Good Weather and Good Baseball

We have been having a good time at JUCO this year. We have fun every year, but now that the kids are getting older it has been so nice. Konman is 9 and the perfect age. He has been getting every players autograph, some probably more than once. I don't think he even knows who has signed his 3 baseballs. The Kirsten8tor has hardly whined at all. I don't have to tell you what a rare occurance that is. She has been getting autographs, also. The weather has been so nice. We have only missed 3 games. The kids are still in school, and they know if they whine or act tired we will be staying home. You would never know they were sleep deprived.

Cheeto the Beloved, Where Art Thou?

At Grandma's house where the Kirsten8tor left him!!! So don't be making threats or blaming me. It is your own darn fault!

So here is the story....Last night we went to my Mom's house to watch the American Idol finals. I let Kirsten come with me for a bit of a girls night watching AI. She insisted on bringing her 2 favorite Webkinz(Sliver the tiger snake and Cheeto the cheetah that is really a Jaguar) We watched American Idol, then waited for Kirsten8tor to put all the dress up clothes away, and then we left. When we were almost home I get a call from my mom and she says,"Tell Kirsten, not to worry I will take care of Cheeto for her." And like a dummy sitting on a ventriloquist knee I deliver the message to Kirsten8tor. Who proceeds to cry, very loudly with out taking a breath, as if we told her we were going to amputate her leg and she would have to hop around for the rest of her life. So my mom decides to entertain herself by asking her, "Since Grandpa is gone can Cheeto sleep with me or should she just throw Cheeto in the closet?" Yes folks she got even louder! Oh the thought. Kirsten8tor proceeded to wail all the way home and continued as she walked in the door, and walked around the house, and walked around the house again. So I told her to go to her room, go to bed, and keep it down. She eventually got quiet enough that I couldn't hear her or I'm just slowily going deaf, either way I was happy. Until I went to bed! She had written me a note. The note went like this

To Mom
From: Kirsten8tor I want Cheeto back
then a picture of Cheeto asking to be brought back

I want Cheeto back this week get to work now!

turn page over with and arrow

on other side-

1. I want Cheeto back
2. This week
3.so get to work on it
4Or I will be maber(madder) than I have ever been

Get to work on it right now!


Don't worry she is alive, but this morning we had a little talk. I told her that even if she ever wants to see Cheeto again she had better get an attitude adjustment! And if I get Cheeto back this week. She will not be getting Cheeto back for 2 weeks. If she was lucky!!!!

The last time something like this happened, and Kurt got after her for something. She left a picture on his pillow of a fire breathing dragon being chased by a monkey. She then labeled the dragon as Dad and the monkey as her. I found more humor in that drawing!

Adventures in Real Estate

This is what happens when you are a real estate agent showing vacant land and the following conversation takes place. As we are driving down dirt road on the property, since they have a truck and the terrain is a bit rough they offer to drive, so I hop in the back seat.

The wife says "Hey what is over there? I want to look over there"
Husband says "I can't get over there."
Wife says "We are in the truck can't you just go through there?"
Realtor says "Or we could stay on the road"
Wife says "Can't you just go through there?"
Husband says "Fine!"

Just for the record when this happened and they were apologizing. I simply stated, "This is so going on my blog." I did get their permission. Some of you might know these folks and I would love it if you gave them a hard time. Sorry the pictures and video aren't the best quality, I shot them on my cell phone.

Shameless Plug

Check out my new website at www.bringingyouhomeonline.com. I know the name isn't the best, but I had trouble coming up with a good one. My name was already taken and it isn't the easiest to spell. Although I'm still open to ideas. There aren't many good domain names left. If you get a chance check it out. I'd love to hear feedback. There are somethings I can't change, but some I can. Is it user freindly? Let me know!

What is in that Peace Pipe?

First off, HELLO ALL! I've been reading your blogs even if I'm not adding to mine. This working thing takes a lot of time. I'm really enjoying the adventure.

It seems like lately there has been plenty of conflict in my life, between my husband, extended family, and my children. My children have started arguing with me and each other every chance they get. When Konman (whose been learning about Indians at school) gets bored he starts looking for something to argue over and Kirsten8tor just argues and debates because she can(and she is pretty good at it). So after the kids had been arguing about the same thing for the upteen time, I told them for the upteeth time "I don't want to hear about, nobody is dieing or gushing blood, work it out amongst yourselves or else I will send you both to your rooms. Do you remember last time I said this?" (Last time they got this bad I tied them together and made them do chores, if nothing else I enjoyed it!) Well Konman starts trying to talk things out with Kirsten8tor and she(even though she is yelling) doesn't feel heard and fells the need to repeat herself over and over, until he surrenders. Finally he has had enough and can see that it is hopeless, but he wants to get in one last point so he says, "Well, I guess we won't be smoking the peace pipe today." Atleast then she finally quit making her point and gave him a very confused look. I got a good laugh out of that one. I had to chuckle at the thought of "What if they had worked things out? Does he have a peace pipe in his room for just such an occassion?" After the week I've had, my next thought was "Can I borrow his peace pipe? I could use it"

Still Alive and Attempting to Function

Sorry I haven't been blogging. It has been a crazy year. I love selling real estate, but it has been a huge adjustment for me and my family. I have come to the realization that my house will never be clean or organized. It has been tough to balance working full-time and there are times when I struggle to keep myself clean and organized. In fact, my goal this year is to be more balanced in my life and to handle the juggling act better. I enjoy blogging and hope to be more consistent even if it is only once a week. I know you are singing "You give me promises, promises" and you may be right.

Tough Decision

This last week has provided for a lot of emotional anguish. I had a tough decision to make, maybe the toughest decision I've ever had to make. On Tuesday I had the kids start at a new school. This was so hard because their old school wasn't bad. I heard that this new school had openings, but I didn't know how many and for which grades. I checked out their web site and everything looked really good. I agreed with their philosophy, they teach phonetic reading(I think this is very important. Instead of guessing, which it what my kids were encouraged to do. Let's just say my son has very good logic/reasoning skills and therefore is a very good at guessing), teach Latin, Spanish starting in 3rd grade, and there are art classes. I couldn't get the thought out of my head, so I prayed "Lord, if there are no openings at the school that will shut the door." The next day I call and they only have openings in two grades, and those would be the same grades my children are in. I then talk to all kinds of people, even two teachers who interviewed to be teachers there and didn't get the job. I didn't hear any negatives and I was looking for just one. I think the decision was harder on me than the kids. I realized that I have a lot of friends at the old school, and I was the one who struggled with the fact that they have to wear uniforms(this goes back to my private school days). Don't get me wrong there were tears shed and I was a coward. I told then on Friday at 5:30 and sent them camping for the weekend with my mother-in-law at 6:00. Konman still gets to see his old friends at his sports practices and he, our Labrador retriever, already made new friends and he can fetch well too. The Kirstenator was sad, but excited about the art classes. So yesterday, I went to great pains to make sure everything was positive, right down to their lunch(Yes, Kirstenator took ham and cheese). I was so worried yesterday that they were doing OK. I was ready for the complaining when I picked them up from school. When they got in the van I asked, "How was school?" and the Konman says,"GREAT!" I need ulcer medication, a new box of tissues, and sleeping pills to recover from this decision and the kids just want to know if they can ride their bikes when they get home.

492 Tara Drive

Just in case you are interested or know someone who is, my listing is at 492 Tara Drive in Fruita. It is an immaculate custom built home with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1974 square feet. There is a built-in 1,000 gallon fresh water aquarium and the yard is beautifully landscaped. Also, I will be doing an Open House there this Sunday from 1-3. Here is a link if you would like more information on the house Click Here to View Listings.

I Did it Myself

I did my own virtual tour. It turned out pretty good. Normally I pay somebody else a good sum of money to make the tour. She was busy and wasn't able to get it done as fast as I'd like. So I purchased the software and decided to try to make my own virtual tour for my newest listing. It ended up not being as hard as I had made it in my mind. There are some parts that didn't turn out very well, but I have learned a few things so I think I will be able to do a better job next time. Check out the link!

http://tours.justsnooping.com/2310406/

I keep thinking of the money I saved and figuring out in my head how many virtual tours I have to do to justify buying a new camera. I already have a few cameras in mind.

Beach Kind of Girl

About 4 weeks ago, Kirstenator informed me that she is a beach kind of girl. Therefore, the next obvious suggestion was that she should have a beach party. I said, "We could maybe do that." and she then pulls out the Oriental Trading catalog (I swear she is my sister's clone). In an effort to buy time I told her to look through the catalog and we would talk about what she would like for her party. I then called my sister to inform her what her clone was up to. Of course, she thought it was brilliant, as my daughter is getting excited about a Pepsi Tree(an inflatable palm tree that holds ice and Pepsi). We then decided to have my sister's daughter and the Kirstenator's party together. Kirsten then brings me the catalog, with the cover missing and her initials next to everything she would like for her party(2/3 of the stuff had initials). She didn't get everything she had hoped for, but I did order leis, grass skirts, and a table skirt. No Pepsi Tree. My sister was making the cake. She has these princess molds and she had the great idea of making them into hula dancing girls. She then made the mistake of asking Kirstenator to draw her a picture of the what she wanted the cake to look like. The Kirstenator then decided instead of a hula girl she would like a hula lizard(because that is normal?). Of course the lizard she wanted to be dancing is hard plastic and twice as tall as the cake. My sister tried her best, but in the end we ended up with two hula girl cakes and all the guests were boys. The only girls there were the two birthday girls. Oh well, everyone had fun and the boys definitely enjoyed the slip-n-slide more than the grass skirts and leis.

School Shopping - Done

What a relief! Last year I waited too long and I was desperately looking for glue sticks that might have been discarded in the wrong section. It was miserable. I had to go to Target and Wally World to get all the supplies.

On Friday, my father-in-law took the kids. What a blessing. I was able to do the school shopping and finish buying a couple things for the Kirstenator's birthday party this weekend. I was even able to to do some clothes shopping in peace and mostly quiet. I say mostly quiet, because I didn't know how to handle myself and I found myself talking to strangers about nothing and for no reason. I don't think most of them appreciated it, either. You see normally when I go shopping(for anything from tampons, tires, to bread), I have at least one child with me. By default it is usually the Kirstenator and she is either asking A LOT of questions(usually about what I'm buying and it often isn't bread), talking about nothing in particular (at least judging from the first 10 sentences), or whining. None of this takes place in a volume lower than announcements coming over the main speakers. So if I had left my minivan lights ON, I would never know.

Root Canal #2

I went to the dentist yesterday to work on the right side of my mouth and pull one of my teeth on the left side. The good news is that he didn't pull my bad tooth and our insurance turned over in July(can I just say God is Good!). The bad news is I ended up getting another root canal on the other side. This one they were able to do in one sitting and it doesn't hurt as bad. It's sore, but not throbbing like the last one. I was glad I didn't have to get my tooth pulled, although, it is on the agenda for the next visit.

The last time I was there I was trying to talk the dentist out of yanking my tooth, because I'm a big chicken. I told him I needed time to prepare for it. Kinda like you need time to mentally prepare for having a child and he told me. "Well, we can't wait 9 months." Also, about that time a 8 year-old girl came out of one of the rooms and I could tell she had just had a tooth pulled. I felt pretty stupid, but I would still like to put it off as long as possible. I'm just not as brave as that 8 year-old girl.

School Starts in 1 1/2 Weeks!!!

YEEEEEEE HAW! I'm pretty darn excited. The Kirstenator goes to school ALL day this year. I'm going to actually have time to get stuff done. Last year was so crazy because I had to get her and Konman off to school, then rush to the office, sometimes being rude to my co-workers because I couldn't answer their questions or take time to talk, then rush to pick her up from school at 11:45(usually closer to noon), and then anything I hadn't gotten done that morning she would have to hang out with me while I worked. Lucky for me she is a good sport and can draw for hours happily. Needless to say, I always felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants and half-way to crazytown. So now I will have quite a bit of extra time and I'm so excited. I will be able to go to lunch with my friends and, just as exciting, I will be able to eat lunch by myself. I can't remember the last time I ate lunch by myself and by that I don't mean grabbing an apple on my way out the door. I hope I can use my time wisely.

Also, a big THANK YOU to my sister-in-laws. They have been a big help watching the kids this summer.

Letting My Imagination Get The Best Of Me

At 5:00 am this morning, Konman comes into our room and says that there is a boy knocking on our door asking for help and his name is Nicholas. Normally I would think he had been dreaming and send him back to bed. Except, for the fact that there is a boy named Nick who lives across the street from us. I make a point of trying to get to know the kids who live around us, so if they are in trouble they would feel comfortable coming to me. This has, also, come in handy because one time when some older kids took Konman's football at school and threw it over the fence, Nick went and got it for him and returned it to him when he got home from school. Anyway, Darktimber sends Konman back to bed and I tell him that maybe he should check it out because there is a boy across the street named Nick and if he was in trouble, there is a good chance he would come to our house. So he goes to check it out. I come downstairs and find him standing in his boxers with the front door open listening to something. He tells me that there is a van parked in the driveway next door and there are people inside it. I tell him that nobody has lived there for about 3 weeks. Then I go and make sure Konmans window is locked, because I am just sure that there are people outside who are want to take my son. I then convince Darktimber to call the police, because if someone took one of my children and my children tried to get help I hope that someone would help them. Well as the story goes, apparently, we have new neighbors with four small children. I'm willing to bet one of them is named Nick. There goes my first impression. I just don't understand why they were sleeping in there van on the floor, instead of on the floor inside their new apartment that has air conditioning. I guess you could say that my imagination was working overtime last night.

Feeling Better, Kinda

I'm definitely feeling better. Unfortunately they weren't able to finish, due to the fact that the anesthesia was wearing off and I could feel them filing away down by my jaw bone. It didn't hurt but I could still feel it and I kinda was grossed out. I guess they are going to complete it when I go in to get the right side of my mouth filled. That will be an extra fun day. Well I'm getting ready to go camping this weekend. I'd better get going. Hope you all have a good weekend.

A phrase I never thought I would utter...

I am relieved that I am getting a root canal done tomorrow.

I went to the dentist 2 weeks ago and got every tooth on my left hand side filled, except for the one they are going to pull. They told me my teeth would be sensitive and I would be in pain for a couple days. I was a little concerned when I was still hurting on Thursday and Friday. By Sat. and Sun. I was in major pain(motrin wasn't even touching the pain). I went to the dentist on Monday morning and sure enough I have an infection and need a root therapy(apparently that makes it sound more appealing), so they put me on antibiotics and had me switching off every 2 hours between 800 mg Motrin and Tylenol. The only problem as some of you might know I don't handle heavy medication very well. I have either been in a comatose state or major pain with about a 1/2 hour of foggy, but OK every 2 hours. I am anxious to be somewhat back to normal by Friday morning. Whooohooo!

WOW!!! It has been awhile!

It has been so long since I blogged that I forgot my sign-in and password. I must say I have missed blogging. I don't even know if anyone checks my blog anymore? If you do, you might shoot me a comment. I have been reading your blogs and have enjoyed keeping up on what you are up to.

Valentine's Day hints for 3 billion idiots

I stole this from an article in my local paper. I know a few people who could use this advice.

For all you clueless men out there, (meaning every man on Earth), tomorrow is a big day. That’s right. The Nuggets play Minnesota in a key Northwest Division match-up. It’s also Valentine’s Day. That means that you have less than 24 hours to go to the store and find that perfect gift for your special someone. And while you’re there, you should also get something for your wife. To help you along, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the Valentine’s Day do’s and don’ts, that hopefully will keep you from having to sleep on the couch tonight. Read these hints, learn from them, and successful romancing is guaranteed. Please note that neither the Grand Junction Free Press, nor I will be held liable for any conceptions that may occur. Let’s begin.

When you are competing with others to win someone’s heart:
CORRECT — Outclass the competition by lavishing your potential mate with generous gifts and displays of affection.
INCORRECT — Strap on a diaper, drive 900 miles and pepper spray your rival.

What you want your waiter to say before your Valentine’s dinner:
CORRECT — “I recommend this wonderful 1996 Chardonnay.”
INCORRECT — “That will be $6.57 at the first window.”

Valentine’s Day Email Message to your sweetheart:
CORRECT — “I feel so lucky to have you. Happy Valentine’s Day, and I love you.”
INCORRECT — “Don’t forget to pick up dog food on your way home.”

Future activities you have planned together:
CORRECT — Taking ballroom dancing lessons.
INCORRECT — Joining the bass fishing tournament circuit.

When shopping for that special Valentine’s Day present:
CORRECT — Jewelry store or a flower shop.
INCORRECT — The “Everything Under a Buck” store.

What you say to your wife after she opens your present:
CORRECT — “The salesman assured me that this necklace contains authentic 14-carat diamonds.”
INCORRECT — “The salesman assured me that this is the top-of-the line chainsaw.”

When preparing a special dinner for your sweetheart:
CORRECT — “Please enjoy this fondue appetizer as I put the finishing touches on the chicken cordon bleu.”
INCORRECT — “Do you know how long you’re supposed to microwave corndogs?”

Renting a romantic movie:
CORRECT — “Titanic” or “Sleepless in Seattle”
INCORRECT — “Lusty Librarians Part II”

Romantic music to play during dinner:
CORRECT — Frank Sinatra’s classic: “The way you look tonight”
INCORRECT — Rapper Akon’s hit: “Smack that.”

When giving your sweetheart a single red rose:
CORRECT — “I saw this in the flower shop window, and it reminded me of your beauty.”
INCORRECT — “I plucked this off of Jenny’s desk at work. I figured she already had 12, she won’t notice if one’s missing.”

Comments you make during Valentine’s dinner at your house:
CORRECT — “I thought it would be romantic if we dine by candlelight.”
INCORRECT — “Sorry. I forgot to pay the Xcel bill.”

Your response when your wife leaves for work, and says, (with a sparkle in her eye), “I can’t wait for tonight.”
CORRECT — “I’ll miss you all day long.”
INCORRECT — “I know! Tonight’s episode of Law & Order is NOT a repeat!”

Unique gift idea:
CORRECT — A trip to the spa
INCORRECT — TrimSpa

Message to write on the Valentine card that you mail:
CORRECT — “I’m sorry I cannot be there to deliver this to you in person, but know that my heart is with you now.”
INCORRECT — “I had to mail you a card, since that stupid judge says I’m not supposed to get within 500 feet of you.”

Pledges of Eternal Love:
CORRECT — “You’re the only woman for me.”
INCORRECT — “You’re the only woman for me...at least until Melissa’s divorce is final.”

Romantic Get-a-ways:
CORRECT — “I’ve booked us a cozy room at a charming Bed & Breakfast in Ouray.”
INCORRECT — “It’s usually against Motel 6 policy, but the front desk lady says we can rent the room by the hour.”

What to say to the host or maitre d’:
CORRECT — “My lovely companion and I request a quiet table for two.”
INCORRECT — “My old lady and I are hunkering for some grub.”

Self-Improvement Gift Idea for her:
CORRECT — Gift certificate to a beauty salon to get her hair and nails done.
INCORRECT — Gift certificate to a plastic surgeon to get implants.

What to say to her after your romantic dinner at home:
CORRECT — “I’m going to turn on some soft music. May I have this dance?”
INCORRECT — “You going to eat the rest of that corndog?”

Ways to surprise her at work:
CORRECT — Hire a barbershop quartet to sweetly serenade her with romantic classics.
INCORRECT — Have American Idol reject William Hung sing “She bangs.”

Compliments:
CORRECT — “You look absolutely stunning.”
INCORRECT — “You look absolutely stunning ... then again, I’m kind of drunk right now.”

What to say when renewing your wedding vows:
CORRECT — “I do.”
INCORRECT — “You’ll do.”

Remembering all of these hints may seem overwhelming, but guys, don’t worry. When it comes right down to it, women aren’t concerned about fancy gifts or extravagant Valentine’s day plans, they just want to know that you care. So as long as you just act like you care, you’ll be fine. As for me, I’ve spent days working on plans to ensure that my lovely bride has the perfect, most romantic evening possible. So if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going now.I think the corndogs are burning.

Reach Steve Beauregard beauregardsteve@hotmail.com.

American Idol!!!

American Idol has started and I'm so excited. I watched it last night and I'm watching it right now. I'm still amazed at the people who can't sing and they don't know it. Have they never recorded themselves singing and listened to it. Are their family members deaf. I'm not that good of a liar. If my children sounded as bad as some of these people, I'd have to ask them nicely not to sing in the house. Especially, if they were 23, living at home, and expected me to feed and cloth them until they made it big. McDonalds is always hiring. Now, if they brought me a McFlurry with M&M's home every day after they got off work, we could maybe work something out.

Couple of Things

Konman has started bringing friends over to play with. It is such a weird, but cool thing. It's fun to watch these boys interact as they hang out and just play. The weird thing is that I finally met one of the boy's mothers after taking him to church with us. She let him go to church with us and he gets into the car and I ask him if I should call his Mom and talk to her and he doesn't know his phone number. This boy's mom is a single parent and he is the sweetest and nicest boy. The other boy's mother I have never met and when I took his coat to his house one night the 15 year-old sister answers the door. I called and told them I was coming over. If I was the Mom I would've met me at the door and introduced myself. One afternoon he was over here and the boys were on the computer. I heard music playing and I thought I should go check it out. This 9 year-old boy has a MYSpace page that says he likes hot girls. WHAT! I promptly told them that MYSpace if off limits. This boy isn't so sweet(He called Konrad a butthole and jerk on the bus) and he's not my favorite.

I knew I'd have to deal with some of this stuff eventually. It just seems so soon.