I Think We All Have Cabin Fever...

That, my friends, is my daughter passed out asleep on her sled. What kind of kid falls asleep while sledding? One that is tired of winter, that's what. While hilarious as all get out, I think there's a deeper meaning to my little Sledding Sleeping Beauty-- there's a spreading epidemic of the Winter Blahs.

You see, living where we do, it's common knowledge that we're going to have a good 5 months of winter--at the very least. It's not unusual for the kids up in this neck of the woods to have to go trick-or-treating in their snowpants and boots. It's pretty much standard to own a snow blower. We consider zero degrees Farenheit "not so bad". Don't get me wrong, I love a white Christmas, sledding, and snow angels as much as the next person; but I cannot wait for Spring, and I don't think I'm alone.

The sparkly blanket of white that covers our city is beginning to dull. My baby girl fights putting on the hat and mittens a little bit more each day. If my husband has to shovel us out one more morning before leaving for work, he's going to snap. Our community as a whole seems to have its crabby pants on as of late, and I'm right there with them. Everywhere you turn you see scowling, hear the cursing of the cold and snow, and you could probably even smell the cold if your nostrils weren't frozen together. The kids at school are just owly and cranky because they haven't been able to go outside for recess.

There is a desperate need to throw open the windows and let fresh air wash through our cozy little bungalow. I need to see green lawns and colorful flower beds again. I long for the sound and smell of mowing the lawn. I want to be able to order my warm-weather coffee. (Yes, what I order at the coffee shop changes with the seasons--don't judge me. There just seems something wrong about drinking an iced Americano during a blizzard...are ya with me?)

So, maybe I can will warmer weather our direction... Today I packed away the red and pink-ness that covered our house in Valentine's Day beauty and made way for the St. Patrick's Day clovery goodness. We went shopping yesterday and purchased a few new items for my Spring wardrobe. We've even got Sofia's Easter dress all ready to go. Can Spring (and my iced Americano) be far behind...?

Amber and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad President's Day Weekend

Do you ever feel like you've completely dropped every single ball you're trying to juggle? That's me. In fact, I don't even know why I'm sitting here blogging instead of doing the dozens of things I should be getting done.

I have a class all day tomorrow and Thursday that I need to finish homework for. I have an entire book to read for starters--I've known that I have to read it since about December, but lately the only reading I get done is "I Love Monkey", or "Knuffle Bunny", or the "Pokey Little Puppy"--you get the idea. By the time Sofia goes to bed at night, I'm wiped. And then I muster up the energy it takes to finish the highest priority item that's been placed on the back burner. (Usually means re-running the washing machine because I ran a load a day or two ago, but got distracted and forgot to throw it in the dryer; washing the supper dishes; ironing a pair of pants and shirt for David for work tomorrow; going over lesson plans for work the next day and then falling into bed. Crap! Get up and go throw those towels into the dryer or you'll be washing them again tomorrow!)

My house is always a disaster. Always. Right now you can't see the top of my dining room table, there are dust bunnies in almost every corner of the floor, and the basement is still ripped apart. Because the basement's ripped apart, half of its contents are in my upstairs and the other half are crammed into my storage room downstairs. Everywhere I look, there's sh**. (When will these renovation projects end?!) We had a plumbing disaster on Saturday when I apparently exceeded the limits of the garbage disposal but didn't realize it. Both sides of the basin sink downstairs were full of water and disposaled (is that even a word?!?!) food. Everything was working fine upstairs at the kitchen sink, so the only reason I discovered the problem was because I went to go put a load of laundry into the machine. I ran and got David, because hell if I know how to fix it, and in the process of him fixing it, the trap of the basin sink gave out and we had a nasty mess all over the laundry room/work shop area. I knew it was bad when I heard, "!@#$%^--Call an aunt!". Eight minutes later, my sister was here and David and I were ankle deep in water and what used to be the forgotten leftovers in the refrigerator. Fast forward to Sunday and me trying to clean the rest of the house and wash all the towels, rugs, and rags that were wet and filthy from the mess yesterday. In the process, I mention to my husband that my stress level regarding this house has reached its limit. A discussion ensues, and said discussion turns into an argument. A big one. Probably would have been bigger, but Sofia was up. Steam is still coming out of my ears, by the way. It's now Monday (Happy President's Day, by the way), and after a trip to the dentist this morning (and a return visit scheduled for March because I have a cavity. What the hell? What 29-year old still gets cavities?)I returned home to my husband working on my sister's wedding invitation design and my mom and other sister watching Sofia. As Mom is leaving, she says, "Why don't you send your ironing with me. If I don't do it, it won't get done. I know how things go around here." REALLY?!?! Like I don't feel enough guilt? Because I enjoy feeling like a failure of a homemaker, wife, and mother?!

I work full time and am trying to raise a daughter and keep house with a husband who works over 70 hours a week (I kid you not.) It's not that he doesn't want to be home-- he's just trying to provide for his family as best he can and get these renovations finished. (Although, his renovation addiction is part of the fuel for this fire..............but that's a topic for another day........) It's just so hard to get everything done and meet expectations. Expectations that I mostly have of myself. I am just too Type-A. And probably read too much of "Real Simple" and "Better Homes and Gardens" than is healthy for my self-esteem.

Off I go. I need to get homework done and go scrub the bathroom. And Google "cleaning ladies". I wonder how that would go over...

I've decided...

that I just might be the world's worst blogger. I have such grand visions of keeping this blog up-to-date and full of lovely photos. In reality, I have a lonely, ignored blog. Not that I don't have good intentions--it's just that my laundry, ironing, toothpaste-crusted bathroom sink, and piled-full-of-mail dining room table are usually just as ignored. And let's face it: When push comes to shove, I'm going to take care of those things over my blog, because unexpected guests aren't going to see this internet space from my front door. (You can, however, see straight into the bathroom.)

In the eons since I've been here, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's have come and gone, and along the way many more fond memories have been made in our nutshell. Sofia, being the ripe-old age of 18 months, was much more aware of Christmas this year, and enjoyed not one, not two, but three Christmas celebrations. By Round 3, she really had the opening gifts thing down, and decided it would be best if she opened everyone's presents for them.

In with all the happy, we've also had the sad; as is the way with life. In early December, David's grandmother passed away. She was 94 and suffered from Alzheimer's. While it was a blessing for her to pass and finally be at peace, she is dearly missed by all of us who loved her and her squiggly-line rulers :)

There is much more to say, but not enough time right now to get it all out. Here's a sign-off in hopes that I'm able to return soon!