Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter, or so we are told!


   Well Easter is upon us once more. Which for many, means Easter dinner with family and friends. For the rest of us, it means, screaming children wired on sugar and candies. It means over $100 worth of candy gone in 60 seconds. It means the cleaning of messes made by kids wound up on at least a pound sugar, that is contained in all the Easter goodies. It also means, that as the adults, we are responsible for getting dinner ready, cleaning up all the messes, and keeping all the kids wrangled up into one area, just to keep things sort of in control. Well, we all know the reality that is truly Easter.
   Luckily for us, today we will be going to a relatives house. So the cooking, the mess, and all the chaos, will be at someone else's house. Which means to us, that we can relax a little bit, and leave the hard work to someone else this year. It also means we can leave when we want to. So when things get to the point when there is too much craziness, we can pack up the troops and head back to home base. Well, at least for Brook and the kids it does. As for me, I have the joy of working on Easter Sunday. So, I don't get to enjoy all the moments and good food. But it also means I don't have to deal with screaming kids, or cranky old people. Now I am sure that it will be a good Easter. But then again, every Easter is supposed to be a "good" Easter, but we all know how it usually turns out. I guess I will have to make it up to Brook tonight with a bubble bath and maybe a foot rub, as she will be the one who has to deal with everything today. Its funny, how I am the man of the house and family, but Brook is definitely the backbone. She deals with and handles more of the family matters than I do. She is half my size, but she definitely takes on more of the responsibilities and chores around the house and family. Like they say, "Behind every man....", and Brook is most assuredly a great woman.
   So, on this warm and sunny Easter day, I wish to thank Brook, for being the great mother, wife, and friend that she has always been to me and the kids. Maybe instead of remembering the religious aspects of Easter, we should all thank our mothers, and our wives, for being so strong and keeping us alive and happy. I say that, as 90 % of the time, it is our wives and mothers who arrange and manage the Easter festivities, not to mention all the things they do at every holiday, all year long. I suppose if it weren't for them, Easter would just be another Sunday.
So, from our family to yours, we would like to wish you all a HAPPY EASTER! And now its time to raid the kids' Easter baskets, and see what the Easter Bunny has left for us.

Friday, April 2, 2010

So many things, so little time!

   Well, what a busy few weeks this has been. Since the accident, the insurance company totaled our car out, since the cost of repairs was greater than the value of the car. So, we got a new car, which both Brook and I agreed on. I wont tell you what it is yet, but lets just say it does satisfy my midlife crisis, and it most definitely appeals to Brook. We will post a few pics soon, on another posting about the car itself. It is a great car, but we decided to do some custom work to it over the summer, so we are going to post the whole process from beginning to end. Being an artist, I love to, well, do artistic things. One of my many passions is customizing cars, especially the interiors. So we will have the project on here in due time.
   On another note, Brook and I started working new jobs. We had the fortunate opportunity to work together, so this should be fun. We wont be directly working side by side, but we are working for the same company. The economy has got things so screwed up, that we had to settle for the work we have, and put off the things we wanted to do for the time being. But like most parents, we feel we have to do, what we have to do, to make sure there is food on the table, and a roof over our heads. Our oldest, Joshua, is getting ready to switch schools, since he is living with us now. So we are home schooling him for the rest of the school year, because the school system out here is a pain in the ass, and wont switch schools until the next school year, since it is so late into this year. So, our only option was to home school til next year. Josh, has also started to learn another musical instrument, the acoustic guitar. He already plays the saxophone, drums, piano, and a few others. I think hes up to 7 different instruments now. He is great at art, so I assumed since I was an artist, that he would be one also. But it seems that his artistic talent is going to be in music, which I don't mind at all. As long as he becomes famous and takes care of daddy, lol. I told him, when he does, I don't want a mansion, just a 4  bed room house is fine, lol. Oh, and don't forget the 2010 or newer Chevy Camaro.
   Of course Easter is upon us as well. Which means the last minute scrabble to the wonderful world of Walmart, to stock up on processed sugars and suicidal amounts of chocolates. I think once a child hits a certain age, say the age when they realize the Easter Bunny isn't real, they shouldn't get Easter baskets any longer. Because damn it, candy gets more and more expensive every year. We remember when we were kids, you could get a huge chocolate bunny in a box, say a 12 inch one, for a dollar and some change. Now, you barely get a 6 inch bunny for 4 dollars. I suppose the war is to blame, or health care costs, as that seems to be the excuse for the rising prices on everything else. And of course Easter also means, Spring Break. A whole weeks of couped up kids cracked out on candy and chocolate.. Its funny, the older I get, and the more I go through stuff with the kids, the more I feel sorry for my mom. Now I know how she felt all those years of raising us. But with all the crazy things that go on, and hair pulling, and high blood pressure. There is also a lot of happiness. The joy of spending time with family, and doing things with the kids, and just plain bonding. We find its always a good idea to point out the good things that come from all the stress and preparing, not to mention all the running around. The good times spent with family makes it all worth it.
   So things have gotten better, and the fog looks like it is finally lifting off our heads. Spring is here, and that means, new life, fresh air, beautiful sunshine and warmth. When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Then the kids drink it all up on you, and then you have to drive to the store just to get a drink. I wonder if you can get that Tropicana with vodka in it.