I can see clearly now the rain is gone...


On a last minute whim I decided to get a new pair of glasses. I have been wearing my 6 year old Kate Spades, lovely but all scratched up and too loose for my face. I've been punishing myself for losing my Armani glasses that I adored back in December. Followed by the loss of my Burberry sunglasses just a month ago. Being on a budget means I'll have to do without my designer frames for a while. Unless you have a vision plan and a health account! So I walked into Pearl Vision and took a peek around. Truth be told I wasn't wild on the budget frames. And they weren't that inexpensive... so I perused, staying far away from Armani, Chanel and the like, but stopping for a moment to take a look at Kate... nice, very nice... I would say they were moderately priced, but with a vision plan the lenses were free, and I could charge the glasses to the health account which, for all intents and purposes, means they are free ;)



Of course I did manage to find the same pairs on the Internet for about $100 less, but I figure that then I would have had to pay for the Rx, and in the end I would have ended up paying the same amount. (When we renew our health care account I will replace my nice sunglasses!) I love my glasses... and now that I can see, I can see what a pit my house has become. I can see all the dirt and crumbs and dust on the floor... and the grub and grime on the kitchen counters... all the work I have to do before we pack up and go. Luckily I am all packed... for the most part. I don't even make lists anymore. I put a suitcase in each kid's room and fill it. If I have too much so be it. We're not flying so I won't have to pay any overages. Only, I forgot to pack shoes for everyone and sweaters for me. Normally I won't sweat that stuff so much as we'll hit the outlets with a vengeance, but that's not going to happen this year. So I have a list of everything I forgot! I should be cleaning but what's the point in doing it now when I have 2 kids and soon to be 3 kids at home to wreck it all up. I'll save the cleaning for evening.


I just did my last load of laundry before we leave. Do you know I keep a Ziplock bag with all the stuff that comes out of my kids' pockets? I would say 98% of the items found came from Christopher's... The fact that I kept track is strange... the fact that I actually took a picture to show you is even stranger! But hey, I gotta keep it real!





All these items were found within the past 2 - 3 months... perhaps I should learn to empty pockets!


3 quarters

1 nickel

1 piece of green crayon (yikes!)

1 piece of orange crayon (double yikes!)

1 piece of dark blue crayon (triple yikes!)

1 One dollar bill

1 game piece from Life (small white car)

1 charm for Crocs

1 white Lego

1 necklace

1 purple eraser

2 pencils

1 yellow feather (off in the corner)

1 shell

1 rope bracelet (came out nice and clean!)

1 screw

1 rock

1 soccer pin

and

1 cell phone!!!!!!

And a big thank you, again, to all of you who are so supportive and have such kind words... I was honestly a bit nervous as to how you would react to the harshness and brashness of my language in a recent post. When I showed it to my husband he thought it was well written but though the language to be harsh and excessive. And while I saw his point of view, I was not only retelling my story (in which such words were muttered under my breath over and over again) but retelling it realistically. I am a writer by nature so I was expressing myself in my creative manner. I thought the words, for that particular post to be appropriate. I was glad that no one objected and was glad when many of you fessed up (in my comments and through email and Facebook) that you were glad that I used that language. And of course I didn't mind you all laughing at me and with me. That was my intent. I see myself realistically, traits, faults and all. And sometimes I have to poke fun at myself. I need to be honest with myself and I will not paint a portrait to you all that does not reflect me as I am in an honest manner.


Many of my posts are about new shoes and clothes, and glasses and cars and such. At quick glance I may come off as a spoiled kid who has everything. But that is not the case. Not at all. And while I do appreciate the finer things in life and have desires, I do not spoil myself. I do not take any of my material possessions for granted. I truly appreciate each and everything I have, whether it come from Target of Saks Fifth Avenue. I have faults and weaknesses. I am often envious of many of those around me. But I know just what I do have and am eternally grateful. Times might be a bit tight for the time being, but I still have so incredibly much... I have my wonderful friends and family, I have my sense of humor, I have a wonderful home -- and one day it will be the way I envision it... I have all the wonderful sights and attractions of Connecticut and New England in my back yard. I really do have it all. And now, I have you all... your funny and supportive comments. Thank you for helping me to keep it real...

Now I have an incredibly messy car to go vacuum out... a result of letting my youngest eat a flaky cinnamon stick while I quickly ran into the Opticians to pick up my new glasses. It's what I get for not wanting to drag the kids in. It's what I get for being lazy... It's what I get for being (once again) to see clearly!