Farewell April Letters,

I'm sorry to have completely blown you off for the last week, but it was for situations beyond my control! Anyway, it was fun trying to keep up with you while it lasted, even pounding my head for ideas at 11:56 most nights!

Do I want to do May's NaBloPoMo?? Not certain....there are plenty of voices in my head, but I'm not certain I can get 31 of them will cooperate!

Until next time NaBloPoMo,
Ang

Oh internet,

How I love thee!! I just can't function without you! Yes, work and school are dependent on you, but so many times through the day I NEED you! Look at just the sample of questions I am asked any given day:

What's the weather? Let me check!
Mom-I need shorts!! We can view the Kohl's sale online.
When is our recital? I'll look right now!
Can I spend $50 at Lowe's dear?? I doubt it, but I'll check the bank site.
How many hours of school do I have left mom?? Click here to find out.
Wonder how P-dub's punks are today? I'll have to check after dinner...

I don't know how I lived without you all those years ago! I'm lucky to get 5 mins a day to myself now, what in the world would I do if I had to call or ~gulp~ visit all these places to get my answers?? I'd be in a padded room with no hair!! Yes, I love you world wide web. Probably almost as much as Mr. FixIt...ok... maybe MORE! :-D

Your junkie,
A

Ben,

Such a sweet boy you are! I know your joints ache, your eyes are beginning to fail you, and you're getting occasionally grumpy, but you think you could hang in there just a bit longer?? You acted like such a puppy in the snow this winter, playing and jumping around, that you shocked me at the energy! The kids need you to dig out some of that vitality for a while. They can't handle losing you anytime soon, and I don't think I could either. So hang in there buddy and I'll keep up the treats and old man pills, ok?? Oh and I'll try to keep the cats off your case too. :-D



Love ya,
Momma

Well so much for that idea!

Ok, well I completely dropped the ball on NaBloPoMo for yesterday. Actually, I didn't get to bed until about 12:30 this morning, then while falling asleep, I thought of it. Not hard enough apparently to get myself up and post! LOL. Oh well, I did most of the month, I just blew it yesterday. I'll guess I'll just keep going and do what I can...was worth a shot!

Letter of the Day: S

S for today completely sucked in multiple ways.
S for I'm sorry I blew my NaBloPoMo out of the water yesterday.
S for I'm sure you're not shocked by that!
S for cute Lee Skimmers that I found at Kohl's that actually FIT.
S for I'm sleepy and I've had enough for one day!
See you at sunrise!

A
S

To the weekend,

Why do you run by so quickly?? I'm always looking forward to your arrival, anxious of the extra time you will give me to catch up on work, the hours I will get to myself while Mr. FixIt deals with kiddos, the things I will clean, sort, make, etc. My view outside the office window is turning dark, and the crickets and frogs are belting out songs. Oh no! You completely passed me by! Wait!! None of my "to do" list has been checked off...or even STARTED for that matter! What did I do to you, my wonderful weekend?? You can't be leaving me already?! Once in a while you are needed to be, well just a weekend: a couple days off to sleep in, be lazy and catch up on snuggling, but mostly I need you to provide time that I can't seem to find through the week. You can't be done, I'm not finished with you yet!! Monday morning is already sneering at me with an evil laugh!
Ok- well if you ~have~ to go.
I promise I'll be more attentive to you next time around, really. I will! I promise!

Until next time,
A

Letter T

The letter T is the letter of the day because:

I'm really stinking TIRED,
I've been on a TRIP for a family function,
So now I'm TAKIN' my butt to bed!

G'night!

Dear OHVA,

Have I told you yet today what a wonderful school you are?? Only four times?? Well, I'm slacking. So very sorry. You deserve a thanks a hundred times over each day! I love the flexibility of our schedule to what we need as a family or even just to have more time outside some days to burn that childhood energy! Listed are a few of the greatest advantages we have discovered:

• -No packing lunches, or paying $10 a week if we don't pack.
• -Calm morning routines instead of constantly feeling rushed.
  
• - I don't have to drive anywhere "because" the weather is horrid (and often is).
• -Exposure to sickness, flu, snotty noses and worst of all, creepy crawly parasites are nil! I could be setting myself up here, but the worst sickness has been ONE minor cold per family member for the past 7 months! ONE! Woohoo!
• -Not ending up with ruined/blackened/dingy clothes and shoes from the recycled tires substrate that covers the B&M playgrounds.
• -Not being made to feel uncomfortable on a daily basis in facing/dealing with other parents that looked at me like I had three heads and my kids fell from the Starship Enterprise. I know this is a small town and I'm an outsider, but I'm not that far outside!
• -A wonderful staff and faculty that greets and talks to us like real people at every school function, field trip and face-to-face meeting.
• -Interactions with a diverse group of children, all of them positive!
  
• -Completely amazing and wonderfully supportive parents that are in the same boat as I am. These people are such a benefit to this school and its community!
• -A rich and interesting curriculum with materials and lessons provided. I can do what I truly love and that is to teach my children.

So thank you so much OHVA! We are so proud to be part of your school and grateful to have you as an option in the difficult challenge of raising responsible, respectful children in today's crazy world.

With great thanks,
A

Dear B,

Two wheels! Yes, finally! You did it! It has been a long, three-year struggle to get you on those wheels but you did it! I am so proud of you! I don't know where you finally snagged the confidence from, but you out of the blue today you came to me and asked for your bike that you haven't touched in 8 months, grabbed your helmet, jumped on and away you went! YESS!!

Way to go B!

Love you!

Mom

Delta Lost and Found,

Your lost and found number for the Atlanta Terminal does not work. Apparently none of your employees have been informed of this little tidbit of information. I'd suggest you get hoppin' and update your numbers...like ASAP! The 800 number provided, well both of them really, are a never-ending automated loop to nowhere and your 404 number, that was left for us to "call back" in three voice mails by two different employees, does NOT work. Dial that and your glimmer of hope ends with a, "This is an invalid extension." *$&#$^&%^@!!!!Ok, now what?? Mr. FixIt would really like his stuff back and I'd really like to stop hearing about it. If there's anything else we could do to work this out, say short of driving all the freakin' way to Atlanta, we will, but I think our options are out in trying to contact you. So get busy updating those numbers, will ya?

Thanks, much appreciated.

A and Mr. FixIt

To my mind,

Why are you completely blank? I have not a clue who to write a letter to at the moment...or at least not a short letter that can be done in less than 5 mins because I need to get back to work. Hmmm...nope. Blank. You are still clueless mind. So take this as an extension to tomorrow and so you can have an idea ready. Cool? Ok.

Later!
Me

Dear Readers,

I'd like to tell you a little about myself today. I grabbed this from Lindsey and thought it was a good way for you to learn something about me. So here are:

10 Things I Say Everyday (in reverse order, think Letterman!)

10. Will you go feed the rabbits, please? (to whoever is available)
9. Hey Benny Boy!! Good boy! Get it, get your ball Benny! (dog)
8. Stupid cats, watch out!
7. ~Whistle~ Come wash hands guys!! (for lunch/supper)
6. Hey Ratty girl! (to the heathen, gluttonous pet rat, not a child)
5. WOW! Great job! (to either/both kids for work or room clean or helping me)
4. Good morning (with kiss to both)
3. Yeeessss.... (to sister M upon answering the phone to any of her many daily calls )
2. Love you! (probably almost 100 times a day between Mr. FixIt and kids)
1. TYLER JOSHUA!!! (this is probably said 100 times, my neighbors can give you the daily average, I'm sure)

So there you have it, 10 little things about my day! I'd love to hear yours! (yeah, all two of you! :-D )

Hope you are having a wonderful week so far!

Take care!
Ang

The letter

O

O for OMG the embarrassment my son can cause. His maniac behavior completely embarrasses me. Over the years I have calmed and contained the most unruly kids to appropriately-behaving children...but my son?? Choked back tears and hot red face at what he did today. Nothin' left up my sleeve which means I'm closing in on a white flag and defeat. Ideas are getting thin. Is 5 too young for military school?? Can I send him to learn discipline with Trappist monks?? I'm not kidding. Apparently I am a pathetic, slack-ass mother.

O for the opportunity to live closer to family. I do hate the cold and snow, but being able to drive just a couple hours to watch my niece perform in a play was great! I didn't have to pack a bag!!

O for the orneriness of my son....see first entry.

O for the ongoing saga of my sister.

O for the only reason I haven't seen a doctor/shrink/therapist is because on the surface, everything is good. If they can get past that I clam up and shut down. (kind of ironic, eh?)

O is for one day, I will feel I have done something right.

O is for OHVA which has been a wonderful schooling option for B! Lots of hard work but it has literally "saved" me.

O is for Oh Man- I still have tons of work, so need to start O-dark-30 in the morning; therefore, I am off to bed.

Aaaaahhhhh

To my warm, comfy, soft bed,

Aaaaahhhh....heaven. Yes, that is what you feel like after a long day on the road, out and about. You are pre-heating for me right now. In a few minutes I will climb into your feather softness and downy thick covers. aaahhhh yeah. Very much worth a 2+ hour drive home with cranky kids and a highway full of lunatics just to rest through the night with you. I may not spend long hours with you, but am thoroughly grateful for every minute!


Nighty night,
A

What do you need, Elwood?

You are such a sweet boy, but you have thrown Mama a curve ball! Why have you started the crying and begging lately? This dramatic act of jumping to the bathroom counter or a bookshelf, chair and crying that long, deep REEOoooowwwwlll while slowly reaching your paw to me, claws out no less, is really pathetic. Do you need attention that badly? Are you having a problem? I check that you have fresh food, clean water and a non-poopy litter box...and still you follow me and cry. I don't get it. You're starting to worry me. Did Monster Man hurt you or trip over you going down the stairs? Though we do need to curtail the 4th-from-the-bottom stair naps...the end result won't be pretty if you get stepped on. Your brother doesn't seem to have this attention problem. He only shows himself for food or when bed is warm, and he wants to snuggle. Did you enjoy too many swigs of the Tidy Bowl?? Has Monster Man fed you something weird?? Not that I'd really believe this energetic spawn of my being would do ANYTHING bad, why would I?
Did you have a conflict with Benny Boy that I was not aware? Unless I can find a Rosetta Stone program for cat speak, you're gonna have to throw me a bigger bone, ok? The regal glares aren't helping much either.


Maybe you are just longing for spring and outdoor time...me too buddy, me too.

Much love,
Mama

Dear me,

You need to get some sleep. Seriously. Have you checked out that luggage under your eyes?? It's bad...I wouldn't lie to you. A few hours of decent sleep would go a long way.

How about after all that sleep, you jump an extra session on the elliptical tomorrow?? That certainly couldn't hurt, right? So then you will feel energized, get a butt load of work done and then feel accomplished for the day! You can do it!
Oh, and skip the third and fourth mega cups of java in the morning. The creamer is killing you.

And toss the bag of M&Ms you have stashed...those have to go. I know Aunt Flo talked you into buying them, but she's gone now. You don't need those. No, you don't.

Love,
You

Quick note

Dear Google/Blogger/whoever owns this chunk of cyberspace:

Are there really that many people trying to log on and post before midnight for NaBloPoMo?? Or are you particularly busy tonight with random blogging? Just wondering because I have tried to log in for 20 minutes...getting down the the wire here...and you wouldn't let me in! I was startin' to panic I tell ya! Do you not care that I am challenging myself to this April Letters thing? To accomplish that I really need you to work-- at least work the last hour or so of the day when I tend to put my thoughts out for the world. KWIM? Though I had previously looked into your nice feature of blog via email, and now feel this would be a good time to set that up. Just in case, you know? Not that I don't have faith in you! Really. One way or another, I can get my post in for the day by the skin of my teeth. I'll let ya know how it works out.

Thanks for the scare,

Ang

To Mr. FixIt

I love you and I miss you...
Get your butt home ASAP!!

LY,
A

An Apology

To my best friend back home,

I'm so sorry I have not kept in touch with you better. I think about you often and wonder how your family and the little one are doing. Kind of hard to tell I guess since I've only emailed you maybe once every year or two in the past 10 years. That's pretty lame. We were like sisters years ago, inseparable through school, but we kind of went our own ways during college. I really never counted on that, never though that possible I guess. I think I was in shock over the loss of my greatest confidant but figured it was only passing...we'd be yapping on the phone and hanging around once craziness of college was done. We both found new friends, then we both got married, then I moved 600 miles away. THAT really didn't help much. I know we are both super busy with work and kids now and rarely have time to breathe, but I'd like catch up. I'm sorry for letting life squeeze in the middle of us. I'm going start renewing it by emailing you right now...and next time I'm in town, I'm going to drop in and see you! Because it's been too long!

Still LYLAS!

Ang

Dear Dad

Daddy,

I know inside you are miserable.

I know your job is excruciatingly stressful.

I know you feel a failure for smoking, again.

I know you think no one cares.

I know you can lose weight; you would feel better (I am trying too).

I wish you wouldn't eat every meal in excess like it is your last (see above).

I wish you extra will power to stop smoking, or at least cut back...a lot.

I wish you would sing again.

I wish you would wake up and realize we do love you and we do care; we'll help you.

I will help you, if you'd only let me.

Love you,
A

Letter to Spring

Dearest Spring,

You are here! I'm so happy you finally arrived! I've been waiting for MONTHS...literally, months. The lovely sunshine you shared with us today was amazing, though you could still increase your temperatures just a bit, but I'm not complaining! I don't want to upset you. No, don't go yet! Please hang around for a couple months until your friend Summer can join us. Then we can have a nice little party with the windows open and some cool drinks while we visit with the neighbors. YAY! The rugrats are happy to see you as well. Sure they love your cousin Winter, but they quickly tire of lugging all the layers of clothes and boots, pile them on to go explore the yard then have to peel them all back off afterwards. They were so excited to go meet you in the yard this week with only light jackets! They were wondering if you brought along your little one, April Showers, because they love to wear their yard boots and play with her, sloshing through the puddles creating mud stews in empty buckets. If not, that's ok, I'm sure your tall, dark handsome other half will bring her along any day now. He is a bit loud though, but that's not a problem! We like loud around here!
Anyway, I do hope you will find the accommodations acceptable and please stay as long as you like! You are always a welcome!

Much love,
Ang and clan

Note to self

Dear Ang,

We have to get together on the goals, girl. I mean, you started downstairs to sit with the little ibook and write your letter ...3 hours ago! Here it is, like 2 minutes to midnight, and you are scouring reviews for toaster ovens-toaster ovens!! Get your head in the game chick! You have lost nearly three hours on Amazon scouring for deals. You have writing to do and you're gonna blow it on the fourth day if you keep this up! Let's try to hang in there and at least make it a week, before we spiral down in flames, ok?

So get your ass movin' and hit the publish button!! NOW!

Yours always,
Your conscious

To: B

To my B,

To my oldest. The beautiful girl who has my green eyes and daddy's long lashes, my distractability and daddy's sense of adventure. My always glowing, joyful and thoughtful child who never ceases to amaze me with your generosity to others and curiosity of the world. You have such a spark for life and take in every minute as an opportunity to learn something interesting. Never ceasing your exploration of the yard or a barn or the sky, comparing the trees and flowers surrounding you, not to mention getting up close and personal with every living critter whether that be a strange looking insect or the horses at Mr. E's barn. You love all beings equally as God intended. I am so proud of the knowledge you have acquired over the recent few years through your search for information by reading about your many discoveries. Also makes me beam when you go out of your way to think of others or to help someone. Amazing a child that will make cards for people "just because" or will pick up the neighbors' blown over trash without being asked or quickly grabbing what someone unknowingly dropped and giving it back to them. Several times you surprised me by fixing a nice lunch for us all because you knew I was swamped with work and just needed to finish 'one last thing.' You even have patience and show love to your brother, who I know must drive you to the point of pure hatred at times. You can get him to change his tune and turn him around in an instant! You are a natural teacher, and I hope you will use those abilities when you are blessed with your own children one day (hold that thought for 10 or 15 years please) or in whatever future road of life you travel. You aren't afraid of new things or adventures. You could just as easily be found helping daddy butcher a deer, willingly no less, or going to a drag race even though you don't like loud noises and were thankful for heavy hearing protection!

I want you to know you are a treasure to have around with the never-ending stories and a giggle close at hand. A thespian at heart with endless imagination shown early by galloping around from the time you could walk and always making up jokes or dances and songs. Did I mention the your singing?? Always the entertainer!

Most of all my dear B, I don't tell you often enough that I love you. A hundred times each day would not even be a start. I hope that over the years you can fully appreciate how special you are to me and how truly blessed I am to have you as a daughter. I never imagined such an intelligent, beautiful and caring young lady could be called mine. I love you Smidgedoodle....

now pass me a Kleenex before your momma drowns.

Love ya,
Mom

A Letter of Gratitude

Dear Giant Eagle,

I am writing to inform you of how grateful I am for your wonderful stores! I love our local GE!! I only began shopping your stores when I started playing the Grocery Game about a year and a half ago, and I have been thoroughly impressed. The stores are the cleanest around with a great assortment of products, well-stocked deli department, convenient cafe and pharmacy, and always friendly people working in all departments. Even the poor soul stocking 400 cases of canned beans or frozen foods seems chipper and anxious to say hello. By visiting your lovely stores, enjoying the atmosphere and saving tons of money with your sales and my coupons, I have not visited the crazy, packed-to-the-gills Evil Empire (aka Wally World) or filled their tills with the money for those extra items I really didn't need!! Though more importantly, the main reason I am so thankful for your stores can be said in two words:

EAGLE'S NEST!!

I can shop without my kids!! Woohoo and Hallelujah!! I am totally in love with this awesome service!! Recently, for reasons beyond my control, I had to visit a different area store and actually take my kids with me through the store--can you imagine?! Drag the kids- fussing, whining, "Momma I want this...Mom can I get that...I have a booger.....Momma are we done yet?....I need a drink!!!" Don't forget the meltdowns with glaring granny at one end of the aisle and non-parent disgusted thinks-I'm-an-idiot executive type at the other. Ugh, you feel so worthless as a person, let alone a parent. What a nightmare!! I have become seriously spoiled by the Eagle's Nest, and because of this wonderful place for the kids to play for up to two --count 'em...1...2-- hours, my kids literally BEG to go shopping! We arrive, sign in, and the rugrats can play an assortment of games, toy stations, and participate in craft activities to pass the time while I am blissfully shopping like I have half a brain since I can actually follow my list without distractions every three seconds! Simply amazing!

So thank you Giant Eagle of NE Ohio!! I am forever grateful for the creation of the Eagle's Nest play area in your grocery stores. It's an amazing feeling to leave the grocery feeling cheerful and that I've accomplished something other than being utterly exhausted, irritable and ready to cry alongside the kids.

Your most loyal shopper,
Ang

NaBloPoMo- April Letters

I did it. I signed up and set myself up to the challenge of posting every day for a month. Seriously excited about it as I have several ideas on how to twist "letters" and not get mundane, but on the other hand seriously thinking...have I lost my mind?? Seriously?! Thanks to Angie at Are We There Yet for mentioning it! So I'm gonna try...crossing my fingers and toes I make it through!!

First letter of the month, literally one letter:
H for HOPE.
I hope I can keep up.
I hope to prove to improve my writing, be more interesting.
I hope to write actual letters to people where I never get the words out in person.
I hope to get the kids involved for more than just material to write about.
I hope someone gets a laugh or an idea from one of my posts.
I hope my iBook battery holds out a few more minutes!