Flame Fest 2013

If you are a FFW and you have not taken a look at your calendar to see if you are available, see what you can do.  Flame Fest, the first national gathering sponsored by Firefighterwife.com, is coming up quickly, July will be here before we know it, even though it seems as though summer will never make it.  

Atlanta is a perfect place for us to get together.  

It is an opportunity to put faces with the names you see on Facebook, to hear the laugh that goes along with the LOL on your post and to bond with women who get the world you live in. Your FF can stay home and hold down the fort of you can bring him along, there is a mix of both.  Mine - sorry, he's staying hope with the muppets and horses.  We'll see how much laundry and dirty dishes are piled to the ceiling for me when I get back!  I am heading down with Fire Wife Elly and hoping to talk another of my FFW friends into joining us.  We'd love to see you there!!


I won't bore you with the regurgitation of events, you can take a look at them.  Dating Divas, a look into the lives our FFs live, with some frank discussions.  There are exciting things happening!  My kids are jealous that I will get to see the Pink Heals Truck, so I will have to be certain that I take enough pictures to keep them happy. 

Take a look at your schedules, see if you can juggle any dates.  Lord knows we bounce a ton of stuff around to accommodate the schedule of a firefighter, maybe yours would be willing to bounce some stuff around for you!  If you have any questions, let me know.  If I don't know the answers, I am certain I can find them out!

Happy Friday!  D's birthday party is tomorrow, welcome to craziness!  I'll chat with you all next week!

I am a Junkie.

Not something that I am  proud of and definitely something that I need to keep in check.  When I was in college it took over my life.  Too the point where stopping cold turkey nearly knocked me out of my socks.  

And now I am back at it.  

He has been there through it all.

I am an exercise junkie.  To the point where it is literally safer for me to not exercise.  In college, my daily routine was an hour on the stepper before my 8:00, run the six mile block in the middle of the country that our campus was on in the afternoon before choir, an hour on the stepper after dinner and another 45 minutes before bed if it was a stressful day.  At one point I weighed 89# and was sicker than a dog - all the time.

But, the endorphin rush was insane.  I couldn't get enough. Finally one of the coaches pulled me aside and said enough.  And I had to stop.  Soccer helped relieve the stress, but it was never the same.  

This past January, we joined a local gym.  There were some strings attached, I could only go with him.  I was not allowed to go alone and I was not allowed to stay longer than it took him to do his workout. The first day, I did the circuit and it felt good.  And instantly I was back on the bike.  45 minutes, level 7 hills...on my first day back in YEARS. And it was GREAT.  Then I broke my ankle...and it sent me into a bit of a depression.  I have been begging my physical therapist to let me do SOMETHING! 

Today was my day...mind you, just a recumbent bike, but it was amazing.  Ten weeks later I am doing 40 minutes on the hills - only level 3, targeting 100 RPM.  Until my FF came over and hit the cool down button.  If looks could kill... He was watching me from the treadmill a few rows back, watching to make sure I did not bump up the levels after he yelled at me for already doing hills.  (Truth be told, I started on Level 1 "fat burner" program...and it wasn't enough.  It kept lowering the resistance when I went above my target heart rate. I bumped it up within 2 or 3 minutes.  I needed the rush.)

But he was right to do so.  I know that, I get that.  We got some lunch and I admitted to him that I could go back again tonight.   He looked at me and said, "You're HIGH!  Your  pupils!  Oh, my, g-d, you're freakin' high.  I can see it."  And he's right. I was high.  Runner's High is very real.  

My name is Trina. I am a wife, a mother, a teacher, a woman and I am a junkie.

 
And I am sitting here trying to figure out how to talk him into going back with me for another round after the kids go to bed.  I am working on my negotiating items.  And, at the very same time, I am working on not negotiating at all.  I really am.  I am working on self restraint.  Tomorrow is another day and tomorrow he will go with me again.  But, I want to go now...

Luckily for me, my FF was there when I was younger, he saw how I get and he knows that exercise is my drug.  It it not something I have to hide or be ashamed of.  It is just part of me.  Everything in moderation, I know that.  But...it is a drug for me and it is calling my name.  I am blessed to have him in my life. 

I can move up to the elliptical soon...  

American Girl Furniture on a Firefighter's Salary...Part 2

So...I get an idea in my head and I head off to Pinterest.  Pinterest is my friend and my enemy.  It gets me in trouble because I never do anything half way.  I posted about the bed I made for D's doll Megara earlier this week.  I was sooooo proud of how it turned out.  But, I never do anything half way.  Clearly, Meg girl needs a place for her clothes in her bedroom, so I decided to get her an armoire as well.  Originally I found an ad on Craigslist that included an armoire, some clothes,  a horse, another doll (that I would have given to O), a beauty chair, a tent...for like $40.  SCORE!!  Until the hubby I had been chatting with, emailed me on the day we were supposed to meet to tell me his wife had promised them to someone else.  Ah well.  On to Pinterest I go. 

I found several to buy, again, too expensive for the cheap materials they were made from. But, there was one that jumped out at me.  A blog called Gold Shoe Girl had a post on taking a jewelry box from Goodwill and redoing it.  PERFECT.  So much easier than starting from scratch.  I found one on Craigslist  and got it for $5...again perfect.  

Being my usual impatient self, I started tearing the insides of my jewelry box before I took a picture.  So, here is the closest thing to a before picture I have for you.  I was seeking opinion on proportions.  And yes, we decided to enlarge the armoire for proportion sake - and so Meg has somewhere to store her boots.  

And so I started taking out all of that velvet lining...
it took a putty knife, some acetone and a lot of patience. 

After that, of course comes the fun part of removing all the teeny-tiny little hardware bits and pieces.  Baby food jars are still around and come in handy for just that purpose.  I even got to the screws that hold in the necklace holder.  One of those times I am grateful to have suck small hands.  Some pliers were needed to break the glue on the knobs for two of the drawers, but all came off in the end.

From there it was the messy job of sanding the finish off the jewelry box.  It looked like a dye pack went off in a failed bank heist!  Aye.  All over my hands and my jeans and... I was oh so careful not to touch my face. It was everywhere!

As the afternoon continued, the mirror covered in painters tape and the pieces all stripped of hardware and roughed up to prepare for painting.  Unfortunately my spray paint can did not last.  And with life getting in the way and oh yeah, D coming home from school, it has to wait.  Saturday is packed FULL, Sunday is Mother's Day...so maybe Monday we can get back to this.  My hubby has already developed his plans for adding height and storage for Megara's Uggs!  The wood and finials have been purchased, we should be good to go next week.  

Here is where we are...

Sand and paint the drawers in my make-shift spray box.

Doors hanging in between coats

I am going to mod podge some
scrapbook paper into the doored areas.

Kind of put together...impatience on my hubby's
part caused a drawer to be dropped...
and I am still out of spray paint.

So, from here we are going to add the addition, add the scrapbook paper that matches the bedding to the closet and drawer areas.  I haven't decided what I am doing with the glass for the doors yet.  We'll see.  Hopefully Monday we'll get it all put together.  Tomorrow, I am hoping to use my Mother's Day "card" to get dirt and river rock into the front yard landscaping that is kind of at a stand still.  But, that my friends, is definitely a post for another day.

Send love to the mother in your life, let her know you are thinking of her.  All you FFs with mothers at home who hold back the hair of your puking girls, go to school functions alone and generally hold down the family fort alone for a third of their lives, let them know that you couldn't do it without them.  

Happy Saturday, be safe and come home to your people. 

Study Time on the Compound

Our neighbors are an integral part of our lives.  We do so much together, it is almost an extension of our own family.  We jokingly call ourselves "The Compound" and often do things as a compound. We go to the same parish, we usually do our grocery shopping together, eat meals and snacks together.  And it is amazing how close our families have become in a year.

This includes study time.  Here is homework time on the Compound:

Take some time to enjoy these little moments - they can be gone in an instant.  Enjoy those muppets, love your FF and enjoy your weekend.

It's Almost Friday

I know I promised to have the armoire today, but the muppets did not cooperate last night.  I am hoping today that I might have a chance to get to it, but we'll see.  

Instead, I have happy, almost Friday pictures of O from the other day.

I looked out the window and saw pure happiness...and all she had were some dandelions, chalk and a yellow chair.

I dare you not to smile...

American Girl on a Firefighter's Salary - Part 1

Poor Tink, she's doesn't know she's about to
be ditched for Megara!

Our oldest daughter got an 18 inch doll for Christmas.  A tradition that we have it to open a present before bed on Christmas Eve that always has pajamas in it - makes for good pictures on Christmas morning to have PJs where the tops and bottoms actually match.  D, also got a matching doll dress, which she assumed was for her 18" Tinkerbell.  Kinda big on her, but she was happy to have a matching set of PJs not matter what.  Luckily for her, Christmas morning she had an 18 inch doll waiting under the tree for her.  

I will be so glad when she gets out of
the squinty eye/squished nose phase!

Folded neatly, as we speak.
Time for summer PJs...

They two have been inseparable since.  Now, her doll is not an American Girl, it was Kohl's Dollie and Me version that I got for fifteen bucks on Black Friday because I am just not going to put that much money into a doll for a 6 year-old.  So sorry.  She does not know the difference and was just thrilled to have an American Girl like her friends at school.  Megara is just perfect for her!

Patiently waiting for D
 to come home

Lately, she has been very particular about tucking her into her sleeping bag right next to her.  We had a plastic baby doll bed that bit the dust and I thought it was time that I started looking for a bed for her girl.



And that was a bad case of sticker shock!  

HOLY WOW!  Who is going to pay that for poorly constructed knock-off furniture??  Clearly lots of people, but not this girl!  There are handmade beds available from John Q. Public, much better quality, but still $75+.  Still not paying that for a 7 year-old's birthday present!  

So I hit Pinterest, where else, to find some inspiration.  My first thought was My Froggy Stuff - find her on YouTube.  She does AMAZING things with hot glue, duct tape and card board.  I used some of her tutorials for Barbie pieces, but they did not withstand the wrath of babyzilla.  She maybe 5, she is still rough on toys.  Then I moved on to DIYs for wooden beds.  This was my first thought - super easy to do, based on the AG Farmhouse bed.  I kept looking until I found this one and fell in love.  I was not a fan of the balls and thought that the cross beams were a bit bulky, so there were some modifications.

It took 24 hours from start to finish.  The wood cost $20 - including the finials and decorative piece , the spray paint was $3.50, the fabric was on sale for $5 for a yard and the 2" chair pad that I used for mattress was $4.50 with my 40% off coupon.  $33 is not too shabby in my estimation.  Especially if you look at the version that $45 buys you in the stores. 

Finials instead of those monster balls on the original example.

For the Headboard - it is all in the details.

By the way, you can still get high from the fumes in the basement!  Spray paint - WHOA!  

Thanks to Elly @firewifeelly for the
suggestion to use some of the sheer
curtains I have laying around...

This is where last night left off.  Definitely looking like a bed!

Finials

Finished product!
My no-sew mattress and pillows - I'm still terrified of sewing
my fingers together!

Headboard.

So, that leaves me having to figure out how to make bedding - without sewing it.  I am also picking up a jewelry box from Craigslist to turn into an armoire for Megara.  Again, $60 is not worth it for us.  

WORST part of all of this - I have to wait ELEVEN DAYS to see her reaction!  I am going to sneak them into her bedroom before I go to bed, so that when she wakes up on her birthday they will be waiting for her.  And, I have to figure out where to stash this beast...I've kept her out of the back of basement (the path to the "library" goes through Daddy's workbench area.

Happy Wednesday.  My FF is on shift, keep his safety in his thoughts, as well as that of the Wayne-Westland FF family who lost their FF today.  Our prayers are with you as you find peace .

What Happens When Momma Can't Check

I have been out of service for a couple of months.  I have been unable to do the stairs, carry anything (crutches get in the way of that) and so my FF has been left with enforcing the clean up zone.  After my blissful ignorance of my muppet's ability to step up and pitch in totally wore off, I bumped my butt down the stairs to the laundry room. To my shock there were probably 12-15 loads of laundry stacked as high as my shoulders.  My bunker was in shambles - food on the wrong shelves, on the floor, bags of chips that were popped open and now were snacks for Bear who accompanied me.  I could throw a fit, or guilt the heck out of my FF and kids or just take care of it.  I am neither as saintly nor as petty as any of that, so I did a combination of all three.

You would think that would give me a clue about what would be occurring on floor above me, but assurance of my people and that same blissful ignorance, led me to believe that things were getting taken care of, as everyone assured me (including my FF).

Yesterday, after tears from D when I asked her to quickly help her sister clean up their room and some quick math helped em notice I was missing several laundry baskets, I decided to head up there Thursday night.

Big mistake.

I took up the last two baskets of laundry in my house - nicely separated between the girls - and my head split open and a monster crawled out.  I think I started speaking in tongues and my people became very quiet.

Now, I know that this is not the first time I have fussed about this. I did it here. But, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  I have all the laundry put away and the last load is in the dryer as we speak.  Let me preface these pictures by saying that I asked the boys to help out the girls thinking that it would take less time.  So, there are no blameless parties.  I will also say that the FF could have taken my role and gone up there to play mommy and do it himself.  But, I need to remind myself that he is not a mommy and doesn't look at things the same way.


So, here are the images of what I saw when I got up there.

This was when they realized I was ACTUALLY
coming up to check - for the first time in 8 weeks!

There are the two baskets I brought up.  Those drawers - contained
socks, undies, garbage...you name it.  And a glass on the vanity?
Hmmm, drinks are allowed upstairs??

There are the 5 baskets of laundry we are not discussing.
Notice the lack of curtain, yeah, it is the purple mass up on top
of the dresser in the previous picture.

Why, yes, that is a Brewers cup of Daddy's up in the girls' shoe box.
PS - there were undies in here, too.

I have NO clue where she slept...
or if her sister could actually pull out her bed.

I was LIVID when I got up there.  They worked silently because I had instilled the fear of Momma in them.  They worked until they went to bed.  Friday I did not do much, but sent them up there to "work" on their room.  Not much got accomplished.  I guilted Daddy into it on Saturday, but he was too overwhelmed and quickly called me in. 

We are now 27 hours into a clean bedroom.  It has survived a night and day of weekend play.  I found one sock stuffed where it did not belong, but quickly redirected O on that one.  Here is what their bedroom is supposed to look like.  Not quite Momma clean, but Momma is okay with this...

Giovanni was so worried that I had gotten into
the black hole of my girls' room that he braved
the scary stairs to keep my company. #tripawedpower

Not only can you see the floor, but I also found their beds!

Lots of room on the shelves for toys, when they are organized.

Not sure where Daddy was laying out their clothes all this time,
but I got them set out with room to spare.

Clothes are organized - tutus to the left, the boy costumes,
princess dresses and real dress-up/church clothes.
Oh yeah, and you can see their dresser tops.