Wine and Cartoons

Looking out at my neighborhood.

It’s Saturday and I am still alive. Barely. It’s been snowing for two days! Two. DAYS. We currently have over 22 inches of snow. 22. Inches. of. SNOW. SNOW. Guess what the best part is…Keith is in Michigan where they don’t have any snow. So here I sit with my three babies stuck in the snow and all alone. Except I’m not. My awesome neighbor helped me shovel my driveway. We still have power which is more than I can say for my friend Stephanie. Chances are she will take out someone before the weekend is done. Maryland does not handle snow like this well. Marylanders tend to go wild buying; milk, toilet paper, bread, and pasta. God knows that when it snows you drink lots of milk with your bread and pasta meals. The last time this happened, I was pregnant with Aiden. Seven years ago. I spent the day napping and eating cookies. Things are a bit different three kids later. Not the cookie part. Now I just have someones to help me eat

My tree was a casuality.

Peace out, I got my hat and my lunch.

It's good to have a man around, to dig out his swing set.

I have a small mouth. It’ s a proven medical fact. When I was being fitted for braces they had to order mine extra small, true story.  This is why when I eat things, I look goofy when I shove large amounts of food in my mouth. It has taken me a long time to realize this is how I look when I commit myself to too many activities. I look goofy when I bite off more than I can chew. Apparently managing my kiddos and my house is about all I can handle. I’ve decided to cut out gymnastics and working in order to stop myself from running around like a chicken with his, well you know… I had no idea I would soon transition from managing my own activities to becoming a social secretary for my children. Everytime I look around my house there is an extra kid here. I may not be able to keep myself in a steady supply of juice boxes. Oh and activites. Aiden is getting excited for t-ball. I think it’s contagious because Madeleine has decided that she joining too. Yeah, she even picked out a pink helmet. I’m concerned I will cease to feel like a real person and more like personal assistent. I think that’s why I enjoyed coaching and tutoring so much. It made me remember I was a real person. Well a real person with a small mouth.

As a parent I have explained to Aiden and Madeleine countless times that Charlotte is a ball of destruction. Nothing in her path is safe from her need to test the durability of whatever object she has her sights set on. Of course when I explain this I am met with crickets chirping and blank stares. Of course Aiden leaves his foam glider on the coffee table and of course Charlotte dissects it. The circle of siblings.  Tempers flair, accusations are thrown and Aiden was not speaking to Charlotte for awhile. Like five minutes. Until I explained to him that he had it coming. Harsh. I began to list all the things of Charlottes that he has “taken apart” and this includes her baby swing. Yeah and it didn’t go back together. Suddenly a five cent foam glider doesn’t seem so important. I also offered up a story from my childhood. My sad sad childhood. A story about my dad letting my sister put our bird in my Barbie van. When I came home to play with my beloved toy, it was defiled with bird excrement. Things like that just don’t leave you. It hits you to the core. Now if you will excuse me I have to add that to my memoirs.

Holiday 101. We went to Michigan which was awesome.

2. We were a day late because Maryland got 24 inches of snow which caused everyone to freak out. On the day we actually left, we had to leave the city of Annapolis before we could actually find a gas station that had gas.Oh how I love a good snow storm in Maryland.

3. Michigan was great for the kids! Sledding, burning things with my dad, and pond skating. The day after Christmas my dad usually burns the boxes and gift wrap. Every family needs a tradition. We burn things.

4. After Christmas the flu swept through the house taking out everyone except myself and Charlotte.

5. Aiden learned how to use a snow blower. A useful skill for a young boy of six.

6. Some serious sledding and skating took place. I believe at one point Keith was begging the kids to keep skating with him.

7. Dogs do not enjoy sledding. I thought Tucker might. He did not.

8. The flu caused us to cancel the Amsterburg family Christmas. I swear something like this happens every year. I might draw stick figures of what it would look like if we were together.

9. Charlotte became a fan of staying up all night.

10. Aiden has appointed himself the goodwill ambassador of Michigan. He tells everyone he can about his love of Michigan.

burning boxes in December

Meadow in the snow

I’ve been a little bit swapped this holiday season. I sort of missed Thanksgiving. I know there were people at my house. I know I made a turkey. But the days leading up are a little bit blurry and come to think of it the days after are a bit blurry too. I do know that the whole week of Thanksgiving break  was rainy. Really rainy. So rainy that by Thanksgiving day my children were nuts. After we ate I took them to the beach to run off some steam. Instead they ran through all the puddles and ended up soaking wet. Then, when I was enjoying the view of the bay, Charlotte ran right into it and sat down. It was a long walk home.

Charlotte at the beach

Madeleine at the Beach

Aiden had his first field trip of the year and I was lucky enough to be chosen to be an instructor for the event. They were heading to a nature center on one of the rivers that feeds into the bay. Actually that’s not what happened at all. They changed the field trip date so they lost a couple chaperones and instructors. Aiden’s teach remembered that I am an employee of the district so I was asked to fill in. I’ve already cleared all the necessary paperwork which made me an easy choice.  I tried to take the job of teaching the kids about the local wildlife but instead I was sent to the water. I was lucky enough to gain the job of loading students in and out of row boats all day. Oh yes, I would love to do your grunt work. Thanks for asking. All sarcasm aside, it was pretty great spending the day on the water watching Aiden with his friends.

Aiden’s trip was on the same day as Madeleine’s field trip.  I asked told Keith he needed to take over my mom room duties and chaperone her field trip. Little did he know that he was going to be spending a whole lot of time on a school bus with a bunch of four and five year-olds. Priceless. They were headed to a pumpkin patch/farm. I need to see this place in person because the pictures look amazing.

Let’s recap: On my field trip I spent the day on a nice river near the Chesapeake Bay. Keith spent the day on the bus and at a pumpkin patch. Hmmmmmm

Madeleine at the Hayride.

is one of the best holidays. This is the day I was married and the government decided to celebrate MY wedding by creating a holiday to honor this wondrous occasion.

Or its the day I happened to be married on and now its mostly forgotten because we have three kids that have a serious addiction to candy and dressing up.

Aiden chose to be Indiana Jones. Madeleine went with Dorothy from that famous movie that is not all that good when you watch it as an adult. Come to think of it I never enjoyed it as a child. It probably has something to do with my dad pretending to be the wicked witches soliders while chasing me around our house. Could be.

It was rainy but we still made the kids go. Friends joined us and all was well.

Aiden, Madeleine, Ella, and Jake

Charlotte kicking it bunny style

So I’m back at work. It’s been awhile since I have regularly been on a college campus. Obviously I was much younger when I was there and must have been completely oblivious to miss these strange things. I hate to say that they didn’t exists when I was there, but I really don’t think they did.

1. In the restrooms there are constant reminders to wash your hands. Not just on the walls by the sinks but on the doors of the stalls as well. Last I knew we were adults and could figure this out.

2. I have seen more more of women’s backsides than I want to. Ever. While they are at the computers, their pants are not fitting well. As in too small. As in please go to the mall and buy some undies that cover you up so I don’t have to see your business. I don’t want to. Please ladies this is not cool. Wear your correct size.

3. Men wearing extremely tight jeans that taper all the way down to the ankle. There is nothing attractive about this style please don’t wear this. I just can’t deal with this. I shouldn’t have to.

4. Signs encouraging students not to sit on computers. Really? A computer?

5. Students using the lab to check their Facebook pages while other students are waiting to use the computers to type a paper.

It’s a good thing I am not judgemental. Think how this would sound if I were.