Random thought

So why in these modern times, when we are WELL aware of the growing obesity problem in our country, do fast food restaurants continue to make things bigger with even more calories? A triple quarter pounder??? Really? Triple cheese burgers with bacon? The Big and Tasty breakfast sandwich from D&D. 2 eggs with four pieces of bacon and cheese on texas toast?  And yet, things like granola bars have gotten smaller over the past couple of years. I just don't get it. I mean I'll be honest here....I eat at Micky D's once in awhile. I get a craving for a big Mac every now and then. And fries...oh yes fries! yum. But isn't just a regular order of fries enough? Now they try to get you to super size it? I wonder why Americans are so fat? hmmm.... could it be that it's cheaper to buy fast food than it is to buy fresh produce? And ONE burger has all of your calories for the day! It's just gross. Okay enough venting... just a random thought I had while sitting at a stop light this morning next to a dunkin' donuts. I saw the sign for their new breakfast sandwich and it put me into a rant. I'll stop now. ;)

Reasons why I need my own apartment

"Feed me NOW
or I will chew your arm off!"

So the other night in the middle of multi-tasking with laundry, cooking dinner and homework help my husband asked me what I would like for my up coming birthday. Before I could answer the cat came up rubbed on my leg and gave me that ,"Feed me or I'll chew your arm off!", look that he gets when it's been 4 hours since he was last fed. I gave my husband the  "give me a second" finger gesture and fetched the cat food. The sound of cat food hitting the metal dish prompted the dogs to come running and realized they were hungry too. Just then the dryer buzzed to let me know that the clothes were ready. I told the dogs to wait a second, (because they totally understand what I am saying and have the patience of Himalayan Monks), and I went to the dryer to get the clothes out.  Just as I reached in the dryer, my husband yells from the kitchen that the potato's are boiling over. I yelled "thanks!" in response but what I was REALLY thinking and what I REALLY wanted to yell back was "Okay.... and you are not capable of turning the burner down yourself? The rule of don't touch the stove stopped being applicable to you when you turned into a MAN! If you're standing there looking at it boiling over then wouldn't it be much easier and faster to do it yourself?!" BUT I didn't say what I really felt like saying because that would've been mean and most likely would've started a fight. And who wants that? So I let the laundry go and run into the kitchen to turn the burner down. I turn around from the stove to find my seven year old standing behind me.
"Mom, I'm hungry."
"ummmmm ...  ya I know! That's why I am cooking dinner."
"Can I have a snack?"
"no"
"Why?"
"Because I am cooking dinner. It'll be ready in 5 minutes."
"Ya, but I am hungry now. Can I have a small snack?"
"NO!"
"Why?"
"BECAUSE I AM COOKING DINNER!"
After this brief convo with my seven year old I turn to find that my 14 year old just poured himself a bowl of cereal.
"Patrick! What are you doing?"
"eating cereal."
"Why?! Dinner is going to be reading in 5 minutes!"
"But I was hungry now."
grrrrrr! I give up and drain the potato's.
Then Garrett chimes in "Hey! that's not fair! Patrick gets to have a snack and I don't?"
"Go set the table! Dinner is almost ready!"I yell at both of them.

My "workspace"

I get the potato's mashed, the chicken out of the oven and the veggies seasoned. I am just about to start serving when I look at the kitchen table and see, not place settings, but all my sewing stuff all over the table. UGh! I forgot to put my sewing stuff away! Ahhhh!

"Mom. Mom! We're hungry!"

I clear my stuff off the table and set the boys to work on getting the table set. I figured I'd take that time to finally get the laundry out of the dryer. But low and behold, it sat too long and wrinkled and now it needs to be fluffed AGAIN! And the dogs are whining and staring at me. Ooops. I forgot the dogs. I feed them.
Finally dinner has been served and everyone is fat and happy. We get the dishes done and the kitchen cleaned up. The dryer buzzes and I RUN in and pull the clothes out, fold them while they are still hot. We get homework done and everyone can finally relax before bed. Things are looking good. I decide to pour myself a TALL glass of wine and read for a bit. I sit down in my favorite chair and get an action figure up my butt! Once I get that situation under control...I am ready to read and then my husband decides to play Call of Duty.
 My husband playing C.O.D. means there will be LOTS of screaming and yelling at the TV screen. I once asked him why he plays video games if it stresses him out so much. His response to that was, "Stress me out?! It doesn't stress me out. I play them to relax."
 To me anything that makes me yell and scream is not relaxing. And hearing him yell and scream at the TV is not relaxing for me at all either so I decide to take my book and my wine into my bedroom.

I walk in my room and am NOT surprised to find a lego city all over my bed. ugh!

Lego City
2 Mom's Bed Lane
Mom's Room, ME 04011

"Garrett! Come clean this up before a hurricane knocks down all your buildings. And by hurricane I mean me!"
Question: "Why don't kids play in their own bedrooms?
My kids answer to that question: "Cuz then our bedrooms will get messy."
Okay so lego city has been relocated, dogs have been fed, cat has been fed, family has been fed, dinner dishes done, homework done, husband is playing video games, kids are actually playing in their rooms, laundry is folded but still not put away but that can wait.

I am laying on my bed ready to read and sip wine and...wait for it.... The dogs come barreling into the room looking for love in all the wrong places. "Sorry dogs but I need a break! Get out! Or lay down! You decide but for now just leave me alone!" One lays down the other decides to leave.
Okay I open the book and....wait for it...here comes the cat. He jumps on my chest and rubs on the book.
"Love you Roman, but mommy needs a break." I push him away and he turns to glare at me with that,

I don't let just anyone pet my fur!

"How dare you turn down my affection? I don't just dish it out to anybody lady! You should be thankful I want you to touch me at all! Well...THAT will never happen again! I will put my back to you and swish my tail really hard so you know that I am ignoring you.", look. I ignore him, take a gulp of wine and get ready to read and ....wait for it.... The kids start screaming at each other. Apparently Patrick doesn't want Garrett in his bedroom because he's "annoying". But when Garrett goes into his own room Patrick follows him and that's when the fight started. Now Garrett won't let Patrick into his room.
I decide instead of getting up and ending this fight, that I will put a pillow over my head and drown it out.
AND that's when it hits me! I know what I want for my birthday!
I want my own Apartment! Nothing fancy, just a little one room efficiency unit. MY one little room of peace!
And my reason's for this birthday wish are as follows;

1. I would have a place to sew. An actual workspace. I could store all of my stuff there and not have to clear it off the kitchen table everyday!

2. None of my scissors would ever go missing again! They would actually stay in the basket I put them in and the "little fairies" that take them but insist that they didn't take them wouldn't be invited over.
3. I would have a chair that wouldn't have dog hair, cat hair, legos or action figures on it that I could sit and read in.
4. I could actually READ!
5. I could go to the bathroom by myself! My apartment would have a no pet rule....so that means no dogs or cats busting into the bathroom to watch me pee!
6. There would be no video games allowed. That would mean no listening to my husband scream, "What are you doing!? He's over there! ahhhh idiot!", at the TV anymore.
7. If I make a mess, I clean it up and it stays that way for more than an hour.
8. I can listen to any kind of music I want and actually be able to hear it without the sound of fighting brothers in the next room.
9. I could take a nap. Or paint my toenails. Or watch reality television.
10. I could hang up girly pink curtains and have flowery pillows on a white shabby chic couch that would stay white!
11. I'd have a place to go where I can take care of me. A place where there isn't a line of people and animal's looking at me for assistance.
The possibilities are endless! I'd have a place to go when my family is driving me crazy! Don't get me wrong.... I love my husband, kids and pets more that anything in this world. It is great to feel loved and needed by the ones that you love and need. I wouldn't trade my life for anything but I will be honest, sometimes it would be great to have my own apartment. A girl can dream can't she?

Scene from a vintage junkie's house

Just walked into my kitchen and realized how silly this looked so I thought I'd take a picture of it. Scenes like this are a normal occurrence in my house. Tis the life of a vintage junkie.

I spent a few minutes this morning hand washing vintage barbie clothes to sell in my Etsy shop.

Here they are drying in the dish rack along with the pot I made my oatmeal in this morning.