I am not losing my mind

I have received several calls & emails regarding my letter to the editor that appeared in the Bonner County Daily Bee on Sunday and no, I haven't lost my mind. My meds just seem to be working overtime.

To catch you up (if you don't live in snowy Sandpoint), last week in the midst of blizzard #2 we arrived home to find that one of our neighbors had gone down the street and not only plowed out everyone's driveway where the county plow left a burm taller than your average 8 year old child, but also plowed the ENTIRE driveway for us.

I was so moved by this gesture of kindness that I sent a letter to the editor about how wonderful it is to live in a community where people help others without expecting anything in return, and without even telling you who they are.

Not all all like Boise where we used to live. I remember the month prior to Kaylee's birth Mark tore his achilles tendon in half playing basketball (more on that in another blog) and as luck would have it we actually had snow that winter. A LOT.

Thankfully Mark purchased some Sorel boots for my giant prego-feet so I was able to wear them outside to shovel our driveway in all my 9-month-miserably-pregnant-swollen-feet-wish-I-had-a-trampoline-so-I-can-jump-this-big-damn-baby-out-but-instead-I'll-eat- spicy-thai-food-and drink-margaritas-glory.

I distinctly remember some of my neighbors watching the spectacle of me trying to maneuver 10 1/2 pounds worth of baby in my belly around a shovel to move snow out of the way so I could drive my husband to the hospital for surgery. They literally stood and watched.

They never came over and offered to help, no sirree, I really think they were placing bets on when I would either A) fall on my ass or B) go into labor.

So truly, life in a small town has its advantages. They may be few, but they are wonderful.

I'm moving

For those of you not living in the pacific northwest, or north Idaho for that matter, you really have no clue about what a hell hole winter can be. Not only is it hovering about 15 degrees, but we are in the midst of a two-day winter blizzard complete with outrageous amounts of snow falling, high winds and drifting snow.

And can you guess where I am? At work. This is absolutely ridiculous. Whoever invented 4-wheel drive should be drawn & quartered. Now what excuse do I use for not coming to work? And I just checked the visual weather report (looking outside my window) and it is actually snowing sideways. Fan-frickin-tastic.

This is our 4th winter here in lovely Sandpoint and each winter has gotten progressively worse than the previous one. Farmer's Almanac: bite me. You were wrong. AGAIN.

So it is with a not-so-heavy heart that I am announcing today that I am moving. However, I need some help in determining where to go. Keep in mind that the whole family is leaving, Mark included (though he doesn't know it yet). Please vote in my latest poll as to where you think we should move.

Keep in mind that only 11 states yesterday did NOT have a winter storm warning issued, so it severely limits our options. Again I say to you Al Gore: where in the hell do you think global warming is????

Shock of the day

You know how as we age we tend to let our guard down a little bit and say things that we shouldn't or say things as soon as they come to mind? I remember this happening with my Grandma when I was younger.

She'd say something pretty rude and to the point about something or someone and then make no apologies by explaining "I've lived 80 years so I can say whatever I want". Usually she only said that when I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Granted I haven't ever really had that "filter", you know the one that says "please don't let this thought escape your lips or you'll need Vaseline to remove your foot or someone's fist"? My sweet loving mother always has. Until recently.

So my thought is that her filter has disintegrated a little bit more quickly than Grandma's and I just never had one. I nearly peed my pants this afternoon after receiving the following email from my mother (which I would NEVER have thought to send her myself even 3 years ago):

Financial Crash ...

Back in 1929 it was said that some Wall Street Stockbrokers and Bankers JUMPED from their office windows and committed suicide when confronted with the news of their firms and clients financial ruin . . . Many people were said to almost feel a little sorry for them . . . . . .

In 2008 the attitude has changed somewhat:

Comments from the kids....

As a working Mom, my house is always a complete disaster. Why? Because what little time I have during the week with the kids is spent most often playing with them and not cleaning. But I don't mind the mess because then I get to experience "kid-talk":



Brady commenting (while disturbingly playing Barbie's with his sister) "Oh YEAH" when picking up a naked Barbie.



Kaylee yelling "I am NOT putting up with this today" to her brother as they were arguing about God-knows-what. (wonder where she learned to talk like that?)



Brady saying "teeter totter, teeter totter" (repeat several times) while pulling his self-described "pee-pee" up and down after his bath.

Kaylee explaining that Brady has a "mushroom" while tubbing together (which was THE last time we let them do that!).

Brady demanding "Mom! STOP talking to Dad" (which he didn't get away with) all because he couldn't wait 2 seconds for a damn bagel. Hungry little stinker.

Isn't it fun when they start talking in full sentences? Until they start arguing with you, then it isn't so much...

I'm sorry Mom!

I have to blog about this because I couldn't believe my eyes. My Mom just returned from a weeklong trip to Hawaii, and here's what she had to say:

Howdy - we got back yesterday afternoon. We had a good time. The hotel room was less than I'd hoped for, but the weather was just perfect. We went out to the Polynesian Cultural Center - way too expensive for what is there. It's supposed to be replicas of villages from all of the various cultures but they were not well managed. The luau was OK and the evening show was outstanding so it wasn't a total loss. But, yeesh, a long day - 10 am to 10 pm. We went out to do some snorkeling one day, saw a couple of shows, went to the aquarium, blah blah blah. Anyhoo, we're home. I love you guys!
-ma

Oh please! Quitcherbellyachin Mom! You've been to Hawaii more times than I have fingers! I haven't been since I was 6! Here I am stuck in the frozen freakin' tundra and all you can say is that it wasn't a "total loss"? I'll give you a total loss young lady! You just come on up to North Idaho and I'll show ya around.

Things to do with kids in the winter

We are in that lovely shoulder season of North Idaho Winter that I refer to as a very cold hell where there's no snow, its really frigid, you can't play outside without snot freezing in your nostrils and it is dark at 4pm.

Luckily one of my friends has a husband who works at the Sagle Fire Station as a firefighter and I kind of invited myself to go with her to visit him. Thankfully she agreed to let me bring my hooligans.


Oh what fun it is to take the kids to the fire station. They let them sit in the new fire truck and see the lights, hear the horn & siren, and they put their head phones on them.


As you can see from the photo Brady was so excited he almost passed out. He honestly didn't say hardly anything, he was mesmerized! (think I need to gets me some high techie headphones to keep both kids quiet!)


Then the firefighters did a fun skit about the fire danger of Christmas trees. They talked all about fire safety, gave Mark and I tips, and really talked to the kids.


Brady was a tad bit more interested in their toy helicopter, but Kaylee soaked up EVERY WORD THEY SAID and was on fire patrol all weekend, lecturing us on leaving the lights on the tree, turning lights off in every room, and telling us that the firemen would be so proud of her.


They also gave the kids their own badges, fireman hats and all kinds of goodies. Brady is now a junior fireman: before he had his own "woo woo" boots and fireman coat, he just needed the hat:





While we were there we learned that they have this FUN tradition. Anytime anyone gets in the paper, on the news, any kind of publicity (even if its just their backside) they have to buy the whole station ice cream. I asked if putting a photo on my blog would count and they said yes.


So, here's the photo: (that's going to be a LOT of ice cream)

Holidays in Sandpoint

I make no bones about it: I am a city girl. Living in a small town in a remote mountain community is a lot for me to deal with, but it is a cross I must bear. Yes, I know we have a mountain, a lake and endless outdoor activities, but these are things best reserved for people without two small children.

After a fairly disastrous first Thanksgiving at my house in 2005 when we first moved here, I swore I would never spend another one here. Well, that lasted all of two years. This year was so much different though. We had a really nice wonderful holiday with Mark's family.

It was MUCH better than the Christmas of 2006 where my Mom and step father, and also Dad and girlfriend were all in one room with my brother and I, our two kids and my poor husband who hadn't seen anything that awkward since after-PE showers in Junior High.

But THEN my brother's soon to be EX-in laws showed up WITH their daughter, also my brother's soon to be ex-wife. Thankfully, we had a LOT of alcohol. About a bottle per person, all of which was consumed.

So this year was pretty tame in comparison to then my family shows up. Oh the joys of an "extended" family! I really can't make fun of anything about Thanksgiving, unless you count the creepyness of complete normalcy.

Friday evening was spent in Sandpoint's town square where we witnessed the town's Tree Lighting ceremony. Only in Sandpoint would our community be referred to as "Santa-Point, Ida-ho-ho -ho" and have Santa ride in on a fire truck of all things. Not to mention the Charlie Brown looking Christmas Tree in all its glory.

But not all was bad, there were free chocolate chip cookies which the kids ate half of and wore the other half. All in all, a relaxing and fun holiday, but a little too normal for me!