Suburban Musings

There’s always so much to do, plus cleaning, laundry, etc. to accomplish and NEVER enough time!  Spent Friday night with friends, Saturday morning selling jewelry at the farmer’s market, Saturday afternoon running errands and recovering from the intense heat/humidity of the market all morning! and Saturday night helping a friend buy textbooks online for her high schooler (only to realize later that WE still have books we still need to buy!)

Sunday…sent K3, the youngest, off to his first band camp!  He’s excited to be a real high-schooler now and going away for a whole week to live in a college dorm, etc.  Hopefully it won’t be too hot or too rainy…

Then, off to Reptile Days at the museum.  Brought my “surrogage daugher” along with me and got lots of photos of every kind of lizard, snake, etc.  I especially liked this guy, who I swear was “posing” for me…he’s a Solomon Island Skink.

Why is it when families get together, it usually means EATING?! We had lots of family in from out of town this past weekend, to celebrate K1’s college graduation (Yeah Alison!!). So, Friday night…out to a great restaurant…Saturday afternoon post-graduation; another restaurant…Saturday night, barbecue at home for 12 people….Sunday morning, nice breakfast….Sunday afternoon; another restaurant meal! (erp)….wow! I think I must’ve gained 5 pounds this weekend alone.

However….it was so very nice to be with family that I don’t always get much opportunity to spend time with. My LA sister…my Chgo. sister…my mom! …my nephew (representing my brother; which he does well, because in so many ways, he’s his father’s son)…what a fun weekend, though a true whirlwind (witnessed by the fact that it took me until Wednesday to catch my breath enough to write).

Here she is….my very photogenic first-born! I like to say “Proof (get the pun) that she really did graduate”.

Is that what you’d call a future son-in-law? Anyway, went to the local state park and took some “official” engagement photos of K1 daughter and her betrothed.  I think it was fun for everybody.  Countdown is 13 months!  The building in the background will most likely be their reception location; www.thekendallinn.com

That is, don’t have kids if you value your belongings…and your own money. Why just tonight I got $40. from the bank machine. Suddenly $20. went to one teenager, headed out of town with the youth group….and the other $20. to my other, who didn’t have any gas money to drive his brother to tennis camp.

Now the things…here’s a list of just last week’s casualities:

1. My “vintage” Schwinn LaTour, which I ride very occasionally and chose to ride on Sunday; deep scratches! and a broken odometer! K3 likes to ride it and apparently doesn’t use the kickstand. Grrrrrr…..devalued for sure. Helmet also missing (“oh, I think we threw it out because it was all messed up”)

2. My gardening watering can; hubby used it to refill the car’s antifreeze!! and then forgot he did it, so when I asked ‘what’s in this watering can?’, everyone claimed innocence. Hubby thought it might be leftover fertilizer he’d used on the hydrangeas or the roses, so I used it to water in some transplanted Russian sage and another hydrangea (that was a gift from a friend). Within exactly one day, all 3 plants were DEAD! and hubby said ‘Oh! I know what that was in the can….anti freeze!’ Duh!!!! 3 dead plants, one dead watering can, and even the soil apparently has to be removed, since its now contaminated. (How can you not remember mixing bright green anti-freeze in a bright green watering can???)

3. My hair gel; missing! when I needed to use it….again! Does son think to put “hair gel” on the shopping list when he’s out? No! its much easier to just go get Mom’s….

4. Gas tank: empty again! when I go to leave for work….teenager is unemployed, due partly to accident earlier in the summer, so “doesn’t have gas money”.

5. Clean sheets, lying on the bedroom chair. Had to be cleaned because puppy pee-ed on my bed – Again! – because boys didn’t watch her or take her out during the day while they were home. Anyway, clean sheets…..dumped on the dog-hairy floor by K3, who wanted to sleep in Mom/Dad’s room, in our chair! Ick.

*sigh* don’t have kids….they never respect your things. they think everything’s disposable. they think everything is available to them, free of charge. and Heaven forbid you ever want to use any of THEIR stuff! I surely thought I’d trained them better than this. Oh wait! I did….they’re really nice AROUND OTHER PEOPLE!