Call me Grace.

What's the last bit about locking myself out of the house with Jake in the van? I have one-upped myself. I locked Jake and I in their bedroom last week. This meant I climbed out the bedroom window. Not exactly an easy task since the windows are high on the wall. Great for privacy. Bad for needing to break out of your own house, especially since the windows are just as high on the outside.

I'm hanging onto the windowsill with Jake gleefully watching along when I realized I hadn't a clue how far I should jump and where exactly the basement window well was located. I eased up a bit only to break the well covering. A slight move to the right and I dropped down. During all of this, I could feel the brick digging into my arms and stomach.

Dusting myself off, I look at my arms. They're scraped in several places along with my stomach. Not even a week later, the bruises are turning yellow thanks to copious amounts of Hippie Goo slathered on. Half of my right arm is a giant bruise. The scrap near my elbow hurts from cellulitis. Fortunately I haven't visited the ER for more drugs since it's not spreading.

Sadly, my friends are not surprised I've done this. Nor am I.

Comedy of Errors

This is what happens when I try doing all of my errands in one trip. Jake and I headed out for H&M at Tysons Corner for wedding attire. Uncle Snippy knows we're not fancy schmancy in our house (nor is he) so not having the boys in little suits wouldn't be an issue. Still, I didn't want them looking like our hillbilly cousins either. IF H&M didn't have anything decent I'd be hitting up Old Navy.

I did find sweater vests and shirts for the boys at H&M. No pants thinking I'd find something usable amongst the boys clothes. Jason felt khakis of some type would be best. Only everything the boys have is beginning to show wear and tear from either grass stains or knees becoming worn. Never mind there not being any sort of khaki type pant in Jake's size.

On the way back for our trip to Wegman's, I realized I didn't have my shopping list or coupons. Not a problem. I'll swing by the house for the missing items.

Jake and I pull into the driveway. I tell him I'll be right back while leaving him buckled and locked in the car. He can't escape out of his car seat and I was running in for a pee and the list. Only as I left the house, pulling the door shut behind me, I didn't have my keys. The house was locked up and so was the van.

I stood there by the front door trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do when I remember the windows are open. Fantastic, I'll break into my own house. Only, as I'm thinking this, Jake unbuckles enough so he can lean forward to open the van door. The alarm goes off. Even better.

I go into 'deer in the headlights' mode before running into the yard for the ladder. I'm on the ladder looking into our bedroom wondering exactly how I'll enter the house. Our windows open on both sides with only a screen on one side. Only, they're higher up off the ground so the drop inside the house is higher then normal. They're also narrow so it's not easy hiking a leg over.

Fuck it, I thought as I leaned forward grabbing onto the headboard. I slowly eased myself into a somersault position knowing my legs were flailing before my head reached the mattress. At this point I got myself onto the bed with nothing more then a few bits of mulch decorating the bed.

As I grabbed my keys, heading out the door once again, I kept my fingers crossed no one questioned the van alarm wailing or why I broke into our house. Maybe our neighbors have realized how crazy a household full of males can be so nothing is questioned.

Dear weather,

my sinuses hate you. Yes, I said hate you with a passion. Waking up in the middle of the night with sinus pressure is not pleasant. Please get on with the rain so all can be right in my head.

Sincerely,
Niki's sinuses.

It was bedtime 30 minutes ago

I'm sitting here on the couch listening to the boys talk in bed. Loudly. Brendan and Colin have always chatted for a bit after being tucked into bed. Now that Jake is sharing the room? We're lucky if they actually fall asleep under an hour.

Jake's also taken to coming out every minute for hugs. While I love the open arms, small grin tugging at his mouth, enough with the hugs already! I know the day will come when I'll miss the hugs. Tonight isn't the day.

All of this is coming after a day of sick kids. Colin spent most of the morning either communing with the toilet or holding a bucket in his hand. He crashed in our room for a few hours this afternoon. Jake woke up snotfilled and coughing. I kept reminding him my shirt isn't a kleenex.

We were also to have driven down to Atlanta. Dealing with vomiting wasn't something I wanted in the van on a 10 hour drive. If we'd gone down on Sunday as originally planned, the hoarking could have commenced at Mom's. Instead the HVAC delay kept the illness confined to our house.

On that note. Off to beat submission into the boys. Until the door is shut so the giggling starts all over.

I'm going back to school. Maybe.

I've been thinking about finishing my AA for awhile now. We're in a position where this can be done. Northern Virginia Community College offers almost in-state tuition for members and dependents of the military, which is another plus for finalizing my AA at this point in time. And the no cost on our part thanks to the military offering grants for spouses to finish their degrees or certification training.

I finally mentioned this to Jason last night during a conversation about a former coworker who is here in D.C.. I'd joked about her giving me a job. He said I wouldn't like it because of all the complaining old biddies. I responded maybe I should finish my AA instead, which he is perfectly okay with my doing.

While I desperately want a job, I keep forgetting the realities of childcare. It's more expensive in this area and I don't think I'll have ready access to childcare on post unless I take a job on post. Jason's commute is all over the place still since George Mason hasn't started fall classes. I really don't want my kids in daycare at the ass crack of dawn until 6 or 7pm at night.

If I go back to school, hoping I'll only need a few classes to finish my AA, it'll be easier to find someone to watch Jake. Amy's already offered and there's a potential of an in-home childcare down the block from our house.

I've sent in my application for starting in the spring. This'll give me the chance in finalizing paperwork, getting the grant and seeing if the school will accept all my old credits. I have 61 under my belt if they accept them all. I'm hoping they do so I don't start from scratch.

Rambling mess of ooginess

I had all these grand plans of cleaning today, straightening up the carport, doing some organizing in storage. All this has gotten tossed out the door thanks to whatever is going on within my intestines. I LOVE being tied down to the toilet. The boys love it even more since I'm refusing to go outside.

Yesterday we bought curtains for the living room and dining room. We could have used our old ones from Germany only it's time for something new. The old curtains are sitting in the armoir waiting for a new home. I still like them even though we have no use at the moment. Same could be said for the blue curtains we got at Pier1 for our bedroom.

We tried finding a desk yesterday at Bare Woods in Chantilly. Instead we're most likely coming away with a buffet for the kitchen. Hopefully it can be made in the recycled barn wood to our specifications. We're keeping our fingers crossed the woman understood what we were asking. We'll find out soon enough. Storage has been an issue in our kitchen thanks to the small, 1950's design. Funny how kitchens got small in the mid-century when they were big at the beginning.

We need to figure out a storage solution for downstairs. Ikea has something which could help with this and a desk for the boys computer. We still need a desk upstairs but downstairs is more pressing. I think we'll end up getting the cubby shelving with desk attachment in the end. I've been wanting something similar for the toys. Mix use of space for books, baskets for storage, etc.. This would solve all of those problems and fit nicely in the nook by the wood burning stove.

At least I'm getting laundry done inbetween all the bathroom trips. The kitchen floor was mopped, counters wiped down and the bathroom partially cleaned. The rest of the house can shove it until tomorrow.

You know you're a homeowner when

you actually clean all the fucking time. Seriously. I'm being honest here about the cleaning.

It's not like we lived in a sty before buying our own house. I always made sure everything was clean underneath the clutter. Dishes got done on a regular basis. Wasn't always daily. Toys were picked up when necessary. This has gotten better now we make the boys do the task while threatening their lives. Laundry is still a hangup since it never ends.

We've had hardwoods before so it's nothing new for us in the house. Easier to clean, whether from a swiffer, broom or vacuum cleaner. Must be kept clean thanks to all the sand the boys bring home from the various playgrounds we visit.

Clutter is going down except in our room and the office. I blame both on Jason. Every time I get our bedroom under control I open more boxes of his shit which ends up in our room until a place is found. Boxes still inhabit the office. Most of them have been opened, poked through a bit, then promptly set aside. More crap I don't know where it goes. All the crap, though, is confined behind walls with a door.

The walls are getting pictures hung. Not many since the house is too small for everthing to be on the walls. I'm liking the simplification this move has made. I'm liking less on the walls. Our house would feel crowded with everything up. With clutter in every corner or on every surface. A few days ago I removed all boxes from the living areas. I don't mind if things aren't totally unpacked. I minded them staying unpacked next to the sofa for all to witness.

The floors have been mopped twice already. I've scrubbed the bathroom down and then some. One day I'll get the tub clean. The kitchen smells of lemon from today's cleaning. The floor is missing various spills which accumulated in the last few days. All of this I do inbetween the screams, the wails, the fighting, the hugs, the demands.

I have a house which is trying to stay clean. I have a house which I happily clean even while I'm cursing while doing so. I've never been much of a clean freak. I never will but I don't necessarily mind cleaning our 1950's brick house because it's actually ours. Not the military's. Not a rental complex. Not mom's or even Aramco's. Holy fuck.

This is what happens when you become a homeowner. That stupid pride in ownership crap. Gah.