And then he passed out in the car ride… clearly, politics are exhausting

Fast forward a few months.  My baby son and I sat and watched the inauguration of President Obama.  The very same man that I had voted for earlier… on that smiley day. 

I quietly observed him stare at the tv watching that very historic day take place …knowing that this President was making history and would continue to make history.  I had high hopes.  I continue to have high hopes.

Today that President gave me even more hope.  For the future of our country.  For the future of my children.  For the future of any/all hopes of equality.

Tonight I watched my two kids stare intently at the evening news, and answered their questions about why today was so amazing and historic.  And tonight I tucked them into their beds smiling …as big as I smiled on that election day…years ago.

My son likes trucks.  He really likes trucks.  Now, before you go all, “all little boys like trucks” on me…know this:

• My son sleeps with a New Holland Skid Steer owners manual.
• He can show you (and explain in detail) the difference between a backhoe and excavator (I didn’t even know there were two vehicles called this).
• He lays out construction sites where almost every truck possible has a representation, and when I use the wrong truck for the wrong function…he lets me know…and reassigns me to dump truck duty.  He even often makes “dump height” jokes (which, is an industry term (and not at all related to what I thought it was)).
• He used to like cartoons about trucks (i.e. ‘Chuck and Friends’), now he watches documentaries on trucks, their history and how (in detail) their engines work.

One of the promotional magazines he likes. (I think this one is about Skid Steers)

And the thing that makes this all the more interesting, my husband and I are not engineer-y (or even handy) people.  We can’t change the oil in our cars, we don’t change tires, we stare at burnt-out light bulbs (on average) at least 3-5 days, we don’t hang pictures on our walls (we beg uncle Trad to), we don’t fix things in our house (we beg my dad to), we’re just not handy people.  And when we try to do handy things, they tend to end up broken (and then we drink and stare at our broken mess wishing we hadn’t tried).

So I am left throwing my hands in the air saying, “Who knows where this kid’s interest came from, or how they will further develop.”  But if he’s already looking at truck owners manuals…what’s next?  I may need to hire an engineer to come meet with Carter monthly.  Better yet, any volunteers?

And I’ve decided to share with you the funny one…and hopefully make it funnier.

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Last night, my husband was chatting with a friend of his about searches that have brought people to my blog.  It always amazes me how people find my blog.  Whether it be through a friend of a friend, a random google search of ‘mom bloggers’ or some google search of the most inappropriate sadomasochistic non-mom-blogger-ish thing.  THOSE are the people that intrigue me the most.  The ones sitting at their computer at night google searching “adult acts with adult male in dirty poopy diaper.”  Really?  I can’t stomach cleaning my 20 month old’s diaper when she has an accident…people really do this for fun…on purpose?

And then the most interesting (read: frightening) thing happens.  They somehow end up on my blog…and they LIKE IT.  Yup.  The weirdo searching for other adults that like kinky adult diaper issues also like my blog.  Evidently, they’re a part of my demographic.  How to take this?

And then there’s the searches that people do while on my site.  You see that little “search” box at the top of my blog?  Well, when you run a search on that, I can see what you were searching for (funny how analytics work).  And my goodness you people are … curious.  Allow me to just satisfy some of my top searches…so that you don’t have to look anymore.

• No, I will not post a picture of myself in a bathing suit.
• No, I will also not post pictures of my husband/I in underwear (and quite frankly, you guys are starting to scare me).
• No, I don’t know things about my husband’s or my ex’s…nor would I post things about them (they’re not in our lives for a reason).
• No, I don’t post things about my son’s preschool.
• No, I don’t post last names.
• No, I have never driven a jeep off a cliff (why oh why have multiple people asked this?)

Not that I don’t trust you, lovely readers, but there are some disturbed people out there.  I mean, you just read the whole adult diaper thing right?

Which brings me to the point of my post.  While my husband and his friend were talking about how searches work on blogs, they started to giggle like little girls.  And my husband later informed me that it’s because his friend now wants to google search the most random and inappropriate things to see what would land him on my blog.  And I say (to his friend), GAME ON!

(Wang: If you can come up with something even more inappropriate than my current list (that I can email you if you’d like)…you will win.  But what could the terms of our bet be?  I think you and Chad should come up with this.  But in my opinions…it should involve wings/beer and all of us being in the same town for a weekend!)

As we drove down the street towards our local pizza shop singing “The Bare Necessities” something happened.  Road rage.  Yup.  Your typical angrier-than-they-need-to-be-about-tailgating road rage.  Not to worry though, it wasn’t me…and I actually thought I wasn’t going to be involved.  But it took a turn.

It went something like this:

Woman A gets out of car and starts screaming obscenities at Woman B.  I ignore it and think it’s going to end quickly (it’s sad that we’re accustomed to ignoring these things isn’t it?).  As a matter of fact, I think I laughed a little in a condescending “that lady be crayyyy-zeee” sort of way.  But then Woman A started waving her middle fingers around (a la Office Space not-enough-flair sorta way).  Ok, so she’s a little overly heated, but hopefully she’ll be done before Baloo is done singing and hopefully the kids haven’t seen the whole thing.

No such luck.  Woman A gets in her car and starts to drive away, but decides she isn’t done.  She slams on her brakes and cranks her wheel…she is now directly blocking me in the intersection.  Yup, she’s standing in between me and food.  BIG MISTAKE.  Now I’m pissed.  And now I’m stuck.  And now I’m sort of… involved.

And now, she’s also at an easier-to-view point for the kids.  GREAT (sarcasm).

She leaps back out [of her car] and starts marching towards Woman B’s car.  And all I can think is, “oh crap, what if she has a gun?”  And I start looking for and plotting escape routes.  I’m a worst-case-scenario kinda person (just keep reading to see how far my mind goes).

Woman B at this point looks petrified.  She’s on the phone, I’d have to assume with the police.  As are most of the other people at the intersection.  Well, those that are not using their smart phones to record the entire incident.

With no clue as to how heated this one-sided arguement was, I decided to crack my window.  This is where it gets horrifying.  I heard Woman A use words I would prefer my kids not to know now…or ever.  And then starts yelling racial slurs and other horribly inappropriate remarks.  Horribly inappropriate.

I looked at the man in the car next to me and motioned that I had kids in the car.  Thinking, maybe this man will help me if need be.  I don’t know how, but I like to think that people will help kids when they can.

And then my mind was gone.  It flew off into neverland in the following spiral:

Oh my god, that woman is turning down the street that leads to my house.

Oh my god, that woman is probably a neighbor of mine.

Oh my god, that woman is about my age.

……….., what if she has kids my kids age?

……….., what if her kids are going to go to school with my kids?

……….., what if my kids are friends with her kids?

……….., what if my kids unknowingly go to a playdate at her house one day?

……….., what if my kids end up being friends with her kids…and her kids have the same anger management issues…or my kids have to be near her anger management problems?

……….., what if my kids end up DATING one of her kids?

……….., what if my kids wants to marry one of her kids?

……….., what if that woman is my future in-law?

OH MY GOD I AM SO HOMESCHOOLING MY KIDS.

I just wanted pizza.

And thus, I have decided to create a ‘Cleveland Bucket List.’  Now, some things that you would think I should add…I may have already done. I’ve already spent a sunny afternoon drinking on the outdoor patio of Shooters. I’ve already tailgated, watched, cheered on and partied after a Browns, Cavs and Indians game. I’ve partied in every bar location Northeast Ohio has to offer (I mean, I’m not a lush (I am), but I did spent my 20’s here…what can you expect). I’ve seen plays at almost every theatre. I’ve gone to every outdoor festival. I’ve river waded (thank you OHMommy for that suggestion, the kids LOVED it). I’ve hiked park after park. I’ve tried so many amazing restaurants.

And so here I am…deciding what I want to put on my Cleveland Bucket List. What have I yet to do that would make me see a whole new side of Cleveland? I’ve started to compile my list already, but would like to hear from you too. Where is the heart and soul of Cleveland in your opinion? What do I HAVE to try in Cleveland? What’s your favorite thing about Cleveland? What is your favorite experience? Any direction helps.

Thanks people of Cleveland…you rock (yea, I said it).

Being a beer and wings girl myself, I am quite sure I mess up every single tea party rule.

I don’t wear all of my bling to the party, in fact I wear jeans, converse, t-shirts and I don’t even think I own a feather boa (I’d make a sucky drag queen too). I’m sure I drink too much tea, and probably even bring up politics…in sarcastic tones (now I AM referring to the other kind of tea party). So, as far as tea party etiquette goes…you can see I am lacking.

Avery on the other hand, is a tea party expert. She brings all of her toy/stuffed buddies (and sometimes our cat, Brutus (if he’s willing)…never the dog…Layla was tea-party banned a few months back when she ate all of the other guests snacks),

she wears tiaras, feather boas,

pink heels,

tutus and all sorts of other bling (often a Cleveland Browns Jersey or Elton John-esque glasses).

She makes sure everyone has a tea cup and watches to ensure they enjoy their tea.

And always passes out special party favors for each guest when they leave.

(unsure how this works with his intergalactic travel… but i’m sure he appreciated the sticker)

She’s quite a host that girl. I could learn a thing or two from her.

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Ok, I’ll start by admitting that I am crazy stoked to be blogging about home related stuff.  I normally blog about potty training or some form of toddler craziness.  Yet, I am obsessed with home renovations (much to my husband’s dismay), decorating, furniture design, art, you name it.  In fact, I actually painted most of the artwork you will see throughout this tour.

So, it seemed fitting that when Karen asked for volunteers for her Parade of Homes tour… I was chomping at the bloggy bit.

We’re always working on a home renovation project here at the MyGotfam house.  And a lot has been done since we purchased the house 2 years ago, but there are a lot of projects that remain.  I hope you enjoy the tour!

Foyer:  Welcome!

We spent quite a while searching for the perfect table for this space.

And ended up finding a custom-made piece in Amish country.  And we love it – I am now in love with Amish craftsmanship.

To the right is our living room (please excuse that it’s currently used partially as a toddler play area):

Through the living room is my husband’s office:

We looked for awhile to find the right furniture for his office.  I was dead set on finding a Frank Lloyd Wright Style desk – and we did.

Dining room:

I am on the look-out for a unique new lighting fixture for this room (and sort of have my heart set on old theatre lights).

I love little details that pull a room together.  I found this industrial style vase and immediately wanted it in the dining room.

The kitchen is really where we spend most of our time.  (Yes, that is cut-outs of the alphabet along the wall…what can I say, we have toddlers)

One of my favorite pictures in the kitchen is actually a framed “save the date” from our wedding.  The back of the save the date featured photo strips of friends and family.    

From there you enter the family room.  The family room will be our next major renovation.  It’s somewhat outdated and we have BIG plans.  But for now, it works for a nice area to relax with the family (don’t mind the bumper child proofing on the fireplace).  

Plus, I love having a mantle to decorate.

More details of artwork (this is from a Grand Rapids, MI. Artist (I grew up in Grand Rapids)).

The laundry is off the family room (this renovation was just finished, thus it’s not decorated yet).

From there we go upstairs:

My son’s room has been a constant project.  When we moved in, he was 12 months old and I painted a tree house in his room.  Below is what it used to look like.

Since then, he has ‘graduated’ into his big boy room.

Since he loves race cars (specifically the movie ‘Cars’) we thought a race car bed was appropriate.  And why not have a matchbox car race track around the room too?  (That part was slightly harder than I had imagined… I ended up painting the yellow dotted line with a tooth pick).

I framed coloring book pictures to continue with the theme.

My daughters room is currently in transition.  She will be turning 2 shortly (sniff sniff…hold me!) and is about to transition into her “big girl room” (renovations on that will be done next month).  For now, she’s still in her nursery.

I painted these little critters when she was born (and later added the big goofy pink frame on the wall (an idea I saw on pinterest) – it will be coming down VERY soon…just didn’t work out as planned).

Her furniture was actually my baby furniture as well.

The details on the vines were what inspired me to buy her a green crib.

My favorite piece in her room is her book shelves – that my parents built for her – for her first birthday.

Guest bedroom:

The photos above the bed are pictures that were taken by myself and my dad.  And were unexpectedly printed and framed by my parents as a Christmas present (one of my favorite presents ever).

Master bedroom:

From there we can head to the basement.

Thanks to a very poorly-timed water leak, our basement flooded and we had to completely redo the basement (and the kitchen floors).  Which in hindsight was nice since we now have a completely remodeled basement (at the time though (when Avery was only a few weeks old) it wasn’t so nice to have our house ripped apart…oh well).

As the basement is a walk-out and has a full bathroom and separate bedroom, we can use it as a great quiet area for guests – but also for a kid playroom.

When we bought this house, one of the selling features was the backyard.  It’s a great play space for the kids, and a perfect quiet area for us to unwind at night (or entertain).  The pond brings all sorts of wildlife and the kids love feeding the ducks.  Plus, what’s better than your own little walking trail when the kids need to get some energy out? (note: the pictures below are from last summer – as the weather right now is not yet this gorgeous) 

Thanks for touring our home.  And a very special Thank You to Karen for hosting this tour!  I’m really enjoying reading all of the posts in this series.  I hope you, dear readers, enjoy the tour/series as well!

It was a move long anticipated.  We had been attempting to sell her house for months…years really.  And now…it happened.  It really happened.  She flew back from Florida last thursday – and the move began.

My kids were beyond excited to see their Bilbo.  Carter packed his bags and began his week long Bilbo-campout.  They camped out on her couches, packed, watched moving trucks,

(the kids watching the moving trucks arrive)

played,

(playing with toys that had already been packed … oops)

packed more,

ate mac and cheese, packed more – you get the picture.

In fact, with all of the packing, bringing boxes to storage, moving trucks, more packing, partying (I even convinced Bilbo to drink a beer), the week had flown by…and she was officially moved out. She no longer owns a home here.  She has officially retired.  And it hit her (and us) really hard.

As I closed the door on her house – for the last time …I gazed upon the gigantic family room that housed the rehearsal dinner for our wedding.

And then it all snowballed.  I thought about the entry hall where I first met my future mother-in-law. The stairs where my son first walked up stairs on his own. The kitchen where my kids played and made cookies.  The living room where my daughter liked to crawl around chasing the dog.  The grandfather clock that my kids lovingly stared at after family meals.  The backyard where my dog sunbathed.  The nursery that was made just for my son when he was born…as a special place for a first grandson…and a special place for a future granddaughter.  And the home which my husband had lived for many years after moving to Ohio.  It witnessed his highschool and college graduation…and I’m sure many high school antics.  I’m sure that home has a bright future in store for it – as a young family purchased it.  I can only imagine the adventures they will have while living there.  But there I go…getting all sentimental again.

I know I get overly sentimental about things (i.e. my house when we moved, my car when we bought a new one, etc)…but last week was difficult.  For all of us.

But onto bigger and better things for Bilbo.  Onto her fulltime retirement of travel, sun, babysitting the grandkids….a lot (wink wink) and major retirement fun.

Now, she and I couldn’t possibly be more different (she doesn’t swear, is a super sweet person and genuinely seems like an awesome all-around-gal (me…not so much (I’m kind of an ahole))) …but our tastes in apps are sometimes very similar.  So it’s always fun for me to read her posts about her favorites.

Thus, I bring you…my current favorite apps/websites & techie things:

1.) Draw Something

Ok, i’m not into the fad apps, goofy games (farm animals, casino this or blah blah blah that) … but this one rocks.

Here’s my super simple description of it.

• You have an option of three words to draw (based on their level of difficulty)
• You draw it…and send it off to someone (whether it be someone you know (and are playing against) or a random person)
• They guess what you drew
• You guess what they drew…and you win coins (although i don’t care about the coin part)

It’s funny.  Hard to describe why.  It just is.  Maybe because I laughed my way through drawing the Beatles (yellow submarine and all (oh yea, it was quite a little accomplishment for me … somewhere my alma mater is all “SHIT YEA WE GAVE HER AN ART DEGREE!”)).

On a side note: According to Business Insider.com – This Is The #1 App In The World Right Now—It Hit 5 Million Downloads In 3.5 Weeks

Here’s the article: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-fast-growing-app-is-only-35-weeks-old-and-it-already-has-5-million-users-2012-2#ixzz1o9wEuNSN

2.) Houzz.com

This site is all kinds of amazing.  My mom clued me into it after watching some Today Show segment about new addicting websites.  Now … I have AT LEAST 500 home improvement/decorating projects slated for our house (imagine my husband’s excitement).  Go ahead, I dare you to play on this site without wanting to change something in your house/apartment.

3.) Pinterest.com

No description needed here (I don’t think anyways).  One minor complaint though…no need to share every single thing you like on pinterest on facebook people.  No need at all.  If I wanted to see every little pin of yours…I’d just find you on pinterest and look at your board.

4.) Where’s My Water?

Chad downloaded this the other day and we have all been addicted (especially Carter (which says a lot that I can’t figure it out but Carter can).  It’s mindless entertainment (think Angry Birds…but with alligators … in bathtubs (that doesn’t help does it?)).  You are tasked with getting enough water to the alligators bathtub – so he can take a bath.  Trust me though, it’s harder than it sounds.

5.) Ancestry.com

I have become mildly obsessed with ancestry.com (this started just after that show “Who Do You Think You Are” aired).  And to say that I have tracked “pretty far” back would be a massive understatement.  Let’s just say… there will be more to come on this.  But if anyone has suggestions on who to contact to validate ancestry information – please let me know (I’m stuck).  But so you have an idea of how far back I have found … this is ONLY A PORTION of my family tree.  

Happy Techie-ing!

All self-loathing jokes aside…I really am having a fish naming pole.  Because we (at the mygotfam house) couldn’t come to agreement on a name for the newest member of the family.  Plus, i’m all kinds-a-crazy like that.

Meet, Fish No-Name 

He looks nice right?  Yea…he is.  Plus, we have to think good thoughts for him – as he’s been adopted into a family with two toddlers (not lookin’ so good for good ole fish no-name is it?).

Here are the name options:

1. Nemo (this was Carter’s suggestion – I’m sure you can guess why…if not though, here’s a hint)
2. Moe (this was Avery’s suggestion – she names everything Moe)
3. Trouty Mouth (Clearly the best option: this was my suggestion – it’s a character’s nickname from Glee)
4. Sashimi (Uncle Trad’s suggestion – I think he was hungry)

So vote away dear internet friends.  Personally, I’m leaning towards Trouty Mouth…because let’s be honest…anything that comes from/reminds us of Glee is awesome.