Let The Madness Begin - Or How to Keep Grandma Sane

Youngest son has arrived. Belongings in a U-Haul trailer.

With a wife. Three kids. Two dogs. One cat.

 

Ay-yi-yi.

Can you just see it?

Yup. Chaos.

At least for a little bit. I'm sure we'll get into a rhythm. A schedule, of sorts. An even keel. Hmmm...too optimistic?

So youngest son has completed his time in the Air Force. And we are so proud of him for serving his country so admirably.

We are also proud of the man, husband and daddy he has become.

He's home now, under my roof, in the home he grew up in, plotting out his next career move. And where he'll be setting down roots for his family.

In the meantime, his father and I have laid out the welcome mat and offered them refuge until they find their new home.

But...it IS a tight fit. My house is not what you'd call a mansion. Far from it. Matter of fact, much to hubby's chagrin, it was once described as a quaint cozy cottage. Somehow, we've managed to squeeze in 5 extra people and 3 extra pets in this tiny abode.

Luckily the warm weather is here. The great outdoors beckons us. Which makes the backyard the perfect place for the kids and pets to spend a lot of their time. And its this time of the year when there are many things going on - b-b-q's, backyard family gatherings, festivals, beach-days, picnics at the park. Events to keep everyone busy and out of the house.

The point is, we all have to stay active, organized and out of each other's way.

I already have something in mind for my own sanity and, as a by-product, my health - THE GYM. I joined last week. Better late than never, eh? ☺ It'll give me solitude time. And as a result, should help me to lose weight, tone up and de-stress my mind a bit. Keep me from becoming Grandma the Ogre. Not a bad idea, right?

 

Photo Credit - Maximus_W (Flickr)

 

Don't get me wrong - I love spending time with my family. I'm very excited to have my adorable grandkids around and look forward to seeing their smiling faces and hearing their giggles every day. (Full disclosure: the whines, the cries, the tantrums...not so much. They are a package deal after all.)

 

So bear with me. I may not be able to post as much. And when I do, they may be a bit incoherent and disjointed. Be gentle.

 

If you have any suggestions to help this Little House in the City run smoothly, or have been in my shoes, please share!

Okay. Got to get back to the craziness that is my life and home right now. Wish us luck!

Rabbit Rabbit! Heralding the Arrival of June

So...I have this super girlfriend. On the first of each month she says "Rabbit Rabbit". And it must be said before you speak any other words. I think its a good luck thing. I had never heard of this tradition before. I've tried it. Hasn't garnered any luck for me at all. Maybe it only works for my friend? She is pretty lucky. Think I'll have to find some kind of good luck charm for me... rabbit's foot? lady bug? bamboo? Nope, tried them all. Nada. Nil. Zilch.

Oh well.

Ok. Here we are. The beginning of June.

Rabbit Rabbit.

On the job front:  Hubby is working. He's not crazy about his job but he's gotten a few other offers so he's keeping his options open.

As for me:  Nada. Nil. Zilch. Not for lack of trying. I'm still sending out a gazillion (or so it seems) applications and resumes. Had one interview that I thought went well, but apparently didn't as no job offer was forthcoming.

However....I'm beginning to wonder if the non-job status is fate stepping in. You see, my youngest son is leaving the military. This week. He and his wife and 3 children are heading north to regroup. And they'll now be stationed at my house. Yup, you heard that right. My little tiny cramped 50's ranch. With the postage stamp sized yard. Oh boy.

We've been going crazy trying to rearrange the place to accommodate 5 more people, 3 of which are under the age of 10, and 2 more dogs. Child proofing. Dog proofing. Making room. Emptying closets and bureaus. Installing a girl's sleigh bed (thank you to a very generous friend!) and multi-colored bunk beds for the boys (found at a bargain price on Craig's list). Setting up a second guest room in our finished basement (which meant closing up shop on our home gym downstairs-but I figure I'll get a workout just keeping up with the grandkids and dogs). Reconfiguring all the rooms of the house and the backyard.

Lists have become our new best friends. We check off each item as we move along at a rapid fire pace to get things in order prior to the big day. This weekend was the final preparations: yard sales to pick up some good used toys for the kids, yardwork and installation of new doors. All that's left is to fill up the cupboards and fridge with food for the homeless troops about to appear at our doorstep.

Actually, the renovations and changes we've made since we received this proclamation from young son have us thinking this might just work out okay...if only on a temporary basis. And with me not working, I can be here to oversee our new housemates and enjoy time with the grandchildren who I adore. My mood is always lifted when I'm with them. They're fun, and funny. They're sweet, and loving. Never a dull moment. And its summer and there's so much we can do that I couldn't do otherwise if I was bogged down with a job. The zoo. Parks. Museums. Festivals and fairs. The beach. Fishing (um, that one they can do with grandpa...just sayin'). Blowing bubbles. Taking care of grandma's butterfly garden. Working in grandpa's vegetable garden. Walking the dogs. Visiting family. Backyard b-b-q's. Or just laying on a blanket in the backyard and watching the clouds roll by. And at night, the constellations.

So many fun things!

And maybe, just maybe...it's fate's way of filling my soul just when I need it most.

Or is it luck?  Rabbit...Rabbit........

All Good Things Must Come to an End - And That Includes Vacation

I'm home. Back in my own old lumpy but comfy familiar bed. Surrounded by my forgiving dogs and kitty. They've gotten over their irritation with us for being gone so long. We're all back to normal, whatever that may be.

In a previous post I mentioned how our vaca was in 2 parts: first we visited oldest son in the Orlando area and then we visited youngest son and his family in the FL panhandle. We were relieved to see that the grandchildren were very happy to see us! Of course, not unexpectedly, the first words out of their mouths was something along the lines of "What you got for us in your luggage?" After all, our 4 year old grandson thinks hubby is "Papa Claus".

How Do I Relax? Let Me Count The Ways.....

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm a hard worker. It's always been tough to leave work at work and go home and just relax. But I did find a few things that helped me to unwind and I'd like to share them with you:

1.  Mix margarita
2.  Drink margarita
3.  Repeat

Yes, I'll admit...I lean on the alcohol a bit....as needed.....just sayin'.....

But there are other things in my relaxation arsenal:

1.  Take off the 3-piece suit and put on my old sweats.
2.  Get down on the floor and play with my three dogs and kitty
3.  Chat with friends on social media
4.  Run on my treadmill while watching the Ellen DeGeneres show
5.  Stretching and yoga
6.  Turning on my iPod and listening to some of my fav music (with glass in hand-see above list)

And then there are those really stressful workdays where I just want to go home to silence. Total quiet. No tv. No iPod. No exercise. No noise at all. I head to my woman-cave, light some incense, dim the lights, sit cross legged on the floor and close my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Ommmmmmmmmmm.......

Ranch Homes - Not just for the 50's anymore

Read an interesting article today.

"Why 1950s-style ranch homes are all the rage again"

I live in a ranch style home. No, it wasn't my first choice but it was what we could afford 20 years ago when we were house hunting. And we're still here because it's all we can afford. But it also works for us. I really don't like trudging up and down stairs. And no, it isn't because I hate exercise (tho its not my fav activity). Mostly because of my back condition; i have to tread lightly when it comes to stairs.

However, I do have stairs leading to a finished basement. And that bothers me. It's rough going for me to carry laundry up and down the stairs to the basement laundry so that's become hubby's job. I also worry when little ones are visiting and they head down to the basement family room. (Had hubby put in an extra hand rail....worried grandma here!)

My next house will be completely on one level. An open floor plan will be nice...just in case I end up in a wheelchair...don't want to have to contend with narrow doorways like the ones in my current home.

What do you think? Are you a fan of ranch homes? Single level homes? Are you sick of seeing people erecting mcmansions like I am?