An Iowa Mom

Spoiled, Loved Or Pure Defeat - #8

I know I risk sounding like a brat, but this day was the most agonizing.  Every time I looked out the window only a few boards were up.  And while I do understand that cutting all the angles and such to go around the pool is a time consuming ordeal ... I just wasn't very patient.  Maybe I was PMSing or something.  I don't remember.  After all, I claim to be PMSing every time I want to bitch about something and don't want to take full responsibility for what comes out of my mouth.

So, after a whole days work.  All the support thing-a-ma-jiggers were in place.  Job well done.  Easy for me to say, huh?

And to my surprise, there was even enough time to knock out the existing railing of our existing deck.  A railing that I no longer wanted to exist.  This was so exciting for me, that it made up for the incredibly boring day I had to muddle through.  Really.  It was. 

I guess it's blatantly obvious now that I don't get out much, huh?

For all photos, click here.

So ... I'm A "Baby Head"@!"?

Do you have a problem with that?

Do you know what a Kewpie is?

I'm not trying to imply that you're stupid or anything ... but really, do you know what a Kewpie is?

Because it's my high school mascot. 

NOT KIDDING!

It's mean.  It's lean.  It's a fighting machine. (Big Daddy is laughing his ass of here, just so you know.)

HA!  A Kewpie is a BABY!   

"Baby Head" according to my girls. 

What? 

You don't believe me? 

Would I ever lie to you? 

Fine.  I'll give you proof.

Here is the damn Kewpie ...

See?  I told you I wouldn't lie.  And yes, that is/was my high school mascot.  Really.

For some reason, Big Daddy can't get past that.  I took him all the way to Columbia, Missouri (yeah, it's so far from Iowa).

Home of my brother & family (GO FAMILY).

Home of the Missouri Tigers (GO MIZZOU). 

Home of my high school, Hickman (GO KEWPIES). 

YES, KEWPIES!

And though Big Daddy saw it in person, he can't get wrap himself around the reality.  He makes fun.   He heckles.  He is just a total ass about it, really.

I'm glad that ONE of my children embraces the "Big Man".  One of them finds this an honor.

GO KEWPIES!  HICKMAN KEWPIES!!!

What do you think?

Strange.  Weird.  Crazy.  Loveable.  Outrageous.  Cute.

What?

 

Really.

Spoiled, Loved Or Pure Defeat - #7

I've been so slacking on the photos because I think they're boring now.

BORING!

Like do you really care to see a pool?  Some rock in someone else's driveway?  Concrete round things?  Do you?

I think I heard ONE person in the back there say they sort of did, but only because the only other thing they have to do right now is laundry.  I'd rather do ANYTHING than laundry so I guess I understand and I'll continue ...

Guess what arrived the morning after the concrete truck came?

Oh yeah.  Lumber.  And I must applaud the builder dudes because they did a great job getting the entire pool framed THAT DAY!  And just so you know, I included a photo of MYSELF in it ... so that you'd have SOMETHING to laugh at ... because the blog hasn't been all that funny lately.  I'm in a funk.

I swear it was a lot more exciting in real life.  Or maybe it just was for me.  Whatever.

For all the photos, click here.

One Foot, Two Foot ...

Drew had a doctor appointment this afternoon.  No, he's not sick.  Just a physical, a requirement to continue receiving the little pills that I give him each morning ... the pills that miraculously keep him out of the principals office.

Anyway ... physical ... not ill.

In the car afterward, Drew asked, "How tall am I?"

I glanced at the cute little sheet the nurse handed me when she left the room at the beginning of our examination and replied, "53.1 inches."

"WHAT?" Drew exclaimed, loud enough that it actually startled me and I might have actually peed myself a little.  "INCHES!!!  I'm not even a foot tall?"

"Drew, a foot is 12 inches, right?"  I was just double checking.

"Yeah."

"Then take 53 and divide it by 12."  I should have been a teacher.

"Well ... "  Molly piped up, in the tone of voice that she only uses when she really really really wants to irritate one of her siblings, "I HAVE TWO FEET!"

For some reason I found that sort of cute.  So, I wanted to share it.  I would take a photo of her and upload it with this post, but she's laying here in her underwear throwing a tantrum like none of you have probably seen before.

All because I said that we couldn't go to Florida tonight.

Can you say EARLY BEDTIME?

Spoiled, Loved Or Pure Defeat - #6

So, literally a month went by since yesterdays pictures were shot ... but like I said, you don't have to wait ... like I did.  And it was agonizing.  The waiting.  It just killed me. Not that anybody cared.  <cough> EMILY </cough>

Anyway, we decided to build a deck around the pool.  So, we got contractors lined up, plans made, permits from the city, etc ...

And finally ... they started.

Not much to see on the first day, but they dug holes.  Lots of them.  Like 25 or something.  And then filled them with concrete.  The girls LOVED when the cement truck showed up.  And I'm sure they drove the guys crazy with all their screeching and running around the driveway.  I am sorry that had to endure it, but I was secretly happy there was someone else experiencing my living hell ... just to witness that it does actually exist.

And unlike me ... despite the girls craziness, the guys were able to get their job done.  Me - yeah, I've still got a to do list about 39 miles long ... but remember ... no one cares that I'm suffocating under it.

And before the day was out, we had 25 pretty concrete rounds ready and waiting to support my new deck.  I never thought I could love cement.  But this day, I could have french kissed it I loved it so much.

For all pictures, click here.

I Now Know Where I Rank

The other day I was lounging in the living room being lazy. I was extremely tired and just didn't feel that great overall. When I'm lazy like this, it's usually a "pizza night" for dinner because, well, if I don't make anything ... the kids don't eat. Or they eat cereal, because that's the only thing they can manage to do for themselves.

So, Emily entered the room and plopped down on top of me. Isn't it crazy how children think their mothers are jungle gyms and pillows? I mean, HELLO? I WAS LAYING HERE. WHAT MADE YOU THINK I WANTED YOU TO LAY ON ME?

Anyway, she was. And I let her. Because I was too tired to tell her to get off and then fight her when she refused, and then listen to her while she threw a tantrum on the floor when I push her off. It all just seemed a little overwhelming at the time so I just let her lay there. On me. So relaxing.

At one point, a giant surge of energy came over me and I was able to groan ... "Oh my God, I'm going to die!"

To which Emily answered, "Are you still going to be able to order the pizza?"

Yeah ... that's nice!

Spoiled, Loved or Pure Defeat - #5

Okay ... so the sod has been removed, earth leveled, pool up, pool filled, rocked delivered ... rock in place (I don't have pictures of that, sorry!)

It took a few days, but the chemicals balanced out the water in the pool, making it safe and the sun finally warmed it enough to swim in. And guess who was the first one in?

And deservingly so. There was a lot of hard work that had to be done to get to this point, and really, Big Daddy didn't even really want the pool. I have a feeling he'll be enjoying it next summer though. Him and the Bud Light Lime seemed to have an awfully good time together in the pool.

Again, I don't have a picture, but I climbed up the ladder to chat with Big Daddy as he enjoyed his accomplishment thus far ... and he pulled me in. With my clothes on. Dickhead. He thought it was funny. So did the kids. And the neighbors. Me? Not so much. But I'll admit, the water felt great.

We're not done yet. Lots more to come!

For all pictures so far, click here.