A New Attitude

Thanks... http://Peterspartyof5.blogspot.com

The Highs and Lows of 2010...

Oh 2010, how will I remember you??

March - SUPER HIGH - Had "Baby Pink," my daughter.  Scratch that.  Elated to have had beautiful "Baby Pink" daughter - 21 years after becoming mom to my eldest son!  There are no words.

 May - HIGH - SATC 2 came out!!  WOO HOO!!

September - SUPER LOW - My father died.  Enough said...

October - HIGH - Fantastic hubby went all out for our anniversary, gifting me with many of my "wishes" and a romantic dinner for two.  Hard to come by these days!!

October - LOW -  Turned 41.  Colored over roots that are as much gray as they are dark blond/brown.  YIKES!!

October - HIGH - Mom started coming over each Tuesday for dinner and game nights with my brood.

 November - LOW - After turning 80, mom has started talking weekly, about her own demise...

December -  LOW - Mom's saving grace "Lola," her little kitty companion, died tonight...  In her arms, no less.  So now, she's even more sad...

If you're keeping track, I'm due for another HIGH any day now...

After all, there is still 22 days left in the month, right??

I'm back. And this made me laugh.

Daddy

Gone, but never forgotten...

Today's a day no one wishes for...

Standing upstairs, "Baby Pink" on one hip, "Orange" and "Blue"  fighting over whose turn it is to play with the latest toy, T.V. going in the backround and the phone ringing....

It's my mother.  She called to tell me that my father has just passed away.  Twenty minutes before...

"Your brother and sister do not know." she says.  It becomes my job.  I choose to call my 'out of state' brother.  My mom had said she'd tried my sister, but that she hadn't picked up her cell...and quote, "How come no one picks up their phone, anymore?"

I felt guilty giving my brother such 'news', especially when he'd answered so cheerily. "Hey...how are ya?  Why are you doing calling me in the middle of the day?"

It cuts you deeply, when a grown man inhales sharply and chokes up.  He said he would go ahead and 'call our sister.'  Later, I found out that she hadn't picked up his call either, and ended up hearing about it from mother, after all.

She also wasn't interested in seeing daddy or mother for that matter, at the care home.  She would wait and meet mother later.  At our parents' home, instead.

Daddy's Parkinson's had long made "assisted-living" care essential, and so my sister said she was trying to remember him, just as she had last seen him, on this past Labor Day Weekends' Sunday... jovial, alert, and happy.

I, on the other hand, went into what I can only call, "organized-daughter - mode."  "I'll meet you there." I said.  And, "How long before the nurse leaves and the mortuary service comes to pick him up?"  She said she'd told them to wait for a couple hours.  I guess, we both needed that buffer.

I wanted to hold his weathered soft and smooth hands one more time, kiss him on his cheek, and tell him how much he will be missed by me, and all those who knew him to be a great man.  And, how proud I was that he'd lived beyond all of our expectations...long enough, to see my daughter, his last-born grand-daughter, shortly after her birth in March...and the birth of his only two great-grandsons.  One born in February, the other in July.

How he'd lived till he was 84.  One of eleven children, now with only three sisters left.  The last one to go of the seven boys in his family.  How he'd made it through to his 61st wedding anniversary, and how, along with my mother, we'd brought the party to him at his "home" this year, on a day that was at least 108* and 'packed the house' with 62 adults and many children.

So, I brought "Baby Pink" with me...(my husband had left work to come home and watch the older brothers) to nurse and cuddle, and  as a "happy distraction" for mom...as I went ahead and did all those things to bring me 'closure'.  I then watched as my mother gently removed Daddy's wedding ring, worn thin with it's own 61 years of life, and placed it on her index finger, and then bent over and said a few words, and tenderly kissed him "good-bye."

My brother grieves today, away from us and Arizona, and my sister has memories of what our father looked like 'before today came', but I have seen my parents' love in it's purest form' and for that I have no regrets and will be forever grateful...

Until we see you again, beloved Daddy and Papa - You are gone, but never forgotten...

J.G.G.   07/07/26 - 09/08/10

We're going to be THAT family...

Wow...time has flown since my last post.  I've been M.I.A.  Sorry.   I'll let you in on what's been occupying my time.  ( And, keeping me from watching all my favorite programs on Bravo...miss you "Top Chef"  )  This HOT PINK MOMMY has been reading up on and researching...HOMESCHOOLING.

Yep, I've decided to homeschool my preschooler...and my toddler, too.  ORANGE as you'll remember is 4 1/2.  He'll turn 5 in December.  So, he missed the Kindergarten cut off.  And, BLUE will be 3 this month.  He can be my "Room Helper"...he.he.

After realizing that ORANGE is 'more than ready' to get this party started - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic style...I looked into Home Educating.  What I found out was surprising...  You see, in the past,  I "naysayed" homeschooling families.  Because I'd always lumped Home Schooling families into two catagories...

#1
Blue denim jumper moms with super BRIGHT  ( but, socially clueless ) kids who speak three foreign languages and play the violin ( Don't the smart kids always play the violin? Or the Oboe? )


  or


#2
Parents who say their children are homeschooled or taking "online" classes but, really their children are actually "dropping out." Calling it "HOMESCHOOL" is a nice way of letting them off the hook.

What I found instead...was a very "viable" way of educating my children and customizing the curriculum to their abilities and interests.

Wish me luck on this daunting but, rewarding endeavor.  Any suggestions from experienced homeschoolers would be appreciated!

I'm in love.

I'm in love.  No, I'm not talking about being in love with Red Hot.  That's a given.

I'm talking about DD Baby Pink, my 4 1/2 month old daughter. And more specifically, I'm in love with her "thighs"...aren't they just unbelievably chubbalicious!!  I could eat them up, and follow it with a chaser of her unbelievably sweet baby breath.

I have always loved my pregnancies, and as they've grown...even on days when I haven't "liked" them, I've always loved my children.  But, my children as chubby, chunky babies??  There are no words.  Well, just one.  L.O.V.E.

It's Getting Hot In Here...

The night before last, it happened...  The air conditioning stopped.

In our two-story house- it didn't take long before the thermostat read  86* downstairs and 91* upstairs... And, it felt like we were living  - ON - THE - SUN!!  The children were c*r*a*b*b*y, Red Hot Hubby was well...RED HOT and I was miserable. :O(((
 So, I packed up my melting kiddos and off we went to Mema's house (my mom's) to sleep and try to stay cool.
 Yesterday, the "Air-Conditioning Man" came to our house with a new $2000 part to replace the busted one.  Good thing the house has a 5-yr. warranty on Air-Conditioning Parts...since our house is only 2 1/2 yrs.old.  ARRGGHH!!   However, with that being said, the labor and start up costs of recharging the freon were $1300.

When we're NOT vacationing this summer, we'll just have to pour ourselves a tall, cool drink, and remember how wonderful 78* felt on a typical 110* day in July.

Hmmm...a pint of heaven

OUR COLORFUL GROUP

Hi.  I'm "Hot Pink Mommy" of Hot Pink Mommy in a Green World.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.  Since this is my first post, I'd like to introduce you to my "colorful" family.  

My DH is AKA "Red Hot Hubby" or "Red Hot" for short.  To quote Andy Cohen of Bravo TV, He's a "gingy"...red-head, ginger, etc.  - my best friend and co-creator of DS 2&3, and DD.

DS#1 is AKA "Brown".  Tall, dark, handsome, all grown up and off on his own..."Brown" won't be mentioned very much on the "HPMIAGW" blog but, he's the eldest and requires introduction.

DS #2 is AKA "Orange".  Witty and charming,  four and half years old, and a red-head just like "Red Hot Hubby"  

DS #3 is AKA  "Blue".  Blond with big blue eyes, quiet and reserved, (unless provoked) his cuteness at two and 3/4 years just barely conceals an Irish temper. 

DD is AKA "Baby Pink".  Too new to have a dark side, this little four-month old, bundle of deliciousness, is the icing on our cupcake!

There you have it.  My first blog post.

P.S.  All you other families parenting three children under five years old, please reach out and introduce yourselves.  I'd love tips on how you're making it work.