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Undecorating the House

Posted on December 31, 2008 by auburnchick

Whew!  I’m wiped!  Rooster and I just spent several hours putting away ALL of the Christmas decorations!

I got started on the tree before he woke up and enlisted his help when I saw him come down the hall.  He was not overly amused, but he jumped in anyway.

I got smart this year and took all of the ornaments off the tree first, even organizing them into groups on my dining room table…i.e. Hallmark in one area, homemade in another, and Auburn stuff in yet another area.  This may seem a bit anal, but I think it shortened the time it took to match up boxes with ornaments.

I also went through the ornaments and threw out the ones that have absolutely no meaning to us.  I got rid of broken or chipped pieces.  In all, I lightened our load by three boxes.  Whew!  Now I have more room in the closet for yarn!

I have to say that Rooster was a dream helper.  He did have ulterior motives…near the end, anyhow.  You see, Rooster has his eye on a new paintball gun.  Being short a few dollars left him hunting for a way to make up the difference.  He wound up washing the windows of the house.  We pay him $1 per window.  He has to wash the outside of them, so this chore entails removing the screens first.  Not an easy job.

I have to give him credit.  He knows he can’t get stuff for free.  Good habits developed now will hopefully stick with him later.

With money “in hand,” so to speak (it’s still technically in my account), He found the site he wanted to order it from, but alas…he didn’t have a credit card.  He needed me for the final part of the transaction.

Enter in bribery.

He was tired of undecorating.  So was I.  We only had a few things left to do.  We had the following conversation:

“Mama, why don’t you come over here real quick and put in your number.”

“Rooster, I would be more inclined to place the order if I had all of these boxes put away.”

Within an hour, every last item had been packaged and stored.

The house is now undecorated.  I can see out the front window again…both because the tree is not in front of it anymore, and because it’s clean.  Rooster’s order has been placed.

We both won.

Have I said how much I love the boy?

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Rooster and Mama Go To the Movies

Posted on December 30, 2008 by auburnchick

Rooster and I were plodding through our day, each planning on getting some chores done, although I was actually doing the planning, while Rooster was doing the obeying, when we had a change of plans.

Before going out to the car to run errands, I decided to check the mail.  I found an envelope addressed to the boy and me.  Here’s what was inside:

To be fair, I had received a heads-up phone call yesterday.  Sister had told me what she was going to do, but I didn’t expect the letter to arrive the next day!  We have fast mail service!

Rooster and I jumped into action.  He ran over to the computer, while I checked my phone…a race to see who could be the first to locate movie times.

I won.

We had already discussed which movie we might want to see.  Last night, Tom Cruise was a guest on the Tonight Show.  Of course, he was there to promote his newest movie, and he did his job well.  Rooster and I were hooked.

We saw that there was showtime beginning in an hour, so we quickly got in the car and were off.  Our favorite theater is a solid 30-minutes away, so we didn’t have much time to waste.

Here’s a trailer for the movie:

Because we were there for the matinee, we had enough money left over to buy a large bag of popcorn  We added a ton of butter.  Yum!

When the movie was over, Rooster and I were quiet, as was the rest of the theater.  It was a sobering movie.  I know there are mixed reviews out there about the movie.  Good thing I’ve never been a fan of so-called “reviews.”

Rooster and I give it two thumbs up!  The cinematography is incredible.  The storyline is well-executed.  We were left sitting on the edge of our seats until the end.

Definitely a movie worth seeing!

Thanks Sister!  We thoroughly enjoyed our treat and appreciate your thoughtfulness.

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A Call From My Mom

Posted on December 30, 2008 by auburnchick

An interesting thing happened yesterday.

My mom called me.

To understand the significance of this, you must know a few things.

My mom and I are not especially close.  Actually, we’re not close at all.  I’ve never quite understood why.

My mom divorced my dad when my sister and I were very young.  As the oldest, I bore the responsibility of taking care of the two of us while Mom worked the many long hours common for single moms.  We were left alone most nights.  Babysitters were expensive, and you really didn’t need them back in the 70’s.

There were a couple of different men in Mom’s life at various points during my early childhood.  I remember one in particular.  His name was Bruce.  He wanted to marry my mom, but something held her back.  I don’t quite know what.  All I remember is his kindness.  That ended abruptly one day when we unexpectedly moved out of his house.  I was devastated when I had to leave my brand new skis behind.

Mom eventually married a man she would remain married to for the majority of my adolescence.  We moved to Alabama, where I eventually grew up, married, and moved out of the house.

Through all those years, though, there remained a barrier between the two of us…unspoken.

After I married Mr. AuburnChick, we experienced the tug-of-war battle that newlyweds often face at important times of the year…i.e. Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Whose house would we stay at.

I’ll admit that I yielded to the Mr.’s wishes, and we spent the majority of the holidays with his family.  Mom resented this.  The chasm between us widened with each passing year as resentment and guilt pushed us further away from one another.

After the birth of Soccer Chick, I became very protective.  You see, Mom had not made good choices in the past, and I was not about to let those choices affect my daughter the way they had affected me.  Mom had a hard time understanding and accepting, and she only did so reluctantly.

Meanwhile, the years passed, and the children grew.  Mom rarely came to visit, and when she did, things were strained.  We both walked on eggshells, trying desperately not to offend the other.

When I reconciled with my birth father, Mom went over the edge.  She couldn’t understand how I could forgive a man for not being a part of my life all of those years.  Amazing how your memory fades with time.  I don’t know exactly who was to blame for his absence.  All I knew was that I needed to forgive to move on with my life.

During the last few years, Mom and I have rarely talked more than once or twice on the phone.  We only see each other at Christmas, and it’s for about three hours.  This despite the fact that we live about five hours away from each other.  She’s never seen the house I moved into five years ago.

This Christmas, I could tell that Mom was hurting.  I picked up on several comments she made…comments of regret at having missed so much.

She called me yesterday, and we talked about the time we’ve lost.  She’s 60 years old, and she’s disappointed that she doesn’t know her grandchildren better.  She’s hoping it’s not too late.  It’s not, really, even though Soccer Chick will be leaving home in a little over a year.

I find it very sad.  I don’t know that the relationship can ever be what close mother-daughter relationships are supposed to be like.

I only know that when I’m her age, I don’t want to have the same kind of regrets.  Oh, I know everybody has regrets as they get older.  Heck, I regret things moments after I do them, sometimes.  But overall…

Filed under: This-n-That | 4 Comments »

Grumpy Boy is Back

Posted on December 29, 2008 by auburnchick

A good sign that a child is feeling better is when his personality comes back out to play.  In my case, Rooster’s grumpiness has reappeared.

This time, I’m actually glad to see it.  It means he probably won’t relapse.

It also means that I can stop waiting on him hand-and-foot and make him start doing chores.

It didn’t help when I received an email from the Florida Virtual School stating that his new class begins this week.  Oh yeah, that’s enough to make anybody grumpy.

While Rooster started cleaning his room, I began putting Christmas decorations away.  Somehow it seems to take much longer than getting them out, and it’s not near as fun.

Rooster and I took a break mid-afternoon to head on over to Cold Stone Creamery.  He still had a gift card from the lady he had helped during Vacation Bible School this summer.  As we got in line, he asked me what I wanted.

“You’re treating me?” I asked.

“Yep,” he said.

I ordered my treat, taking care not to be greedy.  He looked at me and asked, “Is that all you’re getting?”

He went on to tell me that he felt bad getting a bigger size than me.

Um, hello?  It’s YOUR gift card, Sweetie!

Still, he looked like he felt bad.

“Um, excuse me, Mr. Ice Cream Guy.  Can I super-size my order?” I asked.

I looked over at Rooster, and he had a smile of content on his face.  I had made a good choice.

How cool (literally) to have your child treat you unexpectedly.

The ice cream had the surprising affect of changing our attitude toward one another.  When we got back home, I resumed my previous chore and even dared to ask him to help put my Santa collection away.  He obliged my request without a single complaint and put additional decorations away without being asked.  And, as I type this, he’s in his room folding his clothes.

Gotta love the kid…grumpy or not.  Deep down, he has a heart of gold.

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A Night at the Movies

Posted on December 28, 2008 by auburnchick

Rooster is feeling better…finally! I had a good idea that the antibiotic had kicked in when he slept for 13 hours today! I was a good mom and checked on him periodically to make sure he was still breathing. Your children are never old enough to stop worrying about.

I’m making sure he takes it easy though. He’s coughing up a storm. I think he has a touch of bronchitis, which the antibiotic will kill. I also know that his body is weak from the bug he’s been fighting. So indoors we stayed, except for a brief foray to Walmart and Target.

He made a special request while we were out and about – a trip to Blockbuster.

Rooster and I spend a lot of time together while Soccer Chick and the Mr. are out doing their thing. Our favorite thing to do together is watch movies.

While we were renting our movies, we overheard that our local Blockbuster will be closing next month. We’re sad, to say the least. We’re not exactly sure where we’re going to rent our movies from.

Regardless, we’re home, eating Twizzlers (a must-have movie snack) and vegging out.

I’m working on a little something for a certain someone who has a birthday soon. I can’t post a picture in case this person is reading this. She doesn’t read my blog often, but Murphy’s Law says that she’ll see what I’m cooking up.

Stay tuned for an updated post on that little something in a couple of weeks.

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AuburnChick’s Family

Posted on December 28, 2008 by auburnchick

Today I read Melly’s blog, and she had a link for the Family Sticker Maker.  You can customize your own family and pets, even selecting their head and body types.  Unfortunately, the site does not seem to be a fan of soccer, so I had to settle for other costumes for the kiddos.

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New Shoes for AuburnChick

Posted on December 27, 2008 by auburnchick

This morning, Rooster awoke without a fever.  Now, this isn’t saying much, because the routine has been for him to be fever-free in the mornings and then slide into fever kingdom by bedtime.  I’m holding my breath, but let’s just say that things are looking good (except for his upset tummy – courtesy of the antibiotic).

We’re both tired of him being sick too.  I have all confidence that if I put my hand on his forehead one more time, I might find myself googling “How to Knit with One Hand.”  To make matters worse, every time he gets up to go to the bathroom, I inquire as to the medium of his output.  Yeah, it’s not cool to ask a 14-year-old boy how solid his poop is.

With him waking up in such fine spirits (and waiting to take the dreaded dose of medicine until AFTER a planned outing), we went to Best Buy.  Rooster has a couple of gift cards and money to spend.  Surprisingly, he really couldn’t find anything to buy.  He doesn’t have enough money for a Wii (which I would love), and his fascination with other video games has waned a bit.  He walked out of the store after buying a new case for his iPod and an iTunes card.

We went back home to allow him to rest.  His energy level is not very high.  His physique resembles a Survivor contestant’s.  The child is thin!

A little later on, after making token attempts to straighten the house, I headed out to Target to buy a few essential items.  Then, gift cards safely tucked into my wallet, I stopped by Kohl’s.  I took my time, making sure I gave myself every opportunity to browse…home furnishings, jewelry…etc.  I finally settled on two pairs of shoes:

Black Dockers

Black Dockers

Black Dockers - A Side View

Black Dockers - A Side View

The Dockers will replace a much-used and much-loved pair of Merrell’s.

Here’s the other pair of shoes I purchased:

Skechers

Skechers

Skechers - Side View

Skechers - Side View

These are so comfy!  I can’t wait to “wear” them for the first time!

Both pairs were on sale, but I had to chip in some of my other cash (saved from wise shopping for the ball winder and swift).  It was worth it, though.  I haven’t had a new pair of shoes in a long time.

Not much else is going on.  I’m hoping that Rooster can tolerate some heavier food soon.  Fingers are crossed…

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Life Doesn’t Stop For Christmas

Posted on December 26, 2008 by auburnchick

It’s the day after Christmas, and Rooster is still sick.  And it’s not just the sniffles either.  We’re talking raging fever since Monday.

Sigh…

After sleeping fitfully on Christmas Eve, he woke up fever-free and a bit sweaty.  We thought his fever had broken for good.  He felt well enough to open presents at two different family gatherings.  And what fun we had!

The in-laws gave me enough money to pay for a ball winder and swift…the two biggest items on my list.  I must take a moment to brag.  I am a smart shopper.  After scoping out the KnitPicks swift, I went to Joann.com and found this swift.   My mother-in-law found a coupon in the paper, so after the discount, I paid only $49.19!  Woo Hoo!

Knowing that I could only use one code at a time, I placed a second order for a ball winder.  I hesitantly tried a coupon code that expired on the 24th, and it worked!  So, before taxes and shipping, I paid only $25!  Woo Hoo!  I have $31 left!

Santa brought me a couple of knitting magazines, Ghirardelli chocolate, a pack of pens, and a bag of Twizzlers.  I love eating Twizzlers when I get to go to the movie theater.  Boy am I wanting to see the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”  Finances will dictate that I wait for the DVD version.

My sister gave me a Kohl’s card. Soccer Chick looked over my shoulder and ooohhhed and aaahhhhhed.

The in-laws are extremely generous, going beyond the money mentioned above.  They also gave me a new tripod, camera battery, SD card for the camera, and a Kohl’s card, which Soccer Chick was eying greedily (keep your paws off my stuff Sista!).

The kids got new iPods from the grandparents, along with a few other goodies.  Teenagers are very expensive these days, so the number of gifts has gone down as the expenses have increased. They’re very pleased with their iPods, though.  Especially since the one that Rooster received last Christmas recently underwent a bath in the washing machine. Dh got a Blue Ray DVD player. He’s nearly giddy!  You know how men are with electronic toys.  Of course, I’ll probably have to figure out how to use it and then give him a lesson on “DVDs for Dummies.”

I only knit a couple of gifts this year.  My mother-in-law opened her’s:

Flirtation Cozy - Patons SWS (Natural Berry)

Flirtation Cozy - Patons SWS (Natural Berry)

And exclaimed joyously “Oh, how pretty.”

And then, with nary a pause, she said, “What is it?”

We all laughed!  It was too funny.

I explained the best I could without having a mug to demonstrate, and we moved on, with the next person taking their turn opening a gift (we all take turns…enjoying each person’s moment…youngest to oldest).

My sister later opened her gift…

This year, I went with a tea theme.  It started when I knit her a cozy as well:

Flirtation Cozy - Patons SWS (Natural Denim)

Flirtation Cozy - Patons SWS (Natural Denim)

Once I had the cozy, I worked on the rest of the basket.  I had seen an clip on the Today Show with Martha Stewart, and she had stenciled initials on teacups.  Of course, she’s Martha Stewart.  My version didn’t come out quite as nice, but my sister was happy all the same.  The neat thing was on Christmas Eve, my sister told me about how much she loves tea…

Isn’t it awesome when things work together that way?

After we finished Christmas with the in-laws, we headed to my sister’s house.  She and her husband (who happens to be Mr. AuburnChick’s brother…yeah, we’re from the South, okay?) were hosting the afternoon gathering with my mom and her husband.

Mom is notorious for giving my sister and me lots of gifts.  Usually, grandchildren are the ones who are spoiled in families, right?.  Not in our case.  Mom shops the sales after Christmas and purchases everything for the next year.  However, this year, she only carried in one box of presents.  The recent downturn in the economy has touched her as well.

Everyone got money.  Mom has had too much trouble with gift cards not working properly, so she opted for the green stuff.

She also gave my sister and me our own blankets…crocheted by a friend of her’s:

Can you say GORGEOUS?!  I think that if I had received this gift two years ago, I would not have fully appreciated it.  Now, I sat in awe.  Rooster has already used it to cover up with.  Fevers make you cold, you know.

Mom only gave us one set of Christmas towels this year (we usually receive a half dozen or so) and, of course, a set of salt and pepper shakers.  Rooster and I got a good laugh about that later.

During the visit with Mom, Rooster started feeling bad.  His temperature was going up, but he was trying desperately to hang in there.  After she left, we returned to the in-law’s house, where I finally pulled out the thermometer.  Well over 102.

Sigh…

He went down for a nap but didn’t feel any better when he woke up.  Everyone retired early for the night.  Rooster woke up once in the middle of the night.  His temperature was over 103.  I trudged downstairs for Gatorade, and we both fell asleep again.  We slept late.  Everyone slipped out of the house to shop.  I thought this was a good sign…sleeping in.  Not so.

He had a temperature of over 102.

I called the doctor.

After consulting with him and talking to the Mr., we decided that the best course of action was to return home.  Poor Rooster.  In his words, “Christmas has been pretty crappy this year.”

No kidding.

We left Soccer Chick with the grandparents.  She had money burning a hole in her pocket.  My mother-in-law called, telling me she was peeking around the corner where Chicky was in Victoria’s Secret buying unmentionables.  Nobody was allowed to go into the store with her.  This purchase was to be private.  I’m sure I’ll see whatever she bought hanging on the line soon.

Mr. AuburnChick got us home and settled and then left again…driving the hour and a half back to his parents.  They will be visiting his grandmother tomorrow, and sick children do not make for a safe environment for a 90-something lady. I made sure to check with my mother-in-law about how much Christmas money we should be receiving…especially after the Mr. hinted that he would be taking half for himself.

Not nice.

Santa, do you hear?  Put him on the Naughty List for next year!

When we got home, I found a box on my porch.  It was from one of the Oddball Knitters.  She sent me two completed blankets…

Pacific Blues

Pacific Blues

Lemonade Stand

Lemonade Stand

The sweet gal included an extra gift for me…

Yep…it’s a wool/silk blend and heavenly!  I can’t even imagine what the yarn will feel like knit up into socks!  What a generous gift!

The best thing about the unexpected return trip is that the dogs got to come home early.  They are extremely happy…

Molly - Freshly Bathed Sporting a Christmas Bandana

Molly - Freshly Bathed Sporting a Christmas Bandanna

Aubie - Classy Old Lady

Aubie - Classy Old Lady

Pele - Very Happy to See His Bed!

Pele - Very Happy to See His Bed!

So, it’s been a busy but strange Christmas.  Rooster is sitting on the couch surrounded by all of his Christmas goodies, reluctantly taking his temperature every couple of hours.  He says he’s going to get Thermometitis.  heehee

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Christmas Memory #25

Posted on December 25, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, it’s Christmas!  Woo Hoo!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful day!

As I gathered the family for our second “family picture,” I couldn’t help but laugh at all care we take each year to get THE picture.

Ever since I figured out the timer feature on my digital camera (years ago, by the way), the group has been forced to be rearranged according to height and hair wattage.  Both can severely affect a picture, you know.  The challenge has grown as the kids have grown taller.  Little ones who used to stand in front are now standing behind those who gave birth to them.

It’s a scenario that has been played over again and again.  One thing has remained constant.  The grandparents have always remained in the middle…surrounded by their progeny.

Then, begging everyone not to move a muscle, I press the timer button and then the BIG button and run to stand in my assigned place, not really sure of how my body will affect said picture.  We all begin the countdown.

Click…

The flash goes off, blinding everyone momentarily, and the deed is done.

Of course, I scream…”DON’T MOVE,” until I have a chance to check for stuck-out tongues or bunny ears.  You know what I’m talking about.

Ahhh yes…the family photo.  A part of everyone’s memory of Christmas.

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Christmas Memory #24

Posted on December 24, 2008 by auburnchick

Soccer Chick has always been active.  This child has always had places to go and people to see.  All good and well except when she was still in the womb.

Around Thanksgiving, I had my monthly doctor appointment, and the doctor discovered that I was having contractions (as my first pregnancy, I had no idea that the tightening I had been experiencing for days were contractions).  I was also dilated a couple of centimeters.  This child wanted to come out and play earlier than her January due date.  I was promptly wheeled next door to the hospital, where I spent several days until the contractions slowed down.

Upon my discharge, I was ordered to spend the next several weeks on bedrest.

I was devastated.  How in the world was I going to get everything done for Christmas?  It was only my third year as a married woman, but I had lots of decorating, baking, and card-writing to do!

The Mr. and his parents  kept a close watch on me, not allowing me to lift a finger.  This was to be the first grandchild.  I fumed as I watched others decorate my three-foot tree (all that would fit in the apartment).  I snuck a few decorations on, though, as I made my way to the bathroom to pee.  The Mr. declared that I was the peeing-est thing he’d ever seen.  I wasn’t fooling anyone.

My sister came to visit, and she made cookies before she left.

Then Christmas morning came.  I was stuck on the couch very upset.  I was ready to go to the in-law’s house, but Mr. Grand Poo Ba (i.e. The Mr.’s father) insisted that I call my obstetrician first…just to be sure it was okay.  These people take rule-following to the extreme (eat your veggies meant that I ate green peas with my pizza).

I was mortified!  I simply did NOT want to bother the doc on THE day of the year!  But I called, and she laughed it off. She did give me strict instructions to lie down the entire time I was at the house, though.  Gravity has a way of pulling little babes towards earth, you see.

When I arrived at the in-law’s house, I saw a sight that amused me.  They had fixed up a pallet on the kitchen floor.  It was a sponge cushion-mattress thing.  The reason why it was in the kitchen was so I could eat Christmas dinner with the family.  The neighbors (mentioned in a previous post) had been invited to eat.  Their twins were extremely curious about the lady with the big belly laying on the floor.  The adults carefully monitored them to ensure that nobody jumped on me suddenly.  You know how tots are.  Very spontaneous.

Well, we got through that Christmas.  Soccer Chick managed to wait until almost the end of January to arrive…five days before her due date and ultimately induced due to complications I began experiencing at the end of my term.

I’ll never forget that Christmas, though, and the care that everyone took to ensure that a wee one came into this world safely.

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