, it's still family and there's still so much love.

Posted by krystal at 7:00 AM | Comments (1)

May 20, 2007

We interrupt this peaceful morning

I slept in til 6 something this morning. It's not even really sleeping in since now that I work in town, every day is "sleeping in". I am still thankful every single day that I don't commute anymore. But I digress.

The house was quiet except for Dan's shower and I thought "hey, what a great day...I woke up before Tessie, before the dog whined to go out, before the kitties need food". Great morning. As Dan was leaving, Tess woke up in a perfect mood. She was talking about her milk and kitties and all of those other things that get mingled into baby conversations. The dog woke up and went outside and I made my coffee and emptied the dishwasher. What a GREAT MORNING. I felt inspired to get all of my laundry done, plan some dinners for the week and maybe use some of the Pampered Chef stuff that I have but rarely use.

I let the dog back in and Tess was talking to the fish, who was swimming around in his newly cleaned fishbowl. I even cleaned the fish bowl...Dan won't believe it. Usually he's harassing me about the fact that you can't see the fish through the muck. It's here that things start to get muddled a bit. I walked into our bedroom with a basket of clean laundry and there stands Tess beside her diaper. She runs into the living room and points at a puddle in the floor. How sweet...she peed on the floor. ugh. Good thing she didn't mess up that diaper! I noticed as I walked to the kitchen for paper towels that Leeroy was sitting in the dining room facing the windows. Odd, I thought, how he'd hide out there so as not to take the blame for the puddle of pee. Maybe he's smarter than I'd given him credit for.

Right.

I walked back through with a wet rag to finish cleaning up the floor just in time to see Tess slip and fall in some more pee. GROOVY. I clean that up and tell the whimpering Tess that it serves her right for peeing on the floor. Just then I notice that Leeroy is still in the dining room facing the window. I look closer and there's his pile of vomit. Right in the middle of it is a huge mass of barbie hair. Poor Barbie. So I clean up that mess, all the while, Tess is bitching at me about "baaaaaffff baaaaffff" because I'd told her she'd get a bath since she's covered in pee.

At this point I'm on the verge of being a raving lunatic. Leeroy goes outside (runs for his life actually) and Tess is in the tub telling me all about bibbits and meows. I'm feeling calmness return....watching Law and Order on Tivo. Considering going out to buy some socks for Dan and some shorts for the kids. Maybe I'll start making lists for our vacation in 3 weeks.

Ah, Sunday. The day of rest.

Posted by krystal at 7:46 AM | Comments (1)

We interrupt this peaceful morning

I slept in til 6 something this morning. It's not even really sleeping in since now that I work in town, every day is "sleeping in". I am still thankful every single day that I don't commute anymore. But I digress.

The house was quiet except for Dan's shower and I thought "hey, what a great day...I woke up before Tessie, before the dog whined to go out, before the kitties need food". Great morning. As Dan was leaving, Tess woke up in a perfect mood. She was talking about her milk and kitties and all of those other things that get mingled into baby conversations. The dog woke up and went outside and I made my coffee and emptied the dishwasher. What a GREAT MORNING. I felt inspired to get all of my laundry done, plan some dinners for the week and maybe use some of the Pampered Chef stuff that I have but rarely use.

I let the dog back in and Tess was talking to the fish, who was swimming around in his newly cleaned fishbowl. I even cleaned the fish bowl...Dan won't believe it. Usually he's harassing me about the fact that you can't see the fish through the muck. It's here that things start to get muddled a bit. I walked into our bedroom with a basket of clean laundry and there stands Tess beside her diaper. She runs into the living room and points at a puddle in the floor. How sweet...she peed on the floor. ugh. Good thing she didn't mess up that diaper! I noticed as I walked to the kitchen for paper towels that Leeroy was sitting in the dining room facing the windows. Odd, I thought, how he'd hide out there so as not to take the blame for the puddle of pee. Maybe he's smarter than I'd given him credit for.

Right.

I walked back through with a wet rag to finish cleaning up the floor just in time to see Tess slip and fall in some more pee. GROOVY. I clean that up and tell the whimpering Tess that it serves her right for peeing on the floor. Just then I notice that Leeroy is still in the dining room facing the window. I look closer and there's his pile of vomit. Right in the middle of it is a huge mass of barbie hair. Poor Barbie. So I clean up that mess, all the while, Tess is bitching at me about "baaaaaffff baaaaffff" because I'd told her she'd get a bath since she's covered in pee.

At this point I'm on the verge of being a raving lunatic. Leeroy goes outside (runs for his life actually) and Tess is in the tub telling me all about bibbits and meows. I'm feeling calmness return....watching Law and Order on Tivo. Considering going out to buy some socks for Dan and some shorts for the kids. Maybe I'll start making lists for our vacation in 3 weeks.

Ah, Sunday. The day of rest.

Posted by krystal at 7:46 AM | Comments (1)

May 13, 2007

Mother's Day

Tessie woke up sans diaper. She loves being nekkid and I can't say I blame her. I just wish she'd pee in the diaper before taking it off instead of peeing in the floor.

Dad's party yesterday was a good one. I saw people I hadn't seen since my tortured childhood. I can't say I'd missed them all that much, but it was nice to see that I'm not the only one getting older. Dad got lots of gifts (read: booze) and entertained everyone with stories and jokes as he opened them. I think he was appropriately honored on his birthday and we were appropriately stuffed full of pork bbq. Good people, good food, good day.

Today Terri's coming over to watch Dream Girls with me since Dan's working today and she has to leave again before the Survivor finale. I hope the kids will all simmer down and let us watch it in peace.

Happy Mother's day to all you mamas out there.

Posted by krystal at 7:43 AM | Comments (3)

April 10, 2007

twitterpatted

Sheep introduced me to twitter.com and now I'm in heaven. Since I'm prone to think in short blurbs of VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION, it's easier for me to use twitter than my blog. That doesn't mean I hate my blog because nono. That's not true. I just love twitter in a new toy kind of way.

Easter weekend was pretty fun. The mean mommys gathered on saturday night at Terri's house. Dan couldn't go because he had a very long work weekend and had to get rest, but Aaron took up the male-slack by forcing us to watch golf. Becky's ass is worse than a years worth of dog farts. Good times, as always.
Sunday Terri and Kayla went to church and then to my folk's house with us. The kids did egg hunting and the adults had wine. I enjoyed getting reaquainted w/ some cousins we'd lost to God a few years back. It was good to have 'em back to normal.

Yesterday was pretty great at the beginning. Dan and I were proving that it is very possible to stay in bed and watch tv and read books all day. The kids were busy destroying the house and then Tess woke up from her nap and cried. And cried. And cried. And cried. Til finally around 3 we took her to the dr. She has croup (AGAIN!) and an ear infection. Once we got her all doped up she seems a lot better, but she's still a sicko.

I promised Kendall that we'll go to the gym today, so as soon as the dryer repair guy shows up we'll go.
Tomorrow I get to go back to work. I'm looking forward to it. The clutter around here is exhausting.

Posted by krystal at 7:55 AM | Comments (4)

March 21, 2007

2 years

Yesterday was our anniversary. When things like this happen on a tuesday while the husband is working night shift and the wife is working day shift and the wife has a shit day at work and the husband can't catch up on sleep...it's mostly just another day only this time it has roses arriving at the door. I love Dan more than I did 2 years ago. I thought it'd be impossible, but it's true. We work well together and our house is filled with love and laughter and a healthy dose of crazy. I can't imagine my life any other way.

Posted by krystal at 5:04 AM | Comments (6)

March 10, 2007

finding out how much handy manny you can watch in one day...

Today's a day of rest that I've dreamed of for weeks. We don't have anywhere to go. The big kids are at their dad's house and dan's working midnights this weekend. Tessie and I have all day to watch cartoons, read books and eat reeces peanutbutter eggs.

Last night Liz came over for her pampered chef and we had wine and goldfish for supper. It didn't occur to me while we were drinking wine that I should have probably cooked some dinner or even just a frozen pizza for us. This morning I woke up STARVING. Liz, I promise next time you come over, I'll feed you something.

I have to get busy reading Suite Francaise for book club. It's a big book and I seem to be lacking a lot of personal time. It seems very good so far, but I'm only about 12 pages into the book.

Posted by krystal at 10:41 AM | Comments (2)

February 28, 2007

why should I play w/ my kids?

here's why...

terri: okay, let me go play with my child
krystal: ok
terri: before she grows up and hires her retarded boyfriend to kill me

Posted by krystal at 5:33 PM | Comments (1)

February 23, 2007

From manda's blog

Several people have asked if we have designated a charity, and we have. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia. We lived in their house for over 3 months. They gave us the unique opportunity to be able to parent Aleah, to be with her daily. In the end, she was in the hospital longer than at home. We want to get a plaque and plant a tree in her memory.

The contact information is as follows:
Ronald McDonald House Charities of NoVA
In Memoriam of Aleah Colburn
Attn: Sally Krahn
3312 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA 22042

703-698-7080

Please do. The RMH is wonderful...they even let parents stay in the Richmond RMH when thier deaf child wants to come to summer school with us. They truly are wonderful.

Posted by krystal at 7:27 PM | Comments (1)

Aleah

Manda,
I don't know how you lose a child and continue breathing. I just know that it's wrong...we should never have to bury our children. You're a strong woman and a wonderful mom...but you know that. Please just know that you are not mourning alone, you are not crying alone.

My prayers are with you and Jason and Ada.

love,
Krystal

Posted by krystal at 7:26 AM

February 22, 2007

burn bridges not tables, kids.

We've been a vomitose mess here this week. Tess had a bug, which she kindly gave to Jake. While she was at it, she passed it along to Gayle too. Dan's got flames shooting out of his ass and I'm just sittin' around thinking "If I were them, i coulda possibly lost 2 or 3 pounds by now".
I hope we've seen the last of this bug but there are 3 more people in this family and we all know that if one gets it, they all do. I'm just hoping if it happens, it'll happen on Friday when James takes the kids.

***

Jake and his friend decided that they should put a high powered lamp face down on the desk at school. Because of the giant hole they burned in the table, he's at home this week. The principal swears Jake's a good kid and it was just "horseplay" but now he gets to horseplay his ass to a job and pay for a table, as well as paying for his own drivers ed. A lesson in responsibility never hurt anyone. I've also spent the past few days trying to find some crappy jobs for him to do. If anyone needs horse shit shoveled or something, please get in touch.

***

This weekend is my pampered chef partaay. I'm looking forward to it. I got my ingredients so I can make the stuff I have to make. I'm just counting on Amy to show me what to do. I ALSO got my house cleaned this week. It'd been a long time since it had a deep cleaning but maaan it looks so nice. I don't want the kids to touch a THING.

***

Tonight we go to puppy bootcamp and visit Leeeeeroy Jenkins. We're all excited about that. I'm also excited because tonight's Survivor and Grey's Anatomy. Terri's coming over to watch survivor with us...we have a new tradition. survivor night!! woot.

Posted by krystal at 5:33 AM | Comments (3)

February 16, 2007

dog gone

Yesterday I dropped poor Leeeeeroy Jennnnkins off at doggie boot camp. He is the most adorable puppy ever but he's been doing that stuff that puppies do. ie: destroying my gd house. He also bites and barks and basically has the potential to become a major pain in the ass. A coworker told me about the success he'd had with taking his dog to boot camp and Dan and I decided that if we're going to keep our baby dog, we'd better get him on the straight and narrow fast before one of us kills him. Today we went for our orientation and it was a little hard to swallow. The trainer knows dogs. He explained the dog brain to us in terms that aren't easy to dispute because his success rate is uh, 100%, but when someone says "a dog doesn't have FEELINGS, he doesn't love you, he doesn't hate you, he doesn't do things to get back at you"....those are things I'm not sure I believe. It was kind of cool that he explained to us that a dog's brain has binary thoughts. I wonder if he just said that because he figured Dan and I would believe it easier if he put it in words we'd understand? It's still too early to say what I believe about our training so far, but I want my dog to sit obediently at my feet and stop running when I say stop. I want him to stop chewing up dolls and stop peeing on the floor. I want him to be a content part of our family and if this guy can get us there, I'll beliieve that the moon is made of swiss cheese. I miss my puppy already. This is going to be a long 30 days.

Posted by krystal at 6:47 PM | Comments (3)

February 6, 2007

inside out

Please wear your pjs inside out tonight. They're calling for snow and I want enough to stay home.

xoxo

Posted by krystal at 12:07 PM | Comments (1)

January 9, 2007

Good
Dan started his new job w/ Trent's company and appears to be ecstatic about working for a real company. I am ecstatic for him.

Raclette grill has been shipped and I've ordered that cheese so the raclette party will happen very soon.

Two words: Madam Speaker. Hell yea!

My new salary kicks major effing butt. It's even more than we'd planned on.

I've finished the book club book, Lucky In The Corner, way before time for book club. (for a change).

My diet is going well. I've stuck to my points for 3 days. It hasn't been easy but it's the way things will be.

My baby points to her nose and says "beepbeepbeepbeep". She also says "ow" as she stabs people and dogs and cats with her little knife. It's so stinkin cute.

Grand Master Flash being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Don't push me cuz I'm close to the.....edge.

Finally got to watch True Romance (thanks Terri!). That movie kicks bootay.

Bad

Motion denied in child support after 3 excrutiating hours in the waiting room w/ the ex and his mullet wearing c-word of a wife glaring at me. This isn't so bad since I don't need their money anyway anddddd it gave me a chance to finish that book, but I do hate losing at anything.

Dan's commute for orientation lasted almost 3 hours yesterday causing him to experience road rage. I reminded him that this too will pass and he came home all happy so it seems ok.

Trevor has hit puberty with running start and is rarely a joy to be around these days.

Two words: puppy poop.

Posted by krystal at 8:19 AM | Comments (1)

January 3, 2007

Newness

I got a new job today. I'll still be working for the school system, but as a computer engineer vs a sys admin. I can't put into words how much this rocks for us.

Moscati D'Asti rocks btw. The light bubbles and sweet flavor are just what I needed after a day of slimfast and salad.

Posted by krystal at 7:17 PM | Comments (8)

December 18, 2006

whwhawhaat?

I'm so stoked about life right now. First of all, I have completed my shopping except for anything small I might feel I should pick up while I'm out and about. I have to wrap it all, but that's ok, I'm done working at the school after tomorrow at 3pm. I will have 2 glorious school free weeks. Of course, I'll still be slinging wine, but that's secondary.

I also have an interview for a position that'd double my pay. The interview is next Wednesday so please keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed for me on that day. If I get it, I can quit the wine slinging and just focus on becoming thin. That's something that's staring me right in the face every time I have to look in a mirror. For now, until Jan 2, I'm going to just live with the fattitude and then I'll bandwagon and lose weight. I have too many cookies to eat until then.

Tlee, I know you'll read this sometime this week...we need to get together and do Christmas at some point, I also need to get fambily pics from you if you got a chance to mess with em. Are you working Friday? I have to work 12-5 but I could drive up early that morning or we could do something that night. I'm also free during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, but not at night on Wednesday. (HI TREE!!)

Posted by krystal at 8:25 AM | Comments (3)

December 13, 2006

Return of the Estes clan

My grandfather Richard had two brothers, Charlie and Joe. Their parents owned a grocery store on Caroline Street for eons and when Charlie got older he ran it. The store was basically a tackle shop with a bar in the back informally called "the batroom". It wasn't exactly publicized that you could go back there and drink. I remember spending a lot of time hanging around the store as a tiny girl, as did my mom when she was young. Uncle Joe ran another grocery store. My granddad was the only one who didn't. The brothers were no strangers to good times and all three enjoyed a nice healthy drinking habit. *cheers*.
Now, even though the family is all basically in the area, we do tend to have issues with keeping in touch. In fact, the last any of us saw each other was probably at the funeral for Uncle Joe at least 10 years ago.

I did see one cousin over the summer for a graduation party but otherwise, we all keep to ourselves.

Last night Trevor was dropped off after chorus practice by the grandparents of his friend (her name is pronounced kah-lair-ah but i call her colera because it's funny). Anyway, they showed up and all bailed out of the car babbling wildly about "WE'RE RELATED! WE'RE COUSINS!!"

I stood there sort of baffled and said "no, we're not". The grandparents said excitedly "YES WE ARE!! THIS IS YOUR COUSIN RICKY!"

I stared at him and there wasn't even a flicker of recognition. So I said again "nope...no relation, you must be mistaken". He says "I'm your uncle Joe's son". I said "no, he had little Joe, Sandra, Dicky and Ricky...oh...wow, we are related!" Apparently they live in my hood, 2 streets away. We caught up on old times, talked about the relatives we'd seen and those we hadn't...things that people do who have no intention of really keeping in touch. Roots can ground you or choke you...I'm glad to see my old family members but I'm not sure I need them living 2 streets away. I fear the choke.

Posted by krystal at 9:09 AM

December 5, 2006

Why I love him...

Dan: Let's go hang out with connie if she wants us to come over

me: hahah she's having a church thing
church meaning, she needs me to get her some wine really cheap

Dan: it's not really a church

me: jeebus would love that too

Dan: yeah

Dan: I heard from Ken that Jesus had a drinking problem. but VVV (they didn't have the letter A back then) helped him recover

me: HAHAHAHAHAHA
dan, did you make that up?

Dan: yes

Posted by krystal at 9:58 AM | Comments (1)

December 4, 2006

wonder

Turning 40 was to be a non-event for me. I started saying "I'm almost 40" just as soon as I turned 39, so it hasn't seemed scary or bad or anything like that. Dan offered to take me out to dinner anywhere I want to go and I chose Melting Pot.

I worked during the day so when I came home I took a long bath while the baby napped and Dan crashed out in front of the TV. I thought that he should show a bit more entusiasm about taking me to a nice restaurant w/ my parents for dinner but he was cranky and tired and I was aggitated. I sent a quick AIM message to Gayle that we'd be bringing the baby as soon as we could wake her and that Dan was crabby so I wasn't looking forward to my dinner. Then I told him that I'd appreciate it if he could at LEAST fake being happy about going out with me, but he was just so tired. I was in a snit by the time we walked into Wil and Gayle's house, but determined to just suck it up and have fun regardless of my crabby husband.

When we got there I was remarking about how beautiful Gayle's house is. She's going out of town for the holidays and her house looks 100 times better than ours does. It was a wonderland. Lights, winter decorations and snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. I was trying to take it all in when everyone yelled SURPRISE!!! First I saw my Dad and couldn't register exactly why he was at Gayle's house. Then I saw Jake...then more and more friends and family. I swear, I'm sharp, but I was baffled for more than a second.

From what I hear, this party had been in the works since just after Halloween and I had no idea. Dan, who is notorious for letting no secret stay kept, never once let on that he, Gayle, Tree and my mom were plotting big things for this day. I am so honored and impressed by my family and friends. Not only did they have a room full of friends and family and happiness, but every one of my favorite foods was there...including fondue. Dan had asked that there be no teasing and over the hill stuff...just classy nice wintery beauty and that's what they had. I got the best of everything and I still can't believe I deserve a bit of it. Thank you to everyone who came. You're way better than Melting Pot.

Also a huge thanks to Dan's folks for the beautiful flowers that came Saturday. They're so pretty that I wish I could preserve them forever.

Posted by krystal at 9:44 AM | Comments (6)

September 11, 2006

Sweet adieu

I guess if you're gonna get memorialized, Sept 11's a good day to do it. Janie, my softball coach, oranist at my church and very dear family friend, died last week and today's her memorial service.

I have so many memories of Janie. Her sugar cookie recipe is the only one I've used since I was 12 years old. Around that same time she used to say "Kryssy, you run like you're pulling a cart girl, get the lead out". Once she realized I wasn't a real jock, she taught me to hit the ball really hard so I could haul my butt to first base.

There were many times when Jane would just be the voice of reason in a highly emotional time. She was just like that, reasonable, calm and kind.

Posted by krystal at 6:14 AM | Comments (1)

August 31, 2006

old school

Ed beamurhead came to visit us last night. You know you're all jealous.

***

I've completed my cd exchange cd and it does not suck. I just need to work on my cover now.

***

Geeks on call wants to hire me. That kind of makes me laugh because they'd be letting me drive their car. I can fix the puters, but my driving record is less than stellar. Besides, I like my jobbie job.

***

Posted by krystal at 8:32 AM | Comments (1)

August 17, 2006

I has a job

It pays slightly more than min. wage, but it's a job. rarr!

Posted by krystal at 9:05 PM | Comments (5)

July 14, 2006

"did you say kishh?"

I got a new cell phone that allows me to say "Call Dan" or "call kids" and it'll dial them. It's very nifty except my phone seems to have a speach impediment. "Call Dan" is repeated to me as "did you say, Dahhhhn?". "Call kids" is repeated as "did you say KISH?" I just reply "yesh", and the call is made.

Posted by krystal at 6:35 AM | Comments (2)

June 28, 2006

What I did on summer vacation ...part uno

So since I'm a haus frau and there are six of us to prepare/pack/pay for on vacation, we took advantage of our time share at mass-a-nuthin in the beautiful hills of Virginia. In other words, it was free.

We swam a lot, played cranium, ate all sorts of unhealthy junk food, went to a water park, fed mildly wild animals, skated, made clay beads and hemp jewelery, fought like families do when crammed together in one place for a week, read, shopped, rode go carts, took a ski lift ride and lots and lots of pictures. That was our funfilled week in a nutshell.

I really feel like we do so many interesting things these days that it's hard to put down our one week as a vacation. For example, Saturday was supper club at Wendy's house, Monday Jake went to see AFI with Becky, tonight we're going to see Spamalot with Tree and some other friends. Then we're going Thursday to watch Maddy be in the finals for this karaoke contest, Friday we're having some friends over to play games, Saturday we're going to Mean-Mommy-Play-Group over at Terri's. After that we're heading out to the river for 3 days. Life is a vacation. Did I mention that yesterday I got to cut Peggy's hair and drink wine in the middle of the day? We had a supah time talking about collecting big words and the good fortune we share in our final choices of mates. I'm not even bragging, just so you know. I'm still continually surprised at how good life is. I still stare at Dan and wonder how I landed that hottie and how come he stuck around (aside from my obvious knockedupness at the time) but you get the picture, right? It's frightening to feel like you're this fortunate and for what reason? and for how long? (see? I can bring anything back to a negative light when given enough time).

Summer vacation part one just rocked...let's see what we can do in the hottest month.

Posted by krystal at 6:18 AM | Comments (2)

June 6, 2006

Conversation

Dan: (yelling into the bedroom from his shower) Baby? Do we have an international space station?

Me: (thinking he's obviously taken some hits of crack rock) If we do, it's in the basement.

Dan: Tess, your MAMA is crazy!

(I'm crazy???)

Posted by krystal at 8:12 AM | Comments (2)

May 24, 2006

Throw up a prayer

...or some good vibes or rub some crystals for Manda's little baby, Aleah. She's just so tiny and she's going through some rough times.

Send some to Manda and Jason and Ada too while you're at it.

Please.

xoxo

Posted by krystal at 8:33 AM

May 18, 2006

what do you want to be when you grow up?

At the end of April I quit my job. I gave notice and all of that, but the commute was just so long that I wasn't coping well. It's been a roller coaster year with the arrival of Tess, several house guests and the doubling of my commute...it finally took its toll and something had to go. Byebye Verio.

I've never been jobless. Not since I was 12. I wish I was a go-with-the-flow kind of girl who could just enjoy the freedom and use the time wisely to find herself. That's not me. I have spent a lot of time over the past few weeks enjoying the hell out of being a full time mom, but at night, when I am sleeping, I'm agonizing about how we'll pay the rent and make ends meet. I remind myself all day long that things always work out, but sometimes at night my brain just won't stop and listen to reason. I am now in the position of deciding what I'd like to do for a career when in reality, all I want to do is raise my kids and cook dinner. I have considered many career paths and I've applied for pretty much any job out there. I even have an interview lined up next week. (thanks Jessica).

Tuesday night Kendall, Tess and I went to the mother/daughter banquet at church. The speaker was talking about self-fulfillment and all of that jazz. She had us write down what we loved to do as young girls, what we wanted to be when we grew up and what we would do if we knew without a doubt that we'd succeed. Those are tough questions. They're questions that are hard enough without trying to separate the "what I want to be" with "how I want to earn a living" and then "what kind of person do I want to be". It's enough to make your head spin.

Add to this whole big equation the fact that it was Mothers Day this past weekend. We didn't really do a whole lot. Church, leftover fondue for lunch and then a day of hanging out in pjs watching tv and scrapbooking. I've always loathed this holiday in the past. In my first marriage, mothers day was no more special than Tuesday. This year, however, I feel as though I was given a gift. I got to be around Manda while she was on bedrest. She might look back on this as the hardest time of her life, but I must thank her for reminding me just how sweet and precious a gift it is to be allowed to have children. She had her tiny little babies after such a struggle to keep them in and safe until they were strong enough to make it. I know that she'd have given anything to assure their well being. It's always a sacrifice to be a parent, but it's so worth it. You spend all of your time worrying about the adult they'll become and the lessons they have to learn, but really...the fact that they're alive is such a bonus. I think back on the years I spent with a frown on my face on Mothers Day because I wasn't honored in some glorious fashion, when in reality, I should have been celebrating my children. I should thank them each day for being in my life and letting me have the gift of motherhood.

Jake snuck to CVS last week. He's not allowed to do that. I only found out because Sunday morning he came bursting into my room at 7am with a bowl of cereal, a banana and a card he'd bought all on his own during his stealthy trip to the drug store. I couldn't be more proud, and even though the card said "happy birthday" with "birthday" scratched out and "mothers day" written in (because the card was just perfect for me other than that!!) it was one of the most special things he's ever done.

So while I have an interview next week and I'm always going to be a worrier and a bit uptight and I have no clue how I'll earn money. I know what I want to be. I want to be Dan's wife. Jake's mom. Trevor's mom. Kendall's mom. Tessie's mom. Diane and Bodie's daughter. I'd also like to be a cowgirl.

Posted by krystal at 9:02 PM | Comments (2)

May 12, 2006

Petals

Congrats to Manda and Jason on the birth of their little girls. They came out early and right on time. I can't wait to see 'em in person. Manda, you're in for the ride of your life. Happy Mother's Day!

***

Dan (and the kids) sent me a dozen roses and 2 balloons for mothers day. They're gorgeous. It's so cool to get stuff on mom's day now.

***

One of the things that I love the most about my hubby is that he makes me laugh all the time. I don't think he tries to make me laugh but the things he does just crack me up. For example, last week, he maximized his time taking a dump by also taking along his razor and his gameboy ds. He came out clean shaven, happy and 10 lbs lighter. I do love him so! *swoon*

***

Week 2 of unemployment hasn't sucked. I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I wake up with purpose and ambition. I applied for several jobs and studied some real estate stuff and only spent one day in my pj's. I fear that by the time I get back to work, Tessie won't be allowed at any daycare. She's getting a LITTLE BIT spoiled.

***

Jake's almost done with his life guarding classes. I'm surprised at how well he's been behaving lately. I know it's too soon to count chickens but it feels like the hard-line approach with him has paid off some and maybe one day we'll share mutual respect. I can dream...it's my blog.

Posted by krystal at 5:12 PM

March 20, 2006

anniversary

A year ago Dan and I got married. It's been the best and most insane year ever. I just keep thinking I'll wake up and none of this happened.

We're not going to be able to celebrate tonight because I have to go to my first class. I'm gonna try to learn stuff. If all goes well, I'll be smarter soon.

We had a kick ass birthday party for Dan on Saturday. I think we had like 52 people there. Good times!

Tess says "dada" and loves her feet. We're all doing well and the beginning of Spring just holds promise for the future.

Posted by krystal at 2:23 PM | Comments (4)

February 8, 2006

2 weird thoughts..

Yesterday I was driving home from work and Jake called me to tell me about his day. He said "We didn't do anything in sign language class today because we had a substitute". I thought, but didn't say "were all of the notes in sign language and she couldn't read them?"

Also I saw that the flags were at half mast yesterday and wondered if that was because lucky rat died.

My brain cells are shrinking. Heeeelp!

Posted by krystal at 6:37 AM | Comments (2)

January 30, 2006

in my space.

nate (8:15:38 AM): i heard youhad to get rid of your myspace
r333th4x0r (8:15:43 AM): hahaha
r333th4x0r (8:15:44 AM): i did
nate(8:16:17 AM): evil guys talking to you?
r333th4x0r (8:16:28 AM): no, i was throwing gang signs
nate (8:17:33 AM): lol

Posted by krystal at 8:33 AM

January 12, 2006

shave and a haircut...

r333th4x0r (8:22:00 AM): i cut my hair just now
Xenophod (8:22:00 AM): I'm booogie'n
Xenophod (8:22:04 AM): haha
r333th4x0r (8:22:04 AM): well just one hair
Xenophod (8:22:05 AM): did not
r333th4x0r (8:22:06 AM): but still
Xenophod (8:22:07 AM): hahaha
r333th4x0r (8:22:07 AM): heheh
Xenophod (8:22:10 AM): I LOVE YOU

Posted by krystal at 8:37 AM | Comments (4)

January 4, 2006

Resolve

The holidays came and went and everyone lived and was happy and overly fat. I got everything I wanted plus some and so did everyone else I know. We're all very fat spoiled people. The most thoughtful gift was the milk goat that Tree donated to some needy folks in my kids' names. I truly appreciate her not giving us the goat because we don't need anymore animals.

Trevor turned 12 last week. He's always such a trooper about having a birthday after everyone in the world is entirely too tired to party with him. He and his best friend got to go see Narnia and he raked in cash for his birthday since he'd already gotten so much for Christmas. Cash makes the world a brighter place I guess.

I had several resolutions this year because I am such an incredible mess.
First I'll drop 30 lbs by summer. I know it can be done and I've got exactly 1.5 days of dieting under my belt already. I feel like a new (yet strangely, still fat) woman.

Second, I'm going to try to stop saying "fuck" so much. I adore the word but I hear my negative outlook and sour disposition is leaving a black mark on my soul. Eliminating the F word might turn it to a lighter shade of ebony...I reserve the right to still scatter "shit, damn, asshole and son of a bitch" liberally through out my conversations. Baby steps.

Third, I have a few organizational issues that I want to work on. I think the 40 calendars I now own are going to help with that. I even have sharpies to make writing in the calendars more fun. If you want me to remember your birthday or address, now is a good time to jot an email to me.

Fourth, I want to spend more time making myself look put together. I'll accessorize and wear makeup (SOMETIMES) and even brush my hair. I'm a mom...I should look like I know how to dress myself even if I don't have time to look in the mirror at what I've done.

I have a few more personal ones that I don't want to write about here since they most likely won't work and I'll have to eat crow. (like the f word one and the diet one will work. who am I kidding?).

I'd also like to think I'll write more this year but I'm usually so busy blogging inmymind that I forget to type out the brilliance I've created...this explains why my real blog is so boring.

Posted by krystal at 12:37 PM | Comments (7)

December 29, 2005

wizzurd.

becky (9:49:08 AM): the albums dropping in June
r333th4x0r (9:49:15 AM): hahah i'll mark my calendar

Posted by krystal at 10:04 AM | Comments (1)

December 22, 2005

seriously

coworker (1:00:52 PM): i believe that a's butt cheeks are falling out of that skirt
r333th4x0r (1:00:58 PM): HAHAHA
coworker (1:01:06 PM): seriously
coworker(1:01:12 PM): it is almost obscene
r333th4x0r (1:01:30 PM): yeah, i think she lost half of it on the way to work
coworker (1:01:39 PM): lmao
coworker (1:01:40 PM): y
r333th4x0r (1:01:47 PM): "im freezing my butt off" takes on new meaning hehe
coworker (1:01:56 PM): seriously

Posted by krystal at 1:21 PM

December 20, 2005

newsletter

I've never sent a newsletter with my Christmas cards. Adrianne is the only friend I have who is together enough to get that done. In fact, I can barely get my cards out before March. But last week as it seemed like my world was just falling apart and things could not get worse, I found myself composing my tragic and sad news letter while talking to Tree on AIM. I'd never be so glib or cliche as to assume my year could be entitled "the best of times and the worst of times" but really, isn't every year that way? (please agree with me so I don't think I'm the only one who has the flukiest luck ever. Flukiest is a word by the way, I just decided it is).

Let's see. Last December Dan and I decided to finally admit that we love each other and instead of saying "he sure does spend a lot of time here" we started saying FOR REAL "he lives here". It was a good decision as far as I was concerned because that meant I got to start secretly throwing his stuff away when it got on my nerves instead of piling it up for when he got totally fed up and moved out.

New years eve was spent nestled quietly in bed by 10pm and that was probably our last quiet time for the rest of the year. We found out by the end of January that I was pregnant. Good thing we'd gotten past that whole issue of whether he lived with us huh? So anyway, we made our plans to get hitched in the living room and pretty much waited til 2 weeks before the wedding to let folks know. It was a cool wedding, we wore new clothes and ate some Mexican food afterwards and the whole shindig was attended by family and friends and didn't cost a million dollars. It was a great way to start the rest of our lives. Our wedding day rocked. The next day we went on back to work. ha. In April or May (sometime??) we went to Williamsburg for a long weekend (thanks mom and dad) and that was our honeymoon. It was very cool even though I was starting to get grossly fat and couldn't get trashed or anything.

We found out that our baby was going to be a girl sometime around 17 weeks of pregnancy and the entire family was happy. Happy happy happy. We also found out via amnio that she was healthy and not uhhh, special. This also made us happy.

Unfortunately it was around this time, near the end of school, when we realized that Jake was the special one. He got suspended for the last 3 days of school for "inciting riot" by (allegedly) starting a food fight. Bad Jacob. Bad. Thankfully this was balanced out by the fact that Kendall and Trevor are very good and got great report cards and really cause no upheaval in our house except for dinner time when Trev decides he hates anything except chicken nuggets and apple sauce. This started the tradition of "try new food Wednesday" which was met with much resistance at first, but later became completely ignored since I have a really hard time figuring out what to cook even when it's NOT new.

The summer was good. We spent lots of time at the river. Jake learned to water ski. Dan never used the fishing pole my dad gave him as his dowry. Kendall and Trev caught pretty much every clam in the river only to have me release them back into the muddy underbelly so they could be caught again the following weekend. We didn't take an official vacation but we DID spend the night at the Ramada Inn when the water started spewing from the outside faucet to the yard and the plumber turned off the water to our entire house. Once again this proves that my family has the ability to make lemonade out of lemons.

When school started back we had high hopes. My dad was renovating the basement so we could make room for the baby. It was the beginning of 3 months of upheaval and dust and Mexican construction workers coming and going at all hours. Dan and I were eagerly preparing for the baby. Jake was going off to high school armed with duct tape, long hair, ripped jeans and Cd's by groups I've never heard of before. Trevor anxiously started 6th grade at his new school after having several bad nights' sleep about his locker combination and Kendall started 4th grade with all of her clothes matching and lots of cool ink pens and stickers and new glasses. She floats through life like it's her playground and she's right.

At the end of September Tess was born. Dans folks visited from California and I got to stay home for a long time. Life was so busy this Fall. We had Jake getting braces, Kendall doing gymnastics, Trevor stressing out a lot about his work and being organized and people who MIGHT throw shoes at him on the bus. Dan was the glue that held the family tight as I stressed out about the basement, the baby, and how the hell I'd ever fit back into my jeans. (they still barely fit btw). I just can't imagine having gone through this year without him. He gets up with the baby, makes bottles, does chores, runs errands, gives me money and at the end of the day is still the person I want to be with forever.

It's at this point where I start to think...ok now just how messed up do I let my NEWSLETTER get? First I have to realize that this whole story was supposed to lend humor to my stress and I somehow got sidetracked and acted all gushy. Blah!

Ok, so to save on time and typing and just so I don't have to go through this again. I'm going to bulletize (YES, DAMMIT, IT'S A WORD) the rest.

- Trevor(doodlepoodleschnoodle) became a stressed out mess, starting with some cat shit and ending with his shrink telling James to give him back his yugioh cards. His grades alternate between great and suck and he's TERRIBLE about picking up his socks. On the bright side, he's now trying new foods and is much more pleasant to live with than he was at the beginning of the year. He also *always* offers to help me with Tess. Trev also can eat more apples than mr. ed!

- Jake(abakalakasnaka) is now serving his second suspension from school this year. He got caught with firecrackers at school and cursed at his entire class. He's in love with a girl named Megan who has black fingernails and who signs his "myspace" account with "sexual butterly". I feel nauseaus everytime I think about that, but never fear, his father bought him condoms. (yes, I rolled my eyes when I typed that). I alternate between laughing at him and loving his wonderful sense of humor and attitude and wanting to choke the living shit out of him so he can't cause anymore pain in our lives. It's sometimes very hard to remember the darling baby he used to be, but these days when I stop at his BABYSITTER'S house to pick him up, I am focusing more on the good stuff.

-Kendall(popadopolous) is clinging tightly to her childhood and I'm determined to keep her there as long as she'll stay. She's smart and funny and very creative. She has friends who are a joy to be around and she doesn't sass me. She leaves her clothes on the floor and her room's a mess but I've learned this year that the mess is really not that important. I love being around my chatty bubbly girl so much and I hope (times 1000000) that she stays so nice.

-Tess(alitapitabread) has the hair of johnny bravo and the smile of an angel. I don't think a better baby was ever born. She slept TEN HOURS last night. In fact, she never once kept us up "all night" and she makes me want to get home faster so I can spend time with her before she's asleep and I miss out on her pretty face. I know that she was made from love and she's going to be the happiest most loved little sister in the world.

- Dan and I are happy and good. Dan has handled the crash course in fatherhood with grace. I'm usually found clenching my teeth together and fussing but that's just what I do. I'm not afraid of what's happening next year because I'm gradually learning that pretty much anything can be dealt with. (if you have a gun or enough beer).

- Animals. We have 2 cats, 1 rat, 1 snake, 1 frog, 1 gecko, 3 fish and a bunch of crickets in our house now. We're animal hoarders...it's all good though.

Merry Christmas.

Posted by krystal at 9:32 AM | Comments (2)

December 14, 2005

ho ho oh...ew.

This past weekend we went to get our Christmas tree from the farm out in bfe where we go each year for the tree slaughter.

We crammed into the van, started a movie on the ol' vcr and headed out towards Lake Anna to the farm.

Within 10 minutes, Trev started fussing that he was car sick so when we stopped to pick up nannie at E.B. Finney and Funky Daughter's store we let Trev and Jake change places and then within 10 more minutes Trevor was fine and Kendall was saying that we needed to quickly pull over because *she* was going to blow chunks. So Dan pulled over and everyone in the back shifted and Kendall hopped out and

nothing.

So I said "ok Trevor, you take the way back and let Kendall sit in the middle row now". We started on our way again and Trevor says "omg pull over, I have to barf!!" Soooo once again, Dan pulls over and Trev gets out, stands on the side of the road and

NOTHING.

So Kendall moves to the back of the van to let Trev have the middle row again and at this point Dan and I were thoroughly aggrivated and ready to scream so I did just that. I said "TREVOR JUST PUKE IN THE VAN. WE'RE NOT STOPPING AGAIN!!!!!!!"

So he

puked in the van.

He tried to puke in a mcdonalds bag but he overflowed that. So we had to clean out the van and throw vomit covered mcdonalds stuff on the ground right in front of a hunting club where the hunters were pulling in at a regular rate. Luckily my dad had some hunting insulated camoflauge overalls that Trevor could wear. Luckily Dan is good at cleaning up barf. Luckily those hunters didn't feel like shooting us for puking in their yard. Luckily everything went ok after that and we ended up with a really nice tree and we were all jolly n stuff. The end.

Posted by krystal at 2:24 PM | Comments (2)

November 30, 2005

on aging

I remember my mom turning 30. She was so *OLD* back then. I didn't put much thought into her station in life or what she would accomplish later or what she'd already done. Nothing really mattered much except that she was mom...and old.

By the time she turned 40, I was 19 and old enough to realize that not only was my mom not old, but she was beautiful. I remember the boys on my brother's baseball team flocking to be around her while she kept score. My mom was a hottie. I remember thinking that I really hope I got that gene from her and one day I'd blossom.

When my grandmother died I was 28. Mom was 48. We stood by the casket and mom said "let's hope we got her skin...look, hardly a wrinkle". I think I said something like "yah but she has a mustache".

I'm about to get on the exit ramp of my 30's. I turn 39 at the end of this week. Jake turned 15 yesterday, Tess turned 2 months old Monday. I'm grateful to have had Jake, Trevor and Kendall while I was young enough to learn the hard stuff and bounce back. I'm elated to have Tess at a time when I feel comfortable with myself and with her. In Dan, I have a partner who will make forever fun and fulfilling. I'm not the same person my mom was at 40 but I can completely agree with her when she says that the 30's are the best.

Until the 40's.

I really can't wait to see what happens next.

Posted by krystal at 9:34 AM | Comments (3)

September 23, 2005

almost!

We have 3 more days til our baby comes. I've spent the last 2 weeks getting prepared for supper club, cd exchange, book club, kids stuff, and of course getting the house ready for me to be gone for 3 days. I've eaten everything I think I might want to indulge in before having to diet hard core and now, save a few things on my famous "to do" list, I'm ready. Well, sorta ready. I still intend to devote one whole weekend to being alone with Dan and spending our last quality alone time for a while. I want to make the most of it.

****

Jake is getting braces next month. It's about time. His grill is in need of some serious straightening and he has to have 4 teeth pulled as well. I am glad we're getting this taken care of finally. He's such a cute kid so straight teefs will make him irresistible. I guess I better get my shotgun ready.

****

The basement is coming right along. We have construction workers here from morning til night pretty much every day of the week. The boys live downstairs now and we've got Kendall into her room. Tess's room is ready, just needs her crib, which we get this weekend.

****

I think that's all I can muster up in the way of an entry for now. My brain's too fast for my fingers and I've got things to do. Ciao.

Posted by krystal at 9:40 AM | Comments (5)

August 22, 2005

nesting

This past weekend my sister-in-law and mom gave us a baby shower. At the shower I had my most recent friends, my long term friends and family there. I felt all gushy about how fortunate I am. We also got a lot of awesome things for Tess. She's going to have it made in the shade when she finally gets here. I think all I need to get now is a baby monitor and a swing. It'll also be cool when her room is done so we can put her somewhere.

The basement is looking great and there are workers in my house pretty much all the time fixing up things. The electrician is there now and tomorrow we're meeting dad over at Knobby's shop to pick out carpet and flooring. I just can't wait to see this stuff all finished.

I have to get busy on The Time Traveler's Wife this week. Book club for Sept was my idea so I need to be prepared for the meeting.

I've found myself obsessing about stuff lately. I obsess about my calendar and if everything's done and if I've forgotten things (like mailing Adrianne's birthday card) or if I've been really insensitive to friends. On the bright side, my house is a wreck and I've not started being overly obsessive about that...at least not any more than usual. Dan's nesting though, he put stuff in the attic and then helped Trev clean out his dresser without me even asking for help! I love that man.

Ok, one more hour of work and I need to get back to uh...whatever it is that I do here.

One last thing.

My butt is not stinky.

Posted by krystal at 2:07 PM | Comments (4)

July 20, 2005

4monthaversary

Today's my grandfather's birthday, the 4th anniversary of my marriage to Dan and a glucose test at 3pm. Jake is going to the movies with Emma, the heat outside is killer, Trev and Kendallpops are at camp suffering in it. It seems like there's so much going on right now I can't keep up. Dan's dad has surgery coming up, mom's coworker's grandbaby was delivered and died 3 hours later (it was due when our baby is...sucks). The basement renovation has started but is going slowly. Harry Potter is still alive but I'm only 200 pages into the book so don't tell me who dies! I get to hang out w/ Tree tomorrow afternoon which is great since I haven't seen her, Jaybird or the new rooms in their house in eons and I hate that. Manda's getting married and I get to go help her party away her bacheloretteness next weekend. (read: designated driver). Work is slow, home is messy. Life is good. I promise to come up with better content and format for the next entry I write.

Posted by krystal at 11:33 AM | Comments (1)

June 30, 2005

personal growth

I think the baby has had a growth spurt. I know she's gone up kinda high so she can make sure I don't breathe. My belly is as hard as a rock and feels like I've been doing sit-ups...which we all know is a complete joke. The only sit-up I do is when the alarm goes off in the morning. 3 more months...looks like these are going to be fun ones. We have so much to do.

***

Dan noticed some growth in his belly too so he got up early this morning to go jogging and the kids went along with him. I think that's just so damn cute. I thought it was even cuter when he picked them up this afternoon to reward them for running with Burger King for lunch. My husband is the cat's pajamas.

***

Jake is growing up...too much. I'm wigging out. Just as it's not fair to have wrinkles and zits at the same time, it's also not fair to have to worry about one of your kids having sex while there's one in your belly still. Someone needs to send me the answer book, straight away!

Speaking of Jake. He's going to Fredcamp next week so he'll be working on home repair for poor folks and hanging out with other churchy folks doing churchy teenager things (let us pray this does not include sex...I told you I'm wigging out).

***
Reading: Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith. It's the 3rd in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Very cute books.

Listening to: System of a Down, Mezmerize. Perfect for annoying coworkers and learning new profanity.

Watching: Last night we watched Saved! Cute movie, I liked it. The night before I slept through Life of Brian. I think I was just too tired for Brit humor or something? We also went to the movies to see Batman a few weeks ago and I'm hoping if we can get through the basement cleaning this weekend we'll still have energy to go see War of the Worlds. It's an ambitious plan.

***
Basement cleaning...yes. We're doing it. Dad came to measure and draw plans and stuff last night.

***

We've been having "try-something-new-Wednesday" in a feeble attempt to get the kids to try new food. This week we had it on Monday though and Jake and Kendall ate smothered pork chops. Trev refused so last night was lasagne which is just one more thing on his list of things that "make me puke". He threw a fit, called me "nagzilla" and spent a good amount of time in his room before finally giving in and trying the fucking lasagne. I have my doubts about whether his increased food tolerance will be worth the meals we spend listening to him whining nonstop but Dan and my mom seem to think it will work so I'm giving it a shot. I'm flexible, man.

***

I have the best boss in the world. She sent me an email last night saying I can check out early on Friday if I want. I didn't even have to ask. I'm off til next Thursday too. Rock on!

Posted by krystal at 1:43 PM | Comments (1)

June 24, 2005

belated

Typical, here we are, almost a week past fathers day and I've yet to express my feelings to the dads in my life.

To my own dad...I appreciate you fixing up the basement so I have a place to store my kids. I appreciate the fact that you say "I love you" everytime we talk. It's not that you NEED to say it, but it's nice to hear. Thanks also for taking Jake out of the house to do manual labor over the summer. Hard work is good for the soul. (the soul of anyone but me...I hate that stuff).

To Dan...I never expected to find someone like you in my life. I'd gotten so used to being the mom and dad and now even though you're definitely the softer parent, I've got help. Sometimes it's just nice to have another person there to go "yep, they're being buttheads". Our house is chaotic and a mess and funny. You are a big part of all of those things and for that I am eternally grateful. I can't wait til our baby is here so she can experience and add to the insanity.

To Dan's dad...Thanks for being the man who shaped the way my husband turned out. I am so glad he came from a family who loves openly and without reservation. I like watching Dan talk on the phone with you. He never stops smiling. It's awesome that our baby will have two wonderful sets of grandparents to love her and that you accepted me and my kids into your family. It's not always an easy feat!

James...you've got a million miles to go before you're the father our kids deserve, but thanks for making a semi-effort. Now stop trying to get money from them, stop charging them for their entertainment and stop letting your wife be a complete bitch to them. Our kids are too cool for you and it's just a matter of time before they realize this on their own, DON'T BLOW IT.

Posted by krystal at 12:53 PM | Comments (2)

April 27, 2005

Split tail

We had the amnio yesterday. Everything went fine...as fine as a needle in your gut can go. We'll find out for sure on Friday but for now the word is that we're having a girl. Kendall's very happy about evening the numbers in our house. I'm just glad the baby has 2 arms, 2 legs and 1 head. Now we just have to make sure it's healthy and I can start shopping.

Yesterday Jake had the nurse call me to pick him up because he had hives. She was very pushy about it and I told her I'd be there as soon as the amnio was over but she'd just have to hold her horses for an hour til I got there from Richmond. So we drove over to pick up the rashy kid and YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT...

That rash miraculously disappeared!!!! Jake was HEALED in the time it took for us to drive there and take him home. Not an itch or anything. I praise God that he healed my son just in time that I never got to see the dreadful disease. Jake's a fortunate kid indeed. Now I just have to make sure and not fall for that line of BULL ever again. *sigh*

In the good news category, Trevor got his orange belt yesterday. He's a true Beverly Hills Ninja.

Posted by krystal at 2:21 PM | Comments (1)

April 25, 2005

juan more time...

Last Thursday we went for our amnio. As most everyone knows, I got upset and left without having the test. The Dr. and I did not jive at all and I spent last Thursday crying. Wah. I'm over it now though so tomorrow we're going to try again. Different Dr, different hospital, different city. I really want to have the amnio, just not with that dicknose who upset me. I'm over it though, really. Anyway, around 9am tomorrow please think good thoughts, I promise to not ask again for a while.
We went last Friday to see Vagina Monologues at the Colonial Tavern. It was like watching a show in a bar...loud, drunk, cell phone-using people sat behind the place where people had paid $35 to see a serious show to benefit victims of sexual assault. The venue didn't match the subject matter. It was still nice of Dan to take me. Not many men would sit through it.

Saturday was a busy day. We met lots of the Fredtalk people for lunch at Virginia BBQ and then at 4 we had the book club meeting. I love the book club. It's a fun way to catch up with people we rarely see and I love the book discussions. June's book is AWESOME and I can't wait to discuss it.

Sunday, was spent in bed or on the couch all day. Dan has ruined my productive nature. I struggled to do 2 loads of laundry and buy a few groceries. I've turned into a couch potato. In fact, I sat so much that my body ached from my sedentary lifestyle. We watched 8 episodes of the first season of 24, we have 4 left to watch. We also watched Spanglish. I sorta liked it, sorta didn't. I can't say for sure still. 24 is awesome though, I can't believe it's taken me this long to see that. (SEE? I watch tv now! I am a worthless sack).

Posted by krystal at 12:51 PM

March 29, 2005

Can you feel it?

Today's supposed to be almost 70. My boss is on vacation so she's letting me work 1/2 days. That, coupled with the time change this weekend, marks the very best week of the year so far. I can't wait to wear the new black sandles I ordered from simpleshoes.com. (yay!!).

Today's going to rock because once I leave work EARLY I will go get the kids and we're going to see Robots with Gayle and her kids. I've even got my work done already AND Diane brought me decaf caramel macchiato and cranberry bread.

Please please please let today keep going well.

Posted by krystal at 8:21 AM | Comments (2)

March 8, 2005

Do I have spinach in my teeth?

There are 8 days from my most recent entry til this one. I know everyone's just been dying of anticipation. Well, not Mike and Kate who somehow got banninated from seeing my site, I hope we have that fixed now.

Since I last wrote, I had an accident with my car and got 2 appraisals averaging in damage of around $1500. For once it wasn't my fault and for that we are very grateful. Also, since I last wrote I've developed a thyroglossal duct cyst. That's a very fancy word for "lump". It's painful as hell and makes me look like I have the mumps or just the lack of any neck at all. I'm taking drugs for it and hoping to resume having a neck sometime soon.

In the past week I also finished reading Digital Fortress and moved briefly on to the book club book. (the one I need to finish by Saturday...no pressure). I fell asleep on that book 2 times before putting it down in exchange for Jennifer Weiner's new book "Little Earthquakes". I never know if books go in "'s or italics. I'm going to do quotes though because it's my blog and I can. Little Earthquakes is rocking my world and I already don't want it to end even though I'm only 1/4 of the way into it.

Jake's hives are gone and his dorky attitude is back. Thank God for small favors, right? Kendall is doing gymnastics on Saturdays starting this Saturday. She's had Dan doing flips with her...now THATs funny. Trevor has worked himself into a tizzy about SOL's and no matter how many times I tell him that those tests are bullshit and he's smart enough to pass without even showing up, he's still stressed out. I hate that. There should be a law against kids having stress. You get enough of it as adults.

Several things have come together for Dan and I and I just love him so much.

I know that I'm inclined to bitch nonstop about the cluttered state of my house and how I hate cooking and all of that, but really, I'd never give it up (unless someone hired a maid for me. hint hint).

Posted by krystal at 12:13 PM | Comments (7)

February 25, 2005

Southern Exposure

Southern Exposure
Fredericksburg: Something old, something new - and one enormous meat sandwich

By Hetty Lipscomb
Friday, February 25, 2005; Page WE29

When I lived in Richmond, I regularly visited my boyfriend in Washington. And because I'm a neurotic driver with an intense fear of Interstate 95, I always took the train. At the journey's halfway point, the train stopped in Fredericksburg -- the skyline was unmistakable, with church steeples standing tall in the distance and Nader's Grocery in the foreground. From the window, I could look down the narrow streets and admire the rows of 18th-century clapboard homes. My favorite was (and remains) a soft gray house with slate-colored shutters and a dormer on top. Even though I was just passing through, I always wanted to get off the train and explore.

Now that I've married that boyfriend and moved to the Washington area, I periodically need a dose of small-town life. A day trip to Fredericksburg is ideal, and in keeping with my initial curiosity about the place, I take the train. The trip from Union Station takes a little over an hour and makes the adventure more like traveling back in time. As the train approaches town, the conductor calls out in his old-fashioned way, "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! Ladies and gentlemen, if Fredericksburg is your destination, now is a good time to check around your seat for your personal belongings." From the downtown station you can walk through the city's historic district, have a leisurely lunch, visit a Colonial house or Civil War site, browse bookshops and specialty stores, then have a drink and a snack before catching the train back home.

Downtown Fredericksburg sits on the Rappahannock, a deceptively syrupy river lined with low-slung trees, scruffy warehouses and the occasional restaurant-with-a-deck that's boarded up for the winter. The river was the source of the town's initial prosperity, serving as an inland trading port for tobacco as early as 1728. Docks along the bank established the city's grid of downtown streets. Well-off families, such as the Lewises and Washingtons, were attracted to the area. George Washington grew up at Ferry Farm across the Rappahannock and came to town for school; later he bought his mother a house near Fredericksburg's elegant Kenmore Plantation, home of his sister, Betty Lewis. During the Civil War, Fredericksburg had the misfortune of being located between the Confederate capital in Richmond and Washington, D.C. It was the site of four major battles, including the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862, during which Union forces, led by Ambrose E. Burnside, invaded the town; eventually they were forced back by Robert E. Lee's troops.

Later in the 19th century, railroad development throughout the South led to the construction of new lines and stations. The town's geographic significance during the Civil War was echoed in 1910 when the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad built the downtown depot, a handsome, sturdy brick building on Lafayette Boulevard. Although the train stops there, Fredericksburg no longer has a functioning train station -- the building has been converted to an upscale restaurant that serves southern-style cooking. Principally the stop serves as the terminal for the Virginia Railway Express, a commuter line that shuttles professionals to and from the metro Washington area, a development that bespeaks yet another phase in the town's history. While benefiting from its proximity to the nation's capital, Fredericksburg determinedly remains a small town, rejecting any notion that it is an extension of Northern Virginia.

The railway cuts through Fredericksburg's downtown, and as soon as you leave the station -- boom -- you're there. Immediately on the right is Caroline Street, a sort of main drag with lots of shops and restaurants. Before plunging in, however, I decided to stop at the Fredericksburg Visitors Center (706 Caroline St.; 800-678-4748). The center offers an informative orientation video, and wall displays practically burst with brochures on local historic sites, restaurants and antique shops. Friendly staff members are on hand to answer questions, drawing on their encyclopedic knowledge of the town. I asked Fran Jessee about the church with the tallest steeple I regularly admired from the train. "That's probably St. George's," she beamed. "George Washington attended church there -- and there are Tiffany windows." Whipping out a free map, Jessee pinpointed St. George's Episcopal Church (905 Princess Anne St.; 540-373-4133) with a red pen, and I set out.

Built in 1849, the Romanesque revival church has inset panels along its facade that create a subtle sense of movement. A clock in the church tower regularly sounds the hours. A small, crumbling graveyard dates to the 1700s, and many of the worn headstone inscriptions that can still be read are heartbreaking, such as "Catherine Rose/ daughter of JP and AMS Hart/ Aged 9 mos 4Dys." The sanctuary itself was quiet and calming with dark wood and white plaster walls. The center aisle floorboards squeaked when I walked. On either side are box pews with low swinging doors that seem to corral parishioners. When the church was first built, the pews were "sold" to families and rented each year afterward as a means to pay for building operations -- some still have engraved silver plates on their doors, indicating who used them. During the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864, St. George's was used as a makeshift hospital. I wondered if soldiers stretched out in these pews.

In contrast to the simplicity of the church's interior are several opulent Tiffany stained-glass windows. The most striking is dedicated to a local physician, Lawrence Ashton, and depicts a triumphant angel in a rich gold robe with iridescent wings. The folds of her garment seem almost touchable, formed out of the variegated shaded glass characteristic of Tiffany. The angel holds a gold staff with a palm, possibly representing the guardian angel of medical science, a suitable tribute to a doctor.

Although steeped in history, St. George's is an active, contemporary parish. Fliers posted in the vestibule announced a forum on homelessness as well as an intergenerational Lenten program titled "The Gospel According to 'The Simpsons.' " The St. George's clock tower struck 1. Clearly it was time for lunch.

While there are many great eateries along Caroline Street, I craved a comestible I call "the big meat sandwich" from Captain Sid's Seafood and Deli (2100 Princess Anne St.; 540-899-2288). A local introduced me to the shop a number of years ago, and my first sandwich there had enough beef on it to feed a family of six.

Captain Sid's looks like a building from the "Happy Days" set, with a roofline that jags up and down like a jack-o'-lantern's teeth. The inside has that hot, greasy french fry smell, and tables covered with plastic red-and-white checked tablecloths circle the room. The big meat sandwich is a (near) misnomer for the cheese steak sub for which Captain Sid's is famous. There are four variations, so connoisseurs can compare the subtleties of the Original (provolone, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion), the Philly (add a slice of American to the Original), the All American (slap on a couple of pieces of bacon) and the Super Steak and Cheese (take away the bacon and the American cheese, add mushrooms and green peppers).

I was feeling only ordinary-lunch hungry, so I opted for the six-inch Original. There's also a 12-inch, but I don't want to even think about it. I was mopping my mouth with a napkin when I spied fellow sub devotee Marie King. She had just moved to Fredericksburg in September but was already a regular. A physical therapist, King made a conscientious food choice. "I had the chicken cheese steak sandwich -- makes me feel less guilty because I'm not eating red meat."

Feeling a bit more than guilty myself, I decided I'd head back downtown, but not without casting a wistful gaze across the Captain Sid's parking lot at a blue sign with white script reading " Carl's Creme Shakes Sundaes." Next to the sign for this Fredericksburg institution (2200 Princess Anne St.) and almost serving as an exclamation point, is a jaunty ice cream cone with a curving peak at the top. Carl's offers soft-serve custard in three flavors -- vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The shop is closed from about mid-November until mid-February, making it all the more alluring the rest of the year.

Part of the appeal of Fredericksburg's historic downtown is that it is still a place where people live and work. Accordingly there are a few rough edges -- ivy slowly encroaches into the brick wall of an 18th-century house, and there are a couple of trashcans out back. Buildings are not polished and groomed as they are in Colonial Williamsburg. "Williamsburg is just reconstructed buildings," locals might sniff. "Ours are the real thing." Taking a walk through the historic district is like taking a seminar on Virginia architecture. Walk down Caroline Street to see Colonial wood frame houses that date to the 1750s. Head over to Princess Anne and admire the Flemish-bond brickwork of the Federalist-style City Courthouse (now the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, 907 Princess Anne St.; 540-371-3037). Continue down to the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg (810 Princess Anne St.; 540-373-7057), whose Classical revival facade, complete with Doric columns, looks back to antiquity. Cut over to Washington Avenue and admire Victorian houses with their asymmetrical plans, grand towers and elaborate woodwork on wide porches.

For a closer look at a Colonial building, visit the Mary Washington House (1200 Charles St.; 540-373-1569). Staff guide Len Malinowski conducts a tour in the persona of James Mercer, the Scottish expatriate attorney to the Washington family. According to Malinowski, the father of our country was seriously into household renovation. He bought the property on Charles Street for his mother in 1772. But before she could move in, Washington did what so many homeowners do today, expanding "a cottage into a commodious residence." He added several rooms to the right of the building, including a parlor with elaborate wood moldings and a mantle carved by artisans from Mount Vernon. Meanwhile, he had the upstairs roof raised so the bedrooms could accommodate his 6-foot-2 frame -- evidently the original loft was so low that he could not stand up in it.

Although Mary Washington lived in the house from 1772 until her death in 1789, visitors are apt to hear more about George -- his leadership in the Continental Army, his presidency, his service to the country. "Who is responsible," Malinowski intoned, "for his sense of duty, honor and responsibility?" Who indeed. The information presented about Mary Washington is speculative, perhaps because there's not much to go on. Although she was literate, she was an uncertain writer and infrequent correspondent; few documents and even fewer artifacts survive. While the house is furnished with period pieces, an effort has been made to have an object that belonged to her in each room to illustrate some aspect of her life -- such as the Canton teapot in the parlor, which she may have used to entertain such luminaries as George Mason, Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette.

There is an occasional reference to servants on the tour but no discussion of who they were or how they lived. There were six slaves in Mary Washington's house, four men and two women. A copy of her will exhibited upstairs identifies these individuals as she dispensed with her property: "I give and devise to my granddaughter, Betty Carter, my negro woman, little Bet, and her future increase." While reading such a statement may make you blanch, it evokes a vivid picture of the reality of those who were enslaved here.

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Down the street from the Mary Washington House is a more tangible record of the existence of slaves in Fredericksburg -- an auction block at Charles and William streets. A large, cylindrical gray stone stands upright with a deep, curved cut on its side. Below is a brass plaque on the sidewalk saying simply, "Fredericksburg's Principal Auction Site in Pre-Civil War Days for Slaves and Property." The stone serves as a silent witness to a painful aspect of the town's -- and the nation's -- history.

Heading west on William Street, fiber artists of all ilks will be delighted to find the Knitters Cottage (807 William St.; 540-361-7875). While it is a yarn shop, it also seems to serve as a social center; when you enter, you immediately see a rocking chair next to a fireplace. Other chairs are positioned near bright, wide windows, inviting customers to sit and knit. It was uncharacteristically quiet on the day I visited. "Usually the place is hopping," exclaimed Karlene Browder, a shop associate and avid knitter. "It would have shown you how much everyone likes to knit in Fredericksburg!" interjected shop owner Nancy Benedict. No need, their stock was testament enough.

Each room houses yarns for specific knitting projects. Benedict and Browder were sitting in the "scarf room," which has a dazzling array of novelty yarns for accessories. A popular type is eyelash -- a thin yarn with tufts of thread hanging off in searing colors such as hot pink or orange that made me think of Animal from "The Muppet Show." The "wool room" stocks soft, thick yarns for winter sweaters, including skeins of a luscious gray cashmere that I just stroked and sighed over. New yarns for spring were coming in that looked like cascades of shimmering ribbon in teal, green, coral and cream.

The "baby room" is awash in pastels. White floor-to-ceiling storage units hold thin, fine yarns for sweaters, caps and blankets. A number of examples were on display -- little sweaters in pink or white, just right for Easter Sunday services; lacy receiving blankets that you would never dare use; sturdier-looking cardigans for outdoor play. One of the Cottage's staff members, Suzy Ritenour, specializes in babywear and offers workshops on site.

Customers who have gotten into trouble with a knitting project are welcome to come to the shop for help. A wide white table in the scarf room serves as a "triage area" where staff can spread out your sweater and figure out just what went wrong. If your project needs more than a quick fix, you can sign up for one of the knitting workshops offered Tuesday through Saturday. People can learn knitting basics, how to interpret a pattern or get help starting a new project. A corkboard displayed on a prominent wall shows photos of workshop participants triumphantly holding up complicated sweaters or brave first-attempt scarves.

Heading back toward the river on William Street, I passed the Fredericksburg City and Confederate Cemetery (William Street and Washington Avenue; 540-373-6122). The main entrance is at Washington Avenue and Amelia Street, a tripartite arched gate that's casually left open for visitors. The park officially closes at dusk. As they do for most people, old cemeteries hold a macabre fascination for me, and this one is full of Poe-like delights such as tall obelisks, drooping pine trees and the occasional weeping angel. Cast-iron fences designate family plots with familiar Virginia names such as Herndon and Woodbridge. The focus of the cemetery, however, is the section honoring the Confederate dead, overseen by a life-size statue of a soldier standing at ease, his rifle at his side. Surrounding him, like soldiers in formation, are lines and lines of slender stone markers with rapidly deteriorating names: "J. Christfield VA," "F Martin SC," "W Parson GA," "JC Whately ALA," "WA Feeney COL MISS." According to the brass plaque at the park entrance, the Ladies Memorial Association tends to the graves of the Confederate dead from the area's four battles; some 3,553 men from 14 states were reinterred at the site -- many had originally been buried at the battlefields -- in 1870. Today, the cemetery serves not only as a memorial to the Civil War soldiers, but to those who mourned and channeled their grief to purposeful ends.

Another historic site is Goolrick's Pharmacy (901 Caroline St.; 540-373-9878). I spoke with pharmacist Steve May, owner of the small, independent apothecary, about why customers remained loyal to his shop despite the prevalence of chain drug stores. "It's the nostalgia of it," he freely admits. "This pharmacy has been here since 1867. I'm the third owner." May also feels a certain familiarity with his customers. "Most of my clients are older, live in the area," he says. He remembers, say, whether Mrs. Smith takes high blood pressure medication or that Mr. Jones can't tolerate penicillin. Goolrick's pharmacy also delivers, a service that is almost unheard of today and a true godsend if you're stuck in bed with the flu.

Goolrick's main attraction, however, is another entity from the past: the drug store soda fountain. Stools line up along a plastic laminate counter, and small, round tables serve as back-up seating. The menu is definitely a blast from the past in terms of prices: grilled cheese, $2.50; Coke 75 cents; tuna salad sandwich, $3; fried egg (til 10:30) 90 cents; toast 85 cents.

I met Bethany Brooks, one of the "Goolrick's Girls," who works the counter as a waitress and short-order cook, and asked her about the fountain's most popular item. "Probably milkshakes, but today it's grilled cheese -- it's cold outside."

Goolrick's has one the most distinctive signs on Caroline Street. Long with white letters on a green background, it hangs off the side of the building with a signature Rx at the bottom. At night it lights up in neon glory. Little signs on poles extend perpendicular from buildings dotting Caroline Street, a possible holdover from when Virginia was a colony of England. The goods and services offered are a bit different, however. "Mark Kenneth Torgeson, MsT Massage Therapy." "The Bruised Reed, Christian Counseling." One pair of signs suggests a family affair -- on the left, "Jeffrey D. Carter, Attorney at Law," with the scales of justice beneath; on the right, "Carter Family Hairstyling," adorned with a large red pair of scissors, a salon operated by Carter's brother Francis. That both Carters work in the same building perhaps indicates that an enterprising client could settle her estate while getting highlights.

On Amelia Street, a sign on a low, brick building advertised the Wounded Bookshop (109 Amelia St.; 540-373-1311). With a name like that, I had to go in. I assumed it was a secondhand bookstore, but I was only partly right. The Wounded Bookshop is also a gallery, reading room and meeting place organized by the Fredericksburg Athenaeum. Since it's a fundraising enterprise, the staff are all volunteers, and the books and furnishings are donated. The overriding mission, according to executive director Paul Lewis, is to promote the arts in Fredericksburg.

In a history-conscious town, a 200-year-old warehouse seems like an ideal setting for a bookstore, with its hand-hewn ceiling beams and exposed brick walls. The furnishings are a little roughhewn as well, but comfortable, like the orange- and yellow-flowered sofa from someone's den and the orange velour armchair rescued from a yard sale. Tables painted with game boards invite you to participate. An informal "help yourself" coffee bar is in the back. The atmosphere is comfortably reassuring, making you feel at home rather than on display, as you might in a polished cafe. The books encourage lingering as well. The offerings are substantial -- no airport mysteries or grocery-store romances here. They are organized by genre and author, more or less. In novels, there's an antiquarian edition of Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." The poetry selections include "The Poems and Prose of Christina Rossetti." For history, all three volumes of Douglas Southall Freeman's "Lee's Lieutenants" are available. There are also a number of rare books displayed in a glass case, such as a 1928 edition of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold Bug" with an art deco graphic on the cover.

"We have good books here," Lewis says. "Occasionally someone will come in here and pick up [one] and say, 'This book changed my life!' That's what we want here."

I asked him about the shop's unusual name. "We're actually the Fredericksburg Athenaeum -- that's a mouthful," he says. "We decided we wanted to give the space a fun name." During a camping trip with several Athenaeum members, one remarked that, "when he borrows a book, the book ends up wounded" (the cracked spine, the creased pages, the coffee ring on the cover). "We thought that would make a great name, but I was careful with the sign -- "The Wounded Bookshop," not "Wounded Books."

Feeling a little wounded myself after an afternoon of walking, I went to Claiborne's (200 Lafayette Blvd.; 540-371-7080) to check out its conversion of the old RF&P train station before catching my train back home. The dark wood, glowing table lamps and roaring fire in the dining room created a warm atmosphere. Someone offered to take my coat. While the place was clearly set up for dinner, I figured the restaurant's staff are probably used to the odd traveler ambling in for a drink and a snack while waiting for the train.

"We do get quite a few," says Brandon Witt, the highly efficient bartender. "Also, we're the last stop for the VRE, and people will come in for a drink at the end of the day." At happy hour, the lounge offers homemade barbecue potato chips; I consumed a shameful number of these while contemplating other appetizer options. (Appropriately, Claiborne's emphasizes "low-country southern cuisine.") Witt recommended the shrimp and grits or something called the Louisiana Green Tomato Tower, a vegetarian option invented by one of the restaurant's chefs. For those who want dinner, Claiborne's is known for its steaks, but it also has nostalgic-sounding entrees like smoked pork chops and crunchy catfish along with "southern comfort" sides such as creamed spinach, sweet potato casserole and cornbread. Why bother with an entree?

I paid up and sat outside on the west platform waiting for the 6:56 regional train. It was chilly, but not unpleasantly so. Below, a group of lanky teenage guys in plaid flannel shirts were using the empty corridors and smooth ramps that had once been used to move cartloads of goods as a skateboard park. The sound was rhythmic, like the train itself -- flip-turn-ride, flip-turn-ride. A garbled announcement came over the intercom saying that my train was running late, but that was fine. Truth to tell, I didn't want to leave.

Posted by krystal at 1:15 PM | Comments (1)

February 2, 2005

So I don't get arrested by the karma police

I figure I should say some nice things to equal out my bitching, otherwise when something even worse happens, I'll know it's because I wasn't grateful.

This morning at wawa I spotted a dime on heads over in the grass near the parking lot. I left it there. Then I went inside and spent $4.02 and didn't have .02 so the man behind me gave me the .02. When I got to my car I picked up the dime and gave it to him.

Today Kendall starts gymnastics again. She's really good at it and we'd lost touch with her old coach when he quit working for the Spotsy rec dept. I was elated when he called to say he's now working at slapshotz.

These 2 joggers (at 5fuckingoclock am) said "morning!" to me as I hauled the trash barrels back to the house from the curb. I saw them running towards me and it scared the bejeezus out of me since people are NOT out at that time unless they're me or up to no good. Their greeting saved me from a heart attack.

Trevor gets his yellow belt at tae kwon do tonight.

I'm having sushi for lunch.

there, that should do it.

Posted by krystal at 8:05 AM | Comments (3)

January 21, 2005

It's my Friday.

I remember when I worked 12 hour shifts and on Tuesday night I'd be thinking "yeah, it's long but it's my Friday!!" Now my Friday is Friday. I only have 4.5 hours left to work though so it's cool.

I managed to lose 5.8 lbs my first week of weight watchers. I stuck w/ my diet and worked out a few times but I'm sure that the weight loss was water weight. I'll take it. I know from experience that the hard weeks are coming up where I will lose less than a pound or even gain, even if I stick to my diet so the bonus weight loss now is appreciated.

Snow's coming tomorrow and we're supposed to go to a Russian party tomorrow night. I hope it holds off til we're home from that so we can go. I would really like a night out with Dan and no kiddies before we get snowed in all together.

Posted by krystal at 10:47 AM | Comments (1)

January 19, 2005

Different from the entire grit eating world

Honestly, I have been up to more than taking pictures with my phone. I also took some with my regular camera.

Now where was I? Oh yea. Being fat but working on it.

Last Friday night we went out w/ the Fredtalkers to Mi Pueblo. I had a really good time and ate lots but not more than allowed AND I am happy to report, I've been drinking nothin' but lite beer and it's not so horrible.

Saturday Gayle picked me up for girl lunch with her and Dea and Kate. That was so fun. I'd never been to hooters. The food was good, the company was better. I really enjoyed myself and then we went to Kates to look at her sweet lil puppies. After that I came home and we just laid around *resting* til time to go meet Dan's folks for dinner in Ladysmith. The restaurant was surprisingly good for the area. Once again, I ate too much, but not too too much. (make sense?) and this time I stuck to water.

Sunday was the day of rest indeed. We were both comatose and pretty much lounged and geeked out all day long. I think it was a really necessary day after all of the running around from the week before us. Sunday was awesome.

Monday is the day when lots should have gotten accomplished. I went to the Honda dealership to get my car checked because the airbag light came on and it needs an oil change. Honda guy said I needed an appointment. Fucker. Then I went to my eye appointment and waited an hour for my checkup. Finally I rescheduled because I had a 10:30 gym appointment with Gayle. Oh yeah! We joined Slender Lady. It's this circuit training thing where you do each machine for a certain amount of time then do some running in place and stuff. It's only 30 minutes but it's quite a workout. It's also very fun and I look forward to going. This is quite a development for me since I hate hate hate hate +++++ exercise. I went again on Tuesday night and even though I wasn't going to go 'til Thursday I think I'll go again today if the snow holds off.
So anyway, after the gym, Dan and I went to the movies to see In Good Company. Cute flick. I liked it. Then we bought more fish (to replace the ones dan murdered) and then got the kids.

End of relaxing weekend.

/boring recap.

Posted by krystal at 10:17 AM | Comments (1)

January 14, 2005

an-tic-ipation

YAYAYAYAY in 30 minutes I get to leave work. It's been an adjustment working 5 day weeks. I do love it here but I want to be home.
I'm not afraid to admit that I'm ready for my kids to go see their dad. I'm also looking forward to mexican food w/ Fredtalkers and beer and making out on the couch with my sweet boyfriend afterwards. I am so stoked about lunch w/ the girls on Saturday. I am even excited about helping Dan paint his house if he needs it (ok not excited, that's a lie, but I'll do it 'cause I love him).

Now, let's pray that I don't wreck my car in the mad hurryscurry to get home and begin my happiness.

Posted by krystal at 2:35 PM | Comments (1)

January 13, 2005

Weighty issues

I joined weight watchers today. I was on the program before I reached my goal back in 2002 and quit AA for fat folks. Until I went on night shift I'd done a pretty decent job of keeping the weight off by just keeping my food intake in check. I know it's lame to blame night shift but that's when I started my slide back to the portly side of life. Then I got all content with Dan around and ate like it was my right and THEN I quit smoking and THEN the holidays came along...(I have my excuses lined up). Welp...my clothes are tight and I'm not one bit happy about that. So today I plopped my fat ass up on the scales and gave the nice lady my check. I'm back on track now. I like weight watchers because it allows me to still drink beer. The loftiest decision I have to make right now is if I want to drink fewer regular beers or more light beers or almost unlimited ultra lights. I'm pretty much a beer snob so I doubt I'll ever be satisfied w/ ultra beers. I'm going to just stick to light beer for now and maybe work myself down to ultra.

***

The job is going well. I've spent the week doing things like making reservations and getting things printed and answering emails and voice mails and shredding things (which I ADORE). I love this kind of work. I think I was born to be someone's bitch. I like my boss too. I've been working for her for a month now and she hasn't yelled at me once. Yehaw!

***

Our home has turned into a zoo. I used to say it was a zoo because everyone in the house acts a bit wild, but now it's really a zoo. In addition to our new rat, we also have a frog named Mr. Hopper. (Dennis??) We also have two goldfish, Charles and Joseph. There are cages and computers in just about every room of the house. The cat is out of sorts about this. She looked at me this morning with a disgusted look on her face that clearly read "Am I not enough for you? WHY ARE THESE ANIMALS HERE?". I feel for her, she's the only animal we've had that hasn't kicked the bucket or run away. If I see her eyeballing my suitcases I'll know I'm about to lose her. Poor Kasey.

These are the things I'm looking forward to:
Tomorrow night: Fajita night w/ Fredtalkers
All weekend: no kids, just Dan and I all alone. Yay!
Saturday: Lunch w/ the girls
Monday: nooooo work.

Oh and one more thing.

Last night in bed Dan and I were discussing how the kids don't get nearly enough spankings. We'd watched the first 5 minutes of Nannie 911 and it started us thinking about how we need to catch up on the YEARS of missing disciplinary action that Jake is entitled to. Starting tonight I'm going to beat the kids a lot. That way, by the time they get to therapy as adults they won't be able to say I was apathetic.

Posted by krystal at 1:08 PM | Comments (4)

January 7, 2005

"Don't go eating my... Don't go eating my..."

"Don't go eating my shoes..."
(sung to the music from: "don't go breaking my heart")

Dearest Krystal,

I love you sweetheart!

I enjoy playing with web sites and stuff. I enjoy bring food home to be eaten by my family and I enjoy singing songs even though I change some of the words around to make them more goofy.

Most of all, I enjoy being with you.

I hope you brought another banana and granola bar with you so you will be moved again today.

I love you!

Hugs & Kisses,
-dan-

Posted by dan at 6:10 AM | Comments (1)

January 6, 2005

Do you know the way to Zimbabwe?

Dear Dan,
Thank you for making the "about my site" and categories work. You're the best boyfriend a girl could ask for. Thanks also for bringing home bananas and granola. My bowels thank you as well. I'm feeling very moved, if ya know what I mean. Now, please make the "do you know the way to (san jose) Zimbabwe" song get out of my head. It's your fault.

Love,
Krystal

Posted by krystal at 12:39 PM | Comments (5)

November 15, 2004

Why I love Nicole...

lyliidaoc: i just cut tylers hair
lyliidaoc: with a beard trimmer
r333th4x0r: hahah
lyliidaoc: NEVER AGAIN omg
r333th4x0r: those are for beards, not kids
lyliidaoc : yeah well i figured . .his head is small . . .
r333th4x0r : HAHAH
lyliidaoc : works same as clippers right? cept smaller right?
lyliidaoc : smaller head, smaller clippers
lyliidaoc : NoooooooooooooooooPE

Posted by krystal at 7:15 PM

October 12, 2004

Chris day

Today (actually yesterday) we celebrate(d) Columbus day. "Gold is a treasure, and he who possesses it does all he wishes to in this world, and succeeds in helping souls into paradise" There. There's your Chris Columbus quote. I hope you enjoy it. I know I did.

We also celebrate errr sadly note the passing of Chris Reeve. Here's your Superman quote: "Even though I don't personally believe in the Lord, I try to behave as though He was watching"
I have to wonder if he said that before or after falling off of the horse.

Now that that's over with. It's actually tomorrow anyway so all that Chris horseshit was out of date. I apologize for that, I'm just slow.

***
This morning I gathered my kids from their dad's house on the way home from work. I felt a twinge of guilt because James and Robin have decorated their house with all this Halloweeny crap. I know that I fall short in several areas of motherhood and Halloween is one of em. The others would have to be the tooth fairy, dinner cooking and general patience. I try to make up for it w/ my utter coolness. (ha. right).
So anyway, add to my shitty night, the fact that I feel outdone as a parent in the holiday department by my redneck exhusband's new wife. I drove home listening to the babies talking about their weekend, poured them some cereal and then trudged off to bed, defeated. I don't remember falling asleep, I don't remember any dreams. I don't remember anything until 12:30 when my cell phone rang. It rang with its new ringer that is not the nokia default ring. No sirreebob, there will be no default ringer hehe. I thought to myself "if you get up and answer this, you will hear an unfriendly voice". So I stayed asleep for a bit longer and then heard the ring again at 1. I answered it, half asleep, and it was Dan. He was at McDonalds and on his way over. Yay! I think I told him that I was going to shower before he came over, but that didn't happen. What a good boy. He brought food and happiness and the day was saved before it could be wrecked...ha. Take that, Chris day!

Posted by krystal at 4:31 AM