It's All Too Much....

....for a facebook status. 

So here is a list, in no particular order, of random bits of news you might want to know:


1. Robb has some great job leads. Thanks to some of his great friends.

2. I changed the name of my Etsy shop from Vintagebutterfly94 (which was a terrible name...TERRIBLE)  to The Classic Butterfly.  This has produced a chain reaction of facepalms as I realize how many incarnations I can be found under on the interwebs. And none of the names are consistent.  I suck at consistency. Marketing genius, I am not. 

3. Whatever. I'm starting a new etsy shop devoted just to mosaics.  Want to submit an idea for a name of that shop? 

4. It's freezing cold and raining here today.  It will be warmer tomorrow.  To avoid turning on the heat, I shall clean my oven.  Because I'm just that brilliant.

5.  I restocked both my flea market booths yesterday.  You should go and check them out because I put some good stuff in there. 

6. Yesterday, I purchased a taxidermy fish.  Because, really, why WOULDN'T I?

7. We've been watching The Wonder Years with the kids. 

8. I applied to two art shows this morning:  Artini and The Little Craft Show.

9. I have a birthday card I purchased for my sister in law before her birthday, which was over a week ago.  I don't have the right address to send it to her. I can get that with one phone call, but I haven't had a minute.  Do I send it or save it for next year?

10. I have lost my earbuds. Earbuds, if you are reading this...come back to me. Please. I need you in my life more than you know.  We don't even have to talk about where you have been all this time. I don't care. I just want you back. And I'm worried about you. Picturing you out in this rain....it's driving me crazy.  Please.  Just tell me where you are and I will come get you. No questions asked.

11. Today, with news of a giant Legoman washing ashore in Florida circulating, I am making a Legoman costume for Vin. And a paperdoll costume for Mattie. And a Tinkerbell costume for Chuck.  I have a lot of making to do.

12. I finished cleaning and organizing the garage.  Is it weird that I like to just go out there and walk around all four sides of the van and think, "I ROCK at stacking stuff!"

13. I made baked oatmeal for breakfast yesterday with blueberry syrup. Gluten free, full of fiber and antioxidants and it tastes like pie.  Awesome, much?

14. I feel weird stopping at 13.

15. Vin has a girlfriend. (Shhhhh.  Don't tell him I told you.)  I should have stopped at 14, but I have weird number issues.

Robin Invasion

I noticed a robin on the fence in the backyard while eating breakfast with Robb this morning. After he left for work, I noticed a few more robins. As I stood watching, I proceeded to be very amused as a dozen or more of them hopped about as if they were surveying our neighborhood's worthiness. Maybe they are a scouting team sent ahead of the rest to find good nesting places? They seem like a hopeful sight on the morning before our big storm is supposed to roll in. There are a few more hopping about out my front window as I type. It seems that maybe they know something the weather-men don't....

It was an honor just to be nominated

Charleigh is stressed.

When Charleigh is stressed, she poops and pees in the wrong places.

Like at the dentist office. While her sister and brother are having teeth pulled.
After I already was nearly late the appointment because she had peed her pants
and I had to stop by the house and get her a change of clothes.

So I walk into the dentist office after having changed my drenched child
using a roll of paper towel and a bottle of Windex, because that was what I saw
when I ran into the house to get a change of clothes for the accident she had at school.

And I asked them if I could please wash my hands before I did anything else.
And I mentally congratulated myself for not yelling at her.
And not telling the receptionist that I needed to wash my hands because my kid had peed her pants.
"YEAH! You are like... mother of the year! You are handling it, Vanessa! Way to go!"

And then I look up from my clean hands and my pile of paperwork to fill out at the dentists office and what do I see? I see a big wet spot on her overalls.

And the applause in my head stops as they hand the Mother of the Year award to somebody who has actual clothing packed for such a situation, which I of course, do not. I have paper towel and Windex.

And so, as I am at that very second, ushered into the room where one kid is about to be miserable, and I already am, I turn to the hygienist and ask for a plastic bag for Charleigh to sit on. Which she does. For over an hour. Cheerfully. As if all her stress has puddled away.

And once again, I remind myself that a kid who can sit in her own urine for over an hour and not complain might just make an amazing missionary. Right?

Day Three of The Rest of My Life

So here I am on day three of the rest of my life with three kids in school, and I have some thoughts.

It's extraordinarily weird to be so quiet for so long, but I really love it. I do periodically have the urge to go check on somebody who must be napping, which is the only way my brain seems to be able to account for the quiet.

I do not magically have less to do. I have more to do and fewer constant reminders to do it all.

I have reached the point in my life when my kids hurt my feelings. Repeatedly. Brutally. So that I cry. I have absolutely no idea how to handle this. But it doesn't seem to be changing for the better, so I guess I have to figure out how to deal with it. Example? Somebody told me he/she wanted lasagna. "Oh Mom! Please make lasagna! We haven't had lasagna in forever!" So yesterday, I went to the grocery store in a complete downpour and got supplies to make lasagna. I spent about 3 hours in preparation and cooking time, put it on the table and the kid said: "Mom, they are serving lasagna for lunch at school in a couple of days. That's what I wanted."

Meanwhile another kid was still annoyed and embarrassed by me because I walked the dog the school to pick them up. I still have no idea why that is such a problem. I thought I was doing a great job of multi-tasking. The dog was sweet. The kid...not so much.

Charleigh only has a half day today, though, so I'd better get cracking.

Everyone keeps asking....

what I am going to do when all three of my children go to school on Wednesday morning.

Well, here's a picture of my studio if that gives you any guesses...

I wonder if other artists typically have 45 other projects lined up that they want to make? I have so many ideas in my head, I sometimes get absolutely overwhelmed. So I started to bulk process them by setting out the thing I want to mosaic, cutting up the china I want to use on it, and then stacking the projects on an open shelf so I can just pick something up and go. When I am tempted to get overwhelmed, I just say to myself, "You are going to mosaic it sometime, why not work on one piece now. Just pick any of them." And then I do.

People ask me, too, if I have started packing for the move. The answer is "Nope." As Robb and I have strategized, it makes no sense to start packing until I get as much of my mosaics done and out the door as possible to make room for boxes to pile up.

But I will say this, I measured windows at the new house and started to pick out paint chips. The sheer expanse of it may have freaked me out a little bit. I mean, you know me...I LOVES to paint me up a little sumpin', but there's just so MUCH.

And one more thing. I need to exercise. Having Charleigh with me before, it wasn't really handy, but I'll have time now to walk, which I am really excited about.

So yes, don't worry about me filling up my vast, empty days. I'll manage to find something to do.

As to how I'll FEEL about having all the kids in school? I told Robb that I resere the right to bawl my eyes out or do a happy dance. He fully expects both.

I Think He Heard We Had Flies Here

L.O.U.S.es....I don't believe they exist....

Don't believe in Lamps of Unusual Size?

They DO exist.

Something Interesting I Watched This Morning

This little video was from the Etsy blog. Calvin found it interesting.

It feels like dating.

It just occurred to me that looking at houses is a lot like dating. You get together, size one another up and wonder, "Could this be the one?"

Having slept on it, I can totally see how that second house we saw yesterday would work. I think I have a crush on it.

It's been a long time since I was this twitterpated. I might get my heart broken, but for now, I can fantasize about those hard wood floors....

Even if it kills me....

So it's 10:30 and I have been awake since 5:30 this morning, thinking, praying, fussing and stewing. I have a really lovely post started about my family reunion last week, but I can't seem to get into the frame of mind to finish the post.

So instead, I will talk about today: We had an appointment to look at another house in the neighborhood we want to buy in. Yet another house popped up as available while I was getting ready to go over and meet with Robb and the realtor. It feels like this could possibly happen, but as my long time readers know, we have been disappointed sooooooo many times before.

The house we saw, I did not like. That was kind of nice actually. You hate to see a house that's priced a little higher than you like that you really adore and can't have. I flat out did NOT like it. It had a surly attitude and a penchant for dark corners.
However, we did get to see another one while we were there that I remain curious about. It has the oddest floor plan, but delightful windows. I've learned through my either real or totally imagined Seasonal Affective Disorder, that good windows are absolutely of mighty importance to my brain chemicals. It also had hardwood floors and upper cupboards that weren't so nice that I would feel guilty yanking them down to put up open shelving. I loved the outside of it.

I worked today. In sharp contrast to yesterday when I tried to work and just sulked instead because I couldn't make myself work no matter how hard I tried.

I had a long talk with my nine year old who has begun to venture out into the world and realize that other kids her age have cell phones and tvs in their rooms. Two things that my nine year old can fuss all she wants, but won't have any time soon. It was our first real fight and we both cried. It ended well, but it was nothing short of unsettling to be having that conversation already.

The kids set up a Gatoraide stand today. I'm pretty sure I funded all their profits. But they had to sweat for it a bit. I figured it was the best chance to teach my aforementioned nine year that work is hard and money is even harder to come by.

Ubiquitous laundry. Ditto the summertime Biblical plague of flies here.

Snippets of conversation with the neighbors, the neighbor kids, facebook and texting. The credit card bill came. It is shrinking and we are beating it back. Soon it will be dead. I can't wait. Orders came in; I need to find boxes. Who else on the planet worries about if I will have enough boxes? I realize I'm worrying about boxes and switch over to praying that God will provide a box. Laugh at myself for worrying because He's a pretty big God....and a box is a pretty small thing....so I pray for a house instead.

This is PRECISELY what's wrong with this country.....

Out of Breath

landed around noon on Friday

Posted the giveaway...winner to be announced as soon as kid gets up from nap. Nap enforced due to kid being overtired this morning and unable to "use her words." Opted instead to spit on her sister's breakfast instead of asking her to move out of her chair.

laundry while hubby mowed with a borrowed mower and began setting up the pool (which over-tired kid played in while it was filling, turning blue, but insisting she was hot)

washer is running this minute with the next to the last load.

watched a movie with the kids: Jurassic Park is pretty hilarious now. But I didn't remember the cussing.

rolled out of bed on Saturday morning thinking about floor tile...got up and chased that until the men's bathroom was done and it was time to come home and shower for the company picnic.

Kids got wet, and Flying Burrito catered. The pool got full.

Robb dropped me off at church to keep plugging at the final parts of the building stuff. Air conditioner broke.

Six minutes later (or maybe 2 hours) he called to tell me it was time to get ready for the wedding.

Seriously kicking myself for not taking my camera to what must have been the most photogenic wedding I've ever attended. Seriously, there weren't any ugly people there. I kid you not. It was just gorgeous. Robb sweated his way through another lovely wedding service and the groom did not faint. Fortunately, Candice has her iPhone and I just stole her pics from Facebook. Because I know she's stealing my pictures and that makes it all good. : ) And those people you don't recognize? They are people who read my blog and don't comment. It's my way of punishing them.


Went home and crashed only to be rudely awakened by this weird beep beeping noise...we tried to fight it off, but it was insistent. Which really stunk, because getting up meant that we would need to go up to church and set up chairs (in no A/C) which wasn't so bad, but AFTER church we had to take Robb to the airport again. Which sucked. Just two more trips counting this one. But seriously...it sucks now. I miss him so much already I don't think I can stand it. He'll be back before I can finish the laundry from the last trip, but it still sucks. I'm sorry Mom, for saying "sucks" but there is no other word for it. I hate being apart from that man.

And now the coupons from the Sunday paper are here and there are 312 posts to read in my blog-reader and I'm so behind on my etsy store it's not funny and the last day of school is tomorrow and I haven't answered several key emails and my mind is swimming, but eventually....I'll get caught up. Right? Or maybe I'll chuck it all and get into the pool with the kids...

I can still smell Florida.

My life is so weird....

Yesterday, I was laying floor tiles, eating hotdogs, and wondering just how many hours I will spend in the Vintage Fellowship men's room.

This morning, I was packing boxes to ship all over the U.S. and Australia and France. My mosaic teapot went out the door with those boxes.

And right now, I'm lying in a hotel bed in Orlando, watching Deadliest Catch, thinking a little bit about textbooks.

My life is pretty weird.

Awkward greeting

Hi Blog. How are things?
I know...I've been pretty busy with ...you know...stuff.
I've missed you, but you know...it's complicated.

A bunch of people had babies
a bunch of people graduated
I wondered if I should take the meds again
The sun came out
I hurt my back...it still hurts.
I tried to sell some stuff on ebay for other people and got nothing because ebay sucks now.
I really want to buy a house.
The kids are going to be done with school and my life is about to get really crazy again in that summer-crazy way.
Karen and Matt are ok.
Some other people aren't ok.

It's just a lot, Blog. I don't know where to start.
But maybe after I find out what it's like to get my back adjusted by a chiropractor today, I'll be able to think a little clearer.

And oh yeah, there was blood all over the front yard today and Animal control stopped by looking for a deer that had gotten lost in our neighborhood and broke through a glass window and was running loose and wounded. That was crazy.

Thumbs Up

I don't normally go for this kind of thing, but since I need glasses, I saw "Be Yourself"

I could never have this in my house. I'd be stuck starring at it all day.

I'm pretty sure I won't make it....

The kids giggled when I said this, because they said I always say that, and I always do make it. But I'm pretty sure I won't this time. I feel like my hair is on fire.

Evidence? I'm about to post my worry-list as a blog post so I can kill two birds with one stone.

I'm supposed to have my garage sale today, but it's raining. And I never got any of it priced. Tomorrow claims to be a better weather day.

I'm so tired I left my crock pot on all night. With the chili I made yesterday morning in it.

The wind howled all day yesterday at the gallery, and all night last night, leading me to dream about the roof blowing off the gallery all night.

One of the pieces the Editor asked for was sold through the gallery this weekend. The other piece is in the Garden Center and when I drove up there after working at the gallery until 6, they were closed. So I'll need to go there today, get the tray she asked for (which I hate, by the way), and then take them down to her office in Fayetteville.

I have no eggs or easter candy for the kids whatsoever. So I'll need to go the store. And we are out of puppy food. Because she eats like a pig. Seriously, I think that dog's breed is part Pot Belly Pig. I realize of course that the meaning of Easter is not easter candy, but I'm not about to face three kids on Sunday morning with no chocolate.

And besides that I love Peeps. I love them. And this is the only time of year it is the least bit sane to eat them.

And Sunday dinner. I got nothing. I don't know why, but I usually make a ham and pineapple upside down cake. For the resurrection of our Lord. Ham. This is what makes me hate Christianity sometimes.

I'm unsettled with my spiritual state right now. After 40 days of real self-denial, I feel like the last few days and the coming ones are so busy, they lack reflection. That I'm somehow letting a golden opportunity to learn something just fizzle.

Robb is sleeping beside me. I'm so glad. He is soooooooo tired. We were both pretty thrilled that his work called this day off. I'm hoping that this will translate into a moment or two for him to mentally prepare for the Good Friday service tonight, and for Sunday. And frankly, just for a moment or two to be together. I'm trying not to panic about him being away again next week. We didn't really realize that he'd be traveling so much when he took this job, but hopefully, when the busy season is over, he won't need to as much. He is racking up those frequent flier miles and his dream is to earn us a trip to Hawaii. That would be amazing. The dream of that makes me able to stop eating Charleigh's birthday cake. That and the fact that the birthday cake is gone.

So let's see, if I get up, get some online work done, go the store and the garden center, come home, price the garage sale stuff (did I mention, I'm not even ready for that?) get ready for church, put the kids to bed, spend some quality time with Robb, sleep really fast, get up and put on the garage sale, clean that up, make dinner, color easter eggs, bathe the kids, put them to bed, hide easter basket, get clothes ready for the morning, go to bed, get up....

dang.

I might make it, but I won't be happy about it.

My house....

needs to go on a diet.

It's chubby with clutter.

I was on a binge this weekend....at Missouri's Largest Garage Sale
in Neosho.

And now...I need to purge.

Fat Camp on Friday, aka Garage Sale.

Good Ole What's-Her-Name

Dr. Carter used to jokingly refer to Mrs. Carter as "Good Ol' What's Her Name." They sometimes joked this way, but I also recall the day that Dr. Carter told a class of sophomores that if anyone ever disrespected his wife, He would use Judo on them. He was deathly serious and I knew for a fact that he really would.

Anyway... I digress down a little memory path. But the point of my entry today is that this lady needs a name...after all, she's not just a body! She needs the dignity of a moniker. You see, my old model was named Alice. Donna found her at some remote estate sale in Michigan and brought her home to me. Unfortunately, her nuts and bolts worked themselves loose from all the work I expected of her, and for the past few months, she has modeled with a droopy hip and hunched shoulders. She found secondary employment holding the sign in my Heartwood booth...it's much more stationary work and better suited to her joint issues.

Robb suggested Flo, but it doesn't fit. So I need to give this mannequin a name. C'mon. Amuse me. I have kids home for spring break doing things like ...making mud pies and then climbing into my white cloaked bed. I need the distraction desperately.

Funny Name Game

I got tagged on Facebook with this, but I thought I'd just post it here on my blog since I've been neglecting my "talk therapy" lately.


YOUR REAL NAME:
Vanessa Kay Ryerse

WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)
Kay Ward

YOUR MARRIED NAME: (first 4 letters of your first name, first 4 letters of your spouses first name)
Vanerobe

YOUR SECRET SPY NAME: (your first name backward
Assenav (Hey, I resemble that!)

NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Frank Earl

STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Ryeva

DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Black Butterfly

SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, county where you were born)
Kay Crawford (NICE!)

SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Green Shiraz (coffee is my fav drink, but Shiraz was more fun)

FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Vase

STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Coffee No Bake (tee heee....hey...that sounds like a good recipe!!!!)

ROCK STAR NAME: (1st pet's name, street you grew up on)
Nippy Plank (I kid not)


YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of last name plus izzle)
Ryizzle


YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Sidney

YOUR NEXT CHILDS NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Romance Peanut M&M (Hmmmmmmmmm)

And on a completely ridiculous note...

what would you call this footwear? Because they can't really be called "socks." And I'll probably keep them....