March Madness

At school, kids have been off the wall. I like to refer it to March Madness. they have been cooped up and the weather sucks, we are nearing the last marking period, always a source of kid stress, it's prom season and relationships are at critical mass, and spring sports have begun, adding more stress to kids. Brian can never believe so many kids stop by my office in tears, looking for advice. He thinks because they are teens, life is a breeze for them, and I should just tell them to grow up. This is why I am the guidance counselor, and he is not! Seriously, though, I can empathize with these kids. He had it easy. His parents had stable jobs, stable relationship, and he had his future all planned ( you know Brian, a man with a plan). My last year of high school, first year of college were the toughest times in my life, and I never sought out anyone to talk about it, anyone adult at least that may have been able to help me out.
My last year of school my parents were losing their business, their livlihood. I had no other siblings at home to share this burden with me. I wanted to help them, yet how could I? I was uncertain where we would live, let alone how could I leave them and go off to school? I only applied to one school, SUNY Cortland, because I was afraid to leave them. I was afraid to make plans for my future, because their was a mess. My dad was depressed to the point I was afraid he may hurt himself. It was pretty intense for a 17 year old kid. My relationship catagory was not healthy either, and the only thing I did have to lean on were my girl friends. They gave me hope, until I met Brian in Sophmore year, and then I had him to lean on. He was my rock, still is.
Looking back, I wonder how I made it out? These were the days before counseling centers on campus, and the days when your guidance counselors were just in charge of your schedules. I have just as much mental health training as I do the academic piece. There is a reason for this. I use my mental health training daily, and I feel for these kids. I understand, and I think they get that about me, which is why they line up for my help.
So, I am enjoying these few days off. Hoping it's not so crazy on Tuesday.

ADK Day

We headed to Inlet for the Frozen Fire and Ice day yesterday. That's ice skating at Fern Park, sledding on the big hill, a bon fire, dinner at the Screaming Eagle ( love that place), and fireworks over the lake. It's kind of a tradition now, as this was our second year attending. What a GREAT day we had playing outside in the Adirondacks. Ava was great, she put on the little skates and away she went. She skated alone, and then pushing a chair like the other little ones. People were amazed that she was only 2. Miranda, oh Miranda. I wish we lived near ice. That girl glides accross the ice and was even adding some arabesques, and skating on one leg. It's the 3rd time she has skated. It's natural to her. Anna was happy with a couple laps around and the hot chocolate and doughnut they offered.

The fireworks were amazing. Over our heads over the lake, stars in the sky, and a great bonfire going. Here are some shots from our adirondack day and night:

Il bel far niente

Il bel far niente. It's Italian for the beauty of doing nothing, which is exactly why I have no balance in my life. I can't sit idle. I never do things for myself and myself alone, and I run, run, run without taking time to savor, time for pleasure, time to just sit and listen to the world.

I am reading a great book, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Funny, we were in Target recently and when I looked on the endcap of the book section, I saw that I have read 2 recent NY Times Best Sellers. I typically don't read books because they make that list. I talk to people about what they are reading, and what was good. Lately, though, at the library, all I have time to pick are books from the table up front, as I help my 3 daughters negotiate the library and pick just the right books for them. So, in the moments we are checking out, I grab books that look interesting off this front table. Turns out this must be a recent bestseller table.

This book is really helping me see some things about my life, like the absence of il bel far niente. However, I think half the reason I go go go all the time is that I have all these things I still want to do in my life, so I half expect that when I get done with my obligations, I will have time to do these things. I consider myself a lifelong learner. Not just with things I have to learn and update for work, but life experiences. For instance, I want to learn to sail. When I retire, I want to spend my idle days sailing on some beautiful Adirondack lake when Brian is golfing or fishing. I want to glide accross the lake, listen to the loons, and enjoy the beauty of the mountains. I want to sail my boat alone, and spend some time with myself. That is just one glimpse of the things I still want to learn in my lifetime, I have many more.

I guess I figure there will be time to be idle in my life and do nothing, and these are the days that I don't get that luxury.

Somebody Stop Me!

WE had a fabulous time in Albany yesterday. Shopped till we dropped. The girls rode home in blissful happiness. Miranda, when asked what her best was said seeing Sandi. ( it's a family thing, the question "what was your best". It means what was the best part of your day. The girls got home, scarfed down Pizza Mia from Pizza Hut ( surprisingly only 5 WW points each), and were talking to Brian a mile a min. They were so animated. Ava, in between bites of her pizza, kept saying " We do again, ok Daddy?"
So When I looked over my own purchases, I had to laugh. ORganizational things. I bought some nice under the bed storage bags for my summer clothes, and I bought each girl a Hallmark Keepsake Card box for the cards they save. ORganized that last night. I scoped out the penny cand jars and half baskets I want to organize the pantry. That will require a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop in Syracuse later this month, as I finish up painting the pantry shelves.
Today? A load of laundry, and a trip to ALdi's and the bread outlet to stock up the cabintets and freezer for the next month. Another great day on the docket. Oh, and some reading time with Anna and Miranda to read books with them. Top of the Morning!

Glamour Girls

I love this photo from summer. I call it "Charlie's Angels." They were up this AM at 6. Excited because we are going to Albany to meet up with "Aunt Sandi"
and go shopping. We have upped the ante this year, why mess around with Sangertown when you can head East. They cleaned closets last night and are ready for new clothes and shoes. How did I get blessed with 3 organizied shopping partners for life? Life is good. Head East little girls!

Balance

I love February break. It is typically a time I go through the girls closets, weed out clothes that don't fit or are torn or stained, and we go shopping for some "fill" clothes to get us through the rest of winter. It is kind of our tradition, the shopping thing. Then I clean, organize, restock the pantry and get ready to go till Spring break.
So far this has been a great productive break. I ran some errands Friday, painted the pantry, organized all the girls hair accessories in a really pretty box I got from Tuesday Mornings, and got a few items of clothing at a real bargain yesterday.
I took the girls to the library yesterday to stock up on books for the week. I have decided when they get on my nerves, we "stop drop and read." They found some great books, one book I am looking forward to reading with Miranda, life of a little girl in the Mohawk Valley in the 1920's. I even found a book for me, one my neighbor recommended a while back, " Eat, Pray, and Love." It's about a 36 year old woman ( fancy that!) searching for balance in her life. Despite having "it all", the author feels her life is at a pivital moment and strikes off to 3 countries to find balance. I realized, in reading the Preface, I too am lacking Balance. Most days I feel like I am careening out of control just to get to work, take care of kids, take care of home, cook, etc....I never feel an internal balance. I can't look ahead into my future to see when this careening will stop and sometimes I have anxiety. I am interested in what the author will find out, as I really can't ( or don't want to is a better word!) divorce my husband and head out on a journey. Looks like a good read!

Spiced Up Kitchen

Actually, gutted out and started from scratch is more like it! Starting to really come together. The contractor was done late October, but then we had to become the contractors. At 90.00/hour, we just let him do the stuff we couldn't. We gutted it out late August through September. Hauled all the scraps away. Lived with a floorless pit for a month while we plumbed ( Brian and his dad, they had to move the sink plumbing, and get copper pipes ready for new fridge with water and ice maker). The electrician had to come and bring us up to codes ( nothing was GFP'd, in the kitchen, can you stand it?). I now have ground fault protected outlets! We had to move outlets up from near the floor, install wiring box for self venting micro, put in boxes for recessed lighting above sink, and dimmer switch for new recessed lights.
Contractor installed new floor and worked on joists ( sunk 2 inches with age), put down a new sub floor, ceramic tiled floor with decorative Italian tile border, hung cabinets, put in tin celiling, and installed new countertops. We are left with painting, trimming, putting in crown molding, new wainscoating around kitchen, and decorating. The Island is being crafted by Brian, and will likely be ready by the spring. So here is a peek of work in progress, but first you have to see the old:

Friday Funnies

Stressful week. Sick baby = Miserable baby. Thankfully, some funny things said here this week. Ava was playing little people. She said " Little People boy, WHAZZZUP". Then, as we were sitting at dinner " Oh, MAN". Not to be undone in humor, Anna and I were in the office. The washing machine was draining, and sometimes, it makes the downstairs toilet bubble or gurgle. She looked into the bathroom and said " I think it's going to blow." Does she even understand how funny she is? Love her humor. As Ava was in between throwing up and messy diapers, at least I had some humor.


And, Brian is currently on a wine run. We ralized my 29 bottle wine chiller was just chilling beer. I told him to come home with no less than 4 bottles of wine. I picked 3 and told him to choose a "wild card." That and a fish fry tonight will perk me up I think. I have been up with Ava 2 nights in a row. 3rd time is not a charm. Got my goblet all ready. Maybe I will chill it.

It's Sooooo Good

5:11 am. Can't sleep. Decide to get up and check on the weather. Dang. Not a flake. No snow day. I figure since I am up, good time to load more music into the ipod ( working on Dana Dance Mix.....it's like having my own station to program). 5:15am. Ava's saying " Mommy". Go rescue her so she doesn't wake the rest of the girls. 5:20am. Turn on TV, watch in confusion as I see my school's name scrolling. SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!! Must be in anticipation of ice?? 5:25am. Brian decides to head in so he can get out early. Somehow, he sets off the car alarm ( the one we never actually need to use, since we live in a Norman Rockwell kind of neighborhood). 5:27am. Miranda is now up. So much for my peaceful work time.
Somehow, I do get to work on this playlist. I now have about 100mb's of FIERCE dance music loaded into the ipod. My next workout will rock the house! I am still quite pleased with myself. Now I understand why ever kid in high school has a loaded ipod. Way cooler than radio. I am currently jamming to Donna Summer's I Feel Love, the Rolo- Remix from 2000."It's soo good, baby it's soooooo good" 8.12 min of pure dance enjoyment. Fierce.
Happy Snow Day! And it figures, I got really organized at work, and was going to see about 10 kids today for counseling. Oh well, guess my Monday will hop.

Sunshine

Had to post this. I need a mid winter blast of sunshine. Here she is......my sunshine.

High School Never Ends

I have been in a funk lately. It usually happens this time of year. I don't have a window in my office, and when kids are crazy, I don't get out of my office. When I don't get out of my office, I don't get sun. It's seasonal affective disorder. I have self diagnosed. So today, I was in a rare mood. I did announcements this am ( don't ask.....it's full circle I tell ya. Senior year, Mt. Markham, morning announcements. 2008, many moons later, morning announcements. It's almost comical). From there, another co-worker and I decided to use SAT caliber words. I think I trumped her with the word illbegotten, used in context. Next, I answered my office phone ( it was a teacher call) in Francais......Bon jour, ici Dana, et vous? He was very confused. I am still laughing.
Sometimes my job is very serious ( suicidal kids, kids that cut, families in crisis), so sometimes it is just fun to be silly and make others and myself laugh.

Au Revior!

Don't Bring Me Down

So, it's a Wednesday night. Very cold and windy out. I am landlocked tonight. So what's a girl to do? I am just a blogging away having loaded some mp3s on my ipod. I really am quite proud of myself. I have figured out my technology. ( Sadly, I must report this took almost 2 years.....)
Flashback to Christmas 2005. Brian really batted it out of the park. A car starter for my beloved Volvo and this great mp3 player. I was clueless. The baby was young and taking up all my time. Fastforward to tonight. 2 hours on my hands. I figured it out!!!!!!!! Currently listening to ELO's Don't Bring me Down. Love this song. It's kind of my theme song. I am a very positive person, and I hate those people that are constantly Eyore's, doom and gloom.

Don't Bring Me Down


You got me runnin' goin' out of my mind,
You got me thinkin' that I'm wastin' my time.
Don't bring me down,no no no no no,
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down.

You wanna stay out with your fancy friends.
I'm tellin' you it's go to be the end,
Don't bring me down,no no no no no no no no,
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down.

Don't bring me down,grroosss
Don't bring me down,grroosss
Don't bring me down,grroosss
Don't bring me down.

What happend to the girl I used to known,
You let your mind out somewhere down the road,
Don't bring me down,no no no no no,
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down.

You're always talkin' 'bout your crazy nights,
One of these days you're gonna get it right.
Don't bring me down,no no no no no,
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down.

Don't bring me down,grroosss
Don't bring me down,grroosss
Don't bring me down,grroosss
Don't bring me down.

You're lookin' good just like a snake in the grass,
One of these days you're gonna break your glass.
Don't bring me down,no no no no no no no no,
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down.

You got me shakin' got me runnin' away
You get me crawlin' up to you everyday,
Don't bring me down,no no no no no,
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down


I put it on repeat ( yes, I really am this good). Gotta go jam to my technology......

Baby it Cold

Temps have taken a tumble here. So, what what is a girl to do? Grab her friend, and her friend's extra snow shoes and tramp a trail through the new snow in the park! Beautiful cold northern NY night. Crisp, so crisp that my ski jacket is making crinkling sounds. Sky so dark it's black. A few laps aroound the park and we are warming up! What a great way to de-stress! Tramping through the snow. Who ever thought I would enjoy snow shoes?

Looking forward to a possible Friday night on the slopes with Brian. Cross your fingers we get a sitter, and that the temps stay cold. More snow baby!

Finer Things

I vowed not to do it. I even vocalized it out loud, I am not watching that movie I said. The movie in question? Christmas Shoes. Yet, there I was, the only one still up watching that movie. And of course sobbing. Mostly, I was sobbing because that movie was real for many this year. Three sets of kids I know of have a mom that died before Christmas this year. One a little girl Miranda's age. I can't even imagine the grief that a child must go through. It seems bad enough to lose parents as adults. I shouldn't have watched it.....

Then, yesterday, as I was listening to satellite radio, and thank god for that because radio here is bad, really really bad, I heard a song I hadn't heard in ages. I heard Steve Winwood's "Finer Things" and this line caught my attention:
For time is a river rolling into nowhere
We must live while we can
And well drink our cup of laughter

So true. Time marches on, regardless of what happens, and we have little control really over what happens. Being OCD, I love control, but what control really do I have over things? So, listening to that sond I realized my quest to live each day to the fullest is a good one. We should all take that advice. Live while we can. Be good to our bodies, be healthy, and make the most of the life we have been given. Be thankful everyday. I know I am. Life is good.

Snow Days

It's that time of year. Snow is everywhere, temps have dropped, and Spring is just a faraway date on the calender. Last year, instead of hibernating, and getting seasonal depression like I usually do, I embraced the snow. Funny, I never thought I would like it as much as I did. Sure, I ski, but I am a fair weather skiier. It has to be sunny and near 30 for me to have a good time on the slopes. Last year, I embraced it all from below zero to sunny 30 degree days, and you know what? I loved it!

My plan is the same this year. To sled, snow shoe, ski, shovel the driveway, walk, and maybe even a winter hike. Last year, I tried my hand at snow shoeing and really enjoyed it. So far, I have gone sledding with the girls ( I actually get in the sled and slide), shoveled, and of course walked. The winter hike idea really appeals to me. I am and ADK girl. Love my Adirondacks. If I can find a nice day hike not far from here, I will add that to the winter activities I enjoy.

So, let it snow! This girl is looking forward to fun in the snow and sun.

Holiday Funnies

My kids crack me up. Anna is usually the comedian, but Ava took the mic this holiday and did a little stand up herself. At dinner on Saturday, my sister in law was in from North Carolina. Ava was trying to have a conversation and said " Daisy pees in the snow." We all roared. Then, on Christmas day, after devoring a bowl of Bryers vanilla ice cream, she looks up and says "I'm still waiting for my coffee." Again......very funny kid. Finally, this AM, she came up to me and said " I need my sockie mom, my sockie." After searching the house for her socks, she lead me by the hand to the mantle and pointed to her STOCKING. I had a good laugh.

Loved my holiday. It was perfect adn I am the proud owner of a counter top roasting oven, just like my Grandma Ina had. It's a beauty. I can roast meat in that and free up the oven to cook up 3 racks of food when throwing down a holiday dinner. Then, my glorius roasting pan becomes a chafing pan, and you place the insert in and can keep warm 3 side dishes. Sweet.

Today, as we enjoy new toys, we are also going to head out and visit the sledding hill. Sun is shining, snow looks good, and we need to run off all those sweets we ate! Enjoy the day, and happy Christmas vacation!

Santa Babies

Magic of Christmas

I just read Traci's very sweet blog about Christmas, and it's very much the same here. T'was the day before Christmas when all throught the house, we have presents to wrap and cannoli to fill ( and eat!) The stockings are waiting to be hung by the chimmney with care, for fear baby Ava will pull them down on her head. The girls are counting the hours till bed, and mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again ( wait, that is a different song.....)

I just discovered that the old light displays from Trinkaus Manor are on display in Rome, so we are going out tonight to see them. That used to be a Christmas Eve tradition, until the Trinkaus burned down. I guess I always thought the lights were lost too, and it made me so sad. The OD just ran a story about them in Rome, so away we will go. My dad used to take us, and then later in life, Brian and I used to go every Christmas Eve, and then go out to dinner. I am going to take photos to share with my dad. He will get a kick out of seeing them again, and the fact that my girls will enjoy something his little girls used to enjoy. That is, after all, what Christmas is about. Tradition,and time with the family making magic Christmas memories to savor and remember someday, when the girls are grown, and my house isn't quite so busy.

Merry Christmas. May yours be as magical as mine.

Current Events

I can't stand that I don't have time to blog. Well, in current events, the kitchen project is humming along. The "major" stuff was done by the contractor, and Brian and I are finishing the rest. Because we have kids and life is crazy, I am hoping this will be done by Spring. What has been done is awesome. I love it, and it is just the "Country Living" vision I had in mind. Loving the 29 bottle wine chiller ( but why 29, 30 is a much more rounded number?)
Christmas? Not really ready for it, which is making me crazy because I like to be resdy for things. I still need to shop this week, which is not like me at all. Hopefully, I will get everything all ready. I only had time to put about half my usual decorations up. Kind of sad, but you reach a point where you can only do so much and accept the fact that life will go on, and may perhaps return someday, right?
I am still hoping for my pre-Christmas snow day that we usually have and I get caught up. It almost happend this AM, but all we got was a delay. Miranda came downstairs with a look of hope, as did I, and I said "delay". She said " OHHHHHHHH". My thoughts exactly. I too, still look forward to my snow days. Just a big kid, I am.

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