Just a random thought...

I was sending The Hubster a return text tonight, telling him to have a good evening at work. As I was ending the text with our standard, "I love you", I inadvertently typed "live", rather than love. I corrected it and sent it on it's merry way; yet, hours later, I find myself thinking about it still.

You see, I do "live" him. What else would you call it? Our individual lives are melded into one. I oftentimes pick up after him, much like one of our children. I care for him when he's sick. I listen to him when he needs to vent over a current frustration. I prepare his meals, clean his dirty laundry, and make sure he wakes up with his alarm. Raise and care for his children. I trip over his shoes on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and grumble about the washing machine full of loose change that I always find when he tries to help me by doing some of his own laundry.

Along the same lines, when something is upsetting me, he is the one I turn to. I always know that he will be even more upset than me; my very own Champion of Justice. He tolerates my incessant desire to decorate our home - even jumping right in up to his armpits and helping when I'm sure he'd much rather be golfing. He takes the time to go grocery shopping with me, telling me that it's not fair for me to have to do it by myself and that there's nowhere else he'd rather be. When I'm having a girly, "fat", day he pulls me in his arms, kisses my head, and tells me that he thinks I'm beautiful. Even when I'm wearing his baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt three sizes too large. He tries, in his own manly way, to care for me when I don't feel well...and takes it on the chin when I whine because the cheeseburger he brought me is not my idea of a cure for the flu.

You see, way back when...almost two decades ago...we were "in love". I still love him, but it's transcended now. Now I'm in LIFE with him...and from where I stand it just doesn't get much better.

Haiku, anyone?

Rain. Pounding. Driving.
Cup of tea and book in hand.
Sleep shall come easy.

And so it begins...

The Great Kitchen Redo of 2013. In true Super Mom fashion I have, yet again, decided to begin a remodel right on the cusp of football season AND school starting. My life is not for the faint of heart.

Last Wednesday The Hubster stopped on his way home from work and bought me something I'd been wanting for YEARS...half inch thick bricks. That's right, I'm doing a real brick wall on the ENTIRE back wall of our kitchen and dining room! Before they go up, however, there is a ton of work to get through. Namely:

1. Removing all of the cabinets and appliances on that wall. This includes the oven, the microwave, the sink, and the dishwasher.
2. Ripping out the sheet rock, which was damaged beyond repair by a tiny mouse chewing through our dishwasher hose last winter. (Ah, the joys of living in the woods!)
3. Replacing the insulation, and sealing up any cracks with spray insulation.
4. Replacing the water-logged sheet rock with plywood, to hold the weight of the brick.
5. Reattaching the electrical boxes on the new plywood walls.
6. Marking the brick and mortar lines for future placement.
7. Rehanging and/or attaching the cabinets.
8. Putting the cabinets back in place.

Of course, that's not counting repainting the kitchen, finding new canisters and accessories, refinishing my table and chairs (they don't match my new color scheme, but I LOVE them and don't want to get rid of them!), and putting in a new floor (which is going to wait until next spring).

Just look at it! Isn't it beautiful?

Once The Hubster got the bricks home, he pulled another surprise out of his hat for me. He informed me that, though our old one was in full working order, he wanted me to pick out a new oven for our "new" kitchen. He really had to twist my arm, let me tell you! By Friday morning I had picked out and ordered my shiny new cooking device from Lowe's. I went ahead and ordered all of the brick laying supplies, plywood, screws, adhesives, etc., that we would need for the entire project along with it, taking advantage of a 6 months same as cash deal, and it will all be delivered around the 30th of this month. That gives me a tad over 3 weeks to accomplish SO much pre-project work! 

I jumped right in this morning. I stripped the wallpaper off of the walls, and since I had the appliances pulled off anyways I went ahead and scrubbed under them. Do me a favor. If I EVER start talking about papering a wall on this blog again? Tell me NO! I use a scorer, a solution of 1 gallon of water with 1/2 a cup of white vinegar, and 10 drops each of lavender, rosemary, and tea tree oils, and a scraper. It removes the wallpaper very well, but it is SUCH a chore.

I also started preparing for being ovenless while the plywood was going up. I figure it'll only be a couple of days, but I need to plan for a week...just in case. Y'all know as well as I do that there is ALWAYS a delay-causing problem when you're redoing a kitchen or bathroom. I got 5 freezer crock pot meals prepared and frozen. I need a couple of ingredients to prepare the final 2...even though I swear I remember buying them this weekend at the store. I can't find them anywhere...maybe I have gnomes!?!

If I'm not too sore to move tomorrow, thanks to today's heavy lifting, I'm planning on removing moldings and cleaning cabinet tops (a.k.a. Paint Prep Day 1). Of course, I also have to take The Hubster to his favorite hardware store (he can't be left unattended in it, or else the kitchen remodel budget will disappear in a cloud of, "But Jenn, I NEEDED an arc welder!") so he can get what he needs to rehang some trim in my bathroom for me. If he gets that done, the trim will need painted, the tub surround will need a new coat of paint to match the trim, and the shower curtain rod and curtains will need rehung once the paint dries. The laundry is reproducing like Gremlins caught in a rainstorm, so that will need remedied. There are 3 orders from my Etsy store that have to be shipped, and I'm thinking the guys would appreciate some dinner, as well. I swear, if I live through it, I am so rewarding myself with a trip to the theater on Thursday to see Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Kiddo and I have been looking forward to that flick FOREVER!

Sometimes a gal just has to give in to the evil...

Case in point, tonight in our little cottage. I've had a muscle cramp under my shoulder blade for three days that is PAINFUL. Thinking I'd soak it out I ran a hot bath, turned on my favorite Pandora station and relaxed. A little while later The Hubster poked his head in the bathroom to ask me a question ('cause, you know, taking a bath alone when you're the sole female of a household does NOT happen. Ever.), and mentioned that he liked the song that was playing.

I should have resisted, I know.

Good girls just don't DO bad things like this.

I knew how mean it was.

In the end; however, I couldn't hold myself back. Without missing a beat I got a confused look on my face and said, "Honey? Umm...what song? There's no music playing."

Did I mention that The Hubster has a tendency to get spooked easily when it comes to the paranormal. His eyes got saucer-sized, and that head popped back out of the bathroom as quickly as it had appeared. Of course, no before he heard my raucous laughter and realized that I'd made a monkey out of him.

Oh, and in case you were wondering? The song that caused the moment of panic is below. Enjoy!

Dear Son,

Contrary to popular belief I do not enjoy punishing you. I am neither trying to ruin your life, nor make it hard. When you choose to rage against the rules you are given, however, you leave me no choice.

Contrary to popular belief I do love you. Unconditionally and irrevocably. It is infinite, without beginning or end, and continues to grow as I watch you begin to morph into the man you will become.

Contrary to popular belief, as your mother, I am even more upset than you right now that you had to be punished. You may be on a school bus, grumping and grumbling over your evil witch of a mother (and, yes, I'm aware you're possibly using harsher language than that...but allow me this tiny bit of delusion, okay?); however, I'm trying to function through a mountain of work while nursing a broken heart. Broken because I was forced to break yours. Broken because being a good parent means you have to do the hardest thing in the world (i.e., cause your child heartache) in order to help your child learn right from wrong.

One day, far from now, you will understand the difficulties and intricacies of being a parent. You'll know that it is both the best and worst job in the world. Most importantly, however, you'll know that every grounding, every punishment was something far greater than Mom being mean and evil. It was Mom whispering, "I love you more than myself. I love you enough to cause you a little pain now, to prevent you from suffering great pain in your future. I love you enough to stand my ground, to teach you to follow the rules. I will gladly cry for hours after punishing you, if it means that you will be better for it. I will suffer through a thousand heartbreaks if it prevents one from coming your way in the future because of what I should have done."

Always & Forever,

Mom