8 in 20 Hodgepodge

I know, I know, TWO weeks in a row with the hodgepodge...now if only I could visit all the hodgepodgers.  Head on over to Joyce's blog and join up. 

Here is my go at the questions:

1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

Oh my goodness how I love this idea.  Let's see the one item that comes to mind is getting caught up with my scrapbooking.  Yeah...1001 days, not sure that one is doable.  But as I always say anything is possible if you put your mind to it, it is putting your mind to it that is the hard part.

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

We have 3 TV's and each TV has two remotes plus the two DVD players...so now the math...8 total.  My remote control wish would be my children when it is time to get up in the morning...ha!!

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?

Having it all SHOULD mean something very different than it does.  We always want more and because of that we will never attain it.  Rethinking what it means to have it all daily would be a very good exercise in thankfulness.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?
I rarely purchase movie soundtracks.  I usually purchase one or two songs that I like, and that is it.  But if I were to have to pick just one it would be The Big Chill.  Love every song on that soundtrack.

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.

Well the ultimate rooftop view would be from the Empire State Building in NYC.  So much happening below but seemingly so peaceful.  That was about 25 years ago, however.

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

I would have to say the electric bill.  I am VERY luck that I live where I live because I use the air conditioner way less than most, but I hate paying that extra for those months.

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July. 
Trying to keep my head above water.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.
In Summary:  I will give you my hodgepodge inspired 101 in 1001...maybe they will be added to the list. 1. Get caught up with scrapbooking 2. Work on that child remote control patent 3. Make a list of what I need to have it all and stick to it. 4. Pick one movie I saw this year and listen to the itunes blurbs from it's soundtrack. 5.  Go find a rooftop and check out the view 6.  Save a little bit of money each month to offset the summer electric bill. 7.  Keep head above water.

More Later

- A Ro

Happy Birthday Tyler

OK so I realize that I am still two birthday blogs short, Kate and Greg.  But I need to get back on track somehow so I will start today with a very special look back at the past 9 years of my nephew Tyler.  He is 9 years old today oh my goodness one more year til the double digits kick in.

Well hold on Stacia and Ryan...your little boy really grew up.

Tyler was born before we all really started digitally sharing pictures via Shutterfly, in fact I can't find any pictures that I have of his birth.  But this picture really tugs at my heart...look at that face!!

Here is his 1st birthday announcement.  Such a sweet boy.

My favorite picture from his 2 year old announcement is the upper right one.  Those cheesy grins that all kids go through.

A 3 year old Thomas birthday party.  Those eyes get me every time.

He is starting to look all grown up. A Cars Birthday!!

A Big 5 year old.

6 year old Tyler still smiling.

arrrr it's good to be 7.

For some reason I couldn't find any 8 year old birthday party pics, but this is around that time.  Just getting more handsome each year.

He grew up right before all of our eyes. 

Happy Birthday Tyler I love you!!

More Later

- A  Ro

A Birthday Weekend

It was just that a birthday weekend.  Rich and I celebrated my birthday all weekend.  Lucky me!!  I think I might have to say that this birthday was almost perfect.  The "almost" comes into play simply because none of our kids were with me with the exception of Bella who joined us for dinner, but then went back to her dad's. 

Friday night started it off.  A real live-don't-have-to-get-home-because-we-have-kids-at-home date.  We went to sushi and did some shopping.  Rich bought me a REALLY nice pair of sunglasses for my birthday complete with a nice case and a promise from me that I would take very good care of them.  This is my first pair of expensive sunglasses.  Usually I am the $5.00 Target sunglasses because I lose or break them, lately I haven't been wearing any at all and that is really bad for my eyeballs...so I'm told.  So I asked for a nice pair for my birthday.  We really enjoyed each others company and I know we are still newlyweds but I just can't get enough of this guy.

I tried to chronicle my actual birthday with pictures, but most of them are with my phone so they might not be the best quality. It was truly an amazing day.

We started the day with a walk to a park that has a duck pond.  We took Maggie and it was a beautiful morning for a walk.

The ducks were out to wish me a Happy Birthday, or maybe they just wanted bread...whatever.

Maggie didn't know what to think of them.  I know what to think of that man in the picture...handsome!!

We then went to breakie at one of our favorite places before heading off to the farmer's market. 

Here I am getting some oh-my-goodness-delicious apples.  Like my new sunglasses???  I haven't lost them yet.
So we now have my childhood piano in our living room.  So Rich has been asking me to give him piano lessons.  I thought he was just kidding, but in reality he was not so we swung by the local music store to get him some piano books.

I can't wait to get started.

We finished our grocery shopping for the week and went to lunch at our favorite restaurant Reds!!

My favorite guy at my favorite restaurant!!


While we were on our walk this morning we noticed that the park had public tennis courts so we decided to use the birthday money my mom sent us to buy used tennis rackets.  The Play It Again Sports was near Reds so we headed their next and got us some rackets and balls. We actually played on Sunday and had so much fun.  I am really bad, but got better and can't wait to play again.

We then headed off to the outlet mall and I bought a new purse (which was badly needed) and a book bag for school.  Rich found a shirt and some shorts and I finished some birthday shopping for Andrew and Bella.

It was then off to get Bella and head to one of our other favorite restaurants Maggianos.  Bella bought me some scrapbooking stuff and I was so glad to see her.  If only Sarah were home.  She did post a very wonderful message on my Facebook wall about how much she loves and misses me.  Did I mention how lucky I am??

We took Bella back to her dad's and went home.  I got my last two presents from Rich a very nice set of stainless steel measuring cups and a pair of herb clippers from Williams Sonoma.  He really knows me well!!

Such an amazing day.  Thank you honey you truly made it so very special.

More Later

- A Ro

The Friday Five

So I am pretty sure I am stealing this idea from someone, but I can't really remember who.  When I figure it out I will certainly give her credit.  I do love lists and alliteration so this fits me perfectly.

So here goes:

1.  Sarah went back to Iowa to visit her mom today.  The house is very quiet and Bella is a little blue (we all are).  We have texted a couple of times today and she is doing good.  I just want her to hurry home, things just aren't the same without her!!

2.  Tomorrow is the last day of camp.  I am looking forward to having a bit of a break.  We went straight into camp from the school year (we usually have one week in between) so I really haven't had any sort of summer break yet...needless to say I am a little tired.  I will certainly miss the kids and the rest of the camp staff but I will enjoy some time off before school starts.

3.  Oh, wait...my summer break will not begin because I have jury duty on Monday.  Oh joy.  I had to postpone it because my original week was during my last concert week and that just wasn't going to work.  I hope that it is a one and done day. 

4.  Bella's birthday is next Friday and since tomorrow is the last day of camp her friends threw her a bit of a birthday party at camp.  She has some really great friends.

 They blindfolded her...

 ...gave her a silly hat...

...and Hannah gave her a Perry the Platypus blower.

 She got a cool Agent P doll and two One Directions posters.

What great friends she has!!!

5.  My Birthday is on Saturday and Andrew is at orchestra camp, Sarah is in Iowa, and Bella is with her Dad for most of the weekend so Rich and I are actually going to go on a date for my birthday.  I love my busy house but will enjoy a couple of quiet nights. 

As long as everyone hurries home because I don't know how much quiet I can handle.

More Later

- A Ro

Passing on the Hodgepodge Torch

I  couldn't think of a better way to continue celebrating the end of my blog hiatus than joining Joyce this week for the weekly Hodgepodge.  Head on over to her blog and do the same.

1. The Summer Olympics officially begin this Friday night...will you be watching? If you could see just one event in person which one would you pick?

I do love the Olympics.  Last year there was a 40yr old woman who did the clean and jerk weightlifting contest.  I wanted so badly to be her.  I know that sounds crazy but she was so dang strong.  I will be watching as much as I can.  I just love having it on TV while putzing around my house.  Just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.  I would say that I can't miss the gymnastics because Shawn Johnson is from my home town and went to my high school and even though she will not be competing I love those events.  Not sure how I feel about the health those skinny minny girlies, but dang they are strong.

2.Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Uh...very unproductive.  I WISH I could have a lazy day, but I just feel like I wasted the day when I am not doing anything productive.  Such a burden to bear...sigh.


3. July 25th is 'officially' Threading the Needle Day...can you sew? On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being not at all and 10 being Betsy Ross-like, how would you rate your skill with a needle and thread?

Well I do own a sewing machine, however, it is buried in my closet in a box.  My mother is a very good seamstress and she has taught me a thing or two, but I can't remember anything.  I am certain that with a few refresher instructions it would all come back to me.  But even with that I would still only rate me as a 4.

4. 'Threading the Needle' can also mean to walk a fine line between two things or issues (think awkward social situation). When was the last time you had to 'thread the needle', figuratively speaking?

hmmm...this is a hard one.  I had a friend apply for a job that I was a member of the selection committee and she didn't get the job so it is a very awkward situation when we start talking about that. In general I try to steer clear of those kinds of situations.

5. Kidney, pinto, black, or navy...your favorite bean?

Yes!!  I love beans.  Beans beans the musical fruit the more you eat the more you...yeah you remember.  I believe however that the more you eat them the quicker your body learns to deal with the uh hem...situation.
6. Have you ever hosted a garage sale? Was it more success or bust?

Yes and I hate garage sales.  I hate nickling and diming over my junk.  I would rather just give it away.  I am so not a keeper kind of person.  I pitch or give away OFTEN.  Garage sales are just a pain in the butt, in my opinion.  However, I know people who have taken vacations on selling their junk.  More power to them.

7. What makes you roll your eyes?

People who think they are "all that".  Most people who act like they are "all that" are not and I just roll my eyes and laugh.  It just seems like too many people this day are too big for their britches. 


8. Insert your own random thought here.
This hodgepodge made me realize that I just am not the normal kind of person who hosts garage sales, sews like Betsy Ross, or knows how to have a lazy day.  But you just watch out summer Olympics of 2016 because I am the next clean and jerk champion...and don't you dare roll your eyes!!

More later

- A Ro

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

Today at camp it was 80's dress up day.  Now for those of you who know me pretty well know that I do NOT like to dress up in any sort of costume.  I love Halloween but despise dressing up in costume.  So as much as I love the 80's style I just couldn't dress up.  I mean c'mon who doesn't look good with feathered hair, leg warmers, shoulder pads, big bows, and off the shoulder tops.  But I then realized that I actually have in my possession something that I actually wore in the 80's numerous times as a proud girlfriend of a football player...Rich's football jersey.

So I rocked the side pony and put on his jersey.

Thankfully my daughter loves to dress up and also put together a pretty rad outfit.  The funny thing is certain fashion styles of the 80's are coming back in style.  There are lots of neon colors, high jean shorts, off the shoulder shirts, and big colorful sunglasses are back in. 

Little did I know that when the temps reached 90 today that jersey would be unbearable to wear so I ditched the jersey and the side pony oh about noon, but I feel I did my duty. 

I just hope that feathered hair doesn't make a comeback.  I don't think I could do what I did back then to make it all happen, plus I have a definite aversion to the smell of Aqua Net.

I mean it took hours to get this look.  By the way I LOVED this sweater.  I kinda wish I had it now. 

He looked GOOD, and had the perfect hair texture for feathering!!  If only he would have smiled.

Talk about good hair for feathering...my brothers are just lucky I didn't look very hard for their senior picture.  Serious feathering and maybe a mullet going on.

I really loved having Rich's jersey on once again.

Although for some reason it didn't fit me quite the way it used to back in the 80's :)

More Later

- A  Ro

What I Did and Did Not Do On My Blog Hiatus

Well here I am once again having gone an eon without blogging.  I thought about blogging everyday but alas no fingers to the keys.  I thought about all of you everyday too, but alas no fingers to the keys.  So to give it another shot I am going to start by telling you all the things I did not do while not blogging.

1.  I did NOT do three birthday blogs...my sister Kate, my brother Greg, and Rich...I hope they can forgive me.

2.  I did at least wish them a happy birthday.

3.  I did NOT scrapbook any pictures.

4.  I did upload one month of pictures from my camera...I think March, nope February.

5.  I did move!!!  Yes you heard that right...we moved, yet again.

6.  I did NOT take any pictures of my new house, but I promise I will soon.  Just as soon as I finish uploading March, April, May and June.  So in other words never.

7.  I did, eventually, unpack all the boxes, hemmed and hung curtains so we all didn't have to sit on one side of the dining room table as not to be blinded by the evening sun.

8.  I did NOT however, finish unpacking knick knacks, finish hanging pictures, or buy living room furniture.

9.  I did attend Sarah's graduation from 8th Grade

And allowed my picture to be taken but only because she begged me.  Geez I'm short.

10.  I did celebrate Rich's birthday by baking him a carrot cake from scratch.

11.  I did attend and sing at my good friend Mandy's wedding and took a sort of family picture.  We looked pretty good.

It was in Malibu...love that place!!

Such pretty girls...

Such a handsome guy

12.  I did get to see Bella's art work be one of only 4 sixth graders entered in our schools end of the year art contest.

 

This is a scratch art project.  You get a black scratch paper and go from there.

13.  I did NOT get rid of my son only didn't capture him in any pictures.

14. I did miss you all terribly and hope you forgive my absence.



More Later

- A Ro